Reviews by regancipher
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
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Socials: Biolink
Model: SoundPEATS Engine 4
Price: MSRP approx. $69
Website: SoundPEATS
Review Reference: RC098
Early Bird Price: £46.19 at Amazon UK - use code REGANXSP at checkout
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
YouTube Review:
Introduction
The SoundPEATS release show is back on the road, and this time it's essentially an LDAC, 2023 re-rub for the TrueEngine 3SE, with a big room sound signature that is more than a tip of the hat to the H1 and H2.
After a quiet month or so following the Life Classic, Runfree Lite and Opera03/05 kept them busy during Q1, SoundPEATS have several new products about to the hit the market too, including the Oladance-esque GoFree and the Airpod Gen3-inspired Air4 series. But first the Engine4 - a dual coaxial dynamic driver bud with LDAC and no ANC, not to mention a mammoth 12.5 hours battery life extending to up to 43 hours with the case. Today we will look at the merits of the Engine4 over something like the Opera05, and determine if the ANC trade-off is worth it.
Unboxing
This is comfortably SoundPEATS' most impressive unboxing so far, with a smart matte-black case and gold lettering giving the box a real premium feel to it. You've got the Hi-Res Wireless and LDAC logos on the front accompanying an artist impression of the buds, with the key features on the side and product parameters on the front.
The high quality unboxing extends to the inside, where the usual spare tips and charge cable as enclosed within a custom cardboard separator, and both this and the envelope containing the manual and app quick guide have little thumb pulls to help you remove them from the case a little easier.
Charge Case
The charge case of the Engine4 is, like most SoundPEATS cases these days, pill-shaped, and similarly-sized to the Mini Pro HS case, albeit slightly larger at 6.1x4.5x2.8cm. It is a compact-ish case that wears well inside a jacket pocket when you're on the move, and isn't completely out of the question for popping in your shorts or trousers - it weighs only 43g fully loaded, so it isn't going to give you a bruised thigh if you need to jog for the train.
The finish of the exterior of the case is a metallic coffee-brown, and so far it has held up better than the last glossy SoundPEATS case, the Air3 Deluxe HS. I'm a big fan of SoundPEATS cases generally, and this one is no exception - looking and feeling the part. On the bottom you have a USB-C charge socket and re-set button, which you hold with the case open to reset into pairing mode, and are rewarded with the LED on the inside turning white - there's no outer LED this time as SoundPEATS have tried to make the case as minimalist as possible, and for me it's not an issue as long as the LED is somewhere! The indicator light will glow green when you have 50-100% battery life remaining, amber when 10-49% and red when less than 10%. If you want to check the battery of the buds, you can consult the app, where the front page tells you an approximate percentage value for each.
Open the cockpit and you'll notice the buds slot in similarly to SoundPEATS other in-ear cases. The magnets are quite powerful here, but you've got plenty of the bud to grab onto to prevent it feeling like you might send them spinning on the floor if you pull too hard. The hinge is a particular highlight here with a very nice friction feel to it that pairs nicely with the in-built hall-switch mode, allowing you to connect the buds to your device without removing them - instead you can leave it popped open on the desk, a useful feature.
The case doesn't have wireless charging and there's no quick charge feature, which is a shame. However, with long single use battery life that shouldn't be quite such an ordeal. The case is 350mAh, which gives you just under three additional charges, taking the total battery life to around 43 hours.
Design and Ergonomics
The Engine4 returns to SoundPEATS roots a little, combining the open-heart look of the H1 and True Engine 3SE with the outline of something like the original SoundPEATS Mini. It has the look of the Opera05 from the outside looking in, but they are much, much more compact - thankfully!
The outside has a reasonably-sized touch control area that responds well, without acceidental touches ever seeming like they could be a problem. There's still a fair bit of depth - approx 27mm - to house the mammoth battery, but it's some way short of the gargantuan Opera05 which measure in at almost 33mm. The size is much more like what we would expect to see from an earbud, fitting similarly to the True Engine 3SE.
Around where the earbud makes contact with your skin, SoundPEATS contrast the matching brown metallic finish with a softer, almost rubberised matte grey, which adds to the comfort and stability. The nozzle is round, plastic and of a normal diameter that would allow third party tips to fit almost universally.
The tips that come with the Engine4 are quite good, and certainly suitable for them given their proportions. They have a large bore, are soft and reasonably flat, although there's enough depth to them to ensure a solid feel. However, where you may usually take the factory-fitted Medium, on this model I'm pretty sure you will be reaching for the Large, because the result is a far more immersive audio experience and impressive passive noise isolation.
The looks and ergonomics of the Engine4 are great - and not just great compared to the Opera series! They protrude a little on me - although not even as much as the Mini Pro HS, and the weight displacement means they don't droop out of your ears with a bit of movement. Overall it's a really nice segway from the Opera with an attractive colour scheme and a comfortable fit.
Audio & Sound Signature
The Engine4 use a 10mm titanium-plated composite membrane woofer and a 6mm tweeter, and together with LDAC support up to 960k, this allows SoundPEATS to deliver their most immersive audio experience since the H1 & H2, with a deep lower frequency response that bassheads will find more satisfying than their Mini Pro HS or Capsule3 Pro, and an airy open soundstage that will have H1 and H2 owners salivating.
The Engine4 boast a boosted subbass that isn't overpowering, but has a rumble and a growl that you feel as well as hear. This is accentuated when you switch the Medium tips for Large - as soon as you do this, you'll notice there's far more fullness to your kicks and toms. House music sounds particularly nice here, with the beater to your kick drum giving you a clean and punchy edge. Bass has much greater texture and tone to it than something like the Earfun Air Pro 3, where it feels exaggerated and overwhelming - instead, here we have a better balance against the midbass that prevents tracks from sounding muddy or boxy but retains energy and drive.
On 'Into You' by Ariana Grande, the bassline and synths sound more natural and contrast against the airy upper frequencies to give the vocal range plenty of presence, separating effortlessly from cowbells and percussion. On 'Gecko' by Oliver Heldens the kick is chunky and fast with plenty of rumble to the bassline. There is a far better balance that results in improved, more authentic harmonics without compromising energy or flavour. Lower mids are lean and clean, and this prevents the mix from sounding bloated or muddy in any way.
The balanced midrange gives a nice natural tone and body to instruments and vocals. The gradual climb and peak from 1k-4k brings attack to the kick and ensures good clarity to vocals. Female vocals can sometimes sound a little back from the arrangement, but male vocals are typically forward without ever sounding too prominent. On 'If you don't know me' by Simply Red, Mick Hucknall's silky vocals pan around with great presence, and switch to rap tracks like Jimmy Cooks by Drake and 21 Savage and it's similarly impressive - despite the wobble of the subbass, 21 Savage's tone even when whispering is transmitted faithfully.
The dip from 3k and gradual rise and peak at around 7k gives sufficient impression of detail without sounding etched or sibilent. On 'Come Undone' by Duran Duran, shakers and other percussive elements have texture that isn't too sharp or edgy, whilst the open soundstage gives tracks a 'live' feel. The dip around 5k can leave backing vocals and some instruments sounding a little distant, but otherwise instruments are straightforward to place. On 'Crucify' by Tori Amos, the mix of acoustic piano, mandolin, ukulele and percussion shows off the Engine4's breadth.
For both complex and simplistic arrangements, the Engine4 sound very enjoyable - there's a bit more depth to the bass than the Capsule3 Pro and it's not quite as emphasised as the H1, whilst the dual-driver arrangements allows SoundPEATS to bring more midrange presence without bloat. The trebles aren't as coarse as the H1, rendering them a little less fatiguing.
For me, the tuning is spot on for the driver arrangement. It makes the Engine4 the pick of SoundPEATS releases of recent times - possibly their most convincing sounding TWS so far. They aren't as pushy as the Opera series, and aren't as raw as the H1, but give them a few hours and they're everything you want from a budget TWS.
Call Quality
Calls on the Engine4 are OK. There are 4 mics and some kind of environmental noise reduction algorithm being applied, and this is especially evident outdoors where traffic and gusts of wind are generally dealt with pretty well. The problem is, your voice is also subdued a little, leaving you sounding a little faint and distant.
Outdoors, you can hear how they fare here:
Indoors, the noise reduction isn't anywhere near as prominent. They feature in Part 1 of my 2023 Call Quality test, and compared to the competition, they let in a little more background noise, and your voice has a slightly artificial, digitised feel to it - stem-based earbuds generally perform much better on calls, and the rule of thumb doesn't mislead us in any way here.
Features
The Engine4 are the first SoundPEATS bud to feature Multipoint connectivity. It isn't enabled by default, but work your way through the customisation page in the app and you'll find a toggle for dual device connection. Enable this, and it will connect to the two most recent devices you connected to after rebooting. There's no device list - you'll have to try and remember what those devices were, but still, it's good to see. When using Multipoint, it's much like other such devices in that your second device will only really be for calls. If I listened to a YouTube video on Windows 11, then paused and tried to play Tidal on my phone, I still couldn't hear any audio, but as soon as the phone rang that came through without any issues. This is similar to what I experienced on the Earfun Air Pro 3.
Controls are great - as always with SoundPEATS, you get volume control with single taps. Holding the right and left buttons progresses tracks forwards and backwards respectively - that's right, you get a track back button! This is always the way when SoundPEATS omits ANC.
Connectivity is also good. I had some glitches on Firmware 1.2 which the buds were shipped with. A couple of weeks later version 1.6 came through, and the buds have been rock solid ever since.
The app is very basic, although they've now added Adaptive EQ back, which tries to serve you an EQ based on your ears. Generally, I prefer to do this manually, which you have the option to do with a ten band equaliser from 31Hz to 16KHz, +-6. This is more than adequate in terms of customisation, and you can roll the dice with SoundPEATS' eight presets too if that takes your fancy.
There are a few other options in the app - you can toggle gaming mode and switch off touch controls. Latency is good enough for lip synchronisation for YouTube videos, even with Gaming Mode switched off. With games, like most earbuds you've got a noticeable delay, and gaming mode helps this, but doesn't remove it altogether. Sadly, there's no auto-pause on this model.
Battery Life
Battery Life on Engine4 is a real standout feature - with no ANC to scupper your totals, it's only LDAC that scales the 12.5 hour battery life down to approximately 8 hours. These estimates are at 60% volume, and whilst the buds are fairly loud, I found myself using them at 70-80% depending on the scene and source. Even so, I got a very respectable just over 7 hours from the first go, which is highly impressive for a set of LDAC buds.
Sadly there is no quick charge feature, and no wireless charging - a full charge on wired takes around 2 hours.
Summary
Having endured a design that didn't really suit me with the Opera05, SoundPEATS have finally given me a no-stem in-ear that combines more balanced ergonomics that suit my shallow ear canals, great sound and some useful features such as Multipoint connectivity. But most importantly, sound on the Engine4 is a real standout - SoundPEATS have strayed away from their more cautious and more balanced, but 'more suited to single driver arrangements' evolved house sound and blended it with the best bits of their more raw, edgy H1& H2 to deliver a really convincing, enjoyable audio experience that hits all the right notes with killer battery life that keeps these going on and on and on.
They aren't perfect - there's no in-ear detection, call quality is average, there's no quick charge and the app is neither pretty nor feature-rich, and excluding ANC will put some off, but there's more good than bad, and the Engine4 is quickly becoming my favourite SoundPEATS TWS so far, and their best of 2023.
Price Weighted Score: 86%
Raw Score: 85%
SoundPEATS Review Inventory:
SoundPEATS RunFree Lite
SoundPEATS Life Classic
SoundPEATS Opera05
SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro
SoundPEATS H2
SoundPEATS T3
SoundPEATS Mini
SoundPEATS Air3
SoundPEATS TrueAir2+
SoundPEATS TrueAir 2
SoundPEATS H1
SoundPEATS T2
SoundPEATS Sonic
About SoundPEATS:
SoundPEATS seem to have become an overnight sensation, wiping up a large portion of budget TWS earbud market share with a business model that has served them (and Anker before them) exceptionally well - good distribution channels (via Amazon), good support, a catchy name and product that performs well at a very competitive price point. In reality, they have been around a long time - whilst Shenzhen SoundSOUL IT Co LTD is a different trading name to Ginto E-Commerce, they share the same business address (including room number) as them - you may know their brand name better as Dudios. With Dudios not sounding quite so cool as Soundpeats, maybe the brand transition has been instrumental in their success, but having been around since 2010 and patents in Bluetooth tech stretching back to 2015, they are not the plucky upstarts that some may think - they know their stuff, have a great network of contacts, and now a very solid brand in Europe, and deservedly so.
The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them my favourite budget earbud vendor, is that they are completely transparent over their components. Whether they use Realtek, Qualcomm or Airoha chips in their buds, they are totally open about it, and as a reviewer this really helps, because whilst I have, and do, dismantle buds to check the way that certain things have been implemented (such as the power management, mems mics, etc) and I really don't like having to do it with every set of earbuds, because they then become unusable.
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: SoundPEATS Engine 4
Price: MSRP approx. $69
Website: SoundPEATS
Review Reference: RC098
Early Bird Price: £46.19 at Amazon UK - use code REGANXSP at checkout
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: SoundPEATS
- Model: Engine4
- Driver: Dual Co-axial Dynamic Drivers - 10mm Woofer, 6mm Tweeter
- Chipset: WUQI WQ7033AR
- Mic: 4 mics with ENC
- ANC: No
- Codecs: LDAC, AAC, SBC
- Multipoint: Yes
- App Support: Yes
- Volume Control: Yes
- Gaming Mode: Yes
- Earbud Weight: 6.3g
- Earbud Dimensions: 19.8mm height, depth approx. 26.8mm
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 42.74g
- Case Dimensions: 61mm (width) x 45mm (height) x 28mm (depth)
- Case Charge Capacity: 350mAh
- Quick Charge: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 12.5 hours (AAC), up to 8 hours (LDAC)
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 43 hours
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.3
- Bluetooth Protocols: BLE/ HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: IPX4
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
YouTube Review:
Introduction
The SoundPEATS release show is back on the road, and this time it's essentially an LDAC, 2023 re-rub for the TrueEngine 3SE, with a big room sound signature that is more than a tip of the hat to the H1 and H2.
After a quiet month or so following the Life Classic, Runfree Lite and Opera03/05 kept them busy during Q1, SoundPEATS have several new products about to the hit the market too, including the Oladance-esque GoFree and the Airpod Gen3-inspired Air4 series. But first the Engine4 - a dual coaxial dynamic driver bud with LDAC and no ANC, not to mention a mammoth 12.5 hours battery life extending to up to 43 hours with the case. Today we will look at the merits of the Engine4 over something like the Opera05, and determine if the ANC trade-off is worth it.
Unboxing
This is comfortably SoundPEATS' most impressive unboxing so far, with a smart matte-black case and gold lettering giving the box a real premium feel to it. You've got the Hi-Res Wireless and LDAC logos on the front accompanying an artist impression of the buds, with the key features on the side and product parameters on the front.
The high quality unboxing extends to the inside, where the usual spare tips and charge cable as enclosed within a custom cardboard separator, and both this and the envelope containing the manual and app quick guide have little thumb pulls to help you remove them from the case a little easier.
Charge Case
The charge case of the Engine4 is, like most SoundPEATS cases these days, pill-shaped, and similarly-sized to the Mini Pro HS case, albeit slightly larger at 6.1x4.5x2.8cm. It is a compact-ish case that wears well inside a jacket pocket when you're on the move, and isn't completely out of the question for popping in your shorts or trousers - it weighs only 43g fully loaded, so it isn't going to give you a bruised thigh if you need to jog for the train.
The finish of the exterior of the case is a metallic coffee-brown, and so far it has held up better than the last glossy SoundPEATS case, the Air3 Deluxe HS. I'm a big fan of SoundPEATS cases generally, and this one is no exception - looking and feeling the part. On the bottom you have a USB-C charge socket and re-set button, which you hold with the case open to reset into pairing mode, and are rewarded with the LED on the inside turning white - there's no outer LED this time as SoundPEATS have tried to make the case as minimalist as possible, and for me it's not an issue as long as the LED is somewhere! The indicator light will glow green when you have 50-100% battery life remaining, amber when 10-49% and red when less than 10%. If you want to check the battery of the buds, you can consult the app, where the front page tells you an approximate percentage value for each.
Open the cockpit and you'll notice the buds slot in similarly to SoundPEATS other in-ear cases. The magnets are quite powerful here, but you've got plenty of the bud to grab onto to prevent it feeling like you might send them spinning on the floor if you pull too hard. The hinge is a particular highlight here with a very nice friction feel to it that pairs nicely with the in-built hall-switch mode, allowing you to connect the buds to your device without removing them - instead you can leave it popped open on the desk, a useful feature.
The case doesn't have wireless charging and there's no quick charge feature, which is a shame. However, with long single use battery life that shouldn't be quite such an ordeal. The case is 350mAh, which gives you just under three additional charges, taking the total battery life to around 43 hours.
Design and Ergonomics
The Engine4 returns to SoundPEATS roots a little, combining the open-heart look of the H1 and True Engine 3SE with the outline of something like the original SoundPEATS Mini. It has the look of the Opera05 from the outside looking in, but they are much, much more compact - thankfully!
The outside has a reasonably-sized touch control area that responds well, without acceidental touches ever seeming like they could be a problem. There's still a fair bit of depth - approx 27mm - to house the mammoth battery, but it's some way short of the gargantuan Opera05 which measure in at almost 33mm. The size is much more like what we would expect to see from an earbud, fitting similarly to the True Engine 3SE.
Around where the earbud makes contact with your skin, SoundPEATS contrast the matching brown metallic finish with a softer, almost rubberised matte grey, which adds to the comfort and stability. The nozzle is round, plastic and of a normal diameter that would allow third party tips to fit almost universally.
The tips that come with the Engine4 are quite good, and certainly suitable for them given their proportions. They have a large bore, are soft and reasonably flat, although there's enough depth to them to ensure a solid feel. However, where you may usually take the factory-fitted Medium, on this model I'm pretty sure you will be reaching for the Large, because the result is a far more immersive audio experience and impressive passive noise isolation.
The looks and ergonomics of the Engine4 are great - and not just great compared to the Opera series! They protrude a little on me - although not even as much as the Mini Pro HS, and the weight displacement means they don't droop out of your ears with a bit of movement. Overall it's a really nice segway from the Opera with an attractive colour scheme and a comfortable fit.
Audio & Sound Signature
The Engine4 use a 10mm titanium-plated composite membrane woofer and a 6mm tweeter, and together with LDAC support up to 960k, this allows SoundPEATS to deliver their most immersive audio experience since the H1 & H2, with a deep lower frequency response that bassheads will find more satisfying than their Mini Pro HS or Capsule3 Pro, and an airy open soundstage that will have H1 and H2 owners salivating.
The Engine4 boast a boosted subbass that isn't overpowering, but has a rumble and a growl that you feel as well as hear. This is accentuated when you switch the Medium tips for Large - as soon as you do this, you'll notice there's far more fullness to your kicks and toms. House music sounds particularly nice here, with the beater to your kick drum giving you a clean and punchy edge. Bass has much greater texture and tone to it than something like the Earfun Air Pro 3, where it feels exaggerated and overwhelming - instead, here we have a better balance against the midbass that prevents tracks from sounding muddy or boxy but retains energy and drive.
On 'Into You' by Ariana Grande, the bassline and synths sound more natural and contrast against the airy upper frequencies to give the vocal range plenty of presence, separating effortlessly from cowbells and percussion. On 'Gecko' by Oliver Heldens the kick is chunky and fast with plenty of rumble to the bassline. There is a far better balance that results in improved, more authentic harmonics without compromising energy or flavour. Lower mids are lean and clean, and this prevents the mix from sounding bloated or muddy in any way.
The balanced midrange gives a nice natural tone and body to instruments and vocals. The gradual climb and peak from 1k-4k brings attack to the kick and ensures good clarity to vocals. Female vocals can sometimes sound a little back from the arrangement, but male vocals are typically forward without ever sounding too prominent. On 'If you don't know me' by Simply Red, Mick Hucknall's silky vocals pan around with great presence, and switch to rap tracks like Jimmy Cooks by Drake and 21 Savage and it's similarly impressive - despite the wobble of the subbass, 21 Savage's tone even when whispering is transmitted faithfully.
The dip from 3k and gradual rise and peak at around 7k gives sufficient impression of detail without sounding etched or sibilent. On 'Come Undone' by Duran Duran, shakers and other percussive elements have texture that isn't too sharp or edgy, whilst the open soundstage gives tracks a 'live' feel. The dip around 5k can leave backing vocals and some instruments sounding a little distant, but otherwise instruments are straightforward to place. On 'Crucify' by Tori Amos, the mix of acoustic piano, mandolin, ukulele and percussion shows off the Engine4's breadth.
For both complex and simplistic arrangements, the Engine4 sound very enjoyable - there's a bit more depth to the bass than the Capsule3 Pro and it's not quite as emphasised as the H1, whilst the dual-driver arrangements allows SoundPEATS to bring more midrange presence without bloat. The trebles aren't as coarse as the H1, rendering them a little less fatiguing.
For me, the tuning is spot on for the driver arrangement. It makes the Engine4 the pick of SoundPEATS releases of recent times - possibly their most convincing sounding TWS so far. They aren't as pushy as the Opera series, and aren't as raw as the H1, but give them a few hours and they're everything you want from a budget TWS.
Call Quality
Calls on the Engine4 are OK. There are 4 mics and some kind of environmental noise reduction algorithm being applied, and this is especially evident outdoors where traffic and gusts of wind are generally dealt with pretty well. The problem is, your voice is also subdued a little, leaving you sounding a little faint and distant.
Outdoors, you can hear how they fare here:
Indoors, the noise reduction isn't anywhere near as prominent. They feature in Part 1 of my 2023 Call Quality test, and compared to the competition, they let in a little more background noise, and your voice has a slightly artificial, digitised feel to it - stem-based earbuds generally perform much better on calls, and the rule of thumb doesn't mislead us in any way here.
Features
The Engine4 are the first SoundPEATS bud to feature Multipoint connectivity. It isn't enabled by default, but work your way through the customisation page in the app and you'll find a toggle for dual device connection. Enable this, and it will connect to the two most recent devices you connected to after rebooting. There's no device list - you'll have to try and remember what those devices were, but still, it's good to see. When using Multipoint, it's much like other such devices in that your second device will only really be for calls. If I listened to a YouTube video on Windows 11, then paused and tried to play Tidal on my phone, I still couldn't hear any audio, but as soon as the phone rang that came through without any issues. This is similar to what I experienced on the Earfun Air Pro 3.
Controls are great - as always with SoundPEATS, you get volume control with single taps. Holding the right and left buttons progresses tracks forwards and backwards respectively - that's right, you get a track back button! This is always the way when SoundPEATS omits ANC.
Connectivity is also good. I had some glitches on Firmware 1.2 which the buds were shipped with. A couple of weeks later version 1.6 came through, and the buds have been rock solid ever since.
The app is very basic, although they've now added Adaptive EQ back, which tries to serve you an EQ based on your ears. Generally, I prefer to do this manually, which you have the option to do with a ten band equaliser from 31Hz to 16KHz, +-6. This is more than adequate in terms of customisation, and you can roll the dice with SoundPEATS' eight presets too if that takes your fancy.
There are a few other options in the app - you can toggle gaming mode and switch off touch controls. Latency is good enough for lip synchronisation for YouTube videos, even with Gaming Mode switched off. With games, like most earbuds you've got a noticeable delay, and gaming mode helps this, but doesn't remove it altogether. Sadly, there's no auto-pause on this model.
Battery Life
Battery Life on Engine4 is a real standout feature - with no ANC to scupper your totals, it's only LDAC that scales the 12.5 hour battery life down to approximately 8 hours. These estimates are at 60% volume, and whilst the buds are fairly loud, I found myself using them at 70-80% depending on the scene and source. Even so, I got a very respectable just over 7 hours from the first go, which is highly impressive for a set of LDAC buds.
Sadly there is no quick charge feature, and no wireless charging - a full charge on wired takes around 2 hours.
Summary
Having endured a design that didn't really suit me with the Opera05, SoundPEATS have finally given me a no-stem in-ear that combines more balanced ergonomics that suit my shallow ear canals, great sound and some useful features such as Multipoint connectivity. But most importantly, sound on the Engine4 is a real standout - SoundPEATS have strayed away from their more cautious and more balanced, but 'more suited to single driver arrangements' evolved house sound and blended it with the best bits of their more raw, edgy H1& H2 to deliver a really convincing, enjoyable audio experience that hits all the right notes with killer battery life that keeps these going on and on and on.
They aren't perfect - there's no in-ear detection, call quality is average, there's no quick charge and the app is neither pretty nor feature-rich, and excluding ANC will put some off, but there's more good than bad, and the Engine4 is quickly becoming my favourite SoundPEATS TWS so far, and their best of 2023.
Price Weighted Score: 86%
Raw Score: 85%
SoundPEATS Review Inventory:
SoundPEATS RunFree Lite
SoundPEATS Life Classic
SoundPEATS Opera05
SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro
SoundPEATS H2
SoundPEATS T3
SoundPEATS Mini
SoundPEATS Air3
SoundPEATS TrueAir2+
SoundPEATS TrueAir 2
SoundPEATS H1
SoundPEATS T2
SoundPEATS Sonic
About SoundPEATS:
SoundPEATS seem to have become an overnight sensation, wiping up a large portion of budget TWS earbud market share with a business model that has served them (and Anker before them) exceptionally well - good distribution channels (via Amazon), good support, a catchy name and product that performs well at a very competitive price point. In reality, they have been around a long time - whilst Shenzhen SoundSOUL IT Co LTD is a different trading name to Ginto E-Commerce, they share the same business address (including room number) as them - you may know their brand name better as Dudios. With Dudios not sounding quite so cool as Soundpeats, maybe the brand transition has been instrumental in their success, but having been around since 2010 and patents in Bluetooth tech stretching back to 2015, they are not the plucky upstarts that some may think - they know their stuff, have a great network of contacts, and now a very solid brand in Europe, and deservedly so.
The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them my favourite budget earbud vendor, is that they are completely transparent over their components. Whether they use Realtek, Qualcomm or Airoha chips in their buds, they are totally open about it, and as a reviewer this really helps, because whilst I have, and do, dismantle buds to check the way that certain things have been implemented (such as the power management, mems mics, etc) and I really don't like having to do it with every set of earbuds, because they then become unusable.
voxdub
Seen the comments re volume which confuse me, on my Android devices the volume on these goes incredibly loud, to the point I rarely listen above 60%. If you're using on Android ensure you have enabled Developer Options (you'd need this anyway to select high quality LDAC connection) and change 'Enable absolute volume' to on. If you're listening to music through an app such as Tidal or Spotify disable 'normalise volume' in the app settings. You should then have volume that goes uncomfortably loud. Hopefully this helps if anyone is having low volume on Android.
helmutcheese
Always is set to that, it may vary from device to device and Android versions.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: Earfun Air Pro 3
Price: £59.99 Amazon UK (£79.99 MSRP)
Website: Earfun
Review Reference: RC097
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual
1 x Warranty Card
4 x Pair Spare Eartips
1 x Q-Tip Cleaning Stick
YouTube Review:
Introduction
The Earfun Air Pro 3 is the first Earfun product I've reviewed so far, having bowed to the multitude of hype this earbud has seen since it's release. Well, the first if you discount the FIIL T1 Pro & Edifier TWS NB2, which were later essentially OEM'd by Earfun with their Free Pro and Air Pro, both of which were very early @regancipher reviews back in the day, and both of which scored positively. So I had reasonably high hopes for this one, especially given the headline features.
The Air Pro 3 are one of, if not the first major release to support 'next-gen LE audio' and the LC3 codec. LC3, aka the Low Complexity Communication Codec, promises to be the successor to SBC we've all been waiting for. Like AptX-Adaptive which the Air Pro 3 also support, it is a scalable codec, and tests have shown it to outperform SBC drastically, delivering imperceptibly unaffected audio quality even as low as 160kbps. It is designed to be more efficient in both transmission and power consumption, and as a result users will experience improved latency and better battery life. LE audio is a technology that will ultimately bring some truly tangible benefits, such as 'Auracast' (the ability to broadcast one or more audio streams to an unlimited number of receivers, turning your phone into your own silent disco) - however, it requires source devices to support it (as well as your headphones), and widespread implementation is a while away yet.
Even so the Air Pro 3 have some solid specs on paper. The use of the Qualcomm QCC3071 chipset facilitates up to 43dB hybrid ANC, there's six mics and cVc8.0 noise reduction and support through the Earfun app - but you can read all of this on the Earfun website, so let's get on with the review.....
Unboxing
The Air Pro 3 arrive in a small, understated cardboard box with an image of the buds and some of the key features on the front, as well as the VGP logo for the 2023 Gold Award of which the product was the lucky recipient. On the back, you've got the key parameters listed in full.
The unboxing has a very 'upper midrange' feel to it - Earfun are no slouches in this department, but they've upped their game even further. The manual and warranty card are housed in a yellow branded envelope, and they've even included a 'cleaning stick' - essentially a q-tip to wipe the earwax off after you use them. Practically speaking, it's pretty useless because nobody is going to keep a waxy stick lying around, but it serves as a useful reminder to treat your earbuds with appropriate case and attention.
The manual is in a bunch of different languages, including English, Chinese, German, Spanish and Polish, and it uses diagrams and well-translated text to good effect.
Charge Case
The Air Pro 3 charge case configuration is similar to that of the Edifier Neobuds Pro and SoundPEATS Life, with the battery connectors on the inside of the stems of the buds necessitating that they are placed with the tip facing down, slightly at an angle. Flipping the case open is straightforward, with a fairly large lip meaning they aren't too fiddly to operate.
You've got an L and R either side to remind you of your left and right, and a reset/pairing button in the centre of the cockpit. There's a USB socket to the rear, and the case supports Qi wireless charging.
There are three LED's on the outside of the case to denote charge level - when the case isn't plugged in or on a Qi wireless charging pad, when you open the case you'll get all three LED's lit when the battery level is over 60%, two if it's over 20%, one if it's over 10%, and one flashing if it's under 10%. Whilst charging, one LED will always pulse, all three will remain solid if charging is complete. It takes around an hour for the earbuds to charge, another 2-2.5 for the case (or 3.5 hours when charged wirelessly). There is a quick charge feature - you're getting around 2 hours from just 10 minutes of charge.
The hinge has a friction element to it and nicely springs up when you open it, showing that a reasonable amount of thought has gone into the operation.
It's a reasonably robust case, and not too large at 6x5x3.4cm, weighing in at 51g, so it's moderately portable. Whilst the durability is pretty good, it is still constructed from matte plastic, which will scuff up very quickly in your pocket.
Design & Ergonomics
The Air Pro 3 are a stem-based in-ear earbud, coloured in grey with the Earfun branding located at the base of the stem. The circle at the top is a touch control area, and it's nicely designed - often earbuds can be a little sensitive and not always intuitive, but you soon get used to knowing where to touch in order to initiate a control - it works well.
L-R - QCY HT05 Melobuds, Soundcore P2i, SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro, Earfun Air Pro 3, Oppo Enco X2
Measuring in at 32mm on the stem, they are not as short as the Oppo or Soundcore, marginally longer than the SoundPEATS, but the thicker area around the top means they wear a little bulky in the ear.
Whilst you do get a reasonable seal with the surprisingly good stock-fitted tips and the assortment of alternatives (4 pairs in total), their slightly angular frame means they wear bigger than you would expect, and by relying on gravity to kinda hold the tips in your ears, they don't feel especially secure in your ears, especially during workouts. They pass the shake test OK and would probably be fine for the daily commute, although you will probably find yourself adjusting them regularly out of paranoia that they may fall out - the buds weigh 5g each, so it isn't altogether impossible that your fears may precipitate, but for me they wore well, reasonably securely and providing good passive isolation, with very little leakage.
The buds are IPX5 water resistant, so they're fine for rain and workouts, but you shouldn't submerge with them. Overall, the build quality feels pretty good. Earfun have also bevelled the battery connectors on the stem, to try to bring them away from your skin slightly, should you suffer from nickel or other such metal allergies.
ANC - 8/10
ANC on the Air Pro 3 is good - at least as good as I expected. You've only got three ANC levels - on, off and transparency mode. With ANC on, they are very respectable at low rumbling and deeper sounds such as extractor fans and air conditioning units. With higher frequency sounds, the performance isn't quite as good, so nearby conversations won't be removed altogether, likewise keyboard clicks and taps, but this is quite normal in TWS - and when you compare to the rest of the market, the Air Pro 3 are at least as good if not better than any of the competition below $100.
If you push the Air Pro 3 into your ears, you'll hear some white noise. Again, this is not uncommon and nothing to worry about too much unless your hearing is particularly sensitive. Transparency mode is is quite natural sounding, with less 'hiss' over nearby voices (and your own) than is typical on budget earbuds. You probably won't make out every word of more distant conversations, but anything at point blank range will be fine.
You can control ANC by either toggling on the main screen in the app or holding the left earbud for a couple of seconds, and you get a voice prompt confirming the change. In the app, it's possible to toggle which modes you can switch to manually - i.e. if you don't want the buds to toggle ANC off, only ANC on or transparency, you can set this - a very useful feature.
Audio & Sound Signature - 6/10 (for the price), 6/10 (raw score)
Having heard that Earfun had already dialled back the bass response of the earbuds via a firmware update, I was stunned to hear that it was probably the most overwhelmingly bloated lower frequency response of any earbud I've tested to date. The Air Pro 3 use an 11mm wool composite driver, and sadly it falls some way short of the capability of modern dual-driver buds like the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro, Oppo Enco X3 and Edifier Neobuds Pro, but it also falls short of well-tuned single driver budget buds like the SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro and QCY HT05 Melobuds. There was also quite a sizeable disparity between the amplitude on the left and right buds, which was quite obvious on first playback. Not a great start! I tested on the version of firmware the buds arrived with (0.4.1), and also the version I was prompted to upgrade to (0.4.7) - frequency response was identical on both versions.
They buds reminded me a lot of the sound signature of the Tronsmart Apollo Air, only they sound even worse. The subbass and midbass are just one huge, unrefined mess. I listen to a variety of music styles, including house and melodic techno, which rely on fast attack to kick drums and deep, tight basslines. The Air Pro 3 simply cannot represent that style of music, even with exhaustive EQ'ing.
On rock tracks, where you have a mixture of bass and wah wah guitars along with male vocals, it becomes impossible to even hear all the orchestral elements you're looking for, let alone place them, and the fat at 800Hz leaves acoustic guitars sounding rather unnatural. The lower midrange is uncontrolled even by comparison to the Tronsmart model, and this leaves tracks sounding boxy - again, despite a lot of time spent trying to improve the sound on EQ, the tonal balance is still rather inaccurate. The dip at around 3kHz blunts the beater of the drum, and the percussion on tracks in general take a heavy beating in terms of reproduction.
The trebles are also a little disappointing. The mid trebles feel a little coarse with some instruments, but the sizeable dip at around 7kHz blunts certain vocals, but the peak at 8kHz brings sibilance elsewhere. These sharp peaks and dips make EQ'ing the Air Pro 3 very difficult in terms of consistency across all music genres, to the point I gave up - there are far better sounding midrange earbuds out-of-the-box, and the impressive ANC and array of features aren't going to be enough to save this one unfortunately.
The soundstage is also depressingly narrow, leaving tracks sounding blurred and even a little congested, and resolution is pretty bog standard. Things sound less constrained with ANC off, as you would expect, but taking ANC off to listen to music kinda takes the point out of having such good ANC.
There are some tweaks that you can make in the EQ to at least leave the Air Pro 3 sounding OK. The equaliser in the Earfun app is not full-frequency - most of the adjustment you have is in the lower frequencies up to 1kHz, but that's probably a good thing as that's where most of the tweaking would be spent anyway. You've also got the ability to adjust at 8kHz, and you can save different EQ settings for both ANC on and off on the Earfun app.
Call Quality - Indoors - 7.5/10, Outdoors - 8/10
The Earfun Air Pro 3 feature in my indoor call quality test, where they were pitched against 36 other models to see how they perform in a coffee shop:
Outdoors, you can hear how they fare here:
The Air Pro 3 are fairly good on calls, especially outdoors. The noise reduction algorithms are most effective at dealing with traffic and wind, and as a result, you'll sound at least coherent on the daily commute, with good weight to your voice, although the noise reduction can occasionally stray into your own voice, missing the odd word here and there.
Indoors, whilst they're fine in silence, the noise reduction is much more aggressive. Whilst they handle the hum of a busy coffee shop rather well, your voice will sometimes border on muffled, and that can leave the caller unable to discern every word - whilst the balance outdoors is close to spot on, indoors it leans towards noise reduction over clarity, so if you're making the odd call here and there you'll be fine, but if you're looking for a set to wear for Teams calls in a very busy office, they may not be the ideal companion for this purpose.
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 8/10
I tested the Air Pro 3 with the Sony Xperia 1 IV - unfortunately, this prevented me from testing out LE audio and LC3, so I was left with AptX-Adaptive and AptX as my choice of primary codecs - even so, AptX-adaptive is excellent in requirements for low latency, and gaming mode boosted this further.
The buds are Bluetooth 5.3 capable, and you can also use multipoint with them. You don't get a device list in the app, and multipoint was a little flakey for me with an Android phone and Windows PC, but it worked in the end. Connectivity was mostly rock-solid with no issues other than the odd glitch on one channel.
The app is good - it's not quite in the Soundcore league, but it's good enough. You have tutorials on how to wear and use the product, the ability to fully customise controls for single, double, triple tap and long press (on both L and/or R). You've also got a 6-band graphic equaliser at 63, 180, 500, 1K, 8K and 15KHz. This is a bit restrictive, so you may find Wavelet a better option due to being parametric as opposed to graphic, especially since they don't save the EQ to the bud, it is saved within the app. Yep, that's right, every device you need to use the buds with, to use the EQ you need to have the app installed. That's every device having excessive data harvested - not ideal and not something I was willing to entertain any longer than the end of the review.
Battery Life
Battery life on the Air Pro 3 is great - the case has quick charge (2 hours from 10 min), wireless charging and they charge the buds four further cycles. That took the pro rata battery life to approximately 34 hours and 48 minutes, having measured between 6-7 hours on the first two cycles. The buds advertise up to 9 hours battery life, but I suspect this is at 50% volume and using the more power-efficient LC3 codec. If I can get more than 5 hours with ANC on I'm happy, and the Air Pro 3 tick the box there.
The buds also shut down after a prolonged period of inactivity, which further helps to conserve battery life - a nice feature if you're out for a walk and forget to bring your charger case, but are done listening to your podcast.
Summary
Despite the fanfare by YouTube influencers and an impressive catalogue of features, the Air Pro 3 fall desperately short in the one department that really matters - audio. Despite delivering decent ANC, good enough call quality and lots of nice added bonuses like quick charge, a solid app and future proofing thanks to their support for LE audio, you will have to spend a long time tweaking the EQ to even get the Air Pro 3 to sound passable, and at this price range, when you have great OOTB performers like the SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro and QCY HT05, neither of which can lay a glove on the Air Pro 3 for features, if you're anything like me then sound will take precedence every time. Even the Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro - a long in the tooth alternative - is probably a better option.
The Air Pro 3 are retailing at £55.99 currently, which is competitive - but for around £20-30 more, if you shop around you can pick up older, top tier bud like the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro, Edifier NeoBuds Pro or OnePlus Buds Pro for a similar price - maybe even the Oppo Enco X2. So unfortunately this is definitely one to skip as far as I'm concerned - sadly the practice didn't match up to the theory.
Price Weighted Score: 79%
Raw Score: 77%
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: Earfun Air Pro 3
Price: £59.99 Amazon UK (£79.99 MSRP)
Website: Earfun
Review Reference: RC097
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: Earfun
- Model: Air Pro 3
- Driver: 11mm Wool Composite Drivers
- Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3071
- Mic: 6 mics with cVc 8.0 ENC
- ANC: Quietsmart 2.0 Hybrid ANC up to 43dB
- Codecs: LC3, AptX-Adaptive, AptX, AAC, SBC
- App Support: Yes
- Volume Control: Yes (customisable via app)
- Gaming Mode: Yes
- Multipoint Connectivity: Yes
- Earbud Weight: 5g
- Earbud Dimensions: 31.9mm stem length
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 51g
- Case Dimensions: 60 x 50 x 31mm
- Quick Charge: Yes
- Total Charge Time: 1 hour (buds), 2 hours (case, wired), 3.5 hours (case, wireless)
- Wireless Charging: Yes
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 9 hours (ANC off), up to 7 hours (ANC on)
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 45 hours (ANC off)
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.3
- Bluetooth Protocols: LE / HFP 1.7 / A2DP 1.3 / AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: IPX5
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual
1 x Warranty Card
4 x Pair Spare Eartips
1 x Q-Tip Cleaning Stick
YouTube Review:
Introduction
The Earfun Air Pro 3 is the first Earfun product I've reviewed so far, having bowed to the multitude of hype this earbud has seen since it's release. Well, the first if you discount the FIIL T1 Pro & Edifier TWS NB2, which were later essentially OEM'd by Earfun with their Free Pro and Air Pro, both of which were very early @regancipher reviews back in the day, and both of which scored positively. So I had reasonably high hopes for this one, especially given the headline features.
The Air Pro 3 are one of, if not the first major release to support 'next-gen LE audio' and the LC3 codec. LC3, aka the Low Complexity Communication Codec, promises to be the successor to SBC we've all been waiting for. Like AptX-Adaptive which the Air Pro 3 also support, it is a scalable codec, and tests have shown it to outperform SBC drastically, delivering imperceptibly unaffected audio quality even as low as 160kbps. It is designed to be more efficient in both transmission and power consumption, and as a result users will experience improved latency and better battery life. LE audio is a technology that will ultimately bring some truly tangible benefits, such as 'Auracast' (the ability to broadcast one or more audio streams to an unlimited number of receivers, turning your phone into your own silent disco) - however, it requires source devices to support it (as well as your headphones), and widespread implementation is a while away yet.
Even so the Air Pro 3 have some solid specs on paper. The use of the Qualcomm QCC3071 chipset facilitates up to 43dB hybrid ANC, there's six mics and cVc8.0 noise reduction and support through the Earfun app - but you can read all of this on the Earfun website, so let's get on with the review.....
Unboxing
The Air Pro 3 arrive in a small, understated cardboard box with an image of the buds and some of the key features on the front, as well as the VGP logo for the 2023 Gold Award of which the product was the lucky recipient. On the back, you've got the key parameters listed in full.
The unboxing has a very 'upper midrange' feel to it - Earfun are no slouches in this department, but they've upped their game even further. The manual and warranty card are housed in a yellow branded envelope, and they've even included a 'cleaning stick' - essentially a q-tip to wipe the earwax off after you use them. Practically speaking, it's pretty useless because nobody is going to keep a waxy stick lying around, but it serves as a useful reminder to treat your earbuds with appropriate case and attention.
The manual is in a bunch of different languages, including English, Chinese, German, Spanish and Polish, and it uses diagrams and well-translated text to good effect.
Charge Case
The Air Pro 3 charge case configuration is similar to that of the Edifier Neobuds Pro and SoundPEATS Life, with the battery connectors on the inside of the stems of the buds necessitating that they are placed with the tip facing down, slightly at an angle. Flipping the case open is straightforward, with a fairly large lip meaning they aren't too fiddly to operate.
You've got an L and R either side to remind you of your left and right, and a reset/pairing button in the centre of the cockpit. There's a USB socket to the rear, and the case supports Qi wireless charging.
There are three LED's on the outside of the case to denote charge level - when the case isn't plugged in or on a Qi wireless charging pad, when you open the case you'll get all three LED's lit when the battery level is over 60%, two if it's over 20%, one if it's over 10%, and one flashing if it's under 10%. Whilst charging, one LED will always pulse, all three will remain solid if charging is complete. It takes around an hour for the earbuds to charge, another 2-2.5 for the case (or 3.5 hours when charged wirelessly). There is a quick charge feature - you're getting around 2 hours from just 10 minutes of charge.
The hinge has a friction element to it and nicely springs up when you open it, showing that a reasonable amount of thought has gone into the operation.
It's a reasonably robust case, and not too large at 6x5x3.4cm, weighing in at 51g, so it's moderately portable. Whilst the durability is pretty good, it is still constructed from matte plastic, which will scuff up very quickly in your pocket.
Design & Ergonomics
The Air Pro 3 are a stem-based in-ear earbud, coloured in grey with the Earfun branding located at the base of the stem. The circle at the top is a touch control area, and it's nicely designed - often earbuds can be a little sensitive and not always intuitive, but you soon get used to knowing where to touch in order to initiate a control - it works well.
L-R - QCY HT05 Melobuds, Soundcore P2i, SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro, Earfun Air Pro 3, Oppo Enco X2
Measuring in at 32mm on the stem, they are not as short as the Oppo or Soundcore, marginally longer than the SoundPEATS, but the thicker area around the top means they wear a little bulky in the ear.
Whilst you do get a reasonable seal with the surprisingly good stock-fitted tips and the assortment of alternatives (4 pairs in total), their slightly angular frame means they wear bigger than you would expect, and by relying on gravity to kinda hold the tips in your ears, they don't feel especially secure in your ears, especially during workouts. They pass the shake test OK and would probably be fine for the daily commute, although you will probably find yourself adjusting them regularly out of paranoia that they may fall out - the buds weigh 5g each, so it isn't altogether impossible that your fears may precipitate, but for me they wore well, reasonably securely and providing good passive isolation, with very little leakage.
The buds are IPX5 water resistant, so they're fine for rain and workouts, but you shouldn't submerge with them. Overall, the build quality feels pretty good. Earfun have also bevelled the battery connectors on the stem, to try to bring them away from your skin slightly, should you suffer from nickel or other such metal allergies.
ANC - 8/10
ANC on the Air Pro 3 is good - at least as good as I expected. You've only got three ANC levels - on, off and transparency mode. With ANC on, they are very respectable at low rumbling and deeper sounds such as extractor fans and air conditioning units. With higher frequency sounds, the performance isn't quite as good, so nearby conversations won't be removed altogether, likewise keyboard clicks and taps, but this is quite normal in TWS - and when you compare to the rest of the market, the Air Pro 3 are at least as good if not better than any of the competition below $100.
If you push the Air Pro 3 into your ears, you'll hear some white noise. Again, this is not uncommon and nothing to worry about too much unless your hearing is particularly sensitive. Transparency mode is is quite natural sounding, with less 'hiss' over nearby voices (and your own) than is typical on budget earbuds. You probably won't make out every word of more distant conversations, but anything at point blank range will be fine.
You can control ANC by either toggling on the main screen in the app or holding the left earbud for a couple of seconds, and you get a voice prompt confirming the change. In the app, it's possible to toggle which modes you can switch to manually - i.e. if you don't want the buds to toggle ANC off, only ANC on or transparency, you can set this - a very useful feature.
Audio & Sound Signature - 6/10 (for the price), 6/10 (raw score)
Having heard that Earfun had already dialled back the bass response of the earbuds via a firmware update, I was stunned to hear that it was probably the most overwhelmingly bloated lower frequency response of any earbud I've tested to date. The Air Pro 3 use an 11mm wool composite driver, and sadly it falls some way short of the capability of modern dual-driver buds like the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro, Oppo Enco X3 and Edifier Neobuds Pro, but it also falls short of well-tuned single driver budget buds like the SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro and QCY HT05 Melobuds. There was also quite a sizeable disparity between the amplitude on the left and right buds, which was quite obvious on first playback. Not a great start! I tested on the version of firmware the buds arrived with (0.4.1), and also the version I was prompted to upgrade to (0.4.7) - frequency response was identical on both versions.
They buds reminded me a lot of the sound signature of the Tronsmart Apollo Air, only they sound even worse. The subbass and midbass are just one huge, unrefined mess. I listen to a variety of music styles, including house and melodic techno, which rely on fast attack to kick drums and deep, tight basslines. The Air Pro 3 simply cannot represent that style of music, even with exhaustive EQ'ing.
On rock tracks, where you have a mixture of bass and wah wah guitars along with male vocals, it becomes impossible to even hear all the orchestral elements you're looking for, let alone place them, and the fat at 800Hz leaves acoustic guitars sounding rather unnatural. The lower midrange is uncontrolled even by comparison to the Tronsmart model, and this leaves tracks sounding boxy - again, despite a lot of time spent trying to improve the sound on EQ, the tonal balance is still rather inaccurate. The dip at around 3kHz blunts the beater of the drum, and the percussion on tracks in general take a heavy beating in terms of reproduction.
The trebles are also a little disappointing. The mid trebles feel a little coarse with some instruments, but the sizeable dip at around 7kHz blunts certain vocals, but the peak at 8kHz brings sibilance elsewhere. These sharp peaks and dips make EQ'ing the Air Pro 3 very difficult in terms of consistency across all music genres, to the point I gave up - there are far better sounding midrange earbuds out-of-the-box, and the impressive ANC and array of features aren't going to be enough to save this one unfortunately.
The soundstage is also depressingly narrow, leaving tracks sounding blurred and even a little congested, and resolution is pretty bog standard. Things sound less constrained with ANC off, as you would expect, but taking ANC off to listen to music kinda takes the point out of having such good ANC.
There are some tweaks that you can make in the EQ to at least leave the Air Pro 3 sounding OK. The equaliser in the Earfun app is not full-frequency - most of the adjustment you have is in the lower frequencies up to 1kHz, but that's probably a good thing as that's where most of the tweaking would be spent anyway. You've also got the ability to adjust at 8kHz, and you can save different EQ settings for both ANC on and off on the Earfun app.
Call Quality - Indoors - 7.5/10, Outdoors - 8/10
The Earfun Air Pro 3 feature in my indoor call quality test, where they were pitched against 36 other models to see how they perform in a coffee shop:
Outdoors, you can hear how they fare here:
The Air Pro 3 are fairly good on calls, especially outdoors. The noise reduction algorithms are most effective at dealing with traffic and wind, and as a result, you'll sound at least coherent on the daily commute, with good weight to your voice, although the noise reduction can occasionally stray into your own voice, missing the odd word here and there.
Indoors, whilst they're fine in silence, the noise reduction is much more aggressive. Whilst they handle the hum of a busy coffee shop rather well, your voice will sometimes border on muffled, and that can leave the caller unable to discern every word - whilst the balance outdoors is close to spot on, indoors it leans towards noise reduction over clarity, so if you're making the odd call here and there you'll be fine, but if you're looking for a set to wear for Teams calls in a very busy office, they may not be the ideal companion for this purpose.
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 8/10
I tested the Air Pro 3 with the Sony Xperia 1 IV - unfortunately, this prevented me from testing out LE audio and LC3, so I was left with AptX-Adaptive and AptX as my choice of primary codecs - even so, AptX-adaptive is excellent in requirements for low latency, and gaming mode boosted this further.
The buds are Bluetooth 5.3 capable, and you can also use multipoint with them. You don't get a device list in the app, and multipoint was a little flakey for me with an Android phone and Windows PC, but it worked in the end. Connectivity was mostly rock-solid with no issues other than the odd glitch on one channel.
The app is good - it's not quite in the Soundcore league, but it's good enough. You have tutorials on how to wear and use the product, the ability to fully customise controls for single, double, triple tap and long press (on both L and/or R). You've also got a 6-band graphic equaliser at 63, 180, 500, 1K, 8K and 15KHz. This is a bit restrictive, so you may find Wavelet a better option due to being parametric as opposed to graphic, especially since they don't save the EQ to the bud, it is saved within the app. Yep, that's right, every device you need to use the buds with, to use the EQ you need to have the app installed. That's every device having excessive data harvested - not ideal and not something I was willing to entertain any longer than the end of the review.
Battery Life
Battery life on the Air Pro 3 is great - the case has quick charge (2 hours from 10 min), wireless charging and they charge the buds four further cycles. That took the pro rata battery life to approximately 34 hours and 48 minutes, having measured between 6-7 hours on the first two cycles. The buds advertise up to 9 hours battery life, but I suspect this is at 50% volume and using the more power-efficient LC3 codec. If I can get more than 5 hours with ANC on I'm happy, and the Air Pro 3 tick the box there.
The buds also shut down after a prolonged period of inactivity, which further helps to conserve battery life - a nice feature if you're out for a walk and forget to bring your charger case, but are done listening to your podcast.
Summary
Despite the fanfare by YouTube influencers and an impressive catalogue of features, the Air Pro 3 fall desperately short in the one department that really matters - audio. Despite delivering decent ANC, good enough call quality and lots of nice added bonuses like quick charge, a solid app and future proofing thanks to their support for LE audio, you will have to spend a long time tweaking the EQ to even get the Air Pro 3 to sound passable, and at this price range, when you have great OOTB performers like the SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro and QCY HT05, neither of which can lay a glove on the Air Pro 3 for features, if you're anything like me then sound will take precedence every time. Even the Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro - a long in the tooth alternative - is probably a better option.
The Air Pro 3 are retailing at £55.99 currently, which is competitive - but for around £20-30 more, if you shop around you can pick up older, top tier bud like the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro, Edifier NeoBuds Pro or OnePlus Buds Pro for a similar price - maybe even the Oppo Enco X2. So unfortunately this is definitely one to skip as far as I'm concerned - sadly the practice didn't match up to the theory.
Price Weighted Score: 79%
Raw Score: 77%
yaerb
was just reminded of this.
looks like it's mainly that the quality of the bass is severely diminished with ANC on. with ANC off I think I enjoy the quality of the bass more on the Air Pro 3 than something like the FH3.
looks like it's mainly that the quality of the bass is severely diminished with ANC on. with ANC off I think I enjoy the quality of the bass more on the Air Pro 3 than something like the FH3.
yaerb
Edit: finally got a firmware update to go with this app update. flat EQ sounds a bit cleaner than the old stock EQ.
---
app updated to a 10 band EQ and changed the stock sound after engaging the EQ in the app. some kind of tuning abomination that actually might be closer to literal "flat" on a graph. lol
if you ever have some extra time and energy I would love to see a measurement update on the "flat" EQ that it defaults to
---
app updated to a 10 band EQ and changed the stock sound after engaging the EQ in the app. some kind of tuning abomination that actually might be closer to literal "flat" on a graph. lol
if you ever have some extra time and energy I would love to see a measurement update on the "flat" EQ that it defaults to
yaerb
officially customer service says 0.5.0 firmware has a bass reduction, with the added 10 band EQ.
was hard to say myself since I had a reduction in my EQ before updating
was hard to say myself since I had a reduction in my EQ before updating
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: QCY HT07 Arcbuds
Price: Approx. £22 AliExpress
Website: QCY (not listed)
Review Reference: RC096
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English & Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
YouTube Review:
Introduction
Welcome to the @regancipher review of QCY's follow-up to their highly-acclaimed HT05 Melobuds, the HT07.....Arcbuds!
The strange collection of names that QCY attribute to each release is odd to say the least, but what isn't is the winning formula QCY seem to have stumbled upon in developing their 'house sound'. When I heard QCY were bringing out a 'button-shaped' in-ear to sit proudly alongside their stem-based offerings, I was very keen to get them in for test - and what a bargain, they cost just over £20 delivered, and are already on offer with the promise of even further discounts with AliExpress voucher codes!
The HT07 again boast some impressive features for the money, but if they are anything like their older sister then you'll have to accept some, albeit relatively trivial, compromises....or will you? Read on for my thoughts.....
Unboxing
Unboxing with QCY is consistent - consistently meh, and I don't think I'd have it any other way! One way QCY keep the cost down is limiting the unboxing to the bare essentials - the logo may have changed since the days of the T11 and T5, and the branding has evolved a little, but it's still a very low-budget affair with a plastic carton holding the buds, case, manual, charge cable and tips in place.
The manual is a small, folded piece of mono paper with basic instructions, although it is becoming increasingly less important as QCY continue their shift to pushing everything via their app.
Charge Case
The charge case is also very basic. Reminding me a lot of the Tronsmart Onyx Pure case, it's around 6cm wide, 4.5cm high and just over a couple of cm in depth.
It is very small and lightweight, and the matte black exterior, with the QCY logo screen printed in gold on the top, is unlikely to go too long without shiny scuffs on it.
The front of the case has a small LED on the front. It flashes white when you plug it in, and then solid once the case is fully charged, or red if you remove it from charge before it's full. You may also see the case flash red if the battery is low, as I did on a few occasions, although there was no mention of why this might be in the manual so I could be wrong.
The hinge has some friction to it, which would be even more useful if the case supported hall switch mode - but it doesn't! At least when you're opening it on a windy day, there's just enough friction on it to prevent it from slamming shut, which had been a quibble of mine with previous QCY releases, so it's good to see they seem to be at least listening.
As you can see, there's quite a large area to grab onto the buds to remove them from the case when you need to use them, but a combination of their slippery nature and the reasonably powerful magnets mean you may end up dropping them at least more than once if my own experiences are anything to go by - I'd advise opening the case nowhere near a drain or long grass!
In the cockpit you'll notice that the buds rest in the top with the tips facing the outer edges. There is a small L/R on the respective side to remind you of your left and right. Whilst the case doesn't stand up due to its shape, the USB socket is located on the back towards the bottom, so they will kinda stand up if your USB cable is sufficiently reinforced.
There is no quick charge feature, and no wireless charging. Full charge takes approx. 2 hours.
Ergonomics & Build
Like the HT05, there's nothing fancy about the shells. Other than a matching, gold screen printed QCY logo on the outer edges, the only notable observations are the locations of the mics on the bottom and top of the bud. The HT05 uses three mics on each bud, with the voice mic at the bottom and ambient mics taking up the other cavities. There is also a small LED on the top which has two colours - white and red, same as the case, and it's messages are consistent with that of the case.
The shell of the HT07 is like a throwback to what all earbuds used to be like before these oversized oval nozzles became the flavour of the month. The HT07, similar to the SoundPEATS Mini and Engine4, is slightly bulky as you would expect given the large battery capacity.
It certainly isn't as bulky as the SoundPEATS Opera series or even the Edifier W240TN, but there's enough of heft for it to be noticeable, unless you push the neck a little deeper into your ear canal. If you do - and I can on one ear without any discomfort (although my other is more shallow, as per the above) then you'll also benefit from improved ANC as well as fit, but this form factor can feel a shade invasive, especially if you spend most of your time rocking semi-in-ear buds as I do.
On the inside, you've got another L/R reminder, another mic cavity and battery connectors, slightly bevelled. The eartips are quite short, and the round, small diameter nozzles at least mean you'll have a broad selection of third party tips which will fit with ease.
From the side-on, the HT07 don't look too obvious, and their minimal branding will suit those who prefer their earbuds on the subtle side.
Despite being slightly bulky, they weigh in at 4.57g, and by being relatively lightweight you aren't going to be tusslign with gravity to ensure they stay in your ears. Whilst they aren't going to be super-comfy for those who don't like this sort of invasive design, if it doesn't bother you then you'll be fine with the fit - I found them to be one of the comfier earbuds I've tested in a long time.
ANC - 8/10
ANC on the Arcbuds is surprisingly very respectable. As with all budget buds, it performs far better with low frequency sounds over nearby conversations or the clicks of mechanical keyboards, but it definitely punches above it's weight, and not without plenty of customisation too.
Like the MeloBuds, you've got three modes- Indoor, Commuting and Noisy, and within each, you've got three strength levels. It doesn't seem to be linear - i.e. Level 3 Indoor isn't less than Level 1 Commuting - instead, each mode has different types of sound which it deals with best, and the strength levels are in turn attributed to that mode only. Noisy is the strongest though - and with this on full strength, the HT07 are surprisingly effective at the full frequency range of sounds.
You've got similar levels of customisation of transparency mode - six strength levels and a separate 'vocal enhancement' button. Vocal enhancement is the least natural, although it is very clear, and is more natural than many other earbuds in their default mode. Conversations are extremely clear in this mode. Level 1 is quite gentle, but still pretty good - transparency is pretty effective, even with conversations a little further away.
Audio & Sound Signature - 8/10 (for the price), 6.5/10 (raw score)
The sound profile on the HT05 would vary substantially when toggling ANC on and off, and it is a similar story on the HT07. Despite barely any difference on the measurements, with ANC off the subbass is far less overwhelming, and the tonal balance is much better - and it's lucky it is, because with ANC on, it can border on very messy at times.
QCY have had to adjust the sound signature because of the change in form factor, boosting the bass slightly, dipping the midbass more, adding more presence to vocals and rolling off the frequencies over 10k. Despite the latter, it lacks the smoothness you hear on the HT05, and the tone and timbre are less natural sounding too.
The peaks at 3k, 5k and 9k give the HT07 added sharpness compared to the silky HT05. On 'Side to Side' by Ariana Grande, the subbass comes in quite powerful 14 seconds in, almost overwhelmingly, flanked by crunchy percussion. The lower frequencies, certainly with ANC off, can sound almost uncontrolled at times. Vocals are forward ever-so-slightly, with decent presence, but back a little from the thick bass. With ANC on, the bass is even thicker and there's a little sibilance to both Ariana and Nicki Minaj's vocals. The trebles have a metallic sound to them, with drums lacking a balanced punch.
On 'Something Got Me Started' by Simply Red, the boosted lower frequencies are less obvious - bass and wah wah guitars don't sound anywhere near as impressive as on the HT05, and whilst sax and shakers sound fairly natural, there's a lack of texture to other percussive elements - add pianos and flutes into the arrangement and everything starts to become rather congested.
Move to more simplistic arrangements like 'Wombass' by Oliver Heldens, and the HT07 are back in their comfort zone, with little noticeable distortion on the side chain. If you like house and techno, you might be safe with the HT07, but with other genres, especially rock and R&B, you may find yourself a little disappointed.
There isn't a particularly open soundstage as such - it's certainly a little more reigned in than the HT05, and depth is shallow by comparison too - and that's the problem here really, after delivering such outstanding sound on the HT05, comparison would always be inevitable....and sadly, they fall some way short. They aren't a terrible sounding earbud by any means - even pretty good for the money, but there's nothing to differentiate them from any other average $30 earbud here, unlike their older sister.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 8.5/10
Calls on the HT07, despite the lack of stem, are surprisingly effective. With 6 mics, AI ENC and wind noise reduction algorithms, there's plenty going on to try to improve your calls as much as possible, and whilst those effects can sometimes overstep the mark a little, by-and-large they are doing a decent job when you keep in mind how much these earbuds cost.
The HT07 feature in my indoor call quality test, where they were pitched against 36 other models to see how they perform in a coffee shop:
Outdoors, you can hear how they fare here:
On indoor calls with no sound around you, your voice sounds reasonably clear and certainly authoritative. There's a little softness to it that may leave the person on the other end not 100% sure of every word you've said, but it's close enough.
On busy scenes indoors it's a similar story. The HT07 do a sterling job of negating indistinct chatter, but they also intrude into your own voice sometimes, and syllables here and there may be lost, but it's certainly above-average performance here.
On busy outdoor scenes, they really come into their own. Handling wind and traffic noises better than other strong budget performers like the Soundcore P3i, there's less crackle across your voice. Even on a very busy main road, my voice came across cleanly and clearly.
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7/10
The QCY app has been done to death in my other QCY reviews, but it's been a while so let's go over some of the pros and cons again.
Firstly, you have to register with QCY to be able to use the app. This will no doubt annoy people, and believe me it annoys me as well, especially when I use my profile on another phone and none of my devices are there, which seemingly devalues the purpose of having a login altogether.
The app feels like a work in progress and has done since it surfaced, although this time around the HT07 paired and connected without too many issues - even so, do not expect Soundcore levels of polish, it's very 'beta' feeling at best.
The front page just gives you the battery estimates for the buds, again without an estimate for the case. With the absence of LED's you are basically in the dark over how much battery your case actually has. There are sections for customising the sound - including a 10-bar EQ and a number of presets, and the ANC (as discussed in the ANC section)
The settings section allows you to tailor your controls. Single tap setting is left empty - I immediately added volume control - and double-tap and triple-tap are also available to change, although they are pre-set to play/pause and voice assistant/skip track forward. Holding the right button will toggle ANC, but you can change double and triple tap to do the same, and you can change them to pretty much anything. You have full control over right and left - it's far better than something like the 1More app, which gives you very limited levels of customisation. Generally the controls are pretty responsive on this model - it's certainly a step back in the right direction after the dire T20.
Also within the app, you can toggle gaming mode, initiate sleep mode (which toggles touch functions) and 'find your headset'. This requires you to allow location sharing with the QCY app, something I wasn't prepared to test! There's also a timing mode, which shuts the buds down after a certain period of time - a nice feature. You can also access the QCY shop, and pay nearly double the prices AliExpress charge from QCY's shop.
Connectivity is good - the buds use Bluetooth 5.2, and stayed connected without any hiccups to my Sony Xperia IV in separate crowded area tests.
Latency is also good- videos are very close to lipsync, and with gaming mode toggled, even gaming is pretty close to suitable synchronisation, although hardcore gamers will undoubtedly disagree - it's still not bad.
Battery Life - 8/10
The HT07 advertise up to 8 hours battery life and up to 32 with the case. The buds are quite loud - 75% volume was fine for me - and taking a few calls and mostly listening to Tidal, I got 7 hours 12 minutes from the first use, and between 6 hours 45 and 7 hours 19 minutes on additional uses. This is actually much better than most vendors estimates, although granted it is a little easier to predict without the complication of high resolution codecs.
With ANC on, the figure dropped to just under 6 hours. This was mostly using ANC on 'Noisy' with the strength setting at maximum. Whilst this is a substantial drop the maximum advertised value, for me anything above 5 hours is a good result, and with 3-4 additional case recharges, represents good battery value from a full charge.
There is no quick charge feature and no wireless charging, sadly.
Summary
The HT07 are a solid release from QCY with notably respectable ANC and call quality. The button-shaped form factor will be attractive to stem-haters who long for the old days, but it isn't just the form factor that has taken a step back in time - sadly the sound has too.
The HT07 don't sound outrageously bad, but they suffer from being the release after the excellent HT05 Melobuds, which have become my go-to in the sub $30 category. The silky smooth sound signature has been replaced by a harsher, edgier sound which suffers particularly with ANC on, with an overwhelming lower frequency response that can leave more complex tracks sounding messy and congested.
The customisable controls and EQ, which save to the buds, are a standout feature from QCY, and will sell them a few extra units for sure, but if you had or currently own the HT05, I have a feeling you'll be disappointed with the follow-up.
Price Weighted Score: 79%
Raw Score: 75%
QCY Review Inventory:
HT07 Arcbuds
HT05 Melobuds ANC
T20 Ailypods
T18
G1
T17
T16
T13
HT03
T12
T11
About QCY:
Whilst not quite a household name outside of China yet, QCY are well-renowned in the budget TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that, whilst perhaps lacking some of the bells and whistles of the more expensive brands, deliver to the segment of the market where 'good enough is good enough', with solid reliability and tremendous value for money.
Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5), with three of their major customers being brands you will certainly recognise and in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019. In 2020, market research indicated they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor worldwide - no mean feat.
Despite a close relationship with SoC manufactuer Zhuhai Jieli, QCY are not afraid to mix and match components to suit their target market. This often sees a number of releases in quick succession - their T17S are an example of this, released subsequent to the T17, and differentiating with the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 SoC, to support customers who require the added lower latency enabled by the aptX codecs that the Qualcomm chips support. They did a similar thing with the very popular T5, T8 and T9 - nice to see a vendor using an easy to follow naming convention! The G1 use the newest Pixart chip in order to reduce latency - horses for courses!
The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses at a very affordable price - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value from a brand they can trust.
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Socials: Biolink
Model: QCY HT07 Arcbuds
Price: Approx. £22 AliExpress
Website: QCY (not listed)
Review Reference: RC096
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: QCY
- Model: HT07 Arcbuds (BH22HT07A)
- Driver: 10mm Biofilm Dynamic Driver
- Chipset: WUQI WQ7003AR
- Mic: 6 mics with AI ENC & Intelligent Anti-Wind Noise
- ANC: Yes, up to 40dB Hybrid ANC with multiple modes
- Codecs: AAC, SBC
- App Support: Yes
- Volume Control: Yes (customisable via app)
- Gaming Mode: Yes
- Multipoint Connectivity: No
- Earbud Weight: 4.57g
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 33.79g
- Case Dimensions: 60mm (width) x 42mm (height) x 25mm (depth)
- Quick Charge: Not stated
- Total Charge Time: 2 hours
- Wireless Charging: No
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 8 hours (ANC off), up to 7 hours (ANC on)
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 32 hours (ANC off), up to 28 hours
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7 / A2DP 1.3 / AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: Not stated
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English & Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
YouTube Review:
Introduction
Welcome to the @regancipher review of QCY's follow-up to their highly-acclaimed HT05 Melobuds, the HT07.....Arcbuds!
The strange collection of names that QCY attribute to each release is odd to say the least, but what isn't is the winning formula QCY seem to have stumbled upon in developing their 'house sound'. When I heard QCY were bringing out a 'button-shaped' in-ear to sit proudly alongside their stem-based offerings, I was very keen to get them in for test - and what a bargain, they cost just over £20 delivered, and are already on offer with the promise of even further discounts with AliExpress voucher codes!
The HT07 again boast some impressive features for the money, but if they are anything like their older sister then you'll have to accept some, albeit relatively trivial, compromises....or will you? Read on for my thoughts.....
Unboxing
Unboxing with QCY is consistent - consistently meh, and I don't think I'd have it any other way! One way QCY keep the cost down is limiting the unboxing to the bare essentials - the logo may have changed since the days of the T11 and T5, and the branding has evolved a little, but it's still a very low-budget affair with a plastic carton holding the buds, case, manual, charge cable and tips in place.
The manual is a small, folded piece of mono paper with basic instructions, although it is becoming increasingly less important as QCY continue their shift to pushing everything via their app.
Charge Case
The charge case is also very basic. Reminding me a lot of the Tronsmart Onyx Pure case, it's around 6cm wide, 4.5cm high and just over a couple of cm in depth.
It is very small and lightweight, and the matte black exterior, with the QCY logo screen printed in gold on the top, is unlikely to go too long without shiny scuffs on it.
The front of the case has a small LED on the front. It flashes white when you plug it in, and then solid once the case is fully charged, or red if you remove it from charge before it's full. You may also see the case flash red if the battery is low, as I did on a few occasions, although there was no mention of why this might be in the manual so I could be wrong.
The hinge has some friction to it, which would be even more useful if the case supported hall switch mode - but it doesn't! At least when you're opening it on a windy day, there's just enough friction on it to prevent it from slamming shut, which had been a quibble of mine with previous QCY releases, so it's good to see they seem to be at least listening.
As you can see, there's quite a large area to grab onto the buds to remove them from the case when you need to use them, but a combination of their slippery nature and the reasonably powerful magnets mean you may end up dropping them at least more than once if my own experiences are anything to go by - I'd advise opening the case nowhere near a drain or long grass!
In the cockpit you'll notice that the buds rest in the top with the tips facing the outer edges. There is a small L/R on the respective side to remind you of your left and right. Whilst the case doesn't stand up due to its shape, the USB socket is located on the back towards the bottom, so they will kinda stand up if your USB cable is sufficiently reinforced.
There is no quick charge feature, and no wireless charging. Full charge takes approx. 2 hours.
Ergonomics & Build
Like the HT05, there's nothing fancy about the shells. Other than a matching, gold screen printed QCY logo on the outer edges, the only notable observations are the locations of the mics on the bottom and top of the bud. The HT05 uses three mics on each bud, with the voice mic at the bottom and ambient mics taking up the other cavities. There is also a small LED on the top which has two colours - white and red, same as the case, and it's messages are consistent with that of the case.
The shell of the HT07 is like a throwback to what all earbuds used to be like before these oversized oval nozzles became the flavour of the month. The HT07, similar to the SoundPEATS Mini and Engine4, is slightly bulky as you would expect given the large battery capacity.
It certainly isn't as bulky as the SoundPEATS Opera series or even the Edifier W240TN, but there's enough of heft for it to be noticeable, unless you push the neck a little deeper into your ear canal. If you do - and I can on one ear without any discomfort (although my other is more shallow, as per the above) then you'll also benefit from improved ANC as well as fit, but this form factor can feel a shade invasive, especially if you spend most of your time rocking semi-in-ear buds as I do.
On the inside, you've got another L/R reminder, another mic cavity and battery connectors, slightly bevelled. The eartips are quite short, and the round, small diameter nozzles at least mean you'll have a broad selection of third party tips which will fit with ease.
From the side-on, the HT07 don't look too obvious, and their minimal branding will suit those who prefer their earbuds on the subtle side.
Despite being slightly bulky, they weigh in at 4.57g, and by being relatively lightweight you aren't going to be tusslign with gravity to ensure they stay in your ears. Whilst they aren't going to be super-comfy for those who don't like this sort of invasive design, if it doesn't bother you then you'll be fine with the fit - I found them to be one of the comfier earbuds I've tested in a long time.
