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Model: FIIL Key
Price: MSRP Approx $55
Website: FIIL
Review Reference: RC074
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x Quick Guide (Chinese only)
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the @regancipher review of FIIL's newest semi-in-ear release, the FIIL KEY. FIIL have had four stabs at this market, with the CC, CC2, Nano and now hot on the heels of the Nano, the KEY. Quite why they felt the need to release another model so quickly after the Nano hit the stores, I'm not really sure, especially with many of the features mirroring the aforementioned upgrade to the CC2, but there are a few subtle differences that are worth noting as we assess whether FIIL can finally topple Soundpeats in the battle for budget semi-in-ear supremacy.
Unboxing - 9/10
Whilst the unboxing does feel like you're either about to play the Chinese version of Dobble or apply some matte paste to your quiff, this innovation is exactly what the earbud market needs as we tread water waiting for Snapdragon Sound and LE audio to take off, especially at the lower end of the market where excess plastic and paper dominate.
The top of the tin just shows a bunch of symbols and the FIIL logo - I'm a LOST fan as you can probably tell by my logo, so this appeals to my creative nature for sure. With the case you get a small, drawstring bag (the drawstrings didn't work - hopefully not a sign of things to come!) and opening from the top you are treated to a (it was going so well) plastic insert which holds the compact and rather snazzy looking charge case.
Underneath, you have your Dobble-style card with a bunch of basic instructions in Chinese only on the back, and on the front, the control schema. It's not for the faint hearted, especially if you don't speak or read Chinese, with very little detail. 12The only other point of note is you get a USB-C charge cable - there's only so many things I can fit in the pics, and I'm pretty sure you know what they look like.
The Case - 8.5/10
If there is a reason to buy the KEY, it is almost without question the most convenient, borderline therapeutic charge case of any semi-in-earbud on the market, apart from perhaps the 1More Comfobuds 2. The 5cm square frame sports a tiny profile, and the buds simply slot in the cockpit with a satisfying strong magnetic pull. The lip makes for easy single-handed operation, and the hinge is suitably sturdy. The metallic-looking (although plastic) disc on the top contrasts well against the black lid of a predominantly gun-metal grey design, and the only real disappointment is the solitary LED light at the front, which appears to have little bearing on the level of battery life - only remaining on for an indeterminate amount of time whilst the buds charge in the case.
The weight of the case - 40g - puts it in the lowest 10%, but it's not as light as the larger SoundPEATS Air3 Pro case - a whole 10% heavier - though the cases' flat proportions make it absolutely idea for popping in your pocket whilst out cycling or walking - you will barely notice them. A really clever job by FIIL.
The case is charged with USB-C, located at the rear. It can be popped on your desk and the buds conveniently paired using hall-switch mode - a nice change from the cigarette-box style designs (with flimsy hinges that snap shut on you) that are commonplace in the market today.
In terms of battery life, the case offers approximately 4 additional charges. With a beefy 430maH capacity, the Key use the Low Power Semi LP6261 synchronous boost converter power management chip. This makes for more efficient charging and suits the smaller design. LPS are market-leaders in this component set, used by Edifier in their Lollipop Pro, Redmi in their Buds3 Lite and Buds 4, UGREEN in their T3, Haylou in their X1 Pro and Black Shark in their Joybuds Pro. There's no red/amber/green lighting scheme denoting the remaining charge - as above, it's just a single white LED. This is definitely a design decision - FIIL are known for their 'bauhaus' approach to earbud designs, and the simplicity of a single light is a conscious decision, because the Sinh Micro SS809 microcontroller built-into the case is perfectly capable of supporting LED patterns and colours - it's the same controller UGREEN used on their triple LED HiTune T3 case, and HTC on their identikit E-MO1 release. It is capable of delivering firmware updates though - something which will hopefully bring English translation to the voice prompts (but don't hold your breath!)
Battery Life - 7/10
Seems to be the defacto these days, but 5 hours and 24 with the case is right in that Goldilocks Zone for TWS, offering enough to get through the day, and benefitting from fast charging whilst the buds are in the case. This is a step down from their more expensive, multipoint 'CC Nano' on paper - which boasted 5.5 hours playback with an additional 4.5 charges (totaling 30 hours)
Interestingly, whilst calls and low latency modes can often erode the headline figure on TWS, I still frequently got between 4 and 5 hours (the lowest was 4 hours 12 minutes for the gaming tests), so nothing to be unhappy about on that front.
FIIL talk about 'C2 charging', and changing the narrative here is a little obscure and I'm not altogether sure necessary. The buds will charge fully after 50 minutes - that's good, but not outrageously impressive. The case takes 90 minutes - that's the better side of business as usual. They don't have any warp charge feature - so don't let the 'C2 fast charging' confuse you - the reality is it's a bit better than normal, nothing more, nothing less.
Despite the case profile (ideal for wireless charging), Qi is not supported.
Some comparisons:
Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro - 6.5 hours / 27 hours
1More Comfobuds 2 - 6 hours / 24 hours
QCY T20 - 5.5 hours / 20 hours
FIIL CC2 - 5 hours / 27 hours
SoundPeats TrueAir2+ - 5 hours / 25 hours
Haylou Moripods - 5 hours / 25 hours
Tronsmart Battle - 5 hours / 25 hours
FIIL KEY - 5 hours / 24 hours
Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe - 5 hours / 22 hours
SoundPeats Air3 - 5 hours / 17.5 hours
QCY T12 - 4 hours / 20 hours
TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 - 4 hours / 20 hours
Ergonomics and Build Quality - 7/10
Working from the outside in, it is clear FIIL's differentiator here is moving away from the bulkiness of the awkward-wearing CC2 to a more slimline, female-friendly profile that will wear well for those with smaller ears. The stem is short - 32mm - with battery connectors located on the inside, allowing the buds to slot in the case as they do. The connectors are held in with a rubber seal to support the IPX4 water resistance rating. There are two gaps in the upper part of the bud, one is a tuning hole, the other a pressure release chamber. Both are protected by a fine dustproof net.
Between the two battery connectors, you have an L and R corresponding to which bud is which, and a strong magnet which pings the buds into the case when you slot them in.
The outside of the stem still retains that 'Bauhaus' minimalist look of the CC2, without the angular edges. At the top of the stem you see a tiny opening for the ambient Rayking MEMS microphone, and next to that is the touch control area, which is responsive and large enough to make contact more often than not. At the bottom, another mic sits below the FIIL logo, and is likewise protected by a dustproof net.
A comparison to other semi-in-earbuds on the market is always useful to see what the vendor had in mind in terms of design. We can see here that the Key have followed Soundcore (first image from the left) and Soundpeats (third image from the left) with the modern approach of a shorter stem and rounded edges.
Unlike the Soundcore Life Note 3S and Soundpeats Air3, however, the Key has a shallower, less-rounded neck, and this makes them ideal for those with smaller ears, but less useful for those with a longer antitragus.
Because the shallow neck is designed for smaller ears, if your antitragus is elongated and thus thinner and a bit flimsier at the top (it happens to all of us of a certain age!!) this can result in the Key feeling a little loose after a bit of brisk walking. I certainly wouldn't recommend them for exercise, unless your ears look a bit more like the above image.
The lightweight profile balances the shorter stem, but it could be argued that a bit more weight in the head would have resulted in a slightly more secure, stable fit.
Comparisons to other semi-in-ear options:
Tronsmart Battle - 3.27g
Tronsmart Onyx Ace - 3.47g
FIIL KEY - 3.64g
SoundPeats TrueAir2 - 3.85g
SoundPeats Air3 - 3.96g
SoundPeats Air3 Deluxe - 4.0g
FIIL CC2 - 4.08g
QCY T12 - 4.17g
Haylou Moripods - 4.21g
1More Comfobuds 2 - 4.26g
TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 - 4.47g
Even so, the Key just about passed the shake test, and look far nicer than the industrial, angular CC2, which failed the shake test quite resoundingly, but tilt your neck either way towards your shoulder, and that's when the instability sets in. FIIL also recommend you wear the buds almost vertical, which is a little counter-intuitive but it does help.
The key use the Airoha AB1562U SoC and 12.8mm drivers, with a titanium plated diaphragm at the front. The Airoha chip is used almost exclusively by FIIL, and this iteration from the Taiwanese SoC manufacturer supports LE, Bluetooth 5.3, voice assistant and even active noise cancellation (not used by FIIL here due to the form factor). It also offers multiband programmable EQ (taken advantage of by FIIL in their app), but tops out at 192KHz, 24-bit audio. Unfortunately, embedded flash seems to be a gift and a curse - it facilitates more features (such as voice prompts) but also detracts from latency.
Audio - 7.5/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
Audio on the Key is, like with most semi-in-ear releases, very dependent on the fit. Like the 1More Comfobuds 2, the real life impressions belie the graphs, because the fit is so loose, that the overwhelming lower frequency response you see above doesn't really materialize unless you press them right inside your ear, constantly.
Instead, the immediate impression is a very bright, echoey sound with a slightly extended treble response, which sees cymbals, clashes and swooshes very prominent in tracks such as '7 seconds' by Neneh Cherry and Youssou N'Dour.
Mids take a backseat, with bass and wah-wah guitars on tracks by Seal and Simply Red are less prominent than other buds in this bracket. Even Brian May's guitar solo in Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is incidental to clashes, and Freddie Mercury's vocal also sits back a little, and it's a similar story with 'I'm in Love' by Kevin Gates, where high-hats take centre stage to the point of fatigue without adjustment. Subbass is also lighter than some recent releases, but comes through sharp and fast on simplistic productions like 'Bad Ass B1tches' by Wiz Khalifa - a sign that it hasn't been forgotten altogether, merely a casualty of the form factor.
Fortunately the FIIL app has some excellent presets. Soft, Home and Metal all produced far better results, and I highly recommend going through those presets because unlike most TWS apps that just bomb the hell out of a certain frequency range depending on the genre, FIIL make mild adjustments that work well and actually map to the music style. If you like hiphop though, 'soft' seems to work better than 'R&B'.
Despite the bright sound, the soundstage lacks any real breadth and there is at times a cold, metallic feel to the timbre. Voices on audiobooks sounds a little echoey. There is little notable difference between IOS and Android - unfortunately, sound is not a strong point on the Key.
Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors – 7/10
Despite dual ENC mics trumpeted in FIIL's marketing material, I found the noise reduction to be a bit disappointing. That doesn't mean you can't make a call with the Key - but the focus is on making your voice clear, rather than the other sounds nullified.
Indoors, without any ambient sound, your voice comes through very clear and prominent. No arguments there. Like with the CC2, it is a little over-compressed, sounding at times a tad unnatural (although certainly improved due to the echo cancellation module within the tensilica processsor) but every word is easily distinguishable. However, introduce some simulated background noise, and there is little in the way of isolation of your voice - you just sound louder than the various noises around you, all of which are evident.
It is the same story outdoors - again, you come through fairly clear even with wind and traffic, but the noise is still there.
It's possible to take and make calls for sure, but increase that noise around you too much and you may find the Key struggle. I did a brief test at a carnival over the weekend, and the Key naturally struggled (as most earbuds sub $50 would!)
Features
FIIL promote app support in the marketing material, but with the product targeting the Chinese market, the FIIL+ Global app does not yet support the model, so you're going to have to rely on Kiwironic's excellent translation over on XDA. You can download the apk of v3.4.5 here - github.
The app doesn't give you a whole lot to play with. The first screen has your usual battery life parameters clearly outlined with images of the case and buds.
The second of the three tabs gives you the option to change the EQ settings, with 12 excellent presets in there that really augment the sound. It also allows for playback control, although it is in such an odd place you're probably better off using widgets these days.
The third tab allows you to activate full controls. This is a gift and a curse. Whilst with basic controls, you're quite limited (you can play and pause, and that's about it), the full controls are very counter-intuitive. Single tapping the left bud to increase volume and triple tapping to reduce volume is madness. When you single tap the right bud, that progresses to the next track, and triple tapping takes you back a track. The button sequence for voice assistant or ignoring calls - no idea, can't read Chinse - I would assume it's holding the bud for 1.5s. If you hold for 4s this initiates 'Bluetooth Device Switching' - a 'quick switch' between two devices feature, just the same as with the FIIL CC Pro. It's a workaround for not having multipoint, essentially. It is a little inconsistent (you have to wait for three beeps) but it does do the job, although if you're hoping to catch a call coming through on your phone, it may ring off as it takes a good 7-8s to fully materialise. Nevertheless, a nice little workaround (if you can get it working). Bear in mind all of your voice prompts are, like the CC Pro and T1 Pro, in Chinese.
Low latency mode gives you three options - video, gaming and music modes. Even gaming still delivered quite considerable latency on PubG- as previously mentioned, the embedded flash will likely bear the responsibility for this. YouTube and other videos, such as Protake recordings from my mic tests, were very close to lipsync.
Connectivity is rock solid. My source devices only support Bluetooth 5.1 and 5.2 respectively, but I had no dropouts over a week of testing, compared with Qualcomm-based devices periodically giving me single bud cuts.
Codec support is limited to a reduced-bitpool SBC and the usual trimmed-down AAC, cutting out the legacy MPEG2 elements. No AptX-Adaptive, unlike many of it's competitors such as the SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe and Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro.
Final Comments
FIIL advertise the Key with the slogan 'The Key is in the Music' but I reckon 'The Key, The Secret' would probably be more apt! They've been out a little while now, but with little in the way of promotion, and only 18 sold (including mine) on the official FIIL AliExpress store - this is possibly due wanting to put a little space between the release of them and the recently launched CC Nano, but they have some obvious differences - the Nano support multipoint, have longer battery life and are more expensive. The Key are aimed at the price-conscious market, and their smaller profile will definitely suit those with smaller ears (and budgets).
The case is a big plus with the Key - it feels great, and their overall portability is excellent. Sound is a bit bright out of the box, and is a bit behind the competition, but can be improved a little with EQ - hopefully global FIIL+ app support will follow soon.
Unfortunately for FIIL, this end of the semi-in-ear market is dominated by SoundPEATS, and outside of China I can't see the Key changing that. They are a worthy option to consider, especially under $40, but don't expect anything groundbreaking.
Price Weighted Score: 77%
Raw Score: 75%
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.
FIIL was established to provide an audio solution to the creative base that has a passion for the arts but is tired of the status quo. We challenged ourselves to design and engineer seamless products that not only sound impressive but are comfortable and innovative with a modern design. 'We are FIIL, THE ART OF AUDIO.' is their slogan.
You may recognise FIIL buds as looking remarkably similar to Earfun releases. FIIL is one of the key OEM suppliers to Earfun in Europe.
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Model: FIIL Key
Price: MSRP Approx $55
Website: FIIL
Review Reference: RC074
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: FIIL
- Model: Key
- Driver: 13mm tailor-made titanium-coated diaphragm
- Chipset: Airoha AB1562U
- Mic: Dual-Mic ENC
- ANC: No
- Codecs: AAC, SBC
- App Support: Yes, but limited
- Volume Control: Yes, but only if you change controls in the app
- Gaming Mode: Yes, 3 levels
- Earbud Weight: 3.64g
- Earbud Dimensions: 32mm stem length, 18mm depth
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 40.71g
- Case Dimensions: 53mm (width) x 22mm (height) x 53mm (depth)
- Case Charge Capacity: 430mAh
- Quick Charge: 2C Fast charging, no warp charge (50 mins earbuds, 90 mins case)
- Wireless Charging: No
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 5 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 24 hours
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.3
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: IPX4
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x Quick Guide (Chinese only)
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the @regancipher review of FIIL's newest semi-in-ear release, the FIIL KEY. FIIL have had four stabs at this market, with the CC, CC2, Nano and now hot on the heels of the Nano, the KEY. Quite why they felt the need to release another model so quickly after the Nano hit the stores, I'm not really sure, especially with many of the features mirroring the aforementioned upgrade to the CC2, but there are a few subtle differences that are worth noting as we assess whether FIIL can finally topple Soundpeats in the battle for budget semi-in-ear supremacy.
Unboxing - 9/10
Whilst the unboxing does feel like you're either about to play the Chinese version of Dobble or apply some matte paste to your quiff, this innovation is exactly what the earbud market needs as we tread water waiting for Snapdragon Sound and LE audio to take off, especially at the lower end of the market where excess plastic and paper dominate.
The top of the tin just shows a bunch of symbols and the FIIL logo - I'm a LOST fan as you can probably tell by my logo, so this appeals to my creative nature for sure. With the case you get a small, drawstring bag (the drawstrings didn't work - hopefully not a sign of things to come!) and opening from the top you are treated to a (it was going so well) plastic insert which holds the compact and rather snazzy looking charge case.
Underneath, you have your Dobble-style card with a bunch of basic instructions in Chinese only on the back, and on the front, the control schema. It's not for the faint hearted, especially if you don't speak or read Chinese, with very little detail. 12The only other point of note is you get a USB-C charge cable - there's only so many things I can fit in the pics, and I'm pretty sure you know what they look like.
The Case - 8.5/10
If there is a reason to buy the KEY, it is almost without question the most convenient, borderline therapeutic charge case of any semi-in-earbud on the market, apart from perhaps the 1More Comfobuds 2. The 5cm square frame sports a tiny profile, and the buds simply slot in the cockpit with a satisfying strong magnetic pull. The lip makes for easy single-handed operation, and the hinge is suitably sturdy. The metallic-looking (although plastic) disc on the top contrasts well against the black lid of a predominantly gun-metal grey design, and the only real disappointment is the solitary LED light at the front, which appears to have little bearing on the level of battery life - only remaining on for an indeterminate amount of time whilst the buds charge in the case.
The weight of the case - 40g - puts it in the lowest 10%, but it's not as light as the larger SoundPEATS Air3 Pro case - a whole 10% heavier - though the cases' flat proportions make it absolutely idea for popping in your pocket whilst out cycling or walking - you will barely notice them. A really clever job by FIIL.
The case is charged with USB-C, located at the rear. It can be popped on your desk and the buds conveniently paired using hall-switch mode - a nice change from the cigarette-box style designs (with flimsy hinges that snap shut on you) that are commonplace in the market today.
In terms of battery life, the case offers approximately 4 additional charges. With a beefy 430maH capacity, the Key use the Low Power Semi LP6261 synchronous boost converter power management chip. This makes for more efficient charging and suits the smaller design. LPS are market-leaders in this component set, used by Edifier in their Lollipop Pro, Redmi in their Buds3 Lite and Buds 4, UGREEN in their T3, Haylou in their X1 Pro and Black Shark in their Joybuds Pro. There's no red/amber/green lighting scheme denoting the remaining charge - as above, it's just a single white LED. This is definitely a design decision - FIIL are known for their 'bauhaus' approach to earbud designs, and the simplicity of a single light is a conscious decision, because the Sinh Micro SS809 microcontroller built-into the case is perfectly capable of supporting LED patterns and colours - it's the same controller UGREEN used on their triple LED HiTune T3 case, and HTC on their identikit E-MO1 release. It is capable of delivering firmware updates though - something which will hopefully bring English translation to the voice prompts (but don't hold your breath!)
Battery Life - 7/10
Seems to be the defacto these days, but 5 hours and 24 with the case is right in that Goldilocks Zone for TWS, offering enough to get through the day, and benefitting from fast charging whilst the buds are in the case. This is a step down from their more expensive, multipoint 'CC Nano' on paper - which boasted 5.5 hours playback with an additional 4.5 charges (totaling 30 hours)
Interestingly, whilst calls and low latency modes can often erode the headline figure on TWS, I still frequently got between 4 and 5 hours (the lowest was 4 hours 12 minutes for the gaming tests), so nothing to be unhappy about on that front.
FIIL talk about 'C2 charging', and changing the narrative here is a little obscure and I'm not altogether sure necessary. The buds will charge fully after 50 minutes - that's good, but not outrageously impressive. The case takes 90 minutes - that's the better side of business as usual. They don't have any warp charge feature - so don't let the 'C2 fast charging' confuse you - the reality is it's a bit better than normal, nothing more, nothing less.
Despite the case profile (ideal for wireless charging), Qi is not supported.
Some comparisons:
Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro - 6.5 hours / 27 hours
1More Comfobuds 2 - 6 hours / 24 hours
QCY T20 - 5.5 hours / 20 hours
FIIL CC2 - 5 hours / 27 hours
SoundPeats TrueAir2+ - 5 hours / 25 hours
Haylou Moripods - 5 hours / 25 hours
Tronsmart Battle - 5 hours / 25 hours
FIIL KEY - 5 hours / 24 hours
Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe - 5 hours / 22 hours
SoundPeats Air3 - 5 hours / 17.5 hours
QCY T12 - 4 hours / 20 hours
TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 - 4 hours / 20 hours
Ergonomics and Build Quality - 7/10
Working from the outside in, it is clear FIIL's differentiator here is moving away from the bulkiness of the awkward-wearing CC2 to a more slimline, female-friendly profile that will wear well for those with smaller ears. The stem is short - 32mm - with battery connectors located on the inside, allowing the buds to slot in the case as they do. The connectors are held in with a rubber seal to support the IPX4 water resistance rating. There are two gaps in the upper part of the bud, one is a tuning hole, the other a pressure release chamber. Both are protected by a fine dustproof net.
Between the two battery connectors, you have an L and R corresponding to which bud is which, and a strong magnet which pings the buds into the case when you slot them in.
The outside of the stem still retains that 'Bauhaus' minimalist look of the CC2, without the angular edges. At the top of the stem you see a tiny opening for the ambient Rayking MEMS microphone, and next to that is the touch control area, which is responsive and large enough to make contact more often than not. At the bottom, another mic sits below the FIIL logo, and is likewise protected by a dustproof net.
A comparison to other semi-in-earbuds on the market is always useful to see what the vendor had in mind in terms of design. We can see here that the Key have followed Soundcore (first image from the left) and Soundpeats (third image from the left) with the modern approach of a shorter stem and rounded edges.
Unlike the Soundcore Life Note 3S and Soundpeats Air3, however, the Key has a shallower, less-rounded neck, and this makes them ideal for those with smaller ears, but less useful for those with a longer antitragus.
Because the shallow neck is designed for smaller ears, if your antitragus is elongated and thus thinner and a bit flimsier at the top (it happens to all of us of a certain age!!) this can result in the Key feeling a little loose after a bit of brisk walking. I certainly wouldn't recommend them for exercise, unless your ears look a bit more like the above image.
The lightweight profile balances the shorter stem, but it could be argued that a bit more weight in the head would have resulted in a slightly more secure, stable fit.
Comparisons to other semi-in-ear options:
Tronsmart Battle - 3.27g
Tronsmart Onyx Ace - 3.47g
FIIL KEY - 3.64g
SoundPeats TrueAir2 - 3.85g
SoundPeats Air3 - 3.96g
SoundPeats Air3 Deluxe - 4.0g
FIIL CC2 - 4.08g
QCY T12 - 4.17g
Haylou Moripods - 4.21g
1More Comfobuds 2 - 4.26g
TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 - 4.47g
Even so, the Key just about passed the shake test, and look far nicer than the industrial, angular CC2, which failed the shake test quite resoundingly, but tilt your neck either way towards your shoulder, and that's when the instability sets in. FIIL also recommend you wear the buds almost vertical, which is a little counter-intuitive but it does help.
The key use the Airoha AB1562U SoC and 12.8mm drivers, with a titanium plated diaphragm at the front. The Airoha chip is used almost exclusively by FIIL, and this iteration from the Taiwanese SoC manufacturer supports LE, Bluetooth 5.3, voice assistant and even active noise cancellation (not used by FIIL here due to the form factor). It also offers multiband programmable EQ (taken advantage of by FIIL in their app), but tops out at 192KHz, 24-bit audio. Unfortunately, embedded flash seems to be a gift and a curse - it facilitates more features (such as voice prompts) but also detracts from latency.
Audio - 7.5/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
Audio on the Key is, like with most semi-in-ear releases, very dependent on the fit. Like the 1More Comfobuds 2, the real life impressions belie the graphs, because the fit is so loose, that the overwhelming lower frequency response you see above doesn't really materialize unless you press them right inside your ear, constantly.
Instead, the immediate impression is a very bright, echoey sound with a slightly extended treble response, which sees cymbals, clashes and swooshes very prominent in tracks such as '7 seconds' by Neneh Cherry and Youssou N'Dour.
Mids take a backseat, with bass and wah-wah guitars on tracks by Seal and Simply Red are less prominent than other buds in this bracket. Even Brian May's guitar solo in Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is incidental to clashes, and Freddie Mercury's vocal also sits back a little, and it's a similar story with 'I'm in Love' by Kevin Gates, where high-hats take centre stage to the point of fatigue without adjustment. Subbass is also lighter than some recent releases, but comes through sharp and fast on simplistic productions like 'Bad Ass B1tches' by Wiz Khalifa - a sign that it hasn't been forgotten altogether, merely a casualty of the form factor.
Fortunately the FIIL app has some excellent presets. Soft, Home and Metal all produced far better results, and I highly recommend going through those presets because unlike most TWS apps that just bomb the hell out of a certain frequency range depending on the genre, FIIL make mild adjustments that work well and actually map to the music style. If you like hiphop though, 'soft' seems to work better than 'R&B'.
Despite the bright sound, the soundstage lacks any real breadth and there is at times a cold, metallic feel to the timbre. Voices on audiobooks sounds a little echoey. There is little notable difference between IOS and Android - unfortunately, sound is not a strong point on the Key.
Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors – 7/10
Despite dual ENC mics trumpeted in FIIL's marketing material, I found the noise reduction to be a bit disappointing. That doesn't mean you can't make a call with the Key - but the focus is on making your voice clear, rather than the other sounds nullified.
Indoors, without any ambient sound, your voice comes through very clear and prominent. No arguments there. Like with the CC2, it is a little over-compressed, sounding at times a tad unnatural (although certainly improved due to the echo cancellation module within the tensilica processsor) but every word is easily distinguishable. However, introduce some simulated background noise, and there is little in the way of isolation of your voice - you just sound louder than the various noises around you, all of which are evident.
It is the same story outdoors - again, you come through fairly clear even with wind and traffic, but the noise is still there.
It's possible to take and make calls for sure, but increase that noise around you too much and you may find the Key struggle. I did a brief test at a carnival over the weekend, and the Key naturally struggled (as most earbuds sub $50 would!)
Features
FIIL promote app support in the marketing material, but with the product targeting the Chinese market, the FIIL+ Global app does not yet support the model, so you're going to have to rely on Kiwironic's excellent translation over on XDA. You can download the apk of v3.4.5 here - github.
The app doesn't give you a whole lot to play with. The first screen has your usual battery life parameters clearly outlined with images of the case and buds.
The second of the three tabs gives you the option to change the EQ settings, with 12 excellent presets in there that really augment the sound. It also allows for playback control, although it is in such an odd place you're probably better off using widgets these days.
The third tab allows you to activate full controls. This is a gift and a curse. Whilst with basic controls, you're quite limited (you can play and pause, and that's about it), the full controls are very counter-intuitive. Single tapping the left bud to increase volume and triple tapping to reduce volume is madness. When you single tap the right bud, that progresses to the next track, and triple tapping takes you back a track. The button sequence for voice assistant or ignoring calls - no idea, can't read Chinse - I would assume it's holding the bud for 1.5s. If you hold for 4s this initiates 'Bluetooth Device Switching' - a 'quick switch' between two devices feature, just the same as with the FIIL CC Pro. It's a workaround for not having multipoint, essentially. It is a little inconsistent (you have to wait for three beeps) but it does do the job, although if you're hoping to catch a call coming through on your phone, it may ring off as it takes a good 7-8s to fully materialise. Nevertheless, a nice little workaround (if you can get it working). Bear in mind all of your voice prompts are, like the CC Pro and T1 Pro, in Chinese.
Low latency mode gives you three options - video, gaming and music modes. Even gaming still delivered quite considerable latency on PubG- as previously mentioned, the embedded flash will likely bear the responsibility for this. YouTube and other videos, such as Protake recordings from my mic tests, were very close to lipsync.
Connectivity is rock solid. My source devices only support Bluetooth 5.1 and 5.2 respectively, but I had no dropouts over a week of testing, compared with Qualcomm-based devices periodically giving me single bud cuts.
Codec support is limited to a reduced-bitpool SBC and the usual trimmed-down AAC, cutting out the legacy MPEG2 elements. No AptX-Adaptive, unlike many of it's competitors such as the SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe and Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro.
Final Comments
FIIL advertise the Key with the slogan 'The Key is in the Music' but I reckon 'The Key, The Secret' would probably be more apt! They've been out a little while now, but with little in the way of promotion, and only 18 sold (including mine) on the official FIIL AliExpress store - this is possibly due wanting to put a little space between the release of them and the recently launched CC Nano, but they have some obvious differences - the Nano support multipoint, have longer battery life and are more expensive. The Key are aimed at the price-conscious market, and their smaller profile will definitely suit those with smaller ears (and budgets).
The case is a big plus with the Key - it feels great, and their overall portability is excellent. Sound is a bit bright out of the box, and is a bit behind the competition, but can be improved a little with EQ - hopefully global FIIL+ app support will follow soon.
Unfortunately for FIIL, this end of the semi-in-ear market is dominated by SoundPEATS, and outside of China I can't see the Key changing that. They are a worthy option to consider, especially under $40, but don't expect anything groundbreaking.
Price Weighted Score: 77%
Raw Score: 75%
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.
FIIL was established to provide an audio solution to the creative base that has a passion for the arts but is tired of the status quo. We challenged ourselves to design and engineer seamless products that not only sound impressive but are comfortable and innovative with a modern design. 'We are FIIL, THE ART OF AUDIO.' is their slogan.
You may recognise FIIL buds as looking remarkably similar to Earfun releases. FIIL is one of the key OEM suppliers to Earfun in Europe.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
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YouTube: regancipher
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Socials: Biolink
Model: SoundPEATS Air3 Pro
Price: MSRP Approx $55
Review Reference: RC073
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Japanese
3 x Pairs Eartips
YouTube Review:
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the @regancipher review of the SoundPEATS Air3 Pro. SoundPEATS have followed the path of Apple, FIIL and 1More by taking their popular semi-in-earbud and making a 'Pro' version, albeit now with in-ear style tips. Like with the other aforementioned brands, this has enabled them to add Active Noise Cancellation due to the presence of those flappy bits of silicone, and have added sufficient features to render it a very engaging proposition, especially for those who enjoyed the original Air3 - one of the most popular and highly-rated 'airpod-style' design buds of recent times (although soon to be superseded by the Air3 Deluxe - I told you this market stands still for no man!)
I'll be taking you through the unboxing experience, case and battery life, ergonomics and build, ANC performance, sound signature and key features, comparing to the original Air3 and some of their main competitors in this space - notable, the Tronsmart Onyx Apex and Omthing Airfree 2.
Unboxing - 7/10
Like with most SoundPEATS releases, the unboxing is a pretty standard affair. It's neither cheap- nor premium-feeling - it sits somewhere in the middle, with a compact box detailing most of the key parameters on the sides, and the front giving a visual representation on a bloke with a chiseled jaw having a stand-up nap, whilst the back shows an extreme close-up of the side of the bud with the three headline features along the bottom - the use of the Qualcomm QCC3046 chipset, Hybrid ANC and Qualcomm Aptx-Adaptive codec support.
They also proudly display their VGP 2022 awards in the top left corner. Whilst Visual Grand Prix awards are not quite the Oscars, SoundPEATS have won many such awards over the years, and it's no co-incidence - they offer very strong products at a competitive price. The Air3 Pro is no different - a compelling release that will definitely prove popular once again.
Even so, your small investment isn't going to give you a gift-box-style presentation. You get small and large tips in a baggie, as well as a USB A-C charge cable. The manual is in seven different languages - most of the major European languages plus Chinese and Japanese, and it's great to see SoundPEATS keeping that winning formula of visuals and text making it very clear how to use, control and maintain the buds (see my YouTube Review for more details). The spare tips, at least, are a jump in quality from the tips of yesteryear, offering more comfort and flexibility than the junk manufacturers were including a few years ago.
The Case - 8/10
As with the Mini Pro, SoundPEATS have given the successor to the Air3 Pro a rubberised texture that offers the promise of improved longevity over the scratch-magnet that was the Air3 case. Proportionally quite similar to the Mini Pro, it also gives a more premium feel to the release, and I really hope SoundPEATS retain these big improvements on all releases going forward.
Whilst the image above doesn't capture it, the dip in the centre of the lip is where the LED battery indicator is located. SoundPEATS have a consistent lighting schema - green denotes 50-100% charge, amber is 10-49% and red is below 10%.. This consistency is really useful - some vendors (ahem Soundcore) have an annoying habit of adjusting how they display battery life - with SoundPEATS their H series have multiple LED's, everything else is Green/Amber/Red - nice and easy for reviewers like me.
The case is around 6cm wide, 4.5cm high and 2.4cm in depth - so proportionally quite similar to the Mini Pro. Even with the stems, it still retains the ideal portability for commuters. Yes, you have to swivel the buds around when you remove them as the stems sit back-to-back in the case - but trust me, compared to the alternative (The Elevoc Clear, Baseus S2 or Omthing Airfree2, for example) it makes them far easier to remove and reinsert.
The reset button is located at the back, as opposed to the front this time. Holding down for a few seconds sends the device into pairing mode, for 10 seconds or longer you get a red flash, and that clears the memory.
The portability of the case is enhanced further, with a lightweight design at even less than the Mini Pro - 35.95g fully loaded. Like with the Mini Pro, this makes them trouser-pocket friendly - I popped them in my shorts whilst out cycling and they were practically unnoticeable.
When you insert the buds you get a 'Power On' then 'Connected' alert. This all happens super fast. There is hall-switch mode, so you can start the pairing as soon as you open the case, and the friction hinge - another huge improvement over the original - allows you to do that with the case propped on the desk - again, this is a massive plus in my book.
Due to the low-power chipset, they can afford to drop down the battery mAh capacity whilst retaining the three additional charges. There is no quick charge, and no wireless charging. USB-C is located on the base.
Battery Life - 8/10
Battery life is a solid 5/6 hours on paper, going up to 20/24 hours with the case. In my tests I achieved between 4 and 4.5 hours with periodic calls (slightly more efficient on IOS than Android). With ANC off I consistently got between 5 hours and 5 hours 14 minutes, so you pretty much know what you're getting on that front.
Unfortunately the absence of quick charge means a 90 minute charge cycle for the case and buds. Removing warp charge is pretty inconvenient in all honesty, and something I would rather SoundPEATS didn't skimp out on. Even so, good to see the figures mapping closely enough to those advertised, and pleasing to see that they have essentially retained the battery life from the original Air3 despite adding ANC.
Ergonomics - 8.5/10
From an aesthetics-perspective, SoundPEATS have retained the essence of the original design, staying true to the simplistic, matte-black finish with shiny buttons and a slender stem that suited the predecessor so well.
One of the biggest benefits of the Air3 was the weight displacement and overall ergonomic design that facilitated a very stable fit, especially for buds of that form factor. They've managed to take those special ingredients and work a similar recipe for the Air3 Pro, which matches the original for stability, and offers excellent passive noise isolation at the same time.
The stem length is slightly longer (although it doesn't appear so in the comparison image) but that is mainly due to the more bulbous neck. However, this doesn't detract from the comfort, and also improves one major bug-bear of the original - the temperamental touch controls. On the Pro, you have a far wider area of 'non-touch-controlliness' above the sensor. This removes one of the gripes with the original and is a welcome upgrade.
On the inside, visible on YouTube but difficult to capture above, is an opening with a pressure release chamber and pickup mic for ambient sound, covered by a protective mesh. The battery connectors are located at the base, and again, mitigate direct contact with the skin - useful for those with nickel allergies.
The depth of 23.2mm is in that 'Goldilocks Zone' of not being too invasive, but giving sufficient room to mould around your ear. The nozzle sits back in the opening to your ear canal, preferring to fill the chamber around it rather than invade it. This makes it a super comfy option for prolonged use.
