House of Marley Redemption ANC
"The Redemption ANC looks great, but little annoyances add up."
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Active noise cancellation
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Aesthetically impressive
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Made from sustainable materials
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Faulty touch controls
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Bulky design
The new Redemption ANC True Wireless Headphones from House of Marley are the kind of product you want to love. There is a lot to discover between aesthetics, commitment to sustainability and the introduction of active noise cancellation.
Unfortunately my love is not blind. Despite all the positive aspects that House of Marley has packed into its $ 199 wireless earbuds, it's impossible to overlook the problems that these beauties hold hostage.
design
As part of the House of Marley mission statement, the brand, which belongs to the Bob Marley family, is committed to making its devices as sustainable as possible. The Redemption ANC are made from materials designed to reduce the environmental impact of the earbuds, including bamboo, Regrind silicone – material made by recovering and recycling post-process and post-consumer waste – and Regrind wood fiber composite , which is produced by combination of wood derivatives and plastic fibers.
Riley Young / Digital Trends
Who would have thought that environmental responsibility could look so good? The well-crafted bamboo finish of the Redemption ANC, as well as the matching design of the case in which they sit, make these buds the most attractive that are currently available. Compared to the conservative styles of other buds like Apple Air Pods 2 and Samsung Galaxy Buds +, these stand out when they sit in your ears.
Speaking of AirPods of the second edition: The Redemption ANC, like other real wireless earphones, has adopted the popular Apple style. The most noticeable difference is how big the Redemption ANC is compared to the AirPods. Weighing 0.15 pounds, I was constantly aware of the sturdy buds sticking out of my ears.
The silicone ear fins and three pairs of silicone ear gels that came with the Redemption ANC gave me a lot of customization options, and I had no problems finding the right combination.
Setup and control
After setting up the earbuds – there is no associated app here, just a quick start guide and a video that will effectively guide you through pairing with your mobile device – you can use the built-in controls on the device. Which, I thought, is a sensitive issue.
The Redemption ANC can turn active noise cancellation and ambient mode on and off, answer and end calls, pause and skip songs, and call your phone's voice assistant using the touch controls on each bud. Every function works. It just depends on how often you have to touch the buds before you find the right place for activation.
Riley Young / Digital Trends
In my experience, the Redemption ANC has the same problems as the House of Marley Liberate Air. There are no buttons on these buds. In order to use the touch controls, I had to exert precise pressure on an exact location on the stem. It was annoying at best, and in those cases I kept tapping the buds just to change lanes, which was annoying at worst.
On a positive note, due to the tricky touch controls, I didn't accidentally trigger a command when I set it in my ear. This is a common problem that I encounter when trying other, more sensitive earbuds.
Adequate active noise cancellation
Three taps on the Redemption ANC's left earbuds activate active noise cancellation, and three additional taps allow ambient mode to record ambient noise. Both functions worked well and were tested under conditions ranging from a moderately quiet office to a busy sidewalk.
Riley Young / Digital Trends
These features are no better than noise cancellation in the Apple Air Pods Pro or Sony WF-1000XM3, for example, but the Redemption ANC is at least $ 30 cheaper than either of these options. In fact, they belong to a select group of earphones that currently offer active noise cancellation for under $ 200. These include 1More True Wireless ANC and Amazon Echo Buds.
The Redemption ANC has some other, less sexy, but still important functions. House of Marley announces seven hours of playback on a single charge, but drops to five with active noise cancellation enabled. According to my tests, this was accurate, although the left bud seemed to die continuously almost 10 minutes before the right one. The case contains up to three additional charging processes that have been checked again and are therefore within the competitive range of the 24-hour battery life of the Apple AirPods 2.
They are IPX4 certified and offer welding and splash protection. They kept up well during training and on walks with the dog in the early morning dew.
Sound and call quality
When testing the sound quality of the Redemption ANC, there was only one logical starting point. I opened Spotify, went to the curated playlist "This is Bob Marley" and made myself comfortable.
Riley Young / Digital Trends
The bass response from The Redemption ANC is impressive. Marley songs like Jamming and Buffalo Soldier don't waste time introducing low cadences, and these buds never missed a beat. This is a nice change, considering that certain earphones in the lower range leave something to be desired.
Overall, I thought the sound was excellent, although it could have used a touch of high-end clarity in selections like Marley's Redemption Song and Exodus. While bass was welcomed by Marley as part of most discography, I sometimes found it overwhelming when I tried music outside the reggae genre. An adjustable equalizer that attenuates the lower end and improves the acoustics makes a significant contribution to making the Redemption ANC really sound special.
The call quality was a highlight as the Redemption ANC provided a clear dialogue across multiple calls even during rush hour.
Warranty information
House of Marley grants a two-year guarantee against defects in material or workmanship.
Our opinion
Adding active noise cancellation and improved sound quality to its second recording on real wireless earbuds is an important step in the right direction, but the Redemption ANC leaves us with too many unsolved problems.
Is there a better alternative?
For another $ 30, you can buy the Sony WF-1000XM3, which is one of our favorite real wireless earbuds. Alternatively, the Apple AirPods 2 are offered at the same price as the Redemption ANC. While they lack active noise cancellation, they have the upper hand over functions such as comfort and ease of use. The Elite Active 75t from Jabra also deserves to be part of this conversation. It offers above-average sound, battery life and water resistance.
How long it will take?
House of Marley placed great emphasis on the materials from which these buds are made and even gave the insurance a two-year guarantee. The repayment ANC should be able to last.
Should you buy it
No. I've enjoyed these earbuds, including their active noise canceling, outstanding looks, and sustainable initiative on which they were built. Ultimately, however, it is an oversized product that needs functional corrections. It shouldn't be this love.
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