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Hi guys! Today I'll be reviewing yet another Elysium product and this time its the Libretto Crimson Headset! What makes this wireless Hi-Fi headset special is that it implements many features! You can play audio wireless via Bluetooth or wired if preferred (comes with a modular wire is plug in/out), has built-in rechargeable battery that does not feel heavy (8 hours playback + 100 hours standby), comes with an on-board controls which you can control your music player conveniently (play, pause, skip music: next/previous, shutdown, answer call, increase/decrease volume), has a L.E.D. light that indicates whether Bluetooth is on (blue color) and red light to indicate its charging and this headset comes with built-in microphone. The SRP (Suggested Retail Price) for this headset is 300 MYR (approximately 119 SGD / 90 USD)

What types are there for Libretto? The sample review unit I have with me is the Elysium Libretto Crimson (Red). This headset has 3 colors: Red, Grey and Brown as shown in the image below. It comes with a 2-pin USB charger, audio cable with in-line microphone, headset carrying pouch, and micro USB charging cable.


Before diving into the review, let's take a tour of the features that Elysium Libretto has to offer and check out its technical specifications.


Elysium Libretto Crimson Features

1. Hi-fi headphones with wireless capabilities and built-in mic and controls.
2. Streams audio wirelessly from any bluetooth source device e.g. computer, tablet, smartphone etc.
3. Battery level indicator available on iPhone and iPad (supported in iOS 5/6)
4. Bluetooth 3.0+ EDR supports A2DP 1.2 and AVRCP 1.0
5. Includes an auxiliary (aux-in) 3.5mm audio jack for wired usage in case of low battery.
6. Brushed aluminium on-board control panel.
7. Designer high-quality leatherette headband.
8. Ultra soft and elastic Pleather cushions.
9. Airline adaptor and premium neoprene protective case included.


Elysium Libretto Specifications
1. Driver size: 40 mm
2. Frequency response: 20Hz~20KHz
3. Impedance: 32 Ω ± 15%
4. Sensitivity: 110±5dB @ 1 kHz
5. Maximum input power: 10 MW
6. Built-in AUX input: 3.5 mm stereo jack
7. Bluetooth V3.0 + EDR supports A2DP 1.2 and AVRCP 1.0
8. Wireless distance: up to 12 metres
9. Built-in rechargeable battery
10. Continuous music playback: up to 8 hours
11. Continuous talktime: up to 6 hours
12. Standby time: up to 100 hours

This post has been edited by asunakirito: Jun 14 2015, 09:24 PM

Elysium Libretto Packaging

Packaging-1: Here is the look at the front of the packaging. Minimalistic with black and red theme, showcasing the brand and product name along with a 2D diagram of the headset.


Packaging-2: On the rear, we can find a list of specifications (as shown earlier in this review) along with product feature (Designer High-Quality leatherette headband, Ultra Soft and Elastic Pleather Cushion, Brushed Aluminum On-Board Control Panel)



Elysium Libretto Design

Design-1: Let's start with the main piece of the headset. The right-side has the On-board Control Panel which allows users to turn on/off Bluetooth pairing and control speaker volume by pressing and holding it for 1-2 seconds while pressing once for either play, pause, skip forward/backward music in playlist, receive phone call.


Design-2: The internal headband comes with a thin cloth cushion. This headset is quite comfortable as its light-weight, therefore not much cushion is expected at the top inside.


Design-3: Checking out the headband on the outside, we can find the Elysium logo embedded into it.


Design-4: Here is a quick comparison of the Elysium Libretto headset with the metal band fully extended (left) and fully retracted (right).


Design-5: The headset metal band can be folded inwards to the internal side of the headband, making it much more compact and easy to be packed into your carrying pouch when not in used.


Design-6: The luxurious pleather rounded cushions measures 65mm in width and length, while the height of the cushion is 18mm. The inner square vacant area in the center of the cushion measures 25mm in width and length.


Design-7: The headset displays a red L.E.D light when its charging. It will show a fast blinking blue L.E.D light if the Bluetooth is enabled and a slower blinking blue L.E.D light if its paired up with a compatible Bluetooth device. It will show both blue and red light if the Bluetooth enabled headset is charging simultaneously.

User Experience and Verdict
In my opinion, I find that the Elysium Libretto On-Ear Headset hits spot on for in all departments starting with the comfort, audio quality and portability. It sounds quite close to my Edifier R2730DB Studio Monitor Speakers just without without the higher spectrum on the highs, mid and bass since it comes with a larger driver diameter. When this headset was compared to my Edifier H850 Over-Ear Headphones, it just blew it off the waters. The differences is night and day. The Elysium Libretto clearly produces thick rich sound quality whereas the Edifier H850 sounded airy and much lighter in the highs and mids. In terms of bass, its much prominent in the wireless headset approximately 3 times more.

