One of the main problems of TWS earphones for a long time was the high sound lag, which did not allow comfortable gaming. The situation was aggravated by the fact that smartphone manufacturers increasingly began to abandon the classic audio jack. Fortunately, the technology has progressed, and gradually a separate class of wireless gaming headsets began to form, distinguished by a lack of sync, as well as an aggressive design and backlighting. A typical representative of this group is the Harper HB-528 TWS headset, which also turned out to be very affordable.
specs
- Form factor: TWS in-ear headphones
- Materials: matte plastic and soft-touch coating.
- Emitters: dynamic, 6 mm
- Total number of microphones: 2
- Control: touch
- Interfaces: Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C
- Codecs: SBC, AAC
- Latency: 250ms / 60ms
- Application: yes
- Noise isolation: passive
- Extras: game mode, backlight
- Battery life: 6 hours (5.5 hours gaming)
- Battery life with case: 21 hours (19 hours gaming)
- Headphone weight: 4.5g
- Weight with case: 48 g
- Case dimensions: 66x42x30mm
Equipment
The headphones are sold in a medium-sized white box with your image and technical specifications. The usual kit awaits inside: an earbud, a charging case, a short USB to USB Type-C charging cable, three pairs of different-sized silicone eartips (the medium ones are already installed), instructions in Russian, and a coupon giving the right to warranty service for one year.
Construction and design
Harper HB-528 is shaped like an in-ear TWS earphone. Cut edges, a backlit zone, a chrome insert – everything indicates the gaming orientation of the device. The earbuds emit a turquoise light during pairing, case opening, and gaming mode activation.
They refused to polish (and they did it well): matte black plastic was chosen as the main material, and the external trackpad with a white logo also has a soft-touch coating. Instead of a leg, there’s a small triangular protrusion at the bottom, which gives the headphones an aggressive look and also brings the microphone a little closer to your mouth.
The inner part has smooth transitions that repeat the curves of the ear: Harper HB-528 does not rub against the skin and does not fall off when running, and due to its low weight (4.5 g) you quickly forget about its presence. The sound guide has a small round section (4.5mm). A fine mesh protects it from dirt and the side does not allow the nozzle to slip. The latter are made of thick and elastic silicone and fit perfectly in the ear canal. Nearby there are contacts for charging and marking “R” / “L”, the seams are almost invisible. It is not said to be waterproof, but the headphones withstand rain and sweat without any problem.
The case looks to match the headphones: practical black plastic with a soft-touch coating, angular shapes, chrome insert with backlighting. The latter can give an idea of the current charge level: red: less than 25%, blue: from 26% to 75%, green: more than 76%. The indication is activated when the lid is closed or connected to a power source. When the battery is fully charged, the backlight turns off. The Type-C port located on the back of the case is used for power recovery.
The case is relatively compact (66x42x30 mm) and light (48 g), but due to its great thickness it was not very comfortable to carry in a pocket. The flip lid is held closed by magnets. It’s devoid of closers, but there’s no kickback either. The earphones are located in marked horizontal grooves – they do not fall out, but are easily removed with your fingers.
Control
To interact with the headset, touch panels are used on the outside, all basic functions are supported. One tap on either earbud stops playback, answers or ends a call, double tap: increase or decrease volume, long press: change tracks or reject a call. A triple tap on the right earbud calls up the voice assistant, on the left earbud activates gaming mode. The change of status is accompanied by comments in Russian. Because the active area is quite large, the headset is comfortable to interact with, but touches should be clear and measured. To turn off, you need to put the earphones in the case and close the lid. Smart Pause is not supported.
Connection
When you open the case, the earbuds wake up and go into pairing mode. If devices that were previously “familiar” with them are nearby, the connection will be made automatically; otherwise, you need to complete the connection using the Bluetooth menu on the device screen – the fifth version of the protocol is supported.
The earpiece that was first removed from the case acts as the leader, which does not interfere with the almost seamless switch from stereo to mono and back. Separately, the “ears” can be connected to different devices, but it will no longer be possible to connect a stereo pair with two devices at the same time. The connection is stable, there are no dropouts or stutters. The headphones not only support the basic SBC codec, but also the more advanced AAC.
In normal mode, the sound delay is about 250 ms, which is acceptable for videos, but will not be very comfortable for gaming. In the gaming profile, it drops to 60ms, which makes gaming much more enjoyable, but slightly reduces sound quality. Unlike most other models, the selected preset does not reset after the headphones are powered off. The Harper HB-528 does not have its own application, so it will not be possible to adjust the sound and control, as well as knowing the exact charge of the headphones and the case.
Sound
The Harper HB-528 uses small (6mm) drivers with a sensitivity of 103dB, an impedance of 32 ohms, and an operating range of 20Hz – 20kHz. The sound is balanced and smooth, with a slight emphasis on the lower frequencies – the headphones are well suited for listening to music of any genre, watching videos and playing games. There is no sibilance, the detail is not bad, but I lacked depth and expressiveness. Overall, it’s not bad, although you shouldn’t expect anything special from this gadget. There’s no noise cancellation, but passive noise isolation blocks most outside noise. The maximum volume level is comfortable, although without margin.
The microphones here turned out to be far from the best – you can still communicate in a quiet room, but on a busy street the interlocutor is unlikely to distinguish your voice. However, you can always take out the main earpiece (only there the microphone is active during a call) and speak directly into it. The main thing is not to touch the touch panel, otherwise the call will end.
autonomy
Let Harper HB-528 and do not set records, but the autonomy of these headphones can be called decent. The integrated 45 mAh battery provides 6 hours of use at 75% volume and 30 minutes less in game mode thanks to the active backlight. The 400 mAh case battery allows you to recharge the headset 2.5 times, giving a total of about 21 hours of operation (19 hours at default gaming settings). To conserve battery life, the headphones automatically turn off after three minutes if no connection is made. It takes 75 minutes to charge the headset, while the case takes about 2 hours. Wireless technology is not supported here.
conclusion
I liked the Harper HB-528 with its aggressive design with beautiful lighting, comfortable fit, and practical materials. Thanks to the low latency of 60 ms, mobile games become comfortable. An unrestricted control scheme is implemented here as well, and AAC codec support provides good sound. Autonomy also turned out to be at a good level, allowing you to enjoy your favorite game for as long as you want. With all this, the price of 2700 rubles is more than democratic.
Find out the current price of Harper HB-528
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Source: IXBT
