Kitsound Manhattan Bluetooth Headphones Review and Giveaway

Kitsound, a brand from the United Kingdom, offers a wireless bluetooth headphone that aims to hit music-lovers on a budget.

The Kitsound Manhattan, named after the city which became the birthplace of some popular genres like hip hop, disco and punk rock, promises to “pay homage” to this city by naming the headphones after it. But, dothese headphones really give justice to the name of one of the most famous cities in New York? Let’s figure it out in our review.

Product Features

• Wireless connectivity
• pair with your Bluetooth-enabled device
• Huge battery life – up to 18 hours of music
  play time – up to 30 hours talk time
• Answer phone calls with the integrated touch controls
• Volume buttons give you full control
• Controls to skip track back/forwards

Specifications

• Bluetooth profile: headset, hands-free, A2DP, AVRCP
• Bluetooth: v2.1
• Frequency response: 40 Hz – 20 kHz
• Battery type: li-ion, rechargeable
• Standby time: up to 300 hours

What’s in the box?

The device’s packaging doesn’t look trashy despite its economical price. In fact, the main box looks noticeably elegant with its black and gold color accent.

The core contents are protected by this paper mache case inside the box.

The package only has a handful amount of contents, which is pretty forgivable considering the price tag. User manual, microUSB to standard USB for charging, microUSB to 3.5mm headphone jack and the Kitsound Manhattan headphones itself. Well, that’s basically all the headphones need.

Design and Comfort

Let me say this early, the Kitsound Manhattan offers a very fine design, which shows that this unsung company really means business and poised for a more popular recognition.

These over-head headphones possess’ solid build quality. The headband is made with rigid metal wrapped in leather with cushions inside. The main drivers are housed inside a firm plastic, with the logo printed outside and havenice metal accents on the side.

They are also bridged by an adjustable solid piece of metal, which is also foldable for a more secure storage. The wires are also boldly exposed, but are coated with fabric, which improves durability and prevents easy breakage.

The controls are placed on the left-ear side (Power switch, Multi-function button), mircoUSB port for charging, indicator LED and a built-in MIC.

But there is one tiny problem that I’m encountering on this one, and it’s in the comfort department. Well, I’m not pretty sure if I’m just used with the in-ear headphones which I constantly use, or these headphones just really feel so tight in my ears. This minor problem is pretty unnoticeable not until you use the device after anextended period of time. Listening to a full-length album is fine, but watching a whole movie maybe cumbersome, your ears may feel sore and sweaty after the credits. However, I should point out that I’m a relatively tall guy, around 5’11 so your experience may vary too as Adam doesn’t feel the same way I did. He told me that it’s really comfortable.

Connection/Controls

The main feature of this device is its wireless connection capability via Bluetooth. The initial connection is really a piece of cake: just switch it on, search it on your device, hit connect, then “BAM!”.Theseheadphones are compatible to almost any device that has Bluetooth connection; from any smartphones(even some feature phones), laptops or any other Bluetooth-enabled media devices.

What really impressed me on this one is the wireless connection’s range. For a perspective, I was in my room and connected this on my laptop, while listening to my favorite tunes. Suddenly I got thirsty, so I went downstairs to get water while the headphones are still on, and was surprised that it didn’t lost connection. It didn’t even had any stutters or jumps, the music still played uninterruptedly. It’s when I tried to get out of the house when the connection started to stumble.

A wireless headphone wouldn’t be completely wireless without the presence of an in-house controller. I really loved how they designed the controls on this one, as the buttons on a typical wireless headphone are often scattered individually, which hassle’s the users on tracking down the right button when they try to press it because they are actually not able to see it while it’s in your ears. The Manhattan uses a multi-function button. This all-in-one button controls the volume levels, play/pause and prev/next a track.

Sound Quality

Let me start this by saying right away that, these headphones, including all of its other glory, has good quality. It’s clearly not the best out there, but considering its affordable asking price, it’s quite impressive.

The treble and the highs are not that crisp and but the bass is definitely punchy. Nevertheless, the Manhattan’s outputs are still satisfactory. Acoustics, rock, pop, and everything else sounded pretty decent, although clarity is a bit average. Electronic, house, and any other bass-y music still sounded decently thumping.

The device also offers reasonable performance in other media usage like gaming or watching movies and any other video contents.  It may not offer a virtual surround sound experience, but still, the Manhattan’s delivery is still enjoyable.

The built-in microphones is a lackluster performer on this one. I tried making a call on this one and the person on the other line kept on complaining about the background noise that the device was capturing. She can hear my voice, though, but theunnecessary sound was quite irritating.

Battery Life

Man, the battery life on this one is a monster. Kitsound promises 18 hours of music playback and 30 hours of talk time. For light to moderate use, this thing was able to last for 4 to 5 days. While heavy usage can make the Manhattan’s last for up to two days before requiring to charge.

But in case the battery is drained, the headphones are still usable via the provided microUSB to 3.5mm headphone jack cable which is pretty sweet if you don’t have any power outlets near you.

Verdict

So, did the Kitsound Manhattan justified its renowned name? Perhaps, yes. It may not be the best-sounding headphones around, but considering the price, it’s worth the shot. It can work with almost all kinds and genres of music, but only with few limitations on the sound quality. The comfort is also on the good side, despite my small gripes with it.

Though, the performance and ergonomics may be a little lackluster, but it was still able to make up for it in the other departments. The battery longevity, durable design and the dependable wireless connection really makes the Kitsound Manhattan worth a shot.

The Kitsound Manhattan is currently available for only Php2,990.

Pros

• Robust Design

• Long battery life

• Multi-function Button

Cons

• Comfort in extended use

• Mic captures background noises

We’re giving away (1) Kitsound Manhattan Bluetooth Headphones!

As always, we’ll make this quick and easy. All you have to do is follow the instructions listed below and ramp up your chances of winning this awesome wireless headphones!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The NoypiGeeks and XTC giveaway will run starting today, October 26, 2014 until November 8, 2014. Good luck!

GIVEAWAY UPDATE

AND THE WINNER IS…..

Congratulations Aljohn De Guzman! We wil contact you on Facebook to get details on how you can claim your prize.

Thank you to everyone who joined! We’ll be having another giveaway soon! Stay tuned!