The search for an upgrade in earphones can often lead us all down a confusing and expensive path. I have tried many offerings from various companies in my quest for audio perfection, whilst trying to limit the size of the dent in my wallet. I have been particularly impressed with how far things appear to have come in the wireless earphones department, especially in terms of audio quality.
As luck would have it, Novero were kind enough to send us their RockAway wireless earphones so we could give them a ‘once-over’.
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Relying on Bluetooth 2.1 EDR, the RockAway’s were so simple to pair with my iPhone 5, I didn’t even need to consult the instruction manual.
The flat ribbon cable connecting the two earpieces also acts as a neckband whist making sure I never need to worry about the dreaded spaghetti-style tangles that often occur with wired earphones.
The inline controls are pretty rudimentary and provide enough functionality for every individual -from audiophile to commuter.
Charging the internal battery is performed through the microUSB port hidden inside one of the earpieces and, once fully charged, gave me an average of 5.5-7.5 hours of usage – up to two hours more than stated by Novero.
In terms of comfortability, the silicon earbuds definitely left something to be desired. I used the XL-sized buds and still found that my particularly small ears had a little trouble holding the earpieces in place. I had to slightly wedge them into my ear canal to get the desired effect.
With regards to sound – great. The earphones delivered fantastic mid-range whilst keeping clear highs. However, the lows lacked the clarity that are often delivered by wired counterparts. The passive noise-isolation was brilliant. I had no problems talking with my fiancé during a phone call and had she had no problems hearing me. The sound of my feet on the ground as I pounded round my local streets were as if I was running on the cloud-tops. So exercise is no issue.
All in all, the Novero RockAway’s are some of the best all-round Bluetooth earphones I have come across and are definitely worth the fairly low price tag of £55 from the UK Apple store or €79 ( $102 ) from Novero directly.
FSM Rating: 8/10
