The Teufel Real Blue Pro are high-end headphones that have a lot to offer. For example, the Berlin brand presents the self-developed audio technology Dynamore for the first time on a portable product, while it was previously only reserved for speakers and soundbars. How do you like the headphones in practice and how do they compare to market leader Sony?
OUR JUDGMENT
Teufel Real Blue Pro
Pros
Pleasant, warm sound
Dynaudio
Active noise cancellation
Equalizer options within the app
Wearing comfort
Audiocodec aptX Adaptive
Negatives
Treble doesn’t come into its own
Plastic housing feels cheap
Touchpads (but can be disabled)
Just too expensive
Conclusion
At the bottom of the line, I am very pleased with the Teufel Real Blue Pro. On paper it scores a bit worse than the Sony WH-1000XM5, but the question is whether you hear that. Moreover, these headphones also have their own drawbacks. Due to the high sample and bit rates, there is a lot of delay on the line, making watching videos and playing games less pleasant experiences. By choosing the aptX Adaptive codec, Teufel can appeal to a much wider audience than Sony does now. Due to the lower latency, you can do more with your headphones as a casual listener. Not only can you enjoy pleasantly warm music, you can also use it much more widely. The noise reduction is also a bit less good than on the Sony, but despite that you can be completely immersed. The treble does not fully come into its own, but there are more than enough audio options to possibly compensate for that lack. That also depends on your hearing and personal preference. The battery in particular is the star of the show here; with 44 hours of ANC listening pleasure, Teufel easily beats the competition. The only thing that really throws a spanner in the works now is the price of 349.99 euros. It is emotionally just too high and that has everything to do with the treble. If the headphones drop in price and cost 299 euros, for example, the deal is much more attractive. Then you get an almost-everything battery monster that presents pleasant audio. …
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With a price of 349.99 euros, the Teufel Real Blue Pro are not cheap headphones. That’s the same price you pay for the market leader, the Sony WH-1000XM5. Prices for those headphones fluctuate a bit; at many online shops it is around 350 euros, while Sony itself still offers it for 420 euros. Anyway: it makes the Teufel Real Blue Pro extremely suitable for a short comparison with that Sony top model, since the German brand is after the same target group.
Read also: Sony WH-1000XM5 review – both expensive and cheap
Teufel Real Blue Pro met grote drivers
The Teufel Real Blue Pro has unusually large 44 mm drivers. This gives the bass reproduction more space and music can sound fuller and more immersive than the competition. The drivers are in a sleek, sturdy packaging that is pleasantly foldable. You can neatly tuck the headphones away in an included case, which also contains USB-C charging and audio cables. The latter variant has a control module with which you can pause the music, super handy.
You can also operate the Teufel Real Blue Pro in two ways: via the app (more on that later) and the controls on the headphones. For example, there is an intuitive joystick that allows you to pause music, adjust the volume and change songs. The outside of the drivers are equipped with touchpads, with which you can activate or deactivate functions such as active noise reduction and Dynamore. Those touchpads are a bit too eager as far as I’m concerned. Sometimes you change a setting – without knowing which one – when you move the headset or want to take it off. Fortunately, you can turn it off.
As soon as you take off the Teufel Real Blue Pro, the music pauses automatically. That is an invaluable feature, especially when you are less used to it. You can take the headphones off at any time knowing you won’t miss any of your favorite songs. As soon as you put the headset back on, the music continues. This is a nice, luxurious feature that you can simply expect to be present, but I am nevertheless very happy with it.
Comfort is preferred
With a weight of just over 300 grams, the Teufel Real Blue Pro is heavier than Sony’s recent offering, but you only notice that when you use both headphones side by side. Thanks to the adjustable strap and tiltable earcups, the device also stays in place without exerting too much pressure on the side of your head. You can adjust it accurately, which guarantees wearing comfort. It also doesn’t matter if you have long hair or wear small earrings.
Despite the positive first impression, I must mention that the headphones themselves look and feel a bit cheap on the plastic exterior. That may be due to the silver color that I test (black usually looks a bit more luxurious), but even then I can’t escape that idea. Fortunately, you don’t notice that on the inside. Both the headband and ear cushion are equipped with memory foam. That can be a bit warm during the summer months, but thanks to the comfort that is less bad.
Without active noise canceling on, the battery lasts up to 56 hours, which is much better than Sony’s headphones and predecessor Teufel True Blue NC. With the active noise reduction on, you can reduce the playback time to 44 hours, but that is still incredibly impressive. That’s slightly longer than the Teufel Real Blue NC and almost half more than the WH-1000XM5. Fifteen minutes of charging gives you up to seven hours of listening, and if you still can’t find a time to charge after that, you can use the audio cable as a backup. You don’t need a battery for that.
