There are some people who feel uncomfortable with in-ear earphones and prefer on-the-year headphones that don’t make you uncomfortable by being too close for comfort. The Noise Pure Pods are intended for those who like the comfort of passive audio, something that doesn’t feel like it is literally inside your head. The Noise Pure Pods introduces the concept of open wireless stereo to the Indian market, but does it really make a difference to users?
The Noise Pure Pods have an interesting design — it comes with a loop that goes around your ear lobes and places the stereo pods in front of your ear canal. The stereo uses AirWave Technology which uses air conduction via its 16mm Neodymium Dynamic Drivers to make you hear the music — and I thought all speakers used air conduction in a way. But in simple terms, these are like small speakers in front of each ear and don’t touch your skull like in bone conduction headphones. The loop is comfortable for long-term use. If you are up to something more active, the fins can be replaced by a neckband that connects both the pods.
The charging case is a bit large to store the fins, and they just about squeeze into the coin pocket of your denim. I liked how the pods go into pairing mode as soon as you take them out of the case and connect seamlessly to your phone. On the pods, you have touch controls to do everything from changing tracks to adjusting volume. But you will need to take some time to remember how many taps are needed for each of these and on which sides.
I was a bit sceptical at first on how this is going to work. In fact, trying the Noise Pure Pods in my living room, I was pleasantly surprised. They sound good and relaxing without being inside your ears. I could hear the silken voice of Jagjit Singh singing Pyaar ka pehla khat as if he was in the room, a bit mild but very clear. And I could make out the highs and lows in most compositions clearly, even the twang of the guitar in the Sultans of Swing. No problems there.
But I could also hear a lot of other stuff happening in the room — the hum of the air purifier, children playing basketball five floors below and activities in my open kitchen. This is no noise-cancelling earphones, it can’t be.
But this is when I decided to take the Pure Pods for a walk in the park. Here I could clearly make out the compromise you have to make while using an innovation like this. Outdoors, the Noise Pure Pods feel a bit weak and you feel frustrated that the volume can’t go up anymore. Listening to my favourite podcast Empire, I was struggling to hear William Dalrymple and Anita Anand with all of East Delhi trying to make its presence felt. Even in my quieter Noida locality, it was hard as some noise or the other interrupted the listening experience.
So it is better to use the Noise Pure Pods indoors and ideally when you have to wear it for long hours, going over Zoom calls at work or listening to music after office. In this controlled environment the open wireless stereo concept makes more sense. Yes, the Pure Pods feel quite easy on your ears and are not tiring in the long run.
Also, the battery can last a week with regular usage throughout the day and it charges back to full quite quickly. The IPX5 rating means it can handle sweat and light rain well and the design ensures there are no open areas that can be damaged by water.
It will be hard to make people used to silicone tips, that keep the noise out and your music inside your ears, shift to this innovation. But everyone who has been looking for an open option that does is not confined inside your ears can consider the Noise Pure Pods. At just Rs 2,999 it is a good audio option to have around you.
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
First published on: 26-12-2023 at 12:00 IST
