Cowin E7 Review: Pros & Cons and Verdict

Quality is everything. There are a few things in life where you cannot sacrifice quality for price, and it would be better to save up than to buy a cheaper model. Headphones are one of those things.

They’re a good investment in the long run and many people prefer to save up for decent headphones and enjoy years of superior sound instead of settling for cheap headphones and dealing with tinny sound until the headphones inevitably break. 

However, sometimes it’s not possible to save up first. Life gets in the way, and we need headphones at an affordable price. Have no fear! There are plenty of models out there that aren’t just affordable, they’re high-quality as well. In other words, you can have your cake and eat it too. 

Cowin is a popular brand that has drawn many customers from around the world with their headphones. They’re bestsellers on Amazon and consistently receive rave reviews. However, how different are their two most popular models? We’ve decided to pit the Cowin E7 against the Cowin E7 Pro. Let’s see how they measure up. 

How We Started

The Cowin E7 was released in December 2015. Bluetooth headphones, earphones and speakers have been rising in popularity for their wireless capabilities. No longer do users have to suffer catching the wire on the end of the door handle.

Unfortunately, cheap Bluetooth headphones break easily, and the sound quality was simply terrible.  Bluetooth headphones which were durable and had a richer sound quality were usually over $100 which isn’t ideal either. Cowin made a plan and released the E7 which was just right. It was affordable and had some features that the more expensive models had. 

In 2018, the Cowin E7 Pro was released. Better sound quality was promised but the price had a lot of people feeling skeptical. We have compared these two headphones to see what changed and if it’s worth getting the upgrade.

Advantages and Disadvantages

First, we discuss the pros and cons. Both the Cowin E7 and the Cowin E7 Pro have been marketed as affordable headphones. That being said, it would be reasonable to expect that its features would be good, perhaps great to some, but not perfect.

Cowin E7

The first headphone set we’ll evaluate is the Cowin E7.

These are the advantages and disadvantages of the Cowin E7 headphones. While it has some strong aspects, it also has a few shortcomings, too.

Cowin E7 Pro

Now, let’s take a look at Cowin’s upgraded release, the E7 Pro.

Here’s the pros and cons of the Cowin E7 Pro. In terms of capabilities and performance, it exceeds its predecessor but still deals with its own problems.

Similarities and Differences

The Cowin E7 Pro is an upgraded version of the Cowin E7. For the most part, not a lot has changed. Fully charged, both can last to about 30 hours. The Cowin E7 and Cowin E7 Pro are also equipped with active noise cancellation which in this day and age are a necessity for some.

The default color for both these Bluetooth headphones are black but for those who are willing to spend a little bit more, there is a wide array of colors to choose from. However, color choices for the Cowin E7 and the Cowin E7 Pro may vary. Simply put, some color choices that the Cowin E7 has may not be available for the Cowin E7 Pro and vice versa. 

The Cowin E7, is priced at $59.99 at its default color. Should the user choose other colors, the price rises to $69.99. 

The Cowin E7 Pro is slightly more expensive at $89.99 at its default color. For $94.99 the user can choose another color for their headphones. This is where it gets pricey, but the headphones are still under $100.

The original Cowin E7 is equipped with noise reduction up to 28db. The Cowin E7 Pro improved on this and bumped it up to 30db. In this case, using the Cowin E7 Pro would be more ideal for someone who either lives, works or commutes in an area where there is a lot of background noise. 

Looking at appearances, the design had not changed much but for one detail. The Cowin E7 Pro looks bulkier. Furthermore, to make the headphones more aesthetically pleasing, they decided to change one design feature of the Cowin E7 Pro. Despite that, the Cowin E7 Pro is more lightweight compared to the original model. This is extremely helpful as there would be less cases of the headphones sliding off and straining the ears.

The Cowin E7 Pro has more battery power. Compared to the Cowin E7 which has 750 mAh, the Pro has it upgraded to 800 mAh. 

One thing that is confusing is that the Cowin E7 is equipped with NFC. The newer, upgraded version, the Cowin E7 Pro, does not. 

Why would this be an issue?

Well, Bluetooth is impressive, but it does require a lot of effort, especially in our time and age. Firstly, we would have to manually turn the headphones on. Then we would have to go to our devices, select the settings, locate the Bluetooth options, turn Bluetooth on, pair the devices (which does take quite some time on older devices) and then connect them to the headphones. 

With NFC, a simple tap would connect the headphones to the phone. All we would have to do is make sure the phone is unlocked for security purposes. It may not seem like much, but it does save some time especially when in a rush. 

In the Box

The Cowin E7 box contains, a pair of headphones, a micro USB cable, a 3.5mm audio cable, a user guide and a pouch to hold the headphones in. 

The Cowin E7 Pro contains mostly the same accessories save for the headphones model and the case. The box contains a hard case with mesh pockets to carry the headphones and its accessories. 

