AFTERSHOKZ TREKZ AIR | $149.95
My goal at CES 2019 was to find products that would appeal to college students. As a music director, I’m automatically attracted to the products that have to do with either music-making or audio, and several headphone companies caught my eye over the course of the week: here is a final contender.
What it comes with: headphones, headphone case, earplugs, charging cord, user guide
I took these headphones to the gym and put them up against the ultimate test: cardio. For the most part, the TREKZ AIR worked out quite well for me. They take some getting used to, as the audio is streamed through the cheek bone (how metal!) instead of the ear – the strangest part of this was how much I could still hear of my surroundings in the background of my music, the grunting and weight-dropping of gym-goers still audible beyond Stromae. (To ameliorate this, the earphones come with ear plugs.) They sat underneath my high ponytail and stayed put throughout my workout, though I think in the future I’ll try to settle them above my hair tie for optimal positioning. I couldn’t turn the audio up too loud without the “buds” (or the equivalent of them) vibrating my cheekbones, but this wasn’t a hindrance to the listening experience.
At just 1.06 ounces, they’re extremely small and are overall quite attractive. The TREKZ AIR last 6 continuous hours with one 2 hour charge, and I appreciate how light and comfortable they are. Wireless headphones like these have immense utility for college students, as wearers are able keep their phones tucked away in their pockets or backpacks during use. I like them for listening to audiobooks or music while I wander around my apartment because I can leave my phone charging while still listening to whatever I’d like; not that my apartment is this big, but I can walk up to 33 feet away and the bluetooth will still connect! For on-campus use, I like that I’m still able to hear noise around me underneath the layers of my music.
The headphones have easy-to-use buttons that sit behind the ear. The left side has all of the make/model information and a multifunction button that can play/pause music, skip a song, answer or end a call, put a call on waiting or hang up on the current caller, reject a call, prompt the device assistant (named Audrey) or redial the last number. The user guide included in the package gives well-laid out instructions for how many clicks perform each function.
The right side houses a volume up/power button (which can also mute music, change the setting, and check the battery status) and a volume down button. The right side also has a little peel-able dongle within which sits the charging port. The number of things that these tiny little headphones can do may seem overwhelming, but I promise that the TREKZ AIR are easy to use.
If you’re out for a pair of wireless headphones, I highly recommend the TREKZ AIR. $149.95 is not too steep a price considering their quality, and their 2-year warrantee is a nice bonus. Plus, look how cute they are!
Stay tuned for more headphone reviews from CES 2019. Until next time, I’m dj hannah, and you’re tuned in to KAMP Radio.