Nakamichi UNO review - quality TWS headphones

After a long break, the Nakamichi trademark reappeared on the Russian market. In addition to automotive electronics and home surround sound systems, the brand is engaged in the design and manufacture of portable technology. Today, the headphone lineup is headed by the UNO model.

Nakamichi UNO is TWS earphones with the Hands Free headset function for people leading an active lifestyle, and who appreciate the high-quality sound of their favorite musical compositions.

Advantages and disadvantages

Equipment and characteristics

Nakamichi UNO Review

The first visual impression of the Nakamichi UNO review is stylish, but I've already seen it somewhere ... Yes, in terms of form factor, the headphones are similar to existing gadgets from other manufacturers. Similar, but not all and not quite. The shape of the charging case is quite original - a kind of musical chest. The arsenal of possibilities includes an enviable list.

So, everything in order!

The headphones are truly True Wireless Stereo. The brain of the gadget is the QCC3020 chipset from Qualcomm. Thanks to its capabilities, the headphones received an interface Bluetooth v5.0, more stable connection with a smartphone, optimized power consumption, independent operation of each earbud, parallel signal transmission to both ears, high-quality sound of audio content and good voice transmission during a call.

IPX4 waterproof rating makes it possible to play sports without the risk of sweat penetrating into the headphones. Touch control improves ergonomics and ease of use in all conditions. The kit is suitable for universal use: jogging, traveling, on vacation, when flying. I used the kit extensively on cycling (although it is not safe, by analogy with a car).

A nice bonus - if you lose one of the Nakamichi UNO headphones, do not rush to dispose of the case and the remaining earphone! This means that you can continue to use the rest of the kit as a monaural headset for your smartphone.

Nakamichi UNO video review

Design and construction

The headphones are available in two colors: matt black and glossy white. A set in white came to my review. The packaging looks attractive, but at the same time discreet. We remove the outer cover from the packaging and a rather original box with a magnetic "latch" opens. Inside there is a lodgement for the case, it also serves as a box for the charging cable, instructions and replaceable inserts-earpads. Rectangular case with rounded edges. Made of lightweight and tactilely durable plastic. Dimensions 82x34x34.4 mm, weight 50 grams.

There are four LED indicators on the front panel of the Nakamichi UNO. White light indicates the charge level of the case. One segment corresponds to a 25% charge level. The glowing blue indicates the charging mode of each earphone - two extreme diodes, respectively, the left and right earpieces. Very informative and understandable. The earbuds hold well in their seats with magnets. I experienced slight discomfort when removing the earbuds from the case. Simply put, it is not very convenient to take out the headphones. It depends on how large the user's fingers are.

On the back of the case is a USB Type-C charging connector, which has already become the standard for modern Android smartphones.

At first, the location of the headphones in the case seemed strange. Right earpiece
left, left earpiece on the right. But, literally after a few repetitions of removal from the case, the logic becomes clear. I am right-handed, hold the case in my left hand and remove the right earphone by the case with my right hand. I transfer the case to my right hand and remove the left earpiece with my left hand. In practice, this idea turned out to be convenient!

The headphones themselves are in the style of AirPods, with a leg. The massive body of the case has a touchpad (field with the logo) for controlling the functions of the player and the HF headset. A status indicator and two microphones are located on the leg. The weight of one earphone is just over 6 grams. In my opinion, the design and execution are original, despite the resemblance to someone else.

Read also: How to use wireless headphones?

Nakamichi UNO Management Review

The first pairing of headphones with a smartphone was straightforward. To do this, you need to remove the headphones from the case (previously, when unpacking, removing the protective film from the charging contacts of each earphone), turn on Bluetooth on the phone, take the headphones out of the case and start searching for equipment on the smartphone. The system will detect one earbud and then the second. In both cases, you need to confirm the pairing request. After that, the headphones will connect with each other. The status of the pairing and state actions, accompanied by a voice informant, though in English. Subsequent connecting headphones to a smartphonewill happen automatically.