The weight of 4.4g is lighter than the T3 and H2, and this helps with the comfort. Similarly-lightweight buds like the QCY T13 and G1 are also super comfy, so good job from SoundPEATS on reducing the weight but retaining the stability.
As a result of these well-thought-out parameters, the Air3 Pro sit very nicely in your ears. If you don't like silicone-tipped buds (I don't especially), the Air3 Pro are a good adjunct.
A look at how SoundPEATS have designed the buds alongside some of the competition reveals there is nothing especially revolutionary going on here, but protruding far less than the Tronsmart Onyx Apex, Baseus S2 and 'shoulder-pad'-style Omthing Airfree 2 demonstrates they've clearly looked at what doesn't work, and have tried to get close to what does. By adding a little more girth over something like the OnePlus Buds Pro, they've achieved improved stability, but with less than the Baseus, they've ensured they don't stick out too much. It's a happy medium that they've done well to achieve - giving a rare combination of both stability and comfort, that only the Edifier NeoBuds Pro also does with such consummate ease.
ANC – 7/10
ANC is a big improvement from the T3, and almost as good as the T2 could be with the right tips. Sure, it's not up there with the Edifier NeoBuds Pro or OnePlus Buds Pro, but at the price point only the QCY HT03 comes close.
Like most earbuds, the Achilles heel is in the mid to high frequencies, but the Air3 Pro does a stellar job at reducing low frequency rumbles. I can sit with my office window open and whilst traffic is audible with no music playing, it is reduced to a distant, higher pitched sound as opposed to the usual frustrating roar that accompanies life on a main road.
Like many buds at this price point, higher pitched or higher frequency sounds are dealt with less effectively - nearby chatter and keyboard taps, especially if you use blue switches like me, are still fairly prominent, however this isn't really out of the ordinary - competitors like the Omthing Airfree 2 are far less effective, and the Baseus S2 don't even come close. Only the Edifier NeoBuds Pro and Airpods Pro handle these types of sound with any great strength.
Transparency mode, initiated by holding down the MFB for a second, was far less accentuated than some of their previous models on the Mini Pro, which made for a more natural experience, but they've gone too far with the Air3 Pro, and discerning conversations can sometimes be a little difficult - there's no great difference between ANC off and Transparency, which is unfortunate. In stereo mode, you can toggle through ANC on/off and ambient, but unfortunately this is not possible in single mode - not a problem for me, but I have seen this registered as a bug-bear to others.
Audio & Sound Signature
The Air3 Pro use the Qualcomm QCC3046 chipset, promoting the use of the aptX-adaptive codec, but they also support aptX, AAC and SBC. On Android, it defaulted immediately to aptX-adaptive, and on iOS, I assume, AAC.
The Air3 Pro have a less dynamic, mid-centric sound than many of SoundPEATS previous releases, and this will come as a bit of a surprise to some. Lower frequencies emphasise the subbass, but there is a dip around 200Hz that detracts from the linearity. Spiking at around 500Hz, this has the benefit of bringing a more atmospheric midrange, emphasising vocals and acoustic guitars, but can result in a slightly muddy mid-bass response on more complex tracks. Trebles are pretty well handled - there is less extension, but better resolution. The highs you have sound good, albeit a shade rolled off - this is perfect for long, marathon music sessions, but less good for analytical bursts.
Soundstage has the perception of more breadth than most in-ear releases due to those elevated mids. However instrument separation isn't always easy to discern, and the problem of trying to create openness when you have no physical room to do so, without using dual-armature drivers, like is the case with the H1 and H2, which capture the essence of those tracks very well, is quite evident here - SoundPEATS have gone for a non-fatiguing, non-offensive sound that is less bright or lively than their usual sound signature, but that plays into styles like melodic techno, which have a gentle atmospheric-feel, conveying vocals and pianos without sibilance, whilst retaining a gentle thump on the drops.
Overall, for the price, it’s a fair audio performance without hitting the heights of the H series. I’ve found on many occasions that ANC usually impacts quite harshly on audio performance but that isn’t the case here - ANC without a doubt improves performance. Regardless, you are sacrificing sound for ANC compared with the H1 and H2, so if audio clarity and detail is your primary concern, stick with the H series. By the same token, sound is better than the T2 and T3 - pick your poison!
Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors – 7/10
Indoors the Air3 Pro performs well. Your voice is very crisp and clear, with a nice naturalness to it. There's a minor lisp to your voice, but you're perfectly coherent on calls.
Introduce mild ambient sound and that starts to wain a little. Your voice is still elevated, but background noise is not removed altogether.
Outdoors, it's actually pretty good. It seems to handle a variety of ambient sounds better than isolated ones. I tested both in Central London and at the beach, and sure, other sounds still infiltrated your call, but your voice remained overpowering to the point everything was pretty coherent. It's not on the level of OnePlus Buds Pro or Edifier NeoBuds Pro, which are both very strong in removing those external sounds, but it's a happy medium and strong for this price bracket.
You can hear the mic performance in my YouTube review, and there's some comparisons of over 30 TWS models in my comparison from earlier in the year here:
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 8/10
The Air3 Pro use what Qualcomm describe as a 'mid-range' SoC - the QCC3046 chip. This differs from the QCC3040 in that the flash memory is removed from the processor overhead, allowing vendors to run applications via external memory if they see fit. In terms of connectivity, it hasn't really changed much - I got my usual 10m line of sight, with obstructions reducing that. I did suffer an occasional single-bud drop out until resetting them, and have had no problems since. Connectivity is lightning-fast.
Controls are excellent with SoundPEATS – single tap is always volume (left = down, right = up), double tap plays or pauses (or answers a call), triple tap left and you have gaming mode, triple tap right and you have voice assistant, and holding down the left bud toggles ANC. Strangely, you can hold the right bud in order to skip to the next track, but you can’t go backwards, and there are no control mapping options from the app, which doesn’t currently support this model, although I understand it will soon. Indeed, if you try and run the SoundPEATS app it tries to update the firmware then fails, so it can't be long before this is remedied. Note - you don't get any tones for any selections other than pause, changing the volume and progressing the tracks does not give any audible recognition. ANC modes and gaming mode are denoted with spoken word.
The main features here include Gaming Mode, activated with a triple-left-tap, which offers very low latency - amongst the best I've tested. I'm no gamer, but a quick blast of Roblox with my daughters and I was experiencing no discernible delay at all. Videos are similarly well-synchronised. The other is the support of the AptX-Adaptive codec, which is inherent to the use of the Qualcomm chip, providing up to 420k audio delivery.
There’s no wireless charging and no quick charge, and these are features I would have liked to have seen, as I think that’s reflective of what we come to expect now from our TWS.
Final Comments
The Air3 Pro are a worthy addition to the portfolio, showing it IS possible to convert a successful semi-in-ear concept into more mainstream in-ear designs, even if you're not Apple! SoundPEATS have done just enough to improve in all the key areas to justify the release of the product, and I'd expect anyone looking for ANC in stem-based buds at around the $50 mark to strongly consider the Air3 Pro.
With subtle sound, great comfort and good battery life, they are positioned at those consumers who spend the day with their buds frequently for fairly long periods - which makes the absence of quick charge even more baffling. Even so, the Air3 Pro do the basics very well and have certainly not let the Air3 name down. The ultra low-latency is another major feather in the cap for this release, delivering surprisingly good results with gaming mode.
SoundPEATS' churn of releases at that sub-$60 price point make them a consistently wise option - and the Air3 Pro is no exception. You're not getting everything you could want, but you're getting almost everything at a very smart price, knowing you can upgrade in the future without major reinvestment. Another great job with this very decent mid-tier release.
Price Weighted Score: 82%
Raw Score: 80%
SoundPEATS Review Inventory:
SoundPEATS Mini Pro
SoundPEATS H2
SoundPEATS T3
SoundPEATS Mini
SoundPEATS Air3
SoundPEATS TrueAir2+
SoundPEATS TrueAir 2
SoundPEATS H1
SoundPEATS T2
SoundPEATS Sonic
About SoundPEATS:
SoundPEATS seem to have become an overnight sensation, wiping up a large portion of budget TWS earbud market share with a business model that has served them (and Anker before them) exceptionally well - good distribution channels (via Amazon), good support, a catchy name and product that performs well at a very competitive price point. In reality, they have been around a long time - whilst Shenzhen SoundSOUL IT Co LTD is a different trading name to Ginto E-Commerce, they share the same business address (including room number) as them - you may know their brand name better as Dudios. With Dudios not sounding quite so cool as Soundpeats, maybe the brand transition has been instrumental in their success, but having been around since 2010 and patents in Bluetooth tech stretching back to 2015, they are not the plucky upstarts that some may think - they know their stuff, have a great network of contacts, and now a very solid brand in Europe, and deservedly so.
The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them my favourite budget earbud vendor, is that they are completely transparent over their components. Whether they use Realtek, Qualcomm or Airoha chips in their buds, they are totally open about it, and as a reviewer this really helps, because whilst I have, and do, dismantle buds to check the way that certain things have been implemented (such as the power management, mems mics, etc) and I really don't like having to do it with every set of earbuds, because they then become unusable.
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YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: SoundPEATS Air3 Pro
Price: MSRP Approx $55
Review Reference: RC073
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: SoundPEATS
- Model: Air3 Pro
- Driver: 12mm Bio-Diaphragm Dynamic Driver
- Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3046
- Mic: Uses cVc 8.0 noise reduction
- ANC: Yes, up to 35dB
- Codecs: AptX-Adaptive, AptX, AAC, SBC
- App Support: Not Currently
- Volume Control: Yes
- Gaming Mode: Yes
- Earbud Weight: 4.4g
- Earbud Dimensions: 33mm height, 23.7mm depth with nozzle
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 35.95g
- Case Dimensions: 60.6mm (width) x 44.9mm (height) x 24.1mm (depth)
- Case Charge Capacity: 280mAh
- Quick Charge: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 6 hours (ANC off), 5 hours (ANC on)
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 20/24 hours
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: IPX5 (not stated on box)
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Japanese
3 x Pairs Eartips
YouTube Review:
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the @regancipher review of the SoundPEATS Air3 Pro. SoundPEATS have followed the path of Apple, FIIL and 1More by taking their popular semi-in-earbud and making a 'Pro' version, albeit now with in-ear style tips. Like with the other aforementioned brands, this has enabled them to add Active Noise Cancellation due to the presence of those flappy bits of silicone, and have added sufficient features to render it a very engaging proposition, especially for those who enjoyed the original Air3 - one of the most popular and highly-rated 'airpod-style' design buds of recent times (although soon to be superseded by the Air3 Deluxe - I told you this market stands still for no man!)
I'll be taking you through the unboxing experience, case and battery life, ergonomics and build, ANC performance, sound signature and key features, comparing to the original Air3 and some of their main competitors in this space - notable, the Tronsmart Onyx Apex and Omthing Airfree 2.
Unboxing - 7/10
Like with most SoundPEATS releases, the unboxing is a pretty standard affair. It's neither cheap- nor premium-feeling - it sits somewhere in the middle, with a compact box detailing most of the key parameters on the sides, and the front giving a visual representation on a bloke with a chiseled jaw having a stand-up nap, whilst the back shows an extreme close-up of the side of the bud with the three headline features along the bottom - the use of the Qualcomm QCC3046 chipset, Hybrid ANC and Qualcomm Aptx-Adaptive codec support.
They also proudly display their VGP 2022 awards in the top left corner. Whilst Visual Grand Prix awards are not quite the Oscars, SoundPEATS have won many such awards over the years, and it's no co-incidence - they offer very strong products at a competitive price. The Air3 Pro is no different - a compelling release that will definitely prove popular once again.
Even so, your small investment isn't going to give you a gift-box-style presentation. You get small and large tips in a baggie, as well as a USB A-C charge cable. The manual is in seven different languages - most of the major European languages plus Chinese and Japanese, and it's great to see SoundPEATS keeping that winning formula of visuals and text making it very clear how to use, control and maintain the buds (see my YouTube Review for more details). The spare tips, at least, are a jump in quality from the tips of yesteryear, offering more comfort and flexibility than the junk manufacturers were including a few years ago.
The Case - 8/10
As with the Mini Pro, SoundPEATS have given the successor to the Air3 Pro a rubberised texture that offers the promise of improved longevity over the scratch-magnet that was the Air3 case. Proportionally quite similar to the Mini Pro, it also gives a more premium feel to the release, and I really hope SoundPEATS retain these big improvements on all releases going forward.
Whilst the image above doesn't capture it, the dip in the centre of the lip is where the LED battery indicator is located. SoundPEATS have a consistent lighting schema - green denotes 50-100% charge, amber is 10-49% and red is below 10%.. This consistency is really useful - some vendors (ahem Soundcore) have an annoying habit of adjusting how they display battery life - with SoundPEATS their H series have multiple LED's, everything else is Green/Amber/Red - nice and easy for reviewers like me.
The case is around 6cm wide, 4.5cm high and 2.4cm in depth - so proportionally quite similar to the Mini Pro. Even with the stems, it still retains the ideal portability for commuters. Yes, you have to swivel the buds around when you remove them as the stems sit back-to-back in the case - but trust me, compared to the alternative (The Elevoc Clear, Baseus S2 or Omthing Airfree2, for example) it makes them far easier to remove and reinsert.
The reset button is located at the back, as opposed to the front this time. Holding down for a few seconds sends the device into pairing mode, for 10 seconds or longer you get a red flash, and that clears the memory.
The portability of the case is enhanced further, with a lightweight design at even less than the Mini Pro - 35.95g fully loaded. Like with the Mini Pro, this makes them trouser-pocket friendly - I popped them in my shorts whilst out cycling and they were practically unnoticeable.
When you insert the buds you get a 'Power On' then 'Connected' alert. This all happens super fast. There is hall-switch mode, so you can start the pairing as soon as you open the case, and the friction hinge - another huge improvement over the original - allows you to do that with the case propped on the desk - again, this is a massive plus in my book.
Due to the low-power chipset, they can afford to drop down the battery mAh capacity whilst retaining the three additional charges. There is no quick charge, and no wireless charging. USB-C is located on the base.
Battery Life - 8/10
Battery life is a solid 5/6 hours on paper, going up to 20/24 hours with the case. In my tests I achieved between 4 and 4.5 hours with periodic calls (slightly more efficient on IOS than Android). With ANC off I consistently got between 5 hours and 5 hours 14 minutes, so you pretty much know what you're getting on that front.
Unfortunately the absence of quick charge means a 90 minute charge cycle for the case and buds. Removing warp charge is pretty inconvenient in all honesty, and something I would rather SoundPEATS didn't skimp out on. Even so, good to see the figures mapping closely enough to those advertised, and pleasing to see that they have essentially retained the battery life from the original Air3 despite adding ANC.
Ergonomics - 8.5/10
From an aesthetics-perspective, SoundPEATS have retained the essence of the original design, staying true to the simplistic, matte-black finish with shiny buttons and a slender stem that suited the predecessor so well.
One of the biggest benefits of the Air3 was the weight displacement and overall ergonomic design that facilitated a very stable fit, especially for buds of that form factor. They've managed to take those special ingredients and work a similar recipe for the Air3 Pro, which matches the original for stability, and offers excellent passive noise isolation at the same time.
The stem length is slightly longer (although it doesn't appear so in the comparison image) but that is mainly due to the more bulbous neck. However, this doesn't detract from the comfort, and also improves one major bug-bear of the original - the temperamental touch controls. On the Pro, you have a far wider area of 'non-touch-controlliness' above the sensor. This removes one of the gripes with the original and is a welcome upgrade.
On the inside, visible on YouTube but difficult to capture above, is an opening with a pressure release chamber and pickup mic for ambient sound, covered by a protective mesh. The battery connectors are located at the base, and again, mitigate direct contact with the skin - useful for those with nickel allergies.
The depth of 23.2mm is in that 'Goldilocks Zone' of not being too invasive, but giving sufficient room to mould around your ear. The nozzle sits back in the opening to your ear canal, preferring to fill the chamber around it rather than invade it. This makes it a super comfy option for prolonged use.
The weight of 4.4g is lighter than the T3 and H2, and this helps with the comfort. Similarly-lightweight buds like the QCY T13 and G1 are also super comfy, so good job from SoundPEATS on reducing the weight but retaining the stability.
As a result of these well-thought-out parameters, the Air3 Pro sit very nicely in your ears. If you don't like silicone-tipped buds (I don't especially), the Air3 Pro are a good adjunct.
A look at how SoundPEATS have designed the buds alongside some of the competition reveals there is nothing especially revolutionary going on here, but protruding far less than the Tronsmart Onyx Apex, Baseus S2 and 'shoulder-pad'-style Omthing Airfree 2 demonstrates they've clearly looked at what doesn't work, and have tried to get close to what does. By adding a little more girth over something like the OnePlus Buds Pro, they've achieved improved stability, but with less than the Baseus, they've ensured they don't stick out too much. It's a happy medium that they've done well to achieve - giving a rare combination of both stability and comfort, that only the Edifier NeoBuds Pro also does with such consummate ease.
ANC – 7/10
ANC is a big improvement from the T3, and almost as good as the T2 could be with the right tips. Sure, it's not up there with the Edifier NeoBuds Pro or OnePlus Buds Pro, but at the price point only the QCY HT03 comes close.
Like most earbuds, the Achilles heel is in the mid to high frequencies, but the Air3 Pro does a stellar job at reducing low frequency rumbles. I can sit with my office window open and whilst traffic is audible with no music playing, it is reduced to a distant, higher pitched sound as opposed to the usual frustrating roar that accompanies life on a main road.
Like many buds at this price point, higher pitched or higher frequency sounds are dealt with less effectively - nearby chatter and keyboard taps, especially if you use blue switches like me, are still fairly prominent, however this isn't really out of the ordinary - competitors like the Omthing Airfree 2 are far less effective, and the Baseus S2 don't even come close. Only the Edifier NeoBuds Pro and Airpods Pro handle these types of sound with any great strength.
Transparency mode, initiated by holding down the MFB for a second, was far less accentuated than some of their previous models on the Mini Pro, which made for a more natural experience, but they've gone too far with the Air3 Pro, and discerning conversations can sometimes be a little difficult - there's no great difference between ANC off and Transparency, which is unfortunate. In stereo mode, you can toggle through ANC on/off and ambient, but unfortunately this is not possible in single mode - not a problem for me, but I have seen this registered as a bug-bear to others.
Audio & Sound Signature
The Air3 Pro use the Qualcomm QCC3046 chipset, promoting the use of the aptX-adaptive codec, but they also support aptX, AAC and SBC. On Android, it defaulted immediately to aptX-adaptive, and on iOS, I assume, AAC.
The Air3 Pro have a less dynamic, mid-centric sound than many of SoundPEATS previous releases, and this will come as a bit of a surprise to some. Lower frequencies emphasise the subbass, but there is a dip around 200Hz that detracts from the linearity. Spiking at around 500Hz, this has the benefit of bringing a more atmospheric midrange, emphasising vocals and acoustic guitars, but can result in a slightly muddy mid-bass response on more complex tracks. Trebles are pretty well handled - there is less extension, but better resolution. The highs you have sound good, albeit a shade rolled off - this is perfect for long, marathon music sessions, but less good for analytical bursts.
Soundstage has the perception of more breadth than most in-ear releases due to those elevated mids. However instrument separation isn't always easy to discern, and the problem of trying to create openness when you have no physical room to do so, without using dual-armature drivers, like is the case with the H1 and H2, which capture the essence of those tracks very well, is quite evident here - SoundPEATS have gone for a non-fatiguing, non-offensive sound that is less bright or lively than their usual sound signature, but that plays into styles like melodic techno, which have a gentle atmospheric-feel, conveying vocals and pianos without sibilance, whilst retaining a gentle thump on the drops.
Overall, for the price, it’s a fair audio performance without hitting the heights of the H series. I’ve found on many occasions that ANC usually impacts quite harshly on audio performance but that isn’t the case here - ANC without a doubt improves performance. Regardless, you are sacrificing sound for ANC compared with the H1 and H2, so if audio clarity and detail is your primary concern, stick with the H series. By the same token, sound is better than the T2 and T3 - pick your poison!
Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors – 7/10
Indoors the Air3 Pro performs well. Your voice is very crisp and clear, with a nice naturalness to it. There's a minor lisp to your voice, but you're perfectly coherent on calls.
Introduce mild ambient sound and that starts to wain a little. Your voice is still elevated, but background noise is not removed altogether.
Outdoors, it's actually pretty good. It seems to handle a variety of ambient sounds better than isolated ones. I tested both in Central London and at the beach, and sure, other sounds still infiltrated your call, but your voice remained overpowering to the point everything was pretty coherent. It's not on the level of OnePlus Buds Pro or Edifier NeoBuds Pro, which are both very strong in removing those external sounds, but it's a happy medium and strong for this price bracket.
You can hear the mic performance in my YouTube review, and there's some comparisons of over 30 TWS models in my comparison from earlier in the year here:
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 8/10
The Air3 Pro use what Qualcomm describe as a 'mid-range' SoC - the QCC3046 chip. This differs from the QCC3040 in that the flash memory is removed from the processor overhead, allowing vendors to run applications via external memory if they see fit. In terms of connectivity, it hasn't really changed much - I got my usual 10m line of sight, with obstructions reducing that. I did suffer an occasional single-bud drop out until resetting them, and have had no problems since. Connectivity is lightning-fast.
Controls are excellent with SoundPEATS – single tap is always volume (left = down, right = up), double tap plays or pauses (or answers a call), triple tap left and you have gaming mode, triple tap right and you have voice assistant, and holding down the left bud toggles ANC. Strangely, you can hold the right bud in order to skip to the next track, but you can’t go backwards, and there are no control mapping options from the app, which doesn’t currently support this model, although I understand it will soon. Indeed, if you try and run the SoundPEATS app it tries to update the firmware then fails, so it can't be long before this is remedied. Note - you don't get any tones for any selections other than pause, changing the volume and progressing the tracks does not give any audible recognition. ANC modes and gaming mode are denoted with spoken word.
The main features here include Gaming Mode, activated with a triple-left-tap, which offers very low latency - amongst the best I've tested. I'm no gamer, but a quick blast of Roblox with my daughters and I was experiencing no discernible delay at all. Videos are similarly well-synchronised. The other is the support of the AptX-Adaptive codec, which is inherent to the use of the Qualcomm chip, providing up to 420k audio delivery.
There’s no wireless charging and no quick charge, and these are features I would have liked to have seen, as I think that’s reflective of what we come to expect now from our TWS.
Final Comments
The Air3 Pro are a worthy addition to the portfolio, showing it IS possible to convert a successful semi-in-ear concept into more mainstream in-ear designs, even if you're not Apple! SoundPEATS have done just enough to improve in all the key areas to justify the release of the product, and I'd expect anyone looking for ANC in stem-based buds at around the $50 mark to strongly consider the Air3 Pro.
With subtle sound, great comfort and good battery life, they are positioned at those consumers who spend the day with their buds frequently for fairly long periods - which makes the absence of quick charge even more baffling. Even so, the Air3 Pro do the basics very well and have certainly not let the Air3 name down. The ultra low-latency is another major feather in the cap for this release, delivering surprisingly good results with gaming mode.
SoundPEATS' churn of releases at that sub-$60 price point make them a consistently wise option - and the Air3 Pro is no exception. You're not getting everything you could want, but you're getting almost everything at a very smart price, knowing you can upgrade in the future without major reinvestment. Another great job with this very decent mid-tier release.
Price Weighted Score: 82%
Raw Score: 80%
SoundPEATS Review Inventory:
SoundPEATS Mini Pro
SoundPEATS H2
SoundPEATS T3
SoundPEATS Mini
SoundPEATS Air3
SoundPEATS TrueAir2+
SoundPEATS TrueAir 2
SoundPEATS H1
SoundPEATS T2
SoundPEATS Sonic
About SoundPEATS:
SoundPEATS seem to have become an overnight sensation, wiping up a large portion of budget TWS earbud market share with a business model that has served them (and Anker before them) exceptionally well - good distribution channels (via Amazon), good support, a catchy name and product that performs well at a very competitive price point. In reality, they have been around a long time - whilst Shenzhen SoundSOUL IT Co LTD is a different trading name to Ginto E-Commerce, they share the same business address (including room number) as them - you may know their brand name better as Dudios. With Dudios not sounding quite so cool as Soundpeats, maybe the brand transition has been instrumental in their success, but having been around since 2010 and patents in Bluetooth tech stretching back to 2015, they are not the plucky upstarts that some may think - they know their stuff, have a great network of contacts, and now a very solid brand in Europe, and deservedly so.
The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them my favourite budget earbud vendor, is that they are completely transparent over their components. Whether they use Realtek, Qualcomm or Airoha chips in their buds, they are totally open about it, and as a reviewer this really helps, because whilst I have, and do, dismantle buds to check the way that certain things have been implemented (such as the power management, mems mics, etc) and I really don't like having to do it with every set of earbuds, because they then become unusable.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Reddit: u/regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: QCY T18 Melobuds
Price: MSRP Approx $49.99
Website: QCY Store, Aliexpress Store
Review Reference: RC072
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual, English & Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
YouTube Review:
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the @regancipher review of the QCY T18 Melobuds, an exciting release for many reasons. The Melobuds are the first earbuds to use the Qualcomm QCC3050 chipset, bringing multipoint, aptX-voice for clearer calls, Snapdragon Sound and 96k wireless audio transmission. Lots of exciting features - but how would they perform?
Unboxing - 7/10
If there is one area QCY could brush up if they really want to hit the market in a big way, it's the unboxing. Once again it is a very simplistic, standard archetype box - a bit of a shame given the gravitas of the release. The manual is the usual monochrome, folding instruction booklet in just English and Chinese, and whilst the idea is clearly for users to scan the QR, use their app and fire over their data (get used to it, it's every TWS app and plenty more), if they want to truly penetrate other markets for example, larger diagrammatic visual representations will benefit them far more than saving a few yen on printing a manual commensurate with the quality of the device. Tronsmart have demonstrated this to very good effect, and should be the poster-boy for this kind of approach, as pictures tell a thousand words, as they say.
That said, the instructions on how to use multipoint are very clear, and the diagrams are a marked improvement over previous iterations. The tips match the buds in terms of colour and finish, but don't actually facilitate best comfort from them. I switched through Azla, Feaulle and eventually settled on Spinfit CP1025 to provide best fit. The USB-C cable is in the usual bag, and this time you get a little card with very basic usage instructions.
Case & Ergonomics - 9/10
QCY have done a marvelous job with the ergonomics on both the buds and the case. Whilst fit is subjective, these have to be the comfiest buds I've tried in a long time, and for silicone-based buds, that's saying something.
The buds weigh 4.6g, so they are reasonably lightweight. The case is 43g, putting it in the middle of the road in terms of portability. Its compact-folding-mirror style shape means it is easily portable in both pockets and handbags, even if it looks a little larger than the average - it is far more portable than something like the Huawei FreeBuds Pro, which is similarly sized and shaped.
The case is easy enough to flip open single-handed, and has a nice glossy finish to it. One big plus point is the hinge - it's a friction hinge, so you can prop it open on your desk and initiate pairing. This is really useful when going through the multipoint process, and it supports hall-switch mode so no grabbing the buds out of the case in order to pair. The case can be a little fiddly in bud removal and reinsertion due to the back-to-back design, but if you're used to the HT03 then this won't be at all counter-intuitive.
There is a pairing button in metallic finish with the QCY logo to the side, and it is necessary to use in order to initiate pairing. There is no wireless charging - the case is USB-C only, the port is at the base, capacity is 380mAh and it takes around 90-120 minutes for a full charge, giving you up to 30 hours provided you're not using multipoint, 96k and a bunch of other features that realistically bring it down to between 4-6 hours for single use, with around 3-3.5 extra charges. There is no quick charge or warp charge feature, sadly, so make sure you're fully charged up for the day if using as a commuter bud! There is a single LED at the front which only has two colours - red for below 20% and blue for above - not especially helpful, as there is no indicator within the app (only for charge remaining in the buds) either.
The outer design of the buds themselves is a little like the ZMI Purpods, with a curvature combined with three dimensional edges. This allows for a nicely sized touch control area just above the QCY logo, although it did induce a few accidental touches, and provides lots of room for the battery connectors and voice mic at the base. Above the logo is an LED which denotes pairing status, flashing when ready to pair. This goes off during normal operation, thankfully.
On the inside you can see two openings - one is a pressure relief hole, the other a tuning chamber, designed for improved comfort and acoustic performance. Both are protected by dustproof nets, although there is no official IPX rating for the buds themselves (this is quite typical of QCY, as the testing certification adds additional cost)
The driver openings are oval shaped, and this means it sits back in your ear canal a touch, opening up the soundstage a little through auditory masking. It makes for a pleasant experience in the ears and it is very clear these buds have been designed as all-dayers. The lack of active noise cancellation will be a disappointment to some, but passive isolation with the right tips is OK.
So overall it is a massive thumbs up on the design, give or take some minor quibbles like the absence of fast charge.
Audio - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7.5/10 (raw score)
Once again, QCY have done just about enough, without impressing hugely. The Melobuds initially sounded extremely thin until I switched the tips and got a better fit, so bear this in mind. Afterwards, the lower frequencies were much more prominent, but a little muddy on 48k.
Snapdragon Sound is Qualcomm's marketing buzzword for 24-bit, 96kHz streaming, with improved resolution after the usual drop-off point 20KHz, and 32kHz wideband voice quality through AptX-voice. The big problem is Snapdragon Sound isn't really widely supported yet. I discovered the drivers on my OnePlus 8T needed upgrading, so I had to contact the developer of my custom ROM in order to get that sorted. Big word of advice - update to your latest version of software!
After updating the firmware on the T18 and the drivers on my phone, at 48kHz it is very evident that QCY have gone for a clear, bright sound with a gently boosted midbass. 'Come Undone' by Duran Duran reveals reasonable detail in the high mids, with tambourines, shakers and reverbed vocals separating rather well. Compared to something like the T13 or Tronsmart Onyx Prime, it is a slightly cleaner sound, without any major sibilance issues, without as much emphasis on the bass. Otherwise, it is a very familiar sound signature from QCY since they evolved away from the muddy v-shaped messes that categorised their early releases - extremely similar, if not identical tuning to their T17.
The soft midbass is betrayed in 'Killer' by Seal, which sees the kick drum arrive with a thump on something like the Edifier NeoBuds Pro, whereas it simply 'arrives' on the T18. The soundstage can open out a little, but depth is lacking a little - instruments of similar frequencies will separate, but they lack the textural qualities that allow the listener that knows the track intimately to differentiate them easily. Adjusting the buds can improve the midbass delivery, I found twisting them slightly so the oval was perpendicular to my ear canal did the trick. The subbass is fast and definitely present - I got a gentle reminder from 'Gecko' by Oliver Heldens, where the kick slammed in better than I was expecting, but certainly not in the league of the dual-driver buds on the market today. NOTE - after upgrading to firmware 1.0.9.8, the sound changed slightly. Bass is a little tighter.
On 96KHz, this improves noticeably, with bass guitars starting to resonate far more on the same track. Vocals pan around with extension - they actually sound really good, very similar to the Soundpeats H2 when in 96K mode.
The big problem is, 96k is incredibly unstable. On Tidal Masters, just changing the track would trigger the buds into only broadcasting through one earbud. Then the other. Then neither. Then both again! To see if it was an isolated issue, I bought another set. Same problem. I've contacted QCY, but as yet, no response.
NOTE - Not only have QCY been in contact, they've upgraded the firmware. Version 1.0.9.8 below:
This translates as:
Firmware upgrade will be latest version; v1.0.98 Current version: APTX VOICE switch is added on v1.0.95 APP, which can improve some mobile phone calls/WeChat silent problems by turning off APTX VOICE UPGRADE.
Whilst I haven't found the switch in the app yet (I guess an update will come in due course) and haven't noticed a huge difference in calls, it has not only improved stability on my phone (which doesn't even officially support 96k) but it's tightened up the sound too. So bravo to QCY for proactively working on this!
The Xiaomi 11T Pro (which supports Snapdragon Sound) showed no huge difference in audio quality over the OnePlus in 96k - same slightly-too bright trebles and congested low frequencies, but still respectable given the features and the cost.
Call Quality - Indoors - 7.5/10, Outdoors - 8/10
Despite Aptx-voice supposedly existing, I guess my phone doesn't support it. There's no indicator it is in use in the way you can see that AptX-adaptive is the codec in use. Either way, I noticed my voice sounded a little over-compressed indoors with lots of chatter, but they handled a little wind and traffic far better. The mics also feature cVc integration with the SoC (a Qualcomm feature) and beamforming technology to ensure reliable communication.
I've included them in my YouTube 30 TWS Mic Test at around the 25 minute mark here:
It is also covered in my YouTube review, noted at the top of this article.
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 8/10
Connectivity, other than the issues at 96K, is rock solid. Controls are fine out of the box, but the app allows lots of customisation, including setting volume control for single tap.
If you're using an android phone you'll get a little pop-up window with 'T18' and a picture of the buds. Going into the app you have three tabs:
Gaming mode is there, and reduces latency, which is already very good - certainly good enough on videos, and will no doubt improve as more of the features catch up in phones and tablets. It can be activated with a triple left tap by default, with voice assistant triple right. There are no spoken responses, just mere beeps when you activate a function.
There are no hi-res codecs, no ANC, no quick charge, so room for improvement here. LE Audio is supported, but this is coming through firmware update - QCY have not given any indication over dates.
Battery Life - 7.5/10
The buds advertise up to 7 hours from a single use, and I consistently topped the 5 hour mark, stretching as high as 6 and as low as 4 hours 23 minutes where I had to use them for a long Teams call. They lasted around the same as my OnePlus Buds Pro - possibly slightly longer, so not a bad performance at all given the competitive landscape.
The case allows for up to 3-3.5 further charges, as previously mentioned there is no quick charge and no wireless charging - even so, it's a strong performer given the multitude of features.
Final Comments
As per the title, it feels a little like the cart arrived before the horses. Some of the features - Snapdragon Sound, AptX-voice, 96K audio.... they're waiting for the mobile phone market to catch up. Only a handful of devices currently support those headline attributes fully, and the Qualcomm website is hopeless at updating us, as seemingly are the phone vendors who think audio is an afterthought (as proven by their blase removal of the 3.5mm jack!)
Even so, there is definite promise there. Sound is good enough - not outstanding, but very respectable for the price. Calls are good enough too, and as always, QCY have done just 'enough' to more than deliver a solid release at a really attractive price.
If multipoint is your primary objective over-and-above sound, and you're constrained by budget, then the T18 are a very wise investment - but if you want the benefit of all those additional features, you'll have to wait a little while I'm afraid.
Overall it is a very decent release, but don't go selling your premium buds just yet!
Price Weighted Score: 85%
Raw Score: 80%
QCY Review Inventory:
HT07 Arcbuds
HT05 Melobuds ANC
T20 Ailypods
T18
G1
T17
T16
T13
HT03
T12
T11
About QCY:
Whilst not quite a household name outside of China yet, QCY are well-renowned in the budget TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that, whilst perhaps lacking some of the bells and whistles of the more expensive brands, deliver to the segment of the market where 'good enough is good enough', with solid reliability and tremendous value for money.
Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5), with three of their major customers being brands you will certainly recognise and in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019. In 2020, market research indicated they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor worldwide - no mean feat.
Despite a close relationship with SoC manufactuer Zhuhai Jieli, QCY are not afraid to mix and match components to suit their target market. This often sees a number of releases in quick succession - their T17S are an example of this, released subsequent to the T17, and differentiating with the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 SoC, to support customers who require the added lower latency enabled by the aptX codecs that the Qualcomm chips support. They did a similar thing with the very popular T5, T8 and T9 - nice to see a vendor using an easy to follow naming convention! The G1 use the newest Pixart chip in order to reduce latency - horses for courses!
