PreSonus Eris HD10BT review: Good cans–just don’t use ANC

Greatest Costs At present: PreSonus Eris HD10BT

£87.00

Out of the field, the $130 Presonus HD10BT Bluetooth headphone with energetic noise cancellation (ANC) impressed me with each its styling and its strong really feel. I additionally appreciated its comparatively flat frequency copy, which makes this headphone a more sensible choice for residence A/V studio use than many client cans.

Then again, PreSonus’ in any other case efficient noise-cancellation tech appreciably alters the HD10BT’s sound, and there’s no app you need to use to alter its EQ.

Design & construct

The Eris HD10BT are over-ear, closed-back headphones with 40mm drivers and a mic on every ear cup to facilitate the ANC and cellphone calls. The headphones are styled in black and silver, and as I mentioned, they appear good out of the field.

This assessment is a part of TechHive’s in-depth protection of one of the best noise-cancelling headphones.

The left cup is residence to the ANC change, in addition to the micro-USB charging port. The suitable cup has the up/down/call-answering buttons and the Bluetooth pairing button.

Whereas I really like the best way the Eris HD10BT seems to be–with its sturdy, partly steel development and the heft that comes with that materials–I’ve some niggles with its match and end. Whereas the feel of the fabric masking a part of the again, outer portion of its earcups affords a pleasant tactile sensation and a great grip, it was already beginning to abrade in two areas after simply a few journeys into the carrying case (try the photograph under).

I can solely think about what they’d look life after just a few months of something lower than immaculately delicate dealing with.

Additionally, the middle panel with the Bluetooth pairing button was coming out a bit after I took the headphone out of its field. I pressed it again and it remained in place, however the fitment of those plastic elements on each cups may very well be extra exact.

The HD10BT ship with a straight 4-foot 3.5mm cable, a 3.5mm-to-1/4-inch adapter, a USB-A to micro-USB charging cable, and a zippered hardshell case.

Audio and energetic noise-cancelling high quality

The easiest way to explain the Eris HD10BT’s sound (sans ANC, that’s) is flat and correct; i.e., it doesn’t intensify any explicit frequency, together with the high-end or the bass. And that’s what you need once you’re mixing audio tracks–minimal coloration by your playback gear.

The mid-range and discipline definition was spot on. I had no downside choosing devices or elements out from the combo; one other plus for residence studio use. The HD10BT additionally deal with quantity effectively, not overly altering timbre as you crank issues up.

However for leisure listening, I used to be rapidly wishing for an app with EQ capabilities, as my older ears like a bit extra sparkle. Many music apps have their very own EQ, so if the one you utilize has that characteristic, you gained’t thoughts that PreSonus doesn’t present its personal.

PreSonus’s energetic noise cancellation may be very efficient at taming environmental sound air pollution; nonetheless, it does impact the EQ. That’s not one thing you need from knowledgeable headphone. There’s a drop-off within the high-end–as with many middle-of-the-road ANC designs, nevertheless it’s very slight. Fairly unusually, activating ANC additionally delivered a slight increase within the decrease registers.

So, neglect what I mentioned about flat response the second your flip this headphone’s ANC change to the on place. That’s to not say the Eris HD10BT sounds unhealthy with energetic noise cancellation engaged, it’s simply not as balanced or exact in its frequency copy. And I examined it with each Bluetooth and related to my supply with a cable.

Presonus claims as much as 16 hours of battery life, which generally means with out ANC engaged. With ANC on, the headphone had about 70 % battery life remaining after two hours of listening, so determine a bit lower than what PreSonus thinks It’s going to ship.

Consolation degree

My first impression of the Eris HD10BT was that it was one of many extra snug over-ear headphones I’ve tried. The ear cups are comfortable, however not squishy, and so they’re deep sufficient to maintain my auricles from bottoming out on the speaker grill. Good job there.

After just a few hours, nonetheless, I discovered myself wishing for a bit extra padding on the scarf. It’s a two-rail design, which is sturdy, nevertheless it places all of the strain in two smaller areas. The steel within the HD10BT makes it relatively weighty for its class–0.9 kilos–and that weight result in strain forming on the highest of my head.

To compensate, I discovered myself shifting the strain level by rotating the scarf barely backward after which ahead. After a time, I added some exterior padding to the scarf. You won’t be as delicate.

Must you purchase the PreSonus Eris HD10BT?

Regardless of its flaws, I loved my time with the PreSonus Eris HD10BT. It’s a good-looking headphone that sounds first rate, cancels noise effectively, and is comparatively inexpensive.

However I might be remiss if I didn’t point out that the Anker House Q35 are a greater headphone for informal listening–and so they’re a bit much less coin.