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I appear to now have an embarrassing amount of inexpensive (and some not so inexpensive) TWS headphones in my collection - most are good - some not so good. One thing I have done to realise though is that even the not so good ones sound significantly better than the headphones I used to use when I was a teen. In fact it has to be said that many of these inexpensive TWS headphones sound better than the most expensive first generation Bluetooth headphones.
With these thoughts in mind I tend to look for three fundamental details when comparing different headphones which share a similar price point. Sound quality and characteristics, connection strength and reliability and functions/features.
The HolyHigh G3 Externals
The Case
The case is fairly solid from a build quality perspective. It’s circular with a very difficult to open rotating top. A plastic flap covers the USB Type B port but is easy to open. A small but surprisingly bright LED sits above the USB socket which is partially covered by the aforementioned plastic flap.
The case features magnets which hold the headphones in place quite nicely. Unfortunately, I have found it very difficult to remove the headphones from the case because they're very slippery. They should have give the headphones either a rubberized or matt finish. In all fairness they're not the only set of TWS headphones which suffer from this problem.
I experienced another problem with the case - when I put the headphones back into the case they didn’t power down and disconnect from my phone - I had to disconnect manually. I can only assume that the headphones actually power down after being disconnected after a period of time. In case you haven’t realised, I’m not a big fan of the case at all.
The Headphones - Functions and Features
The G3’s feature touch controls. In many ways these are both good and bad. The good is that you don’t have to apply pressure on them when operating controls which helps minimise driver flex. The downside is that it’s far too easy to accidentally trigger the buttons when interacting with the headphones. In all fairness I have experienced this problem with other headphones like these and I have managed to minimise this with careful handling - I’m sure I could do the same with the G3’s in the fullness of time. The basics are there - one touch to pause/play, two touches on left or right for track skip forward and backward, long hold left/right for volume up/down and three taps for Google Assistant/Siri. Generally they work well but I did struggle somewhat with adjusting the volume - again, in the fullness of time I suspect I will get used to this.
Phone calls come through both earphones which is always welcome. Also, you can use just one headphone at a time if you wish - ideal if you want to use them frequently for phone calls as this would effectively double their battery life.
Sound Quality
These headphones have a smooth sound which lends itself to longer listening sessions without fatigue. Bass is slightly extended with a nice bloom to the lower registers. Whilst initially this is quite pleasant to listen to, it's also lacking in finer details. The good news is that the bass doesn't bleed to badly into the mids and they make a great headphone for listening at lower volumes.
The same really applies to the top end - whilst lacking details in the very high registers, it doesn't suffer with distortions caused by low bitrate MP3 compression (which is something that can affect a lot of Bluetooth headphones when you move too far from the transmitter). The end result is a smooth sound which can be described as non-offensive. Details are there but they're a little further back in the mix.
Stereo separation is fairly tight with these - you don't particularly get the impression of being an audience member - rather you're one of the performers. I personally like this type of presentation as I feel it's more intimate - also, let's face it, nearly all studio recordings go through a desk from multiple sources - any stereo depth effect is purely synthetic most of the time.
All of this is dependant on getting a good fit - the good news is that these headphones fit really well for me. I know it's very much a personal thing as everyone's ears are a different size and shape, but I've had great success getting a good fit with the default tips that are already fitted. Whilst I'm not a big believer in 'breaking in' headphones, I did find that they definitely opened up somewhat after a couple of days use. I used them whilst driving my truck and they did an excellent job of passively reducing (but not completely eliminating) engine noise and sounded great. The noise floor on these headphones is virtually non-existent - certainly once the music starts playing you're not going to be aware of it. Also, range appears to be slightly better than average for these types of headphones - just about passes the upstairs toilet test.
Things I Like
Form factor - they're really quite small and subtle. They fit in the ear well and weight next to nothing.
Touch controls - I have a kind of love/hate relationship with touch controls on IEM's - these are definitely better than some I've tried. Volume control takes a little getting used to but it's always a nice feature to have.
Sound quality - very good for their price. Whilst I do have better TWS type headphones in my collection, they do cost considerably more than the G3's. I also like the high volume you can get out of these things - take note Sony!
Things I don't like
Case - whilst I like the magnetic elements which hold the headphones in, I don't like the case itself. I personally find the lid very difficult to open and sometimes my fat pudgy fingers have difficulty grasping the headphones when trying to get them out.
That's about it. Whilst there are things I could wish for - aptx, LDAC, 20 hour battery life on the headphones before having to be recharged, they're not being advertised as having these features so it's not really fair to expect them.
Conclusion
In conclusion, at the price level these ate being sold at, there's not really much to complain about. It comes down to fit and sound signature. These offer a reasonably detailed yet mellow sound which lends itself to longer listening sessions. Fit is very much a personal thing - for me they offer an excellent fit but your results may vary. A comfortable 4 out of 5
These headphones can be found at
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07TBZGJQV
But in the image of the back box you posted it says it have APTX.