SINGAPORE WILL BE THE FIRST IN THE WORLD TO LAUNCH THE LINKSYS E9450 WIFI 6 EASYMESH ROUTER

Linksys E9450 WIFI 6 EasyMesh Router. Source: Linksys Asia

SINGAPORE, 9 OCTOBER 2020 Linksys today announced the global launch of Linksys’ first WiFi 6 EasyMesh router, the E9450 (AX5400). Singtel is the first operator in the world to offer the new Linksys WiFi 6 router as it continues to bring next-generation WiFi connectivity to more Singtel fibre broadband customers in Singapore.

The WiFi 6 standard enables customers to enjoy faster data transfers, increased capacity, better connectivity performance in environments with many connected devices, and improved power efficiency. As the latest WiFi 6 solution for consumers’ increasingly demanding wireless connectivity needs, the E9450 router will be exclusively available to Singtel fibre broadband customers for two months starting from 10 October 2020.

“Asia has the greatest number of internet users in the world, accounting for 50.3% globally^[1],” said Jenny Ng, General Manager for Asia. “In 2019, 81% of Singaporeans were using the internet, with a trajectory to continue growing year-on-year². As a tech savvy nation, it is no wonder that Singaporeans are discerning when it comes to the routers they use at home. We are pleased to offer consumers an opportunity to optimize their home internet speeds and capacity with the next generation Mesh WiFi system in order to cater to growing bandwidth demands.”

So What is EasyMesh Wi-Fi?

EasyMesh was introduced by Wi-Fi Alliance and it is intended to serve as a standard to Wi-Fi networks that allows Wi-Fi routers or mesh systems to communicate with one another regardless of product line or brands. To put it simply, consumer can choose router or nodes of different brands to setup their mesh system as long as the products comply to EasyMesh standard. In other words, consumers have more choices.

Complied to this standard, the Linksys E9450 makes future upgrading of mesh system seamlessly for consumers.

Tech Specifications

The E9450 WiFi 6 router feature details below:

Technical Specification	Details
Wi-Fi Speed	Dual Band AX5400 (4800 Mbps on 5GHz + 600 Mbps on 2.4GHz)
Product Dimensions	Length – 15.6cm Width – 6cm Height – 22cm
AX5400 Dual Band	4 internal antennas MU-MIMO OFDMA Technology 2.4 GHz radio 5 GHz radio USB3.0 port
Processor & Memory	1.5GHz Tri-Core Processor 256MB Flash and 512MB RAM
WAN and LAN Connectivity	● 5 Gigabit Ethernet Ports: o 1x WAN o 4x LAN
Security	WPA2 Personal WPA3 Personal WPA2 / WPA3 Mixed Mode Personal

Pricing & Availability

The E9450 WiFi 6 router retails at $399.

At launch, it will be available at the special introductory price of $10.00/mth to the first 100 Singtel customers to sign up for or re-contract Singtel Fibre 1Gbps at $39.90/mth (U.P. $49.90/mth). Subsequently, customers can purchase the E9450 at $14.00/mth (U.P.$16.00/mth) with Singtel fibre plans.

The Linksys E9450 will roll out to the rest of the channel from 10 December 2020.

[1] Miniwatts Marketing Group, “Internet Users Distribution in the World – 2020 Q1” Data

²Statista Research Department, “Singapore: Internet user penetration 2015-2025” , Jul 28, 2020

May 29, 2020May 29, 2020

Samsung Launch Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition in Singapore this June

The special edition also comes with custom designed Galaxy Buds+ and Galaxy Watch Active2. Source: Samsung Singapore

Samsung Electronics Singapore today announced that the Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition will arrive in June.

The exclusive Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition will be available from 13 June on the Samsung Online Store at a recommended retail price of $3,388.

Pre-sales will open from 2 June for UOB Reserve, Privilege Banking, Visa Infinite and Visa Infinite Metal credit card members and Club21 Members.

The Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition, which features the designer’s signature red, white, and navy brand colours, draped on a pebble grey exterior pulled straight from the runway, will be debuted in a limited edition of 200 sets. To complete the look, the special edition also comes with custom designed Galaxy Buds+ and Galaxy Watch Active2.

This collaboration with the iconic New York fashion brand combines the best of art and technology. As respective leaders in fashion and technology spaces, the limited-edition Galaxy Z Flip makes a bold statement with Thom Browne’s signature aesthetic and Samsung’s state-of-the-art foldable technology.

Key Product Highlights:

The smartphone is the first of its kind to be encased in glass while sporting a matte look that is soft to the touch and effortless to hold. When unfolded, the Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition reveals even more design details inside, including:

Iconic blinds, a reference to the mid-century office aesthetic at the centre of the Thom Browne world, which appear onscreen every time the phone is turned on and off;
Pre-set app icons, labelled in classic text, as well as custom wallpaper which create an elemental Thom Browne uniformity;
Distinctive sound cues including a typewriter for the keyboard, an analogue ringtone, and a shoe tap on a marble floor, that tie the entire experience together.

The Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition also comes with Galaxy Z Premier Service. This specialised care offering provides customers with the most premium product experience possible, which includes:

24-hour concierge support via Samsung Members App
One-time screen replacement or repair with a deductible of $180 (including GST)
Door-to-door pick-up and delivery service for device repair (up to two times only)

Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition customers can also enjoy additional complimentary customer service benefits, such as 30-day 1-to-1 exchange for functional defects¹, data transfer assistance¹, diagnostic checks¹, one-time 1-to-1 in-box accessories exchange¹, and dedicated and priority queue at Samsung Customer Service Centre at VivoCity.

Galaxy Z Flip Screen Protector Application Service

Samsung will also be launching a complimentary screen protector application service for all new and existing Galaxy Z Flip customers. This service is valid within 12 months from date of purchase. Interested customers can pre-book an appointment via the Samsung Members app before heading down to any Samsung Customer Service Centre.

May 18, 2020May 18, 2020

Review of Sudio ETT – Sudio Brings in Active Noise Cancelling in Their Latest Sudio ETT

Ever since Sony wowed the market with their WF-1000XM3 in 2019, the battle in True Wireless System (TWS) has turned the focus on Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) and this is not just happening between the audio product giants but upcoming brands like Sudio is also joining in the fight. Ever since Sudio introduced their first TWS – Sudio Nivå in 2018, Sudio has been constantly improving their range of TWS. In the beginning of 2020, Sudio launches water-resistance Sudio Fem that comes with IP rating of IPX5. Months later, Sudio debuts their first TWS that comes with ANC features – Sudio ETT.

How does the ANC fare?

Unlike Sudio Fem, Sudio is bringing back the physical multi-purposes button. To turn it on. It is a simple long press on the button for 2 seconds and that will follow by a voice notification that ANC is turned on. (ANC is not turned on by default)

Obviously, I could sense that the surrounding noise drops dramatically once the ANC is activated. However, I also noticed several other changes in sound. First, I sense that the music volume increases significantly once the ANC is activated. I am not sure that is the culprit of making the surrounding sound “disappear”, but I think this is worth noting especially for those who are mindful on the music volume of their headset. A little tip: Lower the volume slightly before turning on the ANC.

Second, I notice the sound stage changes as well once the ANC is turned on. Beside being louder, the vocal appears to be brighter and overall experience is rather pleasant especially watching concert video over YouTube. Maybe it is purposely engineered for that purpose – you don’t want to be disturbed by your family TV when you are immersing yourself in Black Pink’s concert on your iPad.

Sound performance – ANC On Vs Off?

The Sony WF-1000XM3 is the game changer when comes to ANC and I have absolutely no doubt about it but I don’t really like the sound that it delivered when its ANC is on; maybe I am biased (Everyone who read my blog knows that I am not a fan of ANC). I feel that music lacks “life” when its ANC is turned on. I prefer the ANC to be turned off when I am listening to YouTube concert. (Don’t get me wrong! I love my WF-1000XM3. I am merely comparing its sound stage with ANC and without ANC)

Ironically, the Sudio ETT is entirely opposite. It sounds so much better when its ANC is turned on. A good balance of bass and treble and more importantly, the voice performance is richer. Listening to concert with this is extremely pleasant.

