Hey Explorers!
Are you on a tight budget like me and looking for an affordable yet high-quality neckband? You've landed at the right place. In fact, Rs. 2000 is ideal to find a premium neckband that will fulfill all your needs. In today's thread, I'll cover all the best neckbands you can grab starting from Rs. 500, all the way up to the best options under Rs. 2000, based on your budget. Let's Dive!
Disclaimer - I don't personally own all the neckbands mentioned in the thread, nor have I experienced each of them. The assessment is based on research, specs, and customer reviews gathered from various platforms. My understanding of the sound signatures of different brands aids me in the evaluation process. The idea of the whole article is to guide you for the best according to your budget.
Evaluation criterias
- Sound Quality - Based on research and customer reviews from various platforms.
- Battery Life - Based on specs, functionality, and customer reviews from various platforms.
- Calling and Mic - Based on research and customer reviews.
- Connectivity - Based on specs and customer reviews.
- Other features - Based on specifications
This is not a good budget for a wireless neckband. If your budget is less than Rs. 700, I suggest opting for a wired option as you'll get better quality. However, if you're set on a neckband in this price range, then you can go with pTron Tangent Eon and Amazon Basics. It's not a very good option, it's only a good option at this budget.pTron Tangent Eon and Amazon Basics (Rs. 500 - Rs. 700)
- pTron Tangent Eon - On paper, it offers a 13mm Dynamic Driver, Up to 45 Hours of Playtime, Bluetooth v5.3, TruTalk AI-ENC for Clear Calls, Type-C Fast Charging, Dual Pairing, and IPX5. It comes with a decent design but promises lots of impressive things at this price. Available at Rs. 699 on Amazon.
- Amazon Basics - It features Magnetic Earbuds, Up to 30 Hours of Playtime, Dual Pairing, and is IPX6 rated. Alao features a mic for crystal-clear calls and has BT v5.0. Available at Rs. 549 on Amazon.
It comes with 10 mm drivers, up to 30 Hrs of Playtime, Enx Tech for clear voice calls, ASAP charge tech for 10 hours of playback with just 10 minutes of charging, Beast Mode for low latency, Dual Pairing, Bluetooth v5.2, Magnetic Buds, USB Type-C, and IPX5.boAt Rockerz 245 V2 Pro (Rs. 999)
This is a starting range for getting a good wireless neckband with decent audio outputs. The same applies to this neckband:
- Sound Quality - Users have mixed opinions about the sound quality considering the price. This neckband provides you with a decent sound quality with a higher base but muddy highs and mids. You will not get the clarity in sound but enjoy loudness with a heavy base. It's not suitable for a music lover with a balanced output.
- Battery Life and Charging - Users are dissatisfied with the battery life. Maximum complained about getting a much lower battery backup than what was promised. You will get a decent battery backup but a 10-minute fast charge solution.
- Calling and Mic - Have a decent call and mic quality considering the price. Don't expect more.
- Connectivity - Have decent connectivity with hit or miss-like things.
- Other features - Features like dual paring and type-c charging port are appreciable at this price point.
It features 10mm drivers, up to 60 Hours of playback, ASAP charge tech for 10 hours of playback with just 10 minutes of charging, IPX7, and Dual PairingboAt Rockerz 255 Pro+ (Rs. 1,299)
- Sound Quality - It has a good boat signature sound output. This means you will get a boosted thumping bass, but a decent clarity in vocals and instrumental separation. Highs and Mids sound a bit muddy while Lows are highly boosted. I have experienced this neckband, it feels loud enough but does not have a balanced output as explained above. A great choice for heavy bass lovers.
- Battery Life and Charging - The battery backup is good and also supports a 10-minute fast charge solution. The backup depends upon various modes and the volume level of the neckband.
- Calling and Mic - This neckband provides a good calling experience considering its price point.
- Connectivity - There is no complaint regarding the connectivity issues.
- Other features - It features magnetic earbuds, but it does not automatically play or pause music when you connect or disconnect them. This means magnetic on/off is unavailable. Type-c port and dual pairing-like features are appreciable. My personal experience with the boat's dual pairing feature is not good, they need improvements.
Important Note - Now we are moving towards the 2000 price range, and at this price point 3 good neckbands are available:
- OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 - Good sound quality with balanced output, but lacks features like ANC, dual pairing, and app support. You can only consider this if you are a OnePlus fan and need a OnePlus neckband, otherwise ignore this.
- CMF by Nothing - Does not have great sound quality as OnePlus and realme have in this price range, but it has an upper hand in ANC. With the highest 50dB Active Noise Cancellation in its segment and a unique Smart Dial Design, it's worth considering if ANC is your top priority. However, you might want to skip it if you need an all-rounder and the best in terms of sound quality.
- realme Buds Wireless 3 - The King under Rs. 2000 and priced at just Rs. 1.799. I have been using this for 8 months and will blindly recommend you. Let's dive into it!
With a 13.6mm Dynamic Bass Driver, it boasts a 30dB ANC, Spatial Audio, Upto 40 Hrs of Playback, Fast Charging, 45ms of Low Latency for Gaming, Dual Device Connection, and many more. Priced at just Rs. 1,799, although you can grab this at Rs. 1,599 in offers.realme Buds Wireless 3 (Rs. 1,799)
- Sound Quality - It offers an exceptionally balanced sound quality, with well-balanced highs, mids, and lows that deliver amazing sound output. The vocals are clear, and instrumental separation is top-notch. Additional app customizations like DBB (boosts base) and Custom Equalizer options enhance the experience even further. Moreover, its 360° Spatial Audio Effect elevates your music-listening experience with immersive surround sound. In terms of sound quality, it's 9/10.
- Battery Life and Charging - It has a massive backup of 40 Hours with ANC OFF and 26 hours of playback with ANC ON with a full charge of only 50 minutes. Additionally, it will also give you a backup of up to 25 hours with a charge of only 10 minutes due to its amazing fast charging technology. The claim is cent percent accurate. Now the battery backup decreased a bit as I had thoroughly used it for 8 months. In terms of battery and charging, it's 10/10.
- Calling and Mic - Microphone quality is exceptionally good. None of my friends complained about much background noise or audio breaks on call, even in a noisy environment. Provides the best mic quality with environmental noise suppression at this price.
- Active Noise Cancellation - It has 30dB of Active Noise Cancellation and works well. Have no complaints about it.
- Connectivity - Featured with the latest Bluetooth 5.3 and Google Fast Pair support, combinedly makes it connect with any device in a fraction of a second seamlessly. Have SBC and AAC audio codec support.
- Other features - Have a 45ms Ultra-Low Latency (Game Mode), dual device connection, app support with different customization options, Magnetic Instant Connection (to instantly power off the buds and stop music when putting them together and instantly power on when we separate them), camera control, etc.
That's all for today from my side. I hope you liked this article. Don't forget to share your feedback in the comment section. We will meet again in the next thread soon.
Thanks for taking your precious time to engage on this thread.
Signing Off
