Introduction
The Urbanista Copenhagen are a sleek pair of earbuds, taking inspiration from its namesake city. I always regard affordable earphones with a bit of trepidation, as you can never be sure if compromising on price will have a detrimental impact on the audio quality. This is not the case with the Copenhagen buds, as they manage to offer a balanced overall experience – even if you do need the companion app to get them to their full potential. But without the high-end features of some of their contemporaries, are these earphones really worth it?
Design
Very similar design to the Urbanista Seoul Minimalist style IPX4 water resistance
The Urbanista Copenhagen case has a similar design to the Urbanista Seoul, sporting an oval shape and matte exterior, with the Urbanista branding clearly stamped on the front. The only differences are the shiny finish on the branding and the relocation of the USB-C charging port from the bottom to the side of the case. The case houses four small LED lights on the front, with each signifying 25% of battery life. While I liked this feature at first, I found the lights too small and inconspicuous to rely on as an indicator of how much charge the earbuds had left. I usually deferred to checking the companion app instead. While the design is sleek and mature, I would have preferred a more dramatic look, as from afar, the case looks almost like a small paperweight or pebble. The Dusty Pink and Sage Green colourways are also available, and look a lot more exciting to me, but that’s just personal preference. Inside the charging case, you’ll find the pairing button alongside the two buds, which sport a stemmed design. Since I have smallish ears, these fit me very well – much better than the silicon tips found on earbuds like the GravaStar Sirius Pro, and I was able to wear them during yoga without any issues. The hinge on the charging case feels flimsy, and I don’t think it would take much for it to snap right off. But overall, these buds fared well on the go, and withstood several tumbles to the floor as well as being hauled around loosely in a backpack without scratching or breaking. With a water resistance rating of IPX4, the Copenhagen can withstand water splashes from any direction. I didn’t notice any interference or drop in audio quality while walking in the rain, and I believe these buds would be able to handle a sweaty workout or two as well. Unlike the Urbanista Seoul, I was impressed with the touch controls on the Copenhagen. For example, you can pause your music by tapping twice on either of the buds. Going into the Urbanista companion app – which I’ll touch on further in the next section – enables some customisation options for the long tap. While the controls were not as fluid as on my Apple AirPods (2019), they were still very effective and simple enough to understand out of the box.
Features
Companion appSolid battery life Fantastic wireless connection
The Urbanista Copenhagen earbuds can be paired up with the Urbanista Audio app – available on both iOS and Android – which offers a couple of customisation options. You can customise the touch controls on each bud, however, they are limited to activating voice control, turning down the volume, or doing nothing. The EQ presets are a little more varied, but I would have preferred a more personalised approach that would give me the opportunity to adjust the audio in the same vein as in the Cleer+ companion app for the Cleer Roam NC earbuds. My favourite EQ settings in the Urbanista app were definitely Treble Boost and Balanced, as I found that these worked best with most genres and helped to elevate the audio. The Speech and Bass Boost modes were the most disappointing, as they favoured an airy approach that tended to outshine the vocals and dilute a lot of the detail. While the app is worth downloading, Urbanista should expand on it further to make it more integral to the experience of using the earbuds. While it was handy for checking the battery life and changing the EQ presets, the app’s limitations were frustrating, and I was disappointed to see that you have to manually move through the presets every time you want something new. Urbanista claims the Copenhagen has a 32-hour battery life, with 6 hours of charge in the buds themselves and an additional three charges in the case. The battery life here was reliable, and I got through several train journeys without needing to reach for a power outlet. Keeping the buds topped up was also made easier by the battery being displayed in the app, as the small indicator lights on the case were too dull to draw my attention. The Urbanista Copenhagen boast a fantastic wireless connection, with the audio staying stable in busy-signal areas. Pairing these earbuds with devices like my iPhone 13 Pro, Nintendo Switch and various laptops also worked seamlessly thanks to the Bluetooth 5.2 support. I never encountered random pairing with other devices during use, which was an issue with the Urbanista Seoul. Since the Copenhagen buds do not come with ANC, I did not expect them to be that effective in particularly noisy environments. While they were no match for my London Underground journeys, they were serviceable when I was in the office or doing my shopping, blocking out enough noise to keep me from getting distracted.
Sound Quality
Several EQ presets to choose from Balanced audio aided by certain presets Soundstage can be great
I was disappointed with the Default presets on the Urbanista Copenhagen. Fix This by The Colourist sounded flat and the vocals seemed distinctly separated from the instrumentals, creating a bit of a disconnect. Switching over to the Treble Boost mode massively improved this: the vocals were pushed forward, the soundstage became broader, and I was able to pick up on small details in the song that weren’t there before. I had a similar experience with I Remember Summer by Gene Harris. While the Default mode was not as isolating, switching to the Balanced mode gave the song much more personality. The song became more recognisable, and I could single out the bass and drum snare from the piano, creating a more enjoyable and fluid experience. I don’t think these earphones have a particular preference for high or low frequencies. Most songs sounded balanced but never delved very deep into the bass or treble notes, unlike the punchy – albeit inconsistent – emphasis on bass from the OneSonic BXS-HD1. While this depth could be found on a more expensive pair of earbuds, the audio here is easy to like. The more I played around with the EQ presets, the fonder I grew of the Copenhagen. The pair were dynamic, with a good distinction between quiet and loud notes. The crescendo at the end of World’s Smallest Violin by AJR was continuous, which resulted in an energetic atmosphere, although these buds were more reserved with this song compared with the experience on my AirPods (2019). Increasing the volume also gave the Urbanista Copenhagen more space to create a detailed and dynamic sound, as Numb Little Bug (Piano Version) by Em Beihold had a broader soundstage and more emphasis on the low-frequency notes. Overall, the default audio from these earphones is nothing to get excited about. But they show a lot more personality once you begin using the EQ presets. While it was cumbersome to keep checking in with the app every time I connected the buds to my phone, the results I had were always more nuanced, energetic and generally more enjoyable.
Latest Deals
For the price, these are a worthy and dependable pair of earphones. Just make sure to download the Urbanista Audio companion app to hear them at their best. Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
