Fit and comfort

The Goal is completely unique when it comes to fit. They have a hybrid design, with Apple Airpod style earbuds held in place using replaceable rubber fins. This combination is intended to keep the earphones secure while in use, allowing you to hear what’s going on around you while you listen. With that in mind, don’t expect the Goal to create a seal around the ear – they are designed to sit in place with the help of the provided fins. There is a selection of different sized fins, and it is important that you try them all to find the best fit for you. I used the large size, and they worked a treat – saying that, they do take a bit of getting used to as it is such a different experience when compared to standard earphones. Once you have twisted them into place, they stay put and you’ll barely notice you’re wearing them.

Features

Being a true wireless earphone, the Goal uses touch sensitive controls to play/pause, skip tracks, take calls, adjust volume and activate voice assistant. The controls are very easy to use, as the touch area is easy to find thanks to it being scooped slightly into the housing – the perfect size for finger tips. The earphones are IPX4 rated, so they are sweat proof and water resistant which is ideal for working out. You also get a total of 20 hours of battery life from the Goal – with 6 hours from the earphones and them a further 14 hours from the supplied charging case. The case itself works very well, and the design isn’t the smallest – yet it is shaped in a way that is easy to slip into a pocket.

Sound

Due to the fit of the Goal, the sound is airy and spacious. As there is no seal created, you’d expect there to be no bass. Cleer have managed to avoid that though. By using a custom tuned 14mm dynamic driver, bass is punchy and very present – providing depth and body. The mids are very cleer, and they allow vocals and snare hits to really stand out and bring rhythm to the experience. The treble brings air and space to the mix, which overall is wide and well defined.

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“The Optoma Nuforce BE Sport4 is a solid and reliable companion for exercise and general use, and is well recommended if you’d like a bit of a bass kick to spur you on”

Intro

Optoma has enjoyed tremendous success recently with its BE Sport3 model; it’s an earphone which has a remarkably solid build quality and reliability, but Optoma has gone one better with

additional sweat and water resistance rated at IPX5 – this means that aside from general moisture resistance, we can have a musical duel with water pistols and suffer no lasting consequences.

Pros:

• Funky, modern look
• Quick to charge
• Additional earfins included for better fit
• Good quality carry case

Cons:

• Doesn’t have the fine detail some may require

Design and appearance:

The Be Sport4 capsules are of a rounded square design; the shells are a metallic-grey colour which is offset by a sort of pastel green for the soundports and strain releifs. It’s a funky look, and it can be supplemented by the addition of some particularly vivid earfins for keeping the capsules securely in the ears whilst exercising. The cable conforms to the BE Sport3 design, although the large strain releifs of the former model are gone. Also gone are the ‘left’ and ‘right’ markers which were on those strain releifs, but so long as we remember that the mic/remote control goes on the right side, we’ll manage without them.

Durability & build quality:

The Be Sport4 is a solid unit; nowhere is there any creaking or movement where there shouldn’t be, and there is just enough weight to give the feeling that we have a premium product here. As mentioned, the strain releifs are reduced in size on the BE Sport4 model; perhaps the designers felt these were not so necessary on a wireless model.

Comfort:

With everyone’s ears being different, your experience may differ but the Sport4’s rounded capsules and eartips fit this reviewer in a very satisfying way. The weight of the capsules doesn’t come close to becoming a problem and the earfins aren’t required at all. However if you’re having fit issues, the earfins will help to keep the capsules in place by sitting within the folds of the ears through the most strenuous workouts. The cable can be forgotten, as a slider can take up any slack to keep it securely against the back of the head.

Suitability for Intended Application:

It’s no surprise that the BE Sport4 is aimed at the ‘active’ market, but it’s equally suitable for commuting and general use. The earphones do have a sporty feel but won’t look out of place on the train or in the office.

Sound characteristics:

The Be Sport4’s sound is warm and comfortable with a decent amount of bass and no signs of any troublesome frequency peaks. It’s an inoffensive tuning which many people will find pleasing, and of course some extra bass never goes amiss when pumping iron or on a treadmill. Perhaps with the requirement to block out and mask the standard piped-in music which many gyms have, the Sport4 can be turned up a little with no risk to the wearer’s hearing – if they’re sensible of course.

Bass:

Sub bass is pretty good on the BE Sport4; there’s plenty of deep rumble here, and the mid bass region gives plenty of slam. These are not ‘true basshead’ earphones but the lower frequencies are certainly prominent enough to meet the expectations of a lot of people.

Mids:

While the bass is doing its thing, the midrange suffers no bleed and is clearly discernable. However, it does take a back seat in terms of impact and detail here could be more precise. To don the designer’s cap once more however, these earphones are aimed at those who want motivation rather than inspiration, and the midrange serves well to back up the bass without drawing too much attention to itself and possibly leading to listener fatigue.

Treble:

It’s a non-offensive treble also; it’s muted and rounded off, which might be a problem for those who like a concerto or two during their morning run. However, many who just want a bit of dance music or pop will be well served by the Sport4. It’s a matter of fitness over finesse.

Soundstage & Separation:

Given the accuracy of the midrange and the general quality of bluetooth transmission, soundstage and separation are not gobsmacking but quite acceptable.

Music Genres Good For and Why:

The BE Sport4 excels with genres such as dance, pop and rock. Anything with a beat and a bassline will go down a storm but classical and similar music styles will be wanting, although still quite listenable.

The post Optoma Nuforce BE Sport4 Review – Don’t Fret the Sweat appeared first on HiFiheadphones.

What happens after Christmas and New Year, we all start to feel the need to hit the gym, but this can be such a tiresome chore, slogging away on the running machine for hour after hour, or bursting your lungs spinning away mile after mile on an exercise bike.

Well why not take you music with you to keep the spirits up and keep your ears entertained.It’s no fun listening to the sound of the pounding muscles around you when you could be listening to your favourite tracks.
The SoundMAGIC E30 offers well balanced, accurate sound at a price that is hard to beat . They have an an in-ear monitor (IEM) design, which is normally reserved for much more expensive earphones (i.e. see earphones from Shure, Sennheiser, etc).

The cabling is designed to run up and over the ears to the back of the neck, which means the ear buds stay very securely in your ear, and the wires stay out of your way. This fit system works very well for sports, on stage in-ear monitoring or any situation where you are active.
The SoundMAGIC E30 is robustly built, with well made cables and good strain relief to protect the cabling from being damage. They come supplied plenty of different size ear tips to ensure you get a good in-ear fit. You could even get the Comply T-400 Foam Tips which would give you the best possible comfort and noise isolation.

Hifiheadphones verdict:

Sound quality with the SoundMAGIC E30 is exceptional considering the reduced price point and compares well with earphones costing two, three even four times as much. The sound is well balanced for an earphone at this price point, with well defined bass and a high level of accuracy through the mids and highs.

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