Product Review: Donner Dobuds One Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds

Donner Dobuds One Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds

Retail Cost: $49.99

Features
• 12mm high-quality dynamic driver and a balanced armature driver to fully support the high frequency range.
• Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) function can reduce the noise by 30dB from 80Hz to 2KHz range.
• Beamforming noise cancelling technology for clear and wind resistant calls.
• 5 different sizes of ear tips are available (including XS, S, M, L and XL). The comfortable and waterproof design will keep you free of concerns about drizzle, rain or sweat.
• 32 – hour battery life, With a Type-C port and rapid charging technology.
• Donner Control APP allows customization of (EQ, power display, headphone name, noise reduction transparency mode switching, UI customization, etc.).

Our score 4.5 out of 5 stars

Since 2012 Donner Music has been making affordable, quality instruments for all level of musicians. The company is now branching out into the audio market with the release of their “DoBuds One” wireless earbuds. Available in a variety of colors the earbuds come packed with an abundance of top end features including 12mm dynamic drivers, digital noise cancelling, 32 hr. battery life and 5.2 Bluetooth connectivity. To coincide with the release of the “DoBuds One” Donner has also developed a corresponding app which allows users to fully customize their listening experience.

Construction-
It seems like every-day new earbuds are popping up on the market all boasting a bevy of features so when it comes time to purchase a new pair buyers often don’t know where to start. Donner has recently thrown their hat into the ring with the release of their “DoBuds One” active noise cancelling headphones. The stereo earbuds come packaged in a heavy-duty Type-C charging case along with cable and a 5-piece set of ear tips (XS/S/M/L/XL). Getting the right fit is crucial when it comes to earbuds and it can sometimes be difficult to do so as not all brands offer a variety of tip sizes. This can severely affect sound quality and leave users a bit frustrated. Donner does an excellent job here as not only do they include a full-size range of tips but the tips they include are dual hardness which provides a very secure and stable fit while also providing maximum comfort. The earbuds matte finish is easy to clean and features a IPX4 Waterproofing which eliminates worry of light water or sweat exposure when being used in a gym or outdoor setting however they are not for underwater use. The DoBuds One offer an impressive 32-hour battery life which is maximized by use of a 5.2 Bluetooth connection. Though the case does not feature its own built-in cable you can still charge through the case with the included cable or with any comparable type C-cable. For charging times you can expect around two hours of music play time per every ten minutes of charging. This allows for very short overall charging times which is something earbud users (myself included) tend to worry about as you can quickly get back using your device with minimal downtime.

Sound-
The Dobuds One come equipped with 12mm dual hybrid drivers which can be easily tailored by the listener via the Donner Connect app. Here users can select from six pre-set EQ settings or they create their own setting via the App’s customizable 8 band EQ making for a truly one-of-a-kind experience. Within the App users can also select their desired level of noise reduction as well as their preferred tap control options via the gestures tab. I found this feature to be very useful as I often forget how many taps access what feature. After a couple quick EQ tweaks, I was able to get a great sound out of these earbuds which remained consistent across several different music genres and podcasts. Low, Mid and High frequencies all presented themselves equally while listening to recorded material as well as while on phone/video calls. Another feature worth mentioning is the environmental noise cancellation. This feature when used along with the Donner App allows for wind resistant calls which is something I have struggled with while using other brands. The Dobuds One made a huge difference in the clarity of both incoming and outgoing audio in a variety of environmental settings.

The Dobuds One from Donner are an affordable, well-made product that offer a robust number of customizable options. From the included sizing kit, easy one button Bluetooth pairing and expansive in App customization I think you will be hard pressed to find a better Earbud system in this price range. Yes, the addition of another app to your device might be a bit annoying as is the need for yet another charging cable (thankfully the use of Type-C will eliminate this for most) these small inconveniences are easily outweighed by how many positives this product has to offer. If you are in the market for a new set of earbuds you can’t go wrong with the Donner Dobuds One and with the holidays right around the corner these would be a great idea for that special someone.

To find our more about Donner products visit www.donnermusic.com and to purchase a pair of Dobuds One visit their Amazon store here

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Instruments, Misc, Music, Technology Tagged With: cancelling, dobub, donner, earbuds, noise, product, ...

