Experience premium headphones without paying top dollar
Noise-canceling headphones have tons of advantages. The main one is meant to contribute to building your own personal peace-and-quiet bubble. If I were a doctor, I’d say it’s therapeutic. There is a major setback, though – ANC headphones by leading companies are likely to cost you a lot.
With this issue at hand, I stumbled upon Cowin SE7. It is not super cheap, but it is not something that will break the bank either.
Cowin is a brand that some might not be familiar with. Understandably there will be some eye-rolling. In an attempt to solve the issue, I got a nice SE7 and put my white lab coat on.
What is In the Box?
- Cowin SE7 Active Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones
- Headphone case
- Micro USB cable
- 3.5mm audio cable
- User Guide
Build and design
The Cowin SE7 looks premium with its minimalist design and compact build. The headset itself measures 7.5 x 6.3 x 3 inches and weighs 9.6 ounces. The material used seems sturdy and flexible. It also looks polished and exudes a high-end vibe.
Cowin SE7 also comes in five color variations – black, purple, dark green, gold, and wine. The matte finish is excellent and low-profile.
Headband
The headband’s foam padding is excellent, and I felt no discomfort wearing the headphones. Being foldable, it will save space and ensure ease of transport.
Earcups
The pads are nice and soft, but the leather-like material covering them tends to heat up. After listening for an hour or so, I felt the need to take them off.
Controls and Connectivity
Cowin SE7’s controls are easy to use, and the button positioning is just appropriate. The buttons are located below the right earcup. This space accommodates the following:
- Noise-canceling button
- Volume up/skip track (back)
- Power/Bluetooth pairing/call button
- Volume down/skip track (forward)
- Audio jack
- USB charging port
The Bluetooth 5.0 on the Cowin SE7 is quick and provides a stable connection with your device. I heard no jitter nor static. Its transmission distance is about 15 meters, so those of you who are gym goers might find a buddy in this headset.
Sound quality and Active Noise Canceling
The audio quality of the Cowin SE7 is good. Bass is powerful and could capture thumps well. The headphones give a nice kick, but it won’t shake your core. However, I noticed a significant drop in bass when using the ANC feature.
The mids are a jumble while low mids are pronounced, thus delivering a warm tone. Listening to my Dark Souls III soundtrack was quite satisfying.
Cowin SE7’s active noise-canceling provides average isolation. They don’t eliminate background noise that well, but you can opt to turn the volume up to remedy this. Some users are not that fond of loud volumes, so this fix might not be for everyone.
Speaking of turning up the volume, you don’t have to fret about sound leakage. So, if you are in a library or something, you can feel safe knowing the content of your playlist will not be revealed to anyone in the place.
Call quality
Not much can be said about the built-in microphone. When I asked a friend to call me, she reported I sounded a bit muffled, though bearable. I suggest you restrained yourself from using this to answer calls at too noisy spots.
Battery life
The Cowin SE7 has a built-in 800mAh battery and can sustain a 30-hour playtime. I did put my music marathon on, and I got around 27 hours out of it. That is still very impressive.
Final verdict
The Cowin SE7 are comfortable headphones. It is advisable to take breaks, as they tend to heat up after an hour or so of usage.
The build and design are elegant, features aptX and is foldable, unlike its predecessor – the Cowin E7 Pro. For the sound quality, it’s great. I do recommend that the ANC should only be used when listening to soft music, and disturbances limitation is your primary goal. Turning the ANC on will somewhat affect the audio performance.
