TWS true wireless earphones - under $100
TWO STARS - The Pamu Slide truly wireless earphones are one of the biggest Indiegogo crowdfunding campaigns of the last years, with an incredible amount of backers.
It presents itself as a great AirPods alternative. Beware however: it has mediocre sound and serious problems. There are way better alternatives.
Pamu Slide specs:
Bluetooth 5.0
IPX6 water proof (rain and sweat resistant)
10 hours listening on a full charge
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 6 times
Comes with 3 sets ear tips and a USB-C charging cable
$40-80-160 on Indiegogo - check current price!
Below this review you can find direct comparisons between the Pamu Slide vs Creative Outlier Air, Shanling MTW100, Edifier TWS5, Aukey T10 and Sabbat E12 Ultra.
Design, charging and comfort
The charging case of the Pamu Slide may be the biggest case on a TWS true wireless earphone so far. It is about three times the size of the AirPods-case, or the case of the excellent Shanling MTW100. Even other relatively big charging cases, such as the one from the Mpow T5/M5 or Creatieve Outlier Air/Gold, feel way more compact.
It has some nice touches, though: the lid has a speaker-like texture on it and is fun to slide open and close. When you put the earpieces in - with the left one right and vice versa, four LED-lights blink up in the lid to indicate the charging status.
The battery life is Pamu's biggest triumph. Just like the Creative Outlier Air and Gold, the Pamu Slide is capable of nearly 10 hours playback on a single charge, dependent on your volume level. Outstanding. The big case can recharge the pieces 5 to even 6 times fully, which should be enough for even vacation trips.
The comfort of the Pamu Slide is impressive as well. The inside of the earpieces is well-rounded and fits perfectly in your ear. The fit isn't very tight - these may be tricky for sports, but their subtle weight makes them easy to carry in your ears.
AirPods-fans, be careful though: the Slide is an all in-ear design, rather than Apple's half in-ear approach. The Slide has rubber ear tips that go deep into your ears. It's still possible to hear some of your surroundings, however.
A little downside is that the light of the Slide earpieces keeps blinking, even when you're listening to them. Also, it's too bad the case of the Pamu Slide isn't very convenient in your jeans pocket. It is a bit too big, perhaps.
Connectivity and controls
You operate the Pamu Slide with touch controls. They respond well, which isn't always the case on truly wireless earbuds with a stem in its design. A single touch on either the left or right bud plays or pauses the music. Hold the right bud to increase the volume, the left one to decrease it. With two taps on the right bud, you skip a song. With two taps on the left one... you activate the voice assistant of your phone.
There's no way to return a song, unfortunately. A miss of a basic functionality, but at least it’s the least important function they killed.
The Pamu Slide has a Bluetooth 5.0 connection, which stays stable up to ten meters. It works steadily, even in areas full of wireless signals.
Calling and watching movies
As with many other wireless earphones, watching videos in the YouTube-app on iPhone goes with a noticeable delay in the sound. Audio-video synchronization is better on video services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, and also fares well on Android smartphones supporting Bluetooth 5.0. When it comes to gaming, there is a slight delay in sound.
The call quality of the Pamu Slide is convincing, mainly indoor. Your voice comes through clear. Outside, of course, calling with the Pamu Slide becomes more challenging. Surrounding noises aren't repressed very well, meaning traffic and other noises will interfere with your voice.
Sound quality of Pamu Slide
‘Gentle’ may be the best word to describe the sound of the Pamu Slide.
Male and especially female vocals sound clear. Trumpets, saxophones, pianos come through with a decent amount of clarity. Within the mid-tones, the frequency of high-hats on drums may be elevated a tad too much, however. Most of the time, it makes for a crisp sound, but sometimes it makes the mids too sharp. It can even feel like there's a layer of hiss on the music.
The Slide has a bass that can thump in your ears. It gives that slam desired by many pop and dance songs. It doesn't extend very well, though. Yes, there is a slam - but it doesn't sound very dark or deep. The sub-bass, providing the deepest tones, does its work just okay. It can give you a little rumble, but again, it doesn't dive very deep. The bass part of this earphone could definitely be more outspoken.
The lower-mids are clean. Darker piano strokes, cello's, and electronic tones are well-represented, although they don't overpower other aspects of the music. The soundstage is fair; music sounds around you instead of directly shouting into your ear, although instruments are hard to place.
