How I review: (See Previous Reviews)

Model: Honor Magic Earbuds
Price: MSRP £89.99
Vendor Website: Honor
Review Reference: RC033

Manufacturer Specifications:

• Brand: Honor
• Model: Magic
• Driver: 10mm
• Chipset: BES 2300
• Codecs: AAC / SBC
• Earbud Weight: 5.27g
• Case Weight: 49.22g
• Gross Weight: 59.76g
• Earbud Dimensions: 41mm long, 23mm wide with tip
• Case Dimensions: 59.8mm - 80mm x 35mm x 29mm
• Earbud Battery Capacity: 37mAh
• Case Battery Capacity: 410 mAh
• Input: 5V 1A
• Earbuds Charging Time: Earbuds 1.5 hours
• Music Playtime: 3 hours ANC, 3.5 hours ANC off*
• Earbuds and Case Fully Charged Music Playtime: 13 hours
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.0
• Bluetooth Protocols: A2DP 1.3 / AVRCP 1.5 / HFP 1.6

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case (no wireless charging)
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
4 x Pair Silicone Tips
1 x User manual, warranty card, app card, safety information



Real Life Experience

There is a reason the Honor Magic bear more than a passing resemblance to the Huawei Freebuds 3i. When their parent company was left with little choice but to sell the brand to a consortium of resellers and a Shenzhen-state owned company last November as a response to the China/US trade war decimating their profits outside China, nobody was surprised to see seemingly interchangeable products between the two brands hit the streets, and that's exactly what the Magic are.

All we care about here is whether the buds are worthy of consideration and their use-cases - their MSRP is not cheap, so they will have to be something special to warrant the high price tag given the competition.

The Magic confuse things a little in their marketing, talking about the mics and noise cancellation. Whilst their terminology is technically correct, average Joe consumers are already confused about the difference between cVc or MEMS noise reduction and Active Noise Cancellation, let alone PNI, so Honor could have been a bit clearer in their marketing material.

Available in 'Robin Egg Blue' (see the colour of the box to fathom that out) and generic glossy white, I opted for the glossy white, as it was on offer for a respectable £35.99 on Amazon UK.

The buds have been available for some time, released in Q3 2020, so some allowance is made for the hectic pace of development - the Qualcomm shortage has seen the Chinese semiconductor market accelerate at an alarming pace, so relative technicalities such as the lack of BT 5.2 won't be marked down.

The Unboxing - 8/10



There is no denying Honor are a mature international brand, and that resonates from the packaging, with the warranty card, safety information and quick guide all in a huge variety of languages - unlike most items I review, aside from the usual English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Chinese, there are also allowances made for Dutch, Swedish and Finnish, Eastern Europe and the rest of Asia, with Polish, Czech, Slovakian, I think Estonian, Hungarian, Slovenian, Japanese, Korean, Indian, Vietnamese, Korean and Thai all supported. Impressive.

Whilst not pictured, the unboxing revealed 4 sets of the usual mediocre-quality tips and an extra long USB-C charge cable. I only speak a few of those languages but those I do understand are accurately translated, and the instructions are very clear and concise.

There is also a card to connect to the Huawei AI Life App, which doesn't do much, but does allow a firmware update, which mine needed. The curse of earbuds - not cleaning them - is also specifically mentioned on the back, and the metallic surrounds to the head protecting the driver facilitate this quite nicely.

The Case - 7.5/10



The pictures don't quite do the Honor Magic Case justice - it is extremely-well finished with excellent build quality. Whilst it is premium quality, the glossy-white is not my preferred look, and it did start to attract dust and finger marks very quickly, but nevertheless was actually a pleasure to photograph and handle, oozing quality commensurate with the price and brand.

The case sports a nice sturdy hinge, well-thought out lip for single-handed use, and perfectly weighted magnets to snap the buds in. They feature a light inside, as well as on the outside, denoting both level of charge and pairing status, the latter as, rather annoyingly, you have to hold a button on the back for three seconds to pair with devices for the first time. Predictably, there is no multipoint connectivity, but you do not have to re-pair every time, thankfully.

The case is pill-shaped, and is rather large when you put it next to the 1More Comfobuds, but is almost identical in shape, size and features to the Boltune BT-BH024, including the L and R denoting which bud goes where. In technology many things over time get smaller and more powerful, and TWS cases seem to be no exception.



It is also quite hefty at nearly 60g fully loaded, but with a height of just 29mm, it is portable enough, even for trouser pockets. The case is charged with USB-C - there is no wireless charging, no quick-charge (more under battery)

The Ergonomics - 7/10



The Magic buds are similar-shaped to the Dudios T8 - a little bulbous at the top, with straight stems, although they measure a couple of mm longer and a weigh a couple of grams more per bud. As with the Dudios, this feels a little awkward sitting in your ears, and TWS vendors have gravitated to a more curved-style over the last 12 months. At 5.27g, they are not especially light, but the weight is not felt due to the larger size spreading the load.



The stems are pretty long by 2021 TWS standards - one of the longest I've measured recently, a sign of their age, as TWS vendors are starting to find the sweet spot of 36-40mm the ideal balance. Lacking the curvature of the PurPods, whilst they leave oncoming nutters or charity pushers under no illusion you are deep into your podcast, they look kinda weird, or as my kids would say, 'unaesthetic', protruding diagonally away from your ears a little awkwardly.



The length naturally has the advantage of bringing the voice mic closer to your mouth, but the lack of curvature, which makes the ZMI PurPods so nice to wear, does the Magic no favours. They can look awkward in your ears, and when you try to adjust them, if you have a beard like me, you can sound a little scratchy on calls. At other times they can point outwards, like you have long white droopy ears.

The touch controls, whilst not especially useful nor broad in their variety, are easy to initiate due to the flat sided 'touch area' of the neck, denoted with a removable sticker.



Above shows the 2nd of 3 microphones - the Magic buds have two sets of ambient mics, one on the inside.



Below shows a large circle in between the battery connectors - that's not the third mic (that's pictured above), it's a physical sensor for detecting removal of the buds and auto-pausing playback- usually this is obscured within the design, but Honor have interestingly left it exposed.



The outer driver housing tapers into a metallic, oval shaped head, so there is one way these buds are going to fit in your ears without discomfort, especially if you have slim ear canals. If they do feel uncomfortable, give them a slight tilt.

Even taking that into account, they aren't especially comfortable for prolonged use. My preferred buds of this type - the ZMI PurPods, have a filter which relieves some of the pressure caused by silicone tips, but the emphasis with the Magic buds is noise cancelling, so they are designed to seal tightly and let as little noise in as possible. Unfortunately the trade-off is they are noticeable and after a while can become fatiguing depending on your preference (I prefer semi-in ear for this very reason)

There is no specific water resistance rating anywhere in the manual, but this is the norm with Huawei and Honor. Even so, no taking them in the shower!

Noise Cancellation - 7/10

ANC is the headline feature, and whilst it does a fair job across the board, unfortunately I found it to be a little weak by today's standards.

In my experience, stem-based buds struggle to isolate noise fully, and if I compared it to anything that others may be aware of it would be the Edifier TWS NB2 or Earfun Air Free. Unlike some buds where you wonder if you have a faulty set or not (Mpow X3, Aukey EP-N5) it is clearly doing something - it blots out distant noise and even close up noises such as PC fans, but conversations are not muted at all.

I tested against the Jabra Elite 75t and Soundpeats T2. The Soundpeats outperformed both at short range, cutting out Alexa being played loudly in the adjacent room to a whisper. The Honor Magic stifled the sound slightly, but it was still very noticeable. The Jabra were the worst of the three, muffling everything but simply 'muffling it' rather than cancelling it.

Outdoors they perform equally adequately, similar to the FIIL T1 Pro and Edifier TWS NB2. There will always be a trade-off for this form factor, and Honor balance great call quality and average ANC pretty well.

I noted that ANC remained on, even whilst calls were initiated. This is not always the case.

Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 8/10

Calls are the best feature of the Magic buds. The only blot on the copybook is you can occasionally go a little quiet, and your beard can sometimes cause a minor crackle, but traffic is handled extraordinarily well - only the Galaxy Buds Live and Taotronics Soundliberty 79 seemed to be that good at semi-intelligent sound compression.

The Magic are aided by a 6-mic array, 4 of which are used to filter unwanted sound. At the time of release it was great, and it still performs very well now. There is no noticeable diminish in quality over videoconferencing either - Zoom calls were pretty clear when I played back the recordings. There is, at times, some noticeable compression - possibly down to moving around in my seat and the creaks that come with it (which were inaudible, but I know they happen!), so the naturalness can erode a tad, but call quality in general is a standout feature.

Outdoors again it is a similar story. Typically your voice sounds quite natural and nearby traffic sounds well compressed, by tws standards. Again, when the scene gets complex you can sound distant, but overall Honor have done well with this implementation.

Audio - 6/10 (for the price paid), 6.5/10 (raw score)

We've been spoilt recently with some excellent sounding buds - the most recent Lypertek release, the KZ SA08 and Soundpeats Sonic all surprised at lower prices than the Honor, and whilst most of us know there's only so much you can eek out of Bluetooth and streaming services, the Honor still performed below expectation with FLACs on Windows 10.

The Magic boast 'boosted bass' but unfortunately, their curves are in all the wrong places. The lower-mid-bass can sound extremely congested at times, thanks to a spike around 50-80Hz which then tails off a little around the bass-guitar/soprano frequency range. It can result in slow, bloated sound reproductions that lack detail on complex tracks. There is a bit of sibilance from female vocals and high hats too. At high volumes some distortion can even be detected - unacceptable at >£50.

The Magic buds unfortunately don't really do much when you tweak them through Wavelet - the absence of punch and dynamisms in the lows is by design, although the highs can be tempered a little, making them more palatable. Given the rapid rise in quality from Bluetooth earbuds during 2020/21, even the marginal improvement you can attain with EQ will leave buyers used to the surprisingly good performance you can get from even budget buds these days wondering why they stumped up the extra cash.

Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 6/10

Connectivity is good- they only support Bluetooth 5.0, but given the mass adoption of BT 5.2 is still a few years away this is hardly a fault, especially as no Bluetooth 5.2 chips were in production at the time of release.



They have an app - the Huawei AI Life App, although don't expect much - you can update firmware, toggle controls and that's about it. Firmware update was fast - much quicker than the 1More Comfobuds, which took an eternity by comparison, for example, completing fully in around 2 minutes.



Controls are nice and easy through the touch control finger pads. There is a small sticker denoting the touch area that can be removed. You can answer or reject calls and play/pause with double tap, and holding changes the ANC mode. Both can be adjusted through the app, but sadly that doesn't include volume control.

The auto-pause sensor is accurate, and is the same as that used by Huawei in their Freebuds - the Taiwanese Jie Teng JSA-1218. Sadly it can't be toggled through the app, so if autopause isn't your thing - stay away from the Magic. I also couldn't seem to get them to reliably re-start playing again, so when you adjust the controls, my advice is leave play/pause alone.

Latency is very good like most Bestechnic-based sets, with virtually lipsynched audio and video on YouTube on the Poco X3, using AAC. For those in the Huawei ecosystem, there is an auto-pairing widget function - unfortunately I couldn't sample this, as I don't own a Huawei phone.

Battery Life - 5/10

Battery life wasn't great when they were released, with only 3.5 hours without ANC and 3 hours with it activated. My experience was that without ANC they would last around 3 hours, and with ANC on and heavy activity as low as 1.5 hours. Whilst the case does offer a further 4 charges, with no quick charge and no wireless charging this is a little inconvenient by today's standards, where we have buds like the Soundpeats T2 and ZMI Purpods giving you 10 hours worth.

They advertise 90 minutes for a full charge, but this seems to be for both the buds and the case - which, whilst not quick, is still very respectable, so if you're only using occasionally through the day, you won't be as inconvenienced as those who rely on their buds for long, boring webinars.

Final Comments

The Honor Magic (or Huawei Freebuds 3i) were a decent release at the time, but putting to one side the impressive build quality and polished finish, they lack some key features that are commonplace today, such as battery life above 4 hours, wireless charging, and EQ through the app.

The app is very basic and geared up towards Huawei users across the entire ecosystem. That doesn't include me, so perhaps I didn't get the benefit of the full experience, although it doesn't look like you get much more than hall-switch feature, which most buds have today anyway.

Sound is certainly nothing special, but the mic quality is very good, so if you can handle the short battery life, the Magic are passable at the sale price Amazon are currently offering. That said, anyone paying £90 for now rather outdated tech is barmy when the 1More Comfobuds Pro, FIIL CC Pro, Edifier NB2 Pro and ZMI PurPods Pro can be purchased for less money, with a far better performance.

Price Weighted Score: 69%
Raw Score: 73%

ig: @regancipher

RC032

How I review: (See Previous Reviews)

Model: SoundPEATS T2
Price: MSRP $60
Vendor Website: SoundPEATS
Review Reference: RC032

Manufacturer Specification:

• Model: SoundPEATS T2
• Driver: 12mm
• Chipset: Airoha AB1562A
• Codecs: AAC / SBC
• Mics: 4, ENC
• ANC: Yes, up to 30dB
• Earbud Weight: 5.42g
• Case Weight: 40.31g
• Gross Weight: 45.73g
• Earbud Dimensions: 27mm wide, neck approx. 6mm
• Case Dimensions: 59.8mm - 64mm x 52.5mm x 36.7mm
• Case Battery Capacity: 370 mAh
• Input: 5V 1A
• Earbuds Charging Time: Earbuds 2 hours, Case 2 hours
• Music Playtime: 10 Hours*
• Earbuds and Case Fully Charged Music Playtime: 25-30 Hours*
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.1 advertised, 5.2 capable
• Bluetooth Protocols: BLE/ HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
• IPX6 Water Resistance

Includes:

1 x Pair wireless headphones
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case (no wireless charging)
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
3 x Pair Silicone Tips
1 x User manual, warranty card



Real Life Experience

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.

The T2 are Soundpeats' first foray into active noise cancellation, so it was always going to be an interesting analysis as the budget vendors increasingly tiptoe into higher end feature-sets.

The Unboxing - 7/10



There is something refreshingly consistent about SoundPEATS unboxings. Icons display features in familiar places, QR codes inside the box and on an enclosed slip take you to their Official Website and Social Media pages, and everything inside is nicely enclosed to minimise potential damage in transit and compacted to reduce carbon footprint.



Enclosed is a USB type C charge cable, small and large silicone tips, extended warranty card and the charge case. The tips are fairly wide bore due to the larger drivers, but otherwise nothing unusual. As per previous reviews, this is a step up from the Dudios days and better than you will see from Enacfire, Mpow and some of the other budget brands, but not quite up there with some of the elder statesmen like Tronsmart with their war-and-peace Apollo Bold and FIIL with their moulded inserts.

The manual comes with instructions in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Chinese and gives a very clear indication on how to use the buds, including the control scheme, which is very nicely detailed with easy-to-understand graphics as well as a text box.

The Case - 7/10



The case lacks the lustre of the Sonic, vetoing the unique rose gold and grey finish in favour of a more conventional matte black, with the SoundPEATS logo etched into the top. This gives it a generic look that could easily be mistaken for any other brand.



The front has a lip for easy control of the lid, and three charge lights at the front. Whereas the TrueEngine3se had the lights inside, recent Soundpeats releases have recognised that displaying on the case is far more useful, even upgrading the TrueAir2 to support this with their second iteration (so I am told)

When the first light only displays, the case has 20% charge or less. If the first two are lit up, then you have 20-70% charge, and if the latter two are lit up, then it's 70-99%. If all three are lit up then you're at 100% and can remove the case from the charger. Whilst the case has overcharge protection, it's still useful to know when you have a full tank.

When the first and third LED lights are lit up as shown in the image above, this means that both the left and right earbuds are charging. This is an INCREDIBLY understated feature - the number of Reddit comments I see complaining about a single bud not being charged up, and it is often down to the charge connectors being obscured by dirt or other materials - are addressed with this one single feature. Fantastic.



Not pictured above, but included in my Instagram video review, is how easy the case is to operate single handedly. The lip has sufficient groove depth to flip it open with your thumb, and the hinge is excellent. It features a clutch-style system, whereby if you want the case to stay open, you have to open beyond the 'bite'. Before the bite, the magnets will kick in and close it.

Now there is only one problem with this. When you take the buds out, the case will not stay upright with the lid open. Whilst it does encourage you to keep the case closed to preserve battery, and keeps the case light, it can be a little annoying.

Similar to Edifier, TaoTronics and Boltune, they signify which side each bud should be inserted, designated by the LR in the centre. Not only is this helpful if you don't know your left from your right, in all seriousness it is a useful feature, as I find button-shaped earbuds don't insert intuitively into the case - FIIL point them horizontally, Samsung and Kinera vertically, and nowadays there is no de facto - and when you're on the move, the last thing you want to do is fiddle around with getting buds in a case. The T2 can be a little fiddly, so the LR is actually rather helpful.

However, what it lacks in the looks department, it makes up for in portability. Due to the angled, horizontally protruding sides, it measures 64mm at its widest and 59.8mm at its slimmest point, but with a height of just 36.7mm and depth of 23.8mm, it sits in the pocket really nicely. It doesn't compromise on charge either, offering between 25-30 hours (2-3 additional charges) which will easily see you through the day and is very good by ANC standards (this is dependent on volume and other such variables, like with all earbuds)



Weighing in at 46g - it is about average for TWS these days - similar to the ZMI PurPods, but lighter than the Taotronics SoundLiberty 94 and Alien Secret QCC010, it is almost unnoticeable in your pocket, helped by the upside-down pear-shape curves.



A cursory comparison against similar sized cases shows how portable the T2 are - not quite in the T1 Pro realms, but nevertheless still perfectly adequate. The thing you notice about the above cases is they are all slimline and this makes them ideal for slipping in your pocket.

There is also no wireless charging, and you need to give it 1a juice for 2 hours to get the full 30 hours - there is no quick charge - but the USB-C connector is on the back side, not the rear, which means you can charge it upright and see how much charge it has whilst it is charging. One more point of note is the case occasionally makes a high-pitched shrill when I close it. Not sure what that is but I will keep an eye on it!

With all cases there are compromises, and overall SoundPEATS does a good job here of balancing essential and even nice-to-have features with compromises.

The Ergonomics - 6.5/10

This is the only area where the T2 fall flat for me - almost quite literally. They are simply too chunky for my shallow concha, protruding from front profile more than any other earbuds I've tested.



They have a short neck, which does mean that when you move around a lot, they don't wiggle loose (see my review on the SoundPEATS Sonic for why that can be a problem), but this does require a bit of adjustment to keep them this way. It's still not short enough to rest right against your concha, so this could be a problem for some. This means that depending on your ear shape, they could be perfect (like they are for Sean Says) or they could be just a little too protruding.

Similar to the Edifier X3 and Soundpeats Sonic, they are like 'lego bricks' in your ear, which means they are pretty much unsuitable for specific applications - lying on the sofa, side sleepers and wearing underneath a motorcycle helmet. Whilst this form factor is sadly not ideal for me, it is not massively different to the Sennheiser MTW, JBL T115 and other premium brands, as well as the already mentioned Edifier and others out there, but it doesn't really work for me.



That said, the design is tailored to optimise hybrid noise cancellation - and it can't be faulted there. SoundPEATS are putting a lot of tech into these buds - and it shows, with a weight of 5.58g - between 0.5 and a whole 1g heavier per bud than any other of this type that I tested. This perhaps adds to the lopsided nature of the design.



Despite a small bevel, the battery connectors will make contact with your skin, making them unsuitable for those with allergies.

This was a really tough one to score, because they are actually rather comfortable, and facilitate the 'better than your average' ANC/hybrid noise cancellation.



To SoundPEATS credit, as stated earlier, they have tried to resolve packing so much tech into one earbud by using a shorter neck. In comparison to the Alien Secret, which can feel extremely intrusive in your ear canal, they only extend a further 7.5mm, versus 11mm on the TaoTronics and 11.3mm on the Alien Secret, and they lack the contoured finish which makes the TaoTronics so comfortable, and the Kinera YH623 - a dream to wear, but the bulbous outward design does the mic no favours either, with the mems mic more exposed to the elements, and the voice mic being further away from your mouth. Whilst this is ideal for outdoor calls, it can impact indoor calls where it becomes a little too sensitive.



The light to indicate they are connecting or connected is located on the bottom of the bud, and this goes off after a short period. It is far less intrusive than the Sonic and barely noticeable. The Achilles heel - the form factor - is perfect for using the controls, with a large flat panel making touch controls easy and intuitive (i.e. your finger doesn't end up stabbing the wrong part of your ear) and not at all laggy, and they get an extra mark for being ANC-capable and IPX6 water resistant, which is impressive - most ANC buds lack any kind of water resistance so this is a big benefit that again should not be overlooked.

Noise Cancellation - 7.5/10 (For the money)

Given it is the T2's headline feature, I was expecting it to be good, but not quite as good as it is. The T2 are one of the best I have tested at nullifying low rumbles - and even perform pretty well with higher frequencies too. As I type now it is very difficult to hear my keyboard taps and traffic is kept to a muted occasional swoosh. The problem is, they come loose from your ears so easily, you're only likely to get that performance for a few minutes before they loose efficacy.

On my Instagram review there is a video of me testing out the ANC outdoors at around 60-95 dbA, and it works astonishingly well for the money. I also used them purely to cancel out noise whilst doing an online test yesterday (review edited 06.04) and they worked a treat for that too. However as soon as I picked up pace outdoors, the effect was gone. It's the same problem as the SoundPEATS Sonic - they're too heavy for the average ear.

They have three ANC modes - off (by default), 'ambient passthrough' and 'on'. Passthrough mode is decent enough, without adding the echoey sound you get on many earbuds, but it could be clearer. Another point of note is that ANC is off by default, so you have to cycle through once to ensure it is on.

Kudos to SoundPEATS as the T2 were released at a time when ANC wasn't universally seen on TWS let alone performing. Whilst the Tronsmart Apollo Bold, Edifier TWS NB2, FIIL T1 Pro and TaoTronics SoundLiberty 94 all offered it in this form factor, the T2 perform pretty well at a fraction of the price of the first two and with better availability than the third, so if your primary goal is a budget ANC bud and you don't mind the ergonomics, the T2 are a solid choice.

Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors - 7.5/10

Wow - lots of compression! These MEMS mics are getting better.

Outdoors, the T2 do a very adequate job of blotting out background noise, and do elevate your voice slightly. For the form factor, the call quality is good, but not comparable to high performing stem-based buds, such as the Apple Airpods Pro, and whilst it cancels out ambient noise better than almost any others that I've tested, it struggles to pick up your own voice in complex scenes, which I attribute to the bulky design (as mentioned in the ergonomics section). That said, we are talking semantics here - the quality has come on leaps and bounds in the last 12 months.

Indoors the compression can be a bit too heavy at times. You can sound a little 'lispy' with the mic struggling to work out what to cancel out if you get anything going on around you, but most of the time you're perfectly coherent, albeit lacking the clarity and naturalness that you get with stem based buds. Compared with the FIIL CC2 or 1More Pistonbuds, for example, you sound a touch robotic when background noise is introduced, but the ambient noise around you almost disappears, albeit after a short delay.

Audio - 7.5/10 (for the price paid), 6.5/10 (raw score)

The TrueAir2 are my gold standard sound signature, and the Sonics were great, but a touch fatiguing on the low end. The T2 are a bit too far the other way - much more laid back, with the highs rolled off earlier and the bass definitely reigned in at the lowest frequencies. For most users, the signature will be inoffensive and adequate, avoiding the shrill that many budget buds have been typecast with from the early days of extreme v shapes, but with quite a narrow soundstage the detail and clarity you get on higher end TWS are unsurprisingly devoid, feeling somewhat congested on complex arrangements.

I tested with a few tracks from the 70's and 80's - 'You can't always get what you want' by Rolling Stones, for example, and also a few opera tracks, and they sounded certainly warmer than I'm used to, and whilst they lack the punch of the similarly warm TrueAir2, simplistic EDM tracks like 'Summer' by Calvin Harris are an enjoyable to listen to on the T2 due to their non-fatiguing nature.

Where they struggle a little is vocal tracks with complex mid-bass - where you have a baritone voice and bass guitars, for example, it can get a bit crowded - RnB or rock tracks are particularly susceptible, and at high volumes distortion starts to kick in. If you're using android, then you can remediate this a touch with Wavelet, but not a lot. This is something I have found to be quite predictable with ANC buds - the sound quality is never quite as strong as non-ANC. It could be a placebo effect, who knows. Female vocals can also sound a bit flat.

With some tip rolling, the soundstage can feel more spaced out in certain scenarios due to auditory masking, so I recommend going through your tips to get the right sound.

Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 7/10

Connectivity is perfectly adequate, as you would expect with the buds using the Airoha Bluetooth 5.2 enabled chip. I couldn't get it to disconnect until I made it to my bedroom - around 10m away, but with multiple walls, wireless devices, open Bluetooth cases etc.

Controls are very good - very intuitive and easy to initiate. Whilst I was critical of the form factor, it does facilitate very easy control usage, and you get to control everything. Holding down the left bud toggles between ANC off/Passthrough/ON or rejects a call if it is coming in, and the right bud progresses to the next track. Thankfully, volume is controlled by single tap of the left (for reduced) and right (for increased). Double tap plays/pauses and answers calls.

Like the Sonic, you can switch between two active calls by holding down either button, although I did not test this, and hail voice assistant with a triple tap.

There is no auto-pause, no button customisation, no app, no alternative latency modes. There is a little more latency than the Sonic, which is more noticeable when gaming. Single mode is initiated simply by leaving one bud in the case.

The T2 are definitely not feature-rich, but what they can do, they do well.

Battery Life - 8.5/10

10 hours from the buds themselves, a further two charges from the case. Not quite up there with the Sonic, but not far off, and very good for ANC-enabled earbuds - giving at least 5 hours advantage over the SoundLiberty 94, for example.

Having tested extensively this weekend, they have performed as expected, only falling slightly short of the advertised total.

Final Comments

SoundPEATS are the vendor for all-seasons. Rather than having one set of earbuds that does everything, they have a set in their range for each scenario, all with their own individual benefits and all at a very affordable price point.

ANC is strong for the money, and at the price point they are a solid addition to your earbud collection, with good sound, calls, controls, battery life, and all the basics accounted for.

For me personally, the T2 are just too bulky for sport or chilling out, but that is totally subjective - for Sean Says they clearly don't stick out anywhere near as much. If you have a small ear or shallow concha, bear this in mind. Regardless, they are comfy and not as heavy in the ear as their weight suggests.

