August EP650 Wireless Stereo Headphones

December 14, 2014 Update It's been about six months since I purchased these headphones & I STILL love'em!! It's now becoming winter in Buffalo so I've encountered one drawback. That's that the overall size of these are too big for any of my hats to fit over when I wear them "normally". I've found though that I can invert the 'phones with the crossbar under my chin & that works better. Obviously, they don't feel as stable this way but it beats the pee-dog-pooey out of earbuds. Otherwise, I haven't noticed any degradation in sound quality at all. I've been slowly converting my vinyl collection over to digital and, in listening to stuff I haven't heard in decades, I'm hearing parts I've never heard before. Even songs I thought I knew like the back of my hand. It's just amazing. Battery life seems to be eternal. I'm not walking for as long a time as usual, of course. The recent ice & snow make walking more than just a little dangerous, especially for someone who has already broken his leg twice in four different places. But, my point is, I can't remember the last time I placed these on the charger. I use them quite often to watch movies or listen to music on my PC with the 3.5 mm cord, which doesn't drain the batteries, but they don't seem to bleed off the charge either. That's amazing to me. There are no signs of anything coming loose or disconnected as I saw a few others mention. Again, I probably don't use mine as much as others might--Maybe 1-2 hours daily. They still feel as solid as when I first took them out of the box. I still have a little difficulty with the controls, though. Sometimes they work flawlessly. Other times I just resort to using my phone for the controller. All in all, the positives far outweigh the minor negatives. Still a great value for great performance. These would be the perfect gift for anyone who really enjoys their A/V collection! Happy Holidays to all!!! ----- August 24, 2014 Update I've had these for over two months. I think I promised an update in my initial review so here it is: Every single day that goes by I'm still so happy I bought these headphones! I'm currently on vacation in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas visiting my brother who is battling colon cancer. My headphones made the long trip down far beyond simply bearable. I'm still astonished at the sound quality. I listen to an eclectic mix of music. Godsmack to Mannheim Steamroller to John Prine to Metallica to Dan Fogelberg to Herb Alpert to Spyro Gyra to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. My normal "reference" system is my PC which is equipped with an M-Audio Audiophile 2496 card and my Klipsch ProMedia 4.1 400 watt multimedia speaker system. After over 15 years the surrounds on the sub speakers bit the dust and I have not had the time to repair them. The August headphones have very nicely bridged the void. On "So Far Away" from Alan Parsons' "On Air" album I can hear perfectly all 4 voices of Christopher Cross' harmonies just as if I were listening to the ProMedia. Ditto Chip Davis' delicate high hat in the more intense passages of "Toccata" on "Fresh Aire III" and the "ch" sound of Lars Ulrich's electronic kick drum at the beginning of Metallica's "One" It's like every time I listen to any song I haven't heard in a while I hear stuff I haven't heard in years. We did a straight up comparison with my August phones and my brother's Bose corded headphones his wife got last year for half price for $99. It wasn't just me. He agreed that my headphones sounded far better than his. Midrange was more defined, bass was tighter & fuller, highs more clear & crisp.(I'm writing this on my S4 so I'll enter the Bose model # later) A charge seems to last forever....or far longer than my phone at the very least. My only complaints remain about the track and volume controls on the headset. Even after 2+ months I still struggle with them. Granted I've been Type I diabetic for 37 years & my fingertips have lost a lot of sensation but you'd think over time I could adjust but so far I'm still having problems. Minor issues though when compared to the positives. Don't know what else I can say to encourage you to try this product. I absolutely love it! No regrets whatsoever. I'd buy'em again in a heartbeat. ____________________ First off, one of the main selling points for me is the EP650's option of either wired or wireless operation. Since I do not have BT on my desktop PC, it's so nice to be able to just plug in a 3.5 mm cable. Product was very well packaged. Headphones come in a real box-not the impenetrable plastic bubble that is the bane of my existence. Product has a real manual, as well. The EP650 have a nice, solid feel to them. Yes, they're made of plastic but they feel solidly built. When I unfolded them they clicked resolutely into position. An honest to goodness *click*. I was worried when I saw the size & shape of the speakers because I have pretty big ears. I was pleased when they completely covered my ears, and did so comfortably. They are very nicely padded and they almost feel weightless. I had tried (& returned) a pair of Creative WP350 BT. They just never felt "right". One, they're "on-ear" where the EP650 covers the ear. I also had to hold my head in a particular position otherwise the signal cut out. The August model feels really comfortable. They felt great from the get-go. The August headphones do get a little warm on the ears on hot days but it's a minor annoyance for me. I usually wear them for one to two hours every day and only on the hottest days have they been uncomfortable. I had no issues connecting up to the EP650 with my Galaxy S4. I have my player set to continue on Bluetooth connection so it's just power up & go. Very convenient. I've used the 3.5 mm cable on my Sony Bravia TV, too. There's no volume adjustment but it serves its purpose. The controls are a little disappointing although they work very well once you press them The main Power/Play/Pause/Source button has an indentation but neither the volume nor the track buttons have any distinguishing marks on them to aid your fingers. I have to fumble around a bit to achieve the desired result. I don't remember "noise cancelling" being listed as a feature but the August model definitely has that benefit. I noticed a good -10 dB drop in ambient sound when I put them on with no output. I was really surprised. Medium volume is plenty even while mowing the lawn. The sound quality is amazing. I listen to many different genres of music and have some favorites I use to test my equipment. With the EQ set flat, the EP650 is pretty balanced though a little heavy on the low end. I personally prefer that while some "purists" may not. In my normal setting I am able to hear all the key voices & instruments in all my test songs along with one or two I actually hadn't heard in a very long time. Battery life has been stellar after a couple weeks of owning the EP650. The initial charge took about 3 hours. I have often charged the headphones with an AC-USB adapter from another device with no issues. The built-in mic is a godsend, too. Every call I have made or received has been clear and the person on the other end could hear me perfectly. I don't game online so I cannot comment on that performance. So far, the EP650 has handled easily every single thing I have thrown at it music-wise & physically. I have dropped it a couple of times but it seems to be no worse for the wear. I'm very happy with the EP650 & recommend it to anyone who wants a good quality product that over-delivers for the price.