The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses at a very affordable price - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value from a brand they can trust.
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Reddit: u/regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: QCY T18 Melobuds
Price: MSRP Approx $49.99
Website: QCY Store, Aliexpress Store
Review Reference: RC072
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: QCY
- Model: T18 Melobuds
- Driver: 10mm Dynamic Driver
- Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3050
- Mic: 4, Aptx-Voice 32k calls, cVc ENC
- ANC: No
- Codecs: Aptx-Adaptive up to 96k, Snapdragon Sound, Aptx, AAC, SBC
- App Support: Yes
- Volume Control: Yes, via the QCY app
- Gaming Mode: Yes
- Earbud Weight: 4.65g
- Earbud Dimensions: 30mm stem
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 43g
- Case Dimensions: 24mm (depth) x 54 mm (width) x 59mm (height)
- Case Charge Capacity: 450mAh
- Full Charge Time: approx. 120 minutes
- Quick Charge: Not advertised - seems to be supported though
- Wireless Charging: No
- Input: 5V 400mA
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 7 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 30 hours
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5 / LE
- Water Resistance: Not stated
- Firmware Version Tested: V1.0.95
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual, English & Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
YouTube Review:
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the @regancipher review of the QCY T18 Melobuds, an exciting release for many reasons. The Melobuds are the first earbuds to use the Qualcomm QCC3050 chipset, bringing multipoint, aptX-voice for clearer calls, Snapdragon Sound and 96k wireless audio transmission. Lots of exciting features - but how would they perform?
Unboxing - 7/10
If there is one area QCY could brush up if they really want to hit the market in a big way, it's the unboxing. Once again it is a very simplistic, standard archetype box - a bit of a shame given the gravitas of the release. The manual is the usual monochrome, folding instruction booklet in just English and Chinese, and whilst the idea is clearly for users to scan the QR, use their app and fire over their data (get used to it, it's every TWS app and plenty more), if they want to truly penetrate other markets for example, larger diagrammatic visual representations will benefit them far more than saving a few yen on printing a manual commensurate with the quality of the device. Tronsmart have demonstrated this to very good effect, and should be the poster-boy for this kind of approach, as pictures tell a thousand words, as they say.
That said, the instructions on how to use multipoint are very clear, and the diagrams are a marked improvement over previous iterations. The tips match the buds in terms of colour and finish, but don't actually facilitate best comfort from them. I switched through Azla, Feaulle and eventually settled on Spinfit CP1025 to provide best fit. The USB-C cable is in the usual bag, and this time you get a little card with very basic usage instructions.
Case & Ergonomics - 9/10
QCY have done a marvelous job with the ergonomics on both the buds and the case. Whilst fit is subjective, these have to be the comfiest buds I've tried in a long time, and for silicone-based buds, that's saying something.
The buds weigh 4.6g, so they are reasonably lightweight. The case is 43g, putting it in the middle of the road in terms of portability. Its compact-folding-mirror style shape means it is easily portable in both pockets and handbags, even if it looks a little larger than the average - it is far more portable than something like the Huawei FreeBuds Pro, which is similarly sized and shaped.
The case is easy enough to flip open single-handed, and has a nice glossy finish to it. One big plus point is the hinge - it's a friction hinge, so you can prop it open on your desk and initiate pairing. This is really useful when going through the multipoint process, and it supports hall-switch mode so no grabbing the buds out of the case in order to pair. The case can be a little fiddly in bud removal and reinsertion due to the back-to-back design, but if you're used to the HT03 then this won't be at all counter-intuitive.
There is a pairing button in metallic finish with the QCY logo to the side, and it is necessary to use in order to initiate pairing. There is no wireless charging - the case is USB-C only, the port is at the base, capacity is 380mAh and it takes around 90-120 minutes for a full charge, giving you up to 30 hours provided you're not using multipoint, 96k and a bunch of other features that realistically bring it down to between 4-6 hours for single use, with around 3-3.5 extra charges. There is no quick charge or warp charge feature, sadly, so make sure you're fully charged up for the day if using as a commuter bud! There is a single LED at the front which only has two colours - red for below 20% and blue for above - not especially helpful, as there is no indicator within the app (only for charge remaining in the buds) either.
The outer design of the buds themselves is a little like the ZMI Purpods, with a curvature combined with three dimensional edges. This allows for a nicely sized touch control area just above the QCY logo, although it did induce a few accidental touches, and provides lots of room for the battery connectors and voice mic at the base. Above the logo is an LED which denotes pairing status, flashing when ready to pair. This goes off during normal operation, thankfully.
On the inside you can see two openings - one is a pressure relief hole, the other a tuning chamber, designed for improved comfort and acoustic performance. Both are protected by dustproof nets, although there is no official IPX rating for the buds themselves (this is quite typical of QCY, as the testing certification adds additional cost)
The driver openings are oval shaped, and this means it sits back in your ear canal a touch, opening up the soundstage a little through auditory masking. It makes for a pleasant experience in the ears and it is very clear these buds have been designed as all-dayers. The lack of active noise cancellation will be a disappointment to some, but passive isolation with the right tips is OK.
So overall it is a massive thumbs up on the design, give or take some minor quibbles like the absence of fast charge.
Audio - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7.5/10 (raw score)
Once again, QCY have done just about enough, without impressing hugely. The Melobuds initially sounded extremely thin until I switched the tips and got a better fit, so bear this in mind. Afterwards, the lower frequencies were much more prominent, but a little muddy on 48k.
Snapdragon Sound is Qualcomm's marketing buzzword for 24-bit, 96kHz streaming, with improved resolution after the usual drop-off point 20KHz, and 32kHz wideband voice quality through AptX-voice. The big problem is Snapdragon Sound isn't really widely supported yet. I discovered the drivers on my OnePlus 8T needed upgrading, so I had to contact the developer of my custom ROM in order to get that sorted. Big word of advice - update to your latest version of software!
After updating the firmware on the T18 and the drivers on my phone, at 48kHz it is very evident that QCY have gone for a clear, bright sound with a gently boosted midbass. 'Come Undone' by Duran Duran reveals reasonable detail in the high mids, with tambourines, shakers and reverbed vocals separating rather well. Compared to something like the T13 or Tronsmart Onyx Prime, it is a slightly cleaner sound, without any major sibilance issues, without as much emphasis on the bass. Otherwise, it is a very familiar sound signature from QCY since they evolved away from the muddy v-shaped messes that categorised their early releases - extremely similar, if not identical tuning to their T17.
The soft midbass is betrayed in 'Killer' by Seal, which sees the kick drum arrive with a thump on something like the Edifier NeoBuds Pro, whereas it simply 'arrives' on the T18. The soundstage can open out a little, but depth is lacking a little - instruments of similar frequencies will separate, but they lack the textural qualities that allow the listener that knows the track intimately to differentiate them easily. Adjusting the buds can improve the midbass delivery, I found twisting them slightly so the oval was perpendicular to my ear canal did the trick. The subbass is fast and definitely present - I got a gentle reminder from 'Gecko' by Oliver Heldens, where the kick slammed in better than I was expecting, but certainly not in the league of the dual-driver buds on the market today. NOTE - after upgrading to firmware 1.0.9.8, the sound changed slightly. Bass is a little tighter.
On 96KHz, this improves noticeably, with bass guitars starting to resonate far more on the same track. Vocals pan around with extension - they actually sound really good, very similar to the Soundpeats H2 when in 96K mode.
The big problem is, 96k is incredibly unstable. On Tidal Masters, just changing the track would trigger the buds into only broadcasting through one earbud. Then the other. Then neither. Then both again! To see if it was an isolated issue, I bought another set. Same problem. I've contacted QCY, but as yet, no response.
NOTE - Not only have QCY been in contact, they've upgraded the firmware. Version 1.0.9.8 below:
This translates as:
Firmware upgrade will be latest version; v1.0.98 Current version: APTX VOICE switch is added on v1.0.95 APP, which can improve some mobile phone calls/WeChat silent problems by turning off APTX VOICE UPGRADE.
Whilst I haven't found the switch in the app yet (I guess an update will come in due course) and haven't noticed a huge difference in calls, it has not only improved stability on my phone (which doesn't even officially support 96k) but it's tightened up the sound too. So bravo to QCY for proactively working on this!
The Xiaomi 11T Pro (which supports Snapdragon Sound) showed no huge difference in audio quality over the OnePlus in 96k - same slightly-too bright trebles and congested low frequencies, but still respectable given the features and the cost.
Call Quality - Indoors - 7.5/10, Outdoors - 8/10
Despite Aptx-voice supposedly existing, I guess my phone doesn't support it. There's no indicator it is in use in the way you can see that AptX-adaptive is the codec in use. Either way, I noticed my voice sounded a little over-compressed indoors with lots of chatter, but they handled a little wind and traffic far better. The mics also feature cVc integration with the SoC (a Qualcomm feature) and beamforming technology to ensure reliable communication.
I've included them in my YouTube 30 TWS Mic Test at around the 25 minute mark here:
It is also covered in my YouTube review, noted at the top of this article.
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 8/10
Connectivity, other than the issues at 96K, is rock solid. Controls are fine out of the box, but the app allows lots of customisation, including setting volume control for single tap.
If you're using an android phone you'll get a little pop-up window with 'T18' and a picture of the buds. Going into the app you have three tabs:
- Status (the default) - which tells you battery level of the buds and gives you a media play button at the bottom
- Sound - that allows you to choose from a number of presets (Pop, Bass, Rock, Soft and Classic) - none of which sound great - or customise - giving you an impressive 10 bar equaliser
- Settings - this tab allows you to customise controls , 'find your headset', toggle gaming mode and update the firmware
Gaming mode is there, and reduces latency, which is already very good - certainly good enough on videos, and will no doubt improve as more of the features catch up in phones and tablets. It can be activated with a triple left tap by default, with voice assistant triple right. There are no spoken responses, just mere beeps when you activate a function.
There are no hi-res codecs, no ANC, no quick charge, so room for improvement here. LE Audio is supported, but this is coming through firmware update - QCY have not given any indication over dates.
Battery Life - 7.5/10
The buds advertise up to 7 hours from a single use, and I consistently topped the 5 hour mark, stretching as high as 6 and as low as 4 hours 23 minutes where I had to use them for a long Teams call. They lasted around the same as my OnePlus Buds Pro - possibly slightly longer, so not a bad performance at all given the competitive landscape.
The case allows for up to 3-3.5 further charges, as previously mentioned there is no quick charge and no wireless charging - even so, it's a strong performer given the multitude of features.
Final Comments
As per the title, it feels a little like the cart arrived before the horses. Some of the features - Snapdragon Sound, AptX-voice, 96K audio.... they're waiting for the mobile phone market to catch up. Only a handful of devices currently support those headline attributes fully, and the Qualcomm website is hopeless at updating us, as seemingly are the phone vendors who think audio is an afterthought (as proven by their blase removal of the 3.5mm jack!)
Even so, there is definite promise there. Sound is good enough - not outstanding, but very respectable for the price. Calls are good enough too, and as always, QCY have done just 'enough' to more than deliver a solid release at a really attractive price.
If multipoint is your primary objective over-and-above sound, and you're constrained by budget, then the T18 are a very wise investment - but if you want the benefit of all those additional features, you'll have to wait a little while I'm afraid.
Overall it is a very decent release, but don't go selling your premium buds just yet!
Price Weighted Score: 85%
Raw Score: 80%
QCY Review Inventory:
HT07 Arcbuds
HT05 Melobuds ANC
T20 Ailypods
T18
G1
T17
T16
T13
HT03
T12
T11
About QCY:
Whilst not quite a household name outside of China yet, QCY are well-renowned in the budget TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that, whilst perhaps lacking some of the bells and whistles of the more expensive brands, deliver to the segment of the market where 'good enough is good enough', with solid reliability and tremendous value for money.
Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5), with three of their major customers being brands you will certainly recognise and in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019. In 2020, market research indicated they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor worldwide - no mean feat.
Despite a close relationship with SoC manufactuer Zhuhai Jieli, QCY are not afraid to mix and match components to suit their target market. This often sees a number of releases in quick succession - their T17S are an example of this, released subsequent to the T17, and differentiating with the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 SoC, to support customers who require the added lower latency enabled by the aptX codecs that the Qualcomm chips support. They did a similar thing with the very popular T5, T8 and T9 - nice to see a vendor using an easy to follow naming convention! The G1 use the newest Pixart chip in order to reduce latency - horses for courses!
The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses at a very affordable price - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value from a brand they can trust.
regancipher
QCY released a firmware update yesterday, improvement is huge!
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro
Price: MSRP Approx $40
Website: Tronsmart, Geekbuying, AliExpress
Review Reference: RC071
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Simplified Chinese
1 x Warranty Card
YouTube Review:
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the @regancipher review of the sequel to the @Tronsmart Official Onyx Ace, the imaginatively named Onyx Ace Pro. With their strong partnership with Qualcomm and rapid expansion into America, Europe, Middle East & Asia, Tronsmart releases are always a pleasure, and I'm delighted to be seemingly amongst the first to review this new TWS, their first for a while as they bombard the market with speakers!
The Onyx Ace Pro were a set of buds I tried before I decided to start reviewing, and piqued my interest in Chinese-branded earbuds. However, even despite their qualities, they still suffered with comparatively weak sound (as every TWS did back then) compared with wired IEM's, connection frailties (as every wireless earbud did back then) - even so, for many they were the go-to for semi-in-ear 'Airpod-style' non-invasive buds at a price everyone could afford.
Fast forward two years and you have a pretty congested market, although this style of earbud tends to get little in the way of attention from vendors. Tronsmart have to compete with the Soundpeats Air3 / TrueAir2+, 1More Comfobuds 2, QCY T12, Haylou Moripods and FIIL CC2 (and soon the Nano), so I was interested to see how big a deal this release was to Tronsmart given the competitive landscape.
Comparison with Onyx Ace
As you can see above, on paper, the differences are rather academic. The Bluetooth version has been upgraded to 5.2, the QCC3040 chip replaces the QCC3020 of the original thus now offering aptX-adaptive codec support, the battery life has been extended to 6/27 hours, gaming mode has been added along with voice assistant and a button has appeared on the base for 'one key recovery' (I assume this is factory default).
Otherwise it really is pretty much the same bud - except it isn't - the sound is a big change, in a good way. Read on for more....
The Unboxing - 7.5/10
Tronsmart unboxings go from insane experiences (the Onyx Prime and Apollo Bold) to pretty basic (the Apollo Q10). This is definitely closer to the Q10, with the standard parameters listed on the back, key features on the front and sides, and the buds and case housed inside a nicely custom-molded insert. It's those major under the hood changes that are listed - battery life, aptx-adaptive support and Bluetooth 5.2.
Inside the box you are greeted by the case - which is identical to the original, a warranty card, a manual (in a number of European languages as well as Chinese and RuZZian, and a USB-C to A charge cable.
The manual, as you can see above, is monochrome as opposed to full colour - a little disappointing, but with so few features on this style of earbud, understandable. Instructions are still easy to read and understand, with visuals accompanying text to good effect.
The Case - 8/10
The Onyx Ace case is both attractive and functional, finished in a reasonably hard-wearing glossy white, with a shiny, metallic 'well' in the centre above the Tronsmart logo. This displays the amount of charge remaining in the case through four LED's, each of which represent a 25% chunk of the impressive 27 hours total charge offered by the case. Rather cleverly, the top LED will light up when the left earbud is charging and the bottom the right when plugged in or closed. This is a nice little feature to remind you in case you've left the other in your ear without realising, or if the charging connectors are obscured and thus one or more isn't charging.
Not pictured, the case also has a 'One Key Recovery' button, which I assume is to factory default (at least it does that on my mum's Lenovo laptop!) in case of any issues, or being stuck in single mode. As a maintenance and support feature it is always good to have something like this, and it is prominent without being positioned where it could be accidentally initiated. The USB socket shows thought in the design, with a thick metallic rim reinforcing the connection. Tronsmart have gone some lengths to minimising unnecessary returns, which is pretty amazing given the price point.
In terms of dimensions, it is really well-proportioned, and certainly nice to carry around. The shape is vertically asymmetrical but horizontally symmetrical, and importantly it's tiny, which means it is possible to pop them in your trouser pocket without them looking or feeling too intrusive.
This is reinforced by their lightweight footprint - just 41g, amongst the lightest cases around, but not especially light compared to other semi-in-earbud cases - it is a whole 10g heavier than the SoundPeats Air3 case, and only the metallic FIIL CC2 and TaoTronics TT-BH080 are heavier. That said, the flat-pebble design is ideally shaped for handbags and pockets alike - the lighter QCY T12's open design was prone to debrid obscuring the battery connectors, and the Air3 case is notably flimsy by comparison. The Moripods case is awkward-shaped, and of very questionable quality by comparison.
Some comparisons:
SoundPeats Air3 - 31g
QCY T12 - 33.13g
1More Comfobuds 2 - 35g
SoundPeats TrueAir2 - 37g
Haylou Moripods - 39.76g
Tronsmart Battle - 39.81g
Tronsmart Onyx Ace - 41.1g
FIIL CC2 - 44.39g
TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 - 46.9g
The case combines the attractive looks of the TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80, the portability of the Air3, and the battery life of the 1More Comfobuds 2. Whilst sticking with the looks that were successful on their maiden release, the shiny finish goes against the grain in an increasingly matte world, but as I show in my video review, it's matte cases that tend to wear the most scratches a month or two in your pocket with your keys.
If I had a minor complaint it would be the hinge, which is a little flimsy, although not atypically-so at this price point. You can't leave the case propped open on the desk like with the Huawei FreeBuds Pro for example - it just snaps shut. This makes single bud use a two handed operation, and the buds aren't especially easy to remove from the case at the best of times, but overall it is a nice case that, if we are being brutally honest is probably everything the Soundpeats Air3 case should have been had they not cut so many corners, and some genuine evidence of good workmanship for the price.
Ergonomics - 7.5/10
The Onyx Ace Pro design has, like the case, not changed from the original.
The cylindrical stem is a little odd-looking, although it enhances the surface area of the battery connection, which is often the first thing to fail with TWS - again, Tronsmart have thought about longevity!
Otherwise it is a very familiar design, with mics at the base (for the voice) and the top of the touch control area for ambient sound. The touch controls are really easy and intuitive to use, and well-positioned, with limited accidental touches compared to the Air3 and CC2.
At the bottom, on the outside you have LED's denoting pairing status, and an L or R depending on which bud you're looking at. On the top and inside are pressure release chambers, and they work very well (put a finger over the top one, and you'll see what I mean!)
The inside reveals a meshed-finish to the driver-surround (like the QCY T12). This is always pleasing to see, and provides both resistance to and clear evidence of any waxy residue build-up that is obscuring the driver and thus causing blockages, potentially dropping the volume - a common complaint with TWS.
The profile of the top of the buds is also very nicely curved, and compared with the angular FIIL CC2 and Haylou Moripods and sloped Soundpeats Air3 and TrueAir2, it makes adjusting them a little easier and more reliable - in other words, you don't suddenly pause your music if you need to reposition them.
The bevel around the edge is not too thick, and thus the Ace Pro wear comfortably for prolonged periods - something Haylou really messed up on their Moripods (which I ended up having to sand down!)
The stem-length is noticeably rather long compared with newer releases, such as the Air3 and Tronsmart Battle. With the alternatives coming in at 33 and 30mm respectively, the Ace Pro feels a bit unwieldy with it's non-tapered base and protruding length, fortunately the neck is well designed and they still pass the shake test quite comfortably. Even so, it is an area I would have liked to have seen a little more imagination from Tronsmart on - FIIL also stuck rigidly to their CC design, and it isn't necessarily a good thing - continuous improvement is always the aim, after all. A shorter stem would have been preferred, and maybe we will see one coming from Tronsmart in the future with the economics of the Battle and features and sound of the Ace Pro.
The driver opening is notably probably the biggest of all of the buds pictured above, and it makes for a nice airy soundstage through auditory masking.
The weight of the bud - 3.47g - is comparatively low. Below are some comparisons:
Tronsmart Battle - 3.27g
Tronsmart Onyx Ace - 3.47g
SoundPeats TrueAir2 - 3.85g
SoundPeats Air3 - 3.96g
FIIL CC2 - 4.08g
QCY T12 - 4.17g
Haylou Moripods - 4.21g
1More Comfobuds 2 - 4.26g
TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 - 4.47g
This can make them feel a little light in the ear, and again a shorter stem with slightly different weight displacement could have helped ensure even greater stability, but all in all Tronsmart have balanced stability and comfort really quite well.
In the ear, they don't protrude past your ear, look perfectly fine, and bring the voice mic close enough to your mouth to help with call clarity.
They are IPX5, ensuring they do not go bang if you get caught in the rain, and you can use them for a workout without any moisture-related worries. This is pretty good by semi in ear standards.
Audio Quality - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
The original Onyx Ace suffered with a slightly bloated low end, and rolled off trebles that could see them described as a tad dull. Not so this time around.
Tronsmart have tried remedying this by boosting the treble, and with a more airy soundstage they can bring a bit more life to tracks that sounded peripheral on the original. The shape of semi in ear means detail is rarely going to be a priority - that's why you use IEM's - but you want a pleasant listening experience where you hear enough without it sounding imbalanced or fatiguing. Many buds sound fine when you push them right in your ear, but as soon as you experience them in real life it's a different story, and Tronsmart have acknowledged this with a punchier, v-shaped sound signature that complements the design nicely.
Even compared with the excellent Soundpeats Air3, hearing Alanis Morissette's unmistakable vocals panning from left to right on the remastered 2015 edit of 'You Oughta Know' was a surprise. Female vocals come right to the front, but whereas they were hard to make out on the original, they've over-egged the pudding a little on the successor, with sibilance creeping in, especially at higher volumes.
There is a nice texture to 'Thinking About Your Love' by Kenny Thomas, with male vocals a little less prominent, giving instruments a little more room to breath. Percussion comes through clearly on tracks like 'Sign Your Name' by Terence Trent D'Arby (Sananda Maitreya), and even more challenging tracks like 'Fly Away' by Lenny Kravitz have a more open feel, but the recessed, more central mids make some notes difficult to discern.
The Onyx Ace Pro are fun earbuds with a v-shaped sound signature that, like most buds around this price point, prioritise oomph over accuracy - and it's a good trade-off. Compared with the mid-centric Edifier TWS200, 1More Comfobuds 1 and TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80, the un-equalised result is a fun, bouncy sound that only needs a little notch to become less fatiguing - not quite to the extent of the thinner 1More Comfobuds 2, but still, for many they will still be a shade too tiring after prolonged use. Fortunately, this can be remedied with Wavelet, and hopefully through the Tronsmart app in the future for IOS users.
The open soundstage differentiates it from the darker, more intimate SoundPeats sound signature, so they're a great option for house, dance and electronic music fans, and a really enjoyable alternative for those that prefer their sound airy and punchy.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 7/10
Call quality is pretty good. The Onyx Ace Pro use cVc 8.0, inherent to the Qualcomm QCC3040, but their interpretation does a better-than-average job at separating ambient and voice frequencies, and as a result you get a coherent call indoors, and a decent call outdoors, save for the odd rogue motorbike!
Your voice sounds natural, although the volume can be a little low - you may need to speak slightly louder to make yourself heard, but ambient sound is also reduced, so it balances out on outdoor calls in particular.
The Onyx Ace Pro feature on my latest YouTube mic test here:
Controls and Other Features - 7/10
The Onyx Ace Pro are not awash with features, but have all the basics - Gaming Mode and Voice Assistant have been added, and are initiated with a triple tap on the left and right buds respectively.
Without app support, you're stuck with Tronsmart's default control scheme - which thankfully includes single tap for volume control and double tap for play/pause and answer call - which should be the industry standard, but isn't always! On calls, it gets a bit more confusing - you have to hold the buttons down for 2 seconds to increase volume, otherwise you will end up cutting the caller off! Single mode is also supported, but you lose volume control.
Hall-Switch mode is supported, pairing or connecting from the moment you open the case, and the AptX-adaptive codec selected by default on Android 12.
Battery Life - 8/10
I got just over 5 1/2 hours on my first blast. Considering this included calls, and the advertised 6.5 hours is at 60% volume, it's about what I expected, and edges them some way ahead of the SoundPeats Air3 and QCY T12, making them the plum choice for prolonged use.
Unfortunately, quick charge is absent. There is no 15 minutes for 1 hour playtime like on the 1More Comfobuds 2. This is slightly disappointing and an area, IMO, that vendors should be looking to prioritise. A full charge takes around 90 minutes, which is a fair compromise, giving three additional charges.
Some comparisons:
Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro - 6.5 hours / 27 hours
1More Comfobuds 2 - 6 hours / 24 hours
FIIL CC2 - 5 hours / 27 hours
SoundPeats TrueAir2+ - 5 hours / 25 hours
Haylou Moripods - 5 hours / 25 hours
Tronsmart Battle - 5 hours / 25 hours
SoundPeats Air3 - 5 hours / 17.5 hours
QCY T12 - 4 hours / 20 hours
TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 - 4 hours / 20 hours
Summary
Whenever Airpod-style buds are discussed, the de facto response has been the SoundPeats Air3 or TrueAir2+ for quite some time. Now we have the, erm, 'comfy' Comfobuds 2, and for those who like their soundstage bigger, the Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro. Whilst the Onyx Ace have received little cosmetic surgery, under the hood the improvements are obvious, with far better battery life - leading the way amongst the semi-in-ear vendors, AptX-adaptive and Bluetooth 5.2 support, improved call quality, gaming mode, voice assistant support, and most importantly, a far more vibrant sound that doesn't compromise too much on detail.
I think Tronsmart recognise this is a bit of a 'me too' release - but at the same time, they have an offering that has some clear differentiators over their direct competition. Whilst it isn't the innovative, reinvention of the wheel that some of us look for in our TWS, it's a solid option for the semi-in-ear brigade, ticking almost all of the boxes, and finally breaking the SoundPeats monopoly!
Price Weighted Score: 84%
Raw Score: 80%
Tronsmart Review Inventory:
Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro
Tronsmart Bang
Tronsmart Studio
Tronsmart Apollo Air
Tronsmart Battle
Tronsmart Onyx Apex
Tronsmart Apollo Q10
Tronsmart Onyx Free
Tronsmart Apollo Bold
About Tronsmart:
Tronsmart are now fully established as a mid to premium range earbud vendor, with their focus almost solely on audio products - mostly speakers and headphones. Founder Eric Cheng, a self-confessed geek, founded the company with his first paycheck (where was he working?!), building a lab to disassemble audio products with the aim to recreate them in his own vision at a cost-efficient price point.
After bringing in ear-chewing trophy-winning footballer Luis Suarez as an ambassador, the company have gone from strength to strength, building a close relationship with Qualcomm, and bringing two of their chips to market first with the Apollo Bold, and then the Apollo Air, which uses the Qualcomm QCC3046.
For speakers, the range is now almost as extensive as their earbuds, ranging from 7, 10 and 15w mini speakers through to the 60w Force Pro and Mega Pro.
Tronsmart remain one of my favourite mid-tier vendors, outrunning their budget competitors by releasing flagship products alongside the run-of-the-mill releases, and demonstrating transparency and commitment to quality and innovation with every release.
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro
Price: MSRP Approx $40
Website: Tronsmart, Geekbuying, AliExpress
Review Reference: RC071
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: Tronsmart
- Model: Onyx Ace Pro
- Driver: 13mm Composite Polymer Dynamic Driver
- Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3040
- Mic: 4, Uses cVc 8.0 noise reduction
- ANC: No
- Codecs: AptX-Adaptive, AptX, AAC, SBC
- App Support: Not Yet
- Volume Control: Yes
- Gaming Mode: Yes
- Earbud Weight: 3.47g
- Earbud Dimensions: 37mm total stem length
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 41.4g
- Case Dimensions: 48mm (width) x 58mm (height) x 23mm (depth)
- Case Charge Capacity: 400mAh
- Quick Charge: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 6 hours (60% volume)
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 27 hours
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: IPX5
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Simplified Chinese
1 x Warranty Card
YouTube Review:
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the @regancipher review of the sequel to the @Tronsmart Official Onyx Ace, the imaginatively named Onyx Ace Pro. With their strong partnership with Qualcomm and rapid expansion into America, Europe, Middle East & Asia, Tronsmart releases are always a pleasure, and I'm delighted to be seemingly amongst the first to review this new TWS, their first for a while as they bombard the market with speakers!
The Onyx Ace Pro were a set of buds I tried before I decided to start reviewing, and piqued my interest in Chinese-branded earbuds. However, even despite their qualities, they still suffered with comparatively weak sound (as every TWS did back then) compared with wired IEM's, connection frailties (as every wireless earbud did back then) - even so, for many they were the go-to for semi-in-ear 'Airpod-style' non-invasive buds at a price everyone could afford.
Fast forward two years and you have a pretty congested market, although this style of earbud tends to get little in the way of attention from vendors. Tronsmart have to compete with the Soundpeats Air3 / TrueAir2+, 1More Comfobuds 2, QCY T12, Haylou Moripods and FIIL CC2 (and soon the Nano), so I was interested to see how big a deal this release was to Tronsmart given the competitive landscape.
Comparison with Onyx Ace
As you can see above, on paper, the differences are rather academic. The Bluetooth version has been upgraded to 5.2, the QCC3040 chip replaces the QCC3020 of the original thus now offering aptX-adaptive codec support, the battery life has been extended to 6/27 hours, gaming mode has been added along with voice assistant and a button has appeared on the base for 'one key recovery' (I assume this is factory default).
Otherwise it really is pretty much the same bud - except it isn't - the sound is a big change, in a good way. Read on for more....
The Unboxing - 7.5/10
Tronsmart unboxings go from insane experiences (the Onyx Prime and Apollo Bold) to pretty basic (the Apollo Q10). This is definitely closer to the Q10, with the standard parameters listed on the back, key features on the front and sides, and the buds and case housed inside a nicely custom-molded insert. It's those major under the hood changes that are listed - battery life, aptx-adaptive support and Bluetooth 5.2.
Inside the box you are greeted by the case - which is identical to the original, a warranty card, a manual (in a number of European languages as well as Chinese and RuZZian, and a USB-C to A charge cable.
The manual, as you can see above, is monochrome as opposed to full colour - a little disappointing, but with so few features on this style of earbud, understandable. Instructions are still easy to read and understand, with visuals accompanying text to good effect.
The Case - 8/10
The Onyx Ace case is both attractive and functional, finished in a reasonably hard-wearing glossy white, with a shiny, metallic 'well' in the centre above the Tronsmart logo. This displays the amount of charge remaining in the case through four LED's, each of which represent a 25% chunk of the impressive 27 hours total charge offered by the case. Rather cleverly, the top LED will light up when the left earbud is charging and the bottom the right when plugged in or closed. This is a nice little feature to remind you in case you've left the other in your ear without realising, or if the charging connectors are obscured and thus one or more isn't charging.
Not pictured, the case also has a 'One Key Recovery' button, which I assume is to factory default (at least it does that on my mum's Lenovo laptop!) in case of any issues, or being stuck in single mode. As a maintenance and support feature it is always good to have something like this, and it is prominent without being positioned where it could be accidentally initiated. The USB socket shows thought in the design, with a thick metallic rim reinforcing the connection. Tronsmart have gone some lengths to minimising unnecessary returns, which is pretty amazing given the price point.
In terms of dimensions, it is really well-proportioned, and certainly nice to carry around. The shape is vertically asymmetrical but horizontally symmetrical, and importantly it's tiny, which means it is possible to pop them in your trouser pocket without them looking or feeling too intrusive.
This is reinforced by their lightweight footprint - just 41g, amongst the lightest cases around, but not especially light compared to other semi-in-earbud cases - it is a whole 10g heavier than the SoundPeats Air3 case, and only the metallic FIIL CC2 and TaoTronics TT-BH080 are heavier. That said, the flat-pebble design is ideally shaped for handbags and pockets alike - the lighter QCY T12's open design was prone to debrid obscuring the battery connectors, and the Air3 case is notably flimsy by comparison. The Moripods case is awkward-shaped, and of very questionable quality by comparison.
Some comparisons:
SoundPeats Air3 - 31g
QCY T12 - 33.13g
1More Comfobuds 2 - 35g
SoundPeats TrueAir2 - 37g
Haylou Moripods - 39.76g
Tronsmart Battle - 39.81g
Tronsmart Onyx Ace - 41.1g
FIIL CC2 - 44.39g
TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 - 46.9g
The case combines the attractive looks of the TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80, the portability of the Air3, and the battery life of the 1More Comfobuds 2. Whilst sticking with the looks that were successful on their maiden release, the shiny finish goes against the grain in an increasingly matte world, but as I show in my video review, it's matte cases that tend to wear the most scratches a month or two in your pocket with your keys.
If I had a minor complaint it would be the hinge, which is a little flimsy, although not atypically-so at this price point. You can't leave the case propped open on the desk like with the Huawei FreeBuds Pro for example - it just snaps shut. This makes single bud use a two handed operation, and the buds aren't especially easy to remove from the case at the best of times, but overall it is a nice case that, if we are being brutally honest is probably everything the Soundpeats Air3 case should have been had they not cut so many corners, and some genuine evidence of good workmanship for the price.
Ergonomics - 7.5/10
The Onyx Ace Pro design has, like the case, not changed from the original.
The cylindrical stem is a little odd-looking, although it enhances the surface area of the battery connection, which is often the first thing to fail with TWS - again, Tronsmart have thought about longevity!
Otherwise it is a very familiar design, with mics at the base (for the voice) and the top of the touch control area for ambient sound. The touch controls are really easy and intuitive to use, and well-positioned, with limited accidental touches compared to the Air3 and CC2.
At the bottom, on the outside you have LED's denoting pairing status, and an L or R depending on which bud you're looking at. On the top and inside are pressure release chambers, and they work very well (put a finger over the top one, and you'll see what I mean!)
The inside reveals a meshed-finish to the driver-surround (like the QCY T12). This is always pleasing to see, and provides both resistance to and clear evidence of any waxy residue build-up that is obscuring the driver and thus causing blockages, potentially dropping the volume - a common complaint with TWS.
The profile of the top of the buds is also very nicely curved, and compared with the angular FIIL CC2 and Haylou Moripods and sloped Soundpeats Air3 and TrueAir2, it makes adjusting them a little easier and more reliable - in other words, you don't suddenly pause your music if you need to reposition them.
The bevel around the edge is not too thick, and thus the Ace Pro wear comfortably for prolonged periods - something Haylou really messed up on their Moripods (which I ended up having to sand down!)
The stem-length is noticeably rather long compared with newer releases, such as the Air3 and Tronsmart Battle. With the alternatives coming in at 33 and 30mm respectively, the Ace Pro feels a bit unwieldy with it's non-tapered base and protruding length, fortunately the neck is well designed and they still pass the shake test quite comfortably. Even so, it is an area I would have liked to have seen a little more imagination from Tronsmart on - FIIL also stuck rigidly to their CC design, and it isn't necessarily a good thing - continuous improvement is always the aim, after all. A shorter stem would have been preferred, and maybe we will see one coming from Tronsmart in the future with the economics of the Battle and features and sound of the Ace Pro.
The driver opening is notably probably the biggest of all of the buds pictured above, and it makes for a nice airy soundstage through auditory masking.
The weight of the bud - 3.47g - is comparatively low. Below are some comparisons:
Tronsmart Battle - 3.27g
Tronsmart Onyx Ace - 3.47g
SoundPeats TrueAir2 - 3.85g
SoundPeats Air3 - 3.96g
FIIL CC2 - 4.08g
QCY T12 - 4.17g
Haylou Moripods - 4.21g
1More Comfobuds 2 - 4.26g
TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 - 4.47g
This can make them feel a little light in the ear, and again a shorter stem with slightly different weight displacement could have helped ensure even greater stability, but all in all Tronsmart have balanced stability and comfort really quite well.
