INTRODUCTION

   If you're out in the market for a brand new set of wireless earphones which you can use both at home or while away or even while on the road there are currently three products you can choose from. So you can either go with one of the all-time classic (yet bulky) over the ear models, get an regular set of in-ear wireless earphones (best combination between size and stability) or if size is an issue and you'd like the most compact form factor available currently you can always opt for a set of wireless earbuds. Personally i could never see myself wearing a wireless over the ear model due to size so I’ve always used regular wireless earphones and as of late quite a few wireless earbuds. BlitzWolf may not be the first name to come in mind when we're talking about wireless earphones but in the just 3 years they've been around their products have been embraced by people all over the world so when they reached out to us and asked if we'd be interested in testing their new BW-ANC1 Active Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Earphones we said yes.

   It all started early 2015 with a simple, bold idea: make what customers really want not just what they need. Our unlimited passion for technology and relentless pursuit of innovation drives us to deliver ground-breaking new technologies and excitement in ways that only BlitzWolf can. Our solutions are renowned for their iconic ergonomic design, incomparable price and high performance. Trusted by many customers around the world, BlitzWolf continues to create products with uncompromising quality that not only inspires, but also it transcend geography, customs, and cultures. Welcome to BlitzWolf. We will simplify your life.

   Unlike most manufacturers currently which are focusing their resources in the design and manufacture of wireless earbuds BlitzWolf decided to go with the typical in-ear design for the BW-ANC1. Now we can't say whether or not this was the right road to take since this is something that comes down to personal taste and needs but what we can say is that the BW-ANC1 is fully equipped to take on its immediate competition. So under the hood of the IPX4 certified parts (protected against splashing water) we find two 12mm dynamic drivers (frequency response of 20Hz-20KHz with 32Ohm impedance and 105db sensitivity), 120mAh rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (up to 7 hours playback time), Qualcomm's CSR8645 chip (Bluetooth v4.1 with HFP v1.6, AVRCP v1.4, A2DP v1.2, DI v1.3, HSP v1.2, aptX lossless codec and CvC), in-line microphone and the AS3421 noise-cancelling chip by AMS (-20+-5dB noise reduction).

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

We received the BW-ANC1 inside a small white and green box that just has the product name at the front.

A small sticker at the rear of the box contains the main specifications of the unit.

The entire bundle is placed inside a hard storage/carrying case.

Along with the BW-ANC1 and the hard storage/carrying case you will also get 2 pairs of silicone eartips (3 with the mounted ones), USB to micro USB charging cable, satisfaction paper and the user manual.

THE BW-ANC1

BlitzWolf packs a total of 3 silicone eartips with the BW-ANC1 (small/medium/large) with the medium sized one already mounted.

The storage/carrying case may be compact but it has enough room for the BW-ANC1 and its bundle.

Largely because of the AMS noise reduction chip located in a small box at the end of the earphones the BW-ANC1 is not as compact as some other models (luckily the small box can be clipped onto your shirt so you don't have to worry about its weight).

The housing of the earphones is made out of aluminum and plastic and is angled for optimal fit with your ear.

Left and right markings are placed on the interior of both earphones.

Each housing features exhaust ports on the front and base.

The back of both earphones is also partially perforated.

BlitzWolf has used 12mm dynamic drivers with the BW-ANC1 (rather large for this kind of product) which should help with audio clarity and bass levels.

An in-line microphone is also present inside aluminum housing.

The small box which houses the AMS noise reduction chip measures 26mm in width, 27mm in length and 15mm in height/thickness.

On the left side we find the micro USB charging port with the ANC (active noise cancelling) on/off button while at the base we find the power on/off, answer/end calls and play/pause button and the volume up/down and previous/next track buttons (all three are placed beneath a layer of rubber).

CONCLUSION

   As you all know whenever we get a product by a rather new manufacturer we're always skeptical about its performance and that goes double for BlitzWolf and the BW-ANC1 since we're talking about a manufacturer with just over 3 years in the market. Still it’s always nice to be wrong about any product and so the BW-ANC1 performed a lot better than expected with very crisp and detailed mids and highs (perhaps just a tad too crisp at some points) and plenty of bass. As mentioned already BlitzWolf focused quite a bit on the highs of the BW-ANC1 so it’s quite noticeable (depends on the music track however) but to some people that may not be a bad thing (comes down to personal taste really). Unfortunately not much is known for the built-in microphone but that aside it works pretty much as most others in the market today (just don’t expect miracles). As for the noise-cancelling feature via the AMS AS3421 chip it works very well but although you can enjoy your music without having to worry about external sounds the same can’t be said for people around you since there’s quite a bit of audio leaking on high volumes. Again this is not something new for an in-ear model (if you want complete noise isolation you should get an over the ear model instead) but because of the high volume levels of the BW-ANC1 it’s a bit easier to notice. Last but not least battery life depends a lot on whether or not the noise-cancelling feature is on and of course volume levels and so during our tests we were hardly able to surpass 5 hours of playback (still not bad for such a product) so the 7 advertised hours is probably not an attainable number.

   At the time of this review the BW-ANC1 Active Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Earphones by BlitzWolf retail for USD79.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 55Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). Of course to some people this amount of money will seem as a bit high for a product made by a virtually unknown manufacturer but leaving out the very good audio quality produced by the two 12mm dynamic drivers you are also getting active noise-cancelling and that’s not something we see a lot. Granted the box at the end of the earphones does seem a bit off and it adds extra weight but it’s a small downside for what you’re getting. Bottom line if you like this type of earphones and you care not about brand name you can’t go wrong with the BW-ANC1 and that’s why they come highly recommended by us.

PROS

- Build Quality (IPX5 Certified)
- Audio Quality (Crisp And Accurate Mids & Highs)
- Bass Levels
- Noise Cancelling Feature (AMD AS3421)
- Bluetooth v4.1 With CvC and aptX (CSR 8645)
- Up To 7 Hours Playback

CONS

- Current Price (USA)
- Size / Weight (Box)
- Noise Isolation