The inevitable question will be are they as good as the FIIL T1 Pro, Taotronics SoundLiberty 94 and Tronsmart Apollo Bold. Firstly, the ANC is better than the first two, and at least on part with the Tronsmart. The form factor on the FIIL is more suited to sports, and the Soundliberty 94 are more comfortable, but with a poorer microphone quality.

As you can probably tell, there is always a trade off. These are the cheapest of the four, and lack app support, low latency modes and wireless charging, but they deliver reasonable quality sound, great ANC and good controls, so the choice really is not which is the best, but which is best for you. Hopefully this review goes some way to detailing the strengths and weaknesses of each, and be better informed to make your own mind up and make the choice that suits your needs.

Price Weighted Score: 81%
Raw Score: 75%
2022 Score: 71%

SoundPEATS Review Inventory:

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.

RC031

How I review: (See Previous Reviews)

Model: ZMI Purpods TW101ZM
Price: MSRP $44.99
Vendor Website: ZMI
Review Reference: RC031

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: ZMI
• Model: Purpods TW101ZM
• Driver: 9mm
• Chipset: Airoha Luoda AB1562M
• Codec: AAC / SBC
• Speaker Impedance: 32 Ω
• Earbud Weight: 5.5g
• Case Weight: 40.2g
• Gross Weight: 45.7g
• Earbud Dimensions: 34.5mm stem from neck, 37mm total
• Case Dimensions: 60mm x 52mm x 23mm
• Earbud Battery Capacity: 48 mAh
• Case Battery Capacity: 490 mAh
• Input: 5V 0.5A
• Earbuds Charging Time: 50% charge in 30 minutes, 5 minutes gives 1 hour
• Music Playtime: 10 Hours*
• Earbuds and Case Fully Charged Music Playtime: 32 Hours*
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
• Bluetooth Protocols: BLE/ HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
• IPX4 Water Resistance

Includes:

1 x Pair wireless headphones
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case (no wireless charging)
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
3 x Pair Silicone Tips
1 x User manual, warranty card



Real Life Experience

Last time around I reviewed the Enacfire offering. Everyone has heard of Enacfire because they are the first name that pops up on Amazon. But ZMI...who?!

ZMI contacted me and asked if I would be willing to review a sample of their new release, the TW101ZM. Despite not paying for these buds, ZMI agreed to my terms and conditions: I give an honest review, warts and all, and if I don't like them I will send them back and post the review anyway To be honest this puts a lot of vendors off, but ZMI were pretty insistent, so they must have been confident I'd like them.

Of course, ZMI did ring a bell. They don't roll off the tongue due to being relative newcomers - Jiangsu Zimi Electronic Technology Co. Ltd joined the Xiaomi ecological chain back in 2013 and are one of the many investments the global giant has brought into their ecosystem as they target world domination.

Unsurprisingly, Xiaomi phone owners get some nice extra features with the PurPods, and the model reviewed here is their second high profile TWS release. Announced at the end of January, the TW101ZM followed up the TW100ZM - released in October 2020, and one of the first on the market supporting Bluetooth 5.2, 35dB ANC and 10 hours battery life. This is the little sister - aesthetically it is almost identical, but there is sadly no ANC and no QI. Still, I was looking forward to reviewing, albeit with a little trepidation, since...well...I had never heard of them! On my video review on instagram I couldn't even find them to tag them!

The earbud market is going through a period of transition right now with supply chain issues bringing new players to the market. Many of the newer releases have featured chips from BES and Pixart, and in response Airoha have picked up production, and it appears from the superb battery life and stable 5.2 connection that it is the newer Airoha chip range that has been used here, as was the case with the PurPods Pro.

ZMI may not be well known in the West, but the proliferation of case options for these buds on Aliexpress and the maturity of the app suggest this is a carefully planned side step from Xiaomi - nobody makes debut releases this good.

The Unboxing - 7.5/10



There is something very FIIL-esque about the unboxing, with the hardened cardboard enclosure portraying features with mini logos on the sides. The back features much of the device specifics, and they disclose more than many vendors, although most of it is in Chinese.
In the bottom right-hand corner is a QR code which takes you to their 'ZMI hear' app - more on that later.

The FIIL-esque icons denoting features give that 'Xiaomi' impression straight away - this is clearly in a different league to the Enacfire/Tao/Mpow boxes, and the headlines are pretty clear:

• Adaptive Volume Adjustment
• Fast Charging Support
• 10 hours charge off a single charge
• Dual-Coaxial Frequency-Divided Dynamic Coils
• Dual Mic Noise Reduction
• True Wireless Stereo
• Bluetooth 5.2

There is a mini-guide (all in Chinese), user guide (Chinese and English only), app guidance card (English) and a selection of larger/smaller tips. They come factory fitted with the Medium. There is also a USB Type-C charger cable.

The tips are good quality with a wide bore and comfortable fit.

The Case - 8/10



Initially, your first thought is 'Nothing too snazzy going on here', but the case is obviously well thought-out in terms of proportionality and usability, and oozes higher quality than most generic mate cases at this price point. Several months later it is still absolutely pristine, despite many reviews suggesting it could be a scratch magnet.

It is almost identical to the case of the PurPods Pro, but is missing the metal surround on the magnetic and sturdy hinge, and the surround in the USB-C charge socket sits less flush against the case.



This almost certainly contributes to it being around 5g lighter than the Pro fully-loaded, because with the earbuds, we get a combined weight of 51.23g, compared with the PurPods Pro coming in at 57.6g, and the buds being around 1g heavier in aggregation.

At 51.23g, this is one of the heavier cases I reviewed in the early part of 2021 - over 10g heavier than the BOYA BY-AP4, and 15g heavier than the Soundpeats TrueAir 2 - but it certainly doesn't feel like it, with the weight distributed across a flat surface area and beautifully rounded edges. Not only this, earbuds of this type seemed to level off at the 50g mark as 2021 went on.

The ZMI logo button is held down for a few seconds to initiate pairing, and the light above flashes white until it pairs, when it turns green.



Opening the case initiates 'Hall-Switch' mode, which means fast connectivity as soon as you open the case. And they aren't kidding - it is lightning speed, the chime of connectivity (which was annoyingly loud on the pro but is quieter on these) sounds almost immediately, signifying connection.

When you open the case, the light above it turns green. When you charge them, the light changes colour depending on how much charge is left, using the red/amber/green scheme we see on the 1More Comfobuds and Galaxy Buds Live. This is an understated feature that provides immediate visual representation of the remaining battery. Very helpful.

The colour remains while charging, which is a nice touch.

ZMI have taken the 'envelope' approach to the case design, measuring in 60mm wide. The pictures really don't do the case justice - the white glossy finish is much nicer than your typical bright white cases, although it makes it difficult to photograph well.

The height is 51-52mm. Whilst these measurements seem large (they are, relatively) the bevelled edges make it seem much smaller than it is.

Aside from the bevel, the depth is an impressive 23mm. This completely changes the dynamics of the case and makes them incredibly pocket friendly, much more so than the pill shape or cigarette box style used by the likes of QCY T10 and Taotronics 92 respectively, despite being smaller.

These dimensions make it similar in portability to the TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 and 95, although it is far nicer in appearance than both of those models. The 95 was just plain ugly, and the 80 has degraded quickly over time.

Putting the buds back in the case is often a problem when placed vertically (see my FIIL CC2 review), but it is no issue with the PurPods. The hinge is well-designed and magnetic, and overall the build quality of the case is very good.

There is no lip for single-handed use, but this doesn't bother me. It's easy enough to flip open anyway.

The case is charged by USB Type-C, and gives an additional 2 and a bit charges - this may seem low, but when you consider they deliver 10 hours playtime from a single charge, it puts it into perspective a bit!

They also offer two quick charge modes - 50% full charge after 15 minutes, and 5 minutes gives an hour, making them superb commuter buds. I've had them a few months now and still only charged the case for the sake of testing the lights out - they still haven't run out of juice even once!

They lose a point for no wireless charging - hey, there's always room for improvement! (The pro does have this feature).

The USB-C charge point is at the base, a bug bear for me as I like to stand the case up while it is charging, but I understand why and it's a trade off that doesn't bother me too much.

They use the KRCONN Jingrui Industrial Co input to facilitate charging, and the board features an input surge protection chip and Yutai ETA7014 voltage protection chip. Not unusual components, and seen before in RealMe and Urbanista cases previously, and they protect the case against battery drop over time.

The Ergonomics - 8/10, Build Quality - 7.5/10



Weighing in at 5.52g per bud, the PurPods are certainly not the lightest buds out there.



Nor are they the shortest - measuring between 34 at their shortest and 37m at their longest - similar to the Soundpeats TrueAir2 - but certainly not the longest either.

The design is rather unique - well, other than the 'fruity you know what' - and combine the rounded head of the QCY T10 with the stem length of the 1More Comfobuds to good effect.

Like the FIIL CC2, they position the charging connectors at the base, making them a good choice for those with nickel allergies as they will not come into direct contact with the skin. The element is silvery in colour, so you don't have ugly brass coloured circles showing

There is also a 'call mic' in between the charge connectors, and the curved stem tries to bring the mic closer to the mouth by tracking with your jawline, and it's very effective.

Now I can't stress enough how well the shape benefits the buds. Compared to the Honor Magic, for example, which are like walking sticks protruding outwards, they curve back in towards your mouth. This makes them look, wear and perform better. As you can see below, the curvature and mid length make them unique in their look.




As you can see, the buds feature two holes at the top. One is to relieve pressure - these buds have excellent passive noise isolation, but as we know silicone buds can be intrusive. That hole serves to relieve that feeling, and does a good job - it's now a regular feature on earbuds, but ZMI were one of the first to showcase it.

For prolonged use they are actually extraordinarily comfortable. I had switched off silicone based buds until I used these because I hated that feeling of stepping out of a submarine when you take the buds out, but the vents do their job very well.

There is also an ambient sound mic just below it, used for background noise reduction. Both mics are silicone MEMS mics, and are held in with rubber, rather than the mesh and glue you see on many. No corners cut.

Unfortunately, these features, like many earbuds, restricts the water resistance to IPX4, but it does retain the weight displacement well - any heavier and they may not have been as comfortable. Plus, who goes swimming with stem buds?!

Two big differences from the previous model - there is no gradient to show where the touch controls are (this doesn't pose a problem - the stems pick up your touches ok). I find the right bud to be more sensitive.

The other is the finish of the driver surround.



This time it's pure white, with a mesh net, but again it is oval, so be careful how you position those tips. On the subject of the tips, I didn't feel the need to switch them for spinfits or dekoni on this occasion- the supplied tips were more than adequate, but I've since switched to Azla and they stick in your ear a bit better.



Overall, they sit in the ears pretty well, and look very well finished for the price point. You can adjust them on the top without initiating the controls, a bug bear on models by Boltune and Soundpeats.

Passive noise isolation and comfort combine to demonstrate an extremely well-thought-out design that are more than suitable for all-day use.

Audio Quality - 8.5/10 (for the price paid), 8/10 (raw score)

Sound is subjective - it's hard to review something on the basis of whether I like it or not, so I am always in two minds over whether to score this section without objective testing. Unfortunately my acoustic mic setup is out of service at the moment as I've been taking proctored exams and had to clear my workspace, so I can only offer subjective views here.

Out of the box they are refreshingly balanced. The bass is toned down, although there is a touch of sibilance in female vocals on some tracks - nothing too painful, but evident. Luckily the app has lots of presets, they EQ really nicely in Wavelet, and respond well to adjustments.

I tested them out with the usual suspects - Saint Etienne, Aha, Calvin Harris, Pavarotti...etc. Detail is pretty good until you get very mid-centric sounds, where the vocal can sometimes take a break seat.

Sound separation is neat and tidy with airier sounding tracks. The piano and John Legend's vocal range in 'All of Me' are both detailed and rich.' Kissed By A Rose' by Seal really bounces around your head quite impressively, with pianos coming in from the far left whilst the vocals whisper at the front and the percussion shakes away in the distance. 'Bleeding Love' by Leona Lewis for example just distorts like mad with the likes of the QCY T10 (their only bad release of the year) and in all honesty a lot of the junk that has landed in my letterbox this year, on the PurPods it's crystal clear.

You don't realise quite how good the sound is til you compare with some of the poorer releases of the last few months - for 9mm drivers, whilst they don't always give you the full 'oomph' intended, I don't think anyone could call the Purpods unpleasant.

'Shout' by Tears For Fears and 'Stars' by Simply Red show the best in the buds, but also the areas for improvement - the instrument separation in the latter in particular is so good you can hear tambourines. On YouTube Music. I ain't even kidding! Mick's vocals can sometimes slip a little when it gets really congested, and this was the case with some other similarly-constructed 80's rock tracks where the lower mid range is the critical area of focus, but then again, it is a streaming service (and a pretty rubbish one too, but I have premium so hey-ho!)

You could also add that the EQ does seem necessary for certain music styles. Opera benefits from balanced. RnB and rock from Vocal or Bass. Even though they are fine-tunes, barely noticeable on initiation, they do make a difference.

Call Quality - 8/10 Indoors, 7.5/10 outdoors

ZMI advertise their mics as a key selling feature, and whilst they aren't the best feature of the buds, they aren't bad at all.

Indoors, your voice is extremely natural and clear. In fact, it's very well delivered in very stable environments, but it can dip out if you get a brief spurt of loud ambient noise. They have become my go to for office work where their comfort and mic strike the perfect balance.

Outdoors, there is a very evident attempt at compression, and they do a good job of compressing traffic and other typical outdoor everyday sounds. The problem is you can sound a tad over-compressed yourself, but again, I've heard far worse at this price point. The 1More Comfobuds - which I like a lot, compress your voice more and let ambient sound through more. It will come down to personal preference which style you prefer.

The PurPods feature on both of my YouTube call quality tests:



The overriding evidence is that earbuds are handling calls far better today than they were 12 months ago. ZMI got the design spot on, both in ergonomics and at the component level, to facilitate clear

Connectivity and Features - 9/10

ZMI have squeezed a load of features into the product, so this could take a while! The chipset is Bluetooth 5.2 - and shows HD Audio in Android - excellent.

Connectivity is good - 10m-ish LOS, but solid and fast. There's no lagging with gestures, and after a few issues connecting on Windows, Bluetooth Tweaker eventually reported 189Ms on SBC. The latency is noticeably reduced on Android.

What's interesting here is they have capped the maximum bitrate on AAC, forcing the use of SBC. This is pretty unusual (although not unprecedented - Edifier did the same with the NB2) and we know Android has difficulty with AAC, and given this is aimed primarily at Xiaomi phone owners (they get the benefit of a pretty nice little widget) this is completely understandable.

Now onto the features. Firstly - the in ear detection - you need to take both out for it to pause. Bravo. I don't know how many times I've taken a bud out to scratch my ear and everything has paused with other earbuds and I've been like, huh?! You can also switch it off in the app.

The app is refreshingly beautiful! It actually feels like an app, rather than an excuse to data harvest! No registration, no weird privileges...just install and away you go.



On the main screen, once connected, it is very clear the options you have available. The battery left in the buds and the case is nicely positioned at the top and gets your attention easily. Whilst the EQ is limited to 4 options, again they are all visible directly in your eye line.

EQSMART Adaptive volume - which, well, adapts the volume depending on the ambient sound - is an underrated additional feature which I've come to get used to in my car.



Updating firmware is usually a chore with TWS. The firmware update failed first time - when doesn't it! No issues second time, and took a fraction of the time that the 1More Comfobuds do (a total of just under 3 minutes!)



If you lose them, you can activate 'find my device', which plays an audible chime, and even tailor the response in case you've only lost one bud.



You can also customise controls to a degree. Double click is the only control you can change - it's voice assistant by default, I prefer volume, but you can choose play/pause, previous/next, volume, voice assistant or gaming mode. On the subject of controls - they are limited. Double-taps are your only option. Maybe this could improve in the future, but it doesn't bother me too much.

For non-gamers, low latency settings become an afterthought in the array of options and features, but gaming mode reduces latency further, a feature which Airoha chipset buds excel at. Now this is probably the only area of development for the app - you can't switch gaming mode on and off without setting that option as a gesture - it would be nice to have this as a toggle in the app, but ZMI make it clear in the documentation they don't recommend leaving gaming mode on for longer than is necessary, so perhaps that's deliberate. It doesn't really matter as the latency is more than adequate in standard mode. The chip is Airoha, so no aptX support, but that's a bit of a misnomer anyway- well- engineered AAC buds compete with aptX (which is only available with Qualcomm chip buds), reaching virtually lipsync on YouTube on my Poco X3 and OnePlus 8T.

There is no ANC - you need the Pro version for that - but the passive isolation is excellent without the intrusiveness you feel with certain models, no doubt mitigated by the design as mentioned in the Ergonomics section - but the absence of ambient mode is going to rule these out for many after being spoiled with ANC for so long. If you want ANC and ambient mode, pick the pro.

On the subject of the Poco - sadly it isn't within the portfolio of Xiaomi phones which benefit from the widget, which can give you an overview of battery quickly and connect marginally easier. Likewise the OnePlus.

The one blot on the copy book was connectivity with Windows 10, but nothing new there. Windows handles Bluetooth as well as my waistline has handled 12 months of lockdown. At first, the buds were recognised, but not as an audio device. Once windows stopped thinking they were an audio book, they became difficult to connect. On about the 7th or 8th try they connected, and have been fine since. No such issues on Linux, my preferred operating system for the majority of tasks.

Battery Life - 9/10

The battery life is outrageous. 10 hours from one charge, and as we've already said, lots of quick charge options. I haven't run them dead yet but pro rata they are performing as advertised. Only the SoundPEATS Sonic come close - in fact, it's actually even better.

No wireless, but when you're charging as little as this, it's less of an issue. 32 hours total make them weekenders, especially if you can nab a quick half an hour charge off someone's USB socket!

Two quick charge modes, as mentioned previously, is just showing off! But very welcome.

Summary

At an MSRP of $44.99 the ZMI PurPods are in the budget end of the TWS market, but my god they don't feel like it. the sound quality is very impressive on Android. On IOS it didn't seem quite as good - and there is no app support as yet. Having since come back to edit the review with my codec findings, it's pretty clear these are not aimed at iPhone users!

Overall it is hard to find fault with the ZMI PurPods - they have solid mics, a great app, amazing battery life, good latency, great fit and a portable case. If you listed every feature you wanted in a set of TWS, only wireless charging, extensive controls and ANC are missing - but if you want them (bar the controls), the Pro is also available (I haven't tested that model yet, but hope too imminently)

I hadn't heard of ZMI before. I have now, and I don't think this is the last we will hear of them. Very pleased to give them a score comparable to the FIIL T1XS - one of the best TWS on the market in the sub $50 range right now.

Video review now uploaded to Instagram - @regancipher. Well done ZMI!

Price Weighted Score: 88%
Raw Score: 86%

How I review: (See Previous Reviews)

Model: Enacfire E90
Price: MSRP $49.99
Vendor Website: Enacfire
Review Reference: RC030

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: Enacfire
• Model: E90
• Driver: 10mm Dynamic
• Chipset: ATS3015
• Mic: 4
• ANC: No
• Codecs: AAC, SBC
• Impedance: 24 Ω
• Earbud Weight: 3.9g (advertised 4.5g)
• Earbud Dimensions: 24mm stem length
• Gross Case & Buds Weight: 45.65g
• Case Dimensions: 62mm x 51mm x 24mm
• Earbud Battery Capacity: 40mAh
• Case Battery Capacity: 400mAh
• Input: 5V 1A
• Earbuds Charging Time: 90 Mins
• Full Charge Time: 120 Mins
• Quick Charge: No
• Wireless Charging: No
• Single Use Playtime: 8 Hours*
• Playtime with Charge Case: 48 Hours*
• Bluetooth Range: 10m/33ft advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.0
• Bluetooth Protocols: HFP / A2DP / AVRCP
• Water Resistance: IPX8

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual, warranty card

Real Life Experience

Enacfire are one of the first names to pop up on Amazon without fail, and usually with a LOT of 5 star reviews. Reviews that usually have the hallmarks of 'BS' laden through them. So I wasn't expecting too much despite the relatively high price tag for budget earbuds.

Enacfire are a brand within the Shenzhen LanKe E-Commerce Co, which also includes Homeyard. They have a lot of earbuds on Amazon, mostly very generic looking, and whilst the E90 are eye-catching - they appear to be a nod to the Huawei Freebuds Pro - their design also bears a more striking resemblance to the Himalaya Xiaoya AI TWS, manufactured by Beijing Xiaoya Xingkong Technology Co.

Under the hood, the comparison becomes even more interesting. Both use the seldom-seen ATS3015 chip. Hang on a sec - Qualcomm advertise these on their website - I thought they used the QCC3020?! Well, I quote Christian Amon, CEO of Qualcomm "If you asked me, 'what keeps me up at night?' Right now, it is this supply chain crisis we're having in the semiconductor industry," Qualcomm simply cannot manufacture quick enough for demand, and so we are seeing the likes of BES, PixArt and ATS all grab a share of the market to capitalize on this, and ODM's like Enacfire switching chip to maintain their own revenue target projections.

This is almost unprecedented, but hardly unsurprising. With COVID, Huawei's HiSilicone exit and the automotive industry leveraging its buying power, lead times for CSF Bluetooth chips from Qualcomm have hit 33 week lead times. So things are very quiet in the budget TWS world right now. The ATS3015 is, on paper, the ugly sister. Where it wins in latency, it struggles in CPU power but reduces transmission and no-load power consumption to compensate. It's efficient, and effective, but limited. This is the first review with the ATS chipset but I'm sure it won't be the last.

The Unboxing - 6/10



As per the intro, the blurb has been changed to reflect the new chip. Some basic parameters are detailed on the packaging. Once you remove the outer layer, it's hard not to see Equinix when you look at the Enacfire logo! The bright orange box is very Mpow/TaoTronics-esque, and doesn't scream 'quality' like the similarly priced offerings from Tronsmart and FIIL do.

Inside it's even more familiar with a rather ill-fitting case, an interesting envelope containing a pretty useless manual and two year warranty card, and a small box with a USB-C charge cable and replacement tips.

The Case - 7/10



The case is glossy white with the Enacfire logo on the front, and the buds slot in the top. It has a nice tight friction hinge, 4 lights on the front denoting battery life of the case, and USB-C connection on the bottom, meaning it doesn't stand up unfortunately. Unlike most earbuds these days, they do not feature hall-switch mode, so in order to pair them, they must be removed the case.



The case is portable, but rather beefy, measuring 62mm wide, 51mm high and 24mm deep. Whilst it is not the widest - the FIIL T1 Pro and 1More Comfobuds are wider, it is similar to the Alien Secret QCC010 in everything but depth - it is a slim case, and this makes up for the height and width. At 45.65g, it weighs in just slightly heavier than the FIIL CC2, so it is reasonably well proportioned for carrying around on a daily commute.

The case does not feature quick charge, so expect a two hour wait for a full charge, however it gives an excellent 5-6 full recharges, taking the total playtime to 48 hours.

The Ergonomics - 7/10, Build Quality - 6/10



The finish of the Enacfire E90 is consistent with the case - gloss white. The battery connectors are on the bottom, which keeps the elements away from your skin - ideal for those with nickel allergies. The metallic-look shiny plastic edges look a little cheap though, and the IPX8 water resistance appears a little ambitious, especially given the multitude of holes in the design.

The oval shaped driver surround is always a little odd to see despite it being reasonably commonplace these days - like the Tronsmart Apollo Bold, FIIL T1 Pro and Klipsch TWS, sticking them in without taking this into consideration will give your ear canals discomfort. It also limits the potential for alternative tips, although better quality tips will mould around the shape anyway.



With a maximum height of 23.8mm these are amongst the shortest earbuds I've ever tested. They make the Boya BY-AP4 and QCY T10 look enormous in comparison, and they are previous 'smallest in class'.



The actual stem itself is even shorter at just 21.3mm, which makes them look almost like neither stem nor traditional IEM style - as I alluded to previously, they share some traits with the Huawei Freebuds Pro, but are even shorter. On the build quality - it's nice to see a metallic mesh protecting the driver - only the FIIL T1XS has had this in recent reviews outside the IEM market.

That said, the poor finish is exposed under the macro, with jagged edges where the plastic meets quite obvious to the naked eye.



Once you bear in mind the little nuances, they can sit quite snugly, and with IPX8 water resistance can supposedly withstand workouts or rainfall.



At just 3.94g, they displace the weight well, and fit really nicely overall, offering good passive isolation and no comfort issues for prolonged use.

Audio Quality - 6/10 (for the price paid), 5/10 (raw score)

Sound is subjective - it's hard to review something on the basis of whether I like it or not, so I am always in two minds over whether to score this section without objective testing. Unfortunately my acoustic mic setup is out of service at the moment as I've been taking proctored exams and had to clear my workspace, so I can only offer subjective views here.

Out of the box though, they are waaayyyy too bassy and extremely loud. Sadly it isn't even 'good bassy' like the Soundpeats Sonic - the entire low frequency range is bloated - subbass rumble is uncomfortable on many tracks, and mids get very muffly and vocals sound stifled on R&B and baritone songs.

'Bleeding Love' by Leona Lewis is always a good barometer for bad headphones, and predictably the E90 sound dreadful on default setting, with the bass clipping, which had to be adjusted through Wavelet. Even with EQ, they just don't sound particularly good, which is a shame as we all want the new entrants to the TWS market - Advanced Advanced and BES - to get a good name quickly to keep the Qualcomms and Airoha's on their toes.

The sound stage is predictable and narrow, making them really not the ideal companion for any kind of detailed musical experience.

Call Quality - 6.5/10 Indoors, 5/10 outdoors

The E90 claim 'Crystal Clear Phone Calls' and whilst it's possible to use the E90 for calls, certainly internally, your voice sounds very deep. As long as the only noise in the room is you - this is fine. I'm no Barry White, but I sounded like him on a Zoom call, and as there appears to be little compression when nothing is going on in the scene, your voice will sound quite natural.

Indoors, whilst it will initially pick up high frequency sounds such as fan noises, it does adjust and compresses them, but outdoors is a different matter. Due to the short-burst nature of noises such as birds and traffic, the mics can't keep up and adjust quickly enough, so you end up a muddy mess over the top of overpowering whizzes and chirps.

