Even H2 Review: Wireless Cans Offering a Personal Listening Experience
Increasingly, audio companies are turning to software to help enhance our listening experiences. Case in point: Even’s new H2 Bluetooth wireless headphones. Priced at $299, the H2 adjusts sound based on your so-called hearing “EarPrint,” a process the company calls “glasses for your ears.”
Are the H2 Bluetooth wireless headphones worth the price of admission? It’s time to find out in this review.
The Newbie
- Offers 20 hours of music between charges
- Features 40mm Beryllium drivers
- Ships with black carrying case, charging cable, and audio cable
If you haven’t heard of the Israeli-based audio start-up Even, you’re probably not alone. While the company has been around since 2014, the H2 is its first Bluetooth audio product to hit the market, following successful launches of the wired H1 headphones and E1 earphones.
I’m sometimes leery of first-generation gadgets, which are often littered with design flaws and software challenges. The H2 has mostly avoided these type of hiccups as you’ll see below.
Even H2: A Review
The H2 features foldable walnut ear cups, brushed metal, and PU Leather. This combination wouldn’t have been my first choice (especially the walnut), although the look did grow on me eventually.
On the right cup, you’ll find four metal buttons, including Volume Up, Volume Down, and Play/Pause. The fourth one, called the Even button, allows you to turn Even’s signature EarPrint technology on/off. You’ll read more about this feature below.
The right ear cup is also where you’ll find a port for the included 3.5mm cable for those times when your headphones aren’t charged. On the left cup, you’ll see the Micro USB port for charging.
Overall, I do like the H2’s design. However, I think more traditional styles are warranted because not everyone will react positively to the walnut look.
Sound
Ultimately, headphones are rated based on the sound quality they provide. It’s on this important point where the H2 shines, thanks for EarPrint.
What is EarPrint? One of the first things you’re instructed to do after purchasing an Even audio product is to download the free Even EarPrint app for iOS and Android. It’s here where Even promises to tune music to fit your hearing using a quick one-time sound test.
In doing so, EarPrint creates a unique hearing profile that gets stored on the headphones so you can use it with all of your audio sources. And yes, you can save various profiles on the same pair of headphones.
Even’s hearing test takes just a few minutes to complete. You’ll be asked to listen for individual tones at different frequencies. You can find a demo of the test on the Even website.
I clocked about 50 hours of usage on my H2 review unit. With EarPrint turned on, I noticed sounds that felt much closer and balanced, but not overwhelming, regardless of my choice of music. In other words, EarPrint works.
Bonus: You can use the Even EarPrint app to learn more about audio frequencies, which is a nice touch. (See below.)
So how’s the range? Even promises you can wander up to 30 feet from your computer or mobile device before the sound from the H2 begins to deteriorate. Without any barriers, this range held during my tests. However, doors and walls seemed to narrow this range significantly to around 10 to 15 feet, which isn’t a lot.
What about the battery? The H2 should give you 20 hours of music between charges. This pledge was confirmed in my two tests, as I was able to go 19 hours and 22 hours, respectively. That should be more than enough for most users.
The Bottom Line
Products like the H2 show that Apple’s Beats isn’t the only audio game in town. Thanks to EarPrint technology, you can have a personalized listening experience for around $300. For this, you get a high-quality product with excellent battery life and a unique look.
You can purchase the H2 from the Even website or through Amazon.com.