Bluetooth Headphone/Headset Survey Review - MEElectronics Air-Fi Matrix2 AF62

BluetoothHeadsetSurvey_Photo_MEElectronicsAirFiMatrix2AF62

MEElectronics Air-Fi Matrix2 AF62 ($129)
Oh. My. Goodness. This is an awesome BT headphone! And at the $90 price you can get at Amazon, this is a ridiculously good value proposition. Ed Note: Price is rapidly changing upward at the moment, get 'em while they're cheap.

One might be tempted to chuckle at the carbon fiber pattern imprinted in the cheap vinyl padded coverings on the outside of the ear pieces and headband, but upon reflection I've decided it's a pretty masterful way of using low-cost materials. Similarly, the matte black plastic of the rest of the headphone soft and smooth to the touch, and resists scuffs and fingerprints well. The simple flowing lines and slightly hefty look are confidence inspiring. This is a humbly handsome headphone.

Pairing was quick and reliable with the assurance of voice prompts. The Matrix2 AF62 comes well equiped with Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, and supports both aptX and AAC codecs. Battery life is a whopping 22 hours! I can be played passively with the included cable—which oddly connects straight out the back of the left ear.

The AF62 is very light and comfortable on the head. Ear cushions, while not providing the luxurious feel of better materials, are ample in size and depth, and caliper pressure against my head just about right.

Sound quality is quite good; I would consider these a neutral sounding headphone. Bass extension and quality is a bit poor, but because it's not over emphasized it tended not to be bothersome to me. Bassheads beware, you might much prefer the Scosche even though double the price. From the upper-bass to the upper-mids, the AF62 is dead flat, and a real treat for the ears. These cans have a wonderfully un-colored response through the body and soul of the music. The presence region through the low-treble is a bit laid back making for a slightly veiled sound, and the treble response overall is a little hazy and indistinct. But, other than the slight presence region dip, the treble levels are about right and they don't get harsh. So, other than a lack of bass extension and a hazy treble, these sound quite good. Much better than expected at this price...much. "Wall of Fame" material for sure.

Measurements

Click on graphs image to download .pdf for closer inspection.

Raw frequency response plots show a headphone with mild level changes with position movement, but tonality remains fairly constant. Compensated FR plots show a headphone that's very flat from about 60Hz to 1kHz. The drop from centered at 4kHz recesses the low- and mid-treble, but it regains proper level at about 10kHz and up.

Very heavy swayback 30Hz square wave response, 12dB/octave bass roll-off, elevated THD+noise in the bass, and poor isolation all lead me to believe this can might have benefitted from a little more acoustic sealing in the back.

THD+noise is quite good but for the significantly rising distortion in the bass below 100Hz.

300Hz square wave has good overall shape, but suffers from some noise. I did hear these as being somewhat hazy and indistinct.

Isolation at -10dB broadband is poor. These will be fine around office and home, and in relatively quite outdoor environs, but would work poorly in metro portable applications.

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