Baseus is well known and respected in the computer and cell phone accessories market. Most popular for offering quality cables and chargers, the brand also dabbles in the world of headphones. One of the bets of the Chinese company is the Baseus Bowie M2, which we are going to analyze today.
The wearable is sold at a very attractive price and stands out for offering very advanced features – such as active noise cancellation and ambient mode – for a much more affordable price than we are used to.
:But is this headset really worth buying? Does its sound quality and the features offered by the wearable make sense in daily use? I used the accessory in the last few days as my main headset and I reveal, in this review, its main positives and negatives. Verify:
Design and construction
The Bowie M2 has a very elegant and sophisticated look. With in-ear design -which fits into the ear canal- it has silicone tips, which ensure greater comfort during use.
Despite this, they sometimes give the impression that they are not well adjusted, but this is just a matter of habit, since changing position does not make much difference.
:The exterior of the headphones -their pins, in this case- has a shiny texture, which resembles something metallic, despite the fact that the finish is very simple, in plastic. It is in this region that the touch control sensor is located, which is not very functional by the way, but I will talk more about that later.
sound quality
The sound quality of the Bowie M2 is very good in its category. Since we are talking about a more affordable model, it is natural that it does not perform at the same level as more advanced devices, but it is still surprising.
To begin with, its maximum volume is not that high, but it allows you to enjoy the songs very well. At a certain point, this is a good thing, as there are no distortions, noises or squeaks when it is at maximum volume. In general, the performance is the same when it is in a medium or low level.
As for the sound, it has a well-balanced standard equalizer, without great boosts for bass or treble, but frequencies that are reproduced at practically the same level.
This means that on heavier songs, like Iron Maiden’s “Senjutsu,” the kick drums don’t muffle the sound or “run over” the other instruments, while on more melodic songs, like Angra’s “Carry On,” the vocals and the drum cymbals better complement the harmony throughout the song.
:Or at least that’s what you’ll get if you connect the phone directly to Bluetooth, without using the app.
If you download the official app, you can better control frequencies with various native modes provided by Baseus, such as baseus classic, mega bass, theater, Hi-Fi, and more.
Also, if you want, you can create up to three extra equalization patterns, so that the sound quality is more personalized and according to your personal taste. This allows you to “play” more with the bass, mids and treble and have a more advanced and full-bodied sound.
Active noise cancellation
Despite being a more affordable model, the Baseus Bowie M2 stands out for offering active noise cancellation (ANC), something that is more present in intermediate and premium models. Additionally, the headset also has an ambient sound mode, so you can hear more external noise without having to remove your ear accessories.
As for ANC functionality, it does the trick when it comes to isolating surrounding noises, but it doesn’t do an amazing job as seen on other models. Either way, it’s “good for the money.”
One advantage is that Baseus offers several noise reduction levels and modes in its official app, for indoor, outdoor, crowded or personalized environments, which allows you to control the intensity of the isolation.
Battery and connectivity
The Baseus Bowie M2 has Bluetooth 5.2 technology, which already guarantees good stability and a very fast connection with the smartphone, provided that it also has the same generation of wireless network, of course.
The initial pairing process is very simple, just go to your phone’s Bluetooth settings, remove the pair of earphones from the case and make the connection. Once this is done, the smartphone automatically recognizes the portable devices when one is within range of the other.
The brand still offers an official application to manage the features and functions of the Bowie M2, but it does not carry out the connection process between the phone and the cell phone. Instead, you need to pair Bluetooth separately in the phone’s settings, even if it’s already recognized in the app.
It sounds confusing, but somehow the app recognizes the phone even if the connection between the two hasn’t been made yet.
Still on connectivity, I need to highlight a very negative point that I noticed while using the Bowie M2.
Sometimes it does not recognize that it is in the ear, even though it is well adjusted, and therefore does not allow you to activate some functions, such as ANC or ambient sound, or even play with the equalizations provided in the application It must be removed and put back in the ear several times to finally make it work.
Although this is a bit inconvenient, it doesn’t interfere much with listening to songs, unless you really want to use these features.
Your battery is at an acceptable level. Baseus promises that it can last about 5 hours with the earbuds charging on their own or up to 30 hours if added to the charging case battery. In addition, the brand reports that 10 minutes of charging is enough for 2 hours of playback.
In my tests, I set the playback volume to 50% and set the streaming quality to high on Spotify to verify this autonomy. The headphone battery was completely depleted in about 4h40 with ANC off and 3h30 with the feature on in common mode.
Total charging time for the earphones was about 20 minutes inside the case with it unplugged.
Touch controls
Like many Bluetooth headphones, the Baseus Bowie M2 allows you to control some functions, as well as music playback, directly through the headphones, with double, triple or long taps on the outside.
However, I had a lot of difficulty using these commands and in many cases the gestures failed and I had to repeat each combination over and over again until it worked. This interferes a lot, especially when changing songs or activating ANC mode.
:In any case, when they work, the gestures allow, in addition to changing the songs, activating the ANC, switching to ambient sound and activating the low latency mode, which reduces the delay between the sound and the content displayed on the mobile, like in videos or games.
Datasheet
- 10mm dynamic drivers;
- touch controls;
- Battery up to 5 hours with the buttons only charged or up to 30 hours with the charging case;
- 5.2 bluetooth;
- Active Noise Cancellation (ANC);
- Low latency mode;
- ambient sound.
Accessories
The Baseus Bowie M2 kit brings only the essentials for the proper use of the pair of headphones, that is, the charging case, the two buttons -which already come with the silicone tips attached- and two extra pairs in different sizes for the user. . to choose the one that best suits your ears.
In addition, the set also has a USB-C cable to charge in a suitable size -approximately 50 cm-, but it does not have an adapter to connect the accessory to the power outlet.
direct competitors
The Baseus Bowie M2 directly competes with the Redmi Buds 3 Pro as they are two more affordable headphone models that offer “premium” features to users. For starters, both feature active noise cancellation, allowing you to isolate more outside noise to avoid distractions and disturbances.
However, based on our reviews, the feature works best on Xiaomi headphones, which dampen surrounding sounds better and ensure a better experience, even though the Bowie M2 has many levels to control isolation.
:The sound quality is also more complete in the Xiaomi model, with more powerful bass, while the Baseus values the balance a little more, without placing much emphasis on the lower frequencies.
The battery is another strong point of the Redmi Buds 3 Pro, since it can reach five hours of playback with ANC activated. However, its rival failed to reach that mark even with the feature turned off.
All these points earned by the Xiaomi phone come at a higher price, of course. The model costs an average of R$300 to R$400 in stores in Spain that import, while the Baseus Bowie M2 sells for around R$230 on AliExpress.
Good, cheap and advanced headphones.
The Baseus Bowie M2 is a good headphone in its category and the equalization customization options within the app make it even more attractive for slightly more demanding users.
In addition, the active noise cancellation features, which has multiple levels of isolation, ambient sound, and low latency mode make it one of the most cost-effective wearable devices.
However, there are better options. Paying a little more, you can take home a Redmi Buds 3 Pro, which offers greater noise reduction, fuller sound and a more powerful battery.
However, if you want to save money and buy a simpler model, but one that offers advanced features, the Bowie M2 fits the bill and won’t let you down.
