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Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/29/review_logitech_freepulse/

Logitech FreePulse Bluetooth headphones

By Tony Smith
Published Monday 29th January 2007 13:02 GMT

Review Logitech's Wireless Headphones for iPod offering is back, in black and with a new, more generic moniker. The mouse maker also claims the new set's somewhat lighter to wear than its predecessor...

Out of the box, the FreePulse is a clear improvement, thanks to a svelte new design and smaller speaker units. I didn't have the old set to hand when I opened up Logitech's new package, but the new 'phones certainly seemed lighter than the old ones. Having since donned both sets, one after the other, I can confirm that Logitech is correct in its assertion.

logitech wireless headphones for ipod
Out with the old...
logitech freepulse wireless headphones
...in with the new

The new earphones sport a thinner round-the-back-of-the-head band than last time, and separate, flexible ear hooks. The controls - integrated into right speaker - are much less fiddly to use, with the entire outer face of the right-hand speaker operating as the volume control and the right amount of give in each switch to ensure they'll trigger with just a tap.

Similarly, the Connect button on the transmitter is a little larger this time, so you can be sure you've pressed it, something you couldn't be certain of before. While the 'phones have become slimmer, so too has the Bluetooth transmitter, which is now as wide as a Nano and about two players thick.

logitech freepulse wireless headphones

Once again, the Bluetooth dongle connects to a player's 3.5mm earphone socket, taking the analogue signal, digitising it them streaming it to the earphones. As before, the transmitter's 3.5mm jack can be moved to make for a more flush fit with whichever device you're connecting it to. Now, however, Logitech bundles six clip-on caps which anchor the jack precisely where it needs to be for any given iPod.

It's good to see the product's upgrade hasn't seen the disappearance of one of the previous set's most innovative features: a battery charger that can power up both the 'phones and the transmitter simultaneously. Two units, one charger, no hassle. Quite brilliant.

logitech freepulse wireless headphones

What is missing, however, is the automatic power-down feature. Before, the transmitter would switch itself off if it didn't detect a signal on the 3.5mm jack for 30 seconds or so. The new model may do much the same, but I waited more than three minutes and still the device didn't turn itself off. This may, in part, be why Logitech claims the FreePulse has a play duration of seven hours, an hour less than the old model - pretty much what I got out of them. It's likely the company's slimmed the battery in the headphones too, to help lighten the load.

The update has seen a shift from Bluetooth 1.2 to Bluetooth 2.0, though again the transmitter uses the A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) Bluetooth add-on to send the stereo signal. Is there any benefit inherent in the switch? None that I can see. Trying out the FreePulse 'phones in the same location that I tried the Wireless Headphones for iPod, I couldn't use the new product any further from the transmitter than I could before.

If the wireless capability is no better this time round, at least the sound is. FreePulse brings Bass Boost technology and rather good it sounds too, though that's not to say the headphones are weak without it - they are not. I like the sound produced by the Wireless Headphones for iPod and Logitech's maintained the quality with the new 'phones.

Flaws? I did notice some momentary signal loss at times when the transmitter had just started transmitting, even though the 'phones were just a couple of feet away. These drops were few and far between, and I suspect they were environment-induced. At other times, out and about, I experienced no such problems.

logitech freepulse wireless headphones

There's no way of controlling the iPod, of course. The other issue is an aesthetic one. The shiny black plastic of the transmitter shows off fingerprints and smudges like nothing else does. It's easy to wipe clean, though, and didn't show the micro abrasions that a first-generation iPod Nano or 5G iPod might.

Verdict

Logitech's FreePulse wireless heaphones are a great way of enjoying music on the move without getting tangled in wires. Likewise they're a splendid way of listening to sound sources that are too far away for a cable, like your TV, enabling you to watch in comfort without disturbing anyone else.

Logitech FreePulse Wireless Headphones
Summary Wireless audio that's light on your head and light on your pocket...
Rating 95%
Price $100/€100/£70 inc. VAT
More info Logitech's FreePulse page (http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/GB/EN,CRID=2412,CONTENTID=12492)