Its the birthplace of A-Has Morten Harket.
Home of the worlds largest sovereign wealth fund.
And yes, its capital city, Oslo, is a sight to behold.
The fjord-pocked Scandinavian nation is also home toUrbanista a trendy boutique audio firm which recently released theStockholmwireless earbuds.
Forgive me, dear reader, for I know that was ahorrendousjoke.
I deserve all the angry hate mail Ill inevitably get.
But can you blame me for trying to spice this review up?
In 2019, wireless earbuds are no longer a novelty.
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You know that, because youre here.
And for that reason alone, you should pay attention.
For the purposes of the review, were looking at the olive-green model.
Fortunately, grabbing your earbuds from the case is a doddle.
The case also uses a magnetic charging mechanism, ensuring the earbuds snap firmly in place once returned.
This ensures that users dont end up with one fully-charged earbud, and one thats completely empty.
that dangles below the lobes, and they dont enter the ear canal.
Personally, I found them to be comfortable to wear.
They also stayed put during use, and didnt fall out once.
Thats a relief because, like most wireless earbuds, they aint cheap.
Each bud comes with a touch-sensitive mechanism, allowing the user to control playback.
Personally, I find this got in the way quite a bit.
When fiddling with the buds, trying to confirm theyre safe and secure, Id frequently accidentally skip tracks.
Pairing and stability
Astonishingly, this is one area where wireless earbuds often fall short.
I cant count how many earbuds Ive reviewed that have had fundamental issues with this basic function.
Fortunately, the Urbanista Stockholm isnt one of them, and actually exceeded expectations.
Thats how slick they are.
And crucially, they diligently remain connected when in use, with drop-outs rare and mercifully brief.
Performance
Lets start with battery life.
Overall, this endurance makes them perfectly suited for most peoples commutes.
I was also really impressed with the call quality.
Anthemic folk songs, like Gregory Alan IsakovsBig Black Car, sound bright and airy.
One track that demonstrated this was SposesNobody(featuring San Francisco nerd-rapper Watsky).
The thing is, you dont really expect amazing audio quality with wireless earbuds.
Youre not paying for the listening experience.
Who is this for?
It doesnt do too much.
Theres no needlessly-complicated app to download, as Ive seen with other products in the category.
Its just a solid, functional pair of earphones.
The sound quality is decent.
Not amazing, but decent.
The Urbanista Stockholm is reliable.
The buds are fairly comfortable.
Theyre fast at connecting to your phone.
Battery life is solid.
And crucially, theyre reasonably priced, retailing atjust $99(or89.99 in the UK).
I do have some complaints, however.
Not many, but some.
I feel like the touch controls are a bit of a white elephant, and dont add much.
I also wish the case was sturdier, and came with USB-C.
I mean, its 2019 for heavens sake!
In the UK, the Urbanista Stockholm isavailable from Amazon, as well Harrods and Urbanistas online store.
Inthe US, aswell as Sweden, you might grab a pair directly from the manufacturer.
