Let's go back to talk about the Padmate brand that in the last period has adapted to the audio market by offering the latest wireless earphones with OWS format, that is with drivers designed to adapt to the ears without sealing the ear canals. Padmate S66 have compared to the competition the interaction of ANC technology, something that actually clashes with the nature and shape of the product. The official website of the brand offers them for sale at a price of € 54,95 but you can take advantage of an additional promotional discount of 15% with the code S66VIP, thus arriving at a final price of only € 46,71.
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Open-fit earbuds have become popular in recent years because they are considered safer to wear in urban environments, where the wearer must be aware of their surroundings. They are also more comfortable to wear, as the ear canals are not constantly clogged by silicone tips, which can cause dirt to build up and clog them. The downside is that they are larger, due to the need to secure the earbuds with ear hooks, and they have less noise isolation. Ultimately, it is up to the consumer to weigh the pros and cons and choose the type of earbud design that best suits their needs.
With this necessary premise, the Padmate S66 are available in two colors: black with lime green details and white with light blue details, perfect for those looking for color in their active lifestyle. In the package we also find an additional cord to secure the headphones, transforming them into neckband earphones, perfect for sports activities without fear of losing the earphones. The cord is very secure and it is impossible for it to slip off accidentally. And precisely with regards to sports, thanks to the IPX5 resistance, the earphones are resistant to splashes and sweat, allowing you to carry out your jogging sessions even during a light rain.
Pairing is simple thanks to Bluetooth 5.4 which guarantees a latency very close to zero, providing excellent synchronization between audio and video, for example for listening to films and TV series. Despite the open-fit design, the Padmate S66 are also equipped with active noise cancellation to reduce ambient sounds up to 20 dB, in addition to the transparency mode which on the contrary allows them to be amplified. The dual ENC microphone for noise reduction during calls performed very well in my tests, effectively eliminating interference such as wind and managing the capture of my voice even with other people's speech in the background. Furthermore, my interlocutor did not notice any audio problems, obtaining clear and crystalline conversations.
In terms of comfort, the drivers are really comfortable and the hooks do not create any discomfort in wearing them even if you wear glasses. The general comfort is also dictated by the fact that the protrusions of the drivers never come into direct contact with the inside of the ear but also by a weight of the single earphone of only 9 grams. In any case, to further customize the comfort experience, we have three sizes of earplugs available, but none of them completely seal the canals. It is interesting to note that the charging case can contain a pair of rubber tips, useful for example if there are more than one person using the Padmate S66.
As anticipated, a unique feature for this type of earphones, namely OWS shape, is the presence of ANC technology which to tell the truth did not have a significant impact on noise reduction, slightly reducing the environmental hiss, improving listening but I did not find it a killer feature. I address the same considerations to the transparency mode. In short, I would not like these features to be good only for marketing and nothing more.
But let's talk about audio quality. Padmate S66, adopting an open-fit design with 12x17mm oval drivers and once worn, leave a space between the drivers and the outer ear before the sound waves enter the ear canal. For this reason, the frequency response is different but the 3D panoramic audio should allow for immersive listening without losing detail. For the shape of my ear, the Padmate S66 lack slightly in bass and have an excessive peak in the mid-high region, but in reality this sound configuration is typical of headphones of the same kind of shape. We can improve the equalization through third-party applications such as Poweramp, making the sound much more pleasant. And here's the rub... in fact the Padmate S66 do not have a companion application that would have allowed you to have a personal EQ as well as allow for any updates.
These earphones allow you to control music and calls via a touch sensor located on the rear end of the external drivers, offering commands such as play/pause, skip tracks, call voice assistant, volume control and of course answer, reject and hang up calls, all via a single (play/pause – answer/hang up call) / double (volume control – reject call) / triple (ANC on/off – transparency mode) / quadruple (call voice assistant – game mode) touch or long press (skip music track). Given the absence of a companion app, the controls cannot be customized.
In terms of battery life, Padmate's OWS solution settles on an estimated value of 6 hours on a single charge and 24 hours in total with the charging case. Without a dedicated app, users must look at the color of the LED on the case to estimate the actual remaining battery life. Charging the battery, both the case and the headphones, takes about 1,5H via Type-C in the case of the case, while the earphones are equipped with small magnetic connectors (70 mAh earphone battery - 700 mAh case battery). Although the case is larger than the earphones, it is light and pleasant to the touch. But be careful with the general finishes, as my experience tells me that the finish can be damaged by impacts and abrasions if placed in unsuitable bags, considering that a fabric case is not included. For the rest, however, the general construction is impeccable, without creaks and above all the lid does not "dance" once opened, a symptom of a very solid hinge.
Padmate S66 offer an SBC/AAC codec so no premium sound expression but overall they sound good with any music genre. The game mode also offers a decent quality in gaming and the connection with Bluetooth 5.4 offers optimal signal stability even in closed environments with obstacles such as walls. The brand's solution has proven to be a pleasant innovation, however small, in this market that has been exploding in recent months. The cord that offers the opportunity to transform them into a sort of "wired" sports earphones, the presence of ANC and transparency mode although not incisive as features, the possibility of having silicone rubber tips for even greater comfort are elements to take into consideration if you are looking for a product that is currently unique in their kind. Buy them on the official Padmate online shop at a price of €46,71 by redeeming the 15% promotional discount with the code S66VIP.
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Even if you are not an athlete, you certainly want comfortable earphones to wear all day, perhaps to manage the many work/pleasure calls you receive every day and these Padmate S66 are a pleasant surprise in this sense.
