We have tried a few products from the House Of Marley brand before, all of which have that same quirky vibe to them and are actually pretty decent products. They continue that trend with the new Rise BT Bluetooth headphones. These are the latest, high end headphones from the company and we got sent a pair to check out.
So the box landed on my desk and I was super keen to open it and find out what was inside. The box had a more conventional look and feel compared to some of their other products but who cares, it’s just a box! Open the box up and I can see the headphones, a carry case, a braided aux cable, a braided USB cable and some instructions. The headphones are wrapped in tissue paper which was something different, a nice touch. Two cables are provided: the USB to charge the headphones and the other is in case you want a traditional wired connection.
The headphones come in three colours: Black, Denim and Palm, the latter is coming soon. They have a stainless steel frame, covered in a cloth fabric. Big, thick, squashy cushions cover the 50mm dynamic drivers and each one folds away nicely for easy storage/traveling. Each headphone is adjustable up and down, on a slider and there is a cushioned headband for added comfort. On the right headphone are three buttons: on/off, plus and minus, and with these three buttons you can control the headphones. There is also an aux in and an indicator light on this headphone. On the left headphone is a micro USB port for charging them.
Before I discuss performance, let’s check out the spec:
- 10 hour Playtime
- 50mm dynamic driver
- Bluetooth 4 with A2DP stereo audio
- Comfortable on-ear design
- Earth-Friendly Materials – recycled aluminum and packaging
- Foldable Design
- Integrated mic for communication over Bluetooth
- L-shaped gold plated stereo plug
Pretty cool spec and as always, we love the fact that they are using recycled materials and frankly, a lot more companies should be doing this now.
Setting up the headphones is the same as always and very easy. Simply hold down the on/off button for a few seconds and wait for the beep. You will also notice the small indicator light flashing red and blue. Now go to your phone or tablet, turn the Bluetooth on and pair the two together. The two should now be paired and you can start listening to your favorite tunes. One feature that is missing – they were tested using an iPhone 6 – and is something I would have liked to see, and that is a battery indicator on the phone, so you know how much charge your headphones have before setting out for the day.
The headphones are very comfortable to wear and secure to a degree, though I probably wouldn’t wear these while I went for a jog. These are not sound cancelling headphones but they offer some good sound isolation, both when wearing them and to those around you. Battery life was good. We managed to get between eight and nine hours worth f music before needing to recharge the battery. Overall, the sound quality is pretty good. There is a decent mix of audio in my ears, but maybe a little too much bass for my liking.
These currently retail for just under £100 and at this price, there are better headphones on the market. If they become cheaper in a sale, I would buy them and wouldn’t be disappointed spending £60-70 on them. For further info and to purchase, visit the official House Of Marley website.
