Hearing Protection, Situational Awareness, And Communication Come Together In The ISOtunes UltraComm Aware
We’ve been following ISOtunes since the very beginning and its concept of blending hearing protection with audio entertainment has been a success. The ISOtunes UltraComm Aware earbuds take it to another level and we got our ears on a pair to see what it’s like to experience this culmination of technology.
ISOtunes UltraComm Aware Earbuds Basic Design
The ISOtunes UltraComm Aware stakes its claim as the world’s first Bluetooth-enabled in-ear hearing protector with a detachable boom microphone to improve call clarity in loud environments. With level-dependent Aware Technology, you can communicate face-to-face and hear other environmental sounds with the earbuds still take care of loud sounds that threaten hearing damage.
Okay, that’s a lot to digest, so let’s break it down some, starting with the design. These are first and foremost a 24 NRR hearing protection and 85 max decibel earbud combination. If you’ve used other ISOTunes products, that’s nothing new. If you haven’t, the maximum volume is very intentional to make sure you don’t violate OSHA hearing protection rules by pumping music over the threshold decibel level. This is ISOtunes’ SafeMax Technology.
There are multiple foam earpieces that come in the package, and the biggest challenge is finding the best combination. You may find more than one set that works or prefer a different one on the left vs the right. Either way, experiment to see which is the most comfortable combination over a longer period of time.
The ear hooks are removable, but we recommend keeping them on. Even though they can be a bit tricky to put on, they weigh enough that we prefer the extra support to keep them from falling out.
ISOtunes UltraComm Aware Earbuds Audio Quality
When it comes to the sound quality, the built-in audio is very good. The biggest thing we notice is that the lows don’t come through as well as models that focus solely on audio quality. Voices come through clearly and music is crisp enough to offer a genuinely enjoyable listen.
The mic quality varies significantly depending on how you’re using these. The standard mic is good in normal environments but can be tough to hear in loud ones. Mounting the boom mic takes things up a couple of levels. There’s a noticeable improvement in how well your voice comes through to the person on the other end of the phone. If your job is call-heavy, we recommend keeping that mic installed. The nice thing is that you can put it on either side and easily bend it to the shape you want.
The Aware technology is an interesting experience. As the environment quiets down, it brings up the volume and improves your situational awareness. I messed around with it a bit in our office and was surprised at how well I could hear the sound of typing and low-level conversations nearby.
When the environment noise level kicks up, like when we’re testing impact drivers, the amplification turns off, leaving you with the full 24 NRR hearing protection and whatever you’re listening to. If you work in an environment where you don’t have the luxury of tuning out the rest of the world, it’s a great way to hear what’s going on and have conversations without constantly taking your earbuds out.
Additional Highlights
- Up to 8 hours of battery life
- Up to 24 additional hours with charging case
- IP56 ingress rating for dust, sweat, and water resistance
- Bluetooth 5.2 connects devices up to 30 feet.
- Siri/Google Voice Compatible
- Automatic Power Off after 2 hours without Bluetooth connection for battery conservation
ISOtunes UltraComm Aware Earbuds Price
The retail price of the UltraComm Aware is $279.99. It comes with the earbuds, a boom mic, 7 sets of ear tips, a charging case, a USB-C charging cord, and a 1-year warranty.
The Bottom Line
ISOtunes UltraComm Aware Earbuds do their best work for people who work in environments where they need both hearing protection and situational awareness, plus the ability to be on the phone in those environments. If you don’t need the UltraComm feature for calls as much, check out other Aware-enabled ISOtunes solutions.