Product Review: Donner Hush-I Silent Guitar

Donner Hush Series Silent Guitar Kit Mahogany

Features
• Headless Design and Bone Nut
• Mahogany Body and Neck
• Asymmetrical Neck Profile
• Piezo Pickup
• Onboard Custom Designed Preamp with Phase Button
• All in One Onboard Magnetic Hex Wrench

Our score 4 out of 5 stars

Since 2012 Donner Music has been making affordable, quality instruments for all level of musicians. New from the company is the Donner HUSH-I Silent Guitar. The ultra-compact and lightweight full-scale guitar is perfect for travel and practice featuring a headless and detachable bar-frame design for extreme compaction and quietness with the least amount of wood. The onboard custom-designed piezo pickup and preamp delivers ideal tone via headphones and traditional cable output while also giving you control of Volume”, “High”, and “Low” Knobs as well as an onboard “Phase” button.

Construction-
Donner’s HUSH-I Silent guitar features a small paddle like mahogany body and a headless mahogany neck which comes standard in a matte finish and features an HPL fingerboard, 20 rounded end frets and a bone nut with truss rod access at the body. The natural finish body features an HPL bridge with a bone saddle, custom designed brushed metal barrel tuners and an onboard board preamp with Phase, Volume, High and Low tone settings. The body also features removable ergonomic upper and lower frames which can be installed for a more traditional guitar feel or left off for a more compact footprint. Right out of the included gig bag I could instantly tell that this was a well-built instrument. The neck through construction was nearly flawless and all of the hardware seemed to be of good quality. Though some of the components were a little stiff at first after a couple minutes of play things began loosened up and moving as they should. The hidden magnetic hex- wrench was a nice added touch however if you are moving around a lot the magnet might not be strong enough to keep the wrench fully in place for when you need it next.

Sound-
Though the guitar is marketed as a silent guitar that proved not to be completely the case as prior to plugging in I had to hear just how silent things were going to be. The guitar is considerably quieter than a standard acoustic guitar however given the designs natural acoustic qualities you should expect volumes like that of a highly resonant unplugged electric guitar. With the included in-ear headphones the HUSH-I Donner designed Preamp has a nice mid to high tone with all the EQ’s at noon. If you want a little more low end, I suggest leaving the High at the noon position and turning the Low to around the 3 o’clock position as this creates a nice even tonal blend across all six strings. Upon switching to an amp, I found I was able to achieve a similar balanced tone by dialing the bass back a touch on the guitar as the amp provided more lower frequencies than the headphones provided. The phase button was a nice addition to the pre-amp as it helped eliminate feedback when playing at a louder volume while still allowing for adequate resonance

Playability-
The 25.5” scale gives the HUSH-I a familiar feel despite its drastically unique look. The matte finish and highly polished rounded frets made moving up and down the neck effort free while the near black HPL fretboard simulates ebony quite nicely. I did find the guitar to play a bit stiff with the included strings however a simple change to a lighter gauge should take care of the feel issue and given the guitars silent design the smaller strings should cause for any tonal loss. I also found that when using the guitar with the upper frame bar you have somewhat limited access to the tuners as the lower bout of the bar extends down almost touching B string tuner. The included magnetic wrench did help out in the instance as it just fit in the given space, but I feel shortening the brace all together would have made for a better design.

The HUSH-I’s unique minimalist look might be a little bit too modern for acoustic purists but playing one will quickly make you a believer in that “Looks aren’t everything”. From its rich natural mahogany finish to the superb fret work and versatile onboard preamp Donner’s latest stringed offering is a well-made, nice looking and sounding instrument that won’t break the bank. Guitarist of all levels will enjoy the compactness and sounds that this product offers. Who may even enjoy this product more are parents, loved ones and/or neighbors as the near silent operation make practicing anytime day or night a reality.

For more information on Donner or to Purchase a HUSH-I visit www.donnerdeal.com

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Instruments, Music Tagged With: donner, guitar, hushi, product, review, silent, ...

