Puro Sound Labs: PuroPro Headphones... Reviewed!

Before I jump in, I have to thank Puro Sound Labs for sending over their latest product for this review!

Let's unbox!

Puro Sound Labs prides itself on volume-limited headphones... because they want to prevent noise-induced hearing loss from affecting anyone else. Niki Russell, kicked this whole thing off because she's partially deaf in both ears as a result of something completely preventable. When she was a kid, she had her headphones cranked to a dangerous level for a long period of time... and the rest was history (she couldn't hear her friends sitting across the table). Puro Sound Labs revealed that 1-in-5 teens will lose their hearing also, and it's a pleasure reviewing a product that gives you an option that prevents that.

Fun fact: Dave Russell is the creator of Puro Sound Labs. He made the products in honor of his daughter Niki to prevent other kids from getting NIHL and has opened the door for adults with products like the PuroPro & PuroGamer headphones. Prior to this review, I got the news that Niki, Christina, and Ashley are now the owners of Puro Sound Labs. It's pretty cool to see their dad pass down the company he started because of his little girl.

Build: When it comes to the build of these headphones, you can feel the softness before placing them on. You have a protein leather headband + ear cushions with a soft interior that feels good/light around the ears... just inviting you to put them on.

That light feel around my ears was definitely a combination of the flexible body in combination with the soft material, and I thank the designers for the flexibility... because I can actually wear the headphones longer when they aren't clamped down on my head. 

If you don't know, I have a low tolerance for pressure on my ears. I've only been able to wear some headphones for about 30 to 45 minutes (max), that's not even a feature-length film... so I appreciate comfy headphones like the PuroPro. I've been able to lay back and actually dose off with these headphones for hours, and I tried to sleep in them but I tend to sleep on my side... so I eventually took them off (but overall comfy).

These foldable headphones also feature a DJ-Style full swivel of the ear cups (no cheek rubs here), and the measurements on the headphones are a lovely touch for those who want their headphones at a certain level. Even if you have one ear slightly higher or lower than the other, these give you an idea of where to place the earcups without the constant readjustment when you place them on. Instead, you'll know... because the numbers don't lie. :p

By the way, a certain someone told me that this little adjustment feature would be perfect for their OCD... so that's another plus.

Design-wise, the body is quite plain. Yes they fold and swivel, which is great... they're just (sorta) plain looking (even if it doesn't make or break the audio). Outside of the word... "Puro" on top of the headphones, I wouldn't be able to easily pick these out among a group of plain headphones. If I could add one thing, I would place a metal strip with the logo on the earcup. It's not all about being flashy, but... it gives it a little something more.

Audio: Before I jump into the audio, I want to point out first and foremost that these headphones deliver 85dB/95dB max volume options. The PuroPro bumps it up 10 dB (to 95 decibels) if you want to go there, but they recommend that you limit 95dB up to 50 minutes... and 85dB up to 8 hours. These are the maximum safe sound listening levels/times recommended by organizations like WHO, OSHA, etc.

O.S.H.A. is short for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, I went to the Orlando Airport location several times in the past. They're legit, it's the same place you'd have to go through for training on health & safety in order to work for various jobs and get access to select worksites/facilities.

Now let's get to the actual audio. One thing I appreciate about these headphones is that they don't shy away from lows, mids, or even highs through the 40mm drivers... they just spare the ears of the deafening decibels. I want to identify the sounds I'm listening to... not have everything meshed together in an unrecognizable mess, but I will hold off and deliver a bit more detail about this below.

This is what keeps the company in business in my opinion because volume limiting is good and great, but... if the headphones sucked there would be nothing to discuss (even with NIHL on the table... and that's bad to say but... it's real). Luckily, that's not the case with the PuroPro headphones. You may ask what the difference is between these headphones and the PuroQuiet, and I'd say the ability to fold these + these are adult-sized headphones with more dB.

