lazered - Magnat LZR

09/15
LAZERED
«...THE PRICE-PERFORMANCE RATIO IS FANTASTIC,
THE SOUND IS THOROUGHLY IMPRESSIVE, THE
CONNECTION IS STABLE, THE BATTERY LIFE OF
MORE THAN 21 HOURS IS OUTSTANDING, THE
DESIGN IS TIMELESS AND ELEGANT... »
Magnat Audio-Produkte GmbH · Lise-Meitner-Str. 9 · 50259 Pulheim · Germany · www.magnat-LZR.com
Magnat LZR 588BT: Even better with Bluetooth
functionality
What an honor: We at lite-magazin are the very first to test the
LZR 588BT, which has only been officially released over the last
few days. Therefore, the first Bluetooth headset from Magnat
still doesn‘t have any original packaging, but it does come with
a promise: The sound quality is set to be in no way inferior to
that of the LZR 580, which we put through its paces a few weeks
ago and found to be excellent. Now we are naturally extremely
interested to see whether this is true of the wireless version.
Timeless, elegant design
Like the wired version, the Bluetooth headset also comes as a set
of full-size over-ear headphones. In other words it encompasses
the entire ear. Unlike the LZR 580, however, the manufacturer is
only offering the Bluetooth version in one color variation, namely
black with silver elements. But that doesn‘t matter because the
headset looks timeless and elegant and should appeal to both
men and women alike. The wired version we recently tested,
however, is available in a much more colorful and funky range,
such as white/orange, turquoise/blue, red/black as well as a
more reserved black/blue finish. Otherwise everything else
has remained the same in terms of design. In other words, it‘s
pleasantly reserved and rather unobtrusive. The Magnat logo is
engraved at the top of the headband, while the LZR 588 name
has been etched in silver on the ear cups. The word „Bluetooth“
is also incorporated underneath in a shade of blue. The surface
of the headphone is made of plastic. Important parts such as the
folding hinge and the size adjustment mechanism, however, are
naturally also supported by metal elements. The aforementioned
metallic look is continued on the ear cups and it rounds off the
black/silver and, overall, extremely appealing design.
„Paired“ in seconds
While the LZR 580 headphones are connected to a smartphone,
tablet, etc. via a cable, a so-called pairing function is used here.
This literally takes a matter of seconds:
1. Activate the Bluetooth function on your smartphone/tablet.
2. Press and hold the Play/Pause button on the left ear cup for
a few seconds until the small blue LED flashes.
3. Activate the Bluetooth search function on your smartphone.
4. Select „LZR588BT“ from the list of available BT devices.
5.Your smartphone and headphones are now connected. The
blue LED illuminates permanently.
Discover new possibilities
It‘s not only portable devices that can be paired with the
LZR 588BT. Not by any means; you can sit back and watch a
film or program on your flatscreen TV without any wires or
interruptions, or simply lie back and listen to your CD collection
via your hifi system. To enable this function you simply need
to connect a Bluetooth transmitter to the audio output of the
corresponding device. This small piece of equipment converts
the audio signal from your TV or hifi system and transmits it
directly to the Bluetooth headphones. In order to fully utilize
the performance of the LZR 588BT, you should, of course, use
a high quality transmitter such as the Oehlbach BTX1000 which
we have already tested.
Practical: Remote control on the left ear cup
Let‘s return our focus to the headphone/smartphone combination:
After selecting your desired playlist, your smartphone can be
placed in your pocket or simply stored somewhere else.
You can then operate your smartphone via the three easily
accessible buttons on the left ear cup. And because there aren‘t
many buttons they can be easily located and used „blind“,
so to speak, after just a few moments. Even though they are
self-explanatory, here is a functional overview of the individual
buttons:
1.„Play/Pause“ (at the center): In addition to starting and
stopping the music, this also functions as an On/Off button
for the pairing mode.
2. „Forwards“ (back, towards your neck): Pressing this button
briefly will start the next track. Press and hold this button to
increase the volume.
3. „Back“ (forwards, towards your face): Pressing this button
briefly will jump back a track. Press and hold the button: the
volume decreases
Of course, the volume can still be adjust on the source device
itself. If the maximum level is reached, you will hear a highpitched beep. In summary, the 588 series headphones deserve
special praise. The three-button remote is extremely easy to
use and works flawlessly. It‘s the same outcome whether it‘s
used with an Android or iOS device. In contrast, there were some
inconsistencies with the in-line remote control of the LZR 580. A
nice additional feature is the incorporated hands-free function.
This time the microphone is not in the cable, but has been
directly embedded in the ear cups. It must be said, however, that
our test predecessor performed slightly better here, because the
voice quality of the Bluetooth version, which is otherwise very
good, is impaired by recurrent negative feedback. There were
no complaints in our test in this regard for the Magnat LZR 580.
