These $300 Swarovski Earbuds Aren't My Style, But Their Sound Quality Has Me Hooked

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• These Moto Buds Loop earbuds are avaialble now connected Amazon for $300.
• With plentifulness of bling factor, these earbuds don't skimp connected nan sound
• You'll definately want to usage nan app and nan civilization EQ action to get nan champion sound from these earbuds.

I'll beryllium honest: erstwhile I first opened nan container containing nan Moto Buds Loop pinch Crystals by Swarovski®, I laughed. Why would anyone want earbuds (especially those designed for progressive lifestyles) that are encrusted pinch crystals?

Also: One of nan champion brace of earbuds pinch high-quality sound I've tested are conscionable $70

But past I considered that location are plentifulness of group who would emotion to person a brace of earbuds pinch a spot of panache. After all, considering that truthful galore earbuds connected nan marketplace look nan same, why not?

Is it a trading gimmick? Probably. Do they look fancy? Yes. How do they sound? That's nan rub.

My experience

I want to lead disconnected pinch nan value of these earbuds, which is presently $300 connected Amazon. I'm definite that value is because of nan bling, but you cannot discount that nan sound connected these earbuds was created by Bose.

Also: The champion earbuds: Expert tested and reviewed

Before you opportunity anything, I'm not nan biggest instrumentality of Bose. Back erstwhile I was an audio installer, we had a saying that went, "No highs, nary lows, it must beryllium Bose." Since then, Bose has travel a agelong way, but nary matter really acold precocious they get, nan Bose sound is distinct. To galore audiophiles, nan Bose sound is overly processed, which intends nan euphony won't sound axenic aliases arsenic nan artists intended it to sound.

That's not always a bad thing, but if you want accuracy, you want a sound that is not heavy processed.

The Moto Buds app should beryllium considered a must.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

Right retired of nan gate, location was a firmware update, which you tin woody pinch via nan Moto Buds mobile app for Android. At nan clip of this writing, location is nary Moto Buds app for iOS. The firmware update completed very quickly, and I was fresh to spell backmost to nan app and spot what I could do.

Within nan app EQ section, you get 4 preset options: Brilliant Treble, Bass Boost, Vocal Boost, and Flat. Sadly, these presets aren't very bully (the Brilliant Treble lacks bass, nan Bass Boost lacks treble, nan Vocal Boost is excessively midrange heavy, and nan level lacks dynamics). 

Also: I did not expect this portable Marshall speaker to hit retired my Bose and JBL for illustration this

The only measurement to spell is nan Custom route, which offers a 10-band EQ, truthful you tin get reasonably granular pinch your sound. I tweaked nan civilization EQ action for my modular curve and deed play connected 1 of my Spotify playlists. 

Even pinch nan civilization EQ, I felt nan sound lacked a spot of dynamics and nan soundstage was a spot excessively narrow, truthful I decided to spot what Gaming Mode would do. 

That was nan saccharine spot.

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

I assumed Gaming mode would only optimize nan latency of nan earbuds, but I was wrong. Switching connected Gaming mode gave nan earbuds a spot much depth, and nan highs and lows were much progressive and somewhat much accurate. 

One portion of euphony successful my moving playlist is "Fall For Me," by Sleep Token. This is simply a (mostly) vocal-only track, pinch each sorts of effects added to Vessel's voice. I recovered nan Moto Buds Loop earbuds highlighted nan sound rather good and produced a really bully soundstage to thief abstracted nan different effects of nan voice. That typical opus was rather beautiful done these earbuds.

Also: 5 elemental ways to dramatically amended your soundbar's audio (and for free)

Next up was "Chemistry" by Rush. I've heard this way sound considerably amended connected different earbuds (especially nan Denon PerL Pros). Most Rush songs spot a beautiful precocious request connected nan debased extremity (thanks to 1 of nan top bassists of each time, Geddy Lee). 

The Moto Buds Loop earbuds handled nan opus well, but could person utilized a spot much separation successful nan debased extremity to amended separate nan bass guitar from nan bass drum astatine times. It surely wasn't muddy astatine nan bottom, but it could person utilized a spot much clarity.

That's not to opportunity each way suffered from a spot of muddy bottom. In fact, astir tracks came disconnected rather good pinch respect to bass. There's a peculiar opus I for illustration to perceive to erstwhile trying to trial nan debased extremity of earbuds and headphones, and that's Tricycle, by Flim & The BBs. 

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

This opus was besides utilized by nan audio engineers I worked pinch erstwhile I was installing sound systems. The bass statement is very active, and nan bass drum conscionable nan correct magnitude of punchy. If a brace of earbuds tin propulsion this tune disconnected well, past they get my stamp of approval.

Also: One of nan astir immersive headphones I've listened to isn't made by Sonos aliases JBL

To my surprise, nan Moto Buds Loop earbuds presented Tricycle rather well, pinch a soft debased end, crisp highs, and nan correct magnitude of midrange. On apical of that, these crystal-encrusted earbuds gave nan opus a reasonably wide soundstage, truthful each of nan instruments had its ain abstraction and ne'er erstwhile blended together successful nan incorrect ways.

ZDNET buying advice

You person to person nan correct style to propulsion these earbuds off. I mean, they person Swarovski crystals, which make them look much for illustration earrings than earbuds. But if you hap to for illustration nan look, you'll besides bask nan sound nan Moto Buds Loop earbuds produce.

If bling is your thing, I would highly urge these earbuds. Not only will they impressment others, they'll impressment you.

The specs

• Open receptor design.
• Bose exertion for enhanced audio value and balance. 
• 12mm Drivers.
• Dual Microphones pinch CrystalTalk AI.. 
• Supports spatial audio for a much immersive listening experience 
• Smart Connect.
• Water-Repellent Design.
• Battery Life: Up to 8 hours of playtime connected a azygous complaint (the charging lawsuit provides an further 37 hours).

Also: How we trial headphones and earbuds