Padmate Pamu Quiet

These wireless earphones weigh only five grams per side, embed themselves well in the ear and are hardly noticeable when worn, so that there are no pressure complaints even during periods of longer use. In addition, the fit is sufficiently stable to stay put when you go for a jog. Wearing a hat is less comfortable because the housing protrudes slightly. However, the housing is water-resistant according to IPX4, which means that it is protected against moisture during outdoor activities.

With only three and a half hours, or three hours and twenty minutes in ANC mode, the running time of the Pamu Quiet is rather short. These in-ears can be fully charged twice and once to 80 per cent in the transport case, so that the total running time is not quite 14 hours, while with active noise suppression twelve and a half hours are achieved. Charging the headphones takes 70 minutes, and there is no charge level indicator for these in-ears, which means that there is no confirmation as to when the process is complete. The case, which can be powered either wired via the USB-C port or wirelessly via Qi, has a charging time of two hours and forty minutes via the supplied USB-C to USB-A cable – a relatively long charging time considering the low mileage. The battery status display on iOS devices also offers little indication, as our test device was subject to a drop in battery life from 50 per cent, leaving only 15 minutes listening time. Furthermore, when the batteries are fully charged, the display shows 95 per cent instead of 100 per cent.

Device control

Coupling these wireless headphones, which in combination with various Android and iOS devices offered a stable range of eight metres, can be done directly when the headphones are removed from the case. This switches the system on and puts it into pairing mode, with single operation of the left headphone, which acts as master, also possible. Returning to the charging case causes the system to switch off. If a wireless connection exists, a single tap controls playback and is also used to answer and end telephone calls. A title can be selected by double-tapping, jumping backwards on the left and forwards on the right. Voice assistants are also supported, and can be called up by holding the left-hand side of the headphones, the remote generally responded precisely. However, there is no volume control, which can be seen as a shortcoming. In addition, the manufacturer offers an app (previously only for iOS) called PaMu Quiet, with which you can switch between the individual modes, adjust the controls on the two earphones and update the firmware.

It is also noticeable that the reproduction of one’s own voice on the phone tends to exaggerate sibilants. Even the CVC 8.0 technology used was not completely convincing, as background noises such as construction and road noise are only slightly attenuated and remain perceptible. However, the person on the other end of the phone is extremely easy to understand.

Sound

The Pamu Quiet are tuned with an affinity for bass and have a full, dense sound, which appears neither bright nor dark, but warmly rounded. The bass is stately and rather massive, so that the lower ranges sound a bit dull and not as defined as the middle and upper bass ranges. The deep bass is counterbalanced by the presence of high frequencies that do not drop noticeably and at the same time do not have any harshness. Even at high levels you can’t hear unpleasant peaks, making the high-frequency range appear unobtrusive. The smooth midrange is also pleasing, but appears more reserved and has limited possibilities for development in bass-heavy productions. However, the speech intelligibility of audiobooks or podcasts is good. All in all, these headphones enjoy an appealingly detailed reproduction, but a certain degree of handling is missing, as the cooldown seems to be quite long. In this respect, the richness of the sound can also be perceived as diffuse and reverberant in more complex arrangements.

In ANC mode, which can be activated and deactivated by pressing the right-hand side of the headphones, the first thing you notice is that there is no background noise. What is not well implemented, however, is that there is neither an acoustic nor a visual confirmation when switching on, so that it is not clear when the noise suppression is active. However, the low and medium frequency range of external noise is filtered very well by hybrid Noise Cancelling, whereas there are small weaknesses in the high-frequency range. Although the sounds of a kettle can no longer be identified as a kettle, a distinct, bright hissing sound does penetrate. The same applies to common ring tones, a saw or voices in the background, while the spinning of a washing machine is almost completely masked. From a tonal point of view, there is only a marginal increase in the lower and middle frequencies, so that the reproduction is perceived as slightly brighter when noise suppression is deactivated. Voices, on the other hand, appear somewhat more present in ANC mode.