There’s little question wi-fi earbuds have been commoditized to a big diploma, the place it is exhausting for the common individual to differentiate the variations between one pair over one other. My job right here has been to search out these contrasts, so after I come throughout a pair providing one thing totally different, I take discover.Concepts are 50-50 propositions as a result of they’ll both be intriguing and succeed, or fascinating and fail. Urbanista’s option to put photo voltaic charging in its Phoenix earbuds is a good thought as a result of it provides the case one thing to do when idle.Urbanista Phoenix: Price and availabilityUrbanista launched the Phoenix in August 2022 and are nonetheless extensively accessible in each retail and on-line shops. They’ve held regular at $149, however if you happen to hold monitor of them, you may doubtless discover a deal on them someplace sooner or later. They are available both midnight black or desert rose variants.Today’s greatest Urbanista Phoenix Wireless Earbuds offers (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)Urbanista Phoenix: What’s good(Image credit score: Ted Kritsonis / Android Central)I’ll admit it — if the Phoenix did not include a photo voltaic charging case, I’m unsure I might’ve reviewed them. I’ll have tried them out for positive, however whether or not they had been value writing about would’ve been one other matter. Hence, the case is a giant a part of the story, appropriately. Where else will you discover an earbuds case that soaks up rays to replenish its personal battery?The very thought of it isn’t solely sound however left me questioning why nobody else had considered it. Earbuds circumstances serve two functions: shield the earbuds and cost their respective batteries. Take the earbuds out and the case can sit idly by doing nothing. It’s noteworthy that the Phoenix modified that.(Image credit score: Android Central)Foolishly, I eliminated the Phoenix from the unique cellphone I examined them on when pairing them to a different mannequin I used to be testing out. The Urbanista app screenshots above displaying the achieve and charging historical past aren’t indicative of how this works. Either means, whenever you swipe left from the app’s fundamental display, it takes you to details about the case and its battery. Move over yet another web page and also you see a historical past graph displaying how a lot solar energy contributed to the case’s general energy.The information is beneficial and offered effectively, however I did not like that the app compelled me to take the earbuds off and put them within the case (with the lid nonetheless open) each time I wished to really see these figures. It cannot do it when first opening the lid to attach, forcing a bizarre sequence the place you’re taking the earbuds out, put them again in, after which await the app to indicate the knowledge. It’s unlucky that Urbanista hasn’t fastened this by now.(Image credit score: Ted Kritsonis / Android Central)Once the Phoenix earbuds are out, they need to really feel snug to put on for longer stretches. While there is not something that stands out about their design, Urbanista deserves credit score for fashioning a construct that does job of staying in place. I not often needed to fiddle with them, which is handy.The earbuds include three ear tip sizes to search out one of the best match and tightest seal for you. I’m simply unsure the Phoenix would be the greatest for smaller ears due to the fatter base that rests on the ear’s concha. The stem design is AirPods-esque, as it’s, and the “Urbanista” etched alongside the stem is a pleasant visible contact. I’m at all times confused when producers do that in order that the left aspect exhibits the phrase the wrong way up. Urbanista is simply the most recent to do this for no matter cause.(Image credit score: Android Central)As for a way they sound, the Phoenix have a regular sound profile that’s neither outstanding nor regressive. The default sound signature tries to stability every thing out to a stage the place the bass is obvious, with loads of treble and mid-range to make the music sound good. By “good”, I might say it is “good enough” as a result of the stability is not going to return throughout as a sonic revelation in any means.Not that I used to be anticipating that, thoughts you, however at this worth vary, competitors may be very tight, and I’ve personally heard different earbuds that sound nice at this stage. The Phoenix are in the midst of the pack, able to taking part in nearly any style effectively sufficient with out feeling like an excessive amount of is lacking. The app has an EQ, although one restricted by a handful of choose presets. A customizable one would’ve been in a position to squeeze much more out of them.