ANC - 8/10
ANC on the Arcbuds is surprisingly very respectable. As with all budget buds, it performs far better with low frequency sounds over nearby conversations or the clicks of mechanical keyboards, but it definitely punches above it's weight, and not without plenty of customisation too.
Like the MeloBuds, you've got three modes- Indoor, Commuting and Noisy, and within each, you've got three strength levels. It doesn't seem to be linear - i.e. Level 3 Indoor isn't less than Level 1 Commuting - instead, each mode has different types of sound which it deals with best, and the strength levels are in turn attributed to that mode only. Noisy is the strongest though - and with this on full strength, the HT07 are surprisingly effective at the full frequency range of sounds.
You've got similar levels of customisation of transparency mode - six strength levels and a separate 'vocal enhancement' button. Vocal enhancement is the least natural, although it is very clear, and is more natural than many other earbuds in their default mode. Conversations are extremely clear in this mode. Level 1 is quite gentle, but still pretty good - transparency is pretty effective, even with conversations a little further away.
Audio & Sound Signature - 8/10 (for the price), 6.5/10 (raw score)
The sound profile on the HT05 would vary substantially when toggling ANC on and off, and it is a similar story on the HT07. Despite barely any difference on the measurements, with ANC off the subbass is far less overwhelming, and the tonal balance is much better - and it's lucky it is, because with ANC on, it can border on very messy at times.
QCY have had to adjust the sound signature because of the change in form factor, boosting the bass slightly, dipping the midbass more, adding more presence to vocals and rolling off the frequencies over 10k. Despite the latter, it lacks the smoothness you hear on the HT05, and the tone and timbre are less natural sounding too.
The peaks at 3k, 5k and 9k give the HT07 added sharpness compared to the silky HT05. On 'Side to Side' by Ariana Grande, the subbass comes in quite powerful 14 seconds in, almost overwhelmingly, flanked by crunchy percussion. The lower frequencies, certainly with ANC off, can sound almost uncontrolled at times. Vocals are forward ever-so-slightly, with decent presence, but back a little from the thick bass. With ANC on, the bass is even thicker and there's a little sibilance to both Ariana and Nicki Minaj's vocals. The trebles have a metallic sound to them, with drums lacking a balanced punch.
On 'Something Got Me Started' by Simply Red, the boosted lower frequencies are less obvious - bass and wah wah guitars don't sound anywhere near as impressive as on the HT05, and whilst sax and shakers sound fairly natural, there's a lack of texture to other percussive elements - add pianos and flutes into the arrangement and everything starts to become rather congested.
Move to more simplistic arrangements like 'Wombass' by Oliver Heldens, and the HT07 are back in their comfort zone, with little noticeable distortion on the side chain. If you like house and techno, you might be safe with the HT07, but with other genres, especially rock and R&B, you may find yourself a little disappointed.
There isn't a particularly open soundstage as such - it's certainly a little more reigned in than the HT05, and depth is shallow by comparison too - and that's the problem here really, after delivering such outstanding sound on the HT05, comparison would always be inevitable....and sadly, they fall some way short. They aren't a terrible sounding earbud by any means - even pretty good for the money, but there's nothing to differentiate them from any other average $30 earbud here, unlike their older sister.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 8.5/10
Calls on the HT07, despite the lack of stem, are surprisingly effective. With 6 mics, AI ENC and wind noise reduction algorithms, there's plenty going on to try to improve your calls as much as possible, and whilst those effects can sometimes overstep the mark a little, by-and-large they are doing a decent job when you keep in mind how much these earbuds cost.
The HT07 feature in my indoor call quality test, where they were pitched against 36 other models to see how they perform in a coffee shop:
Outdoors, you can hear how they fare here:
On indoor calls with no sound around you, your voice sounds reasonably clear and certainly authoritative. There's a little softness to it that may leave the person on the other end not 100% sure of every word you've said, but it's close enough.
On busy scenes indoors it's a similar story. The HT07 do a sterling job of negating indistinct chatter, but they also intrude into your own voice sometimes, and syllables here and there may be lost, but it's certainly above-average performance here.
On busy outdoor scenes, they really come into their own. Handling wind and traffic noises better than other strong budget performers like the Soundcore P3i, there's less crackle across your voice. Even on a very busy main road, my voice came across cleanly and clearly.
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7/10
The QCY app has been done to death in my other QCY reviews, but it's been a while so let's go over some of the pros and cons again.
Firstly, you have to register with QCY to be able to use the app. This will no doubt annoy people, and believe me it annoys me as well, especially when I use my profile on another phone and none of my devices are there, which seemingly devalues the purpose of having a login altogether.
The app feels like a work in progress and has done since it surfaced, although this time around the HT07 paired and connected without too many issues - even so, do not expect Soundcore levels of polish, it's very 'beta' feeling at best.
The front page just gives you the battery estimates for the buds, again without an estimate for the case. With the absence of LED's you are basically in the dark over how much battery your case actually has. There are sections for customising the sound - including a 10-bar EQ and a number of presets, and the ANC (as discussed in the ANC section)
The settings section allows you to tailor your controls. Single tap setting is left empty - I immediately added volume control - and double-tap and triple-tap are also available to change, although they are pre-set to play/pause and voice assistant/skip track forward. Holding the right button will toggle ANC, but you can change double and triple tap to do the same, and you can change them to pretty much anything. You have full control over right and left - it's far better than something like the 1More app, which gives you very limited levels of customisation. Generally the controls are pretty responsive on this model - it's certainly a step back in the right direction after the dire T20.
Also within the app, you can toggle gaming mode, initiate sleep mode (which toggles touch functions) and 'find your headset'. This requires you to allow location sharing with the QCY app, something I wasn't prepared to test! There's also a timing mode, which shuts the buds down after a certain period of time - a nice feature. You can also access the QCY shop, and pay nearly double the prices AliExpress charge from QCY's shop.
Connectivity is good - the buds use Bluetooth 5.2, and stayed connected without any hiccups to my Sony Xperia IV in separate crowded area tests.
Latency is also good- videos are very close to lipsync, and with gaming mode toggled, even gaming is pretty close to suitable synchronisation, although hardcore gamers will undoubtedly disagree - it's still not bad.
Battery Life - 8/10
The HT07 advertise up to 8 hours battery life and up to 32 with the case. The buds are quite loud - 75% volume was fine for me - and taking a few calls and mostly listening to Tidal, I got 7 hours 12 minutes from the first use, and between 6 hours 45 and 7 hours 19 minutes on additional uses. This is actually much better than most vendors estimates, although granted it is a little easier to predict without the complication of high resolution codecs.
With ANC on, the figure dropped to just under 6 hours. This was mostly using ANC on 'Noisy' with the strength setting at maximum. Whilst this is a substantial drop the maximum advertised value, for me anything above 5 hours is a good result, and with 3-4 additional case recharges, represents good battery value from a full charge.
There is no quick charge feature and no wireless charging, sadly.
Summary
The HT07 are a solid release from QCY with notably respectable ANC and call quality. The button-shaped form factor will be attractive to stem-haters who long for the old days, but it isn't just the form factor that has taken a step back in time - sadly the sound has too.
The HT07 don't sound outrageously bad, but they suffer from being the release after the excellent HT05 Melobuds, which have become my go-to in the sub $30 category. The silky smooth sound signature has been replaced by a harsher, edgier sound which suffers particularly with ANC on, with an overwhelming lower frequency response that can leave more complex tracks sounding messy and congested.
The customisable controls and EQ, which save to the buds, are a standout feature from QCY, and will sell them a few extra units for sure, but if you had or currently own the HT05, I have a feeling you'll be disappointed with the follow-up.
Price Weighted Score: 79%
Raw Score: 75%
QCY Review Inventory:
HT07 Arcbuds
HT05 Melobuds ANC
T20 Ailypods
T18
G1
T17
T16
T13
HT03
T12
T11
About QCY:
Whilst not quite a household name outside of China yet, QCY are well-renowned in the budget TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that, whilst perhaps lacking some of the bells and whistles of the more expensive brands, deliver to the segment of the market where 'good enough is good enough', with solid reliability and tremendous value for money.
Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5), with three of their major customers being brands you will certainly recognise and in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019. In 2020, market research indicated they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor worldwide - no mean feat.
Despite a close relationship with SoC manufactuer Zhuhai Jieli, QCY are not afraid to mix and match components to suit their target market. This often sees a number of releases in quick succession - their T17S are an example of this, released subsequent to the T17, and differentiating with the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 SoC, to support customers who require the added lower latency enabled by the aptX codecs that the Qualcomm chips support. They did a similar thing with the very popular T5, T8 and T9 - nice to see a vendor using an easy to follow naming convention! The G1 use the newest Pixart chip in order to reduce latency - horses for courses!
The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses at a very affordable price - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value from a brand they can trust.
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Model: Haylou S35 ANC
Price: Approx. $39-49 AliExpress
Website: Haylou
Review Reference: RC095
Manufacturer Specification:
1* Haylou S35 ANC A10 Hybrid ANC Headphone,
1* 3.55mm Audio Cable
1* Type C Charging Cable
1* User Manual (English, Russian, Chinese)
YouTube Review:
Introduction
Welcome to the @regancipher review of the latest over-ear 'WH-1000-a-like' hybrid ANC wired/wireless headphones, this time from Haylou.
Haylou have been on a 're-invention' journey of sorts, breaking away from their tradition of budget TWS and into new markets, including smart wearables and premium sports audio accessories, including the superb Purfree Bone Conduction headphones and Purfree Buds, which I reviewed here a little while ago. Before a new release, I'm never sure where Haylou are pitching their new products, but after seeing the price tag, there is no question the S35 are aimed at those on a strict budget. Retailing at around $43 at the time of the review (with the inevitable AliExpress coupons potentially taking the price down even further), Haylou have put some distance between themselves and the likes of OneOdio, 1More and Soundcore, undoubtedly offering huge appeal to those on a shoestring budget.
Despite the low cost, the S35 boast some impressive features, including up to 42dB hybrid Active Noise Cancellation, a 3.5mm jack permitting Hi-Res Audio through wired usage, Gaming Mode and AI environmental noise reduction. So with this in mind, I was very keen to see what the S35 could offer, in terms of both performance and value for money.
Unboxing
The unboxing experience here reflects the price - there is nothing fancy about the packaging compared to the Purfree series, and the bold branding and striking images and logos will be more familiar to those who have bought Haylou's range of smart wearables.
You're getting a first view of the headphone, which have a real Sony XM4 vibe going on, and there's a reminder that they support the Hi-Res Audio standard in wired mode, and offer hybrid ANC and, in Haylou's own words, incredible sound!
On the back Haylou have outlined each of the headline features of the S35 - up to 42dB hybrid ANC, 3.5mm jack for wired mode (and Hi-Res Audio), up to 60 hours battery life with ANC off, 40mm dynamic drivers, app support to customise sound and ANC, soft cushioned earpads and environmental noise cancellation to improve voice calls.
Haylou's previous earbuds did not have app support, so this is something developed to support the release and is definitely a welcome addition to the portfolio.
Usually I'd include a 'family photo' of all the accessories here, but Haylou unfortunately haven't included a carry case, and aside the manual and a phono & USB-C charge cable, there's not much more to show really. The instructions are a small folded monochrome affair, with the controls clearly outlined in English and Russian on one side, and Chinese on the other. Haylou have used some diagrams, mostly text here, and as I've said previously, if they want to penetrate new markets, this is probably one area that both they (and most other vendors) will need to brush up on to ensure widespread recognition - a glossier manual with more striking diagrams will reduce the need for so much text, and thus less requirement for a broad range of translation services.
Even so, the instructions are clear enough with no spelling or grammatical errors and certainly enough to get you on your way.
Design
The S35 are a familiar design that lends itself to other over-ear headphones of their ilk. There are a few similarities with the Sony XM4, with the arms away from which the cups swivel almost identical in shape. Haylou have put their own slant on this, with gold accents above the cut-off 'H' branding protecting the cavities for the mics.
The branding is very subtle - not in your face or obtrustive in any way whatsoever. The same cannot be said for the alternative colours though, and definitely in a good way! Like Sony, the S35 comes with blue/black and oat options, but Haylou have also released a violet/orange combo - whilst it sounds garish it actually looks pretty cool. 'Very Peri' as it is otherwise known was named as Pantone Color of The Year in 2022, representing 'courageous creativity', and whilst I almost bit the bullet and chose that model, as a bloke in his forties with teenage daughters, I left my courage and creativity behind and opted for the safe bet - blue/black had to do!
The constructions is almost exclusively plastic, and the headphones weigh in at 293g. This is one of the lighter sets I've tested, and it shows - if you pick up the headphones randomly and give them a little shake, they can feel a little....rattly. I wouldn't call them flimsy, but it would be fair to say that they 'feel' more budget than some of the $70+ sets I've put through their paces. Even compared with the OneOdio A10, despite only being a couple of grams lighter, the alloys used result in the A10 just feeling a shade heftier. I wouldn't call this a problem necessarily - it has it's benefits (they feel light on your head as well as in your hands), and it's something worth bearing in mind - the lack of carry case means you'll probably want to pick a generic one up, as they don't seem like they will endure too many bashes in the bottom of a rucksack.
Another quirk to the S35 design is the extra short headband. It comes in around an inch shorter than pretty much any other set I've tested, with the length of the padding also a little shorter. Certainly not a problem as far as I was concerned - I'm thinning on top, and despite this I certainly didn't notice any discomfort, but what it does mean is that if you have a slightly larger head and need to use the extensions at the edge of the band, you'll be inevitably putting more pressure on the thin metallic band on the inside that facilitates the extension, and that may also impact into the longevity, but comfort-wise it doesn't make any noticeable difference.
Unlike many headphone models, there is no branding on the top of the band, again adding to the subtlety of the design.
The shorter band had me fearing the worst about the clamping force, but I had no reason to be concerned - the S35 fit larger heads just fine, without the feeling of pain or even discomfort when used for a prolonged period of time.
They are tight enough that after a while you may want to release your ears back into the wild a little bit, especially if it is a hot day as the cups can get a little sweaty, but from a comfort perspective the S35 score well compared to some of the other models I've tried, whilst also giving a little more form to the design, tracking the shape of your head well.
The headphones also wear well with baseball caps and glasses, and in terms of the design, for me it looks really quite nice from the side - not too 'in your face' at all.
Comfort is augmented by the soft protein padding, which has sufficient give to feel good both on the top of your head and against your ears. When compressed, it is evident the material is identical to more expensive offerings - the thickness is around 20mm - identical to the OneOdio A10, Soundcore Q35 and Tronsmart Apollo Q10 - which is definitely a good thing.
The openings in the cup are a little larger than most headphones coming out of China, and this was a really pleasant surprise - it certainly adds to the comfort. The openings are approximately 46mm wide and 63mm in length - this is a little different to most headphones, which have more oval-shaped openings compared to the rounder openings on the S35. The result is that your ears will almost certainly have a little more room to sit comfortably inside the cups - compared to the OneOdio A10 (41x68mm), your ears don't feel like the inside of the padding is penning them in, so hats off to Haylou for bucking the trend and making this aspect much more forgiving as a result.
The headphones, like most others, have a twist range of just over 90 degrees. They tilt upwards and fold inside themselves for added portability.
A closer look at the materials and finishing on the hinges gives an indication where some corners were cut in order to keep the costs down. Haylou have used mostly plastic joints, and again this would suggest question marks over the longevity compared to those which use metal alloy, and the finishing on both hinges on my model suggested slightly iffy quality control. Even despite these inevitable compromises, the headphones don't feel flimsy or like they are going to break any time soon - but understand that with $50 headphones, you will have to accept that not everything is going to be finished like a $100 pair.
All of the grunt work in terms of the controls is done on the right cup. You've got a nice simplistic three button layout, with the ANC button located at the back, a volume control in the middle and the power button at the front. Because of the limited number of buttons, Haylou haven't added a texturized finish to the buttons, and there's no rocker on the volume. Here, I feel they have possible cut one corner too much - a rocker for the volume would have made far more sense - instead, it looks like a rocker, but you have to short press to turn the volume up, and long press to turn it down. It works OK, but timing it right is a bit of a pain. The power button is more like an MFB, acting as a play/pause when tapped, and double tapping skips tracks forward whilst triple tapping skips tracks back. ANC is toggled with the ANC button, and hailing voice assistant is through tapping the flat 'H' touch-control panel on the outer side of the cup three times, with gaming mode toggling after a double tap.
The touch control area can also be held down whilst talking/listening for a temporary transparency mode - an incredibly useful feature that shouldn't be understated, even if we have seen it before with competitors models.
Whilst the panel works really well, skipping through tracks with that single button is a bit counter-intuitive - Haylou have included all of the controls you'll need, it's just you might take a bit of learning to get used to them. Fortunately, the controls are mostly responsive, and you do get alternative musical notes depending on what you select.
Also on the right cup, you've got a 3.5mm jack and an LED indicator light. The light only seems to indicate in use when you turn the headphones on - white for on, red for off. This is naturally a good thing - nobody wants LED's coming on randomly! Next to the jack you've also got the USB charging socket - plug in and you will notice the LED turn red.
Audio & Sound Signature
The S35 boast the usual 40mm Dynamic Drivers and default to the AAC codec in 'Wireless', as well as using the full 20-40KHz spectrum in 'Wired' courtesy of their ability to deliver Hi-Res Audio. Sound on the S35 is pleasant, making them easy to listen to throughout a variety of music styles. The bass peaks at 50Hz before a steep decline to around 300Hz. It's a tuning that works quite well with a set like this - there's very moderate warmth and a nice punchiness on simple tracks, although it can get a shade congested when you introduce a little more complexity.
The point of emphasis on the S35 is the elevation around 500Hz onwards. The Harman-inspired response between 1 and 3k gives the impression of more detail, and contrasts well with the lower frequencies to give sufficient energy and prevent instruments sounding sharp or edgy. Due to the relatively balanced trebles though, again there's not much bite or finesse across the whole spectrum - if you like listening to music for long periods of time without any harshness or fatigue, the S35 excel in this department, but if you want your headphones to sound a bit more lively and more fun, you'll need to tweak the sound a little.
The soundstage is reasonably wide and it's straightforward to locate instruments most of the time. On 'Crazy' by Seal and 'Crucify' by Tori Amos, percussion and bass guitars and percussion and pianos respectively project with sufficient distance, and reasonable depth too. Resolution is OK - as you would expect at this price, it isn't earth shattering, but it's certainly good enough for the money.
You do have the ability to select alternative presets through the Haylou app. One of those presets is imaginatively titled 'Bass', and this gives the sound a very different feel feel, with the bass shelf lifted by around 5dB. This definitely changes the tone of the sound, but it feels a little too over-emphasised and detracts a little from the clarity of the midrange as a result, sounding a little bloated and heavy. The other presets - 'Rock', 'Soft' and 'Classical' are, as always seems to be the case with vendor apps, a little too pronounced and not really usable - unfortunately, there's no custom EQ currently, so you'll have to turn to Wavelet as an Android owner unfortunately.
The headphones can be used in 'Wired' and 'Wireless' mode. I found that with both modes, the volume is a little quiet even on maximum volume. It seems to be the norm that 'Wired' mode is slightly quieter - I found turning them up to between 75-80% was the norm, and sometimes even a little louder.
You can hear a binaural sample of the S35 ANC in the video below:
Call Quality
I tested the S35 both indoor and outdoor, and the dual mic array and environmental noise reduction combine pretty well to reduce some of the more common annoyances that infiltrate your calls, such as wind and traffic. I tested the S35 against a bunch of mixed performing earbuds, and they were of a comparable quality to the better performing ones - on a main road, only horns and speeding vehicles provided a real challenge to your voice, which comes through with good tone and fair clarity. It's certainly possible to conduct regular calls on your daily commute. In a coffee shop environment, your voice is elevated over the background, which it nullifies without eradicating altogether.
Due to the softness to the tone of your voice, you may need to speak up a little on indoor calls to be completely coherent, but this is the norm with over-ear headphones. You also can't use the voice mic on calls when you have the 3.5mm jack cable plugged in.
Overall, I was quite pleased with the performance - again, it's not market-leading, but is better than you would expect at the price.
Active Noise Cancellation
Active Noise Cancellation is of the hybrid variety - in other words, it makes use of both the feedforward and feedback mics to deliver the 42dB reductions boasted by Haylou. I tested ANC in a variety of scenarios attempting to replicate common use-cases, and they did pretty well both indoors and outdoors, particularly in dealing with the typical low-rumbling sounds such as engine noises and air conditioning units.
In the home office, they mute the sound of PC fans on full blast, and take the edge slightly off mechanical keyboard taps. In the coffee shop or busy office, with no music playing at all you can certainly still here the indistinct chatter going on around you, but taking the headphones off brings a blast of sound back into your ears to demonstrate the S35 do a decent job here too, muffling distant conversations fairly well. However, conversations happening close up will be audible and you'll probably still be able to make out most of the detail - the S35 perform well for their price point, but it's not Sony or Bose level noise cancellation as you would expect.
Outdoors, again the performance is above average - they do suffer a little with the sound of wind against the sides of the cans, but this is also normal outside of Sony and Bose. For general run-of-the-mill everyday sounds, the S35 cope well enough to render ANC a core feature of this product. However, you'll have to manually activate ANC when you switch them on, because rather annoyingly, the S35 default to 'Normal Mode' (i.e. ANC off) on initiation. Hopefully this is something Haylou can rectify with future firmware releases.
Transparency mode is quite accentuated compared to the more natural sounding OneOdio A10, with voices (including your own) sounding a little raspy. That said, you will be able to hear more of the conversation happening around you, with the lispy voices lifted sufficiently to enhance your awareness. One fantastic feature Haylou have included here is the ability to initiate temporary 'Transparency mode' by holding down the panel on the side of the headphone whilst you need it. I know we mentioned it briefly earlier, but it is worth discussing here too - an incredibly useful feature that also reduces the volume of whatever you have playing at the time, allowing you to hear yourself speak without fumbling for the pause button! I found myself defaulting to this very quickly, rather than fiddling around with the buttons, and whilst we've seen it before with Soundcore and Tronsmart making use of this feature native to the chipset, it's still a very handy 'me too'
Battery Life
Battery life on the S35 is very respectable. The headphones, like most of this ilk, are capable of up to 60 hours playtime from a single charge. I've been testing the S35 for a few weeks now and only now the battery percentage has dropped below 50%, which demonstrates good efficiency, despite using them for calls and call quality tests.
You can get around 40 hours with ANC on, and judging from my reverse-engineered calculations, this seems pretty accurate. Mostly, battery stats are presented with 50% volume in mind - I had to bump the volume up slightly higher, so perhaps we will see the battery life reduce as a result, but pro rata it seems to be on course to around about the 40 hour mark. You have always got the option of using them in 'Wired' mode thanks to the jack port on the cup, although bear in mind you are no longer able to use the mics for voice calls whilst the cable is plugged in.
It takes around two hours for a full charge of the S35, and the LED changes to red when the headphones are plugged in to let you know they are charging. There's unfortunately no quick charge feature - at least as far as I could tell - and this is one area perhaps Haylou could look to including with future releases.
The 60/40 hour figures match the numbers offered by the likes of Soundcore with their Q35, OneOdio with the A10 and 1More Sonoflow, and all of these models dwarf others such as the Edifier W820NB.
Connectivity & Other Features
The S35 use the BES 2500 series chipset - this is almost ubiquitously used in higher-end wireless headphones, so it is pleasing to see Haylou have retained it in a budget-friendly product. The chip is capable of Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, and other than one very brief 'jitter' where the transmission was attenuated ever-so-slightly, I've not experienced a single drop out over the few weeks I've been testing, even in built-up areas.
The 2500 chipset allows for support of AAC and SBC - there's no LDAC support sadly, but it's possible to meet the Hi-Res Standard (as we mentioned previously) by using the headphones in wired mode.
Multipoint connectivity is always a bonus. I was able to connect to two simultaneous devices without any issue, but functionality seems a little buggy. I followed the instructions - connect to the first device, enter pairing mode, connect to the second device. No issue so far. Then, I started to play Tidal on my phone (the first device) and couldn't hear anything. I disconnected the second device and the sound played immediately. Connected again to the second device as well, and the music on my phone continued to play. I then tried to play a YouTube video on my second device (Windows laptop) and nothing happened. I paused the music on the first device, and viola - the YouTube video started to play. However, after pausing the YouTube video and resuming Tidal on the first device - nothing, no audio. So it looks like either the implementation is a little buggy or there are some limitations - I'll continue to test with assorted devices, and update as I discover more.
The headphones also give the option of Gaming Mode. Other than a couple of games of Roblox to test them, I haven't tried any serious gaming, but it does reduce latency noticeably, which will certainly please casual gamers.
App Support
The S35 are supported by the 'Haylou Sound' app, which you can download via the Playstore/App Store. Whilst the app is quite basic and certainly embryonic (it only currently supports two models), it is certainly worth mentioning because I have no doubts that Haylou, like SoundPEATS and others before them, will update it and add further capabilities over time.
On installing, after skirting around a bunch of 'Privacy Policy' notifications and requests to allow certain permissions, you'll get a notification to turn on your device and pair normally first (there's no Fastpair feature). Once you've done that, the S35 will show in the centre of the main screen.
On the main 'Status' tab, you are able to rename the device, toggle ANC and see how much battery is remaining, but first, you'll likely be prompted to update the firmware. I went ahead and did this, and after less than 150 seconds, the firmware was updated to v1.0.8.3 - it didn't tell me what features or fixes had been resultant from this, and initially I got a 'connection failed' message. A manual reboot later and we were good to go.
As you'll see at the top, you have three tabs - Status, Sound and Settings. Sound allows you to select one of their five presets - Default, Bass, Rock, Soft and Classical. As always, I found the default to be the best option. You've also got an intriguing section called 'Sound Market', which I assume is going to be the mechanism for loading alternative presets, but with no sound effects currently available this is a little bit of a mystery.
Unfortunately, there is no custom EQ. Instead of using the Haylou app, I found myself reaching for Wavelet instead, and they respond to EQ this way pretty well, but perhaps Haylou can look to add this as the app develops over time.
Scroll across to 'Settings' and again, it's pretty basic in terms of functionality, but you do get the option to toggle 'Gaming Mode' here, manually initiate a firmware update, and finally, 'Find headset'.
This is a feature I never find especially useful on earbuds, but on headphones it is very handy. Tap into the section and you get a screen as shown above, whereby tapping the 'Play sound' button will cause a fairly loud 'drip' sound on the headphones - it was loud enough for me to hear it on first go in a fairly large room.
Otherwise, I think we can see that the app is quite basic, but a useful addition and it gives Haylou the time to develop the app and improve functionality going forward - just don't expect too much as things stand.
Summary
Haylou's first major entry into the headphones market is a successful one, with a very respectable set of headphones that do the basics very well at a super-competitive price. Given their competition - Soundcore Q30 and Edifier W820NB, which come in at approx. £55 and the OneOdio A10 & 1More Sonoflow which come in at even more - the S35 should appeal strongly to those on a strict budget, with no compromises over the fundamentals - sound, call quality, ANC and comfort are all as good if not better than expected at this price level.
As always, there are areas for improvement. The absence of quick charge is a shame as it's a feature I've found useful over the years, and having to manually switch on ANC every time I switch the buds on is an annoyance and hopefully something that will be resolved with a firmware patch. Likewise the slightly finnicky multipoint implementation, and the absence of a custom EQ within the nascent Haylou Sound app. A carry case would have been nice, but it's a compromise I'd almost certainly be willing to accept on a budget - and besides, Haylou have shown with their smartwatches that budget accessories to augment their releases is something they aren't too shy to try, so maybe they will offer Haylou branded cases in the future, giving users to choose whether they value it or not.
So overall, I can recommend the S35 as a really good option in the wide, wide world of 'over-ears', especially if you're constrained for how much you can spend, but you want a reliable, good-sounding set of headphones that ticks all the boxes and offers you excellent bang for buck.
Price Weighted Score: 86%
Raw Score: 82%
Previous Haylou Reviews:
Purfree Buds
Purfree BC01 Bone Conduction Headphones
W1
Moripods
About Haylou
The brand name Haylou is taken from the homonym of the English word "Hello". We believe that we can resonate with the sea through conch and listen to the voice of the ocean together, and we can also listen to the voice of users through Haylou and share the beauty of the voice together. Haylou is the messenger of sound and the medium through which we resonate with our users.
Haylou is a brand belonging to Dongguan Liesheng Electronic Technology. Dongguan Liesheng Electronic Technology, established in 2015, is a subsidiary of Dongguan Hele Electronics, having secured Series A funding from Xiaomi technology, becoming one of the earliest members of the Xiaomi Ecological Chain. Hele Electronics and Liesheng Electronic are the OEM for Xiaomi's Mi / Redmi Airdots, and their portfolio of products includes smart and sports wearables as well as a comprehensive range of audio products.
Haylou's product portfolio ranges from wireless audio, smart wearables, to IoT and other categories. And its business has covered more than 100 countries and regions, serving tens of millions of users around the world. We are committed to establishing a digital health ecology by integrating a "user-device-data" scenario via technological innovation. Embracing the values of "Empowering & Awakening", Haylou aims to inspire you to keep challenge, explore your potential and find a better self.
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Socials: Biolink
Model: Haylou S35 ANC
Price: Approx. $39-49 AliExpress
Website: Haylou
Review Reference: RC095
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: Haylou
- Model: S35 ANC
- Driver: 40mm Driver
- Impedance: 32Ω±15%
- Frequency response: 20 Hz–40 kHz (wired)
- Sensitivity: -42±3 dB
- Chipset: BES 2500 HP
- Mic: 4 mics with ENC
- ANC: Up to 42dB Hybrid ANC
- Codecs: AAC, SBC
- Hi-Res Audio: Yes (Wired only)
- App Support: Yes
- Volume Control: Yes
- Multipoint Connectivity: Yes
- Headphone Weight: 293g
- Battery Capacity: 600mAh
- Quick Charge: Yes - 2 hours from 5min
- Total Charge Time: 2 -2.5 hours
- Playtime: Up to 40 hours (ANC+BT), up to 60 hours (BT only)
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7 / A2DP 1.3 / AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: Not listed
1* Haylou S35 ANC A10 Hybrid ANC Headphone,
1* 3.55mm Audio Cable
1* Type C Charging Cable
1* User Manual (English, Russian, Chinese)
YouTube Review:
Introduction
Welcome to the @regancipher review of the latest over-ear 'WH-1000-a-like' hybrid ANC wired/wireless headphones, this time from Haylou.
Haylou have been on a 're-invention' journey of sorts, breaking away from their tradition of budget TWS and into new markets, including smart wearables and premium sports audio accessories, including the superb Purfree Bone Conduction headphones and Purfree Buds, which I reviewed here a little while ago. Before a new release, I'm never sure where Haylou are pitching their new products, but after seeing the price tag, there is no question the S35 are aimed at those on a strict budget. Retailing at around $43 at the time of the review (with the inevitable AliExpress coupons potentially taking the price down even further), Haylou have put some distance between themselves and the likes of OneOdio, 1More and Soundcore, undoubtedly offering huge appeal to those on a shoestring budget.
Despite the low cost, the S35 boast some impressive features, including up to 42dB hybrid Active Noise Cancellation, a 3.5mm jack permitting Hi-Res Audio through wired usage, Gaming Mode and AI environmental noise reduction. So with this in mind, I was very keen to see what the S35 could offer, in terms of both performance and value for money.
Unboxing
The unboxing experience here reflects the price - there is nothing fancy about the packaging compared to the Purfree series, and the bold branding and striking images and logos will be more familiar to those who have bought Haylou's range of smart wearables.
You're getting a first view of the headphone, which have a real Sony XM4 vibe going on, and there's a reminder that they support the Hi-Res Audio standard in wired mode, and offer hybrid ANC and, in Haylou's own words, incredible sound!
On the back Haylou have outlined each of the headline features of the S35 - up to 42dB hybrid ANC, 3.5mm jack for wired mode (and Hi-Res Audio), up to 60 hours battery life with ANC off, 40mm dynamic drivers, app support to customise sound and ANC, soft cushioned earpads and environmental noise cancellation to improve voice calls.
Haylou's previous earbuds did not have app support, so this is something developed to support the release and is definitely a welcome addition to the portfolio.
Usually I'd include a 'family photo' of all the accessories here, but Haylou unfortunately haven't included a carry case, and aside the manual and a phono & USB-C charge cable, there's not much more to show really. The instructions are a small folded monochrome affair, with the controls clearly outlined in English and Russian on one side, and Chinese on the other. Haylou have used some diagrams, mostly text here, and as I've said previously, if they want to penetrate new markets, this is probably one area that both they (and most other vendors) will need to brush up on to ensure widespread recognition - a glossier manual with more striking diagrams will reduce the need for so much text, and thus less requirement for a broad range of translation services.
Even so, the instructions are clear enough with no spelling or grammatical errors and certainly enough to get you on your way.
Design
The S35 are a familiar design that lends itself to other over-ear headphones of their ilk. There are a few similarities with the Sony XM4, with the arms away from which the cups swivel almost identical in shape. Haylou have put their own slant on this, with gold accents above the cut-off 'H' branding protecting the cavities for the mics.
The branding is very subtle - not in your face or obtrustive in any way whatsoever. The same cannot be said for the alternative colours though, and definitely in a good way! Like Sony, the S35 comes with blue/black and oat options, but Haylou have also released a violet/orange combo - whilst it sounds garish it actually looks pretty cool. 'Very Peri' as it is otherwise known was named as Pantone Color of The Year in 2022, representing 'courageous creativity', and whilst I almost bit the bullet and chose that model, as a bloke in his forties with teenage daughters, I left my courage and creativity behind and opted for the safe bet - blue/black had to do!
The constructions is almost exclusively plastic, and the headphones weigh in at 293g. This is one of the lighter sets I've tested, and it shows - if you pick up the headphones randomly and give them a little shake, they can feel a little....rattly. I wouldn't call them flimsy, but it would be fair to say that they 'feel' more budget than some of the $70+ sets I've put through their paces. Even compared with the OneOdio A10, despite only being a couple of grams lighter, the alloys used result in the A10 just feeling a shade heftier. I wouldn't call this a problem necessarily - it has it's benefits (they feel light on your head as well as in your hands), and it's something worth bearing in mind - the lack of carry case means you'll probably want to pick a generic one up, as they don't seem like they will endure too many bashes in the bottom of a rucksack.
Another quirk to the S35 design is the extra short headband. It comes in around an inch shorter than pretty much any other set I've tested, with the length of the padding also a little shorter. Certainly not a problem as far as I was concerned - I'm thinning on top, and despite this I certainly didn't notice any discomfort, but what it does mean is that if you have a slightly larger head and need to use the extensions at the edge of the band, you'll be inevitably putting more pressure on the thin metallic band on the inside that facilitates the extension, and that may also impact into the longevity, but comfort-wise it doesn't make any noticeable difference.
Unlike many headphone models, there is no branding on the top of the band, again adding to the subtlety of the design.
The shorter band had me fearing the worst about the clamping force, but I had no reason to be concerned - the S35 fit larger heads just fine, without the feeling of pain or even discomfort when used for a prolonged period of time.
They are tight enough that after a while you may want to release your ears back into the wild a little bit, especially if it is a hot day as the cups can get a little sweaty, but from a comfort perspective the S35 score well compared to some of the other models I've tried, whilst also giving a little more form to the design, tracking the shape of your head well.
The headphones also wear well with baseball caps and glasses, and in terms of the design, for me it looks really quite nice from the side - not too 'in your face' at all.
Comfort is augmented by the soft protein padding, which has sufficient give to feel good both on the top of your head and against your ears. When compressed, it is evident the material is identical to more expensive offerings - the thickness is around 20mm - identical to the OneOdio A10, Soundcore Q35 and Tronsmart Apollo Q10 - which is definitely a good thing.
The openings in the cup are a little larger than most headphones coming out of China, and this was a really pleasant surprise - it certainly adds to the comfort. The openings are approximately 46mm wide and 63mm in length - this is a little different to most headphones, which have more oval-shaped openings compared to the rounder openings on the S35. The result is that your ears will almost certainly have a little more room to sit comfortably inside the cups - compared to the OneOdio A10 (41x68mm), your ears don't feel like the inside of the padding is penning them in, so hats off to Haylou for bucking the trend and making this aspect much more forgiving as a result.
The headphones, like most others, have a twist range of just over 90 degrees. They tilt upwards and fold inside themselves for added portability.
A closer look at the materials and finishing on the hinges gives an indication where some corners were cut in order to keep the costs down. Haylou have used mostly plastic joints, and again this would suggest question marks over the longevity compared to those which use metal alloy, and the finishing on both hinges on my model suggested slightly iffy quality control. Even despite these inevitable compromises, the headphones don't feel flimsy or like they are going to break any time soon - but understand that with $50 headphones, you will have to accept that not everything is going to be finished like a $100 pair.
All of the grunt work in terms of the controls is done on the right cup. You've got a nice simplistic three button layout, with the ANC button located at the back, a volume control in the middle and the power button at the front. Because of the limited number of buttons, Haylou haven't added a texturized finish to the buttons, and there's no rocker on the volume. Here, I feel they have possible cut one corner too much - a rocker for the volume would have made far more sense - instead, it looks like a rocker, but you have to short press to turn the volume up, and long press to turn it down. It works OK, but timing it right is a bit of a pain. The power button is more like an MFB, acting as a play/pause when tapped, and double tapping skips tracks forward whilst triple tapping skips tracks back. ANC is toggled with the ANC button, and hailing voice assistant is through tapping the flat 'H' touch-control panel on the outer side of the cup three times, with gaming mode toggling after a double tap.
The touch control area can also be held down whilst talking/listening for a temporary transparency mode - an incredibly useful feature that shouldn't be understated, even if we have seen it before with competitors models.
Whilst the panel works really well, skipping through tracks with that single button is a bit counter-intuitive - Haylou have included all of the controls you'll need, it's just you might take a bit of learning to get used to them. Fortunately, the controls are mostly responsive, and you do get alternative musical notes depending on what you select.
Also on the right cup, you've got a 3.5mm jack and an LED indicator light. The light only seems to indicate in use when you turn the headphones on - white for on, red for off. This is naturally a good thing - nobody wants LED's coming on randomly! Next to the jack you've also got the USB charging socket - plug in and you will notice the LED turn red.
Audio & Sound Signature
The S35 boast the usual 40mm Dynamic Drivers and default to the AAC codec in 'Wireless', as well as using the full 20-40KHz spectrum in 'Wired' courtesy of their ability to deliver Hi-Res Audio. Sound on the S35 is pleasant, making them easy to listen to throughout a variety of music styles. The bass peaks at 50Hz before a steep decline to around 300Hz. It's a tuning that works quite well with a set like this - there's very moderate warmth and a nice punchiness on simple tracks, although it can get a shade congested when you introduce a little more complexity.
The point of emphasis on the S35 is the elevation around 500Hz onwards. The Harman-inspired response between 1 and 3k gives the impression of more detail, and contrasts well with the lower frequencies to give sufficient energy and prevent instruments sounding sharp or edgy. Due to the relatively balanced trebles though, again there's not much bite or finesse across the whole spectrum - if you like listening to music for long periods of time without any harshness or fatigue, the S35 excel in this department, but if you want your headphones to sound a bit more lively and more fun, you'll need to tweak the sound a little.
The soundstage is reasonably wide and it's straightforward to locate instruments most of the time. On 'Crazy' by Seal and 'Crucify' by Tori Amos, percussion and bass guitars and percussion and pianos respectively project with sufficient distance, and reasonable depth too. Resolution is OK - as you would expect at this price, it isn't earth shattering, but it's certainly good enough for the money.
You do have the ability to select alternative presets through the Haylou app. One of those presets is imaginatively titled 'Bass', and this gives the sound a very different feel feel, with the bass shelf lifted by around 5dB. This definitely changes the tone of the sound, but it feels a little too over-emphasised and detracts a little from the clarity of the midrange as a result, sounding a little bloated and heavy. The other presets - 'Rock', 'Soft' and 'Classical' are, as always seems to be the case with vendor apps, a little too pronounced and not really usable - unfortunately, there's no custom EQ currently, so you'll have to turn to Wavelet as an Android owner unfortunately.
The headphones can be used in 'Wired' and 'Wireless' mode. I found that with both modes, the volume is a little quiet even on maximum volume. It seems to be the norm that 'Wired' mode is slightly quieter - I found turning them up to between 75-80% was the norm, and sometimes even a little louder.
You can hear a binaural sample of the S35 ANC in the video below:
Call Quality
I tested the S35 both indoor and outdoor, and the dual mic array and environmental noise reduction combine pretty well to reduce some of the more common annoyances that infiltrate your calls, such as wind and traffic. I tested the S35 against a bunch of mixed performing earbuds, and they were of a comparable quality to the better performing ones - on a main road, only horns and speeding vehicles provided a real challenge to your voice, which comes through with good tone and fair clarity. It's certainly possible to conduct regular calls on your daily commute. In a coffee shop environment, your voice is elevated over the background, which it nullifies without eradicating altogether.
Due to the softness to the tone of your voice, you may need to speak up a little on indoor calls to be completely coherent, but this is the norm with over-ear headphones. You also can't use the voice mic on calls when you have the 3.5mm jack cable plugged in.
Overall, I was quite pleased with the performance - again, it's not market-leading, but is better than you would expect at the price.
Active Noise Cancellation
Active Noise Cancellation is of the hybrid variety - in other words, it makes use of both the feedforward and feedback mics to deliver the 42dB reductions boasted by Haylou. I tested ANC in a variety of scenarios attempting to replicate common use-cases, and they did pretty well both indoors and outdoors, particularly in dealing with the typical low-rumbling sounds such as engine noises and air conditioning units.
In the home office, they mute the sound of PC fans on full blast, and take the edge slightly off mechanical keyboard taps. In the coffee shop or busy office, with no music playing at all you can certainly still here the indistinct chatter going on around you, but taking the headphones off brings a blast of sound back into your ears to demonstrate the S35 do a decent job here too, muffling distant conversations fairly well. However, conversations happening close up will be audible and you'll probably still be able to make out most of the detail - the S35 perform well for their price point, but it's not Sony or Bose level noise cancellation as you would expect.
Outdoors, again the performance is above average - they do suffer a little with the sound of wind against the sides of the cans, but this is also normal outside of Sony and Bose. For general run-of-the-mill everyday sounds, the S35 cope well enough to render ANC a core feature of this product. However, you'll have to manually activate ANC when you switch them on, because rather annoyingly, the S35 default to 'Normal Mode' (i.e. ANC off) on initiation. Hopefully this is something Haylou can rectify with future firmware releases.
Transparency mode is quite accentuated compared to the more natural sounding OneOdio A10, with voices (including your own) sounding a little raspy. That said, you will be able to hear more of the conversation happening around you, with the lispy voices lifted sufficiently to enhance your awareness. One fantastic feature Haylou have included here is the ability to initiate temporary 'Transparency mode' by holding down the panel on the side of the headphone whilst you need it. I know we mentioned it briefly earlier, but it is worth discussing here too - an incredibly useful feature that also reduces the volume of whatever you have playing at the time, allowing you to hear yourself speak without fumbling for the pause button! I found myself defaulting to this very quickly, rather than fiddling around with the buttons, and whilst we've seen it before with Soundcore and Tronsmart making use of this feature native to the chipset, it's still a very handy 'me too'
Battery Life
Battery life on the S35 is very respectable. The headphones, like most of this ilk, are capable of up to 60 hours playtime from a single charge. I've been testing the S35 for a few weeks now and only now the battery percentage has dropped below 50%, which demonstrates good efficiency, despite using them for calls and call quality tests.
You can get around 40 hours with ANC on, and judging from my reverse-engineered calculations, this seems pretty accurate. Mostly, battery stats are presented with 50% volume in mind - I had to bump the volume up slightly higher, so perhaps we will see the battery life reduce as a result, but pro rata it seems to be on course to around about the 40 hour mark. You have always got the option of using them in 'Wired' mode thanks to the jack port on the cup, although bear in mind you are no longer able to use the mics for voice calls whilst the cable is plugged in.
It takes around two hours for a full charge of the S35, and the LED changes to red when the headphones are plugged in to let you know they are charging. There's unfortunately no quick charge feature - at least as far as I could tell - and this is one area perhaps Haylou could look to including with future releases.
The 60/40 hour figures match the numbers offered by the likes of Soundcore with their Q35, OneOdio with the A10 and 1More Sonoflow, and all of these models dwarf others such as the Edifier W820NB.
Connectivity & Other Features
The S35 use the BES 2500 series chipset - this is almost ubiquitously used in higher-end wireless headphones, so it is pleasing to see Haylou have retained it in a budget-friendly product. The chip is capable of Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, and other than one very brief 'jitter' where the transmission was attenuated ever-so-slightly, I've not experienced a single drop out over the few weeks I've been testing, even in built-up areas.
The 2500 chipset allows for support of AAC and SBC - there's no LDAC support sadly, but it's possible to meet the Hi-Res Standard (as we mentioned previously) by using the headphones in wired mode.
Multipoint connectivity is always a bonus. I was able to connect to two simultaneous devices without any issue, but functionality seems a little buggy. I followed the instructions - connect to the first device, enter pairing mode, connect to the second device. No issue so far. Then, I started to play Tidal on my phone (the first device) and couldn't hear anything. I disconnected the second device and the sound played immediately. Connected again to the second device as well, and the music on my phone continued to play. I then tried to play a YouTube video on my second device (Windows laptop) and nothing happened. I paused the music on the first device, and viola - the YouTube video started to play. However, after pausing the YouTube video and resuming Tidal on the first device - nothing, no audio. So it looks like either the implementation is a little buggy or there are some limitations - I'll continue to test with assorted devices, and update as I discover more.
The headphones also give the option of Gaming Mode. Other than a couple of games of Roblox to test them, I haven't tried any serious gaming, but it does reduce latency noticeably, which will certainly please casual gamers.
App Support
The S35 are supported by the 'Haylou Sound' app, which you can download via the Playstore/App Store. Whilst the app is quite basic and certainly embryonic (it only currently supports two models), it is certainly worth mentioning because I have no doubts that Haylou, like SoundPEATS and others before them, will update it and add further capabilities over time.
On installing, after skirting around a bunch of 'Privacy Policy' notifications and requests to allow certain permissions, you'll get a notification to turn on your device and pair normally first (there's no Fastpair feature). Once you've done that, the S35 will show in the centre of the main screen.
On the main 'Status' tab, you are able to rename the device, toggle ANC and see how much battery is remaining, but first, you'll likely be prompted to update the firmware. I went ahead and did this, and after less than 150 seconds, the firmware was updated to v1.0.8.3 - it didn't tell me what features or fixes had been resultant from this, and initially I got a 'connection failed' message. A manual reboot later and we were good to go.
As you'll see at the top, you have three tabs - Status, Sound and Settings. Sound allows you to select one of their five presets - Default, Bass, Rock, Soft and Classical. As always, I found the default to be the best option. You've also got an intriguing section called 'Sound Market', which I assume is going to be the mechanism for loading alternative presets, but with no sound effects currently available this is a little bit of a mystery.
Unfortunately, there is no custom EQ. Instead of using the Haylou app, I found myself reaching for Wavelet instead, and they respond to EQ this way pretty well, but perhaps Haylou can look to add this as the app develops over time.
Scroll across to 'Settings' and again, it's pretty basic in terms of functionality, but you do get the option to toggle 'Gaming Mode' here, manually initiate a firmware update, and finally, 'Find headset'.
This is a feature I never find especially useful on earbuds, but on headphones it is very handy. Tap into the section and you get a screen as shown above, whereby tapping the 'Play sound' button will cause a fairly loud 'drip' sound on the headphones - it was loud enough for me to hear it on first go in a fairly large room.
Otherwise, I think we can see that the app is quite basic, but a useful addition and it gives Haylou the time to develop the app and improve functionality going forward - just don't expect too much as things stand.
Summary
Haylou's first major entry into the headphones market is a successful one, with a very respectable set of headphones that do the basics very well at a super-competitive price. Given their competition - Soundcore Q30 and Edifier W820NB, which come in at approx. £55 and the OneOdio A10 & 1More Sonoflow which come in at even more - the S35 should appeal strongly to those on a strict budget, with no compromises over the fundamentals - sound, call quality, ANC and comfort are all as good if not better than expected at this price level.
As always, there are areas for improvement. The absence of quick charge is a shame as it's a feature I've found useful over the years, and having to manually switch on ANC every time I switch the buds on is an annoyance and hopefully something that will be resolved with a firmware patch. Likewise the slightly finnicky multipoint implementation, and the absence of a custom EQ within the nascent Haylou Sound app. A carry case would have been nice, but it's a compromise I'd almost certainly be willing to accept on a budget - and besides, Haylou have shown with their smartwatches that budget accessories to augment their releases is something they aren't too shy to try, so maybe they will offer Haylou branded cases in the future, giving users to choose whether they value it or not.
So overall, I can recommend the S35 as a really good option in the wide, wide world of 'over-ears', especially if you're constrained for how much you can spend, but you want a reliable, good-sounding set of headphones that ticks all the boxes and offers you excellent bang for buck.
Price Weighted Score: 86%
Raw Score: 82%
Previous Haylou Reviews:
Purfree Buds
Purfree BC01 Bone Conduction Headphones
W1
Moripods
About Haylou
The brand name Haylou is taken from the homonym of the English word "Hello". We believe that we can resonate with the sea through conch and listen to the voice of the ocean together, and we can also listen to the voice of users through Haylou and share the beauty of the voice together. Haylou is the messenger of sound and the medium through which we resonate with our users.
Haylou is a brand belonging to Dongguan Liesheng Electronic Technology. Dongguan Liesheng Electronic Technology, established in 2015, is a subsidiary of Dongguan Hele Electronics, having secured Series A funding from Xiaomi technology, becoming one of the earliest members of the Xiaomi Ecological Chain. Hele Electronics and Liesheng Electronic are the OEM for Xiaomi's Mi / Redmi Airdots, and their portfolio of products includes smart and sports wearables as well as a comprehensive range of audio products.
Haylou's product portfolio ranges from wireless audio, smart wearables, to IoT and other categories. And its business has covered more than 100 countries and regions, serving tens of millions of users around the world. We are committed to establishing a digital health ecology by integrating a "user-device-data" scenario via technological innovation. Embracing the values of "Empowering & Awakening", Haylou aims to inspire you to keep challenge, explore your potential and find a better self.
regancipher
@Prutser somebody else told me the same thing, so maybe it did. Shame. I also like the Oratory1990 curve usually.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
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Model: OneOdio Focus A10
Price: £69.99 Amazon UK
Website: OneOdio Focus Series
Review Reference: RC094
Manufacturer Specification:
1* OneOdio A10 Hybrid ANC Headphone,
1* EVA Carry Case
1* 3.55mm Audio Cable
1* Type C Charging Cable
1* User Manual
YouTube Review:
Introduction:
Welcome to the @regancipher review of OneOdio's over-ear hybrid ANC headphones, the upgraded for 2022 Focus A10. With the glut of TWS passing through the RC test bench, it has been a while since I've documented a review of a wired/wireless headphone here at Headfi - the last ones being the Soundcore Q series and Tronsmart Apollo Q10 - but the competitive price and impressive feature set definitely catch the eye with the A10, and with OneOdio being a specialist over-ear vendor, rather than a TWS manufacturer going off on a tangent, this has been a review I've been really looking forward to doing, having put the product rigorously through it's paces over the course of the last few weeks.
Buying an A10 today rather than when the first incarnation was released back in 2020 gives you a number of advantages, both cosmetic and under-the-hood. The shells have been upgraded to aluminum-feel, giving the product a more durable feel. ANC has been boosted to 35dB, taking advantage of both feed-forward and feed-back mics. Battery life has also seen a jump with a handy quick charge feature, and they can now be used in wired mode once the battery has run out. They are now capable of Hi-Res audio too (although only on wired), and all of these improvements have been facilitated with the deployment of the ever-reliable Bestechnic BES2300 chipset, used almost ubiquitously by audio tech vendors throughout 2022.
Unboxing
The unboxing experience with OneOdio certainly has a more premium feel than the price tag would suggest, with a robust cardboard 'gift box-style' enclosure housing the release and its accessories.
On the front, a striking depiction of the headphones is accompanied by the Hi-Res Audio and OneOdio logos in the corners, with the back listing the key parameters, what's in the box, and contact details for OneOdio's customer services. So far, so good.
In terms of accessories, you're getting pretty much everything you're going to need. The instruction manual is quite small, but it details very clearly using mostly diagrams what the LED status means, how the controls correspond to listening to music and taking calls, and how to toggle the different ANC modes. You're also getting a USB-C to A charge cable and an auxiliary 3.5mm jack cable, which enables the headphones to be used in wired mode. The cable is a little short, so you may not end up using this - I found it too short to use at my desk, at least.
A final addition to mention is the EVA case. Whilst it isn't anything fancy, it is certainly nice to receive one as part of the package. It comfortably stores your headphones and charge cables, with the OneOdio logo screen printed on the front. A pocket inside to hold the cables would have been nice, but it's a very minor quibble.
Design
First impressions of the A10 are very good - the headphones have a robust feel, without feeling too heavy, thanks to a combination of smart ergonomics and quality materials.
The headband on the top has a plastic exterior, with a very soft padding around the inside. The padding takes the thickness to around 20mm, which makes for a very comfortable fit, even allowing for receding patches on your crown if you, like me, are a suffering with the effects of old father time. The generous memory foam padding has plenty of give, and has not misshaped in any way since I've been testing them.
The plastic headband is reinforced by a thin aluminum insert, and this insert slides back and forth to ensure you get the desired fit. This extends to an extra 35-40mm either side, which gives the profile ample customisation to suit heads of any size, and the teeth hold it in place very securely. I would say my head is larger than average size, but I don't really need to extend the band too far. The OneOdio logo is screen printed on top, looking quite subtle - the absence of any overt branding on the A10 is one of the highlights for us minimalists.
The inside of the cups is not the biggest, but not the smallest. measuring around 68mm lengthways, with a width of 40mm which extends to around 48mm. It's just about big enough for my wider-than-average ears, falling a little short of the spacious Soundcore Q series, which give you an extra approx. 5mm in the width, but even so, I didn't notice any discomfort when used for a prolonged period of time. If you do have larger ears, I'd recommend to test them out first. The protein cushions on the ears, like the headband, are very soft, spreading quite nicely, but not too thin.
The profile of the headphone is narrower than many of the ones I've tested, more in-line with the contours of your head. Thankfully, it isn't as narrow as the borderline pokey 1More Sonoflow, and looks a lot less overt than the protruding Soundcore Q35 - again, adding to the sleek nature of the minimalist design. The clamping force is low to medium - this has advantages and disadvantages.
The fit is very comfortable and the look is very subtle as far as over-ears go - I found myself only making occasional micro-adjustments, and the low clamping force means your ears won't get too sweaty, which is always a big bonus, but on the flip side it can occasionally result in some sound leakage, and comfort is optimised over noise reduction. It means that the A10 are better suited to casual listening and the daily commute over exercise, where excessive motion can result in the headphones moving around quite a bit - you'll be fine with a dash to make the train, but I wouldn't run 10km in them.
The headphones fold, twist and tilt, and everything snaps into place securely and satisfyingly. The hinges which allow the headphones to fold up quite compact have a robust feel to them, and they should, since they are reinforced with aluminum alloy. There is no squeaking, and unlike some of their competitors, they don't sound like they're going to snap in two when they lock in place. The cups can rotate more than 90 degrees, which is always nice to see, although the tilt range is quite limited, and this area is predominantly made out of plastic in order to keep the weight displacement at the optimal areas.
The exterior edges to the cups are finished in black plastic, with Rolex Daytona-esque concentric circles surrounding the OneOdio logo. It is a very subtle, very attractive look, that contrasts well with the charcoal grey 'aluminum-look-and-feel' main body, and it is this combination that gives the A10 a little character, allowing it to stand out a little from the almost unavoidable generic look that designing a set of headphones dictates, giving it fair durability whilst not compromising comfort nor portability.
The controls are intuitive and responsive - my natural inclination was to reach for the main body, but they are located on the bottom of the subsection of the cup which juts out, which is precisely where you would locate them if you were designing these from scratch! Most of the grunt work is done on your right ear, with the volume up and down buttons sitting either side of the main MFB. The volume buttons double up as track back and forward respectively (although I feel like the + and - buttons should probably be the other way around in terms of their positioning), and the MFB switches the headphones on, acts as play/pause, and hails voice assistant when double tapped. There is a good contrast to the tactile feel of each button, which helps you remember which is which.
You've also got the 3.5mm jack socket located here, at the front for easy access. On the left cup, you've got the USB-C socket for charging the headphones at the front, and behind it the ANC button. Pressing this toggles the modes between ANC on and off and Transparency. Sometimes it can take a little while to register, and it seemed to me like you have to select your ANC mode before inserting the cable if you want to use ANC in wired mode, but otherwise the buttons are fine - controls sit in a reasonably intuitive array and are responsive and tactile, and with ANC, you get a voice telling you which mode you've selected, which is extremely welcome.
Audio & Sound Signature
Onto the audio, and as you can see from the graph, OneOdio have gone with a very upper-mid-centric 'monitor-style' tuning which favours a clean, lean sound signature, giving prominence to female vocals and instruments with a very gentle and lightweight lower frequency response.
The A10 have a very natural, fresh tonality and head stage, with good width and depth. The focus on the midrange, with a recessed lower frequency response permits a perceived sense of depth and positioning, and allows for good separation - it's easy to separate instruments and locate exactly where they are around you. I tested with a number of different genres and found imaging to be very accurate throughout. Despite the clean nature to the sound signature, trebles are not too bright - there's texture and finesse to tams, shakers and cymbals, without ever sounding shrill or edgy.
Whilst the graph gives the impression of a deep recess in the bass, that doesn't detract from the lower frequency response altogether. There's a gentle rumble to the subbass on 'Gecko' by Oliver Heldens and 'Break Up With Your Girlfriend' by Arianna Grande that will certainly satisfy those with a preference for a more neutral sound signature, but they definitely aren't for bassheads - if you like a relentless rumble, then they probably aren't for you. That said, I adjusted the bass quite a bit through Wavelet and saw no distortion at all, so if you really do want more grunt to your subbass it is possible to tweak them to your liking.
The timbre is on the colder side of natural, and this works well with most music styles, especially electronic 80's & 90's from the likes of Tears for Fears and Seal. Switching ANC on/off doesn't have a huge impact on the sound in the way we often see it tightening the sound up on TWS. Using the headphones in wired over wireless gives you the benefit of Hi-Res Audio, and for me I did notice an upturn in the sound when plugging a cable in. Everything feels a little tighter, and the volume seems a little quieter, so you may have to crank it up a little louder.
For me, the A10 are a pleasant listen, with good detail and adequate resolution - it's a shame there's no app for users to tweak the sound to their own personal preference, and hopefully this will come in time, at least for iPhone users who don't have the benefit of Wavelet to call upon.
Active Noise Cancellation
ANC on this model negates up to 35dB of environmental sound, which on paper, is comparable to the other pretenders to the sub £100 crown. I find that with most headphones, the efficacy is very much more dependent on the fit than the documented dB level - if you can get a good seal with your ears, that's more than half the battle. That said, even though the fit on the A10 isn't tight against your ears, they still achieve very good results.
With ANC on, low rumbling sounds are handled effortlessly. Indoors, air conditioning units and nearby traffic see sizeable reductions, and keyboard taps, whilst not eradicated altogether, are reduced from a click to a tap. Nearby conversations are more difficult for headphones to handle, and unsurprisingly this is the limit to how effective the A10 are too. To date, the Sony WH-1000XM4 are the undisputed champion in this area, with others struggling to compete. I'd say the A10 perform around about on par with the Soundcore Space Q45 and a little better than the 1More Sonoflow and Tronsmart Apollo Q10.
Outdoors, the A10 don't quite perform as strongly. This is one area where earbuds tend to perform better than headphones, unless the headphones were engineered predominantly with strong ANC in mind, like the XM4. Whilst traffic and environmental sounds are comfortably muted, they don't disappear altogether. Wind noise is a particular Achilles heel for the A10, with strong gusts reverberating around the back of the cups. I took a two hour walk through a variety of scenarios today, and the A10 certainly didn't let me down at all, but if you are expecting or hoping for noise to be removed altogether, it's worth keeping a check on expectations - the A10 are £70, multi-purpose headphones i.e. they have to satisfy the lion's share of users. Whilst the ANC is still punching above it's weight, and will be more than satisfactory for the average user, it doesn't give you the feeling of jawache or vertigo like the XM4 have reportedly done for many users. And that's unquestionably a good thing.
Transparency mode is adequate, but can make your own voice sound a little raspy in your own ears, and whilst there is only a minor amount of static noise that wasn't enough to bother me, it may not be to everyone's liking. It handles mid-distance conversations well, but any further and it may struggle - if someone is shouting at you from the other side of the room, you'll probably hear it, but you may not be able to decipher every word.
Call Quality
The A10 handle voice calls pretty well. Indoors, your voice comes across clearly and with good tone and articulation. Introduce some light background noise, and the ENC kicks in, trying to reduce it, and at least dulling noise where possible to a crackle. If you're in a busy office or school or college corridor, as expected, the A10 like most headphones and earbuds is less successful at negating the noise altogether, but you'll almost certainly find your voice is elevated sufficiently that a call is not insurmountable.
Outdoors, it's a similar story - in relatively sterile environments, your calls will be fine, but add wind and traffic to the mix, and dealing with multiple sources of obfuscation is more challenging. Even so, considering there are no stems, calls are certainly doable - a very credible attempt.
Battery Life
Battery life is one of the highlights of the Focus A10, with the 40 hours playtime with ANC on and fast charge feature providing two hour's worth of playtime from five minutes juice comparing favourably with the likes of the Soundcore Q series. The ability to plug a 3.5mm cable into the jack and continue to use the headphones, firstly to save battery (you can still use ANC+wired and get up to 62 hours) and secondly to just keep using them after the battery has run out altogether, is a big bonus.
On the first round of battery life, I've used around 15 hours playtime and lots of calls, and I'm still at 60%, so the 40 hour mark seems an accurate representation so far.
Connectivity & Other Features
The A10 use the industry-standard BES2300 chipset, which we've seen in the Soundcore Q Series, 1More Comfobuds Pro and a number of other high profile releases across 2022. Whilst it is only capable of Bluetooth 5.0, I didn't experience any issues with stability of signal, topping out at around 10m line of sight, even using multipoint.
The 2300 chipset allows for support of AAC and SBC - there's no LDAC support sadly, but it's possible to meet the Hi-Res Standard (as we mentioned previously) by using the headphones in wired mode.
Multipoint connectivity is always a bonus. I was able to connect to two simultaneous devices without any issue. Whilst I haven't tried the headphones out for any serious gaming, latency on videos is pretty much lip synchronised.
Summary
OneOdio's decision to return to the A10 and give it a revamp for 2022/23 seems to have paid dividends, with a solid update to the A10 that fares comparatively well with the competition in this congested price category. The comfortable ergonomics, good build quality and smart aesthetics that categorised the original have been carried over into the new model, and the upturn in sound, ANC and call quality are all welcome improvements. Battery life is also very good, and the quick charge feature is another pleasing inclusion. The result is a very competitively priced set of headphones that do all the basics very well, with sound in particular a highlight in this competitive sub-£100 category, avoiding the bloated v-shaped profiles that plague the majority of releases in this price category.
There are a few omissions and areas of improvement - app support being the main one, ANC could be a little stronger, transparency mode could be a little more natural, and arguably the +- button orientation would have been better the other way around, but these are very minor quibbles, and there's nothing stopping OneOdio from adding app support in the future - fingers crossed!
So a very solid attempt, and if you're in the market for a set of wired/wireless hybrid ANC headphones on a budget, the A10 are a sound option, especially at the current price of £69.99 here in the UK.
Price Weighted Score: 85%
Raw Score: 81%
About OneOdio
At OneOdio, everything revolves around excellent sound, tapping the visceral power of music for all. We have infused decades of experience and passion into creating music to life. Fueled by cutting-edge tech and unwavering passion for quality, we create high-end headphones and audio equipment designed to elevate your listening experience. So far we have firmly planted the OneOdio flag in the DJ, Monitor, ANC and HIFI industries. Besides, we are also devoted to the high-tech consumer electronics industry-sports open earbuds.
OneOdio have successfully branched into different product areas - now adding microphones and sports headphones to their portfolio, and this outward product development looks set to continue strongly into 2023.
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Model: OneOdio Focus A10
Price: £69.99 Amazon UK
Website: OneOdio Focus Series
Review Reference: RC094
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: OneOdio
- Model: Focus A10
- Driver: 40mm Driver
- Impedance: 32Ω±15%
- Frequency response: 20 Hz–40 kHz
- Sensitivity: -42±3 dB
- Chipset: BES 2300
- Mic: 4 mics with ENC
- ANC: Up to 35dB Hybrid ANC
- Codecs: AAC, SBC
- Hi-Res Audio: Yes (Wired only)
- App Support: No
- Volume Control: Yes
- Multipoint Connectivity: Yes
- Headphone Weight: 295g
- Quick Charge: Yes - 2 hours from 5min
- Total Charge Time: 2 hours
- Playtime: Up to 40 hours (ANC+BT), up to 50 hours (BT only), up to 62 hours (ANC only)
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.0
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7 / A2DP 1.3 / AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: Not listed
1* OneOdio A10 Hybrid ANC Headphone,
1* EVA Carry Case
1* 3.55mm Audio Cable
1* Type C Charging Cable
1* User Manual
YouTube Review:
Introduction:
Welcome to the @regancipher review of OneOdio's over-ear hybrid ANC headphones, the upgraded for 2022 Focus A10. With the glut of TWS passing through the RC test bench, it has been a while since I've documented a review of a wired/wireless headphone here at Headfi - the last ones being the Soundcore Q series and Tronsmart Apollo Q10 - but the competitive price and impressive feature set definitely catch the eye with the A10, and with OneOdio being a specialist over-ear vendor, rather than a TWS manufacturer going off on a tangent, this has been a review I've been really looking forward to doing, having put the product rigorously through it's paces over the course of the last few weeks.
Buying an A10 today rather than when the first incarnation was released back in 2020 gives you a number of advantages, both cosmetic and under-the-hood. The shells have been upgraded to aluminum-feel, giving the product a more durable feel. ANC has been boosted to 35dB, taking advantage of both feed-forward and feed-back mics. Battery life has also seen a jump with a handy quick charge feature, and they can now be used in wired mode once the battery has run out. They are now capable of Hi-Res audio too (although only on wired), and all of these improvements have been facilitated with the deployment of the ever-reliable Bestechnic BES2300 chipset, used almost ubiquitously by audio tech vendors throughout 2022.
Unboxing
The unboxing experience with OneOdio certainly has a more premium feel than the price tag would suggest, with a robust cardboard 'gift box-style' enclosure housing the release and its accessories.
On the front, a striking depiction of the headphones is accompanied by the Hi-Res Audio and OneOdio logos in the corners, with the back listing the key parameters, what's in the box, and contact details for OneOdio's customer services. So far, so good.
In terms of accessories, you're getting pretty much everything you're going to need. The instruction manual is quite small, but it details very clearly using mostly diagrams what the LED status means, how the controls correspond to listening to music and taking calls, and how to toggle the different ANC modes. You're also getting a USB-C to A charge cable and an auxiliary 3.5mm jack cable, which enables the headphones to be used in wired mode. The cable is a little short, so you may not end up using this - I found it too short to use at my desk, at least.
A final addition to mention is the EVA case. Whilst it isn't anything fancy, it is certainly nice to receive one as part of the package. It comfortably stores your headphones and charge cables, with the OneOdio logo screen printed on the front. A pocket inside to hold the cables would have been nice, but it's a very minor quibble.
Design
First impressions of the A10 are very good - the headphones have a robust feel, without feeling too heavy, thanks to a combination of smart ergonomics and quality materials.
The headband on the top has a plastic exterior, with a very soft padding around the inside. The padding takes the thickness to around 20mm, which makes for a very comfortable fit, even allowing for receding patches on your crown if you, like me, are a suffering with the effects of old father time. The generous memory foam padding has plenty of give, and has not misshaped in any way since I've been testing them.
The plastic headband is reinforced by a thin aluminum insert, and this insert slides back and forth to ensure you get the desired fit. This extends to an extra 35-40mm either side, which gives the profile ample customisation to suit heads of any size, and the teeth hold it in place very securely. I would say my head is larger than average size, but I don't really need to extend the band too far. The OneOdio logo is screen printed on top, looking quite subtle - the absence of any overt branding on the A10 is one of the highlights for us minimalists.
The inside of the cups is not the biggest, but not the smallest. measuring around 68mm lengthways, with a width of 40mm which extends to around 48mm. It's just about big enough for my wider-than-average ears, falling a little short of the spacious Soundcore Q series, which give you an extra approx. 5mm in the width, but even so, I didn't notice any discomfort when used for a prolonged period of time. If you do have larger ears, I'd recommend to test them out first. The protein cushions on the ears, like the headband, are very soft, spreading quite nicely, but not too thin.
The profile of the headphone is narrower than many of the ones I've tested, more in-line with the contours of your head. Thankfully, it isn't as narrow as the borderline pokey 1More Sonoflow, and looks a lot less overt than the protruding Soundcore Q35 - again, adding to the sleek nature of the minimalist design. The clamping force is low to medium - this has advantages and disadvantages.
The fit is very comfortable and the look is very subtle as far as over-ears go - I found myself only making occasional micro-adjustments, and the low clamping force means your ears won't get too sweaty, which is always a big bonus, but on the flip side it can occasionally result in some sound leakage, and comfort is optimised over noise reduction. It means that the A10 are better suited to casual listening and the daily commute over exercise, where excessive motion can result in the headphones moving around quite a bit - you'll be fine with a dash to make the train, but I wouldn't run 10km in them.
The headphones fold, twist and tilt, and everything snaps into place securely and satisfyingly. The hinges which allow the headphones to fold up quite compact have a robust feel to them, and they should, since they are reinforced with aluminum alloy. There is no squeaking, and unlike some of their competitors, they don't sound like they're going to snap in two when they lock in place. The cups can rotate more than 90 degrees, which is always nice to see, although the tilt range is quite limited, and this area is predominantly made out of plastic in order to keep the weight displacement at the optimal areas.
The exterior edges to the cups are finished in black plastic, with Rolex Daytona-esque concentric circles surrounding the OneOdio logo. It is a very subtle, very attractive look, that contrasts well with the charcoal grey 'aluminum-look-and-feel' main body, and it is this combination that gives the A10 a little character, allowing it to stand out a little from the almost unavoidable generic look that designing a set of headphones dictates, giving it fair durability whilst not compromising comfort nor portability.
The controls are intuitive and responsive - my natural inclination was to reach for the main body, but they are located on the bottom of the subsection of the cup which juts out, which is precisely where you would locate them if you were designing these from scratch! Most of the grunt work is done on your right ear, with the volume up and down buttons sitting either side of the main MFB. The volume buttons double up as track back and forward respectively (although I feel like the + and - buttons should probably be the other way around in terms of their positioning), and the MFB switches the headphones on, acts as play/pause, and hails voice assistant when double tapped. There is a good contrast to the tactile feel of each button, which helps you remember which is which.
You've also got the 3.5mm jack socket located here, at the front for easy access. On the left cup, you've got the USB-C socket for charging the headphones at the front, and behind it the ANC button. Pressing this toggles the modes between ANC on and off and Transparency. Sometimes it can take a little while to register, and it seemed to me like you have to select your ANC mode before inserting the cable if you want to use ANC in wired mode, but otherwise the buttons are fine - controls sit in a reasonably intuitive array and are responsive and tactile, and with ANC, you get a voice telling you which mode you've selected, which is extremely welcome.
Audio & Sound Signature
Onto the audio, and as you can see from the graph, OneOdio have gone with a very upper-mid-centric 'monitor-style' tuning which favours a clean, lean sound signature, giving prominence to female vocals and instruments with a very gentle and lightweight lower frequency response.
The A10 have a very natural, fresh tonality and head stage, with good width and depth. The focus on the midrange, with a recessed lower frequency response permits a perceived sense of depth and positioning, and allows for good separation - it's easy to separate instruments and locate exactly where they are around you. I tested with a number of different genres and found imaging to be very accurate throughout. Despite the clean nature to the sound signature, trebles are not too bright - there's texture and finesse to tams, shakers and cymbals, without ever sounding shrill or edgy.
