Meters Music OV-1-B Connect, Active Noise Cancelling, Over Ear Bluetooth 5.0 Headphones, App Controlled, Illuminated VU, Protein Leather, aptXTM HD Audio, Included Carry Case, Charge Cable (Tan)

Product Information

So. if the meters aren’t an effective way to protect the wearer from loud sounds, and if getting the meters to bounce around in a way that’s noticeable to others requires dangerously loud volume levels … well, you see my point. Conclusion The noise cancellation also has the effect of making external sounds more distant, so you can still hear them but with reduced intensity. Viewed in this context, the Meters OV-1-B-Connect are quite effective. If you’re looking for something more comprehensive for similar money, then two of the three brands I’ve already mentioned will do a very fine job – and for less money, too. Sound quality They come with a 3-meter detachable cable with a 1/8-inch plug plus a 1/4-inch adapter. Images of Ashdown’s signature VU meters are printed on the side of each earcup. Meters OV-1-B Jamaica Soundsystem Artist Edition Ashdown Engineering

Active noise cancellation (ANC) is notoriously hard to do well. Many headphone companies have tried their hand at it, but only a few — like Sony, Bose, and Apple — ace the test.However, the design needs work as they tend to slowly slip out of your ears, making them a poor choice for runners. Following our success in Europe, Meters is ready to bring its truly unique headphones to the US market," says Ashdown Engineering Chairman Mark Gooday. "Now music lovers and gamers across the United States can experience the aural benefits of professional sound engineering and fashion forward design wherever they go — and look good doing it!" The Meters OV-1-B Pro support the aptX HD Bluetooth codec to deliver wireless 24-bit high-res audio.

The headband is well padded, and despite all the fancy accoutrements, the Meters OV-1-B-Connect are surprisingly light for a pair of headphones that weigh 380g; helped by a plastic construction given a metallic-looking sheen. The Meters Music OV-1 are certainly a statement piece. No one’s going to miss you wearing these, whether you have the power on – and thus the VU meters lit up and dancing – or not. Sadly they just don’t quite deliver sonically. The difference in sound signature when the ANC is turned on or off is really drastic, too, with neither really striking the right balance.The headphones feature a 50mm dome driver and an impedance of 32 ohms. Sensitivity is rated at 94db/w/m. The Meters Connect smartphone app features five-band parametric equalization so the listener can tune the experience to the style of music and personal preferences. The design is collapsible but the earcups don’t fold flat. They do swivel slightly for some more maneuverability when affixing the Meters to your head, and ‘affix’ does feel like the right word given their size. There’s a hard carry case for keeping them safe from scratches, too. Other Meters headphones use actual sound meters to stand out from the crowd, but here the synthetic leather parts attract attention. As well as the leather skin on the main parts of the band, little leather loops are attached to each earpiece to make removing them from your ears a little easier. The company touts the headphone’s accurate sound reproduction in a studio environment. They feature 50mm drivers with an audio frequency bandwith of 16-20,000Hz and maximum power input of 200mW. Now Ashdown is embarking on its own world tour, bringing its innovative product design expansion to the US market with the launch of its Meters headphones, that let consumers turn up the volume while they turn the heads of everyone who sees them — thanks to the one-of-a-kind working VU (volume unit) meter on each earcup!

First impressions were that the sound was sweet but very polite. The treble and upper mid-range – and hence the vocals – were quite subdued. There was some real substance to the lower mid-range, but everything had a softness to it. The twanging guitars and sawing violin at the beginning of ‘Rude To Rile’ had no bite, and the same could be said for the vocals. When it comes to the OV-1-B-Connect’s noise cancellation, I’ve been up and down in terms of how I feel about it. Given the price, there are immediate expectations – and if you’re looking for Apple, Bose or Sony level of performance, then sorry, but no dice. That’s not to say it isn’t effective.

Make a difference

The Meters M-Ear Bluetooth are a lot tauter-sounding than the SoundMagic E10BT. To some ears, this may be interpreted as being “less warm”. Many like a warm headphone, but in avoiding excess low mids and upper bass, the Meters are much less likely to sound congested, or to confuse complex arrangements.

If you’re in search of wireless ANC headphones that make a bold statement to those around you, the Meters OV-1-B definitely fit the bill. But perhaps more than any other headphones I’ve seen, your money will be going toward what others get to see, instead of what you get to hear. Hiding that switch behind the arm makes for a neater look, but it does mean you have to lift the earcup away from your head to swivel it and switch setting. Frankly, using a set of visible volume meters as a way of keeping your kids listening at safe levels is a terrible idea, especially when there are products on the market that automatically limit headphone volume to safe levels, taking away the need for active monitoring of any kind. We can’t recommend the Meters M-Ear Bluetooth because their design will test your patience. They’re poor at staying on your head, and that’s a problem.

The M-Ear Bluetooth are an odd mix of solid and poor design choices. Meters M-Ear Bluetooth – Sound quality