(Image credit score: Ted Kritsonis / Android Central)I might say the identical scenario applies to the lively noise cancelation (ANC) and transparency modes. ANC is okay at blocking out most low-frequency noises, however it might’t match what different pairs can do for comparable cash. Rather than reduce out the vast majority of frequencies, the onboard ANC dampens them — some greater than others — to be able to nonetheless hear a touch of what is buzzing round you. It does higher with voices whereas failing to chop out higher-frequency sounds, which does not shock me at this worth. It was my desire to take heed to music with ANC on as a result of it gave the entire audio spectrum a little bit kick to enhance the sound natively. Transparency fares higher, general, just because it pipes in ambient sound to allow you to hear your environment and chat with somebody when needed. Urbanista correctly included put on sensors to robotically pause playback when you take away both earbud. Put it again on, and playback resumes. You can flip this setting off within the app if you happen to choose. It’s additionally nice to see multipoint assist with these earbuds, letting you pair and join with two gadgets concurrently. As for cellphone name high quality, I discovered outcomes had been common, with quieter settings performing effectively, whereas busier environments posed larger challenges.Battery life holds up effectively by means of all this, taking part in for as much as eight hours per cost, assuming you retain the amount in and across the default 50% stage. The case gives an extra three prices, and you may at all times cost the case through USB-C if there’s not sufficient solar or gentle at any given time. Urbanista Phoenix: What’s not good(Image credit score: Ted Kritsonis / Android Central)I am unable to actually fault Urbanista for making the case as massive as it’s, nevertheless it’s noticeably bigger than others typically are nowadays. Still, the thinner design makes it simpler to pocket, so there’s that at the least. It’s additionally a type of uncommon situations the place it’s a must to bear in mind and think about the right way to orient it whenever you pull it out, one thing I had to take action that I may get a cost from gentle sources anytime I may.Onboard contact controls are fairly normal, apart from the actual fact single faucets do nothing. Double faucet both aspect to play/pause or reply/finish a cellphone name. Triple faucet the left to repeat a monitor, and the correct to skip one. Press and maintain on the left to activate your cellphone’s voice assistant, and on the correct to toggle between regular, ANC, and Transparency modes. You can solely alter the latter two within the app, although the one extra choices you’ve are quantity down (left) or quantity up (proper). The IPX4 ranking is okay, however hardly one thing I’d think about rugged sufficient to deal with vigorously sweaty and intense exercises. If you do go that route, it’s a must to be vigilant about wiping them down and guaranteeing they’re clear and dry earlier than placing them again within the case. Urbanista Phoenix: Competition(Image credit score: Ted Kritsonis / Android Central)As I famous earlier, competitors is tight on this house and at this worth, as is apparent by one of the best wi-fi earbuds already accessible. A great instance of that might be the Jabra Elite 5, which generally is discounted to an analogous worth. You could lose out on the photo voltaic charging, however you do get an analogous design and comfy match within the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4, which additionally characteristic extra granular controls within the Soundcore app.Even the 1More Evo are value a glance as a comparable pair. They sound higher than the Phoenix and assist hi-res audio, which is a plus if you happen to’re searching for a sonic increase. Urbanista Phoenix: Should you purchase it?(Image credit score: Ted Kritsonis / Android Central)You can purchase this if…
You like the thought of a photo voltaic charging case.
You need one thing snug.
You care about battery life.
You do not thoughts a bigger case.
You should not purchase this if…
You need higher sound high quality.
You choose a customized EQ.
You need one thing extra rugged.
You anticipate higher ANC efficiency.
As a primary kick on the proverbial can, I do assume Urbanista is on to one thing. Wireless earbud circumstances are a brand new frontier for manufacturers to mess around with, providing some differentiation in a really crowded area. That stated, the Phoenix will not blow anybody away in how effectively they carry out, placing out a efficiency that may get misplaced amidst the competitors on the market.I might anticipate the following technology of those earbuds to enhance in a variety of key areas, so assuming Urbanista will tackle that problem, it could be greatest to attend and listen to how all that may end up.
The Urbanista Phoenix supply one thing new within the form of a photo voltaic charging case, and whereas the novelty is fascinating, the general earbuds’ efficiency does not essentially stand out from the pack.