British company Ashdown Engineering is renowned for its bass guitar amplifiers, which have been used by U2, The Who, Black Sabbath, Foo Fighters, and many others. However, their consumer audio line under the Ashdown Meters brand is also noteworthy, and a standout example is the Ashdown Meters Linx set of TWS earphones and Bluetooth speakers. The concept revolves around a central charging case for the TWS earphones, which also features a vintage Ashdown volume meter with real-time moving backlighting that synchronizes with the music.
Features:
LINX speakers:
- Two drivers, working via Bluetooth 5.0
- 3 hours of standalone battery life, touch controls, IPX4 water resistance
- Meters SAI (Seamless Audio Integration)
- 5-band customizable equalizer
LINX TWS earphones:
- Hybrid drivers (dynamic and armature)
- 4-5 hours of standalone battery life + 24 hours from the charging case
- Touch controls, voice assistant support
- Echo and noise cancellation technology (cVc)
- IPX6 water resistance
- Meters SAI (Seamless Audio Integration)
- 5-band customizable equalizer
This compact pair of wireless speakers, with an IPX protection rating, can be placed up to 10 meters apart and are equipped with specially tuned 2.5-inch full-range drivers. This is sufficient for sound reproduction on a desktop or in a small room.
Essentially, the Meters Linx earphones and speakers represent a well-designed wireless set that can switch to Bluetooth receiver mode when the earphones are placed inside the charging case. The earphone design resembles custom in-ear monitors used by musicians, featuring a specially designed balanced armature driver combined with a 7-millimeter dynamic driver. When taken out of the charging case, they provide 6 hours of continuous usage, while the case itself can provide an additional 24 hours of battery life.
The Linx TWS earphones utilize the Qualcomm QCC3020 chip, which supports aptX Adaptive for low-latency audio and high-resolution audio codecs. Meters Linx has an internal 24-bit audio pipeline with high-performance digital-to-analog converters, designed for high-resolution sound reproduction. The QCC chipset also supports echo and noise cancellation technology (cVc) for phone calls. Intuitive touch controls on the left and right earphones allow for playback/pause, volume adjustment, track skipping, and other functions.
A built-in motion sensor detects when the earphones are in use, optimizing battery charge. When users place the Linx earphones back into the charging case, the Linx speakers, equipped with the QCC3020 chip, automatically power on, providing a seamless music transition. These speakers have the same Bluetooth range as the earphones (10 meters) and can also be charged via USB-C. The built-in 600mAh battery provides 3 hours of operation or playback after an hour of charging.
Package includes:
- Earphones
- Charging case
- 2 wireless speakers
- Replacement ear tips
- USB-C cable
- Documentation