Other Perks?

Sudio ETT is also water resistance with IP rating of IPX5 just like the Sudio Fem. Essentially, you could clean them with some water after your run.

The Sudio ETT is equipped with wireless charging capability

The Sudio ETT can be charged wirelessly, a common feature that you could only find in some premium ranges of TWS. (For your info, the Sony WF-1000XM3 is not equipped with that function). If you have wireless charger at home (I mean who don’t own one these days), you could have one USD cable less in your power socket.

Verdicts

When comes to ANC, the Sudio ETT is not the ‘A’ student in the class. However, the performance is remarkable given the fact that this is Sudio’s first attempt to include ANC in their range of TWS. Afterall, it works and that is what matter for typical consumers. Anyway, we won’t turn on the ANC when walking on the busy street for obvious reasons. Furthermore, we are all staying at home these days. (how noisy can our home be?)

Retailing at SGD 239, you get a water-resistance TWS that comes with premium wireless charging and ANC feature. I think the price is reasonable but TND is bringing a special offer for the readers (there is always a perk for TND readers). If you are using TND promocode “theneodimensionEtt”, you get a further 15% discount off.

The perk does not end there. From now till end of July, you can get a new Sudio tote bag for free with every purchase from sudio.com.

April 29, 2020April 29, 2020

Review of Soul Emotion ² TWS – Don’t Associate “Cheap” as “Bad”

We have heard enough bad news about Covid-19. In Singapore, people are encouraged to stay at home during this circuit breaker. If there is one good thing in this pandemic, we are still free to go out for run. A good set of earpieces is a perfect companion especially we are running alone. If you have been following my blog closely, we have reviewed several headsets that are designed for fitness fanatics. The latest one is Soul ST-XS².

This time, we are reviewing another TWS from Soul – Soul Emotion². The cheaper Emotion² is different from the Soul ST-XS² in several ways. In terms of appearance, the Emotion² is smaller and sleeker. Apart from that, the Emotion² does not come with ear wings.

Unlike the Soul ST-XS² that comes with 4 colours, the Soul Emotion² comes only with 3 colours (pink, white & black). Soul Electronics sends me a white Emotion² for review. Although the Emotion² is a smaller device than the ST-XS², the Led indicator light on the Emotion² is larger and more visible than the one on the ST-XS².

The Emotion² is also splash-proof with a rating of IPX4. In another words, you could clean the Emotion² with little water (just make sure you don’t put it under the running tap).

The Emotion² is incredibly light. Weighed at approx.5g, it is amazingly comfortable to wear for long hours. However, this advantage may have some side effects to those with big earhole. I brought this out for a run and find that I must frequently make adjustment to make sure the Emotion² is at the place that it should. Although I have switched to its biggest earplugs, it just does not work for people like me who have big earhole.

Audio Quality

The Emotion² delivers crystal clear sound with a balanced sharpness. Bass is warm and it mixes well with the treble. While I am immersing myself to a passionate vocal performance on YouTube, the Emotion² produces a well-balanced sound with “visible” enough High, Mid and Low tones.

Conference call with this is acceptable as I can clearly hear what the counterparty is saying but it does not work as well for the other party. Apparently, the performance of mic is a little lacking. I need to speak louder to get my voice across.

Although physical design blocks off some surrounding noise, it is still quite disturbing when you are trying to focus on your online seminars. In this case, a good noise cancelling TWS could help to block off noises from the Kids TV programme while you are working. Unfortunately, this feature is not included.

A Good Buy?

This is a good product for loner like me who spent lots of hours online watching movies and concerts alone. Music is an experienced goods that touches people emotionally. As long the TWS could deliver what it is supposed to deliver, it is a good product. That is why I find the name of this product speaks for itself.

Of course, it is also extremely comfortable to wear (just don’t bring it out for run. It is not designed to anyway).

It is cheap and I do not mean it in a negative way. Their official store at Lazada is selling at SGD54.90! That is crazy! Granted. There are flaws like no active noise cancelling but why does that matter? Who else is watching “Baby-Shark” when I am all by myself at home watching Black Pink’s music video? I am a cheapo if you want to say so.

Recommendation: “Buy” (if you are an introvert like me)

April 16, 2020April 16, 2020

Apple Launches their budget iPhone SE (2nd Gen) in the midst of Covid-19 crisis

Apple has been hit hard by the Covid-19 crisis. Apple share (stock quote: AAPL) has slumped more than 30% since Feb this year and given the fact that US is experiencing the highest unemployment rate never seen since The Great Depression, Apple has reacted by launching cheaper iPhone SE (2^nd Gen) to the market.

The new iPhone SE comes in three beautiful colors — black, white and (PRODUCT) RED. Source: Apple

The new iPhone SE comes in three beautiful colors — black, white and (PRODUCT) RED— and will be available for pre-order beginning Friday, April 17, 8PM SG time from SGD 649 onwards.

The new iPhone SE is armed with A13 Bionic chip, the one that is used in iPhone 11 series. When comes to camera, there is a slight upgrade from its predecessor, the new iPhone SE features a single 12MP rear camera. The front-facing camera is powered by a 7MP sensor.

Apple has also improved the iPhone SE with features such as wireless charging and water resistance of IP67 rating. You can literately wash your iPhone to disinfect. Unlike the iPhone 11 series, Apple has also brought back the popular physical home button which you could use the Touch ID to unlock and make Apple Pay transactions.

What is missing here is the Face ID which I believe Apple is trying to use that feature to distinguish the premium iPhone series from the budget SE series. Anyway, you don’t need your face to access to your apps so it is not a must-have.

The display has got larger. The new iPhone SE is now powered by 4.7 inch LCD display. Note that this is not the OLED display used in the iPhone 11 series. Well, Apple has to find way to cut corner to lower the price, but I don’t think that will affect the whole Apple experience greatly. Anyway, how much difference between LCD and OLED, in terms of quality, can you spot?

In view of the current Covid-19 situation, Apple has lowered sales forecast in the near term. It is not surprising that the new iPhone SE could be a nice alternative for the current users who are retiring their old iPhone 7/8.

February 5, 2020February 5, 2020

Sudio Fem Review – Designed for the “Workout-aholic”

Sudio, as a brand in the true wireless earphones (TWS) segment, is not well known for making audio product that is tough enough for sports but my water test (though it is unintentional) on Sudio Nivå, their first TWS, has totally changed my perception about this brand despite it comes without IP rating. (If you want to read my review on Sudio Nivå, you can read it up here)

Although it took them almost 2 years to get IP rating for their products, it is better late than never. Their latest TWS – Sudio Fem is now IPX5 water resistance which essentially means that it can survive in a wet weather condition.

Comfort

I am not sure this works for others. The Sudio Fem is bigger than their previous Tolv and Nivå and I find the fit is just nice for my ears. Well, this varies across different people. However, the ear tip of Fem is slightly longer than the Sudio Tolv’s which allows the earbud to go further into the ear. That blocks off some of the surrounding noise.

Even though Sudio Fem does not come with noise cancelling feature, the overall listening experience is not completely disrupted by the surrounding sound. Ok I am not a huge fan of noise cancelling, so I might be bias to a certain extent. Anyway, I will disable any form of noise cancelling feature while I am doing my outdoor runs for safety reasons.

Just like other TWS, the Sudio Fem has packed 5 ear tip sizes.

Sound Quality

The bass is quite impressive given the small size of the product. If you are always on a “Beast Mode” while listening to your Spotify, Sudio Fem is one of the products that can deliver the best listening experience.

