Blackloud Soundot AF1 DSP FM Headset with Mic for iOS Device with 6 Bands of EQ, 3D Sound Effects, FM Receiver, Dynamic Dual Driver Earbuds, Siri Multifunction Button, w/App for iPhone & ipad

Few electronic products I’ve purchased have given me as much pleasure and enjoyment as this combination headset-FM radio-audio processor.As a former broadcaster and radio engineer, I’ve always been a big fan of listening to radio over the air, for more reasons than just nostalgia. They range from the warmer, less compressed sound of FM radio broadcasts (versus their internet streams) to my preference for listening to local commercials rather than a handful of generic ones that have been inserted into an internet stream by some algorithm running on a computer in who knows where. And living in Los Angeles, the land of earthquakes and wildfires, I appreciate the fact that over-the-air radio broadcasts will be there in an emergency when collapsed cell towers, power failures and network outages will render the internet useless. The radio industry makes emergency operations a priority, but its efforts are only as good as your ability to listen to the radio.If you’ve been following the news, you know that Apple has all but officially announced that it will never provide FM reception in its iPhones. I’ve been a loyal Apple user for several decades and don’t want to make the switch to an FM-capable Android phone.Enter the AF1.It is a completely self-contained FM receiver and digital audio processor for Apple iPhones and iPads. By completely self-contained, I mean everything you need for listening to local FM stations, except the headphones (more on those later) is in that small black and red plastic enclosure that sits between the earpieces and the Lightning connector that plugs into your iPhone. Blackloud has cleverly engineered both a sensitive FM receiver and an advanced digital audio processor into a few square millimeters of space, with enough room left over for the standard +/- and function button common on wired earphones. Once you use the Soundot app (available for free from the App Store) to tune your AF1 to a local FM station, you can put your iPhone into Airplane Mode if you want. The AF1 uses the iPhone for power and for communication with the headphones, but it doesn’t use any of your phone’s data plan. Nor do you need to be connected to a WiFi network. What you have is a true, portable FM radio. Not only does the AF1 not take a bite out of your wireless data plan, it’s lighter on your iPhone battery than WiFi or 4G data transfers. In my experience, listening to a local station over the air with the AF1 uses about 25%-50% of the battery I’d use if I listened to the same station’s internet stream.As a radio geek I couldn’t resist putting the AF1 through some tests in locations in and around Los Angeles and in parts of Orange County about 50 miles to the south. Here’s what I found:• The AF1 is nearly as sensitive as my car radio and more sensitive than a couple of clock radios I have in the house (by which I mean the AF1 receives signals the clock radios don’t). This is important because the AF1 is operating under the worst reception conditions an engineer can imagine. First, the antenna is in the cord that connects the AF1 to your iPhone or iPad. It’s length is a compromise between the right electrical length for maximum reception and a length that would be too long or too short for comfort and convenience. Second, the antenna is almost always in close proximity to your body. If the radio signal were water, your body would be a sponge, and the part of the signal it absorbs doesn’t do the AF1 any good. Third, if you’re on the move, the signal strength is constantly changing as the radio signal navigates around buildings, trees, hills and other obstructions. Even with all that working against it, I’ve almost always been able to receive local FM stations with what’s called “full quieting,” that is, without any crackling or hissing. There are exceptions, but most of those are lower-power public radio stations;• The AF1 sounds great. The headset is engineered to deliver sound equal to or better than some of the top earbuds/earphones I’ve used on my iPhone over the years. I usually listen to the radio from 1 to 3 hours a day and I’ve yet to encounter any audio fatigue;• The built-in digital audio processing chip means business. Along with a generous number of presets you can create your own equalization (EQ) settings, manipulate the bass and treble, emphasize mid-range frequencies to make vocalists stand out and add a 3D depth to the sound. These features are accessed via the free Soundot app, but the settings themselves are stored in the AF1. That means if you move your AF1 from your iPhone to your iPad, the settings move along with it. And, yes, those settings remain even if you use the AF1 to listen to music or podcasts. (Just remember, the AF1 settings are in addition to any EQ you might have set in your music or podcast player.) It’s a nice touch;• You tune the AF1 through the Soundot app as well. There’s a large, thumbwheel interface for finding your station, a skip forward/back feature, stereo/mono and signal strength indicators and 12 station preset buttons (more than enough for a large market like L.A.);• The app is capable of decoding and displaying what’s called the RDS (or RDBS) information transmitted by most FM stations. That’s the data that shows the name of the station, the station’s slogan and what’s currently being broadcast (song name, guest name, show name and so forth).There are some drawbacks to the AF1. Some of them are inherent in FM broadcasting and others are a result of engineering choices. Here’s my two cents:• If you listen to the radio as you walk or move around you may notice the signal drop out every now and again. This is not an AF1 flaw. It’s a problem all FM radio designers face, especially when designing receivers that users carry on their persons. If you must have pristine audio at all times, and moving your iPhone from one pocket to another isn’t an option, listen to internet streams and take the hit on your data plan;• The stereo/mono indicator is only accurate when the FM signal is strong. When it’s not, the indicator reads “Mono” even while your ears tell you a different story. I’ve discussed this with Blackloud and they’ve come up with a fix that makes the indicator more reliable with weaker signals. But depending upon where you are relative to the station’s antenna — and the station’s signal strength — you may find the indicator stuck on Mono. It’s a cosmetic problem. The audio will still sound crisp and clear. Trust your ears on this one;• Along the same lines, the RDBS data needs a strong signal, too, but not nearly as strong as the stereo/mono indicator. I’d say that for about 90% of the stations I tuned to, the RDBS information showed up within about a minute (maybe two). This is a byproduct of the RDBS specifications. Without going full geek, the decoding process uses a series of complicated steps, any one of which can fail if the signal strength dips at the wrong moment, which forces the receiver to start decoding all over again. As I mentioned, if you’re walking or moving around there’s a better chance that the decoding process, especially on weaker signals, will take a hit at the wrong time. Again, if you can’t live without the song/show/guest name information, listen to the internet stream.The bottom line is that local radio stations go to great lengths to deliver locally-focused content that’s meant to be heard over the air. For the now infamous “cost of a few lattes” you can enjoy radio the way it’s meant to be heard while saving your wireless data and extending your iOS device’s battery life. And, who knows. If you keep an AF1 in your home emergency kit, it might just help save your life.(Full Disclosure: I served as a volunteer beta tester for the most recent versions of the Soundot app, after I purchased the AF1. I was not compensated for my efforts, and my work with Blackloud did not influence my review.)