Whilst the graph gives the impression of a deep recess in the bass, that doesn't detract from the lower frequency response altogether. There's a gentle rumble to the subbass on 'Gecko' by Oliver Heldens and 'Break Up With Your Girlfriend' by Arianna Grande that will certainly satisfy those with a preference for a more neutral sound signature, but they definitely aren't for bassheads - if you like a relentless rumble, then they probably aren't for you. That said, I adjusted the bass quite a bit through Wavelet and saw no distortion at all, so if you really do want more grunt to your subbass it is possible to tweak them to your liking.
The timbre is on the colder side of natural, and this works well with most music styles, especially electronic 80's & 90's from the likes of Tears for Fears and Seal. Switching ANC on/off doesn't have a huge impact on the sound in the way we often see it tightening the sound up on TWS. Using the headphones in wired over wireless gives you the benefit of Hi-Res Audio, and for me I did notice an upturn in the sound when plugging a cable in. Everything feels a little tighter, and the volume seems a little quieter, so you may have to crank it up a little louder.
For me, the A10 are a pleasant listen, with good detail and adequate resolution - it's a shame there's no app for users to tweak the sound to their own personal preference, and hopefully this will come in time, at least for iPhone users who don't have the benefit of Wavelet to call upon.
Active Noise Cancellation
ANC on this model negates up to 35dB of environmental sound, which on paper, is comparable to the other pretenders to the sub £100 crown. I find that with most headphones, the efficacy is very much more dependent on the fit than the documented dB level - if you can get a good seal with your ears, that's more than half the battle. That said, even though the fit on the A10 isn't tight against your ears, they still achieve very good results.
With ANC on, low rumbling sounds are handled effortlessly. Indoors, air conditioning units and nearby traffic see sizeable reductions, and keyboard taps, whilst not eradicated altogether, are reduced from a click to a tap. Nearby conversations are more difficult for headphones to handle, and unsurprisingly this is the limit to how effective the A10 are too. To date, the Sony WH-1000XM4 are the undisputed champion in this area, with others struggling to compete. I'd say the A10 perform around about on par with the Soundcore Space Q45 and a little better than the 1More Sonoflow and Tronsmart Apollo Q10.
Outdoors, the A10 don't quite perform as strongly. This is one area where earbuds tend to perform better than headphones, unless the headphones were engineered predominantly with strong ANC in mind, like the XM4. Whilst traffic and environmental sounds are comfortably muted, they don't disappear altogether. Wind noise is a particular Achilles heel for the A10, with strong gusts reverberating around the back of the cups. I took a two hour walk through a variety of scenarios today, and the A10 certainly didn't let me down at all, but if you are expecting or hoping for noise to be removed altogether, it's worth keeping a check on expectations - the A10 are £70, multi-purpose headphones i.e. they have to satisfy the lion's share of users. Whilst the ANC is still punching above it's weight, and will be more than satisfactory for the average user, it doesn't give you the feeling of jawache or vertigo like the XM4 have reportedly done for many users. And that's unquestionably a good thing.
Transparency mode is adequate, but can make your own voice sound a little raspy in your own ears, and whilst there is only a minor amount of static noise that wasn't enough to bother me, it may not be to everyone's liking. It handles mid-distance conversations well, but any further and it may struggle - if someone is shouting at you from the other side of the room, you'll probably hear it, but you may not be able to decipher every word.
Call Quality
The A10 handle voice calls pretty well. Indoors, your voice comes across clearly and with good tone and articulation. Introduce some light background noise, and the ENC kicks in, trying to reduce it, and at least dulling noise where possible to a crackle. If you're in a busy office or school or college corridor, as expected, the A10 like most headphones and earbuds is less successful at negating the noise altogether, but you'll almost certainly find your voice is elevated sufficiently that a call is not insurmountable.
Outdoors, it's a similar story - in relatively sterile environments, your calls will be fine, but add wind and traffic to the mix, and dealing with multiple sources of obfuscation is more challenging. Even so, considering there are no stems, calls are certainly doable - a very credible attempt.
Battery Life
Battery life is one of the highlights of the Focus A10, with the 40 hours playtime with ANC on and fast charge feature providing two hour's worth of playtime from five minutes juice comparing favourably with the likes of the Soundcore Q series. The ability to plug a 3.5mm cable into the jack and continue to use the headphones, firstly to save battery (you can still use ANC+wired and get up to 62 hours) and secondly to just keep using them after the battery has run out altogether, is a big bonus.
On the first round of battery life, I've used around 15 hours playtime and lots of calls, and I'm still at 60%, so the 40 hour mark seems an accurate representation so far.
Connectivity & Other Features
The A10 use the industry-standard BES2300 chipset, which we've seen in the Soundcore Q Series, 1More Comfobuds Pro and a number of other high profile releases across 2022. Whilst it is only capable of Bluetooth 5.0, I didn't experience any issues with stability of signal, topping out at around 10m line of sight, even using multipoint.
The 2300 chipset allows for support of AAC and SBC - there's no LDAC support sadly, but it's possible to meet the Hi-Res Standard (as we mentioned previously) by using the headphones in wired mode.
Multipoint connectivity is always a bonus. I was able to connect to two simultaneous devices without any issue. Whilst I haven't tried the headphones out for any serious gaming, latency on videos is pretty much lip synchronised.
Summary
OneOdio's decision to return to the A10 and give it a revamp for 2022/23 seems to have paid dividends, with a solid update to the A10 that fares comparatively well with the competition in this congested price category. The comfortable ergonomics, good build quality and smart aesthetics that categorised the original have been carried over into the new model, and the upturn in sound, ANC and call quality are all welcome improvements. Battery life is also very good, and the quick charge feature is another pleasing inclusion. The result is a very competitively priced set of headphones that do all the basics very well, with sound in particular a highlight in this competitive sub-£100 category, avoiding the bloated v-shaped profiles that plague the majority of releases in this price category.
There are a few omissions and areas of improvement - app support being the main one, ANC could be a little stronger, transparency mode could be a little more natural, and arguably the +- button orientation would have been better the other way around, but these are very minor quibbles, and there's nothing stopping OneOdio from adding app support in the future - fingers crossed!
So a very solid attempt, and if you're in the market for a set of wired/wireless hybrid ANC headphones on a budget, the A10 are a sound option, especially at the current price of £69.99 here in the UK.
Price Weighted Score: 85%
Raw Score: 81%
About OneOdio
At OneOdio, everything revolves around excellent sound, tapping the visceral power of music for all. We have infused decades of experience and passion into creating music to life. Fueled by cutting-edge tech and unwavering passion for quality, we create high-end headphones and audio equipment designed to elevate your listening experience. So far we have firmly planted the OneOdio flag in the DJ, Monitor, ANC and HIFI industries. Besides, we are also devoted to the high-tech consumer electronics industry-sports open earbuds.
OneOdio have successfully branched into different product areas - now adding microphones and sports headphones to their portfolio, and this outward product development looks set to continue strongly into 2023.
HBryant
Can I ask you where you get the cool headphone stand? (the guys head looks like thing from Terminator
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
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Model: Realme Buds Air 3S
Price: Approx. £25 AliExpress
Website: Realme India
Review Reference: RC093
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x Yellow USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: European Edition - seven different languages
3 x Pairs Eartips
YouTube Review:
Introduction
Welcome to the very long awaited @regancipher review of the Realme Buds Air 3S. I ordered these from AliExpress in August 2022, received them in late December, and due to a variety of circumstances have been unable to finish the review until now - but here we are, at least they have had plenty of time on the test bench!
Realme haven't been around long - just over 5 years, having been established in 2018 under the BBK Electronics Umbrella, focused predominantly on the Indian market, and as such, a number of their non-flagship products, like the Buds Air 3S, go under the radar despite some impressive specifications and very competitive pricing.
The headlines here - multipoint connectivity, impressive app support with custom buttons and EQ, and a powerful quick charge feature bringing 5 hours playtime from just 10 min of juice - coupled with an interesting design that will attract those that don't like stems on their earbuds - made the Buds Air 3S a model I simply couldn't ignore - enjoy the review and let me know your thoughts!
Unboxing - 7/10
The unboxing experience with Realme on non-flagships is, similar to the releases themselves, rather understated. You get a somewhat bland small-ish cardboard box with the buds and case design accurately depicted on the front, and a smattering of the key features on the side.
Once inside, you are greeted with a decidedly-yellow-themed array of accessories, with a tiny USB A-C charge cable, a user guide in seven European languages and a warranty card. There's also a QR code for the Realme Link app - more on that later.
The cable is of reasonably high quality - better than most - but the tips are fairly bog standard. The instruction manual is good enough, although it's quite difficult to read in small, faint fonts.
Case - 7/10
The charge case of the Buds Air 3S is a novel design, with a semi-transparent tinted cover on the top, and a matte black finish to the bottom. The image above shows the case on around week 4 - we are now in around week 12, and with only moderate usage it has already scuffed up pretty badly to look rather untidy. The lid has what feels like a screen protector over the top, and this adds to the rather cheap feeling to the case. There is a lip to the front of the hinged lid, but operating the case with one hand is going to be difficult due to the size.
Open the lid and you are greeted with the slogan 'DARE TO LEAP' in large, capital font, with the realme logo at the bottom. The buds slot into the middle of the cockpit, with openings for each in the shape of the bud and a magnet with decent holding force. It means that despite the space above the buds, there is no danger of them moving around and coming loose in your pockets.
In between the buds is a small LED. The LED has two configurations - when charging and when not. When charging, it's a solid green for 100%, a pulsing green between 20-100%, and a flickering red LED below 20%. When not charging, there seems to be a slightly different percentages alignment and it's just solid LED's, and although Realme don't really outline what these are in the manual, you can imagine that a red LED means charge these things ASAP!
On the subject of charging, there is a USB-C socket at the rear, and a full charge takes around 2 hours. The case DOES support warp charge or quick charge, whatever you want to call it, which gives you an impressive 5 hours of playtime from just ten minutes in the case. This really is top drawer from Realme, a very impressive and very convenient offering. Unfortunately, as you would expect at this price, there is no wireless charging.
The hinge goes slightly further than 90 degrees, but is reasonably stable, and features a friction hold. Here you can see what a finger print magnet the case is. There is also a button at the front - this is barely visible, and is almost embedded into the case, but that puts the buds into pairing mode, and triggers the LED to pulse white until you connect to a device. However, you may not need it, because the buds also support Google Fast Pair. On my Xiaomi 11T Pro, Pixel 6A and Sony Xperia IV, I got a notification telling me to connect, and the buds have connected seamlessly ever since. The case also supports hall switch mode, so there's no need to remove the buds from the case to initiate pairing and connection.
The dimensions of the case are a little odd - approximately 58mm x 53mm, so almost deceitfully rectangular, and 27mm in height, and with a weight of 47g, they are reasonably compact and portable, in a similar vein to something like the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are. Whilst you may struggle a little in skinny jeans pockets, I carried them around in my jacket throughout the seemingly never-ending UK winter months without any issues, and the case is much more portable than the similarly-sized Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro case, for example, due to it's slightly flimsy construction by comparison.
Ergonomics - 8/10
First impressions of the Buds Air 3S design and build are quite positive. The buds sport a 'mini stem'-style shape, which is conveniently sufficient for grasping when you want to remove them from your ears, without the overall stem aesthetic which puts so many users off earbuds. The outer edges feature a frosted black-silver finish which looks very nice - there's no garish colours and no overt branding, everything is delightfully rather subtle. The buds also feature a 'shark fin' removable wing tip, which is too short to offer any kind of support to the fit, but does at least work well with the contours of the average ear.
On the inside, you've got the charge connectors, which make direct contact with your skin, so if you have nickel allergies etc. you may want to look elsewhere. You also have a few openings - a pressure release cavity to improve comfort and acoustic performance, an ambient mic to work with the AI ENC to improve voice calls, and a voice pickup mic at the base to deliver your calls and voice notes.
The gradient to the shape of the buds, coupled with the thin oval nozzle, means the Buds Air 3S are neither as invasive as something like the Edifier NeoBuds Pro or Soundpeats Life Classic, but don't induce the pressure that something like the larger-nozzled Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 do. Even so, whilst they are fairly comfortable for short-term use, I found them to become a little tiresome longer than an hour or two. They aren't buds you will forget are in your ears, and may require occasional adjustment, especially if used for exercise, which their IPX5 water resistance rating does tempt.
The design makes for a quite stable fit and an unobtrusive look to the Buds Air 3S. From the front, they don't stick out at all, looking subtle and sleek. It is images like this one which remind the wearer that stems can look a little unwieldy by comparison.
From the side, the design seems to have very accurately tracked the shape of the ear.
The buds weigh 4.2g. Given their size, this is about what you would expect, although it is quite a bit heavier than something like the SoundPEATS Life Classic, for example, and as a result, it would be difficult to say they are more comfortable than that model.
The Buds Air 3S have very reasonable ergonomics, and a better-than-average construction that more than justifies the price tag.
Audio & Sound Signature - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
The Buds Air 3S have the ability to be tuned to the users desired sound signature using the custom EQ within the app, or using one of the four presets - 'original', 'serenade', 'pure bass' and 'deep bass'. No prizes for guessing which the latter two are!
The default tuning of the Buds Air 3S (brown) is punchy and energetic, with particular emphasis on a heavy subbass and bright female vocals. It is tuned for the consumer in mind, not the audiophile, and will be fine for the average user listening to pop, house or techno. Basslines are fun and fast, but switch to the 'Deep Bass' and 'Pure Bass' settings and they become completely uncontrolled - if you like burying your head in a subwoofer, maybe you'll be able to tolerate these EQ's, but for me both are tinnitus waiting to happen.
Back to the default, the lower midrange is recessed to try to mitigate bleed, before a sharp rise between 1-2.5k, and this certainly helps female vocals sound very prominent, although male vocals can sound a little lost, especially on R&B tracks where you have heavier basslines. The peaks at 5.5k and 9k, with 3dB and 6dB dips respectively bring good texture to cymbals and crispiness to snares, and although the detail and definition lacks a little refinement, there is cohesion to the energy which makes the Buds Air 3S an enjoyable companion to most music styles that only really suffers a little clutter on more complex tracks.
The soundstage on the Buds Air 3S is reasonably wide, with moderate depth. For the most part, it lacks a little the sense of depth or perspective of more refined options, as you would expect with the hardware and software limitations. The Buds Air 3S use the AAC codec with a single 11mm dynamic driver, and the buds sell for around $30 - this is something you need to remember when dissecting the audio performance, which is more than in parity with the price tag. At this price point, the competition is something like the QCY HT05 Melobuds, which are smoother sounding with less rumble to the subbass. For me, the Buds Air 3S fall a little way short of the HT05, but they are still a good option if you're constrained by budget.
Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors - 7.5/10
I tested the AI ENC in a number of different scenarios, and it performed very well for the majority of the time, again more than justifying the price tag.
The Buds Air 3S feature in my indoor call quality test, where they were pitched against 36 other models to see how they perform in a coffee shop - they were one of the star performers:
Outdoors, you can hear how they fare here:
Indoors, your voice has good weight and tone, but you will need to speak with good authority because they can occasionally soften your voice a little. Indoors, introducing ambient environmental noise presents a challenge - a single source and the buds simply struggle to cope, so music playing for example, is something the buds don't deal with emphatically. With a multitude of sources with less volume, they perform a little better, elevating your voice well above the sounds around you. It isn't perfect, but most of the time you'll be clear enough, unless it gets very noisy around you.
Outside the ENC seems to cope better. Outside a train station, the train noise was removed altogether. Around traffic, it was a similar story - in my usual place, a busy intersection, my voice call came through clearly with no issues at all. As soon as I got mobile though, there would be occasions where my words would get lost, I assume the AI ENC performing too aggressively. Even so, it is hard to grumble - the lion's share of the time your voice calls will complete with no issues, which is essentially mission accomplished.
Connectivity and Other Features - 9/10
Connectivity is very solid at around 10m. The buds support Bluetooth 5.3, and I experienced no dropouts at all. Range does suffer a little when using multipoint, but I suffered no issues even in relatively crowded places.
The Buds Air 3S have loads of features, but the highlight is the support from the Realme Link app, which is superb, at least as earbud apps go. Granted, you need to register (I used my heytaphealth log in from my Oppo watch), but once you do, the app offers a good user experience and some major benefits.
Tap the Buds Air 3S under 'my devices' and you'll see a 'Sound Effects' menu, where you have your 4 presets and custom equaliser. The custom EQ is only 6 bars, but it does allow you to save multiple custom presets. It also allows you to toggle 'volume enhancer', although the buds were loud enough for me without this.
Below that, you've got the option to toggle gaming mode, and also Multipoint, or 'Dual-device connection' as Realme call it. This works seamlessly and flawlessly - very impressive at this price. This is as much customisation as you get with Multipoint - you can't choose or see the names of your devices like you can with OnePlus Buds Pro 2, Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 or Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro, but nevertheless it works, interrupting your laptop when calls come in.
Gaming mode is a nice bonus. Latency is very good for videos anyway, with close to lip-synchronisation, and gaming mode improves this further on games. Realme claim 69ms, which of course only factors in one leg of the journey, but you can expect a good return on most games outside your first person shooters.
Finally, you have the ability to customise controls. You can tailor double, triple tap and touch and hold to whatever you prefer, and you can also modify 'touch and hold' left and right together to gaming mode. This worked best for me, with double tap configured to play/pause, triple tap as track backwards/forwards and touch and hold as reduce and increase volume respectively. This level of granularity over the controls is excellent, and that they save to the bud so will continue to be the case regardless of your source is an added bonus.
The buds are also IPX5 water resistant, and support Dolby Atmos. This is a bit of a misnomer, as the buds don't really need to do anything to support this - it is something you get with your mobile phone. I can't see anything within the technology stack to suggest the Buds Air 3S support Dolby Atmos any more than buds which don't claim to do in this respect.
Battery Life - 8/10
Battery life on the Buds Air 3S is more than respectable - 7 hours advertised is more like around 6 in reality, and that may drop further with lots of voice calls. Even so, ten minutes in the case will soon have the battery life restored - I have been testing them for a few months now, and other than the occasional 2 hour charge to restore the case, I've never been left short with the buds. Again, it is very impressive for the price.
The case and buds give a total of around 26 hours fully charged, which will be more than enough for the average user.
Summary
With the price of earbuds edging their way up again of late, it is great to see low-cost options like the Buds Air 3S giving you so much for your money. The case is a little rudimentary, but the buds have a nice design and fit with very decent build quality. The battery life is very good with a handy and convenient quick charge feature, and with gaming mode, multipoint and custom EQ and controls which save to the buds, there are a lot of features usually reserved for more premium offerings that Realme have managed to squeeze into this release. Their app is also far nicer and easier to use than most of the budget vendor offerings - so a lot to like about this model, especially at that super competitive price.
The sound isn't the most refined, and whilst voice calls are for the most part very good, the AI ENC can occasionally dip in and out, but these are minor quibbles over a release that is up there with the QCY HT05 Melobuds as one of the best choices for those with a tight budget.
Price Weighted Score: 86%
Raw Score: 80%
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Model: Realme Buds Air 3S
Price: Approx. £25 AliExpress
Website: Realme India
Review Reference: RC093
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: Realme
- Model: Buds Air 3S RMA2117
- Driver: 11mm Liquid Silicone Dynamic Driver
- Chipset: Not known
- Mic: 4 mics with AI ENC
- ANC: No
- Codecs: AAC, SBC
- App Support: Yes
- Volume Control: Yes (customisable via app)
- Gaming Mode: Yes
- Multipoint Connectivity: Yes
- Earbud Weight: 4.2g
- Earbud Dimensions: 27mm 'mini stem' length including wing tip, depth approx. 22.8mm
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 47.45g
- Case Dimensions: 58.4mm (width) x 27.4mm (height) x 52.8mm (depth)
- Quick Charge: Yes - 5 hours from 10min
- Total Charge Time: 2 hours
- Wireless Charging: No
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 7 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 30 hours
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.3
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7 / A2DP 1.3 / AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: IPX5
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x Yellow USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: European Edition - seven different languages
3 x Pairs Eartips
YouTube Review:
Introduction
Welcome to the very long awaited @regancipher review of the Realme Buds Air 3S. I ordered these from AliExpress in August 2022, received them in late December, and due to a variety of circumstances have been unable to finish the review until now - but here we are, at least they have had plenty of time on the test bench!
Realme haven't been around long - just over 5 years, having been established in 2018 under the BBK Electronics Umbrella, focused predominantly on the Indian market, and as such, a number of their non-flagship products, like the Buds Air 3S, go under the radar despite some impressive specifications and very competitive pricing.
The headlines here - multipoint connectivity, impressive app support with custom buttons and EQ, and a powerful quick charge feature bringing 5 hours playtime from just 10 min of juice - coupled with an interesting design that will attract those that don't like stems on their earbuds - made the Buds Air 3S a model I simply couldn't ignore - enjoy the review and let me know your thoughts!
Unboxing - 7/10
The unboxing experience with Realme on non-flagships is, similar to the releases themselves, rather understated. You get a somewhat bland small-ish cardboard box with the buds and case design accurately depicted on the front, and a smattering of the key features on the side.
Once inside, you are greeted with a decidedly-yellow-themed array of accessories, with a tiny USB A-C charge cable, a user guide in seven European languages and a warranty card. There's also a QR code for the Realme Link app - more on that later.
The cable is of reasonably high quality - better than most - but the tips are fairly bog standard. The instruction manual is good enough, although it's quite difficult to read in small, faint fonts.
Case - 7/10
The charge case of the Buds Air 3S is a novel design, with a semi-transparent tinted cover on the top, and a matte black finish to the bottom. The image above shows the case on around week 4 - we are now in around week 12, and with only moderate usage it has already scuffed up pretty badly to look rather untidy. The lid has what feels like a screen protector over the top, and this adds to the rather cheap feeling to the case. There is a lip to the front of the hinged lid, but operating the case with one hand is going to be difficult due to the size.
Open the lid and you are greeted with the slogan 'DARE TO LEAP' in large, capital font, with the realme logo at the bottom. The buds slot into the middle of the cockpit, with openings for each in the shape of the bud and a magnet with decent holding force. It means that despite the space above the buds, there is no danger of them moving around and coming loose in your pockets.
In between the buds is a small LED. The LED has two configurations - when charging and when not. When charging, it's a solid green for 100%, a pulsing green between 20-100%, and a flickering red LED below 20%. When not charging, there seems to be a slightly different percentages alignment and it's just solid LED's, and although Realme don't really outline what these are in the manual, you can imagine that a red LED means charge these things ASAP!
On the subject of charging, there is a USB-C socket at the rear, and a full charge takes around 2 hours. The case DOES support warp charge or quick charge, whatever you want to call it, which gives you an impressive 5 hours of playtime from just ten minutes in the case. This really is top drawer from Realme, a very impressive and very convenient offering. Unfortunately, as you would expect at this price, there is no wireless charging.
The hinge goes slightly further than 90 degrees, but is reasonably stable, and features a friction hold. Here you can see what a finger print magnet the case is. There is also a button at the front - this is barely visible, and is almost embedded into the case, but that puts the buds into pairing mode, and triggers the LED to pulse white until you connect to a device. However, you may not need it, because the buds also support Google Fast Pair. On my Xiaomi 11T Pro, Pixel 6A and Sony Xperia IV, I got a notification telling me to connect, and the buds have connected seamlessly ever since. The case also supports hall switch mode, so there's no need to remove the buds from the case to initiate pairing and connection.
The dimensions of the case are a little odd - approximately 58mm x 53mm, so almost deceitfully rectangular, and 27mm in height, and with a weight of 47g, they are reasonably compact and portable, in a similar vein to something like the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are. Whilst you may struggle a little in skinny jeans pockets, I carried them around in my jacket throughout the seemingly never-ending UK winter months without any issues, and the case is much more portable than the similarly-sized Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro case, for example, due to it's slightly flimsy construction by comparison.
Ergonomics - 8/10
First impressions of the Buds Air 3S design and build are quite positive. The buds sport a 'mini stem'-style shape, which is conveniently sufficient for grasping when you want to remove them from your ears, without the overall stem aesthetic which puts so many users off earbuds. The outer edges feature a frosted black-silver finish which looks very nice - there's no garish colours and no overt branding, everything is delightfully rather subtle. The buds also feature a 'shark fin' removable wing tip, which is too short to offer any kind of support to the fit, but does at least work well with the contours of the average ear.
On the inside, you've got the charge connectors, which make direct contact with your skin, so if you have nickel allergies etc. you may want to look elsewhere. You also have a few openings - a pressure release cavity to improve comfort and acoustic performance, an ambient mic to work with the AI ENC to improve voice calls, and a voice pickup mic at the base to deliver your calls and voice notes.
The gradient to the shape of the buds, coupled with the thin oval nozzle, means the Buds Air 3S are neither as invasive as something like the Edifier NeoBuds Pro or Soundpeats Life Classic, but don't induce the pressure that something like the larger-nozzled Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 do. Even so, whilst they are fairly comfortable for short-term use, I found them to become a little tiresome longer than an hour or two. They aren't buds you will forget are in your ears, and may require occasional adjustment, especially if used for exercise, which their IPX5 water resistance rating does tempt.
The design makes for a quite stable fit and an unobtrusive look to the Buds Air 3S. From the front, they don't stick out at all, looking subtle and sleek. It is images like this one which remind the wearer that stems can look a little unwieldy by comparison.
From the side, the design seems to have very accurately tracked the shape of the ear.
The buds weigh 4.2g. Given their size, this is about what you would expect, although it is quite a bit heavier than something like the SoundPEATS Life Classic, for example, and as a result, it would be difficult to say they are more comfortable than that model.
The Buds Air 3S have very reasonable ergonomics, and a better-than-average construction that more than justifies the price tag.
Audio & Sound Signature - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
The Buds Air 3S have the ability to be tuned to the users desired sound signature using the custom EQ within the app, or using one of the four presets - 'original', 'serenade', 'pure bass' and 'deep bass'. No prizes for guessing which the latter two are!
The default tuning of the Buds Air 3S (brown) is punchy and energetic, with particular emphasis on a heavy subbass and bright female vocals. It is tuned for the consumer in mind, not the audiophile, and will be fine for the average user listening to pop, house or techno. Basslines are fun and fast, but switch to the 'Deep Bass' and 'Pure Bass' settings and they become completely uncontrolled - if you like burying your head in a subwoofer, maybe you'll be able to tolerate these EQ's, but for me both are tinnitus waiting to happen.
Back to the default, the lower midrange is recessed to try to mitigate bleed, before a sharp rise between 1-2.5k, and this certainly helps female vocals sound very prominent, although male vocals can sound a little lost, especially on R&B tracks where you have heavier basslines. The peaks at 5.5k and 9k, with 3dB and 6dB dips respectively bring good texture to cymbals and crispiness to snares, and although the detail and definition lacks a little refinement, there is cohesion to the energy which makes the Buds Air 3S an enjoyable companion to most music styles that only really suffers a little clutter on more complex tracks.
The soundstage on the Buds Air 3S is reasonably wide, with moderate depth. For the most part, it lacks a little the sense of depth or perspective of more refined options, as you would expect with the hardware and software limitations. The Buds Air 3S use the AAC codec with a single 11mm dynamic driver, and the buds sell for around $30 - this is something you need to remember when dissecting the audio performance, which is more than in parity with the price tag. At this price point, the competition is something like the QCY HT05 Melobuds, which are smoother sounding with less rumble to the subbass. For me, the Buds Air 3S fall a little way short of the HT05, but they are still a good option if you're constrained by budget.
Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors - 7.5/10
I tested the AI ENC in a number of different scenarios, and it performed very well for the majority of the time, again more than justifying the price tag.
The Buds Air 3S feature in my indoor call quality test, where they were pitched against 36 other models to see how they perform in a coffee shop - they were one of the star performers:
Outdoors, you can hear how they fare here:
Indoors, your voice has good weight and tone, but you will need to speak with good authority because they can occasionally soften your voice a little. Indoors, introducing ambient environmental noise presents a challenge - a single source and the buds simply struggle to cope, so music playing for example, is something the buds don't deal with emphatically. With a multitude of sources with less volume, they perform a little better, elevating your voice well above the sounds around you. It isn't perfect, but most of the time you'll be clear enough, unless it gets very noisy around you.
Outside the ENC seems to cope better. Outside a train station, the train noise was removed altogether. Around traffic, it was a similar story - in my usual place, a busy intersection, my voice call came through clearly with no issues at all. As soon as I got mobile though, there would be occasions where my words would get lost, I assume the AI ENC performing too aggressively. Even so, it is hard to grumble - the lion's share of the time your voice calls will complete with no issues, which is essentially mission accomplished.
Connectivity and Other Features - 9/10
Connectivity is very solid at around 10m. The buds support Bluetooth 5.3, and I experienced no dropouts at all. Range does suffer a little when using multipoint, but I suffered no issues even in relatively crowded places.
The Buds Air 3S have loads of features, but the highlight is the support from the Realme Link app, which is superb, at least as earbud apps go. Granted, you need to register (I used my heytaphealth log in from my Oppo watch), but once you do, the app offers a good user experience and some major benefits.
Tap the Buds Air 3S under 'my devices' and you'll see a 'Sound Effects' menu, where you have your 4 presets and custom equaliser. The custom EQ is only 6 bars, but it does allow you to save multiple custom presets. It also allows you to toggle 'volume enhancer', although the buds were loud enough for me without this.
Below that, you've got the option to toggle gaming mode, and also Multipoint, or 'Dual-device connection' as Realme call it. This works seamlessly and flawlessly - very impressive at this price. This is as much customisation as you get with Multipoint - you can't choose or see the names of your devices like you can with OnePlus Buds Pro 2, Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 or Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro, but nevertheless it works, interrupting your laptop when calls come in.
Gaming mode is a nice bonus. Latency is very good for videos anyway, with close to lip-synchronisation, and gaming mode improves this further on games. Realme claim 69ms, which of course only factors in one leg of the journey, but you can expect a good return on most games outside your first person shooters.
Finally, you have the ability to customise controls. You can tailor double, triple tap and touch and hold to whatever you prefer, and you can also modify 'touch and hold' left and right together to gaming mode. This worked best for me, with double tap configured to play/pause, triple tap as track backwards/forwards and touch and hold as reduce and increase volume respectively. This level of granularity over the controls is excellent, and that they save to the bud so will continue to be the case regardless of your source is an added bonus.
The buds are also IPX5 water resistant, and support Dolby Atmos. This is a bit of a misnomer, as the buds don't really need to do anything to support this - it is something you get with your mobile phone. I can't see anything within the technology stack to suggest the Buds Air 3S support Dolby Atmos any more than buds which don't claim to do in this respect.
Battery Life - 8/10
Battery life on the Buds Air 3S is more than respectable - 7 hours advertised is more like around 6 in reality, and that may drop further with lots of voice calls. Even so, ten minutes in the case will soon have the battery life restored - I have been testing them for a few months now, and other than the occasional 2 hour charge to restore the case, I've never been left short with the buds. Again, it is very impressive for the price.
The case and buds give a total of around 26 hours fully charged, which will be more than enough for the average user.
Summary
With the price of earbuds edging their way up again of late, it is great to see low-cost options like the Buds Air 3S giving you so much for your money. The case is a little rudimentary, but the buds have a nice design and fit with very decent build quality. The battery life is very good with a handy and convenient quick charge feature, and with gaming mode, multipoint and custom EQ and controls which save to the buds, there are a lot of features usually reserved for more premium offerings that Realme have managed to squeeze into this release. Their app is also far nicer and easier to use than most of the budget vendor offerings - so a lot to like about this model, especially at that super competitive price.
The sound isn't the most refined, and whilst voice calls are for the most part very good, the AI ENC can occasionally dip in and out, but these are minor quibbles over a release that is up there with the QCY HT05 Melobuds as one of the best choices for those with a tight budget.
Price Weighted Score: 86%
Raw Score: 80%
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
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Socials: Biolink
Model: SoundPEATS RunFree Lite
Price: Currently £24.99 at Amazon UK - use coupon code TPFMWGAR
Website: SoundPEATS
Review Reference: RC092
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Wireless Headphones
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
YouTube Review:
Introduction
Welcome to the @regancipher review of the SoundPEATS RunFree Lite. I guess a better question would be 'What took them so long' given their assault in every other audio tech product area, but if you were wondering where SoundPEATS were heading next in 2022, it is a path well trodden, to varying degrees of success thus far, by the likes of Tronsmart, Haylou and QCY - sports headphones.
The RunFree Lite are a quite basic set of sports headphones that do boast some premium features, such as LDAC support - something I never thought I'd see in headphones of this ilk - and Multipoint connectivity, something quite commonplace and a feature I've never really understood on sports headphones!
Here I'll take a look at some of the merits, and assess in comparison to some of the other air conduction headphones on the market.
Unboxing
The unboxing is the 'very basic' SoundPEATS flavour, with the headphones and a USB A-C cable held firm in a plastic carton inside the usual cardboard enclosure, with a model demoing how the headphones look on the front, and the headline features on the back.
In terms of features, there aren't too many here, and neither should there be given the key design brief for audio devices of this ilk is to ensure adequate volume, decent sound and a comfortable fit. The manual is typical SoundPEATS - in 7 different languages, with diagrams and text used clearly and to good effect.
Design & Performance
The Runfree Lite are constructed from plastic and 'skin-friendly' silicone, and this allows for a very lightweight footprint of just 27g, around 4g lighter than the Tronsmart Space S1 and 6g lighter than the JBL Nearbuds. The idea is that these headphones wear very comfortably, allowing the user the ability to hear their surroundings without having to activate ambient mode, so they're targeted predominantly at runners and cyclists. They differ from bone conduction headphones in that they use the usual method of piping sound at you - your ears - via targeted outlets using 16.2mm drivers.
The design is, as you would expect, 'Shokz-style' in that a band runs around the back of your neck, and the main section that houses the speaker hooks over your ear, with the speaker output positioned to nestle onto your ear without any additional pressure, in a similar vein to how the Oladance look and feel. The construction is IPX4, which falls a little way short of some of their competition, sadly, although it does match the much more expensive JBL Nearbuds. They're OK for a run when there's a light spot of rain, but don't get any ideas about swimming or showering with them.
Whilst the lightweight footprint is ideal for 'feeling-free' comfort, on the flip side, it doesn't give you a great deal of play if the default configuration isn't ideally suited to the shape of your head. I found that the length of the band and shape of the driver area was fine for my right ear, but bowed out on my left ear. With something like the Haylou Purfree, the titanium construction means it is quite maleable to the shape of my fat, boxy head.
On lower cost headphones like these and the Tronsmart Space S1, it is a little bit of a lottery as to whether they will fit your head perfectly - for me, unfortunately they didn't, but that doesn't mean they won't for you. The Space S1 seem to have a bit more length to the cable, and this enabled a better fit, at least for me. Whilst the main control plane area is plastic, there are no 'buffers' like on the Tronsmart Space S1, so you are unlikely to feel any medium-term discomfort.
The tactile buttons are nice and responsive, but given the usb charge socket is on the bottom of the right-sided control plane, that means the button area has to be located somewhere else. SoundPEATS have positioned them in the centre, so you end up using them in the same way you would your TWS, with your elbow positioned forwards, and your forefinger positioned backwards. It is unusual, but it actually works pretty well in practice. There are three buttons - the central button powers the device on when held down for three seconds, and acts as the main Multi Function Button, initiating play or pause (and answer calls) with a short press, voice assistant with a double tap, gaming mode with a triple tap, and rejecting a call when held for 1.5s. Double tap also switches between calls when on a call. The other buttons are for volume control, and the volume up doubles up to cycle tracks forward when held down for 1.5s, likewise the volume down.
There is a small LED next to the buttons, which flashes white and red when pairing, and stays white until there is music playing. There is an opening for the voice mic on the right hand side, and they actually handle calls OK with no ambient noise, but introduce any wind or incessant crowd noise and your calls or voice notes become decimated.
Audio
The Runfree Lite, surprisingly, use the LDAC codec, and whilst audio isn't going to be reference quality given the form factor, it is actually one of the better sounding air conduction sets I've tested by some distance. It blows away the tinny sounding Space S1, delivering a smoother, more natural sound without the harsh highs that are synonymous with headphones in this category, which was a really pleasant surprise - especially as the peaks at 5k and 8k suggested otherwise. There is a decent amount of volume, so you should hear above your surroundings in all but the busiest environments.
Sound in AAC or SBC doesn't suffer too much either, with very little perceptible difference.
Other Features
Battery life is pretty good - I got just over 10 hours first time around, and just over 15 hours when I toggled LDAC off. This was about the same as the Tronsmart Space S1, and is much better than the low-cost Lenovo alternatives such as the X3 & X4.
The RunFree Lite have solid connectivity - Bluetooth 5.3, using the ever-reliable WUQI WQ7033X series chipset which has served their recent releases so well. They do surprisingly have app support - here you can see the battery volume at a glance, toggle gaming mode, control volume and even choose one of the nine SoundPEATS presets. You've also got a ten band custom EQ that allows you full-frequency control, which is a nice touch.
Multipoint works seamlessly, as is often the case with devices of this ilk. Just pair with your first device, disconnect, pair with your next device, then manually connect to device A. Unfortunately, there's no control of Multipoint in the app, and this can drain the battery a little, so use only when required!
Gaming mode is another nice touch, and it is one of the many features which greets you with a spoken confirmation. Latency is already very respectable on this model, certainly for videos, and gaming mode improves it further, although it is questionable as to whether it has any real value on a model like this.
Summary
The RunFree Lite are a good option for those who don't want to spend heavily on sports buds. Provided they fit you well, you're getting pretty good value for money here, with sound which punches above their weight, good ergonomics and strong battery life.
The RunFree Lite are currently on offer on Amazon UK at the very competitive price of £26.59. This is a third of what you would pay for the JBL Nearbuds, and an even lower percentage of forking out for something like the Shokz Openrun or Haylou Purfree. It's fair to say that the overall package falls some way short of those products, but not everyone wants to spend £100+ on a headset they will only use occasionally, and if you're in that category, the RunFree Lite might be a good option for you.
SoundPEATS Review Inventory:
SoundPEATS Life Classic
SoundPEATS Opera05
SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro
SoundPEATS H2
SoundPEATS T3
SoundPEATS Mini
SoundPEATS Air3
SoundPEATS TrueAir2+
SoundPEATS TrueAir 2
SoundPEATS H1
SoundPEATS T2
SoundPEATS Sonic
About SoundPEATS:
SoundPEATS seem to have become an overnight sensation, wiping up a large portion of budget TWS earbud market share with a business model that has served them (and Anker before them) exceptionally well - good distribution channels (via Amazon), good support, a catchy name and product that performs well at a very competitive price point. In reality, they have been around a long time - whilst Shenzhen SoundSOUL IT Co LTD is a different trading name to Ginto E-Commerce, they share the same business address (including room number) as them - you may know their brand name better as Dudios. With Dudios not sounding quite so cool as Soundpeats, maybe the brand transition has been instrumental in their success, but having been around since 2010 and patents in Bluetooth tech stretching back to 2015, they are not the plucky upstarts that some may think - they know their stuff, have a great network of contacts, and now a very solid brand in Europe, and deservedly so.
The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them my favourite budget earbud vendor, is that they are completely transparent over their components. Whether they use Realtek, Qualcomm or Airoha chips in their buds, they are totally open about it, and as a reviewer this really helps, because whilst I have, and do, dismantle buds to check the way that certain things have been implemented (such as the power management, mems mics, etc) and I really don't like having to do it with every set of earbuds, because they then become unusable.
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YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: SoundPEATS RunFree Lite
Price: Currently £24.99 at Amazon UK - use coupon code TPFMWGAR
Website: SoundPEATS
Review Reference: RC092
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: SoundPEATS
- Model: RunFree Lite
- Driver: 16.2mm Driver
- Chipset: WUQI WQ7033MX
- Mic: Dual Mic, -38±1db sensitivity
- ANC: No
- Codecs: LDAC, AAC, SBC
- App Support: Yes
- Volume Control: Yes
- Gaming Mode: Yes
- Multipoint Connectivity: Yes
- Earbud Weight: 27g
- Case Charge Capacity: 130mAh
- Quick Charge: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 17 hours
- Charge Time: Approx. 90 min
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.3
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: IPX4
1 x Wireless Headphones
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
YouTube Review:
Introduction
Welcome to the @regancipher review of the SoundPEATS RunFree Lite. I guess a better question would be 'What took them so long' given their assault in every other audio tech product area, but if you were wondering where SoundPEATS were heading next in 2022, it is a path well trodden, to varying degrees of success thus far, by the likes of Tronsmart, Haylou and QCY - sports headphones.
The RunFree Lite are a quite basic set of sports headphones that do boast some premium features, such as LDAC support - something I never thought I'd see in headphones of this ilk - and Multipoint connectivity, something quite commonplace and a feature I've never really understood on sports headphones!
Here I'll take a look at some of the merits, and assess in comparison to some of the other air conduction headphones on the market.
Unboxing
The unboxing is the 'very basic' SoundPEATS flavour, with the headphones and a USB A-C cable held firm in a plastic carton inside the usual cardboard enclosure, with a model demoing how the headphones look on the front, and the headline features on the back.
In terms of features, there aren't too many here, and neither should there be given the key design brief for audio devices of this ilk is to ensure adequate volume, decent sound and a comfortable fit. The manual is typical SoundPEATS - in 7 different languages, with diagrams and text used clearly and to good effect.
Design & Performance
The Runfree Lite are constructed from plastic and 'skin-friendly' silicone, and this allows for a very lightweight footprint of just 27g, around 4g lighter than the Tronsmart Space S1 and 6g lighter than the JBL Nearbuds. The idea is that these headphones wear very comfortably, allowing the user the ability to hear their surroundings without having to activate ambient mode, so they're targeted predominantly at runners and cyclists. They differ from bone conduction headphones in that they use the usual method of piping sound at you - your ears - via targeted outlets using 16.2mm drivers.
The design is, as you would expect, 'Shokz-style' in that a band runs around the back of your neck, and the main section that houses the speaker hooks over your ear, with the speaker output positioned to nestle onto your ear without any additional pressure, in a similar vein to how the Oladance look and feel. The construction is IPX4, which falls a little way short of some of their competition, sadly, although it does match the much more expensive JBL Nearbuds. They're OK for a run when there's a light spot of rain, but don't get any ideas about swimming or showering with them.
Whilst the lightweight footprint is ideal for 'feeling-free' comfort, on the flip side, it doesn't give you a great deal of play if the default configuration isn't ideally suited to the shape of your head. I found that the length of the band and shape of the driver area was fine for my right ear, but bowed out on my left ear. With something like the Haylou Purfree, the titanium construction means it is quite maleable to the shape of my fat, boxy head.
On lower cost headphones like these and the Tronsmart Space S1, it is a little bit of a lottery as to whether they will fit your head perfectly - for me, unfortunately they didn't, but that doesn't mean they won't for you. The Space S1 seem to have a bit more length to the cable, and this enabled a better fit, at least for me. Whilst the main control plane area is plastic, there are no 'buffers' like on the Tronsmart Space S1, so you are unlikely to feel any medium-term discomfort.
The tactile buttons are nice and responsive, but given the usb charge socket is on the bottom of the right-sided control plane, that means the button area has to be located somewhere else. SoundPEATS have positioned them in the centre, so you end up using them in the same way you would your TWS, with your elbow positioned forwards, and your forefinger positioned backwards. It is unusual, but it actually works pretty well in practice. There are three buttons - the central button powers the device on when held down for three seconds, and acts as the main Multi Function Button, initiating play or pause (and answer calls) with a short press, voice assistant with a double tap, gaming mode with a triple tap, and rejecting a call when held for 1.5s. Double tap also switches between calls when on a call. The other buttons are for volume control, and the volume up doubles up to cycle tracks forward when held down for 1.5s, likewise the volume down.
There is a small LED next to the buttons, which flashes white and red when pairing, and stays white until there is music playing. There is an opening for the voice mic on the right hand side, and they actually handle calls OK with no ambient noise, but introduce any wind or incessant crowd noise and your calls or voice notes become decimated.
Audio
The Runfree Lite, surprisingly, use the LDAC codec, and whilst audio isn't going to be reference quality given the form factor, it is actually one of the better sounding air conduction sets I've tested by some distance. It blows away the tinny sounding Space S1, delivering a smoother, more natural sound without the harsh highs that are synonymous with headphones in this category, which was a really pleasant surprise - especially as the peaks at 5k and 8k suggested otherwise. There is a decent amount of volume, so you should hear above your surroundings in all but the busiest environments.
Sound in AAC or SBC doesn't suffer too much either, with very little perceptible difference.
Other Features
Battery life is pretty good - I got just over 10 hours first time around, and just over 15 hours when I toggled LDAC off. This was about the same as the Tronsmart Space S1, and is much better than the low-cost Lenovo alternatives such as the X3 & X4.
The RunFree Lite have solid connectivity - Bluetooth 5.3, using the ever-reliable WUQI WQ7033X series chipset which has served their recent releases so well. They do surprisingly have app support - here you can see the battery volume at a glance, toggle gaming mode, control volume and even choose one of the nine SoundPEATS presets. You've also got a ten band custom EQ that allows you full-frequency control, which is a nice touch.
Multipoint works seamlessly, as is often the case with devices of this ilk. Just pair with your first device, disconnect, pair with your next device, then manually connect to device A. Unfortunately, there's no control of Multipoint in the app, and this can drain the battery a little, so use only when required!
Gaming mode is another nice touch, and it is one of the many features which greets you with a spoken confirmation. Latency is already very respectable on this model, certainly for videos, and gaming mode improves it further, although it is questionable as to whether it has any real value on a model like this.
Summary
The RunFree Lite are a good option for those who don't want to spend heavily on sports buds. Provided they fit you well, you're getting pretty good value for money here, with sound which punches above their weight, good ergonomics and strong battery life.
The RunFree Lite are currently on offer on Amazon UK at the very competitive price of £26.59. This is a third of what you would pay for the JBL Nearbuds, and an even lower percentage of forking out for something like the Shokz Openrun or Haylou Purfree. It's fair to say that the overall package falls some way short of those products, but not everyone wants to spend £100+ on a headset they will only use occasionally, and if you're in that category, the RunFree Lite might be a good option for you.
SoundPEATS Review Inventory:
SoundPEATS Life Classic
SoundPEATS Opera05
SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro
SoundPEATS H2
SoundPEATS T3
SoundPEATS Mini
SoundPEATS Air3
SoundPEATS TrueAir2+
SoundPEATS TrueAir 2
SoundPEATS H1
SoundPEATS T2
SoundPEATS Sonic
About SoundPEATS:
SoundPEATS seem to have become an overnight sensation, wiping up a large portion of budget TWS earbud market share with a business model that has served them (and Anker before them) exceptionally well - good distribution channels (via Amazon), good support, a catchy name and product that performs well at a very competitive price point. In reality, they have been around a long time - whilst Shenzhen SoundSOUL IT Co LTD is a different trading name to Ginto E-Commerce, they share the same business address (including room number) as them - you may know their brand name better as Dudios. With Dudios not sounding quite so cool as Soundpeats, maybe the brand transition has been instrumental in their success, but having been around since 2010 and patents in Bluetooth tech stretching back to 2015, they are not the plucky upstarts that some may think - they know their stuff, have a great network of contacts, and now a very solid brand in Europe, and deservedly so.
The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them my favourite budget earbud vendor, is that they are completely transparent over their components. Whether they use Realtek, Qualcomm or Airoha chips in their buds, they are totally open about it, and as a reviewer this really helps, because whilst I have, and do, dismantle buds to check the way that certain things have been implemented (such as the power management, mems mics, etc) and I really don't like having to do it with every set of earbuds, because they then become unusable.
AmericanSpirit
You Soundpeats reviews are so consistent, love it!
I’m going to try.
I’m going to try.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: SoundPEATS Life Classic
Price: Currently just £19.03 on Amazon UK
Voucher Code: (use at checkout): 6PEUWNDQ
Website: SoundPEATS
Review Reference: RC091
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
YouTube Review:
Introduction
Welcome to the @regancipher review of SoundPEATS' sister product to the Life, and their fifth stem-based in-ear release over the course of the last year, after the H2, Air 3 Pro, Life and Capsule3 Pro.
Whilst I've mentioned previously I feel that SoundPEATS' continuous stream of releases doesn't really help them or their customer base due to the confusion over which model to select, the Life Classic have two very important differentiators over the other 'variation on a theme' aforementioned releases - form factor and price.
In stark contrast to their bulky Opera series, the Life Classic are the answer to QCY's 'youth buds' - yep, they are targeted squarely at those with small ears. They even fit my 11 year old daughter quite comfortably, and at the current price of just over £21, they are a budget bud worthy of consideration alongside the offerings from QCY, Soundcore, Omthing and others as a potential ultra-low-budget bargain. So this review will look at their merits, and determine how they stack up against the competition.
Unboxing - 7/10
The unboxing experience with SoundPEATS has tended to come in two flavours, and this falls into the lower category of the two.
The box shows a model - interestingly a female, given the form factor we talked about in the intro - and on the back the headline features.
SoundPEATS have opted to focus on the AI noise reduction for calls, smart touch controls and 22 hour playtime. I couldn't tell you what is especially smart about the controls - the control scheme is the same as SoundPEATS' other non-ANC buds, which means you DO get an option for cycling back through tracks as well as forwards.
Once inside the box it's the usual fare - the charge case is enclosed inside some protective foam, and the USB-C charge cable and spare tips (S&L to go with the factory fitted M) are housed in a small cardboard box, and are coloured white to match the case and buds. The manual is in seven different languages - five European, plus Chinese and Japanese.
Case - 7/10
The case reminds me a bit of the Edifier W220T case, and others which sport this 'pebble'-style shape, flipping open easily when operating with one hand, with the buds nestling back-to-back in the cockpit with the stems sitting vertical.
In terms of portability, the case scores quite well, but it also presents a minor complaint. Due to the very slim depth, it can be a bit of a squeeze getting your finger to clasp the bud fully when removing them - you have to position your fingers in the middle and pinch from there, which is fine and probably perfectly OK for most users, but for someone with 90 reviews under their belt, it takes a little getting used to. That said, the slim design is perfect for chucking in your trouser or shorts pockets. I even took them out on a bike ride, and they were barely noticeable in my trouser pocket - the astonishingly light footprint of just 32.03g certainly has it's benefits.
The trade-off for portability is often build quality, and the Life Classic are no exception to this unwritten rule. The plastic case feels a little cheap, and this is reflected with some of the compromises SoundPEATS have made, such as the lack of lip to the lid and the poor finishing, in particular to the edges. There's quite a bit of movement to the lid as a result, which can make it look misaligned with the rest of the case, and the glossy white finish probably won't stay glossy for long. On the back, just under the SoundPEATS logo on the hinge, there is a large, unsightly gap, and this just adds to the overall first impression of the case, which I dare say won't be great.
However, once you get past the looks, there's quite a bit to like about it. It does have a friction hinge and hall-switch mode, meaning it will connect to your buds the moment you flip the case open, and can be popped open on the desk whilst you pair for the first time.
The inside also has some design features that add to the operational ability of the case - the inner edge to the lid is molded in the shape of the buds, reducing the likelihood of them rattling around if the magnets come loose. On the outside there's a handy LED located next to the charging port and reset button at the base, which has the very convenient red (<10%), amber (10-50%) green (>50%) 'traffic light'-style scheme to give you some indication of how much battery is remaining in the case itself. The case is capable of three additional recharges, and whilst no quick charge feature is stated, I managed to get it to full in just over an hour.
Overall, it isn't a bad case to use. Comparing it to its peers, like the Omthing Airfree Buds they have cut a few corners on the aesthetics, and it lacks the durability of the likes of the QCY T13 - another plastic, glossy white affair, which has stood the test of time a little better than the Life Classic looks like it will, but it's ultra-portable footprint and fuss-free operation will certainly win it some fans.
Ergonomics - 9/10
I've been quite vocal about some of SoundPEATS' recent releases and the difficulty their ergonomics has presented when trying to enjoy the earbuds. However, there never seems to be an issue with their stem-based offerings, and whilst the Life Classic deviate from the cookie-cutter design they used on their previous releases, it still hits the right notes, with a balance of stability and comfort that will appease those with small ears in particular.
The Life Classic are tiny earbuds. They have a stem length of under 30mm, which is probably closer to the stubby-stemmed Realme Buds Air 3S and Omthing Airfree Buds than the awkward 1More Comfobuds series, and their depth is just 21.9mm - one of the slimmest buds I've ever tested. This, couple with the round, 5.5mm nozzle diameter, makes them, on paper at least, one of the snuggest designs around.
On the outer edges there is no SoundPEATS branding this time around. The fully glossy-white design has a small, white LED set into the plastic at the top of the stem, which flashes during pairing and connection, but switches off during usage. What looks like an LED at the bottom is in fact an opening for the voice mic.
Whilst fit is always subjective, in reality, they're even better (for me, at least). SoundPEATS got the dimensions pretty much spot on for those of us with smaller ears, providing a very healthy balance of comfort and stability with surprisingly very decent passive isolation. I am not usually a fan of the invasiveness of in-ear designs, but the Life Classic don't intrude on your ear canals in a way that is remotely noticeable. Comparing them with the similarly-proportioned QCY T13, there are certainly some similarities, but the latter can feel a little stuffy by comparison within time.
On the inside, there are two openings - one being a pressure release cavity to improve acoustic performance, the other an ambient mic to augment call quality.
There is nothing earth-shatteringly revolutionary about the design, and you could certainly argue they have a slightly cheap, generic look to them, but they tick all the boxes when it comes to comfort, stability and longevity - they even fit my 11 year old daughters' ears, so for teenagers and females in particular, the Life Classic are a great choice in this respect.
Audio Quality - 7.5/10 (for the price paid), 6.5/10 (raw score)
SoundPEATS have avoided using the LDAC-ready WUQI chipset this time around, favouring the BT8926B from Bluetrum. Bluetrum aren't really a household name in the SoC world, at least in Bluetooth earbuds, and they tend to be favoured mostly by lesser-known vendors such as Bowie and Himalayan AI, although their 892X series were deployed by Moondrop in their recent Nekocake release.
The chipset is Bluetooth 5.2 ready, and allows for the AAC and SBC codecs, with SoundPEATS using a single 10mm dynamic driver here. On Android, the connection defaulted to AAC, and likewise on Windows. Below I have compared the graphs of the Life Classic, QCY T13 and Capsule3 Pro.
The first thing you notice is that there is a consistency in the tuning between the Capsule3 Pro and Life Classic. SoundPEATS appear to have acknowledged that the Capsule3 Pro sound was well-received, and have tried to replicate that here. The resolution falls some way short of the Capsule3 Pro on this model, but the basic premise of a reasonably balanced sound remains, favouring a little more energy over detail.
The Life Classic are a little weaker in the subbass, and marginally stronger in the midbass. That said, whilst the graph shows they track loosely with the QCY T13 around the lower frequencies, the T13 have a fuller, more-rounded texture to basslines, sounding somewhat warmer than the Life Classic. There's a little bloat in the lower mids, which you notice occasionally on bass-heavy interludes, such as the verses in Side to Side by Ariana Grande & Nicky Minaj, and it lacks a little of the smoothness and more natural timbre of the Capsule3 Pro. Vocals generally sound quite prominent - male and female vocals both come to the front and centre quite clearly. Treble extension is satisfactory - there is an adequate amount of punch to kick drums, but like the Capsule3 Pro and Air3 Deluxe HS, the highs roll off quite early. Whilst there's never a danger of the sound bordering on fatiguing, it can leave instruments feeling a little 'blunt' and lacking texture, but this is to be expected at this price point and is a common problem when you're stuck with a single driver and Bluetooth codecs.
The soundstage is much more constrained than the more open, airy QCY T13, and a little less dynamic than the more fluid Capsule3 Pro. Generally, it's an intimate feel with a darker tone, and it plays pretty well with most music styles for general use.
The Life Classic generally deliver a decent enough sound, certainly for the price tag, that balances alignment to their SoundPEATS Classic 'house sound' and manages the constraints of the hardware and software that vendors face when offering a low-budget option to the market.
Call Quality - Indoors - 6.5/10, Outdoors - 6.5/10
Call quality is OK on the Life Classic, falling some way short of SoundPEATS' more premium offerings in terms of both clarity and noise reduction.
Despite claiming AI ENC, noise reduction is quite a bit weaker than the original Life or the impressive six-mic Capsule3 Pro. Outdoors, this can result in crowd noises, and in particular wind, infiltrating your calls and voice notes, although it should be noted that the buds soon readjust for the noisier 'normal' baseline quite quickly, and your voice is elevated to ensure you're still the prominent sound in the scene. In doing this it can leave your voice sounding a little distorted - even so, almost every word can still be made out.
Indoors, it's a similar story. In silence, your voice can sound a little over-processed. There's weight and tone to it, but it has a metallic layer that exposes that it's being transmitted over Bluetooth. Add a concentration of nearby sounds and the buds do struggle a little at first, again before settling down, but with the four walls around you bouncing the sound around a bit faster, not every word is immediately obvious.
Buds at this price tend to struggle with calls, and the Life Classic are no exception. It isn't a disastrous performance by any means, but don't expect miracles.
Connectivity and Other Features - 7.5/10
Connectivity is pretty good, holding firm at around 10m. They support Bluetooth 5.2, and suffered no dropouts on my Mi 11T Pro, iPhone 8 or Pixel 6A.
App support has been scaled back massively on this model - even the selection of presets has been removed. You do have a nine band custom EQ, which is nice, although bear in mind the majority of control you have here is between 20Hz and 2.42kHz, jumping up to a single +6/-6 adjustment at 15.5k. Even so, it allows you to lift the trebles and tweak the mids enough to tailor the sound slightly to your liking. Always nice to have this option, even with a low budget bud.
Controls are very good, which is fortunate because there is no customisation in the app other than disabling single touch. It's the usual SoundPEATS fare of single tap for volume, double tap to play and pause, press and hold to toggle tracks, triple tap left for gaming mode and right for voice assistant. I'm not sure what the 'smart' refers to in their touch controls, but they are responsive and rarely prone to accidental touches.
Latency is very good for videos, with close to lip-synchronisation, and gaming mode improves this further on games. Although it's not perfect for your first person shooters, and falls behind the Air3 Pro - their leader in low latency, for casual gamers it is about what you would expect, teetering at around the 220ms mark. The buds do work in mono mode, but there's no in ear detection, and some of the other features you get in the app - even notation of battery percentages - isn't yet here on the Life Classic.
Battery Life - 7/10
Battery life on the Life Classic is fair, but the overall battery life falls some way short of the budget pretenders to the crown. I got over 5 hours from my first playtime - certainly not a bad return, but with only three additional charges this brings total battery life to 20 hours - almost half of that possible on the QCY T13 and Soundcore Life P2i.
For most, 32 hours and beyond is perhaps 'spec sheet top trumps', but even so, without a documented quick charge feature, it may impose restrictions for some users. Certainly worth taking note of.
Comparison - QCY T13, Soundcore P2i, Omthing Airfree Buds
Comparing them to others at around this price:
Sometimes it is difficult to know what to say in reviews when a vendor has released so many products in quick succession. Thankfully, the Life Classic have a very clear raison d'etre, and this should be noted by potential buyers when deciding on the right earbud for them.
Firstly, if you have troubles with getting silicone tips to stay in your ears, then the Life Classic may be for you. Designed for those with narrower ear canals, they fit extremely well in your ears, offering stability and comfort. I tested these on my daughter, and they are the ONLY earbuds she's been able to get to fit so far. So for females and teenagers in particular, that's the primary area of differentiation.
Secondly - the price. Most of SoundPEATS releases are at around the £30-40 mark. This is some way cheaper at £21 including the current voucher code at the top of the review. If you're really stuck on a budget, and aren't fussed with hi res codecs, the Life Classic could be the one for you.
The Life Classic compare favourably with other low budget buds, and for us Europeans, are a little more widely available than offerings from QCY, for example. I tend to prefer the Capsule3 Pro over this model quite a bit, so if you can save a little more then by all means do, but if you can't, you won't be let down by the Life Classic.
Price Weighted Score: 85%
Raw Score: 74%
SoundPEATS Review Inventory:
SoundPEATS Opera05
SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro
SoundPEATS H2
SoundPEATS T3
SoundPEATS Mini
SoundPEATS Air3
SoundPEATS TrueAir2+
SoundPEATS TrueAir 2
SoundPEATS H1
SoundPEATS T2
SoundPEATS Sonic
About SoundPEATS:
SoundPEATS seem to have become an overnight sensation, wiping up a large portion of budget TWS earbud market share with a business model that has served them (and Anker before them) exceptionally well - good distribution channels (via Amazon), good support, a catchy name and product that performs well at a very competitive price point. In reality, they have been around a long time - whilst Shenzhen SoundSOUL IT Co LTD is a different trading name to Ginto E-Commerce, they share the same business address (including room number) as them - you may know their brand name better as Dudios. With Dudios not sounding quite so cool as Soundpeats, maybe the brand transition has been instrumental in their success, but having been around since 2010 and patents in Bluetooth tech stretching back to 2015, they are not the plucky upstarts that some may think - they know their stuff, have a great network of contacts, and now a very solid brand in Europe, and deservedly so.
The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them my favourite budget earbud vendor, is that they are completely transparent over their components. Whether they use Realtek, Qualcomm or Airoha chips in their buds, they are totally open about it, and as a reviewer this really helps, because whilst I have, and do, dismantle buds to check the way that certain things have been implemented (such as the power management, mems mics, etc) and I really don't like having to do it with every set of earbuds, because they then become unusable.
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: SoundPEATS Life Classic
Price: Currently just £19.03 on Amazon UK
Voucher Code: (use at checkout): 6PEUWNDQ
Website: SoundPEATS
Review Reference: RC091
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: SoundPEATS
- Model: Life Classic
- Driver: 10mm Dynamic Driver
- Chipset: Bluetrum BT8926B
- Mic: 4 mics with AI ENC
- ANC: No
- Codecs: AAC, SBC
- App Support: Yes (de-featured)
- Volume Control: Yes
- Gaming Mode: Yes
- Earbud Weight: 3.15g
- Earbud Dimensions: 28.5mm stem length, depth approx. 22.8mm
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 32.03g
- Case Dimensions: 60mm (width) x 45.8mm (height) x 21.9mm (depth)
- Case Charge Capacity: 300mAh
- Quick Charge: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 6 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 22 hours
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: Not stated
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
YouTube Review:
Introduction
Welcome to the @regancipher review of SoundPEATS' sister product to the Life, and their fifth stem-based in-ear release over the course of the last year, after the H2, Air 3 Pro, Life and Capsule3 Pro.
Whilst I've mentioned previously I feel that SoundPEATS' continuous stream of releases doesn't really help them or their customer base due to the confusion over which model to select, the Life Classic have two very important differentiators over the other 'variation on a theme' aforementioned releases - form factor and price.
In stark contrast to their bulky Opera series, the Life Classic are the answer to QCY's 'youth buds' - yep, they are targeted squarely at those with small ears. They even fit my 11 year old daughter quite comfortably, and at the current price of just over £21, they are a budget bud worthy of consideration alongside the offerings from QCY, Soundcore, Omthing and others as a potential ultra-low-budget bargain. So this review will look at their merits, and determine how they stack up against the competition.
Unboxing - 7/10
The unboxing experience with SoundPEATS has tended to come in two flavours, and this falls into the lower category of the two.
The box shows a model - interestingly a female, given the form factor we talked about in the intro - and on the back the headline features.
SoundPEATS have opted to focus on the AI noise reduction for calls, smart touch controls and 22 hour playtime. I couldn't tell you what is especially smart about the controls - the control scheme is the same as SoundPEATS' other non-ANC buds, which means you DO get an option for cycling back through tracks as well as forwards.
Once inside the box it's the usual fare - the charge case is enclosed inside some protective foam, and the USB-C charge cable and spare tips (S&L to go with the factory fitted M) are housed in a small cardboard box, and are coloured white to match the case and buds. The manual is in seven different languages - five European, plus Chinese and Japanese.
Case - 7/10
The case reminds me a bit of the Edifier W220T case, and others which sport this 'pebble'-style shape, flipping open easily when operating with one hand, with the buds nestling back-to-back in the cockpit with the stems sitting vertical.
In terms of portability, the case scores quite well, but it also presents a minor complaint. Due to the very slim depth, it can be a bit of a squeeze getting your finger to clasp the bud fully when removing them - you have to position your fingers in the middle and pinch from there, which is fine and probably perfectly OK for most users, but for someone with 90 reviews under their belt, it takes a little getting used to. That said, the slim design is perfect for chucking in your trouser or shorts pockets. I even took them out on a bike ride, and they were barely noticeable in my trouser pocket - the astonishingly light footprint of just 32.03g certainly has it's benefits.
The trade-off for portability is often build quality, and the Life Classic are no exception to this unwritten rule. The plastic case feels a little cheap, and this is reflected with some of the compromises SoundPEATS have made, such as the lack of lip to the lid and the poor finishing, in particular to the edges. There's quite a bit of movement to the lid as a result, which can make it look misaligned with the rest of the case, and the glossy white finish probably won't stay glossy for long. On the back, just under the SoundPEATS logo on the hinge, there is a large, unsightly gap, and this just adds to the overall first impression of the case, which I dare say won't be great.
However, once you get past the looks, there's quite a bit to like about it. It does have a friction hinge and hall-switch mode, meaning it will connect to your buds the moment you flip the case open, and can be popped open on the desk whilst you pair for the first time.
The inside also has some design features that add to the operational ability of the case - the inner edge to the lid is molded in the shape of the buds, reducing the likelihood of them rattling around if the magnets come loose. On the outside there's a handy LED located next to the charging port and reset button at the base, which has the very convenient red (<10%), amber (10-50%) green (>50%) 'traffic light'-style scheme to give you some indication of how much battery is remaining in the case itself. The case is capable of three additional recharges, and whilst no quick charge feature is stated, I managed to get it to full in just over an hour.
Overall, it isn't a bad case to use. Comparing it to its peers, like the Omthing Airfree Buds they have cut a few corners on the aesthetics, and it lacks the durability of the likes of the QCY T13 - another plastic, glossy white affair, which has stood the test of time a little better than the Life Classic looks like it will, but it's ultra-portable footprint and fuss-free operation will certainly win it some fans.
Ergonomics - 9/10
I've been quite vocal about some of SoundPEATS' recent releases and the difficulty their ergonomics has presented when trying to enjoy the earbuds. However, there never seems to be an issue with their stem-based offerings, and whilst the Life Classic deviate from the cookie-cutter design they used on their previous releases, it still hits the right notes, with a balance of stability and comfort that will appease those with small ears in particular.
The Life Classic are tiny earbuds. They have a stem length of under 30mm, which is probably closer to the stubby-stemmed Realme Buds Air 3S and Omthing Airfree Buds than the awkward 1More Comfobuds series, and their depth is just 21.9mm - one of the slimmest buds I've ever tested. This, couple with the round, 5.5mm nozzle diameter, makes them, on paper at least, one of the snuggest designs around.
On the outer edges there is no SoundPEATS branding this time around. The fully glossy-white design has a small, white LED set into the plastic at the top of the stem, which flashes during pairing and connection, but switches off during usage. What looks like an LED at the bottom is in fact an opening for the voice mic.
Whilst fit is always subjective, in reality, they're even better (for me, at least). SoundPEATS got the dimensions pretty much spot on for those of us with smaller ears, providing a very healthy balance of comfort and stability with surprisingly very decent passive isolation. I am not usually a fan of the invasiveness of in-ear designs, but the Life Classic don't intrude on your ear canals in a way that is remotely noticeable. Comparing them with the similarly-proportioned QCY T13, there are certainly some similarities, but the latter can feel a little stuffy by comparison within time.
On the inside, there are two openings - one being a pressure release cavity to improve acoustic performance, the other an ambient mic to augment call quality.
There is nothing earth-shatteringly revolutionary about the design, and you could certainly argue they have a slightly cheap, generic look to them, but they tick all the boxes when it comes to comfort, stability and longevity - they even fit my 11 year old daughters' ears, so for teenagers and females in particular, the Life Classic are a great choice in this respect.
Audio Quality - 7.5/10 (for the price paid), 6.5/10 (raw score)
SoundPEATS have avoided using the LDAC-ready WUQI chipset this time around, favouring the BT8926B from Bluetrum. Bluetrum aren't really a household name in the SoC world, at least in Bluetooth earbuds, and they tend to be favoured mostly by lesser-known vendors such as Bowie and Himalayan AI, although their 892X series were deployed by Moondrop in their recent Nekocake release.
The chipset is Bluetooth 5.2 ready, and allows for the AAC and SBC codecs, with SoundPEATS using a single 10mm dynamic driver here. On Android, the connection defaulted to AAC, and likewise on Windows. Below I have compared the graphs of the Life Classic, QCY T13 and Capsule3 Pro.
The first thing you notice is that there is a consistency in the tuning between the Capsule3 Pro and Life Classic. SoundPEATS appear to have acknowledged that the Capsule3 Pro sound was well-received, and have tried to replicate that here. The resolution falls some way short of the Capsule3 Pro on this model, but the basic premise of a reasonably balanced sound remains, favouring a little more energy over detail.
The Life Classic are a little weaker in the subbass, and marginally stronger in the midbass. That said, whilst the graph shows they track loosely with the QCY T13 around the lower frequencies, the T13 have a fuller, more-rounded texture to basslines, sounding somewhat warmer than the Life Classic. There's a little bloat in the lower mids, which you notice occasionally on bass-heavy interludes, such as the verses in Side to Side by Ariana Grande & Nicky Minaj, and it lacks a little of the smoothness and more natural timbre of the Capsule3 Pro. Vocals generally sound quite prominent - male and female vocals both come to the front and centre quite clearly. Treble extension is satisfactory - there is an adequate amount of punch to kick drums, but like the Capsule3 Pro and Air3 Deluxe HS, the highs roll off quite early. Whilst there's never a danger of the sound bordering on fatiguing, it can leave instruments feeling a little 'blunt' and lacking texture, but this is to be expected at this price point and is a common problem when you're stuck with a single driver and Bluetooth codecs.
The soundstage is much more constrained than the more open, airy QCY T13, and a little less dynamic than the more fluid Capsule3 Pro. Generally, it's an intimate feel with a darker tone, and it plays pretty well with most music styles for general use.
The Life Classic generally deliver a decent enough sound, certainly for the price tag, that balances alignment to their SoundPEATS Classic 'house sound' and manages the constraints of the hardware and software that vendors face when offering a low-budget option to the market.
Call Quality - Indoors - 6.5/10, Outdoors - 6.5/10
Call quality is OK on the Life Classic, falling some way short of SoundPEATS' more premium offerings in terms of both clarity and noise reduction.
Despite claiming AI ENC, noise reduction is quite a bit weaker than the original Life or the impressive six-mic Capsule3 Pro. Outdoors, this can result in crowd noises, and in particular wind, infiltrating your calls and voice notes, although it should be noted that the buds soon readjust for the noisier 'normal' baseline quite quickly, and your voice is elevated to ensure you're still the prominent sound in the scene. In doing this it can leave your voice sounding a little distorted - even so, almost every word can still be made out.
Indoors, it's a similar story. In silence, your voice can sound a little over-processed. There's weight and tone to it, but it has a metallic layer that exposes that it's being transmitted over Bluetooth. Add a concentration of nearby sounds and the buds do struggle a little at first, again before settling down, but with the four walls around you bouncing the sound around a bit faster, not every word is immediately obvious.
Buds at this price tend to struggle with calls, and the Life Classic are no exception. It isn't a disastrous performance by any means, but don't expect miracles.
Connectivity and Other Features - 7.5/10
Connectivity is pretty good, holding firm at around 10m. They support Bluetooth 5.2, and suffered no dropouts on my Mi 11T Pro, iPhone 8 or Pixel 6A.
App support has been scaled back massively on this model - even the selection of presets has been removed. You do have a nine band custom EQ, which is nice, although bear in mind the majority of control you have here is between 20Hz and 2.42kHz, jumping up to a single +6/-6 adjustment at 15.5k. Even so, it allows you to lift the trebles and tweak the mids enough to tailor the sound slightly to your liking. Always nice to have this option, even with a low budget bud.
Controls are very good, which is fortunate because there is no customisation in the app other than disabling single touch. It's the usual SoundPEATS fare of single tap for volume, double tap to play and pause, press and hold to toggle tracks, triple tap left for gaming mode and right for voice assistant. I'm not sure what the 'smart' refers to in their touch controls, but they are responsive and rarely prone to accidental touches.
Latency is very good for videos, with close to lip-synchronisation, and gaming mode improves this further on games. Although it's not perfect for your first person shooters, and falls behind the Air3 Pro - their leader in low latency, for casual gamers it is about what you would expect, teetering at around the 220ms mark. The buds do work in mono mode, but there's no in ear detection, and some of the other features you get in the app - even notation of battery percentages - isn't yet here on the Life Classic.
