Padmate returns to the earbud scene with the PaMu Slide 2. These are the successor to the Slide but this time bringing in new tech such as Active Noise Cancelling. Will the Slide 2 be worth the upgrade?
Style
PaMu tends to utilize names that identify the product, and these are no different. Earbuds are inside a curvy but a bit boxy case that is about 1.5in across and around 2in on top. It slides out easily by putting their finger on top of the circular pattern that has the PaMu branding. It can be done effortlessly with one hand. It won’t easily come open as its spring loaded. Opening and closing it several times you can see how sturdy it is. On the back of the case is a USB-C port while on the front is an LED style light panel that pulsates to indicate charging or battery life. This case does also support wireless charging. Slide 2 comes in three distinct colors including Emerald Green which they provided to us.
The earbuds themselves are pipe-style designed that have the letter “P” which are also touch panels. They have silicone tips that come with varied sizes. I’m able to fit into the ear easily and don’t seem to loosen up or provide any indication they would fall out my anytime during usage. There is wear sensors that detects soon as you remove and add them to your ears as well.
PaMu Slide 2 come with various ear tips, USB-C Cable, leather pouch, and charging case.
Features
Slide 2 has a IPX4 rating which makes it fine for exercising, workouts or even getting caught in a light rainstorm. They also have Bluetooth 5.2 which helps provide instant pairing and connecting to your smartphone. I have primarily used them with a Google Pixel 6 Pro. I didn’t come across any distortion or disconnection in the past few weeks using them.
The TWS chipset in these earbuds is Realtek 8773CFE. It allows you to get codecs such as SBC and AAC. They have an advertised battery life of 26hrs which it seemed close to perhaps a bit less.
As mentioned, the “P” is where you can control the touch panels on the earbuds. These range from taps, double taps, and tap and holding. They are quite responsive when using them on either earbud.
Like the PaMu Quiet earbuds I used before, the PaMu Slide 2 utilizes the PaMu app for making various adjustments. One of these is changing those taps to your liking. That is anything such as track changing, play controls, ANC modes, and volume leveling. Other features on the app are setting which method you want to put on ANC mode switching, different EQ effects, and even adapting it to gaming if you do that. You can of course do firmware updates which prompted soon as I opened the app. Initially getting the app started took quite a few tries but once connected and updated it has been better but still slow at times booting up.
Sound
These are using 10mm PEN + Titanium drivers to give you great sound performance. PaMu Slide 2 have a nice audio presence. Giving you a good push on the vocals upfront while the bass is heavy but does sit in the background not overpowering the music. I can notice in bass tracks like “Off the Grid” by Kanye West, or “Happier than Ever” by Billie Ellish which goes vocal heavy but later into a rocking ending. On default the EQ setting is Pop, but I would either jump from that or Rock. Normal was a bit too flat for my ears.
On the Active Noise Cancelling end these do an excellent job of obstructing your outside surroundings. They have a nice, sealed fit which helped block out any loud noise I get on my daily train commute. Transparency mode wasn’t bad from the times I used it amplifying your surroundings while walking the streets.
Verdict
Padmate once again does a respectable job creating a quality pair of earbuds but not for an outrageous price. Sound balance on these is great, ANC is on point, and customization is decent when you can the app working. They are currently available on Indiegogo as of this writing at $79 but look to eventually retail at $159.99.
