Fender Mix review: Well-designed headphones that just fall short of greatness

I cognize what you’re thinking: “Isn’t Fender a guitar company?” It judge is, and has been 1 of nan astir iconic names successful guitars and amplifiers since 1946. So what is nan institution doing making headphones and speakers? Well, it isn’t, exactly. Like Zound Industries utilized to do pinch Marshall (before buying nan amp business), different institution is licensing nan Fender sanction for its user audio products. Fender Audio, nan marque that’s connected nan headphones I’m reviewing, is owned by nan Fender Corporation, but Riffsound oversees nan creation and accumulation of portable audio gear.

The first products from Fender Audio are nan Mix headphones and nan Elie speaker (in 2 sizes). The institution revealed these successful January earlier decently showing them off  at CES. I’ll get to those speakers successful a fewer weeks, but nan Mix headphones are first up connected nan reappraisal docket.

With nan Mix, Fender Audio seeks to connection a group of premium over-ear, noise-canceling headphones astatine a little value than nan likes of Sony, Bose and Sennheiser. There’s besides marathon artillery life, respective smart creation touches, a lossless Bluetooth transmitter and swappable parts that harvester for a unsocial look to return connected those large names. I’m honestly impressed that Fender Audio could cram each of that successful a much affordable package, but nan last verdict connected nan Mix isn’t truthful straightforward.

What’s bully astir nan Fender Mix headphones?

Fender Audio made galore smart creation decisions connected nan Mix headphones, and they resulted successful my favourite things astir utilizing them. To start, you tin switch retired nan receptor pads, receptor cups and headband arsenic you spot fit. The receptor cups connect to nan headband via USB-C ports, truthful they’re easy to threat connected and off. Obviously, this allows you to alteration nan look of nan Mix complete time, wrong nan bounds of Fender’s disposable colors.

Underneath nan receptor pads, Fender put a retention slot for nan lossless dongle connected nan near broadside and gives you entree to nan removable artillery connected nan right. I’m thrilled that I tin bask higher value Bluetooth connectivity without having to retrieve to bring on specified a mini accessory. Plus, it’s bully to cognize that users will beryllium capable to instal a caller battery, provided nan institution sells those astatine immoderate point.

I besides bask really Fender Audio designed nan onboard controls. First, they’re beingness buttons, which are ever my penchant complete touch- aliases gesture-based options. Second, nan main 1 is simply a five-way joystick, truthful they’re very simple. Press it to play/pause, property and clasp for pairing mode aliases property longer to powerfulness connected aliases off. If you push nan joystick up aliases down, you tin set nan volume, while moving it near and correct skips nan way guardant aliases backward. You tin besides push down doubly to alteration Auracast pairing correct connected nan headphones. A 2nd button, which is conscionable nan regular kind, is utilized to rhythm done sound canceling modes: ANC, transparency and some off.

Sonically, nan Mix headphones are astatine nan tallness of their powers successful lossless mode, which is enabled by nan Bluetooth dongle hidden wrong nan receptor cup. Bass tuning that’s different overpowering successful astir cases is restrained, and you tin prime up finer specifications successful nan much balanced mix. When listening to Watchhouse’s Rituals, I sewage nan consciousness that I was surrounded by nan band, pinch strings, drums and vocals enveloping my ears pinch sound — alternatively than it simply being projected from nan near and correct channels. There’s much nuance pinch nan lossless mode, and it kept calling maine backmost to nan Mix headphones astatine nan times erstwhile I’d astir apt opt for nan conveniences of earbuds aliases a speaker.

ANC capacity is respectable, though it’s not connected nan level of Bose. It’s bully capable to artifact retired mild-to-moderate distractions, but it struggles pinch louder quality voices and abrupt jolts of noise. It will surely do nan occupation successful nan agency aliases java shop, but you whitethorn announcement immoderate sounds invade your ears during a commute. For calls, transparency mode provides earthy sound and it picks up capable of my sound that I ne'er felt nan request to shout. Call quality, though, is simply a different matter (more connected that successful a bit).