Connectivity and Features - 6/10

The E90 have volume control via the touch controls, as well as voice assistant and call reject/answer. They are not laggy and reasonably intuitive, so well done there. No wireless charging, no app and no quick charge - they take around 90-120 minutes to fully charge. They do have 'game mode', reducing latency to apt-X levels, which is commendable, but obviously there is no Aptx support given the chipset.

There is no app, and whilst Wavelet can hide some of the flaws, there is only so much lipstick you can put on a pig. Connectivity is patchy - they drop out quite quickly, around 7m LOS, but voice commands are in English and are nice and clear.

Battery Life - 9/10

The battery life is superb - up there with the Alien Secret, with around 6.5-8 hours playtime and approx. 5 additional charges making them 'weekender' rather than 'daily commute'-friendly. This is pretty much unprecedented, certainly up there with the best of them, and whilst the case isn't small, it certainly packs a punch.

Summary

At an MSRP of £44.99 these are not cheap, so at this price point you expect either great sound or a rich selection of features. In a competitive market, sadly the E90 offer neither. Whilst the battery life is without question excellent, and the fit and appearance perfectly acceptable, the sound is way too heavy on the lows out of the box, and even with EQ'ing doesn't improve much. The mic is nice and rich internally, but is affected badly by ambient noise, making them less than ideal for the daily commute.

When compared with high performing, low cost buds like the Soundpeats TrueAir2, even with the sale price of £24.99, which is £4 more than what I paid, they are not in the same league. At the MSRP price break, it's an even bleaker picture - the ZMI Purpods and FIIL T1 Pro offer a degree of future proofing with BT5.2 support, have desirable features such as ANC and generally perform better all round. Whilst the e90 are not dreadful, it's advisable to avoid these given the efficiency and effectiveness of other options.

Price Weighted Score: 61%
Overall Score: 60%

How I review: (See Previous Reviews)

Model: Dudios T8
Price: £9.99 (currently £25.99 with additional 60% discount code)
Review Reference: RC029

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: Dudios
• Model: T8
• Driver Size: 6mm
• Frequency Range: 2-20KHz
• Codecs: AAC / SBC
• Earbud Weight: 3.9 g
• Case Weight: 44 g
• Gross Weight: 52 g
• Earbud Dimensions: 39mm long stem
• Case Dimensions: 60 x 60 x 35 mm
• Earbuds Charging Time: 90 Mins
• Case Charging Time: 90 Mins
• Input: 5V 1A
• Music Playtime: 5.5 Hours
• Earbuds and Case Fully Charged Music Playtime: 35 Hours
• Bluetooth Range: 10 m
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.0
• Bluetooth Protocols: HFP / A2DP / AVRCP
• Water Resistance: IPX7

Includes:

1 x Pair wireless headphones
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
3 x Pair Silicone Tips
1 x User manual, warranty card

Real Life Experience

A name like Dudios switches you off straight away, so when I saw these stem-based, bulky looking earbuds on offer at £9.99, I bought them for a laugh as much as anything. Reminiscent of the Whizzer TP1, only a lot less fancy, the Dudios buds have been around for a while - long enough that there were already reviews on head-fi, which is a rarity when I acquire new buds.

Dudios as a brand is part of the Shenzhen Ginto Technology company, an umbrella for Soundpeats, and the Dudios T8 use the Airoha Luda AB1526P chipset, the same chip used by SoundPeats in the True Shift, Edifier in their TWS2, Lenovo in their S1, Anker in their Zolo Liberty+ and MPOW in their T6.

The Unboxing - 6.5/10



Neat and tidy little package from Dudios, albeit somewhat MPow-like - i.e. very basic and flimsy.



The product comes with a warranty card and the usual mediocre quality spare tips and USB-C charge cable.

The Case - 6/10



The T8 have a puck-style USB-C charge case which measures 6 x 6 x 3.5cm. The lip at the front, visible above, is used to flip the case open, but don't try one-handed operation - it's not deep enough to allow that unfortunately, which can be annoying if you need to put the buds away whilst carrying your phone out-and-about.



The case is larger than that of most modern TWS today, and eclipses other similar-style cases, such as the KZ SA08 and Tronsmart Apollo Bold, by being substantially heavier, and taller. Placing the buds back in the case is trouble-free, with adequate magnets and a substantial hinge.



At 52g, whilst it isn't going to help you lose weight on the daily commute, it isn't the most portable case around. That has it's pros and cons, but nevertheless in my jacket pocked it didn't feel too onerous.

With no charge indicator lights on the front, you have to consult the rear, where the USB-C charge socket is located as well. This can be a bit annoying if you like to see at a glance how much charge you have.

The Ergonomics - 6/10, Build Quality - 7/10



The T8 have an odd look about them, with their long stems, bulbous surround and narrow insert. They certainly don't win any prizes for aesthetics. The battery connectors, shown covered with tape above, make direct contact with the skin, which for allergy sufferers makes them a no go.



The design almost encourages the stems to stick outwards, away from your mouth, which doesn't help the mic, especially in outdoor environments. That said, the flat exterior surface makes for perfect touch control usage, which is happily easily initiated and well-thought-out.



The stem is visibly longer than some of the more recent silicone in-ear releases such as the QCY T10 and Boya BY-AP4, and the design, more similar to the Boltune BT-BH024, can be fatiguing over long periods, although it does provide very good passive noise isolation.

Despite their size, the mostly-plastic build ensures they are reasonably lightweight - weighing in at roughly the same as the 1More Comfobuds, and happily they are IPX7, providing solid water resistance.

Audio Quality - 8/10 (for the price paid), 6.5/10 (raw score)

The audio on the Dudios is laid back, with the trebles rolled off early and the bass softened. The mids are not especially elevated either, with the sound profile fairly balanced, albeit slightly scooped. Combined with a narrow soundstage, this will no doubt put off those used to a V-shaped, punchy and bright TWS, which is what you usually get around this price range, but for me they were pleasant enough without getting you off the sofa and dancing around the living room.

If you test the buds with complex tracks you notice that detail starts to erode. This is merely technology moving on - back when these were released, the T8 were intent on diverting from the screeching highs that were emblematic of most TWS with a Chinese label on.

Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors - 5.5/10

Call quality is fair. For the money - certainly not to be sniffed at. There is an evident over-compression when the scene gets complex - with the washing machine on they glitched in and out a bit, but in a stable indoor environment with minimal ambient noise your voice is clear, albeit a tad robotic.

Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 7/10

Connectivity is rather weak, glitching out quite quickly - around 8m LOS. This is to be expected given the rate that technology changes at. Lack of quick charge is annoying, but was commonplace when released. The touch controls are excellent - very responsive, and you can control the volume - a single tap on the left to reduce and right to increase.

Battery Life - 6.5/10

5 hours from a single charge. Case adds an additional 5-6 charges. Perfectly adequate for this form factor, and justifies the larger case. No QI, and no quick charge - charge time is 90 minutes.

Final Comments

The Dudios T8 first hit the market over a year ago now, and they are starting to show their age. They also suffered with some odd glitches - they show as a keyboard as well as headphones on Windows, so lets hope they don't include a built-in keylogger!! They would also periodically power-down for no apparent reason, despite battery being over 90%. That said, at £9.99, I can't really complain. I'll be moving them on at some point, but it was an interesting experiment that taught me one thing - TWS have come a long way in a short space of time.

Price Weighted Score: 80%
Raw Score: 62%

How I review: (See Previous Reviews)

Model: 1More Comfobuds ESS3001T
Price: MSRP $58.99
Vendor Website: 1More
Review Reference: RC028

Manufacturer Specification:

• Model: ESS3001T
• Earbud Weight: 3.8 g
• Case Weight: 28.9 g
• Gross Weight: 36.5 g
• Earbud Dimensions: 39.25 x 17.92 x 18.7 mm
• Case Dimensions: 68.7 x 30 x 25 mm
• Earbud Battery Capacity: 35 mAh
• Case Battery Capacity: 410 mAh
• Earbuds Charging Time: 85 Mins
• Case Charging Time: 80 Mins
• Audio Format: AAC / SBC
• Music Playtime: 4 Hours*
• * Earbuds and Case Fully Charged
• Music Playtime: 18 Hours*
• Speaker Impedance: 30 Ω
• Bluetooth Range: 10 m
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.0
• Bluetooth Protocols: HFP / A2DP / AVRCP
• Input: 5V 0.5A
• Working Temperature: 0 ℃ ~ 45 ℃
• Frequency Range: 2.400 GHz ~ 2.4835 GHz

Includes:

1 x Pair wireless headphones
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual, warranty card, sticker



Real Life Experience

Welcome to the Regancipher review of the 1More Comfobuds. 1More decided to upset the applecart slightly here, with a release designed to cross the bridge between slippery semi-in-ear buds and the discomfort of using silicone in-ear for prolonged periods. The clue is in the name!

This is the third set of 1More buds I've reviewed, fourth if you count the Omthing Airfree, which 1More tweaked and released as the Pistonbuds. In the US and China 1More buds are actually rather well priced and good value - here in the UK they are expensive. The Comfobuds in the US retail at around $50 which equates to £35. This is the same in China. In the UK, Amazon sells them at £64.99 - almost double the price.

I'm not sure why these huge discrepancies exist, but it makes reviewing 1More products quite difficult, because typically you are measuring bang-for-buck within a review - and what you expect at £35 is very different to what you expect at £65.

I paid around £35 through Aliexpress after testing the black through Amazon (only black is available in UK) to check if the fit was good (which I then returned - the joys of Prime!). After the first set failed after a week, which happens, 1More support were excellent, agreeing to take the faulty goods back and refund no questions asked, although I did send them full details of the fault.

I was excited for the Comfobuds because at the time I struggled with semi-in-ear, and still do from time to time, so the added traction from the textured ends would make them a good solid addition to my ridiculous collection, providing the sound matched up of course.

The Unboxing - 7.5/10



1More always deliver a premium feeling box, and the Comfobuds are no exception, with clearly outlined key features on the front, and a lot of writing on the back that was too small for me to read. Once inside the box, you get your first taste of how tiny the case is. The USB Type-C Charge cable is located in the rear of the cardboard enclosure.

The user manual is in a number of different languages: Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Korean, English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Ukrainian. 1More also include a cute little sticker and QR code for warranty purposes.

The Case - 9/10



Make no mistake about it, the case is beautiful, in both colour schemes: pearlescent white, and gloss black.



It is advertised at 36.5g - close enough by my measurements. This is the one of the lightest cases I have tested yet - the SoundPeats TrueAir2 comes in at 33.5g and the QCY T10 at 36g, but after that there's a bit of a gap up to 40g and above.

The case dimensions advertised matched my digital calipers exactly, making this slightly longer then the likes of the FIIL T1 Pro, slightly taller than the SoundPeats TrueAir2, and slightly girthier than the QCY T10 - but beating all of them for portability - the shape makes it perfect for slipping in trouser pocket - the ultimate commuter shape.



The case features hall switch mode, immediately connecting once the case is open. Another area where the case shines is the simplistic single light with red/amber/green colour scheme denoting the level of charge in the case. Charging is very quick - an hour gives you full charge (although it states 85 minutes) and whilst quick charge is not advertised, they do seem to support it, with Windows indicating 100% charge after 15 minutes in the case.

The battery charge is controlled by the Chipsea CSU32P20 microcontroller, with a battery pack manufactured by Chongqung Zijian, offering a capacity of 410mAh. The case charges the buds a further 4 times.



The traffic-light colour scheme is very clear on how much charge you have left, and reminiscent of that used by Samsung. The charge case uses the Micro-Source LP5306 for over-voltage and overcurrent protection and the light indicator is delivered courtesy of the Yutai ETA9084, which also offers battery charging and discharging protection.



Charging is with USB-C only (no Qi) - there is no fast charge (charging is approx. 80 minutes to full).

The Ergonomics - 9/10, Build Quality - 8.5/10



Firstly, at 3.8g these are very lightweight, coming in much lighter than the FIIL CC2, but well proportioned to prevent them falling out of your ears. The curvature around the neck is nicely finished and the Comfobuds really do live up to their name.



The USP of the Comfobuds is the texturised finish to the edges. This is kinda like the little sleeve thing Samsung send you if you ask nicely enough for the beans, but much more effective.



You can see above compared to other semi in ear buds, they clearly try to bridge the gap between this style that hang in your ear and the intrusiveness of silicone in ear. As I said earlier, this is what attracted me to them, and why I was so excited by them, as I've gone so long using silicone buds, expecting Apple Airpod style frustrations for any semi in ear, that when I do wear them and they fit pretty well, I do sometimes forget and push them to their limits.



I'm happy to say 1More nailed it. The rubberised tip and slightly less contoured edge than the FIIL means they cling on to your concha rather well, and they pass the shake test better than any others I've tested. Even a full 90 degree turn did not see the buds fall out. This is extremely rare for buds of this type. The stem length is comparable to their peers, and very well proportioned. Not too long to be unstable, not too short to distance the mic, and this helps with call quality.



The aesthetics are not dissimilar to Apple Airpods, albeit with colourful ends flashing blue and red when pairing. IPX5 water resistance elevates them above the likes of the SoundPeats in this respect, so again they marry up nicely as commuter buds, and whilst I wouldn't recommend them for workouts, sweat won't invalidate the warranty. Taking them apart reveals why - most of the components, such as the MEMS mic modules, are protected by mesh and metallic covers, which is excellent, and the ones that aren't are flooded with glue - not exactly precision engineering here, but better than most of the baffling assemblies I've witnessed around this price point.

Audio Quality - 7/10 (for the price paid), 6/10 (raw score)

1More are no slouches when it comes to delivering quality audio with a nice balanced sound signature. They make no secret of Luca Bignardi's involvement in helping to tune their devices, and there's a really nice article on their blog that discusses the challenges of translating this into universally appreciated sound: here. With 13.4mm drivers and a good pedigree, I was expecting a very nice flat sound profile that is in-keeping with my own personal tastes, despite 1More advertising them as 'Bass Monsters'.

The sound profile of the Comfobuds isn't especially bassy, although it is clear that to try to overcome the semi-in-ear form factor constraints, the subbass has been neglected in favour of somewhat elevated lower midrange frequencies compared with 1More's typical sound signature. The lower frequencies lack texture and depth, and with the presence of baritone vocals, the vocal occasionally gets lost in rock or RnB tracks amongst bass guitars, not due to recess but more down to congestion, but this is not surprising and not atypical in the Bluetooth TWS world.

The high mids are also elevated, where falsetto vocals are easily distinguishable from pianos and organs. The whole midrange has been elevated to try to give the listener an atmospheric experience. Unfortunately, whilst it does the job of nudging away from the archetypal budget v-shape, it doesn't really add any detail or resolution to the sound signature - there's only so much you can get from a single-driver semi-in-ear design, but the tuning lacks the excitement of something like the SoundPEATS TrueAir2, without any real improvements in any area.

In the case of the Comfobuds, as expected I found adjusting the buds inevitably impacts upon the sound, and can imagine that if the fit isn't perfect then it will result in the variation people are experiencing. Again, this is not atypical - see reviews on the Buds Live for evidence of that - but fortunately, once you do get a reasonable sound from adjustments, they do stay in place quite well - not always the case with semi-in-earbuds.

Windows does not use HD SBC and 1More, like FIIL, have been rather selective in their implementations of both SBC and AAC to keep the latency down. At 189Ms on Windows, the Comfobuds are impressive for lipsync, but audio with SBC can at times sound distorted, and battery life suffers too.

Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors - 7/10

The Comfobuds have 4 MEMS silicone microphones, with a metallic protective cover around the ambient mic, and a similar construction around the MEMS mics at the tip, with an additional mesh, and mathematically related algorithm to try to seperate human and environmental noise.

Surprisingly, the call quality is a little disappointing. After the Omthing were an absolute work of art, the Comfobuds lose naturalness from your voice and compress it, sounding at times robotic, echoey and surprisingly quiet (the Colorbuds absolutely boomed by comparison).

However where it excels compared to the Colorbuds is the noise suppression. Background noise is nicely muted both indoors and outdoors. I tested with a fan indoors and that was removed completely. Outdoors passing traffic is clearly audible but your voice is elevated slightly. If you're working in air traffic control, you're probably sat at home at the moment, but you wouldn't be able to have a conversation with these if you were on the runway.

Unfortunately, when using Wifi-call, Google Duo, Teams or Zoom it was especially bad. I recorded a session and the volume was noticeably quieter and glitchier than using an iPhone 11 XR or Poco X3.

Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 7/10

The 1More Comfobuds offer the industry standard 10m LOS. In short-range use they don't suffer much with dropouts or interference even where there is congestion. 1More use the Luoda AB1536 Bluetooth 5.0 chip, the same as FIIL in the CC2, and this relative newcomer offers solid connectivity whilst combining low latency and more stable streaming. The range is marginally shorter than some of the devices I've tested recently, such as the FIIL CC2 (which is odd as they use the same chip) & Taotronics TT-BH80.

Controls are fairly straightforward, and the position of the sensor means you can adjust without setting the controls off accidentally. You can also adjust the scheme in the app - although you have to trade off volume for voice assistant - you can't have both.

On the subject of the app, it is a welcome feature at this price point, but it can be frustrating. On every occasion, firmware updates failed, and when they worked, took significant time to complete, and the buds have even failed to register at times. Again, these arrived with 6.03, so an update was needed, and took 5 minutes in total.

EDIT - As of 23.03.21, 1More rolled out version 3.8.5 of the app, and have mitigated this to an acceptable level.

The main screen also allows smart playback to be removed, and denotes the battery life and a quick guide. You can also choose to burn the earbuds in, and have a mini-tutorial at the beginning. There is no EQ'ing, but if you do want to touch the profile up, Wavelet is available on Android.

With no aptx support, ANC or wireless charging, as well as not supporting BT5.1/5.2, it lacks some features that others do support at the price point in the UK. This is partially down to the well-documented issues Qualcomm have with supply and vendors looking to alternative supply-chain partners, although 1More have little history of using Qualcomm anyway.

Battery Life - 6.5/10

4 hours from a single charge. Case adds an additional 4 charges. Perfectly adequate for this form factor, and much better than their Pistonbuds.

Charging power is around 1.5-2w - the case uses a Chongqing VDL 682723 Li-ion Battery, advertised as 1.588Wh, 410mAh and a nominal voltage of 3.8v.

Over time, the battery has not proved to be especially strong in longevity, often failing to meet the advertised 4 hours by some distance.

Final Comments

The unique form factor makes the Comfobuds an interesting choice for those who struggle with silicone but also can't keep semi-in-ears in with excessive movement.

The case makes them ideally portable for the daily commute, and the mic, which seems to perform better outdoors than indoors, and fair battery life, makes them a solid choice for those hopping on and off trains, taking calls and listening to music.

Sound leaves a little to be desired - in striving for a more balanced, airy sound, whilst the tuning translates reasonably well to many music genres, it lacks the punchiness of some of it's competitors, without offering improvements in technicalities.

1More have since released the Comfobuds 2 - a big improvement over the original.

Price Weighted Score: 83% (At US/China prices)
Raw Score: 77%
2022 Score: 70%

How I review: (See Previous Reviews)

Model: TaoTronics SoundLiberty 94
Price: MSRP $58.99
Vendor Website: Here
Review Reference: RC027

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: Taotronics
• Model: SoundLiberty 94
• Driver: 9.2mm Dynamic Drivers
• Chipset: Airoha
• Mic: 4
• ANC: Yes, up to 35dB
• Volume Control: Yes
• Codecs: AAC, SBC
• Earbud Weight: 4.94g
• Gross Case & Buds Weight: 49.2g
• Case Dimensions: 73 x 43 x 34 cm
• Full Charge Time: 2 hours
• Quick Charge: No
• Wireless Charging: No
• Single Use Playtime: Up to 8 hours
• Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 32 hours
• App Support: Yes (Android only)
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.1
• Bluetooth Protocols: HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
• Water Resistance: IPX5

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless headphones
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
6 x Silicone Tips (3 pairs)
1 x User manual, quick guide, warranty card, gift voucher (booooo)

Real Life Experience

This is about the tenth set of Taotronics earbuds I've reviewed. Taotronics is the brand name the SunValley group use for OEM/ODM and distribution of earbuds that are typically manufactured by smaller vendors with less reach than Tao, who have become highly established here in Europe and the US for both audio products and a whole host of other electronics, from dehumidifiers to wireless mesh systems.

Anyone reading got a middle child? They listen to everything negative you say to them and ignore all the positives. Tao are a little like that when it comes to my reviews. They ignore the good reviews and are quickly all over me when I give a bad one, and thus, these earbuds were sent free of charge to me soon after a negative review of the TT-BH095.

Amusingly they gave me a load of flannel about giving feedback to their engineers, which I had to tell them not to bother since I knew they were ODM Edifier TWS200. And the same is the case here - the SoundLiberty 94 look familiar because they have gone under about 5 different releases now - the Dyplay Shield, Tozo NC9 and 20Decebel ANC Pro are, to name but a few, the different guises these earbuds have adopted over the course of their lifetime.

The Unboxing - 6/10

If you've read any of my past reviews on old Tao earbuds - well, you'll know my thoughts. Very basic. Small case with the bare minimum packaging.



A warranty card signs you up to their mailing list, the quick start guide is straightforward and the user guide is in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Chinese, using a mixture of graphics and text to get the message across.

Unfortunately Tao included a gift card in exchange for a review (which they nudge should be 5 stars) with this model. This is malpractice that I don't like to see, and neither did Amazon - they've since banned them from selling on their site.

The Case - 8/10



OK, it's pretty generic looking, but not too much negative to say here. It's pill shaped, with a Tao logo on the top. Not quite as nice as the SL 79, and larger, but it's got some nice features. Four lights on the front denote how much charge the buds have, and the buds will also flash with a white light when they are charging inside the case.



The case weighs in at just under 50g - one of the heavier cases around, and longer than the FIIL T1 Pro, Boltune BT-BH024 and other long-ish cases. It's also one of the taller cases at just over 3cm - not in the league of the QCY T10 or Alien Secret QCC010, but rather tall anyway.

Still, it's portable, and provides an additional 3-4 charges.

The Ergonomics - 8/10, Build Quality - 7.5/10



At just under 5g, the 94 are one of the heavier earbuds around, but not by much - the average is around 4.5g, so nothing major going on with the weight.



Examining their size against similar models reveals why - they are not quite custom-IEM style, but they are ergonomically shaped in order to provide a comfortable fit and snug seal.



This is further reinforced with close examination. They are taller than the FIIL, and also wider, and yet they still stay in your ear quite majestically - far better than the Soundpeats Sonic, for example.



They also protrude far less than the Sonic and their ilk, and this helps the passive isolation. At 19.4mm at their widest, they spread the weight nicely, and feel far less button-like than many on the market. This is at the expense of a flat surface area for controls, but is a welcome development.



They are plastic throughout, but well enginered, and are supposedly IPX5 water-resistant, making them suitable for workouts, but no showering. The LED pictured above goes out once a source starts to provide something for them to do.

Audio Quality - 7/10 (for the price paid), 8/10 (raw score)

A pleasant surprise. Frequency response is solid, and like the 95's, the low mids are elevated with a notch at around 800Hz. As a result, vocals are not overpowering for RnB, opera and soul, which gives bassy tracks a rich feel. Whilst the high mids are nice and flat, with a big dip at around 6KHz, female vocals can sound a little lispy around rolled off high hats - St Etienne's 'She's On The Phone' exposed this, but no worse than many others on the market and certainly not a deal breaker.

Whilst playing Tears For Fears "Songs From The Big Chair" album, instrument separation was surprisingly good, with a more airy sound stage than I had expected, but like most TWS the soundstage is rather bland.

Note - I noticed a discernible improvement when balanced through Wavelet, choosing the default template from the 95's.

ANC - 7.5/10

The big surprise package! The ANC is far better than I expected, almost certainly in no small part thanks to the excellent fit, which adds to the sound isolation. Whilst not as strong as something like the Tronsmart Apollo Bold, they held their own against the Edifier TWS NB2 and mute out most low frequency sounds, and even conversation is dulled nearby.

Considering they are frequently on sale at around £39.99, it is hard to argue with the bang for buck here. It does slightly change the sound signature, but again, that is to be expected.

Calls - 6.5/10 (Indoors), 6/10 (Outdoors)

The poorest feature of the buds. Like other Airoha sets I've tested, the mic sounds hollow and echoey, which, whilst acceptable for indoor calls, is not not ideal.

It gets worse outdoors - there's over-compression going on throughout, and aside from the Whizzer E3, I've tested few that distorted your voice as badly as these. A shame as improving this area would have made them great all-rounders.

Connectivity - 8/10

I haven't put it through its paces too much, but connectivity is the standard 10-15m LOS. They apparently support Bluetooth 5.1, and paired without issue to Windows 10, Android and IOS.

Controls and Other Features - 7/10

No issues here. Nice and easy - they support volume control, ANC and answering rejecting calls.

The 94 support single mode, and whilst there is no low-latency setting, the Airoha chipset is known for being low-power and delivering low-latency OOTB. Supporting SBC and AAC only, the manufacturer has worked at getting this right, reducing the bitpool in their AAC implementation - latency on IOS was acceptable, and YouTube is relatively pain-free. Latency on Windows 10 measured 185Ms, defaulting to SBC. On Android and IOS it was far better.

They also have ambient mode - a decent addition at this price - although it isn't fantastic. With no QI charging, no app support and other handy features, the sale price is probably closer to their feature set than the MSRP.

Battery Life - 7/10

ANC definitely affects battery life, but at around 20 hours, which is pro rata what I experienced, this is pretty good overall, and acceptable for a day's usage. The 32 hour battery life from the case is good, but there is no quick charge nor wireless charging facility.

Final Comments

The SoundLiberty 94 are comfortable in-ear buds that, whilst they do thud when exercising, have a nice snug fit providing superb isolation and good ANC for the money. They were released in October last year, and the TWS market moves fast, so some degree of acknowledgement has to be made in lieu of this.

Sound is pleasant - not too bassy and not too raspy, but with Wavelet on Android, the bumps can be notched to give a very nice experience.

Only the poor mic spoils a very decent release, with good battery life, a portable case and IPX5 water resistance all adding to a generous package as one of the lowest-cost ANC releases out there.