In the ear, they don't protrude past your ear, look perfectly fine, and bring the voice mic close enough to your mouth to help with call clarity.
They are IPX5, ensuring they do not go bang if you get caught in the rain, and you can use them for a workout without any moisture-related worries. This is pretty good by semi in ear standards.
Audio Quality - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
The original Onyx Ace suffered with a slightly bloated low end, and rolled off trebles that could see them described as a tad dull. Not so this time around.
Tronsmart have tried remedying this by boosting the treble, and with a more airy soundstage they can bring a bit more life to tracks that sounded peripheral on the original. The shape of semi in ear means detail is rarely going to be a priority - that's why you use IEM's - but you want a pleasant listening experience where you hear enough without it sounding imbalanced or fatiguing. Many buds sound fine when you push them right in your ear, but as soon as you experience them in real life it's a different story, and Tronsmart have acknowledged this with a punchier, v-shaped sound signature that complements the design nicely.
Even compared with the excellent Soundpeats Air3, hearing Alanis Morissette's unmistakable vocals panning from left to right on the remastered 2015 edit of 'You Oughta Know' was a surprise. Female vocals come right to the front, but whereas they were hard to make out on the original, they've over-egged the pudding a little on the successor, with sibilance creeping in, especially at higher volumes.
There is a nice texture to 'Thinking About Your Love' by Kenny Thomas, with male vocals a little less prominent, giving instruments a little more room to breath. Percussion comes through clearly on tracks like 'Sign Your Name' by Terence Trent D'Arby (Sananda Maitreya), and even more challenging tracks like 'Fly Away' by Lenny Kravitz have a more open feel, but the recessed, more central mids make some notes difficult to discern.
The Onyx Ace Pro are fun earbuds with a v-shaped sound signature that, like most buds around this price point, prioritise oomph over accuracy - and it's a good trade-off. Compared with the mid-centric Edifier TWS200, 1More Comfobuds 1 and TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80, the un-equalised result is a fun, bouncy sound that only needs a little notch to become less fatiguing - not quite to the extent of the thinner 1More Comfobuds 2, but still, for many they will still be a shade too tiring after prolonged use. Fortunately, this can be remedied with Wavelet, and hopefully through the Tronsmart app in the future for IOS users.
The open soundstage differentiates it from the darker, more intimate SoundPeats sound signature, so they're a great option for house, dance and electronic music fans, and a really enjoyable alternative for those that prefer their sound airy and punchy.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 7/10
Call quality is pretty good. The Onyx Ace Pro use cVc 8.0, inherent to the Qualcomm QCC3040, but their interpretation does a better-than-average job at separating ambient and voice frequencies, and as a result you get a coherent call indoors, and a decent call outdoors, save for the odd rogue motorbike!
Your voice sounds natural, although the volume can be a little low - you may need to speak slightly louder to make yourself heard, but ambient sound is also reduced, so it balances out on outdoor calls in particular.
The Onyx Ace Pro feature on my latest YouTube mic test here:
Controls and Other Features - 7/10
The Onyx Ace Pro are not awash with features, but have all the basics - Gaming Mode and Voice Assistant have been added, and are initiated with a triple tap on the left and right buds respectively.
Without app support, you're stuck with Tronsmart's default control scheme - which thankfully includes single tap for volume control and double tap for play/pause and answer call - which should be the industry standard, but isn't always! On calls, it gets a bit more confusing - you have to hold the buttons down for 2 seconds to increase volume, otherwise you will end up cutting the caller off! Single mode is also supported, but you lose volume control.
Hall-Switch mode is supported, pairing or connecting from the moment you open the case, and the AptX-adaptive codec selected by default on Android 12.
Battery Life - 8/10
I got just over 5 1/2 hours on my first blast. Considering this included calls, and the advertised 6.5 hours is at 60% volume, it's about what I expected, and edges them some way ahead of the SoundPeats Air3 and QCY T12, making them the plum choice for prolonged use.
Unfortunately, quick charge is absent. There is no 15 minutes for 1 hour playtime like on the 1More Comfobuds 2. This is slightly disappointing and an area, IMO, that vendors should be looking to prioritise. A full charge takes around 90 minutes, which is a fair compromise, giving three additional charges.
Some comparisons:
Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro - 6.5 hours / 27 hours
1More Comfobuds 2 - 6 hours / 24 hours
FIIL CC2 - 5 hours / 27 hours
SoundPeats TrueAir2+ - 5 hours / 25 hours
Haylou Moripods - 5 hours / 25 hours
Tronsmart Battle - 5 hours / 25 hours
SoundPeats Air3 - 5 hours / 17.5 hours
QCY T12 - 4 hours / 20 hours
TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 - 4 hours / 20 hours
Summary
Whenever Airpod-style buds are discussed, the de facto response has been the SoundPeats Air3 or TrueAir2+ for quite some time. Now we have the, erm, 'comfy' Comfobuds 2, and for those who like their soundstage bigger, the Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro. Whilst the Onyx Ace have received little cosmetic surgery, under the hood the improvements are obvious, with far better battery life - leading the way amongst the semi-in-ear vendors, AptX-adaptive and Bluetooth 5.2 support, improved call quality, gaming mode, voice assistant support, and most importantly, a far more vibrant sound that doesn't compromise too much on detail.
I think Tronsmart recognise this is a bit of a 'me too' release - but at the same time, they have an offering that has some clear differentiators over their direct competition. Whilst it isn't the innovative, reinvention of the wheel that some of us look for in our TWS, it's a solid option for the semi-in-ear brigade, ticking almost all of the boxes, and finally breaking the SoundPeats monopoly!
Price Weighted Score: 84%
Raw Score: 80%
Tronsmart Review Inventory:
Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro
Tronsmart Bang
Tronsmart Studio
Tronsmart Apollo Air
Tronsmart Battle
Tronsmart Onyx Apex
Tronsmart Apollo Q10
Tronsmart Onyx Free
Tronsmart Apollo Bold
About Tronsmart:
Tronsmart are now fully established as a mid to premium range earbud vendor, with their focus almost solely on audio products - mostly speakers and headphones. Founder Eric Cheng, a self-confessed geek, founded the company with his first paycheck (where was he working?!), building a lab to disassemble audio products with the aim to recreate them in his own vision at a cost-efficient price point.
After bringing in ear-chewing trophy-winning footballer Luis Suarez as an ambassador, the company have gone from strength to strength, building a close relationship with Qualcomm, and bringing two of their chips to market first with the Apollo Bold, and then the Apollo Air, which uses the Qualcomm QCC3046.
For speakers, the range is now almost as extensive as their earbuds, ranging from 7, 10 and 15w mini speakers through to the 60w Force Pro and Mega Pro.
Tronsmart remain one of my favourite mid-tier vendors, outrunning their budget competitors by releasing flagship products alongside the run-of-the-mill releases, and demonstrating transparency and commitment to quality and innovation with every release.
Attachments
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: KB Ear Lark
Price: MSRP Approx $25
Website: Keephifi, KB Ear Aliexpress Store
Review Reference: RC070
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Earbuds
1 x User Manual
6 x Pairs Eartips
1 x Cable
1 x Fabric Portable Carry Case
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the second @regancipher IEM review here on Headfi, the highly-rated KB Ear Lark. Named after the noisy, melodious little birds that are considered sacred and lucky by the Mongolians, it also represents wealth in China, and is fortunate to have escaped being shot at by children when Mao decided insect-eating birds needed to be removed from the world's ecosystem, shortly before his decision backfired with aplomb as the Great Famine beckoned....less about that the better.
Anyway, enough ornithology and history - onto the gorgeous little IEM we are about to review, the KB Ear. The Lark are the second set of KB Ear buds I've owned after the KS1, and both have been a really pleasant surprise, offering great value and solid build quality at an exceptional price. However the Lark had a bit of a false start, with the original 4K version was taken out of circulation in favour of a refined model. Kudos to KB Ear, who have an excellent presence here on heafi through @WendyLi, for listening to the market and making the adjustments they saw fit. I didn't get to try the 4K version out, but better late than never!
As with all of my IEM/TWS reviews unless stated otherwise, these were purchased by me, and there are no agendas or affiliate links.
The Unboxing - 8/10
For the money, the unboxing is really impressive. You get the immaculate buds, which nestle nicely into a jewelers-style box, which is inside a slip-cover-style outer box. The front is mostly in English and Chinese, detailing the key features (1DD, 1 BA) and giving a nice image of the aesthetics of the buds. Inside there are two sets of tips - white and black - a reasonable cable and a nice little canvas carry case too. Right at the bottom is the manual.
The tips are a little too narrow and do not really do the buds justice, and the cable is also not the best either - it claims to be silver plated, but I found it a bit hit-and-miss. The mic in particular is next to useless, so this was replaced very quickly with Tanchjim's equivalent, and it made a considerable difference on the performance.
The buds are available in three colours - either a darker grey or silver with a crystalline green or lilac body.
Ergonomics, Fit and Build Quality - 8/10
The Lark are a joy to wear, with an archetypal IEM shape that will be familiar to most users - a beautifully refined teardrop, with an attractive exterior design which is neither too bulky nor lightweight.
The top of the IEM has a hexagonal-shell-style pattern embossed into it, with the KB Ear logo screen printed to the bottom. The outer shell is zinc alloy, and the connector is two pin 0.78mm.
A close look at the profile shows a mid-sized nozzle, which is a brassier finish. The resin shell is not dissimilar to the shape of the KS2 (if it ain't broke and all that) and the finish is very good, with few sharp edges or unfinished bits of plastic. The connector is raised, so unfortunately the stock cable is a potential point of failure - get a better one, and take it easy. Whilst it is difficult to see due to the transparent tinted shells, there is a pressure relief vent adjacent to the visible DD. Whilst the buds do insert fairly deep, their thoughtful design makes them comfortable for prolonged use.
Like with many hybrids at this price, the BA is in the nozzle - not my preferred design, but it is what it is. The Lark are at face value easy enough to drive, but unlike the CCZ Emerald, I noticed distortion at higher volumes on crappy sources (smartphones, etc.)
Above shows a size comparison against other popular buds around this price point. The CCA CSN (far left), similar to the KZ SKS in the TWS world, are heftier and wear a little more clunky. The Lark, on the other hand, are very stealthy, which less curvature than the CSN, but a slim profile that even makes their ultra-low budget KS1 (first from the right) and CCA CRA look comparatively beefy.
Audio - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
I tested the Lark with a variety of sources, cables and music styles. Mostly, my focus was on FLAC files, using albums from St Etienne, St Germain, Rebecca Ferguson, John Legend, Seal and a few others, too many to mention. I tested the Lark over around 30 hours over the last week, and found they started to burn in quite nicely towards the end.
In the lower frequencies, the Lark shine with a very neutral but natural sounding bass. It is fast, accurate, quite warm, and there is only negligible bloat around the sub-bass regions, making them easy listening for prolonged use, but not hugely fun for bassheads. There is a tiny bit of mid-bass bleed and recess on baritone vocals, but it's a very minor complaint for the money, and in all honesty - I like my deeper vocals laid back, but I know that isn't for everyone.
Higher frequencies are decent enough, but are definitely the Achilles heel of the Lark - whilst less bumpy than, for example, the ZSN Pro, female vocals and high hats can be raspy and even scratchy. I had to switch to the Tanchjim TPA-B300 tips, which are wider bore, and tame the sibilance, which you will unquestionably hear over prolonged use.
Mids are scooped, which makes for clean and analytical listening, and it expands the soundstage slightly especially in the higher mids, but at the expense of tonality. It is not really my cup of tea for prolonged use, with a slightly cold timbre. Whilst RnB and soul sound fine, when I'm listening to house or techno there is a good detail and separation, but the cymbals, clashes and hats sound a bit thin and metallic. Percussion can sound a little coarse, but at the price paid, a little tweak of the EQ, change of tips, and disciple over how to drive it definitely helps. Imaging and separation are good for the price, and whilst the Lark are not super-analytical, they get he balance right between monitoring and listening. A true jack of all trades.
Final Comments
The Lark are a beautiful dual-driver IEM that look good, wear well, are pleasant enough to listen with, and wouldn't be out of place in any collection. They're bright, easy enough to drive, sound pleasant, albeit not especially 'fun', and tread the fine line of providing good detail with a balanced, refined u-shaped sound signature.
Their strength is definitely at the lower end - I liked using them for more jazz/soulful-style sounds to opera or melodic techno, which can be less smooth than I would like due to their achilles heel - the slightly unnatural treble that comes from optimising detail and imaging over tonality.
KBEar have seemingly decided to try and please everyone - always a tall order with budget dual-driver releases, but they've successfully accomplished their mission here considering the sub-$50 price tag. They don't quite topple the CCZ Emerald as my pick of the low budget options, but they have their place, and continue to bear testament that the hybrid 1BA /1DD market isn't quite dead yet!
Price Weighted Score: 85%
Raw Score: 81%
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: KB Ear Lark
Price: MSRP Approx $25
Website: Keephifi, KB Ear Aliexpress Store
Review Reference: RC070
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: KB Ear
- Model: Lark
- Driver: 10mm Dynamic Driver, 1 30095 Custom BA
- Dimensions: 23mm height, 24mm depth including nozzle
- Weight: 6.71g per bud
- Impedance: 16±2Ω
- Mic: Available as an option
- Sensitivity: 106±3dB
- Frequency response: 20hz-20Khz
- Interface: 2 Pin QDC 0.78mm (TFZ) - L-Shaped 3.5mm jack
- Cable: 4N, 4-Core Copper Silver-Plated - 4 x 32 strands, 1.2m
1 x Pair Earbuds
1 x User Manual
6 x Pairs Eartips
1 x Cable
1 x Fabric Portable Carry Case
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the second @regancipher IEM review here on Headfi, the highly-rated KB Ear Lark. Named after the noisy, melodious little birds that are considered sacred and lucky by the Mongolians, it also represents wealth in China, and is fortunate to have escaped being shot at by children when Mao decided insect-eating birds needed to be removed from the world's ecosystem, shortly before his decision backfired with aplomb as the Great Famine beckoned....less about that the better.
Anyway, enough ornithology and history - onto the gorgeous little IEM we are about to review, the KB Ear. The Lark are the second set of KB Ear buds I've owned after the KS1, and both have been a really pleasant surprise, offering great value and solid build quality at an exceptional price. However the Lark had a bit of a false start, with the original 4K version was taken out of circulation in favour of a refined model. Kudos to KB Ear, who have an excellent presence here on heafi through @WendyLi, for listening to the market and making the adjustments they saw fit. I didn't get to try the 4K version out, but better late than never!
As with all of my IEM/TWS reviews unless stated otherwise, these were purchased by me, and there are no agendas or affiliate links.
The Unboxing - 8/10
For the money, the unboxing is really impressive. You get the immaculate buds, which nestle nicely into a jewelers-style box, which is inside a slip-cover-style outer box. The front is mostly in English and Chinese, detailing the key features (1DD, 1 BA) and giving a nice image of the aesthetics of the buds. Inside there are two sets of tips - white and black - a reasonable cable and a nice little canvas carry case too. Right at the bottom is the manual.
The tips are a little too narrow and do not really do the buds justice, and the cable is also not the best either - it claims to be silver plated, but I found it a bit hit-and-miss. The mic in particular is next to useless, so this was replaced very quickly with Tanchjim's equivalent, and it made a considerable difference on the performance.
The buds are available in three colours - either a darker grey or silver with a crystalline green or lilac body.
Ergonomics, Fit and Build Quality - 8/10
The Lark are a joy to wear, with an archetypal IEM shape that will be familiar to most users - a beautifully refined teardrop, with an attractive exterior design which is neither too bulky nor lightweight.
The top of the IEM has a hexagonal-shell-style pattern embossed into it, with the KB Ear logo screen printed to the bottom. The outer shell is zinc alloy, and the connector is two pin 0.78mm.
A close look at the profile shows a mid-sized nozzle, which is a brassier finish. The resin shell is not dissimilar to the shape of the KS2 (if it ain't broke and all that) and the finish is very good, with few sharp edges or unfinished bits of plastic. The connector is raised, so unfortunately the stock cable is a potential point of failure - get a better one, and take it easy. Whilst it is difficult to see due to the transparent tinted shells, there is a pressure relief vent adjacent to the visible DD. Whilst the buds do insert fairly deep, their thoughtful design makes them comfortable for prolonged use.
Like with many hybrids at this price, the BA is in the nozzle - not my preferred design, but it is what it is. The Lark are at face value easy enough to drive, but unlike the CCZ Emerald, I noticed distortion at higher volumes on crappy sources (smartphones, etc.)
Above shows a size comparison against other popular buds around this price point. The CCA CSN (far left), similar to the KZ SKS in the TWS world, are heftier and wear a little more clunky. The Lark, on the other hand, are very stealthy, which less curvature than the CSN, but a slim profile that even makes their ultra-low budget KS1 (first from the right) and CCA CRA look comparatively beefy.
Audio - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
I tested the Lark with a variety of sources, cables and music styles. Mostly, my focus was on FLAC files, using albums from St Etienne, St Germain, Rebecca Ferguson, John Legend, Seal and a few others, too many to mention. I tested the Lark over around 30 hours over the last week, and found they started to burn in quite nicely towards the end.
In the lower frequencies, the Lark shine with a very neutral but natural sounding bass. It is fast, accurate, quite warm, and there is only negligible bloat around the sub-bass regions, making them easy listening for prolonged use, but not hugely fun for bassheads. There is a tiny bit of mid-bass bleed and recess on baritone vocals, but it's a very minor complaint for the money, and in all honesty - I like my deeper vocals laid back, but I know that isn't for everyone.
Higher frequencies are decent enough, but are definitely the Achilles heel of the Lark - whilst less bumpy than, for example, the ZSN Pro, female vocals and high hats can be raspy and even scratchy. I had to switch to the Tanchjim TPA-B300 tips, which are wider bore, and tame the sibilance, which you will unquestionably hear over prolonged use.
Mids are scooped, which makes for clean and analytical listening, and it expands the soundstage slightly especially in the higher mids, but at the expense of tonality. It is not really my cup of tea for prolonged use, with a slightly cold timbre. Whilst RnB and soul sound fine, when I'm listening to house or techno there is a good detail and separation, but the cymbals, clashes and hats sound a bit thin and metallic. Percussion can sound a little coarse, but at the price paid, a little tweak of the EQ, change of tips, and disciple over how to drive it definitely helps. Imaging and separation are good for the price, and whilst the Lark are not super-analytical, they get he balance right between monitoring and listening. A true jack of all trades.
Final Comments
The Lark are a beautiful dual-driver IEM that look good, wear well, are pleasant enough to listen with, and wouldn't be out of place in any collection. They're bright, easy enough to drive, sound pleasant, albeit not especially 'fun', and tread the fine line of providing good detail with a balanced, refined u-shaped sound signature.
Their strength is definitely at the lower end - I liked using them for more jazz/soulful-style sounds to opera or melodic techno, which can be less smooth than I would like due to their achilles heel - the slightly unnatural treble that comes from optimising detail and imaging over tonality.
KBEar have seemingly decided to try and please everyone - always a tall order with budget dual-driver releases, but they've successfully accomplished their mission here considering the sub-$50 price tag. They don't quite topple the CCZ Emerald as my pick of the low budget options, but they have their place, and continue to bear testament that the hybrid 1BA /1DD market isn't quite dead yet!
Price Weighted Score: 85%
Raw Score: 81%
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Reddit: u/regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: Tronsmart Bang
Price: MSRP Approx £85 / $109.99
Website: Tronsmart, Geekbuying
Review Reference: RC069
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Speaker
1 x User Manual
1 x Warranty Card
1 x USB-C charge cable
1 x AUX jack cable
Real Life Experience
Introduction
Welcome to the Regancipher review of the Tronsmart Bang 60w Bluetooth Speaker. This is my second speaker review from Tronsmart and a second break in tradition of the day after I even published an IEM review this morning - usually I only publish earbud reviews, but I was in the audio industry for a long time before Bluetooth was even a mainstream thing, and have taken enough brands of speaker to festivals and hotels for weekends on the sesh to know a good (and a bad) one!
Tronsmart are now fully established as a mid range technology vendor at a very competitive price point, with their focus almost solely on audio products - mostly speakers and headphones. Founder Eric Cheng, a self-confessed geek, founded the company with his first paycheck (where was he working?!), building a lab to disassemble audio products with the aim to recreate them in his own vision at a cost-efficient price point. After bringing in ear-chewing trophy-winning footballer Luis Suarez as an ambassador, the company have gone from strength to strength, building a close relationship with Qualcomm, and bringing two of their chips to market first with the Apollo Bold and Apollo Air. For speakers, the range is now almost as extensive as their earbuds, ranging from 7, 10 and 15w mini speakers through to the 60w Force Pro and Mega Pro.
The Bang is the latest in Tronsmart's very successful range of audio products. Like the Force Pro, it offers a 2.2 channel, quad speaker audio system, but compromises a little on the IP rating to bring a beat-driven LED light display and adds a couple of Tronsmart's patented features, whilst also looking a damn sight prettier!
You can see the full range of Tronsmart speakers here
The Unboxing
It was a real struggle actually photographing the unboxing, so a YouTube video is on the way! The box is massive, and it needs to be, with the speaker coming in at almost 40cm wide. The speaker is held in with large foam inlays, and you get the usual excellent manual from Tronsmart, which gives you text in most European languages as well as Chinese. The manual gives superb visual instructions on Button Configuration, what the lights mean, how to operate the device, how to use their patented TuneConn technology, and a walk around each of the inputs. You get a USB-C charge cable and an AUX cable, as well as the usual Tronsmart Warranty Card.
Build Quality
This is my second Tronsmart speaker, and both have really surprised me with how hefty they are. The Bang is a beast - but it still retains sufficient portability to take it's place as the ultimate party speaker. Whilst it is predominantly plastic, the grills are metallic, the buttons and input cover are rubberised, and there are rubbery-foam feet to add to the stability. The top handle features the Tronsmart logo and adds to the portability of the device. Despite it's durability, it is much lighter than many of it's competitors in this space, without compromising on build quality or looks.
One of the minor quibbles I had with the Studio was the buttons. Their black profile means in the dark, it can be difficult to see what each button does. It is a similar story with the Bang, but fortunately, the raised icons are much larger than the studio, and accompanied by the blue LED denoting that the speaker is powered on, as well as the colour-changing LED's to the base and sides, you get a little ambient light too, and this does help with discerning what button does what. It would have been even better to see the button array lit-up, and perhaps this is an area Tronsmart can improve further for the future.
The button bar from left to right holds the area for fast-pair via NFC (I used this with my OnePlus 8T and it worked instantly), four white LED's - they tell you how much battery is remaining, TuneConn, Mode, Volume -, Play/Pause, Volume +, SoundPulse, and finally Power On/Off - this button has a 'thumb' indent, making it easy to find - a really nice idea. 'Mode' switches between the different inputs, as well as hailing voice assistant when held down for 2+ secs.
The speaker is just over 3kg and is IPX6 rated - Tronsmart advertise it as an external speaker, and that is exactly the use-case. The grill is quite firm, meaning it will take a bit of force if your parties get out of hand and you're unfortunate enough to have guests from the UK!
At the rear, this is where all the action happens. Once you peel back the rubberised input protector, you are greeted by an array of inputs, all of which worked very well. First up is actually not an input but an output - the Bang doubles up as a power bank! So if your phone is running out of juice, you have the option of utilising the 5v 1a USB-A output - very handy. This not only allows you to charge, but it will also read the music on the USB-device too. To the left ,you have a tiny reset button, which is shrouded so you'll need a paperclip or something like that to be able to reach it. To the right is the DC-in charge socket, next is a 3.5mm jack AUX and finally a TF-card slot. There are no sharp edges - everything is really well-finished, and the arm to the rubberised door is really sturdy and in-keeping with the rest of the device, top quality workmanship.
The Bang features a beat-driven LED light display, which can be set to follow the beat or left in solid, one-colour. As well as the above pictured red, yellow, blue and pink, you also have orange, green and purple. The LED configuration can be set in the same Tronsmart app you use for your Apollo Bold/Air - really good to see this app maturing, unlike many vendors who struggle to get their range supported via one app.
Features
Tronsmart have a few pretty cool patented features. First up is TuneConn™. TuneConn™ is Tronsmart's 'broadcast' mode, enabling up to 100 speakers to be synchronised wirelessly in leader/follower configuration. The only drawback is you need the same model, so I wasn't able to test this with the Studio, but regardless it's a useful feature - for company giveaways at team building events you could see this working very well.
SoundPulse® is Tronsmart's sound enhancement feature. I have found this to be really useful for cleaning up bad audio inputs, so I generally leave it left on, but it does impact slightly on battery life.
NFC Fast Pair is very useful, with most smart devices now supporting it. I found this far easier than faffing around with Bluetooth. That said, when I did try separately using Bluetooth on my non-NFC device, it was very straightforward, and the app picked up the speaker straight away, allowing me to very quickly access the settings and update the firmware.
The speaker can actually be used for calls too. Play/Pause allows calls to be answered, and you can redial the last number by hitting the same button twice. Voice assistant is initiated by holding the M button down, and it works pretty well, supporting both Siri and Google Assistant natively.
App support from Tronsmart is great. Sometimes it feels like there are some wasted spaces, but you get a number of options here, including customising the LED colour, setting the input mode, setting up broadcast mode and updating firmware, as well as assigning the appropriate EQ's listed in the Sound section (and more). This is a really nice feature, because the transmission distance is quite strong (around 15m) and it means there's no need to traipse back and press the buttons on the unit - hugely helpful.
The app doesn't feel 'spyware-y' like some do, and it supports the majority of the Tronsmart portfolio, regardless of chipset - unlike some of their competitors.
Battery Life
Battery life with no LED's on came in at around 13.5 hours on first play, but is battered by the LED's and full volume, dropping to around 6.5 hours with both on. Whilst this is more than adequate for most users, it falls a little way short of the far more expensive JBL BoomBox 2 and ugly Soundcore Motion Boom. 4.5 hours for a full charge is also a little onerous, but the charging seems to be linear, meaning you can charge for a couple of hours and it will give you around 50% of the advertised full charge.
Sound
Sound on the Bang is as you would expect with Tronsmart - beefy and boosted. The 60w power is evident as the sound drives home, and using SoundPulse you get maximised boost with minimal distortion. At the furthest distance before Bluetooth started to drop, I was still able to register 98dB-A - this is the equivalent to being stood next to a French Horn! Closer up and you feel like you're in a nightclub - and that's because in audio terms, it's a very similar register on the dB meter.
Tronsmart only support the SBC codec in their speakers. This makes perfect sense, as there are no latency requirements, because there is no video like on a smartphone watching YouTube. SBC can sound a bit trashy on TWS, but on party speakers, where analytical listening is not really required, it is perfectly fine, and the Bang does a great job in this respect.
Bass response on this model is excellent. Midbass is very strong, and subbass comes through in true Tronsmart fashion when 'Deep Bass' is selected, taking full advantage of the woofers. The default sound option is more rounded, with a focus on lifting the mids whilst retaining a bright sound signature. 'Hi Fi' mode elevates the high mids, giving female vocals an extenstion, and 'Vocal' does this even further, sounding a little shrieky at times. The other modes, like with Tronsmart's TWS, aren't for me - Rock is particularly bad, Classical doesn't really suit this speaker (even though it is my preferred EQ setting on some of their other products) and 3D is probably worth avoiding too, but you have them there has options anyway, selectable via the app.
The Bang has decent imaging for an external speaker - it's fun, bouncy, well built and packs a punch.
Summary
The Bang is probably my favourite speaker release from Tronsmart so far. Whilst I haven't always understood the market for some of their releases, there is no doubt the Bang has some prime use-cases - for carting around on trips out to the beach, parties, festivals and weekends away, it comes into it's own with great sound, good portability, nice LED lights, IPX6 water resistance and a multitude of inputs, app support and presets.
The battery life could be longer, and the long charge times are a bit of a nause, but the Bang is otherwise an excellent release that beats the Soundcore equivalent for looks, and smashes the JBL for price. Nice job, Tronsmart!
Tronsmart Review Inventory:
Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro
Tronsmart Bang
Tronsmart Studio
Tronsmart Apollo Air
Tronsmart Battle
Tronsmart Onyx Apex
Tronsmart Apollo Q10
Tronsmart Onyx Free
Tronsmart Apollo Bold
About Tronsmart:
Tronsmart are now fully established as a mid to premium range earbud vendor, with their focus almost solely on audio products - mostly speakers and headphones. Founder Eric Cheng, a self-confessed geek, founded the company with his first paycheck (where was he working?!), building a lab to disassemble audio products with the aim to recreate them in his own vision at a cost-efficient price point.
After bringing in ear-chewing trophy-winning footballer Luis Suarez as an ambassador, the company have gone from strength to strength, building a close relationship with Qualcomm, and bringing two of their chips to market first with the Apollo Bold, and then the Apollo Air, which uses the Qualcomm QCC3046.
For speakers, the range is now almost as extensive as their earbuds, ranging from 7, 10 and 15w mini speakers through to the 60w Force Pro and Mega Pro.
Tronsmart remain one of my favourite mid-tier vendors, outrunning their budget competitors by releasing flagship products alongside the run-of-the-mill releases, and demonstrating transparency and commitment to quality and innovation with every release.
Instagram: regancipher
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Socials: Biolink
Model: Tronsmart Bang
Price: MSRP Approx £85 / $109.99
Website: Tronsmart, Geekbuying
Review Reference: RC069
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: Tronsmart
- Model: Bang
- Power: 60w
- Frequency response: 20hz-20KHZ
- Drivers: Dual Tweeter, Dual Woofer, Dual Passive Radiators
- Chipset: Actions Technic ATS2835
- Bluetooth Version: 5.0 A2DP/AVRCP/HFP/HSP
- Codec Support: SBC
- Mic: Yes
- Input: NFC, Bluetooth, AUX, TF, USB-A
- Features: Built-in Power Bank, Beat-Driven Light Show, SoundPulse ®, TuneConn™
- App Support: Yes
- Dimensions: 36cm x 19cm x 15cm
- Weight: 3.14kg
- Battery Life: Up to 8 hours (LED on), 15 hours (LED off)
- Battery Capacity: 10,800mAh
- Charge Time: 4.5 hours
- Input: 5v 2A
- Charge Type: USB-C
- Water Resistance: IPX6
1 x Speaker
1 x User Manual
1 x Warranty Card
1 x USB-C charge cable
1 x AUX jack cable
Real Life Experience
Introduction
Welcome to the Regancipher review of the Tronsmart Bang 60w Bluetooth Speaker. This is my second speaker review from Tronsmart and a second break in tradition of the day after I even published an IEM review this morning - usually I only publish earbud reviews, but I was in the audio industry for a long time before Bluetooth was even a mainstream thing, and have taken enough brands of speaker to festivals and hotels for weekends on the sesh to know a good (and a bad) one!
Tronsmart are now fully established as a mid range technology vendor at a very competitive price point, with their focus almost solely on audio products - mostly speakers and headphones. Founder Eric Cheng, a self-confessed geek, founded the company with his first paycheck (where was he working?!), building a lab to disassemble audio products with the aim to recreate them in his own vision at a cost-efficient price point. After bringing in ear-chewing trophy-winning footballer Luis Suarez as an ambassador, the company have gone from strength to strength, building a close relationship with Qualcomm, and bringing two of their chips to market first with the Apollo Bold and Apollo Air. For speakers, the range is now almost as extensive as their earbuds, ranging from 7, 10 and 15w mini speakers through to the 60w Force Pro and Mega Pro.
The Bang is the latest in Tronsmart's very successful range of audio products. Like the Force Pro, it offers a 2.2 channel, quad speaker audio system, but compromises a little on the IP rating to bring a beat-driven LED light display and adds a couple of Tronsmart's patented features, whilst also looking a damn sight prettier!
You can see the full range of Tronsmart speakers here
The Unboxing
It was a real struggle actually photographing the unboxing, so a YouTube video is on the way! The box is massive, and it needs to be, with the speaker coming in at almost 40cm wide. The speaker is held in with large foam inlays, and you get the usual excellent manual from Tronsmart, which gives you text in most European languages as well as Chinese. The manual gives superb visual instructions on Button Configuration, what the lights mean, how to operate the device, how to use their patented TuneConn technology, and a walk around each of the inputs. You get a USB-C charge cable and an AUX cable, as well as the usual Tronsmart Warranty Card.
Build Quality
This is my second Tronsmart speaker, and both have really surprised me with how hefty they are. The Bang is a beast - but it still retains sufficient portability to take it's place as the ultimate party speaker. Whilst it is predominantly plastic, the grills are metallic, the buttons and input cover are rubberised, and there are rubbery-foam feet to add to the stability. The top handle features the Tronsmart logo and adds to the portability of the device. Despite it's durability, it is much lighter than many of it's competitors in this space, without compromising on build quality or looks.
One of the minor quibbles I had with the Studio was the buttons. Their black profile means in the dark, it can be difficult to see what each button does. It is a similar story with the Bang, but fortunately, the raised icons are much larger than the studio, and accompanied by the blue LED denoting that the speaker is powered on, as well as the colour-changing LED's to the base and sides, you get a little ambient light too, and this does help with discerning what button does what. It would have been even better to see the button array lit-up, and perhaps this is an area Tronsmart can improve further for the future.
The button bar from left to right holds the area for fast-pair via NFC (I used this with my OnePlus 8T and it worked instantly), four white LED's - they tell you how much battery is remaining, TuneConn, Mode, Volume -, Play/Pause, Volume +, SoundPulse, and finally Power On/Off - this button has a 'thumb' indent, making it easy to find - a really nice idea. 'Mode' switches between the different inputs, as well as hailing voice assistant when held down for 2+ secs.
The speaker is just over 3kg and is IPX6 rated - Tronsmart advertise it as an external speaker, and that is exactly the use-case. The grill is quite firm, meaning it will take a bit of force if your parties get out of hand and you're unfortunate enough to have guests from the UK!
At the rear, this is where all the action happens. Once you peel back the rubberised input protector, you are greeted by an array of inputs, all of which worked very well. First up is actually not an input but an output - the Bang doubles up as a power bank! So if your phone is running out of juice, you have the option of utilising the 5v 1a USB-A output - very handy. This not only allows you to charge, but it will also read the music on the USB-device too. To the left ,you have a tiny reset button, which is shrouded so you'll need a paperclip or something like that to be able to reach it. To the right is the DC-in charge socket, next is a 3.5mm jack AUX and finally a TF-card slot. There are no sharp edges - everything is really well-finished, and the arm to the rubberised door is really sturdy and in-keeping with the rest of the device, top quality workmanship.
The Bang features a beat-driven LED light display, which can be set to follow the beat or left in solid, one-colour. As well as the above pictured red, yellow, blue and pink, you also have orange, green and purple. The LED configuration can be set in the same Tronsmart app you use for your Apollo Bold/Air - really good to see this app maturing, unlike many vendors who struggle to get their range supported via one app.
Features
Tronsmart have a few pretty cool patented features. First up is TuneConn™. TuneConn™ is Tronsmart's 'broadcast' mode, enabling up to 100 speakers to be synchronised wirelessly in leader/follower configuration. The only drawback is you need the same model, so I wasn't able to test this with the Studio, but regardless it's a useful feature - for company giveaways at team building events you could see this working very well.
SoundPulse® is Tronsmart's sound enhancement feature. I have found this to be really useful for cleaning up bad audio inputs, so I generally leave it left on, but it does impact slightly on battery life.