Battery Life - 7/10
Battery life on the Life Classic is fair, but the overall battery life falls some way short of the budget pretenders to the crown. I got over 5 hours from my first playtime - certainly not a bad return, but with only three additional charges this brings total battery life to 20 hours - almost half of that possible on the QCY T13 and Soundcore Life P2i.
For most, 32 hours and beyond is perhaps 'spec sheet top trumps', but even so, without a documented quick charge feature, it may impose restrictions for some users. Certainly worth taking note of.
Comparison - QCY T13, Soundcore P2i, Omthing Airfree Buds
Comparing them to others at around this price:
- The fit and ergonomics are a little better than the QCY T13, and much better than the Soundcore Life P2i.
- Build quality is about the same on the P2i and Life Classic, marginally better on the T13.
- Call quality is similar on the P2i and Life Classic, a little more muffled (although arguably better noise reduction) on the T13.
- Audio is smoother on the Life Classic than the v-shaped P2i, but the T13 boast a richer, warmer sound with a more open soundstage.
- Battery life is better on both T13 and P2i.
- The Life Classic, P2i and T13 are all better in every way than the Omthing Airfree Buds!
Sometimes it is difficult to know what to say in reviews when a vendor has released so many products in quick succession. Thankfully, the Life Classic have a very clear raison d'etre, and this should be noted by potential buyers when deciding on the right earbud for them.
Firstly, if you have troubles with getting silicone tips to stay in your ears, then the Life Classic may be for you. Designed for those with narrower ear canals, they fit extremely well in your ears, offering stability and comfort. I tested these on my daughter, and they are the ONLY earbuds she's been able to get to fit so far. So for females and teenagers in particular, that's the primary area of differentiation.
Secondly - the price. Most of SoundPEATS releases are at around the £30-40 mark. This is some way cheaper at £21 including the current voucher code at the top of the review. If you're really stuck on a budget, and aren't fussed with hi res codecs, the Life Classic could be the one for you.
The Life Classic compare favourably with other low budget buds, and for us Europeans, are a little more widely available than offerings from QCY, for example. I tend to prefer the Capsule3 Pro over this model quite a bit, so if you can save a little more then by all means do, but if you can't, you won't be let down by the Life Classic.
Price Weighted Score: 85%
Raw Score: 74%
SoundPEATS Review Inventory:
SoundPEATS Opera05
SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro
SoundPEATS H2
SoundPEATS T3
SoundPEATS Mini
SoundPEATS Air3
SoundPEATS TrueAir2+
SoundPEATS TrueAir 2
SoundPEATS H1
SoundPEATS T2
SoundPEATS Sonic
About SoundPEATS:
SoundPEATS seem to have become an overnight sensation, wiping up a large portion of budget TWS earbud market share with a business model that has served them (and Anker before them) exceptionally well - good distribution channels (via Amazon), good support, a catchy name and product that performs well at a very competitive price point. In reality, they have been around a long time - whilst Shenzhen SoundSOUL IT Co LTD is a different trading name to Ginto E-Commerce, they share the same business address (including room number) as them - you may know their brand name better as Dudios. With Dudios not sounding quite so cool as Soundpeats, maybe the brand transition has been instrumental in their success, but having been around since 2010 and patents in Bluetooth tech stretching back to 2015, they are not the plucky upstarts that some may think - they know their stuff, have a great network of contacts, and now a very solid brand in Europe, and deservedly so.
The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them my favourite budget earbud vendor, is that they are completely transparent over their components. Whether they use Realtek, Qualcomm or Airoha chips in their buds, they are totally open about it, and as a reviewer this really helps, because whilst I have, and do, dismantle buds to check the way that certain things have been implemented (such as the power management, mems mics, etc) and I really don't like having to do it with every set of earbuds, because they then become unusable.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
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Socials: Biolink
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Model: QCY HT05 MeloBuds
Price: Approx. $30 AliExpress
Website: QCY
Review Reference: RC090
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
YouTube Review:
Introduction
Welcome to the @regancipher review of the QCY HT05 MeloBuds. Confusingly, this isn't the first MeloBuds release QCY have introduced, but it is the first HT05, following on from their previous ANC offerings, the HT01 and HT03, the latter which I reviewed here at headfi in September 2021.
QCY seemed like they were on a mission to take over the world in 2021, releasing at least 12 TWS models (most of which you can see my reviews for at the end of this review), before taking a step back from that frenetic pace in 2022, only adding the T18, T20, T21 and HT05 (as well as a few re-releases) to an already established portfolio. Despite the slowdown, this didn't stop Dongguan Hele Electronics strengthening their foothold on the global market, moving up to 4th largest TWS vendor worldwide, and branching out into new areas - their Crossky GTR are their first sports bud release, and this follows lateral movements into the headphone, smartwatch and powerbank markets. The brand also received a major marketing boost, with their earbuds used in the popular HK movie Anti-Corruption Storm 5.
QCY have always tried to push the boundaries with budget TWS. They were one of the first to showcase 'Snapdragon Sound' and managed the cheapest multipoint bud yet with their T18, pushed latency to super low levels with the G1, and generally aren't afraid to mix and match chipsets depending on the requirement, using anything from Qualcomm to Jieli in their core products without compromising on value for money. This time around they were the first on the bandwagon to use the popular WUQI WQ7003AR chip SoundPEATS have just milked several releases from, so I was intrigued to test who managed to eek out the best performance, and see whether this would represent a return to form for QCY after a relatively quiet few months.
Unboxing - 6/10
One thing that definitely hasn't changed much is the unboxing experience. After rebranding around the time of the T12, they've stayed true to form every time with a very basic product packaging that leaves you under no illusions that you're buying an ultra-low budget Chinese earbud.
The buds and case are held in place with a plastic carton, the back of which is closed off and holds the user manual and USB A to C charge cable. There's no wireless charging on this model, so you'll be needing that later (unless you have hundreds of them like I do, which I'm guessing you do if you're reading this on headfi!)
The manual is very basic but it does the job, detailing the controls and other salient points with clear, relatively unambiguous English and using diagrams where relevant. The manual is in Chinese and English only. There is also a small bag of eartips - the product comes factory fitted with the medium, there's small and large too. The tips are quite poor quality - you'll be switching them out before long. They are quite flat, so double-check before buying another set of Spinfits as you may find they won't fit the case.
The Case - 6/10
The case, as with other QCY stem-based releases, has a flip-top design, with the buds slotting face-down into a square-shaped cockpit. There is a raised area on the bottom to ensure it sits without sliding around, and the QCY logo is screen-printed in grey on the top of the matte-black (or white, if you choose that variation) plastic frame.
Single-handed use is facilitated with a small lip at the front of the lid allowing your thumb to squeeze in and flip the case open quite easily, but this is where the fun ends. The hinge is very flimsy - like the T20 case, there's no friction to it other than a hard 45 degree stop - and it can slam shut in the wind if you're not careful.
There's a reset and pairing button in the centre of the two buds, and this represents another bone of contention. QCY haven't included hall-switch mode, which means when you pair the buds, you have to first hold the reset button down, wait for the LED's to flash red then white on the buds, then remove the buds from the case, then pair them. Whilst this doesn't sound like a big deal, if you're out and about and you're connected to your laptop in your bag, but want to connect to your phone instead, it becomes an issue.
Then there's the absence of a case LED. Well, there actually IS an LED, but it's hidden inside the lip you use to flip it open, and there's no 'traffic-light'-style scheme to indicate how much battery is remaining - when you plug the case in, it will glow red, when it's fully charged it will glow white - that's your lot, otherwise it lays there dormant.
The weight of the hinge, and the whole case in general, feels like a bit of a step down in quality from the robust-by-comparison T13, and it isn't really helped by the lack of indentation which you can see on the other QCY cases above. It can leave the case feeling a little flimsy and rattly. Like the T13, the USB-C charge socket is on the side, and the case uses the LP7801D power management IC from LPS to regulate charge and provide overvoltage protection. The case takes around 2 hours for a full charge, with no quick charge feature.
It weighs a little less than their other cases, although the 5.5 x 5.5 x 3cm profile isn't large, fits in the palm of your hand, and is portable enough to fit in your jacket pocket or handbag. It might even fit in your trousers OK, but it's probably not for skinny jeans or shorts. QCY supply a silicone coat for the case, which increases the protection with only a minor increase in footprint.
Let's not kid ourselves - case quality has never really been a defining feature for QCY (other than the excellent G1) - but there are a few minor annoyances here that might be a dealbreaker depending on how finnicky you are.
Ergonomics & Build - 7/10
The HT05 are stem-based ANC buds, with a stem length of around 34.5mm - exactly the same as the Haylou W1, which these buds remind me a lot of. This is longer than average, with most buds these days measuring somewhere between 27 and 32mm.
They are constructed from black plastic shells, that feature metal charging contacts on the inside. The buds are not IP rated, as QCY keep costs down by not putting their buds through official IPX tests, but are said to be equivalent to IPX5. Even so, I would restrict water ingress to a splash of light rain and nothing more.
The stem is a very familiar lollipop style design, separating from the bulbous area which fills the space around your concha. The six-mic array used to improve voice calls means a single MEMS voice mic sits in the base, with an additional feedback mic located at the top and a pressure release cavity also located on said bulbous section as pictured above. The finish is a little unrefined, but pretty much as you would expect at the price.
Along the outside, you've got the QCY logo again screen-printed in grey and LED strips at the top. Other than the red and white glow you get when pairing and resetting, these aren't intrusive and won't suddenly start pulsing white if no audio is playing, for example. Just to the left of the LED and off the stem, you can just about make out the cavity for the feedforward mic, protected by a dustproof net.
The design isn't really like any of QCY's previous buds. They are longer and a little more angular than the T13, lack the curvature of the T18 and don't shape as nicely as the G1 either. It appears QCY have deviated away from their own identity to become somewhat generic looking, which is a shame, because I feel like their previous releases were better-fitting and certainly better looking.
From the side profile, whilst they aren't as unwieldy as the 1More Comfobuds range, they are a little blocky, although I can't complain about the comfort. Even with the rubbish stock tips, they nestle into my ears pretty well and didn't give me any discomfort even with prolonged use. Those stick-like stems are just a little bit, well, ugly.
From the front, you can see the slightly obtrusive profile a little clearer, especially on my left ear where my ear canal is a little narrower. This makes them probably a poor choice for exercise, although I took them out on the daily commute and didn't have any major problems.
Overall it is pretty much what you would expect from a $30 earbud - the design isn't especially impressive, they look a little generic, and the build quality is moderate, but they do the job adequately. The fit is improved hugely by using the Feaulle H370 eartips.
ANC - 7/10
ANC on the HT05 is not bad - certainly not market leading or anything like that, but kudos to QCY for giving so many options to tailor the level of ANC to your preference. Switching ANC modes is done either with the bud (hold the right bud for a couple of seconds) to toggle between ANC on, off and passthrough, each of which is denoted by a voice prompt, or use the QCY app for more detailed customisation.
ANC on has three tiers - Indoor, Commuting and Noisy (high). Then, within each tier you have three levels of ANC (low, medium and high), making a total of 9 tiers of ANC. Between each of the levels I didn't notice a huge difference, but between each tier you certainly can. With 'Noisy' selected and the earbuds pushed in quite deep, it will ensure you don't hear traffic outside if you're sat near a window, and your keyboard taps are somewhat muffled, but it won't drown out noisy kids or the TV. This is in no small part down to the fit - this style of earbud will always slightly break the strongest possible seal by virtue of gravity, so my expectations are never excessively high with budget stem-based buds. Even so I think it's a pretty decent performance, especially given the price. The wind noise reduction mode is also welcome, although not as effective as the 1More Q30.
For pass-through mode you get further impressive customisations. There are a total of six levels, although activate 5 or 6 and you'll get a notification to say it is recommended to not go beyond 4, because you might get a 'howling' sound from the feedforward mic being blocked. I didn't notice such an issue, but I have previously with other buds so it's a valid point. On level 4 it is quite natural and you can hear close-up conversations without issues, on levels 5 and 6 it sounds a little unnatural but everything comes through very clearly.
You also have the option to select 'vocal enhancement'. This also makes a huge difference - with this setting you'll have no issues hearing conversations no matter how close by. It also works well if you're out on the commute and need to hear train announcements or something like that.
It's quite impressive how much QCY have put into the ANC options, but sometimes these additional modes feel a little gimmicky. By the same token, the extra control can put you in better charge of your battery life, and you don't have to use them, so by giving consumers the option I feel like it's a benefit, whichever way you look at it.
Audio Quality and Sound Signature - 9/10 (for the price), 8/10 (raw score)
QCY has mostly overachieved when it comes to audio, especially when you bear in mind the price tag. I picked the HT05 up for the equivalent of around $28 including shipping from China, and of the 100 or so different models I've tested over the last few years, the HT05 are probably the standout set, performing way above expectations.
There is no LDAC and no hybrid driver array - the buds use a single 10mm LCP dynamic driver and default to the AAC codec. Even so, there is a lot to like about the default sound signature.
The HT05 has two quite distinct profiles - ANC on and off. Usually with TWS, I find myself switching ANC off and tuning from there, but on the HT05 everything sounds a little more controlled with ANC on. Lower frequencies are fuller with greater depth, and the midrange sounds more neutral, with better texture and more balance.
The ANC curve is shown above, aligning nicely to the Harman 2019 IE target. There's a shade more warmth thrown in, and to avoid sounding overly-bright, QCY have notched the upper-midrange with a dip between 3-5k. It makes for a very smooth-sounding TWS that is suitable for a variety of music styles.
Higher frequencies are reigned in slightly compared with ANC off, but the response is still very good, with more accurate texture to percussion. This is not a 'basshead' earbud as such, but the sound is really nicely balanced with no midrange bleed or bloat. On house tracks like 'Gecko' by Oliver Heldens, the bass is controlled throughout with good presence, and despite the flatter profile retains lots of energy with the sidechain coming through very clear with no distortion. Positioning is also excellent for the money, ANC on or off, with a very good sense of perspective. The HT05 are not a wide, open soundstage kind of earbud - everything is a little more controlled, but they are enjoyable for all styles of music without significant EQ customisation required.
With ANC switched off, the HT05 has a brighter sound with an elevated upper midrange that pushes vocals forward very prominently, although can at times sound a little unnatural, even harsh and metallic. Lower frequencies lack depth and texture, and don't have much weight, and this can leave tracks feeling a little too bright and thin - a little like the T18. Even with ANC off, however, there is decent linearity and instrument separation, and above average levels of detail.
There are several presets within the QCY app- Pop, Bass, Rock, Soft and Classic. Pop makes the sound a little brighter, Rock lifts the lower mids, Bass boosts the subbass, Classic notches the trebles. The EQ also has a custom section with ten bands that saves your setting to the earbud, which I very rarely see with TWS, and is another very commendable feature, especially since they are actually usable presets - they don't make the sound completely ridiculous, unlike some other vendors applications I've tested of late.
The HT05 are often compared to the Moondrop Space Travel - another very well-tuned budget TWS, which sadly falls a bit short of the HT05 in other fundamental areas like battery life and call quality. There's a shade more rumble to the MST, and treble has a little more definition, so for EDM and house music, the percussion sounds more granular. Both are very enjoyable listens for TWS.
The SoundPEATS Clear are another good budget option, with less warmth and a slightly more open sound. The technicalities of the Clear - resolution and instrument separation in particular - are a little way off the capabilities of the HT05 and MST, but they're more fun-sounding and still a good listen, especially if you aren't too critical.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 7.5/10
The HT05 uses six mics and environmental ENC to try to help lift your voice over those ambient sounds which infiltrate your calls and voice notes. Indoors, in silence, your voice comes through clearly and coherently with decent weight and tonality.
Introduce some simulated background noise and whilst the HT05 doesn't eradicate them from your call altogether, they are reduced to an inconsistent hum. Your voice still sounds elevated with decent weight. It's certainly possible to make and take calls, but it's not optimal - even so, with a very noisy indoor scene fluctuating between 65-85dBA, every word I uttered was discernible.
Outdoors, they seem to cope with wind and background noise a little better than some of the other buds I've tested lately. Wind, traffic and other voices will certainly impact upon the clarity of your call, and periodically that will result in you having to repeat yourself, but again, for the price it is hard to expect anything better than this.
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7/10
The QCY app has been done to death in my other QCY reviews, but it's been a while so let's go over some of the pros and cons again.
Firstly, you have to register with QCY to be able to use the app. This will no doubt annoy people, and believe me it annoys me as well, especially when I use my profile on another phone and none of my devices are there, which seemingly devalues the purpose of having a login altogether.
The app has historically felt buggy. Once registered, getting the HT05 to be recognised (even though they were connected to my phone) took 3-4 attempts of resetting, re-pairing, etc. Eventually, they connected but nothing would save to them. Now, thankfully, they are working properly, but stuff like this seems par for the course with the QCY app unfortunately - do not expect Soundcore levels of polish, it's very 'beta' feeling at best, even if the kinks have been ironed out and very welcome features (such as channel re-balance and customisable controls) added.
The front page just gives you the battery estimates for the buds, again without an estimate for the case. With the absence of LED's you are basically in the dark over how much battery your case actually has. We've talked through the sound and ANC sections already - these are great, and saving the settings to the bud is a great feature.
The settings section allows you to tailor your controls. Single tap setting is left empty - I immediately added volume control - and double-tap and triple-tap are also available to change, although they are pre-set to play/pause and voice assistant/skip track forward. Holding the right button will toggle ANC, but you can change double and triple tap to do the same, and you can change them to pretty much anything. You have full control over right and left - it's far better in that respect than something like the 1More app, which gives you very limited levels of customisation. Generally the controls are pretty responsive on this model - it's certainly a step back in the right direction after the awkward-to-use T20. However, QCY have cut a corner too much here by failing to use capacitative touch-sensitive controls, and as a result wearing a hood or hat can trigger the ANC, volume and even pause what you're listening to, which is a real shame.
Also within the app, you can toggle gaming mode, initiate sleep mode (which toggles touch functions) and 'find your headset'. This requires you to allow location sharing with the QCY app, something I wasn't prepared to test! You can also update the firmware - mine was set on v3.0.1, which is the latest version. You can also access the QCY shop, and pay nearly double the prices AliExpress charge from QCY's shop.
Connectivity is good - the buds use Bluetooth 5.2, and stayed connected without any hiccups to my Xiaomi 11T Pro and Google Pixel 6A in separate crowded area tests.
Latency is also good- videos are very close to lipsync, and with gaming mode toggled, even gaming is pretty close to suitable synchronisation, although hardcore gamers will undoubtedly disagree - it's still not bad.
Battery Life - 8/10
The HT05 advertise up to 7.5 hours battery life and up to 33 with the case. The buds are quite loud - 70% volume was fine for me - and taking a few calls and mostly listening to Tidal, I got just over 7 hours from the first use, and between 6 hours 40 and 7 hours 20 minutes on additional uses. This is actually much better than most vendors estimates, although granted it is a little easier to predict without the complication of high resolution codecs.
With ANC on, the figure dropped to on average around 5 hours 35 minutes. This was mostly using ANC on 'Noisy' with the strength setting at maximum. Whilst this is a substantial drop the maximum advertised value, for me anything above 5 hours is a good result, and with 3-4 additional case recharges, represents good battery value from a full charge.
There is no quick charge feature and no wireless charging, sadly.
Summary
With QCY slowing down their recent releases, focus has been more on incremental improvements rather than radical revolutions, but the HT05 are a marked improvement over the HT03, which had decent ANC but very little else. Calls are better, functionality is better, and the most important thing here - the audio quality - is light years ahead, eclipsing all of their previous releases with a mature, enjoyable sound that with ANC on can go on and on without a sense of fatigue ever setting in.
The customisable controls and EQ, which save to the buds, are a standout feature from QCY, and will sell them a few extra units for sure, but QCY always leave you wanting more sadly - the design is unimaginative, the case a little flimsy and the app buggy to the point it tests your patience to stay with it. Even so, the price of around $30 is the real kicker here - if you can look beyond the minor quibbles then you have a very capable sounding budget TWS that won't let you down in any scenario.
The HT05 remain my pick at $30, for their great sound (for the price), capable grasp of the basics (ANC, call quality and battery life) and stable fit (especially with the recommended Feaulle tips). They aren't perfect - the touch controls could have been upgraded and they lack more premium features like in-ear detection and quick charge - but if you're on a budget and looking for something that will tick most of the boxes and perform across the board - look no further.
QCY Review Inventory:
HT07 Arcbuds
HT05 Melobuds ANC
T20 Ailypods
T18
G1
T17
T16
T13
HT03
T12
T11
About QCY:
Whilst not quite a household name outside of China yet, QCY are well-renowned in the budget TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that, whilst perhaps lacking some of the bells and whistles of the more expensive brands, deliver to the segment of the market where 'good enough is good enough', with solid reliability and tremendous value for money.
Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5), with three of their major customers being brands you will certainly recognise and in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019. In 2020, market research indicated they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor worldwide - no mean feat.
Despite a close relationship with SoC manufactuer Zhuhai Jieli, QCY are not afraid to mix and match components to suit their target market. This often sees a number of releases in quick succession - their T17S are an example of this, released subsequent to the T17, and differentiating with the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 SoC, to support customers who require the added lower latency enabled by the aptX codecs that the Qualcomm chips support. They did a similar thing with the very popular T5, T8 and T9 - nice to see a vendor using an easy to follow naming convention! The G1 use the newest Pixart chip in order to reduce latency - horses for courses!
The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses at a very affordable price - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value from a brand they can trust.
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Squiglink: Squiglink
Model: QCY HT05 MeloBuds
Price: Approx. $30 AliExpress
Website: QCY
Review Reference: RC090
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: QCY
- Model: HT05 MeloBuds
- Driver: 10mm LCP Dynamic Driver
- Chipset: WUQI WQ7033AR
- Mic: 6 mics with ENC
- ANC: Yes, up to 40dB
- Codecs: AAC, SBC
- App Support: Yes
- Volume Control: Yes
- Gaming Mode: Yes
- Earbud Weight: 4.76g
- Earbud Dimensions: 34.7mm stem length, depth including nozzle approx. 23.5mm
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 47.77g
- Case Dimensions: 54.7mm (width) x 54.7mm (height) x 29.1mm (depth)
- Case Charge Capacity: 400mAh
- Quick Charge: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 7.5 hours (ANC off), Up to 6 hours (ANC on)
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 30 hours
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: IPX5 (not stated on box)
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
YouTube Review:
Introduction
Welcome to the @regancipher review of the QCY HT05 MeloBuds. Confusingly, this isn't the first MeloBuds release QCY have introduced, but it is the first HT05, following on from their previous ANC offerings, the HT01 and HT03, the latter which I reviewed here at headfi in September 2021.
QCY seemed like they were on a mission to take over the world in 2021, releasing at least 12 TWS models (most of which you can see my reviews for at the end of this review), before taking a step back from that frenetic pace in 2022, only adding the T18, T20, T21 and HT05 (as well as a few re-releases) to an already established portfolio. Despite the slowdown, this didn't stop Dongguan Hele Electronics strengthening their foothold on the global market, moving up to 4th largest TWS vendor worldwide, and branching out into new areas - their Crossky GTR are their first sports bud release, and this follows lateral movements into the headphone, smartwatch and powerbank markets. The brand also received a major marketing boost, with their earbuds used in the popular HK movie Anti-Corruption Storm 5.
QCY have always tried to push the boundaries with budget TWS. They were one of the first to showcase 'Snapdragon Sound' and managed the cheapest multipoint bud yet with their T18, pushed latency to super low levels with the G1, and generally aren't afraid to mix and match chipsets depending on the requirement, using anything from Qualcomm to Jieli in their core products without compromising on value for money. This time around they were the first on the bandwagon to use the popular WUQI WQ7003AR chip SoundPEATS have just milked several releases from, so I was intrigued to test who managed to eek out the best performance, and see whether this would represent a return to form for QCY after a relatively quiet few months.
Unboxing - 6/10
One thing that definitely hasn't changed much is the unboxing experience. After rebranding around the time of the T12, they've stayed true to form every time with a very basic product packaging that leaves you under no illusions that you're buying an ultra-low budget Chinese earbud.
The buds and case are held in place with a plastic carton, the back of which is closed off and holds the user manual and USB A to C charge cable. There's no wireless charging on this model, so you'll be needing that later (unless you have hundreds of them like I do, which I'm guessing you do if you're reading this on headfi!)
The manual is very basic but it does the job, detailing the controls and other salient points with clear, relatively unambiguous English and using diagrams where relevant. The manual is in Chinese and English only. There is also a small bag of eartips - the product comes factory fitted with the medium, there's small and large too. The tips are quite poor quality - you'll be switching them out before long. They are quite flat, so double-check before buying another set of Spinfits as you may find they won't fit the case.
The Case - 6/10
The case, as with other QCY stem-based releases, has a flip-top design, with the buds slotting face-down into a square-shaped cockpit. There is a raised area on the bottom to ensure it sits without sliding around, and the QCY logo is screen-printed in grey on the top of the matte-black (or white, if you choose that variation) plastic frame.
Single-handed use is facilitated with a small lip at the front of the lid allowing your thumb to squeeze in and flip the case open quite easily, but this is where the fun ends. The hinge is very flimsy - like the T20 case, there's no friction to it other than a hard 45 degree stop - and it can slam shut in the wind if you're not careful.
There's a reset and pairing button in the centre of the two buds, and this represents another bone of contention. QCY haven't included hall-switch mode, which means when you pair the buds, you have to first hold the reset button down, wait for the LED's to flash red then white on the buds, then remove the buds from the case, then pair them. Whilst this doesn't sound like a big deal, if you're out and about and you're connected to your laptop in your bag, but want to connect to your phone instead, it becomes an issue.
Then there's the absence of a case LED. Well, there actually IS an LED, but it's hidden inside the lip you use to flip it open, and there's no 'traffic-light'-style scheme to indicate how much battery is remaining - when you plug the case in, it will glow red, when it's fully charged it will glow white - that's your lot, otherwise it lays there dormant.
The weight of the hinge, and the whole case in general, feels like a bit of a step down in quality from the robust-by-comparison T13, and it isn't really helped by the lack of indentation which you can see on the other QCY cases above. It can leave the case feeling a little flimsy and rattly. Like the T13, the USB-C charge socket is on the side, and the case uses the LP7801D power management IC from LPS to regulate charge and provide overvoltage protection. The case takes around 2 hours for a full charge, with no quick charge feature.
It weighs a little less than their other cases, although the 5.5 x 5.5 x 3cm profile isn't large, fits in the palm of your hand, and is portable enough to fit in your jacket pocket or handbag. It might even fit in your trousers OK, but it's probably not for skinny jeans or shorts. QCY supply a silicone coat for the case, which increases the protection with only a minor increase in footprint.
Let's not kid ourselves - case quality has never really been a defining feature for QCY (other than the excellent G1) - but there are a few minor annoyances here that might be a dealbreaker depending on how finnicky you are.
Ergonomics & Build - 7/10
The HT05 are stem-based ANC buds, with a stem length of around 34.5mm - exactly the same as the Haylou W1, which these buds remind me a lot of. This is longer than average, with most buds these days measuring somewhere between 27 and 32mm.
They are constructed from black plastic shells, that feature metal charging contacts on the inside. The buds are not IP rated, as QCY keep costs down by not putting their buds through official IPX tests, but are said to be equivalent to IPX5. Even so, I would restrict water ingress to a splash of light rain and nothing more.
The stem is a very familiar lollipop style design, separating from the bulbous area which fills the space around your concha. The six-mic array used to improve voice calls means a single MEMS voice mic sits in the base, with an additional feedback mic located at the top and a pressure release cavity also located on said bulbous section as pictured above. The finish is a little unrefined, but pretty much as you would expect at the price.
Along the outside, you've got the QCY logo again screen-printed in grey and LED strips at the top. Other than the red and white glow you get when pairing and resetting, these aren't intrusive and won't suddenly start pulsing white if no audio is playing, for example. Just to the left of the LED and off the stem, you can just about make out the cavity for the feedforward mic, protected by a dustproof net.
The design isn't really like any of QCY's previous buds. They are longer and a little more angular than the T13, lack the curvature of the T18 and don't shape as nicely as the G1 either. It appears QCY have deviated away from their own identity to become somewhat generic looking, which is a shame, because I feel like their previous releases were better-fitting and certainly better looking.
From the side profile, whilst they aren't as unwieldy as the 1More Comfobuds range, they are a little blocky, although I can't complain about the comfort. Even with the rubbish stock tips, they nestle into my ears pretty well and didn't give me any discomfort even with prolonged use. Those stick-like stems are just a little bit, well, ugly.
From the front, you can see the slightly obtrusive profile a little clearer, especially on my left ear where my ear canal is a little narrower. This makes them probably a poor choice for exercise, although I took them out on the daily commute and didn't have any major problems.
Overall it is pretty much what you would expect from a $30 earbud - the design isn't especially impressive, they look a little generic, and the build quality is moderate, but they do the job adequately. The fit is improved hugely by using the Feaulle H370 eartips.
ANC - 7/10
ANC on the HT05 is not bad - certainly not market leading or anything like that, but kudos to QCY for giving so many options to tailor the level of ANC to your preference. Switching ANC modes is done either with the bud (hold the right bud for a couple of seconds) to toggle between ANC on, off and passthrough, each of which is denoted by a voice prompt, or use the QCY app for more detailed customisation.
ANC on has three tiers - Indoor, Commuting and Noisy (high). Then, within each tier you have three levels of ANC (low, medium and high), making a total of 9 tiers of ANC. Between each of the levels I didn't notice a huge difference, but between each tier you certainly can. With 'Noisy' selected and the earbuds pushed in quite deep, it will ensure you don't hear traffic outside if you're sat near a window, and your keyboard taps are somewhat muffled, but it won't drown out noisy kids or the TV. This is in no small part down to the fit - this style of earbud will always slightly break the strongest possible seal by virtue of gravity, so my expectations are never excessively high with budget stem-based buds. Even so I think it's a pretty decent performance, especially given the price. The wind noise reduction mode is also welcome, although not as effective as the 1More Q30.
For pass-through mode you get further impressive customisations. There are a total of six levels, although activate 5 or 6 and you'll get a notification to say it is recommended to not go beyond 4, because you might get a 'howling' sound from the feedforward mic being blocked. I didn't notice such an issue, but I have previously with other buds so it's a valid point. On level 4 it is quite natural and you can hear close-up conversations without issues, on levels 5 and 6 it sounds a little unnatural but everything comes through very clearly.
You also have the option to select 'vocal enhancement'. This also makes a huge difference - with this setting you'll have no issues hearing conversations no matter how close by. It also works well if you're out on the commute and need to hear train announcements or something like that.
It's quite impressive how much QCY have put into the ANC options, but sometimes these additional modes feel a little gimmicky. By the same token, the extra control can put you in better charge of your battery life, and you don't have to use them, so by giving consumers the option I feel like it's a benefit, whichever way you look at it.
Audio Quality and Sound Signature - 9/10 (for the price), 8/10 (raw score)
QCY has mostly overachieved when it comes to audio, especially when you bear in mind the price tag. I picked the HT05 up for the equivalent of around $28 including shipping from China, and of the 100 or so different models I've tested over the last few years, the HT05 are probably the standout set, performing way above expectations.
There is no LDAC and no hybrid driver array - the buds use a single 10mm LCP dynamic driver and default to the AAC codec. Even so, there is a lot to like about the default sound signature.
The HT05 has two quite distinct profiles - ANC on and off. Usually with TWS, I find myself switching ANC off and tuning from there, but on the HT05 everything sounds a little more controlled with ANC on. Lower frequencies are fuller with greater depth, and the midrange sounds more neutral, with better texture and more balance.
The ANC curve is shown above, aligning nicely to the Harman 2019 IE target. There's a shade more warmth thrown in, and to avoid sounding overly-bright, QCY have notched the upper-midrange with a dip between 3-5k. It makes for a very smooth-sounding TWS that is suitable for a variety of music styles.
Higher frequencies are reigned in slightly compared with ANC off, but the response is still very good, with more accurate texture to percussion. This is not a 'basshead' earbud as such, but the sound is really nicely balanced with no midrange bleed or bloat. On house tracks like 'Gecko' by Oliver Heldens, the bass is controlled throughout with good presence, and despite the flatter profile retains lots of energy with the sidechain coming through very clear with no distortion. Positioning is also excellent for the money, ANC on or off, with a very good sense of perspective. The HT05 are not a wide, open soundstage kind of earbud - everything is a little more controlled, but they are enjoyable for all styles of music without significant EQ customisation required.
With ANC switched off, the HT05 has a brighter sound with an elevated upper midrange that pushes vocals forward very prominently, although can at times sound a little unnatural, even harsh and metallic. Lower frequencies lack depth and texture, and don't have much weight, and this can leave tracks feeling a little too bright and thin - a little like the T18. Even with ANC off, however, there is decent linearity and instrument separation, and above average levels of detail.
There are several presets within the QCY app- Pop, Bass, Rock, Soft and Classic. Pop makes the sound a little brighter, Rock lifts the lower mids, Bass boosts the subbass, Classic notches the trebles. The EQ also has a custom section with ten bands that saves your setting to the earbud, which I very rarely see with TWS, and is another very commendable feature, especially since they are actually usable presets - they don't make the sound completely ridiculous, unlike some other vendors applications I've tested of late.
The HT05 are often compared to the Moondrop Space Travel - another very well-tuned budget TWS, which sadly falls a bit short of the HT05 in other fundamental areas like battery life and call quality. There's a shade more rumble to the MST, and treble has a little more definition, so for EDM and house music, the percussion sounds more granular. Both are very enjoyable listens for TWS.
The SoundPEATS Clear are another good budget option, with less warmth and a slightly more open sound. The technicalities of the Clear - resolution and instrument separation in particular - are a little way off the capabilities of the HT05 and MST, but they're more fun-sounding and still a good listen, especially if you aren't too critical.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 7.5/10
The HT05 uses six mics and environmental ENC to try to help lift your voice over those ambient sounds which infiltrate your calls and voice notes. Indoors, in silence, your voice comes through clearly and coherently with decent weight and tonality.
Introduce some simulated background noise and whilst the HT05 doesn't eradicate them from your call altogether, they are reduced to an inconsistent hum. Your voice still sounds elevated with decent weight. It's certainly possible to make and take calls, but it's not optimal - even so, with a very noisy indoor scene fluctuating between 65-85dBA, every word I uttered was discernible.
Outdoors, they seem to cope with wind and background noise a little better than some of the other buds I've tested lately. Wind, traffic and other voices will certainly impact upon the clarity of your call, and periodically that will result in you having to repeat yourself, but again, for the price it is hard to expect anything better than this.
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7/10
The QCY app has been done to death in my other QCY reviews, but it's been a while so let's go over some of the pros and cons again.
Firstly, you have to register with QCY to be able to use the app. This will no doubt annoy people, and believe me it annoys me as well, especially when I use my profile on another phone and none of my devices are there, which seemingly devalues the purpose of having a login altogether.
The app has historically felt buggy. Once registered, getting the HT05 to be recognised (even though they were connected to my phone) took 3-4 attempts of resetting, re-pairing, etc. Eventually, they connected but nothing would save to them. Now, thankfully, they are working properly, but stuff like this seems par for the course with the QCY app unfortunately - do not expect Soundcore levels of polish, it's very 'beta' feeling at best, even if the kinks have been ironed out and very welcome features (such as channel re-balance and customisable controls) added.
The front page just gives you the battery estimates for the buds, again without an estimate for the case. With the absence of LED's you are basically in the dark over how much battery your case actually has. We've talked through the sound and ANC sections already - these are great, and saving the settings to the bud is a great feature.
The settings section allows you to tailor your controls. Single tap setting is left empty - I immediately added volume control - and double-tap and triple-tap are also available to change, although they are pre-set to play/pause and voice assistant/skip track forward. Holding the right button will toggle ANC, but you can change double and triple tap to do the same, and you can change them to pretty much anything. You have full control over right and left - it's far better in that respect than something like the 1More app, which gives you very limited levels of customisation. Generally the controls are pretty responsive on this model - it's certainly a step back in the right direction after the awkward-to-use T20. However, QCY have cut a corner too much here by failing to use capacitative touch-sensitive controls, and as a result wearing a hood or hat can trigger the ANC, volume and even pause what you're listening to, which is a real shame.
Also within the app, you can toggle gaming mode, initiate sleep mode (which toggles touch functions) and 'find your headset'. This requires you to allow location sharing with the QCY app, something I wasn't prepared to test! You can also update the firmware - mine was set on v3.0.1, which is the latest version. You can also access the QCY shop, and pay nearly double the prices AliExpress charge from QCY's shop.
Connectivity is good - the buds use Bluetooth 5.2, and stayed connected without any hiccups to my Xiaomi 11T Pro and Google Pixel 6A in separate crowded area tests.
Latency is also good- videos are very close to lipsync, and with gaming mode toggled, even gaming is pretty close to suitable synchronisation, although hardcore gamers will undoubtedly disagree - it's still not bad.
Battery Life - 8/10
The HT05 advertise up to 7.5 hours battery life and up to 33 with the case. The buds are quite loud - 70% volume was fine for me - and taking a few calls and mostly listening to Tidal, I got just over 7 hours from the first use, and between 6 hours 40 and 7 hours 20 minutes on additional uses. This is actually much better than most vendors estimates, although granted it is a little easier to predict without the complication of high resolution codecs.
With ANC on, the figure dropped to on average around 5 hours 35 minutes. This was mostly using ANC on 'Noisy' with the strength setting at maximum. Whilst this is a substantial drop the maximum advertised value, for me anything above 5 hours is a good result, and with 3-4 additional case recharges, represents good battery value from a full charge.
There is no quick charge feature and no wireless charging, sadly.
Summary
With QCY slowing down their recent releases, focus has been more on incremental improvements rather than radical revolutions, but the HT05 are a marked improvement over the HT03, which had decent ANC but very little else. Calls are better, functionality is better, and the most important thing here - the audio quality - is light years ahead, eclipsing all of their previous releases with a mature, enjoyable sound that with ANC on can go on and on without a sense of fatigue ever setting in.
The customisable controls and EQ, which save to the buds, are a standout feature from QCY, and will sell them a few extra units for sure, but QCY always leave you wanting more sadly - the design is unimaginative, the case a little flimsy and the app buggy to the point it tests your patience to stay with it. Even so, the price of around $30 is the real kicker here - if you can look beyond the minor quibbles then you have a very capable sounding budget TWS that won't let you down in any scenario.
The HT05 remain my pick at $30, for their great sound (for the price), capable grasp of the basics (ANC, call quality and battery life) and stable fit (especially with the recommended Feaulle tips). They aren't perfect - the touch controls could have been upgraded and they lack more premium features like in-ear detection and quick charge - but if you're on a budget and looking for something that will tick most of the boxes and perform across the board - look no further.
QCY Review Inventory:
HT07 Arcbuds
HT05 Melobuds ANC
T20 Ailypods
T18
G1
T17
T16
T13
HT03
T12
T11
About QCY:
Whilst not quite a household name outside of China yet, QCY are well-renowned in the budget TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that, whilst perhaps lacking some of the bells and whistles of the more expensive brands, deliver to the segment of the market where 'good enough is good enough', with solid reliability and tremendous value for money.
Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5), with three of their major customers being brands you will certainly recognise and in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019. In 2020, market research indicated they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor worldwide - no mean feat.
Despite a close relationship with SoC manufactuer Zhuhai Jieli, QCY are not afraid to mix and match components to suit their target market. This often sees a number of releases in quick succession - their T17S are an example of this, released subsequent to the T17, and differentiating with the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 SoC, to support customers who require the added lower latency enabled by the aptX codecs that the Qualcomm chips support. They did a similar thing with the very popular T5, T8 and T9 - nice to see a vendor using an easy to follow naming convention! The G1 use the newest Pixart chip in order to reduce latency - horses for courses!
The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses at a very affordable price - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value from a brand they can trust.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
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Model: SoundPEATS Opera05
Price: Kickstarter - $79 (likely to be $99 on Amazon)
Website: SoundPEATS
Review Reference: RC089
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
YouTube Review:
Introduction
Welcome to the @regancipher review of SoundPEATS' imminent release, that is currently only available via Kickstarter (but will launch soon on Amazon and other good retailers) and is essentially their 'flagship' release for 2023.
SoundPEATS have been relentless with their releases recently, most of which I've reviewed and you can find my thoughts on each of those models in the list at the bottom of the review. However, despite polishing and refining their sound signature and adding LDAC support across their portfolio, they've not added a hybrid driver release since the H1 & H2 - both of which were released back in 2021, and with the likes of Huawei, Oppo, Edifier, Soundcore and even Tronsmart all getting there first in 2022, a bud of this ilk had been long overdue.
The Opera03 and Opera05 are SoundPEATS' answer to that conundrum - the former offering dual-drivers, and the latter, which we will look at today, triple-drivers - two balanced armatures and one 12mm dynamic moving coil, as well as support for the high resolution LDAC codec. Based on the design of the Mini Pro, I knew we were in for a bulky design that may not jive well with my ears - read on to see whether my suspicions were correct, and for a thorough analysis of the SoundPEATS Opera05.
Unboxing - 7/10
Unboxing SoundPEATS' releases is pretty consistent - like with most of SoundPEATS recent releases, they've opted for the 'environmentally-friendly' approach, minimising the use of unnecessary plastics in the packaging with a predominantly cardboard-centric enclosure, including the tips and manual, which are held in custom holders.
The instruction manual is, as always, in seven different languages (mostly European), and there's also a card indicating how to update the firmware. This is worth having to hand - mine shipped with v0.88 and immediately triggered an update to v1.0, and whilst you are prompted in the app, it may be that you navigate away from the prompt - like with many apps the firmware update section isn't immediately obvious.
The tips look to be the same as those included with the Capsule3 Pro - grey in colour, with an orange ring on the inside. They're ok - nothing special, like most budget TWS, and you've only got small, medium and large options.
Case - 7.5/10
The charge case of the Opera05 is unmistakably SoundPEATS, combining the pill-shape design that we've seen on a variety of models from the Mini onwards, with the a gold accent applied to the edge of the hinge that works well, complementing the design a little more than the usual recessed grey strip, although it does make the lid slightly harder to flip open with one hand. The slogan 'hear your imagination' is screen printed very subtly on the rail that runs around the lid, and this is repeated on the buds themselves too.
Once the case is open you're greeted with a familiar-looking cockpit. The buds slot in the top in the same way they do on the Mini Pro HS, although because of the size and weight of the buds they are slightly more difficult to prize away from the magnets holding them in place, especially if you have the case resting down on the desk in front of you, which you may need to do as the case does conveniently support hall switch mode. The hinge has a hold point at 45 degrees, but it lacks the gradual friction hinge of the Mini Pro HS case, which was a really nice feature. Even so, it isn't likely to snap shut on you. The hinge also has a bit more play, and doesn't quite feel as premium.
You're also greeted by an LED on the front, which utilises the usual green-amber-red traffic-light-style schema to denote remaining charge in the case. When the case is in normal use, the LED will show green for 50-100% (basically 1.5 additional charges), amber for 10-49% and red for below 10%. It's slightly different when you're charging the case - green stays solid at fully charged, pulses at 70-99%, it's amber for 20-69% and red for below 20%. Whilst this is slightly confusing, the figures are only approximate anyway and my rule of thumb of 'if you're green - you're good for the day' hasn't let me down so far.
The rear is nicely finished, with the gold rail meeting a rectangle with the SoundPEATS logo, although to my eyes that looks a slightly different shade of gold (more rose-gold, although not quite the brassy colour of the Opera03. The usb charging socket is augmented by a metallic gold border, giving it a little more rigidity. There is no wireless charging on this model, and the case battery is 300mAh - not the greatest, but it does offer an additional three charges.
There is a reset button on the left outer edge of the case that is a little difficult to see, but it will put the buds back into pairing mode, and you can see this from the case LED pulsing white.
The case construction is a hard-shell plastic that feels more aluminium alloy, and is robust enough to withstand kicking around in your pocket or handbag. This hefty design contributes to the weight of almost 60g - nearly double some of SoundPEATS previous releases! Whilst it will fit in your trouser pocket, it is probably a little too beefy for most.
Whilst it isn't the most portable case, and the absence of quick charge is a shame, it is a hard-wearing and functional case that does the basics OK.
Design & Ergonomics - 6/10
The Opera05 (and Opera03) are 'button-shaped' double-flange earbuds that, like the Edifier W240TN and Mini Pro HS, struggle to find room for everything they need to fit into their frame. However, the Opera05 is comfortably the largest TWS I've tested so far, without the thinner nozzle you see on some models, and this contributes to a rather awkward fit that those with small ears simply won't be able to use.
The build quality of the buds is very good though, with lots of attention to detail in the elements that comprise the design.
The outer edge is nicely finished in gold, with a bevelled edge allowing easier retractment from the case. The touch control area is large and very responsive, and the opening for the mic is nicely protected with a metallic-looking mesh finish, matching that which covers the driver and nozzle.
Along the top the gold border continues, and the slogan we saw on the case reappears here. I've seen some reviewers claim it looks a bit tacky but in reality you need macro eyes to see it - it's tiny and out of the way. The opening for the ambient mic is also very nicely finished, again with a gold rim. On the bottom, there is a strip battery connector as opposed to the unreliable pogo pins, which is a nice touch.
The bulkiness of the design can be seen in more detail when lined up alongside some of their peers. With a depth of 28.5mm, they measure a whole 0.5cm thicker than the Mini Pro HS. They are also thicker than the shell used in the Fiio FW5, Tronsmart Apollo Bold, Cleer Ally Plus, etc., and also have a larger, oval nozzle and steeper gradient.
When compared with their H1, it is a very different design - the H1 was more angled and directed towards the ear canal. Whilst this also wasn't perfect for everyone (it could feel obtrusive), it did contribute to a more stable fit, and Soundcore demonstrated similar thinking with the thin, angled nozzle and presence of a wing tip on their larger-designed TWS, the Liberty 3 Pro.
That improved build quality, larger battery and three driver array makes for a hefty 7.22g - the beefiest TWS I've tested after the 4BA KZ SA08 - and unfortunately that wasn't the most stable earbud either.
As a result, combined with my narrow ear canals, even with the largest (or smallest) ear tips to try and give the fit more support, the buds lean precariously out of my ears looking like they are ready to topple out at any moment - unfortunately, that's because they did!
I've watched a few reviews of the Opera05 and Opera03, and for many, the fit is absolutely fine. Annoyingly, they seem to nestle nicely in Kenneth Tanaka's ears whilst I can barely get them to stay in just for the tests! So the bulky design is down to your own ear anatomy as to whether it is something that will be a deal breaker. For me, I settled on using the largest tips and they just about stay in. It seems to be the trend of earbuds to cram as much in and go larger with a larger nozzle, so it's something I'll maybe tolerate at home, but for exercise this is a non-starter for me sadly. The buds do offer IPX4 resistance against sweat and raindrops though.
From the side profile, they are pretty large, but it's not quite the 'Frankenstein's Monster' look that you get from the front.
So a mixed bag really - the build quality is very good, but the ergonomics simply don't work for me sadly.
ANC - 7.5/10
ANC on the Opera05 is pretty good. It isn't quite as good as the Mini Pro HS or Capsule3 Pro, but I suspect that is mostly down to the fit. There's no dedicated Wind Noise Reduction mode, alternative passthrough modes or strength bar like you get on something like the QCY HT05 Melobuds, but I find them a little gimmicky anyway - the Opera05 has decent ANC that is either on or off, and a natural-sounding passthrough mode that works fine for conversations close-up, but isn't going to accentuate distant sounds artificially.
Indoors, air conditioning units and boilers are muffled and even keyboard taps are reduced to clicks. If you're sitting near a window, the noise of traffic is also reduced to a whisper, but it won't drown out the TV or noisy kids.
Outdoors you notice it isn't quite as effective as the Mini Pro HS in that you hear nearby cars slightly sooner. Wind is dealt with moderately well, although again, I suspect fit is instrumental in the level of performance expected here.
Audio Quality and Sound Signature - 8.75/10 (for the price), 8/10 (raw score)
The Opera05 positions itself as the 'audiophile' in SoundPEATS' range with a combination of triple drivers and LDAC support. There's a single dynamic driver and dual balanced armatures, and the Opera05 takes advantage of the capabilities of the WUQI WQ7033AR chipset, which permits a frequency response of 20Hz-40KHz, transfer rate of 990kbps and transmission up to 24bit/96KHz using the LDAC codec.
The Opera05 are definitely tuned to be punchier than the other SoundPEATS sets I've tested recently, retaining that prominent midbass and clean, slightly-recessed midrange. However with the BA drivers, naturally you're getting a much stronger treble extension, and this makes for an engaging, energetic sound that works well with R&B, hip hop, house and techno.
Soundstage is probably not as open as the H1 and H2, but immediately you notice much greater depth - layering is good, and the warm timbre and deeper tone give the Opera05 a slightly more intimate sound than the airy H2. Instrument separation and imaging are also a notch above their other current models. Percussion and acoustics arrange nicely around you, and although resolution and detail retrieval improve on their other models, it's still not a stand-out feature - it is hard to grasp nuances of instruments at times, especially with classical and, coincidentally, opera.
The trebles are very crispy, much more so than the Capsule3 Pro and Mini Pro HS, and there is excellent texture to shakers, snares and tams. On the first track I tested - 'I'm So Into You' by Arianna Grande - there is a shimmer to the percussion that you don't usually hear on TWS - a good start! Female vocals sit back from the arrangement slightly but can sound sibilant. There's more brightness about the trebles than their other releases, but at times it feels a little too much, although this can be tamed slightly in the EQ.
The subbass starts slightly rolled off but is thick enough to compensate for the iffy fit and gives a really strong presence - it's SoundPEATS' usual punchy sound signature here - bassheads won't be disappointed. The midbass is elevated but well-controlled - this brings extra presence to R&B vocals and bass guitars, and as a result the sound is engaging and entertaining with nice tonality and decent detail.
Overall it is probably SoundPEATS' best sound yet - SoundPEATS have done a solid job of improving on their house sound - and it is definitely a step up from Capsule3 Pro and Mini Pro HS purely for the extra cleanness to the kick drums and improved resolution. For £79 they offer great bang for buck, and I get the impression it would be even better with a better fit.
Call Quality - Indoors - 7.5/10, Outdoors - 7.5/10
With one less mic than the Capsule3 Pro and Mini Pro HS has less hardware to cope with the ambient sounds around you, and it shows, with slightly weaker performance when there' environmental sound to deal with. Even so, considering the design constraints, the Opera05 does a pretty decent job of conveying your voice in a variety of environments.
Indoors, your voice comes across very clearly. With no other sounds around you, your voice is very coherent and authoritative although there's an element of digital noise that comes across you at times - with silence there is decent tone and weight though.
Outdoors, it's a similar story. Wind is handled well, and talking from nearby pedestrians seems to be eradicated better than indoors, although not perfectly.
For calls and voice notes, you certainly won't be rendered incoherent - if this is now the SoundPEATS default standard, then massive kudos for raising the bar - call quality is better than the likes of the Air3 Pro, but not quite at the level of the Capsule3 Pro.
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7.5/10
The SoundPEATS app is definitely a little more mature these days, although some of the experimental features are again missing, with SoundPEATS opting for stability over features. Adaptive EQ, like on the MPHS & Capsule3 Pro, has been left out, and really you only have a few functions available - ANC toggle, single-touch toggle, and gaming mode toggle. You do also have 9 EQ presets and a 10-band equaliser (-31Hz to +16KHz) so lots of room here to tailor your own preferred sound.
Just like with the MPHS, I didn't find many of the presets especially useful. Electronic boosts the upper and lower mids, giving vocals a little more sparkle, but also detracting from clarity a litle as the bass overwhelms a little. Rock&Roll and Treble Enhancement add hiss to the treble (although the latter sounds much thinner). Folk decimates the treble, Pop compresses the midrange, and the bass boost and reduction presets do exactly what they claim to, although not to a point you'd actually want to use it.
Controls are back to the old scheme, with no option to play the previous track unfortunately. Single tap on the left and right bud reduces and increases volume respectively. Double tap plays/pauses and answers calls, hold the left bud for a couple of seconds to toggle ANC mode, hold the right bud to progress track forward. Triple left tap for gaming mode, triple right tap for voice assistant. The controls are responsive and intuitive, although there are no control mapping options from the app. There are voice prompts for 'Pairing', 'Connect' and the various ANC modes, with tones for other functions.
Latency is OK - videos are close to lipsync, although not as impressive as the Air3 Pro. Volume is loud - I rarely went above 70%, a little lower than most of my earbuds, although not quite as loud as the Mini Pro HS.
Battery Life - 8/10
Battery life is very respectable on the Opera05, although as with all ANC and LDAC buds, it can vary depending on your usage. My findings were as follows:
ANC off, SBC, occasional call, 50% volume - 6 hours 58 minutes playtime (advertised 8)
ANC off, LDAC, one call, 50% volume - 4 hours 16 minutes (advertised 5.5 hours)
ANC on, SBC, 50% volume - 5 hours 10 minutes (advertised 6.5 hours)
ANC on, LDAC, 50% volume - 4 hours 11 minutes (advertised 4.5 hours)
The charge case enables the buds to be charged an additional three full cycles before it had to be charged again - this compares quite favourably with many other LDAC buds on the market, but lags behind the much more expensive Soundcore Space A40 - the pace setter when it comes to battery life in these conditions - and their own Capsule3 Pro.
Summary
The Opera05 are a fine addition to the SoundPEATS portfolio, improving on the sound of their recent releases further, having already 'refined' their classic sound signature to a much more palatable v-shape, this time offering greater energy and presence. It is very pleasing to hear sound like this in a mid-tier budget bud - whilst I wouldn't rate it ahead of the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro, for example, it isn't far behind, and can be picked up for substantially cheaper at the Kickstarter price of $79.
The problem for me is the fit. Whilst the build quality is great, the ergonomics for those of us with small ears make them an impractical choice. There is also the question of whether you're prepared to trade off some of the big benefits you get with the Capsule3 Pro, for example, such as 43dB ANC, quick charge and better call quality, for incrementally better sound - for some, this will make sense, for others, not so much.
The Opera05 lack a few features that would befit a true flagship release, such as multipoint, customisable controls, spatial sound and a more feature-rich app, but maybe these will come with future releases - as it is, SoundPEATS have brought probably their best sound so far, without blowing it out of the water.
Price Weighted Score: 85%
Raw Score: 80%
SoundPEATS Review Inventory:
SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro
SoundPEATS H2
SoundPEATS T3
SoundPEATS Mini
SoundPEATS Air3
SoundPEATS TrueAir2+
SoundPEATS TrueAir 2
SoundPEATS H1
SoundPEATS T2
SoundPEATS Sonic
About SoundPEATS:
SoundPEATS seem to have become an overnight sensation, wiping up a large portion of budget TWS earbud market share with a business model that has served them (and Anker before them) exceptionally well - good distribution channels (via Amazon), good support, a catchy name and product that performs well at a very competitive price point. In reality, they have been around a long time - whilst Shenzhen SoundSOUL IT Co LTD is a different trading name to Ginto E-Commerce, they share the same business address (including room number) as them - you may know their brand name better as Dudios. With Dudios not sounding quite so cool as Soundpeats, maybe the brand transition has been instrumental in their success, but having been around since 2010 and patents in Bluetooth tech stretching back to 2015, they are not the plucky upstarts that some may think - they know their stuff, have a great network of contacts, and now a very solid brand in Europe, and deservedly so.
The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them my favourite budget earbud vendor, is that they are completely transparent over their components. Whether they use Realtek, Qualcomm or Airoha chips in their buds, they are totally open about it, and as a reviewer this really helps, because whilst I have, and do, dismantle buds to check the way that certain things have been implemented (such as the power management, mems mics, etc) and I really don't like having to do it with every set of earbuds, because they then become unusable.
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Model: SoundPEATS Opera05
Price: Kickstarter - $79 (likely to be $99 on Amazon)
Website: SoundPEATS
Review Reference: RC089
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: SoundPEATS
- Model: Opera05
- Driver: 12mm Dynamic Driver, Dual Balanced Armature Drivers
- Chipset: WUQI WQ7033AR
- Mic: 4 mics with ENC
- ANC: Yes, up to 30dB
- Codecs: LDAC, AAC, SBC
- App Support: Yes
- Volume Control: Yes
- Gaming Mode: No
- Earbud Weight: 7.2g
- Earbud Dimensions: 23.5mm height, depth approx. 28.5mm
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 58.9g
- Case Dimensions: 69.2mm (width) x 45mm (height) x 31mm (depth)
- Case Charge Capacity: 300mAh
- Quick Charge: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 8 hours (ANC off, SBC), Up to 5 hours (ANC on, LDAC)
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 33 hours
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.3
- Bluetooth Protocols: BLE/ HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: IPX4
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
YouTube Review:
Introduction
Welcome to the @regancipher review of SoundPEATS' imminent release, that is currently only available via Kickstarter (but will launch soon on Amazon and other good retailers) and is essentially their 'flagship' release for 2023.
SoundPEATS have been relentless with their releases recently, most of which I've reviewed and you can find my thoughts on each of those models in the list at the bottom of the review. However, despite polishing and refining their sound signature and adding LDAC support across their portfolio, they've not added a hybrid driver release since the H1 & H2 - both of which were released back in 2021, and with the likes of Huawei, Oppo, Edifier, Soundcore and even Tronsmart all getting there first in 2022, a bud of this ilk had been long overdue.
The Opera03 and Opera05 are SoundPEATS' answer to that conundrum - the former offering dual-drivers, and the latter, which we will look at today, triple-drivers - two balanced armatures and one 12mm dynamic moving coil, as well as support for the high resolution LDAC codec. Based on the design of the Mini Pro, I knew we were in for a bulky design that may not jive well with my ears - read on to see whether my suspicions were correct, and for a thorough analysis of the SoundPEATS Opera05.
Unboxing - 7/10
Unboxing SoundPEATS' releases is pretty consistent - like with most of SoundPEATS recent releases, they've opted for the 'environmentally-friendly' approach, minimising the use of unnecessary plastics in the packaging with a predominantly cardboard-centric enclosure, including the tips and manual, which are held in custom holders.
The instruction manual is, as always, in seven different languages (mostly European), and there's also a card indicating how to update the firmware. This is worth having to hand - mine shipped with v0.88 and immediately triggered an update to v1.0, and whilst you are prompted in the app, it may be that you navigate away from the prompt - like with many apps the firmware update section isn't immediately obvious.
The tips look to be the same as those included with the Capsule3 Pro - grey in colour, with an orange ring on the inside. They're ok - nothing special, like most budget TWS, and you've only got small, medium and large options.
Case - 7.5/10
The charge case of the Opera05 is unmistakably SoundPEATS, combining the pill-shape design that we've seen on a variety of models from the Mini onwards, with the a gold accent applied to the edge of the hinge that works well, complementing the design a little more than the usual recessed grey strip, although it does make the lid slightly harder to flip open with one hand. The slogan 'hear your imagination' is screen printed very subtly on the rail that runs around the lid, and this is repeated on the buds themselves too.
Once the case is open you're greeted with a familiar-looking cockpit. The buds slot in the top in the same way they do on the Mini Pro HS, although because of the size and weight of the buds they are slightly more difficult to prize away from the magnets holding them in place, especially if you have the case resting down on the desk in front of you, which you may need to do as the case does conveniently support hall switch mode. The hinge has a hold point at 45 degrees, but it lacks the gradual friction hinge of the Mini Pro HS case, which was a really nice feature. Even so, it isn't likely to snap shut on you. The hinge also has a bit more play, and doesn't quite feel as premium.
You're also greeted by an LED on the front, which utilises the usual green-amber-red traffic-light-style schema to denote remaining charge in the case. When the case is in normal use, the LED will show green for 50-100% (basically 1.5 additional charges), amber for 10-49% and red for below 10%. It's slightly different when you're charging the case - green stays solid at fully charged, pulses at 70-99%, it's amber for 20-69% and red for below 20%. Whilst this is slightly confusing, the figures are only approximate anyway and my rule of thumb of 'if you're green - you're good for the day' hasn't let me down so far.
The rear is nicely finished, with the gold rail meeting a rectangle with the SoundPEATS logo, although to my eyes that looks a slightly different shade of gold (more rose-gold, although not quite the brassy colour of the Opera03. The usb charging socket is augmented by a metallic gold border, giving it a little more rigidity. There is no wireless charging on this model, and the case battery is 300mAh - not the greatest, but it does offer an additional three charges.
There is a reset button on the left outer edge of the case that is a little difficult to see, but it will put the buds back into pairing mode, and you can see this from the case LED pulsing white.
The case construction is a hard-shell plastic that feels more aluminium alloy, and is robust enough to withstand kicking around in your pocket or handbag. This hefty design contributes to the weight of almost 60g - nearly double some of SoundPEATS previous releases! Whilst it will fit in your trouser pocket, it is probably a little too beefy for most.
Whilst it isn't the most portable case, and the absence of quick charge is a shame, it is a hard-wearing and functional case that does the basics OK.
Design & Ergonomics - 6/10
The Opera05 (and Opera03) are 'button-shaped' double-flange earbuds that, like the Edifier W240TN and Mini Pro HS, struggle to find room for everything they need to fit into their frame. However, the Opera05 is comfortably the largest TWS I've tested so far, without the thinner nozzle you see on some models, and this contributes to a rather awkward fit that those with small ears simply won't be able to use.
The build quality of the buds is very good though, with lots of attention to detail in the elements that comprise the design.
The outer edge is nicely finished in gold, with a bevelled edge allowing easier retractment from the case. The touch control area is large and very responsive, and the opening for the mic is nicely protected with a metallic-looking mesh finish, matching that which covers the driver and nozzle.
Along the top the gold border continues, and the slogan we saw on the case reappears here. I've seen some reviewers claim it looks a bit tacky but in reality you need macro eyes to see it - it's tiny and out of the way. The opening for the ambient mic is also very nicely finished, again with a gold rim. On the bottom, there is a strip battery connector as opposed to the unreliable pogo pins, which is a nice touch.
The bulkiness of the design can be seen in more detail when lined up alongside some of their peers. With a depth of 28.5mm, they measure a whole 0.5cm thicker than the Mini Pro HS. They are also thicker than the shell used in the Fiio FW5, Tronsmart Apollo Bold, Cleer Ally Plus, etc., and also have a larger, oval nozzle and steeper gradient.
When compared with their H1, it is a very different design - the H1 was more angled and directed towards the ear canal. Whilst this also wasn't perfect for everyone (it could feel obtrusive), it did contribute to a more stable fit, and Soundcore demonstrated similar thinking with the thin, angled nozzle and presence of a wing tip on their larger-designed TWS, the Liberty 3 Pro.
That improved build quality, larger battery and three driver array makes for a hefty 7.22g - the beefiest TWS I've tested after the 4BA KZ SA08 - and unfortunately that wasn't the most stable earbud either.
As a result, combined with my narrow ear canals, even with the largest (or smallest) ear tips to try and give the fit more support, the buds lean precariously out of my ears looking like they are ready to topple out at any moment - unfortunately, that's because they did!
I've watched a few reviews of the Opera05 and Opera03, and for many, the fit is absolutely fine. Annoyingly, they seem to nestle nicely in Kenneth Tanaka's ears whilst I can barely get them to stay in just for the tests! So the bulky design is down to your own ear anatomy as to whether it is something that will be a deal breaker. For me, I settled on using the largest tips and they just about stay in. It seems to be the trend of earbuds to cram as much in and go larger with a larger nozzle, so it's something I'll maybe tolerate at home, but for exercise this is a non-starter for me sadly. The buds do offer IPX4 resistance against sweat and raindrops though.
From the side profile, they are pretty large, but it's not quite the 'Frankenstein's Monster' look that you get from the front.
So a mixed bag really - the build quality is very good, but the ergonomics simply don't work for me sadly.
ANC - 7.5/10
ANC on the Opera05 is pretty good. It isn't quite as good as the Mini Pro HS or Capsule3 Pro, but I suspect that is mostly down to the fit. There's no dedicated Wind Noise Reduction mode, alternative passthrough modes or strength bar like you get on something like the QCY HT05 Melobuds, but I find them a little gimmicky anyway - the Opera05 has decent ANC that is either on or off, and a natural-sounding passthrough mode that works fine for conversations close-up, but isn't going to accentuate distant sounds artificially.
Indoors, air conditioning units and boilers are muffled and even keyboard taps are reduced to clicks. If you're sitting near a window, the noise of traffic is also reduced to a whisper, but it won't drown out the TV or noisy kids.
Outdoors you notice it isn't quite as effective as the Mini Pro HS in that you hear nearby cars slightly sooner. Wind is dealt with moderately well, although again, I suspect fit is instrumental in the level of performance expected here.
Audio Quality and Sound Signature - 8.75/10 (for the price), 8/10 (raw score)
The Opera05 positions itself as the 'audiophile' in SoundPEATS' range with a combination of triple drivers and LDAC support. There's a single dynamic driver and dual balanced armatures, and the Opera05 takes advantage of the capabilities of the WUQI WQ7033AR chipset, which permits a frequency response of 20Hz-40KHz, transfer rate of 990kbps and transmission up to 24bit/96KHz using the LDAC codec.
The Opera05 are definitely tuned to be punchier than the other SoundPEATS sets I've tested recently, retaining that prominent midbass and clean, slightly-recessed midrange. However with the BA drivers, naturally you're getting a much stronger treble extension, and this makes for an engaging, energetic sound that works well with R&B, hip hop, house and techno.
Soundstage is probably not as open as the H1 and H2, but immediately you notice much greater depth - layering is good, and the warm timbre and deeper tone give the Opera05 a slightly more intimate sound than the airy H2. Instrument separation and imaging are also a notch above their other current models. Percussion and acoustics arrange nicely around you, and although resolution and detail retrieval improve on their other models, it's still not a stand-out feature - it is hard to grasp nuances of instruments at times, especially with classical and, coincidentally, opera.
The trebles are very crispy, much more so than the Capsule3 Pro and Mini Pro HS, and there is excellent texture to shakers, snares and tams. On the first track I tested - 'I'm So Into You' by Arianna Grande - there is a shimmer to the percussion that you don't usually hear on TWS - a good start! Female vocals sit back from the arrangement slightly but can sound sibilant. There's more brightness about the trebles than their other releases, but at times it feels a little too much, although this can be tamed slightly in the EQ.
The subbass starts slightly rolled off but is thick enough to compensate for the iffy fit and gives a really strong presence - it's SoundPEATS' usual punchy sound signature here - bassheads won't be disappointed. The midbass is elevated but well-controlled - this brings extra presence to R&B vocals and bass guitars, and as a result the sound is engaging and entertaining with nice tonality and decent detail.
Overall it is probably SoundPEATS' best sound yet - SoundPEATS have done a solid job of improving on their house sound - and it is definitely a step up from Capsule3 Pro and Mini Pro HS purely for the extra cleanness to the kick drums and improved resolution. For £79 they offer great bang for buck, and I get the impression it would be even better with a better fit.
Call Quality - Indoors - 7.5/10, Outdoors - 7.5/10
With one less mic than the Capsule3 Pro and Mini Pro HS has less hardware to cope with the ambient sounds around you, and it shows, with slightly weaker performance when there' environmental sound to deal with. Even so, considering the design constraints, the Opera05 does a pretty decent job of conveying your voice in a variety of environments.
Indoors, your voice comes across very clearly. With no other sounds around you, your voice is very coherent and authoritative although there's an element of digital noise that comes across you at times - with silence there is decent tone and weight though.
Outdoors, it's a similar story. Wind is handled well, and talking from nearby pedestrians seems to be eradicated better than indoors, although not perfectly.
For calls and voice notes, you certainly won't be rendered incoherent - if this is now the SoundPEATS default standard, then massive kudos for raising the bar - call quality is better than the likes of the Air3 Pro, but not quite at the level of the Capsule3 Pro.
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7.5/10
The SoundPEATS app is definitely a little more mature these days, although some of the experimental features are again missing, with SoundPEATS opting for stability over features. Adaptive EQ, like on the MPHS & Capsule3 Pro, has been left out, and really you only have a few functions available - ANC toggle, single-touch toggle, and gaming mode toggle. You do also have 9 EQ presets and a 10-band equaliser (-31Hz to +16KHz) so lots of room here to tailor your own preferred sound.
Just like with the MPHS, I didn't find many of the presets especially useful. Electronic boosts the upper and lower mids, giving vocals a little more sparkle, but also detracting from clarity a litle as the bass overwhelms a little. Rock&Roll and Treble Enhancement add hiss to the treble (although the latter sounds much thinner). Folk decimates the treble, Pop compresses the midrange, and the bass boost and reduction presets do exactly what they claim to, although not to a point you'd actually want to use it.
Controls are back to the old scheme, with no option to play the previous track unfortunately. Single tap on the left and right bud reduces and increases volume respectively. Double tap plays/pauses and answers calls, hold the left bud for a couple of seconds to toggle ANC mode, hold the right bud to progress track forward. Triple left tap for gaming mode, triple right tap for voice assistant. The controls are responsive and intuitive, although there are no control mapping options from the app. There are voice prompts for 'Pairing', 'Connect' and the various ANC modes, with tones for other functions.
Latency is OK - videos are close to lipsync, although not as impressive as the Air3 Pro. Volume is loud - I rarely went above 70%, a little lower than most of my earbuds, although not quite as loud as the Mini Pro HS.
Battery Life - 8/10
Battery life is very respectable on the Opera05, although as with all ANC and LDAC buds, it can vary depending on your usage. My findings were as follows:
ANC off, SBC, occasional call, 50% volume - 6 hours 58 minutes playtime (advertised 8)
ANC off, LDAC, one call, 50% volume - 4 hours 16 minutes (advertised 5.5 hours)
ANC on, SBC, 50% volume - 5 hours 10 minutes (advertised 6.5 hours)
ANC on, LDAC, 50% volume - 4 hours 11 minutes (advertised 4.5 hours)
The charge case enables the buds to be charged an additional three full cycles before it had to be charged again - this compares quite favourably with many other LDAC buds on the market, but lags behind the much more expensive Soundcore Space A40 - the pace setter when it comes to battery life in these conditions - and their own Capsule3 Pro.
Summary
The Opera05 are a fine addition to the SoundPEATS portfolio, improving on the sound of their recent releases further, having already 'refined' their classic sound signature to a much more palatable v-shape, this time offering greater energy and presence. It is very pleasing to hear sound like this in a mid-tier budget bud - whilst I wouldn't rate it ahead of the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro, for example, it isn't far behind, and can be picked up for substantially cheaper at the Kickstarter price of $79.
The problem for me is the fit. Whilst the build quality is great, the ergonomics for those of us with small ears make them an impractical choice. There is also the question of whether you're prepared to trade off some of the big benefits you get with the Capsule3 Pro, for example, such as 43dB ANC, quick charge and better call quality, for incrementally better sound - for some, this will make sense, for others, not so much.
The Opera05 lack a few features that would befit a true flagship release, such as multipoint, customisable controls, spatial sound and a more feature-rich app, but maybe these will come with future releases - as it is, SoundPEATS have brought probably their best sound so far, without blowing it out of the water.
Price Weighted Score: 85%
Raw Score: 80%
SoundPEATS Review Inventory:
SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro
SoundPEATS H2
SoundPEATS T3
SoundPEATS Mini
SoundPEATS Air3
SoundPEATS TrueAir2+
SoundPEATS TrueAir 2
SoundPEATS H1
SoundPEATS T2
SoundPEATS Sonic
About SoundPEATS:
SoundPEATS seem to have become an overnight sensation, wiping up a large portion of budget TWS earbud market share with a business model that has served them (and Anker before them) exceptionally well - good distribution channels (via Amazon), good support, a catchy name and product that performs well at a very competitive price point. In reality, they have been around a long time - whilst Shenzhen SoundSOUL IT Co LTD is a different trading name to Ginto E-Commerce, they share the same business address (including room number) as them - you may know their brand name better as Dudios. With Dudios not sounding quite so cool as Soundpeats, maybe the brand transition has been instrumental in their success, but having been around since 2010 and patents in Bluetooth tech stretching back to 2015, they are not the plucky upstarts that some may think - they know their stuff, have a great network of contacts, and now a very solid brand in Europe, and deservedly so.
The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them my favourite budget earbud vendor, is that they are completely transparent over their components. Whether they use Realtek, Qualcomm or Airoha chips in their buds, they are totally open about it, and as a reviewer this really helps, because whilst I have, and do, dismantle buds to check the way that certain things have been implemented (such as the power management, mems mics, etc) and I really don't like having to do it with every set of earbuds, because they then become unusable.
