6 month review of the ISOtunes Link 2.0 earmuff with boom microphone.
I’m sure their is someone else out there that is like me that really had their interest peaked when the ISOtunes Link 2.0 came out. I wasn’t able to buy them immediately but I did get my hands on a pair and have been using them for the last six months in my woodshop. This blog ultimately lays out what the good and bad things are and why, depending on your lifestyle you may want to give them a try.
I like answering the question up front, hopefully you keep reading, so…
Are the ISOTunes Link 2.0 with mic worth buying?
The answer is yes, given the oppurtunity to buy the ISOtunes Link 2.0 again I would. The ISOtunes Link 2.0 with boom microphone are worth it. They are extremely well made, great functionality with technology, significantly reduce sound adding a needed layer of hearing protection, and effectively noise cancel while talking on the phone. I really like some of the features, which makes this a win, but their are a few not so wonderful things to know about.
Hill Country CNC & Woodworking is an affiliate for this product. However, I could be an affiliate for many different products but I specifically chose this one because it is the product I actually like and recommend. Either way, keep reading, it’s worth it!
Here are two affiliate links you can purchase from:
My headphone backstory.
I was turned on to the ISOtunes Link 2.0 by a local and very famous content creator April Wilkerson of Wilker Do’s. She did a brief rundown of the product and at that specific time, I just happened to be needing something in MY shop. As a like-minded woodworker, creator, CNC, everything else person, I really dig her work and trust her as a woodworker so just that alone I was pretty well sold.
About that same time, I started noticing my father calling about the same time, every day. The same time I was running my CNC every day. He couldn’t hear me on the phone, and I couldn’t (well I could) stop my CNC to have this brief conversation, so I said, I wonder if their is something to this ISOtunes thing and started checking it out.
I did my own research and found almost 100% positive reviews, and certainly no negative reviews for anything I was concerned with. So I bought them.
My initial impression of the ISOtunes Link 2.0.
Out of the box (or boxes really) you will note that the packaging is great, the product is protected inside the boxes. Really good chance it will arrive in one piece!
The headset is of very high quality material. I won’t go down the trail of telling you what the materials are, I don’t have a clue. But the plastics are high quality, the ear muff foam, again, not cheap material and the headband strap is actually the best I have ever seen.
The boom microphone is the same; high quality construction, simple, not likely to break or degrade prematurely.
Initial impression, Good. Real Good.
The Good.
For me, the biggest concern was truly would I be able to connect via bluetooth to my phone and talk to someone clearly while operating equipment. The answer is yes. I have on occasion asked the person on the other end can you hear my CNC or router (loudest things I use) and the answer has been no. To me that makes it worth it, 100%.
Connection to Apps like Pandora, Spotify or Apple Podcasts. No problem. Ultimately thats a phone to wearable connection problem, as the software on the Link 2.0 handles it like a champ. No issues so far.
Comfort. This will get slightly confusing because you will see comfort again. I think the headband is probably the best headband in context of comfort that I have ever worn. Keep in mind have been wearing things like Peltor’s in the military for 20 years. I know what’s comfortable and whats not!
Sound reduction. The ISOtunes Link 2.0 platform really knocks down all noise. With a 25db drop all your tools are in a completely comfortable hearing level. I actually take mine off sometimes and realize my dust collection is still on.
The Boom Microphone is perfect. Very durable. Very bendy to get it out of your way and I am told very clear in a conversation.
I have to touch on durability. NOT being a careful person when I take of the headset at the end of the day or whatever. I toss them down, not set them down. And I swear to you their is not a scratch anywhere on them after 6 months.
Pros:
- Good noise reduction rating (NRR 23dB)
- Built-in safe listening limit
- Decent sound quality
- Quick-charge feature
The maybe not so Wonderful.
The not so great things to me are the battery life and connection. I have been using the Link 2.0 and it just died. And I am like, I took it off the charger this morning and it’s only 2. On the flipside of that I have used it two days in a row without charging.
My complaint about connection refers to dropping apps, where I have to go back to my phone and press play again. It’s wierd and it definitely is the ISOtunes Link 2.0 and not me. I have never dropped a call or anything like that.
The Bad.
My number 1 complaint is the ear box. I am a big guy, with big-ish ears. When I wear Peltor’s my ear goes inside the padding and you have all day comfort. With the ISOtunes, my ear goes on the padding and compresses my ear some. Basically the ear box is small. This could be a problem for you. I notice it, but ultimately ignore it.
Next, I will say I am not a giant fan of how the Safe Hearing limits are set. Again, it’s probably exactly how it is supposed to be, but if you were an Infantry dude for the Army for 20 years, your hearing is already damaged. The endstate is that you can go in and change the safe hearing levels to a degree that you can hear correctly, but that process is not intuitive and not well depicted in the instructions.
Cons:
- Ear comfort
- Changing levels instructions
- Sound quality could be better
- A bit pricey
All in all, I say yes to the ISOtunes Link 2.0
The real last word for me is that it has changed the way I work. I can talk to a client, while working without worrying if they can hear the tools. Any woodworker or CNC operator knows that talking with clients (and Dads) is a part of business. And although that time is important, it often takes you away from the millions of other jobs you need to be doing.
Like I said before, I am an Amazon Affiliate, but the bottom line is I really like these things and wouldn’t have them in my shop if I didn’t.
Here are two links (just without the pictures) for the ISOtunes Link 2.0 and boom mic.
ISOtunes Link 2.0
I hope you enjoyed my review of the ISOtunes Link 2.0!
If you enjoy my writing here is a link about “why I don’t like Purpleheart Wood” or maybe “my top 3 surfacing bits for the CNC.”
Make sure to check out the rest of my website and blog! My store has many of the common items I personally use and the WHY behind it.
Have a great one!
Royce
Hill Country CNC & Woodworking is an affiliate marketing business, but it is one with ethics and morals. We only promote the items that we use in our daily business. Let’s help each other! I will give you my experience (and discounts sometimes) and you can help me grow.
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