Cowin E7, E7 Pro and E8 are three of the most talked about and sought-after active noise cancellation headphones of today’s time. You must be wondering what makes these 3 stand out in a market flooded by technically sound, aesthetically-rich headphones?
To find out the answer, I’ve spent relentless hours to form an unbiased and authentic opinion on these three individual headphones. Without anymore beating around the bush, let’s begin:
Cowin E7 Reviews (ANC)
Active noise canceling headphones are a godsend for daily commuters, or someone simply like me, who needs pin-drop silence to focus on work. The market these days is literally flooded with wireless Active Noise Cancelling headphones, each promising a unique set of features and superior audio performance.
But we all know that most of them do not give a bang for the buck. Some of them look super fancy but sound like cheap headphones. Alternatively, some sound just fine but don’t block the external noise at all.
After spending countless hours researching, I finally came across Cowin E7 Bluetooth wireless headphones that completely changed my POV about these garish ANC Bluetooth headphones.
For a change, it actually rings out a clear bass-driven sound, blocks a decent amount of ambient noise, feels comfortable to wear for a long time and the showstopper being- its exceptionally low price tag.
Design and Comfort
One of the most adorable things about most Cowin headphones is the simplicity of their designs. However, by simple, I don’t mean vanilla. The E7 Bluetooth headphones look fairly stylish with a reinforced metal headband, nicely padded swiveling earcups and straightforward controls on the right earcup.
The body is crafted from metal and plastic parts. It looks sturdy enough to last you for years unless you frequently drop it from a good height. I could have done without the plastic but the makers had to do some cost-cutting to keep the budget under check.
Moreover, the glossy finish on the headphone makes it susceptible to unsightly fingerprint marks. Not that I care about this much but it would have nice not to get my headphones dirty that easily.
Never you mind. E7 headphones are in 5 color variations- black, white, red, purple and blue. While the black one is my personal favorite, I’ve checked the red one out too and it gives you the “expensive” vibe at the very first glance.
The rotating earcups might sound like an insignificant addition but trust me, once you get used to swiveling earcups, you won’t go back any headphone that doesn’t have this feature. It drastically enhances the comfort and makes wearing the headphone for a prolonged time easy on your ears, head, and neck.
Swiveling earcups rotate easily to make the gear more compact for easy portability. However, they do not fold at the hinges, a minor drawback on the design front that I can easily get past.
Talking of comfort, let me point it out to you that the padding on and around the headband and earcups aren’t memory foam. But as long as it feels nice and cozy on my ears, I don’t really mind what the cushioning is made of.
The padding is soft and reduces the clamping effect BT headphones are infamous for. If comfort is at the top of your checklist, you may check out COWIN E7 Pro [Upgraded]. It has better cushioning and the headband does put a good amount of pressure on the head.
Thankfully, the size adjustment mechanism on the headband works smoothly. By stretching the headband, I can fit the headphone snugly around my ear and neck. Note that my head is slightly bigger than average male head size.
When you talk about the design of a headphone, breathability is a topic we often forget to discuss. But for someone like me who tends to sweat a lot, even in mildly cold weather, breathability is just as important as good sound. Over-ear, sealed headphones are least ideal for intense work-out sessions at the gym or even jogging.
E7 Active Noise Cancelling headphones are not an exception either. As long as you are stationary or walking at a normal speed, the headphones feel steady and don’t sweat your ears. But if you are looking for gym-ready gear, your best bet would be in-ear phones.
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Controls
Easy control and fuss-free operation are two of the most crucial E7 specs. The left earcup houses the button layout for volume adjustment, track change, ON/OFF. It also features two dedicated switches for Active Noise Cancellation and Bluetooth pairing.
Although the buttons are quite responsive, I have an issue with the placement of the volume control buttons. Unless you are a tech nerd, it might take you a while to get the hang of which button does what.
I need you to remember that you need to hold each button to work instead of pushing it with all the energy in your body. On the brighter side, the volume control works in both wireless and wired mode.
Connectivity
The headphone connectivity in wireless mode is above average. For BT, Cowin has opted for version 4.0 along with NFC pairing. For those who don’t know what NFC is, it is a technology that allows to BT-enabled devices to pair up when they are within the 4 cm distance of each other.
The NFC makes pairing the headphone with smartphones a breeze. The BT range is nothing to go crazy about. However, the pairing up process is quick and unless there’s a physical obstruction between the headphone and the paired device, you don’t have to worry about losing signal.
I did notice a sound delay while playing movies and video games. However, the latency doesn’t affect the music listening experience at all. The built-in Cowin E7 microphone delivers enough intelligibility but the overall quality of calls aren’t quite up to the mark. I had to ask “can you hear me?” to the person on the line probably ten times during the call. I hope you understand I’m trying to say here.
The headphone comes with a 3.5 mm cable but no USB adapter or in-line remote. You will have to power on the device to use the wired mode.
