The Specs
- 3.5mm Standard Audio In Socket – Connects to any non-Bluetooth device
- Built-in Microphone – Stay connected to your phone with hands-free calling
- Internal Li-Ion Battery – Rechargeable battery gives 11 hours between charges
- Music, Volume, and Calls control Buttons – Answer calls & control your music
- Bluetooth Wireless NFC Headphones – Listen to audio from smartphones and tablets, tap to connect to NFC enabled devices
Incredible Value
I have to admit that I was skeptical at first. I know it is possible to produce a reliable, good sounding headphone and sell it for less than 50 Euros. If you have a look at the unfortunately discontinued PX 100 ii from Sennheiser or the Porta Pro from Koss you know that for a fact. The August EP650 is a different kind of animal though. These9 are fully fledged Bluetooth headphones with all the bells and whistles. And here comes the best part: They sound pretty darn amazing. And if you consider their price point it`s actually quite baffling indeed.
The EP650 truly surprised me in any way. The features are superb and I love the sound
The Sound
The SoundLet`s get this out of the way first: These Headphones sound amazing. In my humble opinion, they just achieve what the BEATS by Dre always aimed for. Phat but controlled Bass. Those Headphones aren`t analytical, they are not built for the studio. It`s recommendable as a musician to have as many sources for music as possible. I, for example, have multiple sound systems and always multiple pairs of headphones for different occasions. You should not only listen to analytical speakers as a music producer. Sometimes in order to get inspired, I have to enjoy it outside of my analytical working space and with non-linear listening devices.
Aimed at the streets
Those cans are definitely not cans for my studio. I especially bought them to enjoy stuff and just listen to music or play video games while I am at home as well when I am traveling. A truly great thing about the August EP series is that is foldable. And I being a sucker for anything portable thing, like that a lot as well. They do not come with their own carrying case but August has a proprietary case that only will cost you around 15 bucks. I believe it was a great decision by the company to not include the case with the Headphones. Of course, it`s always great to get a neat hard case with your new headphones but they are already at the lowest humanly possible price point.
Superb Usability
Reading some of the specs already might give you a hint that this is no pushover. The NFC and multipoint BT function make pairing this pair of HPs a dream. The batteries last easily more than 10 hours of normal use and around !1 month of standby time. The built-in microphone lets me pick up calls hands-free. From what I can tell not even the microphone is bad according to the people I asked. One other nice thing is that they can be used cable bound. So if you happen to run out of juice you can still use them.
The Design
The design is slick, minimalist and functional. I won`t lie: Those are not going to be winning a beauty contest soon but they aren’t ugly nonetheless. I like that they do not feel cheap. They have a matt plastic finish to them which gives them a quality feel. The quality of this baby definitely lies inside and not outside in my opinion. They don’t look silly or targeted at 8-year-olds at least. I rather have a simple headphone with an understated look on my head than running around like a robo-clown. The possibility to take calls, change the volume and skip tracks is also a neat feature that I especially appreciate in a casual model like those.
The EP650 are available in a lot of different colors check it out
The Verdict
I am really surprised by those headphones but those are some of the best casual headphones, maybe the best headphones at all, for under 50€. Originally I only wanted the Augusts for a test run. I ended up keeping them. I know there are several headphones that cost more than 6 times of the EP 650 while having the same feature set (sometimes less) and in many cases also with worse sound. The Augusts know exactly what they want to be: A kick-ass casual headphone that is just simply fun to use. Sound wise, they aim for a pronounced bass. To be honest I believe that the sound that August Achieved with this budget Headphones is what BEATS by Dre always aimed for, but never achieved. An incredibly inspiring phat bass, while still managing to not make the whole sound image unbalanced. I really love companies that spend less money for marketing, and more money for RnD. If you want phat bass for your money and Headphones that have the power to inspire you while not ripping a hole into your budget, look no further.
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