The sound signature of Elysium Libretto to my ears is "warm and smooth" It emphasizes on mid-bass region generally giving them a characteristically rich, full-bodied sound. It's similar to Edifier R2730DB without the sparking treble found in Edifier H850 (V-Shape sound signature).

The microphone is okay as it's capable to pick up my voice when talking out loud. The voice can be heard clearly on the other side of the reception but not as loud compared to a dedicated mic close to one's mouth. Regarding the Bluetooth connection, it could stream the music up to 8 meters with line of sight but the distance is halved if there are obstacles between the source and headset. When listening to music on Bluetooth or wired while charging battery, I found out that the connected micro USB cable introduces a low sounding TV static noise which sounded obvious when there are no music playing from the speaker driver.

For those who are looking for a headphone with great sound quality or a simple non-clunky headset with all the conveniences that this product offers, I seriously highly recommend this headset if you have the budget. An alternative to this headset in this price range would be Philips SHB5500BK which has a similar set of features but it uses more plastic materials for its build, thinner pleather cushion and its non-foldable. For first time headphone users, I strongly advice to try the On-Ear headphone type first as its much more comfortable as it does not add pressure under the ear which might feel uncomfortable for some users who often listen to speakers instead of headphone.

Pros
1. Comfortable: The headphone is light and its supported with plushy cushion that makes it comfortable for long period of usage.
2. Speaker Audio Quality: It sound's great in the highs, mids and bass. Not ear piercing at all.
3. Portable: The size is small, headset is fold-able and weights 200 grams light with no wires attached. All this characteristics makes this headset the perfect item for people who travels frequently.
4. L.E.D. Indicator: Blue light to indicate Bluetooth and Red Light for charging. Very helpful signs to help users know about the headset status.


Cons
1. Microphone Audio Quality: It's crystal clear but sounded monotone and it does not sound as great compared to a dedicated mic that is placed close to one's mouth.
2. Battery Indicator: Lack of battery level indicator on the headset itself. However, they do provide it for iPhone and iPad (support for iOS 5 and iOS 6).


Elysium Libretto Video

Elysium Libretto Speaker Sound Test played with wired audio cable.


Special thanks to LeapFrogGlobal for providing me the opportunity to review this headset. Check out their website if you are interested in other product categories that Elysium has to offer.

Feel free to post your questions here on Elysium Libretto and I'll do my best to help you out.

This post has been edited by asunakirito: May 6 2015, 09:34 PM

wireless but HiFI? don't make me laugh
even in wired mode, rm300+ categorized as premium headset?

What price range do you consider as premium headphones?
Hi-Fi label as shown on the packaging.

Perhaps can you describe the sound signature of this headphone? Its hard to know with only 'great' to describe how it sounds

The sound signature of Elysium Libretto to my ears is "warm and smooth" It emphasises on mid-bass region generally giving them a characteristically rich, full-bodied sound. It's similar to Edifier R2730DB without the sparking treble found in Edifier H850 (V-Shape sound signature).

This post has been edited by asunakirito: May 6 2015, 09:32 PM

I am shopping for a Hi-Fi headphone (upgrade my Superlux HD661) and come across this review. I am about to decide on Xiaomi Mi Hi-Fi Headphone cost around RM320.00. Any advise from Audio guru between Elysium Libretto & Xiaomi headphone. I am more consent with the sound quality and comfort for long hours usage. Music I play is more to pop, acoustic and sentimental songs.

Xiao Mi Hi-Fi Headphone sound signature is V-shape, more emphasis on treble-bass but mids are recessed/suppressed.
Some owners who has used it for a long period of time find it a little fatiguing.

The good thing about this headphone is you can swap out the ear pads (1st: synthetic leather, 2nd: foam) with larger one (over-ear).

Mi Hi-Fi comes with a detachable cable but requires you to plug in both earcups, whereas Elysium Libretto only uses 1 side which is much more flexible (no messy cable).

Also, Xiao Mi Hi-Fi does not have wireless bluetooth (listening without the need to bring wires along) and you can't receive call and speak from your headphone compared to Libretto!

Personally, I feel the Libretto offers much more features (worth the money) compared to Xiao Mi Hi-Fi.

I might be wrong but does this headset comes without black colour? Hmmmmm...

What do you mean by black colour? Are you referring to the ear cup cushion?