Inateck is a Germany-based tech company which was founded back in 2012. This company hasn’t exactly been around for long, but they’ve managed to release a number of interesting products thus far. Inateck’s portfolio consists out of HDD Docking Stations, USB Chargers, Bluetooth Keyboards, HDD Enclosures, Earphones and all other sorts of sport and regular tech accessories. That being said, we’ll focus on one of Inateck’s audio products today, the company’s BH1001 Bluetooth earphones. I’ve had these earphones in my possession for over a week now, and I do feel comfortable enough to say my piece. These headphones are currently not listed on Amazon.com, even though they usually are, but they are available on Amazon.co.uk and are usually priced at £59.99, but have been available for sale at the time of writing this article for £30.99. Do they justify that price tag? Well, let’s find out.
Features and Specifications
- CSR 8645 chipset
- Bluetooth 4.1
- Headset and hands-free profiles
- A2DP, AVRCP and Apt-X included
- Stereo sound
- 2+1 silicone ear plugs
- 0.9m USB charging cable
- Earphones carrying case
- Customized ribbons
- Microphone
- Sweatproof
Design and Fit
Inateck BH1001 Bluetooth earphones sport a rather interesting design. I initially thought that these earphones might be too bulky for my taste, but once I put them on and started walking, I quickly changed my mind. The earphones were actually a perfect fit for me out of the box, so I didn’t even have to change the ear plugs. Speaking of which, the silicone earplugs are quite comfortable, I have to say. I had no issues keeping these headphones in my ears, even when I did some light running, keep in mind these are not hardcore running earphones. If you’re looking for running earphones or something of the sort, you’d be better off with something slightly smaller with ear fins.
Each end of these earphones actually contains a magnet which can be used for basically connecting the ends. This can be quite useful when you just want to put them on a side without experiencing any tangling, or just want to wear them around your neck connected. I tend to prefer to let them hang around my neck while I’m not using them, but you have options. I never felt like they were a burden around my neck or anything of the sort, they’re not bulky by any stretch of the imagination, and that is great, because I really can’t stand bulky Bluetooth earphones.
The design of these earphones isn’t all that flashy, which is in my opinion a good thing, and they don’t look all that odd when you wear them. You do get three physical buttons here, the multifunction key, as Inateck calls it, on one side, and volume up and down buttons on the other. The multifunction key serves as your power on / off, play / pause and pairing mode button. The volume up / down keys not only control the volume of what you’re listening to, but you can also switch tracks using these two buttons. There’s also an indicator light which will let you know when the earphones are connected and when are they in pairing mode. The cable which connects the sides is also plenty long enough, but not too long, I never felt burdened by that either. All in all, I’m quite happy with both the design and general comfort of these earphones, well done Inateck.
Sound Quality
Sound quality is always one of the most important aspects of earphones / headphones, of course. This is, after all, an audio product before anything else. This is actually something I was quite skeptical about at first, but I have to say, these earphones managed to surprise me in this area as well. The sound on Inateck BH1001 earphones was above average, quite good even. I’ve heard far better sounding earphones, but considering these connect via Bluetooth, and the fact they’re not that expensive, they’re quite good. These can actually go head-to-head with some of the more expensive Bluetooth earphones out in the market for sure, but don’t expect miracles, Bluetooth always limits such products, and remember we’re talking about earphones here, not headphones.
The sound was plenty loud for my taste, and I had no issue enjoying music / podcasts during my testing. It is quite easy to notice that stereo sound is coming out, and the output was quite sharp as well, it never felt tinny or anything of the sort. The sound could be a tad warmer though, and you will notice a huge difference if you plug in a wired set of quality earphones before / after listening to music on Inateck BH1001, of course. Let’s talk about the microphone on here for a brief second as well, even though this is not exactly the prime feature here. Truth be told, microphones on such products are usually quite bad, but this one is actually passable. I was able to use these earphones as a hands-free tool for conducting conversations, and I never heard any complaints on the other side. I also decided to test them out on the other end as well, and I have to say that the sound while talking is quite good, but it is easy to notice I was talking via a Bluetooth set, which is quite normal.
Let’s talk about battery life real quick. If you open up Inateck’s official website, and read about battery life, you’ll see that the company says these earphones can take 8 hours of constant playback until you need to recharge them. Well, during my testing, it turns out that I was able to get over 8 hours, close to 8 and a half actually, which is great. Your results may vary though, of course.
Verdict
So, are these headphones worth the asking price? Well, if you ask me, yes, they are. I actually intend to keep on using these earphones because unlike some other Bluetooth earphones I’ve tried out, these fit me perfectly. I’ve tested out better sounding earphones, but that didn’t stop Inateck BH1001 to surprise me in this regard, though I didn’t expect much in terms of sound quality to be honest. This is a well-rounded product which offers plenty of punch for the price, and I do think that most people will be happy with most aspects of these earphones. If you’re in a market for a comfortable pair of Bluetooth earphones and don’t want to break a bank while buying one, this might be just the product for you. Inateck BH1001 Bluetooth earphones are available for purchase from Amazon, in case you’re interested.