The hard case, unfortunately, takes up space. Carrying it would be impractical and it might have to be carried in a bag instead. However, compared to the Cowin E7 which came with a pouch, the hard case provides more protection for the headphones and accessories from accidents or the rain. 

Design

It has been mentioned before that the Cowin E7 Pro looked a little bulkier than the Cowin E7. However, they are still the same size. Both headphones are 6.5 x 3.6 x 7.1 inches. 

The Cowin E7’s build is plastic. Surely, this helped decrease the price but appearance-wise, it‘s not very appealing. The Cowin E7 Pro is also made from plastic which, provided the price, is a bit displeasing to some who wished for an improvement to the old model.

The earpads and headband for both the Cowin E7 and the Cowin E7 Pro are made of soft faux leather for comfort. Users have the option to adjust the headband to be able to make the headphones fit properly on their head. 

On the earpieces, there are 2 indicators, each on the left and the right. 

The on and off button is located on the right as well as the aux jack. The charging port is on the left side of the earpieces. The current Cowin E7 model is equipped with a 40mm driver aperture. 

In the case of the Cowin E7 headphones, the button layout seems a bit cramped and located in the same area, which is kind of disappointing considering that they had a lot of space to work with. Pressing the wrong buttons by accident may be frequent and could be irritating to some. The button layout for the Cowin E7 Pro has been slightly spaced out but it’s not a major improvement. 

As for the weight, the Cowin E7 is 13.6 oz. These headphones take up space as they aren’t foldable. However, the earpieces rotate about 90 degrees so that they can lay flat for easy storage. 

The Cowin E7 Pro is the same size as the Cowin E7. However, as mentioned, it is bulkier so if these headphones were to be worn in public, it may look a little over the top but that’s not any real issue to most people. 

Despite the bulkiness, compared to the Cowin E7, the weight has been reduced. It is only 10.6 oz and that ups the comfort factor. A lighter pair of headphones reduces strain on the user’s ears, which is especially noticed when the user wears the headphones for prolonged durations. 

The Cowin E7 Pro headphones are still mostly made of plastic, which once again is displeasing to some users considering the price offered for these headphones, but there is one improvement to the overall appearance. The ear plates are no longer made from plastic like the previous model. Rather they were replaced with a brushed metal finish making the headphones look less tacky. 

The same material for the ear pads and headband was used for both models. However, on the Cowin E7 Pro, the headband was made with extra padding for more comfort. 

Indicators and buttons located on the left and right of the earpieces are the same for both models, so users who have experience with either of these models will be familiar with the layouts. The apertures of the Cowin E7 Pro have been improved from the Cowin E7.The aperture of 40 mm that the Cowin E7 has, is now 45mm for the newer Cowin E7 Pro model. 

The Cowin E7 Pro’s earpieces still aren’t foldable but like the previous model. However, they rotate to lay flat and save some space. 

Performance

Noise cancelling is pretty much the same for both. These headphones can reduce the smaller sounds that could disrupt listening. From the air-conditioning in rooms or in the office to the sound of the train, the Cowin E7 and E7 Pro do a great job in cancelling those everyday noises. 

For the Cowin E7, the sound is good, but it isn’t the best. It would be fine for the more casual listener, but the more serious listeners may have a few issues with the balance of the highs and lows. However, these imbalances are quite subtle and can only be noticed after listening to a wide range of sounds. 

The Cowin E7 Pro improves the sound balance. One such example of this improvement would be that there is low leakage. This is ideal for much quieter situations. Low leakage helps us keep our privacy either in the office or even in the doctor’s waiting room by supressing the sound coming from the headphones. Simply put, someone sitting next to you will not be able to hear what you are listening to. 

As mentioned before, the Cowin E7 had 40mm large-driver apertures. The Cowin E7 Pro improved on that and made it bigger (45mm). 

Why is This a Good Thing?

Larger apertures result in a wider frequency response, making the music sound fuller without the bass becoming overpowering. Still, that won’t magically make the sound quality perfect.

However, the sound can be improved through a manual adjustment on the in-built equalisers on your phones, should you have them, otherwise on the music apps that could be downloaded to the phone.

The nice thing about the Cowin E7 Pro is that they’re lighter than the Cowin E7. Even though the differences in weight may not be immediately noted, the effects of the reduced weight on the Cowin E7 Pro will end up straining the ears less than the Cowin E7 on prolonged usage. Additionally, it has a lighter impact on what you may carry daily. 

Both headphones are well padded and comfortable. They are suited for long hours of wear but eventually they can get tiring. However, this is not much of a problem and only usually occurs in extreme situations where prolonged continuous listening exceeds a couple hours. 