Battery Life
One department where Cowin E7 absolutely shines is the battery life. It sports a Quick Charge system which allows 1 hour of playback time with just 10 minutes of charging. So even if you are in rush and forget to charge the headphone, 10 minutes are all you need to get the device travel-ready.
When fully charged, it provides a whopping runtime of 30 hours. Even if you use the highest settings for prolonged hours, the battery should last for at least 20 hours.
Active Noise Cancelation
Now, let’s throw light on the most talked about feature of this headphone- the E7 ANC. When you switch the ANC mode on, it actively isolates the ambient noise, such as the sound of people talking, gurgling noise of the engine and so on. The sound isolation is above average in a relatively less noisy environment.
If you are walking on a crowded road, the surrounding noises will be audible to some extent. However, for the price, the noise dampening level is respectable for day-to-day use. If you struggle to concentrate while reading books or working due when people are talking near you, this headphone serves the purpose well.
Thanks to the design of the circumaural earcups, the sound leakage is minimal at low to medium sound settings. However, in a quiet place, the sound at max volume will be audible to people around you.
The clarity of sound is surprisingly good in the ANC model. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting this a tall, given Cowin E7 price. My phone’s speaker is average at best so the full credit for this obviously goes to the headphone.
Audio Quality
Cowin E7 review, or for that matter, any audio gear review. would be incomplete without this segment. E7 doesn’t have an open soundstage(partly due to the closed-back design) and the sound distortion at highs is quite tangible as well. Never you mind, the mid-bass is punchy and the music has a kick EDM-heads look for.
However, the mid-bass can be overpowering if you are not an ardent fan of bass-heavy headphones. The sub-bass is slightly muddy and lacks the depth. If you want the bass to be boomy with incredibly profound sub-bass, COWIN E7 Active Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Deep Bass Wireless Headphones would be a much better choice for you.
The mid-bass of this headphone packs a lot of strength, making the music sound thunderous without being overpowering.
The mid-bass of this headphone packs a lot of strength, making the music sound thunderous without being overpowering.
Moving on, the E7 headphone under review is mid-rangy as far as the audio performance is concerned. The mid-bass adds to a lot of presence to the sound and significantly enhances the clarity of the vocals and lead instruments. I have two songs to test the bass- Brass Monkey by Beastie Boys and Insane in the Membrane by Cypress Hill.
To test the sound clarity and left right speaker test, I’ve opted for Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen and The National Anthem by Radiohead.
What I have observed from the above song tests is that the higher mids of the E7 are not as crisp as I’d have wanted it to be. The mid-bass bleeding is decent and vocals sound a bit laid-back.
Due to the mid-bass bleeding, the sound feels warm and boxy which is actually a good thing. However, with the help of the EQ, the scenario becomes totally different. It drastically empowers the mid-bass and vocals.
The EQ also significantly improves the lower mids and brings the vocals to the front. All I am trying to say is that the songs are going to sound completely different with the help of EQ.
Coming to the treble performance, the response was sort of inconsistent. The low treble around 3.5KHz affects the clarity of instruments and vocals.
- Battery life of 30 hours, Quick Charging in 10 minutes.
- Durable build.
- Boomy bass.
- Excellent EQ.
- Decent noise isolation.
- The sound lacks presence.
- The soundstage isn’t open.
- The padding is not memory foam.
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Cowin E7 Accessories
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Since E7 ear cup padding isn’t the best of its kind due to the absence of memory protein foam, you can consider replacing it with E7 Replacement Earpads Ear Pad Cushion. These cushions are made from commercial-grade protein leather and guarantee optimal comfort.
The E7 comes with a basic travel pouch. If you are a frequent traveler, you need a more solid casing to keep your headphones secure. Do yourself a favor and buy a COWIN E7 Tailor-made Headphone Case or Carrying Hard Case. These two hardshell cases are tailor-made for E7 and E7 PRO. Those on a tighter budget can opt for Ginsco Headphone Carrying Case.
It will shield your prized possession against weather elements and shocks. If you can spend just a few dollars more, go with Hard Travel Case for COWIN E7 / E7 PRO to keep your headphones nice and secure. It comes in multiple color variations as well.
You can also consider Headphone Carrying Case Storage Bag Pouch if you are an avid traveler. It is made from hard nylon fabric and is spacious enough to safely hold headphone accessories such as extra cords and airplane adapters.
Conclusion
To ensure extra comfort and reduce the clamping effect on your forehead, you can attach replacement ear pads made from high quality leather cushion. Replacement ear pads are made from protein leather which touted as the best type of padding for over-ear headphones.
Long-haul flights can be exhausting without some good music to listen to or decent videos to watch. To make your plane journey comfortable, you can get yourself Cowin Airline Flight Adapter. These adapters are corrosion-resistant and are compatible with most airline jacks.
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