AIAIAI TMA-2 HD Wireless Headphones Overview.
The TMA-2 HD Wireless is are modular Bluetooth headphones from a Danish company called AIAIAI. I believe the correct pronunciation is I-I-I and there A’s are silent. The TMA-2 HD Wireless is a TMA-2 preset option from AIAIAI. Although you can build your TMA-2 headphones using their TMA-2 Builder, more on that later, you can also buy prebuilt headphones from their website, https://aiaiai.audio/ The TMA-2 HD Wireless consists of four components, the speaker units, headband, earpads, and cable. The TMA-2 HD Wireless samples we received consisted of the S01 speaker units, the H05 wireless headband, the E08 Earpads, and the C15 Cable. The cable came with a 1/4″ to 3.5mm screw-on adapter. There is also a USB Type-C cable included for charging the headband. There are several other options. But we’ll discuss that when we get to the TMA-2 builder section.
The S05 speaker units are 40mm drivers. These are considered their detailed drivers as they designed for more “defined high-frequency details, more pronounced mid-range, better dynamics, and more natural tonality.” I have another pair of TMA-2 headphones, the Fnatic Duel gaming headset that uses the S02 drivers. The S02 drivers deliver more deep, punchy bass and are better suited for gaming or music such as rap and heavy metal. However, listening to classic rock and more acoustic performances, such as Nirvana Unplugged, sound far better with the S05 drivers.
The headband included with the TMA-2 HD Wireless is the H05 Bluetooth headband. The headband is made from reinforced nylon and has micro-fiber padding designed for comfort. Two cables are protruding from the headband, one on either side. Each cable has a locking 3.5mm connector to lock the cable in place on each of the speaker units. On the inside of the headband, on the center of the padding is the AIAIAI logo. The padding is made up of microfiber material and has a soft-touch feel to the outside. On the left side of the headband, there is a USB Type-C port for charging the headband. The TMA-2 HD Wireless can run for about 16 hours of playback. I easily got that long out of a charge, if not a little longer.
Pairing
On the outside of the H05 headband, there are three buttons and an LED indicator. The buttons are labeled, in the user manual, as Top, Middle, and Bottom. To power on your TMA-2 HD Wireless, you press and hold the middle button for three seconds. If it’s your first time pairing, you press and hold the middle button until the LED indicator starts to flash. You are now ready to pair your TMA-2 HD Wireless to your device of choice. When in pairing mode, the LED with rapidly flash. Once your device is connected, the LED will be constantly white. When you have a low battery, the LED indicator will flash red every 10 seconds. To power down the TMA-2 HD Wireless, press and hold the top button for three seconds. Below the LED indicator, at the bottom of the HO5 headband is where the mic is located.
Music Control
You can control music, videos and video playlists using the three buttons on the TMA-2 Wireless. When watching a video, or listening to music, a single, short press of the middle button will pause or play the current track or video you are watching. For the next track or video on your playlist, double press the middle button. A triple press will go to the previous track or video. For volume control, a single, short press of the top button will raise the volume. A single, short press of the bottom button will lower the volume.
Device Control
When your TMA-2 HD Wireless is connected to your phone, you can use the three buttons to answer, end, or reject phone calls. You can even activate voice controls on your phone using your TMA-2 HD Wireless. To answer an incoming call, its a single, short press of the middle button. To end the call, its also a single press on the middle button. To reject the call, press, and hold the middle button for one second. To activate the voice command on your phone, press and hold the middle button for two seconds.
Charging
To charge your Ho5 headband on the TMA-2 HD Wireless, plug in the included USB Type-C cable. When charging, the LED indicator will remain red throughout. When the LED turns solid white, the TMA-2 HD Wireless is fully charged. The TMA-2 HD Wireless will charge faster if plugged into the wall with an adapter, as opposed to a computer. For safety precautions, the headphones will not turn on when charging.
The TMA-2 HD Wireless came with their E08 Earpads. The E08 are very comfortable, over-the-ear ear cups made up of memory foam cushion and covered with Alcantara. Alcantara is made up of roughly 68% polyester and 32% polyurethane. It has a similar look and feel to suede. The E08 is currently one of four options that AIAIAI has available on their site at the time of this review. Although the E08 earpads are extremely comfortable, I swapped them out for the E04 PU Leather earpads that were on my Fnatic Duel headset. That is why they have a yellow cross in the center of the leather earpads. Ones purchased from AIAIAI will look more like the E08 earpads pictured above.
I will say, the E04 PU Leather earpads I have are almost five years old and have been used extensively in that time. However, they show very little signs of wear, if any at all. The leather on my Sennheiser HD598s headphones, not so much. They were also purchased about five years ago and the leather on the earcups of the 598s headphone began to flake off after about three years. Putting the two side by side, you can see a huge difference.
Since the TMA-2 HD Wireless are modular headphones, some assembly is required. However, assembly is straight forward and simple. Like all TMA-2 compatible headbands, the H05 is notched to adjust to the user’s head size. Two 3.5 mm cables are protruding from the headband that attaches to each of the two speaker units. The 3.5mm cables lock in place as to not come unplugged when adjusting the headphones to your head.
There are four holes on either of the speaker units. These holes align with the nipples, for lack of a better word, on the back of the earpads. They simply snap in place.
Both speaker units on the TMA-2 HD Wireless have a 3.5 mm port on the bottom of the unit for the included 3.5 mm cable. This way, if you decide to plug the headphones in, you can plug them in on either the right or left side of the headphones. Like the ports on the top of the speaker units, the bottom ports also have a locking mechanism for the cable to prevent it from pulling out.
The cable packed with the TMA-2 HD Wireless is the C15 cable from AIAIAI. The cable is a standard 3.5mm plug. One end locks in place on the speaker units, where the other end plugs into your device. The end of the cable on that plugs into your device is threaded. this is because the C15 cable comes with a 1/4″ adapter. The C15 cable is a 1.5m black, Triad hi-fi cable. Now that the TMA-2 HD Wireless is assembled, let’s take a look at the several different options that AIAIAI offers on their website and with their TMA-2 Builder.