Introduction
Dudios Tic are finally here after some troubles with the shipment. Carrie has reached me again for a review of their latest product and I immediately accepted even considering their sponsored low-latency mode.
Let’s see how do they behave.
Disclaimer: the Dudios Tic were provided by Carrie from Dudios free of charge in order to write a honest review.
At the time of the review, the Dudios Tic were sold for €29.
For more reviews, remember to check out our website: https://www.audio-monkeys.com
Packaging
Packaging consists in a simple carton box just like other Dudios products.
What do you get in the box?
- The Dudios Tic TWS earphones
- Their charging box
- A set of silicone tips
- A micro-USB charging cable
- Some instruction papers
Connectivity
Connectivity is great just like other Dudios products. I had no issues while walking around in my house with the Tic in my ears and never had any problem with them even outside.
Their connection to the phone is blazing fast and they’re ready-to-play in some seconds.
They don’t have AptX codec but they have a low-latency mode which grants a low latency for gaming purposes, and I have to say I’m using them to play PUBGM on my smartphone with no issues. I’ve tried using many other Bluetooth 5.0 TWS earphones without any low-latency codec and they’re just not able to keep up with games, moreover if we speak about real-time shooters and similar games.
Design and Build Quality
They are made of plastic and they seem well built at the same time: although they’re lightweight they’re don’t feel “very cheap” in the hands.
The design is clean, modern, without any fancy or “gaming” LED, I would say almost minimal.
The charging isn’t bulky and is fairly lightweight (the battery is only 380mAh, so that’s why it’s so lightweight), although I don’t like the fact there isn’t any LED that Dudios used to sport on the Ace.
The only LED you have is the one that’s present on each TWS earphone and it indicates the level of charge of the single earphone (red isn’t charged, green is charged) but you won’t be able to see the level of charge of the charging box itself in any way.
The inner charging slots have a nice magnetic force, and this ensures that the earphones won’t fall out of the charging box even if you leave the box open.
Last but not least, the Tic are IPX5 certified, and I can confirm that I’ve been running with them since 2 weeks (and it’s raining very often in my city in this period) and they still work fine (plus, they’re dust resistant as well).
Commands and Battery Life
The Tic controls are easy to learn. I’m posting under the text a little pic of the controls instructions found in the manual.
Speaking about battery, I’ve used them for like 4 hours with medium-high volume (with no low latency mode enable), and I have been able to charge them for around 4 times before having to charge the case again, and although it’s not bad, it’s definitely a lower result if compared to the Dudios Zeus Ace for example, which sport a bulkier charging case with a bigger battery.
Comfort and Isolation
They’re comfortable, and their rounded shape can be moved in the ear until you find the most comfortable position for you.
The only thing you have to be aware of is that you cannot use every kind of tips with the Tic (for example I’m not able to use foam tips because the earphones won’t stay in their slots perfectly if I put them on).
Isolation is average considering the type of product.
Sound
Let’s get into it.
Now the critical factor that decides if something has to be tried or not: how do they sound? I mainly listen to EDM subgenres, Dupstep, Future Bass, Euphoric Hardstyle, Bass House, Midtempo and downtempo, darkwave, drum’n bass, but I even listen to many vocal tracks, moreover female ones. I always search for headphones that have a little bit of emphasis in the lower region, and can sacrifice mids with some recession if they still sound clear and natural. I love vivid and sparkling highs if they’re not at a headache level.
V-shaped signature is usually my favourite one but in the last period i’m appreciating a more balanced presentation with less recessed mids, more of a U shape or Y-shape.
Lows: Sub-bass is boosted but hasn’t the best extension I’ve found in a pair of earphones. Bass is forward with slow decay but it’s still controlled, and this makes the bass thicker and punchier that you’d expect. I think the low-end here will satisfy the majority of people for almost every genre.
Mids: the lower midrange sound warm and pleasant thanks to the thick bass response which heats up male voices. Instruments are very recessed but they keep a fairly natural timbre, and female voices gets some energy from a little boost in the upper treble that makes them a tad more forward. There’s no trace of sibilance.
Highs: highs aren’t the smoothest one you’ll find on a pair of TWS earphones, but they’re not fatiguing either. Microdetail retrieval is not one of the strenghts of the Tic, but treble is definitely sounding good with no strange peaks, at least on my sample.
Soundstage tends to be more expansive in width while depth and height are just average. Imaging is good for the price while instrument separation is average as well and shows its limits while listening to complex orchestral tracks.
Microphone quality has no issues while speaking, and I’d say Dudios improved a lot its quality if compared to previous models.
Some comparisons:
Dudios Tic vs Dudios Zeus Ace
Very different. The Ace are much more bassier with more recessed midrange and boosted highs, while Tic’s low-end is punchy but more controlled, and mids and treble sound just right without being too forward nor peaky. Stage is bigger on the Zeus Ace due to the midrange recession, while imaging and instrument separation are better on the Tic. The Tic earphones have a better battery life when out-of-the-box, but the Ace have a bigger battery in the charging station, so you can charge the latter for about twice the times. The Tic also have a low-latency mode which is absent on the Ace, making the first ones the best choice for gamers on-the-go and for people who usually watch films or TV series through streaming apps on the smartphone.
The Tic also have easier controls due to them having touch controls instead of a physical button like the Ace.
Dudios Tic vs Dudios Shuttle
The Shuttle are more recent than the Ace but they didn’t impress me in terms of sound. In fact, this is an easy comparison as the Tic just sound much better, with a more transparent and natural sound and a less boomy and intrusive low-end, which was something that I didn’t like on the Shuttle as the bass bleeds too much into the mids on the latter. Plus, they have a low-latency mode that the Shuttle don’t feature, and this is another advantage of the Tic. The battery life of the Tic out-of-the-box is a tad better, while the charging station sports a bit more mAhs in the charging station, so the total battery life should be very similar.
Final Thoughts
The Dudios Tic are one of the best offerings in sub-€30 price bracket: they won’t be revealing monsters or audiophile grade earphones, but they do well what they’re made for. They sound good, battery life is more than decent and the low-latency mode is almost flawless, granting a great multimedia experience.
For the asking price, they’re an absolute bargain, and I’m sure I will have many occasions to advise them to friends and other people on the web.