Warning: serious Pamu Slide problems
However, there's another side to this story. Something that affects the final score of the Pamu Slide.
The Pamu Slide has serious problems. On my pair, the left earpiece repeatedly hisses, beeps, and crackles, disturbing the music for minutes or more. It starts after just inserting the earphone, may fade away after, but regularly comes back after a while. Whether you have a phone call, play music, or have it paused: there are crackles, beeps, and hisses every so often.
I fixed it temporarily by inserting the buds in the case, removing the Pamu Slide from my Bluetooth list and then reconnect again. But while having this problem, I searched online for issues and problems with the Slide.
And there are many problems.
Users do not only report failing connectivity, but some Pamu Slides also break entirely after two weeks. They just stop playing music. Maybe even worse, users complain Pamu doesn't respond to their emails at all. On Twitter and the comments section on the Indiegogo page it becomes clear that Pamu Slide doesn't respond to emails and doesn't help with people having problems.
Because there are so many great alternatives working flawlessly, these Pamu Slide issues are taken into account on the final score of this review.
Better alternatives to the Pamu Slide
Pamu Slide vs Creative Outlier Air/ Gold
The comparable priced Creative Outlier Air offers the same theoretical battery life as the Pamu Slide: 10 hours on a single charge. Its design is somewhat sleeker, but comfort isn't as good. The Creative has a less mid-centric sound than the Pamu Slide, and comes in with heavier bass, and more accentuated vocals. It delivers a full sound. It's not without connectivity issues but has less critical problems than the Slide.
Creative Outlier Air/ Gold review here
Pamu Slide vs Shanling MTW100
The Shanling MTW100 offers 7 hours of battery life on a single charge and is very comfortable as well, due to its small and round design. It's not possible to change the volume on the earpieces, but they do have a hearthrough-mode so you hear your surroundings through the music on moments you need it. The Pamu Slide has more emphasis on the bass; the Shanling offers more nuances, better tonality, and makes it easier to place instruments around you.
Pamu Slide vs Aukey T10
The little-over-$100 Aukey T10 is another excellent alternative to the Pamu Slide. Both the charging case and earpieces of the T10 look and feel premium. The earpieces stay tight in your ear thanks to ear-rings, making them suitable for sports. In its 7 hours of playtime per charge, the Aukey T10 offers a full and balanced sound that makes it easy to listen to all kinds of genres.
Pamu Slide vs Edifier TWS5
Like the Pamu Slide, the Edifier TWS5 has a certain laidbackness in the sound. It has a bass that behaves well and doesn't overpower the music, and especially female vocals are pushed forward and sound very clear. The call quality on the Edifier TWS5 is outstanding, and with 7-8 hours of battery life, the Edifier is a worthy cheap alternative for the Pamu Slide.
Pamu Slide vs Sabbat E12 Ultra
The Sabbat E12 Ultra has a more aggressive sound than the Pamu Slide, with fat bass and elevated upper-mids and highs. It's aggression in a good way. The Sabbat shines on modern genres, which demand just that from a set of earphones - but it can also sound a bit shouty in some songs. With its gentle thump and accents on mids, the Pamu Slide offers a more relaxed sound - the Sabbat is more engaging.
Pamu Slide vs Samsung Galaxy Buds
The more expensive Samsung Galaxy Buds share a bit of character with the Pamu Slide. The Galaxy Buds too has an emphasis on mid-tones, which can make the sound a bit hissy. The bass is comparable as well: it has a nice kick, but it doesn't sound very deep. The Galaxy Buds offers more detail and better instrument tonality; the Pamu Slide sounds more smooth and full. Android users, however, get an app with equalizer that can improve the bass on the Galaxy Buds.
Samsung Galaxy Buds review here
Verdict
Within its off-putting, big bulky charging case, the Pamu Slide offers two very comfortable earpieces with great battery life and a nice mid-centric sound. The Pamu Slide is not without its problems though - and that makes this Indiegogo-project a downright risky buy. With so many great alternatives, it's hard to give the Pamu Slide a recommendation.
TWO STARS - disappointing
Buy Pamu Slide/ check current price:
I bought the Pamu Slide for testing and reviewing purposes myself. I test and review all audio products equally honest - read about it here.
Consider buying this earphone? I'd really appreciate it if you use the links in this article. It won't cost you extra, yet it will financially support me a bit in my ongoing quest for great affordable audio. <3
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