INTRODUCTION

   Every once in a while, the electronics industry manages to impress everyone, myself included and as far as i can recall at least for me that has happened 3 times since the early 90's. First time was when Origin announced the 3rd part of the Wing Commander series/saga and although some may say it was just a game well back then it was a huge deal, not only due to its revolutionary graphics but also its FMV cutscenes and of course the unforgettable cast (Mark Hamill, Malcom McDowell, John Rhys-Davies, Tom Wilson and Chris Roberts as the director - some of these names are also present in Star Citizen). Second time was when 3DFX released its 3D dedicated Voodoo cards (the first one i got was the Monster 3D by Diamond Multimedia) which easily surpassed anything released to date by its main competitors (namely ATI, NVIDIA and Matrox). The 3rd and last time were when OCZ announced they were working on their neural impulse actuator (NIA) which was basically a brain–computer interface (BCI) that was using electrical activity from the head (EEG) to record movement on the screen of your PC (was discontinued just over a decade ago). Ever since then however nothing has really piqued my interest. Sure, for example SSDs represent a massive jump in performance from traditional HDDs but since i started my reviews with the very first SATA II models (that offered speeds up to 250-300MB/s) they never did stand out, certainly not as much. Well 3 weeks ago the 4th time happened and that was due to none other than the Woojer Vest Edge which I’ve been testing ever since.

   Woojer is a pioneer in the field of haptic technology with a fundamental patent portfolio and products that deliver high fidelity tactile sensation which reproduce the rich emotion of sound. Our team are visionaries who understand the intertwined relationship between sound, vision, emotion and immersion. The Woojer team has a proven track record of bringing disruptive products to market and are backed by influential industry leaders.

   Woojer used two popular crowdfunding platforms to bring their Vest Edge product to life thanks to which they managed to raise no less than 5.495.733Euros from a grant total of 34.025 backers. As revealed by the product name the Vest Edge is built around a lightweight vest (made out of breathable synthetic fabrics and plastic) inside which Woojer has placed a total of 6 patented sensory points (OSCI TRX52 transducers with a frequency response of 1Hz-200Hz - these basically transfer vibrations onto your body), 8675 Bluetooth v5.0 module by Qualcomm (compatible with aptX, aptX Low Latency, aptX HD, MP3, AAC and SBC audio codecs - 192kHz stereo DAC channels), built-in analog headphones amplifier by Texas Instruments (105mW output into 16ohm - 0.1% THD) exterior controls and a somewhat large 3350mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack (14.5v) that can keep it running for up to 8 hours (recharge time is roughly 3 hours with the bundled fast charger). Of course, the Woojer Vest Edge fully conforms to the UL (60065), CE (60065) and FCC regulations while its EMF Magnetic Field is ~5% of the ICNIRP safety guidelines.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The Woojer Vest Edge arrives in a pyramid like box that has a large product picture at the front right over the company logo and some of its compatible devices.

A product drawing used to showcase all of its features is located at the rear of the box.

Once you open up the box from the front you will see a piece of cardboard with the company logo on it.

Removing that reveals the back of the Edge Vest and the two cardboard pieces that keep it in place during transport (these pieces also house the rest of the bundle).

Along with the Woojer Edge Vest you're also getting a charging adapter with 5 plugs/tips (EU/UK/US/AUS), USB-C cable, 3.5mm cable and the user manual.

THE WOOJER VEST EDGE

The 2Kg heavy Woojer Vest Edge is made out of synthetic fabric, foam padding and plastic and features a total of six OSCI TRX52 transducers located at the front (2), both sides (2) and the back (2).

A convenient control mechanism is located on the left side of the vest and from the center button you can power it up/down and enable bluetooth pairing (press it for 5 seconds), while from the top/down buttons you can increase/decrease the level of vibration and from the left/right buttons you can increase/decrease the volume.

From left to right at the front of the control mechanism we see a 3.5mm audio-in port, USB-C audio-in port, charging port and an 3.5mm audio-out (headphones) port (a small reset button is located on the left side of the control mechanism).

Thanks to its adjustable straps the Vest Edge stretches from roughly 80cm (31 inches) up to roughly 180cm (70 inches).

One transducer is located on each of the sides seen above.

