Padmate is not such a famous name in the audio field, but in recent months it has managed to make people talk a lot about themselves and about their PaMu Scrolls, full wireless earphones funded on Indiegogo that I have been trying for about three weeks. The crowdfunding campaign has achieved mind-boggling figures, which have contributed to the web chatter: well 3 million dollars.
The success of these caps depends largely on the very low price they were bought with the early birds, only $ 39. Currently the cost on moldac.com is 69 $ , obviously, the judgment varies a lot based on the cost, therefore we go with order.
Package
In the packaging of the PaMu Scrolls, in addition to the earphones are the charging case, micro USB cable for charging and two pairs of additional rubber pads. Nothing for which to shout miraculously, but everything is absolutely necessary.
Construction and comfort
The PaMu Scrolls immediately stand out for their very special case: as usual, the case also acts as a battery charger, but what is surprising is the shape design. It is a cylindrical case covered in faux leather, which opens by lifting the flap that acts as a cover and has a solid magnetic closure. The aesthetic impact is remarkable, because it is something completely different compared to all the others seen so far. Whether you like it or not, it is a matter of taste. Intrigued by how it was perceived, I asked friends to describe it with an adjective, receiving comments ranging from gaudy to refined. Four colors are available, called Rock ‘n roll, Glory, Graphene and Sakura; in addition to colors, the type of workmanship and finishes of the imitation leather also varies. Unfortunately, the case is quite thick (nothing to do with the tiny case of the AirPods), so carrying it around in your pocket can become quite annoying.
As for the headphones themselves, instead, I found them very comfortable: they are very light (only 5 grams) and you practically forget you are wearing them, also because they are firmly in your ears and you rarely feel the need to rearrange them. Also allows you to wear them even in the rain without problems: the PaMu Scrolls, in fact, enjoy IPX6 certification.
Audio features and quality
I admit that when I started reviewing the PaMu Scrolls, my expectations were pretty low: from a product that was sold for just over € 35, I didn’t expect anything like that. In this sense, these earphones have surprised me a lot, mainly due to two factors: more than acceptable audio quality and Bluetooth 5.0.
Let’s start with the sound: even without making people cry in the miracle, the PaMu Scrolls sound better than I expected, covering the entire spectrum of frequencies with dignity. Raising the volume a lot, one can perceive some distortion, but at medium volume these earphones play fairly well, especially considering the price at which they are (and were!) Sold. Very good sound insulation too: being in-ear, the sounds are filtered a lot, with the result that it’s very easy to isolate yourself from the outside, especially when listening to music at high volumes.
Besides the clean audio, what surprised me is the presence of Bluetooth 5.0. I remember clearly that the day I started the test (when I hadn’t yet taken a look at the specifications). I wore them before starting to play in train and I was pleasantly surprised that the sound of the game had no lag. After searching on Google and finding out that they are using the latest version of Bluetooth, I found that even with video, movies and anything else there is no delay in the audio signal (as long as the device they are paired with is Bluetooth 5.0 , obviously).
The declared autonomy is 3 hours and a half, to which are added another 2 complete recharges (for a total of 10 hours and a half). In my tests the headphones have largely exceeded three hours with a single charge, confirming the estimates provided by Padmate-tech. The charging of the case is not very fast, but I appreciated a little trick: the LEDs that light up on the base of the cylinder when you put the headphones back.
The controls are touch, with all the joys and sorrows of the case: joys because everything that is touch is beautiful (an incontrovertible axiom), pains because the system is quite uncomfortable. The main problem is that from the touch on the headset to the actual command goes that short amount of time you wonder if the input was taken or not. This makes the control system a little awkward, especially if you use the PaMu Scrolls in motion. In any case, apart from the small uncertainties described so far, the controls do their duty. A tap on one of the two earbuds sends in Play / Pause, a double tap on the left will activate the voice assistant and a double tap on the right forward to next song. Unlike AirPods, there is no function that automatically pauses the music when you remove it from your ears.
I was pleasantly surprised by the reliability of these earphones, pulling them out of the case they immediately couple with each other and connect instantly to the smartphone. In fact, all this should be normal and not worthy of praise, but with cheap earphones, the stability of connection between the two earphones is obvious. Furthermore, a really positive note, both the audio and call are stereo. With other true cordless earphones, hearing the caller from both ears is not at all obvious, since often the most inexpensive earphones entrust the audio or call only to the main one (usually the right one). The microphone is basically ok for calls inside, but don’t expect much if you try to call when you’re on a busy street.
Price
As mentioned several times, the price of the PaMu Scrolls is to say the least fluctuating. To sum up, I would say that those who took them for about $ 39 made a deal, for $69 it can be worth it (but it also deserves to look around for discounts on the products), but for $ 149 I wouldn’t recommend them.
