Digital Trends

Logitech FreePulse Wireless Headphones February 5th, 2007 | by Justin Whitaker

Design and Look & Feel

Designed to be paired with all types of Apple iPods, the FreePulse headphones come with several small adapters to fit the original iPod, the iPod Video, the iPod Nano and the iPod Mini. Included in the box with the headphones is the wireless receiver, iPod adapters, AC power recharger, stereo mini-jack extension cord and a quick-start guide. After an initial charge of the headphones and receiver that takes about 40 minutes, the next step is to find the right iPod adapter to fit the receiver to your iPod. After finding and attaching the adapter to the wireless receiver, you connect the receiver to your iPod and are ready to start enjoying music. For those people who have MP3 players other than the iPod, there is also a short extension cable to work with any media player that has a stereo mini-jack.

Each side of the headphones is equipped with a soft rubber loop attached to the ear cup that is used to hold the headphones in place on your head. This over-the-ear design provides a fairly tight fit and works well for everyday use around the house or office. However, I would not recommend these headphones for use while working out. While running or using an elliptical machine, for example, the rubber loop over the ear does not hold the ear cups tightly in place and they jostle back and forth. The spring-steel headband provides some support and is rugged enough for exercising, but does not keep the ear cups from jostling around during a workout.

Previous wireless headphone models were heavy and bulky due to the built-in receiver, but the FreePulse headphones are extremely lightweight. The lightweight, over-the-ear design of these wireless headphones provides you the mobility to move around the house or office without fear of tangling or catching the wire while walking. Another plus point that adds to the comfort level is the soft padding used in each ear cup. Using them for 2+ hours at a time, the headphones never felt uncomfortable or felt like they were weighing my head down.

Overall, the modern design of the headphones is rather sleek but is also underwhelming. Each ear cup has a black, shiny surface and is adorned with the Logitech logo. Unfortunately for those of us who like to take our iPod with us when we’re on the go, these headphones are not as easy to transport. They cannot be folded and are a bit awkward to fit in a coat or pants pocket. Aside from the steel colored headband that looks like plastic but is actually made of “high carbon spring steel”, the shape and style of these headphones is unremarkable.

Image Courtesy of Logitech

Features and Specifications

- 30mm Neodymium drivers that deliver crisp, powerful audio performance
- Lightweight at 2 ounces (56.7 grams)
- Bluetooth 2.0+EDR with interference-free frequency-hopping
- Adapter fits all devices with a standard audio mini-jack
- Custom plates included for most recent iPods
- 33 Foot (100 meter) range
- 7+ Hours of battery life
- Volume controls and bass boost control on the headphones
- Digital transmission format