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Don’t get me wrong; they’re a solid first try, but Fender has a few kinks to iron out.
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Right off the bat, I can say the Fender Mix don’t compare to Sony or Bose’s flagship headphones in audio or noise cancellation performance. Still, they offer a better experience than those companies’ budget options within the $200 price range.
The Mix can achieve up to 96kHz/24-bit audio quality in Lossless Mode, latency as low as 20ms in Low Latency Mode, and are compatible with Auracast, wired, and USB-C audio transmission. Behind the removable left earcup is a wireless transmitter, which helps improve the Mix’s audio quality and latency without being tethered to a wire.
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I connected the Mix to my iPhone 17 over a standard Bluetooth connection and noticed a very bass-heavy, imbalanced audio response. It sounded like the left speaker channel handled more bass and lower-mids than the right, which was disorienting to listen to. I plugged the USB-C wireless transmitter into my phone and reconnected the headphones, and the difference was night and day.
I took the Mix to the gym and connected them to my phone via the USB-C dongle. Their noise cancellation struggled to quiet overhead music and machinery noise, and increasing the volume greatly mangled their audio response, overboosting the bass and muddying vocals and instruments. A companion app could have mitigated this issue, but I don’t recommend wearing over-ear headphones to the gym anyway.
Another reason I wouldn’t bring these to the gym is their modular nature. The earpads are removable for stylistic preferences, and the battery behind the right ear cup is easily accessible for self-repair. Thus, you don’t want to get these headphones wet, as it can easily reach and damage vital components.
ZDNET’s buying advice
The Fender Mix or the JBL Live 770NC