I reviewed the audio with the following games, movies, and music:

Music: DMX - Ruff Ryders Anthem (RIP)

Music: B.o.B and Big Boi - Double or Nothing (from Army of TWO: The Devil's Cartel)

Music: Anderson .Paak feat. Rick Ross - Cut Em In

Film: Tom Clancy's Without Remorse

Film: The Tomorrow War

TV show: Invincible

TV show: The Boys

Game: The Signifier Director's Cut

Game: Call of Duty Warzone

ASMR: GentleWhispering - Towel Folding

One con is the lack of a passthrough feature, no complaints about the ANC. There was a slight white noise with the ANC, but I could only hear it when the music wasn't playing and it wasn't bad.

In the Box + Features: 

In the (awesome wooden) box:

PuroPro Headphones

(3.5mm) Limiter Cable

USB Charging Cable

Hard Travel Case

Specs:

32Hr Battery (this is true, I went over a week without charging a second time)

4Mics for Volume Limiting Ear Protection

Active Noice Canceling

Puro Balanced Response

Bluetooth 5.0 (they connect quick, which I love)

Bluetooth calling

300 Hours standby time

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

1 Year Warranty

USB-C

Simple up/down volume

20Hz - 20kHz Dynamic Range w/ < 1% Total Harmonic Distortion

Now you may be wondering what in the world the Total Harmonic Distortion is, and I'm glad you asked. According to our associates over at Lifewire, "Music is made of fundamental and harmonic frequencies. The combination of fundamental and harmonic frequencies gives musical instruments unique timbre and allows the human ear to distinguish between them." So when it comes to THD and our headphones, "Once the Total Harmonic Distortion has increased past a certain point, you can expect the accuracy of sound to be compromised."

So in other words, the PuroPro Headphones have less than 1% total harmonic distortion, which is good. The lower the percentage the better, if you're eyeing headphones above that percentage... expect for distortion to increase. Outside of great audio for yourself, I recommend it for your little one once it's safe to use headphones (like the PuroQuiet option) because it's important for them to hear and recognize the differences when it comes to sounds like instruments, animals, and a number of other things.

By the way, 20Hz delivers a very low base rumble... which is where I got those nice deep booms even without the volume cranked.

Price: Pricewise... the PuroPro Headphones come in at $199.99, which is cool for what it's worth (because it does protect your ears)... but you begin to get into that area of impulse buying at around $150 (for me).

Overall, these are comfy headphones that deliver quality sound while protecting the ears. The battery leaves room for 10's of hours of audio action and my ears don't hurt when I'm done. That's a win!

Build 5

Audio 5

In the Box + Features 5

Price 4

4.75 out of 5 Cool Points

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Puro Sound Labs: PuroGamer Headphones... Reviewed!

The PuroGamer Volume Limited Gaming Headphones hit the mark with quality, sound and safety. These headphones aren't just delivering clear sound... they're also protecting your ears, but how do they hold up when it comes to gaming? Let's find out... after an unboxing of course!

Puro Sound Labs sent this package to the studio... just before I hit the road for a trip, and I looked forward to the first sight of downtime so I could check it out!

One of the biggest reasons why I like these headphones so much, is the fact that my daughter can utilize them without me fearing a negative impact on her hearing. She's 2 years old at the time of this review (2019), but... she's never too young to do some sort of gaming (right now they're primarily educational).

Anyway, I know people who wear sound amplifiers on their ears because they can't hear that well, and it's a result of being exposed to loud sounds for a dangerous amount of time... which is sound induced hearing loss. So parents with aspiring gamers may find an interest in these headphones.

We know that hearing problems exist and can be caused by a variety of loud sounds... but this is one of the few companies doing something about this preventable problem (and doing so in quality way that can also be appreciated by teens and adults. So while they can be worn and used by children, they're adjustable and can be worn by teens and adults also... without feeling like you're wearing child headphones or something (they're more like the everyone headphones + kids).

