Tesoro present us with a fumble free in-ear headset, made from solid metal enclosures which are magnetised for easy storage inside the included carry case.
Product on Review: Tesoro Tuned
Manufacturer & Sponsor: Tesoro
Street Price: US: $34.99
Tesoro have steadily expanded their range of products since our last outing with their products. This time, we take a look at a portable in-ear headset aptly named ‘Tuned’. In-ear headsets have become an important part of every day life for many people as portable devices intrude ever-more into every aspect of our lives, and so having a competent solution that can draw attention is an understandable move.
‘Tuned’ features 9.2mm drivers in a solid metal enclosure designed in an intuitive design to help you grasp the right earbud for the correct ear. The cables are flat, tangle-free type, and features an in-line remote/microphone for voice transmission. Inside the box, Tesoro also include an audio/microphone splitter for improved versatility along with a carry case for convenience.
Overview by Tesoro
Experience convenience at home or on-the-go with magnetic storage headphones, a flat, tangle-free cable design and in-line mic, audio and voice controls. Never fumble getting the earbuds in the correct ear with an intuitive design that identifies which ear when simply holding the earbuds.
Technical Specifications
Model number: A3
Colour: Black
Driver Unit: 9.2mm
Frequency Response: 20-20K Hz
Impedance: 16 ohms
Max. SPL at 1kHz: 95 +/- 3dB
Microphone Directivity: omni-directional
Mic Impedance: –
Mic Sensitivity: -42 +/- 3dB
Headband: No
Ear cushions: Interchangeable
Cable Length: 1.2m
Cable: Tangle-free
Plugs: 3.5mm Gold-plated plug
Compatibility: Mobile devices/PC/MAC
Package Contents: Tuned In-ear Pro, Audio/MIC Splitter Adaptor Cable, Small/Medium/Large Ear-tips, Carrying Bag
Dimensions WxLxH: 180x110x50 mm
Weight (w/o cable): 17.8g
Colour: Black
Driver Unit: 9.2mm
Frequency Response: 20-20K Hz
Impedance: 16 ohms
Max. SPL at 1kHz: 95 +/- 3dB
Microphone Directivity: omni-directional
Mic Impedance: –
Mic Sensitivity: -42 +/- 3dB
Headband: No
Ear cushions: Interchangeable
Cable Length: 1.2m
Cable: Tangle-free
Plugs: 3.5mm Gold-plated plug
Compatibility: Mobile devices/PC/MAC
Package Contents: Tuned In-ear Pro, Audio/MIC Splitter Adaptor Cable, Small/Medium/Large Ear-tips, Carrying Bag
Dimensions WxLxH: 180x110x50 mm
Weight (w/o cable): 17.8g
Packaging & Accessories
The packaging gives a high quality presentation of the product, with clear branding, and an image of the product. The theme is a black, violet and silver/grey, something Tesoro associate themselves with and so stands out amongst the various other brands. At the base there is some information about its compatibility and features.
The reverse side gives some more information about the product while the specifications are listed on the side.
Opened up we are presented with each of the major parts of the product, including the earbuds, the in-line remote, and the carry case.
Inside the carry case we discover a selection of various earbud cushions in different sizes, along with the audio/microphone splitter cable.
The carry case is firm, and good quality with the Tesoro name printed on the outer top side, inside there is a small compartment for the accessories while providing plenty of space for the earphones.
Closer Look
The earbuds are strongly magnetised, which some may find useful, for example, keeping them secure around your neck while not in use, or stopping them from tangling up while in storage.
The earbuds are rather large and feature a lip to secure the silicone ear cushions on to. The barrels have a diamond etched grip on them. Jutting out of the side of the barrel are small tabs which are positioned in a way which will intuitively align your grip to the correct ear.
The in-remote/microphone features 3 buttons including volume up/down (doubled up as next/previous track) as well as a central press to answer/end call or play/pause.
Performance Testing
Setup, Design & ObservationsThe primary adaptor fitted to ‘Tuned’ is the 3.5mm 4pole jack, which will be compatible with almost all portable devices. For use with a PC, you can use the included splitter cable.
The cable is very bouncy and does a good job not getting itself tangled up, when combined with the magnetic earbuds, it really does help to keep things tidy, and accessible. Using the right sized earbud cushions for your ear (it includes small, medium and large sizes) you will find that the intuitive grip really does reduce your time fumbling around trying to identify which earbud is for which ear.
The chambers themselves are very well made and have a relative heft to them as they are constructed from solid metal, not to mention feature a rather strong magnet. Though this doesn’t detract from their relatively average comfort for this kind of product, it would rule them out for sports usage.
The inline remote felt a little squishy and unintuitive as at first I was unable to identify the central press, but for those accustomed to using in-ear headsets may find it more understandable.
Multimedia
The Tuned headset on first hearing gives clear mids and glassy highs, but falls short of presenting any bass what-so-ever. If people prefer a lower bass reflex, and enjoy acoustic music, or every day casual listening such as Podcasts, these will do great. Though for real music listening, the disappointingly weak bass seriously hinders any real enjoyment.
This continues into gaming via the PC, though they did provide surprisingly good spatial awareness, and acute note to footsteps in CS:GO.
Microphone
The microphone via mobile device has a limited pickup and so you will need to ensure that it is positioned close to your mouth while speaking. On doing this, it provided clear, good quality voice transmission. Though via the PC using VOIP/Skype, the voice sounded rather muted and low quality though this is to be expected from a discrete in-line microphone.
Conclusion
Tesoro have shown us a hunger to provide top quality products at competitive prices and the ‘Tuned’ headset displays some of that spark. It is compatible across various devices and has the key features people will always look out for in a portable audio solution.
However, in testing, little is left to be admired and an audio product such as this can’t run on the premise of good quality construction, and is shipped with a good quality carry case as standard. The design itself, though includes some intuitive considerations, is fairly dull, and the comfort does little to stand out from the swathes of like minded products. The audio quality is arguably good, but incomplete as it has a severe lack of bass. Those that prefer this tonal bias may actually find that the Tesoro Tuned is ideal for them and their uses, but for many it will be seen as a huge loss. For this price point there are too many good alternatives to be able to outright recommend this product.
The Tesoro Tuned is a well-made in-ear headset that may provide some with the features they prefer from their audio solution.
Pros.
+ Well made
+ Clear audio
+ Magnetic – for easy storage
+ Included 4 pole splitter cable for use with PC
+ Included carry case
+ In-line remote/microphone
Cons.
– Almost non-existent bass
– A little heavy
– Price
+ Well made
+ Clear audio
+ Magnetic – for easy storage
+ Included 4 pole splitter cable for use with PC
+ Included carry case
+ In-line remote/microphone
Cons.
– Almost non-existent bass
– A little heavy
– Price
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