Polk Sound’s most recent expansion to the super-immersed market of over-ear headphones, the Buckle, may seem like an explorer-themed return to the times of our progenitors, however, they’re really one more contribution to the organization’s Heritage Collection. The series of stripped-down items outlines Polk’s determined focus on provincial style with a minimalistic tweak. The Buckle appears to live into their name elaborately, waving a sheath of worn leather across the headband, a muffled variety plan, and thick cuts of matte-finished metal.
On Polk’s site, the Buckle is outlined close to a whiskey flask, a visa, and, surprisingly, a compass on a leather wire, looking prepared to go with you on some TinTin-esque steamship experience. Be that as it may, the $200 ‘telephones likewise brag a few current comforts, including a creative iOS control situation and receiver incorporated squarely into the casing. We as of late took the Buckle on our own experience, finding in the process exactly the way in which well they fared while going past the tasteful scene, and into this present reality of modern audio.
What to expect out of the box
The unboxing experience you get from the Buckle falls to some degree clumsily between premium and budget-friendly packaging. Opening the fake wooden box (strangely, from the base by plan) we found the earphones measured in a thin layer of biodegradable packing foam. We pulled on the ‘telephones to find minimal plastic bonds that made it somewhat of a task to eliminate them.
Once delivered, we found piles of delicate white leather along the inside, conveying that new-earphone smell. The headband’s outside was likewise leather-clad, this time with a finished layer of brown. At the ends of the band, our fingers met weighty measure metal arms, supporting turtle-shell style ear cups put off at a point. Dissimilar to numerous new earphones we assess, we were somewhat astounded to find that Buckle’s ear cups don’t fall internal for more compact travel.
Likewise in the container was a little assortment of accessories including a felt handbag, a removable brown headphone cable, a gold ¼-inch connector, and a parcel of instructional material.
Design and Features
While the Buckle arrives in more exemplary colors of dark on silver, our brown and white rendition offers somewhat more character, marginally suggestive of a couple of Doc Martins – whether that is something worth being thankful for involves taste, however, we lean toward a more customary look. The development feels pretty strong generally speaking, particularly with those thick hunks of metal, yet the top-notch feel is marginally hindered by the plastic on the outside of the earcups, which feels somewhat modest.
The ear cups are mounted to the headband’s metal arms along turning vertices, which hesitantly permit the cups to move 360 degrees along their calculated roost. Inside each cup is a weighty layer of cushioning, enclosing dark screens that cover the Buckle’s 40mm unique drivers. The drivers have a 24 Ohm impedance level, with a noteworthy guaranteed recurrence scope of 10Hz to 21.5kHz. Remember that lower boundary for the performance section later.
The Buckle’s most novel component is its inherent iOS control dial and receiver. The framework is implanted in the metal arm that holds the right earpiece, and functions admirably – when you quit attempting to situate in on the genuine ear cup, that is. The dial goes all over against slight obstruction for steady volume control, and clicking it permits you to play/stop, answer calls, and explore to and fro between melodies in the run-of-the-mill iOS style. The pinpoint microphone sits at the lower part of the arm, close to a 2.5mm earphone cable input.
Comfort
The Buckle holds in genuinely well-overstretched usage periods because of the extravagant cushioning along the ear cups. Having said that, we found the clamping pressure a smidgen tight for our taste. We likewise wound just a tad seriously cushioning up top during our longest listening meetings.
Audio performance
Setting off Buckle’s cautiously created stylish is a similarly adapted sound signature. The recurrence reaction is profoundly etched, sanding down the high pitch to a smooth, dull completion, and emphasizing the bass and lower midrange frequencies to make a dim and chocolatey tone. All things considered, the Buckle likewise leaves a ton of space for instrumental detail, particularly outstanding in the perimeters of the stereo channels, furnishing a lot of punch with no audible distortion.
In the present Beats-driven earphone market, it’s not shocking that the Buckle focuses on the bass. These children moved toward the profound layers with some great authority during our assessment. Nonetheless, the lower frequencies were taken care of well, with a full yet unbending reaction that carried a welcome gravity to hip-jump and electronic tracks.
In spite of the Buckle’s focus below, and to our enjoyment, there were a couple of seconds where we thought the low end was exaggerated. The Buckle dealt with one of our go-to test tracks, Nickel Creek’s “Reasons Why,” with prudent conveyance of the weighty stand-up bass, which can go crazy rapidly on earphones with unfortunate equilibrium.
In the rebellion of their exceptionally rolled-off high-pitch reaction, the telephones likewise conveyed string clicks from the tune’s mandolin and acoustic guitar with a sweet, brilliant touch, uncovering the attacks of the instruments from the hazier layers of the sound like relics on an archeological dig.
In any case, forgetting about those issues, we were constantly dazzled with the Buckle’s rich and adaptable variety range, diving into the more profound marrow of sawtooth synthesizers, creating point-by-point pictures of full percussion hits, and reproducing the bronzed tones of electric guitars with great definition. For $200, there’s a ton to like about this sound mark.
Highs
- Strong, distortion-free sound
- Rich, obvious midrange
- Heavy-hitting bass
- Underlying iOS control
- Extraordinary worth
Lows
- Absence of presence/energy in treble
- Imaging is somewhat murky in the center
Cord and Jack Review
The cable is included novel, tangle-safe material. Hence, there is a compelling reason should be worried about your earphone rope becoming messed up in itself.
Albeit the jack is 2.5mm (1/8″), it is deplorably not a 3.5mm (1/8″) jack.
At the point when you don’t have an augmentation lead or adaptor on board, this demonstrates. From that point onward, you’ll either be expected to get one. On the other hand, attempt one of the small wires with buttons on the two closures. Almost imperceptible, the inherent microphone is a minuscule pinhole contiguous to the connector jack. At the point when I utilized it, the sound was coming through distinctly, and it was very responsive.
The earphone side jack, sadly, is frail. It turned out to be free following my two months of over-the-top use.
Because of the conspicuous issue with the cord length, my desktop could cater to a space of around an inch and a half between both itself and where my headsets are set. Clients view, my work area has an extendable position that permits me to draw nearer to or farther away from my PC’s surface using.
Hence, this wire association issue will turn into a genuine issue for anybody on the off chance that you are involving any sort of work area setup in which you maintain that the PC should be far enough out from your skull than it appears.
Conclusion
Coordinating laidback style and sound with rich definition and a lot of influence, the Buckle is a welcome expansion to the mid-level over-ear headphone sort. We think their $250 recommended MSRP is a bit high, yet at their ongoing web-based cost of $200, Polk Audio’s Buckle is a captivating decision in an exceptionally serious commercial center.
