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Reviews<br />
£8.80 inc VAT<br />
HEADPHONES<br />
Umi Voix<br />
Contact<br />
• umidigi.com<br />
Specifications<br />
1.2m cable; 13mm speaker<br />
dimension; 100+/-3dB<br />
speaker security; 3mW<br />
power input (max); 3.5mm<br />
connector plug; 16g<br />
Build:<br />
Performance:<br />
Value:<br />
The Umi Voix is a super-cheap–inear<br />
binaural headphone set with<br />
microphone. With a standard 3.5mm<br />
jack, the Umi Voix works with<br />
virtually all smartphones, tablets<br />
and audio players, offering a good<br />
value option for those who like to<br />
listen on their daily commute.<br />
The Umi Voix is not widely<br />
available,ut head over to Tomtop<br />
(tinyurl.com/p54u2g7) and you can<br />
pick up the Umi Voix for the low<br />
price of £8.80. Elsewhere we found<br />
them retailing for £13 or £14. But<br />
availability is limited. If you can get<br />
it, though, there is value to be had<br />
here. Because although the Umi Voix<br />
are far from stellar, they are a lot<br />
better than you have any right to<br />
expect for that price.<br />
In part this is because the<br />
design and build is high quality. Or<br />
at least, it seems that way to us.<br />
The Umi Voix has a stylish smokey<br />
grey chrome finish. This is tipped<br />
with red highlights. The lengthy<br />
cable is flat, which is always good<br />
for headphone longevity and the<br />
avoidance of tangles. The 3.5mm<br />
jack is gold plated, and rubber is<br />
used judiciously to protect the<br />
delicate parts of the Umi Voix. We<br />
used and abused the Umi Voix for<br />
several weeks with no defects.<br />
On the wire is a remote. It has a<br />
multi-function single button, which<br />
is a good feature that works well.<br />
But this is the only part of the Umi<br />
Voix that felt cheap to us.<br />
The Umi Voix’s earbuds are not<br />
the smallest, but we found it very<br />
comfortable in our ears. Even when<br />
running (drenched in man sweat)<br />
they sat comfortably and firmly in<br />
our lugs. And we found that the<br />
drivers directed audio down into<br />
our eardrums – avoiding a common<br />
pitfall of cheap headphones. Only<br />
at very high levels of volume was<br />
there any audio leakage.<br />
Overall, we think the Umi Voix<br />
looks and feels like a much more<br />
expensive set of headphones. But<br />
how does it sound?<br />
Pretty good. Certainly good<br />
enough for the casual listener to<br />
digital music, podcasts, radio and<br />
the like. Umi tells us that the Voix<br />
sports a “true sound audio curve”,<br />
as well as a helical aluminium sound<br />
chamber. It has 13mm drivers and<br />
the end result is strong, clear, bass,<br />
which most people will enjoy. Some<br />
may find it overpowering when<br />
listening to very bassy music.<br />
The top end is not as impressive.<br />
At times we heard a little distortion<br />
on trebles when we were playing<br />
heavy guitar music turned up to 11. It<br />
isn’t a major flaw, but it is there.<br />
But in general the listening<br />
experience is very good, whether it<br />
be music of virtually all genres, or<br />
podcasts and talk radio.<br />
Verdict<br />
At this price you can’t go wrong:<br />
and Umi certainly doesn’t. If<br />
you can find them, at £8 to £14<br />
the Umi Voix offers style, audio<br />
quality and excellent build quality<br />
at a staggeringly low price.<br />
Recommended. J Matt Egan<br />
52 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews February 2016
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