Launched in India last month, the Boult Curve Max neckband is currently priced at Rs 1,299. It is suited for users looking for a solid pair of headphones to listen to music without splurging extra money on a midrange TWS device. Since most midrange and flagship smartphones have completely gotten rid of the headphone jack, you’re either stuck with having to use a USB dock or going the wireless route. So, let’s take a closer at how good the Boult Curve Max neckband really is in this in-depth review.
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In This Article
Boult Curve Max Neckband review: Design
Inside the Boult Curve Max retail package, you get the neckband, two pairs of extra ear tips, a USB Type-C charging cable, a warranty card, and a user manual. The neckband is available in two colour variants – Black and Blue.
There are no curveballs in design – the Curve Max looks and feels like your traditional neckband. It has its little quirks though, the most significant one being the pill-shaped plastic panel for playback and volume controls. Typically, these controls are located on one of the bands but Boult has gone for a separate panel that dangles off the left wire. A bit extra if we’re being honest. This panel also houses the microphone and a Type-C USB port for charging.
The neckband itself is very flexible and durable. The rubberised finish feels premium and the snake skin texture provides a decent grip. The earbuds come with rubber ear hooks attached to them, offering a superior fit. If that’s not your thing, you can easily take these hooks off. Even without them, the earbuds offer a comfortable fit and don’t cause any ear fatigue even when they’ve been worn for several hours.
An IPX5 rating means that the Boult Curve Max is immune to sweat and light rainfall. We used this neckband while working out and they were totally unfazed even when things got sweaty. The matte-like finish on the inner panel of the earbuds ensures they don’t slip out when you’re sweaty.
Boult Curve Max Neckband review: Performance
Delivering the thumping audio on the Boult Curve Max neckband are a pair of 13mm dynamic drivers. After connecting it to our smartphone, we were able to use it within a 10m range. This is pretty standard for neckbands in this price category. The Curve Max can connect with two devices at once, which is a very welcome feature. However, magnetically snapping the two earbuds into a locked position does not turn them off.
As is the case with most entry-level neckbands, the sound output here is quite bass-heavy. The mid and high-range frequencies suffer as a result, not being perfectly integrated into the mix. We felt this divide more than ever on lo-fi recordings, where the low end was overblown and shrouding out the other frequencies. There are no other sound profiles on offer, so you’re going to be stuck with the default one. A more balanced soundstage would have been ideal.
On the bright side, if you’re someone who enjoys your mixes with a boosted bass, these earbuds may be the pair you’re looking for. The neckband does a good job of preserving the audio quality in higher volumes, so you can crank it all the way up without worrying too much about it.
There is a handy ‘gaming mode’ on offer, which gets triggered by pressing the action button four times. The latency drops down to 50ms in this mode. We played Call of Duty Mobile with the Curve Max on, and it was a pleasant experience. The game audio was perfectly in sync with the graphics on the screen throughout the gaming session. No a lot of neckbands under Rs 2,000 can boast of that.
The Boult Curve Max delivers a rock-solid calling experience as well. With ENC onboard, the neckband is able to extract the caller’s voice from the surrounding noise and relay it to the receiver quite well. We used it for cellular calls as well as video calls over the internet and there were no hiccups in call quality. We even took it outdoors and were impressed with how it performed amidst noisier conditions.
We used the Boult Curve Max for a week with a daily usage of around 4-5 hours. This included listening to music, gaming, calling, and watching video content. After a week, the neckband was left with more than 50% charge, which is simply amazing. Boult claims that the Curve Max offers a playtime of 100 hours on a full charge. Plugging it into a Type-C charging cable for 10 minutes gives you a playtime of 24 hours.
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Verdict
At Rs 1,299 the Boult Curve Max is a decent buy in our books. It is definitely more suited for bass heads, something that Boult wears on its sleeve. Features like multi-point connectivity and a dedicated gaming mode bump the Curve Max’s value among its peers. Also impressive is the calling experience provided by the Curve Max, along with its long-lasting battery life. Our only complaint would be the lack of balance and neutrality in the soundstage, but it stands in direct contradiction with the niche that the neckband is catering to.
Boult Curve Max Neckband: Pros
- Incredible battery life
- Comfortable fit
- Multi-point connectivity
- Clutch gaming mode
Boult Curve Max Neckband: Cons
- Bass-heavy soundstage
