| Rating | Where to buy |
 | Amazon.com *Same or similar item |
Awei 885BL Bluetooth Earphones are built for sports. The stereo headset features Bluetooth V4.1, IPX4 splash-proof rating, NFC connectivity, and behind-the-neck band. The headset allows you to set the volume five levels higher than the maximum volume of your phone. It supports HSP, HFP, A2DP, AVRCP, AptX lossless sound for Bluetooth connection.
What’s in the Box
Awei 885BL comes in frustration-free packaging. The box contains Awei 885BL Bluetooth Earphones, the USB charger, 2 pairs of earbud gels of different sizes, and a user manual. The attractive cover on the box has details about the earphone features and specification.
Design
Awei 885BL looked very nice out of the box. The earcups are made of hard plastic with a textured finish on the surface. The Awei logo and NFC sign look gorgeous on the earcups. The neckband is made of thick and flexible plastic material durable enough for protecting the wire inside it. 885BL folds automatically, which is very convenient in case you want to carry it in your pocket. It saves you from folding it after you are done using it. It doesn’t tangle either. However, unfolding requires some getting used to. Also, it might take a little time before you can figure out how to unfold it and wear it the proper way, assuming that it’s your first sports headset with the behind-the-neck band. The earbud gels are soft and flexible. They don’t block out any part of the protective grills on the drivers. In other words, the sound output is not blocked by the earbud gels.
Buttons and operations
Awei 885BL Bluetooth Earphones are ergonomically designed, but some might feel that it is more suitable for right-handed users. This is due to the placement of the buttons. All three of its buttons (and the USB charging port) are located on the right earcup. The buttons are easy to reach and wide enough to press while in use. In the beginning, you might mistake the USB charging port for volume up (+) and down (-) buttons. However, it doesn’t take long to get used to either.
The MFB (multi-function button) is located on the top side of the right earcup. As the name suggests, this button has many functions. We have listed the functions of the MFB button for quick reference:
*Turning on the headset (hold for 4 seconds),
* Turning off the headset (hold for 6 seconds),
* Receiving a call (short press),
* Hang up (short press),
* Reject an incoming call (hold for 6 seconds).
* Play/Pause (short press)
* The volume up (+) and volume down (-) buttons can be used to avail multiple functions too. They are listed below for quick reference:
The + button
* Turn the volume up (Press and hold)
* Move to next track (Press),
* Select voice prompt language (Press twice immediately after powering up to select either English or Chinese language. You will hear two short beeps confirming the change. To switch back to the previous language, turn it off, turn on and do the same again.)
The – button
* Turn the volume down (Press and hold)
* Move to the beginning of the track (short press),
* Move to the previous track (quick press twice).
The light indicator is also located on the right earcup. Based on the function, the light blinks in different colors and at different frequencies. You should check the user manual or the following video for details.
The USB charging port has a lid to protect the port. It is durable enough and won’t get detached so easily. The USB charging cable of the 885BL is well made and looks good too. We wished it came in black color, but it is white.
Overall, Awei 885BL looks expensive, feels durable, and user-friendly.
Features
Awei 885BL is a wireless sports stereo headset. According to the specifications printed on the box, the battery is supposed to last 8 hours of talk time or 8 hours of playback time, which seemed a bit odd. Usually, most earphones offer significantly longer battery backup for talking than playing music. The specification also says that the charging time is 2 hours and standby time is 180 hours.
On newer iOSs and Android OSs, you can see the remaining battery indicator alongside the earphones icon. However, on older iOSs and Android OSs, neither the earphone icon nor the remaining battery indicator is shown.
Technical specifications
Based on the specifications on the user manual, the sensitivity rating of 885BL is 90dB +/- 3dB. Even if it is 87dB, it should be loud enough. If it is 90 dB then it should be very loud. According to government research, you should not listen to volumes higher than 85 dB for more than 8 hours a day.
Also, the impedance rating is 32 Ohm +/- 15%. If you don’t understand what that means just remember the lower the impedance, the more efficient the earphone is. The maximum impedance rating for any Bluetooth earphones should not exceed 65 Ohm. In Awei 885BL’s case, even at 15% increase, the impedance will be 36.8 Ohm, which is almost half of the recommended maximum impedance rating. It means the headset will drain battery-less slowly for both itself and for the mobile device.
So far, all these features and specifications look great for a pair of Bluetooth sports earphones in this price range. We will see if Awei 885BL lives up to the specifications.
Pairing
Pairing is very simple. Press and hold the MFB to turn the headset on. On your phone, enable Bluetooth and scan for Bluetooth devices. Once the Awei 885BL appears on your phone screen, tap it. That’s all. Once paired, it will automatically connect to the device if it is within the connectivity range, which is 10 meters without barriers.
Even though Awei 885BL is advertised as capable of connecting to two devices at once (as it appears on its box – ‘Intelligent use for two together’), but we failed to connect it to a Samsung phone and an iPhone at the same time. It wouldn’t connect to either while it was connected to the other one.
