Earphones, we all use them when listening to music on the go. Some of us don’t like spending big bucks on our headphones though. And yes, we want them to be inexpensive, but they still have to sound good. The House of Marley Uplift 2 wireless earphones could be just what the doctor ordered. At only $79.99USD they aren’t the cheapest on the market, but they aren’t the most expensive either. But how will they sound? Read on for the full review of the House of Marley Uplift 2 wireless earphones to find out.
Specifications
- Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz
- Impedance: 16 Ohms
- Battery life: 10 hours
- Charge time: 2 hours
- Bluetooth: 4.1
- Materials: Sustainable materials used
What’s In The Box
- Uplift 2 wireless headphones
- Three sets ear tips
- Carrying bag
- USB charging cord
Design
The House of Marley Uplift 2 wireless earphones are designed to loop around your neck with the battery pack sitting on the back of your neck. There are two magnets that clamp together under your neck to help hold the earphones in place. If you have a thick neck, this could be a problem. There is an inline control for play/pause/call control, volume up/next, and volume down/previous. A couple of problems I had with the design were that the earphones would not stay in my ears and the cord was too small to loop around my thick neck. Every movement would make the earphones come loose. Using the inline control was difficult for the same reason, the earphones would pop out of my ears. Of course, earphones fit everyone differently, so the issues I had with this may not affect everyone.
As far as the earphones themselves, they have a bit of an angular look to them. The tiny bit of wood on the end contrasts this modern look nicely. The set I reviewed were Brass colored with a black cord that was highlighted with the brass color as well. The House of Marley Uplift 2 wireless earphones are also available in Signature Black and Silver. The House of Marley do pride themselves on the use of sustainable materials, and the Uplift 2 carry on in that noble tradition.
Ease Of Use
These days we expect Bluetooth technology to be easy to use. The House of Marley Uplift 2 wireless earphones were just that, simple to pair with my device. Just push and hold the power button, they go into pairing mode, select the Uplift 2 from your Bluetooth list, and you are done. The inline control was also easy to use, I just had to be careful not to pull the earphones out while using the control.
Sound
To be honest, I wasn’t really expecting to get big sound from a tiny earphone that only costs $79.99USD, but I do have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the House of Marley Uplift 2 wireless earphones. The sound these earphones put out is not bad at all. They have a mostly neutral sound, with the bass just slightly de-emphasized. The highs are crisp, but the mids and bass do suffer slightly from a bit of muddiness. The subdued bass sound is most noticeable in bass-heavy genres such as EDM and dubstep. These earphones are at their best when you turn up the sound, the bass and mids are very weak at lower volumes. The ear tips do a decent job of blocking out ambient sound as well.
Reception/Call Quality
The Bluetooth reception was excellent for the House of Marley Uplift 2 wireless earphones. I was able to get 60 feet away from the music source (with a direct line of sight) without any loss of signal. I would have taken them outside to test how far I could get, but it’s cold and rainy out at the moment.
Call quality was also very good on the Uplift 2. Calls were clear and loud on both ends, the person I called said I sounded no different than I normally do on a cell phone. I dislike making calls with earphones, but if that is something you do, the House of Marley Uplift 2 wireless earphones handles calls well.
Battery Life
The battery life for the House of Marley Uplift 2 wireless earphones is advertised as 10+ hours. I charged the Uplift 2 overnight, turned the volume to 50%, kept the earphones no more than five feet from the source, and was able to get 11 hours and 45 minutes of play before the battery gave out. That should be more than enough for most people on a normal day. But remember, battery life will be different for everyone as we all don’t use our devices in the same way.
Price/Value
The House of Marley Uplift 2 wireless earphones have a listed price of $79.99USD. If you like a neutral sound with slightly less bass and don’t mind turning up the volume, that may seem a decent price to you. If you are into big bass, the price may seem too high considering the bass is toned down a bit in these earphones.
Wrap Up
We all like different things in life, earphones are just one example of that. The fact that there are countless choices of earphones and headphones brands also shows that to be true. What may sound amazing to one person is not that great to someone else. If you prefer a neutral sound without too much bass, the House of Marley Uplift 2 wireless earphones may be what you are looking for. If you prefer your music with big, thumping bass, you may want to look elsewhere as the Uplift 2 will probably not feed the bass monster inside you. I did have problems with fit, but again, the fit is another thing that is different for each individual.
