The BW-FYE1 and BW-FYE2: Review of two generations of Blitzwolf bluetooth headsets

We are still on a mission to find the Bluetooth headsets with the most bang for the buck: sound quality that can match the Sennheiser CX 400-II and a battery life that is more than acceptable. And that hopefully at a price that does not make you cry when you accidentally drop one of the earpieces in the toilet. We decided to test out two Blitzwolf headsets: The BW-FYE1 and the BW-FYE2. Two generations of Bluetooth headsets. Are they any good and does newer always mean better?

Specifications

The specifications that can be found on Banggood that are similar to both models:

• Materials: PC+ABS
• Microphone: Dual Mic
• Bluetooth version: 5.0
• Chipset: AB1526P
• Supported modes: HFP / HSP / A2DP / AVRCP
• Earbud’s Battery Capacity: 50mAh
• Transmission Distance: 10 m
• Impedance: 16Ω

Some of the specs are also different:

Model	BW-FYE1	BW-FYE2
Waterproof Rating	IPX4	IPX5
Sensitivity of Receiving	126±3dB	93±3dB
Charging Case Capacity	700mAh	520mAh
Earbud’s charging time	1-1.5H	1H
Case charging time	1.5H	2H
Music Time	2.5H-3H	2.5H
Standby Time	77H	160H
Dimensions of charging box	61.5 x 43.5 x 30mm	70 x 27 x 28 mm
Dimensions of earbud	34.2 x 17.5 x 24mm	25 x 17 x 15 mm
Weight of earbud	6.25g	5g
Weight of case	47.5g	40g
Total weight	60g	50g
Frequency response	100-10kHz	20Hz-20KHz

Expectations

We tested a Blitzwolf Smart Power Plug in the past and we where impressed by the quality. The price was not low but this was justified because the power plug is a good product. We expect the same of both the BW-FYE1 and BW-FYE2. The older version seems to be a bit bigger and heavier than the BW-FY2, but on the other hand compensates this in battery capacity.

Packaging

Both headsets come nicely packed and well protected in stylish retail cardboard boxes, with inner foam, inner boxes and the charging cases are wrapped in plastic to prevent scratches.

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Does it fit your mailbox?

Both the BW-FYE1 and the BW-FYE2 won’t fit through your mailbox. It’s only a fraction too thick, but that’s because of the charging case.

What’s in the box

The box content of both model is nearly similar:

• The set of Bluetooth Wireless earphones
• Charging Case
• Micro USB Charging cable
• Additional eartips
• Use Manual in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese
• Warranty card.

The BW-FYE2 came with 3 sets of eartips. This includes the ones already on the earphones and all sets have a different size). The FYE1 comes with 7 sets, but some of the sets are similar.

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Features BW-FYE1 and BW-FYE2

Features as mentioned for the two models on Banggood:

• Bluetooth V5.0 & 10M Obstacle-free Connection——Releasing the hands and enables you to get rid of the wired constraint.
• Independent Sound Chamber & 10MM Titanium Film Speaker——Delivers a clear and high-quality voice and immerses yourself in the aural carnival.
• Portable charger with built-in large capacity battery: Coming with extra capacity charger combines with portable storage, ultra-convenient to charge the earphones and store.
• Simple Operation——When being took out from the case, the earbuds will be open and connect with the paired device automatically.
• BW-FY1: Elegant and Thoughtful Design——Satisfy your aesthetic and supports wearing in multiple occasions.
• BW-FY2: Ergonomical design, ultra-lightweight, free of burden with long time wearing, the eye-catching is extremely durable and anti-wear.
• BW-FY1: IPX4 Waterproof——Freely wear the earbuds in the rain.
• BW-FY2: IPX5 waterproof, enjoy sports as much as you like.