One thing that adds to the comfort of wearing both the Cowin E7 and the Cowin E7 Pro would be the snug fit. They will stay on whilst doing slow or stationary tasks such as cooking, desk work or even to more extreme cases, during a mild jog. However, they are not sport headphones so strenuous activity which require a lot of movements or even sudden movements may cause them to slide off. 

The tight fit unfortunately doesn’t fit all head types, so certain users may experience discomfort, but the discomfort may not be felt immediately as the padding may cushion some of the tension that the snug fit exerts. 

The Cowen E7 and E7 Pro do not have custom software available on the Appstore or the google Play store that allow you to customize your EQ settings and help with the troubleshooting of potential problems you may have with the pair of headphones. The user would have to instead use in-built equalisers should they seek a specific setting or download one from the Appstore or Google play store.

Battery Life and Connectivity

The Cowin E7 and the Cowin E7 Pro both could last up to 30 hours when fully charged. However, in the case of the Cowin E7 Pro, the battery power had been improved to 800 mAh thus pushing listening hours to a maximum of about 35 hours. 

Unfortunately, recharge time is slow. One would expect the Cowin E7 Pro to improve on this feature seeing as it was released 3 years after the original Cowin E7.However, the Cowin E7 Pro unfortunately does not deliver to this and in the end both the Cowin E7 and Cowin E7 Pro takes ages to recharge.

To fully charge the batteries of both these headphones, it would take about 4 hours. One good thing is that the both the Cowin E7 and the Cowin E7 Pro can be used while charging, which increases the overall appeal to audiences who don’t want to wait for their devices to fully charge before using them. 

As said previously, the Cowin E7 supports NFC thus making pairing easy. The Cowin E7 Pro does not have NFC which is one disadvantage as it’s supposed to be an upgrade to the previous E7 base model. 

The Cowin E7 uses 4.0 Bluetooth. It’s a bit old and there are some better models on the market within the same price range that make use of an upgraded 4.2 Bluetooth. Thankfully, the Cowin E7 Pro improves on this and allows for a more stable and seamless connection. 

Both headphones have the same Bluetooth range of about 40 to 50 feet, which is quite an impressive range for such an affordable pair of headphones. Furthermore, they can connect to most Bluetooth activated devices. It is recommended though, to use the headphones for mostly phones and tablets.

Connecting the headphones to a personal computer should work fine for music. However, should the user decide to watch movies or tv shows, they would notice that the audio tends to go out of sync unless the headphones were connected to the personal computer with the aux cable that comes with it. 

Should the battery run out and the user is unable to charge the headphone, the aux cable that comes with both devices can be used to listen to music or watch movies and tv shows. 

Who Should Get This?

Those who want a pair of headphones with quality but are either strapped for cash or are just seeking an alternative for daily use would benefit greatly from purchasing either the Cowin E7 or the Cowin E7 Pro. After all, the name Cowin often shows up when one searches for a low priced, quality Bluetooth headset. 

These headphones are also suited for the more casual listeners, they would be content with the sound quality generated from these pair of headphones. There will be small impracticalities that would just end up irritating those who were looking for a richer sound quality. 

Those looking for such quality would benefit investing in the more expensive models as the Cowin series are marketed as a cheaper headset and users are bound to get what they paid for. 

However, it is noteworthy to mention that these headphones as advertised, do their job. They actively cancel outside noise and they provide a decent amount of bass and sound balance with regards to their price. 

The Cowin E7 already has enough specifications for most things that listeners could look for and it’s impressive enough on its own. 

Our Pick

As mentioned in the beginning, the goal was to search for a pair of headphones under $100. Pricewise, the Cowin E7 is the more affordable option. Even if the user would decide to spend extra for other colours, the Cowin E7’s price would still stay safely within budget.

The Cowin E7 Pro manages to stay under the $100 limit but just barely. In the end users will only be saving around $20 for the default black version and if they were to choose another colour they would only be able to save $5 which is not much. 

In this aspect, the Cowin E7 wins. 

As for sound quality, the Cowin E7 is decent. The bass is good, but nothing to write home about. Imperfections are subtle and only audiophiles or people with impeccable hearing will be able to detect it. The Cowin E7 Pro on the other hand, has slightly improved sound quality and balance. 

However, because it’s still marketed as a pair of affordable headphones the quality will still stay within that price range.

In this case, it would still be better to choose the Cowin E7 instead. 

When it comes to battery life, having an extra 5 hours would be helpful especially during long travel or when waiting.  Low leakage is a great factor to consider. We may not be so willing to share our music preferences with strangers in public. 

With this, the Cowin E7 Pro is preferrable. 

The Cowin E7’s affordability, combined with its ease of usage and the fact that it has decent sound quality makes it one of the best, if not the best choice for a pair of entry level headphones. The Cowin E7 Pro would be best if the user would be willing to spend more money, but most could just consider breaching the $100 limit and just get a better model.