When it comes to outright sound quality, wires will still deliver more than Bluetooth. There are times you have to have a cable, but plenty of times you want the freedom of wireless cans.
The BN15 by British brand Betron is a low-cost set of on-ear Bluetooth headphones that while far from perfect, deliver a stellar experience given their price.
Visually the BN15 headphones are fairly understated, coming in a plain black finish all over, aside from the ear cups where you'll find some silver to break it up. They're pretty standard for on-ear headphones, and while the ear pads aren't pricey memory foam, they're still nice and comfy.
The one area Betron should have done better is with the headband. There is absolutely no padding here at all, just the soft touch outer finish around the metal core. Thankfully, these headphone are so light I didn't end up with the band resting against my head and causing discomfort, but still, some padding would have been appreciated.
But throw it in with a fairly 'shallow' design, and it leaves you with an unusual position on your head to get comfortable. I found myself wearing the BN15s further back on my head than I would any other pair of on-ear 'phones. Even so, they're not really for long listening sessions without a break. Your ears will get uncomfortable after a while (as isn't atypical for on-ear headphones).
On the headphones themselves you'll find some basic controls: adjusting volume, answering phone calls and play/pause, while tapping the volume buttons over holding them in will skip tracks. They're all on the right-hand cup with a small dot to help you locate them.
Charging is taken care of through microUSB and the claimed 15 hours of battery life seems pretty accurate. I've been wearing them through most of my working days and have easily got two full from them before plugging in. The Bluetooth 4.0 connection claims 33 feet of range and I've been able to happily walk around the downstairs of my house leaving my phone on my desk without interruption.
Without getting techy, what you get is a well-rounded sound that doesn't go too heavy on the bass and has good volume. Everything is clear and crisp and sounds better all around than headphones that cost plenty more. Make no mistake, they won't please the audiophiles around, but if you just want a decent sound without spending a lot, you'll get it here.
Ultimately what you get in the BN15 is a solid pair of headphones that sound great and cost an almost ridiculously cheap price. They fold up and come with a travel bag for those times you go on the road, too, which is nice.
It's a shame that the design choices, or maybe even the cost-cutting-results in something that gets uncomfortable after a while and means a perhaps unorthodox position on your head.
Is it a deal breaker? Hardly. The sound quality for the price is enough to take a punt if you're in the market for some cheap Bluetooth cans. You might want something else for a long-haul flight, but for shorter sessions, the Betron BN15 is a good choice.
Editors note: At the time of writing these headphones are out of stock, but the link above is the place to be when they return.
