Review of Motorola VerveBuds 100 - wireless headphones for 2,500 rubles

Specifications

Type of emitters	Dynamic
Connection	Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth profiles	HSP, HFP, A2DP, AVRCP
Protection	IPX5

Design and equipment

The headphones are made of smooth plastic and are available in two versions: black and white. The materials are the simplest, in some places you can see the seams from the soldering. The build is decent, however, with no gaps or rough joints. The model is protected from moisture and sweat according to the IPX5 standard, which will allow it to survive training or exposure to rain.

The headphones are streamlined and very slippery to the touch - there is a risk of dropping them halfway to your ear. Otherwise, there are no complaints about ergonomics. The VerveBuds 100 are compact and fit comfortably.

On the back there are touch control panels, LED status indicators and microphones. There are magnetic charging contacts on the inside of the case. The sound guide of the headphones is rather short, with a round cross-section and a locking step. Its shape allows using not only complete attachments, but also accessories from other manufacturers.

The case is square, equipped with a magnetic cover. The dimensions are small, so it's convenient to take it with you. On the back side there is a microUSB-input for charging, in front there is an LED-indicator.

The set includes three pairs of silicone tips of different sizes, as well as a microUSB ‑ cable and a bunch of waste paper.

Connection and communication

For the first pairing with a smartphone, you need to get the headphones out of the case, go to the Bluetooth settings and manually connect them. Unlike most modern models, the channels do not work in parallel here. The right earphone is connected first, and then the left one through it. Because of this, sometimes there is an out-of-sync.

The connection is carried out via Bluetooth 5.0, the range is 10 m. The headphones keep the connection well in the apartment, the interference starts only when a blank wall stands in the way of the signal. There were no problems with connection on the street or in transport.

But the built-in microphones could be better: the interlocutors sometimes complained about the quality of voice transmission.

Control

Both earbuds are equipped with touch panels. One press is responsible for starting and pause, receiving an incoming call and holding the current one. A double tap turns on the next track, a triple tap turns on the previous one. Holding it for 2 seconds activates the voice assistant or rejects / ends the call.

Unfortunately, the controls are not very intuitive: there is no feedback about pressing, not even a banal sound signal. And because of the small area of the panels, it is easy to miss. It would be better if there were traditional physical buttons here.

Sound

VerveBuds 100 sound in line with price and positioning. An unassuming user may be pleased with the bass: it is heard at almost any volume. The main disadvantage is the complete lack of control at low frequencies. Any beat is accompanied by long decays, which makes the sound muddy and boomy.

At the other end of the spectrum, the situation is no better. The treble is very dirty and rough, and the cymbals rustle without any structure. The mids are sandwiched between a droning low and a rolling high, so it's difficult to focus on them.

We recommend discarding instrumental genres right away, things are better with electronics. The simpler the music, the less noticeable headphone problems are.

Autonomy

The stated battery life of the VerveBuds 100 when playing music is 5 hours, and the case provides two recharges. During testing, the headphones withstood three days of active use at medium volume. Recharge via USB takes 1.5 hours.

Outcomes

Motorola VerveBuds 100 offer exactly what you would expect for 2,500 rubles. It is worth noting a comfortable fit and a small case, and also pleased with the stability of the connection. Otherwise, this is a cheap and "angry" option for those who really want wireless headphones, but do not consider it necessary to pay for a quality product.