Another large perk of nan Mix is its agelong artillery life. Fender Audio says you’ll get up to 52 hours pinch ANC connected aliases a whopping 100 hours pinch it off. The institution is forthcoming pinch nan truth that nan second number is achieved astatine 50 percent volume, which will beryllium excessively debased for astir “regular” use. Still, pinch sound canceling enabled and nan measurement astir 70 percent, I had 52 percent artillery near aft astir 30 hours of use. I spent astir of that clip pinch either ANC aliases transparency mode on.

What’s not truthful bully astir nan Fender Mix?

Out of nan box, Fender Mix’s tuning is excessively bass heavy. I recognize a batch of group for illustration a thundering low-end reside retired of their headphones, but I recovered it to beryllium excessively overpowering here. The banal sound floor plan is my biggest rumor pinch this model, though it’s somewhat alleviated by utilizing nan lossless Bluetooth dongle. In that mode, nan bass is somewhat subdued, but it’s still rather salient astatine times erstwhile it shouldn’t be.

On that Watchhouse album, nan footwear drum starts to thrust nan sound, alternatively than nan guitars, mandolin and different instruments. When I perceive to nan aforesaid songs connected different headphones, I’ve noticed a amended blend of drums and strings. With much aggravated genres, for illustration nan hardcore riffs and breakdowns of Incendiary’s Product of New York, the booming bass isn’t arsenic overmuch of an issue. The distorted guitars still trim through, and there’s plentifulness of texture successful their tone. And erstwhile each opus hits its climax, nan cranked up lows connection other oomph. It useful for metal, but it isn’t ever bully for bluegrass, jazz and synth-laiden physics tunes wherever nan other bass tin muddy nan mix.

The Fender Mix besides lacks galore of nan smart features that are coming successful premium headphones today, which is astir apt really nan institution is capable to waste them for $299. Things for illustration automatic EQ tweaks and adaptive ANC are missing, arsenic is automatic pausing erstwhile you speak aliases things for illustration caput gestures. These headphones don’t person deterioration discovery either, truthful they don’t region nan audio erstwhile you return them off. There’s besides nary app disposable to dial successful nan EQ aliases set different settings (it’s coming soon).

These headphones only person 2 microphones for calls, and you tin show almost instantly that those are insufficient. Despite claims of “crystal clear calls,” your sound will conscionable sound okay to nan personification connected nan different end. Honestly, I would’ve sounded amended conscionable utilizing my iPhone pinch nary headphones. The Mix useful to get your sound across, but don’t dream of dialing into a podcast signaling pinch them. What’s more, nan Mix isn’t bully astatine blocking inheritance noise, truthful you’ll request to usage them successful a quiet location to person a chance astatine sounding decent. Which, again, is astir nan champion these headphones tin muster.

While nan modular creation allows for a decent grade of customization, nan other parts you’ll request aren’t connected waste yet. What’s more, only 2 colors — white, which is really much of a ray gray, and achromatic — are presently available. So, for now, 1 of nan perks of nan Mix remains untapped.

Wrap-up

There’s a batch to for illustration astir nan Fender Mix, from nan clever creation choices to nan crisp, elaborate sound. The deficiency of finesse pinch nan bass tuning and nan omission of precocious features, peculiarly nan absence of an app for settings changes, keeps these headphones firmly planted successful nan midrange category.

Clearly that’s not what nan institution is aiming for pinch devices for illustration nan lossless Bluetooth dongle, but that’s wherever it lands for maine astatine nan extremity of nan day. So, astatine $299, nan Mix is simply a reliable telephone erstwhile a $250 value tag would make these an easier sell. Sure, there’s capable present to make these a tin regular audio accessory, but not everything I’d request to telephone them a must buy.