Price Weighted Score: 76%
Raw Score: 74%

How I review: (See Previous Reviews)

Model: Anker Soundcore Life Q30
Price: MSRP £89.99
Vendor Website: Here
Review Reference: RC026

Manufacturer Blurb:

• Brand Name: Anker
• Model: Life Q30
• With Microphone: Yes
• Chipset: BES2300
• Driver: 40mm
• Codecs: AAC, SBC
• ANC: 35db, 3 modes (Transport, Indoor, Outdoor)
• Sensitivity: 95dB
• Impedence: 16 ohms
• Frequency Response Range: 16-40000Hz
• Bluetooth Chipset: Not known
• Maximum Working Range: 10-15m(no obstacle)
• Headphone Weight: 263g
• Playtime: 40 hours
• Connectors: Type C
• Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth 5.0
• Bluetooth Profile: AVRCP 1.5/HFP 1.6/HSP 1.2/A2DP1.2

Includes:

1 x Pair wireless headphones
1 x Carry Case
1 x Type-C USB charging cables
1 x User manual, quick guide, warranty card

Real Life Experience

This is the first review of an Anker product I have published, despite owning several models prior. In my experience I have found them to be a shade overpriced and usually lacking some features that are important to me, and in the case of the Q20, to which this is the predecessor, I simply couldn't get them to fit me well.

The Q30 was launched in October 2020 and I refrained initially from buying them after seeing a lot of negative reviews regarding the ANC and mic quality. It is not unusual for Anker to release half-ready products - and this isn't too much of a problem because their support thereafter is excellent, with frequent firmware updates and ongoing dialogue.

Sadly Anker do not provide me with any samples, so this has been procured out of my own pocket, but as always I will offer a frank and honest assessment based on benchmarks of over 100 reviews of earbuds and headphones, and a long (former) career in the music industry, using objective and subjective methodologies.

The Unboxing - 7/10



For a premium product, the box seemed a shade underwhelming. We are used to the likes of the Tronsmart Apollo Bold and Whizzer E3 in the earbud world carrying the presentation of a reasonably luxurious timepiece, but this was more a thin cardboard affair, albeit with clear identification of the key areas - namely the headline, the ANC.



The back elaborates further, indicating the multiple modes of ANC - hint - you don't just get on, off and ambient.

Once inside, you are simply presented with the carry case.

The Case - 8/10



At 220 x 180 x 58 this is one of the larger carry cases I've sampled, and noticeably larger than the Avantree Aria Pro, especially in depth. Inside the case are the headphones, a manual, feedback form and some cables - a USB Type-C charge cable and a jack for the aux.

Getting the headphones back in the case isn't always easy but they remain extremely secure once inside. Ancillary items can be stored in the convenient pocket, and it has the usual strap at the top and the Soundcore logo in the middle.

With many vendors cutting the case out, it was a welcome addition.

The Ergonomics - 7/10

Usually I bundle ergonomics and build quality into one, but with over-ears I think it's important to differentiate them. With earbuds there is generally little difference in the build, but with headphones it can vary wildly. With the Q30 it is a real mixed bag. Available in Black, Blue and Pink, I chose the reduced-price black version.



Firstly, they do not track with your head, unless you're ET. At 200 x 180 x 80 they are amongst the biggest headphones I've ever tested.

Whilst this does give some added flexibility in movement of the cups, meaning you can lighten the clamp quite nicely, it doesn't really give the user any great benefit other than looking a bit silly in all honesty. I have a pretty fat head and yet they still protrude even further. When we are back to some kind of normality, you won't have charity direct-debit pushers approaching you - they will see you coming a mile away!

The hinges are decent quality but only allow limited movement of just over 90 degrees in and out, and this can add to the sound leakage. This can be annoying in a shared home office environment.



The button array is not overly intuitive - I prefer a minimal button scheme, but for others who like controls, they are there, and the button presses are firm. Track controls on the right cup, ANC and power on the left. I found at times play and pause wouldn't work when paired with windows.




The cups are matte, and this can get a bit grubby, more so than the Q20's, with finger marks quickly manifesting. The outer cups are quite large with the vertical diameter at 95mm, and the horizontal at 83mm.

NFC works fine (tested with Android) and putting your hand over the right cup initiates transparency mode (ambient to the rest of us).

The headband is clearly well padded, although this does soften out quite easily, but is fine for those with receding hairlines, although if you wear them too tight then the padding does thin out, exposing you to the solid band if you like practising headstands, or lying up in bed.



This cups reduce on the inside to 68x53mm, making them one of the largest cups around. Unfortunately this can feel a bit spacious at times, and the soft memory foam padding spreads rather easily. On the flip side it does reduce your ears getting sweaty and never feels too tight.

The build quality, which is excellent, means they can feel a bit uncomfortable if lying on your side due to the robust outer materials. It also results in substantial sound leakage, as alluded to prior.

At around 265g, they are rather heavy, albeit due to sturdy materials. Anker have put some thought into the weight displacement, but they are noticeably heavy for prolonged use if you're used to lighter cans.

Build Quality - 8.5/10

As strange as the ergonomics are, it is unquestionable that Anker have not cut too many corners with the build.



The band in particular is robust, with the plastic base reinforced with a metallic insert throughout, although if on tight, this can at times be felt through the padding at the top, hence why you see me wearing them loose.



There are supportive screws almost everywhere and whilst this does bode well for longevity, it adds weight as a result.

Unfortunately, I could not find any IP rating for the headphones, likely down to the jack and charge ports being open to the elements.

Audio Quality - 7/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)

Like with most budget headphones, there is an over-emphasis on the lows and mid-lows, and this can sound muddy on complex tracks. Everybody Wants To Rule The World by Tears for Fears sounded a bit disappointing as a first reference track. Less complex tracks like Calvin Harris' Summer were far better presented, and vocals in general are reasonably well proportioned.

Note - I noticed a discernible improvement when balanced through Wavelet.

Like with most closed-back headphones, the struggle for soundstage is real. They've opened the cups up to try and give the impression of the sound bouncing around a little but in reality it is pretty narrow. These will not replace your wired Sennies put it that way.

Still, at the price it is hard to grumble. With a bit of EQ'ing they can sound acceptable, and the app gives loads of options to do just that even on IOS.

Call Quality - 7.5/10 indoors, 7/10 outdoors

I understand there were major issues on release, but Anker seem to have resolved these on FW 1.90. Your voice can sound a little hollow at times, and it varies dependent on how you wear them.

The mics are on the outer and inner, and the swivel design encourages the inner mics to be more open to the elements than most. This would no doubt have implications on the IP rating. They do a reasonable job of compressing sounds, but your voice also sounds compressed outside, which can make it difficult to differentiate you from other low frequency sounds.

ANC - 7.5/10

The headline feature - the ANC - is OK. There are the usual three modes - ANC off, on and transparent, but also a transport, indoor and outdoor mode.

Anker claim that each environment is specifically tailored, but I noticed little difference - transport seems to be strongest, but more annoying was the loud glitch when changing mode.

I tested against the Q20, Apollo Q10 from Tronsmart and TT-BH060 from Taotronics, and the Q30 are marginally stronger than the others, but not by much.

Battery Life - 8.5/10

The headline 40 hours was fairly accurate. Even with ANC on I'm getting almost 40 hours. This eclipses my Avantree Aria Pro, although it falls a little short of the Tronsmart Q10. This reduces when you're making a lot of phone calls.

Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 8/10

No connectivity issues at all, and like with most headphones the range seems stronger than earbuds.

Button controls can at times be a little frustrating. Having just tested the Apollo Q10, where everything was gesture-based, this felt like a step backwards. Voice assistant seemed to work fine, by holding down play, and the buttons are arranged reasonably well for such an array.

Anker's app is first class, with lots of customization, including EQ, ANC and even white noise to help you fall asleep, although they aren't the comfiest for side sleepers.

Another excellent and very welcome feature is the addition of multipoint connectivity, although it seemed a little hit and miss when used with PC. Nevertheless it is a feature often overlooked and one that didn't work too well on the Q20, but no issues here.

The lack of AptX is always a bit annoying, and it resulted in higher than usual latency, with 225Ms on Windows 10 with an AX200 receiver.

The addition of a headphone jack, NFC and fast charge - giving 4 hours from 5 minutes charging - are also very welcome features that enhance the value of the cans.

Summary

It is always a challenge reviewing over-ears for me - the bar is high as I've always owned Sennheisers. Thus, when I'm reviewing low-cost products I have to try to remember that they are just that - low cost.

The Anker Soundcore Q30 are robust and at times awkward headphones that compromise portability for build quality, and the abundance of screws and reinforced areas demonstrate a maturity in product development from an engineering perspective, if not quite so much in the tuning.

Sound is not going to blow your mind, but for the reduced price (which seems to be becoming the normal price) of around £63.99, it is adequate. Bass performance is a little bloated, and the low mids in particular are troublesome for the Q30. Again, I think there is a compromise here - audiophile quality sound is rarely witnessed in all-rounders that do lots of things 'rather well'.

The app is great and gives lots of additional features, and for multipoint connectivity, NFC and the fast charge feature alone,

So a real mixed bag as expected with plenty to work on for the Q40, but Anker deserve credit for a decent release and certainly an upgrade on the Q20.

Price Weighted Score: 84%
Raw Score: 81%

How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
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Model: FIIL CC2
Price: MSRP - Approx. $49.99
Vendor Link: FIIL
Review Reference: RC025

Manufacturer Specifications:

• Brand: FIIL
• Model: CC2
• Bluetooth version: Bluetooth 5.2
• Chipset: Airoha AB1562M
• Transmission distance: >10 meters
• Bluetooth audio decoding: ACC, SBC
• Mic: Yes, 4 mic array with ENC Noise Reduction: 20dB+
• Single battery life: >5 hours
• Extra battery life of the charging box: >27 hours
• Battery capacity: earplugs (~30mah), charging box (500mah, 3.7V)
• Charging time: Earbuds about 50 minutes, charging box 2 hours (wired)
• Fast Charge: Yes - 15min for 1 hour
• Weight: 4g
• Driver size: 13.1mm customized titanium diaphragm
• Speaker frequency response: 15Hz~22kHz (BT)
• Speaker sensitivity: 123 dB SPL@1mW
• Speaker distortion: <0.5% @110dBSPL, 1KHz

Includes:

1 x Pair wireless earbuds
1 x Charge case (USB-C)
1 x Type-C USB charging cable
1 x User manual, quick guide, warranty card



Real Life Experience

Welcome to the regancipher review of the FIIL CC2. Their older brother, the FIIL CC, were a market-leading semi-in-ear stem-based earbud, released in early 2020. I kinda knew this was coming because you can almost map FIIL's releases on the new generation of Airoha chips - after the AB1536 came the AB1562M, and inevitably this would follow into FIIL's releases, as they are pretty much exclusive with the Airoha SoC's. The new chip brings Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, dual LDS radio frequency for increased stability, noise suppression, echo cancellation, voice assistant support, and in their newer iterations, ANC. Since ANC makes little sense on this model, it has been released without it.

The marketing material focused very much on the German design - mostly, earbuds of this type are rounded and with soft edges. Not FIIL. The CC was rectangular, blocky and a striking gun metal colour. Where they really excelled was, in the same way as the Galaxy Buds Live, using their form factor to their advantage. With decent drivers and a focus towards a more delicately tuned sound signature, FIIL were one of the first to break away from 'consumer' sound, elevating the mids and as a result providing a more detailed sound signature than their competition, the likes of the Soundpeats Truebuds and QCY T7. In fact, FIIL really pushed the market onto better things - only the battery life prevented them from being superstars in the semi in-ear field, and that's one of the areas they've improved on with the CC2.

The mic quality was not bad, albeit somewhat robotic at times, so it would be intriguing to see how FIIL reacted and whether they would improve upon these limitations.

The Unboxing - 8/10



The presentation of the buds is very much aligned to FIIL's previous releases, the T1XS and T1 Pro. The packaging has a premium fiil to it It looks almost identical to the original CC, just with slightly different colours.

The key features are, as always, explained graphically and in text. The CC2's headline features are Bluetooth 5.2, a huge increase in battery life of over 14 hours, with single use moving from 3 to 5 hours, and the charge case now offering an additional 27 hours charge as opposed to 12.



Unboxing is always consistent these days with FIIL, but like with the T1 Pro, it appears these are focused on the Chinese market. The quick guide is in both English and Chinese, but the manual is solely in Chinese. Still, you can work out more or less what to do.

FIIL also promote the FIIL + app, although they needn't bother - it still isn't working as it should outside of China with all models. Whilst the CC2 is now supported in the global version, in case you're here reading as an owner of the T1 Pro, you can find a deprecated version of the app which gives you some support, which I host here:

https://tinyurl.com/fiilapks

This at least allows you to change the control scheme - which you will need - more on that later.

The Case - 7.5/10



With its gun-metallic finish, the CC2 case certainly looks and feels the part. The edges are slightly sharp to touch, giving the impression of high quality. Compared with the TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 and SoundPeats TrueAir2, you can see that it is certainly girthier, with a depth of 19mm. That said, it is only 5cm tall and 44g, making it ideally portable.



At 44g it is deceptively lightweight considering the material, although marginally heavier than the original CC, likely due to the increased battery life. The magnets are nice and tight, but unfortunately, I have on several occasions managed to get the earbuds stuck the wrong way in the case, and it takes a bit of force to remove them. The open design is also not handbag or pocket friendly - it can accumulate a fair bit of unwanted material in the bottom, so be sure to give it a blow from time to time, otherwise you could end up blocking the charge connectors and leaving for the day with no battery.




When the buds are charging in the case, the tops light up. When the buds and case are charging, you get an extra light. This minimalist approach is rather bauhaus and not especially helpful knowing how much charge you have, but seems to be becoming increasingly in vogue again, with Taotronics doing the same with the TT-BH80.



The battery is charged through the base, with USB type C charge cable, and it takes around 120 minutes for a full charge of both the buds and the case. It does support quick charge, giving you around 1 hour of juice from a 15 minute blast.

Ergonomics - 6/10, Build Quality - 8/10



The CC2 is exactly 4 cm in length, making it above average in length when compared with most stem-based earbuds out there. As you can see above, the element which sits in your ear is larger than most, and this balances out with the length, making for a reasonably secure fit - they pass the shake test (just), but a 90-degree tilt of the head will almost certainly result in a dropped bud, and the unwieldy design looks a little awkward and can be toppled by gravity with a little excessive movement.

The area that enters your ear contours a shade steeper than, for example, the SoundPEATS TrueAir2, and again, this will impact upon how comfortable and secure you find the ergonomics. For me, it works OK, as it brings the sound a little closer to me ear canals and seems to aid in restricting background noise better than most of this ilk.

There are small pressure vents on the top and on the inner side of the buds too. This is a nice touch. There is also a built-in LDS dipole antenna, which, along with the Bluetooth 5.2 chip, are designed to improve stability and reduce interference. I didn't suffer too much interference before with earbuds, but the CC2 have been immaculate so far regardless.




Each bud weighs just over 4g - not the lightest, but also not especially heavy, although the weight displacement can result in them falling out if you tip your head too far sideways. For normal use they are fine, but I wouldn't recommend exercising with them.



Now one attribute that cannot be overstated enough is the design. Whilst it will polarise opinion - Scarbir seemed to like it, my kids think they're ugly - they do allow for very easy adjustment without initiating the touch controls though - like the Haylou Moripods, you can simply pinch the top and bottom between your thumb and forefinger and adjust as you see fit.

This is one of the main problems with most semi-in-ear buds, and many in-ear too. With my buds live, I turn the feature off altogether, and with the TrueAir2, it's the only blot on the copybook of a superb set of earbuds. So FIIL have got it bang on - use your thumb and index finger, and adjustment is trouble free. Marvellous.

Importantly the battery connectors are on the base, which, whilst it avoids contact with your skin - great for those with allergies - does mean you will have to keep an eye on the case for any obstructions preventing charge.

Audio Quality - 8/10 (for the price), 7/10 (raw score)

At around £45, the CC2 are double the price of the SoundPeats TrueAir 2 and half the price of the Galaxy Buds Live (if you're lucky).

First observation is that they go extremely loud. Encouragingly, this is also without too much distortion, which is a sure sign the drivers match the chipset capabilities and deliver despite the constraints.

I tested these straight after the TaoTronics 80, and it was very clear that FIIL have gone for a similar raw, energetic profile to their other releases. Bass is elevated somewhat and the trebles less rolled off compared with the more neutral sounding Taotronics release. Lower frequency response is concentrated on a more gentle elevation in the mid-range with little focus on the subbass - this is almost certainly down to the constraints of the form factor. It helps give a quite satisfying thump to kick drums (relatively-speaking - bass is always a challenge with semi-in-ear) without distortion but rock tracks can leave the sound wanting a little - like with many semi-in-ear offerings, FIIL have opted to minimise bloat and avoid drastic changes in sound signature with adjustment to the fit.

Higher frequencies are boosted somewhat, and this can help bring out vocals, strings and synths, opening the soundstage up a little. On the flip side there is a little sibilance - this only becomes severe on screetchy vocals, but you may need to edge the treble down in the EQ.

The buds use a 13.1mm large moving coil unit, equipped with a titanium plated three layer composite diaphragm. This ensures they respond nicely to EQ, and if the app becomes too onerous, wavelet is your friend

Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors - 7/10

One of the products headline features is the environmental noise cancellation, and strangely enough, I did observe them to perform better outdoors than indoors. FIIL advertise dual-ENC mic arrays and ten times greater compression, and whilst this is great when a car is whizzing past, it can be a little too much when you're moving around in your chair and suddenly your voice is lifted.

Indoors, whilst your voice is clear enough, it doesn't sound especially natural. Your voice is loud though, almost distorting, and this is extremely useful outdoors where it compresses much of the background noise reasonably well. As with most Airoha-based chip TWS, it also applies a fair amount of compression to your voice, which can sound lost at times, as demonstrated here in my test of 28 different tws models:



Calling is easily achievable with the FIIL CC2, but your voice will sound a bit robotic - very much like the original CC it is clear but a tad overprocessed.

Under the loupe, you can see mesh around the voice mic designed to filter out some of the harshness, and the same with the ambient mic, situated at the top of the buds and signified by a small rectangular cutout.

Connectivity, Controls & Other Features - 7/10

The LDS dipole antenna is designed to increase stability in the connection, and it was noticeable compared to the CC, and to subsequent earbud releases, that not only is the connection rock solid, but small things like adjusting the buds doesn't seem to impact upon them at all. The Airoha chip facilitates this, and combined with the future-proofing of Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, it makes for a reliable set of buds for the present and the future.

Another feature of the chip is reduced latency, but FIIL have taken it even further. Like the FIIL T1 Pro, they achieve gaming-mode level latency by playing around with codecs. Adjusting the bitpool in SBC and removing elements of the AAC implementation, FIIL have managed to retain sound quality and reduce latency spectacularly, with the supported AAC bitrate comparable to aptX.



This shows when watching videos and gaming, and there is an additional gaming mode in the app to reduce latency further. It is wise to remember to switch this off, and only use it when you need it, as it reduces battery and hinders sound quality slightly.



Controls, once adjusted through the app, are straightforward and easy to use thanks to the cuboid design. Notice that volume control isn't possible in simple mode. This is a big problem, because windows doesn't appear to respond to any changes in volume through the OS - you are piped through sound at maximum volume EDIT, this has since been fixed via firmware update.

Once you switch to the more complex mode, signified by a slide button and a 'joypad' icon, it allows you to triple tap in order to reduce and increase the volume, and this makes life much easier, as the rectangular shape makes touch control a joy to use, with little latency in actions.

Now onto the app. It's been an absolute crap show of a journey.... but it finally seems to be resolving itself.



Better late than never, in the global 4.0.3 release, the CC2 were supported, and the main screen, like with all supported buds, details the remaining level of charge in both the buds and the case.



The second screen allows you to select one of the EQ presets. When you tap 'more' you're presented with a number of different options, as well as the ability to customise fully with a ten band equaliser.



Finally, you have the option to initiate full controls - which as I mentioned at the start of this section are inexplicably are disabled by default - firmware updates and advanced settings... which in reality is a factory default...and that's about it currently.

The Chinese app offers little in the way of extra support, so like with the T1 Pro, don't expect English voice prompts any time soon.

There is no ANC as you would expect for this form factor, no wireless charging either, but 5.2 support, great latency, good controls, quick charge and app support, and trust me as bad as it is it ain't the worst, allow the CC2 to score well in this area.

Battery Life - 7/10

Whilst the CC2 advertise 5 hours of playtime, after a few weeks of use I had 28% battery remaining after just over 2 and a half hours use, so I would expect around 3-4 hours to be the norm if you're using them predominantly for calls. Airoha based buds tend to drop battery faster when used for calls, so this is to be expected.

This is still perfectly respectable by semi in ear standards, especially as the case gives 5 full charges and it does support quick charge, so you can get an hours worth of playtime from 5 minutes worth of charge. A big improvement on the CC and about right for this form factor.

Final Comments

In a crowded market, FIIL have taken an already decent product and polished it further, improving the battery life both from single and case charge, but also offering quick charge and great connectivity, and as all-rounders they perform well, providing solid sound quality, good call quality, excellent build quality and low latency.

The multiple low latency modes will suit casual gamers, and the excellent connectivity makes them ideal for the daily commute.

Now supporting Bluetooth 5.2, you get an element of future-proofing from the buds, and I think this is important in 2021 as Mobile Phone SoC development is already moving in this direction - Snapdragon 888, Kirin 9000 and others all already support this new standard.

The lack of full support for FIIL's range through the Global app is frustrating. To have three different apps to use four sets of FIIL buds is ridiculous, and this haphazard approach towards software is really holding them back as an upper mid range vendor at a lower mid range price.

Regardless, when assessed in isolation it's another impressive release from the prolific FIIL.

Price Weighted Score: 85%
Raw Score: 83%
2022 Score: 70%

2022 Comments:
The CC2 were a decent release at the time, but the trend has been for shorter, more stable semi-in earbuds, moving away from the awkward, angular design of the CC2, and this has been reflected even with FIIL's releases, with the Nano and Key taking over from this now superseded model.

There are simply much better options out there - the Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS offers far better performance across the board at a cheaper price.

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FIIL Review Inventory:

CC Pro
CC2
T1 Pro
T1 XS

About FIIL:

FIIL were founded by Chinese rock-star Wang Feng in 2015, aiming to emulate the successes of Dr Dre in the US, and is heavily involved in R&D and tuning. Bringing in Leon Wu as CTO from Plantronics was part of this journey, and the $30m+ ploughed in by VC seems to have pushed them in the right direction so far. After their Diva Pro succeeded on Kickstarter and received rave reviews across the board, they became the top selling mid-range headphone manufacturer in China within 2 years of their foundation and have won various design awards - IF Dot and CES, to name but two.

How I review: (See Previous Reviews)

Model: TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 aka TT-BH080
Price: Approx. $35 from Aliexpress
Vendor Website: TaoTronics
Review Reference: RC024

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: Taotronics
• Model: SoundLiberty 80
• Driver: 12mm Dynamic Drivers
• Chipset: Not known
• Mic: 4
• ANC: No
• Volume Control: Yes
• Codecs: AAC, SBC, AptX
• Earbud Weight: 4.47g
• Earbud Dimensions: 46mm stem length
• Gross Case & Buds Weight: 46.9g
• Case Charge Capacity: 380mAh
• Input: 5v 400mA
• Full Charge Time: 2 hours
• Quick Charge: No
• Wireless Charging: No
• Single Use Playtime: Up to 4 hours
• Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 20
• App Support: No
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.1
• Bluetooth Protocols: HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
• Water Resistance: Not specified - they haven't achieved any certifications

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x Type-C USB charging cable
1 x User manual, quick guide, warranty card

Real Life Experience

Welcome to the Regancipher review of the weirdest looking earbuds ever, the Taotronics TT-BH080.

TaoTronics are known for being pretty vague about their products and releasing so many variants it's hard to keep track. In fact, you could say that about the TWS market as a whole.

What you cannot say is that Taotronics have gone with the safe option here....with an 'Among Us' inspired 'aesthetic cyan-indigo' colour scheme, a digital assistant, and 'swipe' control which has only just made it into over-ears let alone TWS. How would it fare with Taotronics's fourth semi-in-ear release of 2020, the TT-BH080? Read on.....

The Unboxing - 7/10



Well, around 15 sets of TaoTronics earbuds and/or headphones have passed through my letterbox over the last few years, and finally they've come of age.

The unboxing is no longer the low-budget affair usually experienced with their offerings - they've given it a more 'premium' feel with hardened cardboard edges and a flip-top. The undeniable TT branding is still there, with the bright orange colour scheme and easily-recognizable logo.

They've also followed the lead of the likes of Whizzer and KZ, adding a more secure foam insert and a small box to hold the USB cable. And good news - no free vouchers!

The Case - 7/10

Now it is rare for me to really love a case, let alone one this big. It isn't even especially strong with a rather flimsy, albeit reinforced hinge, and the single white light indicating the battery is either full, or charging, only turning red when low, is neither as helpful nor well-thought-out as it could be. But for all its flaws, I really do enjoy it. Well I did. Until a month later it started to rust.



Weighing in at 47g, it is by no means the lightest case around. Nor is it the smallest, measuring taller and wider than than the FIIL CC2. The Taotronics logo is printed in grey on the front, which contrasts subtly against the matte white.



There's something about the case no amount of pictures can qualify - it just feels nice! Its' soft-to-touch, tactile and well proportioned shape is even better than their TT-BH092's, and most importantly, it is one of the few cigarette-box-style cases where the buds just fall into the case with no fiddling around and getting stuck (as is often the case with the FIIL CC2 and both the TT-BH92 & 95).

In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say fiddling with the case is more fun than a fidget toy. It really is quite a work of art - and it has to be, because it has some notable limitations, with no wireless charging, the inconvenient bottom-mounted usb-c slot, and whilst it offers 4 additional charges, you will find yourself eating through these very quickly. It does support quick-charge to a degree, but again they compromise on the light on the front, which would be a helpful aide to knowing if your buds are ready for a day commuting.

It's very portable though and looks and feels the business - a stark contrast to the TT-BH95, and like the 95's, has 'hall-switch' mode, connecting instantly as soon as the case is opened.



Over time the case has not aged well with rust appearing on the reinforced metallic hinge, which is a real shame, as I can't even sell them on now!!

The Ergonomics - 7/10

Well, there's no cutting and pasting in this review that's for sure! Where do I start...

The mic array at the bottom of the earbud is finely bevelled and meshed. This adds to the Elevoc-voc plus accelerometer their patented DNN-based noise reduction technology. More on that later. Not only this, they've used a different material on the battery connectors, designed to reduce the risk of allergic reactions. Smart.



At 46mm long, the 80's are the longest stem-based earbuds I've ever reviewed.
They eclipse the FIIL CC2 and Boltune BT-BH024, which are both 40mm, and no doubt this helps their excellent call quality by bringing the voice mic very close to your mouth.