Inside the box you have:

PuroGamer Headphones w/ Control Box & Split Plug Connection

Detachable Mic

Soft Travel Bag

Quick Start Guide



The PuroGamer headphones have a vegan leather headband, vegan leather earcups (you can see the full stitching around the front of the cup, side and beneath. It looks nice, and the frame of the headphones is metal. Vegan leather is basically another term for artificial leather, but the leather is also said to be a large protein leather... which is on the high end in terms of quality feel and durability.

When it comes to the PuroGamer headphones... they have deceptively good audio quality, which is easy to assume that volume limiting means quality limiting... until you hear what they have to offer.

I've definitely pushed it to max tolerance level (more than i'd like to admit) when it comes to audio and I've had to adjust the volume after awhile, but when it comes to the PuroGamer's Puro Balanced Response... it keeps the volume at a tolerable level from start to finish (no cap).

It's a sweet combination of lows, mids, and highs delivering clean immersive sound.

Depending on the audio quality... you get more thump from the bass (I went through a crap load of tracks and videos + the Death Stranding OST supplied to us by Sony Music) to test them out beyond gaming. These stereo headphones deliver.

Gaming was great... enjoyed the audio from Battlefield V a lot, along with The Surge 2, and Death's Gambit. What I really loved was the ASMR, and I realistically wouldn't utilize these headphones for such a thing unless I took them on the go and I want to relax... but I didn't even have to decrease the volume to get rid of that white noise that some of my favorite ASMR recordings have. I generally lower the volume so that I can hear everything that's meant to be heard without the white noise getting in the way (robbing me of my tingles... don't judge me... it's super relaxing).

This is one of the audio files I used to test out the headphones.

For gaming headphones... if I could add anything (hmm), i'd probably like to see some sort of rumble feedback technology and possibly true surround sound if Puro Sound Labs ever decides to create a pair of PuroGamer Pro Headphones and the ability to switch up the lighting. I won't say revise because these are solid, i'll take them... and I know true surround costs a bit more so... a pro option wouldn't be a bad notion based on interest.

Anyway, when it comes to the Ambient Noise Isolation... it's definitely strong, and I utilized multiple things to test this out. Mechanical keyboards are 100% clicky when you type (duh of the day)... and I could barely hear the typing while playing audio in the headphones. I'd say I got about 10% feedback (tops) while listening to something with consistent sound, but after pausing or muting the audio... the typing went back up to about 95% audible.

While someone was talking on their phone, I was only able to hear them (and make out what they were saying) while they were standing right next to me. While standing out of my comfort zone... I had no idea what they were saying or if they were talking to me (unless I visually saw them). That noise was reduced about 75%, which was similar to being out in public or driving in a vehicle with others with the headphones on.

The audio quality of the mic is... okay, i'm able to get my point across and it doesn't sound fuzzy. I whipped up a sample recording:

The PuroGamer headphones contain a 50 mm Graphene speaker w/ studio grade audio engineered to deliver the impressive sounds mentioned above. To be honest... I don't even look at the specs initially, I like to jump in to hear, feel, and see things myself, and the headphones check out.

Oh yeah... these headphones follow the volume safety standards of the Hearing Health Foundation, OSHA, World Health Organization, American Speech Pathology Association and others (so they aren't just pulling this information out of thin air).

According to Puro Sound Labs, the "Intelligent Digital Signal Processing imperceptibly limits the volume so that listeners don't even notice".



These headphones are lighter than they look and they're really comfortable. They fit around my ears... instead of pressing on them and they don't clamp down on my head in other sensitive areas. It may not seem like a big deal, but think about the duration when it comes to your tolerance level. The more comfy the headphones, the longer they can be enjoyed during use (which  also includes sound quality) and these feel good. I can even say that the audio is part of the comfort with these headphones... because the sound is tolerable for a longer period of time thanks to the volume limiting.