SynaestheticA
They really don't look that big until you put them in your ears, then damn! Those are chonkers.
SynaestheticA
God they're big and pokey. Came back here just to remind myself how big.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
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Model: Haylou OW01 Purfree Buds
Price: MSRP Approx £120
Website: Haylou
Review Reference: RC088
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, Chinese
YouTube Review
Introduction
Welcome to the @regancipher review of the latest Haylou sports earbud release, the OW01 aka Purfree Buds. The buds are the follow up to the BC01 Purfree Bone Conduction Headphones I reviewed a few months ago, and represent the latest chapter in Haylou's eye-catching transition from budget TWS vendor to mid-tier lifestyle brand, with niche, sports-centric headphones now taking a lofty perch alongside their budget smartwatch and earbud portfolios.
Their BC01 were my favourite bone conduction headphones of 2022 - a remarkable product that deserved the multitude of awards they won, including the VGP Red Dot Award for Design. With a thoughtful approach to ergonomics and Lieshing Electronics' sound engineering experience, it proved to be a match made in heaven for bone conduction headphones that easily challenged the Shokz Openrun at a fraction of the price, so I was looking forward to seeing what Haylou offered with the OW01 - wearables that look to challenge the Oladance, Bose Sport Open, Cleer Audio Arc and JLab Open Sport as the open-ear buds to beat.
Unboxing
Unboxing the BC01 was pretty impressive, but somehow Haylou have actually outdone themselves by taking the experience up another notch. The product enclosure looks more like a ready-made gift box, with a heavy duty cardboard exterior offering an incredibly premium feel. The front gives you an image of the buds, and the back details the key features in Chinese and English.
The back has an authenticity check sticker, and lists the headline parameters, including IP55 moisture and dust resistance and durable battery life.
Inside the box you get a product manual, again in Chinese and English, which uses diagrams and text instructions to good effect, and a USB-C charge cable, both housed in a mini cardboard enclosure which sits below the impressive looking charge case.
Haylou have again positioned the product as a potential gift - it's a shame Christmas has been and gone, but before long Valentine's Day will be upon us, and the OW01 certainly wouldn't look out of place being wrapped up and handed over without the risk of a slap to the face!
Case
The case, similar to other earbuds of this style, is by necessity akin to a minature eyeglasses case - very wide (just over 10cm), with the buds sitting back to back inside and facing you as you flip open the lid. However unlike most vendors, they've chosen to 'hybrid-ise' a single case rather than offering a separate carry case and charge cradle. Many of Haylou's competitors have separated out the carry case and charging function, with the user required to plug the earbuds in or seat them in a cradle. This isn't especially convenient and prevents the buds from charging in between uses, which is counter-intuitive if you're used to TWS, but with a reasonably portable charge case Haylou are able to combine both functions, and for me it is an effective compromise that works well.
It's a very premium-feeling matte black aluminum alloy case which shimmers in the light, with the HAYLOU logo and a small triangle indicating where to open the lid screen printed in a contrasting shiny finish. A USB-C socket is located at the rear, so you can pop them on the desk whilst charging and they will sit in their correct formation. There is a case LED at the front, directly below the triangle, but it's a bit of a missed opportunity here as it only seems to pulse when charging, and glow briefly when you open the case - there's no indication of how much charge is remaining, and without app support you're kinda in the dark over how much juice you have remaining. The case does have hall switch mode though - flip the lid and you'll notice they connect to your device straight away - a gift, and a curse, because when you pop them onto your ears, you'll likely find you activate the controls accidentally. Inside the cockpit you've got a reset and initiate pairing button - useful if you can't remember what you're connected to.
It is an extremely robust case that isn't short on heft, weighing in at over 120g - three times the weight of your average budget TWS - but despite that, it actually feels quite a bit lighter than you would expect. Granted, it isn't going to pop in your shorts when you're out for a run, but it's thin, long profile means it won't weigh you down in a Napoleon pocket when you're out for a hike, or even a normal inside jacket pocket when you're out and about.
Design & Ergonomics
The OW01 are predominantly sports buds with an open-air 'zero gravity fit' design that permits greater safety by allowing the wearer to hear their surroundings without the need for switching on ambient mode or removing the buds from their ears. By the same token, the comfort and convenience makes them suitable for other scenarios, such as wearing in an office where you need to hear conversations periodically, or even around the house where you don't want to seem overly ignorant to those around you.
Haylou's Purfree series have a common theme - optimal comfort, with the use of medical grade silicone for the parts that put pressure on the skin, and maleable but robust titanium alloy to give the product shape, stability and durability. Haylou claim to have designated over 600 hours to finding the ideal fit - not easy when everyones ear anatomy is different - but from my persepctive, they've done a sterling job balancing those essential components in a good open ear bud design.
The OW01 come in four colour schemes - orange, burgundy and black, white and pink, light and neon green and black. On the orange model, the burgundy, silicone ear hooks feel soft against your skin, but they don't have a great deal of give, and even feel a little loose on the ears at first. They pass the shake test, for sure, but initially I didn't feel like they would last a long run. I also wasn't initially convinced with the comfort, with a bit of ache at the back of my ear after using them for a few hours in the house.
I was wrong on both fronts. I took them out for a 5km and after treading carefully at first, within a hundred metres or so the buds had almost morphed with ears, learning where they needed to go, and not missing a beat for the entirity of the run. Not only that, this bedding in period also saw the comfort improve immeasurably too. Everyones ears are different, and there's every chance they will jive with your ears straight away, but it is also good to know they settle into the rhythm of your ear anatomy over time - in my case it was literally a few hours.
The front of the bud has a large touch control area and an LED to denote pairing status (blue and white alternating when pairing). The touch control area only controls play and pause (x1), call functions (x1 to answer, x2 to hang up) and alternating tracks backwards (Left x2) and forwards (Right x2). Holding for two seconds hails voice assistant. Like the Bose Sport, some functions are offloaded to tactile buttons on each side, conveniently placed for pinching on the bottom of the speaker area underneath the touch control. However, it's the reverse of the Bose as these instead control volume. Separating out the functions is definitely beneficial, because if you put your finger too close to the touch controls they are prone to accidental touches - with a physical button situated away from that area a little, I found I was able to control volume more effectively as a result, but whether it's better to have volume on the touch controls instead is really personal preference - Bose give you the ability to switch touch controls off via the app, but without an app Haylou can't offer the same feature.
There are openings both on the back and the inside of the bud, with a total of 4 speaker outputs on each ear working in combination with the 16.2mm dynamic drivers to provide a capable audio delivery that doesn't come up short in the volume department. If I had one minor criticism of the BC01, they didn't quite hit the volume level needed if on a bike and in a busy, urban area with lots of ambient sound. The immersive nature of the sound thanks to these outputs prevents that from being an issue here.
The openings allow the buds to pipe sound from different direction into and around your ears, and whilst I'm not sure it is quite the three-dimensional sound that Haylou hope to offer, it is certainly a more engaging, immersive delivery than most air conduction buds, which, even with multiple speakers, tend to transmit sound rather uniformly. The design also helps to reduce leakage, and whilst it is likely people close to you will know you're listening to something, they certainly won't be able to tell what it is.
The orange sections which hold the drivers are made from plastic, and this differs from something like the Oladance which is silicone on the inside and has a more targeted nozzle, but don't let that put you off - the plastic on the OW01 is rarely if ever noticeable, and this provides an impressive level of comfort. They weigh around 12g each, but certainly don't feel heavy, and are significantly lighter than something like the Cleer Ally Arc, which come in at nearly 15g, even weighing in less than the previous lightest - the Oladance (at 12.7g).
In terms of the profile, they only jut out from the side ever-so-slightly, and I have to say look far better than traditional air or even bone conduction headphones. They also offer IP55 sweat and dust resistance - you can't shower in them, but they do offer enhanced protection over the competition, which are predominantly IPX4.
It's possible to wear them with glasses and even a mask, with the mask fitting over the top. The stability within the design means they don't wobble off your ears when you remove your mask. Unfortunately, I found them a little uncomfortable with a baseball cap as the cap presses down on the ear hooks, but this is usually the case with buds of this ilk.
Another surprise bonus is their suitability for sleeping. After misplacing my Bluetooth 'sleepy mask', I've used them the last couple of nights both on my side and on my back, and they are probably the most suitable sleeper buds I've ever tried. The touch controls are actually touch sensitive, so they won't trigger from contact with your pillow, and they don't trigger from gloves either for that matter.
The buds use the Qualcomm QCC3040 chipset, and use the AptX codec by default. If you're on iPhone, it will default to SBC. Connectivity is once again rock solid, using Bluetooth 5.2.
Overall, they are comfortable, stable and apply many of the outstanding design principles of the BC01 - a pleasure to wear in a variety of activities, and the open design and stability may appeal to those who like the idea of semi-in-ear buds, but can never get them to stay in their ears.
Audio Quality and Sound Signature
Audio quality is usually a bit of an afterthought when selecting open earbuds, given the priority is usually comfort and stability. None of the competition can realistically claim to offer deep basslines or analytical-levels of detail. The most important thing from an audio perspective is that the sound is delivered to your ears effectively without excess harshness - due to the nature of these and other such buds you will need to periodically ramp up the volume to hear them over your surroundings, so it is important to eradicate shrill and sibilance as far as possible, whilst remaining punchy and giving the user a moderate amount of detail. Consequently, the graphs shouldn't necessarily be interpreted in the same way IEM's are.
Subbass on buds like these is usually scaled back to avoid a bloated, overwhelming sound, and the OW01 are no exception. The midbass peaks around 80Hz and remains fairly flat until dipping in the upper mids. There's very little presence to the lower frequencies generally, as you would expect, but enough to hear basslines and prevent tracks from sounding excessively thin, and not too much that if you ramp the volume up you'll hear distortion. Instead focus is on delivering clarity and weight to the midrange, including vocals, which naturally stand out. 'Side to Side' by Ariana Grande has a reasonable weight to the drums, great presence to the vocals, which pan around almost atmospherically, and decent texture to the snares and claps. 'Mad World' by Tears for Fears has emphasis on the kick and again the vocals, with decent clarity to brass instruments.
Haylou have tried to temper sibilance on vocals, and they've done a pretty decent job, only sounding slightly raspy on very high volumes. The open design gives the impression of an open, airy soundstage. On opera tracks like 'Nessun Dorma' by Luciano Pavarotti, strings, brass and woodwinds all separate nicely without being overcome by the vocal.
Don't expect IEM or even TWS audio - that isn't the design brief here, the bar isn't just lower, it's a different bar altogether. When assessing the Purfree Buds in comparison to other air conduction buds, they perform well, avoiding the distortion present on the Cleer Ally Arc at higher volumes, and giving a similarly wide, open sound to the Oladance. Again, it would be nice for Haylou to offer app support in the future, allowing the user to tweak the EQ to their liking. If you're an Android owner you've always got Wavelet to help, and I was able to whack the subbass right up without obvious distortion.
Call Quality
The addition of second mic has benefited the OW01 hugely, with a very respectable level of environmental noise reduction coming through, particularly in outdoor scenarios.
In rooms with silence, your voice is conveyed loudly and clearly with good weight and tone. There's a little compression there, but it certainly isn't enough to thin your voice out - the OW01 compete comfortably with some of the better TWS on the market in this respect.
Add simulated background noise to mimic chatter, and the OW01 do a decent job of elevating your voice over the sounds around you. Ambient sound certainly isn't eradicated altogether, but it is reduced to an acceptable volume that allows you to be more than coherent and audible.
Outdoors, the OW01 do better, aggregating environmental sound and reducing it to a hum that sounds more akin to interference. I've recently reviewed a number of buds with 6 mics and AI noise reduction, and whilst they aren't going to compete with those, considering the distance the mics are away from your mouth, the performance on calls is impressive.
Battery Life
The OW01 have a 55mAh battery capacity and offer a generous 8 hours of battery life, which compares well with the Bose Sport and trumps the 7 on the Cleer Ally Arc, buts falls short of the mammoth 16 hours on the Oladance. Unlike the Cleer Ally though, there is no quick charge feature, and this is a little bit of a shame, especially when you consider you don't have any real way of telling how much battery is remaining in the case. As far as I can tell, you've got a 90 minute case charging time in total, but the only way to tell is when the pulsing light on the case stops pulsing, so again this underlines how beneficial app support would be.
Real life tests showed the claims to be pretty accurate. With the aptX codec, a few calls and music at around 70% volume, I managed to get consistently over 7 hours use. The extra 2-3 charges from the case, which give you up to 32 hours, were also consistent, and this is a big benefit of the OW01, blowing away many of their competitors, which don't have the benefit of charging themselves in the charge case when you're not using them. The convenient charge case makes using the OW01 more familiar for TWS users used to not having to remove buds from the case in order to charge them, and this definitely stands in Haylou's favour.
Summary
Haylou have picked up a few Red Dot Awards for design now though, and it isn't hard to see why. They are carving quite a niche for themselves, following up the excellent BC01 with a second set of sports-centric audio wearables that focus on comfort and stability - the most important pre-requisites in designs for products in this arena.
The OW01 are a compelling option for those looking for open wearable buds which offer good sound and call quality with decent battery life, standing toe-to-toe with the likes of Bose and Oladance, at a much more affordable price. Even so, I do feel like the cost of all these sports buds, especially the Oladance, is a little too prohibitive to enable brands that don't have the Bose pull to make a serious dent on the market. It's not that they don't do enough to justify the lofty price tag, but sometimes you have to do some deals to pick up market share. Hopefully we'll see Haylou augment this release with some discount codes so they get the traction they deserve.
For Haylou to really take the product up a notch, users would benefit hugely from app support, and the ability to see how much battery is remaining, tweak EQ, update firmware and perhaps switch touch control on and off, but this is something which can at least be added later and doesn't detract from what is another excellent release from Haylou.
Comfort & Stability - 87%
Design - 85%
Durability - 85%
Audio - 78%
Calls - 82%
Features - 71%
Battery Life - 86%
Overall - 84%
Previous Haylou Reviews:
S35 ANC Headphones
Purfree Buds
Purfree BC01 Bone Conduction Headphones
W1
Moripods
About Haylou
The brand name Haylou is taken from the homonym of the English word "Hello". We believe that we can resonate with the sea through conch and listen to the voice of the ocean together, and we can also listen to the voice of users through Haylou and share the beauty of the voice together. Haylou is the messenger of sound and the medium through which we resonate with our users.
Haylou is a brand belonging to Dongguan Liesheng Electronic Technology. Dongguan Liesheng Electronic Technology, established in 2015, is a subsidiary of Dongguan Hele Electronics, having secured Series A funding from Xiaomi technology, becoming one of the earliest members of the Xiaomi Ecological Chain. Hele Electronics and Liesheng Electronic are the OEM for Xiaomi's Mi / Redmi Airdots, and their portfolio of products includes smart and sports wearables as well as a comprehensive range of audio products.
Haylou's product portfolio ranges from wireless audio, smart wearables, to IoT and other categories. And its business has covered more than 100 countries and regions, serving tens of millions of users around the world. We are committed to establishing a digital health ecology by integrating a "user-device-data" scenario via technological innovation. Embracing the values of "Empowering & Awakening", Haylou aims to inspire you to keep challenge, explore your potential and find a better self.
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Socials: Biolink
Model: Haylou OW01 Purfree Buds
Price: MSRP Approx £120
Website: Haylou
Review Reference: RC088
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: Haylou
- Model: OW01 Purfree Buds
- Driver: 16.2mm Dynamic Drivers
- Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3040
- Mic: 4 Mic with ENC
- ANC: No
- Codecs: AptX, SBC
- App Support: No
- Volume Control: Yes
- Gaming Mode: No
- Earbud Weight: 12.40g
- Earbud Dimensions: approx. 40mm high, 48mm width
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 120.28g
- Case Dimensions: 100mm (width) x 27mm (height) x 55mm (depth)
- Case Charge Capacity: 600mAh / 2.22Wh
- Quick Charge: Yes
- Wireless Charging: No
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 8 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 32 hours
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: IP55
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, Chinese
YouTube Review
Introduction
Welcome to the @regancipher review of the latest Haylou sports earbud release, the OW01 aka Purfree Buds. The buds are the follow up to the BC01 Purfree Bone Conduction Headphones I reviewed a few months ago, and represent the latest chapter in Haylou's eye-catching transition from budget TWS vendor to mid-tier lifestyle brand, with niche, sports-centric headphones now taking a lofty perch alongside their budget smartwatch and earbud portfolios.
Their BC01 were my favourite bone conduction headphones of 2022 - a remarkable product that deserved the multitude of awards they won, including the VGP Red Dot Award for Design. With a thoughtful approach to ergonomics and Lieshing Electronics' sound engineering experience, it proved to be a match made in heaven for bone conduction headphones that easily challenged the Shokz Openrun at a fraction of the price, so I was looking forward to seeing what Haylou offered with the OW01 - wearables that look to challenge the Oladance, Bose Sport Open, Cleer Audio Arc and JLab Open Sport as the open-ear buds to beat.
Unboxing
Unboxing the BC01 was pretty impressive, but somehow Haylou have actually outdone themselves by taking the experience up another notch. The product enclosure looks more like a ready-made gift box, with a heavy duty cardboard exterior offering an incredibly premium feel. The front gives you an image of the buds, and the back details the key features in Chinese and English.
The back has an authenticity check sticker, and lists the headline parameters, including IP55 moisture and dust resistance and durable battery life.
Inside the box you get a product manual, again in Chinese and English, which uses diagrams and text instructions to good effect, and a USB-C charge cable, both housed in a mini cardboard enclosure which sits below the impressive looking charge case.
Haylou have again positioned the product as a potential gift - it's a shame Christmas has been and gone, but before long Valentine's Day will be upon us, and the OW01 certainly wouldn't look out of place being wrapped up and handed over without the risk of a slap to the face!
Case
The case, similar to other earbuds of this style, is by necessity akin to a minature eyeglasses case - very wide (just over 10cm), with the buds sitting back to back inside and facing you as you flip open the lid. However unlike most vendors, they've chosen to 'hybrid-ise' a single case rather than offering a separate carry case and charge cradle. Many of Haylou's competitors have separated out the carry case and charging function, with the user required to plug the earbuds in or seat them in a cradle. This isn't especially convenient and prevents the buds from charging in between uses, which is counter-intuitive if you're used to TWS, but with a reasonably portable charge case Haylou are able to combine both functions, and for me it is an effective compromise that works well.
It's a very premium-feeling matte black aluminum alloy case which shimmers in the light, with the HAYLOU logo and a small triangle indicating where to open the lid screen printed in a contrasting shiny finish. A USB-C socket is located at the rear, so you can pop them on the desk whilst charging and they will sit in their correct formation. There is a case LED at the front, directly below the triangle, but it's a bit of a missed opportunity here as it only seems to pulse when charging, and glow briefly when you open the case - there's no indication of how much charge is remaining, and without app support you're kinda in the dark over how much juice you have remaining. The case does have hall switch mode though - flip the lid and you'll notice they connect to your device straight away - a gift, and a curse, because when you pop them onto your ears, you'll likely find you activate the controls accidentally. Inside the cockpit you've got a reset and initiate pairing button - useful if you can't remember what you're connected to.
It is an extremely robust case that isn't short on heft, weighing in at over 120g - three times the weight of your average budget TWS - but despite that, it actually feels quite a bit lighter than you would expect. Granted, it isn't going to pop in your shorts when you're out for a run, but it's thin, long profile means it won't weigh you down in a Napoleon pocket when you're out for a hike, or even a normal inside jacket pocket when you're out and about.
Design & Ergonomics
The OW01 are predominantly sports buds with an open-air 'zero gravity fit' design that permits greater safety by allowing the wearer to hear their surroundings without the need for switching on ambient mode or removing the buds from their ears. By the same token, the comfort and convenience makes them suitable for other scenarios, such as wearing in an office where you need to hear conversations periodically, or even around the house where you don't want to seem overly ignorant to those around you.
Haylou's Purfree series have a common theme - optimal comfort, with the use of medical grade silicone for the parts that put pressure on the skin, and maleable but robust titanium alloy to give the product shape, stability and durability. Haylou claim to have designated over 600 hours to finding the ideal fit - not easy when everyones ear anatomy is different - but from my persepctive, they've done a sterling job balancing those essential components in a good open ear bud design.
The OW01 come in four colour schemes - orange, burgundy and black, white and pink, light and neon green and black. On the orange model, the burgundy, silicone ear hooks feel soft against your skin, but they don't have a great deal of give, and even feel a little loose on the ears at first. They pass the shake test, for sure, but initially I didn't feel like they would last a long run. I also wasn't initially convinced with the comfort, with a bit of ache at the back of my ear after using them for a few hours in the house.
I was wrong on both fronts. I took them out for a 5km and after treading carefully at first, within a hundred metres or so the buds had almost morphed with ears, learning where they needed to go, and not missing a beat for the entirity of the run. Not only that, this bedding in period also saw the comfort improve immeasurably too. Everyones ears are different, and there's every chance they will jive with your ears straight away, but it is also good to know they settle into the rhythm of your ear anatomy over time - in my case it was literally a few hours.
The front of the bud has a large touch control area and an LED to denote pairing status (blue and white alternating when pairing). The touch control area only controls play and pause (x1), call functions (x1 to answer, x2 to hang up) and alternating tracks backwards (Left x2) and forwards (Right x2). Holding for two seconds hails voice assistant. Like the Bose Sport, some functions are offloaded to tactile buttons on each side, conveniently placed for pinching on the bottom of the speaker area underneath the touch control. However, it's the reverse of the Bose as these instead control volume. Separating out the functions is definitely beneficial, because if you put your finger too close to the touch controls they are prone to accidental touches - with a physical button situated away from that area a little, I found I was able to control volume more effectively as a result, but whether it's better to have volume on the touch controls instead is really personal preference - Bose give you the ability to switch touch controls off via the app, but without an app Haylou can't offer the same feature.
There are openings both on the back and the inside of the bud, with a total of 4 speaker outputs on each ear working in combination with the 16.2mm dynamic drivers to provide a capable audio delivery that doesn't come up short in the volume department. If I had one minor criticism of the BC01, they didn't quite hit the volume level needed if on a bike and in a busy, urban area with lots of ambient sound. The immersive nature of the sound thanks to these outputs prevents that from being an issue here.
The openings allow the buds to pipe sound from different direction into and around your ears, and whilst I'm not sure it is quite the three-dimensional sound that Haylou hope to offer, it is certainly a more engaging, immersive delivery than most air conduction buds, which, even with multiple speakers, tend to transmit sound rather uniformly. The design also helps to reduce leakage, and whilst it is likely people close to you will know you're listening to something, they certainly won't be able to tell what it is.
The orange sections which hold the drivers are made from plastic, and this differs from something like the Oladance which is silicone on the inside and has a more targeted nozzle, but don't let that put you off - the plastic on the OW01 is rarely if ever noticeable, and this provides an impressive level of comfort. They weigh around 12g each, but certainly don't feel heavy, and are significantly lighter than something like the Cleer Ally Arc, which come in at nearly 15g, even weighing in less than the previous lightest - the Oladance (at 12.7g).
In terms of the profile, they only jut out from the side ever-so-slightly, and I have to say look far better than traditional air or even bone conduction headphones. They also offer IP55 sweat and dust resistance - you can't shower in them, but they do offer enhanced protection over the competition, which are predominantly IPX4.
It's possible to wear them with glasses and even a mask, with the mask fitting over the top. The stability within the design means they don't wobble off your ears when you remove your mask. Unfortunately, I found them a little uncomfortable with a baseball cap as the cap presses down on the ear hooks, but this is usually the case with buds of this ilk.
Another surprise bonus is their suitability for sleeping. After misplacing my Bluetooth 'sleepy mask', I've used them the last couple of nights both on my side and on my back, and they are probably the most suitable sleeper buds I've ever tried. The touch controls are actually touch sensitive, so they won't trigger from contact with your pillow, and they don't trigger from gloves either for that matter.
The buds use the Qualcomm QCC3040 chipset, and use the AptX codec by default. If you're on iPhone, it will default to SBC. Connectivity is once again rock solid, using Bluetooth 5.2.
Overall, they are comfortable, stable and apply many of the outstanding design principles of the BC01 - a pleasure to wear in a variety of activities, and the open design and stability may appeal to those who like the idea of semi-in-ear buds, but can never get them to stay in their ears.
Audio Quality and Sound Signature
Audio quality is usually a bit of an afterthought when selecting open earbuds, given the priority is usually comfort and stability. None of the competition can realistically claim to offer deep basslines or analytical-levels of detail. The most important thing from an audio perspective is that the sound is delivered to your ears effectively without excess harshness - due to the nature of these and other such buds you will need to periodically ramp up the volume to hear them over your surroundings, so it is important to eradicate shrill and sibilance as far as possible, whilst remaining punchy and giving the user a moderate amount of detail. Consequently, the graphs shouldn't necessarily be interpreted in the same way IEM's are.
Subbass on buds like these is usually scaled back to avoid a bloated, overwhelming sound, and the OW01 are no exception. The midbass peaks around 80Hz and remains fairly flat until dipping in the upper mids. There's very little presence to the lower frequencies generally, as you would expect, but enough to hear basslines and prevent tracks from sounding excessively thin, and not too much that if you ramp the volume up you'll hear distortion. Instead focus is on delivering clarity and weight to the midrange, including vocals, which naturally stand out. 'Side to Side' by Ariana Grande has a reasonable weight to the drums, great presence to the vocals, which pan around almost atmospherically, and decent texture to the snares and claps. 'Mad World' by Tears for Fears has emphasis on the kick and again the vocals, with decent clarity to brass instruments.
Haylou have tried to temper sibilance on vocals, and they've done a pretty decent job, only sounding slightly raspy on very high volumes. The open design gives the impression of an open, airy soundstage. On opera tracks like 'Nessun Dorma' by Luciano Pavarotti, strings, brass and woodwinds all separate nicely without being overcome by the vocal.
Don't expect IEM or even TWS audio - that isn't the design brief here, the bar isn't just lower, it's a different bar altogether. When assessing the Purfree Buds in comparison to other air conduction buds, they perform well, avoiding the distortion present on the Cleer Ally Arc at higher volumes, and giving a similarly wide, open sound to the Oladance. Again, it would be nice for Haylou to offer app support in the future, allowing the user to tweak the EQ to their liking. If you're an Android owner you've always got Wavelet to help, and I was able to whack the subbass right up without obvious distortion.
Call Quality
The addition of second mic has benefited the OW01 hugely, with a very respectable level of environmental noise reduction coming through, particularly in outdoor scenarios.
In rooms with silence, your voice is conveyed loudly and clearly with good weight and tone. There's a little compression there, but it certainly isn't enough to thin your voice out - the OW01 compete comfortably with some of the better TWS on the market in this respect.
Add simulated background noise to mimic chatter, and the OW01 do a decent job of elevating your voice over the sounds around you. Ambient sound certainly isn't eradicated altogether, but it is reduced to an acceptable volume that allows you to be more than coherent and audible.
Outdoors, the OW01 do better, aggregating environmental sound and reducing it to a hum that sounds more akin to interference. I've recently reviewed a number of buds with 6 mics and AI noise reduction, and whilst they aren't going to compete with those, considering the distance the mics are away from your mouth, the performance on calls is impressive.
Battery Life
The OW01 have a 55mAh battery capacity and offer a generous 8 hours of battery life, which compares well with the Bose Sport and trumps the 7 on the Cleer Ally Arc, buts falls short of the mammoth 16 hours on the Oladance. Unlike the Cleer Ally though, there is no quick charge feature, and this is a little bit of a shame, especially when you consider you don't have any real way of telling how much battery is remaining in the case. As far as I can tell, you've got a 90 minute case charging time in total, but the only way to tell is when the pulsing light on the case stops pulsing, so again this underlines how beneficial app support would be.
Real life tests showed the claims to be pretty accurate. With the aptX codec, a few calls and music at around 70% volume, I managed to get consistently over 7 hours use. The extra 2-3 charges from the case, which give you up to 32 hours, were also consistent, and this is a big benefit of the OW01, blowing away many of their competitors, which don't have the benefit of charging themselves in the charge case when you're not using them. The convenient charge case makes using the OW01 more familiar for TWS users used to not having to remove buds from the case in order to charge them, and this definitely stands in Haylou's favour.
Summary
Haylou have picked up a few Red Dot Awards for design now though, and it isn't hard to see why. They are carving quite a niche for themselves, following up the excellent BC01 with a second set of sports-centric audio wearables that focus on comfort and stability - the most important pre-requisites in designs for products in this arena.
The OW01 are a compelling option for those looking for open wearable buds which offer good sound and call quality with decent battery life, standing toe-to-toe with the likes of Bose and Oladance, at a much more affordable price. Even so, I do feel like the cost of all these sports buds, especially the Oladance, is a little too prohibitive to enable brands that don't have the Bose pull to make a serious dent on the market. It's not that they don't do enough to justify the lofty price tag, but sometimes you have to do some deals to pick up market share. Hopefully we'll see Haylou augment this release with some discount codes so they get the traction they deserve.
For Haylou to really take the product up a notch, users would benefit hugely from app support, and the ability to see how much battery is remaining, tweak EQ, update firmware and perhaps switch touch control on and off, but this is something which can at least be added later and doesn't detract from what is another excellent release from Haylou.
Comfort & Stability - 87%
Design - 85%
Durability - 85%
Audio - 78%
Calls - 82%
Features - 71%
Battery Life - 86%
Overall - 84%
Previous Haylou Reviews:
S35 ANC Headphones
Purfree Buds
Purfree BC01 Bone Conduction Headphones
W1
Moripods
About Haylou
The brand name Haylou is taken from the homonym of the English word "Hello". We believe that we can resonate with the sea through conch and listen to the voice of the ocean together, and we can also listen to the voice of users through Haylou and share the beauty of the voice together. Haylou is the messenger of sound and the medium through which we resonate with our users.
Haylou is a brand belonging to Dongguan Liesheng Electronic Technology. Dongguan Liesheng Electronic Technology, established in 2015, is a subsidiary of Dongguan Hele Electronics, having secured Series A funding from Xiaomi technology, becoming one of the earliest members of the Xiaomi Ecological Chain. Hele Electronics and Liesheng Electronic are the OEM for Xiaomi's Mi / Redmi Airdots, and their portfolio of products includes smart and sports wearables as well as a comprehensive range of audio products.
Haylou's product portfolio ranges from wireless audio, smart wearables, to IoT and other categories. And its business has covered more than 100 countries and regions, serving tens of millions of users around the world. We are committed to establishing a digital health ecology by integrating a "user-device-data" scenario via technological innovation. Embracing the values of "Empowering & Awakening", Haylou aims to inspire you to keep challenge, explore your potential and find a better self.
Bas82
Don't know if you've actually tested it in outdoor activities, but while biking the buds are not able to manage wind noise at all, to the point that the other party just hears ambient noise unless you're yelling. Could you double test outdoors, particularly on a bicycle? I do not cycle too fast (25km/h) and the other party literally cannot hear me. I asked for a call recording and actually, it's only wind and ambient noise. Another thing: can you point which is the secondary mic? I was wondering what about taping it off or something because currently it's unusable for calls while cycling. Thanks!
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
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Model: SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro
Price: MSRP Approx £62.99
Website: Soundpeats
Review Reference: RC087
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
YouTube Review:
Introduction
Welcome to the @regancipher review of a naming-convention curve-ball from SoundPEATS - the Capsule3 Pro. Despite a thorough search through the archives, I couldn't find anything on the Capsule 1 or 2, so I'm not entirely sure what the 3 represents, but with it's stem-based design and familiar feature-set, I'll take the time in this review to compare the release to SoundPEATS' other similar-looking products - the Air3 Pro, H2 and Life, as well as assessing the performance in isolation.
On paper, the Capsule3 Pro seem to complement the aforementioned brothers and sisters, with support for the LDAC codec, 43dB ANC and 6-mic ENC for clearer calls seemingly a justifiable differentiator, just as was the case for the Mini Pro HS (hereby referred to as MPHS) which I reviewed here only a few weeks ago. However, we've often looked at products on paper and anticipated much greater improvements than the reality proved, so the proof will be in the pudding as we delve into each of these iterative improvements throughout the review.
Unboxing - 7/10
After the impressive unboxings of the MPHS and Air3 Deluxe HS, SoundPEATS have somewhat disappointingly reverted back to the old unboxing experience - a slightly more rudimentary cardboard enclosure, with an outer sleeve denoting the key features on one side, and a pensive-looking model gazing into the distance on the other. There's also a nod to the 2023 VGP award they've been nominated for (that's at least two years in a row!)
As mentioned in the intro, the Hybrid ANC is a headline feature here, and SoundPEATS have listed this, along with the 12mm bio-coated dynamic drivers and 52 hours total playtime on the outside of the box, along with support for LDAC permitting the Hi-Res Wireless Audio logo. This is SoundPEATS' third release to offer a 990kbps transmission rate, and they are quite justifiably very pleased to point this out in the product material.
Otherwise it's as-you-were with the unboxing experience - the manual is as per previous releases, with diagrams and text used to good effect to display basic instructions, including the control scheme. The instructions are in seven different languages (as per the product specification at the top of this review). You also get the usual USB-A to USB-C charge cable. The tips are reasonable quality and come in three sizes. There's also a card instructing how to update firmware and use the SoundPEATS app.
Whilst it lacks the glamour of SoundPEATS' recent releases, and won't look quite as impressive wrapped up and being handed out as a gift, it is a 'substance over style' unboxing - no frills, straightforward, and probably enough for the average consumer.
Case - 8/10
Despite being unmistakenly 'SoundPEATS-looking', with the pill-shaped profile and two-tone monochrome colour-scheme, the Capsule3 Pro case breaks away from the H2 and Life designs, instead looking more akin to their recent Air3 Deluxe HS case, albeit with a more robust feel to it.
As with other SoundPEATS releases, you get an LED on the front to denote charge status. It's the usual traffic-light scheme here, with Amber kicking in when the case drops below 50% charge, and Red below 10%, though unlike the MPHS, it isn't tactile, and it isn't quite as bright.
The buds slot very gently into the top of the cockpit with the stems facing downwards and the nozzles facing outwards. It is pretty intuitive - no issues at all here. In the hand, the case has a hardened plastic, almost metallic feel to it. Despite that, it doesn't feel especially premium - the hinge isn't quite as satisfyingly secure as the MPHS, although it is reinforced sufficiently to allow you to pop the case on the desk open while you pair and connect. Yep, this time SoundPEATS HAVE included 'hall-switch' mode, meaning the magnetic field change which occurs when the case is opened informs the MCU to control the pairing or disconnection of the earbuds with the connected device - i.e. once you open the case, the buds will connect before you've removed them and popped them in your ears.
As opposed to the piano-black schema of the HS, the Capsule3 Pro has gone for a slightly lighter, matte look, with rose gold accents on the back and around the USB-C charge socket matching that of the buds themselves.
The case is charged exclusively with USB (socket on the bottom - no wireless charging), but this time quick charge is supported thanks to the Low Power Semi LP7810 charge case management chip, which handles NTC management, LDO and over-voltage protection, as well as permitting high current charging of 2 hours playtime from just three minutes juice. The case capacity is 500mAh, and it provides an additional 6-7 charges, taking the total playtime to a whopping 52 hours (provided you aren't using LDAC or ANC)
As mentioned previously, the case is only moderately robust, although this does keep the weight down and adds to the portability. It's on the larger side in terms of width, measuring almost 6.5cm, but the unobtrusive height and depth combine with the lightweight 47g footprint to offer solid portability - only the Air3 Pro case of their stem lineup is lighter (and that has far shorter battery life) so SoundPEATS have negotiated a fair trade-off here, getting in some very decent features and specs without compromising too much elsewhere.
Design & Ergonomics - 8/10
The Capsule3 Pro again use the WUQI WQ7033AR Bluetooth SOC, the chipset that has allowed SoundPEATS to equip their latest products with Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, support for LDAC and BLE, AI ENC and Hybrid ANC, and was also used by Haylou in their X1 Pro and QCY in their HT05 Melobuds ANC. The chip performs well, with LDAC delivered flawlessly in my tests, and no connection issues at all.
The ergonomics of the Capsule3 Pro might look familiar - somehow they've managed to combine elements of all of SoundPEATS' previous stem-based releases to look like a bizarre love child of the rest of the product portfolio! This makes for another extremely comfortable, stable stem-based offering that is far more preferable to larger-nozzle designs like the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 and Apple Airpod Pro.
The profile is probably closest to the Life, and they also share a mesh finish to the driver surround, this time in rose gold, as per the rest of the design. The tips are similar to those of the H2, with a grey/orange two-tone look, and the charge connectors in the base are similarly-placed to the Air3 Pro, as you would expect given the location of the case connection. This prevents direct contact with your skin, which is definitely beneficial for nickel allergy sufferers.
On the inner side, you have an opening for a feed-back noise cancelling microphone, the second of two additional mics used to improve voice calls and maximise noise cancellation. The mics are IB251 2527 MEMS mics - different to those in the MPHS, but still perform very similarly. On the outer side, you have another meshed opening at the top, which protects the feed-forward ambient mic and pressure release cavity.
The buds weigh 4.52g - this is around average, and with thoughful weight displacement applied to the design, the buds sit very comfortably and securely in your ears without the need for continued readjustment. All of SoundPEATS' stem buds weigh between 4.36 and 4.71g - only really the weight of the battery separating them.
The only blot on the copybook is the rose gold finish to the decoration around the outside of the bud. Close up, it doesn't look too bad, with the usual Soundpeats logo around the touch control extending into a trailing teardrop-style shape with a baffled texture appearing gradually from the top. From a distance, though, and after a bit of wear, it looks more the colour of a 2p piece here in the UK - a bit dull and more copper-like. The garish nature will probably polarise opinion - it isn't too much of an issue to me, but I can't deny something a little more conservative would have been preferable.
That's where the white and silver model has come in and saved the day. Released in April 23, they look fantastic. If rose gold is a little too much for you, that's the model to go for!
ANC - 8.5/10
After stellar ANC performance on the MPHS, I was expecting a similar performance on the Capsule3 Pro, given they share the same WUQI chipset and hybrid feedback & feedforward 6 mic configuration, so I wasn't altogether surprised to discover performance is similarly excellent given the price.
Like the MPHS, the only real limitation is in the modes available - there's no dedicated Wind Noise Reduction mode or alternative passthrough modes, like you get on some of the newer flagship releases from the likes of Soundcore and 1More. However, you will also pay a lot more, and probably not achieve the ultimate aim of strong ANC that works in a number of environments - this is something both the MPHS and Capsule3 Pro achieve quite comfortably.
Indoors, air conditioning units and outside traffic are negated altogether. Chatting or TV sounds are reduced, almost to incoherent mumbles. Keyboard clicks become taps, and whilst they don't disappear altogether with no music playing, the harshness is certainly taken out of the sound. It isn't quite as strong as the MPHS, but more on that in a minute.
Outdoors, it's a similar story. Engine noises almost disappear altogether - I stepped out in front of a car on my first test, because you only really hear engine noises when it's too late - so beware! Traffic is really only audible when vehicles are pretty much by your side, and with the increase in electric cars on the roads, you may not hear them at all. Outdoor generators and planes flying over are inaudible, and they do a decent job of muting wind noise and splashes - not altogether, but that's mainly down to the fit.
There is a fundamental difference in the way the MPHS and Capsule3 Pro wear. The MPHS don't insert into the ear canal due to their inobtrusive, but fat, nozzle. Instead, they fill the space around the entrance to the ear canal, and whilst this does make for slightly more effective ANC, it does reduce comfort. With the Capsule3 Pro, because the nozzle is a little thinner and the gradient a little steeper, they feel much more comfortable, but the seal isn't necessarily as strong - this is the main reason why despite claiming 43dB noise reduction, it isn't immediately quite as impressive as on the MPHS. You at least have the choice to use larger tips and have them filling your ear canal, as is the default modus operandi with the MPHS, but for me trading a few dB of ANC and retaining comfier fit is definitely preferable.
Passthrough mode is also very good, although certainly better when the sounds you're trying to hear are close up. Chatter a few metres away is perfectly coherent, although if you're trying to hear a conversations a little further away it isn't quite as impressive. Even so, like the MPHS, it is quite natural sounding and one of the most impressive I've tested, if not the most impressive, under $100.
Audio and Sound Signature - 8.75/10 (for the price), 8/10 (raw score)
As mentioned in the intro, like the Mini Pro HS, the Capsule3 Pro takes advantage of the capabilities of the WUQI chipset, which permits a frequency response of 20Hz-40KHz, transfer rate of 990kbps and transmission up to 24bit/96KHz using the LDAC Bluetooth codec and a 12mm Dynamic Driver. Whilst this pushes the transmission to 3x that of SBC, delivering relatively efficiently, the theory is usually more emphatic than the reality. LDAC will not turn badly-tuned drivers good, and the differences are usually somewhat academic.
For a $60 set of earbuds it is a really palatable sound, and significant, because this represents further evidence that the SoundPEATS 'classic' sound is evolving into a friendlier, more neutral-sounding bass-rich profile that seeks to avoid the chasmic drops and imbalances of previous releases, whilst retaining punch and vigor.
Subjectively, the lower frequencies are a little warmer and tighter controlled than the MPHS. Both models try to limit mid-bass bleed but retain a moderate boost in the subbass - enough to feel the 'woop' in house and techno tracks, without overpowering the sound. The fit of the Capsule3 Pro has some impact here - rather than having a tight seal which you have on the MPHS, it's slightly looser down to the stem design, and as a result I found the bass to be slightly less controlled compared with the Capsule3 Pro, and slightly less to my liking.
As you see in the graphical comparison of Soundpeats' buds above, the Capsule3Pro tracks pretty well with the Oratory1990 target, only starting to tail around 100Hz. The Capsule3 Pro and MPHS both avoid midrange bleed and lower frequency bloat, and the gentle midrange dip at around 200Hz gives a little more room for the mids to breath - clarity is good and separation is very respectable. Despite the elevated lower frequencies, they sound much less boomy than the Life or Air3 Pro.
The upper-mids are slightly more elevated on the MPHS to compensate for the perception of stronger bass, and whilst this can give the MPHS more energy compared with the Capsule3 Pro, it really does depend on the fit. The midrange is generally pretty neutral and transparent.
The trebles follow a fairly similar path, peaking at around 8k. The treble on both models is soft and well-balanced - you aren't going to get the texture on snares and hats that you get on something like the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro, but there's just enough to prevent them from sounding either too boring or overly-bright. Vocals are fairly prominent, avoiding sibliance, and the soundstage (slightly wider on the Capsule3) is reasonably wide, with moderate depth to deliver an enjoyable sound that can be used out of the box and satisfy the average consumer sufficiently that they won't be reaching desperately for the EQ. Note - with ANC on, the the resolution does worsen slightly in the the higher frequencies.
The treble rolls off sharply initially from 8k, then completely after a 15k peak on the Capsule3 Pro, and whilst I suspect my ears probably wouldn't tell the difference, it does seem like there's a smidge more air to the MPHS.
I mentioned in the MPHS review that the technicalities didn't dazzle me, and it is the same story here. Detail is exactly what you would expect from a strongly performing $60 TWS - with LDAC on it seems to have a little added texture, but even on AAC you're getting competent resolution at a competitive price. Even so - whilst the balance is very good, the resolution is lacking a little. Having got their sound signature to where they want it to be, the next step will be to bring out more depth
Unlike the MPHS, the sound doesn't suffer drastically when you switch ANC on. There's a little tightening of the soundstage and as mentioned above it slightly impacts the trebles, but it doesn't detract to the point you'd rather just switch it off, and it's these intricacies that, amongst other things, IMO make them a better sounding option than the MPHS.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 8/10
Adding an additional mic seems to have helped Soundpeats not only with active noise cancellation but also delivering strong call quality that copes with background noise pretty well and also conveys your voice well enough, with good weight and tone.
Indoor your voice comes across very clearly. With no other sounds around you, your voice is very coherent and authoritative - certainly moreso than the MPHS, but conversely, it isn't quite as strong at dealing with enviromental sounds, either indoors or outdoors.
Outdoors, it's a similar story, although the ENC seems to work far better in environments with a diverse array of sounds all in the middle distance. Passing cars are reduced to virtual silence - only the occasional crackle over your voice intrudes on the presentation, and even then it certainly doesn't impact on your coherence. Wind is handled well, and talking from nearby pedestrians seems to be eradicated better than indoors.
For calls and voice notes, you certainly won't be rendered incoherent - if this is now the SoundPEATS default standard, then massive kudos for raising the bar - the difference between the Capsule3 Pro and Air3 Pro is like night and day.
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7.5/10
The SoundPEATS app is definitely a little more mature these days, although some of the experimental features are again missing, with Soundpeats opting for stability over features. Adaptive EQ, like on the MPHS, has been left out, and really you only have a few functions available - ANC toggle, single-touch toggle, and gaming mode toggle. You do also have 9 EQ presets and a 9-band equaliser (-20Hz to +14KHz) so lots of room here to tailor your own preferred sound.
Just like with the MPHS, I didn't find many of the presets especially useful. Electronic boosts the upper and lower mids, giving vocals a little more sparkle, but also detracting from clarity a litle as the bass overwhelms a little. Rock&Roll and Treble Enhancement add hiss to the treble (although the latter sounds much thinner). Folk decimates the treble, Pop compresses the midrange, and the bass boost and reduction presets do exactly what they claim to, although not to a point you'd actually want to use it.
Controls are back to the old scheme, with no option to play the previous track unfortunately. Single tap on the left and right bud reduces and increases volume respectively. Double tap plays/pauses and answers calls, hold the left bud for a couple of seconds to toggle ANC mode, hold the right bud to progress track forward. Triple left tap for gaming mode, triple right tap for voice assistant. The controls are responsive and intuitive, although there are no control mapping options from the app. There are voice prompts for 'Pairing', 'Connect', 'Game Mode/Exit Game Mode' and the various ANC modes, with tones for other functions.
Latency is fine - videos are close to lipsync, although not as impressive as the Air3 Pro. With gaming mode on, first person shooters like PUBG see a minor delay, although it seems slightly improved from the original. Volume is loud - I rarely went above 60%, a little lower than most of my earbuds.
Battery Life - 9/10
Battery life is one of the headline features of the Capsule3 Pro, although as with all ANC and LDAC buds, it can vary depending on your usage. My findings were as follows:
ANC off, SBC, occasional call & gaming mode, 50% volume - 7 hours 16 minutes playtime (advertised 8)
ANC off, LDAC, one call, 50% volume - 4 hours 43 minutes (advertised 5.5 hours)
ANC on, SBC, 50% volume - 5 hours 13 minutes (advertised 6.5 hours)
ANC on, LDAC, 50% volume - 4 hours 6 minutes (advertised 4.5 hours)
The charge case enables the buds to be charged an additional five full cycles before it had to be charged again, and the quick charge feature of 2 hours from around 5 minutes of juice, and overall, this compares quite favourably with the much more expensive Soundcore Space A40 - the pace setter when it comes to battery life in these conditions.
Summary
The Capsule3 Pro seemed like an odd release according to the naming condition and proliferation of stem-based offerings in the SoundPEATS portfolio. In reality, they probably caused SoundPEATS a naming headache, because they map more logically to a 'pro' version of the 'already pro' Air3 Pro, and once you get your head around this, it makes a little more sense.
As far as I see it, it now leaves the lineup looking like this:
I often end SoundPEATS reviews listing a couple of basics that didn't quite make it into the subject that have left me a shade disappointed, but this time, the basics are all here. The ergonomics, sound, ANC and call quality are all at the upper end of acceptable, quick charge gives the product a leg up over other SoundPEATS releases, and other than the controversial design choice, you would be hard pressed to find anything to take umbrage with from this release - and even then, Soundpeats decision to release a white and silver option, which looks fantastic, is no longer an excuse to say no!
Price Weighted Score: 86%
Raw Score: 84%
SoundPEATS Review Inventory:
SoundPEATS Opera05
SoundPEATS Mini Pro HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro
SoundPEATS H2
SoundPEATS T3
SoundPEATS Mini
SoundPEATS Air3
SoundPEATS TrueAir2+
SoundPEATS TrueAir 2
SoundPEATS H1
SoundPEATS T2
SoundPEATS Sonic
About SoundPEATS:
SoundPEATS seem to have become an overnight sensation, wiping up a large portion of budget TWS earbud market share with a business model that has served them (and Anker before them) exceptionally well - good distribution channels (via Amazon), good support, a catchy name and product that performs well at a very competitive price point. In reality, they have been around a long time - whilst Shenzhen SoundSOUL IT Co LTD is a different trading name to Ginto E-Commerce, they share the same business address (including room number) as them - you may know their brand name better as Dudios. With Dudios not sounding quite so cool as Soundpeats, maybe the brand transition has been instrumental in their success, but having been around since 2010 and patents in Bluetooth tech stretching back to 2015, they are not the plucky upstarts that some may think - they know their stuff, have a great network of contacts, and now a very solid brand in Europe, and deservedly so.
The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them my favourite budget earbud vendor, is that they are completely transparent over their components. Whether they use Realtek, Qualcomm or Airoha chips in their buds, they are totally open about it, and as a reviewer this really helps, because whilst I have, and do, dismantle buds to check the way that certain things have been implemented (such as the power management, mems mics, etc) and I really don't like having to do it with every set of earbuds, because they then become unusable.
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Model: SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro
Price: MSRP Approx £62.99
Website: Soundpeats
Review Reference: RC087
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: SoundPEATS
- Model: Capsule3 Pro
- Driver: 12mm Bio-Diaphragm Driver
- Chipset: WUQI WQ7033AR
- Mic: 6 mics with NNPU AI ENC
- ANC: Yes, up to 43dB
- Codecs: LDAC, AAC, SBC
- App Support: Yes
- Volume Control: Yes
- Gaming Mode: Yes
- Earbud Weight: 4.52g
- Earbud Dimensions: 33mm stem length, depth approx. 23mm
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 47.3g
- Case Dimensions: 64mm (width) x 48mm (height) x 24mm (depth)
- Case Charge Capacity: 500mAh / 1.85Wh
- Quick Charge: Yes - approx. 2-3 hours from around 5 minutes
- Wireless Charging: No
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 8 hours (ANC off, SBC), Up to 4.5 hours (ANC on, LDAC)
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 52 hours
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.3
- Bluetooth Protocols: BLE/ HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: IPX5
- Colours Available: Black & Rose Gold / White & Silver
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
YouTube Review:
Introduction
Welcome to the @regancipher review of a naming-convention curve-ball from SoundPEATS - the Capsule3 Pro. Despite a thorough search through the archives, I couldn't find anything on the Capsule 1 or 2, so I'm not entirely sure what the 3 represents, but with it's stem-based design and familiar feature-set, I'll take the time in this review to compare the release to SoundPEATS' other similar-looking products - the Air3 Pro, H2 and Life, as well as assessing the performance in isolation.
On paper, the Capsule3 Pro seem to complement the aforementioned brothers and sisters, with support for the LDAC codec, 43dB ANC and 6-mic ENC for clearer calls seemingly a justifiable differentiator, just as was the case for the Mini Pro HS (hereby referred to as MPHS) which I reviewed here only a few weeks ago. However, we've often looked at products on paper and anticipated much greater improvements than the reality proved, so the proof will be in the pudding as we delve into each of these iterative improvements throughout the review.
Unboxing - 7/10
After the impressive unboxings of the MPHS and Air3 Deluxe HS, SoundPEATS have somewhat disappointingly reverted back to the old unboxing experience - a slightly more rudimentary cardboard enclosure, with an outer sleeve denoting the key features on one side, and a pensive-looking model gazing into the distance on the other. There's also a nod to the 2023 VGP award they've been nominated for (that's at least two years in a row!)
As mentioned in the intro, the Hybrid ANC is a headline feature here, and SoundPEATS have listed this, along with the 12mm bio-coated dynamic drivers and 52 hours total playtime on the outside of the box, along with support for LDAC permitting the Hi-Res Wireless Audio logo. This is SoundPEATS' third release to offer a 990kbps transmission rate, and they are quite justifiably very pleased to point this out in the product material.
Otherwise it's as-you-were with the unboxing experience - the manual is as per previous releases, with diagrams and text used to good effect to display basic instructions, including the control scheme. The instructions are in seven different languages (as per the product specification at the top of this review). You also get the usual USB-A to USB-C charge cable. The tips are reasonable quality and come in three sizes. There's also a card instructing how to update firmware and use the SoundPEATS app.
Whilst it lacks the glamour of SoundPEATS' recent releases, and won't look quite as impressive wrapped up and being handed out as a gift, it is a 'substance over style' unboxing - no frills, straightforward, and probably enough for the average consumer.
Case - 8/10
Despite being unmistakenly 'SoundPEATS-looking', with the pill-shaped profile and two-tone monochrome colour-scheme, the Capsule3 Pro case breaks away from the H2 and Life designs, instead looking more akin to their recent Air3 Deluxe HS case, albeit with a more robust feel to it.
As with other SoundPEATS releases, you get an LED on the front to denote charge status. It's the usual traffic-light scheme here, with Amber kicking in when the case drops below 50% charge, and Red below 10%, though unlike the MPHS, it isn't tactile, and it isn't quite as bright.
The buds slot very gently into the top of the cockpit with the stems facing downwards and the nozzles facing outwards. It is pretty intuitive - no issues at all here. In the hand, the case has a hardened plastic, almost metallic feel to it. Despite that, it doesn't feel especially premium - the hinge isn't quite as satisfyingly secure as the MPHS, although it is reinforced sufficiently to allow you to pop the case on the desk open while you pair and connect. Yep, this time SoundPEATS HAVE included 'hall-switch' mode, meaning the magnetic field change which occurs when the case is opened informs the MCU to control the pairing or disconnection of the earbuds with the connected device - i.e. once you open the case, the buds will connect before you've removed them and popped them in your ears.
As opposed to the piano-black schema of the HS, the Capsule3 Pro has gone for a slightly lighter, matte look, with rose gold accents on the back and around the USB-C charge socket matching that of the buds themselves.
The case is charged exclusively with USB (socket on the bottom - no wireless charging), but this time quick charge is supported thanks to the Low Power Semi LP7810 charge case management chip, which handles NTC management, LDO and over-voltage protection, as well as permitting high current charging of 2 hours playtime from just three minutes juice. The case capacity is 500mAh, and it provides an additional 6-7 charges, taking the total playtime to a whopping 52 hours (provided you aren't using LDAC or ANC)
As mentioned previously, the case is only moderately robust, although this does keep the weight down and adds to the portability. It's on the larger side in terms of width, measuring almost 6.5cm, but the unobtrusive height and depth combine with the lightweight 47g footprint to offer solid portability - only the Air3 Pro case of their stem lineup is lighter (and that has far shorter battery life) so SoundPEATS have negotiated a fair trade-off here, getting in some very decent features and specs without compromising too much elsewhere.
Design & Ergonomics - 8/10
The Capsule3 Pro again use the WUQI WQ7033AR Bluetooth SOC, the chipset that has allowed SoundPEATS to equip their latest products with Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, support for LDAC and BLE, AI ENC and Hybrid ANC, and was also used by Haylou in their X1 Pro and QCY in their HT05 Melobuds ANC. The chip performs well, with LDAC delivered flawlessly in my tests, and no connection issues at all.
The ergonomics of the Capsule3 Pro might look familiar - somehow they've managed to combine elements of all of SoundPEATS' previous stem-based releases to look like a bizarre love child of the rest of the product portfolio! This makes for another extremely comfortable, stable stem-based offering that is far more preferable to larger-nozzle designs like the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 and Apple Airpod Pro.
The profile is probably closest to the Life, and they also share a mesh finish to the driver surround, this time in rose gold, as per the rest of the design. The tips are similar to those of the H2, with a grey/orange two-tone look, and the charge connectors in the base are similarly-placed to the Air3 Pro, as you would expect given the location of the case connection. This prevents direct contact with your skin, which is definitely beneficial for nickel allergy sufferers.
On the inner side, you have an opening for a feed-back noise cancelling microphone, the second of two additional mics used to improve voice calls and maximise noise cancellation. The mics are IB251 2527 MEMS mics - different to those in the MPHS, but still perform very similarly. On the outer side, you have another meshed opening at the top, which protects the feed-forward ambient mic and pressure release cavity.
The buds weigh 4.52g - this is around average, and with thoughful weight displacement applied to the design, the buds sit very comfortably and securely in your ears without the need for continued readjustment. All of SoundPEATS' stem buds weigh between 4.36 and 4.71g - only really the weight of the battery separating them.
The only blot on the copybook is the rose gold finish to the decoration around the outside of the bud. Close up, it doesn't look too bad, with the usual Soundpeats logo around the touch control extending into a trailing teardrop-style shape with a baffled texture appearing gradually from the top. From a distance, though, and after a bit of wear, it looks more the colour of a 2p piece here in the UK - a bit dull and more copper-like. The garish nature will probably polarise opinion - it isn't too much of an issue to me, but I can't deny something a little more conservative would have been preferable.
That's where the white and silver model has come in and saved the day. Released in April 23, they look fantastic. If rose gold is a little too much for you, that's the model to go for!
ANC - 8.5/10
After stellar ANC performance on the MPHS, I was expecting a similar performance on the Capsule3 Pro, given they share the same WUQI chipset and hybrid feedback & feedforward 6 mic configuration, so I wasn't altogether surprised to discover performance is similarly excellent given the price.
Like the MPHS, the only real limitation is in the modes available - there's no dedicated Wind Noise Reduction mode or alternative passthrough modes, like you get on some of the newer flagship releases from the likes of Soundcore and 1More. However, you will also pay a lot more, and probably not achieve the ultimate aim of strong ANC that works in a number of environments - this is something both the MPHS and Capsule3 Pro achieve quite comfortably.
Indoors, air conditioning units and outside traffic are negated altogether. Chatting or TV sounds are reduced, almost to incoherent mumbles. Keyboard clicks become taps, and whilst they don't disappear altogether with no music playing, the harshness is certainly taken out of the sound. It isn't quite as strong as the MPHS, but more on that in a minute.
Outdoors, it's a similar story. Engine noises almost disappear altogether - I stepped out in front of a car on my first test, because you only really hear engine noises when it's too late - so beware! Traffic is really only audible when vehicles are pretty much by your side, and with the increase in electric cars on the roads, you may not hear them at all. Outdoor generators and planes flying over are inaudible, and they do a decent job of muting wind noise and splashes - not altogether, but that's mainly down to the fit.
There is a fundamental difference in the way the MPHS and Capsule3 Pro wear. The MPHS don't insert into the ear canal due to their inobtrusive, but fat, nozzle. Instead, they fill the space around the entrance to the ear canal, and whilst this does make for slightly more effective ANC, it does reduce comfort. With the Capsule3 Pro, because the nozzle is a little thinner and the gradient a little steeper, they feel much more comfortable, but the seal isn't necessarily as strong - this is the main reason why despite claiming 43dB noise reduction, it isn't immediately quite as impressive as on the MPHS. You at least have the choice to use larger tips and have them filling your ear canal, as is the default modus operandi with the MPHS, but for me trading a few dB of ANC and retaining comfier fit is definitely preferable.
Passthrough mode is also very good, although certainly better when the sounds you're trying to hear are close up. Chatter a few metres away is perfectly coherent, although if you're trying to hear a conversations a little further away it isn't quite as impressive. Even so, like the MPHS, it is quite natural sounding and one of the most impressive I've tested, if not the most impressive, under $100.
Audio and Sound Signature - 8.75/10 (for the price), 8/10 (raw score)
As mentioned in the intro, like the Mini Pro HS, the Capsule3 Pro takes advantage of the capabilities of the WUQI chipset, which permits a frequency response of 20Hz-40KHz, transfer rate of 990kbps and transmission up to 24bit/96KHz using the LDAC Bluetooth codec and a 12mm Dynamic Driver. Whilst this pushes the transmission to 3x that of SBC, delivering relatively efficiently, the theory is usually more emphatic than the reality. LDAC will not turn badly-tuned drivers good, and the differences are usually somewhat academic.
For a $60 set of earbuds it is a really palatable sound, and significant, because this represents further evidence that the SoundPEATS 'classic' sound is evolving into a friendlier, more neutral-sounding bass-rich profile that seeks to avoid the chasmic drops and imbalances of previous releases, whilst retaining punch and vigor.
Subjectively, the lower frequencies are a little warmer and tighter controlled than the MPHS. Both models try to limit mid-bass bleed but retain a moderate boost in the subbass - enough to feel the 'woop' in house and techno tracks, without overpowering the sound. The fit of the Capsule3 Pro has some impact here - rather than having a tight seal which you have on the MPHS, it's slightly looser down to the stem design, and as a result I found the bass to be slightly less controlled compared with the Capsule3 Pro, and slightly less to my liking.
As you see in the graphical comparison of Soundpeats' buds above, the Capsule3Pro tracks pretty well with the Oratory1990 target, only starting to tail around 100Hz. The Capsule3 Pro and MPHS both avoid midrange bleed and lower frequency bloat, and the gentle midrange dip at around 200Hz gives a little more room for the mids to breath - clarity is good and separation is very respectable. Despite the elevated lower frequencies, they sound much less boomy than the Life or Air3 Pro.
The upper-mids are slightly more elevated on the MPHS to compensate for the perception of stronger bass, and whilst this can give the MPHS more energy compared with the Capsule3 Pro, it really does depend on the fit. The midrange is generally pretty neutral and transparent.
The trebles follow a fairly similar path, peaking at around 8k. The treble on both models is soft and well-balanced - you aren't going to get the texture on snares and hats that you get on something like the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro, but there's just enough to prevent them from sounding either too boring or overly-bright. Vocals are fairly prominent, avoiding sibliance, and the soundstage (slightly wider on the Capsule3) is reasonably wide, with moderate depth to deliver an enjoyable sound that can be used out of the box and satisfy the average consumer sufficiently that they won't be reaching desperately for the EQ. Note - with ANC on, the the resolution does worsen slightly in the the higher frequencies.
The treble rolls off sharply initially from 8k, then completely after a 15k peak on the Capsule3 Pro, and whilst I suspect my ears probably wouldn't tell the difference, it does seem like there's a smidge more air to the MPHS.
I mentioned in the MPHS review that the technicalities didn't dazzle me, and it is the same story here. Detail is exactly what you would expect from a strongly performing $60 TWS - with LDAC on it seems to have a little added texture, but even on AAC you're getting competent resolution at a competitive price. Even so - whilst the balance is very good, the resolution is lacking a little. Having got their sound signature to where they want it to be, the next step will be to bring out more depth
Unlike the MPHS, the sound doesn't suffer drastically when you switch ANC on. There's a little tightening of the soundstage and as mentioned above it slightly impacts the trebles, but it doesn't detract to the point you'd rather just switch it off, and it's these intricacies that, amongst other things, IMO make them a better sounding option than the MPHS.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 8/10
Adding an additional mic seems to have helped Soundpeats not only with active noise cancellation but also delivering strong call quality that copes with background noise pretty well and also conveys your voice well enough, with good weight and tone.
Indoor your voice comes across very clearly. With no other sounds around you, your voice is very coherent and authoritative - certainly moreso than the MPHS, but conversely, it isn't quite as strong at dealing with enviromental sounds, either indoors or outdoors.
Outdoors, it's a similar story, although the ENC seems to work far better in environments with a diverse array of sounds all in the middle distance. Passing cars are reduced to virtual silence - only the occasional crackle over your voice intrudes on the presentation, and even then it certainly doesn't impact on your coherence. Wind is handled well, and talking from nearby pedestrians seems to be eradicated better than indoors.
For calls and voice notes, you certainly won't be rendered incoherent - if this is now the SoundPEATS default standard, then massive kudos for raising the bar - the difference between the Capsule3 Pro and Air3 Pro is like night and day.
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7.5/10
The SoundPEATS app is definitely a little more mature these days, although some of the experimental features are again missing, with Soundpeats opting for stability over features. Adaptive EQ, like on the MPHS, has been left out, and really you only have a few functions available - ANC toggle, single-touch toggle, and gaming mode toggle. You do also have 9 EQ presets and a 9-band equaliser (-20Hz to +14KHz) so lots of room here to tailor your own preferred sound.
Just like with the MPHS, I didn't find many of the presets especially useful. Electronic boosts the upper and lower mids, giving vocals a little more sparkle, but also detracting from clarity a litle as the bass overwhelms a little. Rock&Roll and Treble Enhancement add hiss to the treble (although the latter sounds much thinner). Folk decimates the treble, Pop compresses the midrange, and the bass boost and reduction presets do exactly what they claim to, although not to a point you'd actually want to use it.
Controls are back to the old scheme, with no option to play the previous track unfortunately. Single tap on the left and right bud reduces and increases volume respectively. Double tap plays/pauses and answers calls, hold the left bud for a couple of seconds to toggle ANC mode, hold the right bud to progress track forward. Triple left tap for gaming mode, triple right tap for voice assistant. The controls are responsive and intuitive, although there are no control mapping options from the app. There are voice prompts for 'Pairing', 'Connect', 'Game Mode/Exit Game Mode' and the various ANC modes, with tones for other functions.
Latency is fine - videos are close to lipsync, although not as impressive as the Air3 Pro. With gaming mode on, first person shooters like PUBG see a minor delay, although it seems slightly improved from the original. Volume is loud - I rarely went above 60%, a little lower than most of my earbuds.
Battery Life - 9/10
Battery life is one of the headline features of the Capsule3 Pro, although as with all ANC and LDAC buds, it can vary depending on your usage. My findings were as follows:
ANC off, SBC, occasional call & gaming mode, 50% volume - 7 hours 16 minutes playtime (advertised 8)
ANC off, LDAC, one call, 50% volume - 4 hours 43 minutes (advertised 5.5 hours)
ANC on, SBC, 50% volume - 5 hours 13 minutes (advertised 6.5 hours)
ANC on, LDAC, 50% volume - 4 hours 6 minutes (advertised 4.5 hours)
The charge case enables the buds to be charged an additional five full cycles before it had to be charged again, and the quick charge feature of 2 hours from around 5 minutes of juice, and overall, this compares quite favourably with the much more expensive Soundcore Space A40 - the pace setter when it comes to battery life in these conditions.
Summary
The Capsule3 Pro seemed like an odd release according to the naming condition and proliferation of stem-based offerings in the SoundPEATS portfolio. In reality, they probably caused SoundPEATS a naming headache, because they map more logically to a 'pro' version of the 'already pro' Air3 Pro, and once you get your head around this, it makes a little more sense.
As far as I see it, it now leaves the lineup looking like this:
- Capsule3 Pro - Best all-rounder
- H2 - Best for sound alone, no ANC & short battery life
- Life - Budget option
- Air3 Pro - Moderate all-rounder, strong latency performance
I often end SoundPEATS reviews listing a couple of basics that didn't quite make it into the subject that have left me a shade disappointed, but this time, the basics are all here. The ergonomics, sound, ANC and call quality are all at the upper end of acceptable, quick charge gives the product a leg up over other SoundPEATS releases, and other than the controversial design choice, you would be hard pressed to find anything to take umbrage with from this release - and even then, Soundpeats decision to release a white and silver option, which looks fantastic, is no longer an excuse to say no!
Price Weighted Score: 86%
Raw Score: 84%
SoundPEATS Review Inventory:
SoundPEATS Opera05
SoundPEATS Mini Pro HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro
SoundPEATS H2
SoundPEATS T3
SoundPEATS Mini
SoundPEATS Air3
SoundPEATS TrueAir2+
SoundPEATS TrueAir 2
SoundPEATS H1
SoundPEATS T2
SoundPEATS Sonic
About SoundPEATS:
SoundPEATS seem to have become an overnight sensation, wiping up a large portion of budget TWS earbud market share with a business model that has served them (and Anker before them) exceptionally well - good distribution channels (via Amazon), good support, a catchy name and product that performs well at a very competitive price point. In reality, they have been around a long time - whilst Shenzhen SoundSOUL IT Co LTD is a different trading name to Ginto E-Commerce, they share the same business address (including room number) as them - you may know their brand name better as Dudios. With Dudios not sounding quite so cool as Soundpeats, maybe the brand transition has been instrumental in their success, but having been around since 2010 and patents in Bluetooth tech stretching back to 2015, they are not the plucky upstarts that some may think - they know their stuff, have a great network of contacts, and now a very solid brand in Europe, and deservedly so.
The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them my favourite budget earbud vendor, is that they are completely transparent over their components. Whether they use Realtek, Qualcomm or Airoha chips in their buds, they are totally open about it, and as a reviewer this really helps, because whilst I have, and do, dismantle buds to check the way that certain things have been implemented (such as the power management, mems mics, etc) and I really don't like having to do it with every set of earbuds, because they then become unusable.
regancipher
If anyone is reading this and owns the Capsule3 Pro - do not upgrade to firmware v57 if you use the EQ presets. Wait for v58 as it causes the volume to periodically drop 
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
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Model: SoundPEATS Mini Pro
Price: MSRP Approx $60
Website: Amazon UK
Review Reference: RC086
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
YouTube Review
Introduction
Welcome to the @regancipher review of SoundPEATS' latest 'LDAC upgrade' - the Mini Pro HS.
The cat was out of the bag a little while ago with this one, with SoundPEATS having left a thumbnail of the product in the shop section of their app. TWS detectives across the globe don't miss a trick, and here we are in double quick time!
Soundpeats seem to be updating most of their Qualcomm-based products with LDAC iterations - the potential motives are discussed on headfi here, but one interpretation could be to jump on the high resolution bandwagon and offer an alternative to those with non-Qualcomm devices (Google Pixel, for example) where aptX-adaptive is not an option, opening up a larger pool of potential customers that value higher resolutions.
Whilst this agile approach to product releases does mean that SoundPEATS, as a brand, remain at the forefront of innovation, it can tire reviewers a little with seemingly iterative improvements, rather than evolutions that focus on the weak points of the product and try to remedy as many as possible.
On paper, it is difficult to imagine that the Mini Pro HS will offer a huge improvement over the original, but improvements are rarely encapsulated on specification sheets, so onto the review to see if the Mini Pro HS stacks up to expectation as we approach 2023.
Unboxing - 8/10
The Mini Pro had already marked the beginning of an improved unboxing experience for SoundPEATS, and with the Air3 Deluxe HS and now the Mini Pro HS, the improvement has been cemented and refined. It is a more 'premium-feeling' packaging that passes the 'would you give these as a gift?' test, with a tougher outer package and a nice insert. The back and sides of the box display the key headline features: LDAC, Hybrid ANC, 10mm bio-coated diaphragm dynamic driver
One aim for SoundPEATS in 2022 has been to take a more environmentally-friendly approach to product packaging, reducing unnecessary plastic and finding new ways to deliver without compromise. An example is the Apple/Huawei-style enclosure holding the eartips - after taking a while to work out how to get it open, it definitely improves on the 'plastic baggy' approach, which had a budget air about it.
Another improvement is the sleeve containing the product manual. I had a hard time being able to retrieve this from the box on previous releases, but by adding a thumb pull on the side, retrieval is much easier.
The manual is as per previous releases, with diagrams and text used to good effect to display basic instructions, including the control scheme. The instructions are in seven different languages (as per the product specification at the top of this review). You also get the usual USB-A to USB-C charge cable.
Case - 8/10
The case is essentially the same as the case on the original Mini Pro, with gold 'flecks' giving a speckled-effect to differentiate it from its predecessor. The outer layer to the case, an upgrade from Mini to Pro version (see my review on the original pro here) gives it a little more durability, feeling almost-rubberised and adding a degree of resistance to scratches.
As per the previous, you get a tactile LED on the front to denote charge status. It's the usual traffic-light scheme here, with Amber kicking in when the case drops below 50% charge, and Red below 10%.
When you open the case, you'll notice immediately the nice friction hinge is further reinforced. This allows you to pop the case on the desk with the buds open, use one bud in single mode and leave one in the case for it to charge. Getting the buds out of the case is a bit awkward at times, as you only have a small area to grip onto.
Unfortunately, once again SoundPEATS have omitted 'hall-switch' mode from the case, which means they will not immediately connect to your device when you open the case. There are positives and negatives to this - it negates the issue of the buds draining in the case when the case battery is dead, and prevents you from skipping a track or something like that while you're taking the buds out of the case, since they will typically still be in the process of connecting. However, you lose the ability to see whether you're connected to the right device whilst the buds are still in the case, so you may have to negotiate the connect/reconnect process with the buds in your ears, and may even have to restore the buds to the case to reset in case you have any issues.
The buds slot gently into the top with the magnets giving adequate holding power, and the buds slot in with the S facing you straight up, unlike the confusing angle which was necessitated with the original Mini. You'll notice the tiny LEDs on the bottom of the outer side of the buds are glowing red - this means they are charging, take them out and they will flash white to denote connection, or red and white to denote pairing mode. Once connected, the white light will remain on until the bud connects sound from the connected source - pressing play on Spotify etc. will immediately cause the LED to switch off.
