Introduction
A couple of years ago, a good earbud would cost a significant amount of money. With improved manufacturing process and more brands joining into this category, it is no surprise that these days you can get decent earbuds for pretty low price.
Rich Go recently unveiled the Nokia E3110 Earphones which is the latest offering in their E31XX series. The Essential series segment is meant to cater for audience looking for affordable earbuds with quality offerings and it does it brilliantly.
Previously, I reviewed the Nokia E3101 earbuds which packs a lot for a very reasonable price. And I am certainly curious how the E3110 differs and is it a worthy upgrade.
The E3110
Due to the pandemic, shipping has been delayed and these device reached me a good 6 weeks after my purchase. Costing at only USD13 including shipping charges, it certainly is very affordable. The box is the standard affair when it comes to the E series, which has all the essential details imprint on it. It contains the buds, the charging case, quick user guide, warranty information and a USB-C cable.
Once the plastic tray is pulled out, you will be greeted by a smooth charging case and a pair of earbuds that look very similar to the E35XX series. The white one here looks dope. In the hand, the ultra shiny ,lightweight charging case feels solid as expected and allows a satisfactory grip even at 28g. The Nokia branding sits below a single LED indicator which seems like a downgrade compared to the 4 LED indicator on the E3101 model. The USB-C charging port sits below and a part from the brief manufacturing details over the back, the design is very simple yet very clean. The front opening crease is barely noticeable that gives it a rather smooth outlook. The single LED here has a clever implementation. The solid white indicates that the buds are fully charged while blinking indicates they are being charged. The LED turns green when the charging case is being charged and , as u guessed, stable green indicates fully charged and blinking indicates charging. The 250mAh charging case can be fully charged in 1.5hours gives an additional 12 hours listening time to the 4 hours provided by each bud. This , however is 4 hours less than what the Nokia E3101 offers.
While the dimension of the buds are slighty bigger and the change in design gives it a more premium look, it weighs 0.2 g lesser than the E3101 buds at just 3.2g. They do share some similarities such as the IP44 rating which means its splash proof and suitable for your work out sessions and they both offer Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity which in my experience gives a solid connection within the 10 m range.
But the more premium outlook and a lighter build isn’t the only upgrade here. There are now 2 principal MEMS microphone on the Nokia E3110 instead of just one one the E3101. These means better clarity for communication and the Nokia E3110 offers environmental noise cancellation which is definitely great considering this is an ultra budget Nokia branded earbuds.
But all specs aside, how does this buds performs? Well, surprisingly good. While the E3101 looks budget, the E3110 is not and it seems to have taken some inspiration from its big brother the E35XX series. Now, it does not have any silicone tips to cover the ear canal more effectively for more immersive experience but given what it is intended for, it is a win-win situation. As I have mentioned numerous times in my earbuds review, passive cancellation by virtue of design is much superior than active noise cancellation as it doesn’t drain the battery and the experience is more uniform. But such designs would benefit more with an ambient mode, so you can still connect with your surrounding without the need to remove the buds. So, in this case, the E3110 doesn’t block the external sounds like its big brother, negating the need for an ambient mode all together .
Sounds does lack in depth and falls flat but it certainly is clear, does not break at maximum output and for USD13, it is certainly a fun experience overall. The touch sensitive panel registers input effectively which is plus point.
Catch the Nokia E3110 live at the link below:
Conclusion
With better manufacturing technics and better implementation of hardware, it is only right to upgrade the budget offerings while maintaining or even reducing the price. The E3110 earbuds excels in this. For USD13, the E3110 is a significant upgrade over its predecessor and I certainly can not wait to see what Rich Go brings in to replace the excellent P3600 and the more sophisticated P3802A.
So, who is this buds meant for? If you are new to earbuds and want to test how it generally is, look no further. If you want to get your kids an affordable earbuds while maintaining quality and reliability, then look no further. This is the bud that you need!
If you have any questions on this , do catch me on twitter at :https://twitter.com/theoriginal086
