3D Styles

Padmate has introduced a new model of true wireless in ear headphones called PaMu Slide. Will they succeed in not disappointing after the success of the previous model? The expectations were very high and once again the Chinese company has seen it right, however there are things that you absolutely must know before buying …

A competitive price

The PaMu Slide can currently be purchased worldwide through a fundraising campaign on Indiegogo, in perfect Padmate style.

This is not a bad thing: many “backers” (investors) have already received the requested product and there are some very interesting bundles in case of multiple purchases, perhaps in the company of friends or relatives interested. The PaMu Slide cost just 44 euros (50 dollars) in the classic version, if you want the variant compatible with Qi wireless charging (even reverse!) The price rises to 61 euros (70 dollars). For the various bundles, I refer you to the official campaign page.

In the purchase package there are earphones, cases for charging and transport and, under the shaped plastic support, a USB Type-C cable for charging, spare rubber pads of different sizes and the instruction manual.

A solid package for mainstream headphones

The design of the case for recharging these PaMu is nice and elegant, the body in opaque plastic, the lid with a honeycomb pattern on which stands the PaMu logo and the symmetrical arrangement of USB Type-C port and damage function key the idea of ​​a quality product.

The magnetic sliding mechanism of the lid is an excellent idea, however the slide is not the best and the lid moves enough both when closed and when opening / closing. The packaging is also relatively thick and heavy, forgivable forgiveness as the weight is given by the enormous battery and the Qi charging technology.

Immediately under the lid we find the PaMu Slide in some magnetic housings. Pay attention because the right cuff (R) is positioned on the left while the left cuff (L) is positioned on the right. At first I thought it was a silly placement, necessary given the little space devoted to housing, but with use I realized that it allows you to more easily grasp the “earpiece” of the earphones in the right way to be able to insert them into the ear without having to handle or rotate excessively.

The PaMu Slides are reminiscent of Mobvoi’s TicPods Free in terms of shape and size, to differentiate the presence of a rubberized cover at the top of the earphones. This rubber coating is used to prevent headphones from falling if used during busy activities such as running or the gym. Speaking of sweat, the PaMu slides are IPX6 certified, so they can withstand some physical activity and a few drops of rain.

A review system to be reviewed

The earphones are controlled by a touch gesture and I have to admit that I’m not a big fan. First of all I find that the capacitive ring positioned in the upper part of the bar is too small and it is very easy to miss it at the first attempt. You will also need to open the manual to read, study and learn all the various gestures that differ according to the earpiece touched.

PaMu Slide: gestures and touch controls

A well-deserved compliment for the gestures dedicated to adjusting the volume: practical and within reach, even if a companion application to customize these gestures would have been ideal.

A new and well-optimized chip

The PaMu slides were produced in close collaboration with Qualcomm and Intel, this is what Padmate says on its page dedicated to the Indiegogo campaign. Unlike many competitors who still use the “old” Qualcomm CSR86Xx chip, within each of the PaMu Slide we find the brand new QCC3020 chip from the American company.

This allows these TWS headphones to take full advantage of Bluetooth 5.0 technology for fast, reliable pairing, with a wide range and low latency. The aptX audio codec is also supported, although it would have been nice to find aptX HD or LDAC, which can now be used on virtually any Android smartphone.

An exaggerated audio quality (for the price)

The PaMu slides, if worn with the right rubber straps, sound really good if compared to the selling price. Very good in my opinion the stereo separation and the voices are given really a lot of emphasis. In general the various sounds in the headphones are clearly separated from each other, excellent!

The basses are present and better than other earphones that I had the chance to try, but the PaMu earphones have an audio tone in my opinion very different from my faithful Earin M-2. It is not a bad thing, they play differently and adapt to different musical genres: the most recommended Earins for pop / hip-hop music or at least with predominant basses while the Slides are definitely more balanced. Unfortunately, any type of active noise cancellation is missing, present only during the call phase.

Power to share

As for the battery, the PaMu Slide promise 10 hours of battery life with a single earphone charge, 60 hours total if the energy available in the transport case is counted (2000mAh declared on the packaging). I will honestly admit to you that I have not yet completed the first recharge cycle despite using the headphones every day for about a couple of hours. I have not yet been able to completely unload the custody to verify this promise, but at a guess we should be very close to the declared duration.

Very pleasant is the fact that there is a USB Type-C port for recharging and that wireless charging is supported (in the PaMu Slide + variant) so you can recharge the earphones with your new Galaxy S10 or P30 Pro. Speaking of these two smartphones, the PaMu Scroll + have been inspired by them for their most interesting function: the case can in fact be transformed into a portable wireless powerbank able to recharge other Qi devices like your smartwatch or your smartphone!

Obviously you won’t be able to count on it to be able to spend a weekend in the camping far from the phone charger but in case of emergency it is an excellent resource.

The right choice for many in an overcrowded market

New TWS headphones are presented and placed on the market every day. Virtually every historical headphone manufacturer has a true wireless model today and many other manufacturers are starting their own story starting with this type of accessory. Padmate has made itself known to the general public precisely in this last way, launching on the market the PaMu Scrolls, true wireless headphones with an original design and valid for the proposed price.

The PaMu Slide is a logical evolution of the previous product: more battery, more features, more sex appeal. Although the general design that recalls that of the AirPods does not make me go crazy (my preferences go to the more discreet models like the Earin M-2 or the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1), these earphones are excellent for the price at which they are offered and they hide a trick that will leave friends and relatives stunned as well as being able to come in handy in the event of an emergency!

Penalizing the absence of a companion app for gesture customization, for audio equalization or for downloading OTA updates that, to intuition, we will never see coming. These headphones are like this and so will remain forever, fortunately, apart from a slight lack of bass, there is not much to have to correct the audio side. The sound quality is sufficient for the target to which they are offered and the bluetooth connection is stable and immediate.