Bluetooth headphones have taken off in a big way ever since Apple decided to ditch the headphone jack with the launch of the iPhone 7. A few years back people avoided Bluetooth because of a slight hiss you could often hear in the background due to the bog-standard Bluetooth codec. These days, apt-X CD-quality codec and increasing support for Apple’s AAC on iOS devices, meaning that Bluetooth headphones are as good as wired models.
Personally, I like wireless headphones to go over my ears rather than earphones that go in my ears as the battery life is usually better. That’s especially important if you’re using your headphones on a regular commute. The cute wireless in-ear models like Apple’s AirPods are all very well, but battery life isn’t great.
The latest pair of Bluetooth headphones to land on my desk for review comes from VAIN STHLM, a Swedish company that sets an equal store on the aesthetics of its products as well as the sound quality. VAIN STHML’s Commute (the STHLM stands for and is pronounced ‘Stockholm’) is a series of over-the-ear Bluetooth headphones that take their design cue from Stockholm’s underground metro system. Founded by two brothers in 2012, VAIN STHLM has a passion for making headphones look as good as they sound. The Commute has been designed by Lisa Minogue and comes in a choice of three colors: Misty Grey, Slate Blue, and Rail Grey. The metal parts of the headphone are made from a copper-colored metal and the headband is soft underneath with a durable stitched covering on top that makes them tough enough for the daily commute.
I reviewed some wired earphones from VAIN STHLM a couple of years back and was very impressed so I was excited to hear what these would be like. Unusually, the Commute headphones support AAC as well as CSR’s apt-X codec, so they can reproduce high-quality music streamed over Bluetooth from iOS devices. For some odd reason, Apple still doesn’t support CSR’s apt-X codec on iOS despite implementing it on MacOS. Most Android phones will support apt-X, so Commute headphones are fine for both smartphone platforms.
As far as power goes, the lithium-ion battery built into these headphones can deliver a respectable 12 hours of operation between charges. It takes two hours to top up the charge and there’s a high-quality fabric-covered Micro-USB cable included to do just that. If you do run out of battery there’s also a conventional 3.5mm headphone lead that you can plug into your device. If you’re using an iPhone 7 just be sure to keep the Lightning-to-3.5mm adaptor that ships with all iPhone 7 models.
The sound quality delivered by the VAIN STHLM is awesome. There’s a really solid and robust bass response along with plenty of mid-range and treble detail. Maybe they could do with just a slight boost in the upper mid-range but that’s something you could easily fix with an EQ tweak on your phone. The other really great feature is that the 40mm dynamic drivers on these earphones are very efficient and this makes them much louder than many headphones. This is important when you’re commuting as you’ll encounter more extraneous noises when you're out and about, which often means that headphones that sound loud enough at home often come up short when you’re on the road.
These lightweight headphones sit comfortably on the head and still have enough grip to stop them from falling off even if you move your head quite suddenly. The Bluetooth range is good for up to 10 meters providing you don't have any thick walls in the way. That said, I found they worked just fine, even between the thick walls in my old stone cottage.
Verdict: The design of the VAIN STHLM Commute headphones is contemporary and cool. These headphones really look the business and they’re small enough to throw in a work bag. The sound is just great thanks to those high-quality codecs and efficient drivers. There’s enough volume to really start kicking out the sound on most types of music. If I have one criticism, it’s that there should be some sort of carrying bag included to protect the headphones. All in all, these are great headphones that look as good as they sound.
Specifications:
- Bluetooth 4.1 + aptX plus AAC
- Built-in Microphone with DSP Wind Noise Reduction & Echo Cancellation
- 40 mm Dynamic Driver
- Frequency Response: 20 Hz-20kHz
- Impedance: 32 Ω
- Sensitivity 108 dB SPL
- Talk & Music playback 12 hours
- Standby 26 days
- Charging 2 hours
- Li-ion polymer battery 220mAH
- Wireless range 10m (free space)
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