At 4.5g each, they aren't even especially light. And yet despite this, I had them in my ears for a solid 2 hours without even realising they were there. It helps that they've rounded the bevel this time - a bug bear on the sharp to the ear 95's - and also spread the weight throughout the large surface area, preventing them from feeling lopsided.



Despite their awkward length, they do remain reasonably stable, mostly through their well-thought out weight displacement, even if they look ridiculous on a bloke in his 40's!



They pass the shake test, and just like with the FIIL CC, by pinching the top and bottom with your index finger and thumb respectively, they can be maneuvered to fit in quite nicely without triggering the touch controls, although too much time at 90 degrees doesn't bode well for them.



The colour-scheme is more at home on a teenager than a 40-year old bloke, so finding clothes to match them may be a challenge for some of us, but overall, colour aside, the design and build are about what you would expect for a budget bud.

Audio Quality - 7/10 (for the market price), 6.5/10 (raw score)

Whilst these are one of the highest-priced TWS from TaoTronics at an MSRP of something like £59.99, they have been frequently on offer - even as low as £29.99 at one point - and at that price they would score far higher.

At £59.99 they are competing with FIIL and almost stretching into Samsung territory, and whilst the sound is nicely balanced and totally inoffensive, the sound stage is a little narrow despite being semi-in-ear, which can sometimes work to an earbuds advantage, but doesn't here.

The instrument separation is adequate, and most music styles translate well both on IOS and Android, although the trebles are rolled off and can sound a shade dull. Lower mids can also sound a little muddied on certain tracks - it's the usual suspects, bassy rock tracks and RnB that suffer most, so I would recommend using Wavelet to tune them a little, as they respond rather well to EQ, but the chip limitations mean you're only really fine-tuning to your taste rather than improving.

Call Quality - Indoors - 9/10, Outdoors - 8.5/10

The headline feature of the TT-BH080 is the Elevoc-voc Plus software-based accelerometer - similar to how the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live work, utilising AI-based algorithms to compress out what it thinks should be compressed based on the movement of your jaw.

Quite how well it works in isolation is open to interpretation, but in combination with the excellent mic design, with a mesh filtering out extreme noises - a simply yet effective method that also worked for the Boltune BT-BH024 - call quality is one of the best I've tested, and shows what a little thought into the product design can do, overcoming the limitations of the SoC. Whilst they are a little quiet, which is surprising given the form factor, the noise reduction works far better than the typical CvC8.0 and MEMS combination.

There was no noticeable improvement or degradation between cell calls and videoconferencing, so they're suitable in either environment, and are the standout feature of the buds from a practicality perspective.

Outdoors they were one of the surprise star performers in my test of 28 different tws models, outperforming the likes of Jabra and Samsung!



Controls & Other Features - 9/10

Controls are thoroughly enjoyable to use. There's little to no latency attributed to your gestures - sliding your finger up and down on the right bud raises and lowers the volume respectively, and on the left you slide up and down to move through tracks. I found the volume more responsive than changing track, but i put that down to being right handed rather than the controls. They feature auto-pause, and this can't be deactivated.

Holding them down for a few seconds triggers the voice assistant, as does saying 'Hey TT'. Yep - they have their own personal assistant listening to what you're saying, so no slagging off Mr Jinping my friends in the US!

In all honestly, quite whether it actually works or not is difficult to tell, because on IOS it sounds awfully like hey siri, and google seems to be listening the moment you say 'Hey', but it was able to perform all of the controls documented, and for that reason I can't fault it.

Latency on the buds is excellent, and their form factor means ANC is impractical.

Battery Life - 5/10

Alongside the KZ SA08 and Omthing Air Free, these are amongst the worst performers for battery life. At 2 hours and 20 - 2 hours 45 minutes, not even on high volume, this could be a deal breaker for many.

Over time I've noticed the battery life is getting closer to the 2 hour mark, which is not really acceptable for me - a shame, as they have so much going for them otherwise, especially as home office buds.

Final Comments

Kudos to Taotronics for trying something different. The result is a nice set of earbuds that look different, have some cool features and are great for calls. As long as the colour scheme doesn't bother you, and you can live with the awful battery life, then you can do much worse than the TT-BH080 - their best all-round release to date.

The problem, I guess, is that they are competing with the SoundPeats TrueAir2, FIIL CC2 and 1More Comfobuds - all of which are cheaper - so you really need to think about whether the features warrant the extra cost.

Price Weighted Score: 79%
Raw Score: 75%
2022 Score: 70%

2022 Comments:

As with all tech reviews, after a year or so the content becomes slightly irrelevant, as much of what we are comparing to is based on the market conditions at that time. However, the SoundLiberty 80 have lasted reasonably well. The build quality is questionable - they still feel plasticky, but sound is ok even by today's standards and call quality is excellent. Still, there are better options around today, so consider the date of the review very carefully, in every case, not just this model.

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Model: Tronsmart Apollo Q10
Price: €49
Link: Available at Aliexpress and Geekbuying
Vendor Website: Here
Review Reference: RC023

Manufacturer Specifications:

• Brand Name: Tronsmart
• Model: Apollo Q10
• Driver: 40mm dynamic neodynium iron boron drivers
• Chipset: BES Hengxuan 2300
• Codecs: AAC, SBC
• ANC: Yes, 35db, 3 modes
• Microphone: Yes, dual array
• Charge Connectors: Type C
• Battery RISC: LP28300A Single Cell, 2A 30v
• Battery Capacity: 1200mAh
• Overvoltage Protection: Yongfukang CS5801T, ESD56241D18 input board protection
• Playtime: Up to 100 hours
• Weight: 225g
• Sensitivity: 100dB
• Impedence: 32 ohms
• Frequency Response Range: 24-24800Hz
• Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth 5.0
• Bluetooth Profile: AVRCP 1.5/HFP 1.6/HSP 1.2/A2DP1.2

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Headphones
1 x PU storage bag
1 x Type-C USB charging cables
1 x User manual, quick guide, warranty card

Real Life Experience

Welcome to the Regancipher review of the Tronsmart Apollo Q10. It is always a pleasure to review Tronsmart products as they are a manufacturer that is always looking to push the boundaries of what is possible, as they proved with their Apollo Bold earbud release, and this follows a string of successful earbud releases, including the Spunky Beats, Onyx Neo, Onyx Free and Onyx Ace, all of which punched above their weight at an impressive price point.

I have had these headphones for about two weeks but due to some issues with my phones, I have not been able to upload a review until now. On a positive note, it has given me plenty of time to test them to their limits, and at the same time compare them with the Anker Soundcore Q30, TaoTronics SoundSurge 60 and Avantree Aria Pro, the latter two being my favoured headphones up until now for everyday use.

This is, I believe, Tronsmart's first foray into the over-ear marketplace, so they have a bit of catching up to do with the likes of Anker, Taotronics, Avantree and Mpow having released many models already. But with Apple entering the market, no doubt the over-ear will gain popularity again, so not a bad time to launch your debut release.

Note, these are also sold under the brand names 'Suning Biu' and 'Hush 233621', and have since appeared as ODM models for other resellers.

The Unboxing - 7/10



Whilst not up there with the Apollo Bold unboxing, Tronsmart always ensure to communicate exactly what you're getting - and the Q10 is no different in this respect, with the Hybrid ANC, 100 hour battery life and 40mm dynamic drivers the headlines.

The back also elaborates further, with their smart touch controls, long play-time, 360 foldable design and 5-mic array clearly aiming this release at the home office market - and who wouldn't, it seems this is going to be a lucrative market for a long time to come.

Once past the somewhat cheap-feeling plastic crate inside, you are presented with the goods. It's a shame Tronsmart did not add a hardened carry-case, but I assume to keep costs down, they've settled with a PU bag, and it makes sense given the majority of us won't be travelling anywhere for a while to come yet.

Overall it feels a little underwhelming after the Apollo Bold, which were the creme de la creme of unboxing, but if you're going to keep costs down somewhere, I'd rather it be the bit of card that it comes in.

The Ergonomics - 9/10, Build Quality - 7/10



Usually I bundle ergonomics and build quality into one, but with over-ears I think it's important to differentiate them. With earbuds there is generally little difference in the build until you break them open, but with headphones it can vary wildly.

The Ergonomics are where the Q10 shine. There is little subjectivity here - they are so flexible in terms of adjustment that they fit practically any shaped head, and can even invert beyond themselves if that's what you prefer. Where Tronsmart nailed it was with the cup size. The inner diameter is more than sufficient room to breath for even those with big ears like me. Avantree and Soundcore are big enough but felt a bit thin, whilst most Taotronics models felt a bit crammed, but these were just right.



This is an understated feature that really helps, especially if you wear glasses, to get the right fit, but whereas with the Anker Q30 you hear endless creaking from the build, you can occasionally hear the foam adjusting on the Q10. Neither is perfect but the latter is definitely preferred.

The best bit is that the band tracks the shape of your head really nicely, so there is no ridiculous protrusion like with the Soundcore Q30. It sounds really silly to make this point but so many headphones get it wrong. We've gone from the narrow attempts of 2019 to ET-style in 2021, but Tronsmart have played it safe and got it right in my opinion, with more than sufficient adjustment to allow for fat heads like mine whilst retaining an ergonomic shape.

If anything, these are more akin to the Sony 1000XM4 in design concept, with swipe controls also included, but don't expect Sony build quality - or Sony pricing. Whilst most headphones around this price point are predominantly plastic, there is still something a little cheap feeling about the Q10.

On the Avantree and Soundcore equivalents, you see a lot of supporting screws holding individual elements into place. On the Avantree they even reinforce the headband with a metal layer. This is not the case with the Q10, and both the headband, and in particular the joints holding the cups themselves, do not inspire confidence of longevity. Even retracting the cups a little reveals it wouldn't take much force to break them off. Keep these away from your kids.

Now I've done some transplant work on Sennheiser HD25 before and I was surprised at the amount of glue and foam holding components in place. The Q10 are not much different in that respect. They've allowed for some dust proof nets over the mic arrays as you would expect, but the touch control modules aside, there's nothing revolutionary here.



Whilst the padding on the headband doesn't quite reach the edges, leaving 1cm of plastic either side, this seems to be quite common now and had no impact on the comfort. I've tested some in the past where ending the padding early can be a bit uncomfortable for those of us with hairlines that are losing the battle with father time, but that isn't the case here, and the headband padding is one of the more comfortable I've tested, eclipsing the Soundcore and Avantree and matching the Taotronics TT-BH55.

That said, Tronsmart make up for it with very comfortable padding, which is more than sufficient to provide a comfortable prolonged use, and don't get sweaty either. Tronsmart have sacrificed build quality in favour of comfort - the headphones weigh in at just over 220g, some of the lightest I've tested yet. The soft memory foam cups, whilst 8mm thinner than the Soundcore Q30 at just 20mm at their thickest, are much firmer than the 'protein' leather on the Q30, which spreads thinner, and make for far more comfortable prolonged use. They feel marginally cooler than the Soundcore Q30 after 30 min use too, which during the summer months of relentless Zoom and Teams calls is not understated.

The power and multi function button are on the right hand side, and the former is revealed by turning the cup inwards.



The joints are fairly sturdy and flexible, and enable them to be highly portable. Unfortunately the glossy headband is a little cheap looking, but who's going to see it anyway!


The only negative really is the placement of the USB-C charge port. I'm not quite sure of the rationale behind it, but it makes leaving them to charge a bit strange as you have to actually spread the cup and preferably leave them flat, taking up a fair bit of room unnecessarily if you have limited desk space, like many of us do currently, working from makeshift workspaces whilst we see through the pandemic and adjust accordingly. Otherwise you have to leave them on the floor and run a charger down to charge them standing up. Who knows what they were thinking there, I guess they do ensure it is protected from the elements to a degree, that's about the only justifiable reason I can think of.

Fortunately you don't have to charge them too often.

Audio Quality - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)

The Apollo Q10 uses dynamic 40mm drivers, and their signature sound - v-shaped and punchy - is still evident on the default setting, although it is more akin to the post-firmware - tweak profile of the Apollo Bold, with the bass rolled off much earlier.

The Tronsmart App allows the choice of three further eq settings: deep bass, hi-fi and vocal. Overall they respond pretty well to EQ, and whilst vocal mode elevates the mids, this setting does not detract from the detail too much. Hi-fi mode is more balanced, and is my preferred setting, with the treble rolled off nicely.

The headphones use the BES Hengxuan BES2300 chip. I haven't seen this variant used before but it's an iteration on that used by Honor in their Magic buds, and the Oppo Enco W1, and I've since found other variants in several of the Anker products - including the Q30 - and the 1More Comfobuds Pro. BES have definitely maximised the opportunity provided by Qualcomm's supply issues in Q1.

The chip was unveiled in 2019 and has predominantly been used for, well, other stuff. The press release of the chip is here, and it makes for interesting reading, and is a welcome addition over the usual Airoha and Qualcomm chips we see typically flooding the market, although from my tests so far, the Airoha seems to have the edge all round, and the Qualcomm more stability. BES seem to have the most adaptable and adjustable ANC support.

If you are expecting fine, precise detail and a wide airy sound stage then you should probably reign in your expectations a tad - the Q10 are aimed at the budget market, and in that price bracket they excel. The sound is 'good enough' but don't let that put you off - in the world of over - ear the chasm between the lower end price point and audiophile grade headphones is closing slowly. Until LDAC, that is.

Call Quality - 8/10 indoors, 7.5/10 outdoors

Despite only using a dual array, Tronsmart have done a really good job here managing to find a healthy balance between compression and clarity. Indoors they performed very well, blocking simulated background noise out superbly indoors and retaining clarity and depth.

Outdoors there is more compression applied but your voice still comes across clearly, and there is no obvious difference with ANC on - which is often the case for some reason with headphones that seemingly 'try to do too much'.

Below is a link to the mic being subjected to a number different indoor scenarios on a recorded zoom call, with a comparison to the Soundcore Q30. It performs very well :

Here

ANC - 6.5/10

Just like the Apollo Bold, the Q10 punch above their weight at the price point, but at half the price of Apollo Bold, it's even more impressive. That said, the moment you put the Apollo Bold in your ears is like an epiphany - wow, how did Tronsmart do this?! With the Q10, it's definitely not the same feeling of being blown away, and as headphones have improved over time, the Q10 probably fall a little way short of expectations.

There are three modes - ANC on, off and ambient. All work as expected - ambient is not quite as clear as I expected, but it works well enough. Thankfully none of the modes exert excessive pressure - Sony and Bose headphones have left me experiencing vertigo and jawache in the past, and you can feel it ever so slightly in transport mode on the Soundcore Q30 - but it's to be expected given the effects are rather weak.

ANC seemingly works better outdoors, but I think that is likely more down to the maleability of the cans making them so flexible, that they can sometime lose a little passive isolation when your head is more mobile. When we are outdoors, we tend to keep our head relatively straight and our body moves, so I think this is a bit of a placebo. The ANC is general, not excelling at low nor high frequencies notably better than the other.

Tested against the Soundcore Q30 the ANC performed almost the same, with little difference other than the multitude of different modes on the Q30. Transport more was more effective on the Q30, but not by much. It did not perform quite as well as the Avantree Aria, and fell chasmically short of the Sony WH-1000XM4, but not by the same magnitude of cost difference.

Battery Life - 10/10

100 hours battery life is the headline here - and to put into context, this is three times that of the Jabra 85h and five times that of the Beats Studio3. Ten minutes charge alone gives you 3 hours playtime, and 3 hours for full charge may feel like a lot - but you won't have to do it very often.

I didn't do a full real-world calculation because I haven't actually managed to get them down to 'battery low', but pro rata it seems like I'll get around 65 hours with ANC on, which is still market-leading and a real stand-out feature. EDIT - I've now hit 65 hours use and still no sign of a dead battery.

Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 8/10

As previously mentioned, two of the key features on the Tronsmart are the touch controls and app support.

The Sony-inspired swipe controls, in particular, are fantastic - intuitive and very easy to get used to. As you can see below, they can be customised, but the defaults are intuitive. I occasionally forgot they were there during testing and accidentally paused, so they do take some getting used to.

The two button, single pad control scheme is refreshing when contrasted against the likes of MPow, Cowin and Taotronics which seem to have a load of buttons on which you can never remember what does what. Everything on the Q10 is designed with simplicity in mind.

Power on and pairing is through the power and MFB. The rest is conducted through the pad on the right hand cup.

The app shows the scheme, which can be customised:



The swiping action is not exclusive to Tronsmart - we've seen it on Sony and more recently Taotronics earbuds - but it works really well here.

The EQ and ANC are also accessed through the app, and it is also possible to review the manual and update firmware. It keeps a track of all of your Tronsmart devices.




Whilst not pictured, the app supports English, German, Polish, Italian, Chinese, French and Spanish.

The app has less customization than Anker and FIIL, but is pretty solid now, and you can see all of your connected devices to the left. With few options it reduces the confusion of clicking around wondering what random buttons do.

The Q10 don't have a 3.5mm jack output - it's Bluetooth only. Thankfully this performs well - distance easily eclipses most TWS without LOS. Latency is low - lip sync is close enough, and unfortunately no support beyond Bluetooth 5.0 and no high definition codec support.

Final Comments

It is always a challenge reviewing over-ears for me - the bar is high as I've always owned Sennheisers. Thus, when I'm reviewing low-cost products I have to try to remember that they are just that - low cost.

The Apollo Q10 are amongst the comfiest headphones around. They are lightweight, follow the profile of your head well, and are flexible and reasonably built. The memory foam padding is amongst the comfiest I've tested, and the battery life is outstanding.

What I would like to have seen is multi-point connectivity and aptx-adaptive support. This is something I'm used to with my Avantree Aria - but again, it is worth remembering even they were double the price of the Tronsmart. The Anker Q30 have it, but it doesn't perform well, so it's clearly a challenge for audio vendors but one they would be advised to address given its popularity.

When you look at the price point and what they are competing against - the MPow H21, Anker Q20, TaoTronics TT-BH090 and others at a similar price, they punch above their weight. ANC is satisfactory, sound is pretty reasonable enough, and mic quality is also pretty good. So if good enough is, ermm, good enough - you can't go wrong with the Q10. It's testament to the design that they've quickly become my go to for long study sessions as I battle with ISACA-study-filled weekends.

Well done Tronsmart on a debut over-ear release, and we look forward to further additions to the portfolio in the future!

Price Weighted Score: 85%
Raw Score: 77%

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Tronsmart Review Inventory:

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.

RC022

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Model: KZ SA08
Price: $60
KZ Website: Here
Review Reference: RC022

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand Name: Linsoul / KZ
• Model: SA08
• Driver: 22955 balanced armature for bass, 29689 balanced armature for mids, 31736 balanced armature unit combination for highs
• Chipset: Not Known
• Mic: 4 ENC
• ANC: No
• Volume Control: No
• Codecs: AAC, SBC
• Sensitivity: 102dB
• Frequency Response Range: 20-40000Hz
• Earbud Dimension(L*W*H): 19*25*27mm
• Earbud Weight: 12g (stated 5.7g each)
• Case Weight: 44g (stated 44g)
• Quick Charge: No
• Wireless Charging: No
• Dual/Single Modes: Yes
• Single Use Playtime: 2-3 hours (stated 4 hours)
• Playtime With Case: Up to 12 hours
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.0
• Bluetooth Protocols: HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
• Water Resistance: IPX4 (stated)

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
3 x Pair Silicone Tips
1 x User manual

Real Life Experience

Welcome to the Regancipher review of the KZ SA08. Firstly, let me introduce my excitement at this release: KZ are known in the IEM market for, whilst somewhat inconsistent, cost-effective buds with an incoherent naming convention and seemingly no target sound signature. That said, they are a fun vendor to experiment with in order to try to find the sound that suits you best - and remember this is always transient anyway (otherwise we wouldn't have EQ's!)

The prospect of 8 balanced armatures in TWS is almost unheard of. Well, other than this model! Whilst this may not be anything spectacular in the IEM world, for TWS my first thought was 'what are they going to trade off', because eeking out this level of power or performance from a Bluetooth chip is going to be interesting - even if they have come on leaps and bounds lately.

KZ's foray in the TWS world has been mixed to say the least. As good as the T1 sounded, they suffered with dropouts and poor battery life. Subsequent releases didn't improve matters either.

The SA08 delivered exactly what I was expecting - and probably what everyone else is too, but without giving too much away, on to the review:

The Unboxing - 6/10

After waiting 2 months for these to arrive, it was great to see these finally land on my doorstep. The construction of the case is on the premium side although very minimalist, almost Bauhaus! The Tronsmart Apollo Bold wow factor, taking you on a journey through manufacturing has been ignored in favour of durability - it's more substantial than your TaoTronics/Mpow/Soundpeats budget boxes - and it needed to be given the battering it took on its epic journey through Europe (the joys of buying through Aliexpress)

The excitement is quickly quelled when you realise you need to be Edward Scissorhands to get it open, because it sits completely flush. And unlike the iPhone, who adopt a similar style, teasing the base and the lid apart is not an option. Brute force and warranty voiding are the order of the day.

With my finger nails already bitten to the wick due to their prolonged AWOL period in Liege, you can imagine the state of them by the time I finally prized it apart.



The contents are offer no surprises - standard fare for KZ - everything you would expect, USB cable, reasonable quality transparent silicone tips, and all documentation stored in a small envelope, mostly in Chinese.

The Case - 6/10



The case is becoming seemingly more and more important as earbuds have evolved. I find myself moving the case around in my palms and scrutinizing stuff like the hinge strength and portability in far more detail than previously. I think it comes down to trying to find faults as earbuds have improved dramatically in the last 12 months.

Having seen my artsy opening pic you'll probably recognise the case. We've seen this 'puck' design somewhere before haven't we?! I don't remember who has the bragging rights if you could call it that to the design, but it's the same shape as previous KZ releases, and I'm pretty sure they used MIFO for the S1D, and identical to the Zen 233621, Cleer Ally Plus and Tronsmart Apollo Bold. And it gets the same score as they did, because it suffers the same issues.

They've replaced the hinge with a smaller, but noticeably stiffer component, although whether this is down to the period of time I've had the Apollo Bold, I don't know.

The etching of the KZ logo is very shallow compared to the Tronsmart, not that that makes the slightest difference to anyone, but is an observation that I'll note here anyway. You can tell I'm struggling here can't you

The dimensions are outlined below:



This makes them one of the larger TWS cases around, and is a 'jacket pocket' job - i.e. you wouldn't want it weighing down your trousers. The case weighs in at around 56g - a touch on the heavy side.

One of the big problems with the Apollo Bold case was the recess on the ceiling of the lid being too deep. This meant if the case turned upside down with enough vigour to break the magnetic hold, it could cause battery charging woes - i.e. you take them out and they're dead.

Getting the earbuds in and out of the case is also an ordeal. Getting them back in being the lowlight - they're a nightmare. The notch you can see in between the two buds lights up different colours depending on how much charge it has - IIRC it's green for 75%-100%, amber for 25%-75% and red for below, but I can't get the box back open to check!!

The case is 400ma and charges the buds a further three times - it is connected by USB-C, doesn't support quick charge or Qi wireless charging.

The Ergonomics - 6/10

I guess there's two parts to this - how they look and how they feel.



The profile on the outside is fine - it's the teardrop shape they use with other IEM's and is popular with the likes of MIFO and TFZ. The lights change blue or red depending on whether they are paired, are pairing, etc.



The problem for me is that whilst they have tried to get a custom fit against your concha, whilst they achieve this, in order to squeeze in all those balanced armature drivers they end up looking, and feeling, like you've got lego in your ears.



We thought the Apollo Bold were beasts, but these are in another league.



Without the ridged are that you can see beyond the L to the outer edge, these would actually be really nice fitting - and that, my friends is the first trade off. The problem is exacerbated further, as whilst they aren't excessively heavy, they are somewhat lopsided. Due to the weight displacement being so disproportionate, they can come loose very easily, even with foam tips (as pictured below). Adjustments galore! This can ruin the sound, as even a micro adjustment can screw with the deliver, and be pretty annoying at the best of times.

However the drivers are round and the neck is long, so depending on the proportions of your inner and outer ear, this could allow deeper insertion, which would improve the already very decent isolation they offer even when balanced tentatively like a learner swimmer taking their first dive off the top diving board, as they were in my case!



Clearly some thought has gone into the ergonomics, although the alloy battery connectors still touch the skin - not one for those with allergies.

Everything about the finish is what sets experienced manufacturers like KZ apart. Despite their relatively young life - they're around 5-6 years old - this is not their first rodeo, and it shows - the materials used are high quality and well finished, although you can't help feeling this doesn't help with the weight displacement issue.

There is no waterproof rating evidenced anywhere other than a few aliexpress sites stating IPX4 -

Audio Quality - 10/10 (for the price paid), 9/10 (raw score)

Well well well. KZ have somehow managed to balanced technicalities and clarity with warmth and depth. Honestly my mind was blown - I mean it's not in the league of IEM's, and it certainly plays fast and loose with the idea of being balanced, but everything sounds magnificent.

The all-round sound is reminiscent of my favourite budget IEM's - the Blon BL-01 - the bass is fast and pronounced but levels off perfectly with a rich but not overbearing subbass, I've seen some reviews saying low mids are recessed, but that certainly wasn't the case with any of the tracks I tested them with. In fact - I would say the opposite, it's the high mids that can be a touch harsh. The treble is far brighter than the ASF and for prolonged use you may want to EQ it a shade as the sibilance we come to expect with TWS is discernible. Vocals and instruments separate extraordinarily well for TWS,
I have seen some reports of white noise, and whilst I expected this given the sensitivity of balanced armatures, I can't hear it. That could well be my hearing though! I also read some criticism of them sounding tinny - I couldn't disagree more, they are quite the opposite in fact. I did notice that they are very dependent on positioning though - get that right and the bass shines through.

I was so blown away I tested them with tracks I produced years ago, and sure enough they sounded pretty close to my reference speakers. Very very impressed. They use AAC on all devices.

A final word for the soundstage - wow. It can effortlessly gravitate between intimate and airy, just as quality earbuds should.

The 9/10 score is for TWS. Remember, the results on TWS are not comparable to wired multi-driver IEM's, and this is clearly evident if you switch straight after.

Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors - 6/10

Far better than I expected and better than previous attempts from KZ. Not unusable and clearly some effort has gone into isolation, as they performed fine outdoors. Cars are audible but muffled. Sadly you can sound a little robotic, but clarity is retained, so a job well done.

Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 6/10



Controls are awkward. The flat outer plate is not sensitive - you have to get them in the right spot, and often if you try and switch between high performance mode and normal, you will end up shutting the earbuds down or removing the pairing, which is most annoying. Unfortunately no volume controls

When you do make contact, they're responsive, and there's no 'lag'. Connectivity spoils them though - yet again the left and right earbud drop out periodically. This can ruin relaxing and listening to your favourite jams in full flow.

KZ don't advertise anything other than the low latency / high performance mode other than the Balanced Armature drivers. Unsurprising really, as that's about all they have to offer. You can use them in single or dual mode though.

Latency is OK-ish...even in low latency mode it definitely isn't close to lip-syc and Bluetooth Tweaker didn't give me any clues either. As mentioned earlier, no wireless charging, no app, no nothing really - just very good sound.

Battery Life - 4/10

As expected battery life suffers. Even at 60% volume - and these are loud - I have invariably achieved between 2 hours 15 minutes and 3 hours 10 minutes on a single charge. That could mean 12 hours, it could mean closer to 9 - nowhere near what we should be expecting in 2021.

Final Comments

The intro kinda summed it up. They sound great, without question - but the practicalities are hurdles that KZ still haven't overcome. Without good battery life, well-distributed ergonomics and strong connectivity, these offer one use-case - at home - when most of their customer base has amps and IEM's anyway.

The cynic in me thought the 4BA per bud would be a gimmick. It clearly isn't. They have managed to add detail and clarity to a punchy, v-shaped sound signature that will wow consumers but leave audiophiles wondering what the fuss is about - I'm somewhere in the middle, I love that they've managed to get this sound profile into a TWS, but hopefully this is the springboard to resolving the basics.

At £45ish they are reasonable value for money so temper expectations accordingly - these are evolution, not revolution.

Price Weighted Score: 79%
Raw Score: 74%
2022 Score: 71%

RC021

How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
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Model: Soundpeats TrueAir2
Price: £29.99 (Currently £24.99 with voucher)
Soundpeats Website: Here
Review Reference: RC021

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: SoundPEATS
• Model: TrueAir 2
• Driver: 14.2mm bio-compound diaphragm
• Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3040
• Impedence: 16Ω
• Frequency Response Range: 20-20000Hz
• Mic: 4, cVc 8.0
• ANC: No
• Codecs: AptX, SBC
• Earbud Weight: 3.89g
• Earbud Dimensions: 24-26mm wide, neck approx. 13mm, 20mm height
• Case + Earbuds Gross Weight: 33.54g
• Case Dimensions: 52mm (length) x 52mm (width) x 21mm (height)
• Case Charge Capacity: 300mAh
• Full Charge Time: 90 minutes
• Quick Charge: No
• Wireless Charging: No
• Input: 5V 1A
• Single Use Playtime: Up to 5 hours
• Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 25 hours
• App Support: Not currently
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
• Bluetooth Protocols: HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
• Water Resistance: IPX4

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x Type-C USB Battery charging case
1 x Type-C USB charging cable
1 x User manual, quick guide, warranty card, €20 off VIP card

Real Life Experience

Up until this point, SoundPEATS had very much sat in the 'budget buds' category. Having been around for a long time (they were previously marketing under the name 'Dudios', they are no overnight sensations - Shenzhen SoundSOUL Co has been established since 2010, with patents stretching back to 2015. Like Tronsmart, they are no 'smart device who just happens to OEM earbuds' vendor, they are a growing, established brand that really took off during 2020/21.

The thing that sets SoundPEATS, and Tronsmart for that matter, apart from other vendors, and makes them amongst my favourite budget earbud vendors, 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.

The TA2 were one of the first to the market to use the Qualcomm QCC3040 chipset. They must have bought up a lot of stock as even Qualcomm were complaining of supply shortages! So I was excited to review this, the Sonic, and their other upcoming releases.

The Unboxing - 7/10

The box is almost identical to the Sonic, which I reviewed here. It advertises the 25 hour battery and QCC3040 chipset. No mention of aptX-adaptive, which is a shame as the chipset is capable of it. I bought both the black and white, and each has their own colour - a nice touch.



SoundPEATS included a €20 off voucher, and whilst it does not mention or even allude to a 5 star review (like Taotronics, Aukey and others who have recently been culled from Amazon) it's not a practice I support. Granted, if you do sign up to their mailing list etc they don't spam you like Taotronics do, but even so the product should speak for itself, and in Soundpeats case, it does!

The unboxing is more premium than Soundpeats pre-H1 offerings. The QR takes you through to their various digital marketing platforms. The quick guide is a little hard to read, but straightforward enough.

The Case - 7.5/10



The TrueAir2 case is quite nice, if a little budget-feeling. The finish is a little sloppy and scratches emerge fairly quickly, but this really isn't an issue. It has a weighted hinge and a small lip for single-handed use. At 5cm square and just 2cm high, it has a nice 'palm of your hand' feel to it.



At 33.5g few cases are as light as the TA2.

Comparisons:

SoundPeats TrueAir 2 - 34g average
1More Comfobuds - 36g average
QCY T10 - 36g average
FIIL CC2 - 42g average
TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 - 47g average
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live - 52g average



Inside, the buds site facing the base, and snap in really nicely. I much prefer this design to the cigarette box approach that TaoTronics, Apple and Boya use. As I demonstrated in reviews of the FIIL CC2 and TaoTronics 95, that style can present issues with getting the buds in and out of the case. No such problem here. There is a designated L and R to remind you where to put them. Inside the red light denotes they need charging. This turns to white when they are charged.



It stacks up well against other peers too. The FIIL CC2 is beautifully finished, but its open style leaves it prone to picking up pocket or handbag debris which can get in the way of the charging connectors. The 1More Comfobuds case is probably my favourite of the lot, adding a green/amber/red charge light to the front - and the absence of this is a bit disappointing.

On the TrueAir 2 the light is at the side next to the charge connector - logical, but not generally in your vision when you're charging them. Still, I prefer a side-mount charge socket and a light at all - the Moripods (top left) have the USB-C connector on the bottom, which is awkward, and the light is not especially obvious, hidden within the plastic.

On my white buds they were shipped in Single Mode. To clear this, you place them in the case open and hold down the Multi-function button for around 10 seconds. The lights will flash red then white twice to denote that it has cleared, and you're good to go again.

The Ergonomics - 8.5/10

The Soundpeats Sonic ergonomics let it down for me, and it was a similar story with the TrueEngine3SE. It was the only thing wrong with an otherwise flawless pair of earbuds. No such misfortune here - the TA2 are sensational!



They sit really nicely in the ear and are not too long to be obtrusive. From the front, they are barely noticeable.



From the side, again nothing too overt, and they look subtle and pleasant. The light you see above disappears when music starts playing - a feature of SoundPEATS products.



Unlike many semi-in-ear buds, they seem to fit in your ears very well without a hint they are going to fall. I made it almost 90 degrees and still the earbuds stayed in!



How do they do it? Well, for a start, they've gone against the grain with a matching matte finish to the earbuds as well as the case. This gives them a modicum of extra resistance, and boy does it make a difference. The contoured shape and matte finish is really evident here. You can see the nib is evidently more refined, and the edges chamfered.



Above shows a comparison with the other popular current models of semi-in-ear buds. The TA2 have a longer, more rounded and angular neck, and the mesh section drops low, is well finished and they get the weight balance absolutely SPOT ON! There's no tipping due to a heavy main section - the exact opposite of the Soundpeats Sonic!

One minor issue is in favouring looks over practicality, the uglier, squarish CC2 and Moripods are easier to use in the touch control department.



With the TA2 controls in the grey section, that's generally where you would put your fingers to adjust them, as, well, there's nowhere else to put your finger. So you can inadvertently initiate the controls, which is a little annoying.




Against its peers it has the shortest stem at just 37mm. This makes it one of the less obvious earbuds out there, and no doubt assists with its stability. At 4g per bud, it is also lightweight, but not as light as the 1More. Nevertheless, again, it helps keep them stable.

Like many such buds, they are unfortunately only IPX4. They will survive a dash from the station in the rain, but don't take them in the shower.

Audio Quality - 10/10 (for the price paid), 8/10 (raw score)

I thought the Sonic were good...the True Air 2 are AMAZING!!!!

Are You Gonna Go My Way by Lenny Kravitz and Beautiful by James Blunt both show off the highly impressive frequency response and expansive sound stage. All of Me by John Legend shows how well vocals are represented - baritone, falsetto, counter tenor all sound majestic. Instrument separation is tougher with female voices - mezzo-soprano's like Leona Lewis see the mids recess a tad. But I'm splitting heirs here, if this is all I have to complain about then that speaks volumes.

While the Sonic were fatiguing, the TA2 are nothing short of joyful. The 14.2mm drivers are no doubt a help, but it goes beyond this - many earbuds at this price point have the same driver size and sound awful. SoundPeats get it bang on with the tuning of the TrueAir2 - even the soundstage, for buds of this type and price, is impressively airy.

Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 7/10

Not bad at all. On cellular they are clear, very good indoors, can suffer a little with echo in enclosed spaces as you would expect, but I had Catherine O'Hara wailing in the background on Schitt's Creek and it completely muted her on my call.

I then took the earbuds outside. The receiver didn't even hear some of the cars going past. Eventually some noises did inevitably filter through, and your voice is elevated and thins out a bit. It also dips from time to time, but is still distinguishable.

It was a similar story on Zoom calls, except my voice sounded even more natural.

Overall, really quite incredible for the money.

Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 7/10

Connectivity is, like the Sonic, absolutely rock solid. Distance was marginally shorter than the Sonic and on par with my SGBL.

Controls are fine. Play/Pause and Answering calls are predictably a double tap. Volume up and down is a single tap. Hold the buttons down for skipping tracks back and forth and rejecting calls. Triple tap for siri/hey google. This is uniform with the Sonic and seems to be their new system - and it's good.

The problem is it's a bit too sensitive. If I try to adjust the buds I will inevitably change track. Not much they can do about it, but app support to turn them on or off would solve the problem. For £24.99 I feel like an idiot for suggesting it, but these buds could sell for double easily and I would still feel like they were a bargain.

Single mode is possible, but I don't generally use it so I'm not sure how. My white set were shipped like it, and it took a reset to get them back to dual mode.

The Sonic feature aptX-adaptive, and the BT5.2 Qualcomm QCC3040 chip is also present in the TA2. We only get aptX on the TA2, but the chip I would imagine could allow for software enhancements in the future. Not that it really needs it - latency is so low - even YouTube music is almost lip-synched.

Voice prompts are quieter than the Sonic, and equally clear.

Battery Life - 8/10

Advertised at 25 hours total, my experience was between 3 and a half and 4 and a half hours from a single charge. This is far better in real-world tests than the 1More Comfobuds and Taotronics SoundLiberty 80, which barely gave me 2 and a half hours.

The case adds an additional 3 charges. Perfectly adequate for this form factor.

Summary

Sending back the Soundpeats Sonic was kinda disappointing for me because the sound signature was amazing. I was prepping my email to Soundpeats to plead with them to improve the fit - little did I know they already had a fantastic product ready and waiting!

At £24.99 these earbuds are daylight robbery. At £40 they would be a good deal. At £70 you would be hard pushed to criticise them - they're the best semi-in-ears aside from the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live - and some may even consider them better. They are unequivocally better than the Apple Airpods 2nd Gen. In fact, they are the best sub £50 earbuds I've tested this year, the best sub £25 buds I've ever tested, and in my top 3 overall for 2020.

Well done SoundPEATS!

Price Weighted Score: 95%
Raw Score: 86%
2022 Score: 85% (Now replaced by the TrueAir2+ and Air3)

SoundPEATS Review Inventory:

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)
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Model: TaoTronics SoundLiberty 95
Price: £39.99 (Currently £34.99 with voucher)
Review Reference: RC020

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: TaoTronics
• Model: SoundLiberty 95
• Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3020
• Drivers: 13mm
• Mic: 4, cVc 8.0
• Codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX
• Weight: 4oz
• Case dimensions: 4x3x1.3 in
• Battery Capacity: 300mAh
• Single Use Playtime: 7 hours
• Playtime Total with Case: 28 hours
• Case connection: USB-C
• Bluetooth Version: 5.0
• Bluetooth Protocols: HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
• Water Resistance: IPX6 (unconfirmed)

Includes:

1 x Pair wireless earbuds
1 x battery charging case
1 x free amazon voucher for 5 star review bribe (not OK)
1 x Type-C USB charging cables
1 x User manual, quick guide, warranty card (18 months if you hand over your data)

Real Life Experience

Taotronics have released several semi-in-ear buds to the market, and despite looking the most promising on paper, the 95 proved to be the most disappointing.

The Unboxing - 5/10



Taotronics are known for their cheap and cheerful packaging and the TT-BH95 are no exception.

Inside the box you get the obligatory 'share your 5 star review for a free Amazon gift card' that is the scourge of the Chi-tech market, a user guide and manual, as well as a small card that allows you to extend the warranty to 18 months by registering the product (giving them your email address so they can spam you)

The Case - 6.5/10

The case is becoming seemingly more and more important as earbuds have evolved. I find myself moving the case around in my palms and scrutinizing stuff like the hinge strength and portability in far more detail than previously. I think it comes down to trying to find faults as earbuds have improved dramatically in the last 12 months.

The TT-95 case is a portable but generic looking case, that fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. Annoyingly, the screen printed logo was wonky! Size-wise, it is slightly larger than the Buds Live and Soundpeats TrueAir2 cases, but unlike them it opens at the top.

This has its benefits and drawbacks. When you open the box, it can pair with your receiver without removing the buds (Hall Switch mode, apparently). However, it isn't always easy to replace the buds and I found them getting stuck in the wrong position at times.



It comes in a fingerprint-magnet piano black gloss finish and is powered by USB-C. The rounded base means it can't stand up, and is a little awkward to charge, especially as it doesn't support Qi.

At 5.5cm high, 4.5cm wide and just over 2cm in depth, it is delightfully portable.

The Ergonomics - 6.5/10

Some good points, some bad. They passed the shake test comfortably, meaning even if you have a shallow concha like me, they will rest reasonably securely, helped in no small part by the deeper 'chin', visible below.



The longer stem augments the call quality, but looks a little unsightly compared with shorter buds like the Soundpeats TrueAir 2.

The screen printed L and R are helpful but look a bit cheap. Also, notice the highly polished finish to the tips - this almost negates the advantage of the deeper neck by being a little slippery on your ear.

However the most annoying thing about the SoundLiberty 95 is the angled edge. Not only is it absent of any countour, the edges are sharp and the plastic rim thick. This makes them awfully uncomfortable for any real period of time, because every time you adjust them, you find them digging into your cartilage. Look at the contrast with the beautifully chamfered Soundpeats TrueAir 2.

Audio Quality - 7/10 (for the price paid), 6/10 (raw score)

The TT-95 are not going to have you dancing around the room. In trying not to sound too tinny, the highs have been more jettisoned than rolled off! Even Ariana Grande sounded like she was singing through a pillow. There is little to no sibilance, but with a fairly flat soundstage it makes for comfortable but somewhat drab, boring listening.

Still, they manage to avoid the problem with many budget buds of screeching vocals from the extreme V-shape signature to sound loud enough to dismiss the background noise, elevated due to the design of semi-in-ears. With their long battery life they are ideally placed for background noise while you work - you won't be fatigued by the sound that's for sure.

Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 7/10

The best feature of the TT-95 is the call quality. Whilst a tad robotic, it is clear, albeit a shade muted, and background suppression of all frequencies is well executed. It performed well on both cellular and Zoom.

Outdoors is also acceptable - again, the compression is evident, and it doesn't knock all sounds out, but it's good enough.

Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 6/10

Connectivity is pretty good. I got as far as I could with my buds live. They have a little go at staying connected then give up.

Controls are good - intuitive and accurate. One bonus is that I did not find myself accidentally touching the controls when adjusting the buds, as they are located right on the top, so you can move them around without fear of skipping tracks.

Double tap plays and pauses, as well as answering calls. Triple tap skips forward and backwards between tracks and rejects calls. You cannot control the volume on the buds touch controls sadly.

Latency is more than acceptable - as expected with aptX.

Semi-in-ear buds rarely offer any spectacular features - app support is rare, so no surprise that these budget buds don't offer anything like the bonus that the FIIL CC2 brings. There is no ANC - not that it works on semi-in-ear anyway, and no wireless charging or BT5.2. What you get is...what you get.

Battery Life - 7/10

For whatever reason, semi-in ear buds never quite hit the heights of silicone buds in the battery department. The TT-95 impress here though - I managed just over 5 hours off a single charge, which took around 1 hour and a half to cycle through. The case gives you an additional three charges, so we are talking around 20-22 hours total. More than acceptable.

Final Comments

Stem-based semi-in-ear have never really been my thing, but getting migraines, probably from feeling like I'm in a submarine for 8 hours a day from the pressurized silicone TWS I've been wearing for work then reviewing has seen me rethink my priorities.

I never expect sound to be as dynamic on semi-in-ear, and that's certainly the case with the TT-95. They've clearly tried everything to NOT sound like the headphones they hand out on flights (remember when we used to get on planes and travel to other countries?!) but at the expense of any kind of sparkle - the sound quality isn't better, it's just EQ'd badly. Well, not badly, just not particularly well.

The TT-95 are inoffensive listening, although I doubt the artists that made the music would say the same! It's comfortable listening though, with screeching kept to a minimum, although with a bland signature and limited soundstage whilst you will never get tired of using them, you'll never get excited either.

Call quality saves the TT-95 - it's more than acceptable, but in a congested market, in which even TaoTronics themselves have two other alternatives, they don't really offer enough for the money you pay.

Price Weighted Score: 70%
Raw Score: 64%
2022 Score: 60%

RC019

How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
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Model: Soundpeats Sonic
Price: £39.99
Vendor Website: Soundpeats
Review Reference: RC019

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: SoundPEATS
• Model: Sonic
• Driver: 10mm
• Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3040
• Mic: 4 cVc 8.0
• ANC: No
• Volume Control: Yes
• Codecs: SBC, APTX, APTX-adaptive
• Earbud Dimension: 18.3x20.5x27.2mm
• Charging Case Dimensions: 61x39x35mm
• Charging Case Power Capacity: 400mah
• Sensitivity: 94±3dB
• Resistance: 16Ω
• Frequency Response Range: 20-20000Hz
• Playing Time: About 15 Hours (volume at 60% on SBC)
• Earbuds Charging Time: About 1.5 hours
• Case Charging Time: 1.5 Hours
• Charging Case Recharge Earbuds: 2 times
• Earbud Power Capacity: 70mah
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth 5.2
• Bluetooth Protocols: HSP, HFP, A2DP, AVRCP

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
3 x Pair Silicone Tips
1 x User manual
1 x Cloth Carry Case




Real Life Experience

The Sonic were another exciting release from the fast-paced SoundPEATS brand, offering a new colour scheme and the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 chip, which supports the efficient aptx-adaptive codec, Bluetooth 5.2 and offers a monstrous single charge battery life.

SoundPEATS' back catalogue is becoming longer than Katie Price's list of conquests, and the Sonic Pro have already been added, essentially offering little different to the non-Pro version besides a more neutral sound signature and the lights no longer stay on. Result!

The Sonic are their mid-range offering, with the H1 being their flagship. The H1 lead in terms of clarity, the Sonic are their all-rounders, with a better mic (albeit with a questionable fit). The T2 are specialist ANC buds, and the excellent TrueAir2+ their 'Airpod' equivalent.

It's sometimes difficult to keep track of the SoundPEATS range, so I'm always happy when I get feedback that reviewing their offering has helped clarify the differences and ensured buyers know what they're getting. I probably get more feedback about SoundPEATS reviews than any other brand - which says more about SoundPEATS than my reviews! Their reputation continues to go from strength to strength, and the Sonic are another excellent release - but not for everyone. Read on and enjoy!

The Unboxing - 7/10



Soundpeats have definitely upped their game. The old budget packaging is gone - the new finish is glossy, the new Soundpeats logo is prominent, and it clearly shows the key features - aptx-adaptive, 35 hours playtime and the use of the QCC3040 chip. The unboxing is not on the level of Edifier or Tronsmart yet, but it's decent. The soft shell still remains - it's on the level of Taotronics now, rather than Mpow or Boltune.



Inside, they've added the nice feature of QR codes to extend the warranty to 21 months, and the case is presented minimally and in compact packaging. A small rectangular foam protection casing encloses the box, with the USB-C cable and spare tips in the cardboard insert above.

The Case - 7.5/10



The finish is a very nice brush metallic effect with a gold lip around the edge, with the Soundpeats logo on top. The case is powered by USB-C (no QI) and the adjacent indicator light tells you when the case is charging and when it is finished



The case also has a lighting scheme on the inside, with 100-50% charge designated with a green light, 50-10% in amber, and below 10% red. The light is in the middle of the two buds directly below. Whilst charging, the lights flash slowly in red when below 20%, amber when below 70%, green when charging up to 100%, at which point the green light turns solid. This is a nice feature that Soundpeats have had for a while.



The case is nice overall, and the magnets are strong, but the hinge is very flimsy and I can't imagine particularly durable. It does however give the already mammoth battery life a boost - a further two charges takes the playtime to 45 hours in total (3 x 15 hours). Sadly it lacks the wireless charging functionality of many of its peers, and does not support quick charge.



The case measures just shy of 6cm wide - one of the thinner cases I've tested, around 3.5cm high (slightly taller than the FIIL T1 series) and just under 4cm depth (one of the girthier cases around). This still makes them delightfully portable.

Ergonomics - 5/10, Build Quality - 7.5/10

The Soundpeats Sonic look great - the finish of the buds matches the case. They also feature a lighting scheme whereby the buds glow red when not connected (well, more an orange colour), flash until connected, and then when connected, stay lit in white until media starts playing.



This is the first problem. I woke up to find the room to resemble Blackpool illuminations during then I fell asleep listening to an audiobook. Due to Audible's sleep timer kicking in, the buds stopped playing media and stayed lit up, so absolutely do not consider these for falling asleep with, as this is the last thing your circadian rhythm will want, but they do act as a useful 'ready to talk' light for anyone who wants to interrupt you during the day!

Whilst there is no danger of them falling out when stationary, by laying the responsibility of keeping them in with the tips themselves, they are almost unbearably thuddy for exercise, and before long start to droop with any serious movement. This is such a shame, as their IPX6 rating does make them suitable for exercise, even a run in the rain. A wing tip would have really helped them, but the main problem is the weight displacement. There is a lot of tech in these buds, and that takes space. So ergonomically, the Sonic just don't agree with me in the same way the TrueEngine 3SE and H1, or even the T2, which have a shorter neck, do.



It isn't just exercise. They also wear quite awkwardly generally. The supplied tips are OK quality - which makes a change, and they have to be, as the top heavy buds try to rest in your ear canal.



The isolation is excellent when they are inserted and you get a seal, but because of their chunky design and lack of wing tips, they don't stay in place well at all and so the effort is lost. They've made an effort by contouring the buds heavier at the bottom, but whilst I'm sure this helps some, it doesn't really work for me. It makes them far less comfortable than the Alien Secret (pictured directly below the Sonic in the above image), and the angle isn't as ergonomic as the Tronsmart Apollo Bold, which rests in my ears much sturdier.

The price you pay for a lot of tech is the weight displacement, and this, along with the glowing buttons, makes the Sonic a no go for me as a daily beater.

Audio Quality - 7.5/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)

The Sonic are definitely tuned with the consumer in mind, with a punchy, aggressive sound signature that can become fatiguing even on 60% volume. The bass and top end are, whilst well represented, not easy to take for prolonged listening out of the box. Bass in particular is very heavy - I had to notch the sub-bass quite a bit to get them to sing to me, and whilst they are boomy, the lower frequencies are discernible and separate quite nicely, especially with a little tweak of the EQ.

Treble is crisp, female vocals are crystal clear with only a little sibilance. 'Heaven Help' by Lenny Kravitz sounded better than I think it has with many other buds I've tested - very intimate with a nice, balanced soundstage that eeks out what it can from in ear wireless buds - vocals come to the front quite clearly, almost as well with John Legend as they do with Mara Carlyle. Instrument separation is good even on challenging tracks.

Overall, the Sonic don't disappoint. Even if the sound signature is not as I like it, the response to EQ is good and shouldn't be a barrier with apps like Wavelet available to tune as much as 10 bars now.

Call Quality - Indoors - 7.5/10, Outdoors - 7/10

This style earbud usually struggles compared to stem-based, which bring the mic closer to your mouth. The Sonic were a pleasant surprise - very impressive for in-ear form factor buds. Calls to my mum to talk her through how to use password managers on Vodafone UK were noted as being very clear indoors.

I recorded a call from Poco X3 to iPhone, again on cellular, and it was perfectly passable - very clear internally, and only a few struggles outdoors. Excessive traffic or wind will inevitably result in the compression algorithms kicking in, and your voice starts to thin and break up a little, but this is a function of form factor and technology limitations, and no different to most earbuds on the market.

On Zoom I found it sounded even more distant and a touch robotic, but still better than most. It's up there with the Tronsmart Apollo Bold and FIIL T1 Pro in the market leading mic for in-ear buds.

Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 8/10

Connectivity is absolutely rock solid. I couldn't manage to get it to disconnect in my flat, making it the only earbuds to ever achieve this feat.

Controls are good - intuitive and accurate. They feature a tactile button - single tap for pause/play and answering calls, double tap left for volume down, right for volume up, triple tap left for game mode, right for voice assistant. Holding down the buttons when a call comes through rejects and skips tracks. All of these worked first time.

If you hold the button down for longer it even allows switching between calls. I did not test this. The only problem with the controls is the tactile button increases the pressure into your ear- the buttons are much firmer than the Whizzer E3 or Tronsmart Onyx Free.

Single mode is activated easily by simply taking one bud out. They do not auto pause, which will please many, as it seems it's a feature I am in the select few to appreciate!

There is no app - which is, whilst not a deal breaker, requires you having an EQ app to tone down the bass if you so require. (I recommend Wavelet on Android)

The earbuds support the aptX-adaptive codec, which I tested and verified on Android 11, and also the newest version of Bluetooth thanks to the BT5.2-ready Qualcomm QCC3040 chip. Whilst I didn't notice any obvious difference in sound quality, the excellent range, impressive latency (183 Ms on PC source to destination, and much lower on both IOS and Android) and long battery life reflect the enhanced chipset. For gaming they are a solid option.

Voice prompts are a little loud, but clear.

