Ray-Ban Meta has ONE Problem... 🤔 Review (With Sound Samples)

Today we’re going to look at the Rayban Meta’s camera performance in low light situations, its battery life, some pros and cons, and of course, since this is an audio-centric channel, we’re going to talk about its audio.

Before we proceed I have to make a disclaimer. The Rayban Meta has not officially been launched in my country, Singapore. The Meta Vision app’s not available in any of the app stores here, not Apple not Google, so I’ve had to download the apk from a third party source. But rest assured, by the time it’s officially launched here I will come back to you with another review because some new features could have been added.

(Edit - 15 Apr 2024: The Meta View App was launched internationally today on both iOS and Android platforms.)

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve got them and I have to say that these are a game changer for me. Because as a content creator, sometimes I do need to shoot some footage, but I also want my hands free. Usually, that would be a camera mounted on my head, but that looks ridiculous when you’re out and about.

This one’s more discreet, looks just like any typical Rayban. What was surprising was its weight. It feels like typical Sunglasses so it wasn’t uncomfortable to wear for long periods. It would have been better if there was a way to form the arms to fit the shape of my head better. Because I have a small nose, and it kept sliding down which meant I had to readjust it often.

Camera Quality

One concern I had was the camera quality. I thought, since the camera was so tiny, shoots in 1080p only and there was only one on the left side, it’s got to be bad, right? But shooting pictures and videos with it, it does hold up pretty well in terms of stabilization, and when shooting in low light conditions it controls the ISO balance pretty well, so bright areas of the shot are not overexposed, neither do the dark areas look noisy.

Pictures and videos can appear a little more contrasty than I’m used to, but colors are more or less accurate, and the white balance is not too cool or too warm. But if you’re shooting in low light, and there’s no other source of light illuminating the scene, the Rayban Meta will pump up the ISO, which results in noisy capture. Watch the sample of the video recording.

That being said, it has been improved after the most recent V2 firmware update which is supposed to address this issue. As you can see below, it appears much less noisy than before, although small text is just as unreadable.

I do hope that Meta introduces an option to change the capture’s aspect ratio. 3:4 works great as a compromise between shooting for Youtube and Instagram or Tiktok, you just have to crop in a bit. But I should have the option to shoot in whatever aspect ratio I choose whether it be 16:9, or 9:16.

Microphone Capture for Videos

What it does do very well is audio capture from the five-microphone array. Your own voice, as well the voices of the people around you are captured nicely and there seems to be some noise gating cutting some background noise. That is good for walking and talking to someone at the same time.

But as you can see below, when you’re shooting with something you’re wearing on your face, you’ve got to be mindful of things that might accidentally get into the shot like hats or hair.

Hair were captured during the shot.

Phone Call Quality

Can you take phone calls with it? Yes you can. My voice sounds clean and clear, and in noisy, windy conditions it will do a great job at filtering all that background noise, which is another reason to like the Rayban Meta. Have a listen to the sample.

(Tested in quiet and noisy conditions using some really loud cafe noise and some wind noise from a fan.)

Speakers Sound Quality

You can actually use these as open-fit headphones, and you can expect them to sound more mid-focused so you can hear things like rich and clear vocals, fullness in wind and string instruments.

But these aren’t really designed to lock in the bass, so its bass response is quite poor. And because of the small drivers and placement outside the ear, it will distort in the mids and highs with ‘busy’ music. Adding on to that, in noisy places, you’ll have to pump up the volume till 80pc or more to hear your audio well. Overall they sound decent, but I don’t expect to be using them for music instead of my usual earbuds which can be worn at the same time. Listen to the sample.

Just a little problem…

Right now my biggest issue with the Rayban Meta is its battery. I shot lots of videos on it, most at a one minute length, and every minute of video sucks around 10 percent of battery. If it runs dry, it becomes just a pair of glasses and you’ll have to put it back in the case to charge. If you listen to audio you can expect it to be empty in a couple of hours. The case provides 7 more charges which is generous, but I just hope the glasses could have lasted longer so I don’t have to take the case with me.

Conclusion

But overall, I’m having a lot of fun exploring what it can do for my workflow as a creator, or just capturing fun memories with loved ones without whipping out my phone. I’m also quite impressed by its call quality but, what do you think? Let me know in the comments.

If you want to check the latest prices for Ray-Ban Meta, use the links to its Amazon page below.

Check latest price: Ray-Ban Meta - https://amzn.to/48618s0

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