The Vissles 2-in-1 Music Pill is an interesting idea for a pair of headphones that we've previously mentioned on Talk Android; not only is it a set of totally wireless earbuds, but the case itself doubles as a small, portable speaker so you can play music out loud in different situations.
Well, we really liked that idea, so we took the Music Pill for a hands-on experience to see if it's worth the hype. It's a weird concept, after all, and we love companies that take chances. But is it worth the asking price? Let's find out.
Design
The design of the Vissles Music Pill isn't bad at all. It's a little clunky, sure, but it's packing a full speaker in its charging case, so that's to be expected. The top of the case has a mesh finish on the left side for the speaker, and a softer, almost leather finish on the right side with the Vissles logo. It looks and feels surprisingly nice for $70.
It's using a microUSB charger on the back, though, which isn't bad, per se, but I think we're all tired of microUSB ports at this point. The clasp and hinge also feel kind of cheap, but again, try and keep it all in perspective of the price point.
The headphones themselves are decent enough, and are kind of similar to the Galaxy Buds. They use soft ear tips to create a seal in your ear for better bass response, and they're pretty lightweight, too. No issues with them weighing down your ear or falling out more than normal.
They don't seem to fit snugly in the case, however, and that's something that even the price point can't justify. They have to be angled just right, but because they cradles are so close together (and there's not much room because of the speaker on the other side of the case) I still can't quickly put the earphones back in the case. It takes a bit of fiddling to make it all work, whether to charge them or to start up the external speaker.
Performance
At an MSRP of $69, I didn't expect the world out of these headphones, but they're surprisingly capable. The low-end is much more present than you'd think cheap headphones could pull off, which I think is largely thanks to those form-fitting ear tips. Galaxy Buds effect in action.
The mids are kind of muddled, however, and the high-end lacks a lot of presence to clean up some of that messy tone. They're somewhere between “okay” and “good,” but can certainly get the job done.
When you're ready to listen to music out loud, you simply drop these headphones while they're playing back into the charging case, close the lid, and be amazed as your music is handed off from earbuds to a small Bluetooth speaker. I'll be honest, I love the concept and execution here. It's generally quick and reliable, so long as you take off the plastic film over the headphones' contacts first. I didn't do that and struggled for a bit. Don't be like me.
The magic ends when you hear the speaker, unfortunately. The concept is cool, but the speaker just does not sound good. I'm not surprised at all by this, either, considering it's a very small speaker and a big chunk of the case is eaten up with battery to charge and power everything. There's not much low end or thump to the speaker's tone, and it just blows out at medium-to-high volumes.
In a personal situation, I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, but Vissles trying to position this as something that you can use as a party speaker while hanging out or socializing makes it tough to not be disappointed. You'd be much better served with a cheaper standalone Bluetooth speaker, like one of Anker's small Soundcore Mini speakers or something.
It also doesn't sound better than some higher-end devices, either. I think the Galaxy S10 sounds a little better than the Music Pill's external speaker, and it handles higher volumes better, too. So definitely only consider this for phones with poor speakers.
Worth it?
At its asking price of $69, I think the Music Pill is a really cool idea. If you like weird gadgets, I think it's worth the price of admission, too. But as a serious device for someone that's serious about their music? I don't think this is the way to go.
The headphones are just okay, the external speaker is less than okay, and you can still get some pretty decent headphones around the $69 price point that are a little more tailored to whatever you actually want.
Unless you like being an early adopter, I'd pass on these. But when the Music Pill 2 comes around? I'm definitely excited for those.
Side note, Vissles supposedly had an IndieGogo page to get these pre-ordered, but it seems to have disappeared, and I don't know why. We've reached out for comment and will update if we hear anything back. Until then, you'll just have to sign up for any extra info directly on the Vissles website.
Vissles Indiegogo
Vissles
