In my humble opinion it’s impossible to overstate the importance of a decent pair of headphones when you’re walking or travelling around London on public transport.
Sure, there’s the obvious benefit of enjoying your favourite Mix Radio playlist on your Lumia when you’re on the move. More than that though, the very act of wearing headphones protects you from the madness and noise of a bustling city.
Imagine then my delight at getting my hands on a pair of Nokia Purity Pro Wireless Headset by Monster. They sound fantastic, of course, but here are 10 other reasons why my ears no longer step outside without them.
1. Noise cancellation
The Active Noise Cancellation kicks in as soon as you place them over your ears. It’s a wonderful sensation having ambient sounds suddenly drowned out as if by magic. A feeling of calm descends upon you and it’s almost a shame to spoil the tranquillity with some music!
2. NFC pairing
I’ve always been a little sceptical about Bluetooth and the process of pairing devices. It can be a frustrating experience. Not so with NFC pairing on the Purity Pros.
Just tap your Lumia on the side of the Headset and the connection is made instantly. You do it once and they connect automatically in the future.
The Purity Pros will remember the last eight devices that they’ve been paired with. You can even connect to two devices at the same time – for example your Lumia and a laptop.
3. Wireless/Wires
It’s difficult to imagine going back to wired headphones after you’ve experienced the freedom of the wireless Purity Pros for a few days.
There still might be the odd occasion though, like when you’re on a plane, when you have no option but to use the supplied tangle-free cable.
4. Rechargeable
As you would expect for a premium wireless headset with Active Noise Cancellation, NFC pairing, voice prompts and host of other cool features, they do require a power source.
The good news is that the Purity Pros have a built-in rechargeable Lithium-ion battery that offers up to one day of full music playback with Active Noise Cancellation.
Conveniently, you charge them up using the same Micro-USB that you use to charge up your Lumia smartphone (a Micro-USB cable and charger is included in the box). Even without any power, you’ll still be able to use a wired connection for listening without noise cancellation.
5. Fold on/off
The ability to fold up the Purity Pros is great for portability but it goes much deeper than that. The simple act of unfolding them turns them on; folding them back up turns them off again.
6. Discreet controls
Just because you’ve looked in vain for the on/off switch, doesn’t mean there are no other controls to be found.
Placed discreetly and ingeniously behind the right ear cushions are the volume controls. The left side houses the music player functions, which also double up as phone answering and calling.
From a distance you’d never be able to tell there are any integrated controls on the Purity Pros, but when you’re wearing them you realise their placement is perfect.
7. Hands free calls
As well as seamless connectivity with your Lumia smartphone for music playback, the Purity Pro Wireless Headset can also replicate many of the phone functions.
Using the integrated controls you can answer incoming calls and speak hands free without needing to reach for your smartphone. You can even initiate your own phone calls with voice dialling or last number redial.
8. Design & Comfort
The Purity Pros are a completely different device and shape from Nokia’s Lumia smartphones but you can see that they share a common design approach. They are sleek, stylish and, no matter which colour you choose, stand out from the crowd.
Durability derived from high-quality materials is no barrier to comfort. On your head, the Purity Pros feel lightweight and the soft ear cushions mean you can wear them for long periods at a time.
9. Voice prompts
No, they’re not voices in your head, these Purity Pros really do talk to you!
Each time you fold them to turn them on or off, a pleasant voice informs you of the battery levels. Likewise, when you first put them on, the voice prompt helps with the pairing process and tells you about the connectivity status.
10. Carry case
When weighing up the pros and cons of getting the Purity Pros, the accompanying carry case was not really a factor. I was expecting a drawstring cloth bag!
However, what you get is a high quality, lined, neoprene, zipped travel bag with a carry-hook so you can secure it to your bag or belt.
Not all functions and features may be available on non-Windows Phone devices.