Tarbull MusicMate 550 Wireless Earphone Review: With in-built 1001 Songs

Check out the Tarbull MusicMate 550 earphone review, budget-friendly neckband earbuds with preloaded 1001 Songs, Mic, Virtual Assistant, USB Type C, and more…

The neck-mounted Bluetooth headset is different from the true wireless Bluetooth headset that is often seen. It has a strap behind the neck and connects the left and right earpieces. Neck-mounted Bluetooth headsets can be subdivided into two different styles according to the way the earpiece is worn: in-ear neck-hanging and ear-hanging neck-hanging. The former earplugs go deep into the ear canal and fit tightly; the latter has extended hooks to ensure that the earphones will not fall during exercise.

Well, here today we have in-ear neckband earphones from Tarbull, a relatively new player but with innovative ideas that can be seen in its product MusicMate 550. It is the earphone with preloaded music files, yes, one of the highlighted features of Tarball MusciMate 550 is its in-built 1001 songs.

However, without any doubt, stored music is an extra benefit in Tarbull while choosing a neckband earphone, yet, design, battery backup including other things are also needed to be considered before making a final decision. And that we discuss in this Tarbull MusicMate 550 review.

Tarbull MusicMate 550 Review

Specification

• Special Feature: 1001 Preloaded Songs – powered by Sony Music, 3D Audio with Bass Booster Mode, Fast Charging, Lightweight, Vibration Alert for Incoming Calls, Voice Assistant, Magnetic Earbuds.
• Controls supported on: Android Phone Control, iOS Phone Control
• Backup: Upto 35 Hrs Playtime
• Bluetooth 5.0
• IPX5 water resistance
• Item Weight: ‎33 g
• Product Dimensions: ‎41 x 13 x 1.5 cm
• 10mm Drivers
• Inside the box: Bluetooth Neckband, Charging Cable, 2x Extra Eartips, User Manual, Feedback Card

How Comfortable Tarbull MusicMate 550 Design Is?

Tarbull MusicMate 550 design-wise is not something you have not seen ever before, it dons a usual neckband wireless earphone design but with great durability. The flexible neckband of earphones on both ends has plastic brackets- the right side one packs with USB-C charging port, buttons to control music & turn ON or Off earphone, whereas the left side one, holds the in-built battery while having a Tarbull branding.

The neckband extends further using flat rubberized wires to attach earphone drivers/earbuds. This design gives stability to earphones, in case someone wants to use them while performing some activity.

The tapered design of the metallic earbuds’ audio output nozzle makes them easily snuggle into the ear canals and sit there without keep getting pop-out even doing the workout. Yes, one must use the silicon Eartips according to his/her ears.

Further, the earbuds’ end tips are magnetic which lock together to hold & let hang the earphones around the neck. However, unlike a few other brands, locking will not pause music or shut down the earphones.

In terms of comfortability, the neckband is flexible and can be worn for hours without any discomfort. Even the earbuds don’t make itching or pain in the ears.

 

Does the sound quality meet your preferences?

As a pair of “earphones”, good sound quality is the basic equipment, and different use methods have different requirements for sound quality:

If you often listen to Podcasts and audiobooks: the mid-frequency is prominent and the sound is clear. Whereas in heavy bass and dance music it doesn’t lack good bass at all, thanks to the Bass booster feature;  however sometimes it feels slightly flat, otherwise, no complaint at this price. Summing up, it has good bass but great treble, clear, and loud sound production.

Coming to Mic which is the most important part, I was impressed with that. During calls, it works great, the next person on call will have a clear sound. Although, the earphone doesn’t feature an active noise cancellation anyhow clarity of the mic will easily compensate for that to some extent.

Vibration Alert for Incoming Calls and Voice Assistant are some other notable features of Tarbull MusicMate 550.

Don’t have an internet connection? Try Tarbull in-built songs.

Yes, this is the scenario where the in-built songs of the Tarbull MusicMate 550 prove a great delight. The collection has different varieties from Romantic Hits, Soulful Melodies, Down Memory lane, Party hits, Ghazals to Devotional; all are there. So, one would hardly feel bored.

The best part is the user can jump from one song genre to another by double-pressing the Volume + key. 

Whereas the downside is you cannot jump to your favorite song track. Furthermore, after some time, if you want to delete old songs and store new ones in the internal memory then that is not an option. Hence, overall you have to stick to what is there and need to keep pressing the “Next” control button until you reached the track that you like in the pre-stored library.

Suggestion: If Tarbull has given some app that could manage the in-built playlist, at least, then it will be icing on the cake.

 

Is the Tarbull MusicMate 550 battery life sufficient?

Yes, absolutely. The one who is planning to buy Tarbull MusicMate 550 can rely on the battery, without any doubt. In our testing, we roughly use the Musimate550 for 5 to 6 hours a day up to 4 days. Although the company claims 35 hours, it can easily give you 30 hours less or more depending upon how loud you are listing to music. The battery backup is enough even for professional music lovers.

Hence, the longer the battery life, the less frequently the battery will run out of power halfway through use. Talking about charging, it has USB Type – C, which is common among all smartphones, therefore your phone charger can be used to power up the earphones as well. No need to carry any extra cable. Above that fast charging is there to instantly get some battery juice.

 

Should you buy Tarbull MusicMate 550 or not?

Now, that is the key question people would be looking for in this review. Going through its current price on Amazon.in that is INR 1,599; Yes one should. Now, why? The first reason is that you are getting 1001 free songs in the earphones’ built-in memory, segregated in the different playlists. Next, good audio and call quality with great battery backup and water-resistant features. Those who are looking for all these things can surely buy MusicMate.

Whereas, if you are looking for a slim design with noise cancellation then look for other options, however, you have to compromise on battery backup in such earphones.

Overall, Tarbull MusicMate 550 is a good choice to buy during this festive season and has the potential to give competition to homegrown audio brands in the neckband earphones category such as boAt.

Pros

• Great bass and clear & loud sound/vocals
• Battery backup
• In-built Songs with the divided music category
• Fast charging
• Water-resistant
• Long Wires to use the earphones comfortably

Cons:

• In-built Storage cannot be overwritten
• Slightly hefty design
• Noise Cancellation is not there
• Earbuds magnetic lock doesn’t pause music or switch Off earphones

 

Additional information 

The benefits of having a neck-mounted Bluetooth headset

Headphones are not easy to lose

Since the neckband is physically connected to the left and right earpieces, even if the neckband Bluetooth headset is loose during exercise, it is less likely to be lost than true wireless Bluetooth earbuds.

Less pressure on the head and ears

Neckband earphones are much more comfortable than headphones. They don’t put pressure on the head and ears, and they remain stable at all times. If you tend to wear headphones for long periods, Bluetooth headsets may make you uncomfortable, but neck-mounted headphones can eliminate any unnecessary stress and provide comfort. In addition, the style of this headset is relatively light. After wearing it for a long time, the ears will not feel tired and troubled.

Easy to use

The neck-mounted Bluetooth headset is easy to use and can be placed around the neck when not in use. Many brands will have a magnetic design like Tarbull, two earpieces can be attached, not only will not entangle or hinder activities but also achieve the effect of power-saving. In addition, place the buttons where they can be easily touched, without the need for laboriously winding wires.

The price is more affordable than other types of Bluetooth headsets of the same level

Neck-mounted Bluetooth headsets are also more affordable than some true wireless Bluetooth headsets of the same quality, and there is no loss in sound quality or durability when choosing a more affordable neck-mounted headset.