Scosche RS1060 Bluetooth Stereo Headphones Review

Introduction:

Media centric Bluetooth headphones have become all the rage, especially when companies like Beats Audio garner a lot of advertising dollars into marketing its portfolio. We’ve seen both the good and bad in the space, but it’s the first time we’re seeing something from accessory maker Scosche – the RS1060 Bluetooth Stereo Headphones to be exact. Yes, we know it’s an uninspiring name to say the least, but it’s not something we’ll hark upon meticulously from this point on, since you know, it’s all about the performance that matters the most in the end.

Design & Comfort:

Well, the Scosche RS1060 surely fooled us, as it seemed pretty sweet looking inside of it packaging. Just staring at the thing, it led us believe it was going to be a serious pair of over-the-ear styled headphones, but sadly, its inferior plastic construction makes it feel simply cheap in the end. At first glance, the design appears imposing from all angles, seeing that its ear cups are so massive looking. However, the glossy plastic tends to get dirty very quickly – thus, turning its once shiny façade into a magnet for smudges and fingerprints. Indeed, we appreciate the collapsible aspect of the design, but the hinges feel a bit on the brittle side, which doesn’t necessarily help with its already shaky construction.

Despite the cheapish feel of the Scosche RS1060, we’ll mention that it’s super comfy to wear over our head. Adding plenty of support thanks to the viscoelastic memory foam and genuine leather material, there’s an ample amount of cushioning found below the headband and around each ear cup to make it feel snug when worn. Even better, the 2-axis gimbal system incorporated into each ear cup enables it to adjust properly to accommodate our ears. Finally, when it’s worn, it does a decent job of reducing background noise – albeit, it’s not technically noise-cancelling.


Along the outer section of the left ear cup, there’s just a single dedicated power button that’s used to turn it on/off and put it into pairing mode. Meanwhile, all of its other controls are found on the right ear cup – these consists of separate buttons for volume up, volume down, and pause/play. With the latter, it’s actually a multi-functional button that can also pickup/reject phone calls, and act as forward/reverse functions by double/triple pressing on it. Perhaps, it would’ve been a better idea to have dedicated button for forward/reverse, but at least the function is available directly from the RS1060 – as opposed to strictly relying on our smartphones/devices. Finally, we find its microUSB port, LED light, and microphone outlining the bottom edge of the right ear cup. Aside from going with the usual wireless Bluetooth connection, we’re pumped to also find a 3.5mm port on it as well for a wired connection.

Audio and Call Quality:

We’ve checked out a few other Scosche related accessories for the site, which employed certain mobile related apps to work in conjunction with them, but with this, there’s nothing attached to it whatsoever. Ultimately, we’re just left to simply pair it to our smartphones – and in this case, they include the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S4. Whereas most Bluetooth headsets offer some sort of voice guide assistance with the setup, the Scosche RS1060 doesn’t have anything remotely close to it, so we’re left to merely read the instruction booklet. No biggie though, it’s able to maintain connectivity to our devices up to 30 feet away!

Taking into consideration its size and whatnot, we were expecting to hear something grand and thumping with its audio quality. Unfortunately, it’s more underwhelming than anything else with its 40mm REALM drivers, which is a bummer when we factor in its price point and towering figure. To be more specific, we do appreciate the strong volume output, but it’s lacking the supplemental booming bass tones that would shake us to the core – it’s more subdued quite honestly. In addition, there’s some pitchiness with its quality at the loudest volume setting, which tends to make it sound rather glaring to the ear. Still, the most optimal experience is found when it’s positioned to the middle volume setting.

Call quality is only tolerable if you’re in a quiet environment, seeing that its built-in microphone picks up everything – and we mean everything! Plus, don’t bother trying to use it on the car with the windows down, since it doesn’t feature noise-cancellation technology. If there’s one bright spot in this category, it’s that the volume output is undeniably substantial enough to discern voices – though, there’s some noticeable distortion with them.

Battery Life:

Thanks to its rechargeable battery, it’s rated to provide 8 hours of usage from a full charge, which is in line to the industry standard with most Bluetooth headphones in its class. However, we imagine that it can be used longer if you opt to go with a wired connection on some occasions.

Conclusion:

In the end, there isn’t anything polarizing or noteworthy about the Scosche RS1060 Bluetooth Stereo Headphones. And in fact, they’re nothing more than mediocre at best, which doesn’t bode too well for it when it needs to make a splash in this particular segment of the market. Making it an even tougher sell, the $200 price attached to the Scosche RS1060 wouldn’t help to steer us towards its grasp, seeing that its construction doesn’t merit enough qualities to make it feel like a premium pair of headphone – plus its audio quality and features set are lacking. Being average isn’t going to help, especially when average tends to be overlooked in this day and age.

Scosche RS1060 Video Review: