Don’t need to be an advanced mobile analyst to see an increasing shift of portable audio in the area of wireless technologies (yeah, the good old Bluetooth), so I hope the market will delight all of us a lot of interesting wireless headphones. Today, we talk about the new model from MEEAudio, called Matrix Cinema.
I have already talked about the third revision of these headphones, which turned out to be surprisingly interesting even for the experienced music lover. In MEEAudio rightly judged that dramatically improve the sound while maintaining a price point that does not work, and decided to develop additional opportunities. In Matrix Cinema they have added digital signal processor, offering four modes:
- Clear Voice — emphasises voice
- Clear Voice Plus is even stronger voice
- Dynamic Music emphasizing bass and treble
- Bass Boost — I think it should be clear why
These modes in practice has been very useful, for example, voice boost will come in handy in the quiet path of the dubbing, especially for people with hearing impairments. And Bass Boost, in addition to massage, ear drums, bass, very cool sounds in mobile games.
The rest of the headphone has maintained the strengths of its predecessors: lighter, compact, very long lasting. The price went up, the new version costs about $ 150, but the third generation still available for $ 110 for those who need just music.
Specifications
- Emitter: 40 mm, dynamic
- Frequency range: 20 Hz – 20 kHz
- Impedance: 32Ω
- Sensitivity: 115±5 dB/mW
- Wireless Protocol: Bluetooth 4.2 (A2DP 1.2, HSP 1.2, HFP 1.5, AVRCP 1.4)
- Codec support: SBC, AAC, aptX Qualcomm, Qualcomm aptX Low Latency
- Bluetooth operating range: up to 10 meters
- Battery: Li-Po 400 mAh
- Operating time with one charge: music up to 28 hours, talk time up to 30 hours
- Charging time: less than 2 hours
- Microphone: omnidirectional, 100 Hz to 10 kHz, -36±3 dB
- Weight: 225 g
Packing and delivery
If you know English (or French) packing Matrix — this reading even more interesting labels of aerosol cans. On the cardboard box, the developers have put in so much information that I had to make a separate hinged cover under which you’ll find more text and pictures. Of course, not forgotten, specifications and delivery. By the way, about accessories. Except headphones and instructions included found:
- dense cover on the snake
- A MicroUSB wire for charging
- audio cable with 3.5 mm connectors for a wired connection
Simply put, the box is exactly what you’d expect to find.
Design and management
In the design MEEAudio decided to return matter from denim to leather. In my opinion, nothing I liked more than the denim, but the majority of respondents friends decided that the leatherette is made from a cover and insert on the outer side of the cups is the new version, looks better.
The earphones themselves are made of simple but high-quality plastic headband for durability and have a metal insert, providing a comfortable clamp. Cinema Matrix has a very good stock for the size adjustment, so most users will be able to wear them without any problems. Headband is made soft enough to ensure comfortable wearing. The ear pads are also very soft but not very deep, so maybe the ears will touch the inside of the cloth protecting the drivers. Personally, I do not cause any discomfort, but the “ears at all different”. When extended wear is expected, there is overheating of the ears, so every hour or two should take a break.
Headphones conveniently fold flat for transportation, you can fold the Cup inside and turn “flat”. The last option it helps to wear them around your neck if you don’t listen to them for some time.
The controls are virtually unchanged. On one Cup there are the charging connector, 3.5-mm Jack wire connection and the led — charging indicator. On the second pair of buttons adjust the volume (press and hold to switch tracks), control button (play/pause, voice assistant and other functions), a power switch and a large silver button Cinema Mode and a mode switch (to turn off it, press and hold). This Cup has a status led.
Headphones are very talkative, they give voice to key events, selected “cenarium” and the level of charge in good English. However, if you are scoring could be off (and the LEDs), and then you certainly did not distract from the music or movie.
Time battery life is really happy, in the tests I got more than 24 hours of music, while headphones has not yet discharged to zero. They charged quickly, I have a full charge took 1 hour and 40 minutes. Of extras — battery level is displayed on iOS. If a low battery will suddenly find you far from civilization — a wired connection will come to the rescue, in this case, the headphones turn into a completely wired model.
Summarizing this section — Matrix Cinema is very nice looking, comfortable to worn and conveniently controlled, even “blindly”.
Sound
As sources I used: iPhone 6 Plus and iPad Pro 10″ (AAC codec), MacBook Pro 2016 and Cayin N5ii (aptX codec).
Overall, if you are going to listen to these headphones music, I advise you to include Dynamic Music, with it flow is obtained as similar to the third version. With the inclusion of this mode the sound of the headphones is very pleasant: a mild rise in the bass and treble add feed “pizzazz”, and study a decent midrange model stands out against the competitors in the price segment.
The bass here is quite normal, the focus is done correctly, it is enough to give the sound weight, but not so much to crush him the rest of the range. Depth, resolution, and elaboration of the textures — not extraordinary but adequate. Bass well controlled in most situations remain in place. Mode bass boost will satisfy the “backdam,” he adds the same “ear massage”, although, of course, control this part of the range becomes worse. As I wrote above, this mode shows itself well with a variety of mobile games: explosions, strikes and shooting it is good.
Traditionally, the MF V-shaped frequency response is slightly retracted by the wayside, but they have a normal resolution and very well convey the emotions and character of the instruments. Compared to the more expensive wired models WSC lacks a bit of realism, but then again we are talking about cheap Bluetooth models. Imaginary scene a little less than average in depth and width, but it is characteristic of closed models. Modes Clear Voice and Clear Voice+ live up to its name, emphasizing the region of the AFC responsible for the voice. In music it gives off a vocalist in the background instruments in movies or podcasts will allow you to better hear the main content.
Vernacularly range is also slightly raised, which gives them “effective” flow, but, of course, attack, attenuation, and layering is poorly developed here. However, the resolution of HF normal, and for that special thanks, to push them into the background in favor of “comfort” did not, so the percussion sounds at a good level, “up” very successfully compensate for “bottom”.
Comparisons will not be this time as my Park a full-size wireless models is still small.
Compatibility
The presence and aptX and AAC codec Matrix allows Cinema to work with any device (Yes, Apple and all others), and low latency version of the aptX improves the comfort of viewing the video, minimizing the lag of the audio track. Headphones pleased with the quality and acceptance of the stated 10 meters and even the main wall did not become a hindrance, but I think everything still depends on the transmitter. Quality built-in microphone normal, the interlocutor can hear you but the microphone of the iPhone with built-in noise-cancelling headphones, of course, does not hold.
Stylistically versatile (of course, for its price), something megabrutal complicated or too tough for them, but they were not created for such. Matrix 4 is quite tolerant to the quality of the recording, somewhere in the 4 points out of 10.
According to tradition, some tracks for example
Róisín Murphy — Overpowered. Cheerful, accented bass, well recorded voice, three-dimensional effects — exactly what you need for Martix in Bass-Boost mode.
Marvin Gaye — Distant Lover. Of course, for full disclosure, vocals king of soul setup needed is much more expensive, but the heroes of today’s review handle the track very well, almost without emotion. By the way, mode Clear Voice adds to the track of expression (albeit at the expense of realism).
Vitamin String Quartet — One Dance. Even relatively complicated music of a string Quartet is not alien Martix Cinema, especially if you enable Dynamic mode Music: cello gain a nice extra physicality, and little emphasis on the treble here, just “what the doctor ordered.”
Insights
Matrix Cinema is a good example of what to do in case of conventional extensive development already available. In this case, you can go through the intensification and offer unusual features that many will find very useful.
Review headphones MEEAudio Matrix Cinema — digital technology
Pavel Dmitriev