Build Quality & Design

Both devices have a well thought trough design and have good quality. It starts with the black shiny PPA charging case, that switches on the earbuds when opened and have a semi transparant top (BW-FY2) or have some semi transparent spots in the top (BW-FY1) to show the charging status LED of the earbuds. The earbuds fit firm and tight in the case. It is almost impossible to place them in a wrong way in the case so they will always charge).

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The earpieces of the BW-FY1 and BW-FY2 models have their own separate look and feel. The BW-FY1 earbuds are completely constructed of a hard plastic that is black and glossy. They have a black button on the side and two holes: one shows the indication light and the other one is probably for the microphone. The earpieces are a bit bigger and less refined, however they fit well and comfortable in your ears.

The BW-FY2 earbuds look definitely more refined than the BS-FY1. They are less big, are matte black and have a nicer round metallic button with the LED indication ring around this button. The inside of the earpiece (that touches your ear-shell) is made of a softer plastic material. This is a nice idea, but it also makes dust stick to it and after wearing them for a while it started irritating a bit.

Heath / Power consumption /Noise

After using both the BW-FY1 and BW-FY2 for over a number of weeks I can conclude they don’t get noticeably hot after using them a while. The power capacity of the earbuds is only 50 mAh and since it uses Bluetooth 5 it is way too efficient to use any power on heat. However when charging the charging case I mentioned a small increase in temperature, but nothing to worry about.

The bad news about the power consumption: you cannot listen to music all day continuously on either the BW-FY1 or the BW-FY2. Both last for about 2.5H before they require a recharge. Recharging them in the case will give them 10 hours (BW-FY2) to 12 hours (BW-FY1) of juice. Looking at the size of the buds this all is not that unexpected, but it requires some planning if you plan to use them very frequently. Charging the earbuds in the case takes about 1 hour, and charging the case itself will take up to 2 hours.

Usability

Pairing and Bluetooth connection

To enjoy your Bluetooth headset you need to connect it to an audio source, in most cases your phone. When you take them out of the charging case they switch on automatically. Both the left and right earpiece will display as Bluetooth devices. For mono sound you can easily pair to one of them and leave the other one in the charging case. You get voice feedback in English and that works fine. To get the BW-FY1 or BW-FY2 to work in stereo it is not really intuitive how to connect. You have to connect to the right one and the right earpiece will then automatically connect to the left one. This is only stated in the manual, so remember: PaiR to Right.

The difference between the two is that I took a long time to get it to work for the BW-FYE2, even with consulting the manual and giving it several tries, asking friends to give it a try I could not connect both earpieces to my phone, after some time I tried again and after a while it worked. With the BW-FYE1 I had to consult the manual only once and I was successful instantly.

Using the devices, Audio quality, listening time.

Both the BW-FYE1 and the BW-FYE2 are comfortable to wear. They both come with extra earpieces so you can find the optimal fit based on the size of your ears. However, the BW-FYE1 fits more comfortable and feels better supported. But the trade-off here is that the earpieces look more bulky compared to the FYE2.

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The audio quality on both devices is not the best of the best but more than acceptable. Some of the higher and middle tones are a bit shallow and if you are a big audiophile you probably will not enjoy these headsets for listening music. However, making phone call with them, listening to podcasts and only casually listening to music is not that bad, it is actually quite pleasant. Stereo sound works flawless and there are no delays between the devices. We haven’t found any noticeable differences regarding audio quality between the BW-FYE1 and the BW-FYE2. This is no surprise, because both devices are equipped with the AB1526P chipset.

Operating the earbuds is done through the multi-function button on the side of the earpiece. These buttons are physical buttons so you won’t press them accidentally (as happened with the touch sensitive buttons on the Xiaomi Mi Airdots).

• Play / Pause: Short press
• Wake up Siri: Double press
• Answer call: Short press when called.
• Reject call: Long press when called.
• Hang up call: Short press when in a call.
• Next song: Press for 2 seconds on the Right earpiece (or Left when wearing only the Left earpiece).
• Previous song: Press for 2 seconds on the Left earpiece (only works when you are wearing both earpieces).