One thing I wouldn't mind seeing in a potential revision are rotatable earcups (DJ-Style). Even if it has a USB for PC use, there are times that you want or need to take the headphones off your ears (not fully off).

They're meant to be used at home and on the go via the split plug connection... because you have the USB connector, but you also have the standard 3.5mm headphone jack to game on devices like the... Nintendo Switch, Android & iPhones + game controllers. So these headphones should be travel ready for those gamers that are on the go. I don't like to have headphones around my neck if the cups don't swivel because I have to turn my head and it's a little uncomfortable when the ear cups are also pressing against my cheeks (I adapt by just letting them hug the top of my head for a little while... but that would be great for Puro Sound Labs to keep in mind).





Price wise... the PuroGamer headphones come in at $49.99, which fits well... because they can be enjoyed by kids, teens, and adults. So in other words, if your kids take care of them... they can have them clear to adulthood if the headphones hold up that long.

Overall, these are a nice pair of headphones delivering premium stereo sound while keeping your ears safe from sound induced hearing loss. While they aren't as portable as i'd like, they do have the split plug connection to be used on PC/Mac, console, and mobile devices.

So if the world's first volume limited gaming headphones are something that interest you... consider giving them a whirl. https://purosound.com/products/purogamer

Sound 5

Quality 5

Comfort 4

Price 5

4.75 out of 5 Cool Points

Brought to you by the... Baby Fu Clothing Co!

Puro Sound Lab's SWEET PuroQuiet headphones... Reviewed!

Damn. Wait a minute... these are for kids? Consider me jealous.

So this package arrived at the studio recently... and I think I may have opened it up before the delivery guy got back to his truck. I was super curious about the quality. If two year old's are going to be handling these things... they have to be durable... but... how good do they sound? Let's find out!

My daughter Clemi (aka Clementine) helped me review Puro Sound Lab's PuroQuiet headphones.

These are the very first pair of headphones she's ever put on (ever)... but she's a toddler and... I'm super cautious about that sort of thing because noise-induced hearing loss is a very real thing. Luckily the nifty people at Puro Labs don't want anyone else to suffer those consequences after the unfortunate hearing loss of someone near and dear to them.

So Clemi helped me out with this review and looked super cute in the process. I know the company only allows the volume to go up so high with the limiter, but I had to double check the volume before I placed them on her ears. She had them on, danced a bit, took them off, and... put them back on again in order to listen once more.

Usually, I like to dive in and listen to a variety of audio myself, but... I more so wanted to see what her reaction would be. She was highly amused, and her expressions speak for themselves (as seen in this 3-month old photo of her).

She didn't want to take them off... which confirmed that they were comfy.

So instead of dealing with a potential tantrum... I let her enjoy a show. After the little song towards the end of the show, she took them off and put them around her neck. Dude... I was... super proud.

She didn't have to be instructed to put them around her neck either, so it really tripped me out (I geeked). The ear cups swivel and lay flat with no chin scrubbing at all (it's not that annoying partial swivel). Afterward, she got out of her little chair... handed me the headphones and ran over to her toys. So it was my turn to check them out.

You might be thinking... "How can you fit them on your adult-sized noggin when they're for kids?", and I'm glad you ask. The PuroQuiet headphones are geared to children, but... they're adjustable so that adults can also wear them (senior citizens included).

I think this was a great idea because you can literally share headphones with your children... and if you take care of the PuroQuiet's, they should last. I'll get to the quality in a bit.

So anyway, I adjust the headphones... put them on and they fit without being forced or giving my head an unnecessary bear hug. I turn them back on (with the flip of the switch) and they connect to my phone immediately. Thumbs up.

I forgot what I put on first, I believe it may have been something hip-hop or JPop related. Pretty sure it was Hip-Hop (a track with actual instruments used in the beat) and... it sounded... amazing. Really wasn't expecting that. 