Vocal performance is decent. It has the necessary clarity. However, the sound stage is slightly different from the Sudio Tolv. The Tolv has a more natural vocal performance while watching a live concert on YouTube. That adds “life” in the concert music experience. Although the Fem can deliver clarity, I feel I don’t enjoy as much as the Tolv when comes to live concert music.

Other enhancement

Beside IP certification, the Sudio Fem has also equipped with Google Assistance and Siri. This voice assistance will be extremely useful to access your smartphone when you are busy with your outdoor activities.

On top of that, Sudio is offering 18 months international warranty for purchase of Sudio Fem.

Verdicts

Given its sound stage and IPX5 rating, the Sudio Fem is a perfect companion for runners. Personally, I think that it is reasonable for Sudio to price the Fem at SGD 219.

But… (as you might have expected) If you are getting this with my promocode: theneodimensionFem, you can get a 15% discount on your purchase. On top of that you get a free special edition CNY gift packaging and a crossbody pouch if you made a purchase before 14^th Feb.

Since Valentine’s Day is coming, you can buy any 2 Sudio earphones and get a further 10%. That’s 25% discount (15% from code plus the additional 10%)!

We all know that there is no one product that caters for all. By and large, it pays to get good quality product but Sudio has proven that good quality product may not come at a sky-high price.

January 14, 2020January 15, 2020

Realme XT – A Bring-It-Out-For-Holiday Camera Phone

Admit it. We still desire to own an iPhone; we won’t want to be seen carrying a cheap phone while having drink session with friends. However, running the risk of losing their over-priced iPhone during vacation is like “Ouch”. It is no secret that most of us carry more than 1 device– one for “work” and a second one for practical use.

Here, we got our hands on the new realme XT. One of the key highlights of the phone is its quad-camera. Yes you heard it right. This phone is packed with not 2, not 3 but 4 rear camera and that is against the triple camera of the iPhone 11. The 64 MP image sensor by Samsung, which realme claimed that it is the highest resolution image sensor in the smartphone market, could shoot ultra-high-resolution photo that is equivalent to the size of a 3.2m X 2.4m poster print-out.

Supreme Camera Specs

Wow… The technical specs do look good on paper. But more camera does not mean anything? How about the overall image quality? We challenged the phone to take night scene of our beautiful Singapore city. The 64MP camera sensor produces reasonable clear, crisp landscape photo even under low light condition. Below is the sample photo of the night scene shot with the 64 MP sensor.

Night shot has always a challenge for camera phone. If we zoomed into the night scene photo, we observe some “noise” on the background. However, the building names are captured reasonably well by 64MP sensor under challenging city lightning.

We have also tested the night mode. The sensor manages to snap the photo within 3 seconds. The image is quite impressive, and its algorithm manages to brighten the dark parts of the photo. For instance, we captured the red hook of the crane in the photo with the night mode turned on.

Limited Internal Storage

As a relatively new brand, realme XT’s camera performance has surprised us. The 64MP image sensor is very appealing to smartphone users. However, The image size shot at 64MP could be as high as 12MB and that is significantly larger than normal (one 64MP image is about 5 times more than the usual image size).

The 128GB internal storage may not be enough for users who love to take pictures with their smartphones. Fortunately, the realme XT has included external microSD slot that could allow user to store additional 256GB.

Camera is good but what else?

I know this may not be relevant as the customer moves towards wireless earpiece. Who still expect to get complimentary earphone when unboxing a new phone? But still, we may want to bring along our favourite headset when we are out for vacation. The option to connect via the legacy 3.5mm audio jack is still more favourable. Well, you can argue that we could bring an additional 3.5mm-to-Type C adaptor. I am on vacation. I just want to bring the minimal.

It has in-display fingerprint sensor which works reasonably fast and the ColorOS by OPPO gives a very clean Android interface which makes the navigation within the OS very pleasing.

Verdict

This OPPO’s spinoff brand has surprised me. In terms of performance, the phone does deliver what most consumers want but at the fraction of the price of high-end models in the market. Camera performance is very decent for the price point.