Battery Life - 9.5/10

15 hours from the buds themselves, a further two charges from the case. Amazing. Whilst I couldn't get 15 hours even on 60% volume, it wasn't too far short - approx 11 hours, and whilst not as advertised, the headline number is usually at 50% volume without taking into account calls (which use more battery than music) so this is very respectable compared to the marketed figure, and by far exceeding your average earbud.

Final Comments

The Sonic are unfathomably good for the low price - we really have come a long way in a short space of time. The sound quality is up there with FIIL as best-in-class for budget TWS, despite the very bass-heavy sound signature, which without a doubt will require taming with an EQ adjustment, and punching well above their weight for latency and mic quality (for this form factor). Battery life is incredible, and passive noise isolation is also excellent - albeit hamstrung by their outside-heavy form-factor, which often results in them drooping without some kind of adjustment.

Sadly the light up buttons and poor fit mean they are no good for me, but for others, as long as you can tolerate these nuances, don't hesitate to buy.

Price Weighted Score: 83%
Raw Score: 77%
2022 Score: 75% (since replaced by the Sonic Pro, not scored here)

SoundPEATS Review Inventory:

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)

Model: Boya BY-AP4
Price: £59.73, now available for £39.99
Link: Boya
Review Reference: RC018

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: Boya
• Model: BY-AP4
• Driver: Not specified
• Chipset: Pixart PAU1603FB
• Codecs: AAC, SBC
• Frequency Range: 20HZ-20kHZ
• Sensitivity at 100Hz: 102dB SPL/1mW
• Mics: 4
• ANC: No
• Volume Control: Yes
• Auto ear sensor: No
• Earbud Weight: 4.55g
• Gross Weight: 47g
• Case Dimensions: 48mm (width) x 32mm (depth) x 50mm (height)
• Case Charge Capacity: 1000mAh, 3.7w (tested, accurate)
• Full Charge Time: 120 minutes
• Quick Charge: No
• Wireless Charging: Yes
• Input: 5V 500mA
• Single Use Playtime: Up to 6 hours (50% volume)
• Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 22 hours
• APP Support: No
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.0
• Bluetooth Protocols: HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
• Water Resistance: Not listed

Includes:

1 x Pair wireless earbuds
1 x Battery charging case, Qi enabled
1 x Cloth carry case
3 x Pair silicon ear tips
1 x Type-C USB charging cables
1 x User manual (Chinese & English), quick guide (Chinese) & warranty card (Chinese & English)

Real Life Experience



The Boya BY-AP4 arrived in just two weeks from the Mouriv Aliexpress store, with a couple of enclosed full frame sensor cleaning swabs. Thanks!

Better known for their value microphones, it was a surprise to see BOYA enter the TWS market. I had high hopes for the AP4, especially due to their compact design and great looks. Unfortunately, that's where the fun ends...

The Unboxing - 8/10



First impressions are professional as you would expect at the higher bracket of the budget headphone price range. The box is premium and the manuals are enclosed in an envelope not dissimilar to those used by challenger banks to make the experience feel more high-end.

Once through the first layer, which details some of the key features, you get a nice insert with the BOYA logo printed on the front.

I never understand why these silly bags that don't stay closed are included but certainly not going to lose marks for it. As always you get tips and a type-C USB charge cable.

The Case - 9/10

The earbuds are available in three colours - white, black and grey. The white has a hint of baby blue on the case interior, the black an 'old gold' colour that would have been perfect owing to my lifelong allegiance or rather tribulation to my home town football team, Wolverhampton Wanderers (although it looks more like bright orange above). Despite this, I opted for the grey after I saw a YouTube review from Sean Talks Tech showing the texturised finish, and it did not disappoint.

The interior has a nice 'coffee' flavour to it with a caramel inside. The hinge is a little flimsy but has a nice although very subtle friction to it that is initiated when you push it back fully. It is by design light in order to allow flip-top 'one handed' opening. I can't stress how nice the case is - it's easily the best looking case I've reviewed so far.

The case has four lights at the front to indicate charge status. Whilst charging, the remaining charges will flash- so if you've charged it sufficiently to charge the buds 3 further full charges, 3 will be steady and 1 will flash when you plug it in.

One bonus feature at this price point is 'hall switch mode', which I'm told is the jargon for allowing automatic connection whilst they are in the case. This is news to me - it's not a feature I would look for but is supposedly one of the reasons Airpod owners justify their purchase. I tried the APP and they connected immediately - there is a short delay with the Boya, but it's still a pretty neat inclusion. It gives you time to then access Wavelet and EQ them, because if your preferred sound signature is like mine, you will probably need it.



As well as USB-C charge, the case also allows wireless charging, and gives up to 16 hours charging on top of the advertised 6, making a total of 22 hours.



Weighing in at 47g and measuring 48x32x50cm, it isn't by any means ultra-portable like, the FIIL T1 Pro, for example, but it is convenient. It's a similar size to the Edifier TWS NB2, but rather than lying flat, it stands upright like a cigarette box. Like the Edifier, this means that when the case is charging, it's upright. This is highly beneficial, and underrated. I find it annoying when the port is on the bottom, it's just messy and difficult to see the charge.

And despite this, it is only marginally larger than the Buds Live case in terms of footprint, my number one portable case. Boya put a lot of thought into this case and it delivers on every front.

The Ergonomics - 8/10



The Ap-4 are very nice on the eye and easy on the ear. But there's a few minor quibbles. The grey finish is nice enough, and the design is aesthetically pleasing as well as comfortable. There are microphones in the base for the voice, with the ambient mic on the inner side. The charge connectors are on the end, which, if worn at an angle reduce the risk of nickel coming into contact with the skin, especially as they are bevelled slightly.



The hole above the Boya logo is a flashing indicator light, and whilst the flashing when a call is coming though (double blue flash every 4 seconds), connection pending (blue flash every 0.5 seconds) and reconnection pending (single blue flash every 4 seconds) are unquestionably useful for single earbud mode and hall switch mode, unfortunately the buds also flash blue every 14 seconds to show they are connected, and red every 14 seconds to show battery low.

Whilst this isn't a deal breaker, it smacks a little of the old-fashioned, cheap earbuds from yesteryear. The light isn't too obtrusive and the form factor means you wouldn't lie down and listen to something in bed with them, but it's kinda annoying.



The fit is otherwise pretty good. I don't really like silicone buds for prolonged periods, and these are no exception, but they stay in the ear well with the largest tips, don't protrude out or inwards too far and are pretty subtle.



At just 4.6g they are lightweight. They include a pressure relief hole (somewhere) but do not feel invasive and are a good option for prolonged use.



With a length of just 30mm, they are the stubbiest buds of this form factor bar the Enacfire E90. This prevents them from being too obtrusive, but whereas the QCY T10 and Haylou W1 contour sharply, the Boya stick out a little, and are visible from front profile.

ANC - Not scored, PNI - 7/10.

As above, the noise isolation is very good. Despite not hugging your concha like the Tranya or Edifier TWS NB2, or having a bulbous base like the Omthing, the large tips do allow good isolation. They sit very light in your ears - whilst you can push them in deeper, it's at the cost of comfort and longevity - but when you do, they isolate even better. I have seen various adverts for these, including Amazon AE, that claim they have Active Noise Cancellation. This is misleading - they don't.

Audio Quality - 6/10 (for the price paid), 6/10 (raw score)

I have to be honest, out of the box I was utterly deflated. The mids are about as boxy as I've ever heard on a set of wireless earbuds, and the treble rolls off too early. It can make the audio sound pretty boring - and I don't mean boring in the sense of over-analytical, I mean...just boring and eventually fatiguing.

For audio books it sounds natural, but for female vocal tracks it sounds pretty awful and needs some work in the EQ. Feeding it through Wavelet surprisingly resolved some of the issues. Giving them a custom W shaped EQ, mimicking the Oppo PM1 with PM2 pads seems to solve the problem - instrument separation remains reasonably clean and the soundstage, whilst a little narrow, brings vocals to the front. Listening to 'Take on Me' by Aha was hardly what Morten and Co experienced in the studio, but it was good enough.

On iPhone, where I don't have an EQ app, it went back to sounding terrible. And by terrible, I mean god awful. What on earth were they thinking? I've tested mid centric IEM's before, but this was something else.

Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors - 7/10

Not bad at all. I tried a few calls with it and recorded them on my Poco as I wasn't 100% with the feedback I got.

They clearly compress background sound and seem to elevate your voice slightly. I would put them marginally ahead of the Edifier TWS NB2 in this respect.

Whilst the voice doesn't sound quite as natural as the Omthing, heavy traffic sounds more like wind - it does a very decent job of differentiating frequencies that require compression.

Boya don't specify the mic array but the SoC supports dual mic noise reduction. It certainly isn't in the same league as Airoha or Qualcomm's level of performance, but it's acceptable. This is the same chip Edifier use in the gaming GM4 buds, where latency is the priority.

Echoing is very apparent in large rooms, notably more so than others I've tested.

Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 6/10

Connectivity is fairly solid but not spectacular. Don't expect anything more than the 10m advertised. It gives you a 'link lost' notification when it drops, which is handy and an improvement over the usual beeps.

One annoying attribute is the 'headset connected' voice prompt. Maybe it takes a while for the buds to remember they are in dual mode, but it leaves you wondering for the first few minutes if you've got a connection problem as they echo slightly out of time.

Controls are actually pretty good. Double tap plays and pauses, triple tap left plays the previous track, right the next. Single tap answers calls, long press right rejects. Except it also turns the volume up. This was kinda annoying as I couldn't reject a call easily, the only annoying aspect to the controls - the volume control actually works really well, although notably when you're not trying to hide from the phone ringing.

They use the Pixart PAU1603FB-S1 BT5.0 chip. This was not advertised, and I probably wouldn't have bought them had I known - it is the same chip used in ultra budget earbuds such as the QCY T6, confirming they definitely don't have ANC, and have a limited range, focusing more on low power and latency. The chip supports AAC and SBC - no aptX. Windows gave a latency of 230Ms, which is pretty good for SBC, and what I expect from this chip.

Wireless charging, binaural mode and hall switch, as well as decent controls, give it an above average score - it lacks certain features you should really come to expect at this price point, such as app support, ANC, multiple latency modes, etc. App support I can take or leave, but at this price point you're not far short of the 1More Comfobuds Pro, FIIL CC Pro, and other mid range big hitters, both of which have very good ANC, and even the Honor Magic are arguably better value. The Haylou W1, at half the price, blow them away.

Battery Life - 7.5/10

I got 5 hours 25 minutes charge from one charge, and the case gives approx 22 hours. The single playtime is very good, the case less so, but still adequate.

Final Comments

Overall, whilst looking pretty and performing OK, the Boya BY-AP4 suffer from sharing the field of play with outstanding peers such as the FIIL T1-Pro, which are cheaper and come with a vast array of features as well as future proofing you to BT 5.2.

Paying a little more also gets you buds like the Tronsmart Apollo Bold, which have a chipset which will eventually support aptX-hd, app support and EQ's.

The AP4 took a while to reach the mass market, by which point they had been overtaken by the aforementioned 1More, FIIL and ZMI PurPods Pro. This unforgiving market stops for nobody.

The case and good ergonomics are almost a given at this price point - Boya need to do far more to justify the premium price tag than the few nice features they've included.

Had they been priced at sub $50 I'd have been more positive, but at £60 I expect more. A decent name in the mic world will not guarantee a successful release, and if you're asking me whether they are twice as good as the QCY t12 or half as good as the Jabra 75t, the answer is no on both fronts.

So not a terrible effort by any means, but priced far too high for what they are.

Price Weighted Score: 59%
Raw Score: 67%
2022 Score: 60%

2022 Comments:

As with all tech reviews, after a year or so the content becomes slightly irrelevant, as much of what we are comparing to is based on the market conditions at that time. The AP4 have aged - a nice looking case and wireless charging aside, there are no major benefits especially at the price. Sound quality in particular is way behind releases with a similar price tag today, so consider the date of the review very carefully, in every case, not just this model.

How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher

Model: 1More Omthing Airfree EO002BT / aka 1More Pistonbuds
Price: £18.81
Review Reference: RC018

NOTE: This review is about the original Omthing Airfree, NOT the Airfree Plus (released May 2022)

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand Name: Omthing
• Model: AirFree
• Driver: 7mm Dynamic
• Control Button: Yes
• Chipset: Not Known
• Mics: 4 ENC
• ANC: No
• Volume Control: No
• Battery Life: 4 hours / 20 hours
• Codecs: AAC, SBC
• Earbud Weight: 4g
• Impedance Range: up to 32 Ω
• Connectors: USB-C
• Resistance: 16Ω
• Waterproof: Yes
• Frequency Response Range: 20 - 20000Hz
• APP Support: Yes
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.0
• Waterproof Resistance: IPX4

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
3 x Pair Silicone Tips
1 x User manual

Real Life Experience

Welcome to the Regancipher review of the Omthing Airfree. Or is it the 1More Pistonbuds? Or is it both? Actually, it's both!

The Unboxing - 5.5/10



Unlike 1More's subsequent white-box releases, this was released in an ugly camo-green with a cardboard tearline along the edge....which once I used it, left it in no state for glamour poses.

What's inside is more or less the same as every other earbud set bar the FIIL at this sort of price point. It's more MPOW feeling, probably even less premium. This never bothers me if the earbuds sound good. And lucky for Omthing, this is the worst part of the experience.

The supplied tips are pretty much standard fare. I replaced them with a spare set of Edifier ones I had lying around, and whilst the flat donut style are more common now, back then it was quite difficult to get a good fit. The manual is straightforward and the USB-C charge cable is as you would expect.

The Case - 6/10



Sadly there is no quick charge, and wireless charging is also not supported. The USB port is to the rear. There are no obvious lights on the front to indicate charge but when you plug it in via the USB port, you will see a single white light shine through if you look closely enough. Unfortunately it was too difficult to capture with a phone camera.

It is 100% matte and rather generic looking - almost like they planned to release it with two brand names on! The lid is embossed with the Omthing logo, and whilst it feels a little flimsy, it has stood the test of time. Magnets are not particularly strong but do the job.



The buds slot into the top, and it is a little counter-intuitive and can leave you trying to push them into the case in a strange angle. Once you know, you know.



Portability is the case's key feature. It weights around 42g, is 71mm wide, has a depth of around 25mm and stands around 36mm high. This makes it a handy size for slipping even in a trouser pocket.

The Ergonomics - 8.5/10



After an ear infection left me struggling to use earbuds for a while, the AirFree were my choice for easing me back in. They sit beautifully in your ears with wider-than-usual ear tips. They are up there with the Edifier TWS NB2 as great all-dayers (if only they had the battery life to go with it!)



They are advertised as '4 mic' - one on the outside as pictured above, and one hidden on the bottom that is really quite difficult to spot (see below, bottom left corner as you look at it). There is also a light on the far right that flashes white when pairing.

The inside is really well designed. 1More should take note, their budget brand is ergonomically sublime. There is just no discomfort at all. The battery connections are placed away from your ear canals but I would imagine could get dirty quite quickly so care should be taken to ensure they retain their charge.

Passive noise isolation is OK - nothing special for me, but passable and great for the price.



For a stem-based earbud they are stubby. Far more lightweight than the Edifier TWS NB2, and much better fitting. However due to the design they are only IPX4,

They are shorter than the Boltune BT-BH024, but Boltune move the charging areas away from the ear - obviously Omthing can't do this due to form factor. No biggy.

Sound Quality - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)

It is hard to criticise the Airfree due to the pricing, and anyway, they perform really well for budget buds with a very strong subbass rumble and sufficiently accurate midbass that does a decent job of minimising bleed, not compromising too much on detail considering the dark undertone.

They lack the refined, detailed sound of the Colorbuds, for example - 1More's signature sound, but are punchy and lively enough to get your head moving, and shave off the upper mids sufficiently for bassheads to enjoy without too much sibilance inducing fatigue.

The only minor criticism is that their invasive design means that the soundstage is predictably narrow with everything front and centre - they certainly don't have the airy feeling of the Colorbuds, but the 7mm drivers are tuned with the average consumer in mind - and at the price, they do a very decent job..

Call Quality - Indoors - 8.5/10, Outdoors - 7/10

WOW! Fantastic sound quality for calls. One of the best I've ever tested for clarity and naturalness, your voice sounds far less robotic than many other I've tested. There is no fading in and out like the Aukey and MPOW sets I've tested - really first class.

Outdoors as soon as you get any noise, there is mild suppression and your voice is elevated over traffic and wind, but still almost impossible to hear. With little ambient noise you sound really clear.

Not only did the Omthing perform better than many more expensive offerings, they actually performed better than the 1More Colorbuds - their own premium brand.

Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 6/10

Connectivity is absolutely fine. Don't expect anything more than the 10m advertised. You get a subtle notification when you move out of range. It does take longer than any other set I've tested to connect when you take them out of the case though - a good 3-4 seconds. Again, it tells you when you're connected with a token sound. The chip supports Bluetooth 5.0, which was the de facto when these buds were released. Only the AAC codec is supported, but latency is really impressive, especially for videos, despite not supporting the aptX codec.

Controls are straightforward and responsive. You can answer calls, hail voice assistant and play and pause calls. You can use them in single mode, and that changes the controls, but I see this as a positive more than a negative due to the short battery life. Unfortunately volume cannot be controlled from the buds.

Omthing also have an app - although it is barely worth mentioning. On Android it allows you to update the firmware....and that's it. Upgrading the firmware seemed to change the sound a little, taking some of the slight harshness off calls (which wasn't present on music).

Battery Life - 5/10

Let's not dress it up, the battery life is poor - the blot on the copybook of these earbuds. They advertise 4 hours but I got less than 3, so expect total playtime to be around 15 hours - not great.

On my second day of testing, I'm getting a 10% remaining alert on windows after 2 hours and 20 minutes. This is a real PITA and almost ruled them out of me recommending them. You will struggle to get through the day even with the case providing extra charge unless you're listening in sprints not marathons.

Final Comments

Aside from the battery life and low WR rating, it is hard to find any fault with the Omthing Airfree. Their sound quality is first class for the price, microphone quality on calls is remarkable, and being able to upgrade the firmware is handy via the app.

If you are the kind of person who pops their buds in for calls and does some light listening to music/podcasts, and can charge in between, the Omthing Airfree would be a stellar choice for the money. If you're a marathon listener, sadly the battery life will cause frustrations and you should look elsewhere.

Had I paid the Amazon price, I have a feeling the little irks would grate more with me, but at £18 these earbuds are comfortable and well designed, albeit generic looking, that will certainly satisfy the casual user.

Price Weighted Score: 88%
Raw Score: 79%
2022 Score: 75%
2022 UPDATE - Now with Bluetooth 5.2, 4.5/23 hour battery life....and that's about it!

2022 Comments:

As with all tech reviews, after a year or so the content becomes slightly irrelevant, as much of what we are comparing to is based on the market conditions at that time. The Airfree lack many of the bells and whistles of more recent releases but their decent sound delivery and good call quality remain strong by today's standards, is just that crappy battery life that lets them down.

They haven't aged badly, and can be picked up for even cheaper, but even so I would spend a little more, with so many other good quality sets available around this price point. I haven't yet tried out the updated version, and probably won't, but the up-to-date specifications make them a plausible choice at the sub $30 mark.

How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
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Model: 1More Colorbuds
Price: £75.99
Review Reference: RC017

Manufacturer Blurb:

• Brand Name: 1MORE
• Model: Colorbuds ESS6001T
• Driver: Balanced Armature
• Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3040
• Mic: 4, cVc 8.0
• Active Noise Cancellation: No
• Volume Control: Yes
• Codecs: AAC, SBC, AptX
• Earbud Weight: 4g
• Earbud Dimensions: 26 x 22 x 21mm
• Case Weight: 41g (fully loaded)
• Case Dimensions: 60 x 38 x 30mm
• Connectors: USB-C
• Qi: No
• Input: 5v 1a
• Case Capacity: 410mAh
• Single Charge Playtime: Up to 6 hours
• Total Playtime: Up to 22 hours
• Charge Duration: 120 minutes
• Quick Charge: Yes
• Impedance Range: Up to 22Ω
• Frequency Response Range: 20 - 20000Hz
• Bluetooth Version: 5.0
• Water Resistance: IPX5

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
3 x Pair Silicone Tips
2 x Sticker
1 x User manual

Real Life Experience

Welcome to the Regancipher review of the 1More ColorBuds. After a few false starts with 1More's weird form factor releases, albeit great tuning, I was hoping this would be the release where I'd have more luck. Their neutral sound signature is right up my street, so finding buds with the ideal fit was a mission I was determined to pursue.

The Unboxing - 7/10

The 1More Casing feels premium, as it should for the price. The front details the key features - balanced armature drivers, quick charge and the Qualcomm chipset offering aptX support - and the back goes into more detail, including dimensions and weights.

As well as the usual fare you get a couple of stickers - cute!

The Case - 8/10




The case is shiny flesh-pink, is charged with USB-C and is reasonably portable. At just 60mm wide they are one of the narrower cases around, and despite weighing slightly more than some of the other earbud cases on the market on paper, it feels lightweight yet substantial.

The case is tall compared to the likes of the FIIL T1 Pro/ T1XS and Tronsmart Onyx Free, but nothing to be concerned about. It does not support wireless charging, but does have a rubber base like the Jabra 75t, which makes it handy for sitting on your laptop and not sliding off on the train.

There is a single light on the front, which turns amber when the charge starts to drop, and flashes red ten times when it is going to run out, and inside the case there's a button in the middle, I guess to reset and re-pair. 15 minutes charging gives you 2 hours - which is impressive.

Once inside you see a very small cockpit within which the buds sit in order to commence charging, held by a secure magnet, with a reset button in the centre. You get a total of 22 hours playtime from the case, which is not exactly market leading, but is more than adequate for most people.

The Ergonomics - 6/10



With a glossy exterior, the colorbuds have a premium feel to them. One mic is located on the top on the outside, and one at the base.




The earbuds are designed to be inserted and then twisted so the mic follows your jawline. At first, I found them really comfortable, but after 3 days my right ear is so sore I won't be able to use earbuds for a while. This could be subjective and may be one of many factors so don't read too much into this.



The shape is reminiscent of the Tranya T10 - bulbous and isolating, which it does well. It is also finished nicer than the Tranya so there is no plastic rubbing against your concha. However, as you may have noticed above, I had to switch supplied tips, which are atrocious to the point they actually stifle the sound. On first listen I thought the buds were rubbish, but after changing the tips a very different sound signature came to the surface.

They are IPX5 and at 4.1g each, they are ideal for sport even without a wing tip, which I usually prefer. The lack of ambient mode would rule them out for running.

Sound Quality - 8/10 (for the price paid), 8/10 (raw score)

£75 ain't that cheap for a set of earbuds, so I expected good quality sound, and I was not disappointed. The last 1More set I reviewed, the Stylish, were hollow and narrow. Not the case with these.

They are advertised as 'balanced armature' and whether they are or aren't, who knows. They certainly have a more balanced sound signature than I'm used to testing bluetooth TWS, but don't skim on the bass either. Bass is really well represented compared to the Stylish and came through very punchy, uncongested and tight when listening to techno, which is often the true test of a set of earbuds. My preferred styles - Opera and Melodic Techno - sounded really nice, almost average-IEM quality.

The soundstage is, well, as it should be - neither excessively airy nor intimate. Mids are excellent. Baritone tracks sound crystal clear with the vocals slightly set back giving detail to both saxaphones and bass guitars.

Whilst it's fair to say the kind of sound quality doesn't have you dancing around the living room, it makes you want to lie down and take it all in, imagining you're somewhere other than a soon-to-be locked-down (again) UK in the midst of a global pandemic. And there's something to be said for that kind of feeling right now.

Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 6.5/10

Clarity is surprisingly good for in-ears. Inside is perfectly acceptable, but outdoors is inconsistent. Even with traffic in very harsh conditions today, you could still hear my voice clearly and very loud too, sadly too loud - peaking at times. I would imagine this can't be good for your hearing, especially with the excellent passive noise isolation they offer.

This is typical of cVc 8.0 unfortunately - it does little in the way to balance ambient sound, letting everything through.

Clarity - 7/10
Affected by the environment - 6/10
Suppression - 6.5/10
Naturalness - 7/10

Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 6/10

First time connecting, the left bud disconnected with nothing around me and my phone about 20cm from my head. Not a great start. Since then, they have been fine. I've read a few reports complaining about them but after that initial hiccup they've been ok.

Controls on the other hand - well, who knows what they are meant to be doing. You don't seem to be able to change volume or change tracks. You can play, pause, answer calls.....and that's it. I would do as the guide says and change the controls on the app. Except it doesn't work on IOS. On Android it gives you some options to change the button config, but volume is greyed out. Voice assistant is hailed by pressing either bud three time. Allegedly.

On the subject of the app...it's not much. There's a battery indicator for each bud, user guide and the option to update the firmware. Mine were delivered with v0.21.0. You can also adjust the smart playback setting. This was a bit haphazard as well.

The buds support Bluetooth 5.0, and also offer the AptX codec as well as AAC and SBC. AptX offers improved latency on android, and this was evident in testing. Videos are close to lipsync, although gamers will probably want to look elsewhere.

Battery Life - 8/10

A solid 6 hours indicated, and just short of 6 hours was how long it lasted. Whilst the 22 hours provided with the case isn't exactly market-leading, it's good enough for most buyers.

Summary

A big jump in quality from the Stylish, but despite a pleasant audible experience, the 1More Colorbuds weren't for me. This release has been promoted as a 'comfortable' bud that is suitable for females and those with slightly smaller ear canals, but I found the real life experience to be quite the opposite, with unnecessary pressure against the tragus.

The case is odd-shaped, and that impacts on their portability. As good as the sound is, without a decent mic I am struggling for use cases for the Colorbuds.

Discomfort is of course subjective but it is a complaint I have seen from more than just me regarding these buds, so they sit very much in the 'try before you buy' category.