The case is charged exclusively with USB (no wireless charging) and sadly there's no quick charge feature. The case capacity is 300mAh, and the case charges with an input power of around 1.4w at 5v. The latest generation Low Power Semi charging module is designed to withstand higher voltages, negating the need for separate overcharge and overvoltage protection components, eliminating extra points of failure whilst adding resilience. It provides up to 2.5 additional charges (see Battery section for further details)
The case shares the dimensions with the original Mini Pro - measuring just under 6cm wide, just over 4cm high and around 2.5cm depth. At under 37g it sits firmly in the lighter case category without ever feeling flimsy. It's a nice size for ideal portability - I took it into town for mic tests in my trouser pocket, and it didn't feel uncomfortable at all, making it ideal for the daily commute.
Design & Ergonomics - 7.5/10
The aesthetics of the buds have changed very little, with the gold accent from the case replicated across the earbuds. The touch control area is very responsive and large enough for your fingertips. A small cutout at the bottom of the S opens for a single LED and a Ruiqin Leidiao R230 voice mic. A further opening at the top exists, for the feed-forward noise cancelling mic, also manufactured by Ruiqin, to pick up environmental noise.
On the inner side, you have a cutout that allows the battery connectors to recess, minimising direct contact with your skin. You also have another opening, for a feed-back noise cancelling microphone, the second of two additional mics used to improve voice calls and maximise noise cancellation. The oval nozzle is nicely finished with a brass-coloured metallic mesh.
The ergonomics of the Mini Pro HS are identical to the original Mini Pro, with a double-flange design and steep, shallow oval nozzle. The expectation here is for the steep part to augment the eartip and close off the entrance to the ear canal without going inside it. This design is in contrast to something like the original Mini or Jabra Elite 75t, which has a deeper nozzle that enters your ear canal and closes it off that way.
The double flange is necessitated by the large battery and overcharge/overvoltage protection components. It is clear more of the space is being utilised in this model over the original.
There are pros and cons to this design - whilst it feels less invasive in the short term, it can cause fatigue due to the pressure you're placing on your concha. The pressure builds up around the edges of the seal, and I found after a few hours I needed to remove the buds and give my ears a rest. I also found going up a size to the largest (right ear) and medium (left ear) tips for my odd-sized canals benefited both comfort and ANC.
As you can see above, regardless of which sized tips, there is a small gap around the top of the bud where the fit isn't perfectly even. Whilst this wasn't reflected with the power of the ANC (which performs superbly), it does look a little awkward, and I found myself having to adjust them with exercise - they certainly didn't feel like they would hold up from me pounding the turf for a 10km run. There's definitely the argument that SoundPEATS have missed a trick by not exploring the option of a wing tip, that works well with the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro - another double-flange-style design.
The weight is identical to the Mini Pro, and keeping it under 5g certainly minimises the potential for 'droop' during exercise (although not so much if you have odd ears like me)
ANC - 8.5/10
Active Noise Cancellation was one of the disappointments of the original Mini Pro, offering only mediocre performance, working fine with deep, low rumbling sounds but struggling to deal with higher pitched noise.
The Mini Pro HS obliterates the original in every way, taking advantage of the capabilities of the WUQI chip and adding a 6 mic array, with both feed-forward and feed-back methods utilised. As a result, the Mini Pro HS offers performance that almost compares with the industry heavyweights in this field, the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro and Edifier NeoBuds Pro, only falling short with limitations in options (only three modes - on, off and passthrough). It is the strongest performing ANC bud SoundPEATS have released to date.
Indoors, air conditioning units and outside traffic are negated altogether. Chatting or TV sounds are reduced to incoherent mumbles, I'm sat here with the World Cup on TV, around 5m away from the source - the crowd noise is reduced altogether, and the commentator sounds like he's hissing - you can't make the words out at all. Keyboard clicks become taps, and whilst they don't disappear altogether with no music playing, the harshness is certainly taken out of the sound.
Outdoors, it's a similar story. Engine noises don't disappear altogether, but they do turn high pitched and incidental. Unfortunately the lack of wind here in the UK currently hasn't allowed me to assess how well it deals with wind noise, but I will update when that is the case.
Passthrough mode is quite powerful in the near distance, but more distant sounds dissipate. Even so, it is quite natural sounding and one of the most impressive I've tested, if not the most impressive, under $100.
Wearing them for a while then removing them suddenly and you'll feel briefly like you're hearing for the first time, with sounds overwhelming you - always a good sign in ANC tests. Whilst it isn't over-ear headphone levels of ANC, by TWS standards, performance is very strong, especially at the price.
Audio Quality and Sound Signature - 8.5/10 (for the price), 8/10 (raw score)
As mentioned in the intro, the Mini Pro HS takes advantage of the capabilities of the WUQI chipset, which permits a frequency response of 20Hz-40KHz, transfer rate of 990kbps and transmission up to 24bit/96KHz using the LDAC Bluetooth codec. Whilst this pushes the transmission to 3x that of SBC, delivering relatively efficiently, the theory is usually more emphatic than the reality. LDAC will not turn badly-tuned drivers good, and the differences are usually somewhat academic.
Regardless, the audio delivery of the Mini Pro HS is, like the Air3 Deluxe HS, an improvement over its predecessor. With Active Noise Cancellation switched off, the Mini Pro HS has a moderately rich midbass, gentle subbass and rolled-off trebles. The midrange isn't as scooped as it was on the Air3 Pro HS or the Life (see the graph above), allowing vocals to stand out considerably more. Whilst male vocals tend to sit back slightly from the orchestral arrangement more than female vocals, all vocal ranges come through with decent clarity and tonality, without the depth and resonance that they have on buds like the Edifier NeoBuds Pro. Higher frequencies, however, definitely lack a little sparkle - if you're used to buds like the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro, you will almost certainly notice very quickly that shakers, claps and hats feel a little incidental by comparison. It is certainly a more dynamic sound than the Air 3 Deluxe HS, staying a little truer to the original in terms of sound signature, and adding a touch of smoothness to the rawer sounding predecessor.
On tracks like 'Everybody Rules The World' by Tears For Fears, the Mini Pro HS separate the lower frequency elements nicely to give a decent sense of space, and clashes and drums have nice texture, good clarity and reasonable separation. Switch genre to Oliver Heldens' 'Wombass', and you experience a clean subbass with fast attack and decay whilst retaining the texture of the sound. Switch again to 'My Life is Going On' by Cecilia Krull, and the subbass is again fast, vocals this time are much more forward without sibilance. If anything, the trebles maybe lack a little sparkle and texture compared with something like the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro or Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2, which deconstruct hats, strings and tams much better by comparison. Strings and winds separate more than adequately on 'On The Nature Of Daylight' by Max Richter, offering better than average depth and tonality.
Turn on ANC and the soundstage tightens, the trebles roll off a little and the lower frequencies lift quite overtly, even bordering on a little bloated with more complex tracks. On tracks with heavy subbass and lowpass filtered kicks like 'Side to Side' by Ariana Grande and 'We Don't Talk Anymore' by Charlie Puth, it's almost a wobble - not quite 'Soundpeats Life'-heavy, but it may feel overwhelming, especially if you like extra detail to your higher frequencies. Switch genre to 'Gecko' by Oliver Heldens and Becky Hill, a simply electro house track from a few years ago, and the subbass rumbles through with no impact on the other elements of the track - same story with 'Jimmy Cooks' by Drake & 21 Savage, however move to something a little more elaborate like 'There Is No End' by Mahmut Orhan, and a little detail is lost by the overwhelming subbass decay. Even so, with ANC on there is a greater energy and punch - being able to toggle quickly at least allows you to select the right format of sound depending on the genre or style.
Soundstage is neither especially wide nor especially narrow. This elasticity gives a little air to tracks, but doesn't feel too open. On 'Low' by Lenny Kravitz, vocals pan around nicely and strings, horns and drums move outwards. Switch ANC on and it feels like the soundstage is compressed somewhat (both in depth and width) with a warmer sound, even with the EQ.
Whilst resolution is good, and certainly an improvement on the original, I didn't feel like the Mini Pro HS dazzled me with its technicalities in the way the Deluxe HS did, but perhaps given it is an in-ear bud, maybe my expectations are a little too high. Even so, it is one of the better sounding earbuds at its price, and the improvements show how far SoundPEATS and wireless earbuds at this price in general have come.
Call Quality - Indoors - 7.5/10, Outdoors - 7.5/10
Adding an additional mic seems to have helped Soundpeats not only with active noise cancellation but also delivering very strong.
Indoor your voice comes across very clearly. With no other sounds around you, you can sound a little robotic and a little thin, but everything is very coherent. Add some ambient sound and the Mini Pro HS seem to perform better, almost negating all ambient sound to a whisper, and retaining the authority and tone to your voice, if not the weight.
Outdoors, it's a similar story. Passing cars are reduced to virtual silence - only the occasional crackle over your voice intrudes on the presentation, and even then it certainly doesn't impact on your coherence.
It is certainly a big improvement over the original Mini Pro, and offers a good option given the form factor (usually stems are a pre-requisite for this level of performance).
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7.5/10
The SoundPEATS app is starting to mature, thankfully, as you'll definitely need to use it. Firstly, whilst I had no issue with connectivity, LDAC is reputed to weaken signal strength the more distance and interference you put between you and the source compared with the transmission of lower bitrate audio - whilst the science makes sense to me, I've never noticed it, but regardless, improvements in stability are provided by firmware v1.4.4, which my buds were not shipped with, so a firmware upgrade was required immediately. The upgrade also fixes an issue where the buds default to ANC off when you take the buds out of the case. Upgrading the firmware is not in the main section - touch the top left corner and you'll see an option listed there.
The app has actually removed some of the features you get with the Air3 Deluxe HS, including 'Adaptive EQ'. This allowed you to put your ears through a hearing test of various different frequency bleeps before serving you with an EQ setting customised for your hearing. For whatever reason, this beta feature is not available with the Mini Pro HS.
In terms of the EQ, whilst you get the usual 9 presets, they aren't usable in the way they were on the Air3 Deluxe HS. 'Bass Boost', even with ANC off, adds far too much weight to the subbass. 'Bass Reduction' on ANC mode cuts too much off, 'electronic' lifts the mids so high it sounds uncomfortable and 'Folk' and 'Classical' sound like your audio is being played underwater. The only usable preset is 'Pop', giving sound a 'warmer' feel.
The custom equaliser has also been scaled back here, moving from a 10-bar to a 7-bar EQ. Aside that, the app gives you the ability to switch single touch off (not so much of an issue for this model, because accidental touches are less frequent), and toggle gaming mode and ANC mode, both of which can also be accomplished from the touch controls.
Controls are back to the old scheme, with no option to play the previous track unfortunately. Single tap on the left and right bud reduces and increases volume respectively. Double tap plays/pauses and answers calls, hold the left bud for a couple of seconds to toggle ANC mode, hold the right bud to progress track forward. Triple left tap for gaming mode, triple right tap for voice assistant. The controls are responsive and intuitive, although whilst you do receive spoken confirmation of ANC mode and gaming mode, you don't hear a tone when you change volume.
Latency is fine - videos are lipsynchronised without any issue. With gaming mode on, first person shooters like PUBG see a minor delay, although it seems slightly improved from the original. Volume is very loud. I rarely went above 50%, a little lower than most of my earbuds.
Battery Life - 8/10
Battery life is solid on the Mini Pro HS, although can vary depending on your usage. My findings were as follows:
ANC off, SBC, occasional call & gaming mode, 50% volume - just under 7.5 hours playtime (advertised 8)
ANC off, LDAC, one call, 50% volume - 4 hours 47 minutes (advertised 5.5 hours)
ANC on, SBC, 50% volume - 5 hours 35 minutes (advertised 6.5 hours)
ANC on, LDAC, 50% volume - 4 hours 3 minutes (advertised 4.5 hours)
The charge case enables the buds to be charged an additional 2.5 times - there is no quick charge feature unfortunately.
Comparing this to the competition, it falls some way short of something like the more expensive Soundcore Space A40, which does support fast charging and gives you around an hour extra across all of those different modes. By the same token, compared with the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2, longevity is much better, offering around 30-45 additional minutes.
Summary
The Mini Pro HS are a decent upgrade on the original Mini - offering a big improvement in ANC, decent improvement in calls and sound. In one sense, you could say this was a more justifiable upgrade than the Air3 Deluxe HS, but in another you could say SoundPEATS have missed some potential opportunities for improvement - wing tips to improve stability, quick charge and in-ear detection.
Even so, at around the $60 mark, there isn't a great deal around this price that can compete with the Mini Pro HS in doing the basics so well, at least when purchasing from conventional outlets (i.e. Amazon). Coming in some way below the price of the Soundcore Space A40, 1More Evo and Edifier NeoBuds Pro, they offer almost-comparable features at a much reduced price, and are an attractive option for those on a budget.
Price Weighted Score: 84%
Raw Score: 82%
SoundPEATS Sound Signature Comparison:
SoundPEATS Review Inventory:
SoundPEATS Engine4
SoundPEATS RunFree Lite
SoundPEATS Life Classic
SoundPEATS Opera05
SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro
SoundPEATS H2
SoundPEATS T3
SoundPEATS Mini
SoundPEATS Air3
SoundPEATS TrueAir2+
SoundPEATS TrueAir 2
SoundPEATS H1
SoundPEATS T2
SoundPEATS Sonic
About SoundPEATS:
SoundPEATS seem to have become an overnight sensation, wiping up a large portion of budget TWS earbud market share with a business model that has served them (and Anker before them) exceptionally well - good distribution channels (via Amazon), good support, a catchy name and product that performs well at a very competitive price point. In reality, they have been around a long time - whilst Shenzhen SoundSOUL IT Co LTD is a different trading name to Ginto E-Commerce, they share the same business address (including room number) as them - you may know their brand name better as Dudios. With Dudios not sounding quite so cool as Soundpeats, maybe the brand transition has been instrumental in their success, but having been around since 2010 and patents in Bluetooth tech stretching back to 2015, they are not the plucky upstarts that some may think - they know their stuff, have a great network of contacts, and now a very solid brand in Europe, and deservedly so.
The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them my favourite budget earbud vendor, is that they are completely transparent over their components. Whether they use Realtek, Qualcomm or Airoha chips in their buds, they are totally open about it, and as a reviewer this really helps, because whilst I have, and do, dismantle buds to check the way that certain things have been implemented (such as the power management, mems mics, etc) and I really don't like having to do it with every set of earbuds, because they then become unusable.
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Model: SoundPEATS Mini Pro
Price: MSRP Approx $60
Website: Amazon UK
Review Reference: RC086
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: SoundPEATS
- Model: Mini Pro HS
- Driver: 10mm Bio-Diamphragm Driver
- Chipset: WUQI WQ7033AR
- Mic: 6 mics with NNPU AI ENC
- ANC: Yes, up to 40dB
- Codecs: LDAC, AAC, SBC
- App Support: Yes
- Volume Control: Yes
- Gaming Mode: Yes
- Earbud Weight: 4.8g
- Earbud Dimensions: 18mm height, 23.2mm depth with nozzle
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 36.7g
- Case Dimensions: 58mm (width) x 43mm (height) x 26mm (depth)
- Case Charge Capacity: 300mAh / 1.1Wh
- Quick Charge: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 8 hours (ANC off), Up to 4.5 hours (ANC on, LDAC)
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 28 hours
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: BLE/ HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: IPX5
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
YouTube Review
Introduction
Welcome to the @regancipher review of SoundPEATS' latest 'LDAC upgrade' - the Mini Pro HS.
The cat was out of the bag a little while ago with this one, with SoundPEATS having left a thumbnail of the product in the shop section of their app. TWS detectives across the globe don't miss a trick, and here we are in double quick time!
Soundpeats seem to be updating most of their Qualcomm-based products with LDAC iterations - the potential motives are discussed on headfi here, but one interpretation could be to jump on the high resolution bandwagon and offer an alternative to those with non-Qualcomm devices (Google Pixel, for example) where aptX-adaptive is not an option, opening up a larger pool of potential customers that value higher resolutions.
Whilst this agile approach to product releases does mean that SoundPEATS, as a brand, remain at the forefront of innovation, it can tire reviewers a little with seemingly iterative improvements, rather than evolutions that focus on the weak points of the product and try to remedy as many as possible.
On paper, it is difficult to imagine that the Mini Pro HS will offer a huge improvement over the original, but improvements are rarely encapsulated on specification sheets, so onto the review to see if the Mini Pro HS stacks up to expectation as we approach 2023.
Unboxing - 8/10
The Mini Pro had already marked the beginning of an improved unboxing experience for SoundPEATS, and with the Air3 Deluxe HS and now the Mini Pro HS, the improvement has been cemented and refined. It is a more 'premium-feeling' packaging that passes the 'would you give these as a gift?' test, with a tougher outer package and a nice insert. The back and sides of the box display the key headline features: LDAC, Hybrid ANC, 10mm bio-coated diaphragm dynamic driver
One aim for SoundPEATS in 2022 has been to take a more environmentally-friendly approach to product packaging, reducing unnecessary plastic and finding new ways to deliver without compromise. An example is the Apple/Huawei-style enclosure holding the eartips - after taking a while to work out how to get it open, it definitely improves on the 'plastic baggy' approach, which had a budget air about it.
Another improvement is the sleeve containing the product manual. I had a hard time being able to retrieve this from the box on previous releases, but by adding a thumb pull on the side, retrieval is much easier.
The manual is as per previous releases, with diagrams and text used to good effect to display basic instructions, including the control scheme. The instructions are in seven different languages (as per the product specification at the top of this review). You also get the usual USB-A to USB-C charge cable.
Case - 8/10
The case is essentially the same as the case on the original Mini Pro, with gold 'flecks' giving a speckled-effect to differentiate it from its predecessor. The outer layer to the case, an upgrade from Mini to Pro version (see my review on the original pro here) gives it a little more durability, feeling almost-rubberised and adding a degree of resistance to scratches.
As per the previous, you get a tactile LED on the front to denote charge status. It's the usual traffic-light scheme here, with Amber kicking in when the case drops below 50% charge, and Red below 10%.
When you open the case, you'll notice immediately the nice friction hinge is further reinforced. This allows you to pop the case on the desk with the buds open, use one bud in single mode and leave one in the case for it to charge. Getting the buds out of the case is a bit awkward at times, as you only have a small area to grip onto.
Unfortunately, once again SoundPEATS have omitted 'hall-switch' mode from the case, which means they will not immediately connect to your device when you open the case. There are positives and negatives to this - it negates the issue of the buds draining in the case when the case battery is dead, and prevents you from skipping a track or something like that while you're taking the buds out of the case, since they will typically still be in the process of connecting. However, you lose the ability to see whether you're connected to the right device whilst the buds are still in the case, so you may have to negotiate the connect/reconnect process with the buds in your ears, and may even have to restore the buds to the case to reset in case you have any issues.
The buds slot gently into the top with the magnets giving adequate holding power, and the buds slot in with the S facing you straight up, unlike the confusing angle which was necessitated with the original Mini. You'll notice the tiny LEDs on the bottom of the outer side of the buds are glowing red - this means they are charging, take them out and they will flash white to denote connection, or red and white to denote pairing mode. Once connected, the white light will remain on until the bud connects sound from the connected source - pressing play on Spotify etc. will immediately cause the LED to switch off.
The case is charged exclusively with USB (no wireless charging) and sadly there's no quick charge feature. The case capacity is 300mAh, and the case charges with an input power of around 1.4w at 5v. The latest generation Low Power Semi charging module is designed to withstand higher voltages, negating the need for separate overcharge and overvoltage protection components, eliminating extra points of failure whilst adding resilience. It provides up to 2.5 additional charges (see Battery section for further details)
The case shares the dimensions with the original Mini Pro - measuring just under 6cm wide, just over 4cm high and around 2.5cm depth. At under 37g it sits firmly in the lighter case category without ever feeling flimsy. It's a nice size for ideal portability - I took it into town for mic tests in my trouser pocket, and it didn't feel uncomfortable at all, making it ideal for the daily commute.
Design & Ergonomics - 7.5/10
The aesthetics of the buds have changed very little, with the gold accent from the case replicated across the earbuds. The touch control area is very responsive and large enough for your fingertips. A small cutout at the bottom of the S opens for a single LED and a Ruiqin Leidiao R230 voice mic. A further opening at the top exists, for the feed-forward noise cancelling mic, also manufactured by Ruiqin, to pick up environmental noise.
On the inner side, you have a cutout that allows the battery connectors to recess, minimising direct contact with your skin. You also have another opening, for a feed-back noise cancelling microphone, the second of two additional mics used to improve voice calls and maximise noise cancellation. The oval nozzle is nicely finished with a brass-coloured metallic mesh.
The ergonomics of the Mini Pro HS are identical to the original Mini Pro, with a double-flange design and steep, shallow oval nozzle. The expectation here is for the steep part to augment the eartip and close off the entrance to the ear canal without going inside it. This design is in contrast to something like the original Mini or Jabra Elite 75t, which has a deeper nozzle that enters your ear canal and closes it off that way.
The double flange is necessitated by the large battery and overcharge/overvoltage protection components. It is clear more of the space is being utilised in this model over the original.
There are pros and cons to this design - whilst it feels less invasive in the short term, it can cause fatigue due to the pressure you're placing on your concha. The pressure builds up around the edges of the seal, and I found after a few hours I needed to remove the buds and give my ears a rest. I also found going up a size to the largest (right ear) and medium (left ear) tips for my odd-sized canals benefited both comfort and ANC.
As you can see above, regardless of which sized tips, there is a small gap around the top of the bud where the fit isn't perfectly even. Whilst this wasn't reflected with the power of the ANC (which performs superbly), it does look a little awkward, and I found myself having to adjust them with exercise - they certainly didn't feel like they would hold up from me pounding the turf for a 10km run. There's definitely the argument that SoundPEATS have missed a trick by not exploring the option of a wing tip, that works well with the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro - another double-flange-style design.
The weight is identical to the Mini Pro, and keeping it under 5g certainly minimises the potential for 'droop' during exercise (although not so much if you have odd ears like me)
ANC - 8.5/10
Active Noise Cancellation was one of the disappointments of the original Mini Pro, offering only mediocre performance, working fine with deep, low rumbling sounds but struggling to deal with higher pitched noise.
The Mini Pro HS obliterates the original in every way, taking advantage of the capabilities of the WUQI chip and adding a 6 mic array, with both feed-forward and feed-back methods utilised. As a result, the Mini Pro HS offers performance that almost compares with the industry heavyweights in this field, the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro and Edifier NeoBuds Pro, only falling short with limitations in options (only three modes - on, off and passthrough). It is the strongest performing ANC bud SoundPEATS have released to date.
Indoors, air conditioning units and outside traffic are negated altogether. Chatting or TV sounds are reduced to incoherent mumbles, I'm sat here with the World Cup on TV, around 5m away from the source - the crowd noise is reduced altogether, and the commentator sounds like he's hissing - you can't make the words out at all. Keyboard clicks become taps, and whilst they don't disappear altogether with no music playing, the harshness is certainly taken out of the sound.
Outdoors, it's a similar story. Engine noises don't disappear altogether, but they do turn high pitched and incidental. Unfortunately the lack of wind here in the UK currently hasn't allowed me to assess how well it deals with wind noise, but I will update when that is the case.
Passthrough mode is quite powerful in the near distance, but more distant sounds dissipate. Even so, it is quite natural sounding and one of the most impressive I've tested, if not the most impressive, under $100.
Wearing them for a while then removing them suddenly and you'll feel briefly like you're hearing for the first time, with sounds overwhelming you - always a good sign in ANC tests. Whilst it isn't over-ear headphone levels of ANC, by TWS standards, performance is very strong, especially at the price.
Audio Quality and Sound Signature - 8.5/10 (for the price), 8/10 (raw score)
As mentioned in the intro, the Mini Pro HS takes advantage of the capabilities of the WUQI chipset, which permits a frequency response of 20Hz-40KHz, transfer rate of 990kbps and transmission up to 24bit/96KHz using the LDAC Bluetooth codec. Whilst this pushes the transmission to 3x that of SBC, delivering relatively efficiently, the theory is usually more emphatic than the reality. LDAC will not turn badly-tuned drivers good, and the differences are usually somewhat academic.
Regardless, the audio delivery of the Mini Pro HS is, like the Air3 Deluxe HS, an improvement over its predecessor. With Active Noise Cancellation switched off, the Mini Pro HS has a moderately rich midbass, gentle subbass and rolled-off trebles. The midrange isn't as scooped as it was on the Air3 Pro HS or the Life (see the graph above), allowing vocals to stand out considerably more. Whilst male vocals tend to sit back slightly from the orchestral arrangement more than female vocals, all vocal ranges come through with decent clarity and tonality, without the depth and resonance that they have on buds like the Edifier NeoBuds Pro. Higher frequencies, however, definitely lack a little sparkle - if you're used to buds like the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro, you will almost certainly notice very quickly that shakers, claps and hats feel a little incidental by comparison. It is certainly a more dynamic sound than the Air 3 Deluxe HS, staying a little truer to the original in terms of sound signature, and adding a touch of smoothness to the rawer sounding predecessor.
On tracks like 'Everybody Rules The World' by Tears For Fears, the Mini Pro HS separate the lower frequency elements nicely to give a decent sense of space, and clashes and drums have nice texture, good clarity and reasonable separation. Switch genre to Oliver Heldens' 'Wombass', and you experience a clean subbass with fast attack and decay whilst retaining the texture of the sound. Switch again to 'My Life is Going On' by Cecilia Krull, and the subbass is again fast, vocals this time are much more forward without sibilance. If anything, the trebles maybe lack a little sparkle and texture compared with something like the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro or Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2, which deconstruct hats, strings and tams much better by comparison. Strings and winds separate more than adequately on 'On The Nature Of Daylight' by Max Richter, offering better than average depth and tonality.
Turn on ANC and the soundstage tightens, the trebles roll off a little and the lower frequencies lift quite overtly, even bordering on a little bloated with more complex tracks. On tracks with heavy subbass and lowpass filtered kicks like 'Side to Side' by Ariana Grande and 'We Don't Talk Anymore' by Charlie Puth, it's almost a wobble - not quite 'Soundpeats Life'-heavy, but it may feel overwhelming, especially if you like extra detail to your higher frequencies. Switch genre to 'Gecko' by Oliver Heldens and Becky Hill, a simply electro house track from a few years ago, and the subbass rumbles through with no impact on the other elements of the track - same story with 'Jimmy Cooks' by Drake & 21 Savage, however move to something a little more elaborate like 'There Is No End' by Mahmut Orhan, and a little detail is lost by the overwhelming subbass decay. Even so, with ANC on there is a greater energy and punch - being able to toggle quickly at least allows you to select the right format of sound depending on the genre or style.
Soundstage is neither especially wide nor especially narrow. This elasticity gives a little air to tracks, but doesn't feel too open. On 'Low' by Lenny Kravitz, vocals pan around nicely and strings, horns and drums move outwards. Switch ANC on and it feels like the soundstage is compressed somewhat (both in depth and width) with a warmer sound, even with the EQ.
Whilst resolution is good, and certainly an improvement on the original, I didn't feel like the Mini Pro HS dazzled me with its technicalities in the way the Deluxe HS did, but perhaps given it is an in-ear bud, maybe my expectations are a little too high. Even so, it is one of the better sounding earbuds at its price, and the improvements show how far SoundPEATS and wireless earbuds at this price in general have come.
Call Quality - Indoors - 7.5/10, Outdoors - 7.5/10
Adding an additional mic seems to have helped Soundpeats not only with active noise cancellation but also delivering very strong.
Indoor your voice comes across very clearly. With no other sounds around you, you can sound a little robotic and a little thin, but everything is very coherent. Add some ambient sound and the Mini Pro HS seem to perform better, almost negating all ambient sound to a whisper, and retaining the authority and tone to your voice, if not the weight.
Outdoors, it's a similar story. Passing cars are reduced to virtual silence - only the occasional crackle over your voice intrudes on the presentation, and even then it certainly doesn't impact on your coherence.
It is certainly a big improvement over the original Mini Pro, and offers a good option given the form factor (usually stems are a pre-requisite for this level of performance).
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7.5/10
The SoundPEATS app is starting to mature, thankfully, as you'll definitely need to use it. Firstly, whilst I had no issue with connectivity, LDAC is reputed to weaken signal strength the more distance and interference you put between you and the source compared with the transmission of lower bitrate audio - whilst the science makes sense to me, I've never noticed it, but regardless, improvements in stability are provided by firmware v1.4.4, which my buds were not shipped with, so a firmware upgrade was required immediately. The upgrade also fixes an issue where the buds default to ANC off when you take the buds out of the case. Upgrading the firmware is not in the main section - touch the top left corner and you'll see an option listed there.
The app has actually removed some of the features you get with the Air3 Deluxe HS, including 'Adaptive EQ'. This allowed you to put your ears through a hearing test of various different frequency bleeps before serving you with an EQ setting customised for your hearing. For whatever reason, this beta feature is not available with the Mini Pro HS.
In terms of the EQ, whilst you get the usual 9 presets, they aren't usable in the way they were on the Air3 Deluxe HS. 'Bass Boost', even with ANC off, adds far too much weight to the subbass. 'Bass Reduction' on ANC mode cuts too much off, 'electronic' lifts the mids so high it sounds uncomfortable and 'Folk' and 'Classical' sound like your audio is being played underwater. The only usable preset is 'Pop', giving sound a 'warmer' feel.
The custom equaliser has also been scaled back here, moving from a 10-bar to a 7-bar EQ. Aside that, the app gives you the ability to switch single touch off (not so much of an issue for this model, because accidental touches are less frequent), and toggle gaming mode and ANC mode, both of which can also be accomplished from the touch controls.
Controls are back to the old scheme, with no option to play the previous track unfortunately. Single tap on the left and right bud reduces and increases volume respectively. Double tap plays/pauses and answers calls, hold the left bud for a couple of seconds to toggle ANC mode, hold the right bud to progress track forward. Triple left tap for gaming mode, triple right tap for voice assistant. The controls are responsive and intuitive, although whilst you do receive spoken confirmation of ANC mode and gaming mode, you don't hear a tone when you change volume.
Latency is fine - videos are lipsynchronised without any issue. With gaming mode on, first person shooters like PUBG see a minor delay, although it seems slightly improved from the original. Volume is very loud. I rarely went above 50%, a little lower than most of my earbuds.
Battery Life - 8/10
Battery life is solid on the Mini Pro HS, although can vary depending on your usage. My findings were as follows:
ANC off, SBC, occasional call & gaming mode, 50% volume - just under 7.5 hours playtime (advertised 8)
ANC off, LDAC, one call, 50% volume - 4 hours 47 minutes (advertised 5.5 hours)
ANC on, SBC, 50% volume - 5 hours 35 minutes (advertised 6.5 hours)
ANC on, LDAC, 50% volume - 4 hours 3 minutes (advertised 4.5 hours)
The charge case enables the buds to be charged an additional 2.5 times - there is no quick charge feature unfortunately.
Comparing this to the competition, it falls some way short of something like the more expensive Soundcore Space A40, which does support fast charging and gives you around an hour extra across all of those different modes. By the same token, compared with the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2, longevity is much better, offering around 30-45 additional minutes.
Summary
The Mini Pro HS are a decent upgrade on the original Mini - offering a big improvement in ANC, decent improvement in calls and sound. In one sense, you could say this was a more justifiable upgrade than the Air3 Deluxe HS, but in another you could say SoundPEATS have missed some potential opportunities for improvement - wing tips to improve stability, quick charge and in-ear detection.
Even so, at around the $60 mark, there isn't a great deal around this price that can compete with the Mini Pro HS in doing the basics so well, at least when purchasing from conventional outlets (i.e. Amazon). Coming in some way below the price of the Soundcore Space A40, 1More Evo and Edifier NeoBuds Pro, they offer almost-comparable features at a much reduced price, and are an attractive option for those on a budget.
Price Weighted Score: 84%
Raw Score: 82%
SoundPEATS Sound Signature Comparison:
SoundPEATS Review Inventory:
SoundPEATS Engine4
SoundPEATS RunFree Lite
SoundPEATS Life Classic
SoundPEATS Opera05
SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro
SoundPEATS H2
SoundPEATS T3
SoundPEATS Mini
SoundPEATS Air3
SoundPEATS TrueAir2+
SoundPEATS TrueAir 2
SoundPEATS H1
SoundPEATS T2
SoundPEATS Sonic
About SoundPEATS:
SoundPEATS seem to have become an overnight sensation, wiping up a large portion of budget TWS earbud market share with a business model that has served them (and Anker before them) exceptionally well - good distribution channels (via Amazon), good support, a catchy name and product that performs well at a very competitive price point. In reality, they have been around a long time - whilst Shenzhen SoundSOUL IT Co LTD is a different trading name to Ginto E-Commerce, they share the same business address (including room number) as them - you may know their brand name better as Dudios. With Dudios not sounding quite so cool as Soundpeats, maybe the brand transition has been instrumental in their success, but having been around since 2010 and patents in Bluetooth tech stretching back to 2015, they are not the plucky upstarts that some may think - they know their stuff, have a great network of contacts, and now a very solid brand in Europe, and deservedly so.
The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them my favourite budget earbud vendor, is that they are completely transparent over their components. Whether they use Realtek, Qualcomm or Airoha chips in their buds, they are totally open about it, and as a reviewer this really helps, because whilst I have, and do, dismantle buds to check the way that certain things have been implemented (such as the power management, mems mics, etc) and I really don't like having to do it with every set of earbuds, because they then become unusable.
helmutcheese
The bitrate is always 129k for me, other buds are 250-300k and sometimes 320k when I refresh the connection.
SoundPeats Sonic Pro:
SoundPeats Sonic Pro:
dharmasteve
Wow,I really appreciate the effort you have put in for us in reviewing all these Soundpeat IEMs. I've just received mine. Took my time to upgrade the firmware over the app. The stock tips are rubbish (we all know good aftermarket tips are a no brainer). At first I tried some L Spiral Dots, but the bass was too boomy. Tried some L TRi Clarion tips (which are not very large). They have an unusual shape....bingo.... excellent. Went into Developer Options to make sure I was set at LDAC 990kbps, which it wasn't. Set it at 990kbps. Got straight into an Amazon HD playlist at the best Amazon settings. The Clarions subdue the boom. Great recommendation friend. Slightly mid-centric now. Bass good for LDAC. Upper mids/Lower treble are very sweet and to my liking. The upper treble rolls off as you say. Bass with the Clarions is better than the Spiral Dots. LDAC at 990 is exceptional. Listening now to the Shenai of Ustad Bismallah Khan. Sweet. Great review which pressed my buy finger.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
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Socials: Biolink
Model: Morph Infiniconnect
Price: MSRP Approx $150
Website: Morph Audio
Review Reference: RC084
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x Rubberised Charge Case Protector
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x QR Code Quick Guide
3 x Pair Eartips
YouTube Review:
Introduction
Welcome to the @regancipher review of the Morph Infiniconnect, a Kickstarter/Indiegogo project which claimed to resolve the problem of flakey multipoint connectivity, offering the ability to switch between multiple Bluetooth devices at the touch of a button, using the svelte, advertised charge case and its LED screen to toggle quickly and efficiently to your chosen device.
The Indiegogo/Kickstarter project advertised 'The Most Advanced Bluetooth 5.2 Earbuds Ever', bringing a whopping 24-hour battery life, adaptive ANC, Active Noise Cancellation, aptX-Voice for super-clear calls, customisable touch controls, wireless charging and spatial audio, as well as custom-IEM-style in-ear moulds based on hundreds of samples. The campaign proved popular, with over £365k raised by over 4k buyers across their 18-month journey. Yep, that's right - 18 months!
Morph started the journey with a fantastic-looking, almost-futuristic, credit card-sized case, matt black carbon finished earmolds with a unique shape driven by real-world data, comparing hundreds of popular models and refining to perfection. The list of features read like a shopping list of every premium bud on the market! (Link to Kickstarter)
As we know, these Indiegogo projects are a little like 'what you could have won' at times, with the end result looking very different to the proposal, and unfortunately, that's exactly what happened here with the Inficonnect. Unfortunately, COVID arrived, and no doubt the project became curtailed - a lot of the changes seem to be 'budget-driven' - I suspect, even despite the impressive level of funding - the original brief just simply became impossible to deliver.
The custom moulds are replaced by the shell of the Tronsmart Apollo Bold, the depth of which is bulked out further by the addition of a rounded faceplate, the slim, credit card-sized prototype charge case with a clean monochrome display replaced by a mammoth box with a Gameboy Colour-esque screen, the list of audio enhancements has vanished, and the customisable controls are in the wind too. Not only that, but the concept is slightly outdated - the project to end the misery of multipoint woes - a problem for sure when the concept was launched in early 2021 - is no longer a big issue in the commercial TWS world, with anything from the budget QCY T18 through to the lion's share of Soundcore's recent releases, Huawei FreeBuds Pro, Oppo Enco X2, etc. all supporting simultaneous connectivity of two devices, and 2022 releases from the likes of FIIL offering the ability to switch quickly between two devices without impacting upon battery life. This has left the optimum use case for the Morph somewhat limited - sure you can switch between multiple devices quickly, but who needs to switch between more than two devices on a regular basis?! Not many!
Regardless of the disappointment of the finished item not meeting the design brief in any way, this review will try to put that to one side and focus on the merits of the Inficonnect without the baggage of the experience!
Unboxing
Unboxing the Infiniconnect is more akin to unboxing a budget timepiece, with the massive fold-back outer container housing the giant charge case, small plastic bag with 5 different sized eartips, a QR code which takes you to the user manual, and USB A to C charge cable.
The QR code is actually pretty useful, because at some point should you need to update the firmware, it is a rather complicated process that definitely benefits from a step-by-step walkthrough. Essentially, the case becomes a wireless access point (which you toggle in the bottom section of the menu) and then connect to using a browser (Sending a payload over http - what could possibly go wrong?!
)
Despite the extravagant outer experience, there is little there to really assess once you're inside the box. The tips are bog standard - they are shaped identical to those supplied with the Tronsmart Apollo Bold, as you would expect given the shell is also identical to said ANC flagship of 2020, as well as a number of other products including the Cleer Ally equivalent. The USB charge cable is as you would expect - the same as every other USB charge cable. The rubber surround for the charge case takes the dimensions to stratospheric proportions - whilst it is a nice addition, realistically you aren't going to be carrying this case around with you too much, it's simply too big. By the same token, you may want to take it into the office with you, in which case it provides welcome protection should the case get chucked in your bag, because it's unlikely it is going to fit in your pocket!
Case
The Infiniconnect charge case was really the USP of the prototype, and one of the main reasons for my contribution towards it. The idea is that rather than pushing touch control button configurations to switch between devices or using multipoint to connect to two devices, you can collect a number of common devices you normally use, and seamlessly switch between them using the interface on the case. This looked like a great idea in principle, however, as mentioned in the preamble, the sleek, credit card-sized case proposed has been dispensed with in favour of a large, 'go pro'-style enclosure, which feels like a normal charge case with an elongated bottom half and a screen built-in, and has really put a dampener on the release, not least because portability has plummeted, amongst a multitude of other reasons.
The size of the case, almost 7cm square and a depth of 4.5cm at its largest, is just one reason for being put off the product. The weight of a whopping 103g is almost double any other TWS case I've tested so far, including the original Huawei Freebuds Pro. The lack of portability really does restrict the use-cases for the Infiniconnect, because generally our preference is to use TWS on the go, something simply not possible with this case.
The build quality of the case is also rather suspect. The hinge moves around a fair bit - indeed, I suspected mine was broken, so I had to get the mini screwdrivers out and readjust it to ensure the hinge didn't break off. Because the bottom of the case is so heavy, were you to pick it up by the hinge too often, I'm pretty sure that would be game over. The case is a little cheap looking too - there is little imagination to the design, it's just a charcoal grey plastic case with a charge port and on/off button on the back, and the buds slot in the cockpit with the nozzles facing down with an etched L and R denoting which bud needs to be placed where.
On the rear you have a button to switch the unit on, and a USB-C socket to charge it. On the side there's a clip to hook it onto your keyring (don't try this at home kids!). On screen side, you have a very small LED just above the 5.6cm display. This denotes charge status - it will glow blue briefly, before turning solid red whilst on charge. There's no traffic light-style method of denoting charge, you have to use the case GUI to discover that. It's possible to charge with Qi wireless charging pads, but that will extend the time taken, and having already waited over 3 hours on each of the occasions I've charged it previously with USB and still not made it to 100%, I recommend using the traditional cable method if you can.
Now the screen. Switching the unit on holding the button on the back, you are greeted by a second or two blast of the Morph logo on the screen, before the home screen is revealed. Along the side bar you have some pretty self-explanatory icons: 'home', 'bluetooth', 'music note' and 'settings wheel'. The screen is touch screen, so you are expected to try and make your finger small enough to touch the correct icon - not easy for those with big fingers, and even more difficult with the case on. Whilst the screen was advertised as OLED, it clearly isn't, and the viewing angle on the screen isn't great at all.
The home screen gives you a percentage battery wheel for each of the two earbuds which works in increments of 1%, which is impressively specific, although it won't tell you what percentage it is when the buds are in the case, as you would expect given the absence of any two-way comms between the board and the buds. (more on this later)
In the next menu you'll find a list of any paired devices, and it's here that you're able to toggle through devices to switch connection. I found reliability to be pretty patchy - connection wasn't always possible, and sometimes the case would tell me the connection had failed even if it was connected. It's touch screen, so you have the task of making your finger small enough to tap the device you want to switch to. To add another device, press the '+' and begin the pairing process on your device (with the buds removed from the case - more on that later). Switching devices takes between 3-6s, so it isn't seamless, and you may miss a call if that's the reason you're switching.
The music note section allows you to control volume and toggle a few basic parameters. If you have nothing playing, the volume bar defaults to zero. Below, you have a transparency toggle (which automatically switches off ANC just below it). You can also toggle mic and ANC here. The music note is a bit of a strange choice - there's no EQ, no gaming mode, no spatial audio, etc. Toggling the mic off is quite handy - kinda like the old mute button on the Jabras.
Below that, the settings wheel allows you to toggle 'power saving time', i.e. the amount of time in seconds before the screen goes off, up to 60s. You also have the ability to switch on the wireless access point option we mentioned in the beginning in order to upgrade the firmware.
Since I had some issues with the hinge assembly, I decided to take the case apart, and kinda wish I hadn't! Essentially, all Morph have done here is use an off-the-shelf ESP32-WROOM-32D development board with a USB interface and touchscreen kit. No digital comms, no custom board....everything is off the shelf, hence the huge size - all Morph have done is find a case that will house the buds and morph it into one that can contain the components, implementing a fraction of the functions available to the Qualcomm chipset in the earbuds because they haven't gone any further. This botched-together set of components meets the design brief - just - but the delivery is a bunch of loose wires, some of which are glued in place, and a ton of pointless, unused space, as well as a disappointing lack of regard for what they promised.
Really, it is a lot of fuss over nothing. In reality, switching between devices can throw up errors quite often, and there's no toggle for the advertised gaming mode and spatial audio, probably because they haven't included them. Morph do sell a slightly smaller case with no screen, but even this is not especially small, and kinda defeats the purpose of the buds in the first place!
Ergonomics
As mentioned several times previously, the Infinconnect shell bears an uncanny likeness to that of the Tronsmart Apollo Bold, Cleer Ally Plus, Zen 233621, and to a marginally lesser degree, the Philips T8506 and FiiO FW5, the latter of which even contains the same Bluetooth chipset.
It is not uncommon for 'shells' to be reused across TWS manufacturers and product sets - we've seen it many times from various profile vendors, and I suspect given the delays and missed opportunities for Morph the decision to switch molds was a cost exercise designed to recoup a bit of capital. By taking a shell which is proven to house the Qualcomm chip without any issues, Morph could adjust the board design to suit and ensure the project remains within budgetary constraints - at least this is my rationalisation for the replacement of the custom molds, which looked pretty good in the product design brief. That said, this design isn't without its issues.
The bud itself is quite large, with the upside-down teardrop measuring around 22mm diameter. The depth of 17mm extending to almost 27mm with the nozzle is the bigger issue though. This is one of the largest and bulkiest TWS designs I've tested, almost comparable to KZ's SA08 - a 5 driver bud, and even the Soundcore Liberty Air3 Pro, albeit without the curvature.
With the stock tips, even with no movement, they perch precariously on the edge of your ears looking as though a heavy gust of wind could take them clean out. The above pic shows them with the improved-fitting Azla Xelastec SednaEarfit Crystal tips - even then, you wouldn't say they are snug fitting by any means.
It didn't take too long to discover I would benefit from rolling the tips, and switching to Azla Crystal saved the day. The grippy texture of the Azla offering shorted the distance from the nozzle to my ear canal and placed less burden on the tip themselves. This makes for a far more stable fit, although looking at the buds face-on, there is still a sizeable gap around the top - they certainly don't rest against your concha, and those with narrow ear canals may even suffer with discomfort from this somewhat lazy and restrictive design, but they do stay in your ears at least.
On the inside, you've got two battery connectors and an in-ear detection sensor, which works, but annoyingly, doesn't resume playing when you put the bud back in.
The buds weigh just shy of 6g - heavier than the Apollo Bold - and this doesn't help with their stability.
Really, you're looking for comfort, stability, and a design that supports the key features, such as Active Noise Cancellation. The Morph Infiniconnect doesn't really meet the required standards for any of these areas - ear fatigue within a few hours is very real, and the lack of depth combined with the oval nozzle makes for a shallow fit, which certainly doesn't augment the ANC.
The buds claim IPX5 sweat resistance, so no showering in them.
Audio
Given the issues with the product so far, my expectations weren't great when it comes to audio quality. In reality, the Infiniconnect actually sound reasonable - not commensurate with the £150 price tag, but certainly not a disaster.
The buds combine the Qualcomm QCC5141 chipset and a 'claimed' single Knowles Balanced Armature driver - akin to putting a lawnmower engine in a decent runaround. The result is OK, but certainly not £150-OK.
Despite the driver selection, the trebles are tamed compared to other BA buds I've tested. They're not completely neutral, and there is a reasonable texture to claps, stabs and hats. The splashiness to synths and sibilant vocals you hear on poorly-tuned higher frequencies is absent, but they could certainly be much crispier.
Lower frequencies with ANC on lack any depth, sounding thin and lifeless. Switch ANC on and you're engulfed by a thick, bloated lower frequency tuning that adds darkness to the sound, but also eradicates detail. Tracks like RIP Groove by Double 99 lack the rumbling subbass that was meant to the production with ANC off, but switch it on and you'll hear the warp synonymous with 90's speed garage.
With ANC off, the lower mids are recessed, the mids are lifted, and the upper midrange is elevated to give vocals a little room to breath and to create the impression of a more open airy soundstage. Separation in the lower midrange is satisfactory in most instances - with baritone vocals like Rag'n'Bone Man, whose vocal comes through quite clear around a variety of similar-frequency sounds, although the overall representation is not always clean when the range becomes over-congested, and borders on distortion with ANC on. This is where they differ from the likes of the SL3P & Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS, two buds I've tested again recently, which constrain the upper midrange much more, leaving the vocal seemingly struggling for air. Guitars and drums come through nicely on rock/pop tracks like Fly Away by Lenny Kravitz, and whilst they lack the metallic timbre you get on very low end buds, it's still a rather cold tone and timbre, and the imaging you get on some of the better dual-driver, high resolution buds I've tested this year is sadly lacking.
Vocals are mostly positioned at the centre but extend a little further than many in-ear buds, and there's a nice breadth to the soundstage with a signature that favours air over warmth. Soundstage breadth is average width with shallow depth- with ANC off, instruments are pretty well separated, but they can lack a little emotion and sound. With non-complex orchestral arrangements this can leave tracks sometimes sounding a bit cold, but by the same token long listening is possible, since tracks rarely sound fatiguing. With ANC on, the sound is darker, and the soundstage constrained.
I had a little play on Wavelet to see if adjustments could improve the sound closer to my preferred sound signature, and fortunately they responded well with no distortion, however hard I pushed the bass. By lifting the EQ a shade around 75-300Hz, more at 600Hz, and then a little again sat 5KHz-10KHz, reducing a bit at 20KHz, this left the sound much closer to my preference and improved the signature immeasurably. So for Android owners, all is not lost.
ANC
Active Noise Cancellation is also not a lost cause, although it certainly isn't a standout feature. The product brief boasted 'Adaptive ANC that adjusts in real time to changes in how the earbuds fit in your ears', but unlike most products on the market using this technology, you don't have the option to switch through different modes, you just have to trust that the adaptive ANC they claim to support is doing it's job, which is kinda tricky given they've lied about practically everything else, and there's no obvious change in noise cancellation if, for example, you suddenly get a noisy environment.
Naturally, the better the fit, the better the noise cancellation. Push the buds further in and you'll notice the buds are decent at removing low rumbling sounds, but higher frequencies such as keyboard taps and splashes come through quite clearly, without even really being nullified.
Transparency mode is better - there's not so much of the 'lisp' you get with some vendors, and it's good enough to discern voices clearly.
Call Quality
Call Quality is also pretty good. Outdoors, in particular, the buds are certainly above average at nullifying ambient sound and projecting your voice so it comes through not only quite clearly, but quite naturally too. It's actually not too far behind the Sony Linkbuds and probably comparable to the Huawei Freebuds Pro and OnePlus Buds Pro amongst the better performers for outdoor calls.
Indoors your voice lacks some of the tone and weight that buds which are weaker at noise reduction possess - it is seemingly a spectrum vendors have to balance when implementing noise reduction, so it's not going to give you podcast quality calls even in silence, but it is certainly good enough for Teams calls and voice calls here and there, and considering the form factor, it's one of the standout features.
Controls and Other Features
Controls are pretty awful in all honesty. Despite claiming that swipe controls would adjust the volume, this did not make it to the final product. You've also got no volume control - it's essentially play and pause and switching ANC on and off - double tap made a noise, but didn't do anything for me.
The case is obviously the big feature, and whilst we've discussed the size, shape and menu options, it should be said that it lacks some genuinely basic features. 'Hall Switch' mode - the ability to connect to and pair with the buds seated in the case cockpit - is not supported. This leaves you with the bonkers situation that, if you open the case and decide you want to use a different device from the last one connected a few hours, days or minutes previously, you have to put the buds in your ears, connect to the last device, wait a seeming eternity for the buds to connect to the case, then switch. And it isn't always reliable enough to connect first time, so the execution here is again found wanting.
Battery life on the buds isn't great either, but on the case it is catastrophic. Morph claim 25 hours from the buds (I got an average of around 6 hours with ANC on) and an extra 25 hours from the case. That might be true if the case kept battery long enough to prove it - using the screen seemingly knocks around 10 minutes of battery life off per ten minutes of use. Again, crazy that the focal point of the release is so flawed, but since we analysed the construction of the product, it shouldn't altogether be surprising.
Summary
There are two things to consider here - whether the buds meet the design brief, and whether they offer any value for money on their own back. As we have already established, the product falls way short of what it proposed, in an almost-comical way, to the point this will unquestionably be finding its way to the subreddit for kickstarter disasters very soon.
The product itself has some good points - sound is OK, call quality is OK and ANC isn't terrible. However, the case is clunky, the ergonomics are awkward and the switching feature is sub-par in its process and execution.
At $150, the Morph Infiniconnect is a huge disappointment, but for buyers not tainted by the moving of the goalposts, it is also an absolute non-starter. The idea, good in principle, solves a problem that few experience now, and with the proliferation of multipoint in cheaper, better options (such as the Soundcore Space A40), save your money and thank me later!
Price Weighted Score: 60%
Raw Score: 61%
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Model: Morph Infiniconnect
Price: MSRP Approx $150
Website: Morph Audio
Review Reference: RC084
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: Morph
- Model: Infiniconnect
- Driver: Dual-Driver Dynamic / Knowles Balanced Armature
- Chipset: Qualcomm QCC5141
- Mic: 2, cVc 8.0. Advertised Aptx-Voice
- ANC: No
- Codecs: AptX-Adaptive, AptX, AAC, SBC
- App Support: No
- Volume Control: No
- Gaming Mode: Advertised, but not found
- Case Dimensions: 66mm (width) x 67mm (height) x 45mm (depth)
- Case Weight: 103.5g
- Earbud Dimensions: 17mm / 23mm (depth + nozzle), 22mm (plate diameter)
- Earbud Weight: 5.86g
- Quick Charge: No
- Wireless Charging: Yes
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 20 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 50 hours
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5 / LE
- Water Resistance: IPX5
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x Rubberised Charge Case Protector
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x QR Code Quick Guide
3 x Pair Eartips
YouTube Review:
Introduction
Welcome to the @regancipher review of the Morph Infiniconnect, a Kickstarter/Indiegogo project which claimed to resolve the problem of flakey multipoint connectivity, offering the ability to switch between multiple Bluetooth devices at the touch of a button, using the svelte, advertised charge case and its LED screen to toggle quickly and efficiently to your chosen device.
The Indiegogo/Kickstarter project advertised 'The Most Advanced Bluetooth 5.2 Earbuds Ever', bringing a whopping 24-hour battery life, adaptive ANC, Active Noise Cancellation, aptX-Voice for super-clear calls, customisable touch controls, wireless charging and spatial audio, as well as custom-IEM-style in-ear moulds based on hundreds of samples. The campaign proved popular, with over £365k raised by over 4k buyers across their 18-month journey. Yep, that's right - 18 months!
Morph started the journey with a fantastic-looking, almost-futuristic, credit card-sized case, matt black carbon finished earmolds with a unique shape driven by real-world data, comparing hundreds of popular models and refining to perfection. The list of features read like a shopping list of every premium bud on the market! (Link to Kickstarter)
As we know, these Indiegogo projects are a little like 'what you could have won' at times, with the end result looking very different to the proposal, and unfortunately, that's exactly what happened here with the Inficonnect. Unfortunately, COVID arrived, and no doubt the project became curtailed - a lot of the changes seem to be 'budget-driven' - I suspect, even despite the impressive level of funding - the original brief just simply became impossible to deliver.
The custom moulds are replaced by the shell of the Tronsmart Apollo Bold, the depth of which is bulked out further by the addition of a rounded faceplate, the slim, credit card-sized prototype charge case with a clean monochrome display replaced by a mammoth box with a Gameboy Colour-esque screen, the list of audio enhancements has vanished, and the customisable controls are in the wind too. Not only that, but the concept is slightly outdated - the project to end the misery of multipoint woes - a problem for sure when the concept was launched in early 2021 - is no longer a big issue in the commercial TWS world, with anything from the budget QCY T18 through to the lion's share of Soundcore's recent releases, Huawei FreeBuds Pro, Oppo Enco X2, etc. all supporting simultaneous connectivity of two devices, and 2022 releases from the likes of FIIL offering the ability to switch quickly between two devices without impacting upon battery life. This has left the optimum use case for the Morph somewhat limited - sure you can switch between multiple devices quickly, but who needs to switch between more than two devices on a regular basis?! Not many!
Regardless of the disappointment of the finished item not meeting the design brief in any way, this review will try to put that to one side and focus on the merits of the Inficonnect without the baggage of the experience!
Unboxing
Unboxing the Infiniconnect is more akin to unboxing a budget timepiece, with the massive fold-back outer container housing the giant charge case, small plastic bag with 5 different sized eartips, a QR code which takes you to the user manual, and USB A to C charge cable.
The QR code is actually pretty useful, because at some point should you need to update the firmware, it is a rather complicated process that definitely benefits from a step-by-step walkthrough. Essentially, the case becomes a wireless access point (which you toggle in the bottom section of the menu) and then connect to using a browser (Sending a payload over http - what could possibly go wrong?!
)Despite the extravagant outer experience, there is little there to really assess once you're inside the box. The tips are bog standard - they are shaped identical to those supplied with the Tronsmart Apollo Bold, as you would expect given the shell is also identical to said ANC flagship of 2020, as well as a number of other products including the Cleer Ally equivalent. The USB charge cable is as you would expect - the same as every other USB charge cable. The rubber surround for the charge case takes the dimensions to stratospheric proportions - whilst it is a nice addition, realistically you aren't going to be carrying this case around with you too much, it's simply too big. By the same token, you may want to take it into the office with you, in which case it provides welcome protection should the case get chucked in your bag, because it's unlikely it is going to fit in your pocket!
Case
The Infiniconnect charge case was really the USP of the prototype, and one of the main reasons for my contribution towards it. The idea is that rather than pushing touch control button configurations to switch between devices or using multipoint to connect to two devices, you can collect a number of common devices you normally use, and seamlessly switch between them using the interface on the case. This looked like a great idea in principle, however, as mentioned in the preamble, the sleek, credit card-sized case proposed has been dispensed with in favour of a large, 'go pro'-style enclosure, which feels like a normal charge case with an elongated bottom half and a screen built-in, and has really put a dampener on the release, not least because portability has plummeted, amongst a multitude of other reasons.
The size of the case, almost 7cm square and a depth of 4.5cm at its largest, is just one reason for being put off the product. The weight of a whopping 103g is almost double any other TWS case I've tested so far, including the original Huawei Freebuds Pro. The lack of portability really does restrict the use-cases for the Infiniconnect, because generally our preference is to use TWS on the go, something simply not possible with this case.
The build quality of the case is also rather suspect. The hinge moves around a fair bit - indeed, I suspected mine was broken, so I had to get the mini screwdrivers out and readjust it to ensure the hinge didn't break off. Because the bottom of the case is so heavy, were you to pick it up by the hinge too often, I'm pretty sure that would be game over. The case is a little cheap looking too - there is little imagination to the design, it's just a charcoal grey plastic case with a charge port and on/off button on the back, and the buds slot in the cockpit with the nozzles facing down with an etched L and R denoting which bud needs to be placed where.
On the rear you have a button to switch the unit on, and a USB-C socket to charge it. On the side there's a clip to hook it onto your keyring (don't try this at home kids!). On screen side, you have a very small LED just above the 5.6cm display. This denotes charge status - it will glow blue briefly, before turning solid red whilst on charge. There's no traffic light-style method of denoting charge, you have to use the case GUI to discover that. It's possible to charge with Qi wireless charging pads, but that will extend the time taken, and having already waited over 3 hours on each of the occasions I've charged it previously with USB and still not made it to 100%, I recommend using the traditional cable method if you can.
Now the screen. Switching the unit on holding the button on the back, you are greeted by a second or two blast of the Morph logo on the screen, before the home screen is revealed. Along the side bar you have some pretty self-explanatory icons: 'home', 'bluetooth', 'music note' and 'settings wheel'. The screen is touch screen, so you are expected to try and make your finger small enough to touch the correct icon - not easy for those with big fingers, and even more difficult with the case on. Whilst the screen was advertised as OLED, it clearly isn't, and the viewing angle on the screen isn't great at all.
The home screen gives you a percentage battery wheel for each of the two earbuds which works in increments of 1%, which is impressively specific, although it won't tell you what percentage it is when the buds are in the case, as you would expect given the absence of any two-way comms between the board and the buds. (more on this later)
In the next menu you'll find a list of any paired devices, and it's here that you're able to toggle through devices to switch connection. I found reliability to be pretty patchy - connection wasn't always possible, and sometimes the case would tell me the connection had failed even if it was connected. It's touch screen, so you have the task of making your finger small enough to tap the device you want to switch to. To add another device, press the '+' and begin the pairing process on your device (with the buds removed from the case - more on that later). Switching devices takes between 3-6s, so it isn't seamless, and you may miss a call if that's the reason you're switching.
The music note section allows you to control volume and toggle a few basic parameters. If you have nothing playing, the volume bar defaults to zero. Below, you have a transparency toggle (which automatically switches off ANC just below it). You can also toggle mic and ANC here. The music note is a bit of a strange choice - there's no EQ, no gaming mode, no spatial audio, etc. Toggling the mic off is quite handy - kinda like the old mute button on the Jabras.
Below that, the settings wheel allows you to toggle 'power saving time', i.e. the amount of time in seconds before the screen goes off, up to 60s. You also have the ability to switch on the wireless access point option we mentioned in the beginning in order to upgrade the firmware.
Since I had some issues with the hinge assembly, I decided to take the case apart, and kinda wish I hadn't! Essentially, all Morph have done here is use an off-the-shelf ESP32-WROOM-32D development board with a USB interface and touchscreen kit. No digital comms, no custom board....everything is off the shelf, hence the huge size - all Morph have done is find a case that will house the buds and morph it into one that can contain the components, implementing a fraction of the functions available to the Qualcomm chipset in the earbuds because they haven't gone any further. This botched-together set of components meets the design brief - just - but the delivery is a bunch of loose wires, some of which are glued in place, and a ton of pointless, unused space, as well as a disappointing lack of regard for what they promised.
Really, it is a lot of fuss over nothing. In reality, switching between devices can throw up errors quite often, and there's no toggle for the advertised gaming mode and spatial audio, probably because they haven't included them. Morph do sell a slightly smaller case with no screen, but even this is not especially small, and kinda defeats the purpose of the buds in the first place!
Ergonomics
As mentioned several times previously, the Infinconnect shell bears an uncanny likeness to that of the Tronsmart Apollo Bold, Cleer Ally Plus, Zen 233621, and to a marginally lesser degree, the Philips T8506 and FiiO FW5, the latter of which even contains the same Bluetooth chipset.
It is not uncommon for 'shells' to be reused across TWS manufacturers and product sets - we've seen it many times from various profile vendors, and I suspect given the delays and missed opportunities for Morph the decision to switch molds was a cost exercise designed to recoup a bit of capital. By taking a shell which is proven to house the Qualcomm chip without any issues, Morph could adjust the board design to suit and ensure the project remains within budgetary constraints - at least this is my rationalisation for the replacement of the custom molds, which looked pretty good in the product design brief. That said, this design isn't without its issues.
The bud itself is quite large, with the upside-down teardrop measuring around 22mm diameter. The depth of 17mm extending to almost 27mm with the nozzle is the bigger issue though. This is one of the largest and bulkiest TWS designs I've tested, almost comparable to KZ's SA08 - a 5 driver bud, and even the Soundcore Liberty Air3 Pro, albeit without the curvature.
With the stock tips, even with no movement, they perch precariously on the edge of your ears looking as though a heavy gust of wind could take them clean out. The above pic shows them with the improved-fitting Azla Xelastec SednaEarfit Crystal tips - even then, you wouldn't say they are snug fitting by any means.
It didn't take too long to discover I would benefit from rolling the tips, and switching to Azla Crystal saved the day. The grippy texture of the Azla offering shorted the distance from the nozzle to my ear canal and placed less burden on the tip themselves. This makes for a far more stable fit, although looking at the buds face-on, there is still a sizeable gap around the top - they certainly don't rest against your concha, and those with narrow ear canals may even suffer with discomfort from this somewhat lazy and restrictive design, but they do stay in your ears at least.
On the inside, you've got two battery connectors and an in-ear detection sensor, which works, but annoyingly, doesn't resume playing when you put the bud back in.
The buds weigh just shy of 6g - heavier than the Apollo Bold - and this doesn't help with their stability.
Really, you're looking for comfort, stability, and a design that supports the key features, such as Active Noise Cancellation. The Morph Infiniconnect doesn't really meet the required standards for any of these areas - ear fatigue within a few hours is very real, and the lack of depth combined with the oval nozzle makes for a shallow fit, which certainly doesn't augment the ANC.
The buds claim IPX5 sweat resistance, so no showering in them.
Audio
Given the issues with the product so far, my expectations weren't great when it comes to audio quality. In reality, the Infiniconnect actually sound reasonable - not commensurate with the £150 price tag, but certainly not a disaster.
The buds combine the Qualcomm QCC5141 chipset and a 'claimed' single Knowles Balanced Armature driver - akin to putting a lawnmower engine in a decent runaround. The result is OK, but certainly not £150-OK.
Despite the driver selection, the trebles are tamed compared to other BA buds I've tested. They're not completely neutral, and there is a reasonable texture to claps, stabs and hats. The splashiness to synths and sibilant vocals you hear on poorly-tuned higher frequencies is absent, but they could certainly be much crispier.
Lower frequencies with ANC on lack any depth, sounding thin and lifeless. Switch ANC on and you're engulfed by a thick, bloated lower frequency tuning that adds darkness to the sound, but also eradicates detail. Tracks like RIP Groove by Double 99 lack the rumbling subbass that was meant to the production with ANC off, but switch it on and you'll hear the warp synonymous with 90's speed garage.
With ANC off, the lower mids are recessed, the mids are lifted, and the upper midrange is elevated to give vocals a little room to breath and to create the impression of a more open airy soundstage. Separation in the lower midrange is satisfactory in most instances - with baritone vocals like Rag'n'Bone Man, whose vocal comes through quite clear around a variety of similar-frequency sounds, although the overall representation is not always clean when the range becomes over-congested, and borders on distortion with ANC on. This is where they differ from the likes of the SL3P & Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS, two buds I've tested again recently, which constrain the upper midrange much more, leaving the vocal seemingly struggling for air. Guitars and drums come through nicely on rock/pop tracks like Fly Away by Lenny Kravitz, and whilst they lack the metallic timbre you get on very low end buds, it's still a rather cold tone and timbre, and the imaging you get on some of the better dual-driver, high resolution buds I've tested this year is sadly lacking.
Vocals are mostly positioned at the centre but extend a little further than many in-ear buds, and there's a nice breadth to the soundstage with a signature that favours air over warmth. Soundstage breadth is average width with shallow depth- with ANC off, instruments are pretty well separated, but they can lack a little emotion and sound. With non-complex orchestral arrangements this can leave tracks sometimes sounding a bit cold, but by the same token long listening is possible, since tracks rarely sound fatiguing. With ANC on, the sound is darker, and the soundstage constrained.
I had a little play on Wavelet to see if adjustments could improve the sound closer to my preferred sound signature, and fortunately they responded well with no distortion, however hard I pushed the bass. By lifting the EQ a shade around 75-300Hz, more at 600Hz, and then a little again sat 5KHz-10KHz, reducing a bit at 20KHz, this left the sound much closer to my preference and improved the signature immeasurably. So for Android owners, all is not lost.
ANC
Active Noise Cancellation is also not a lost cause, although it certainly isn't a standout feature. The product brief boasted 'Adaptive ANC that adjusts in real time to changes in how the earbuds fit in your ears', but unlike most products on the market using this technology, you don't have the option to switch through different modes, you just have to trust that the adaptive ANC they claim to support is doing it's job, which is kinda tricky given they've lied about practically everything else, and there's no obvious change in noise cancellation if, for example, you suddenly get a noisy environment.
Naturally, the better the fit, the better the noise cancellation. Push the buds further in and you'll notice the buds are decent at removing low rumbling sounds, but higher frequencies such as keyboard taps and splashes come through quite clearly, without even really being nullified.
Transparency mode is better - there's not so much of the 'lisp' you get with some vendors, and it's good enough to discern voices clearly.
Call Quality
Call Quality is also pretty good. Outdoors, in particular, the buds are certainly above average at nullifying ambient sound and projecting your voice so it comes through not only quite clearly, but quite naturally too. It's actually not too far behind the Sony Linkbuds and probably comparable to the Huawei Freebuds Pro and OnePlus Buds Pro amongst the better performers for outdoor calls.
Indoors your voice lacks some of the tone and weight that buds which are weaker at noise reduction possess - it is seemingly a spectrum vendors have to balance when implementing noise reduction, so it's not going to give you podcast quality calls even in silence, but it is certainly good enough for Teams calls and voice calls here and there, and considering the form factor, it's one of the standout features.
Controls and Other Features
Controls are pretty awful in all honesty. Despite claiming that swipe controls would adjust the volume, this did not make it to the final product. You've also got no volume control - it's essentially play and pause and switching ANC on and off - double tap made a noise, but didn't do anything for me.
The case is obviously the big feature, and whilst we've discussed the size, shape and menu options, it should be said that it lacks some genuinely basic features. 'Hall Switch' mode - the ability to connect to and pair with the buds seated in the case cockpit - is not supported. This leaves you with the bonkers situation that, if you open the case and decide you want to use a different device from the last one connected a few hours, days or minutes previously, you have to put the buds in your ears, connect to the last device, wait a seeming eternity for the buds to connect to the case, then switch. And it isn't always reliable enough to connect first time, so the execution here is again found wanting.
Battery life on the buds isn't great either, but on the case it is catastrophic. Morph claim 25 hours from the buds (I got an average of around 6 hours with ANC on) and an extra 25 hours from the case. That might be true if the case kept battery long enough to prove it - using the screen seemingly knocks around 10 minutes of battery life off per ten minutes of use. Again, crazy that the focal point of the release is so flawed, but since we analysed the construction of the product, it shouldn't altogether be surprising.
Summary
There are two things to consider here - whether the buds meet the design brief, and whether they offer any value for money on their own back. As we have already established, the product falls way short of what it proposed, in an almost-comical way, to the point this will unquestionably be finding its way to the subreddit for kickstarter disasters very soon.
The product itself has some good points - sound is OK, call quality is OK and ANC isn't terrible. However, the case is clunky, the ergonomics are awkward and the switching feature is sub-par in its process and execution.
At $150, the Morph Infiniconnect is a huge disappointment, but for buyers not tainted by the moving of the goalposts, it is also an absolute non-starter. The idea, good in principle, solves a problem that few experience now, and with the proliferation of multipoint in cheaper, better options (such as the Soundcore Space A40), save your money and thank me later!
Price Weighted Score: 60%
Raw Score: 61%
SynaestheticA
Nice going taking case apart, I wanted to check inside as well just as it felt like there was a lot of spare room inside and therefore no need for the size. Also I'm pretty certain the left bud holder has no bottom and opens up to the power board inside of the case.
I didn't have the heart to rate them lower than 3.5 at first (The review game is tough business), but after reading your review I've dropped them down to 3 which they only maintain due to being the first to bring the concept to life. Using them less and less now.
I didn't have the heart to rate them lower than 3.5 at first (The review game is tough business), but after reading your review I've dropped them down to 3 which they only maintain due to being the first to bring the concept to life. Using them less and less now.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: Tronsmart Bang Mini
Price: £79.99 MSRP
Website: Tronsmart
Review Reference: RC085
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Speaker
1 x User Manual
1 x Warranty Card
1 x USB-C charge cable
1 x AUX jack cable
Preamble
Welcome to the ReganCipher review of Tronsmart's latest speaker release, the Bang Mini.
The Bang Mini is the fourth Tronsmart speaker I've tested and reviewed this year, and the 25th speaker Tronsmart have released since their popular Element T6 hit the market a couple of years ago, with the Bang SE and Halo 100 following hot on the heels. That's some return in terms of releases!
Tronsmart's segway into focusing on speakers has been fruitful - cut-throat TWS world has it's limitations in terms of true innovation, whereas speakers have less limitations in terms of use-cases, with ultra portable beach speakers like the Trip or T7 Mini taking pride of place harmoniously in the same household as a Studio sat at a desk, a Splash 1 hanging in your shower and a Bang or Bang Mini lighting up your living room, pool or yoga studio.
The competitive landscape is also less congested - with reputable alternatives somewhat limited (Soundcore, Tribit, JBL.....and that's about it!) This means Tronsmart can be quite agile and release products 'between the categories' - Soundcore, for example, have a 30w portable speaker and an 80w, but no 50w. The Bang Mini undercuts both, sitting right in the middle and giving you a light show, NFC and a power bank included!
The Bang Mini is one of a number of Tronsmart products making use of the Actions Semi ATS chipsets. Actions are an intelligent audio SoC vendor who have taken advantage of Qualcomm's supply issues in 2019 to forge relationships with vendors such as Tronsmart, offering comparable performance at a much lower cost, and this has benefited both the speaker and earbud markets by virtue of increased competition. Where enhanced codec support is less of an issue, ATS chips become very attractive, and it is interesting to see Tronsmart capitalising on this with use in a number of their recent budget releases.
You can see the full range of Tronsmart speakers here
Design & Build
The Bang Mini has been designed to improve upon the portability of it's big sibling, the Bang, refining the shape and function ever-so-slightly, whilst retaining the essence of the original release. Both models are designed to 'grab and go' with a convenient handle on top.
Controls
The first improvement to note is the buttons - the tactile controls of the original are replaced by visual symbols, which are easy to understand and straightforward to operate. Since the original left you guessing what you were about to activate at times, this is without question a step forward, although in future a combination of tactile and visual would be the icing on the cake.
Size
In terms of size, the Bang Mini (left of the three) is around 10-20cm shorter in length, slightly less than that in width, and even less in height. It is almost impossible to find an angle to photograph the two together that truly conveys the difference, but in the hand, it certainly feels much less bulky, and even on the desk you can clearly see which is the Mini.