Teufel Real Blue Pro met hi-res audio
In a normal situation, however, you connect the Teufel Real Blue Pro via Bluetooth 5.1 to a smartphone, laptop, tablet or other Bluetooth device. Although there is very little wrong with bluetooth 5.1, it is a pity to see that you are not using the most recent version of the standard. On paper, this is at the expense of lower energy consumption and improved connectivity. But given that the battery has lasted so long and the Teufel hasn’t shown any connectivity issues in our weeks with the headphones, the lack of the latest Bluetooth standard isn’t a major issue.
In addition, there is support for the audio codecs SBC, AAC and aptX Adaptive. The Teufel Real Blue Pro therefore has no support for Sony’s LDAC, which is seen as a good standard by many experts, music lovers and organizations. Still, with aptX Adaptive you can enjoy hi-res audio, albeit at a slightly lower sample rate. It is much higher with Sony’s headphones, so that the sound reproduction sounds much more accurate (as an artist intended in the studio).
Pleasant audio quality and audio options
That does not mean that the Teufel Real Blue Pro sounds bad, not at all. Especially the bass sounds incredibly warm, full and pleasant. Within the app you can make the bass a bit stronger if you want to, but the neutral sound profile will suffice for many listeners. When you activate the bass boost, the higher tones logically fade into the background. And that can be problematic, because the higher tones are not fully appreciated.
That problem is already in the basis of the headphones and therefore has nothing to do with bass boost, since it already happens without it. So if you want to enjoy some treble a little more, you would do well to avoid the bass options. Whichever mode you choose, the tones in the middle always sound nice and subtly present. They do embellish the soundstage and I didn’t have the idea for a second that I was missing something. You can also do it yourself play with an equalizer and adjust the sound more to your personal preferences, but you can also outsource that work.
Within the Teufel Headphones app it is possible to activate personal audio via Mimi. You take a short test and can then enjoy personal sound. Although I’m usually in favor of this (my right ear hears slightly less than my left ear), there is a chance that audio will sound distorted. Especially when you combine the personal audio with preset sound profiles or the equalizer. And then we also have the Dynamore option.
With this option it is possible to widen the sound field. The stereo reproduction then goes into the room, giving you the idea that you are listening very intimately to a premium set of stereo speakers. The feature has been making waves on the company’s soundbars and speakers for years and is now available on headphones for the first time; and I think it’s a nice addition. If you think the music sounds a bit compact, Dynaudio can offer just that little bit of spatial support. Without this having a negative effect on the full warmth that characterizes the typical Teufel sound.
Good active noise cancellation
The active noise reduction can be set to three levels. The highest level completely immerses you in your favorite tunes, while on the other side you have the transparent mode. In between there are two more options with which you partially close yourself off from the outside world. Handy for times when you want to be aware of what is happening around you, without being too bothered by it. In this case, it’s just simple: the more options you have at your disposal, the better.
The active noise canceling can have an effect on the sound reproduction, so that the treble disappears even more to the back. That’s annoying, there’s no escaping it. Given the sound profile of the Teufel Real Blue Pro, and the brand’s emphasis on the lower regions, it should not be a problem when you listen to music in which the bass plays a major role. This is a consideration that you have to make yourself; know that the treble is not coming all the way forward.
Furthermore, there is a low latency on the Bluetooth connection. As a result, you can watch great videos on your smartphone and tablet. In the meantime, someone can also enjoy the same sound, since you can link two Real Blue Pros to the app. In addition, the aptX Adaptive codec is also more suitable for playing video games (due to its low latency), so the Teufel Blue Pro positions itself as a casual premium product as quickly as possible.
Conclusion: Buy Teufel Real Blue Pro?
At the bottom of the line, I am very pleased with the Teufel Real Blue Pro. On paper it scores a bit worse than the Sony WH-1000XM5, but the question is whether you hear that. Moreover, these headphones also have their own drawbacks. Due to the high sample and bit rates, there is a lot of delay on the line, making watching videos and playing games less pleasant experiences. By choosing the aptX Adaptive codec, Teufel can appeal to a much wider audience than Sony does now.
Due to the lower latency, you can do more with your headphones as a casual listener. Not only can you enjoy pleasantly warm music, you can also use it much more widely. The noise reduction is also a bit less good than on the Sony, but despite that you can be completely immersed. The treble does not fully come into its own, but there are more than enough audio options to possibly compensate for that lack. That also depends on your hearing and personal preference.
The battery in particular is the star of the show here; with 44 hours of ANC listening pleasure, Teufel easily beats the competition. The only thing that really throws a spanner in the works now is the price of 349.99 euros. It is emotionally just too high and that has everything to do with the treble. If the headphones drop in price and cost 299 euros, for example, the deal is much more attractive. Then you get an almost-everything battery monster that presents pleasant audio.
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2023-07-30 17:26:00
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