NFC Fast Pair is very useful, with most smart devices now supporting it. I found this far easier than faffing around with Bluetooth. That said, when I did try separately using Bluetooth on my non-NFC device, it was very straightforward, and the app picked up the speaker straight away, allowing me to very quickly access the settings and update the firmware.
The speaker can actually be used for calls too. Play/Pause allows calls to be answered, and you can redial the last number by hitting the same button twice. Voice assistant is initiated by holding the M button down, and it works pretty well, supporting both Siri and Google Assistant natively.
App support from Tronsmart is great. Sometimes it feels like there are some wasted spaces, but you get a number of options here, including customising the LED colour, setting the input mode, setting up broadcast mode and updating firmware, as well as assigning the appropriate EQ's listed in the Sound section (and more). This is a really nice feature, because the transmission distance is quite strong (around 15m) and it means there's no need to traipse back and press the buttons on the unit - hugely helpful.
The app doesn't feel 'spyware-y' like some do, and it supports the majority of the Tronsmart portfolio, regardless of chipset - unlike some of their competitors.
Battery Life
Battery life with no LED's on came in at around 13.5 hours on first play, but is battered by the LED's and full volume, dropping to around 6.5 hours with both on. Whilst this is more than adequate for most users, it falls a little way short of the far more expensive JBL BoomBox 2 and ugly Soundcore Motion Boom. 4.5 hours for a full charge is also a little onerous, but the charging seems to be linear, meaning you can charge for a couple of hours and it will give you around 50% of the advertised full charge.
Sound
Sound on the Bang is as you would expect with Tronsmart - beefy and boosted. The 60w power is evident as the sound drives home, and using SoundPulse you get maximised boost with minimal distortion. At the furthest distance before Bluetooth started to drop, I was still able to register 98dB-A - this is the equivalent to being stood next to a French Horn! Closer up and you feel like you're in a nightclub - and that's because in audio terms, it's a very similar register on the dB meter.
Tronsmart only support the SBC codec in their speakers. This makes perfect sense, as there are no latency requirements, because there is no video like on a smartphone watching YouTube. SBC can sound a bit trashy on TWS, but on party speakers, where analytical listening is not really required, it is perfectly fine, and the Bang does a great job in this respect.
Bass response on this model is excellent. Midbass is very strong, and subbass comes through in true Tronsmart fashion when 'Deep Bass' is selected, taking full advantage of the woofers. The default sound option is more rounded, with a focus on lifting the mids whilst retaining a bright sound signature. 'Hi Fi' mode elevates the high mids, giving female vocals an extenstion, and 'Vocal' does this even further, sounding a little shrieky at times. The other modes, like with Tronsmart's TWS, aren't for me - Rock is particularly bad, Classical doesn't really suit this speaker (even though it is my preferred EQ setting on some of their other products) and 3D is probably worth avoiding too, but you have them there has options anyway, selectable via the app.
The Bang has decent imaging for an external speaker - it's fun, bouncy, well built and packs a punch.
Summary
The Bang is probably my favourite speaker release from Tronsmart so far. Whilst I haven't always understood the market for some of their releases, there is no doubt the Bang has some prime use-cases - for carting around on trips out to the beach, parties, festivals and weekends away, it comes into it's own with great sound, good portability, nice LED lights, IPX6 water resistance and a multitude of inputs, app support and presets.
The battery life could be longer, and the long charge times are a bit of a nause, but the Bang is otherwise an excellent release that beats the Soundcore equivalent for looks, and smashes the JBL for price. Nice job, Tronsmart!
Tronsmart Review Inventory:
Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro
Tronsmart Bang
Tronsmart Studio
Tronsmart Apollo Air
Tronsmart Battle
Tronsmart Onyx Apex
Tronsmart Apollo Q10
Tronsmart Onyx Free
Tronsmart Apollo Bold
About Tronsmart:
Tronsmart are now fully established as a mid to premium range earbud vendor, with their focus almost solely on audio products - mostly speakers and headphones. Founder Eric Cheng, a self-confessed geek, founded the company with his first paycheck (where was he working?!), building a lab to disassemble audio products with the aim to recreate them in his own vision at a cost-efficient price point.
After bringing in ear-chewing trophy-winning footballer Luis Suarez as an ambassador, the company have gone from strength to strength, building a close relationship with Qualcomm, and bringing two of their chips to market first with the Apollo Bold, and then the Apollo Air, which uses the Qualcomm QCC3046.
For speakers, the range is now almost as extensive as their earbuds, ranging from 7, 10 and 15w mini speakers through to the 60w Force Pro and Mega Pro.
Tronsmart remain one of my favourite mid-tier vendors, outrunning their budget competitors by releasing flagship products alongside the run-of-the-mill releases, and demonstrating transparency and commitment to quality and innovation with every release.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: CCZ Emerald
Price: MSRP Approx $25
Website: Keephifi, CCZ
Review Reference: RC068
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Earbuds
1 x User Manual
3 x Pairs Eartips
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the first @regancipher IEM review here on Headfi, the highly-rated CCZ Emerald.
CCZ are a relative newcomer to the IEM market. ShenZhen Juijang Electronic, their parent company, seem to have their fingers in many pies...but headphones doesn't appear to have ever been one of them, looking at their company profile. So it was a surprise to see a relatively new name upsetting the apple cart with several releases - the Plume, which were a little bit of a damp squib, the more impressive Coffee Bean, Melody, and in Q4 2021, the Emerald.
With KZ and KB-Ear dominating the market at this price point, I was fascinated to see how CCZ would perform, and the Emerald were a nice surprise.
As with all of my IEM/TWS reviews unless stated otherwise, these were purchased by me.
The Unboxing - 6/10
The unboxing is not exactly riveting here, and a little bit of a disappointment if you're used to the Kinera experience. You get the IEM, which is held tightly in an enclosure and difficult to remove. The eartips are pretty decent quality - they come fitted with the medium, and you get two additional sizes. The tips have an outer 'lip' around the nozzle, although this doesn't detract from the comfort.
The cable is decent enough quality - an OFC 4 core cable, similar to the old KZ ones. Frustratingly it is a little easy to tangle despite being rather short, at around 1.2m total length. Mine came with mic, although it is available without, and unfortunately no carry case included.
Ergonomics and Build Quality - 8/10
The Emerald really punch above their weight here, with very good build quality and decent comfort. The dimensions and weight are about right for a dual-driver, with the depth including nozzle coming in at just under 24mm. The nozzle is not too invasive, but with the medium tips I was able to achieve decent isolation. The earhooks are not too stiff either, so the overall design is quite malleable, making them solid all-rounders for all different shapes and size ears.
The IEM itself is teardrop shaped with a 2pin 0.78mm connection. The outside is covered with a sage green visage, and the cold aluminium texture looks much nicer in real life than the pictures do justice.
The semi-transparent inner-side shows off the drivers, with the BA sitting alongside the dynamic driver. Also visible to the right are a pressure release vent and matte green lip, designed to improve stability. Whilst I expect some will find the combination of the lip and tip-shape a little overbearing, I found the former to provide good support, and the latter to not detract too much from the overall comfort, which over prolonged usage was good, although not quite comparable to the super-comfy KB-Ear KS1.
Audio - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7.5/10 (raw score)
The low impedance makes it very easy to drive, and whilst I tested on various sources (smartphone, Ikko LOT dongle, AZ09 adapter) and with different cables (NiceHCK silver plated), the improvements were somewhat academic. Even so, audio on the Emerald is a really nice surprise, and definitely an improvement on the Melody.
With a custom BA and 10mm DD, generally, the Emerald has a pleasant sound signature that features a rounded, present low-frequency response and a solid sub-bass delivery that contributes to a refined, tight bass response with decent punch, no bloat and little mid-bass bleed.
Soundstage is surprisingly very good - there is a nice combination of warmth and breadth to the Emerald, with top notch imaging at this price point. Whilst the signature is v-shaped, it is nicely refined with smooth treble. Treble extension could be better, and as a result you're not getting anything like reference class detail retrieval and timbre bordering on the dark side, but I don't think anyone expects an analytical performance at this price point, and actually if you switch the cable to NICEHCK silver plated, the dynamic range extends further and brings a little excitement to an otherwise uneventful but enjoyable experience. With the stock cable, you aren't going to be offended by the Emerald - vocals have decent texture without discernible sibilance, and the combination of dark but spacious hits the spot with almost all music genres.
Final Comments
The Emerald are probably CCZ's best release to date. They are very nicely tuned, comfortable, well-designed and offer a lucid soundstage with a pleasant, dark-ish sound signature that offers clarity and detail that belies the low price.
You aren't getting reference-class detail, but you are getting good imaging, solid, well-balanced audio delivery across full the frequency spectrum that improves with better cable and amplification. Considering this is CCZ's first hybrid, hopefully they can build on this excellent value release and give the usual suspects even greater competition.
The Emerald are in my top five IEM's under $25, and are pretty much permanently affixed to my AZ09's. Well done CCZ on a really nice release.
Price Weighted Score: 86%
Raw Score: 83%
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: CCZ Emerald
Price: MSRP Approx $25
Website: Keephifi, CCZ
Review Reference: RC068
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: CCZ
- Model: Emerald
- Driver: 10mm Dual-Magnetic Circuit Dynamic Driver with Custom BA
- Impedance: 16±2Ω
- Mic: Available
- Sensitivity: 110±3dB
- Frequency response: 20hz-20KHZ
- Interface: 2 Pin 0.78mm - 3.5mm jack
- Cable: 4N OFC, 1.2m
- Earbud Weight: 5.94g
- Earbud Dimensions: 25.4mm height, 23.9mm depth with nozzle
1 x Pair Earbuds
1 x User Manual
3 x Pairs Eartips
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the first @regancipher IEM review here on Headfi, the highly-rated CCZ Emerald.
CCZ are a relative newcomer to the IEM market. ShenZhen Juijang Electronic, their parent company, seem to have their fingers in many pies...but headphones doesn't appear to have ever been one of them, looking at their company profile. So it was a surprise to see a relatively new name upsetting the apple cart with several releases - the Plume, which were a little bit of a damp squib, the more impressive Coffee Bean, Melody, and in Q4 2021, the Emerald.
With KZ and KB-Ear dominating the market at this price point, I was fascinated to see how CCZ would perform, and the Emerald were a nice surprise.
As with all of my IEM/TWS reviews unless stated otherwise, these were purchased by me.
The Unboxing - 6/10
The unboxing is not exactly riveting here, and a little bit of a disappointment if you're used to the Kinera experience. You get the IEM, which is held tightly in an enclosure and difficult to remove. The eartips are pretty decent quality - they come fitted with the medium, and you get two additional sizes. The tips have an outer 'lip' around the nozzle, although this doesn't detract from the comfort.
The cable is decent enough quality - an OFC 4 core cable, similar to the old KZ ones. Frustratingly it is a little easy to tangle despite being rather short, at around 1.2m total length. Mine came with mic, although it is available without, and unfortunately no carry case included.
Ergonomics and Build Quality - 8/10
The Emerald really punch above their weight here, with very good build quality and decent comfort. The dimensions and weight are about right for a dual-driver, with the depth including nozzle coming in at just under 24mm. The nozzle is not too invasive, but with the medium tips I was able to achieve decent isolation. The earhooks are not too stiff either, so the overall design is quite malleable, making them solid all-rounders for all different shapes and size ears.
The IEM itself is teardrop shaped with a 2pin 0.78mm connection. The outside is covered with a sage green visage, and the cold aluminium texture looks much nicer in real life than the pictures do justice.
The semi-transparent inner-side shows off the drivers, with the BA sitting alongside the dynamic driver. Also visible to the right are a pressure release vent and matte green lip, designed to improve stability. Whilst I expect some will find the combination of the lip and tip-shape a little overbearing, I found the former to provide good support, and the latter to not detract too much from the overall comfort, which over prolonged usage was good, although not quite comparable to the super-comfy KB-Ear KS1.
Audio - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7.5/10 (raw score)
The low impedance makes it very easy to drive, and whilst I tested on various sources (smartphone, Ikko LOT dongle, AZ09 adapter) and with different cables (NiceHCK silver plated), the improvements were somewhat academic. Even so, audio on the Emerald is a really nice surprise, and definitely an improvement on the Melody.
With a custom BA and 10mm DD, generally, the Emerald has a pleasant sound signature that features a rounded, present low-frequency response and a solid sub-bass delivery that contributes to a refined, tight bass response with decent punch, no bloat and little mid-bass bleed.
Soundstage is surprisingly very good - there is a nice combination of warmth and breadth to the Emerald, with top notch imaging at this price point. Whilst the signature is v-shaped, it is nicely refined with smooth treble. Treble extension could be better, and as a result you're not getting anything like reference class detail retrieval and timbre bordering on the dark side, but I don't think anyone expects an analytical performance at this price point, and actually if you switch the cable to NICEHCK silver plated, the dynamic range extends further and brings a little excitement to an otherwise uneventful but enjoyable experience. With the stock cable, you aren't going to be offended by the Emerald - vocals have decent texture without discernible sibilance, and the combination of dark but spacious hits the spot with almost all music genres.
Final Comments
The Emerald are probably CCZ's best release to date. They are very nicely tuned, comfortable, well-designed and offer a lucid soundstage with a pleasant, dark-ish sound signature that offers clarity and detail that belies the low price.
You aren't getting reference-class detail, but you are getting good imaging, solid, well-balanced audio delivery across full the frequency spectrum that improves with better cable and amplification. Considering this is CCZ's first hybrid, hopefully they can build on this excellent value release and give the usual suspects even greater competition.
The Emerald are in my top five IEM's under $25, and are pretty much permanently affixed to my AZ09's. Well done CCZ on a really nice release.
Price Weighted Score: 86%
Raw Score: 83%
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Reddit: u/regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: SoundPEATS Mini Pro
Price: MSRP Approx $60
Website: Amazon UK
Review Reference: RC067
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the @regancipher review of SoundPEATS’ update to the popular Mini, the Mini Pro.
SoundPEATS have ritualized the 'professionalisation' of their standard range, fine-tuning releases to add desired functions and features requested by consumers subsequent to a few months on the market and the availability of better chipsets and other associated components. Having successfully performed this lateral movement with the Sonic, they've repeated the process with the Mini, and it looks like will do the same with the Air3 very soon.
Personally, I quite like this approach, as it brings a richer portfolio to the market that accommodates buyers of varying budgets and requirements. The Mini Pro is no exception, taking the successful predecessor and adding some headline features – 35dB ANC, improved single-use battery life, gaming mode and aptx-adaptive codec support.
Having been released in the US for some time, they are now available in the UK, exclusively via Amazon, and with great reviews almost widespread, I was keen to see if they were worthy of the hype - and they don't disappoint, but there's still room for improvement.
The Unboxing - 8/10
SoundPEATS have finally upscaled their unboxing experience, adopting a gift box-style design which requires the lid to be lifted off (and long nails!), moving away from the inlay around a black box approach which has served them reliably over the past umpteen releases. Rather than adding unnecessary plastic, a carton inlay holds the case, charge cable and tips, and the manual is held inside a sleek SoundPEATS branded envelope. Kudos to SoundPEATS that the box is fully recyclable – which many other manufacturers would do well to follow.
Otherwise, it is a familiar experience, with the front side of the case accented in grey – more akin to their recent H2 release. The key features are, as always, listed on the rear – here it is hybrid ANC and aptX-adaptive support. Specifications are listed on the side. The manual is no different to previous iterations, with instructions listed in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese and Japanese.
Also enclosed are spare silicone tips - relatively flat and wide, to marry up with the narrow, sloped design of the buds, and a USB-A to USB-C cable.
The Case - 8/10
The case is a nice upgrade to the original, and whilst the pictures don’t suggest it, it is immediately obvious the moment you feel it in the palm of your hand. SoundPEATS have seemingly taken every weakness from the original case and improved it. Now, the case material is supported by an additional protective layer. If you’ve ever handled the Elevoc Clear case, you’ll know what I mean – it feels almost rubberised, and this adds a degree of resistance to scratches – always a minefield with matte finish cases.
Just as was the case with the original, there is an intuitive red-amber-green system denoting remaining charge, this time with a tactile LED. Green denotes 50-100% charge, amber is 10-49% and red is below 10%. When you open the case, the buds will hold a red light – telling you they are charging. Once you take them out, a pulsing white light indicates they are going to connect with a device, whereas an intermittent white/red light denotes ‘pairing’. Once connected, the white light will remain on until the earbud detects sound from the source – i.e., you press play on Spotify. This has been the case with pretty much all recent SoundPEATS releases (bar the Sonic Pro) but given the H1 has the option to turn the LED off in the app, I expect this model to follow suit once supported, appeasing those who use earbuds to sleep.
Interestingly there is no ‘hall switch mode’, whereby connection initiates the moment the charge case is opened. Again, this is a response to feedback where users complained buds were draining battery whilst in the case (often due to using third-party tips, which would mean the case wasn’t sufficiently shut to initiate shutdown and charge. It's actually really helpful, as it allows you to pop the case on the desk open whilst in single-mode.
The case, pictured on the right in all of the following images alongside the original Mini to the left, is marginally larger, but retains the sleek look with an improved feel and experience. The case is charged with USB-C (no wireless charging), and this is coloured blue this time around, in-keeping with the USB 3.0 standard.
Another upgrade is the hinged lid. Rather than flimsily snapping shut, as was the case with the Mini, there is considerable resistance. You can pop them on the the desk with the case open, use a single bud and the other one will continue charging - as I mentioned previously - without hall-switch mode getting in the way. Given the battery constraints, this is a really helpful feature that mitigates the relatively low overall battery life (the case is just 300mAh, a sacrifice SoundPEATS made in order to retain the compact size and portability).
It’s a highly portable case, measuring a fraction larger than the original at 59mm wide, 43mm high and 26mm in depth. Weighing 36g, it remains one of the lightest cases I’ve tested so far. Charging takes around 90 minutes for the case, and similar for the buds. This isn’t especially fast, so take this into consideration.
Ergonomics - 7.5/10
Whilst the cases look very similar, this cannot be said about the buds themselves. Sure, the logo is still on the outside (although now it is a dominant silver colour, as opposed to timid grey) with a similarly-sized touch control area, but the fit is completely re-invented.
One of the best things about the Mini was the fit – they combined the curvature of the Sonic with the lower profile of the H1. However, as time has gone on and earbuds have become more and more popular, there is an increasingly prominent move towards less invasive designs – in other words, a shape that doesn’t feel like you’re getting a 4-hour ear lobotomy. Not easy given a large portion of the dB value of hybrid noise cancellation, from any vendor, is achieved by forming a seal with the ear canal.
SoundPEATS have tried to achieve this by adopting a design which isn’t altogether dissimilar to what Tronsmart tried to achieve with the Apollo Bold and 1More with the Pistonbuds Pro. The buds appear 'double-flanged', with a clear ridge in the middle, and flatter, wider tips filling the immediate area of your ear canal rather than moving deeper inside and giving you that invasive feel.
I understand why SoundPEATS have designed them in this way. Instead of the buds just hanging there, the raised area means it rests against the outer edge of your concha and antitragus. This makes for a comfortable, and surprisingly fairly secure fit, negating the feeling of them just ‘hanging there’ or invading your ear canal, both of which was the case with the Sonic. Unfortunately, they jut out a little, and a small design tweak - well, even an accessory tweak, could have remedied this, but for whatever reason neither SoundPEATS nor 1More opted to go with it.....
I discovered whilst playing around with tips that the gap was perfectly sized to fit the QCY T17 wing tips on! Unfortunately, whilst this increases stability, and would be ideal for users with a shallower, less prominent inferior crus (like me), it means you would have to remove them every time you put them in the case. Perhaps SoundPEATS would consider wing tips for future releases, as it would increase the number of potential use cases and make them even more universally applicable - especially since they are IPX5 water resistant, making them ideal for sports.
SoundPEATS have upped the game when it comes to build quality too. They’ve moved from glued-on standard mesh to metallic, and have bevelled the battery connectors so they aren’t in direct contact to the skin - ideal for those with allergies. Whilst the voice mic sits next to the LED at the bottom, the ambient mic resides at the top, and the build quality is noticeable improved from the original all-round.
The short nozzle but steep gradient, combined with fairly lightweight footprint of 4.7g ensures a stable fit. I tried with two different sets of tips, and both styles fit the ear very comfortably.
ANC – 7/10
Despite having to juggle with improving comfort and the associated impact on the ability to form a deep seal, ANC performs fairly well on the Mini Pro, most notably in the lower range of frequencies. You may have to do some tip-rolling (I settled on the Spinfit CP1025 and Tanchjim T-APB-T300) but when worn correctly, they will block the majority of low rumbling sound, such as traffic and wind noise, both nearby and in the distance really effectively.
Like most earbuds, the Achilles heel is in the mid to high frequencies - they only really nullify higher frequency sounds such as chatter and keyboard taps, which are still quite prominent even with ANC on.
For commuting, you will find stronger ANC buds on the market for sure, but at this price point they fare very well, competing with the likes of the Earfun Free Pro and Omthing Airfree 2. Whilst some stem-based buds do tend to perform better, due in no small part to being able to use 4 ambient mics for wave inversion, it should be remembered the Mini Pro don’t have that luxury due to their button design, and considering they don’t invade the ear canal, it’s a good balance of sound reduction and comfort. If ANC is your only criteria, the Mini will not jump out at you - they are all-rounders, with ANC a nice add-on, rather than their raison-d'être.
Transparency mode, initiated by holding down the MFB for a second, is far less accentuated than some of their previous models, which makes for a more natural experience - there is far less ‘lisp’ to people talking close-by. In stereo mode, you can toggle through ANC on/off and ambient, but unfortunately this is not possible in single mode - not a problem for me, but I have seen this registered as a bug-bear to others.
ANC greatly reduces the battery life – more on that later.
Audio - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
The Mini Pro use the Qualcomm QCC3040 chipset, promoting the use of the aptX-adaptive codec, but they also support aptX, AAC and SBC. On Android, it defaulted immediately to aptX-adaptive, and on iOS, I assume, AAC.
The Mini Pro have a dynamic but warm v-shaped sound that offer a tight, fast, beefy bass response, and lift the mids sufficiently to prevent your music sounding hollow, whilst obviating recess and lower-mid bleed.
With the Spinfit CP1025 tips, I found extreme high frequencies levelled off, but high mids can sound a bit 'echoey' where they’ve tried to circumvent the form factor limitations. This is especially noticeable with 'atmospheric' music styles - 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World' by Tears For Fears being a prime example. The same song, however, sounds very different with the Tanchjim tips, where less space is created between your ear canal and the source, bringing a warmer sound. Either way, detail is impressive for the price point and clarity is crisp and clean.
Soundstage, especially with the Tanchjim, is not especially broad. The likes of Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen and Crazy by Seal, which use panning and orchestral arrangement to great effect, feel reigned in compared with good IEM’s. This is a common problem for buds of this style and design – how to create openness when you have no physical room to do so, without using dual-armature drivers, like is the case with the H1 and H2, which capture the essence of those tracks very well.
Overall, for the price, it’s a good audio performance without hitting the heights of the H series. I’ve found on many occasions that ANC usually impacts quite harshly on audio performance but that isn’t the case here. Regardless, you are sacrificing sound for ANC compared with the H1 and H2, so if audio clarity and detail is your primary concern, stick with the H series. By the same token, sound is miles better than the T2 and T3 - pick your poison!
Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors – 6.5/10
The original Mini had an interesting call performance – using the elevoc AI algorithm, they would either be crystal clear or pretty crackly. They’ve dispensed with that feature on this model, preferring to use the cVc 8.0 native to the Qualcomm chip, and we know exactly what that means – good indoor performance, but patchy for calls outside where you’re exposed to the conditions.
The Mini Pro use a dual-mic array, and as per the comments in the ANC section, this is the de facto with button shaped earbuds, and as such puts them at a disadvantage to some stem-based buds, which can use two of the three mics per bud to balance the audio delivered to the voice mic, but also have the advantage of positioning the voice mic closer to your mouth.
Even so, the Mini Pro perform well indoors, booming your voice through pretty clearly. However, loud nearby chatter will be audible to the recipient of your call, it’s just your voice will be elevated. Increase the ambient sound and it struggles far more, and this is especially the case outdoors, where at times your voice will muddy into the competing frequencies around you.
Again, it is pretty good considering the form factor and other constraints – good enough for most, but don’t choose purely on the basis of call performance.
The Mini Pro feature on my 2022 updated YouTube call quality test:
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7.5/10
The Mini Pro use the reliable Qualcomm QCC3040 chip, and SoundPEATS have consistently worked around some of the constraints that this chipset has posed other vendors, such as KZ with their SKS, which suffered a little with disconnections, optimising its performance. Using Bluetooth 5.2, I was able to walk around 15m in my office before disconnecting. At home it was closer to 10m due to more devices operating at similar frequencies in a denser environment.
Controls are excellent with SoundPEATS – single tap is always volume (left = down, right = up), double tap plays or pauses (or answers a call), triple tap left and you have gaming mode, triple tap right and you have voice assistant, and holding down the left bud toggles ANC. Strangely, you can hold the right bud in order to skip to the next track, but you can’t go backwards, and there are no control mapping options from the app, which doesn’t currently support this model, although I understand it will soon.
The main features here are gaming mode, which offers very low latency (as low as around 70ms with aptX-adaptive), good active noise cancellation, decent battery life and good sound, but there’s no wireless charging and no quick charge, and these are features I would have liked to have seen, and I think that’s reflective of what we come to expect now from our TWS.
App support has been added as of April 2022, which is great news!
Battery Life - 8/10
Battery life on the Mini Pro is a big step up from the original from a single use perspective. With ANC off, I would regularly get over the 7 hours advertised on both IOS and Android. However, with ANC on it’s a different story – if you’re taking a lot of calls, it’s possible to drop as low as 4-4.5 hours. Now this is still pretty good as far as ANC buds go, but make sure you read the print, and use ANC when you need it – it’s easy enough to toggle on and off, so don’t waste battery unnecessarily.
The case only gives 2 additional charges – a constraint of its size – taking you up to 21 hours, which is a little on the low side, especially as there is no quick charge function, but even so, it's enough to get you through the working day, and the single-use charge capacity remains impressive for the price.
Final Comments
As with the Air3 and Sonic Pro, the Mini Pro feel like a complement to the portfolio rather than a replacement. For me, though, they fill a gap which the T2 failed to – a button-shaped TWS, with ANC, decent fit and enough functions to satisfy most users.
Like their predecessor they sound good out of the box, have ANC, IPX5 WR, good battery life and perform well enough on calls. They aren’t outstanding in any area, neither are they especially weak. For less than $60 they continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible, with the added bonus of being available on Amazon and other UK or US sites without having to go through the hassles of Aliexpress.
Audiophiles should probably stick to the outstanding H series, but if you want good all-rounders with a fun sound and strong performance across the board, the Mini Pro are a welcome addition to the SoundPEATS portfolio and I have no doubt will be a big hit, especially now app support has been added as of April 22.
Price Weighted Score: 85%
Raw Score: 82%
2023 Score: 75%
2023 comments:
The Mini Pro were a decent, if slightly bulky, in ear offering from SoundPEATS when they were released, and adding app support retrospectively was a nice touch. However, since SoundPEATS have now added the Mini Pro HS, which have improved sound, LDAC support, improved call quality and retail at around the same price, there is no need to buy this model any more.
YouTube Link:
SoundPEATS Review Inventory:
SoundPEATS H2
SoundPEATS T3
SoundPEATS Mini
SoundPEATS Air3
SoundPEATS TrueAir2+
SoundPEATS TrueAir 2
SoundPEATS H1
SoundPEATS T2
SoundPEATS Sonic
About SoundPEATS:
SoundPEATS seem to have become an overnight sensation, wiping up a large portion of budget TWS earbud market share with a business model that has served them (and Anker before them) exceptionally well - good distribution channels (via Amazon), good support, a catchy name and product that performs well at a very competitive price point. In reality, they have been around a long time - whilst Shenzhen SoundSOUL IT Co LTD is a different trading name to Ginto E-Commerce, they share the same business address (including room number) as them - you may know their brand name better as Dudios. With Dudios not sounding quite so cool as Soundpeats, maybe the brand transition has been instrumental in their success, but having been around since 2010 and patents in Bluetooth tech stretching back to 2015, they are not the plucky upstarts that some may think - they know their stuff, have a great network of contacts, and now a very solid brand in Europe, and deservedly so.
The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them my favourite budget earbud vendor, is that they are completely transparent over their components. Whether they use Realtek, Qualcomm or Airoha chips in their buds, they are totally open about it, and as a reviewer this really helps, because whilst I have, and do, dismantle buds to check the way that certain things have been implemented (such as the power management, mems mics, etc) and I really don't like having to do it with every set of earbuds, because they then become unusable.
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Reddit: u/regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: SoundPEATS Mini Pro
Price: MSRP Approx $60
Website: Amazon UK
Review Reference: RC067
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: SoundPEATS
- Model: Mini Pro
- Driver: 10mm Bio-Diamphragm Driver
- Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3040
- Mic: Uses cVc 8.0 noise reduction
- ANC: Yes, up to 35dB
- Codecs: AptX-Adaptive, AptX, SBC
- App Support: Yes (April 22)
- Volume Control: Yes
- Gaming Mode: Yes
- Earbud Weight: 4.7g
- Earbud Dimensions: 18mm height, 23.2mm depth with nozzle
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 36.4g
- Case Dimensions: 59mm (width) x 43mm (height) x 26mm (depth)
- Case Charge Capacity: 300mAh
- Quick Charge: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 7 hours (ANC off), 5 hours (ANC on)
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 21 hours
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: IPX5
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the @regancipher review of SoundPEATS’ update to the popular Mini, the Mini Pro.
SoundPEATS have ritualized the 'professionalisation' of their standard range, fine-tuning releases to add desired functions and features requested by consumers subsequent to a few months on the market and the availability of better chipsets and other associated components. Having successfully performed this lateral movement with the Sonic, they've repeated the process with the Mini, and it looks like will do the same with the Air3 very soon.
Personally, I quite like this approach, as it brings a richer portfolio to the market that accommodates buyers of varying budgets and requirements. The Mini Pro is no exception, taking the successful predecessor and adding some headline features – 35dB ANC, improved single-use battery life, gaming mode and aptx-adaptive codec support.
Having been released in the US for some time, they are now available in the UK, exclusively via Amazon, and with great reviews almost widespread, I was keen to see if they were worthy of the hype - and they don't disappoint, but there's still room for improvement.
The Unboxing - 8/10
SoundPEATS have finally upscaled their unboxing experience, adopting a gift box-style design which requires the lid to be lifted off (and long nails!), moving away from the inlay around a black box approach which has served them reliably over the past umpteen releases. Rather than adding unnecessary plastic, a carton inlay holds the case, charge cable and tips, and the manual is held inside a sleek SoundPEATS branded envelope. Kudos to SoundPEATS that the box is fully recyclable – which many other manufacturers would do well to follow.
Otherwise, it is a familiar experience, with the front side of the case accented in grey – more akin to their recent H2 release. The key features are, as always, listed on the rear – here it is hybrid ANC and aptX-adaptive support. Specifications are listed on the side. The manual is no different to previous iterations, with instructions listed in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese and Japanese.
Also enclosed are spare silicone tips - relatively flat and wide, to marry up with the narrow, sloped design of the buds, and a USB-A to USB-C cable.
The Case - 8/10
The case is a nice upgrade to the original, and whilst the pictures don’t suggest it, it is immediately obvious the moment you feel it in the palm of your hand. SoundPEATS have seemingly taken every weakness from the original case and improved it. Now, the case material is supported by an additional protective layer. If you’ve ever handled the Elevoc Clear case, you’ll know what I mean – it feels almost rubberised, and this adds a degree of resistance to scratches – always a minefield with matte finish cases.
Just as was the case with the original, there is an intuitive red-amber-green system denoting remaining charge, this time with a tactile LED. Green denotes 50-100% charge, amber is 10-49% and red is below 10%. When you open the case, the buds will hold a red light – telling you they are charging. Once you take them out, a pulsing white light indicates they are going to connect with a device, whereas an intermittent white/red light denotes ‘pairing’. Once connected, the white light will remain on until the earbud detects sound from the source – i.e., you press play on Spotify. This has been the case with pretty much all recent SoundPEATS releases (bar the Sonic Pro) but given the H1 has the option to turn the LED off in the app, I expect this model to follow suit once supported, appeasing those who use earbuds to sleep.
Interestingly there is no ‘hall switch mode’, whereby connection initiates the moment the charge case is opened. Again, this is a response to feedback where users complained buds were draining battery whilst in the case (often due to using third-party tips, which would mean the case wasn’t sufficiently shut to initiate shutdown and charge. It's actually really helpful, as it allows you to pop the case on the desk open whilst in single-mode.
The case, pictured on the right in all of the following images alongside the original Mini to the left, is marginally larger, but retains the sleek look with an improved feel and experience. The case is charged with USB-C (no wireless charging), and this is coloured blue this time around, in-keeping with the USB 3.0 standard.
Another upgrade is the hinged lid. Rather than flimsily snapping shut, as was the case with the Mini, there is considerable resistance. You can pop them on the the desk with the case open, use a single bud and the other one will continue charging - as I mentioned previously - without hall-switch mode getting in the way. Given the battery constraints, this is a really helpful feature that mitigates the relatively low overall battery life (the case is just 300mAh, a sacrifice SoundPEATS made in order to retain the compact size and portability).
It’s a highly portable case, measuring a fraction larger than the original at 59mm wide, 43mm high and 26mm in depth. Weighing 36g, it remains one of the lightest cases I’ve tested so far. Charging takes around 90 minutes for the case, and similar for the buds. This isn’t especially fast, so take this into consideration.
Ergonomics - 7.5/10
Whilst the cases look very similar, this cannot be said about the buds themselves. Sure, the logo is still on the outside (although now it is a dominant silver colour, as opposed to timid grey) with a similarly-sized touch control area, but the fit is completely re-invented.
One of the best things about the Mini was the fit – they combined the curvature of the Sonic with the lower profile of the H1. However, as time has gone on and earbuds have become more and more popular, there is an increasingly prominent move towards less invasive designs – in other words, a shape that doesn’t feel like you’re getting a 4-hour ear lobotomy. Not easy given a large portion of the dB value of hybrid noise cancellation, from any vendor, is achieved by forming a seal with the ear canal.
SoundPEATS have tried to achieve this by adopting a design which isn’t altogether dissimilar to what Tronsmart tried to achieve with the Apollo Bold and 1More with the Pistonbuds Pro. The buds appear 'double-flanged', with a clear ridge in the middle, and flatter, wider tips filling the immediate area of your ear canal rather than moving deeper inside and giving you that invasive feel.
I understand why SoundPEATS have designed them in this way. Instead of the buds just hanging there, the raised area means it rests against the outer edge of your concha and antitragus. This makes for a comfortable, and surprisingly fairly secure fit, negating the feeling of them just ‘hanging there’ or invading your ear canal, both of which was the case with the Sonic. Unfortunately, they jut out a little, and a small design tweak - well, even an accessory tweak, could have remedied this, but for whatever reason neither SoundPEATS nor 1More opted to go with it.....
I discovered whilst playing around with tips that the gap was perfectly sized to fit the QCY T17 wing tips on! Unfortunately, whilst this increases stability, and would be ideal for users with a shallower, less prominent inferior crus (like me), it means you would have to remove them every time you put them in the case. Perhaps SoundPEATS would consider wing tips for future releases, as it would increase the number of potential use cases and make them even more universally applicable - especially since they are IPX5 water resistant, making them ideal for sports.
SoundPEATS have upped the game when it comes to build quality too. They’ve moved from glued-on standard mesh to metallic, and have bevelled the battery connectors so they aren’t in direct contact to the skin - ideal for those with allergies. Whilst the voice mic sits next to the LED at the bottom, the ambient mic resides at the top, and the build quality is noticeable improved from the original all-round.