Whilst the weight is considerably lighter too (around 700g), although I have to say, it doesn't really feel like it. The weight displacement means you could actually argue it feels slightly heavier, but it certainly isn't too bulky, and overall it is a decent improvement in portability without going too far and ever being in any danger of feeling lightweight and flimsy.
Aesthetics
Otherwise the theme is very much the same - you've got a slightly thinner and arguably more carry-friendly handle with the Tronsmart logo etched on the top, and a soft fabric finish to the grills - but like the Bang, it is IPX6 moisture resistant, so whilst you don't really want to be submerging it for long, it will comfortably withstand getting soaked without any issues.
The passive radiators on the side, like the Bang, light up, although the finish is slightly more in-keeping with the rest of the design this time. The rads are naturally a little more slimline, as you would expect with the slightly trimmed down design. The LED is slightly thinner proportionally, and slightly less bright as a result.
The Bang Mini has dispensed with the front LED, and as a result probably increases the appeal to a wider market, with a much more subtle lighting profile. You've got two different settings for the LED's - one pulses, the other follows the music, even keeping up with fast build-ups!
Battery Life
The Battery life is rated up to 13 hours if you use the LED and 15 hours without. This falls a little way short of something like the Soundcore Motion Boom (24 hours) and Tribit XSound Mega (20 hours), although it should be remembered both are 30w speakers with only the latter supporting the lighting function. In my tests over the last month, I noted that realistically you are going to get around 10-11 hours with the LED working, and 14-16 hours without, played at around 50-60% volume.
There is no fast charging, and a full charge can take up to 4 hours, which is an improvement over 4.5h on the Bang. If you're used to TWS, this can feel like an eternity! However, it is fairly normal for speakers, with Tronsmart's competition taking similarly long to get up to 100% charge.
Audio
Tronsmart have shaken up the speaker arrangement, this time incorporating two mid-range front-firing 12w tweeters, two 25w rear woofers and three passive radiators. The idea is to reduce the potential for reverberation and distortion further, and for me it achieves this goal quite comfortably, delivering a much improved audio performance all-round.
With SoundPulse switched off, sound is softer and certainly more neutral than the thin-sounding original, which could border on sibilant and certainly sound too bright. Arguably Tronsmart have gone a little too far with the sound signature of the Mini, but for prolonged use you certainly aren't going to suffer any audio fatigue. There is slightly more detail to the sound signature with SoundPulse switched off, but the sound is a little warmer and the soundstage more constrained.
You could argue that party speakers by their very nature are more appealing with a v-shape profile, and with SoundPulse on, that's exactly what you're getting. SoundPulse is Tronsmart's way of reducing harmonic distortion and removing noise at the peaks, giving added brightness to vocals and richness to basslines through some sort of digital signal processing that they don't say too much about in their material! However the effect is there for all to hear - with it switched on, there is far more life to the higher frequencies and the midbass is much richer. Subbass is present without being overbearing - 'Wombat' by Oliver Heldens had great energy in my tests, and R&B and Hip Hop tracks enjoy a thickness to both vocal and orchestral elements.
The Mini, like most speakers of this ilk, suffers from the problem that all speakers do to some degree or another of limited technicalities, a slightly bloated midbass, midbass bleed and over-crispy high hats, however Tronsmart have really limited the amount that this impacts upon your audio experience - there is a little sibilance on female vocals, but it is definitely an improvement over the Bang. SoundPulse does impact slightly on battery life, but it gives the sound much greater depth, and if you are anything like me, you'll probably prefer this setting on the majority of the time you're using it.
Positioning is all-important with this type of speaker - ideally you want it on the floor, maximising the space by allowing it to bounce off the walls in order to fill the room. I tested in a room designed to fit around 10-15 people and the volume was more than adequate. Loudness is not something this speaker is likely to ever have an issue with - it gets very loud, and keeps distortion to a minimum.
It is worth noting that you can pair two of these to give you stereo sound, which is a bit of a comedown from the 100 'TuneConn' capability of the Bang, but in reality, if you can connect 100 speakers, you can probably afford a funktion-one setup and your own nightclub!
Features
On the back, when you peel away the rubber flap you have a similar arrangement to the Bang, with a 3.5mm jack and TF providing audio inputs, and USB Type A connection, which can be used as a powerbank to charge your phone. This also houses the USB-C input, which is used to charge the device. I believe the USB-A can be used with a USB stick to play tracks from that, but I couldn't get it to play any music from my phone.
The Mini also has NFC for fast connection, and it is really nice to see this still in use. You just tap your device on the handle and the connection is almost instant. The range on the speaker is very impressive too - I couldn't get far away enough for the connection to drop!
Just like with the Bang, it is possible to make and take calls with the built-in mic, and it actually sounds pretty good! Another nice feature is the auto-shutdown, which happens after around 5-10 minutes of inactivity.
Points for Discussion
One area you're missing over the Bang is app support, and Tronsmart's app is one of the better ones - although apart from the multi-mode custom EQ, it is difficult to see what advantages this would have brought the Mini.
Whilst the speaker does admittedly only support the SBC codec, Tronsmart have reduced the bitpool to keep latency low without detracting from audio quality, and it should be remembered that the negligible improvements you get with something like Aptx-Adaptive are really focused on latency rather than audio quality. LDAC in a party speaker is pretty pointless, so for me the selection of a chipset that is centred around the use of the SBC codec is the right decision here.
Summary
One of the really nice things about Tronsmart as a brand is their ability to listen to the market and implement features and functions that their customers want. I lost count of how many other reviewers agreed about the invisible buttons on the Bang, for example, and that has been improved with this release. They have added more weight to the sound signature with SoundPulse off, dispensed with the overkill-Tuneconn feature and retained important features within their control, such as NFC.
The Mini is a great option for a party speaker that doesn't try to compete with a Tribit, Soundcore or JBL offering, but instead tells the market what they should expect from their portable party boombox and setting their own little space in the competitive landscape for others to follow. The sound is great, the features are adequate and the battery life, whilst it could be longer, doesn't compromise too much whilst retaining the LED's that were so popular with their previous models.
It's another incremental improvement from Tronsmart with my favourite of their speaker releases so far. I'm looking forward to seeing what they come up with next, but it will take a fair improvement to topple the Bang Mini.
The Bang Mini is currently available at the Black Friday / Cyber Monday Special Sale price of £55.99 on Amazon UK - this is an absolute steal of a price (£30 reduction from the MSRP) and is very compelling at this price point in particular!
Tronsmart Review Inventory:
Tronsmart Trip
Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro
Tronsmart Bang
Tronsmart Studio
Tronsmart Apollo Air
Tronsmart Battle
Tronsmart Onyx Apex
Tronsmart Apollo Q10
Tronsmart Onyx Free
Tronsmart Apollo Bold
About Tronsmart
Tronsmart are now fully established as a mid range technology vendor at a very competitive price point, with their focus almost solely on audio products - mostly speakers and headphones. Founder Eric Cheng, a self-confessed geek, founded the company with his first paycheck (where was he working?!), building a lab to disassemble audio products with the aim to recreate them in his own vision at a cost-efficient price point. After bringing in ear-chewing trophy-winning footballer Luis Suarez as an ambassador, the company have gone from strength to strength, building a close relationship with Qualcomm, and bringing two of their chips to market first with the Apollo Bold and Apollo Air. For speakers, the range is now almost as extensive as their earbuds, ranging from 7, 10 and 15w mini speakers through to the 60w Force Pro and Mega Pro.
Founded in 2013, Tronsmart is an audio brand specializing in premium Bluetooth headsets and speakers. Its parent company, Shenzhen Geekbuy E-Commerce Co., Ltd. (aka Geekbuy), employs nearly 400 employees in its branch offices in Guangzhou, Chengdu, Germany, Spain, and Slovenia. The team’s combined expertise in R&D, electronics manufacturing and supply chain, Tronsmart sales reached over $60 million USD in 2021, with products shipping to over 90 countries. The brand has received 10+ international product certifications and owns trademarks in 51 countries and regions including Europe, North America, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and South America.
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: Tronsmart Bang Mini
Price: £79.99 MSRP
Website: Tronsmart
Review Reference: RC085
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: Tronsmart
- Model: Bang Mini
- Power: 50w
- Frequency response: 65hz-20KHZ
- Drivers: Dual Mid-Tweeters & Dual Woofers
- Chipset: Actions Semi ATS2853
- Bluetooth Version: 5.3 A2DP/AVRCP/HFP/HSP
- Codec Support: SBC
- Mic: Yes
- Input: TF, NFC, USB, Bluetooth, 3.5mm jack
- Features: SoundPulse ®, Voice Assistant, Built-in Powerbank
- App Support: No
- Dimensions: 302 x 173 x 125mm
- Weight: 2.3kg
- Battery Life: Up to 13/15 hours
- Charge Time: Up to 4 hours
- Input: 5v 2A
- Charge Type: USB-C
- Water Resistance: IPX6
1 x Speaker
1 x User Manual
1 x Warranty Card
1 x USB-C charge cable
1 x AUX jack cable
Preamble
Welcome to the ReganCipher review of Tronsmart's latest speaker release, the Bang Mini.
The Bang Mini is the fourth Tronsmart speaker I've tested and reviewed this year, and the 25th speaker Tronsmart have released since their popular Element T6 hit the market a couple of years ago, with the Bang SE and Halo 100 following hot on the heels. That's some return in terms of releases!
Tronsmart's segway into focusing on speakers has been fruitful - cut-throat TWS world has it's limitations in terms of true innovation, whereas speakers have less limitations in terms of use-cases, with ultra portable beach speakers like the Trip or T7 Mini taking pride of place harmoniously in the same household as a Studio sat at a desk, a Splash 1 hanging in your shower and a Bang or Bang Mini lighting up your living room, pool or yoga studio.
The competitive landscape is also less congested - with reputable alternatives somewhat limited (Soundcore, Tribit, JBL.....and that's about it!) This means Tronsmart can be quite agile and release products 'between the categories' - Soundcore, for example, have a 30w portable speaker and an 80w, but no 50w. The Bang Mini undercuts both, sitting right in the middle and giving you a light show, NFC and a power bank included!
The Bang Mini is one of a number of Tronsmart products making use of the Actions Semi ATS chipsets. Actions are an intelligent audio SoC vendor who have taken advantage of Qualcomm's supply issues in 2019 to forge relationships with vendors such as Tronsmart, offering comparable performance at a much lower cost, and this has benefited both the speaker and earbud markets by virtue of increased competition. Where enhanced codec support is less of an issue, ATS chips become very attractive, and it is interesting to see Tronsmart capitalising on this with use in a number of their recent budget releases.
You can see the full range of Tronsmart speakers here
Design & Build
The Bang Mini has been designed to improve upon the portability of it's big sibling, the Bang, refining the shape and function ever-so-slightly, whilst retaining the essence of the original release. Both models are designed to 'grab and go' with a convenient handle on top.
Controls
The first improvement to note is the buttons - the tactile controls of the original are replaced by visual symbols, which are easy to understand and straightforward to operate. Since the original left you guessing what you were about to activate at times, this is without question a step forward, although in future a combination of tactile and visual would be the icing on the cake.
Size
In terms of size, the Bang Mini (left of the three) is around 10-20cm shorter in length, slightly less than that in width, and even less in height. It is almost impossible to find an angle to photograph the two together that truly conveys the difference, but in the hand, it certainly feels much less bulky, and even on the desk you can clearly see which is the Mini.
Whilst the weight is considerably lighter too (around 700g), although I have to say, it doesn't really feel like it. The weight displacement means you could actually argue it feels slightly heavier, but it certainly isn't too bulky, and overall it is a decent improvement in portability without going too far and ever being in any danger of feeling lightweight and flimsy.
Aesthetics
Otherwise the theme is very much the same - you've got a slightly thinner and arguably more carry-friendly handle with the Tronsmart logo etched on the top, and a soft fabric finish to the grills - but like the Bang, it is IPX6 moisture resistant, so whilst you don't really want to be submerging it for long, it will comfortably withstand getting soaked without any issues.
The passive radiators on the side, like the Bang, light up, although the finish is slightly more in-keeping with the rest of the design this time. The rads are naturally a little more slimline, as you would expect with the slightly trimmed down design. The LED is slightly thinner proportionally, and slightly less bright as a result.
The Bang Mini has dispensed with the front LED, and as a result probably increases the appeal to a wider market, with a much more subtle lighting profile. You've got two different settings for the LED's - one pulses, the other follows the music, even keeping up with fast build-ups!
Battery Life
The Battery life is rated up to 13 hours if you use the LED and 15 hours without. This falls a little way short of something like the Soundcore Motion Boom (24 hours) and Tribit XSound Mega (20 hours), although it should be remembered both are 30w speakers with only the latter supporting the lighting function. In my tests over the last month, I noted that realistically you are going to get around 10-11 hours with the LED working, and 14-16 hours without, played at around 50-60% volume.
There is no fast charging, and a full charge can take up to 4 hours, which is an improvement over 4.5h on the Bang. If you're used to TWS, this can feel like an eternity! However, it is fairly normal for speakers, with Tronsmart's competition taking similarly long to get up to 100% charge.
Audio
Tronsmart have shaken up the speaker arrangement, this time incorporating two mid-range front-firing 12w tweeters, two 25w rear woofers and three passive radiators. The idea is to reduce the potential for reverberation and distortion further, and for me it achieves this goal quite comfortably, delivering a much improved audio performance all-round.
With SoundPulse switched off, sound is softer and certainly more neutral than the thin-sounding original, which could border on sibilant and certainly sound too bright. Arguably Tronsmart have gone a little too far with the sound signature of the Mini, but for prolonged use you certainly aren't going to suffer any audio fatigue. There is slightly more detail to the sound signature with SoundPulse switched off, but the sound is a little warmer and the soundstage more constrained.
You could argue that party speakers by their very nature are more appealing with a v-shape profile, and with SoundPulse on, that's exactly what you're getting. SoundPulse is Tronsmart's way of reducing harmonic distortion and removing noise at the peaks, giving added brightness to vocals and richness to basslines through some sort of digital signal processing that they don't say too much about in their material! However the effect is there for all to hear - with it switched on, there is far more life to the higher frequencies and the midbass is much richer. Subbass is present without being overbearing - 'Wombat' by Oliver Heldens had great energy in my tests, and R&B and Hip Hop tracks enjoy a thickness to both vocal and orchestral elements.
The Mini, like most speakers of this ilk, suffers from the problem that all speakers do to some degree or another of limited technicalities, a slightly bloated midbass, midbass bleed and over-crispy high hats, however Tronsmart have really limited the amount that this impacts upon your audio experience - there is a little sibilance on female vocals, but it is definitely an improvement over the Bang. SoundPulse does impact slightly on battery life, but it gives the sound much greater depth, and if you are anything like me, you'll probably prefer this setting on the majority of the time you're using it.
Positioning is all-important with this type of speaker - ideally you want it on the floor, maximising the space by allowing it to bounce off the walls in order to fill the room. I tested in a room designed to fit around 10-15 people and the volume was more than adequate. Loudness is not something this speaker is likely to ever have an issue with - it gets very loud, and keeps distortion to a minimum.
It is worth noting that you can pair two of these to give you stereo sound, which is a bit of a comedown from the 100 'TuneConn' capability of the Bang, but in reality, if you can connect 100 speakers, you can probably afford a funktion-one setup and your own nightclub!
Features
On the back, when you peel away the rubber flap you have a similar arrangement to the Bang, with a 3.5mm jack and TF providing audio inputs, and USB Type A connection, which can be used as a powerbank to charge your phone. This also houses the USB-C input, which is used to charge the device. I believe the USB-A can be used with a USB stick to play tracks from that, but I couldn't get it to play any music from my phone.
The Mini also has NFC for fast connection, and it is really nice to see this still in use. You just tap your device on the handle and the connection is almost instant. The range on the speaker is very impressive too - I couldn't get far away enough for the connection to drop!
Just like with the Bang, it is possible to make and take calls with the built-in mic, and it actually sounds pretty good! Another nice feature is the auto-shutdown, which happens after around 5-10 minutes of inactivity.
Points for Discussion
One area you're missing over the Bang is app support, and Tronsmart's app is one of the better ones - although apart from the multi-mode custom EQ, it is difficult to see what advantages this would have brought the Mini.
Whilst the speaker does admittedly only support the SBC codec, Tronsmart have reduced the bitpool to keep latency low without detracting from audio quality, and it should be remembered that the negligible improvements you get with something like Aptx-Adaptive are really focused on latency rather than audio quality. LDAC in a party speaker is pretty pointless, so for me the selection of a chipset that is centred around the use of the SBC codec is the right decision here.
Summary
One of the really nice things about Tronsmart as a brand is their ability to listen to the market and implement features and functions that their customers want. I lost count of how many other reviewers agreed about the invisible buttons on the Bang, for example, and that has been improved with this release. They have added more weight to the sound signature with SoundPulse off, dispensed with the overkill-Tuneconn feature and retained important features within their control, such as NFC.
The Mini is a great option for a party speaker that doesn't try to compete with a Tribit, Soundcore or JBL offering, but instead tells the market what they should expect from their portable party boombox and setting their own little space in the competitive landscape for others to follow. The sound is great, the features are adequate and the battery life, whilst it could be longer, doesn't compromise too much whilst retaining the LED's that were so popular with their previous models.
It's another incremental improvement from Tronsmart with my favourite of their speaker releases so far. I'm looking forward to seeing what they come up with next, but it will take a fair improvement to topple the Bang Mini.
The Bang Mini is currently available at the Black Friday / Cyber Monday Special Sale price of £55.99 on Amazon UK - this is an absolute steal of a price (£30 reduction from the MSRP) and is very compelling at this price point in particular!
Tronsmart Review Inventory:
Tronsmart Trip
Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro
Tronsmart Bang
Tronsmart Studio
Tronsmart Apollo Air
Tronsmart Battle
Tronsmart Onyx Apex
Tronsmart Apollo Q10
Tronsmart Onyx Free
Tronsmart Apollo Bold
About Tronsmart
Tronsmart are now fully established as a mid range technology vendor at a very competitive price point, with their focus almost solely on audio products - mostly speakers and headphones. Founder Eric Cheng, a self-confessed geek, founded the company with his first paycheck (where was he working?!), building a lab to disassemble audio products with the aim to recreate them in his own vision at a cost-efficient price point. After bringing in ear-chewing trophy-winning footballer Luis Suarez as an ambassador, the company have gone from strength to strength, building a close relationship with Qualcomm, and bringing two of their chips to market first with the Apollo Bold and Apollo Air. For speakers, the range is now almost as extensive as their earbuds, ranging from 7, 10 and 15w mini speakers through to the 60w Force Pro and Mega Pro.
Founded in 2013, Tronsmart is an audio brand specializing in premium Bluetooth headsets and speakers. Its parent company, Shenzhen Geekbuy E-Commerce Co., Ltd. (aka Geekbuy), employs nearly 400 employees in its branch offices in Guangzhou, Chengdu, Germany, Spain, and Slovenia. The team’s combined expertise in R&D, electronics manufacturing and supply chain, Tronsmart sales reached over $60 million USD in 2021, with products shipping to over 90 countries. The brand has received 10+ international product certifications and owns trademarks in 51 countries and regions including Europe, North America, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and South America.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS
Price: MSRP $49.99
Vendor Product Link: SoundPEATS
Review Reference: RC083
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Japanese
Where to Buy:
Currently on special offer from Amazon UK at £32.49 and Amazon US at $35.99
YouTube Review:
Introduction:
Welcome to the @regancipher review of the latest addition to SoundPEATS' popular semi-in-ear collective, the Air3 Deluxe HS.
At the bottom of this review, you can find my previous reviews on their older brothers and sisters, the TrueAir2, TrueAir2+ and Air3. Unfortunately, I never got the opportunity to sample the most recent iteration (aka the Deluxe) as they were released in the UK at the same time as the HS, but for all intents and purposes, this release has switched the Qualcomm chipset in the Deluxe for the WUQI WQ7033M, trading the 420kbps aptX-adaptive codec for 990kbps LDAC support. WUQI seem to have come out of nowhere to supply two of the main budget releases of the year - these, and the QCY Melobuds ANC.
There are other tweaks certainly worthy of a mention - including the new, improved (and certainly different) sound signature - and this review will detail those alterations and ask the question - was this release justified?
The SoundPEATS range is somewhat confusing these days with the proliferation of releases - above gives you some headline details that should help tailor your decision. Essentially, if you like semi-in-ear, your choices are the longer-stemmed TrueAir2 (oldest) & TrueAir2+ (slightly newer, with AptX-adaptive and Wireless Charging) or the shorter-stemmed Air3 series, including the original Air3 (smaller case), Air3 Deluxe (AptX-adaptive, slightly longer total battery life than the Air3) and this model, the HS, for LDAC and AI ENC. In-Ear stem-based is either the Life (weak ANC, bass and AI ENC calls) or the Air3 Pro (stronger ANC, better single-use battery life, better latency, weaker call performance). Confused?!
The Deluxe HS are currently on offer for the special Black Friday price of £32.49 in the UK and $34.99 in the US - that's crazy money for LDAC buds, so the other big question will be 'Are they a bargain at these super-low prices?' - read on for the answers to that, and many other questions as we deep-dive into the SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS.....
Unboxing - 8/10
Unboxing the Deluxe HS is definitely a step in the right direction from Soundpeats. After years of good releases being impossible to be given as gifts due to a shabby and flimsy exterior cardboard enclosure, Soundpeats have finally moved to a more premium, robust design, whilst minimising the non-recyclable materials to ensure an enclosure that wouldn't actually look out of place covered in gift wrap and handed out as a Birthday or Christmas present.
The box lists the headline features - Hi-Res Wireless Audio, 14.2mm dynamic drivers and Dual-Mic AI ENC - on the back, and the front includes a pensive-looking model gazing into the distance whilst sporting the rose-gold accented buds.
The instruction manual is, as always, in 7 different languages and demonstrates the steps needed to pair, control and reset the buds with graphics and text to good effect, and hidden in the inlay you'll find a USB-A to USB-C charge cable and detailed steps on how to update the firmware. Don't throw this away - you'll need it, as the product has typically been shipped with version 0.4.3 - since, Soundpeats have improved the LDAC stability, so an upgrade to 0.4.4 is essential.
For visual instructions on how to upgrade the firmware - head to the app section of my YouTube review (linked above).
The Case - 8.5/10
First impressions of the case are very positive - whilst some consider a glossy exterior as a negative due to the inevitable finger marks it will attract, the move away from the charcoal matte finish synonymous with most Soundpeats cases is, IMO, a good one. The shape is like a cross between that of the Mini/Free2 Classic and the Huawei FreeBuds Pro, and although it lacks the substantial feel of the latter, it is certainly a step up in quality from the former.
Soundpeats have kept the essence of the charge case the same as the Air3, and the cosmetics identical to the Deluxe. They've retained the charge LED at the front (which demonstrates remaining charge and indicates when the case is charging) and given the reset button a raised, more tactile profile. The hinge, one of the bug-bears of the Air3, has been supplemented with increased friction - this is a massive improvement, as it means you can pop them open on the desk, and pair with your device, taking advantage of the hall-switch facility (allowing you to pair without removing the buds from the case).
The rear of the case displays the Soundpeats logo on a rose gold accented hinge surround, which shimmers in the light. The USB-C port is on the base - there is no wireless charging with this model unfortunately. The case offers three additional charges, taking the total battery life to 20 hours advertised. This compares favourably with the original Air3 (17.5 hours) and less so with the TA2+ (25 hours). If battery life and wireless charging are important to you, the slightly-longer stemmed TrueAir2+ are still a decent option.
The case is slightly larger than the original Air3, measuring 58mm (width) x 44.9mm (height) x 23mm (depth), although that is accentuated slightly by the curved, pill-shape-style which measures longer that it actually appears. Despite the minor reduction in portability, the overall quality far outweighs this academic loss - from the hinge, to the button, to the improved interior cockpit, it is an unequivocal improvement all-round.
The portability reduction is something of a misnomer when you look at the weight of the case too. The Air3 was 31.5g, the TrueAir2+ 37.5g, and the HS is just over 35g. To put into perspective, the closest competitor (Edifier W220T) is over 40g, so it is still super portable compared to the competition and isn't going to weigh your trouser pockets down or fill your handbag up.
Ergonomics - 9/10
The Air3 series are open-air 'semi-in-ear' style, meaning isolation is almost non-existent, allowing users to hear their surroundings and enjoy music at the same time. SoundPEATS are widely recognised as the leader in this area due to their ability to tune their drivers to offer punchy basslines without distortion, something the likes of Edifier and 1More haven't successfully been able to achieve.
From the Air3, the academic changes are especially evident in the design and ergonomics. The killer stability and comfort that the Air3 offered meant a total redesign for the latest iteration would be simply unnecessary - why change a winning formula? Even so, it is probably a tad unimaginative to simply adjust the accent from grey to rose gold!
Everything else has been retained from the original - stems are still 33mm, charge connectors are still at the base, mics are in the same place, etc. This isn't a bad thing - good products like the FIIL CC2 and Huawei Freebuds 3 are too awkward, the FIIL Key and Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro too loose, and QCY T20 and Soundcore Life Note 3S too bulky - none come close to the usability of the Air3 range - so we can forgive them a little for absence of any creativity here.
I put the buds through the shake test in my YouTube review - they pass the test with flying colours. They are IPX4, like the original, meaning they will comfortably withstand a splash of rain, but submerging them should be avoided at all costs. The buds feature wear detection - which can be toggled on and off - and have a comprehensive control scheme which includes volume control and the ability to toggle gaming mode and (now) progress tracks both forward and backwards.
The sensitivity of the touch controls is one area SoundPEATS could have really improved from the original - they are very prone to accidental touches when adjusting them. Fortunately single touch can now be toggled in the app, and whilst this is helpful, it also removes the ability to reduce and increase volume - pick your poison!
Audio Quality - 9/10 (for the price paid), 8.5/10 (raw score)
LDAC on a semi-in-ear bud has been questioned by many buyers across the review comments I've read so far. It is fair to say semi--in-ear buds fall a little way behind silicon-tipped in-ear offerings in the popularity stakes, but those that do like them shouldn't be discounted from improved quality audio, and Soundpeats have changed the sound profile on this model drastically to deliver an improved, although very different, audible experience.
The original Air3 were raw and edgy, thundering basslines and harsh clashes through the 14.2mm dynamic driver. Don't expect a similar thing with the HS! This time, the focus has been on improving clarity and resolution, with the trebles far more refined and the basslines much tighter. Lower frequencies, whilst not jettisoned altogether, are much faster and more tangible, with an improved lower-mid depth and far less emphasis on the subbass. This can leave EDM sounding a little less exciting, although you can replicate the sound profile of the original by selecting the Pop preset in the app, and you still benefit from the improved imaging and resolution, with the cleaner higher frequencies on pianos and cymbals still very evident.
The biggest change, however, is the constrained upper frequencies, with a dip in the mids at 1.5k then the treble rolling off quite sharply at 12-13k. It can sound a little odd initially if you listen to them straight after something the like original Air3, with a lot of air removed. It doesn't detract from the detail, but it can leave vocals sounding somewhat held-back. Again, selecting alternative EQ's (such as electronic) can mitigate this if it isn't your cup of tea, but whilst everything has been tightened up, the soundstage still has reasonable breadth and engaging width- SoundPEATS have long been the masters of being able to expand the soundstage without turning the sound thin and metallic, and once again they've done a very decent job here, showing they aren't just one-trick ponies and can 'mature' their signature sound slightly even with a single driver arrangement. Imaging is very nice too with decent accuracy - better than the subsequent Mini Pro HS and Capsule3 Pro releases, although they do admittedly benefit from the open design.
The addition to LDAC is certainly worthwhile - the extra detail from 96k 24-bit processing is certainly evident with Tidal Masters, where the sound has greater texture and the trebles crispier. Whether it is a chasm of improvement over that delivered by Aptx-Adaptive is less obvious - if you don't have a device that supports aptX-adaptive, though (like the Pixel 6A) then the LDAC support is very welcome - although even on AAC, the sound is still better than most of their competitors in the airpod-style category they continue to dominate.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 8.5/10
Call quality is another area where the HS improve over the Air3. Utilising the AI environmental noise reduction native to the WUQI chipset, they make good use of the dual-mic array, improving the ability to mask ambient sounds and elevating your voice. This is especially impressive outdoors, where they handled airport and train station environments admirably (see my YouTube review for details).
Indoors calls are equally legible, although your voice can lack a little substance when other sounds are introduced around you - a common problem with TWS, but less of a problem here than most.
Calls are much better than on the Air3 Pro, and environmental sounds are handled better than on the original Air3 and TrueAir2. It's a worthy upgrade given the time passed since those releases.
Connectivity and Other Features - 7.5/10
Connectivity is pretty good, holding firm at around 10m. They support Bluetooth 5.2, and suffered no dropouts on my Mi 11T Pro. The Pixel 6A saw the occasional single-bud audio glitch, although I am confident this is more to do with the Pixel than the HS.
The buds have in-ear detection, and this is simply on and off, and triggers with either earbud. It works reasonably well, although the inability to switch between both buds and one bud is a minor annoyance.
The Soundpeats app, after a rocky start, is maturing nicely. It gives you quite a few interesting features - like the Air3, you've got Game Mode, which reduces the latency to around 60ms from the buds and depending on your source, this can result in improved lip synchronisation on videos and better performance on gaming, and can be toggled in the main menu screen of the app. The native latency is decent - although not as good as the Air3 Pro - but gaming mode does help, just remember it will impact negatively on battery life.
Soundpeats also offer 'Adaptive EQ', which puts your ears through a hearing test with various frequencies blasted at you, to which you have to tell the app whether you heard 1, 2 or 3 beeps. The profile it delivered to me just reduced the midrange even more, so I defaulted to the standard 10 bar customisable EQ and 9 presets - and the presets are actually quite usable. Aside the Pop and Electronic ones I mentioned previously, some might like Bass Boost, which gives the sub-bass frequencies marginally more depth. Again, there is a full app walkthrough in my YouTube vid.
Comparison to Air3 & TrueAir2
Whilst this was mostly covered in my review of the Air3, with all three still on sale in 2023, it is worth analysing which model represents the best value. The TrueAir2 at Amazon UK are at approximately £25, Air3 are at £32, Air3 Deluxe are at £37, and Air3 Deluxe HS fluctuate between £37-47.
Firstly, the design. The TrueAir2 is slightly longer at 37mm compared to 33mm on the Air3 range. Whilst this doesn't seem much, it does have a slight bearing on stability - if either of these are going to fall out of your ears, it's the TrueAir2. The TrueAir2 also have the disadvantage of having the battery connectors on the inside, which is all well and good unless you have a nickel allergy. My girlfriend does, and so I had to upgrade her to the Air3 instead.
We've seen the case of the Deluxe and Deluxe HS in the above review, but in the above picture you can see the Air3 (top) and TrueAir2 (below). The TrueAir2+ (seemingly no longer available) is the only one that supports wireless charging, and none of the models support quick charge. Battery life has reduced over the different iterations, with capacity of 25 hours on the TrueAir2 moving down to 17.5 hours on the Air3, then back up to 20 hours on the Air3 Deluxe HS. In real times, the difference is academic - LDAC can wear away at that total capacity though, and this is probably something worth bearing in mind.
In terms of the sound, the sound signature on the Deluxe HS is the only model that deviates from the aggressive, punchy sound you have on the other models. The Deluxe HS removes some of the harshness from the trebles and produces a relatively bass response, whereas the other models are quite peaky throughout. The result is the Deluxe HS are much smoother and warmer, whereas the other models are more energetic.
The Deluxe HS is the only model to support LDAC, and this is also something to bear in mind. If your phone is old and/or doesn't support it and/or is an iPhone, then you won't enjoy the minor benefits of a higher resolution codec. If it does, then you have to weigh up the benefits over the reduced battery life (see Battery section of the review). It is, of course, possible to stick to AAC even if your phone does support it, but because the SoundPEATS app doesn't make it easy to switch codec, doing this on your phone every time you connect can be a little cumbersome.
The other models, on the other hand, support AptX-Adaptive and AptX. To get the benefit of AptX-Adaptive, you're going to have to have a Snapdragon processor phone - so again, iPhone and Pixel owners will be locked out, although the latter will be able to select traditional AptX. With AAC implementations much better these days, there's only a minor benefit in latency from AptX. No codec, whether LDAC or AptX-Adaptive, has a sufficient bearing on the sound over sound signature, so bear this in mind.
In terms of call quality, the Deluxe HS is a little way ahead of the other models, certainly worthy of the price uplift. You can hear the difference in my YouTube review (link is at the top)
So to summarise, if you have a phone that supports all codecs, Air3 Deluxe HS are definitely worthy of the difference in price.
Summary
The Air3 Deluxe HS only see minor improvements, mostly under the hood, but the addition of LDAC and improved call quality gives them a tangible edge over previous iterations. With the Deluxe supporting AptX-adaptive and the HS LDAC, buyers now have options depending on the compatibility of their devices, and that deserves some merit.
Only the absence of quick-charge and the failure to remedy the slightly over-sensitive touch controls remain a blot on the copybook, but considering the competitive landscape, these are minor compromises considering the benefits you're getting.
At the current discounted price of around $35, the HS are a steal. This year I've reviewed semi-in-ear offerings from QCY, Soundcore, Tronsmart, Edifier and 1More, and the gap between those brands and Soundpeats just continues to grow thanks to this release. For whatever reason, the others just can't seem to get the basics - good sound, call quality and fit - to the level that SoundPEATS can. Whilst they are some way off being a premium-feeling bud still - and it's a shame they don't really push the boat out and evolve this model and their app to a truly premium-feeling product - it is still the plum choice when it comes to semi-in-ear in 2023.
Price Weighted Score: 95%
Raw Score: 87%
SoundPEATS Review Inventory:
SoundPEATS Air3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro
SoundPEATS H2
SoundPEATS T3
SoundPEATS Mini
SoundPEATS Air3
SoundPEATS TrueAir2+
SoundPEATS TrueAir 2
SoundPEATS H1
SoundPEATS T2
SoundPEATS Sonic
About SoundPEATS:
SoundPEATS seem to have become an overnight sensation, wiping up a large portion of budget TWS earbud market share with a business model that has served them (and Anker before them) exceptionally well - good distribution channels (via Amazon), good support, a catchy name and product that performs well at a very competitive price point. In reality, they have been around a long time - whilst Shenzhen SoundSOUL IT Co LTD is a different trading name to Ginto E-Commerce, they share the same business address (including room number) as them - you may know their brand name better as Dudios. With Dudios not sounding quite so cool as Soundpeats, maybe the brand transition has been instrumental in their success, but having been around since 2010 and patents in Bluetooth tech stretching back to 2015, they are not the plucky upstarts that some may think - they know their stuff, have a great network of contacts, and now a very solid brand in Europe, and deservedly so.
The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them my favourite budget earbud vendor, is that they are completely transparent over their components. Whether they use Realtek, Qualcomm or Airoha chips in their buds, they are totally open about it, and as a reviewer this really helps, because whilst I have, and do, dismantle buds to check the way that certain things have been implemented (such as the power management, mems mics, etc) and I really don't like having to do it with every set of earbuds, because they then become unusable.
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Model: SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS
Price: MSRP $49.99
Vendor Product Link: SoundPEATS
Review Reference: RC083
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: SoundPEATS
- Model: Air3 Deluxe HS
- Driver: 14.2mm Bio-Diaphragm Dynamic Driver
- Chipset: WUQI WQ7033M
- Frequency Response Range: 20Hz-40KHz
- Mic: Dual-Mic AI ENC
- ANC: No
- Multipoint Connectivity: No
- Codecs: LDAC, AAC, SBC
- App Support: Yes
- Volume Control: Yes
- Gaming Mode: Yes
- In-Ear Detection: Yes
- Earbud Weight: 3.96g
- Earbud Dimensions: 33mm stem
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 35.30g
- Case Dimensions: 58mm (width) x 44.9mm (height) x 23mm (depth)
- Case Charge Capacity: 300mAh
- Quick Charge: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 5 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 20 hours
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5 / GATT / LE
- Water Resistance: IPX4 (not stated on box)
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Japanese
Where to Buy:
Currently on special offer from Amazon UK at £32.49 and Amazon US at $35.99
YouTube Review:
Introduction:
Welcome to the @regancipher review of the latest addition to SoundPEATS' popular semi-in-ear collective, the Air3 Deluxe HS.
At the bottom of this review, you can find my previous reviews on their older brothers and sisters, the TrueAir2, TrueAir2+ and Air3. Unfortunately, I never got the opportunity to sample the most recent iteration (aka the Deluxe) as they were released in the UK at the same time as the HS, but for all intents and purposes, this release has switched the Qualcomm chipset in the Deluxe for the WUQI WQ7033M, trading the 420kbps aptX-adaptive codec for 990kbps LDAC support. WUQI seem to have come out of nowhere to supply two of the main budget releases of the year - these, and the QCY Melobuds ANC.
There are other tweaks certainly worthy of a mention - including the new, improved (and certainly different) sound signature - and this review will detail those alterations and ask the question - was this release justified?
The SoundPEATS range is somewhat confusing these days with the proliferation of releases - above gives you some headline details that should help tailor your decision. Essentially, if you like semi-in-ear, your choices are the longer-stemmed TrueAir2 (oldest) & TrueAir2+ (slightly newer, with AptX-adaptive and Wireless Charging) or the shorter-stemmed Air3 series, including the original Air3 (smaller case), Air3 Deluxe (AptX-adaptive, slightly longer total battery life than the Air3) and this model, the HS, for LDAC and AI ENC. In-Ear stem-based is either the Life (weak ANC, bass and AI ENC calls) or the Air3 Pro (stronger ANC, better single-use battery life, better latency, weaker call performance). Confused?!
The Deluxe HS are currently on offer for the special Black Friday price of £32.49 in the UK and $34.99 in the US - that's crazy money for LDAC buds, so the other big question will be 'Are they a bargain at these super-low prices?' - read on for the answers to that, and many other questions as we deep-dive into the SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS.....
Unboxing - 8/10
Unboxing the Deluxe HS is definitely a step in the right direction from Soundpeats. After years of good releases being impossible to be given as gifts due to a shabby and flimsy exterior cardboard enclosure, Soundpeats have finally moved to a more premium, robust design, whilst minimising the non-recyclable materials to ensure an enclosure that wouldn't actually look out of place covered in gift wrap and handed out as a Birthday or Christmas present.
The box lists the headline features - Hi-Res Wireless Audio, 14.2mm dynamic drivers and Dual-Mic AI ENC - on the back, and the front includes a pensive-looking model gazing into the distance whilst sporting the rose-gold accented buds.
The instruction manual is, as always, in 7 different languages and demonstrates the steps needed to pair, control and reset the buds with graphics and text to good effect, and hidden in the inlay you'll find a USB-A to USB-C charge cable and detailed steps on how to update the firmware. Don't throw this away - you'll need it, as the product has typically been shipped with version 0.4.3 - since, Soundpeats have improved the LDAC stability, so an upgrade to 0.4.4 is essential.
For visual instructions on how to upgrade the firmware - head to the app section of my YouTube review (linked above).
The Case - 8.5/10
First impressions of the case are very positive - whilst some consider a glossy exterior as a negative due to the inevitable finger marks it will attract, the move away from the charcoal matte finish synonymous with most Soundpeats cases is, IMO, a good one. The shape is like a cross between that of the Mini/Free2 Classic and the Huawei FreeBuds Pro, and although it lacks the substantial feel of the latter, it is certainly a step up in quality from the former.
Soundpeats have kept the essence of the charge case the same as the Air3, and the cosmetics identical to the Deluxe. They've retained the charge LED at the front (which demonstrates remaining charge and indicates when the case is charging) and given the reset button a raised, more tactile profile. The hinge, one of the bug-bears of the Air3, has been supplemented with increased friction - this is a massive improvement, as it means you can pop them open on the desk, and pair with your device, taking advantage of the hall-switch facility (allowing you to pair without removing the buds from the case).
The rear of the case displays the Soundpeats logo on a rose gold accented hinge surround, which shimmers in the light. The USB-C port is on the base - there is no wireless charging with this model unfortunately. The case offers three additional charges, taking the total battery life to 20 hours advertised. This compares favourably with the original Air3 (17.5 hours) and less so with the TA2+ (25 hours). If battery life and wireless charging are important to you, the slightly-longer stemmed TrueAir2+ are still a decent option.
The case is slightly larger than the original Air3, measuring 58mm (width) x 44.9mm (height) x 23mm (depth), although that is accentuated slightly by the curved, pill-shape-style which measures longer that it actually appears. Despite the minor reduction in portability, the overall quality far outweighs this academic loss - from the hinge, to the button, to the improved interior cockpit, it is an unequivocal improvement all-round.
The portability reduction is something of a misnomer when you look at the weight of the case too. The Air3 was 31.5g, the TrueAir2+ 37.5g, and the HS is just over 35g. To put into perspective, the closest competitor (Edifier W220T) is over 40g, so it is still super portable compared to the competition and isn't going to weigh your trouser pockets down or fill your handbag up.
Ergonomics - 9/10
The Air3 series are open-air 'semi-in-ear' style, meaning isolation is almost non-existent, allowing users to hear their surroundings and enjoy music at the same time. SoundPEATS are widely recognised as the leader in this area due to their ability to tune their drivers to offer punchy basslines without distortion, something the likes of Edifier and 1More haven't successfully been able to achieve.
From the Air3, the academic changes are especially evident in the design and ergonomics. The killer stability and comfort that the Air3 offered meant a total redesign for the latest iteration would be simply unnecessary - why change a winning formula? Even so, it is probably a tad unimaginative to simply adjust the accent from grey to rose gold!
Everything else has been retained from the original - stems are still 33mm, charge connectors are still at the base, mics are in the same place, etc. This isn't a bad thing - good products like the FIIL CC2 and Huawei Freebuds 3 are too awkward, the FIIL Key and Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro too loose, and QCY T20 and Soundcore Life Note 3S too bulky - none come close to the usability of the Air3 range - so we can forgive them a little for absence of any creativity here.
I put the buds through the shake test in my YouTube review - they pass the test with flying colours. They are IPX4, like the original, meaning they will comfortably withstand a splash of rain, but submerging them should be avoided at all costs. The buds feature wear detection - which can be toggled on and off - and have a comprehensive control scheme which includes volume control and the ability to toggle gaming mode and (now) progress tracks both forward and backwards.
The sensitivity of the touch controls is one area SoundPEATS could have really improved from the original - they are very prone to accidental touches when adjusting them. Fortunately single touch can now be toggled in the app, and whilst this is helpful, it also removes the ability to reduce and increase volume - pick your poison!
Audio Quality - 9/10 (for the price paid), 8.5/10 (raw score)
LDAC on a semi-in-ear bud has been questioned by many buyers across the review comments I've read so far. It is fair to say semi--in-ear buds fall a little way behind silicon-tipped in-ear offerings in the popularity stakes, but those that do like them shouldn't be discounted from improved quality audio, and Soundpeats have changed the sound profile on this model drastically to deliver an improved, although very different, audible experience.
The original Air3 were raw and edgy, thundering basslines and harsh clashes through the 14.2mm dynamic driver. Don't expect a similar thing with the HS! This time, the focus has been on improving clarity and resolution, with the trebles far more refined and the basslines much tighter. Lower frequencies, whilst not jettisoned altogether, are much faster and more tangible, with an improved lower-mid depth and far less emphasis on the subbass. This can leave EDM sounding a little less exciting, although you can replicate the sound profile of the original by selecting the Pop preset in the app, and you still benefit from the improved imaging and resolution, with the cleaner higher frequencies on pianos and cymbals still very evident.
The biggest change, however, is the constrained upper frequencies, with a dip in the mids at 1.5k then the treble rolling off quite sharply at 12-13k. It can sound a little odd initially if you listen to them straight after something the like original Air3, with a lot of air removed. It doesn't detract from the detail, but it can leave vocals sounding somewhat held-back. Again, selecting alternative EQ's (such as electronic) can mitigate this if it isn't your cup of tea, but whilst everything has been tightened up, the soundstage still has reasonable breadth and engaging width- SoundPEATS have long been the masters of being able to expand the soundstage without turning the sound thin and metallic, and once again they've done a very decent job here, showing they aren't just one-trick ponies and can 'mature' their signature sound slightly even with a single driver arrangement. Imaging is very nice too with decent accuracy - better than the subsequent Mini Pro HS and Capsule3 Pro releases, although they do admittedly benefit from the open design.
The addition to LDAC is certainly worthwhile - the extra detail from 96k 24-bit processing is certainly evident with Tidal Masters, where the sound has greater texture and the trebles crispier. Whether it is a chasm of improvement over that delivered by Aptx-Adaptive is less obvious - if you don't have a device that supports aptX-adaptive, though (like the Pixel 6A) then the LDAC support is very welcome - although even on AAC, the sound is still better than most of their competitors in the airpod-style category they continue to dominate.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 8.5/10
Call quality is another area where the HS improve over the Air3. Utilising the AI environmental noise reduction native to the WUQI chipset, they make good use of the dual-mic array, improving the ability to mask ambient sounds and elevating your voice. This is especially impressive outdoors, where they handled airport and train station environments admirably (see my YouTube review for details).
Indoors calls are equally legible, although your voice can lack a little substance when other sounds are introduced around you - a common problem with TWS, but less of a problem here than most.
Calls are much better than on the Air3 Pro, and environmental sounds are handled better than on the original Air3 and TrueAir2. It's a worthy upgrade given the time passed since those releases.
Connectivity and Other Features - 7.5/10
Connectivity is pretty good, holding firm at around 10m. They support Bluetooth 5.2, and suffered no dropouts on my Mi 11T Pro. The Pixel 6A saw the occasional single-bud audio glitch, although I am confident this is more to do with the Pixel than the HS.
The buds have in-ear detection, and this is simply on and off, and triggers with either earbud. It works reasonably well, although the inability to switch between both buds and one bud is a minor annoyance.
The Soundpeats app, after a rocky start, is maturing nicely. It gives you quite a few interesting features - like the Air3, you've got Game Mode, which reduces the latency to around 60ms from the buds and depending on your source, this can result in improved lip synchronisation on videos and better performance on gaming, and can be toggled in the main menu screen of the app. The native latency is decent - although not as good as the Air3 Pro - but gaming mode does help, just remember it will impact negatively on battery life.
Soundpeats also offer 'Adaptive EQ', which puts your ears through a hearing test with various frequencies blasted at you, to which you have to tell the app whether you heard 1, 2 or 3 beeps. The profile it delivered to me just reduced the midrange even more, so I defaulted to the standard 10 bar customisable EQ and 9 presets - and the presets are actually quite usable. Aside the Pop and Electronic ones I mentioned previously, some might like Bass Boost, which gives the sub-bass frequencies marginally more depth. Again, there is a full app walkthrough in my YouTube vid.
Comparison to Air3 & TrueAir2
Whilst this was mostly covered in my review of the Air3, with all three still on sale in 2023, it is worth analysing which model represents the best value. The TrueAir2 at Amazon UK are at approximately £25, Air3 are at £32, Air3 Deluxe are at £37, and Air3 Deluxe HS fluctuate between £37-47.
Firstly, the design. The TrueAir2 is slightly longer at 37mm compared to 33mm on the Air3 range. Whilst this doesn't seem much, it does have a slight bearing on stability - if either of these are going to fall out of your ears, it's the TrueAir2. The TrueAir2 also have the disadvantage of having the battery connectors on the inside, which is all well and good unless you have a nickel allergy. My girlfriend does, and so I had to upgrade her to the Air3 instead.
We've seen the case of the Deluxe and Deluxe HS in the above review, but in the above picture you can see the Air3 (top) and TrueAir2 (below). The TrueAir2+ (seemingly no longer available) is the only one that supports wireless charging, and none of the models support quick charge. Battery life has reduced over the different iterations, with capacity of 25 hours on the TrueAir2 moving down to 17.5 hours on the Air3, then back up to 20 hours on the Air3 Deluxe HS. In real times, the difference is academic - LDAC can wear away at that total capacity though, and this is probably something worth bearing in mind.
In terms of the sound, the sound signature on the Deluxe HS is the only model that deviates from the aggressive, punchy sound you have on the other models. The Deluxe HS removes some of the harshness from the trebles and produces a relatively bass response, whereas the other models are quite peaky throughout. The result is the Deluxe HS are much smoother and warmer, whereas the other models are more energetic.
The Deluxe HS is the only model to support LDAC, and this is also something to bear in mind. If your phone is old and/or doesn't support it and/or is an iPhone, then you won't enjoy the minor benefits of a higher resolution codec. If it does, then you have to weigh up the benefits over the reduced battery life (see Battery section of the review). It is, of course, possible to stick to AAC even if your phone does support it, but because the SoundPEATS app doesn't make it easy to switch codec, doing this on your phone every time you connect can be a little cumbersome.
The other models, on the other hand, support AptX-Adaptive and AptX. To get the benefit of AptX-Adaptive, you're going to have to have a Snapdragon processor phone - so again, iPhone and Pixel owners will be locked out, although the latter will be able to select traditional AptX. With AAC implementations much better these days, there's only a minor benefit in latency from AptX. No codec, whether LDAC or AptX-Adaptive, has a sufficient bearing on the sound over sound signature, so bear this in mind.
In terms of call quality, the Deluxe HS is a little way ahead of the other models, certainly worthy of the price uplift. You can hear the difference in my YouTube review (link is at the top)
So to summarise, if you have a phone that supports all codecs, Air3 Deluxe HS are definitely worthy of the difference in price.
Summary
The Air3 Deluxe HS only see minor improvements, mostly under the hood, but the addition of LDAC and improved call quality gives them a tangible edge over previous iterations. With the Deluxe supporting AptX-adaptive and the HS LDAC, buyers now have options depending on the compatibility of their devices, and that deserves some merit.
Only the absence of quick-charge and the failure to remedy the slightly over-sensitive touch controls remain a blot on the copybook, but considering the competitive landscape, these are minor compromises considering the benefits you're getting.
At the current discounted price of around $35, the HS are a steal. This year I've reviewed semi-in-ear offerings from QCY, Soundcore, Tronsmart, Edifier and 1More, and the gap between those brands and Soundpeats just continues to grow thanks to this release. For whatever reason, the others just can't seem to get the basics - good sound, call quality and fit - to the level that SoundPEATS can. Whilst they are some way off being a premium-feeling bud still - and it's a shame they don't really push the boat out and evolve this model and their app to a truly premium-feeling product - it is still the plum choice when it comes to semi-in-ear in 2023.
Price Weighted Score: 95%
Raw Score: 87%
SoundPEATS Review Inventory:
SoundPEATS Air3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro
SoundPEATS H2
SoundPEATS T3
SoundPEATS Mini
SoundPEATS Air3
SoundPEATS TrueAir2+
SoundPEATS TrueAir 2
SoundPEATS H1
SoundPEATS T2
SoundPEATS Sonic
About SoundPEATS:
SoundPEATS seem to have become an overnight sensation, wiping up a large portion of budget TWS earbud market share with a business model that has served them (and Anker before them) exceptionally well - good distribution channels (via Amazon), good support, a catchy name and product that performs well at a very competitive price point. In reality, they have been around a long time - whilst Shenzhen SoundSOUL IT Co LTD is a different trading name to Ginto E-Commerce, they share the same business address (including room number) as them - you may know their brand name better as Dudios. With Dudios not sounding quite so cool as Soundpeats, maybe the brand transition has been instrumental in their success, but having been around since 2010 and patents in Bluetooth tech stretching back to 2015, they are not the plucky upstarts that some may think - they know their stuff, have a great network of contacts, and now a very solid brand in Europe, and deservedly so.
The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them my favourite budget earbud vendor, is that they are completely transparent over their components. Whether they use Realtek, Qualcomm or Airoha chips in their buds, they are totally open about it, and as a reviewer this really helps, because whilst I have, and do, dismantle buds to check the way that certain things have been implemented (such as the power management, mems mics, etc) and I really don't like having to do it with every set of earbuds, because they then become unusable.
regancipher
@psoup216 I've taken these to Amsterdam, London and tested in the UK on the bike, on trains, planes and automobiles - one of my call samples is even stood outside Gatwick Airport where you've got all sorts of interference that could cause problems for earbuds. I've had no issues whatsoever using the Air3 Deluxe HS with my Sony Xperia 1 IV.
Regarding LDAC, I already said in the review the effects are quite subtle. The chipset, the tuning (which represents 95% of the audio section of the review), LDAC and the drivers all contribute to a lesser or greater degree. The QCY HT07 uses a high performing WUQI chipset, and the same as the HT05, but doesn't sound anywhere near as nice as the HT05, because the other variables aren't optimised.
Regarding LDAC, I already said in the review the effects are quite subtle. The chipset, the tuning (which represents 95% of the audio section of the review), LDAC and the drivers all contribute to a lesser or greater degree. The QCY HT07 uses a high performing WUQI chipset, and the same as the HT05, but doesn't sound anywhere near as nice as the HT05, because the other variables aren't optimised.
regancipher
@zzitop you are quite right, I edited my response because I meant to say the HT07 doesn't sound anything like as nice as HT05. Thanks for the correction!
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: Haylou Purfree BC01
Price: MSRP Approx $99 - CURRENTLY ON SALE AT AMAZON UK £79.99
Website: Haylou Website
Review Reference: RC082
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Bone Conduction Headphones
1 x Proprietary Magnetic Charge Cable
1 x Pair Foam Ear Protectors
1 x Quick Guide & User Manual
YouTube Review & Unboxing:
Introduction:
Welcome to the @regancipher review of the popular bone conduction headphones from Haylou, the Purfree BC01. This is the third set of bone/air conduction headphones I’ve reviewed in quick succession, and my third Haylou review after the Moripods and W1, but there is definitely something different about this release that gets the pulses racing - typically, Haylou TWS earbuds have been very decent, reliable budget tier releases that offer a satisfactory array of features at a very competitive price, but the Purfree are definitely competing at that ‘elite tier’ of bone conduction technology, aiming to knock Shokz off their perch with a release that not only offers stellar features, but arrives in a package that has all the hallmarks of a flagship product.
This style of headphone is designed to tackle a number of different use-cases. As a cyclist and runner, I can attest that finding something loud enough that still sounds good, is comfortable, stable and allows me situational awareness without reaching up to punch a touch control combination is very important, as it offers improved safety and usability. Naturally this is where marketing material for headphones like the Purfree are positioned, however, bone conduction has many other benefits too – for general use it alleviates the discomfort and ‘stuffiness’ induced by silicone tips, and the reduced leakage over air conduction ,or even semi-in-ear buds at times, makes them handy for using in offices or around the house. Through bypassing your middle ear and funneling audio directly to your cochlea via transducers vibrating against your cheekbones, this offers increases protection for your eardrum – those who have read my bio know I suffered from tinnitus for a long time, so this style of headphone is not without it’s merits. The only drawback has been the difference in audio quality between bone conduction and run-of-the-mill headphones, until now.
True Bone Conduction headphones are actually harder to find than you would expect. The majority of vendors out of China are simply taking their TWS technology and moving it to Air Conduction – the path of least resistance from a technical perspective. Air Conduction has its merits, but my experience with this style of design hasn’t been especially great – they tend to be rather bulky and uncomfortable, whilst suffering terrible noise leakage offering reasonable sound, albeit piped straight into your ears and potentially causing long-term damage if too loud.
Haylou have bucked the trend by actually designing a product that aims to negate all of those issues, and after a week on the regancipher test bench, I have to say it has been a resounding success to say the least!
Unboxing – 9/10
A flagship product needs a flagship unboxing, right? Haylou, have you been reading my reviews?! The unboxing experience with the Purfree is commensurate with the gravitas of the product – they arrive in a hard cardboard box 170mm x 135mm x 65mm in dimensions, with the key parameters listed on the back and a handsome Iberian model showing the Purfree off on the front. The slogan ‘hear the whole world’ echoes the sentiments of my introduction and their raison d’être – to allow you to hear your environment whilst maintaining a pleasant audible experience.
When you slide the insert away you are left with an open-book-style box with the accessories – some foam ear protectors and proprietary USB-A charge cable, a quick guide walking you through the pairing process, and a user manual in English and Chinese. The instructions are very clear, and walk you through button functions, wearing method, headphone settings and how to activate multipoint connectivity (off by default), using diagrams and text to good effect. If there was an area that could be improved, it is perhaps the expansion of the manual to account for other languages, and maybe Haylou will add this in future releases should the Purfree give them the global exposure the product unquestionably deserves - however, if you need them urgently, you can scan the below QR for an electronic copy:
The foam protectors are OK – they are designed to block out noise if using in a particularly noisy environment where safety is less of a concern (on a train or airplane, for example). I have my own custom-molded protectors, so my testing was mostly done using them, but it was a nice addition all the same.
The charge cable, whilst proprietary and a little short on length, is far better than having a bulky USB-C port somewhere on the frame. Typically, this is an area that can compromise water resistance, so Haylou have used a magnetic smartwatch-style contact in order to charge the battery, and whilst some may complain, when you look at the bigger picture (ensuring water resistance and providing a reliable connection without compromising the design), it is a welcome addition.
The nicest thing I can say about the Purfree, is I would have no hesitations giving them as a gift. The headphones nestle inside the box and well-protected in a custom opening. Everything about the unboxing screams a premium product – with Christmas around the corner, were my kids or partner to give me these as a gift I would be over the moon, but since I have them already now I guess I’ll be making do with socks!
Ergonomics & Design – 9/10
Fit and build quality are probably the most important thing in Bone Conduction headphones. Balancing flexibility and durability to ensure that the unit is comfortable, without providing sufficient clamping force to provide stability required by many of their use cases is an area where most products of this ilk fall flat. That definitely couldn’t be levelled at the Purfree – they are beautifully, and thoughtfully, designed, and an absolute pleasure to wear.
The build quality – made from Titanium alloy – is very impressive. The product is almost impossible to bend out of shape, whilst providing sufficient malleability to assure those that wear glasses or have a slightly larger head (like me, on both fronts!) of a comfortable experience. The entire frame has a soft, rubberized skin-friendly silicone outer shell, with the flat edge of the transducers nestling comfortably against the contours of your cheekbones. The transducers in particular are housed in a very compact, space efficient design that is far more comfortable than something like the Shokz Openrun, which feel a little bulky by comparison.
Despite feeling incredibly lightweight – they weight just 28g, the Purfree still feel lighter on your head than even the 26g Shokz Openrun due to intelligent weight displacement, remaining very securely in place regardless of the extremity of your movements.
Even if you wear a hood, you don’t have the issue of the band slipping down and making contact with it either – whilst the rear band is extremely durable, it is also very thin, and combined with the thoughtful, rounded shape of the edge of the transducers prevents movement away from the cheekbones, and thus ensures impressive overall stability. With many bone conduction headphones, you will find the audio can degrade very quickly as they relinquish optimum contact with your cheekbones, and whilst I’m sure this would also be the case with the Purfree, their design mitigates the risk of that happening much greater than typical bone conduction offerings.
The headphones are IP67 water and dust resistant, meaning they will more than cope with a splash of rain and storage. I took them out on a few cycles and runs in the rain with no issues at all. Whilst IP67 will (in lab conditions) sustain 1m of water for around 30 minutes, it is not advised to swim with IP67-rated products. Very few competitors can offer this (it requires further redesign) so swimming is out, but all other exercises in all weather conditions are fine, and showering would probably be fine too. Fortunately, the footprint of the transducers is such that the front profile of the headphones is still relatively discrete, and they don't make your ears stick out either - always a bonus!
I tested the Purfree on long runs, long and short bike rides, around the house and in an office environment. I found no discomfort in any of those scenarios, with no requirement to adjust them at any point either, exceeding my expectations in terms of practical usage.
Functionality – 8.5/10
The Purfree have three buttons – a tactile, silver Multi Function Button (MFB) on your left ear (as pictured in the Ergonomics and Design section), on the right ear you have the charge connector and a Volume + and – button (as pictured above).
Volume + turns the unit on when held down for a couple of seconds, but on first use, hold it down for around 5s and it will take you straight into pairing mode. If you want to immediately move to multipoint, you then hold the MFB and Volume + straight after initiating pairing, and the small LED on the frame will flash white. At this point, connect your first device to HAYLOU BC01, switch the unit off (holding + down for 2s), switch it back on and straight into pairing (holding down + for around 5s), and initiate connection on your second device. Then, go back to your first device and reconnect, and voila, you’ve initialized multipoint. Admittedly, an app would have been nicer to automate this, but it’s pretty straightforward and easier than it sounds. Once you’ve done it once, no need to do it again – if you want to add an alternative device, just put it back into pairing and multipoint is still retained.
When you switch the unit on, you are greeted with a ‘Welcome to Haylou, Battery High/Medium/Low’ message. This is a stronger vibration than you’ll experience when listening to music with them, so don’t be alarmed. You then hear ‘Connected’ (twice if you are using multipoint). Touching either volume button when no media is playing tells you how much battery is remaining. Aside from that, the only use for the Volume buttons is for volume, keeping the schema intuitive without over-complicating it.
The MFB takes over at this point – play/pause or answering calls is a single tap. Double tap progresses to next track, triple tap goes back. Press and Hold for Voice Assistant. The buttons are responsive and you either get a spoken confirmation or beep when they are initiated. Alternative beeps for Volume Up/Down would have been the cherry on top, but simply getting a tangible response is good enough and certainly welcome.
Audio – 8.5/10
Audio on Bone Conduction headphones has always been a challenge when compared to traditional earphones or headphones. Limitations to technology and the human body means Bone Conduction doesn’t really lend itself to frequencies lower than the human voice, so generally this type of headphone has suffered from poor low frequency representation and elevated (but muffled) mid range.
The Purfree goes about as far as you can in optimising audio for headphones of this form factor. Without ear protectors, you get crispy trebles that provide ample detail and texture without over-egging the pudding. Lower mids are elevated, offering reasonably full bodies kick drums and a nice gentle midbass return that, whilst not troubling the quality you get from TWS, is a chasmic improvement over previous iterations of this form factor, and easily comparable to the most recent Shokz Openrun release in terms of clarity and punchiness.
Adding ear protectors lifts the lower (and midrange) frequencies but unless you have extreme sound around you, I’d avoid them. In truth, you may need them when in extremely busy environments – I tested the Purfree at Gatwick Airport, and the environmental noise exceeded the maximum volume – possibly the only area I could see for improvement. Higher volumes will increase the vibration – which takes a little getting used to, but eventually you won’t notice it, and the occasions you’ll need to have them that loud anyway are few and far between – in most environments, the volume is more than sufficient.
Leakage is not obviated completely – the sound is slightly louder than, say, a phone, and certainly louder than most TWS, but far quieter than Air Conduction offerings. It is certainly suitable for spaced-out desks in an office, but in a very quiet room they are still audible, as is always the case with such designs.
I’ve tested several bone and air conduction headphones over the years, and the Purfree are by some distance the best and most balanced sounding offering so far, to the point the quality is almost comparable with semi-in-ear buds such as the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, whilst offering countless practicality benefits over and above earbuds. Compared to the Shokz Openrun, you’re getting a slightly cleaner, more open sound with better separation. Strings, pianos and female vocals come across clearer on the Purfree. The Shokz Openrun outperforms the Purfree on low-frequency response, offering a fuller bass representation, albeit with a closer, less expansive soundstage. The Openrun also offer higher volume, but the vibration is more powerful, and less easy to ignore. Leakage is also higher on the Shokz. My personal preference favours a more open soundstage, so the Purfree satisfied me audibly in that respect.
The Purfree use the Qualcomm-native AptX codec on Andorid, and this offers almost lip-sync latency levels with videos on the likes of Netflix and YouTube. The codec defaults to SBC on IOS without any noticeable degradation in audio rendition.
Calls – 7/10
Calls on the Purfree are facilitated using dual microphones, utilising the Qualcomm-native cVc 8.0 noise reduction feature, and they do a very decent job of conveying your voice even in noisy environments, far better than the Shokz Openrun in this respect.
In my ‘Airport’ call quality sample, they handle engine, rail and aviation noises pretty well, lifting your voice sufficiently so you are at least coherent.
Indoor calls where you have less ambient noise to complicate the dual-mic array fare better, with decent weight and legibility to your voice.
In general, your voice admittedly lacks a little of the clarity you get from earbuds, where the mic is closer to your mouth, but it is certainly possible to hear you on phone calls, and again, impressive given the form factor constraints.
Battery Life – 9/10
The Purfree are not quite battery monsters, but they top the charts in bone conduction, offering an impressive 8 hours, and even increasing the volume and using multipoint didn’t seem to compromise this. I still had battery remaining after a full day of use, including calls, which certainly topped 7 hours, and they are still as we speak running with around 20% battery remaining as I approach the 8 hour mark – very impressive.
Not only do you get the benefit of long battery life, the all-important quick charge feature offers an additional 2 hours playtime from just 10 minutes juice, and the total charge time is around 90 minutes. As previously mentioned, it’s a proprietary cable as per Shokz and other alternatives.
Other features
Multipoint connectivity is usually reserved for high-end headphones or TWS, so it was nice to see this included in the Purfree, and once initiated it doesn’t skip a beat, working flawlessly. Connectivity is Bluetooth 5.2, and connection is rock solid, easily exceeding the 10m advertised, and never dropping on fast moving bike rides or runs.
Another really nice feature is the ability to change the language of voice prompts. This can be initiated by holding the Volume + and - button as well as the MFB for a few seconds. There are quite a few languages in there - perhaps 5 or 6 - Chinese is definitely in there (I recognised some of the words from trying to decipher FIIL voice prompts!) but I can't be sure of the others - best to contact Haylou for clarification.
The Purfree doesn’t come with a carry case unfortunately – this is a shame, and is something I would like to see in the future - maybe Haylou can offer one as an accessory, in the same way they have replacement straps for their smartwatches.
Summary
It is easy to see how the Purfree managed to pick up the German Red Dot Design Award this year. With this release, Haylou have brought to the market one of the most impressive innovations of 2022 that I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing.
Maybe that bold statement is in no small part down to me being their target audience – I cycle around 100km per week, run around 15km per week, use the gym twice a week and have suffered from tinnitus in the past – so naturally a lot of the Purfree’s value proposition appeals to me – but even so, this is not my first rodeo – I’ve tested many such headphones in the past and been left perennially disappointed. That certainly hasn't been the case with the Purfree.
Haylou have managed to balance comfort and stability in a beautifully-crafted design that looks and wears extremely well. It is the small, nuanced details that Haylou have got right here, deploying the right materials, shape and finish where other vendors tend to cut corners. The only minor oversight is the lack of app support and carry case, but it is possible to EQ with Wavelet and you can pick up generic cases on AliExpress, so this is certainly not a deal-breaker.
If you’ve tried bone conduction before and been disappointed, or have always avoided it because of cost or limitations in audio, now may be the time to give it another go. The Purfree top the charts for comfort, stability, durability and battery life, and are also priced really competitively – at current market price they are on sale on Amazon UK at just £79.99 – this is almost half the price of the Shokz Openrun, performing at least as well and in some cases better. Their flagship-style representation also makes them the ideal gift – grab them while you can at the 11.11 discounted price (link at the top of the review)!
Price Weighted Score: 88%
Raw Score: 85%
Previous Haylou Reviews:
S35 ANC Headphones
Purfree Buds
Purfree BC01 Bone Conduction Headphones
W1
Moripods
About Haylou
The brand name Haylou is taken from the homonym of the English word "Hello". We believe that we can resonate with the sea through conch and listen to the voice of the ocean together, and we can also listen to the voice of users through Haylou and share the beauty of the voice together. Haylou is the messenger of sound and the medium through which we resonate with our users.
Haylou is a brand belonging to Dongguan Liesheng Electronic Technology. Dongguan Liesheng Electronic Technology, established in 2015, is a subsidiary of Dongguan Hele Electronics, having secured Series A funding from Xiaomi technology, becoming one of the earliest members of the Xiaomi Ecological Chain. Hele Electronics and Liesheng Electronic are the OEM for Xiaomi's Mi / Redmi Airdots, and their portfolio of products includes smart and sports wearables as well as a comprehensive range of audio products.
Haylou's product portfolio ranges from wireless audio, smart wearables, to IoT and other categories. And its business has covered more than 100 countries and regions, serving tens of millions of users around the world. We are committed to establishing a digital health ecology by integrating a "user-device-data" scenario via technological innovation. Embracing the values of "Empowering & Awakening", Haylou aims to inspire you to keep challenge, explore your potential and find a better self.
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: Haylou Purfree BC01
Price: MSRP Approx $99 - CURRENTLY ON SALE AT AMAZON UK £79.99
Website: Haylou Website
Review Reference: RC082
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: Haylou
- Model: Purfree BC01
- Driver: Specialist Bone Conduction transducers
- Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3044
- Mics: Dual Mic, cVc 8.0 noise reduction
- Frame Material: Titanium Alloy
- Codecs: AptX, SBC
- App Support: No
- Multipoint Connectivity: Yes
- Volume Control: Yes
- Gaming Mode: No
- Weight: 28g
- Quick Charge: Yes, 2 hours playtime from 10min
- Full Charge: 1.5 hours
- Battery Capacity: 165mAh
- Wireless Charging: No
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 8 hours
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: IPX67
1 x Pair Bone Conduction Headphones
1 x Proprietary Magnetic Charge Cable
1 x Pair Foam Ear Protectors
1 x Quick Guide & User Manual
YouTube Review & Unboxing:
Introduction:
Welcome to the @regancipher review of the popular bone conduction headphones from Haylou, the Purfree BC01. This is the third set of bone/air conduction headphones I’ve reviewed in quick succession, and my third Haylou review after the Moripods and W1, but there is definitely something different about this release that gets the pulses racing - typically, Haylou TWS earbuds have been very decent, reliable budget tier releases that offer a satisfactory array of features at a very competitive price, but the Purfree are definitely competing at that ‘elite tier’ of bone conduction technology, aiming to knock Shokz off their perch with a release that not only offers stellar features, but arrives in a package that has all the hallmarks of a flagship product.
This style of headphone is designed to tackle a number of different use-cases. As a cyclist and runner, I can attest that finding something loud enough that still sounds good, is comfortable, stable and allows me situational awareness without reaching up to punch a touch control combination is very important, as it offers improved safety and usability. Naturally this is where marketing material for headphones like the Purfree are positioned, however, bone conduction has many other benefits too – for general use it alleviates the discomfort and ‘stuffiness’ induced by silicone tips, and the reduced leakage over air conduction ,or even semi-in-ear buds at times, makes them handy for using in offices or around the house. Through bypassing your middle ear and funneling audio directly to your cochlea via transducers vibrating against your cheekbones, this offers increases protection for your eardrum – those who have read my bio know I suffered from tinnitus for a long time, so this style of headphone is not without it’s merits. The only drawback has been the difference in audio quality between bone conduction and run-of-the-mill headphones, until now.
True Bone Conduction headphones are actually harder to find than you would expect. The majority of vendors out of China are simply taking their TWS technology and moving it to Air Conduction – the path of least resistance from a technical perspective. Air Conduction has its merits, but my experience with this style of design hasn’t been especially great – they tend to be rather bulky and uncomfortable, whilst suffering terrible noise leakage offering reasonable sound, albeit piped straight into your ears and potentially causing long-term damage if too loud.
Haylou have bucked the trend by actually designing a product that aims to negate all of those issues, and after a week on the regancipher test bench, I have to say it has been a resounding success to say the least!
Unboxing – 9/10
A flagship product needs a flagship unboxing, right? Haylou, have you been reading my reviews?! The unboxing experience with the Purfree is commensurate with the gravitas of the product – they arrive in a hard cardboard box 170mm x 135mm x 65mm in dimensions, with the key parameters listed on the back and a handsome Iberian model showing the Purfree off on the front. The slogan ‘hear the whole world’ echoes the sentiments of my introduction and their raison d’être – to allow you to hear your environment whilst maintaining a pleasant audible experience.
When you slide the insert away you are left with an open-book-style box with the accessories – some foam ear protectors and proprietary USB-A charge cable, a quick guide walking you through the pairing process, and a user manual in English and Chinese. The instructions are very clear, and walk you through button functions, wearing method, headphone settings and how to activate multipoint connectivity (off by default), using diagrams and text to good effect. If there was an area that could be improved, it is perhaps the expansion of the manual to account for other languages, and maybe Haylou will add this in future releases should the Purfree give them the global exposure the product unquestionably deserves - however, if you need them urgently, you can scan the below QR for an electronic copy:
The foam protectors are OK – they are designed to block out noise if using in a particularly noisy environment where safety is less of a concern (on a train or airplane, for example). I have my own custom-molded protectors, so my testing was mostly done using them, but it was a nice addition all the same.