Price Weighted Score: 73%
Raw Score: 77%
2022 Score: 70%

RC016

How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: squiglink

Model: FIIL T1 Pro
Price: £54
Vendor Website: FIIL
Review Reference: RC016

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: FIIL
• Model: T1 Pro
• Driver: 6.1mm neodymium magnet moving coil with titanium plated composite diaphragm
• Chipset: Airoha Luda AB1562
• Impedence: 16 Ohm
• Mics: 4, ENC
• Control Button: Touch Control, two modes
• ANC: Yes, up to 30dB
• Volume Control: Yes
• Auto ear sensor: Yes
• Codecs: AAC, SBC
• Earbud Weight: 4.64g
• Earbud Dimensions: 25mm wide, neck approx. 15mm, 20mm height (28mm with wingtip)
• Case Weight: 32g
• Gross Weight: 40.86g
• Case Dimensions: 65mm (width) x 23mm (depth) x 30mm (height)
• Case Charge Capacity: Unknown
• Full Charge Time: 90 minutes
• Quick Charge: Yes, 5 minutes = 2 hours playtime
• Wireless Charging: Yes
• Input: 5V 1A
• Single Use Playtime: Up to 7 hours
• Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 32 hours
• APP Support: Yes, but only in Chinese
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
• Bluetooth Protocols: BLE/ HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
• Water Resistance: IPX5

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C & Qi Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
4 x Pair Silicone Tips
3 x Wing Tips
1 x User Manual
1 x Quick Guide



Real Life Experience

Welcome to the Regancipher review of the FIIL T1 Pro. This has been edited for 2021, so excuse some of the dated comments in advance - for example, my original review stated: 'FIIL may not be a household name in the consumer audio market - their website doesn't even have an 'about us' section, and googling them is eerily footprint-free but in the chifi audio world they have been one of the best kept secrets for some time'.....and whilst they aren't a household name, their website is still dreadful, and they have been a well-kept secret, the OEM'ing of this model by Earfun has definitely brought FIIL more into the spotlight than they were.

FIIL were founded by Chinese rock-star Wang Feng in 2015, aiming to emulate the successes of Dr Dre in the US, and is heavily involved in R&D and tuning. Bringing in Leon Wu as CTO from Plantronics was part of this journey, and the $30m+ ploughed in by VC seems to have pushed them in the right direction so far. After their Diva Pro succeeded on Kickstarter and received rave reviews across the board, they became the top selling mid-range headphone manufacturer in China within 2 years of their foundation and have won various design awards - IF Dot and CES, to name but two.

In 2020 they attacked the TWS market fiercely. The T1XS were fantastic, a great set of earbuds. Their only problem was the submarine-style pressure you would feel after prolonged use. Otherwise they do most stuff pretty well, without pushing the boundaries.

The T1 Pro were a little more mysterious - billed as their ANC release, they retracted marketing the product outside China soon after release. This is due to an agreement with Earfun to OEM the product for them in Europe as the Air Pro. Nevertheless, I and many other enthusiasts were quick to get them in for testing, attracted by their low cost and high end features such as wireless charging, BT5.2, quick charge, low latency, ANC and app support.

I have edited this review several times, but a year on from release and the buds are still impressive performers, and probably the best you will get at the price they are now.

Unboxing - 8/10



FIIL have a very familiar and consistent unboxing which is very easily identifiable and has been replicated throughout their releases. The front of the toughened cardboard box features images of the product, their logo and company slogan 'the art of noise' and logos for BT5.2 (not many buds supported this back in Q3 2020). The back details all of those high end features I listed in the intro.

The tiny charge case is enclosed in a hard foam casing, and underneath the array of tips and charge cable sit cushioned in a plastic crate-style enclosure. You get a nice selection of different sized silicone ear and wing tips, USB type C charge cable, charge case and earbuds. Some thought has gone into ensuring things don't bounce around in the transit - the plastic insert is moulded to fit the USB-C cable, and is higher quality than the one included with the T1XS. The first thing that struck me about the tips was was the height. I compared the T1XS tips and noticed they were a little taller, but also, the quality is visibly worse - they are thinner and flimsier, and one seemed misshaped.



Underneath is the manual - exclusively in Chinese and a 'dark mode' style quick guide card. Whereas the card (not pictured) on the T1XS had English instructions, the Pro is 100% Chinese, again reflecting that these were a domestic release not meant for the worldwide market.



The manual is simply not worth attempting to translate, especially as there is an English version of the app which details how to use the buds much better than the manual can anyway.

Case - 9/10



Like the T1XS case, it is refreshingly simple, portable and functional. Similar in construction and dimensions to the T1XS, (perhaps 1-2mm taller) it lacks a little of the durability, omitting the double-reinforced hinge in favour of a flimsier, single hinge. Whilst this initially raised question marks about its durability, it has stood the test of time so far - no problems at all. It is also finished with a dark grey matte-look, and looks as good as the day it arrived, unlike many of my cheaper buds which are scuffed to high heaven.

The FIIL logo is screen printed on the top, which is protected with a thin additional transparent layer. There is a charge indicator light on the front of the case, which changes colour depending on how much charge is remaining. The buds also start to flash blue when you open it, denoting they are pairing, or attempting to pair, with your device.



The case's dimensions make it one of the most portable sets of earbuds on the market - the lipstick of charger cases. The USB-C charge socket at the back allows for around 3-3.5 additional charges. It supports quick charge - giving you 90 minutes playtime from 15 minutes charging, and wireless charging too. You just pop it on a wireless charger and away you go.



The case weighs in at 40g fully loaded, which is pretty light compared to the average case, which usually weigh in at between 40-45g.



It remains one of the smallest charge cases around, and given the extra playtime (it charges the buds an additional four times, taking total playtime to around 30 hours), features and size, it is ideal for the daily commute, fitting even in your trouser pocket.

Ergonomics - 8.5/10



The piano black finish looks good and is nicely sized, allowing for accurate touch control. The outer ambient mic - pictured at the top of the grey bezel - does a solid job - more on this under call quality. Just above the ambient mic is an LED, which flashes blue



At just over 4.38g, that's a lot of tech in a very small, lightweight footprint, and their 'light as a feather' marketing is justified - they do feel extremely slimline in your ears.



They are noticeably much thinner and lighter than the T1XS, and sit really nicely in your ears. However, whilst the T1XS were bulkier and more geared up for passive noise isolation, the T1 Pro, despite featuring ANC, aren't really designed with this feature in mind.

The oval shaped driver surround is no revolution - we've seen it with the Tronsmart Apollo Bold, Huawei FreeBuds Pro, FIIL CC Pro and Xiaomi Flipbuds. The T1 Pro's nozzle is much smaller in diameter than most of those examples, however the instruction to shove this into your ear canal is not wise. This is, I guess, why they include the longer tips, but the tips are so poor quality air gets through very easily and the noise cancellation appears even worse than it actually is.



You can see below that FIIL's idea of wearing them at 90 degrees, like the Whizzer E3, is impractical. So I don't.



Once you get a proper set of tips on, and tilt them a little in the same way I had to with the T1XS, you get a better seal, comfier fit and overall more pleasant experience. This makes the longer wing tips almost essential, so they nestle securely inside your concha. You've got a little play there with the angle, but not as much as FIIL suggest - 90 degree is going to be a non-starter for prolonged use. Once you get the fit right, and it takes a lot of fiddling around, you may notice the sound distort briefly as you put pressure on. This doesn't bode well for the longevity, but overall, is the experience better than the T1XS? Well, eventually, yes, they are more comfortable, but don't expect to get there fast.



Further analysis shows they are clearly not only some way slimmer than the T1XS, but also many of their peers, some of which were already reasonably slim. As a result, they leave far less of a footprint on the outside, making them ideal for sleeping in, but they are also less obtrusive, and look better overall. However the right angle style neck is a little invasive, so whilst these are the first earbuds I've kept in overnight and not woken up trying to find them, they do apply some pressure to your ear canal, so prolonged use may present some comfort issues eventually.



I finally found a few sets of eartips that really get the best out of these buds. The Feaulle h370 latex tips notch the sometimes piercing trebles and rumbling basslines and put a little space between you and the sound. These 'azla sedna xelastec' wannabes are perfect for the T1 Pro and XS, both in terms of comfort and sound. Alternatively, if ANC is your priority, the Tanchjim T-APB T300B/T Large also fit well, and augment ANC by giving you a comfortable seal.

Sound Quality - 8.5/10 (for the price paid), 8/10 (raw score)

The T1 Pro are great performers to listen to any music style with, albeit a little raw at times. The highs can be quite piercing, but only a small amount of sibilance where the vocals are particularly lispy on lower volumes. Out of the box they are tuned for consumer listening rather than my preferred sound signature, but the app allows a LOT of tweaking - a myriad of EQ settings, almost too many.

Now when I say app, I mean the global app where you pretend they are the T1. Not the Chinese app, that's a whole different kettle of fish (more later). Alternatively there are excellent EQ apps such as Wavelet on Android which do the job.

Where they beat the T1XS is on the mids. The T1 Pro recess quite sharply, but there's less bloat in the lower frequencies than some of their previous releases. At times you can achieve good tonality and a diverse soundstage, especially with the Feaulle tips. The sound separation does lack the intricacy of the Lypertek Tevi or Shanling MTW100, and is clearly outperformed by the KZ SA08, Edifier NeoBuds Pro and even the KZ SKS when tested strenuously, but it performs very well most of the time and will be suitable for your average ear.

Like the T1XS, low mid response is quite quick, but less sloppy on the T1 Pro, with less recess and less confusion or distortion, especially with baritone vocals and bass guitars. If anything, I'd say they are more raw sounding - the compression you sense on most earbuds isn't quite as obvious - but still a little harsh sounding for my own personal preference. I find myself notching the majority of the higher frequencies and subbass in particular to get a more rounded sound, and this can detract a little from the strength of the buds - their dynamism.

If you like your sound punchy and harsh - the T1 Pro are just that out of the box, but they respond quite well to EQ, and whilst not audiophile quality, when you balance the features and sound, the whole package is very impressive.

ANC - 6/10

I've seen some really bad reviews of the ANC. It isn't half as bad as the reviews suggest, but is comparable to the Jabra Elite 75t - you guess it was kind of an afterthought.

In 2021 the Edifier Neobuds Pro are on another level, and even when ANC was a 'nice to have' back when the T1 Pro were released, the Tronsmart Apollo Bold were still far superior in this department. And it shows, with a pretty average performance compared to the above two budget-leaders.

"Sin chao kai" is the default mode, which I guess is almost certainly noise cancellation 'on' - it drowns out low and mid frequencies very well but high frequencies are easily still present: keyboard taps, etc come through evidently. Holding the left bud for two seconds gives you the announcement 'Sin chin tai', which appears to be ambient mode, which is OK but not as obvious as newer buds to the market. 'MAF quan' seems to be, well, I have no idea what it is - maybe just ANC off? It seems to be pretty average at everything, you still hear low frequencies and higher frequencies are there, albeit slightly less obvious.

You can improve the ANC with better tips (see above) as like all FIIL releases, the supplied tips don't really do the buds justice.

Call Quality - Indoors - 7.5/10, Outdoors - 6.5/10

There is clearly some mic-based noise cancellation from the mic array. Like with the ANC, they are much better at filtering out the low end than higher frequencies. Adult voices indoors are evidently muffled, children's voices not so well.

Outdoors, whilst wind is not prominent, you can hear passing traffic but there is evidently extra compression compared with the T1XS, whilst trying hard to retain a relatively natural sound to your voice with no connectivity drops. When I say natural, I'm talking in relative terms. The compression means they do still sound a touch robotic.

I updated the score on the outdoor performance on a blustery day where I pushed every earbud to their limits with wind, rain, a face mask and traffic - and the T1 Pro performed better than most, including some stem-based such as the Edifier TWS NB2, which you would expect to perform very well in varied conditions given their form factor, but downgraded them again after my recent test of 28 different tws models, where they clearly fall short of some of the newer releases on the market today:



Connectivity, Controls, App Support and Other Features - 9/10

Connectivity is strong. No issues at all whether indoors or outdoors. Bluetooth 5.2 gives you a degree of future-proofing, despite it not really being adopted yet at all, let alone universally.

I did suffer with the left bud occasionally not synchronising with the right. This is commonplace with binaural-supporting buds - I am seeing the same with a lot of the newer Qualcomm QCC3040 buds too. On my T1XS I get an announcement saying 'sync' - I don't get anything on these.

App support is, let's be frank, flakey. FIIL+ still doesn't officially support the T1 Pro. You have to use the Chinese version of the app, which I host here, or better still, you could use the English translation of the global app v3.1.1.6, which supports all of the newer FIIL releases and is discussed here over on XDA.

The app itself is pretty feature rich if you can get it to work. The first thing is changing the button configuration to ensure you are able to do stuff like toggle ANC, control volume etc. Once that is done, you have an array of options in terms of EQ, can toggle low latency mode, and can even adjust the touch sensitivity if you are getting false activations. Unlike the T1XS, you cannot change the announcements to English currently, a year after release, so don't expect it any time soon.

On the same thread, one poster translated some of the screens in the android app, so if you don't feel comfortable installing the translated app, hopefully this should help you:

Installing the app requires a lot of permissions, probably too many for the more privacy-aware amongst us. Once you sign your life away to Xi Jinping, you're given access to the buds, and importantly changing the control scheme to allow full controls.




The main screen denotes level of battery remaining in the buds and case. 'Not wearing' is actually denoting whether wear-detection is on or not.

The middle slider option allows you to adjust the media and call volumes respectively - a nice feature - and adjust ANC. You get some default EQ profiles, and a further, in depth option.

Advanced gives you ten-band slider - impressive - most rarely extend beyond 5.

The bottom section gets around the initial perceived inability to change the volume through touch control, because like the T1XS, FIIL made the decision to ship these by default in 'easy' mode, which only allows you to skip tracks, so you have to switch it in the app. They support auto pause (you have to scroll down for that) when removed from your ear, and have a gaming and movies mode for reducing latency.

Full controls are explained bottom middle, and also detailed (in Chinese) on the quick guide. Once these controls are activated, they become far nicer and easier to use.

Ffinally you get a button sensitivity adjustment area. Impressive. Such as shame it's such a task to get it running outside China.



Bluetooth tweaker revealed some oddities in the codecs. On SBC they have reduced the Bitpool differential, reducing the max bitpool from 2 to 8. This meant that I was able to achieve the lowest latency I've ever tested - 189ms (source to destination) - beating the previous best, the Edifier TWS NB2 & the T1XS, by some distance. Interestingly, the T1 Pro do not support MPEG-4 AAC LC - only MPEG-2 AAC-LC. By stripping out legacy components within the codec, it allows them to up the maximum bit rate to 393,216 - roughly the equivalent to AptX. Basically, they're dictating the AAC implementation by reducing the workload the SoC has to do to deliver audio. Very smart, and I expect to see this increasingly over time.

Using the Airoha chipset, this means no aptX or aptX-adaptive support - AAC and SBC only, although as per the above, it's not a big deal.

Nevertheless the feature-rich headlines are warranted. This is an impressive release with almost every box ticked.

Battery Life - 8/10

6 hours as standard, I got just over 5 on one earbud, as with the T1XS the other drained a little quicker. The charge case gives you around 32 hours - my experience was a bit less, but not hugely so. Supports quick charge as stated - 15 minutes gives you around an hour and a half charge.

Even in 2021 this is still top notch. They also support quick charge, allowing nearly two hours playtime from 15 minutes of charging.

Final Comments

The big question back in 2020 was 'should I get these if I already have the T1XS?'. In 2021 it is 'given the array of similarly priced buds offering similar features, should I get them?'. The answer to both questions is still most likely to be 'Yes'.

ANC is there, but it's not as good as the competition, and this is still the case in 2021. That said, it is a nice little upgrade from the T1XS, which, whilst they had good passive isolation, would become a tad uncomfortable when used over a prolonged period. The T1 Pro alleviate this to a degree, but you need to get your tips right. The ones that come with them are unsuitable - I've tried a few and ones mentioned above - the Feaulle H370 and Tanchjim T-APB T300T elevate these buds to another level, the former giving your ears room to breath, and the latter increasing their hybrid noise cancellation performance. With the right tips, you don't know they're there for prolonged spells, and their lightweight footprint makes them ideal 'all-dayers'.

The audio delivery was excellent by 2020 TWS standards and the T1 Pro are still good by 2021 benchmarks, with the blurring of the lines between chifi and 'big brand' increasing by the day. There will likely be no necessary EQ'ing for the average consumer - they just sound great out of the box, but if you do prefer a more balanced sound you will need to tweak them, and there's no obvious degradation, although you lose a little tonality and timbre sounds slightly off - a small tradeoff for most users.

When the T1 Pro were released, they offered a number of outstanding features that pushed them to the forefront of the market. Now the price has dropped, they remain a solid choice - one of the best around, and despite the global app still not really supporting them, you have lots of ways around it, such was their popularity.

I still recommend the T1 Pro, or Earfun Air Pro, as a top-3 'mid-range' offering. Their sound has been eclipsed by the Soundpeats H1, Moondrop Sparks, Edifier Neobuds Pro and KZ SA08, to name but a few, but they still offer more practicality than any of those three, with far more features that make them still perfect all-rounders for those who use their buds for sport, commute, calls and casual listening, at a great price. Well done FIIL!

2020 Price Weighted Score: 93%
2020 Raw Score: 87%

2021 Price Weighted Score: 90%
2021 Raw Score: 86%
2022 Score: 83%

FIIL Review Inventory:

CC Pro
CC2
T1 Pro
T1 XS

About FIIL:

FIIL were founded by Chinese rock-star Wang Feng in 2015, aiming to emulate the successes of Dr Dre in the US, and is heavily involved in R&D and tuning. Bringing in Leon Wu as CTO from Plantronics was part of this journey, and the $30m+ ploughed in by VC seems to have pushed them in the right direction so far. After their Diva Pro succeeded on Kickstarter and received rave reviews across the board, they became the top selling mid-range headphone manufacturer in China within 2 years of their foundation and have won various design awards - IF Dot and CES, to name but two.

How I review: (See Previous Reviews)

Model: Alien Secret Predator QCC010
Price: $20
Vendor Website: Alien Secret Audio
Review Reference: RC015

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: Alien Secret
• Model: QCC010 Predator
• Driver: 6.2mm carbon nanotube Custom-Made High-Fidelity MicroDrivers
• Frequency Range: 15Hz - 22Khz
• Sensitivity at 100Hz: 102dB SPL/1mW
• Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3020
• Impedence: 16 Ohm
• Mics: 4, cVc 8.0
• Control Button: Yes, tactile
• ANC: No
• Volume Control: No
• Wear Detection: No
• Codecs: AptX, AAC, SBC
• Earbud Weight: 4.27g
• Earbud Dimensions: 23.7mm wide, neck approx. 12.6mm, 21mm height
• Earbud Battery Type: Varta CP 1454 Lithium-Ion Micro-Coin
• Case Weight: 43g
• Gross Weight: 51.94g
• Case Dimensions: 63mm (width) x 30mm (depth) x 42mm (height)
• Case Charge Capacity: 1000mAh, 3.7w (tested, accurate)
• Full Charge Time: 90 minutes
• Quick Charge: No
• Wireless Charging: Yes!
• Input: 5V 1A
• Single Use Playtime: Up to 8 hours (50% volume)
• Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 80 hours!
• APP Support: No
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.0
• Bluetooth Protocols: HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
• Water Resistance: IPX5

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C & Qi Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
3 x Pair Silicone Tips
1 x Quick Guide



Real Life Experience

Who are Alien Secret? How the hell should I know?! I only just recently found their website, and the first thing you see is their Airpod clones. Not exactly inspiring!!

Despite that, the QCC010 or Animobuds or whatever they are called, looked very impressive on paper. Using the Qualcomm QCC3020 chipset, the product defied their lowly price on paper. I've had this situation before with both the Whizzer E3 and Boltune BT-BH024 and been pleasantly surprised, so I was hoping for more of the same with the Predator, QCC010, etc...

The Unboxing - 5/10



Alien Secret are not going to win any awards in the unboxing category. The buds arrive in a very basic plain white box with a very flimsy set of instructions. Seller advertised free foam tips but they weren't included.



Included is a usb type C charge cable, 3 sets of short, silicone tips, charge case and manual (Chinese and English). The manual did not make a whole lot of sense to me and is absolutely tiny!



The tips are very short, and they should be - longer would be uncomfortable. You'll probably want to replace the tips - they've cut corners here, as you would expect for the price.

The Case - 8/10



Well, as you can see we almost broke the record for the tallest case! Only the Whizzer E3 is taller, and it measures twice the height of the FIIL T1XS.



Perhaps a fairer comparison is the similarly sized Jabra Elite 75t, although the Predator is still slightly taller.



Weighing in at 52g, and measuring 63mm wide, 40mm high and 25mm depth, the case is still portable for the daily commute (unlike the Whizzer pebble) and the height is forgiven when you discover it provides a whopping 8 additional charges - a total of around 63 hours powered by USB-C, but also supporting wireless charging.



The lights on the front represent percentage rather than number of charges left, but 4 lights is always better than one.



The lid is firm but could be a weak point as you would expect with the case being being bottom heavy, but the magnets are very tight. These ain't falling out in the road unless it's out of brute force trying to prize them out!



The 'rest in the top' approach is gaining traction in the TWS world!


The Ergonomics - 7/10



Despite being pretty generic looking - they go under several different names including Anomoibuds - they look OK, certainly inoffensive, and well worthy of their price tag.



At 4.27g, they are by no means heavy. They offer an advertised IPX5 water resistance.



The fit is super tight. A minor adjustment can completely change the audio delivery, but fortunately once they are in, they require barely any adjustment.



The right-angle style design pushes them deeper into your ear, and can feel a little overwhelming at times, although no different to something like the FIIL T1XS, Kinera YH623 and to a degree, the Jabra Elite 75t. There's a seal, and then there's feeling your brain rattling around, and the QCC010 are more the latter than the former, so if you are more inclined towards semi-in-ear, then you probably won't enjoy them.

I definitely recommend playing around with the tips to get the right option. When you do, you will notice a solid isolation that is as effective as some of the poorer ANC options on the market.

They kinda need wings to offer consistency. These guys just love a snug fit, no, they need a snug fit. I managed to fit an old set of wings from an old set of Soundcore Liberty Duo and they sat in perfectly. Sadly, they have to be removed to go back in the case.



The design is similar to the Tronsmart Onyx Free with tactile, albeit smaller and more fiddly, touch control buttons. Microphone, like the Tronsmart, is on the bottom, but doesn't perform as well.

Sound Quality - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)

It is always a difficult balance reviewing raw sound quality against intermediate sound quality (i.e. sound quality against price). Here, I wasn't expecting much given the low cost. How wrong was I?!

The frequency range is advertised, like the FIIL I recently reviewed, as 15Hz to 22KHz, and objective testing revealed a heavy subbass rumble reminiscent of the Tronsmart Apollo Bold that was noticeable with the mini tips. This seems to dissipate with foam tips or medium silicon ones. This was only offensive on a few tracks and at high volume - the max volume on these seems to be lower than most. The treble notches slightly short of the advertised, with a spike in the high mid frequencies, and is much less fatiguing than others around the same price point whilst delivering usually quite clear vocals, especially on female vocal tracks.

Despite the roll off, the trebles and high mids can come across harsh at times until you play around with the fit. Eventually, you can get a slightly less harsh sound that puts some room between you and the soundstage, which is a good thing because any closer and they will be tickling your hypothalamus! They would have scored higher but for the wildly inconsistent sound profile dependent on how they are angled - I expect a bit of variation but they went from tinny to bassheads with a flick of the ear.

When you get that ideal fit they are no slouch, in fact, they are really very good! At that point whatever I threw at it - from Jonas Blue to Saint Etienne to John Legend - all the tracks that usually betray massive flaws - were handled without too many problems. In fact, they handled them so well it begs the question....if Alien Secret can make a £16 set of buds sound acceptable, how come Mpow, Anker, Taotronics, Nillkin, Aukey and all the other garbage I've stuck in my ears over the last few months get it so wrong?!

Don't get me wrong - they lack the finesse that is evident when you listen to the likes of the FIIL T1 Pro straight after - but you can easily spend triple this and get nowhere near this standard.

Using aptX on windows with various FLAC files, they separated the low and high mids without unusable bleed - I've lost count of the number of times the vocals have either got lost or caused the bass guitars to become indiscernible with cheap earbuds, but no such problems here. I have an EQ setting on my sound bar called 'concert' and it's like these are set to that by default.

It's worth remembering these were less than $20. Unlike the IEM world, you rarely get a $20 headphone that gives any more than below average sound, but for the price the Alien Secret are fun bass monsters that won't give you much detail, but will give you value if you're on a strict budget, so enjoy them for what they are.

Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors - 3/10

These are very much in the 'let everything through' camp. There's no noise cancelling going on in the mic 'array'. Well, there is, but cVc 8.0 is not known for its effectiveness. And by array, I mean a questionable hole at the bottom of the button and a gap somewhere for ambient sound.

That makes background noise omnipresent, but your voice does come across very clearly, even bassy, when the scene has a normal ambient noise level, so indoors, you can have a decent conversation, putting them above many sets I've reviewed of late.

Outdoors becomes the usual sham that is associated with low cost earbuds. The wind and traffic quickly overwhelm your voice. Don't expect to make calls, and you won't be disappointed.

Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 7/10

Connectivity is OK. The usual 8-10m indoors and no real interference issues. However after disconnecting from Bluetooth Tweaker, they really didn't want to reconnect automatically. Strange, as every other set I've ever reviewed has. One thing I do like, is that holding down the buttons switches them back on or off. This saves fiddling around with the case.

Controls are straightforward. Single touch to answer, hold to reject. Single touch to play and pause, double tap left and right to go backwards and forwards respectively. Three taps calls your voice assistant. No volume control sadly.

The small button takes a bit of getting used to, but is better than having a touch control screwing around with your audio the moment you rest your head down. This makes them ideal for relaxing and bed listening.

AptX means latency is acceptable especially on newer Android devices. It also supports AAC and a bitrate of 293k, so whilst I couldn't get a latency measurement, it's the usual fare of around 130ms. Watching YouTube on Windows revealed the strength of the AAC configuration - latency was not obvious. Netflix was even better.

Battery Life - 10/10

Outstanding. Comfortably 6 hours and the case offers a further 9 full charges! Wireless charging is a big plus too.

Final Comments

I had little expectation for my final review for September. At such a low price I was expecting MPow quality sound. Instead, the Alien Secret were more like the Spunky Beat - a very pleasant surprise.

For android users the presence of the aptX codec make these a good option. The IPX5 water resistance rating makes them suitable for workouts, but the passive isolation is so strong I probably wouldn't recommend running in them.

The sound is great for the price, but get the right fit, otherwise you will be either disappointed or overwhelmed. When you get it right, they are strong in every department. Mic quality outdoors is a no-no, so don't get these for the daily commute.

Overall, I can't believe the quality for the money. I've gone through enough rubbish earbuds this year to know a duffer - these are unequivocally not one of them.

These are the best sub $25 earbuds you will ever buy. A total bolt out of the blue!

Price Weighted Score: 88%
Raw Score: 75%
2021 Score: 69%