The short nozzle but steep gradient, combined with fairly lightweight footprint of 4.7g ensures a stable fit. I tried with two different sets of tips, and both styles fit the ear very comfortably.
ANC – 7/10
Despite having to juggle with improving comfort and the associated impact on the ability to form a deep seal, ANC performs fairly well on the Mini Pro, most notably in the lower range of frequencies. You may have to do some tip-rolling (I settled on the Spinfit CP1025 and Tanchjim T-APB-T300) but when worn correctly, they will block the majority of low rumbling sound, such as traffic and wind noise, both nearby and in the distance really effectively.
Like most earbuds, the Achilles heel is in the mid to high frequencies - they only really nullify higher frequency sounds such as chatter and keyboard taps, which are still quite prominent even with ANC on.
For commuting, you will find stronger ANC buds on the market for sure, but at this price point they fare very well, competing with the likes of the Earfun Free Pro and Omthing Airfree 2. Whilst some stem-based buds do tend to perform better, due in no small part to being able to use 4 ambient mics for wave inversion, it should be remembered the Mini Pro don’t have that luxury due to their button design, and considering they don’t invade the ear canal, it’s a good balance of sound reduction and comfort. If ANC is your only criteria, the Mini will not jump out at you - they are all-rounders, with ANC a nice add-on, rather than their raison-d'être.
Transparency mode, initiated by holding down the MFB for a second, is far less accentuated than some of their previous models, which makes for a more natural experience - there is far less ‘lisp’ to people talking close-by. In stereo mode, you can toggle through ANC on/off and ambient, but unfortunately this is not possible in single mode - not a problem for me, but I have seen this registered as a bug-bear to others.
ANC greatly reduces the battery life – more on that later.
Audio - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
The Mini Pro use the Qualcomm QCC3040 chipset, promoting the use of the aptX-adaptive codec, but they also support aptX, AAC and SBC. On Android, it defaulted immediately to aptX-adaptive, and on iOS, I assume, AAC.
The Mini Pro have a dynamic but warm v-shaped sound that offer a tight, fast, beefy bass response, and lift the mids sufficiently to prevent your music sounding hollow, whilst obviating recess and lower-mid bleed.
With the Spinfit CP1025 tips, I found extreme high frequencies levelled off, but high mids can sound a bit 'echoey' where they’ve tried to circumvent the form factor limitations. This is especially noticeable with 'atmospheric' music styles - 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World' by Tears For Fears being a prime example. The same song, however, sounds very different with the Tanchjim tips, where less space is created between your ear canal and the source, bringing a warmer sound. Either way, detail is impressive for the price point and clarity is crisp and clean.
Soundstage, especially with the Tanchjim, is not especially broad. The likes of Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen and Crazy by Seal, which use panning and orchestral arrangement to great effect, feel reigned in compared with good IEM’s. This is a common problem for buds of this style and design – how to create openness when you have no physical room to do so, without using dual-armature drivers, like is the case with the H1 and H2, which capture the essence of those tracks very well.
Overall, for the price, it’s a good audio performance without hitting the heights of the H series. I’ve found on many occasions that ANC usually impacts quite harshly on audio performance but that isn’t the case here. Regardless, you are sacrificing sound for ANC compared with the H1 and H2, so if audio clarity and detail is your primary concern, stick with the H series. By the same token, sound is miles better than the T2 and T3 - pick your poison!
Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors – 6.5/10
The original Mini had an interesting call performance – using the elevoc AI algorithm, they would either be crystal clear or pretty crackly. They’ve dispensed with that feature on this model, preferring to use the cVc 8.0 native to the Qualcomm chip, and we know exactly what that means – good indoor performance, but patchy for calls outside where you’re exposed to the conditions.
The Mini Pro use a dual-mic array, and as per the comments in the ANC section, this is the de facto with button shaped earbuds, and as such puts them at a disadvantage to some stem-based buds, which can use two of the three mics per bud to balance the audio delivered to the voice mic, but also have the advantage of positioning the voice mic closer to your mouth.
Even so, the Mini Pro perform well indoors, booming your voice through pretty clearly. However, loud nearby chatter will be audible to the recipient of your call, it’s just your voice will be elevated. Increase the ambient sound and it struggles far more, and this is especially the case outdoors, where at times your voice will muddy into the competing frequencies around you.
Again, it is pretty good considering the form factor and other constraints – good enough for most, but don’t choose purely on the basis of call performance.
The Mini Pro feature on my 2022 updated YouTube call quality test:
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7.5/10
The Mini Pro use the reliable Qualcomm QCC3040 chip, and SoundPEATS have consistently worked around some of the constraints that this chipset has posed other vendors, such as KZ with their SKS, which suffered a little with disconnections, optimising its performance. Using Bluetooth 5.2, I was able to walk around 15m in my office before disconnecting. At home it was closer to 10m due to more devices operating at similar frequencies in a denser environment.
Controls are excellent with SoundPEATS – single tap is always volume (left = down, right = up), double tap plays or pauses (or answers a call), triple tap left and you have gaming mode, triple tap right and you have voice assistant, and holding down the left bud toggles ANC. Strangely, you can hold the right bud in order to skip to the next track, but you can’t go backwards, and there are no control mapping options from the app, which doesn’t currently support this model, although I understand it will soon.
The main features here are gaming mode, which offers very low latency (as low as around 70ms with aptX-adaptive), good active noise cancellation, decent battery life and good sound, but there’s no wireless charging and no quick charge, and these are features I would have liked to have seen, and I think that’s reflective of what we come to expect now from our TWS.
App support has been added as of April 2022, which is great news!
Battery Life - 8/10
Battery life on the Mini Pro is a big step up from the original from a single use perspective. With ANC off, I would regularly get over the 7 hours advertised on both IOS and Android. However, with ANC on it’s a different story – if you’re taking a lot of calls, it’s possible to drop as low as 4-4.5 hours. Now this is still pretty good as far as ANC buds go, but make sure you read the print, and use ANC when you need it – it’s easy enough to toggle on and off, so don’t waste battery unnecessarily.
The case only gives 2 additional charges – a constraint of its size – taking you up to 21 hours, which is a little on the low side, especially as there is no quick charge function, but even so, it's enough to get you through the working day, and the single-use charge capacity remains impressive for the price.
Final Comments
As with the Air3 and Sonic Pro, the Mini Pro feel like a complement to the portfolio rather than a replacement. For me, though, they fill a gap which the T2 failed to – a button-shaped TWS, with ANC, decent fit and enough functions to satisfy most users.
Like their predecessor they sound good out of the box, have ANC, IPX5 WR, good battery life and perform well enough on calls. They aren’t outstanding in any area, neither are they especially weak. For less than $60 they continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible, with the added bonus of being available on Amazon and other UK or US sites without having to go through the hassles of Aliexpress.
Audiophiles should probably stick to the outstanding H series, but if you want good all-rounders with a fun sound and strong performance across the board, the Mini Pro are a welcome addition to the SoundPEATS portfolio and I have no doubt will be a big hit, especially now app support has been added as of April 22.
Price Weighted Score: 85%
Raw Score: 82%
2023 Score: 75%
2023 comments:
The Mini Pro were a decent, if slightly bulky, in ear offering from SoundPEATS when they were released, and adding app support retrospectively was a nice touch. However, since SoundPEATS have now added the Mini Pro HS, which have improved sound, LDAC support, improved call quality and retail at around the same price, there is no need to buy this model any more.
YouTube Link:
SoundPEATS Review Inventory:
SoundPEATS H2
SoundPEATS T3
SoundPEATS Mini
SoundPEATS Air3
SoundPEATS TrueAir2+
SoundPEATS TrueAir 2
SoundPEATS H1
SoundPEATS T2
SoundPEATS Sonic
About SoundPEATS:
SoundPEATS seem to have become an overnight sensation, wiping up a large portion of budget TWS earbud market share with a business model that has served them (and Anker before them) exceptionally well - good distribution channels (via Amazon), good support, a catchy name and product that performs well at a very competitive price point. In reality, they have been around a long time - whilst Shenzhen SoundSOUL IT Co LTD is a different trading name to Ginto E-Commerce, they share the same business address (including room number) as them - you may know their brand name better as Dudios. With Dudios not sounding quite so cool as Soundpeats, maybe the brand transition has been instrumental in their success, but having been around since 2010 and patents in Bluetooth tech stretching back to 2015, they are not the plucky upstarts that some may think - they know their stuff, have a great network of contacts, and now a very solid brand in Europe, and deservedly so.
The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them my favourite budget earbud vendor, is that they are completely transparent over their components. Whether they use Realtek, Qualcomm or Airoha chips in their buds, they are totally open about it, and as a reviewer this really helps, because whilst I have, and do, dismantle buds to check the way that certain things have been implemented (such as the power management, mems mics, etc) and I really don't like having to do it with every set of earbuds, because they then become unusable.
RC066
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: Sony WF-L900 LinkBuds
Price: £149.99
Website: Sony
Review Reference: RC066
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
2 x Basic User Document in many languages
1 x Free 360 Reality Audio Trial Card
1 x Warranty Card
Real Life Experience
Welcome to one I've been truly excited about, the Sony WF-L900, aka the LinkBuds. Having been glued to the Samsung Beans for the last 12 months, would the Donuts displace them as my exercise bud of choice? I think that was the idea for Sony - try to find a new heir to the thrown for food-inspired designed open-air earbuds that go against the grain of Active Noise Cancellation and tight seals and appeal to those who like an experience that combines good audio with the ability to remain aware of ones surroundings. However, when their design was revealed, it raised more than a few eyebrows - would this unique design be a piece of engineering genius or a catastrophic flop? Read on for more....
Unboxing - 7/10
If you've seen reviews from prominent YouTuber's who do this stuff for a living with augmented reality unboxings, be prepared to be disappointed. For the average consumer that isn't a brand shill, this is a pretty lame affair. After about 15 minutes of getting through the Alexa-style layered box, eventually you reach the case, a wide selection of wing tips, several manuals that aren't manuals (they just basically contain a load of mandatory text in about 30 different languages), a voucher to sign up for 360 Reality Audio and a warranty card. Really, it isn't much different to Huawei or Jabra, and lacks the effort that someone like Edifier put in for the NeoBuds Pro. The saving grace is that it is completely sustainable with no plastic used...although truth be told, most unboxings are these days anyway.
As I will go on to discuss, fit is really important with the LinkBuds. Getting the positioning right is pivotal to maximising the experience. If you wear a wing that is too small, the earbud will wear loose, which is not what you want. Too large, as was the case for me first time, and you will experience not only a lot of pressure against your antihelix, but you'll also feel pain around your ear canal too. Fortunately, this is where Sony massively outdid Samsung, who offered little in the way of customisation for their Buds Live. Sony provide five different sizes, and this pretty much ensures their market is not limited to the odd person who somehow managed to have exactly the right ears for the design.
Despite the fanfare, there is little in the way of willy-waving from Sony on the box. They advertise Alexa and OK-Google support on the back....and that's about it. Undertstated and pretty underwhelming.
The Case - 7/10
The box is not the only fully sustainable part of the release - the case is the first release by Sony to be made fully from recycled materials - Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene to be precise. The result is a tiny, semi-matte eggshell-style look (available currently in off-white or pebble grey) that is a little reminiscent in look of the old Whizzer E3, and more recently, the QCY T16. This kind of design is very appealing in a world of matte and gloss, and the speckled look may have you trying to clean them at first, such is the rarity of this style appearance.
There is a reset button on the back, which you hold for around 7 seconds to pair, as well as a USB-C charge socket for charging. The case does support quick pair with certain devices - on Android, I had no hassles, it just flashed up with a message over what I had to do the moment I opened the case. On Windows on my locked-down work laptop, less so. The Sony logo takes centre-stage in screen-printed off-white on the lid.
The button just below the dimmed LED in the picture above releases the case, and the buds rest face down in a kinda-natural position. As I discovered to my cost, you have to shimmy them a little to ensure they make contact, and you'll hear a little click when they do. There is a friction-hold to the hinge, although it leaves them a little finely-poised - breath too closely and the case may topple over!
The LED at the front gives guidance over how much battery remains, using a familiar red-amber-green denotation. The battery percentage is also visible not only in the Sony app, but also in Android 12 itself. Click 'Bluetooth Settings' and you get a tiny image of the buds and also the case, with their respective battery percentages. This is very convenient a nice touch that definitely gives you the premium feel in the user experience. (I think this is part of the Google Fast Pair feature alluded to in the paraphernalia)
I didn't get beyond the first sentence before comparing them to the you-know-what made by you-know-who, and it is natural to make that comparison given the innovative designs. The cases feel quite similar, with both sets being placed face-down. One major difference is in the texture - the Buds Live case feels very glossy and premium, whereas the LinkBuds case can feel somewhat lightweight and cheap by comparison.
The LinkBuds case is very small - just 4.5 wide by just over 3.5cm in depth and only 2.8cm tall, but the rounded edges make it feel smaller, and it is very portable - whilst it isn't ideal for trouser pockets due to the square-ish shape, it's nearly 15g lighter than the case of the Buds Live, and consequently if you can find a place to put it, you won't feel like it's there. Out for a jog it rested well in my rear shorts zip up pocket, and it didn't weigh me down as I pounded the tarmac.
Ergonomics - 7/10
Getting the ergonomics right with the LinkBuds was never going to be easy, but Sony have arguably managed to pull it off, thanks to their wide array of accessories designed to fill ears of all different shapes of sizes that avoid the invasiveness of silicone wingtips. I've seen many videos of users pushing the donut a little further down than I have in the above picture, and certainly when I'm outdoors I do tilt them back a little in order to bring the driver closer to my ear canal, but they're comfy regardless of where you push them, as long as the round bit is resting against the cartilage on the inside of your pinnae.
Regardless of position, they achieve their goal of comfort, stability and negate the need for constant re-adjustments whilst out exercising due to their customisable fit. It can take a little while to get this right - so don't give up and be sure to try lots of tip combinations. At first, I couldn't understand why what I thought the perfect fit would be spoiled by smiling - eventually flipping down to the lower sized wingtip sorted the problem, and as such I found them very comfortable for prolonged use in all sorts of environments.
From the front, there is a small amount of protrusion as you would expect due to the bulbous shape. This is one area I'd have liked to have seen improved and flattened a little. It rules them out for side-sleeping for those with shallow-conchas like me, and means they aren't quite as subtle-looking as they could be.
As has been mentioned many times, the LinkBuds adopt a donut-style ring driver, which sits in the bottom part of your ear aside your ear canal, and this positioning maximises the route to your ear canal without that invasive seal synonymous with in-ear designs. It does a pretty good job of ensuring that volume, certainly indoors, is more than adequate and balances well with being aware of your surroundings. On Android 12 on the OnePlus 8T running Project Zephyrus, they come through much louder than many others I've tested recently, including OnePlus' own Buds Pro.
Outdoors, it's no slouch either, although you will probably find yourself topping out at close to maximum volume if you decide to go out running during a storm, as I did last night.
The exterior also has an ambient mic module in order to improve call quality, for which it does a remarkable job, and whilst the touch control area may seem small - don't fear, you can actually touch your skin instead. Yep, you read it correctly, you can touch your skin to control your earbuds!
The driver is 12mm and the ring diameter is around 16mm.
The inside shows little has been done to make them comfy on the bit that touches your skin. There's a wear detection module just below the L (or R, respectively) that not only pauses when you remove them, but also works in conjunction with the mics to understand when you're talking and pauses the sound as a result. Not great if you break out into verse, but thankfully this can be toggled on and off in the Sony app. The battery connectors will directly touch your skin, so be aware if you suffer from allergies. One final point of note here is that the wings have a little gap in them to ensure they are fitted in the right place - make sure you spot this when fitting them, otherwise the wing could slip off.
Again, when compared to the Buds Live it is a variation on a theme. Both are shaped with the same general direction in mind, just with a slightly different brief.
Overall, I find the Buds Live easier to just plonk in your ear and feel comfier for all day use, provided you're quite still. The Sony are more secure and give a similar level of comfort provided you are prepared to spend the time to adjust. I found the Buds Live always felt like they might fall out, even though they never did, even when jogging. Last night I did 5km at good pace in a storm, and the only thing that nearly blew away was my hat, however over time the wings have loosened, and this is something to bear in mind.
The buds are very lightweight at less than 4g, and are IPX4 water resistant, which is a little disappointing although not altogether surprising given their functions.
However, the bigger disappointment is the array of accessories designed to keep the buds in your ears lose a little of their firmness over time. After around three months, I was back to struggling to keep them in without constant readjustment - a huge disappointment after all of the hype.
Audio - 7/10 (for the price paid), 7.5/10 (raw score)
In their marketing material, Sony talk about balanced, high quality sound with a clear mid-range. There are no superlatives, no window-dressing. This understated approach is fine with me, because this is exactly what the LinkBuds deliver, although given the price, I don't think it's unfair to expect slightly more.
I've read reviews ranging from 'no bass' to 'too bassy', and this is 100% down to fit - the lower you position the LinkBuds, the more prominent the bass response will be. However for most users, you will sense a natural drop-off way before the sub-bass rumbles of releases like the Edifier NeoBuds Pro or SoundPEATS H1 throb through your soul, and in all honesty, for this type of earbud, that's not necessarily a bad thing.
One of my complaints with the 1More Comfobuds 2, another similar-ilk semi-in-ear bud, was their attempts to fool the ears into thinking there's a solid bass response. On that model, the bass is inflated due to the positioning of the driver, but if you adjust and push into your ear canal, the sound is incredibly muddy, and thus when you try to E.Q. them to provide clarity when they're in their normal resting position, they can't achieve it because of the way the drivers have been tuned.
The LinkBuds don't suffer with this problem anywhere near as much. Bassy tracks like Koala by Oliver Heldens have some depth - but the kind of depth similar to being very near the back at a festival - the response is fast, reasonably accurate and undistorted. Moreover, when orchestral elements and vocals come through, they don't screech - there is a mid-bass uplift, but the trebles are notched sufficiently that it sounds nicely balanced if a little dull.
The soundstage is certainly not as wide as the Samsung Buds Live - they combine intimacy with a little airiness, as evidenced by 'Award Tour' by A Tribe Called Quest on Tidal Masters, but it sounds like you're in an underground studio, with the drums humming rather than slamming through the middle, and the vocals bouncing around the outside. Seal's 'Crazy', which pans all elements around to atmospheric effect, retains the essence of the arrangement, but lacks any of the dynamism of the bass guitars that comes through on hybrid driver leaders like the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro and more notably the SoundPEATS H2.
What they lack in overall detail they make up for with precision, and what they lack in dynamism they make up for with depth. It is a different, but still palatable sound, that could of course be improved, but I think that's a perpetual battle with Bluetooth TWS, although with the SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS delivering LDAC and high quality audio in this form factor, Sony have really dropped the ball when it comes to the competition - for a lower cost bud to delivering what they couldn't perhaps tells them they need to up their game.
The buds use the same V1 Processor as the WF-1000XM4 and feature DSEE Digital Sound Enhancement, which is kinda like i-frames in compressed video - i.e., it tries to restore those frequencies lost by compression, and 360 Reality Audio does improve the sound further, although there are some limitations in terms of which providers support it.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 9/10
Sony do champion their call quality in the marketing material, and it's not without merit. Their 'Clear Call' is undoubtedly a nod and a wink to Elevoc, as they promote their 'noise reduction algorithm designed to reduce interference and ambient sound' - and it does a remarkable job, nullifying background sounds to the point I had to re-record it several times to make sure I wasn't covering a mic or something!
Even during close on 30mph winds the worst that happened was a small crackle and my voice cutting out. No wind came through during the call. The LinkBuds are perfect for the blustery weather conditions we have in the UK right now.
Indoors, however, it doesn't quite hit similar highs. Sure, you sound coherent enough, but it lacks a bit of cleanness and your voice, like with the Edifier NeoBuds Pro, sounds a tad soft and lacking pronunciation - podcast quality it definitely ain't, but it will see you through Zoom calls and cell calls without any problems. Well, other than draining the hell out of the battery!
The LinkBuds were my star performer on my recent 2022 updated call quality test:
Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 8.5/10
Bizarrely, considering the list of features it does have, I could probably list a similar amount of 'would likes' that the Linkbuds lack. The absence of wireless charging is a minor annoyance that is mitigated by the natural position of the usb slot at the rear. The lack of hi-res codecs is disappointing given we are now in the second wave of LDAC/LHDC supporting releases, and the absence of multipoint is not only disappointing given it is appearing in releases from comparatively mid-range vendors such as OnePlus, but it is also a real pain in the ass to pair with new devices. The button is tiny and it is in an awkward place. If you're lucky enough to get a 'Fast Pair' pop-up, like I was on Android 12, then lucky you, because if you don't, it can take a while to re-pair.
By the same token, the LinkBuds have some really cool features. Wide Area Touch means you can tap your skin to initiate controls - and it really works - although the limitations in control customisation are pretty annoying. You can customise double and triple tap, but that's about it, and you can't, for example, have double tap left reducing volume, and double tap right increasing it - a function has to map to the same ear, so instead you're triple tapping left to increase volume and doing your call functions with your right ear. Not especially great and hopefully this can be opened up with future firmware releases.
Naturally there is no ANC, and whilst there is no 'spatial sound' as such, they support 360 Reality Audio (although you need a subscription and a provider that supports it, such as Amazon Music, Deezer or Tidal) and through integration with Microsoft Soundscape, specific sounds are accentuated and combined with the compass and built-in accelerometer to guide you towards intended sounds in an intuitive way.
Like their XM4, they feature 'Spotify Tap', which picks up from where you left off on previous devices, and a simple tap then changes it up. Again, great if you like Spotify (I don't!). They also feature support for OK Google and Alexa, allowing you to listen to or interact with your emails, join Microsoft Teams calls, etc.
Like many other releases, they feature Adaptive Volume control, which works quite well - it was as subtle as my Tesla Model 3 was, which is probably the best compliment I could give it.
The Sony Connect app has some nice touches, and I'll update with screenshots in due course. Aside from denoting battery and codec being used on the main page, you can toggle 'Speak to Chat' - another feature that will interrupt your music when you start talking (or, rather inconveniently, start singing along to whatever you're listening to - well, inconveniently for you anyway!). Here is where you set up 360 Reality, where you take a video of both ears and it adjusts accordingly, toggle DSEE and can prioritise either Sound Quality or Connection Strength. There's also an EQ (5 band) and the ability to increase or decrease 'Clear Bass'. The 'System' tab allows you to toggle the Adaptive Volume I mentioned previously, customise those limited touch controls, toggle Wide Area Tap and also toggle both auto-power-off and auto-pause. These features are quite handy, as voice calls in particular rinse your battery hard. This tab also allows for automatic firmware download (which takes a hell of a long time to update) and toggling notification and voice guide, as well as selecting from around 15 preset languages.
The 'Services' tab explains the different features, and is where you set up and initialise Spotify Tap.
Activity tells you how long you've used your buds for, and in the style of Audible or TripAdvisor, you get badges when you reach certain milestones. 'Information' is like a mini-inbox, telling you about new service releases and giving occasional tips for better usage experience.
For all of the things Sony could have added but didn't, they did a pretty good job of still creating enough buzz about the release that they are tangibly better than something like the Buds Live. Sure, many of the features will be useless for many users like me who just want to get on and listen to music, but at the same time, for others they won't - and Sony have catered to many types of user, both in their thoughtful accessory inclusion and wide array of features.
Incidentally, I've read many accounts of weak connectivity, but the only issue I had was with Microsoft Teams occasionally cutting out - and that's probably down to work skimping on a laptop with only 16gb RAM and Teams suddenly becoming more resource-hungry than cryptomining.
Battery Life - 6/10
On paper, 5.5 hours is pretty good, and with all features turned off and in an indoor environment, you won't get far short of 5 hours. However, when you start turning on features such as DSEE and Wide Area Tap, and then take a few calls, don't be surprised to drop as low as three hours, as was the case for me today.
Videoconferencing calls in particular seem to really hammer the LinkBuds. 12 extra hours from the case is rather paltry by today's standards, and whilst 10 min of charge in the case gives 90 min extra juice, I charged the case for around an hour during lunchtime, and got comparatively little extra power from that. With no wireless charging either, battery is definitely an achilles heel of the LinkBuds. To end on a positive, though, the app does tell you when you've dropped to below 30%, so you can at least put into place contingency plans quickly.
Summary
For the most part, I tend to be disappointed by Sony products. The XM3 sounded great but fit horribly, and the XM4 were OK but again awkward fitting and very overpriced.
The LinkBuds are similarly expensive for what they are, but they are the first Sony release that genuinely offer something that innovates, filling a gap in the market for those who don't fancy the invasiveness of silicone tips, and appreciate the same earbud for exercise at the one they use on calls in the office. You could argue Samsung tried it first, but did so tentatively, without the 'all in' approach that Sony have tried here. And for the most part, they've given me, at least, everything I would want and more.
The problem with the Buds Live - their limited field of suitable ears - is negated by Sony's wide array of accessories - at least at first. They've catered for users of all generations by including features that appeal to a wide demographic, and whilst the app is useful, it isn't especially user-friendly. The longevity of the accessories is questionable though, and you may find yourself back in the battle of readjustment before long, sadly.
Battery life is disappointing, especially when used for calls, so don't buy for long Zoom or Teams sessions, but if you're looking for good exercise buds that don't suffer from occlusion, don't feel invasive, and can double-up as excellent outdoor call companions, whilst still providing good, balanced sound, the LinkBuds might be your answer.
Price Weighted Score: 80%
Raw Score: 85%
2023 Score: 75%
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
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Model: Sony WF-L900 LinkBuds
Price: £149.99
Website: Sony
Review Reference: RC066
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: Sony
- Model: WF-L900
- Driver: 12mm Neodymium Ring Driver
- Chipset: Sony V1
- ANC: No
- Volume Control: Yes, via the app
- Codecs: AAC, SBC
- Earbud Weight: 3.94g
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 40g
- Case Dimensions: 45mm width, 38mm depth, 28mm height
- Full Charge Time: 120 minutes
- Quick Charge: Yes, 10min gives 90min playtime
- Wireless Charging: No
- Input: 5v 500mA
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 5.5 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 17.5 hours
- App Support: Yes
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: IPX4
- Firmware Tested: 1.0.3 & 1.0.4
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
2 x Basic User Document in many languages
1 x Free 360 Reality Audio Trial Card
1 x Warranty Card
Real Life Experience
Welcome to one I've been truly excited about, the Sony WF-L900, aka the LinkBuds. Having been glued to the Samsung Beans for the last 12 months, would the Donuts displace them as my exercise bud of choice? I think that was the idea for Sony - try to find a new heir to the thrown for food-inspired designed open-air earbuds that go against the grain of Active Noise Cancellation and tight seals and appeal to those who like an experience that combines good audio with the ability to remain aware of ones surroundings. However, when their design was revealed, it raised more than a few eyebrows - would this unique design be a piece of engineering genius or a catastrophic flop? Read on for more....
Unboxing - 7/10
If you've seen reviews from prominent YouTuber's who do this stuff for a living with augmented reality unboxings, be prepared to be disappointed. For the average consumer that isn't a brand shill, this is a pretty lame affair. After about 15 minutes of getting through the Alexa-style layered box, eventually you reach the case, a wide selection of wing tips, several manuals that aren't manuals (they just basically contain a load of mandatory text in about 30 different languages), a voucher to sign up for 360 Reality Audio and a warranty card. Really, it isn't much different to Huawei or Jabra, and lacks the effort that someone like Edifier put in for the NeoBuds Pro. The saving grace is that it is completely sustainable with no plastic used...although truth be told, most unboxings are these days anyway.
As I will go on to discuss, fit is really important with the LinkBuds. Getting the positioning right is pivotal to maximising the experience. If you wear a wing that is too small, the earbud will wear loose, which is not what you want. Too large, as was the case for me first time, and you will experience not only a lot of pressure against your antihelix, but you'll also feel pain around your ear canal too. Fortunately, this is where Sony massively outdid Samsung, who offered little in the way of customisation for their Buds Live. Sony provide five different sizes, and this pretty much ensures their market is not limited to the odd person who somehow managed to have exactly the right ears for the design.
Despite the fanfare, there is little in the way of willy-waving from Sony on the box. They advertise Alexa and OK-Google support on the back....and that's about it. Undertstated and pretty underwhelming.
The Case - 7/10
The box is not the only fully sustainable part of the release - the case is the first release by Sony to be made fully from recycled materials - Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene to be precise. The result is a tiny, semi-matte eggshell-style look (available currently in off-white or pebble grey) that is a little reminiscent in look of the old Whizzer E3, and more recently, the QCY T16. This kind of design is very appealing in a world of matte and gloss, and the speckled look may have you trying to clean them at first, such is the rarity of this style appearance.
There is a reset button on the back, which you hold for around 7 seconds to pair, as well as a USB-C charge socket for charging. The case does support quick pair with certain devices - on Android, I had no hassles, it just flashed up with a message over what I had to do the moment I opened the case. On Windows on my locked-down work laptop, less so. The Sony logo takes centre-stage in screen-printed off-white on the lid.
The button just below the dimmed LED in the picture above releases the case, and the buds rest face down in a kinda-natural position. As I discovered to my cost, you have to shimmy them a little to ensure they make contact, and you'll hear a little click when they do. There is a friction-hold to the hinge, although it leaves them a little finely-poised - breath too closely and the case may topple over!
The LED at the front gives guidance over how much battery remains, using a familiar red-amber-green denotation. The battery percentage is also visible not only in the Sony app, but also in Android 12 itself. Click 'Bluetooth Settings' and you get a tiny image of the buds and also the case, with their respective battery percentages. This is very convenient a nice touch that definitely gives you the premium feel in the user experience. (I think this is part of the Google Fast Pair feature alluded to in the paraphernalia)
I didn't get beyond the first sentence before comparing them to the you-know-what made by you-know-who, and it is natural to make that comparison given the innovative designs. The cases feel quite similar, with both sets being placed face-down. One major difference is in the texture - the Buds Live case feels very glossy and premium, whereas the LinkBuds case can feel somewhat lightweight and cheap by comparison.
The LinkBuds case is very small - just 4.5 wide by just over 3.5cm in depth and only 2.8cm tall, but the rounded edges make it feel smaller, and it is very portable - whilst it isn't ideal for trouser pockets due to the square-ish shape, it's nearly 15g lighter than the case of the Buds Live, and consequently if you can find a place to put it, you won't feel like it's there. Out for a jog it rested well in my rear shorts zip up pocket, and it didn't weigh me down as I pounded the tarmac.
Ergonomics - 7/10
Getting the ergonomics right with the LinkBuds was never going to be easy, but Sony have arguably managed to pull it off, thanks to their wide array of accessories designed to fill ears of all different shapes of sizes that avoid the invasiveness of silicone wingtips. I've seen many videos of users pushing the donut a little further down than I have in the above picture, and certainly when I'm outdoors I do tilt them back a little in order to bring the driver closer to my ear canal, but they're comfy regardless of where you push them, as long as the round bit is resting against the cartilage on the inside of your pinnae.
Regardless of position, they achieve their goal of comfort, stability and negate the need for constant re-adjustments whilst out exercising due to their customisable fit. It can take a little while to get this right - so don't give up and be sure to try lots of tip combinations. At first, I couldn't understand why what I thought the perfect fit would be spoiled by smiling - eventually flipping down to the lower sized wingtip sorted the problem, and as such I found them very comfortable for prolonged use in all sorts of environments.
From the front, there is a small amount of protrusion as you would expect due to the bulbous shape. This is one area I'd have liked to have seen improved and flattened a little. It rules them out for side-sleeping for those with shallow-conchas like me, and means they aren't quite as subtle-looking as they could be.
As has been mentioned many times, the LinkBuds adopt a donut-style ring driver, which sits in the bottom part of your ear aside your ear canal, and this positioning maximises the route to your ear canal without that invasive seal synonymous with in-ear designs. It does a pretty good job of ensuring that volume, certainly indoors, is more than adequate and balances well with being aware of your surroundings. On Android 12 on the OnePlus 8T running Project Zephyrus, they come through much louder than many others I've tested recently, including OnePlus' own Buds Pro.
Outdoors, it's no slouch either, although you will probably find yourself topping out at close to maximum volume if you decide to go out running during a storm, as I did last night.
The exterior also has an ambient mic module in order to improve call quality, for which it does a remarkable job, and whilst the touch control area may seem small - don't fear, you can actually touch your skin instead. Yep, you read it correctly, you can touch your skin to control your earbuds!
The driver is 12mm and the ring diameter is around 16mm.
The inside shows little has been done to make them comfy on the bit that touches your skin. There's a wear detection module just below the L (or R, respectively) that not only pauses when you remove them, but also works in conjunction with the mics to understand when you're talking and pauses the sound as a result. Not great if you break out into verse, but thankfully this can be toggled on and off in the Sony app. The battery connectors will directly touch your skin, so be aware if you suffer from allergies. One final point of note here is that the wings have a little gap in them to ensure they are fitted in the right place - make sure you spot this when fitting them, otherwise the wing could slip off.
Again, when compared to the Buds Live it is a variation on a theme. Both are shaped with the same general direction in mind, just with a slightly different brief.
Overall, I find the Buds Live easier to just plonk in your ear and feel comfier for all day use, provided you're quite still. The Sony are more secure and give a similar level of comfort provided you are prepared to spend the time to adjust. I found the Buds Live always felt like they might fall out, even though they never did, even when jogging. Last night I did 5km at good pace in a storm, and the only thing that nearly blew away was my hat, however over time the wings have loosened, and this is something to bear in mind.
The buds are very lightweight at less than 4g, and are IPX4 water resistant, which is a little disappointing although not altogether surprising given their functions.
However, the bigger disappointment is the array of accessories designed to keep the buds in your ears lose a little of their firmness over time. After around three months, I was back to struggling to keep them in without constant readjustment - a huge disappointment after all of the hype.
Audio - 7/10 (for the price paid), 7.5/10 (raw score)
In their marketing material, Sony talk about balanced, high quality sound with a clear mid-range. There are no superlatives, no window-dressing. This understated approach is fine with me, because this is exactly what the LinkBuds deliver, although given the price, I don't think it's unfair to expect slightly more.
I've read reviews ranging from 'no bass' to 'too bassy', and this is 100% down to fit - the lower you position the LinkBuds, the more prominent the bass response will be. However for most users, you will sense a natural drop-off way before the sub-bass rumbles of releases like the Edifier NeoBuds Pro or SoundPEATS H1 throb through your soul, and in all honesty, for this type of earbud, that's not necessarily a bad thing.
One of my complaints with the 1More Comfobuds 2, another similar-ilk semi-in-ear bud, was their attempts to fool the ears into thinking there's a solid bass response. On that model, the bass is inflated due to the positioning of the driver, but if you adjust and push into your ear canal, the sound is incredibly muddy, and thus when you try to E.Q. them to provide clarity when they're in their normal resting position, they can't achieve it because of the way the drivers have been tuned.
The LinkBuds don't suffer with this problem anywhere near as much. Bassy tracks like Koala by Oliver Heldens have some depth - but the kind of depth similar to being very near the back at a festival - the response is fast, reasonably accurate and undistorted. Moreover, when orchestral elements and vocals come through, they don't screech - there is a mid-bass uplift, but the trebles are notched sufficiently that it sounds nicely balanced if a little dull.
The soundstage is certainly not as wide as the Samsung Buds Live - they combine intimacy with a little airiness, as evidenced by 'Award Tour' by A Tribe Called Quest on Tidal Masters, but it sounds like you're in an underground studio, with the drums humming rather than slamming through the middle, and the vocals bouncing around the outside. Seal's 'Crazy', which pans all elements around to atmospheric effect, retains the essence of the arrangement, but lacks any of the dynamism of the bass guitars that comes through on hybrid driver leaders like the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro and more notably the SoundPEATS H2.
