Fastrack Reflex Tunes F01 Wireless Headphones Review

Analogue 3.5mm headphone jacks are slowly waning away from smartphones. Even some laptops lack dedicated headphone ports these days. No wonder people are increasingly turning towards wireless headphones, even though they have some audio quality disadvantages when compared to wired earphones. We have already published a list of the best wireless earphones that you can buy in India. Recently, we received Fastrack’s new over-the-ear Bluetooth headphones—Fastrack Reflex Tunes F01—for review. They are priced at ₹2,695. We’ve been testing them for the past three weeks. Now, we are ready to let you know our thoughts on them.

Fastrack Reflex Tunes F01 Specifications & Unboxing

The Fastrack Reflex Tunes F01 are over-the-ear wireless headphones with Bluetooth 5.0 and 40mm dynamic drivers. They also have a 3.5mm audio jack so you can use them even when their battery runs out. They have a foldable design and an IPX4 rating for sweat resistance, which means you can use them while working out. They have soft earpads and an adjustable metal strap. The Fastrack F01 headphones also feature a microphone, allowing them to take calls and voice commands. There is even a microSD card slot that lets you play music stored on the memory card. The headphones can play MP3 and WAV audio files. They have a microUSB port for charging and the company claims that they can last up to 14 hours on a single charge.

The Fastrack Reflex Tunes F01 box consists of the following things:

1. Fastrack Reflex Tunes F01 headphones
2. Flat USB Type-A to microUSB cable
3. 3.5mm to 3.5mm auxiliary audio cable
4. Quick Start Guide

Fastrack Reflex Tunes F01 Design: Are They Comfortable?

The headphones are built around a metal strap, and it is surrounded by plastic, similar to most other headphones in the price segment. However, I wish they could be extended a bit more because I had to use the longest setting for the headphones to be comfortable. Someone with a bigger head would not be able to use them comfortably. The earcups can be folded and swivelled, which is great for travelling as they consume very little space and can be stored easily in any backpack.

The earpads are very soft and comfortable. There’s soft padding on the headband as well. However, the headband’s clamping force is a bit higher than it needs to be. I felt a little discomfort after wearing them continuously for an hour or so, and I had to adjust them a bit.

There are four buttons for controlling music playback, accepting and rejecting calls, and summoning the digital voice assistant (works with Google Assistant on Android phones and Siri on iPhones and iPads). The buttons are nicely laid out, with the power button separated from the volume up, volume down, and play/pause buttons. There is a difference between the height of the play/pause button and volume buttons.

Here is the control scheme:

• Pairing: While turned off, press and hold the power button for a few seconds, and they will switch to the pairing mode.
• Single Press Play Button: Play/Pause
• Single Press Volume Up Button: Volume Up
• Single Press Volume Down Button: Volume Down
• Long Press Volume Up Button: Skip Track
• Long Press Volume Down Button: Previous Track
• Long Press Play Button: ??? (Didn’t Activate Google Assistant On My Phone)
• When Call Arrives – Single Press Play Button: Accept Call
• Once Call is Active – Single Press Play Button: End Call
• When Call Arrives – Long Press Play Button: Reject Call

Fastrack Reflex Tunes F01 Audio Quality: How Do They Sound?

When I first started listening to music via the Fastrack Reflex Tunes F01, the audio was extremely muffled. However, after a few hours of burn-in (yes, that’s still a thing), the audio quality improved a lot. It still didn’t sound very open to me and the audio tuning is definitely bass-heavy. If you’re someone who loves a lot of bass, you may like these headphones. But my complaint still remains, the bass is boomy and lacks the low-end grunt. I had to adjust the audio equaliser on my Galaxy S21 Ultra to reduce bass and increase the vocal ranges to improve the audio. I am attaching the screenshot of how I adjusted the equaliser. If you are someone like me who likes neutral audio, you won’t be satisfied with the Fastrack Reflex Tunes F01. However, most people like their music with a bit more bass, so they might not have much of an issue with the F01’s audio quality.

To test the audio quality in the wired mode, I connected them to my gaming PC via the Shanling UA2 USB-C DAC. There was a drastic improvement in audio quality. The bass got more thumpy and it was way more enjoyable than in the wireless mode. Highs improved too. Vocals were cleaner. It means that the drivers are actually good, and below-par audio in the wireless mode is due to the built-in Bluetooth chip’s fault. But the whole point of these headphones is that they are wireless and most people buying them will probably pair them via their smartphones, tablets, or laptops via Bluetooth. I expected more from these headphones, especially in the wireless mode.

Coming to the wireless connection stability of the Fastrack Reflex Tunes F01, they had a strong connection with my smartphone. To test their signal strength, I left my phone in my bedroom and walked towards the hall. And the headphones didn’t lose the signal, which surprised me since there were two walls between the phone and the headphones, and the distance was around 25 feet. When I walked towards my apartment’s main door, the signal started dropping out. In the direct line of sight, the headphones didn’t lose the Bluetooth signal for more than 40 feet.

Fastrack Reflex Tunes F01 Battery Life: How Long Do They Last?

Fastrack claims that the F01 can last up to 14 hours on a single charge, and that claim is correct. I had to charge them only once a week as I don’t usually listen to more than 2-3 hours of music every day. I had set the volume to 70% on my phone. The headphones lasted longer than the company’s claims.

Moreover, the headphones automatically turn off after five minutes if they are not connected to any device, which saves a lot of power. This is extremely helpful for someone who forgets to turn off their headphones when not in use. Another advantage that they have is the wired audio mode, which means even when they run out of battery juice, they can still be operated if your phone or laptop has a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Fastrack Reflex Tunes F01 Review Conclusion: Should You Buy Them?

The Fastrack Reflex Tunes F01 are decent wireless headphones for the price. They have a bass-heavy sound, but some people may like such audio tuning. But even such people may be left wanting for a bit more thump in the low-end. You can get more out of them by adjusting the audio equaliser on your connected device. They sound much better in wired mode, though, and you can actually enjoy wide genres of music when these headphones are connected to your device with the 3.5mm cable. Plus, they’re easy to carry and last really long on a single charge. In fact, I got more battery life than what the company had claimed. The deal could’ve been sweeter if they had AAC or aptX, though, or if they had a USB Type-C port for charging.