Outdoor Tech Privates – Review
I love the look of Outdoor Tech’s products, and the vaguely retro-military style of the Outdoor Technology Privates is what keeps me going back to these guys. Coming in at £99.95, these Bluetooth headphones provide a adequate bass boost without ever going overboard, higher end products may be a bit more crisp, fans of heavy bass will likely enjoy the sound coming out of these. Setting itself apart by adding a detachable cable, means you can also listen in wired, non-Bluetooth mode, which is a great extra touch.
The canvas design and almost denim feel makes me think these are something out of COD or Battlefield. The pair I’m using is turquoise, but they are also available in military green, turquoise, black, or mustard yellow. Each pair is outfitted with black, well-cushioned earpads. They have been designed to be compact, so can bend at the hinges and shrink in size, allowing you to put them in your bag.
One great selling point of the Privates’ design is the optional audio cable. It’s removable and though it has no inline remote control for mobile phones, it allows you to use the headphones as a traditional wired pair when the battery power is low or dead.
Pairing is very simple, I had no issues pairing these with my M8. Controlling music and calls are done through the capacitive touch surface of the panels on the earcups. You can swipe up and down to control volume, and sideways to navigate tracks. The same button you use to pair the headphones controls playback, as well as answering phone calls. Though aesthetically speaking, the lack of multiple buttons is nice, but it’s not quite as efficient for controlling your music.
The Privates ship with a USB charging cable and the previously mentioned 3.5mm, canvas-lined audio cable. Outdoor Technology estimates the battery life to be about 10 hours on a full charge.
One surprise I had was that the audio quality of the Privates doesn’t change whether they’re connected through Bluetooth mode or the audio cable. Im not an audiophile so cant help with detailed music analysis, bassy songs are very intense, and treble seems pretty decent.
For £100, the Privates are a great set of cans. The additional audio cable adds another level of functionality, and the look of them is a big bonus.
http://www.outdoortechnology.com/Shop/Privates/