I received a pair of Mpow Magneto headphones for Christmas. To be honest they were on my list. Until this point I hadn’t owned a pair of wireless headphones. I was curious, but didn’t want to invest serious cash if the sound quality and fit were lacking. I listen to all kinds of music, in addition to podcasts and video watching, so I was looking for a pair that could handle the low end and still give true voice tones. After using these for the last few months I have some positives and negatives for you to consider before buying.

Just as you might suspect by the name, the Mpow Magneto headphones are in fact magnetic. For one the the magnetic backs are extremely useful for securing around your neck when not in use. Even though these headphones are connected to your device via Bluetooth, they are still wired to themselves. The drivers have some weight so the can start to slide off you shoulder if they are just loosely draped. The magnetic back prevent that from happening. When the backs of each earpiece are connected it will also pause whatever music or podcast you were listening to.  That makes it extremely convenient when you need to quickly interact with others around you and don’t want to miss a second of that song or podcast.

The Mpow Magnetos should have a fit just right for you as they come with several size options. You will get three pairs of earbud tips and 3 pairs of wings that help give a good seal. I’ve owned several pairs of wired earbuds and none have fit as well as these. The fit is extremely important because the drivers are somewhat on the heavy side. The battery that drives these is located in the earbud itself. They fit fine in my average size ear, but those with smaller ears may have more difficulty finding a secure fit.

Sound quality is decent. The low end is better represented than I ever would have expected, but clearly they are not going to replace your favorite over the ear headphones. But being wirelessly connected to your device gives you a lot more freedom. I lost count of the number of times my wired earbuds hooked the corner of my desk or the handle of the weed whacker and got ripped out of my ears. The convenience trumps sound quality for me in those situations.

A word of caution here though: I’ve found that occasionally the Bluetooth connectivity range is severely lacking. In those cases I’ve had to carry my phone instead of keeping it in my pocket or sweatshirt pouch, or else the sound would cut out. That defeats the point of wireless headphones, freedom.

In addition  to that connectivity issue, I must address another. The Mpow Magnetos can be connected to multiple devices, but that has lead to other connection issues for me. Only one device will be selected to provide sound for media. The other will be connected for calls only. Switching between the two is not easy or consistent. I find that I have to turn off Bluetooth on one device in order to get a media connection for the other. Again the problem and the solution are not always consistent. I’m constantly trouble shooting to make them work. If I connect to both devices and then leave one behind, the earbuds will sporadically search for the device that was left behind. This produces a beep in the earbuds and an interruption of the media being played. I would go as far as to say, buy a second pair of Mpow Magnetos or forego connecting a second device.

Overall the Magnetos are a great value, they fit well and have a nice warm sound. Connectivity issues occasionally arise, especially if you decide to connect to multiple devices. The controls are nice and responsive and the magnetic backings provide functionality in addition to style. There are plenty of options at this price range, so do your homework, but the Magnetos are definitely worth considering.

Update: Now almost a year later the connectivity issues have really become the norm. I find that if there is less than a full charge that I will turn on the headphones only to find that they connect and disconnect almost immediately. This can lead to embarrasing moments where I will play music expecting for it to play through the headphones but it will come from my phone or tablet instead. Ultimately when they work, they do a nice job. But when they don’t, it can be very frustrating.