REVIEWED: PaMu Karaoke/Explore headphones
How to get a $100 discount on these comfortable, lightweight and great-sounding headphones
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Everyone’s buying headphones. The increased need to work from home – often while surrounded by family – means we all need some personal space and, more importantly, personal sound. However, with video calls now part of daily life, it helps if your chosen headphones also have a built-in mic.
Cue the PaMu Karaoke, a pair of lightweight yet substantial headphones that add a detachable microphone to Padmate’s PaMu Explore headphones.
What’s more, you can get a discount: visit Padmate and enter the code XDXP to save $100 on your purchase (with free shipping).
PaMu Karaoke/Explore headphones: design
Weighing 427g, PaMu Karaoke are some of the most lightweight headband-style headphones TravGear has reviewed. A standards design with a soft headband and earcups, the PaMu Karaoke comes adorned with a barrel on each side that light-up in red (though they can be easily switched-off). That detachable (and beautifully flexible) microphone on its left earpiece is its real party trick, but it also comes with an excellent hard-backed carrying case, which has a removable shoulder strap. That’s a nice touch for travelers. Meanwhile, the PaMu Explore version merely has a built-in microphone.
PaMu Karaoke/Explore headphones: features
Although it ships with a long 3.5 mm audio cable, and recharges via USB-C, PaMu Karaoke are all about being wireless. Connecting to a smartphone via Bluetooth 5.0, touch-sensitive buttons on the earcups control music and incoming hands-free calls from a phone, while there are a couple of toggles for adjusting the volume. Each ear is equipped with a 40 mm dynamic speaker with a 4 mm polyurethane composite diaphragm.
PaMu Karaoke/Explore headphones: sound quality
Although there’s no pretense of noise-canceling here, the PaMu Karaoke/Explore headphones sound great and have a good amount of both bass and immersive-ness. Sound quality is thanks in part to their use of Qualcomm’s aptX chipset, which allows lossless Bluetooth streaming for aptX, aptX HD, AAC, and SBC. For the PaMu Karaoke headphones only, a singing mode allows you to hear your own voice through the headphones as you sing; you can also add some sound effects for a touch of reverb or echo.
In our test, they lasted for around 25 hours on one charge for normal listening, though using the karaoke function cuts that in half. However, if they do go completely flat a 10-minute recharge gives you five hours playback time – another great feature for travelers.
PaMu Karaoke/Explore headphones: conclusion
Affordable, comfortable, and with some unique selling points, the PaMu Karaoke/Explore headphones are a good choice for around the home, but also for travel, where their lightweight design, quick-charge feature, and excellent carry case come into their own.