I do carry a handful of phones out for work purposes, but I always have the tendency to use the realme XT for street and food photography. The attractive price tag on realme XT is appealing to frequent travellers who might afraid of losing their “work” phone (yes I am refering to your iPhone) while traveling. The realme XT could save your travel photo in the old school micro-SD card and you don’t need to rely on internet access to backup your photo and this is especially useful when you visit countries where internet accessibility is poor.

October 7, 2019October 7, 2019

Huawei Singapore “Gives” You SGD 463 To Ditch Google Services. Now, will you buy the Mate 30?

We all know that Huawei’s latest Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro will not come with Google Mobile Services and that mean customers outside China who bought their latest flagship phones will not be able to use Youtube or Google Maps.

In the early October, Huawei Singapore has finally released the price plan for the Singapore customers. The new Mate 30 Pro is selling at SGD 1,298. Customers can now register their interest for the Mate 30 Pro which comes in either Black or Silver color.

As part of its early bird special, interested buyers who bought the phone will be invited to an exclusive private event and on top of that, they will receive a set of free gift worth SGD 463.

We have heard good reviews about the Mate 30’s camera. No doubt, the Mate 30 is a high-quality phone. However, we don’t just use our smartphone for photography only. We use that for other purposes which is why we need Google Play to download other essentials apps to suit our needs.

Now, Google Play has been taken away and Huawei customers have to get accustomed to their in-house Huawei Mobile Services. To the Android users, this is a switching cost and that’s bring back to one question, “Is the Huawei Mate 30 Pro worthy enough for that switch?”

Personally, I am adopting a “wait-and-see” approach to see how Singapore market reacts to this. Please feel free to leave a comment below if you have some unique insights on this matter. I will love to hear from you.

For those who are interested in the phone, here are the key things to know to get your hands on the HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro:

STEP 1: Register your interest online here from 5 -15 October, 2019
STEP 2: You may receive a call or email between 16 – 24 October 2019 with an invitation to a private event (limited to 200 successful registrants, selected at random)
STEP 3: Upon invitation, you may attend a private event to purchase the HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro and receive an exclusive gift bundle worth $463 NOTE: Those who did not receive the invitation will be informed of the next opportunity to purchase the HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro.

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September 22, 2019September 22, 2019

Review – Creative Outlier Gold, A Under-Hyped True Wireless

2019 is a big year for true wireless earpiece. Headphone giant Sennheiser released their very first true wireless under their Momentum series – Momentum True Wireless which was a surprise to the market observer and smashed the market taboo that “tiny earpiece can’t deliver good sound”. Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless said it all. Tech journalists from around the world has been writing positive reviews of this product in the first quarter of the year. The “momentum” did not stop. Sony responded with their WF-1000MX3 that wowed the market with its noise cancelling capabilities. Both products have been selling like hot cakes despite a high price attached to them (Momentum True Wireless – RRP SGD469, Sony WF-1000MX3 – RPP SGD 349)

Undeniably, Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless and Sony WF-1000MX3 are the winners but they are obscenely expensive. I can’t help but ask myself,” Aren’t there unorthodox products in the market that could deliver same or similar quality but at a lower price point?” I decided to try Creative Outlier Gold.

What’s in Creative Outlier Gold that caught my attention?

Last year, Creative (stock quote: C76:SGX) shocked the world with their Super X-Fi, personalized 3D immersive sound technology which they termed as “holy grail” of headphone processing. Instead of restricting this technology to headphones, they are bringing this into their true wireless, the Outlier Gold.

