A superior alternative to Apple’s AirPods for a similar price
Danish
audio specialists Libratone’s Track Air+ are a valuable addition to
the wireless earphone market with several great features that make it
difficult to fault.
Design
and build
The
Libratone Track Air+ are beautiful looking headphones. Wireless
headphones have been seen as a fashion statement in recent times with
consumers keen to show off their AirPods.
Yet
the triangular design of the Track Air+ headphones gives it a
refreshing dynamic that sets it apart from most of its competition.
It helps that the earphones have a better and more secure fit than
most of the other wireless earphones on the market while also looking
superior.
They
come in either white or black and come with a case that can fully
charge the buds up to three times with the earphones itself lasting
up to six hours on a single charge. The charging case is a suitable
size and the matte looking finish of both the case and the pods give
it a simple yet futuristic design that will appeal to audiences
looking for a fresh alternative to Apple’s AirPods.
The
earphones themselves feel well-made and secure and weigh just 5.6g
making them impressively light, without weighing the ear down. The
case is also light and pocket-friendly but feels rather fragile and
seems easily breakable. This was rather disappointing considering it
is perhaps the only aspect where it feels inferior to Apple AirPods.
Sound
The
Track Air+ headphones feature noise-cancellation technology (ANC)
that blocks up to 30dB of noise. This coupled with great sound
quality make it a great purchase for under £200.
The
smart noise cancellation is a surprising addition that gives the
earbuds an advantage over similarly priced competition.
This
feature is great for getting rid of background noise and I used it
frequently while on the London underground on my commute to work as
it worked to get rid of the annoying sound of clanging metal. The
smart noise cancelling feature comes in three modes: manual, smart
and ambient which control how much external noise is cancelled and I
tend to use the manual feature as it allows users the ability to
control how strong the noise cancellation is.
The
quality of the sound is superb and the noise cancellation technology
alone is impressive enough for it to justify the price. Although the
right and left earphones lose battery at vastly different rates with
the left earbud often draining quicker than the right.
Features
In
addition to the great sound quality, the earphones support wireless
charging which is perfect for long-distance travel. Users are also
able to customise their double-tap controls to play, pause, skip a
track or activate Siri. The double-tap feature is available on most
high-quality wireless earphones and on the TrackAir+ they feel
seamless and work perfectly. The earphones are also sweat and
splash-proof which make them great for gym-goers and are secure
enough to last for long runs or strenuous workouts.
The
Bluetooth (5.0) signal is also absurdly strong as I left my connected
iPhone XR in various places around the office and the sound quality
remained great.
Verdict
The
Libratone TrackAir+ represents truly great value for money. The sleek
design makes them more attractive than the vast majority of earphones
on the market. The wealth of features available and the great sound
quality mean that at £179, it delivers a cheaper and arguably better
experience than its competitors.