The sound: simply amazing
While I tormented myself by cleaning the entire house during
the last test (including cleaning the windows, vacuuming, etc.),
I decided to take things a little easier this time round. I opted to
enjoy the high summer temperatures out on the terrace with an
ice cream in my hand. I had just placed my feet in the paddling
pool when I was accompanied by Dick Brave & The Backbeats
with „Rock ‚n‘ Roll Therapy“ - all while relaxing and doing
nothing much. „Just Can‘t Get Enough“ starts with rich electric
guitar sounds and deep drums, then the typical vocals of Dick
Brave‘s alias Sasha kick in. Brilliant! Increasingly intensifying
bass tones alternate with fine piano work. Immaterial whether
it‘s high or low frequencies - all elements are wonderfully
differentiated and nothing appears intermixed. No weakness
are apparent either with „Rolling In The Deep“, a song originally
by Adele. An initial round of applause mixes with bass drums
and vocals, followed by the piano - everything is harmonious
and perfectly coordinated. This is hardly surprising, however,
because its „brother“, the LZR 580, didn‘t give any cause for
criticism at all in the practical music test. After all, Magnat
promised the same sound quality - and it has obviously
maintained that promise. The Bluetooth headphones also
transfer sound with optimum quality. The technical term for this
is aptx. The LZR 588 BT is perfectly suited for fast and rocking
music. Now onto something more serene and mellow: „Your
Song“. Originally by Elton John, but covered by Ellie Goulding in
this version. As soon as playback starts, the piano, strings and
the delicate vocals of the British singer come immediately into
focus. Everything is reproduced perfectly. It‘s clear and distinct
in every aspect. Nothing is drowned out and nothing forces itself
into the foreground. That fact that my neighbor has just brought
his lawnmower out leaves me completely cold. From the LZR
580 I know that annoying background noises have little chance.
What I tested with a vacuum cleaner then is now being tested by
the man in the garden next door.
Once again the dedicated memory foam in the ear cups, which
ensures optimum adaptation to my head and ears without any
uncomfortable pressure points, means my ears are nearly
completely sealed off from the outside world. What is always
interesting with Bluetooth devices is their range. It‘s extremely
difficult to leave my deck chair, but when I do, I find that
I can easily move more than ten feet from my phone without
the connection being interrupted once. I experience a similar
result indoors. I can even leave the room without the connection
being dropped. Don‘t expect any miracles, however, because too
many walls or a reinforced concrete floor will pose too great an
obstacle for the signal. Nonetheless: the range of the LZR 588BT
is phenomenal and certainly an argument with which the vast
majority of its competitors cannot keep up. Anyone that‘s still
not convinced should definitely read on, because my test subject
has yet another highlight up its sleeve...
The battery really has stamina
The headphones are charged via a micro USB/USB cable, which
is naturally supplied. A small red LED indicates the charging
process. It goes out when the battery is fully charged. According
to the manufacturer‘s specifications the charging process will
take a maximum of two hours, after which you will be able to
listen to your favorite music non-stop for up to 19 hours. We
are all too happy to try this out in continuous operation. The
result: Magnat hasn‘t promised too much here. In our tests the
battery actually runs out of „juice“ after nearly 21 hours. You
then have a choice: recharge the battery or, if it has run out
of power at an inconvenient time, simply connect the supplied
cable and carry on listening. Selecting the latter option reunites
me with the cable that I became familiar with when testing
the LZR 580. Gold-plated 3.5 mm plugs at both ends ensure
absolute contact reliability. Furthermore, the cable is of a flat
design to prevent it from becoming tangled. Also integrated is
the in-line remote. This didn‘t perform quite so well in the test a
few weeks ago. Once again it‘s only the Play/Pause function that
works properly with a Samsung phone; operation with an iPhone
5, however, is now perfect. Press once: Play/Pause. Press twice:
skip forwards a track. Press three times: skip backwards. Just
as the manufacturer promises. Another positive aspect is that
the headphones can be folded up to save space thanks to their
articulated mechanism. Magnat supplies the headphones with
a black pouch to ensure they can be transported safely and
protected against dirt and scratches.
Conclusion
Magnat only entered the headphone sector in 2014 - and it‘s
now presenting its first Bluetooth version. A step that can only
be described as a „complete success“. The LZR 588BT is set to
cost €129.00. For comparison, the LZR 580 wired version costs
€99.00. The price-performance ratio is fantastic, the sound is
thoroughly impressive, the connection is stable, the battery life
of more than 21 hours is outstanding, the design is timeless and
elegant. Other advantages: Operation via the buttons in the ear
cups is extremely practical. As is the fact that the headphones
can be folded to save space. They also sit perfectly on your head
and eliminate annoying background noise.
All in all, the LZR 588BT headphones are an absolute highlight
for me; the only negative aspect is that I‘ve got to give them
back again...
Magnat Audio-Produkte GmbH · Lise-Meitner-Str. 9 · 50259 Pulheim · Germany · www.magnat-LZR.com