Harman Kardon FLY TWS review - vintage style wireless headphones

Harman Kardon is known as a company that tweaks the sound in laptops and other third-party devices. However, the company also produces equipment under its own brand, and one of its latest products is the FLY TWS wireless headphones. Finding out if the new product can compete with AirPods Pro and Samsung Galaxy Buds +.

Table of contents

• Specifications
• Appearance and equipment
• Connection and communication
• Control
• Sound
• Autonomy
• Outcome

Specifications

Appearance and equipment

Harman Kardon products have a recognizable style and the FLY TWS is no different. The cases are made of two types of plastic: smooth and vinyl textured. The latter is very soft and pleasant to the touch. Adding polish and glossy bezels, the headphones feel like a nod to Marshall guitar amps.

On the outside there are touch panels for control, on the inside there are charging contacts and LED status indicators. There are microphones at the top and bottom. The novelty is protected from moisture and sweat according to the IPX5 standard, which will allow it to survive training or getting under

rain.

The FLY TWS sits comfortably thanks to the sleek shapes and sound guides that are positioned to match the shape of the ear canal. However, the housings are quite voluminous, which is why the owners of small auricles may experience discomfort.

The headphones come with a charging case, USB Type-C cable, and a set of attachments. The spouts are circular so you can use 6mm ear cushions from third-party manufacturers such as Spinfit and Comply.

The charging case is equipped with a magnetic cover, a USB Type-C connector and LED indicators outside and inside: the first shows the charge level of the case, the second shows the status of the headphones. Due to its large dimensions, the case is inconvenient to carry in a jeans pocket, and it is also difficult to open it with one hand.

Connection and communication

FLY TWS supports Google Fast Pair function for quick pairing with Android smartphones. It is enough to open the case, and a notification from the "Google Assistant" will appear on the screen. If you have an iPhone, you will have to act the old fashioned way and connect them through the settings Bluetooth.

The model keeps in touch with the smartphone well both indoors and outdoors. Interference starts when obstacles such as walls and interior partitions are in the signal path. However, this would require moving from the source to the other end of the apartment.

During testing, there were no problems with the synchronization of the left and right channels. Both earbuds connect to the smartphone in parallel, which also minimizes latency. There is no audio lag in video and games.

Microphones perform well in headset mode and with voice control. There are also TalkThru and Ambient Aware modes: the first transmits the voices of others to the ears, the second broadcasts external noise over the music. But there is no active noise cancellation here.

Control

Touchpads on both earbuds recognize press, hold and swipes. You can customize the controls for yourself in the My harman / kardon Headphones app.

The left earpiece is responsible for interaction with the "Google Assistant" and the microphone mode, the right one - for managing music and calls. Due to the abundance of functions, it takes time to get used to, but subsequently no problems arise. The headphones accurately read the pressures and accompany them with sound signals.

Sound

Inside the Harman Kardon FLY TWS are ultra-compact 5.6mm speakers. Usually manufacturers brag about the size of the drivers, so users have a stereotype "bigger is better." However, in reality this is not entirely true: a larger size means a greater mass of the diaphragm and increased inertia. Due to the latter, the headphones react more slowly to changes in the signal and the intelligibility of the sound deteriorates. In addition, a heavy diaphragm requires more energy to swing, which affects battery life.

Despite the small size of the drivers, the headphones deliver surprisingly powerful bass. It is especially impressive when listening to electronic music: Strikes are akin to rolling thunder. At the same time, the bottom is very collected and keeps the tempo well even on energetic rock or metal.

Still, the frantic bass came at a price with midrange. Male voices lack fullness and chest content. By playing with the equalizer and raising the range of 400-500 Hz, you can achieve more saturated vocals, but at the same time background sounds appear. Better to leave it as it is.

High frequencies are not bad for wireless headphones. They are not distinguished by gross distortions, they are presented detached and even relaxed. At the same time, their volume is sufficient to balance the bass.

At high volume, the headphones are clearly knocked out of the comfortable operating mode. The vocals begin to sound on the verge of failure, which is why you quickly get tired. However, good isolation allows you not to twist the volume.

Autonomy

The declared operating time is 6 hours with continuous playback and 20 hours taking into account the resource of the case. In testing, the Harman Kardon FLY TWS was discharged after four days of active use at 50% volume.

A similar result is shown Mifo o7 and Samsung Galaxy Buds +as it is the standard for this type of device. A full charge of the case and headphones takes 2 hours, and 10 minutes at the outlet will provide 1 hour of music playback.

Outcome

First of all, Harman Kardon FLY TWS will suit lovers of electronic music and rich bass. Bass is the main feature of the headphones, they also stand out for their design and work with the "Google Assistant".

Among the alternatives for 13 thousand rubles, one can single out the Samsung Galaxy Bids +, which offer compact dimensions and more versatile sound. On the Harman Kardon side, the workmanship and convenient voice control.

Concerning AirPods Pro, then Apple headphones are more expensive and not so convenient when used with Android, but they offer active noise cancellation. In general, the novelty has occupied its own niche and will be able to find a buyer.

Buy

The author thanks Harman for the device provided. The company had no way to influence the test result.