Performance
I powered Awei 885BL on. Paired it to our Samsung phone. My phone was set at volume level 9 (out of 15). I played the Pink Up by Spoon, War Ensemble by Slayer, E-bow the letter by REM and Radiohead, Rearview mirror by Pearl Jam, Can’t get enough of your love by Berry White, River by Ananda Shankar among many other songs. Even at this volume, the sound it reproduced was clear, balanced, and moderately loud. I turned the volume up. As I set the phone to maximum (15) volume, it made me want to dance. It was loud enough already.
However, as I knew that Awei 885BL Bluetooth Earphones allow increasing the volume by five levels on top of your phone’s maximum volume, so I tried that too. Again I turned the volume up on the headset by pressing and holding the + button. It beeped five times. Once it was set to maximum volume, it started beeping twice. At this volume, it was too loud even for me. My eardrums couldn’t take this much not because the sound distorted (perhaps it did distort a bit) but because it was too loud. So, I turned the volume down by one level on the headset and on my phone. This was the highest level of loudness my ears could take (Most of you might not listen at such a high volume).
Sound quality is where Awei 885BL really shined. The bass was deep, it was much deeper than I expected from a wireless stereo headset in this price range. Also, the lows and the mids were balanced and prominent.
In fact, Awei 885BL reproduced better and louder sound than the wired headphones that come with earlier models of iPhones and Samsung phones.
Being curious, I paired Awei 885BL with my HP 360 laptop. There was no break or interference in the connection or sound output. However, after pausing and resuming a song more than a couple of times, the sound dropped intermittently. Also, If 885BL is already paired with your phone, and the phone is within the Bluetooth connectivity range, it won’t pair with your laptop.
It is worth mentioning here that the Awei 885BL may not output the best sound quality for smartphones by a different manufacturer. For instance, we found that it performs the best with iPhones and Samsung smartphones, but not as well with the Huawei smartphones. For other brands of smartphone, Awei 885BL seems to lack in the bass.
Also, battery life largely depends on the Bluetooth version. The battery backup lasts longer for smartphones with Bluetooth version 4.1 or higher. If your smartphone utilizes an older Bluetooth version, then it might drain the battery more quickly.
Awei 885BL is one of the best Bluetooth sports headsets
I wore it and went jogging. I had a cell phone armband to hold my phone (I don’t carry my phone in the pocket while jogging or exercising because it often causes intermittent sound drops). For testing purposes, I took it to jog 7 days in a row. The sound didn’t drop when I was jogging, not even for once during those 7 days. I jog for 30 minutes a day if you are wondering. Then I do some heavy exercise for 10 minutes. During the heavy exercise session, when I moved my arms and legs rapidly, the sound dropped intermittently a couple of times on the first and second day. But from the third day to the last day, I experienced no sound drop at all.
I had to receive a couple of calls during jogging, the voice quality was good. It was clear and loud on both ends. Also, receiving or rejecting an incoming call was easy, so was hanging up. The music resumed automatically.
Battery backup
After a full charge, Awei 885BL’s battery lasted for 4 hours and 40 minutes of heavy metal, rock, and instrumental music over 4 days of playing. The volume was set at level 14 on a Samsung phone and a level shy of the maximum volume of the headset. When the same tracks were played at maximum volume on the phone and default volume on the headset, the battery lasted for 6 hours and 20 minutes.
Awei 885BL takes about 1.5 hours to fully charge itself even when the battery is completely drained. But I let it charge for 2 hours even if the charging indicator shows it is fully charged. It’s because, according to the manual, it should take 2 hours to charge fully.
Fitting and comfort of wearing
If you have used headsets before you already know how important a good fit is. Also, much of the sound output depends on how snugly it fits in your ear. If you wear 885BL loosely, you will not get good bass. Initially, the headset might feel not so comfortable due to the hard plastic built of the earcups. On the positive side, the headset is very light and it doesn’t put pressure on your ears.
Comfort is very important too. Awei 885BL Bluetooth earphones fit perfectly with average-size ears. If your ears are bigger than average, no problem, but if they are smaller, the headset might not fit well. For instance, if you are a female with average size ears, Awei 885BL might not fit well. The earcups are made of hard plastic and you can’t make them fit your ears. It should fit well for adult males.
The earphones don’t cause pain or uneasiness. They don’t fall out when you are jogging or exercise. However, don’t expect Awei 885BL to be the most comfortable earphones on the market. But wireless stereo headsets that are more comfortable than Awei 885BL may cost you an additional $30. In this price range, Awei 885BL is one of the most comfortable headsets out there.
Awei 885BL has an IPX4 splash-proof rating, which means it is a sweat-proof headset. The lightweight and compact design make it suitable for jogging and exercise.
| Pros | Cons |
| Bluetooth 4.1 stereo headset built for sports. Excellent sound and voice quality; very loud. Well designed, durable, fits well. | Not the most comfortable earphones on the market. Can’t pair with more than one device at a time. The battery doesn’t last more than 4 hours at maximum volume. |
Conclusion
Awei 885BL Bluetooth earphones can be an excellent choice at less than $25. It is sweat-proof and comes with a behind-the-neck band, which is perfect for sporting. The headset is comfortable to wear and stays in place no matter if you are jogging or exercising. Most importantly, it reproduces a well-balanced sound with deep bass and prominent lows and mids. Awei 885BL is one of the best Bluetooth sports earphones under $25. We highly recommend Awei 885BL.