For higher or worse, I focus higher when taking part in music, white noise, a podcast, and even senseless TV within the background. Often, my favourite in-ear buds or over-ear headphones treatment my audio repair, or — one of many privileges of distant work– even blasting from my favorite speaker. Nevertheless, spending 9 hours a day behind a display screen takes a toll on my eyes, typically leading to a determined Renpho Eye massager session. Whereas my prescription Warby Parker glasses have a blue light filter built-in, the added strain from the glasses arms together with in-ears or the scarf from over-ear headphones, I find yourself with a headache all the identical or just feeling claustrophobic. For all these causes, I used to be desirous to attempt Amazon’s blue gentle Third-Gen Echo Frames.
Utilizing open-ear know-how, Amazon’s Echo Frames have audio system built-in and join through Bluetooth, appearing virtually like open-ear buds whereas concurrently defending my eyes, so I haven’t got to compromise extra blue gentle publicity for lack of audio or vice versa.
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Utilizing open-ear know-how, Amazon’s Echo Frames have audio system built-in and join through Bluetooth, appearing virtually like open-ear buds whereas concurrently defending my eyes, so I haven’t got to compromise extra blue gentle publicity for lack of audio or vice versa. And because of Bluetooth multipoint, as soon as paired to each my laptop computer and telephone, it makes for a seamless swap when I’ve to rapidly soar in a Slack huddle or assembly with out fumbling to pause my music — or after I’m utilizing my speaker — embarrassingly play music out loud.
Useful, purposeful, and in addition fairly trendy, these glasses have grow to be my WFH important for the previous two weeks and have stunned me in additional methods than one.
Amazon Echo Frames (Third Gen, 2023)
Beneficial
- Light-weight, stylish design
- High quality sound, audio system, and microphone
- Straightforward fashion-forward various for bone conduction or open-ear buds
- Blue gentle is efficient
- Bluetooth multipoint gives seamless connection and efficient communication
- Battery life could possibly be higher
- Charging is finicky
- Bass is not essentially the most highly effective
Design
Good fashion to match operate
It is likely to be useless, however fashion — or lack of it — is a purpose I have been hesitant to undertake tech wearables in my each day accent rotation. The Third-Gen Echo Frames look kind of like a pair of Warby Parker glasses I would pick by myself — particularly the Brown Cat Eye mannequin I obtained for testing. Whereas barely massive for my face, they did take me again to that circa-2008 “hipster” over-sized glasses aesthetic that I did not thoughts. The audio system embedded within the arms end in a thicker than common earpiece, however nonetheless, until informed, you’d by no means know they had been “sensible” glasses.
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Refined, trendy, and smooth, until informed, you would not ever know the Third-Gen Echo Frames had been “sensible” glasses.
The Third-Gen Echo frames are surprisingly gentle to put on and end in little strain build-up, which I am unable to at all times say for my prescription glasses. And that slight oversize match truly made for a less-snug really feel, however certainly not much less safe.
Audio high quality
Spectacular, however not fairly an in- ear bud alternative
Not like the Meta-Rayban smart glasses, the Echo Frames’ smarts solely concentrate on audio, which is each and unhealthy factor. I might hear each word of Reneé Rapp’s Snow Angel clearly, with out the music sounding overly compressed. Moreover, Rapp’s excessive notes and wealthy riffs had been punchy as ever, particularly when inside. Exterior, I did need to considerably enhance the quantity to realize the identical dynamics, however the quantity enhance did not compromise the audio high quality or squish notes collectively.
And whereas certainly not noise-cancelling, I did need to take away the glasses to essentially hear somebody speaking to me, particularly if the quantity was 50% or greater. For essentially the most half, nonetheless, I used to be conscious of my environment, which I appreciated — particularly as a younger girl in New York Metropolis.
Whereas the Third-Gen Echo Frames are nice for informal commuting or working from dwelling, I am unsure in the event that they’re preferrred in a crowded workplace house or airplane journey.
A extra modern various to bone conduction headphones
With a speaker that does not truly match into the ear, the glasses are extra corresponding to open-ear buds than my in-ear AirPods Professional, however they do not produce as a lot bass because the Bose Open Ultra buds I recently reviewed. Much like open-ear or bone-conduction headphones, I did discover sound leakage to be a problem. Once I elevated the quantity to 60%, my mates reported they might clearly hear that I used to be jamming out to Taylor Swift’s Welcome To New York. So, whereas nice for informal commuting or working from dwelling, I am unsure in the event that they’re preferrred in a crowded workplace house or airplane journey.
Mic high quality
Sound and seamless
The brand new mannequin’s microphone was certainly one of its most spectacular options, as I had many individuals on group calls that I sounded further clear, completely unprompted.
After using wired headphones for 2 months, I get why old tech is new again
Going again to wired headphones supplied extra comfort and high quality listening than I believed, however wi-fi buds nonetheless do one factor higher.
When exterior, I did have to show up the quantity to listen to higher, however the caller might nonetheless hear me comparatively properly, however requested for clarification a couple of occasions. As a caveat, the microphones needed to compete with New York Metropolis sirens, site visitors, and commuter dialog.
Alexa connectivity
Hey Alexa, play I Can See You (and I will hear you)
In fact, the Echo Frames would not be an Amazon product with out Alexa integration. Whereas useful, particularly with features like a neat location-detecting characteristic enabled by asking Alexa on one other gadget to “discover my smartglasses,” making a ‘VIP checklist’ for hands-free calling, or asking to play music, I did not see Alexa as a make-or-break Frames characteristic. Plus, Alexa is barely accessible as an on-face concierge for those who’re related to the web and the Alexa app through smartphone or pill.
Battery life and charging
Room for enchancment
Wi-fi charging is a plus in concept, however extra of a ache in follow in the case of powering the Gen-3 Echo Frames. To get the glasses into charging mode, it’s a must to fold the arms completely on prime of each other and place the bridge of the glasses on prime of the charging base bridge with the lenses dealing with up. It would not sound too advanced, however the base won’t cost the glasses until within the actual appropriate place, which even after having the glasses for weeks, nonetheless takes me a number of tries to get proper.
Battery life might additionally see enchancment. On common, I get about two hours of lively listening at 70% earlier than getting the 20% battery notification announcement from Alexa, after which, I do know I solely have about 10–quarter-hour left of listening. The Frames’ battery can, nonetheless, be preserved in stand-by mode, which is triggered by folding the glasses into the carrying case.
A easy answer I would like to see with Amazon’s subsequent iteration is a charging-capable carrying case, however please, with a much less fickle charging stand.
Verdict
Good glasses which can be dumb sufficient for folk not fairly prepared for a digital future
With AR/ VR headsets just like the Meta Quest 3 and Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional making massive waves and corporations like Brilliant Labs harnessing the facility of AI to create an much more compact AR expertise, the Echo Frames do not push any boundaries. Nevertheless, I discovered that refreshing. The glasses introduced a easy answer to my easy recurring drawback, and did it properly. And although I did not choose so as to add my prescription, you do have that choice, and so they can triple as your important eye put on, blue gentle safety, and open-ear headphones.
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Total, the glasses ship high quality audio, a design worthy of any stylish eyewear outlet, and a two-in-one answer to my on a regular basis WFH wrestle. Whereas speaking to Alexa is not what I imagine a standout characteristic, I’ll acknowledge its novelty whereas nonetheless embracing the Frames for what they’re: Good glasses which can be dumb sufficient for somebody not fairly prepared for a very digital future.
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