Padmate PaMu Slide Mini Earphone Review: Music to Your Ears
Retail Price: $49.00
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Disclaimer: Padmate sent us the PaMu Slide Mini earphones to review but all thoughts and opinions are our own
Basics
Purchasing wireless earphones and earbuds can be a daunting experience considering the large variety of choices available on the market today. Factors like bass, battery life and price leave a lot for consumers to weigh on.
Founded in 2010, Padmate first became popular when they launched a successful Indiegogo campaign back in 2018 that resulted in more than 80,000 backers. No stranger to technology, Padmate manufacturers a variety of consumer goods including keyboards, speakers, headphones and more.
The PaMu Slide Mini comes in four colors (black, white, pink and green) and currently retails for $49. The earbuds come in a small case that doubles as a USB-C charging case with charging light indicators. The buds themselves use a Qualcomm 5.0 Bluetooth chip and come with six pairs of ear tips for sizing convenience. You also get a charging cable and carry bag to protect your earbuds while on-the-go.
Controls & Features
Connecting the earbuds is simple to do via Bluetooth connection. Despite connecting as advertised for the most part, there were occasional hiccups I experienced during my one month review period. After charging, the earpiece would sometimes forget my laptop or mobile device and I’d have to re-pair once more. I also found the Bluetooth range not as ideal as I’d like, with sound skipping in and out at times when I am still within a reasonable pairing space. As long as you are next to your device or within arm’s reach of it, the connectivity remains solid.
The buds are incredibly lightweight and have a high quality feel to them. They feature touch controls that I found to be useful and convenient. When connected, tap either side to play or pause. Two taps on the right bud skips to the next song and long press on either increases the volume. Two taps on the left bud activates the voice assistant. The only additional feature I would have liked to see was an option to skip back to the previous song.
For the $49 price point, I was very pleased with the overall sound quality on the PaMu Slide Mini. The bass was strong, but not overly done. The sound quality was balanced and mids and highs were equal which made consuming and listening to any kind of media pleasant. I used these for Zoom calls and phone calls as well and had no audio or sound quality issues. Even with some background noise, the speaker and volume was clear and focused.
One of the largest selling points Padmate makes for these earbuds is that they’re great for working out with. The buds are IPX6 water resistant and meant to fit in the ear snugly. I used them for a few virtual workouts and while the sound quality was great, I found the rubber buds to occasionally get too sweaty or wet and slip out of my ear easily. Even though I would still recommend them for general active use, I wouldn’t wear them for more intensive HIIT workouts.
Nonetheless, other features like charging the PaMu Slide Mini is convenient and impressively quick. You can simply plug the USB-Type C cable into the charging case with the buds and get a full charge in about 1.5 hours. Padmate advertises 10 hours of playtime and 10 hours of talk time, which is similar to what I experienced with my use as well. When connected, the voice indicator in the buds let you know when batteries are low and when the charging case is plugged in, an indicator light will let you know what battery level the buds are at. The charging case also has a high build quality to it and is convenient to place in a purse or gym bag.
Overall Thoughts
For $49, it’s hard to go wrong with the PaMu Slide Mini. The build quality is solid, connectivity works well for the most part and all the features that make the buds easy to use are efficient. While audiophiles may not think the sound quality is perfect, if you’re looking for an affordable and versatile set of earbuds for everyday use, look no further than the PaMu Slide Mini.
Lida
Always the number cruncher, the former narrative journalist turned data scientist, can’t help but find herself bursting with excitement with each new generation of tech gadgets. After all, predicting future trends is Lida’s forte. Any gadget that survives Lida’s torturous, adult working woman itinerary of over 700 notifications a day deserves praise!