First impression - Bluedio Vinyl
What's in the box
The Bluedio vinyl headphones are delivered with an extensive accessory package. The headphones are unpacked in a compact hard case with a carabiner, which is ideal for transport. Also included is a neoprene pouch with various cables. The cables are a 3.5mm audio cable with remote control, a conventional 3.5mm audio cable and a Y-splitter cable (audio + microphone). A micro USB cable and multilingual operating instructions are also included.
Design and workmanship
The Bluedio Vinyl impresses with its modern and at the same time simple design. Due to the aluminum-titanium alloy advertised by the manufacturer, the headphones appear very high-quality at first glance. At second glance, however, you can see that only the headphone fork is made of metal. The driver housings are made of plastic. Both the ear pads and the padding of the temple are made of protein leather, an imitation leather that comes very close to real leather. Overall, the design impresses with its compact design and visual simplicity.
The processing of the Bluedio Vinyl was less convincing in the test. In our test copy, we were able to identify several processing errors, which are of little importance, but were noticed on closer inspection. For example, the aluminum-titanium alloy in the headphone fork has tarnished slightly. There is another flaw in the protein leather of the headphone hanger, which has a minimal scratch. On the other hand, the loosely seated volume rocker, which has too much play in the case, is more annoying. Rapid head movements can lead to rustling noises. At this point, we cannot judge whether the test copy is a B-goods product or whether Bluedio did not take the processing very seriously.
Commissioning and functions
The headphones can either be connected via Bluetooth (standard V4.1) or via the included 3.5mm audio cable. If you switch on the Bluedio Vinyl for the first time, it is already in pairing mode and can be connected to a Bluetooth playback device. It is not necessary to enter a password. All steps that are necessary for commissioning are explained in detail in the operating instructions.
The functions of the Bluedio Vinyl hardly differ from other Bluetooth headphones. In addition to pure music playback (A2DP), the headphones can also be used as a headset (HSP, HFP). Incoming calls on the smartphone can be accepted with the Vinly and even made using the integrated microphone. The reception and transmission quality can be assessed as average.
The headphones are operated directly via the control buttons on the housing or in the cable network via the remote control of the included cable. The headphones can also be controlled via the playback device connected to Bluetooth thanks to AVRCP. Another interesting function, which was less convincing in the test, is the so-called 3D mode, which is supposed to give the sound a spatial note. More on this now under the point "Sound".
Klang
The sound of the Bluedio Vinyl is a double-edged sword. In the Bluetooth network with active standard mode, the sound impresses with its dynamic sound. Mids and lows are slightly emphasized, but highs also come into their own. However, if you activate the 3D mode, the sound image becomes extremely blurred. Mids and highs are clearly pushed into the background and the lows outweigh the sound. You can tell immediately that Bluedio has mainly dedicated this mode to friends of electronic music. However, the background noise in the Bluetooth network is extremely critical. This is particularly strong with Bluedio Vinyl, which is particularly annoying depending on the volume.
In the passive cable network, the tonal differences to the Bluetooth mode are minor. The overall sound is a tad more balanced and the entire frequency range is used somewhat better. The big advantage is the lack of background noise. You have to do without the 3D mode and the control via the control buttons of the driver housing. At the same time, you are not dependent on the headphone's battery.
comfort
The headphones are designed as on-ear headphones for mobile use. With a weight of around 320g, the Bluedio Vinyl is comparatively heavy as a mobile headphone, but this does not have a negative effect on the wearing comfort. The 84mm diameter ear cushions, which are covered with protein leather, sit well on the ears and do not have a negative impact even after long sessions. Thanks to the rotating headphone fork, the nine-stage height adjustment and the movable housing, the ear pads are very easy to adjust. Only the headphone hanger is a little too tightly padded and pressed minimally in the test after listening to music for a long time.
Battery
According to the manufacturer's data sheet, a 650mAh battery is installed, which promises a music playback time of up to 20 hours in the Bluetooth network. In practice, this value is too high. A runtime of 12-14 hours is realistic, depending on the volume at which you listen to music. Still a decent value! The charging time of the battery was 2 hours and 10 minutes in the test.
Bluedio vinyl
Design
What's in the box
Easy handling
Good term
Dynamic and balanced sound
application
3D mode
High noise floor via Bluetooth
The Bluedio Vinyl makes a lot of things right, but also a lot wrong. The simple-modern design convinces all along the line and also the wearing comfort is mostly good. Disappointing, however, is the below-average processing, which has a visual impact. Unfortunately, the sound convinces only in the cable network. If the headset is connected via Bluetooth, you will be plagued by background noise, which is particularly noticeable when listening to quiet music, audio books or films. The sound, on the other hand, is dynamic and covers the frequency range well. In the cable network, the Bluedio Vinyl can clearly score and is even comparable to much more expensive headphones.