The charge cable, whilst proprietary and a little short on length, is far better than having a bulky USB-C port somewhere on the frame. Typically, this is an area that can compromise water resistance, so Haylou have used a magnetic smartwatch-style contact in order to charge the battery, and whilst some may complain, when you look at the bigger picture (ensuring water resistance and providing a reliable connection without compromising the design), it is a welcome addition.
The nicest thing I can say about the Purfree, is I would have no hesitations giving them as a gift. The headphones nestle inside the box and well-protected in a custom opening. Everything about the unboxing screams a premium product – with Christmas around the corner, were my kids or partner to give me these as a gift I would be over the moon, but since I have them already now I guess I’ll be making do with socks!
Ergonomics & Design – 9/10
Fit and build quality are probably the most important thing in Bone Conduction headphones. Balancing flexibility and durability to ensure that the unit is comfortable, without providing sufficient clamping force to provide stability required by many of their use cases is an area where most products of this ilk fall flat. That definitely couldn’t be levelled at the Purfree – they are beautifully, and thoughtfully, designed, and an absolute pleasure to wear.
The build quality – made from Titanium alloy – is very impressive. The product is almost impossible to bend out of shape, whilst providing sufficient malleability to assure those that wear glasses or have a slightly larger head (like me, on both fronts!) of a comfortable experience. The entire frame has a soft, rubberized skin-friendly silicone outer shell, with the flat edge of the transducers nestling comfortably against the contours of your cheekbones. The transducers in particular are housed in a very compact, space efficient design that is far more comfortable than something like the Shokz Openrun, which feel a little bulky by comparison.
Despite feeling incredibly lightweight – they weight just 28g, the Purfree still feel lighter on your head than even the 26g Shokz Openrun due to intelligent weight displacement, remaining very securely in place regardless of the extremity of your movements.
Even if you wear a hood, you don’t have the issue of the band slipping down and making contact with it either – whilst the rear band is extremely durable, it is also very thin, and combined with the thoughtful, rounded shape of the edge of the transducers prevents movement away from the cheekbones, and thus ensures impressive overall stability. With many bone conduction headphones, you will find the audio can degrade very quickly as they relinquish optimum contact with your cheekbones, and whilst I’m sure this would also be the case with the Purfree, their design mitigates the risk of that happening much greater than typical bone conduction offerings.
The headphones are IP67 water and dust resistant, meaning they will more than cope with a splash of rain and storage. I took them out on a few cycles and runs in the rain with no issues at all. Whilst IP67 will (in lab conditions) sustain 1m of water for around 30 minutes, it is not advised to swim with IP67-rated products. Very few competitors can offer this (it requires further redesign) so swimming is out, but all other exercises in all weather conditions are fine, and showering would probably be fine too. Fortunately, the footprint of the transducers is such that the front profile of the headphones is still relatively discrete, and they don't make your ears stick out either - always a bonus!
I tested the Purfree on long runs, long and short bike rides, around the house and in an office environment. I found no discomfort in any of those scenarios, with no requirement to adjust them at any point either, exceeding my expectations in terms of practical usage.
Functionality – 8.5/10
The Purfree have three buttons – a tactile, silver Multi Function Button (MFB) on your left ear (as pictured in the Ergonomics and Design section), on the right ear you have the charge connector and a Volume + and – button (as pictured above).
Volume + turns the unit on when held down for a couple of seconds, but on first use, hold it down for around 5s and it will take you straight into pairing mode. If you want to immediately move to multipoint, you then hold the MFB and Volume + straight after initiating pairing, and the small LED on the frame will flash white. At this point, connect your first device to HAYLOU BC01, switch the unit off (holding + down for 2s), switch it back on and straight into pairing (holding down + for around 5s), and initiate connection on your second device. Then, go back to your first device and reconnect, and voila, you’ve initialized multipoint. Admittedly, an app would have been nicer to automate this, but it’s pretty straightforward and easier than it sounds. Once you’ve done it once, no need to do it again – if you want to add an alternative device, just put it back into pairing and multipoint is still retained.
When you switch the unit on, you are greeted with a ‘Welcome to Haylou, Battery High/Medium/Low’ message. This is a stronger vibration than you’ll experience when listening to music with them, so don’t be alarmed. You then hear ‘Connected’ (twice if you are using multipoint). Touching either volume button when no media is playing tells you how much battery is remaining. Aside from that, the only use for the Volume buttons is for volume, keeping the schema intuitive without over-complicating it.
The MFB takes over at this point – play/pause or answering calls is a single tap. Double tap progresses to next track, triple tap goes back. Press and Hold for Voice Assistant. The buttons are responsive and you either get a spoken confirmation or beep when they are initiated. Alternative beeps for Volume Up/Down would have been the cherry on top, but simply getting a tangible response is good enough and certainly welcome.
Audio – 8.5/10
Audio on Bone Conduction headphones has always been a challenge when compared to traditional earphones or headphones. Limitations to technology and the human body means Bone Conduction doesn’t really lend itself to frequencies lower than the human voice, so generally this type of headphone has suffered from poor low frequency representation and elevated (but muffled) mid range.
The Purfree goes about as far as you can in optimising audio for headphones of this form factor. Without ear protectors, you get crispy trebles that provide ample detail and texture without over-egging the pudding. Lower mids are elevated, offering reasonably full bodies kick drums and a nice gentle midbass return that, whilst not troubling the quality you get from TWS, is a chasmic improvement over previous iterations of this form factor, and easily comparable to the most recent Shokz Openrun release in terms of clarity and punchiness.
Adding ear protectors lifts the lower (and midrange) frequencies but unless you have extreme sound around you, I’d avoid them. In truth, you may need them when in extremely busy environments – I tested the Purfree at Gatwick Airport, and the environmental noise exceeded the maximum volume – possibly the only area I could see for improvement. Higher volumes will increase the vibration – which takes a little getting used to, but eventually you won’t notice it, and the occasions you’ll need to have them that loud anyway are few and far between – in most environments, the volume is more than sufficient.
Leakage is not obviated completely – the sound is slightly louder than, say, a phone, and certainly louder than most TWS, but far quieter than Air Conduction offerings. It is certainly suitable for spaced-out desks in an office, but in a very quiet room they are still audible, as is always the case with such designs.
I’ve tested several bone and air conduction headphones over the years, and the Purfree are by some distance the best and most balanced sounding offering so far, to the point the quality is almost comparable with semi-in-ear buds such as the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, whilst offering countless practicality benefits over and above earbuds. Compared to the Shokz Openrun, you’re getting a slightly cleaner, more open sound with better separation. Strings, pianos and female vocals come across clearer on the Purfree. The Shokz Openrun outperforms the Purfree on low-frequency response, offering a fuller bass representation, albeit with a closer, less expansive soundstage. The Openrun also offer higher volume, but the vibration is more powerful, and less easy to ignore. Leakage is also higher on the Shokz. My personal preference favours a more open soundstage, so the Purfree satisfied me audibly in that respect.
The Purfree use the Qualcomm-native AptX codec on Andorid, and this offers almost lip-sync latency levels with videos on the likes of Netflix and YouTube. The codec defaults to SBC on IOS without any noticeable degradation in audio rendition.
Calls – 7/10
Calls on the Purfree are facilitated using dual microphones, utilising the Qualcomm-native cVc 8.0 noise reduction feature, and they do a very decent job of conveying your voice even in noisy environments, far better than the Shokz Openrun in this respect.
In my ‘Airport’ call quality sample, they handle engine, rail and aviation noises pretty well, lifting your voice sufficiently so you are at least coherent.
Indoor calls where you have less ambient noise to complicate the dual-mic array fare better, with decent weight and legibility to your voice.
In general, your voice admittedly lacks a little of the clarity you get from earbuds, where the mic is closer to your mouth, but it is certainly possible to hear you on phone calls, and again, impressive given the form factor constraints.
Battery Life – 9/10
The Purfree are not quite battery monsters, but they top the charts in bone conduction, offering an impressive 8 hours, and even increasing the volume and using multipoint didn’t seem to compromise this. I still had battery remaining after a full day of use, including calls, which certainly topped 7 hours, and they are still as we speak running with around 20% battery remaining as I approach the 8 hour mark – very impressive.
Not only do you get the benefit of long battery life, the all-important quick charge feature offers an additional 2 hours playtime from just 10 minutes juice, and the total charge time is around 90 minutes. As previously mentioned, it’s a proprietary cable as per Shokz and other alternatives.
Other features
Multipoint connectivity is usually reserved for high-end headphones or TWS, so it was nice to see this included in the Purfree, and once initiated it doesn’t skip a beat, working flawlessly. Connectivity is Bluetooth 5.2, and connection is rock solid, easily exceeding the 10m advertised, and never dropping on fast moving bike rides or runs.
Another really nice feature is the ability to change the language of voice prompts. This can be initiated by holding the Volume + and - button as well as the MFB for a few seconds. There are quite a few languages in there - perhaps 5 or 6 - Chinese is definitely in there (I recognised some of the words from trying to decipher FIIL voice prompts!) but I can't be sure of the others - best to contact Haylou for clarification.
The Purfree doesn’t come with a carry case unfortunately – this is a shame, and is something I would like to see in the future - maybe Haylou can offer one as an accessory, in the same way they have replacement straps for their smartwatches.
Summary
It is easy to see how the Purfree managed to pick up the German Red Dot Design Award this year. With this release, Haylou have brought to the market one of the most impressive innovations of 2022 that I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing.
Maybe that bold statement is in no small part down to me being their target audience – I cycle around 100km per week, run around 15km per week, use the gym twice a week and have suffered from tinnitus in the past – so naturally a lot of the Purfree’s value proposition appeals to me – but even so, this is not my first rodeo – I’ve tested many such headphones in the past and been left perennially disappointed. That certainly hasn't been the case with the Purfree.
Haylou have managed to balance comfort and stability in a beautifully-crafted design that looks and wears extremely well. It is the small, nuanced details that Haylou have got right here, deploying the right materials, shape and finish where other vendors tend to cut corners. The only minor oversight is the lack of app support and carry case, but it is possible to EQ with Wavelet and you can pick up generic cases on AliExpress, so this is certainly not a deal-breaker.
If you’ve tried bone conduction before and been disappointed, or have always avoided it because of cost or limitations in audio, now may be the time to give it another go. The Purfree top the charts for comfort, stability, durability and battery life, and are also priced really competitively – at current market price they are on sale on Amazon UK at just £79.99 – this is almost half the price of the Shokz Openrun, performing at least as well and in some cases better. Their flagship-style representation also makes them the ideal gift – grab them while you can at the 11.11 discounted price (link at the top of the review)!
Price Weighted Score: 88%
Raw Score: 85%
Previous Haylou Reviews:
S35 ANC Headphones
Purfree Buds
Purfree BC01 Bone Conduction Headphones
W1
Moripods
About Haylou
The brand name Haylou is taken from the homonym of the English word "Hello". We believe that we can resonate with the sea through conch and listen to the voice of the ocean together, and we can also listen to the voice of users through Haylou and share the beauty of the voice together. Haylou is the messenger of sound and the medium through which we resonate with our users.
Haylou is a brand belonging to Dongguan Liesheng Electronic Technology. Dongguan Liesheng Electronic Technology, established in 2015, is a subsidiary of Dongguan Hele Electronics, having secured Series A funding from Xiaomi technology, becoming one of the earliest members of the Xiaomi Ecological Chain. Hele Electronics and Liesheng Electronic are the OEM for Xiaomi's Mi / Redmi Airdots, and their portfolio of products includes smart and sports wearables as well as a comprehensive range of audio products.
Haylou's product portfolio ranges from wireless audio, smart wearables, to IoT and other categories. And its business has covered more than 100 countries and regions, serving tens of millions of users around the world. We are committed to establishing a digital health ecology by integrating a "user-device-data" scenario via technological innovation. Embracing the values of "Empowering & Awakening", Haylou aims to inspire you to keep challenge, explore your potential and find a better self.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: Tronsmart Trip
Price: MSRP Approx £20
Website: Tronsmart
Review Reference: RC081
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Speaker
1 x User Manual
1 x Warranty Card
1 x USB-C charge cable
1 x AUX jack cable
Video Intro
Preamble
Welcome to the ReganCipher review of the Tronsmart Trip 10w Bluetooth Speaker. This is my third speaker review from Tronsmart - it has been out a while, I just forgot to publish the review! So no excuses for not having had sufficient testing time.
Tronsmart are now fully established as a mid range technology vendor at a very competitive price point, with their focus almost solely on audio products - mostly speakers and headphones. Founder Eric Cheng, a self-confessed geek, founded the company with his first paycheck (where was he working?!), building a lab to disassemble audio products with the aim to recreate them in his own vision at a cost-efficient price point. After bringing in ear-chewing trophy-winning footballer Luis Suarez as an ambassador, the company have gone from strength to strength, building a close relationship with Qualcomm, and bringing two of their chips to market first with the Apollo Bold and Apollo Air. For speakers, the range is now almost as extensive as their earbuds, ranging from 7, 10 and 15w mini speakers through to the 60w Force Pro and Mega Pro.
The Trip is one of a number of Tronsmart products making use of the Actions Semi ATS chipsets. Actions are an intelligent audio SoC vendor who have taken advantage of Qualcomm's supply issues in 2019 to forge relationships with vendors such as Tronsmart, offering comparable performance at a much lower cost, and this has benefited both the speaker and earbud markets by virtue of increased competition. Where enhanced codec support is less of an issue, ATS chips become very attractive, and it is interesting to see Tronsmart capitalising on this with use in a number of their recent budget releases.
You can see the full range of Tronsmart speakers here
Review
The Trip is Tronsmart's affordable, portable speaker you can pop in your bag and take out and about without any fuss, dramatically improving the sound you get from your phone speakers. We know the market for such portable speakers is there - you don't have to look too closely to see the comparisons with the JBL Go3 - but Tronsmart have aimed to take a good idea and improve on some of the pain points of JBL's customers, adding a microphone, the ability to 'daisy chain' the speakers to achieve stereo sound, improved water resistance (IPX7 vs IP67), double the output (10w vs 4.2w), quadruple the battery life (up to 20 hours vs up to 5) and in only a slightly larger package.
The Trip is very nicely designed, with a mesh material, rubberised feet and soft plastic/rubberised edges protecting the inputs and preserving the excellent IPX7 water resistance, meaning you could take the speaker in the pool for up to 30 minutes if you so desired.
The unit is around 17cm at it's longest, 8cm tall and just under 4cm in depth. This is certainly larger than the JBL unit, but it's still just about small enough to fit in a very loose jacket pocket - it weight less than 100g more (approx. 300g) so it is more than portable for most, will certainly fit in your bag, and the fabric loop at the edge adds a dimension of portability for hooking onto things, both in action and in transit.
Like the JBL unit, it has similar, large hardened tactile buttons and easy to understand and intuitively control symbols. At the top you have a power button, followed by Bluetooth, and then play/pause in between volume up and down. Double tapping the power hails voice assistant, and holding the volume buttons down for a couple of seconds will turn them into track forward/backward buttons. Call functions are similarly brought into play with the play button - pressing once will pick up a call, holding down will reject. Holding the power and Bluetooth buttons will clear the memory.
I mentioned earlier the stereo mode by connecting a pair of Trip speakers together - this can be done by turning both speakers on, then double tapping the Bluetooth button to tell them to pair. I didn't test this unfortunately, but I have seen it in action and it is a really nice feature to have and does make a difference.
Unlike some of Tronsmart's previous releases, you can't pair up to 100 of these, although I'd say that's probably a blessing! There is also no app support, but again, this is a pointless feature I'd rather be stripped out anyway.
On the side you see a rubberised door housing the inputs - you only have a USB for charging the device, and a 3.5mm jack for audio players or (sadly) older phones. I didn't notice any benefit to using the cable - Bluetooth worked well with the device, with really quite impressive range (advertised up to 18m, and in-keeping with my own findings). There is no SD slot, I presume to ensure immersion integrity, but that isn't really a problem for me. It may be for you, so bear it in mind.
Sound is surprisingly rather good on the Trip. It was much louder than I imagined, and unlike many speakers of this size did not suffer especially from distortion on higher volumes due to the SoundPULSE technology Tronsmart include on pretty much all of their speakers. Tronsmart have gone for clarity with elevated upper mids bringing out vocals - bass is much more 'neutral tuned' to avoid bloat and bleed, and I have to say it's really quite pleasant to listen with, balancing out punch with longevity. The trebles can become tiresome, maybe even a bit screechy if you're listening to lots of female vocals, but the average listener probably won't notice.
Battery life is superb - I got very close to 20 hours on the first listen, and even when testing calls and distortion levels (i.e. higher volumes) I still got over 15 hours. This is truly 'best in class', beating offerings from JBL, Tribit and Soundcore, and makes the Trip a really convenient travel companion for hanging out with friends at the beach, or terrorising their neighbours in the garden.
The Trip sells at just under £20 on Amazon UK - link to Amazon - coming in at just over 30% cheaper than the inferior JBL product and less than half the price of the Tribit Stormbox - I'd have no hesitations recommending the Trip over those products. If red doesn't take your fancy, the Trip is also available in black, sage green, aqua blue, mustard orange and camo.
Tronsmart Review Inventory:
Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro
Tronsmart Bang
Tronsmart Studio
Tronsmart Apollo Air
Tronsmart Battle
Tronsmart Onyx Apex
Tronsmart Apollo Q10
Tronsmart Onyx Free
Tronsmart Apollo Bold
About Tronsmart:
Tronsmart are now fully established as a mid to premium range earbud vendor, with their focus almost solely on audio products - mostly speakers and headphones. Founder Eric Cheng, a self-confessed geek, founded the company with his first paycheck (where was he working?!), building a lab to disassemble audio products with the aim to recreate them in his own vision at a cost-efficient price point.
After bringing in ear-chewing trophy-winning footballer Luis Suarez as an ambassador, the company have gone from strength to strength, building a close relationship with Qualcomm, and bringing two of their chips to market first with the Apollo Bold, and then the Apollo Air, which uses the Qualcomm QCC3046.
For speakers, the range is now almost as extensive as their earbuds, ranging from 7, 10 and 15w mini speakers through to the 60w Force Pro and Mega Pro.
Tronsmart remain one of my favourite mid-tier vendors, outrunning their budget competitors by releasing flagship products alongside the run-of-the-mill releases, and demonstrating transparency and commitment to quality and innovation with every release.
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: Tronsmart Trip
Price: MSRP Approx £20
Website: Tronsmart
Review Reference: RC081
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: Tronsmart
- Model: Trip
- Power: 10w RMS
- Frequency response: 20hz-20KHZ
- Drivers: Dual Drivers
- Chipset: Actions Semi ATS2853
- Bluetooth Version: 5.3 A2DP/AVRCP/HFP/HSP
- Codec Support: SBC
- Mic: Yes
- Input: Bluetooth, 3.5mm jack
- Features: SoundPulse ®, Voice Assistant
- App Support: No
- Dimensions: 170 x 81 x 41mm
- Weight: 328g
- Battery Life: Up to 20 hours
- Charge Time: Up to 3 hours
- Input: 5v 800ma
- Charge Type: USB-C
- Water Resistance: IPX6
1 x Speaker
1 x User Manual
1 x Warranty Card
1 x USB-C charge cable
1 x AUX jack cable
Video Intro
Preamble
Welcome to the ReganCipher review of the Tronsmart Trip 10w Bluetooth Speaker. This is my third speaker review from Tronsmart - it has been out a while, I just forgot to publish the review! So no excuses for not having had sufficient testing time.
Tronsmart are now fully established as a mid range technology vendor at a very competitive price point, with their focus almost solely on audio products - mostly speakers and headphones. Founder Eric Cheng, a self-confessed geek, founded the company with his first paycheck (where was he working?!), building a lab to disassemble audio products with the aim to recreate them in his own vision at a cost-efficient price point. After bringing in ear-chewing trophy-winning footballer Luis Suarez as an ambassador, the company have gone from strength to strength, building a close relationship with Qualcomm, and bringing two of their chips to market first with the Apollo Bold and Apollo Air. For speakers, the range is now almost as extensive as their earbuds, ranging from 7, 10 and 15w mini speakers through to the 60w Force Pro and Mega Pro.
The Trip is one of a number of Tronsmart products making use of the Actions Semi ATS chipsets. Actions are an intelligent audio SoC vendor who have taken advantage of Qualcomm's supply issues in 2019 to forge relationships with vendors such as Tronsmart, offering comparable performance at a much lower cost, and this has benefited both the speaker and earbud markets by virtue of increased competition. Where enhanced codec support is less of an issue, ATS chips become very attractive, and it is interesting to see Tronsmart capitalising on this with use in a number of their recent budget releases.
You can see the full range of Tronsmart speakers here
Review
The Trip is Tronsmart's affordable, portable speaker you can pop in your bag and take out and about without any fuss, dramatically improving the sound you get from your phone speakers. We know the market for such portable speakers is there - you don't have to look too closely to see the comparisons with the JBL Go3 - but Tronsmart have aimed to take a good idea and improve on some of the pain points of JBL's customers, adding a microphone, the ability to 'daisy chain' the speakers to achieve stereo sound, improved water resistance (IPX7 vs IP67), double the output (10w vs 4.2w), quadruple the battery life (up to 20 hours vs up to 5) and in only a slightly larger package.
The Trip is very nicely designed, with a mesh material, rubberised feet and soft plastic/rubberised edges protecting the inputs and preserving the excellent IPX7 water resistance, meaning you could take the speaker in the pool for up to 30 minutes if you so desired.
The unit is around 17cm at it's longest, 8cm tall and just under 4cm in depth. This is certainly larger than the JBL unit, but it's still just about small enough to fit in a very loose jacket pocket - it weight less than 100g more (approx. 300g) so it is more than portable for most, will certainly fit in your bag, and the fabric loop at the edge adds a dimension of portability for hooking onto things, both in action and in transit.
Like the JBL unit, it has similar, large hardened tactile buttons and easy to understand and intuitively control symbols. At the top you have a power button, followed by Bluetooth, and then play/pause in between volume up and down. Double tapping the power hails voice assistant, and holding the volume buttons down for a couple of seconds will turn them into track forward/backward buttons. Call functions are similarly brought into play with the play button - pressing once will pick up a call, holding down will reject. Holding the power and Bluetooth buttons will clear the memory.
I mentioned earlier the stereo mode by connecting a pair of Trip speakers together - this can be done by turning both speakers on, then double tapping the Bluetooth button to tell them to pair. I didn't test this unfortunately, but I have seen it in action and it is a really nice feature to have and does make a difference.
Unlike some of Tronsmart's previous releases, you can't pair up to 100 of these, although I'd say that's probably a blessing! There is also no app support, but again, this is a pointless feature I'd rather be stripped out anyway.
On the side you see a rubberised door housing the inputs - you only have a USB for charging the device, and a 3.5mm jack for audio players or (sadly) older phones. I didn't notice any benefit to using the cable - Bluetooth worked well with the device, with really quite impressive range (advertised up to 18m, and in-keeping with my own findings). There is no SD slot, I presume to ensure immersion integrity, but that isn't really a problem for me. It may be for you, so bear it in mind.
Sound is surprisingly rather good on the Trip. It was much louder than I imagined, and unlike many speakers of this size did not suffer especially from distortion on higher volumes due to the SoundPULSE technology Tronsmart include on pretty much all of their speakers. Tronsmart have gone for clarity with elevated upper mids bringing out vocals - bass is much more 'neutral tuned' to avoid bloat and bleed, and I have to say it's really quite pleasant to listen with, balancing out punch with longevity. The trebles can become tiresome, maybe even a bit screechy if you're listening to lots of female vocals, but the average listener probably won't notice.
Battery life is superb - I got very close to 20 hours on the first listen, and even when testing calls and distortion levels (i.e. higher volumes) I still got over 15 hours. This is truly 'best in class', beating offerings from JBL, Tribit and Soundcore, and makes the Trip a really convenient travel companion for hanging out with friends at the beach, or terrorising their neighbours in the garden.
The Trip sells at just under £20 on Amazon UK - link to Amazon - coming in at just over 30% cheaper than the inferior JBL product and less than half the price of the Tribit Stormbox - I'd have no hesitations recommending the Trip over those products. If red doesn't take your fancy, the Trip is also available in black, sage green, aqua blue, mustard orange and camo.
Tronsmart Review Inventory:
Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro
Tronsmart Bang
Tronsmart Studio
Tronsmart Apollo Air
Tronsmart Battle
Tronsmart Onyx Apex
Tronsmart Apollo Q10
Tronsmart Onyx Free
Tronsmart Apollo Bold
About Tronsmart:
Tronsmart are now fully established as a mid to premium range earbud vendor, with their focus almost solely on audio products - mostly speakers and headphones. Founder Eric Cheng, a self-confessed geek, founded the company with his first paycheck (where was he working?!), building a lab to disassemble audio products with the aim to recreate them in his own vision at a cost-efficient price point.
After bringing in ear-chewing trophy-winning footballer Luis Suarez as an ambassador, the company have gone from strength to strength, building a close relationship with Qualcomm, and bringing two of their chips to market first with the Apollo Bold, and then the Apollo Air, which uses the Qualcomm QCC3046.
For speakers, the range is now almost as extensive as their earbuds, ranging from 7, 10 and 15w mini speakers through to the 60w Force Pro and Mega Pro.
Tronsmart remain one of my favourite mid-tier vendors, outrunning their budget competitors by releasing flagship products alongside the run-of-the-mill releases, and demonstrating transparency and commitment to quality and innovation with every release.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Reddit: u/regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: QCY T20
Price: MSRP Approx $30
Website: QCY Website
Review Reference: RC076
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x Quick Guide
1 x Dustproof Protective Case Cover
YouTube Review & Unboxing:
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the @regancipher review of QCY's newest release, the T20 'Ailypods'. Yep, that's 'Ailypods' not 'Airypods' (although maybe the latter would have been more appropriate). The T20 are QCY's second semi-in-ear release of the last 18 months, superseding the surprisingly unpopular T12, which I reviewed here at headfi back in June last year. The T20 have already (almost) outsold the T12 on AliExpress, and this is no doubt down in part to their similarity to 'you-know-who's you-know-what Gen3', and partly down to QCY's growing presence as a budget brand to trust outside of their home market, as a result of several very impressive releases.
Unboxing - 7/10
Unboxing the T20 is another blast of deja-vu. Since the T12, QCY have retained a very consistent experience, with an orange and grey colour scheme at the heart of their rebranding. The front of the box denotes the product name 'Ailypods' below the three headline features - dual mics, compact design and gaming mode. The case and buds pop out of the top of the grey plastic carton-style insert, pictured below.
Once inside, you get a taste of QCY's first deviation from their normal unboxing experience - they've added a 'lid' to the back to stop the USB-C cable and user manual from falling out! The manual is no different to any other QCY manual, offering well-worded instructions (in the rare eventuality you would need them!) and tiny visuals that would be difficult to read without a magnifying glass. You're just getting English and Chinese unfortunately for non-English speakers, reflecting the solid market share they get in the UK and US.
QCY also included a dustproof case protector, branded, and pictured below on the case itself.
The Case - 7/10
A first look at the case, and it's pretty nice. The soft, matte, 'powder-coat'-effect design is similar to that of the T16, and the buds slot in the top, back to back. Inside the cockpit, you see some of the specifics just inside the lid, including ROHS compliance and the case battery capacity (220mAh, delivered by a VDL 3.7v battery). As usual, QCY have deployed overcharge and overvoltage protection courtesy of a dedicated TPS power management chip, to ensure greater product longevity.
Looking straight at the case head-on, you've got a tiny, difficult-to-see LED at the bottom (see the Unboxing section image for a better view). The LED blinks quickly whilst charging via USB, and glows solid white a few times whilst the buds are charging in the case themselves. The buds glow solid red whilst charging, and whilst topping up glow white for thirty seconds. The LED's are located as pictured above at the top of what looks like it is a touch control panel, but isn't. Unfortunately, like their flagship T18, you don't have any idea how much battery is remaining in the case - there's no red/amber/green scheme, no light configuration - a massively underrated feature that QCY inexplicably keep omitting.
There is little in the way of branding other than the back, where the QCY logo sits on the hinge - reinforced slightly with a shiny cover. I actually thought was some kind of sticker and spent a while trying to peel off - don't make the same mistake, you may damage the case (or in my case, your finger nail!). The case itself is a little flimsy, rattling in the hand, with a very precariousy-designed hinge (one of these days I will manage to break one!)
The USB-C socket is located on the bottom.
Portability is strong on the T20. The case measures just 53.8mm (width) x 48.5mm (height) x 24.4mm (depth) - only slightly larger than the tiny SoundPEATS Air3, but at 34g it feels lighter due to the weight displacement. The case is more than adequate for popping in your pocket, feeling a little more impressive than the Air3, although some way behind my favourite semi-in-ear case, that of the Yobybo X-Boat.
Battery Life - 6/10
Battery life is somewhat disappointing - whilst the single-use headline is higher than the likes of the FIIL Key and CC2, I found it closer to between 4 (with lots of calls) and 5 (with no calls). In fact, I found the FIIL Key held their battery better, and the extra 4 hours juice (the T20 charges the buds just 2.5 additional times) gives them a clear advantage. Only the Soundpeats Air3 and TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 offered worse battery life, and unlike the Yobybo X-Boat, there is no warp of quick charge - you're stuck with waiting the full 90-120 minutes, with little indication on the case of how much charge the buds have taken. This compounds a frustrating experience when it comes to battery life.
Some comparisons:
Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro - 6.5 hours / 27 hours
FIIL CC2 - 5 hours / 27 hours
SoundPeats TrueAir2+ - 5 hours / 25 hours
Haylou Moripods - 5 hours / 25 hours
Tronsmart Battle - 5 hours / 25 hours
1More Comfobuds 2 - 6 hours / 24 hours
FIIL KEY - 5 hours / 24 hours
Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe - 5 hours / 22 hours
QCY T20 - 5.5 hours / 20 hours
QCY T12 - 4 hours / 20 hours
TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 - 4 hours / 20 hours
SoundPeats Air3 - 5 hours / 17.5 hours
Ergonomics & Design - 7/10
The T20 will, naturally, see comparisons to the Airpod Gen 3 levied, and it isn't hard to see why. Stopping just short of copying the buds totally like-for-like, they are embarrassingly close, with only the metallic panel (it's black on the Airpods) and absence of a metallic rim around the base differentiating them. The metallic panel shrouds the second MEMS mic, an ambient pickup microphone for improved noise reduction on calls, and directly below, like on the Airpod, is the touch control area. The opening on the inside is a pressure-release cavity, designed to improve the comfort and acoustic performance.
The nozzle further indicates the absence of originality in the design, mimicking the Airpod almost to the millimeter.
This thick opening, also covered by a dustproof mesh, combines with the broader neck to rest in your ears securely and deliver audio directly into the ear canal with less room for dispersion to the outside world. Whilst this is better in one sense, in that the T20 (and the Airpods, for that matter) do fit very stable and securely in your ears without the need for silicone.
The T20 are on the shorter side - the stem is 32mm long including the head - and the breadth of the neck is only comparable to the Soundcore Life Note 3S (and Airpod.....yawn). This is a stark contrast to the majority of TWS vendors, who have stuck to a simplistic design more akin to the Gen 2.
Despite being relatively lightweight at just under 4g, the sheer volume of plastic is enough to both rest securely, and eventually, be a burden on your ears, weighing simply too much on your skin.
I have to say, whilst I wanted the T20 to be better, I found them pretty uncomfortable after a while. The weight of the plastic started to ache my concha and antitragus after a short period of time in the same way the Gen 3 did - a trade-off with this kind of design, and it's unfortunate QCY didn't at least try to improve on it in the way Soundcore successfully managed with the Life Note 3S. Regardless, for short periods of time the T20 are secure and reasonably comfortable - they pass the shake test, but it is the lack of originality that is most annoying here - QCY could have taken the much maligned Airpod design and improved it, but instead we are left with a carbon copy, warts and all.
Fit is of course subjective, and I've allowed for that in my score. Quite unlike QCY, they have managed to get IPX4 sweat resistance approved for this model, so a splash of rain and a workout won't render your buds useless.
Audio - 7.5/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
Audio on the T20 is, like with most semi-in-ear releases, very dependent on the fit. The immediate impression is a bright, echoey sound with an extended treble response and recessed lows and mids. 'Ordinary World' by Duran Duran sees some prominent claps and shakers around the centred vocals. Subbass is more gentle, but still evident in electronic tracks - 'Sticky' by Drake has a satisfying thump to it, with Drake's decayed vocal sounding airy and clear. And that clarity is accentuated with k-pop - 'Sriracha' by The Attire has a tight instrumental delivery, lifting the vocals nicely without recessing the rest of the track.
The T20 have tried to get around the problem that the 1More Comfobuds 2 have, whereby pushing them further into your ear results in the bass being overwhelming, and they've done so quite successfully - despite the charts suggesting otherwise, there's enough lower frequency response to satisfy the average user. QCY have an uncanny knack of delivering decent tuning given the obvious driver, codec and transmission constraints. The T20 are AAC/SBC only, so no high definition codecs - perhaps they will test the market first in the same way they did the T17 before releasing the T17S.
Call Quality - Indoors - 7.5/10, Outdoors – 7/10
The T20 don't nullify background sound altogether - in fact, for a 4-mic array, they pick up background sound pretty badly, but your voice is elevated a little, certainly above those ambient sounds. When I did my outdoor test, you could hear pretty much everything - ice cream vans, car engines, wind, etc. - but your voice is still reasonably clear and coherent.
Indoors, it nullifies background sound slightly better, again still picking up something, but muddling music playing in a cafe and incoherent chatter even further. Again, your voice still sounds relatively clear and natural - whilst it's certainly not market-leading stuff, it's good enough considering the price.
Features
I'll update the review with images from the app once the T20 is fully supported - currently, you don't get a lot. Log into the app and you'll see 'Bluetooth 5.3' above the remaining battery life of the buds (Case is not shown). Connectivity is reasonably good, although there's no hall-switch mode, and there's quite a delay from when you remove the buds to when you can start to use them. I experienced no dropouts during the testing Window.
The 'Sound' tab includes several EQ's, all of which are dreadful, and a 10-bar customisable equaliser. I prefer Wavelet for tuning over any proprietary app, and QCY is no different there, but for iOS users this is no doubt rather useful.
The 'Settings' tab offers customisation to the double and triple click, sadly you can't change the 'disabled' single tap, and that means no volume control out of the box. By default, double tap is play/pause, triple left is voice assistant and triple right gaming mode. Latency is pretty good with gaming mode on - not quite synchronized, but performance is certainly good enough for videos, although you'll experience a minor delay on your first-person shooters.
Sleep Mode allows you, like on the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, to block touch controls. Sadly, they may as well already be blocked - I thought they were broken at first, but after some prodding I discovered they do respond, albeit delayed, to continued pressure, but this does nothing for the already compromised comfort.
Finally, firmware updates are possible, but I received continued errors every time I tried.
Final Comments
I really wanted to like the T20, despite their lack of originality, and in some respects the Ailypods do deliver, with IPX4 sweat resistance, good sound and fair call quality at an attractive price. Sadly, they also fail in so many other areas, with usability hampered by the lack of battery level indication, short battery life and absence of quick charge, as well as poor comfort when used for long periods, and awful touch controls.
The T20 are a good enough option at the price, but fall some way behind the SoundPEATS Air3, FIIL Key and 1More Comfobuds 2 in the battle of the 'semi-in-ears'.
Not bad, but I'd like to see QCY's take on the Airpod next time, as opposed to Apple's take on the Airpod with a QCY badge.
Price Weighted Score: 76%
Raw Score: 73%
QCY Review Inventory:
HT07 Arcbuds
HT05 Melobuds ANC
T20 Ailypods
T18
G1
T17
T16
T13
HT03
T12
T11
About QCY:
Whilst not quite a household name outside of China yet, QCY are well-renowned in the budget TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that, whilst perhaps lacking some of the bells and whistles of the more expensive brands, deliver to the segment of the market where 'good enough is good enough', with solid reliability and tremendous value for money.
Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5), with three of their major customers being brands you will certainly recognise and in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019. In 2020, market research indicated they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor worldwide - no mean feat.
Despite a close relationship with SoC manufactuer Zhuhai Jieli, QCY are not afraid to mix and match components to suit their target market. This often sees a number of releases in quick succession - their T17S are an example of this, released subsequent to the T17, and differentiating with the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 SoC, to support customers who require the added lower latency enabled by the aptX codecs that the Qualcomm chips support. They did a similar thing with the very popular T5, T8 and T9 - nice to see a vendor using an easy to follow naming convention! The G1 use the newest Pixart chip in order to reduce latency - horses for courses!
The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses at a very affordable price - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value from a brand they can trust.
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Reddit: u/regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: QCY T20
Price: MSRP Approx $30
Website: QCY Website
Review Reference: RC076
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: QCY
- Model: T20
- Driver: 13mm Dynamic Driver
- Chipset: Jieli AD6973D
- Mic: 4
- ANC: No
- Codecs: AAC, SBC
- App Support: Yes, limited
- Volume Control: Yes (not by default, requires app)
- Gaming Mode: Yes
- Earbud Weight: 3.83g
- Earbud Dimensions: 32mm stem length, 20mm depth
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 34.41g
- Case Dimensions: 53.8mm (width) x 48.5mm (height) x 24.4mm (depth)
- Quick Charge: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 7 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 32 hours
- Charge Capacity: 220mAh/3.7v
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.3
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: IPX4
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x Quick Guide
1 x Dustproof Protective Case Cover
YouTube Review & Unboxing:
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the @regancipher review of QCY's newest release, the T20 'Ailypods'. Yep, that's 'Ailypods' not 'Airypods' (although maybe the latter would have been more appropriate). The T20 are QCY's second semi-in-ear release of the last 18 months, superseding the surprisingly unpopular T12, which I reviewed here at headfi back in June last year. The T20 have already (almost) outsold the T12 on AliExpress, and this is no doubt down in part to their similarity to 'you-know-who's you-know-what Gen3', and partly down to QCY's growing presence as a budget brand to trust outside of their home market, as a result of several very impressive releases.
Unboxing - 7/10
Unboxing the T20 is another blast of deja-vu. Since the T12, QCY have retained a very consistent experience, with an orange and grey colour scheme at the heart of their rebranding. The front of the box denotes the product name 'Ailypods' below the three headline features - dual mics, compact design and gaming mode. The case and buds pop out of the top of the grey plastic carton-style insert, pictured below.
Once inside, you get a taste of QCY's first deviation from their normal unboxing experience - they've added a 'lid' to the back to stop the USB-C cable and user manual from falling out! The manual is no different to any other QCY manual, offering well-worded instructions (in the rare eventuality you would need them!) and tiny visuals that would be difficult to read without a magnifying glass. You're just getting English and Chinese unfortunately for non-English speakers, reflecting the solid market share they get in the UK and US.
QCY also included a dustproof case protector, branded, and pictured below on the case itself.
The Case - 7/10
A first look at the case, and it's pretty nice. The soft, matte, 'powder-coat'-effect design is similar to that of the T16, and the buds slot in the top, back to back. Inside the cockpit, you see some of the specifics just inside the lid, including ROHS compliance and the case battery capacity (220mAh, delivered by a VDL 3.7v battery). As usual, QCY have deployed overcharge and overvoltage protection courtesy of a dedicated TPS power management chip, to ensure greater product longevity.
Looking straight at the case head-on, you've got a tiny, difficult-to-see LED at the bottom (see the Unboxing section image for a better view). The LED blinks quickly whilst charging via USB, and glows solid white a few times whilst the buds are charging in the case themselves. The buds glow solid red whilst charging, and whilst topping up glow white for thirty seconds. The LED's are located as pictured above at the top of what looks like it is a touch control panel, but isn't. Unfortunately, like their flagship T18, you don't have any idea how much battery is remaining in the case - there's no red/amber/green scheme, no light configuration - a massively underrated feature that QCY inexplicably keep omitting.
There is little in the way of branding other than the back, where the QCY logo sits on the hinge - reinforced slightly with a shiny cover. I actually thought was some kind of sticker and spent a while trying to peel off - don't make the same mistake, you may damage the case (or in my case, your finger nail!). The case itself is a little flimsy, rattling in the hand, with a very precariousy-designed hinge (one of these days I will manage to break one!)
The USB-C socket is located on the bottom.
Portability is strong on the T20. The case measures just 53.8mm (width) x 48.5mm (height) x 24.4mm (depth) - only slightly larger than the tiny SoundPEATS Air3, but at 34g it feels lighter due to the weight displacement. The case is more than adequate for popping in your pocket, feeling a little more impressive than the Air3, although some way behind my favourite semi-in-ear case, that of the Yobybo X-Boat.
Battery Life - 6/10
Battery life is somewhat disappointing - whilst the single-use headline is higher than the likes of the FIIL Key and CC2, I found it closer to between 4 (with lots of calls) and 5 (with no calls). In fact, I found the FIIL Key held their battery better, and the extra 4 hours juice (the T20 charges the buds just 2.5 additional times) gives them a clear advantage. Only the Soundpeats Air3 and TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 offered worse battery life, and unlike the Yobybo X-Boat, there is no warp of quick charge - you're stuck with waiting the full 90-120 minutes, with little indication on the case of how much charge the buds have taken. This compounds a frustrating experience when it comes to battery life.
Some comparisons:
Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro - 6.5 hours / 27 hours
FIIL CC2 - 5 hours / 27 hours
SoundPeats TrueAir2+ - 5 hours / 25 hours
Haylou Moripods - 5 hours / 25 hours
Tronsmart Battle - 5 hours / 25 hours
1More Comfobuds 2 - 6 hours / 24 hours
FIIL KEY - 5 hours / 24 hours
Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe - 5 hours / 22 hours
QCY T20 - 5.5 hours / 20 hours
QCY T12 - 4 hours / 20 hours
TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 - 4 hours / 20 hours
SoundPeats Air3 - 5 hours / 17.5 hours
Ergonomics & Design - 7/10
The T20 will, naturally, see comparisons to the Airpod Gen 3 levied, and it isn't hard to see why. Stopping just short of copying the buds totally like-for-like, they are embarrassingly close, with only the metallic panel (it's black on the Airpods) and absence of a metallic rim around the base differentiating them. The metallic panel shrouds the second MEMS mic, an ambient pickup microphone for improved noise reduction on calls, and directly below, like on the Airpod, is the touch control area. The opening on the inside is a pressure-release cavity, designed to improve the comfort and acoustic performance.
The nozzle further indicates the absence of originality in the design, mimicking the Airpod almost to the millimeter.
This thick opening, also covered by a dustproof mesh, combines with the broader neck to rest in your ears securely and deliver audio directly into the ear canal with less room for dispersion to the outside world. Whilst this is better in one sense, in that the T20 (and the Airpods, for that matter) do fit very stable and securely in your ears without the need for silicone.
The T20 are on the shorter side - the stem is 32mm long including the head - and the breadth of the neck is only comparable to the Soundcore Life Note 3S (and Airpod.....yawn). This is a stark contrast to the majority of TWS vendors, who have stuck to a simplistic design more akin to the Gen 2.
Despite being relatively lightweight at just under 4g, the sheer volume of plastic is enough to both rest securely, and eventually, be a burden on your ears, weighing simply too much on your skin.
I have to say, whilst I wanted the T20 to be better, I found them pretty uncomfortable after a while. The weight of the plastic started to ache my concha and antitragus after a short period of time in the same way the Gen 3 did - a trade-off with this kind of design, and it's unfortunate QCY didn't at least try to improve on it in the way Soundcore successfully managed with the Life Note 3S. Regardless, for short periods of time the T20 are secure and reasonably comfortable - they pass the shake test, but it is the lack of originality that is most annoying here - QCY could have taken the much maligned Airpod design and improved it, but instead we are left with a carbon copy, warts and all.
Fit is of course subjective, and I've allowed for that in my score. Quite unlike QCY, they have managed to get IPX4 sweat resistance approved for this model, so a splash of rain and a workout won't render your buds useless.
Audio - 7.5/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
Audio on the T20 is, like with most semi-in-ear releases, very dependent on the fit. The immediate impression is a bright, echoey sound with an extended treble response and recessed lows and mids. 'Ordinary World' by Duran Duran sees some prominent claps and shakers around the centred vocals. Subbass is more gentle, but still evident in electronic tracks - 'Sticky' by Drake has a satisfying thump to it, with Drake's decayed vocal sounding airy and clear. And that clarity is accentuated with k-pop - 'Sriracha' by The Attire has a tight instrumental delivery, lifting the vocals nicely without recessing the rest of the track.
The T20 have tried to get around the problem that the 1More Comfobuds 2 have, whereby pushing them further into your ear results in the bass being overwhelming, and they've done so quite successfully - despite the charts suggesting otherwise, there's enough lower frequency response to satisfy the average user. QCY have an uncanny knack of delivering decent tuning given the obvious driver, codec and transmission constraints. The T20 are AAC/SBC only, so no high definition codecs - perhaps they will test the market first in the same way they did the T17 before releasing the T17S.
Call Quality - Indoors - 7.5/10, Outdoors – 7/10
The T20 don't nullify background sound altogether - in fact, for a 4-mic array, they pick up background sound pretty badly, but your voice is elevated a little, certainly above those ambient sounds. When I did my outdoor test, you could hear pretty much everything - ice cream vans, car engines, wind, etc. - but your voice is still reasonably clear and coherent.
Indoors, it nullifies background sound slightly better, again still picking up something, but muddling music playing in a cafe and incoherent chatter even further. Again, your voice still sounds relatively clear and natural - whilst it's certainly not market-leading stuff, it's good enough considering the price.
Features
I'll update the review with images from the app once the T20 is fully supported - currently, you don't get a lot. Log into the app and you'll see 'Bluetooth 5.3' above the remaining battery life of the buds (Case is not shown). Connectivity is reasonably good, although there's no hall-switch mode, and there's quite a delay from when you remove the buds to when you can start to use them. I experienced no dropouts during the testing Window.
The 'Sound' tab includes several EQ's, all of which are dreadful, and a 10-bar customisable equaliser. I prefer Wavelet for tuning over any proprietary app, and QCY is no different there, but for iOS users this is no doubt rather useful.
The 'Settings' tab offers customisation to the double and triple click, sadly you can't change the 'disabled' single tap, and that means no volume control out of the box. By default, double tap is play/pause, triple left is voice assistant and triple right gaming mode. Latency is pretty good with gaming mode on - not quite synchronized, but performance is certainly good enough for videos, although you'll experience a minor delay on your first-person shooters.
Sleep Mode allows you, like on the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, to block touch controls. Sadly, they may as well already be blocked - I thought they were broken at first, but after some prodding I discovered they do respond, albeit delayed, to continued pressure, but this does nothing for the already compromised comfort.
Finally, firmware updates are possible, but I received continued errors every time I tried.
Final Comments
I really wanted to like the T20, despite their lack of originality, and in some respects the Ailypods do deliver, with IPX4 sweat resistance, good sound and fair call quality at an attractive price. Sadly, they also fail in so many other areas, with usability hampered by the lack of battery level indication, short battery life and absence of quick charge, as well as poor comfort when used for long periods, and awful touch controls.
The T20 are a good enough option at the price, but fall some way behind the SoundPEATS Air3, FIIL Key and 1More Comfobuds 2 in the battle of the 'semi-in-ears'.
Not bad, but I'd like to see QCY's take on the Airpod next time, as opposed to Apple's take on the Airpod with a QCY badge.
Price Weighted Score: 76%
Raw Score: 73%
QCY Review Inventory:
HT07 Arcbuds
HT05 Melobuds ANC
T20 Ailypods
T18
G1
T17
T16
T13
HT03
T12
T11
About QCY:
Whilst not quite a household name outside of China yet, QCY are well-renowned in the budget TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that, whilst perhaps lacking some of the bells and whistles of the more expensive brands, deliver to the segment of the market where 'good enough is good enough', with solid reliability and tremendous value for money.
Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5), with three of their major customers being brands you will certainly recognise and in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019. In 2020, market research indicated they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor worldwide - no mean feat.
Despite a close relationship with SoC manufactuer Zhuhai Jieli, QCY are not afraid to mix and match components to suit their target market. This often sees a number of releases in quick succession - their T17S are an example of this, released subsequent to the T17, and differentiating with the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 SoC, to support customers who require the added lower latency enabled by the aptX codecs that the Qualcomm chips support. They did a similar thing with the very popular T5, T8 and T9 - nice to see a vendor using an easy to follow naming convention! The G1 use the newest Pixart chip in order to reduce latency - horses for courses!
The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses at a very affordable price - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value from a brand they can trust.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: Tronsmart Onyx Pure
Price: MSRP Approx $30
Website: Tronsmart
Review Reference: RC075
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x Quick Guide
1 x Warranty Card
3 x Pair Eartips
YouTube Review:
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the @regancipher review of @Tronsmart Official latest release, the dual-driver ultra-low-budget Onyx Pure. Currently, they retail at just £15.99 on Amazon UK!
As with past Tronsmart releases, the 'Onyx' represents their value portfolio, with the Pure looking like a refreshed-for-2022 Spunky Beat replacement, bringing hybrid drivers, Bluetooth 5.3 and three built-in EQ modes without the need for reaching for the app, which this release does not support.
Tronsmart's previous dual-armature release, the Onyx Prime, was a fun-sounding, punchy monster, and I wasn't expecting much different from Tronsmart with this release - Tronsmart, like Soundcore, usually reserve an uplifting, bassy sound-signature without too much fuss over refining the details for their price-sensitive buds, and, true to form, that's exactly what Tronsmart have delivered here.....
Unboxing - 6.5/10
Don't expect an Onyx Prime-style unboxing here - with the Onyx Pure retailing at around $30, Tronsmart have cut all of the fat out of this release, trimming down the unboxing experience and user guide to what you would come to expect with buds at the QCY, SoundPEATS and KZ-price point.
The exterior stays true to the Tronsmart branding, with the headline features listed on the front, other key features on the back, and a QR code (taking you to the Tronsmart site) and the contents displayed on the sides.
Once inside, you get a black plastic carton, similar to that inside the Apollo Q10, with the charge case, spare tips, charge cable, warranty card and user manual crammed either in it or around it. Significantly smaller than the Onyx Prime, the manual is condensed down to a pocket-size, monochrome folding booklet, with visuals and text in six different languages. It does a pretty decent job of conveying what the controls and LED's mean, without the 'best in class' visual representations offered by previous releases.
The charge cable and tips are standard, budget-bud fare.
The Case - 7/10
The case is, like most budget cases, finished in matte black, and the front sees the Tronsmart logo screen-printed below a single LED. The LED is a little hard-to-see, but flashes on and off whilst the buds are charging in the case, turning itself off when the buds are at 100%. Plug the case in using the USB-C to A charge cable (the port is located on the bottom of the case) and while it is charging you'll notice it glow red, this time turning to white when between 20-70% full, and green once over the 70% mark. It's nice to have a battery indicator at this price point, albeit somewhat limited in it's delivery.
Flip open the case by locating the lip at the front, and you'll be greeted by a similarly-designed cockpit to the SoundPEATS Mini - the buds slot in the top at an angle, and snap in thanks to the magnets. Whilst the case does support hall-switch mode, connecting the moment you open it, it doesn't have a particularly secure hinge. This means it can from time-to-time snap shut just as you're trying to get the buds in. Fortunately, if they go into single mode, you can switch the dormant bud on by popping it in your ear and holding the multi-function touch control for a few seconds. The case is, therefore, easy enough to open with single handed use, but not especially practical to use in this way.
The case also has a clearing button on the bottom (one click clear) which resets pairing history in the event you have any issues reconnecting.
The 'cheap and cheerful' design renders it very lightweight in terms of footprint (approx. 61mm x 44mm x 24mm at it's widest/tallest/deepest) and in the hand (38.21g). This is comfortably one of the lightest I've reviewed for a while, coming in just over 5g heavier than the smaller SoundPEATS Mini case, but some way lighter than your average TWS case. It's suitably portable for popping in your jeans pocket while you're out and about.
Battery Life - 7/10
The case takes around 90-120 minutes to charge fully. Sadly, there's no quick charge feature - a bit of a disappointment - and no wireless charging, but once fully-charged I got a very respectable 6 hours 12 minutes from the first blast, and between 5 hours 45 and 7 hours for the additional charges. Like always, higher volume and calls will erode the battery life quickly - thankfully, the Pure are reasonably loud.
The Onyx Pure's direct competitors - the SoundPEATS Free2 Classic and QCY T17 - score higher on single use battery life at 8 and 7.5 hours respectively, but beats them both on total playtime at 32 hours, compared with 30 and 26 respectively.
Ergonomics and Design - 7/10
The design of the Onyx Pure is generic and pretty simplistic. The shape is more akin to the Spunky Pro than the original Spunky Beat, with the flat surface ideal for touch controls. Indeed, I found the controls very intuitive with very few accidental touches. Underneath the touch surface is a small LED - this only comes on when pairing/connecting.
On the inside is a pressure release chamber, and the buds are pretty comfortable - the neck doesn't protrude too far into your ear canal (much shorter than the above-pictured SoundPEATS Mini and QCY T17) but is wide enough to give you decent enough isolation without feeling like you're being subjected to an ear lobotomy. However, it is quite bulky - not on the level of the SoundPEATS T2, but like the Mini, it's quite chunky (as you would expect with dual armature drivers).
Even so, it's comfortable enough for prolonged use, and doesn't hang precariously from your ear like the T2 did. Whilst I wouldn't recommend them for side sleepers, they're fine for exercise - thankfully, the buds are IPX5 moisture-resistant, making them more than adequate for workouts or getting caught in a thunderstorm.
The battery connectors do make direct contact with your skin, so if you have nickel allergies, be mindful of this.
The buds weigh 4.27g - slightly heavier than the SoundPEATS Mini and QCY T17, but some way lighter than the TaoTronics SoundLiberty 94, SoundPEATS T2 and Jabra Elite 75T (similarly-shaped to the Onyx Pure). Regardless, they don't feel lop-sided in terms of weight displacement - fit, longevity and comfort all score highly here.
Audio - 8/10 (for the price paid), 6.5/10 (raw score)
Audio on the Pure is a pleasant surprise given the price. Kick drums on house and pop tracks come through fast and full, and the bass is, whilst a little sloppy, present and full-bodied, without sounding especially detailed.
It is a similar story for the trebles, which, like the SoundPEATS Free2 Classic, are boosted, although can sound a little artificial and coarse, which you can see with the peaks at 5kHz and 8kHz. Tronsmart have avoided an overly-sibilant sound, which was synonymous with their early releases, but to create the impression of an open, airy soundstage, have lifted the higher midrange frequencies, and it is this which, in particular, betrays the absence of any real detail or resolution.
Vocals sound forward, and when listening to house tracks like 'Look Right Through' by Storm Queen, you get a pretty dynamic representation that is enjoyable enough to listen to, without ever pretending to sound analytical. 'Killer' by Seal, a heavily layered track on decent headphones, lacks the depth integral to the orchestral arrangement as you would expect - everything is pretty much front and central, with only shakers, tams and bass guitar taking a minor detour slightly to the sides. Even so, it's still a better experience than many higher-priced releases I've tested over the last few years, which not only sound artificial, but lack any real gusto, something that cannot be levelled at the Onyx Pure.
The Pure have three EQ modes, which are introduced by triple tapping the left earbud. Bass Boost notches the treble, but removes some of the dynamism from drums, sounding a little flat, and Pure lifts the mid-range a little but eats away at the subbass completely. My advice - stick to the default configuration.
Call Quality - Indoors - 6.5/10, Outdoors – 6/10
Calls are doable on the Onyx Pure. When you have no background sound, your voice comes through clear enough, although you'll probably find yourself talking a little louder than usual. Interestingly, the Pure performed better in outdoor tests than busy indoor tests, nullifying ambient sound such as wind and lorries to a 'crackle', but unfortunately, this can bleed into your voice too - it seems regardless of the level of background noise, it does essentially the same thing, so if you're making regular calls, you are probably better looking at a stem-based alternative.
Features
Aside the 3 EQ modes, you aren't getting a load of features with the Onyx Pure. Voice Assistant can be hailed with a triple tap of the right button, EQ with the left. Controls also extend to volume with single taps, and cycling through tracks by holding the left and right buttons for backwards and forwards respectively. Controls are very intuitive and accurate, and when you activate them you either get a voice (power on, power off, bass boost, pure, etc.) or a beep (play, pause, volume, etc).
The buds are not supported by the Tronsmart app, and whilst latency is reasonably good on video rendition, on games it lags a little and would have benefited from a gaming mode option.
The buds use the ATS3015S, a new chipset from Actions Semi from the same family as that used in the JBL C260TWS, amongst others, and provides Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. Connectivity is solid enough, and you're defaulting to the AAC codec on both iOS and Android.
Final Comments
The Onyx Pure aren't going to win any Red Dot awards, and I'm pretty sure that was never Tronsmart's intention - instead you're getting an updated Spunky Beat for 2022, with improved sound, good ergonomics and decent battery life.
Whilst the Onyx Pure may not be for everyone, if you're on a strict budget, they are definitely a more credible option than no-name alternatives on Amazon, offering a fun, punchy sound signature that makes a mockery of it's price tag. Tronsmart have brought a dual-driver configuration to the market and made it accessible to pretty much everyone, without compromising on basic essentials such as battery life and water resistance, and whilst some may contend that the feature-trimming has gone a little too far with no quick charge or gaming mode, at the current price (£16) it is hard to argue with the Onyx Pure's raison-d'être.
Price Weighted Score: 76%
Raw Score: 70%
Comparison to QCY T17 and SoundPEATS Free2 Classic:
At the sub $25 mark, you have plenty of options from unknown brands, but you've also got the likes of QCY offering almost their entire portfolio (AliExpress sales permitting!) as well as the SoundPEATS Free2 Classic. We've already mentioned the battery and size comparisons, but there is really little to choose between when it comes to these models.
Sound on the T17 feels more natural and less edgy than the Onyx Pure, with a smoother low frequency emphasis. The T17 have a nice 'elastic' soundstage which can feel spaced out with low complexity tracks, and then a little warmer once you introduce a more extensive orchestral arrangement. The Free2 Classic, like the Onyx Pure, tries to extend the higher frequencies to give the impression of a more open soundstage, tightening the bass a little to add punch, and they sound very good for it.
Calls are 'different' on the Free2 Classic and T17S, letting through more noise (including your surroundings), but sounding a little more natural. Unfortunately, the T17 belong to the family of QCY products with limited app support, and the Free2 Classic, like the Onyx Pure, are not supported by the vendor's native app. The T17 and Free2 Classic use the Jieli family of chipsets, supporting Bluetooth 5.1, whereas the Onyx Pure gives you 5.3 connectivity thanks to the Actions Semi ATS3015 chip.
In reality, there is little to choose between all three models. I found the T17 the comfiest and closest to my preferred sound signature, but all three have their merits - the Free2Classic in particular have aged well, and remain a solid choice in 2023 on a strict budget.
Tronsmart Review Inventory:
Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro
Tronsmart Bang
Tronsmart Studio
Tronsmart Apollo Air
Tronsmart Battle
Tronsmart Onyx Apex
Tronsmart Apollo Q10
Tronsmart Onyx Free
Tronsmart Apollo Bold
About Tronsmart:
Tronsmart are now fully established as a mid to premium range earbud vendor, with their focus almost solely on audio products - mostly speakers and headphones. Founder Eric Cheng, a self-confessed geek, founded the company with his first paycheck (where was he working?!), building a lab to disassemble audio products with the aim to recreate them in his own vision at a cost-efficient price point.
After bringing in ear-chewing trophy-winning footballer Luis Suarez as an ambassador, the company have gone from strength to strength, building a close relationship with Qualcomm, and bringing two of their chips to market first with the Apollo Bold, and then the Apollo Air, which uses the Qualcomm QCC3046.
For speakers, the range is now almost as extensive as their earbuds, ranging from 7, 10 and 15w mini speakers through to the 60w Force Pro and Mega Pro.
Tronsmart remain one of my favourite mid-tier vendors, outrunning their budget competitors by releasing flagship products alongside the run-of-the-mill releases, and demonstrating transparency and commitment to quality and innovation with every release.
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Model: Tronsmart Onyx Pure
Price: MSRP Approx $30
Website: Tronsmart
Review Reference: RC075
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: Tronsmart
- Model: Onyx Pure
- Driver: Dual-Driver Dynamic / Balanced Armature
- Chipset: Actions Semi ATS3015S
- Mic: 2
- ANC: No
- Codecs: AAC, SBC
- App Support: No
- Volume Control: Yes
- Gaming Mode: No
- Earbud Weight: 4.27g
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 38.21g
- Case Dimensions: 61mm (width) x 43mm (height) x 25mm (depth)
- Quick Charge: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 7 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 32 hours
- Charge Capacity: 400mAh
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.3
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: IPX5
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x Quick Guide
1 x Warranty Card
3 x Pair Eartips
YouTube Review:
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the @regancipher review of @Tronsmart Official latest release, the dual-driver ultra-low-budget Onyx Pure. Currently, they retail at just £15.99 on Amazon UK!
As with past Tronsmart releases, the 'Onyx' represents their value portfolio, with the Pure looking like a refreshed-for-2022 Spunky Beat replacement, bringing hybrid drivers, Bluetooth 5.3 and three built-in EQ modes without the need for reaching for the app, which this release does not support.
Tronsmart's previous dual-armature release, the Onyx Prime, was a fun-sounding, punchy monster, and I wasn't expecting much different from Tronsmart with this release - Tronsmart, like Soundcore, usually reserve an uplifting, bassy sound-signature without too much fuss over refining the details for their price-sensitive buds, and, true to form, that's exactly what Tronsmart have delivered here.....
Unboxing - 6.5/10
Don't expect an Onyx Prime-style unboxing here - with the Onyx Pure retailing at around $30, Tronsmart have cut all of the fat out of this release, trimming down the unboxing experience and user guide to what you would come to expect with buds at the QCY, SoundPEATS and KZ-price point.
The exterior stays true to the Tronsmart branding, with the headline features listed on the front, other key features on the back, and a QR code (taking you to the Tronsmart site) and the contents displayed on the sides.
Once inside, you get a black plastic carton, similar to that inside the Apollo Q10, with the charge case, spare tips, charge cable, warranty card and user manual crammed either in it or around it. Significantly smaller than the Onyx Prime, the manual is condensed down to a pocket-size, monochrome folding booklet, with visuals and text in six different languages. It does a pretty decent job of conveying what the controls and LED's mean, without the 'best in class' visual representations offered by previous releases.
The charge cable and tips are standard, budget-bud fare.
The Case - 7/10
The case is, like most budget cases, finished in matte black, and the front sees the Tronsmart logo screen-printed below a single LED. The LED is a little hard-to-see, but flashes on and off whilst the buds are charging in the case, turning itself off when the buds are at 100%. Plug the case in using the USB-C to A charge cable (the port is located on the bottom of the case) and while it is charging you'll notice it glow red, this time turning to white when between 20-70% full, and green once over the 70% mark. It's nice to have a battery indicator at this price point, albeit somewhat limited in it's delivery.
Flip open the case by locating the lip at the front, and you'll be greeted by a similarly-designed cockpit to the SoundPEATS Mini - the buds slot in the top at an angle, and snap in thanks to the magnets. Whilst the case does support hall-switch mode, connecting the moment you open it, it doesn't have a particularly secure hinge. This means it can from time-to-time snap shut just as you're trying to get the buds in. Fortunately, if they go into single mode, you can switch the dormant bud on by popping it in your ear and holding the multi-function touch control for a few seconds. The case is, therefore, easy enough to open with single handed use, but not especially practical to use in this way.
The case also has a clearing button on the bottom (one click clear) which resets pairing history in the event you have any issues reconnecting.
The 'cheap and cheerful' design renders it very lightweight in terms of footprint (approx. 61mm x 44mm x 24mm at it's widest/tallest/deepest) and in the hand (38.21g). This is comfortably one of the lightest I've reviewed for a while, coming in just over 5g heavier than the smaller SoundPEATS Mini case, but some way lighter than your average TWS case. It's suitably portable for popping in your jeans pocket while you're out and about.
Battery Life - 7/10
The case takes around 90-120 minutes to charge fully. Sadly, there's no quick charge feature - a bit of a disappointment - and no wireless charging, but once fully-charged I got a very respectable 6 hours 12 minutes from the first blast, and between 5 hours 45 and 7 hours for the additional charges. Like always, higher volume and calls will erode the battery life quickly - thankfully, the Pure are reasonably loud.
The Onyx Pure's direct competitors - the SoundPEATS Free2 Classic and QCY T17 - score higher on single use battery life at 8 and 7.5 hours respectively, but beats them both on total playtime at 32 hours, compared with 30 and 26 respectively.
Ergonomics and Design - 7/10
The design of the Onyx Pure is generic and pretty simplistic. The shape is more akin to the Spunky Pro than the original Spunky Beat, with the flat surface ideal for touch controls. Indeed, I found the controls very intuitive with very few accidental touches. Underneath the touch surface is a small LED - this only comes on when pairing/connecting.
On the inside is a pressure release chamber, and the buds are pretty comfortable - the neck doesn't protrude too far into your ear canal (much shorter than the above-pictured SoundPEATS Mini and QCY T17) but is wide enough to give you decent enough isolation without feeling like you're being subjected to an ear lobotomy. However, it is quite bulky - not on the level of the SoundPEATS T2, but like the Mini, it's quite chunky (as you would expect with dual armature drivers).
Even so, it's comfortable enough for prolonged use, and doesn't hang precariously from your ear like the T2 did. Whilst I wouldn't recommend them for side sleepers, they're fine for exercise - thankfully, the buds are IPX5 moisture-resistant, making them more than adequate for workouts or getting caught in a thunderstorm.
The battery connectors do make direct contact with your skin, so if you have nickel allergies, be mindful of this.
The buds weigh 4.27g - slightly heavier than the SoundPEATS Mini and QCY T17, but some way lighter than the TaoTronics SoundLiberty 94, SoundPEATS T2 and Jabra Elite 75T (similarly-shaped to the Onyx Pure). Regardless, they don't feel lop-sided in terms of weight displacement - fit, longevity and comfort all score highly here.
Audio - 8/10 (for the price paid), 6.5/10 (raw score)
Audio on the Pure is a pleasant surprise given the price. Kick drums on house and pop tracks come through fast and full, and the bass is, whilst a little sloppy, present and full-bodied, without sounding especially detailed.
It is a similar story for the trebles, which, like the SoundPEATS Free2 Classic, are boosted, although can sound a little artificial and coarse, which you can see with the peaks at 5kHz and 8kHz. Tronsmart have avoided an overly-sibilant sound, which was synonymous with their early releases, but to create the impression of an open, airy soundstage, have lifted the higher midrange frequencies, and it is this which, in particular, betrays the absence of any real detail or resolution.
Vocals sound forward, and when listening to house tracks like 'Look Right Through' by Storm Queen, you get a pretty dynamic representation that is enjoyable enough to listen to, without ever pretending to sound analytical. 'Killer' by Seal, a heavily layered track on decent headphones, lacks the depth integral to the orchestral arrangement as you would expect - everything is pretty much front and central, with only shakers, tams and bass guitar taking a minor detour slightly to the sides. Even so, it's still a better experience than many higher-priced releases I've tested over the last few years, which not only sound artificial, but lack any real gusto, something that cannot be levelled at the Onyx Pure.
The Pure have three EQ modes, which are introduced by triple tapping the left earbud. Bass Boost notches the treble, but removes some of the dynamism from drums, sounding a little flat, and Pure lifts the mid-range a little but eats away at the subbass completely. My advice - stick to the default configuration.
Call Quality - Indoors - 6.5/10, Outdoors – 6/10
Calls are doable on the Onyx Pure. When you have no background sound, your voice comes through clear enough, although you'll probably find yourself talking a little louder than usual. Interestingly, the Pure performed better in outdoor tests than busy indoor tests, nullifying ambient sound such as wind and lorries to a 'crackle', but unfortunately, this can bleed into your voice too - it seems regardless of the level of background noise, it does essentially the same thing, so if you're making regular calls, you are probably better looking at a stem-based alternative.
Features
Aside the 3 EQ modes, you aren't getting a load of features with the Onyx Pure. Voice Assistant can be hailed with a triple tap of the right button, EQ with the left. Controls also extend to volume with single taps, and cycling through tracks by holding the left and right buttons for backwards and forwards respectively. Controls are very intuitive and accurate, and when you activate them you either get a voice (power on, power off, bass boost, pure, etc.) or a beep (play, pause, volume, etc).
The buds are not supported by the Tronsmart app, and whilst latency is reasonably good on video rendition, on games it lags a little and would have benefited from a gaming mode option.
The buds use the ATS3015S, a new chipset from Actions Semi from the same family as that used in the JBL C260TWS, amongst others, and provides Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. Connectivity is solid enough, and you're defaulting to the AAC codec on both iOS and Android.
Final Comments
The Onyx Pure aren't going to win any Red Dot awards, and I'm pretty sure that was never Tronsmart's intention - instead you're getting an updated Spunky Beat for 2022, with improved sound, good ergonomics and decent battery life.
Whilst the Onyx Pure may not be for everyone, if you're on a strict budget, they are definitely a more credible option than no-name alternatives on Amazon, offering a fun, punchy sound signature that makes a mockery of it's price tag. Tronsmart have brought a dual-driver configuration to the market and made it accessible to pretty much everyone, without compromising on basic essentials such as battery life and water resistance, and whilst some may contend that the feature-trimming has gone a little too far with no quick charge or gaming mode, at the current price (£16) it is hard to argue with the Onyx Pure's raison-d'être.
Price Weighted Score: 76%
Raw Score: 70%
Comparison to QCY T17 and SoundPEATS Free2 Classic:
At the sub $25 mark, you have plenty of options from unknown brands, but you've also got the likes of QCY offering almost their entire portfolio (AliExpress sales permitting!) as well as the SoundPEATS Free2 Classic. We've already mentioned the battery and size comparisons, but there is really little to choose between when it comes to these models.
Sound on the T17 feels more natural and less edgy than the Onyx Pure, with a smoother low frequency emphasis. The T17 have a nice 'elastic' soundstage which can feel spaced out with low complexity tracks, and then a little warmer once you introduce a more extensive orchestral arrangement. The Free2 Classic, like the Onyx Pure, tries to extend the higher frequencies to give the impression of a more open soundstage, tightening the bass a little to add punch, and they sound very good for it.
Calls are 'different' on the Free2 Classic and T17S, letting through more noise (including your surroundings), but sounding a little more natural. Unfortunately, the T17 belong to the family of QCY products with limited app support, and the Free2 Classic, like the Onyx Pure, are not supported by the vendor's native app. The T17 and Free2 Classic use the Jieli family of chipsets, supporting Bluetooth 5.1, whereas the Onyx Pure gives you 5.3 connectivity thanks to the Actions Semi ATS3015 chip.
In reality, there is little to choose between all three models. I found the T17 the comfiest and closest to my preferred sound signature, but all three have their merits - the Free2Classic in particular have aged well, and remain a solid choice in 2023 on a strict budget.
Tronsmart Review Inventory:
Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro
Tronsmart Bang
Tronsmart Studio
Tronsmart Apollo Air
Tronsmart Battle
Tronsmart Onyx Apex
Tronsmart Apollo Q10
Tronsmart Onyx Free
Tronsmart Apollo Bold
About Tronsmart:
Tronsmart are now fully established as a mid to premium range earbud vendor, with their focus almost solely on audio products - mostly speakers and headphones. Founder Eric Cheng, a self-confessed geek, founded the company with his first paycheck (where was he working?!), building a lab to disassemble audio products with the aim to recreate them in his own vision at a cost-efficient price point.
After bringing in ear-chewing trophy-winning footballer Luis Suarez as an ambassador, the company have gone from strength to strength, building a close relationship with Qualcomm, and bringing two of their chips to market first with the Apollo Bold, and then the Apollo Air, which uses the Qualcomm QCC3046.
For speakers, the range is now almost as extensive as their earbuds, ranging from 7, 10 and 15w mini speakers through to the 60w Force Pro and Mega Pro.
Tronsmart remain one of my favourite mid-tier vendors, outrunning their budget competitors by releasing flagship products alongside the run-of-the-mill releases, and demonstrating transparency and commitment to quality and innovation with every release.
Sound not very good even with no EQ very bass heavy and not in a good way and some sibilance.
100% Volume not very loud so no overhead.
Battery life seems good and the normal retail price of these is not any less than their other buds so I would not say cheap.
The fit is ok but not the best passive seal and I can knock them out if I bump them and when I pull them out, I do not get that pop sound (same AZLA standard length ear tips as used on most of my other earbuds) so must have shorter nozzles but fit the charging case fine.
No matter what I do no Volume or Track Control in Windows for some reason only Play/pause, randomly appear as 2 devices in the Windows Audio settings Play section (not talking about the Rec section) same as my Opera05 also do (Sonics/H1 etc do not do this).