This takes some time to get used to, but after a while it becomes quiet intuitive on both the the BW-FYE1 and BW-FYE2. The Next / previous option with a single earbud feels a bit like a design flaw, however there is only limited space of the ways you can interact easily with a single physical button.

The charging case

First of all: The charging cases are useful for storing and charging your headsets. They also have a builtin battery so you can charge the headset when on the road. The battery case of the BW-FYE1 has a capacity of 700 mAh and the BW-FYE2 battery case only 520 mAh. Despite the different shape of the cases and different capacity, the cases have about the same volume and are a bit to big to keep them in the pocket of your jeans.

Charging the earbuds in the charging case takes about an hour (both for the BW-FYE1 and the BW-FYE2). For the BW-FYE1 the red indicator light turns on when the earpieces are charging. When an earpiece is full the indicator will turn blue (BW-FYE1) or white (BW-FYE2) and switch off after half a minute. Charging the case will take 2 hours and on the back of the BW-FYE1 charging case four green LED’s show the charging state (25-50-75-100%). The BW-FYE2 does not have this indicator on the back but the blinking frequency of a single blue LED shows the case battery charging status.

Complementary Products / Alternatives

A while ago we tested the Xiaomi Mi Airdots. These look somewhat cleaner and the audio quality of these airdots is also a bit better but they are twice the price compared to the Blitzwolf sets. And after comparing them with the BW-FYE1 and the BW-FYE2, the wearing comfort of the BW-FYE1 is still better. Next to that, the Airdots give audio feedback in Chinese and the touch sensitive buttons are pressed by accident quiet easily.

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If you require headphones with a higher single charge battery capacity, you can have a look at the Meizu EP52Lite or the Macaw TX-80. They come with a neckband and have Bluetooth 4.1/4.2. They also cheaper than the BW-FYE1 and the BW-FYE2.

pro / cons

pros

• Nice looking headphones.
• Bluetooth 5 headsets which is very energy efficient.
• Charging cases hold an extra charge.

cons

• When listening music it sounds a bit flat.
• Bluetooth syncing process is not intuitive.
• Charging cases are a bit too bulky to carry comfortably in your pants.

Comparing the BW-FYE1 and BW-FYE2

• Better looks: BW-FYE2.
• Better wearing comfort: BW-FYE1.
• Easier syncing process: BW-FYE1.
• Higher capacity of the charging case: BW-FYE1 (700 vs 520 mAh).
• Higher degree of water resistance: BW-FYE2 (IPX5 – projected water vs IPX4 – splashed water).

Price quality

There are lots of Bluetooth headsets on the market. And lots of them are cheaper. But in the low-but-not-crappy range, both the BW-FYE1 or BW-FYE2 do well. They are definitely not a bargain and therefore it is good you are reading this review to consider the pros and cons of the headsets.

Verdict on the BW-FYE1 and BW-FYE2

If your main regarding audio quality while listening music. Skip both the BW-FYE1 and the BW-FYE2. This is because they share the same chipset and music audio quality is not their strongest point. However, if you are looking for a Bluetooth headset in this price range, only casually listen to music, listen to podcasts and make phone calls, this can be done perfectly with both the BW-FY1 or BW-FY2.

Even when taking into account the Bluetooth connection hassles (which is a common thing for Bluetooth headsets with separate earpieces of this generation) we think they are currently still a good buy. For the price you get a well functioning, good quality Bluetooth headset. However, we doubt if these headsets will stand their time. Probably in a couple of generations all the Bluetooth teething problems will be further solved, including syncing and audio quality. Until then, these Blitzwolfs will do perfectly fine as your headset.

Choosing between the BW-FYE1 and BW-FYE2 depends on your own preferences: if you prefer wearing comfort over design, choose the BW-FYE1. When you want the best looking, go for the BW-FYE2.

Where to buy?