Have you ever experienced that unfortunate thing where, after purchasing a pair of relatively high-end headphones, you’re left distinctly underwhelmed and under the impression that your flimsier, cheaper headphones actually provide you with a better audio experience? This is the exact problem that the Aumeo Audio looks to resolve, with it being created with the knowledge that no two people are the same, and that their experience of audio devices can vary wildly as a result.
The Aumeo is designed to fit comfortably in your pocket, measuring in at just 2.17 x 2.17 x 0.47 inches and weighing a meager 56 grams. It can connect to your headphones of choice either using its headphone jack or by Bluetooth, which will allow you to cut down on the number of wires you’re carrying around by virtue of you not being required to plug any cables into your iPhone or Android device. As an iPhone 7 owner who refuses to plump down the cash for the AirPods, I found this particularly advantageous as it allowed me to listen to my music without having to carry around that miniature adapter — it even allowed me to listen to music on my phone while charging it, an unfortunate privilege in these Lightning-led times.
After hooking up the Aumeo for the first time, you’ll be guided through a quick tuning process via its dedicated app, the AumeoHub. This will ask you to turn a dial to measure your left and right ear’s response to six frequencies — 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1 kHz, 2 kHz, 4 kHz and 8 kHz — with the app then turning this into a selectable audio profile. You can create as many audio profiles as you like, and the app also provides a brief overview of your ears’ sensitivity to compare with the other profiles you’ve stored.
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Following the creation of your profile, you can then go right into listening to your music in its newly improved quality. I’ve had problems with my ears for as long as I can remember, meaning that I struggle to find headphones that they agree with. These issues have ensured that I’ve been let down a few times after purchasing high-end headphones, as if the frequencies don’t quite add up then this can lead to an inadequate experience at best, or having to endure a gnarly headache at worst. The Aumeo Audio has helped greatly with this problem, and I’ve tested it out with each of my headphones and it’s improved their audio quality across the board.
Aumeo’s personalized frequencies ensure that your headphones’ sound is made richer, crisper and clearer in a manner that simply isn’t possible from your headphones right out of the box, with it tailoring the experience to suit your ears. The device is equipped with a button that can be pressed to turn the Aumeo’s effect on and off, and I was shocked by just how notable the difference in quality was between what my headphones sounded like pre- and post-Aumeo.
The midrange boost provided by the device uncovered various instrumental flourishes that I couldn’t even hear with my headphones connected directly to my phone, along with emphasizing vocals and enhancing bass without overwhelming the rest of the audio, and for once I felt like they were comparable with the high-end speakers I have hooked up to my PC. While the improvements made to my Sennheiser’s were impressive, I was most taken aback by how much of an impact the Aumeo had on my cheap Sony and Skull Candy headphones, with it truly making them sound monumentally better. Eradicating the tinniness they were previously afflicted with, Aumeo helped them sound like headphones worth five times their actual value.
The only thing holding the Aumeo back is its asking price. Retailing for $199, for dedicated audiophiles the chance to improve the quality of your headphones across the board will make the Aumeo an attractive purchase, but for everyone else it may seem a little over-priced. However, after spending a lot of time with the Aumeo I can safely say that I’ll no longer be listening to music on my iPhone without it.
