A big improvement over the Matrix2

Posted by A.M.

This review is a comparison between the Matrix2 and Matrix3. I've used the Matrix2 since early 2014 and have loved it. With the new Matrix3, I am so impressed that I can't see ever going back to using the Matrix2.

* The new design is a lot more comfortable to wear for extended periods.  The new ear cup design is very noticeable as soon as you put them on. With and without glasses on, the Matrix3 is easy to forget you're wearing when there is no audio playing.
* I like the large L and R on the inside of the ear cups as a good visual reminder instead of having to look for the 3.5 mm audio jack to figure out the same thing on the Matrix2.
* The buttons are a lot easier to find and use by touch now that there are only three of them. For those of us with a muted sense of touch from nerve damage, you can still feel the difference between the buttons with the shallow gap between the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons and the raised bump on the multifunction button with your fingernail.
* The new buttons feel more responsive than the Matrix2.
* The sound quality is the same to me as my Matrix2 which is a very good thing.
* Call answer, hangup, and mute work flawlessly.
* I really like the separate lights for charging and bluetooth status. The position of the light on the Matrix2 was always reflecting on the inside of my reading glasses which was very distracting at times.
* According to several people I've spoken with using both headsets, the microphone on the Matrix3 sounds a lot better than my Matrix2.
* The new location of the 3.5 mm audio jack is much better than the Matrix2 when you want to recline while hard wired to an audio source.
* The lack of cover on the Micro-USB charging port for the Matrix3 makes it much easer to deal with plugging in a USB cable.  I always left my Matrix2 cover open since it was so difficult to re-open but it was always getting in the way.
* I'm looking forward to hearing the Battery Low voice notification instead of listening for the beeps on the Matrix2 that could easily be missed depending on what you are currently listening to.

There are only two very small issues that I've come across that don't change my love for the Matrix3 in any way.

* The timing of the press to activate Siri is hit and miss for me but it is not a big concern as Siri rarely gives me what I'm asking for.  I either end up just pausing playback or powering off the headset instead of activating Siri. I spoke with customer service about this and they are considering alternatives to make this easier to use.
* With Multipoint enabled, I find that the Matrix3 doesn't always want to reconnect to my iPhone automatically even when it is only bluetooth device enabled within range. This is not a problem with Multipoint disabled and only appears to be an issue with iOS devices so far. It's possible a future iOS release will address this issue.

The level of customer service is how I decide whether or not I buy products from a particular manufacturer. You can have the most impressive device on the market but if you can't get support when something isn't working the way you expect, it usually isn't worth the hassle. However, MEEaudio has always responded quickly and gone above and beyond to address any problems that come up.