Two more are located on the upper rear back and two on the front (one under the control mechanism and the other on the opposite side).

Instructions on how to use the straps to get the best fit and maximum comfort with your Woojer Vest Edge are printed on the vest itself.

A very useful carrying handle is located at the top.

The company logo is not only present at the front of the vest but also at the rear.

Worth noticing is that the control mechanism has an LED ring around it which flashes red for when the battery is almost empty, red when charging, green when it's fully charged, blue and red for when in bluetooth pairing mode and blue when connected.

USING THE WOOJER VEST EDGE

Prior to actually using the Woojer Vest Edge i recommend updating the firmware the last version of which you can find on the official support page (the device came with v2.200.2 loaded).

Once you start the firmware update software it will guide you through the steps (v2.200.3 was used for this review). As stated in the software screen at 90% you will need to press and keep pressing the power button until the firmware update finishes.

Once the procedure hits 100% you will need to disconnect the device from your computer and perform a hard reset (power down the device, press the reset button for 1 second and turn it back on).

Remember that you will need to set the Woojer Vest Edge as the output and input device in your Windows 10 as seen above.

In case you're wondering how to properly use the Edge Vest well Woojer has a YouTube channel which they help you do exactly that.

Woojer also has several playlists available in YouTube to help you setup and have the best experience with your Vest Edge.

CONCLUSION

   The Woojer Vest Edge is a product that stands out long before you take it out of its box. Still the game changer happens the moment you put it on and start playing games, watching movies and/or listening to music. To be completely honest I used the Vest Edge primarily with PC games (World of Warships, Star Citizen, Cyberpunk 2077, Star Wars Squadrons, Death Stranding and Forza Horizon 4) and some 4k movies (including Zak Snyder’s Justice League) with really impressive results (you can really feel everything). Yes, it will take sometime to adjust the straps and the level of vibration (too much can put strain on your body and/or get annoying while too little will not deliver the best results) but once you’re done you may never want to go back to how things were before. Unfortunately, the Woojer Vest Edge requires a pair of headphones/headset and as some of you are aware, I’m not really a fan (reduced awareness is something I don’t like). Now I don’t know why Woojer didn’t make it so you can use the Vest Edge just by plugging it into your PC via USB (and leaving audio to your system’s sound card and speakers – also a dedicated sound card like the Sound Blaster AE-9 or the NU Audio Pro which I use in my systems obviously offer much clearer and accurate sound) so I seriously hope they consider this with their next release. Battery life is not something i can accurately point out/define, mainly because its linked directly with the volume/sensation level and the type of use you're doing. For example, i found that while watching movies its built-in lithium-ion battery would easily surpass 7 hours but while playing games that would drop to roughly 6 hours and 10-15 minutes (even less for bass rich audio tracks). Still, it takes just over 2.5 hours to recharge the vest with the fast charger found inside the bundle so even 6 hours is a good number. However, with a weight of almost 2Kg and a rather bulky design (still not the bulkiest haptic vest out there) the Woojer Vest Edge is certainly not made for 6+ continuous hours of use. Personally after 1, 1.5 hours i needed to take it off for a while so I imagine some people may use it for even longer and some for even less. That being said the sole serious drawback for me is not being able to use it with speakers (and I expect many of you reading these lines agree).

   With just a few days before we enter April the Woojer Vest Edge is currently on sale for 369Euros (USD435) directly from the company website. Even with this limited time offer however the Woojer Vest Edge is certainly far from what most consumers would call affordable. On the other hand, we also need not forget that there’s a premium industry out there designed specifically for people willing to spend more for the optimal experience and these are clearly who Woojer is targeting with their Vest Edge. So, does it deliver? The answer is yes, it may not be perfect (what is?) and availability outside the EU is far from good but it does introduce a whole new level of enjoyment (richer experience) which at least for me is well worth the extra cost and for that it certainly deserves the Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Performance
- Innovation
- Battery Life (Up To 8 Hours)
- Wired & Wireless Use
- Built In Amplifier
- Compatibility (Games, Movies & Music)
- Easy To Use
- Product Support
- One Size For All

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Only Works With Headphones/Headsets
- Size/Weight
- Current Availability (Outside The EU)