As wireless audio gets more affordable, boAt too is getting into the game with the launch of the Rockerz 275. The headphones claim to deliver good battery life, great audio and IPX5 protection so that you can use these for sports as well. We’ve reviewed a number of boAt audio products in the past and have found them to be consistent performers. Will the boAt Rockerz 275 be competitive against the packed budget bluetooth headset market? Let’s find out.
boAt Rockerz 275 Headphones Specifications
- Bluetooth Version: V4.1, CSR#8635
- Support Profile: HSP,HFP, A2DP & AVRCP profiles
- 10 meters operation range (open area)
- Button function: V-/next music, V+/Previous music, power/pause/play
- Playing music time: 10 hours
- Built-in Lithium battery: 150mAh / 3.7V
- Charging time: 1.5~2.5hours
- Speaker diameter: 12mm
- Impendance: 32ohm
- S/N ratio: 102dB at 1KHz
- Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz
Design
The boAt Rockerz 275 are pretty typical as far as design goes. A neckband style model, the band is larger and weighted down at the ends allowing it to sit comfortably on your collarbone. A mild ripple pattern on the ends gives it a bit of a design flourish.
The neckband is coated in a rubberised material of sorts which should help further with protecting it from the elements. The earphones themselves stick out from the side of the neckband. Unlike some competing models, we like that the earphone cables aren’t unnecessarily long. Better still, the earphones themselves have pretty strong magnets in them, clasping them together when hanging from your neck.
The right edge hides away the microUSB charging connector under a flap. Three buttons placed on the right side act as volume rockers, play – pause buttons and for powering the headset on. A pretty standard set up.
All in all, the boAt Rockerz 275 is a very comfortable pair of headphones. We took them out running and the weighted neckband stayed in place. The shorter cables compared to say, the OnePlus Bullets Wireless, were also well appreciated since they don’t brush with your cheek. There’s little to complain about the boAt Rockerz 275 as far as the design goes. There’s nothing extraordinary about them but they get the job done and are comfortable enough to wear for longer durations.
Sound Quality
The boAt Rockerz 275 doesn’t support AptX or AptX HD at all so there’s no way to get lossless content on it. We tested out the headset by streaming music from Spotify at the highest quality setting as well as with Tidal HiFi. The overall sound signature errs on the side of being warm. The bass frequencies are elevated, something that is common with most sports focussed audio products.
We played a bunch of test tracks ranging from R&B to Rock and the results weren’t too bad at all. Listening to Teardrop by Massive Attack was an enjoyable experience with the bass line searing through.
Similarly Omen by The Prodigy sounded very pleasing with plenty of bottom end. Dynamic range isn’t particularly special but there’s a decent amount of clarity to the music. The mids are somewhat recessed. The boAt Rockerz 275 are not very resolving so if you’re looking for something that will give you intricate details in music, this isn’t it. They are however very musical so if you want something to casually listen to on your daily commute or while at the gym, they’ll do a pretty good job.
boAt promises 10 hours of battery life and we more or less got there. Clocking our play time, we got a little over 9 hours before having to charge it up. We also liked that with the right tips, there’s a good amount of passive noise isolation.
Conclusion
The boAt Rockerz 275 are priced at Rs. 3,999 but are usually available at Amazon for Rs. 2,499. If you want good battery life, comfort, sweat resistance and something that is generally pleasing to listen to, the boAt Rockerz 275 are a very decent option. They compete favourably with the 1More iBFree Sport, another pair of headphones that are aimed at the fitness crowd. That said, you might want to look elsewhere if what you need is just plain old sound quality.