What they lack in overall detail they make up for with precision, and what they lack in dynamism they make up for with depth. It is a different, but still palatable sound, that could of course be improved, but I think that's a perpetual battle with Bluetooth TWS, although with the SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS delivering LDAC and high quality audio in this form factor, Sony have really dropped the ball when it comes to the competition - for a lower cost bud to delivering what they couldn't perhaps tells them they need to up their game.
The buds use the same V1 Processor as the WF-1000XM4 and feature DSEE Digital Sound Enhancement, which is kinda like i-frames in compressed video - i.e., it tries to restore those frequencies lost by compression, and 360 Reality Audio does improve the sound further, although there are some limitations in terms of which providers support it.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 9/10
Sony do champion their call quality in the marketing material, and it's not without merit. Their 'Clear Call' is undoubtedly a nod and a wink to Elevoc, as they promote their 'noise reduction algorithm designed to reduce interference and ambient sound' - and it does a remarkable job, nullifying background sounds to the point I had to re-record it several times to make sure I wasn't covering a mic or something!
Even during close on 30mph winds the worst that happened was a small crackle and my voice cutting out. No wind came through during the call. The LinkBuds are perfect for the blustery weather conditions we have in the UK right now.
Indoors, however, it doesn't quite hit similar highs. Sure, you sound coherent enough, but it lacks a bit of cleanness and your voice, like with the Edifier NeoBuds Pro, sounds a tad soft and lacking pronunciation - podcast quality it definitely ain't, but it will see you through Zoom calls and cell calls without any problems. Well, other than draining the hell out of the battery!
The LinkBuds were my star performer on my recent 2022 updated call quality test:
Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 8.5/10
Bizarrely, considering the list of features it does have, I could probably list a similar amount of 'would likes' that the Linkbuds lack. The absence of wireless charging is a minor annoyance that is mitigated by the natural position of the usb slot at the rear. The lack of hi-res codecs is disappointing given we are now in the second wave of LDAC/LHDC supporting releases, and the absence of multipoint is not only disappointing given it is appearing in releases from comparatively mid-range vendors such as OnePlus, but it is also a real pain in the ass to pair with new devices. The button is tiny and it is in an awkward place. If you're lucky enough to get a 'Fast Pair' pop-up, like I was on Android 12, then lucky you, because if you don't, it can take a while to re-pair.
By the same token, the LinkBuds have some really cool features. Wide Area Touch means you can tap your skin to initiate controls - and it really works - although the limitations in control customisation are pretty annoying. You can customise double and triple tap, but that's about it, and you can't, for example, have double tap left reducing volume, and double tap right increasing it - a function has to map to the same ear, so instead you're triple tapping left to increase volume and doing your call functions with your right ear. Not especially great and hopefully this can be opened up with future firmware releases.
Naturally there is no ANC, and whilst there is no 'spatial sound' as such, they support 360 Reality Audio (although you need a subscription and a provider that supports it, such as Amazon Music, Deezer or Tidal) and through integration with Microsoft Soundscape, specific sounds are accentuated and combined with the compass and built-in accelerometer to guide you towards intended sounds in an intuitive way.
Like their XM4, they feature 'Spotify Tap', which picks up from where you left off on previous devices, and a simple tap then changes it up. Again, great if you like Spotify (I don't!). They also feature support for OK Google and Alexa, allowing you to listen to or interact with your emails, join Microsoft Teams calls, etc.
Like many other releases, they feature Adaptive Volume control, which works quite well - it was as subtle as my Tesla Model 3 was, which is probably the best compliment I could give it.
The Sony Connect app has some nice touches, and I'll update with screenshots in due course. Aside from denoting battery and codec being used on the main page, you can toggle 'Speak to Chat' - another feature that will interrupt your music when you start talking (or, rather inconveniently, start singing along to whatever you're listening to - well, inconveniently for you anyway!). Here is where you set up 360 Reality, where you take a video of both ears and it adjusts accordingly, toggle DSEE and can prioritise either Sound Quality or Connection Strength. There's also an EQ (5 band) and the ability to increase or decrease 'Clear Bass'. The 'System' tab allows you to toggle the Adaptive Volume I mentioned previously, customise those limited touch controls, toggle Wide Area Tap and also toggle both auto-power-off and auto-pause. These features are quite handy, as voice calls in particular rinse your battery hard. This tab also allows for automatic firmware download (which takes a hell of a long time to update) and toggling notification and voice guide, as well as selecting from around 15 preset languages.
The 'Services' tab explains the different features, and is where you set up and initialise Spotify Tap.
Activity tells you how long you've used your buds for, and in the style of Audible or TripAdvisor, you get badges when you reach certain milestones. 'Information' is like a mini-inbox, telling you about new service releases and giving occasional tips for better usage experience.
For all of the things Sony could have added but didn't, they did a pretty good job of still creating enough buzz about the release that they are tangibly better than something like the Buds Live. Sure, many of the features will be useless for many users like me who just want to get on and listen to music, but at the same time, for others they won't - and Sony have catered to many types of user, both in their thoughtful accessory inclusion and wide array of features.
Incidentally, I've read many accounts of weak connectivity, but the only issue I had was with Microsoft Teams occasionally cutting out - and that's probably down to work skimping on a laptop with only 16gb RAM and Teams suddenly becoming more resource-hungry than cryptomining.
Battery Life - 6/10
On paper, 5.5 hours is pretty good, and with all features turned off and in an indoor environment, you won't get far short of 5 hours. However, when you start turning on features such as DSEE and Wide Area Tap, and then take a few calls, don't be surprised to drop as low as three hours, as was the case for me today.
Videoconferencing calls in particular seem to really hammer the LinkBuds. 12 extra hours from the case is rather paltry by today's standards, and whilst 10 min of charge in the case gives 90 min extra juice, I charged the case for around an hour during lunchtime, and got comparatively little extra power from that. With no wireless charging either, battery is definitely an achilles heel of the LinkBuds. To end on a positive, though, the app does tell you when you've dropped to below 30%, so you can at least put into place contingency plans quickly.
Summary
For the most part, I tend to be disappointed by Sony products. The XM3 sounded great but fit horribly, and the XM4 were OK but again awkward fitting and very overpriced.
The LinkBuds are similarly expensive for what they are, but they are the first Sony release that genuinely offer something that innovates, filling a gap in the market for those who don't fancy the invasiveness of silicone tips, and appreciate the same earbud for exercise at the one they use on calls in the office. You could argue Samsung tried it first, but did so tentatively, without the 'all in' approach that Sony have tried here. And for the most part, they've given me, at least, everything I would want and more.
The problem with the Buds Live - their limited field of suitable ears - is negated by Sony's wide array of accessories - at least at first. They've catered for users of all generations by including features that appeal to a wide demographic, and whilst the app is useful, it isn't especially user-friendly. The longevity of the accessories is questionable though, and you may find yourself back in the battle of readjustment before long, sadly.
Battery life is disappointing, especially when used for calls, so don't buy for long Zoom or Teams sessions, but if you're looking for good exercise buds that don't suffer from occlusion, don't feel invasive, and can double-up as excellent outdoor call companions, whilst still providing good, balanced sound, the LinkBuds might be your answer.
Price Weighted Score: 80%
Raw Score: 85%
2023 Score: 75%
Juns
Great review. I personally think it needs more battery life too.
Amarphael
Thanks for the very detailed review, Great job! One questons though and excuse me if you already addressed it: Is it possible to control the volume of every earpiece separately?
jb2unique
Great very detailed review. Hope they fit my ears for what I want to use them for. Cheers!
RC065
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: Apesonic Mist
Price: $35 on Indiegogo
Website: Apesonic
Review Reference: RC065
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual, English
1 x Story Card
1 x Warranty Card
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the @regancipher review of one of the most interesting projects of recent times, the Apesonic Mist.
For all intents and purposes, the Mist are still a concept product. The project started in March 2021 - a terrible time to consider the launch of a technology product given the global chip shortages. However, they slipped only very slightly from their delivery times, with shipping commencing in November 2021 - practically unheard of in crowdfunding projects!
The Mist 'story' is based on the concept of an 'open air' design that allows for calls and listening to music, with simple controls and a comfortable fit, whilst retaining awareness of your surroundings. Apesonic have marketed the product for side sleepers in particular, with this being much of their marketing focus on their Indiegogo launch page, but their use cases extend far beyond that, and have prompted Samsung (with their Buds Live) and Sony (with their Linkbuds) to try to address the same problem - a lot of people don't like silicone in their ears all day.
Apesonic commit to donating a dollar from every product to conservation of apes, and that alone is worthy of consideration. They have also been in touch since the review, have communicated respectfully and taken the feedback on-board without trying to persuade me to alter my review (ahem Aukey, Mpow, etc) and are genuinely committed to improving the product, which in my book is worthy of an extra half a star!
Unboxing - 7/10
The unboxing of the ApeSonic Mist is actually not terrible given the low cost. The box looks a little cheap as you would expect, and there are lots of QR codes, none of which seem to do anything particularly useful.
The 'ApeSonic Story' card is a nice touch, providing background and context to the project and mission. They come with a warranty card, clear instruction manual, and the case and buds are held in a foam insert. The USB-C charge cable is decent quality, held in a small cardboard case.
The front of the box claims 'Premium Audio' and 'Sleep Aid App with Nature Sounds' as well as 'High Resolution'. None of these are objectively true as things stand, and perhaps the marketing of the product would be better served playing down the sound and using terminology like high resolution and instead focusing on the real strengths of the product.
The Case - 7/10
The case is very portable with a nice embossed ApeSonic logo on top, and a hook loop for keyrings. This makes them really useful for exercise or even just having on your keys as a spare pair of earbuds. The USB-C charge socket is at the rear.
There is a lip at the front of the case, but it is not only rather difficult to flip open with single handed-use, but the lid tends to default to close, so you kinda have to hold it open with your thumb while taking the buds out. Not a problem, but worth knowing if you're on the move.
The cockpit has a small LED in the centre, which when opened, remains solid for 4 seconds. When it is below 20% (around 5 remaining hours in total), the LED will flash. It would have been helpful on the outside, but inside is better than not at all.
The case has 'hall switch' mode which means the buds connect to the last device when the case is opened. If they connect, they will flash blue, but whilst pairing with each other they flash orange quickly, then when awaiting pairing with a device, orange and blue. It can look like a pilots cockpit at times when you open the case - lots of flashing lights and at times very confusing! However once you're connected and paired, it's less noisy.
Getting the buds in and out of the case isn't the easiest. There is no obvious place to put your fingers to pull them away from the strong magnets. I have settled on the edge that sits below the L and R case stamps, as is instructed in their marketing video, but even then you have to dig your nails in a little. Definitely easier for females! Putting them back in the case at night is nigh on impossible in the dark - their intricate shape means they don't really land simply into the case, you have to find the right angle, and it's a little counter-intuitive.
Aside from those minor quibbles, their portability and long battery life make them good travel buddies. at 37g and just 7x3.5x2.2cm. they can practicably be used as a keyring. This gives the case lots of merit. There is sadly no quick charge and no wireless charging, as you would expect at this price point.
Ergonomics - 7/10
The Mist make some very bold claims in their marketing material. Lets start by addressing all of them one by one:
"Unlike most earbuds, the Mist has an open design that allows sound in from the outside. Many people experience anxiety or claustrophobia when wearing headphones that isolate them from the sounds that people naturally use to orient ourselves in our surroundings, especially while exercising - some people instinctively avoid earbuds and headphones for this reason.
Silicone fins and inner contact surface brace the Mist's form-fitting design at three points in the ear for a soft, comfortable, yet secure fit."
I can relate to this. I like using the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live for this very reason, however, they do lack fins and can sometimes come a little loose. And at the moment, only one of my Samsung buds is even working after a wet winter of infrequent but drenched road runs seems to have affected their ability to work properly.
The Mist fit exactly as intended, and actually, for short term use they are really comfortable - as comfy as my Buds Live but more secure, and comfier than the Sony LinkBuds. Their longevity is questionable though - and this comes down to my own ears, rather than every ear. The problem seems to be in the strength of the material of the fins, no doubt deliberate to ensure stability. The problem is stability and comfort are often a trade off. The diameter of the top fin is rather wide - wider than the gap in my Helix lock. This means after around an hour, I feel pain against my concha - more in the right ear than the left ear, again highlighting the Aristotlean 'Third Ear' argument!
The bottom also suffers from the strength of the material - again, after a while I felt pressure against my antitragus. Had they made the fins the same material as the comfy 'flaps' that rest against your ear canal, albeit thick enough to prevent the feeling of plastic from the main body, they would have worked better for me. However do NOT let this reason alone put you off - everybody's ears are different, and just because they aren't ideal for me, doesn't mean they won't be for you. Even despite this, they do resolve the issue of over-isolation.
I would personally look to reduce the surface area and put more padding between the plastic edges and the concha, and that's exactly what Sony have done with the LinkBuds. They've bundled in a bunch of interchangeable fins that work for different ears. This is probably cost-prohibitive for ApeSonic, so a happy medium may be a foamier edge to the rubber, especially at the bottom, and a softer material at the top.
The problem for side sleepers is that whilst they may be pretty good for sleeping (I tested them a few nights and not only did they stay in, they didn't feel especially painful - possibly as I'm a little more relaxed at bed time), the flashing blue light on the side makes them totally impractical for this purpose, as it repeatedly lights up the room. Not only that, the 30 sleep sounds and app support currently don't exist. So for sleeping, they are more a 'non-starter' than a 'kickstarter' in this respect.
"The Mist’s low-profile design causes it to virtually disappear into your ear. No awkward poles or protrusions here – our ultra-slim, naturally shaped housing makes the Mist a perfect match for any outfit or uniform."
No arguments here. They are practically invisible and they do stay snug and secure, and the range of colours are all quite subtle and nicely designed.
At 4.58g, they aren't especially light, and are a bit too bulky to deliver what they promise to as much of the market as they would like. Comments on Indiegogo reflect these observations, but again, this really is quite subjective. They feel fairly light in your ear despite the numbers, and this is a first stab - plenty of room for improvement.
Audio Quality - 5.5/10 (for the price paid), 5/10 (raw score)
For background sound such as podcasts - they do the job. Otherwise, it's not a particularly enthralling experience. And therein lies the problem. I actually wouldn't have cared if the sound was marketed as 'balanced and neutral'. Sony have done this with the LinkBuds, and they haven't over delivered at all. They've done exactly what they said they would do.
This is where the ApeSonic have dropped the ball. They claim 'accurate tonality, deep bass and a wide soundstage' - in reality they sound more like the cheapest Bluetooth earbuds you can get from Aliexpress. Tonality is bland, there is no 'deep bass' - thankfully the bass is quite flat, but lower-mids virtually disappear as upper-mids are elevated to reveal vocals easier, without bordering on sibilance.
I tried a number of different songs and music styles, and whilst the soundstage is reasonably open and airy, there is no depth or substance to instruments or orchestral elements. Vocals just overpower everything.
ApeSonic claim "the Mist sounds better than most traditional style earphones at more than double our MSRP of $60. Our engineers have decades of experience in personal audio, and are responsible for well-known products from some of the popular brands you hear about every day, so rest assured - you are getting a product that is built well and sounds great."
Well, Nigel Mansell has years of Formula One experience, but put him behind the wheel of a Fiat 500 and it's fairly unlikely he's going to usurp Hamilton and Raikkonen - and that's the case here. It is almost embarrassing to see claims like 'high resolution' (the buds only support SBC - there's no aptX-HD, no LDAC, no LHDC...they don't even offer high res SBC or AAC) and the waxing lyrical of the sound quality in the marketing material. I feel ApeSonic should have been a bit more upfront about this, because setting expectations so high can be a very dangerous game, as they are discovering on their comments section on IndieGogo.
Whilst there are arguments that they are cheap, so don't expect too much - well, look at QCY. They are producing very adequate sounding buds at a similar price.
Call Quality - Indoors - 5.5/10, Outdoors - 5/10
Not the worst sounding buds I've ever used for calls. The marketing claims Environmental Noise Cancellation - I didn't really hear any of this, in fact traffic and wind comes through pretty clearly.
This is a common problem for most earbuds, but it was particularly prominent on the Mist. Still, phone calls indoors are perfectly doable, and again, room for improvement. I wasn't expecting miracles at £26!
They feature, somewhat unfortunately in extreme conditions, on my recent 2022 updated YouTube call quality test:
Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 5/10
The Jieli chip is a little outdated now. Sure, you get Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity, but that's about it - it only supports the SBC codec and thus the constraints with sound make perfect sense.
App Support with what is promised would lift the score up a little, but until now it doesn't exist, and when I reached out to ApeSonic and told them I was going to review the product and gave them the opportunity to give me a bone to chew on, they ignored me.
Controls are OK - reasonably effective, but there's no volume control. There are no spare fins for an alternative fit, no low latency option (although latency is low anyway, unsurprising given the sound quality is so weak). There is no quick charge option, no wireless charging....really, there's no features of note.
Connectivity is pretty adequate - no drop outs up to 10m. Voice prompts are clear and a nice touch, with pause, left channel, right channel, pairing etc. all clearly prompted.
Battery Life - 7/10
On paper, battery life is excellent. 6-30 hours is no mean feat, especially for this form factor. The problem is, with this form factor, you have to max the volume right up, practically to 100%. Given that most battery statistics are based on 50% volume, this means living up to expectations is going to be tough. Even so, the Mist managed about 4 hours on first blast, and they have lasted around 24 hours in total before running out altogether.
Summary
ApeSonic set themselves lofty targets with their talk of high resolution audio, experienced sound engineers, 'the most comfortable TWS' and other impossibly high goals at such a low price point. In reality, they fall way short of this, and their actual USP - their fit - is very subjective and dependent on the user's ear anatomy.
However, the Mist have their place. They could be good for side-sleepers if they can turn the blue flashing light off, which may be possible with their app. The 30 soothing sounds could also give them a little edge that currently, they don't have. They could be good for exercise too, if they can up the volume and make the comfort slightly higher. They are also a very valid 'spare pair' given their portability and that they slip nicely onto a keychain.
ApeSonic have since been in touch and are looking to update with a newer chip, which will allow for AAC support and hopefully improve the audio. Even at $30-40 QCY and SoundPEATS have proven that cost does not have to be a barrier to good audio, so let's stay positive that this materialises. Update - no sign of this happening in early 2023.
Kudos to ApeSonic for trying to solve a real world problem - but with the Sony Linkbuds prompting Samsung to slash the price of the Buds Live, this appears to be too little, too late for a company with a story that is sadly much more appealing than their product right now. However ApeSonic proved they are not going to lie down by meeting their delivery objectives during a global pandemic - don't rule them out altogether, they may not be the answer to everyone's prayers right now, but neither were the Buds Live nor the LinkBuds. Definitely one to keep an eye on and let's hope they build on this release going forward!
Price Weighted Score: 58%
Raw Score: 50%
2023 Score: 41%
About Apesonic:
In 2020, a few old friends started talking for the first time in a long time. We had worked together before on other companies’ projects, but those companies had their own goals and ideas. This time, we decided to do things our way.
Our way is together - with each other, but also with our customers, and our planet, too. The Apesonic team is from all over the planet, and one thing that brings us together is the idea that we all share common ancestors - we all came from apes. We want to make high quality gear, and we promise to stand behind every product we make. But for us, that’s not enough. We want to do more for our world, so we donate $1 per purchase to conservation efforts targeted at ensuring wild, natural living spaces for primates. Because we are all stronger together.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: Apesonic Mist
Price: $35 on Indiegogo
Website: Apesonic
Review Reference: RC065
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: Apesonic
- Model: Mist
- Driver: 8mm Driver
- Chipset: Jieli JL6983
- ANC: No
- Volume Control: No
- Codecs: SBC
- Earbud Weight: 4.58g
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 37.3g
- Case Dimensions: 70mm width, 37mm depth, 22mm height
- Full Charge Time: 120 minutes
- Quick Charge: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Input: 5V 410mA (unconfirmed)
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 6 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 30 hours
- App Support: Not yet
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.1
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
- Water Resistance: IPX4
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual, English
1 x Story Card
1 x Warranty Card
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the @regancipher review of one of the most interesting projects of recent times, the Apesonic Mist.
For all intents and purposes, the Mist are still a concept product. The project started in March 2021 - a terrible time to consider the launch of a technology product given the global chip shortages. However, they slipped only very slightly from their delivery times, with shipping commencing in November 2021 - practically unheard of in crowdfunding projects!
The Mist 'story' is based on the concept of an 'open air' design that allows for calls and listening to music, with simple controls and a comfortable fit, whilst retaining awareness of your surroundings. Apesonic have marketed the product for side sleepers in particular, with this being much of their marketing focus on their Indiegogo launch page, but their use cases extend far beyond that, and have prompted Samsung (with their Buds Live) and Sony (with their Linkbuds) to try to address the same problem - a lot of people don't like silicone in their ears all day.
Apesonic commit to donating a dollar from every product to conservation of apes, and that alone is worthy of consideration. They have also been in touch since the review, have communicated respectfully and taken the feedback on-board without trying to persuade me to alter my review (ahem Aukey, Mpow, etc) and are genuinely committed to improving the product, which in my book is worthy of an extra half a star!
Unboxing - 7/10
The unboxing of the ApeSonic Mist is actually not terrible given the low cost. The box looks a little cheap as you would expect, and there are lots of QR codes, none of which seem to do anything particularly useful.
The 'ApeSonic Story' card is a nice touch, providing background and context to the project and mission. They come with a warranty card, clear instruction manual, and the case and buds are held in a foam insert. The USB-C charge cable is decent quality, held in a small cardboard case.
The front of the box claims 'Premium Audio' and 'Sleep Aid App with Nature Sounds' as well as 'High Resolution'. None of these are objectively true as things stand, and perhaps the marketing of the product would be better served playing down the sound and using terminology like high resolution and instead focusing on the real strengths of the product.
The Case - 7/10
The case is very portable with a nice embossed ApeSonic logo on top, and a hook loop for keyrings. This makes them really useful for exercise or even just having on your keys as a spare pair of earbuds. The USB-C charge socket is at the rear.
There is a lip at the front of the case, but it is not only rather difficult to flip open with single handed-use, but the lid tends to default to close, so you kinda have to hold it open with your thumb while taking the buds out. Not a problem, but worth knowing if you're on the move.
The cockpit has a small LED in the centre, which when opened, remains solid for 4 seconds. When it is below 20% (around 5 remaining hours in total), the LED will flash. It would have been helpful on the outside, but inside is better than not at all.
The case has 'hall switch' mode which means the buds connect to the last device when the case is opened. If they connect, they will flash blue, but whilst pairing with each other they flash orange quickly, then when awaiting pairing with a device, orange and blue. It can look like a pilots cockpit at times when you open the case - lots of flashing lights and at times very confusing! However once you're connected and paired, it's less noisy.
Getting the buds in and out of the case isn't the easiest. There is no obvious place to put your fingers to pull them away from the strong magnets. I have settled on the edge that sits below the L and R case stamps, as is instructed in their marketing video, but even then you have to dig your nails in a little. Definitely easier for females! Putting them back in the case at night is nigh on impossible in the dark - their intricate shape means they don't really land simply into the case, you have to find the right angle, and it's a little counter-intuitive.
Aside from those minor quibbles, their portability and long battery life make them good travel buddies. at 37g and just 7x3.5x2.2cm. they can practicably be used as a keyring. This gives the case lots of merit. There is sadly no quick charge and no wireless charging, as you would expect at this price point.
Ergonomics - 7/10
The Mist make some very bold claims in their marketing material. Lets start by addressing all of them one by one:
"Unlike most earbuds, the Mist has an open design that allows sound in from the outside. Many people experience anxiety or claustrophobia when wearing headphones that isolate them from the sounds that people naturally use to orient ourselves in our surroundings, especially while exercising - some people instinctively avoid earbuds and headphones for this reason.
Silicone fins and inner contact surface brace the Mist's form-fitting design at three points in the ear for a soft, comfortable, yet secure fit."
I can relate to this. I like using the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live for this very reason, however, they do lack fins and can sometimes come a little loose. And at the moment, only one of my Samsung buds is even working after a wet winter of infrequent but drenched road runs seems to have affected their ability to work properly.
The Mist fit exactly as intended, and actually, for short term use they are really comfortable - as comfy as my Buds Live but more secure, and comfier than the Sony LinkBuds. Their longevity is questionable though - and this comes down to my own ears, rather than every ear. The problem seems to be in the strength of the material of the fins, no doubt deliberate to ensure stability. The problem is stability and comfort are often a trade off. The diameter of the top fin is rather wide - wider than the gap in my Helix lock. This means after around an hour, I feel pain against my concha - more in the right ear than the left ear, again highlighting the Aristotlean 'Third Ear' argument!
The bottom also suffers from the strength of the material - again, after a while I felt pressure against my antitragus. Had they made the fins the same material as the comfy 'flaps' that rest against your ear canal, albeit thick enough to prevent the feeling of plastic from the main body, they would have worked better for me. However do NOT let this reason alone put you off - everybody's ears are different, and just because they aren't ideal for me, doesn't mean they won't be for you. Even despite this, they do resolve the issue of over-isolation.
I would personally look to reduce the surface area and put more padding between the plastic edges and the concha, and that's exactly what Sony have done with the LinkBuds. They've bundled in a bunch of interchangeable fins that work for different ears. This is probably cost-prohibitive for ApeSonic, so a happy medium may be a foamier edge to the rubber, especially at the bottom, and a softer material at the top.
The problem for side sleepers is that whilst they may be pretty good for sleeping (I tested them a few nights and not only did they stay in, they didn't feel especially painful - possibly as I'm a little more relaxed at bed time), the flashing blue light on the side makes them totally impractical for this purpose, as it repeatedly lights up the room. Not only that, the 30 sleep sounds and app support currently don't exist. So for sleeping, they are more a 'non-starter' than a 'kickstarter' in this respect.
"The Mist’s low-profile design causes it to virtually disappear into your ear. No awkward poles or protrusions here – our ultra-slim, naturally shaped housing makes the Mist a perfect match for any outfit or uniform."
No arguments here. They are practically invisible and they do stay snug and secure, and the range of colours are all quite subtle and nicely designed.
At 4.58g, they aren't especially light, and are a bit too bulky to deliver what they promise to as much of the market as they would like. Comments on Indiegogo reflect these observations, but again, this really is quite subjective. They feel fairly light in your ear despite the numbers, and this is a first stab - plenty of room for improvement.
Audio Quality - 5.5/10 (for the price paid), 5/10 (raw score)
For background sound such as podcasts - they do the job. Otherwise, it's not a particularly enthralling experience. And therein lies the problem. I actually wouldn't have cared if the sound was marketed as 'balanced and neutral'. Sony have done this with the LinkBuds, and they haven't over delivered at all. They've done exactly what they said they would do.
This is where the ApeSonic have dropped the ball. They claim 'accurate tonality, deep bass and a wide soundstage' - in reality they sound more like the cheapest Bluetooth earbuds you can get from Aliexpress. Tonality is bland, there is no 'deep bass' - thankfully the bass is quite flat, but lower-mids virtually disappear as upper-mids are elevated to reveal vocals easier, without bordering on sibilance.
I tried a number of different songs and music styles, and whilst the soundstage is reasonably open and airy, there is no depth or substance to instruments or orchestral elements. Vocals just overpower everything.
ApeSonic claim "the Mist sounds better than most traditional style earphones at more than double our MSRP of $60. Our engineers have decades of experience in personal audio, and are responsible for well-known products from some of the popular brands you hear about every day, so rest assured - you are getting a product that is built well and sounds great."
Well, Nigel Mansell has years of Formula One experience, but put him behind the wheel of a Fiat 500 and it's fairly unlikely he's going to usurp Hamilton and Raikkonen - and that's the case here. It is almost embarrassing to see claims like 'high resolution' (the buds only support SBC - there's no aptX-HD, no LDAC, no LHDC...they don't even offer high res SBC or AAC) and the waxing lyrical of the sound quality in the marketing material. I feel ApeSonic should have been a bit more upfront about this, because setting expectations so high can be a very dangerous game, as they are discovering on their comments section on IndieGogo.
Whilst there are arguments that they are cheap, so don't expect too much - well, look at QCY. They are producing very adequate sounding buds at a similar price.
Call Quality - Indoors - 5.5/10, Outdoors - 5/10
Not the worst sounding buds I've ever used for calls. The marketing claims Environmental Noise Cancellation - I didn't really hear any of this, in fact traffic and wind comes through pretty clearly.
This is a common problem for most earbuds, but it was particularly prominent on the Mist. Still, phone calls indoors are perfectly doable, and again, room for improvement. I wasn't expecting miracles at £26!
They feature, somewhat unfortunately in extreme conditions, on my recent 2022 updated YouTube call quality test:
Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 5/10
The Jieli chip is a little outdated now. Sure, you get Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity, but that's about it - it only supports the SBC codec and thus the constraints with sound make perfect sense.
App Support with what is promised would lift the score up a little, but until now it doesn't exist, and when I reached out to ApeSonic and told them I was going to review the product and gave them the opportunity to give me a bone to chew on, they ignored me.
Controls are OK - reasonably effective, but there's no volume control. There are no spare fins for an alternative fit, no low latency option (although latency is low anyway, unsurprising given the sound quality is so weak). There is no quick charge option, no wireless charging....really, there's no features of note.
Connectivity is pretty adequate - no drop outs up to 10m. Voice prompts are clear and a nice touch, with pause, left channel, right channel, pairing etc. all clearly prompted.
Battery Life - 7/10
On paper, battery life is excellent. 6-30 hours is no mean feat, especially for this form factor. The problem is, with this form factor, you have to max the volume right up, practically to 100%. Given that most battery statistics are based on 50% volume, this means living up to expectations is going to be tough. Even so, the Mist managed about 4 hours on first blast, and they have lasted around 24 hours in total before running out altogether.
Summary
ApeSonic set themselves lofty targets with their talk of high resolution audio, experienced sound engineers, 'the most comfortable TWS' and other impossibly high goals at such a low price point. In reality, they fall way short of this, and their actual USP - their fit - is very subjective and dependent on the user's ear anatomy.
However, the Mist have their place. They could be good for side-sleepers if they can turn the blue flashing light off, which may be possible with their app. The 30 soothing sounds could also give them a little edge that currently, they don't have. They could be good for exercise too, if they can up the volume and make the comfort slightly higher. They are also a very valid 'spare pair' given their portability and that they slip nicely onto a keychain.
ApeSonic have since been in touch and are looking to update with a newer chip, which will allow for AAC support and hopefully improve the audio. Even at $30-40 QCY and SoundPEATS have proven that cost does not have to be a barrier to good audio, so let's stay positive that this materialises. Update - no sign of this happening in early 2023.
Kudos to ApeSonic for trying to solve a real world problem - but with the Sony Linkbuds prompting Samsung to slash the price of the Buds Live, this appears to be too little, too late for a company with a story that is sadly much more appealing than their product right now. However ApeSonic proved they are not going to lie down by meeting their delivery objectives during a global pandemic - don't rule them out altogether, they may not be the answer to everyone's prayers right now, but neither were the Buds Live nor the LinkBuds. Definitely one to keep an eye on and let's hope they build on this release going forward!
Price Weighted Score: 58%
Raw Score: 50%
2023 Score: 41%
About Apesonic:
In 2020, a few old friends started talking for the first time in a long time. We had worked together before on other companies’ projects, but those companies had their own goals and ideas. This time, we decided to do things our way.
Our way is together - with each other, but also with our customers, and our planet, too. The Apesonic team is from all over the planet, and one thing that brings us together is the idea that we all share common ancestors - we all came from apes. We want to make high quality gear, and we promise to stand behind every product we make. But for us, that’s not enough. We want to do more for our world, so we donate $1 per purchase to conservation efforts targeted at ensuring wild, natural living spaces for primates. Because we are all stronger together.
SynaestheticA
Agree on this campaign. Looks like we both have interest in the 2021/22 crowdfunding campaigns for tws as I also have these as well as the the Morph coming today.
Also agree on the review, their biggest fault was the overpromising of their product. There was no need to hype these up the way they did. A common problem for companies trying to stand out in the noise.
I still use these on occasion though which is more than I can say for most the other TWS I've got from crowdfunding (Pamu, Hyphen I'm alookin at u)
Decent for podcasts and if the plastic shell was just a bit softer/smoother they would be sweet.
Also agree on the review, their biggest fault was the overpromising of their product. There was no need to hype these up the way they did. A common problem for companies trying to stand out in the noise.
I still use these on occasion though which is more than I can say for most the other TWS I've got from crowdfunding (Pamu, Hyphen I'm alookin at u)
Decent for podcasts and if the plastic shell was just a bit softer/smoother they would be sweet.
RC064
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Reddit: u/regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: SoundPEATS H2
Price: MSRP Approx $69.99
Website: SoundPEATS
Review Reference: RC064
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual, English, French, Chinese, Japanese
2 x Pairs Eartips
1 x Warranty Card
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the @regancipher review of the eagerly-awaited follow-up to the H1, the SoundPEATS H2.
It is worth pointing out at this point once again that the H2 is not the follow-up to the H1 - it represents the high quality audio option of the stem-based form factor range within their broadening, but improving, portfolio.
The H2 offers hybrid drivers and Bluetooth 5.2 & AptX adaptive support through the Qualcomm QCC3040 chip. After the success of the H1, I was expecting great things - and I wasn't disappointed, albeit with some caveats.
The above demonstrates SoundPEATS market strategy - firstly, phase out all old Bluetooth 5.0 Realtek-chip buds, next consolidate a full portfolio, then add their H (for high end, I guess) options, then bring app support. The app works with the Air3 and H1 currently, with more being rolled out over time.
Unboxing - 7/10
It's the usual fare with SoundPEATS here - an image of a random girl wearing the buds on one side, and on the other the a close-up, artist impression of the buds with their three key features - QCC3040, Hybrid Dual Drivers and AptX adaptive support.
On the side you get some further details about SoundPEATS, with their slogan 'Hear Your Imagination' accompanying a full-sized preview of the buds appearance.
Once you remove the case, you can sense an immediate improvement in quality in this respect. The enclosed tips are also very high quality for low-to-mid-tier TWS. The manual is, as always, clear and succinct, in English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Chinese and Japanese.
The Case - 8/10
The case is, as with the rest of the H2 offering, based on the colour-scheme of the original sonic release - metallic-grey and rose gold. The lid, on this occasion, is a deviation from their usual design, with a clamshell style outer case made from high-quality ABS plastic. It certainly feels far more premium than their previous releases, with a glossy finish replacing the typical matte. As you can see, there is a small lip on the front, which makes operation pretty straightforward, and the lid, whilst magnetic, can stand semi-open without a sharp snap. This is nice - nothing I hate worse than lids that snap shut without you being able to complete the action of removing the buds.
The rounded edges of the case mean the dimensions (64x46x32mm) belie their compact feel - similar to the Monster Clarity and Huawei Freebuds Pro. The logo, far more prominent here, is well-finished, and the three lights denoting the remaining full charges (the case recharges the buds three additional times) is useful, although I'd have preferred a red, amber, green for the sake of simplicity.
The cockpit is not altogether dissimilar to the Haylou W1, with the buds resting tip-down in a compact, off-white inset. Removing the buds is nice and easy - no accidental control touches, as was the case with the Air3. Whilst not completely visible, the SoundPEATS worded logo is embossed into the ceiling of the lid. It just feels nice and well-thought out.
The case has one drawback, which is a pretty flimsy hinge. I'd have liked to have seen a 1More-style reinforcement to the back of the hinge, but we can't have it all I guess. Unlike the T3, there is no information regarding the capacity etc. SoundPEATS have been a bit skinny on detail with this release.
