PLAYGO N23 review: Wireless earphones with decent battery, audio output

Wireless earphones are all the rage these days, and PLAY, a Delhi-based start-up is also getting a piece of  the action with the launch of its own wireless neckband earphones -- PLAYGO N23. We used the earphones and here's our view on it. 

Design

PLAYGO N23 has a pretty standard design for wireless earphones with its rubber-esque plastic body and matt finishing. The upper body is elastic and feels durable. The lower end, though, feels a bit suspect, but we had no problems throughout the duration of our review. The earbuds are inclined in relation to the translucent back-case, whise metallic finish gives the earphones a better fit.

The back case has magnetic ends that you can use to keep the earphones dangling safely when not in use. The batteries are stored in two wide-bodied capsules with a glossy finish. And then you have your section with options to control volume and a multi-purpose button to receive and reject calls, play and pause music, and other functions. It has an integrated Voice APK for Siri, Google Assistant and Alexa, so you can easily access these services via the earphones once its paired with your phone. 

Overall, the build quality is good, and at 28 g, it's fairly lightweight so you will have no problem carrying it around with the earphones resting on your neck.

Performance

PLAYGO N23 packs in dual 6mm drivers. The sound quality is crisp and clear. Vocals are loud and treble output is good. However, the bass on the earphones is not up to the mark and PLAY can definitely make some improvements here. Otherwise, the distortion is minimum and the noise cancellation on the earphones is also fairly noticeable. Instrument separation is also distinguishable in the earphones. Even the mike quality during phone conversations is clear enough. The earphones have Bluetooth 5.0 with a range of 10 meter and also have automatic connectivity once paired with a device. 

Battery

In terms of battery, PLAY claims its dual-battery design can churn up to 20 hours of playtime on a single charge. We could reach around 16 hours easily on a single charge that takes around two hours. The battery backup is therefore more than satisfactory.

Verdict

Priced at Rs 3,499 (Rs 1,799 for now), PLAYGO is a standard-looking set of wireless earphones with great battery back-up and overall good sound quality. The eventual bump up in price may dissuade a few takers, but otherwise it's a fine set of earplugs which people looking for options in budget wireless earphones should definitely check out.