Texture wins, LG TONE PLATINUM (HBS-1100) Experience

LG launched a new wireless Bluetooth headset, TONE PLATINUM (HBS-1100), when it launched its flagship model G5 this year. According to the PLATINUM word, it is not difficult to guess that LG is going to hit the high-end market this time. Does it reach a new height?

Measurements 6.0" (W) X 7.04" (H) X 0.5" (D), Weight 2.05

Bluetooth 4.1, support for HEADSET (HSP), HANDS-FREE (HFP), ADVANCED AUDIO DISTRIBUTION (A2DP), GAAT

HARMAN KARDON PLATINUM Sound

TONE&TALK app supports Android & Apple

Balanced armature

Call/playback/standby time: 11/10/415 hours

Charging time: less than 2 hours

The outer package uses black as the main color, printed on the front of the product map and the name and model, the back is related to the description, the overall style consistent with its high-end positioning, appears to be calm and low-key.

With a flip-over design, there is also a plastic wrap inside. When fully unpacked, TONE PLATINUM (HBS-1100) will lie quietly on top. The lower accessory box is also made in black tones.

A complete list of accessories, including data cables, interchangeable earphones, manuals, and separate NFC tags. No surprises with the accessories. The only exception is TONE PLATINUM (HBS-1100), which supports NFC but does not integrate NFC chips. Within the earphones, if you are accustomed to using NFC for pairing with the author, then this NFC tag cannot be lost.

The headphone switch is arranged on the inner side of the right side, and the headphone cable adopts a retractable design, so the left and right inner sides have buttons to control, and there is a small indicator next to the power switch to remind the headphone of the different current state.

The outside is equipped with related control buttons, play/pause/stop button, call button, volume jog switch, etc. The USB interface for charging is on the right side and a dust cover is arranged. It can be seen here that the main body of the earphone is made of plastic material with aluminum alloy on both sides, and the surface is treated with brushed wire. The inner grid pattern is small, and the value, material and workmanship are excellent.

TONE PLATINUM (HBS-1100) is slightly heavier than the Sony SBH-80 I previously used because of the size of the metal and the size of the volume, but because it is a neckband-style headset, it is not really stressful. In-ear design soundproofing effect is good, the stethoscope effect is relatively slight, the built-in earplugs are softer than Sony's, and it feels more comfortable to wear. Experience down, I do not recommend wearing it for exercise, first, the fixed effect is poor, and second, TONE PLATINUM (HBS-1100) after sweating is easy to stick with the neck, feeling not very comfortable, summer sweating recommendations recommended more wear Shirt or polo shirt to use.

Taking into account the actual use of wireless Bluetooth headset - to make calls and enjoy music, so the front end of this test is a mobile phone. Does TONE PLATINUM (HBS-1100) use the latest aptX HD technology and HARMAN KARDON PLATINUM sound effects. Can it surprise us?

TONE PLATINUM (HBS-1100) is relatively neutral in overall tuning, and “MSG” does not add a lot, similar to Apple’s “boiling water”. The sound field has a strong ability to create, and it seems to be more open. During the test, there are Hi-Res-compliant flac, 320Kbps MP3, 256Kbps aac, and QQ Music Online and other audio sources. After the Bluetooth transmission, the gap is not large. Hi-Res has no overwhelming victory in the sound field and Resolving power is slightly better, and the volume adjusted to 70-80% is equivalent to the volume of 50-60% of the general audio source. If it is not a "golden ear" user, I believe it will not be too tangled.

The bass part is weaker, and the reduction of the violin in the symphony suite is not as good as that of the double bass. Sometimes it may even be ignored. The treble is acceptable, and it can't be restored except in more extreme situations. Satisfactory, no harshness or insecure sounds; perhaps because of the combination of voice, vocal, and midrange performances, some lyrics may even be particularly prominent in some tracks, and accompaniment is easily overlooked.

The separation of the left and right channels is not very good, the surround sound effect is not obvious, and there will be a “sticky” feeling when the left and right channels are switched. In addition to the already mentioned effects on vocals, I inadvertently contrasted the strings and strings and found that TONE PLATINUM (HBS-1100) also had an additive effect on the band music. The timbre of the clarinet and oboe was more prominent than There is a lot of flavor in the string. If you use TONE PLATINUM (HBS-1100) to listen to songs, I recommend choosing vocal or band-based tracks to get a good experience.

In terms of answering calls, the TONE PLATINUM (HBS-1100) performed well. Compared to the author's previous SBH-80, both the sound quality and the radio effect were even better, but sometimes they couldn't do anything in the noisy environment. LG also has TONE&TALK's supporting app, which supports functions such as vibration reminding and voice reminding. If you don't complain about voice reminders, it's difficult to open a voice reminder to miss a message (laughs).

In terms of battery life, TONE PLATINUM (HBS-1100) basically matches the promotional time of 10 hours. I mainly use it during commuting and leisure time, call or play music, about 2 hours a day, support 5 days without problems, barely reach 6 Days, have been connected to the phone or in standby mode during use and have not been turned off. The charging time is also less than 2 hours in line with the promotion. The actual test charge can reach 80% of the charge in 1 hour.

LG's TONE PLATINUM (HBS-1100) high-end wireless Bluetooth headset is excellent in all aspects. If it is not too cold for Sony's pile of “steamy” Bluetooth headsets, take the traditional high-end line of TONE PLATINUM (HBS). -1100) Perhaps more suitable for conservative users. The retractable headphone cable is convenient for storage and avoids the shaky headphone cable. The practicality of this point really throws a few streets away from Sony's neckband headphones. In the field of wireless Bluetooth headsets, the biggest drawback of TONE PLATINUM (HBS-1100) should be the price of thousands of dollars.