The kit supports controlling the basic functions of the player and calling the voice assistant for Android and iOS. Touch control panels do not require strong pressing. Their sensitivity is sufficient for correct operation, excluding false alarms. Below, I give the control algorithm, which is taken from the user's manual. The control logic is simple and functional. Ergonomics at a fairly decent level.

Sound quality

Nakamichi UNO TWS earbuds support high quality aptX audio codec. Parallel signal transmission from the source can significantly improve the sound quality and eliminates the delay in the sound line when playing video content. Coupled with 7mm dynamic drivers and software fine tuning, the sound of the kit stands out from similar models in this price range.

Immediately I would like to note one very important point on which the sound quality directly depends - the individual selection of the most suitable size of silicone ear cushions from the set provided. The fact is that the design of in-ear headphones implies a tight fit of the sound guide in the ear canal.And this condition, in turn, provides better isolation of external noise and improved low frequency reproduction.

The sound of the Nakamichi UNO is fairly flat across the entire audible frequency range. The bass is moderately deep, and its structure is collected and worked out. Medium frequencies do not have pronounced peaks and dips, and do not cause fatigue. Voices and instruments are recognizable, with a slight timbre coloring. The high frequencies are bright, slightly harsh, but at the same time they do not have barbs and harshness. The kit can be called universal genre. Rock compositions sound energetic, energetic and truly convincing, except that there is not enough air and after-sounds of cymbals at the very top.

Modern youth styles the kit plays out without hum in the low frequencies and with decent clarity in the mids and highs. The kit surprised me with an enviable sound pressure margin. Even at maximum volume, the sound did not break into nonlinear distortions. In general, of course, the final sound quality depends on the content. It makes no sense to judge the sound of a set by low bitrate MP3 files. Fortunately now, there is a mass of available high-quality audio content. To summarize, I can say that the sound of UNO is comfortable and not fatiguing.

Read also: How do I charge wireless headphones?

Noise suppression

The manufacturer claims to have ENC (Environment Noise Cancellation) based on the cVc 8.0 (Clear Voice Capture) processor function. With the help of a pair of built-in microphones in each earpiece and a special digital signal processing algorithm, the voice is separated from the background noise, and as a result, a decent quality of speech transmission during a telephone conversation.

Passive noise isolation wireless headphone Nakamichi UNO is carried out using three sizes of silicone ear cushions included in the kit.

Microphone quality

In fact, I would like to note that communication on the phone in Hands Free mode did not cause any problems. The voice of the interlocutor, as well as mine, was not distorted, the effect of reverberation (echo) was not observed. This disadvantage suffers from a lot of TWS headphone models. UNO in this regard showed a really decent quality of voice transmission, while the level of background noise did not cause irritation.

Working hours

As noted above, the kit is built on the QCC3020 chip. One of the features is support for the Bluetooth 5.0 interface, which means improved power consumption of the gadget. The battery life of the earbuds is about 6 hours at a volume level of 60%. The battery reserve of the case allows you to fully charge the headphones for 22 hours of operation (several charge cycles).

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Charging time for the earbuds is about an hour, the case is about 2 hours. We failed to check the correctness of the stated figures. Listening to music for 2-3 hours a day, the headphones were put back in the case, which means they were recharged. Those. there was no experience of dropping accumulators to zero. But there is reason to trust the manufacturer. On average, these gadgets have similar characteristics.

Review results

TWS headphones Nakamichi UNO favorably stand out from the bulk of classmates. First of all, I would like to note the really balanced sound quality, thanks to the aptX and AAC codecs. One can feel the serious approach of the developers in this regard. A good supply of power autonomy, a well thought-out control algorithm and acceptable ergonomics, IPX4 class moisture protection.

Quite good speech transmission in headset mode. The ability to select an individual size of silicone inserts for a comfortable fit in the auricle. Lovers of hypertrophied bass will likely pass by this kit. All of the above features make the kit a bargain.

At the time of writing the review for Nakamichi UNO, the retail price of the gadget is almost 7,000 rubles. In my opinion, the kit has every chance of becoming serious competition in the wireless headphone market.