Test of the EP636 Bluetooth audio headset by August: a featherweight that hides its game well

Since the 7 model, released in 2016, the iPhone haslost headphone jack. From then on, when it comes to listening to music, the range of possibilities has been greatly reduced. Of course, it is still possible to use headphones with a classic jack, thanks to a specific adapter like that of Belkintested here. But it's one more cable that you have to carry with you and not forget.

So unless you are satisfied with the Lightning EarPods supplied with the iPhone, or have one of the rare Lightning headphones available, it is possible to turn to thesolution du Bluetooth. And not everyone can necessarily want toAirPods, as much for their price as for their shape. For those who wish to stay with the classic helmet, the brandAugustproposes his modelEP636, an on-ear Bluetooth headset, offered atvery affordable priceand displaying attractive assets:

The EP636 Bluetooth headset from August is available here

In search of this type of solution, the choice fell towards this one. It remained to be verified whether the promises were respected. Because the autonomy announced is particularly impressive, among other characteristics highlighted in the product sheet, including onemultiple connection technology, which we detail below.

So here after several weeks of use,our impressions, an opinionon this August EP636 helmet, all illustrated in photos:

Unboxing and discovery of the AugustEP636 headphones

The box contains the bare minimum. The headset comes with a micro-USB charging cable. As a bonus, the user is entitled to a small booklet serving as instructions for use.

We chose the black version of the helmet. There existsother colors: red, white and gray. As for the model tested here, thedesign is quite successful.

The earpads are made of a kind of leatherette.

The exterior of the headband is made of a smooth plastic, unfortunatelyquite sensitive to fingerprints.

Both sides can be extended to allow the headband to adapt to different head sizes.

On the right side of the headset is the control remote.

It is a circle of physical buttons, the center of which allows you to manage reading with “play” or “pause”. Classically, the left and right controls allow you to skip or return to the next or previous song in the playlist. The buttons above and below the “play/pause” button control the volume.

Note that a long press on the central button can answer an incoming call, or initiate a call to the last number in the recent numbers list in the Phone app on the iPhone.

Regarding these controls, they respond well and are very easy to access. We prefer this type of command to the tactile ones and not always very functional seen onthe latest Bluetooth headset tested in our columns, the Soundcore NC from Anker.

To conclude regarding the appearance of the helmet, itappears quite solid, with aacceptable finish. It is made mainly of plastic, which gives a little “light” feel to the whole thing. But the imitation leather adds a note of elegance.

Utilisation

The headset is equipped with a chipBluetooth 4.1 with aptX codec. On paper, this allows for a better connection with the source device, and therefore potentially better audio quality. The sine qua non condition to benefit from the aptX codec is to have a compatible source. But the iPhone is not. Apple has chosen AAC format voice without aptX for Bluetooth from its iOS devices. From a Mac, a PC, an Android smartphone or a Bluetooth MP3 player, it is however possible to enjoy good audio quality offered by this aptX codec.

In short, for an iPhone owner, it is simply a shame that Bluetooth 5.0 is not there. This new version can transmit more data per second than version 4, and thereforebetter quality audio. The latest iPhone

As for wearing a helmet, the latter is placedcomfortablyon the ears. Its weight is125 g.

And for brisk walking or even a little running or cycling, itfits well on the head. A little pain may be felt after several hours of use, but this will mainly depend on each person's ear and head shape. It still remains a helmetquite pleasant to wear.

Please note, its materials are notnot made for intensive sports use. Additionally, the ear cushions are not removable. Impossible to wash them separately. It is therefore better not to sweat too much with the helmet on your head.

And the sound?

What stands out from the first seconds of listening with these headphones is thedominance of low frequencies. There are many. This can be pleasant for certain styles, such as urban or electronic music. Unfortunately, this phenomenon has the disadvantage of covering the rest of the sound spectrum. The restitution is therefore severely lacking in treble. And then the general definition of sound is not clear.

Despite everything, the picture is not completely black. Therestereophony is particularly wide. In addition, there is a certain quite appreciable roundness in the lower mids. Too bad the headphones don't support high volumes, with a propensity to saturate very quickly at certain frequencies by increasing the level.

In short, at moderate volume, for podcasts, but also electronic music and hip-hop, these headphones do quite well. In other cases, we areat the limit of acceptable.

We also advise you, if possible,to apply equalization to the soundto modify the rendering a little, especially by reducing the bass. This can be done in the Apple Music app, among others.

Finally, August presents his helmet as being equipped with thetechnologie Bluetooth Multipoint. This allows on paper to connect several devices to the headset at the same time, such as a smartphone and a PC. Thus, while listening to music from the PC, it is possible to pick up a call from the smartphone to hear it in the headset. But in practice it is impossible to take advantage of this “Multipoint” with an iPhone and a Mac…

Conclusion

The August helmet is satisfactory. It does not shine with its sound reproduction but itsautonomy, quite comfortable for almost 12 hours, as well as itsgood constructionare attractive arguments. This especially when it isdisplayed at a very reasonable price, eitherless than thirty euros.

Unfortunately, we feel the savings made to get the price so low, notably withplasticmainly used for the contour of the headband and ears, and aits unbalanced. This helmetis therefore primarily aimed at small budgets, wanting to equip themselves with wireless listening for iPhone or other,without breaking the bank, but without counting on very high sound quality either.

It will do very well for podcasts, but also as an everyday headset, in the city or in the countryside, on foot or by bike.