Onanoff Buddyphones Standard, Explore und InFlight

The Buddyphones are made of plastic and make a sturdy impression because the stirrup construction is not rigid, but soft and flexible. Nevertheless, the headphones provide sufficient stability for a good fit, especially as the extendable size adjustment offers a lot of variabilities. Given a recommended minimum age of three years, the on-ears are still comfortable for adults with a narrow head shape—the adaptability is excellent.

When it comes to cables, all three models are equipped with a rubberized ribbon cable that at the very least appears to resistant and of high quality. This has a gold-plated mini jack and the integrated audio splitter, which allows the monitoring of another headphone. On Buddyphones, a total of up to four headphones can be connected to each other via the splitter. The cable length of the headphones with 80cm is too short in my view, quickly diminishing the pleasure of listening. Although a short cable can minimize dangers, it limits the child’s freedom of movement in this case.

Model Differences

Compared to the standard version, the cable that comes with the Explorer and InFlight headphones has a 1-button remote control and built-in microphone to control Android and iOS device features. At the touch of a button, playback can be started or stopped and a call can be accepted or terminated. You can also double-click to jump to the next track, while a triple click navigates back to the previous one. The speech intelligibility when making a call is present in both headphones, but the button has too much freedom on the InFlight model, which causes it to rattle. This is not the case with the Explorer headphone, which has a smaller control. Another positive, in my opinion, is that the cables in the Explorer and InFlight model can be replaced as both Buddyphones have mini-jack sockets on the left earphone shell.

The InFlight version also has a padded upholstery for extra comfort and it is foldable, perfect for travelling. Fittingly, the model is also delivered with a fabric bag and airline adapter. Another special feature is the adjustable volume limitation. Since 85dB can be too quiet in a noisy environment, such as on a plane, a louder 94dB mode is available as an alternative to the recommended default setting. For particularly young listeners, the limit can also be set to 75dB. The adjustment is made on the right earphone shell and has a child safety: the rotating mechanism is modelled after the safety caps on medical capsules two pressure points. This will certainly not be a challenge for older children. In this case, the setting would have to be checked regularly if the kids aren’t allowed to listen at this volume, but this is possible from the outside. The safety mechanism should prove sufficient against any attempts by younger children.

Volume Limit

The volume limitation of the Buddyphones takes place through an integrated circuit and is thus always active. It limits the level to a predefined maximum value to protect children’s hearing from high levels but allows for volume control until the limit is reached. However, the audio splitter is not limited, so that children who want to listen should also use a headphone with independent volume limit. Adults or large siblings, on the other hand, can listen in without this restriction.

Sound

The tonal tuning of the Buddyphones is balanced so that neither the treble and mids or the bass range dominate. However, the sound is dull and in more complex representations also diffuse and not well defined. Although the headphones have a fanned stereo image and the sound is warm and round rather than cold or metallic, it lacks clarity and liveliness. In that sense, the sound quality does not go beyond an acceptable mediocrity. It is quite possible to follow a radio show or podcast, but the headphones will reach their limits with more complex music.