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After a busy month, I finally have the time to sit down and try the new #CreativeOutlierGold. For those who are in-the-know, @creativelabs has made a bang in the audio industry with the launch of Super X-fi in recent years and this is their first true wireless earphones that is powered by #superxfi. Can the smaller bluetooth device deliver the same immersive sound experience as headphone? I will be sharing my thoughts in my blog soon. Stay tuned! #instaphones #instaaudio #instatech #instalifestyle #audiophile #techsg #Singapore #sgx #singaporestockexchange #singapore #stock

A post shared by Neo Wee Wu 梁威武 (@weewu) on Sep 1, 2019 at 7:55am PDT

For those who have followed my posts, you should know that I have good impression of the Super X-Fi technology. (If you haven’t, you may wish to check out the post https://theneodimension.com/creative-achieves-next-breakthrough-super-x-fi-investing-usd-100m-20-years-rd/) It will be interesting to see how this set of technology performs in the smaller Outlier Gold. Furthermore, this technology is (currently) proprietary to Creative which means you can’t get it in other devices.

How Creative Outlier Gold fare against other Super X-fi headphones?

Super X-Fi requires both algorithm and their processing chip. In other words, to get the full potential of Super X-Fi, both software and hardware side of things are built within the audio device and that’s the main shortfall of Creative Outlier against other Super X-Fi headphones. Given its physical constraint, Super X-Fi in Outlier Gold is purely software-driven.

To enjoy Super X-Fi, you need a Super X-Fi app (which you need to download for setting up purposes) to play music file that is stored locally in my phone. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to enjoy Super X-Fi if you are playing music from Spotify or other streaming apps.

How’s the sound performance?

Unable to enjoy full potential of Super X-Fi on Creative Outlier Gold is kind of a turn-off, the performance via the app is quite impressive. I am convinced that small device like Creative Outlier could deliver reasonable 3D holistic sound stage; for a lack of better description, I would like to quote from my good friend, Chester Tan (@musicdairy) who happened to own Creative Outlier Gold. He said, “ (music) sounds more comfortable and roomy”. With technology advancement, I am not surprised that true wireless could deliver multi-directional sound performance (drivers) as headphones could in the future.

Without Super X-Fi, sound from YouTube or Spotify lacks depth. Instead, you are getting a clearer and sharper tone. Bass is reasonably strong and punchy which I believe it is most people’s likings. Personally, I prefer hi-tempo dance music especially when I am out for run. Hence, I prefer the bass to be stronger.

In general, it is a good device to listen to any genre of music.

If I am buying this, what am I getting?

Sound performance is subjective and what I like may not be of your likings. But, we could look at the technical aspect which it is very comparable across all models. First, battery life of Creative Outlier Gold is 14hrs (without the case) which is kind of unspoken standard in the market. It is not exceptional impressive but at the very least, it is almost as good as some of the mid and top-end models that are offering in the market.

Like other true wireless, Creative Outlier Gold comes with a battery-cum-storage case that gives a total playtime up to approx. 39hrs.

Creative Outlier Gold is IPX5 water resistance.

It has a water resistance rating of IPX5. Yes, It is sport-friendly. After your run with Outlier Gold, you could wipe your dirty sweat away with a wet tissue and the water won’t cause any damage to your earpiece. A point to note here – Sony WF-1000MX3 has no IP rating. From this aspect, the cheaper Outlier Gold beats Sony WF-1000MX3.

The Creative Outlier Gold is also packed with Bluetooth 5.0 and Qualcomm aptX. If you are using compatible smartphones, lower latency will help in keeping fast connection between the earpiece and phone. To put it simply, you could listen to hi-res audio without any loss connection via Creative Outlier Gold.

Price

Creative is not a premium brand. As such, I believe most consumers won’t be paying a premium for a Creative brand product. (Sad for Singapore brand…) Anyway, the Creative Outlier Gold is priced at SGD 139 which is very wallet-friendly for those who are looking for a true wireless.

Verdict

Truth to be told, this product is not the prettiest true wireless I have seen. In terms of sound qualities, the Creative Outlier Gold has certainly exceeded my expectation at that kind of price. The Creative Outlier Gold is also water resistance and packed with premier features that you could only find in more expensive hi-end true wireless models. At the low-to-mid price category, I would say the Creative Outlier Gold offers the best-in-class values to the customers. If you are not that brand conscious, this is one product that you should consider.