Product Review: Donner DST-400 Electric Guitar

 

Donner DST-400 Electric Guitar

• Alder Body with Transparent Finish
• One DONNER Seeker Series Pro Humbucking Bridge Pickup with Coil-Split System; Two DONNER Seek Series Pro Single-Coil Middle and Neck Pickups
• AAA Canadian Maple Neck
• Satin Slim-C Neck Profile
• 9.5” Radius Fingerboard
• 2-Point Tremolo Bridge with Vintage-Style Saddles
• Vintage-Style Tuning Machines
• Includes Gig Bag, Strap, Cable, Set Up Tools

Our score 4.5 out of 5 stars

Since 2012 Donner Music has been making affordable, quality instruments for all level of musicians and they continue that with the release of their Seeker Guitar model. Based on the popular S-Style guitar The DONNER Seeker Series DST-400 sports a two-single coil, 1 tapped humbucker pickup configuration which offers players sonic flexibility capable of both traditional single coil twang and modern humbucking crunch all one instrument making it the perfect tool to express your musical vision without breaking the bank.

Construction-
I had been aware of the Donner company since the company’s introduction in 2012 however I had never tried one of their products until recently. Given the vast number of manufactures trying to enter the music gear market it can be a little daunting when trying to search for that new piece of equipment. Many companies offer lower to mid-priced options while sadly sacrificing tone and quality. I can safely say that the Donner DST-400 does none of those things. Right out of the box the instrument looked great. From its high-quality chrome parts and high gloss transparent teal finish to the satiny smooth neck I could tell this was not just another run of the mill sub $300 priced guitar. Aside from finding a small gap in the neck pocket, several dull frets and the rosewood fret board needing some oil the guitar structurally is solid and almost ready to go right out of the box

Sound-
Before plugging the DST-400 in I wanted to check out the guitar’s overall resonance. A feature common with budget line guitars is a thicker polyurethane finish which while providing a stronger finish can deaden some of the guitar’s natural resonance and tone. After just a few strums I was hooked as both single notes and chords rang out with impressive volume and sustain with an excellent level of clarity. Plugged in the DST-400 continued to accel. The single coil tone is what is to be expected as both the neck and middle position pickups provided a nice mid to low level sound with just the right amount of snappy treble twang. The bridge position humbucker can cover everything from over-driven sizzle to molten high gain and with the pull of the second tone pot you can expand your tone pallet even further as your humbucker is now a single coil allowing you to cover even more tonal territory without switching guitars.

Playability-
Even with higher end guitar models you must allot for a break in period. Frets need to be worked in, adjustments need to be made to various components and players must get comfortable with the over all feel of an instrument. My first sit down with the DST-400 was as though I had been playing this guitar for years. The neck had a nice smooth feel with no rough fret ends whatsoever. The 9.5” radius allowed for fast runs and effortless string bending. The body contours were all in the correct spots making sitting or standing feel very nature. The guitar is not overly heavy and is balanced nicely. The traditional control layout puts your volume, tones, and switch all with in easy reach while the polished, rolled edge, two-point bridge provides a nice resting spot for your palm. The only issues I came across here was that the pull knob to engage the humbucker coil tap can be a little difficult to operate due to the knobs lower profile and the fact that it is a pull pot as opposed to a push pot. The other flaw I noticed was based around the tremolo bar. I loved that it’s a simple push in bar and not a screw in type however the bar can get pushed down a little bit too far which results in less bridge travel due to the bar hitting on your control knobs. I as was able to remedy this issue with just pulling out on the bar some after which it seemed to stay in place without any problems.

The musical gear market can be very daunting. As more and more companies look to capitalize and expand their budget friendly offerings it can add to the confusion of where to start and who to buy from. I would highly suggest starting with the Donner brand. If you are looking for an S shaped guitar that offers high end features and top-notch craftsmanship all while not breaking the bank, then the DST-400 should be at the top of your list. The company may not have the name recognition like some other instrument makers but what they do provide is a comfortable, great sounding instrument at an affordable price.

For more information on Donner or to Purchase a DST-400 visit www.donnerdeal.com

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Instruments, Music Tagged With: donner, dst400, electric, guitar, product, review, ...
Page 1 of 1