120 MACWORLD MARCH 2020
PLAYLIST REVIEW: AUDEARA A-01independently, letting you maximize
battery life. With ANC only—and using the
3.5mm input—the battery is specified to
last up to 65 hours. If you also activate
Bluetooth and the Audeara EQ by turning
on the main power, the battery should last
up to 35 hours. Turning off ANC while
keeping the main power on increases the
battery life up to 45 hours.
The included charging cable plugs into
a microUSB port at the bottom of the right
earcup. It takes about six hours to fully
charge the battery from a completely
drained state.
Another cool feature is Audeara’s
optional BT-01 Bluetooth transceiver ($99,
or $40 if you buy it with the A-01). This little
gizmo accepts audio from an optical
TosLink cable or analog 3.5mm cable and
transmits the signal to the A-01 via
Bluetooth. It also comes with an adaptor
with two RCA plugs on one end and a
3.5mm connector on the other end for
devices with RCA outputs. It’s great for
people who want to listen to their TV or
older stereo wirelessly on the
headphones.
In addition, the BT-01 can work in the
opposite direction—it can accept audio via
Bluetooth and send it to non-Bluetooth
gear via digital-optical or analog cables
from its outputs. Very cool!
The headphone
feels very sturdy
and substantial,
though the
extenders that pull
out of the
headband feel
somewhat rough in
their movement. In
addition, it’s a bit
small for my
admittedly large
head. I had to use
the maximum
extension of the
headband, and the
earcups felt pretty
tightly squeezedThe hearing test consists of setting the barely audible level of repeating
beeps at each frequency for each ear (left, center). Once you declare
the test complete, the app displays your audiogram (right). Tap on
“Experience Audeara” to upload your profile to the headphones.