This might be considered a bit nit-picky but I find the lump on the cord a tad heavy. They could really benefit from including a clip on the cord just below the lump, that you clip on your clothes. This also helps to eliminate noise from the cables rubbing against clothing and takes the strain off the thing trying to pull out of your ears.Another small thing: the very first time I took it out, it worked fine for a few seconds and then I just heard a loud digital buzz which wouldn't go away until I unplugged it and started again. This happened twice and I was full of regret. It turns out the problem was dirt in the lightning connector. You can easily clean it out with a paperclip and everything is fine now.Otherwise, the sound quality is excellent and I'm very happy with the product and would recommend it.

Got this product because I was sick of listening to all my radio stations through streaming. It is especially annoying if I wanted to try to call in to the radio show or something. I would have just been happy with being able to have live radio with portability for whenever I am out or even at home. This had PERFECT sound. I got so many radio stations in that sounded like I was listening to a song downloaded on iTunes. The wire has the controls on it, but you don't even have to use them. It is all controlled through their "SOUNDOT" app. This exceeded my expectations so much I bought another one two days later for my friend. Very impressive!!!

I got these for my partner who works from home. They use an iPhone SE with bluetooth headphones to make conference calls, client calls, and personal calls. They also love listening to Podcasts and the radio during free time. So they go through ear buds constantly from frequent use. These earbuds are very comfortable, not itchy at all. Sound quality in the headset and microphone is clear and crisp. We have a toddler who has gotten hold of these and they survived being chewed and slobbered on, so I'd say they're pretty durable as well."UPDATE* Only a couple months of great use from these, the cord completely snapped off while routinely winding it up to put away in storage. The electrical wires just completely frayed to a point of breaking.

If there is a pause in the audio such as a talk station, the audio is sucked up and very loud when it returns.....very loud for a split second before going to normal level.....receiving only in mono.....I know there is plenty of signal strength to make the stereo work.....RDS does not work....an email to to the company confirmed they are having a problem with the RDS operating correctly.....I'd wait until they have their bugs worked out before dishing out the money.

This item turns your iPhone or iPad into an FM receiver. Simply download the free app, plug in the phones using the Lightning port on your device, set up your favorite FM stations and your favorite EQ settings and you can listen to FM over-the-air broadcasts of your favorite FM radio stations near you. This is not a streaming device, it's an FM chip tuner in the earbud line. If you don't have a radio nearby but have your IOS device and these phones, now you do!

I received a set of these as a gift last December. A few months ago the right ear stopped working. These earbuds supposedly have a one year warranty. I tried to contact Blackloud twice now and they totally blew me off. The phone number on the box and on their website belongs to some poor guy who was clueless. I emailed them twice now with no response. While this is a nice product when it works, their customer service is about the worst I have ever seen. These were expensive and now they go in the garbage. Thanks a lot Blackloud Inc. I actually sell equipment to radio stations for a living and will pass the word along for my own customers to stay away.Ric GApex, NC USA

Audio equalization and effects a bit hard to use. Needs some greater instruction explanation. Delay in changes taking effect after changing controls is a bit problematic, otherwise a perfect and needed device.