No offense to Puro Sound Labs, but I figured it was something for kids to enjoy some audio at a safe volume... and... it wasn't going to be to my standards. My assumption was totally wrong.

The first word that came to my mind was... damn.

I can confidently say that a two-year-old will not appreciate the quality of these headphones as much as I do, but having that quality can help them better learn the words they hear and better recognize sounds. Clemi loves music, so the quality should help her identify instruments that she may see and hear in person.

That said... let's get into the details:

Puro Sound Labs sent over the white & pink headphones (which are technically... magenta), but they also come in black & blue.

The headband and ear cushions are wrapped in leather... which was a very nice touch. Clemi doesn't like taking them off, so the comfort is definitely there or... she would've tossed them on the floor.

The PuroQuiet also has AL6063 aluminum for enhanced durability. They mention this material, but I want to be a little more specific about it so that you get an idea of how durable it truly is. AL6063 aluminum is usually used for things like architectural fabrication, door frames, pipes, and even furniture. So when it comes to these headphones on an active 2-year-old's head... they should be okay (they're light weight too).

You have an active noise cancellation switch (just like the Bluetooth 4.0 switch). These switches are on the back area of each side, which make it very easy for your child to turn on.

Battery life on these headphones is 16 hours with ANC and 22 hours without ANC... which is sweet. They have a 290mAh battery to be more specific.

Your little one can also use these headphones to talk to you, grandparents, etc. The PuroQuiet features two integrated microphones... one for ANC and communication. Battery or not, your children can continue to enjoy these headphones via the 3.5mm audio cable.

For me, I got the best sound for music on the Bluetooth (no ANC), while the ANC made for better calling.

Using the audio cable or the ANC gave a slightly flatter sound.

The same applied to movies and games, the sound was richer with the ANC off and no cable... but the audio port is a plus.

ASMR was so much better with the ANC off. If you're familiar with ASMR, then you know that sound is key... and for me, it was like a boost in white noise when it was switched on.

The sweet wireless audio delivered by the PuroQuiet headphones... is thanks to its 40mm dynamic driver with a Qualcomm CSR 8635 DSP chipset. They also have a 32 ft wireless range... which lets your child run around without your phone or other devices the headphones you may connect.

According to Puro Sound Labs... these headphones contain Studio Grade Audio quality with their patent-pending Puro Balanced Response curve. Genuine studio grade audio, engineered to deliver an amazing listening experience with clear, crisp vocals and full, and dynamic bass all within an 85 dB volume limit.

I listened first, so that my experience wasn't influenced by anything said or read and... so regardless of what they say, I say that the headphones are awesome.

In the Box: Outside of the Puro Sound Labs PuroQuiet headphones and the audio cable, you also get a USB charging cable, the expected user manual, and a nice hardcover travel case.

***Oh... by the way, even if there is an 85 dB volume limiting feature, the suggested use is 8 hours for a day. That's according to the Hearing Health Foundation, so whether you're in the suggested range of 2 to 92... keep that in mind.

One con I could give these headphones... is the lack of a skip/previous button, but i'm trying to think of how that would work with toddlers. Granted, they could flip the Bluetooth switch off if they really wanted to... i'll give them a pass on this one.


Price wise these headphones retail at $149.99, which can be a bit pricey for some parents to get for their child. $99.99 would sweeten the deal a bit more because as parents... we have to keep money aside for clothes, shoes, and other surprises.

$149.99 isn't a stretch though, because... they won't grow out of them... unless they're destined to grow into the second coming of SHAQ.

So in conclusion... these headphones have great sound, they're comfortable as based on how long Clemi wore them, they feel durable, and toddlers can grow into them. I call that a win, and besides the limiter saving their precious little ears... it also spares the headphone speakers from being blown.

Sound 5

Quality 5

Comfort 5

Price 5

5 out of 5 Cool Points

Brought to you by the... Baby Fu Clothing Co!