Noontec Hammo TV review - Bluetooth TV headphones

First impression - noontec Hammo TV

What's in the box

The accessories for the noontec Hammo TV included in the scope of delivery are impressive. In addition to the base station, which is also intended as a shelf, a total of 3 audio cables, a USB type A cable, a USB power supply unit (EU) with travel adapter (UK) and a transport bag are included. The 3 audio cables are 2 different colored 3.5 mm audio cables - jack to jack and an extension cable - cinch to jack. Another cable is a 3.5 mm cable - jack to USB 2.0. A well-translated, multilingual instruction manual is also included.

Design and workmanship

Since the first noontec headphones, the manufacturer has remained faithful to its striking design. Like the one we already tested Hammo go, the Hammo TV is also a closed over-ear headphone. The housing is largely made of plastic. Only the folding mechanism and the height adjustment are reinforced with metal. Thanks to the foldable design, the Hammo TV can be transported to save space.

The ear cups of the over-ear headphones are movable. On the housing of the left auricle there is also a power button, a louder and quieter button and a status LED. In contrast to many other wireless headphones, the Hammo TV is not charged via a conventional USB socket, but via the 3.5 mm audio input. This spares the design with countless sockets and inputs, but at the same time you are always dependent on the 3.5 mm jack on a USB cable. An inconspicuously placed Micro USB socket would have been more desirable. The ear pads and the bracket are covered with an imitation leather.

The workmanship of the headphones and the accessories is successful. There are no unsightly gaps or uncleanly processed areas. Because almost all of the headphones are made of plastic, they look a bit cheap overall.

Hardware

The Hammo TV is not a conventional TV wireless headphone, but establishes its connection via Bluetooth. The headphones support the Bluetooth 4.0 standard for this purpose. According to noontec, short transmission times should be achieved with the aptX audio codec. Whether the base station and the headphones actually support aptX is difficult to understand and should be treated with caution. We didn't have another aptX-compatible transmitter with a Bluetooth log to hand for the test. It is unusual that noontec has not yet been listed as a partner on aptx.com.

The driver pair is the Votrik HD500 with a 50 mm diameter. The impedance is a low 32 ohms. According to noontec, the frequency spectrum is between 5 and 30.000 Hz.

OPERATION

Noontec has included a really well-translated and easy-to-understand operating manual with the Hammo TV. For wireless commissioning, only the base station has to be connected to the power and the audio source and of course the headphones also have to be switched on. The connection is then established fully automatically. Intermediate pairing steps are not necessary. Successful connection is also signaled by a green LED on the headphones and the base station. In addition to the wireless connection, the headphones can also be connected with a 3.5 mm audio cable. However, the control buttons then have no function. The advantage is that the headphones do not depend on the integrated battery in passive mode.

Klang

We come to the most important sub-point - the sound. In the Bluetooth network, a low level of background noise can initially be determined, but this remains within the normal limit range and is not further annoying. With increasing volume, the background noise is also masked. The lossless playback range was 12 meters in the test. 

The sound of the Hammo TV is very dynamic and clearly tailored to action-packed films. Bass is in the foreground and can be clearly felt. The spatial sound produced by the Hammo TV is particularly interesting. If you watch a film with a lot of effects, you can easily assign the direction from which the effect is coming. The headphones display the entire mid-range and lower treble range significantly less favorably. Spoken words are sometimes drowned out and sound dull.

The maximum volume is good and the headphones can also be operated on a smartphone or MP3 player without any problems. There are no sound differences between cable and Bluetooth networks.

comfort

The fit of the over-ear - i.e. circumaural - Hammo TV is good. The ear pads, including the synthetic leather cover, are adequately padded and do not become uncomfortable even after long periods of wear. The ear pads are also movable and adapt to the head. The bracket is height adjustable in 0.25 mm steps up to a maximum of 4 cm. The upholstery of the bracket is nothing to complain about and gives enough support.

Battery

Noontec promises a battery life of 50 hours. In the test, the runtime with a full battery charge was 37 hours. We achieved this value with an above-average volume (we like it loud!), So that the value given by the manufacturer seems realistic. The battery can be charged in 5 hours. Unfortunately, charging via the 3.5 mm socket is a bit cumbersome and a micro USB port would have been a better choice.