At first sight the Maxell MXH-BT600E look like they’ll be a lightweight, and easy to wear pair of Bluetooth headphones. When you first pick them up this is confirmed, and at only 178g they certainly seem like they’ll be comfortable to wear for long periods of time.
With a slightly square appearance, they look almost retro in design. The earpieces sport a soft leather like material and the sharp-edged headband finishes the look. Another nice feature is the folding design making them easy to pack away when they’re done with.
As well as the headphones, in the box you get a USB to Micro USB cable, a 3.5mm headphone cable for when the charge goes and a quick start guide.
The right hand earphone sports a set of minimal playback controls, with play/pause, previous and next buttons on the front edge, volume controls on the rear edge, the main on/off control button on the outer edge and a micro USB and auxiliary socket on the bottom edge.
Overall they are a very well designed pair of headphones and if first impressions are anything to go by, the Maxells look like they’ll deliver.
Getting connected
Turning them on is simple, just click and hold the big button on the outside of the right hand earpiece and the headphones spring into life – although this is not immediately obvious as the activity led is situated underneath the right hand earpiece. This light and a confirmation sound indicates when the headphones are connected, and also warns when the headphones need re-charging.
With the lightweight headphones now sat comfortably on my ears it’s time to connect to my tablet. This happens very quickly, and in no time we’re connected and listening to music.
The sound is controllable from the two volume buttons on the back of the right hand side earpiece, and despite being very small they are easy to press, and obvious as to what each one performs. The three buttons on the other side are similar – just use your fingers to find the bottom button to skip forward, and the middle one to play and pause, and the top one to go back.
Lightweight headphones with a Middle Weight performance
From the outset, the Maxell MXH-BT600’s look like they’ll deliver and they don’t disappoint.
The sound is accomplished, and has an overall pleasant balance. The bass is well presented and although not deep or particularly forward, it just manages to be on the right side of acceptable.
It’s a similar story with the trebles. The high notes are polite and inoffensive adding just enough to bring the tracks to life without adding any great sparkle. The mid range – well I’m sure you can see where I’m headed here – is similar with an accomplished sound that does an admirable job with the vocals.
Despite being fairly unadventurous in their ambitions, it is commendable that Maxell have not pushed any area too far. The sound is very well balanced and easy to listen to and although never fantastic, they also never fail to be easy to enjoy.
Easy Everything
There is a lot to like so far about the Maxell MXH-BT600’s – lightweight, well made, and easy to listen to. Ownership is more of the same, and during our time with the Maxells they have been a joy to use.
Even in extended wear periods, they’ve never failed to be comfortable and despite being an ‘on ear’ type of headphone, they did an excellent job of cancelling out exterior sound. However, this type of design also means they’re not really suited to be worn during more active pursuits – I did try but they kept moving around. Again the ‘phones just seem to recognise what they’re good at and never try to go beyond that.
The battery life was excellent, and although I had to charge them once, this was after several weeks of standby, and the occasional 1-2 hour use. The Bluetooth range also performed very well – I went over the 10 meter range frequently and they kept the music flowing every time.
What to consider
If you’re looking to be blown away by the sound quality, the Maxells aren’t for you – whist very accomplished they never try to push the boundaries. Despite the premium feel of the headphones we felt the plastic packaging was a bit low end. As they fold away for storage we would also liked to have seen a storage bag included to keep them safe.
Why you should buy the Maxell MXH-BT600E Bluetooth Headphones
Overall there’s very little to dislike with the Maxells. They look good, are priced competitively, and perform well. It’s true, they don’t excel in any area, but they’re very easy to own and for this reason I just kept picking them up again, and again, and again… Sometimes, the easiest option is the best. Rating: /5
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