The $39.99 Onanoff BuddyPhones Pop Enjoyable supply all the things we count on from a pair of youngsters’ headphones: They sound balanced, really feel comfy, and don’t price loads. Youngsters ought to admire that they’ll adorn the pair with varied stickers, whereas a wired listening mode provides versatility. That stated, the overly loud 94dB max quantity is just too straightforward for youngsters to activate and the SBC-only Bluetooth playback limits the wi-fi audio high quality. In the end, the extra reasonably priced Earfun K2 Youngsters headphones take our Editors’ Selection award as a result of they produce extra sturdy bass, help the AAC codec, and last more per cost. Simply needless to say your youngster would possibly choose the whimsical stylings of the BuddyPhones Pop Enjoyable as an alternative.
A Enjoyable, Customizable Design
Obtainable in blue, mild inexperienced, white, or yellow, the BuddyPhones Pop Enjoyable ought to match like some other supra-aural (on-ear) pairs, although the earcups would possibly cowl youthful listeners’ ears totally. Each the earpads and headband function sufficient cushioning that they continue to be comfy over lengthy listening periods. The earpads’ jersey-like material lining and the headscarf’s silicone exterior additionally enhance the match.
(Credit score: Tim Gideon)Every mannequin comes with a novel set of color-matched stickers your child can use to cowl the earcups. The shiny gold stickers that include the yellow mannequin, as an example, incorporate bumblebees, a giraffe, paw prints, and a turntable into the design. You possibly can preview the stickers for every mannequin on the Onanoff product web page. Even with out stickers, the headphone body seems to be fairly cool, so children with extra minimalist tastes aren’t disregarded. The braille L and R markings above the earcups are additionally a pleasant contact.
Internally, 40mm neodymium drivers produce a frequency vary of 20Hz to 20kHz. The headphones are suitable with the older Bluetooth 5.0 customary (5.4 is the most recent) and help simply the SBC codec. These specs could be extra forgivable if the inexpensive Earfun K2 mannequin did not supply Bluetooth 5.4 and the AAC codec. What’s necessary to notice right here is that almost all gadgets (together with Amazon Hearth tablets and the Nintendo Swap) help SBC, however AAC offers higher-quality sound on Apple gadgets particularly.
(Credit score: Tim Gideon)The fitting earcup features a central energy/pairing button with flanking plus and minus buttons. That foremost button additionally manages playback (faucet shortly to play or pause) and calls (press as soon as to reply or finish a name). In the meantime, the plus and minus buttons deal with quantity modifications (fast faucets) and monitor navigation (lengthy holds). I am not a fan of mixing these features because it typically results in misfires, however this setup is typical for the class. Be aware that standing LEDs on the precise earcup flash blue each now and again when the headphones have an energetic connection.
Urgent the plus and minus buttons on the identical time switches between the Protected (85dB) and Pop (94dB) quantity limiting modes. The standing LEDs, which flash each 10 seconds or so, point out which mode is energetic: two blue lights for Protected mode and three blue lights for Pop mode. These will help mother and father see the energetic quantity setting at a look, although the LEDs would possibly show distracting over time.
I admire that there is a approach to restrict the amount ranges, however 94dB is just too loud for youngsters (and adults) for any prolonged interval. Though this mode would possibly come in useful for quieter recordings, its preset stage and simple accessibility partially undermine the aim of a quantity restrict within the first place. A single exhausting restrict at 85dB would make way more sense if stopping listening to loss is the aim.
(Credit score: Tim Gideon)The headphones ship with an audio cable for passive wired listening and a brief USB-A-to-USB-C charging cable (each connections are on the precise earcup). Like most children’ headphones, the BuddyPhones haven’t got a companion app, which means you’ll be able to’t entry an EQ or in any other case customise the expertise.
Onanoff estimates that the BuddyPhones Pop Enjoyable can final roughly 24 hours per cost, however your outcomes will range primarily based in your typical listening ranges. For reference, that is far shy of the 40-hour runtime of the Earfun K2 Youngsters.
Balanced Audio, Weak Mics
Your youngster doubtless will not be listening to the tracks I exploit for testing, however these various recordings reveal the strengths and weaknesses of any given headphones. If they’ll deal with these songs effectively, they definitely will not have any hassle with no matter common Disney soundtrack your child will play on a loop. I attempted each the Protected and Pop modes however caught with the previous for my official assessments since that is the mode your youngster ought to use.
On tracks with intense sub-bass content material, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the headphones produce an honest sense of bass depth, however not the subwoofer-like rumble we hear on common headphones for adults. Quantity ranges certainly appear modest on the most settings in Protected mode, although to not the purpose that your youngster will complain that they can not hear their music.
Invoice Callahan’s “Drover,” a monitor with far much less deep bass within the combine, offers us a greater sense of the audio signature. Drums sound refined total, with Callahan’s baritone vocals getting probably the most lower-frequency power. In addition they exhibit a nice low-mid richness and crisp high-mid presence. The upper-register percussive hits and acoustic strums are detailed and shiny. General, the headphones sound balanced, with a give attention to readability.
(Credit score: Tim Gideon)On orchestral tracks, just like the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel In accordance with the Different Marythe BuddyPhones do not sound too skinny or quiet. That stated, some quantity drop-offs are perceptible since classical tracks are likely to have much less dynamic compression than these inside different genres. Even in Protected mode, the lower-register instrumentation has some physique, whereas the higher-register brass, strings, and vocals retain their definition.
Not all children’ headphones have a mic system for taking calls. These do, but it surely’s not superb. I had hassle understanding a take a look at recording on my iPhone because of the faint and muffled sign. The EarFun K2 Youngsters headphones even have a considerably quiet mic sign, but it surely’s significantly crisper.
Expressive Fashion and Clear Sound
The Onanoff BuddyPhones Pop Enjoyable are straightforward to customise, match comfortably, and ship clear sound. The included audio cable for passive listening partially makes up for the SBC-only Bluetooth limitation. We simply want it wasn’t really easy for teenagers to activate the possibly damaging 94dB listening mode, which defeats the aim of a quantity restrict. The Earfun K2 Youngsters headphones have that very same flaw, however they nonetheless earn our Editors’ Selection award for youthful listeners because of their superior playback constancy, deeper bass response, and lower cost.