It weighs just under 55g - about average these days - with the buds inside the case. Whilst the footprint makes it suitable for the daily commute, as far as I can tell, there is no support for quick-charge or wireless charging functions. This is a bit of a shame at this price point, and a regression compared with the H1.
Ergonomics - 9/10
Fit and comfort is rarely a problem for SoundPEATS in stem-based designs. The buds rest very nicely in your ears with minimal discomfort, and they look rather unique and extremely high quality, with the SoundPEATS logo representing the touch area, as with the Air3 and TrueAir2.
The mistake they make with their button-style designs is an invasive nozzle that puts pressure on the ear-canal, but strangely they always manage to avoid this when it comes to stem designs. The H2 are no exception. They aren't quite as comfortable as the T3 for prolonged use as SoundPEATS have used a higher-quality tip, which provides superb isolation, but can become a little fatiguing over time. Nevertheless, the leap in build quality is clear as daylight.
SoundPEATS have followed Tronsmart, FIIL, Haylou and Huawei's lead and opted for an oval-shaped nozzle with a matching rose-gold mesh surrounding the dual-armature driver array. The tips are visibly reinforced in the middle ring in order to minimise pressure on the concha. On the bottom inside of the stem, there is a notch, which I assumed would be for controls but instead it adds a layer of space between the battery connectors and your skin, giving a little protection for those with nickel allergies.
Close to the speaker there is a pressure-relief chamber, and an ambient mic combining with the cVc 8.0 noise reduction to nullify outside sound. The voice mic is situated in the bottom of the stem.
The finish becomes more apparent close-up. LED's accompany the logo, and flash when nothing is playing. They also come in handy when the buds are pairing or connecting.
A comparison with some peers reveals the design brief. The top of the bud protrudes upwards, like the Tronsmart Onyx Apex, QCY T13 and Elevoc Clear. However, unlike the QCY and and Tronsmart models, there is no obvious large touch control area, and whilst, like the Elevoc, this makes for a far more elegant look, it can make them a little difficult to initiate the controls. Stem length is around 35mm in total, but due to the upward protrusion, it feels more like 33mm.
They are slightly bulkier than some of their peers, as is clear from the comparison image, but weight displacement is well engineered, coming in at just 4.71g per bud. This combines with the overall ergonomic design to ensure that for the majority of users with average sized ear canals, the fit and comfort will work well.
Audio & Sound Signature- 9/10 (for the price paid), 8/10 (raw score)
Like the H1, audio is where the H2 really shine. Despite no hi-res codec support, the dual-armature driver configuration is implemented superbly. The instrument is more than adequate, and the tightened up lower and higher frequencies can make the airy soundstage of the H1 sound even better, as basslines come through tighter and faster, and whispers, synths and strings are crystal clear.
A prime example of this is Seal's Crazy, played on Tidal Masters. This track has a very complex technical arrangement synonymous with Trevor Horn's productions. The lyrics guide the atmospheric experience, with an arpeggio organ and ostinato orchestral clash really setting the tone in the first thirty seconds before staccato synth chords bounce around on one side, Kenji Suzuki's wah guitar floating on the other, and Seal's heavily reverbed vocals at the front, panning left and right surrounded by howls and pads based around the Em 7, which sounds completely flat on a bad set of earbuds, and immense on great cans. Thankfully, the H2 unleashes the potential of this track within the confines of Bluetooth, and makes it an absolute joy to listen to - even better than the H1.
On some tracks the overbaked bass that was so prominent on the H1 is clear again on the H2. It isn't quite as prominent, and doesn't detract from the clarity of the lower frequencies, but it needs a little taming.
It is a case of SoundPEATS eeking everything they can out of the hardware, again. The resolution, like with most SoundPEATS releases, leaves a little to be desired, but the imaging and default sound profile will satisfy the average user, especially at this price.
In the battle of the budget dual-armature driver buds, like Tronsmart and their Onyx Prime, they have delivered a really fine effort, lacking some of the Prime's dynamism, but more than making up for it with improved clarity and presence.
Had I tested these last year, the score would have been close to 10, but the upping of the ante across the industry means 8 is absolutely no mean feat - the H2 are excellent sounding budget buds.
A point of note is the volume. I've seen reviews claiming they are too quiet - I didn't experience this, and I suspect it is an issue with their phones. On the older OnePlus 8T I had to switch 'disable absolute volume' - as soon as you do this, both in developers options and in audio options, they blast through. You do NOT need them to be on a high volume, I have them on around 50% volume most of the time.
Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors - 7/10
Like the T3 and H1, calls feel like an afterthought. Sure, you can make and take calls, but there's nothing revolutionary going on here. Indoors you sound reasonably clear and legible, although you can come across boomy and sometimes a little distorted, and whilst it is easily possible to use them for a quick chat or a Zoom/Teams call, where they benefit from the naturalness and body the absence of any great noise reduction permeates, any minor sounds around you are far more evident than the likes of the Tronsmart Apollo Air, Edifier Neobuds Pro and Elevoc Clear.
Outdoors is a similar story, with wooshes of traffic and wind a little too evident for my liking.
They featured on my 2022 call quality test on YouTube here:
Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 7/10
Connectivity is seemingly fine. I've been road-testing them for around two weeks now, with no dropouts. Bluetooth 5.2 on older devices can play havoc at times, but on both iPhone XR and OnePlus 8T I've had no disconnections.
Controls are the usual Soundpeats scheme (see previous reviews) and this is definitely a good thing - as always, you can control volume. App support is coming - it exists on the H1 and Air3 - but the H2 were not supported when I tested on 21.01.22 and it doesn't look like mapping touch controls will be included in that. Controls are not always easy to initiate due to the shape, as we covered in the ergonomics. Latency is good, and gaming mode is supported.
The absence of ANC is something SoundPEATS should look to address with future iterations - combining ANC with dual armature drivers would be a dream product, rather than choosing between the two. Codecs-wise, as well as AAC and SBC, they do support the aptx-adaptive codec, but there's no support for LDAC or LHDC.
Battery Life - 6/10
Similar to the T3, it's a disappointing outcome again. I got a paltry 3 hours 45 minutes first time around before a warning told me the buds were going to run out soon, with continuous music and several calls, at around 60% volume. Over the course of the two week testing period I was hitting closer to 4 hours, and whilst this is in touching distance of many others in my review bank, they all have ANC. SoundPEATS seem to have dropped the ball here, because like the Air3 and T3, the overall charge capacity including the case is much lower than the average 6.5/24 hours - closer to 4/16.
The absence of quick charge is particularly annoying and really necessary, as low overall capacity aside, the buds and case can take up to 3 hours to fully charge, rendering them a weak choice as commuter buds.
Summary
SoundPEATS have set themselves an impossibly high bar to maintain now, but it is very clear that their H range have a key USP - audio delivery - and that is something they've managed to really set the tone with in two releases now.
The comfort, fit, build quality and sound will be enough to tempt many - and so it should. Despite their lofty MSRP, they can be picked up for around £45 on Aliexpress, which is a steal considering the audio, for dual-armature Knowles buds. They've got the positioning spot-on, unlike Anker, who seem to make the same mistake every dual-armature release (although the SL3P seems to have rectified this).
The next evolution for SoundPEATS should be to add in some of those features which are no longer 'nice to have's' - ANC and solid app support are a minimum now at this price point, and more care should have been taken over the mic arrays, rather than simply relying on Qualcomm's cVc, which is notoriously inconsistent and heavily reliant on the mic implementation.
Even so, there is so much right about this release it is impossible to be too hard on SoundPEATS, especially while you're dancing around the living room trying to finish a review!
Price Weighted Score: 87%
Raw Score: 84%
SoundPEATS Review Inventory:
H2
T3
Mini
Air3
TrueAir2+
TrueAir 2
H1
T2
Sonic
About SoundPEATS:
SoundPEATS seem to have become an overnight sensation, wiping up a large portion of budget TWS earbud market share with a business model that has served them (and Anker before them) exceptionally well - good distribution channels (via Amazon), good support, a catchy name and product that performs well at a very competitive price point. In reality, they have been around a long time - whilst Shenzhen SoundSOUL IT Co LTD is a different trading name to Ginto E-Commerce, they share the same business address (including room number) as them - you may know their brand name better as Dudios. With Dudios not sounding quite so cool as Soundpeats, maybe the brand transition has been instrumental in their success, but having been around since 2010 and patents in Bluetooth tech stretching back to 2015, they are not the plucky upstarts that some may think - they know their stuff, have a great network of contacts, and now a very solid brand in Europe, and deservedly so.
The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them my favourite budget earbud vendor, is that they are completely transparent over their components. Whether they use Realtek, Qualcomm or Airoha chips in their buds, they are totally open about it, and as a reviewer this really helps, because whilst I have, and do, dismantle buds to check the way that certain things have been implemented (such as the power management, mems mics, etc) and I really don't like having to do it with every set of earbuds, because they then become unusable.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Reddit: u/regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: SoundPEATS H2
Price: MSRP Approx $69.99
Website: SoundPEATS
Review Reference: RC064
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: SoundPEATS
- Model: H2
- Driver: 8.6mm dynamic driver, Knowles Balanced Armature driver
- Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3040
- Mic: 4, cVc 8.0
- ANC: No
- Volume Control: Yes
- Codecs: Aptx, Aptx-adaptive, AAC, SBC
- Earbud Weight: 4.71g
- Earbud Dimensions: 35.3mm stem length, 21.2mm depth with nozzle
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 54.64g
- Case Dimensions: 64.6mm width, 45.3mm depth, 32.5mm height
- Full Charge Time: 120 minutes
- Quick Charge: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Input: 5V 400mA (unconfirmed)
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 5 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 20 hours
- App Support: Not yet
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: BLE / HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: IPX4 (unconfirmed)
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual, English, French, Chinese, Japanese
2 x Pairs Eartips
1 x Warranty Card
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the @regancipher review of the eagerly-awaited follow-up to the H1, the SoundPEATS H2.
It is worth pointing out at this point once again that the H2 is not the follow-up to the H1 - it represents the high quality audio option of the stem-based form factor range within their broadening, but improving, portfolio.
The H2 offers hybrid drivers and Bluetooth 5.2 & AptX adaptive support through the Qualcomm QCC3040 chip. After the success of the H1, I was expecting great things - and I wasn't disappointed, albeit with some caveats.
The above demonstrates SoundPEATS market strategy - firstly, phase out all old Bluetooth 5.0 Realtek-chip buds, next consolidate a full portfolio, then add their H (for high end, I guess) options, then bring app support. The app works with the Air3 and H1 currently, with more being rolled out over time.
Unboxing - 7/10
It's the usual fare with SoundPEATS here - an image of a random girl wearing the buds on one side, and on the other the a close-up, artist impression of the buds with their three key features - QCC3040, Hybrid Dual Drivers and AptX adaptive support.
On the side you get some further details about SoundPEATS, with their slogan 'Hear Your Imagination' accompanying a full-sized preview of the buds appearance.
Once you remove the case, you can sense an immediate improvement in quality in this respect. The enclosed tips are also very high quality for low-to-mid-tier TWS. The manual is, as always, clear and succinct, in English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Chinese and Japanese.
The Case - 8/10
The case is, as with the rest of the H2 offering, based on the colour-scheme of the original sonic release - metallic-grey and rose gold. The lid, on this occasion, is a deviation from their usual design, with a clamshell style outer case made from high-quality ABS plastic. It certainly feels far more premium than their previous releases, with a glossy finish replacing the typical matte. As you can see, there is a small lip on the front, which makes operation pretty straightforward, and the lid, whilst magnetic, can stand semi-open without a sharp snap. This is nice - nothing I hate worse than lids that snap shut without you being able to complete the action of removing the buds.
The rounded edges of the case mean the dimensions (64x46x32mm) belie their compact feel - similar to the Monster Clarity and Huawei Freebuds Pro. The logo, far more prominent here, is well-finished, and the three lights denoting the remaining full charges (the case recharges the buds three additional times) is useful, although I'd have preferred a red, amber, green for the sake of simplicity.
The cockpit is not altogether dissimilar to the Haylou W1, with the buds resting tip-down in a compact, off-white inset. Removing the buds is nice and easy - no accidental control touches, as was the case with the Air3. Whilst not completely visible, the SoundPEATS worded logo is embossed into the ceiling of the lid. It just feels nice and well-thought out.
The case has one drawback, which is a pretty flimsy hinge. I'd have liked to have seen a 1More-style reinforcement to the back of the hinge, but we can't have it all I guess. Unlike the T3, there is no information regarding the capacity etc. SoundPEATS have been a bit skinny on detail with this release.
It weighs just under 55g - about average these days - with the buds inside the case. Whilst the footprint makes it suitable for the daily commute, as far as I can tell, there is no support for quick-charge or wireless charging functions. This is a bit of a shame at this price point, and a regression compared with the H1.
Ergonomics - 9/10
Fit and comfort is rarely a problem for SoundPEATS in stem-based designs. The buds rest very nicely in your ears with minimal discomfort, and they look rather unique and extremely high quality, with the SoundPEATS logo representing the touch area, as with the Air3 and TrueAir2.
The mistake they make with their button-style designs is an invasive nozzle that puts pressure on the ear-canal, but strangely they always manage to avoid this when it comes to stem designs. The H2 are no exception. They aren't quite as comfortable as the T3 for prolonged use as SoundPEATS have used a higher-quality tip, which provides superb isolation, but can become a little fatiguing over time. Nevertheless, the leap in build quality is clear as daylight.
SoundPEATS have followed Tronsmart, FIIL, Haylou and Huawei's lead and opted for an oval-shaped nozzle with a matching rose-gold mesh surrounding the dual-armature driver array. The tips are visibly reinforced in the middle ring in order to minimise pressure on the concha. On the bottom inside of the stem, there is a notch, which I assumed would be for controls but instead it adds a layer of space between the battery connectors and your skin, giving a little protection for those with nickel allergies.
Close to the speaker there is a pressure-relief chamber, and an ambient mic combining with the cVc 8.0 noise reduction to nullify outside sound. The voice mic is situated in the bottom of the stem.
The finish becomes more apparent close-up. LED's accompany the logo, and flash when nothing is playing. They also come in handy when the buds are pairing or connecting.
A comparison with some peers reveals the design brief. The top of the bud protrudes upwards, like the Tronsmart Onyx Apex, QCY T13 and Elevoc Clear. However, unlike the QCY and and Tronsmart models, there is no obvious large touch control area, and whilst, like the Elevoc, this makes for a far more elegant look, it can make them a little difficult to initiate the controls. Stem length is around 35mm in total, but due to the upward protrusion, it feels more like 33mm.
They are slightly bulkier than some of their peers, as is clear from the comparison image, but weight displacement is well engineered, coming in at just 4.71g per bud. This combines with the overall ergonomic design to ensure that for the majority of users with average sized ear canals, the fit and comfort will work well.
Audio & Sound Signature- 9/10 (for the price paid), 8/10 (raw score)
Like the H1, audio is where the H2 really shine. Despite no hi-res codec support, the dual-armature driver configuration is implemented superbly. The instrument is more than adequate, and the tightened up lower and higher frequencies can make the airy soundstage of the H1 sound even better, as basslines come through tighter and faster, and whispers, synths and strings are crystal clear.
A prime example of this is Seal's Crazy, played on Tidal Masters. This track has a very complex technical arrangement synonymous with Trevor Horn's productions. The lyrics guide the atmospheric experience, with an arpeggio organ and ostinato orchestral clash really setting the tone in the first thirty seconds before staccato synth chords bounce around on one side, Kenji Suzuki's wah guitar floating on the other, and Seal's heavily reverbed vocals at the front, panning left and right surrounded by howls and pads based around the Em 7, which sounds completely flat on a bad set of earbuds, and immense on great cans. Thankfully, the H2 unleashes the potential of this track within the confines of Bluetooth, and makes it an absolute joy to listen to - even better than the H1.
On some tracks the overbaked bass that was so prominent on the H1 is clear again on the H2. It isn't quite as prominent, and doesn't detract from the clarity of the lower frequencies, but it needs a little taming.
It is a case of SoundPEATS eeking everything they can out of the hardware, again. The resolution, like with most SoundPEATS releases, leaves a little to be desired, but the imaging and default sound profile will satisfy the average user, especially at this price.
In the battle of the budget dual-armature driver buds, like Tronsmart and their Onyx Prime, they have delivered a really fine effort, lacking some of the Prime's dynamism, but more than making up for it with improved clarity and presence.
Had I tested these last year, the score would have been close to 10, but the upping of the ante across the industry means 8 is absolutely no mean feat - the H2 are excellent sounding budget buds.
A point of note is the volume. I've seen reviews claiming they are too quiet - I didn't experience this, and I suspect it is an issue with their phones. On the older OnePlus 8T I had to switch 'disable absolute volume' - as soon as you do this, both in developers options and in audio options, they blast through. You do NOT need them to be on a high volume, I have them on around 50% volume most of the time.
Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors - 7/10
Like the T3 and H1, calls feel like an afterthought. Sure, you can make and take calls, but there's nothing revolutionary going on here. Indoors you sound reasonably clear and legible, although you can come across boomy and sometimes a little distorted, and whilst it is easily possible to use them for a quick chat or a Zoom/Teams call, where they benefit from the naturalness and body the absence of any great noise reduction permeates, any minor sounds around you are far more evident than the likes of the Tronsmart Apollo Air, Edifier Neobuds Pro and Elevoc Clear.
Outdoors is a similar story, with wooshes of traffic and wind a little too evident for my liking.
They featured on my 2022 call quality test on YouTube here:
Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 7/10
Connectivity is seemingly fine. I've been road-testing them for around two weeks now, with no dropouts. Bluetooth 5.2 on older devices can play havoc at times, but on both iPhone XR and OnePlus 8T I've had no disconnections.
Controls are the usual Soundpeats scheme (see previous reviews) and this is definitely a good thing - as always, you can control volume. App support is coming - it exists on the H1 and Air3 - but the H2 were not supported when I tested on 21.01.22 and it doesn't look like mapping touch controls will be included in that. Controls are not always easy to initiate due to the shape, as we covered in the ergonomics. Latency is good, and gaming mode is supported.
The absence of ANC is something SoundPEATS should look to address with future iterations - combining ANC with dual armature drivers would be a dream product, rather than choosing between the two. Codecs-wise, as well as AAC and SBC, they do support the aptx-adaptive codec, but there's no support for LDAC or LHDC.
Battery Life - 6/10
Similar to the T3, it's a disappointing outcome again. I got a paltry 3 hours 45 minutes first time around before a warning told me the buds were going to run out soon, with continuous music and several calls, at around 60% volume. Over the course of the two week testing period I was hitting closer to 4 hours, and whilst this is in touching distance of many others in my review bank, they all have ANC. SoundPEATS seem to have dropped the ball here, because like the Air3 and T3, the overall charge capacity including the case is much lower than the average 6.5/24 hours - closer to 4/16.
The absence of quick charge is particularly annoying and really necessary, as low overall capacity aside, the buds and case can take up to 3 hours to fully charge, rendering them a weak choice as commuter buds.
Summary
SoundPEATS have set themselves an impossibly high bar to maintain now, but it is very clear that their H range have a key USP - audio delivery - and that is something they've managed to really set the tone with in two releases now.
The comfort, fit, build quality and sound will be enough to tempt many - and so it should. Despite their lofty MSRP, they can be picked up for around £45 on Aliexpress, which is a steal considering the audio, for dual-armature Knowles buds. They've got the positioning spot-on, unlike Anker, who seem to make the same mistake every dual-armature release (although the SL3P seems to have rectified this).
The next evolution for SoundPEATS should be to add in some of those features which are no longer 'nice to have's' - ANC and solid app support are a minimum now at this price point, and more care should have been taken over the mic arrays, rather than simply relying on Qualcomm's cVc, which is notoriously inconsistent and heavily reliant on the mic implementation.
Even so, there is so much right about this release it is impossible to be too hard on SoundPEATS, especially while you're dancing around the living room trying to finish a review!
Price Weighted Score: 87%
Raw Score: 84%
SoundPEATS Review Inventory:
H2
T3
Mini
Air3
TrueAir2+
TrueAir 2
H1
T2
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.
Attachments
ruffandruff
Thanks for the review, if you don't mind, can you clarify my questions
Can a single bud be used?
Also Can we make calls on both the earbuds?
Are the each of the buds connected separately to the device?
Can a single bud be used?
Also Can we make calls on both the earbuds?
Are the each of the buds connected separately to the device?
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Model: 1More Comfobuds 2
Price: MSRP Approx $59.99
Website: 1More, Aliexpress Store
Review Reference: RC063
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual
2 x Pairs ‘Earflaps’
2 x 1More Stickers
1 x Warranty QR
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the very belated @regancipher review of the 1More Comfobuds 2. Back in February I reviewed the original Comfobuds here at headfi, scoring them quite positively for their better-than-average performance across most of the major variables, however they’ve always played second fiddle to the SoundPEATS TrueAir2 in the battle of the semi-in-ear ‘Airpod-killers’, despite an innovative and unquestionably comfortable design, as you would expect given the name.
This release came hot on the heels of their much-acclaimed Comfobuds Pro, going back to the original design, but with some small changes. They’ve added Bluetooth 5.2 support, gaming mode, increased battery life, and altered the material of the flappy bit that rests on your ear.
Semi-in-ear is generally my preferred style of earbud, so I was hoping for great things from the Comfobuds 2 – it was going to be interesting to see if they are still playing catchup to SoundPEATS after the release of their Air3.
Unboxing - 8/10
The unboxing experience with 1More always has a touch of class. What can I say – I’m a sucker for a panda sticker! It feels very reminiscent of the original Comfobuds, with the major difference being the addition of alternative ‘flaps’ – they’ve made the material softer, and also made them removable. For hygiene purposes, this has to be a good thing.
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 QR code for warranty purposes.
The Case - 7/10
Taking photos of white cases is one of my least-favourite pastimes – I’ve broken from my usual tradition of plain white background here to give you some action shots.
The case on the original Comfobuds was tiny, but still had a very premium feel to it. The follow-up feels a lot less premium, with a flimsy hinge and more lightweight design. Sure, they’ve shaved a gram off the weight, but it definitely feels like a step backwards.
On top is the 1More logo, and the same ‘traffic light’ battery indicator – always a welcome addition to any case. The look has evolved from pearlescent white to a powder-coat-style semi-matte bright white, with a larger, but badly-finished lip for flipping the case open. Whilst arguably easier on the eye, again, it feels like a small step in the wrong direction.
Inside it is a familiar sight – L and R are displayed in the middle of the pogo pin charge connectors, and a button in between them allows you to reset or re-pair. There is no pushing down on the stem to remove like the Comfobuds Pro – these just pull out with relative ease. The buds rest on the top with little magnetism pulling them into the case.
The case doesn’t support wireless charging, but does support quick-charge, and can be charged very quickly with USB-C – 30 mins gives you three hours, with the port located at the rear – my preferred charge point location, as it can rest on your desk whilst conveniently letting you know when you can take them out and about. The back also exposes their slogan ‘One More, Hear More’, printed on the metallic-look surround supporting the hinge, just as it was on the first Comfobuds, although the charge port is now lower, so if the hinge does get damaged, at least your charging socket is marginally better protected.
The lipstick-style case is nicely proportioned at just under 7cm wide, around 2.5cm tall and a depth of 3cm. This makes it ideal for slipping in your pocket for a trip out, and the weight of just 35g – whilst contributed to by its relatively inferior build quality – also makes it really portable.
Ergonomics - 9/10
Again, the differences are quite academic between this and the first edition. The buds are slightly shorter, measuring 39mm in length, but the major difference is the flap. Rather than a rubberised-finish, this time it feels like softer silicone-type material, but it is certainly more comfortable than the first edition, and as mentioned earlier, more hygienic.
The red dustproof netting which surrounds the speaker is still there – albeit slightly more compact – and that goes for the design in general – it looks ever-so-slightly more streamlined, and that adds to the stability - they pass the shake test comfortably, pardon the pun. There is no issue with them staying in your ear, but they still give quite obvious sound leakage due to the refined nozzle – more so than the original, trading-off comfort for sound isolation.
The outside shows a lighter, but still present, 1More logo and strip-style ambient mic, protected by a matching-red dustproof net, with the touch control area just above. Unlike the SoundPEATS Air3, taking them out of the case doesn’t immediately start initiating controls, which was a big frustration with that model.
On the inside, there is a pressure-relief hole and charging connectors – they’ve also incorporated in-ear detection, which can be toggled in the app. The ergonomics throughout make them very comfortable to use for the duration of their battery life – to the point you can forget they’re in your ears.
They weigh 4.26g – heavier than the original, but the weight is all in the head, so it doesn’t affect the displacement – in fact, it improves it.
The Comfobuds 2 are extremely stable. The buds retain the IPX5 WR rating, making them fine for a trip out in the rain, but not for swimming or showering.
Audio – 7/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
The audio on the original Comfobuds wasn’t bad at all by semi-in-ear standards, although they sound pretty terrible by comparison these days! This release is an improvement, but it still isn’t great out of the box.
On receipt, firmware v4.00.02 had such an elevated low-end that tracks would distort very easily, and the treble also sounded far too raspy. Pushing the buds close onto your concha betrayed this bizarre tuning decision. This was certainly not the 1More sound-signature that Luca Bignardi put his name to.
By the time v4.00.07 came around, the default EQ setting had levelled-off the spike in the lower frequencies, but when you push the buds far in your ear, the subbass lift is still quite apparent.
Fortunately, the 1More app has a plethora of EQ options – however the majority sound dire. Deep is quite reminiscent of the originals – it lifts the gap in the mids at around 1K, and I ended up settling on Electronic – it levels off the bass a bit whilst retaining the mid-bass, and doesn’t compromise too much on the clarity.
The Achilles heel is seemingly the thing that makes them so good though – the fit. With a slightly tighter push onto your concha, the sound changes drastically, but in their natural position they can sound rather thin, and when pushed too hard, the bass is overwhelming. As a result, you can spend quite a long time either adjusting them or hunting through the EQ’s in the app trying to get the sound right, even from track-to-track…then a marginal movement and you’re back tweaking again. Frustrating.
Whilst out of the box they lack the rounded performance of the Air3 and punchy Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro, the airy soundstage is most welcome, and overall, it’s not bad once you get it tweaked to your liking. The Comfobuds 2 have lots of redeeming features, and whilst they aren't the best for sound of this form factor and fit, they certainly aren't the worst.
Call Quality - Indoors – 7.5/10, Outdoors - 7/10
Calls on the T60BT are fine indoors. Your voice comes through reasonably clearly without thinning out too much, although ambient sounds will produce quite obvious crackles. On Zoom or Teams, they again perform quite adequately.
Outdoors, your voice sounds a little muffled – there is some obvious compression, but nothing like the older Airoha-chip-based buds (such as that in the FIIL CC2). Whilst they combat wind reasonably well, traffic and splashes are not removed altogether – they are still audible without being too prominent – but compared to budget buds like the QCY T13 or SoundPEATS Air3, where they compete for clarity, they lag behind a little in naturalness, and that’s what 1More are competing with at this price point.
The Comfobuds 2 appear on my 2022 Call Quality YouTube video here:
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7/10
As you would expect, 1More have not exactly maxed out on the features at this price point. Steering clear of Qualcomm these days, 1More can’t offer aptX support, although latency is respectable (claimed 90ms), and can be improved further by initiating gaming mode via the app.
The app actually isn’t bad by TWS standards – it offers OTA firmware updates, customisable controls (albeit only double and triple tap) which as a result allows you to control volume from the touch control area, which is in the same place as before – the head of the stem. You can choose between volume, voice control or toggling tracks.
There are some other nice touches, such as in-ear detection, which can be toggled on, off, or to pause only – a handy feature – and you can also play ‘soothing sounds’ through the app too, although it isn’t too soothing when the loop finishes and it just suddenly stops! A nice idea though.
The app also allows EQ, as mentioned previously, although the majority of the templates are pretty horrible sounding and there is no 5-band custom setting like with many apps – you can use Wavelet on Android though.
Speaking of Android – I get some odd, occasional messages pop up on my OnePlus phone, even when I’m using the buds with another device, with the Airoha chip name and a request asking me if I want to control it. Not sure what this means - kinda looks like Google Fast Pair has been half-implemented.
They also support single mode – just leave one in the case.
Battery Life - 8/10
Battery life is good by semi-in-ear standards, consistently hitting within 75% of the claimed 6-hour mark, and although the case could offer better at just 24 hours total, the ‘15-minute juice for 3 hours playtime’ warp-charge is a great feature that definitely softens the blow.
A full charge takes just two-hours, so they’re a decent travel companion.
Final Comments
The Comfobuds 2 are a fair upgrade to the original, adding in some essential ‘me too’ features rather than re-inventing the wheel. 1More have retained, even improved, their comfort whilst bringing them up-to-date, with Bluetooth 5.2, improved battery life, customisable controls, app support and gaming mode.
To their credit, they improve over many semi-in-ear releases, such as the SoundPEATS Air3, by optimising the user experience (outside of getting the EQ right!) - fit is exceptional, the additional replaceable tips increases hygiene and improves the likelihood of them sitting in your ears (a common problem for buds of this form factor), and the LED's on the case, lights on the buds, app, quick charges, very easy to operate case and controls (i.e. they don't suddenly initiate the controls on removal due to the design) and rock-solid stability have made them my go-to for listening to audiobooks or podcasts when out for a walk, at least if the traffic has died down and the need for a 'seal' is less. In this environment, or if you don't like the invasiveness of silicone tips, they fare pretty well.
However, if it's music you're primarily interested in, you'll probably find the sound is a bit of a chore to get right, and given they're priced considerably higher than the QCY T12 and SoundPEATS Air3, you'll have to be a big 1More fan to choose these over the competition outside those specific use-cases.
Price Weighted Score: 80%
Raw Score: 77%
Other 1More Regancipher Reviews:
Comfobuds Pro
Comfobuds
Colorbuds
Omthing Airfree
Stylish
About 1More:
In the past years, as a professional headphones brand, 1MORE has won many international awards, including 38 International Design Awards (such as iDEA, Red Dot Design Award, GOOD DESIGN AWARD, iF Design Awards and etc.), 12 CES Awards, 3 EHA Awards and 19 VGP Awards.
In addition, many of 1MORE’s headphones have been receiving awards from top-tier media outlets across the world and are being highly recommended by those editors who rigorously tested our products to ensure they meet the highest standards in the headphone market. These media include but are not limited to Forbes, Rolling Stone, WIRED, Digital Trends, CNET and more.
4-time Grammy Award-winning Sound Engineer Luca Bignardi uniquely tunes all of 1MORE’s headphones to deliver a precise representation of the artist’s intended sound.
1MORE has branches in the US, the UK and China. Our channels reach 40 countries and regions, including the US, Canada, UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, Australia, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and Vietnam.
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Model: 1More Comfobuds 2
Price: MSRP Approx $59.99
Website: 1More, Aliexpress Store
Review Reference: RC063
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: 1More
- Model: Comfobuds 2 ES303
- Driver: 13.4mm Dynamic Driver with Sonarworks Sound Calibration
- Chipset: Airoha Luoda AB1562A
- Mic: 4-mic ENC
- ANC: No
- Codecs: AAC, SBC
- App Support: Yes
- Touch Volume Control: Yes, customisable via the app
- Gaming Mode: Yes
- In-ear Detection: Yes
- Earbud Weight: 4.26g
- Earbud Dimensions: 39.3mm stem length, 17.8mm depth
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 35g
- Case Dimensions: 68mm (length) x 29mm (width) x 26mm (height)
- Case Charge Capacity: 410mAh
- Quick Charge: Yes, 15 min for 3 hours use!
- Full Charge Time: 40 + 80 minutes (total 120 minutes)
- Wireless Charging: No
- Input: 5V 1A
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 6 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 24 hours
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: Not listed, apparently IPX5
- Firmware Version Tested: V4.00.07
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual
2 x Pairs ‘Earflaps’
2 x 1More Stickers
1 x Warranty QR
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the very belated @regancipher review of the 1More Comfobuds 2. Back in February I reviewed the original Comfobuds here at headfi, scoring them quite positively for their better-than-average performance across most of the major variables, however they’ve always played second fiddle to the SoundPEATS TrueAir2 in the battle of the semi-in-ear ‘Airpod-killers’, despite an innovative and unquestionably comfortable design, as you would expect given the name.
This release came hot on the heels of their much-acclaimed Comfobuds Pro, going back to the original design, but with some small changes. They’ve added Bluetooth 5.2 support, gaming mode, increased battery life, and altered the material of the flappy bit that rests on your ear.
Semi-in-ear is generally my preferred style of earbud, so I was hoping for great things from the Comfobuds 2 – it was going to be interesting to see if they are still playing catchup to SoundPEATS after the release of their Air3.
Unboxing - 8/10
The unboxing experience with 1More always has a touch of class. What can I say – I’m a sucker for a panda sticker! It feels very reminiscent of the original Comfobuds, with the major difference being the addition of alternative ‘flaps’ – they’ve made the material softer, and also made them removable. For hygiene purposes, this has to be a good thing.
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 QR code for warranty purposes.
The Case - 7/10
Taking photos of white cases is one of my least-favourite pastimes – I’ve broken from my usual tradition of plain white background here to give you some action shots.
The case on the original Comfobuds was tiny, but still had a very premium feel to it. The follow-up feels a lot less premium, with a flimsy hinge and more lightweight design. Sure, they’ve shaved a gram off the weight, but it definitely feels like a step backwards.
On top is the 1More logo, and the same ‘traffic light’ battery indicator – always a welcome addition to any case. The look has evolved from pearlescent white to a powder-coat-style semi-matte bright white, with a larger, but badly-finished lip for flipping the case open. Whilst arguably easier on the eye, again, it feels like a small step in the wrong direction.
Inside it is a familiar sight – L and R are displayed in the middle of the pogo pin charge connectors, and a button in between them allows you to reset or re-pair. There is no pushing down on the stem to remove like the Comfobuds Pro – these just pull out with relative ease. The buds rest on the top with little magnetism pulling them into the case.
The case doesn’t support wireless charging, but does support quick-charge, and can be charged very quickly with USB-C – 30 mins gives you three hours, with the port located at the rear – my preferred charge point location, as it can rest on your desk whilst conveniently letting you know when you can take them out and about. The back also exposes their slogan ‘One More, Hear More’, printed on the metallic-look surround supporting the hinge, just as it was on the first Comfobuds, although the charge port is now lower, so if the hinge does get damaged, at least your charging socket is marginally better protected.
The lipstick-style case is nicely proportioned at just under 7cm wide, around 2.5cm tall and a depth of 3cm. This makes it ideal for slipping in your pocket for a trip out, and the weight of just 35g – whilst contributed to by its relatively inferior build quality – also makes it really portable.
Ergonomics - 9/10
Again, the differences are quite academic between this and the first edition. The buds are slightly shorter, measuring 39mm in length, but the major difference is the flap. Rather than a rubberised-finish, this time it feels like softer silicone-type material, but it is certainly more comfortable than the first edition, and as mentioned earlier, more hygienic.
The red dustproof netting which surrounds the speaker is still there – albeit slightly more compact – and that goes for the design in general – it looks ever-so-slightly more streamlined, and that adds to the stability - they pass the shake test comfortably, pardon the pun. There is no issue with them staying in your ear, but they still give quite obvious sound leakage due to the refined nozzle – more so than the original, trading-off comfort for sound isolation.
The outside shows a lighter, but still present, 1More logo and strip-style ambient mic, protected by a matching-red dustproof net, with the touch control area just above. Unlike the SoundPEATS Air3, taking them out of the case doesn’t immediately start initiating controls, which was a big frustration with that model.
On the inside, there is a pressure-relief hole and charging connectors – they’ve also incorporated in-ear detection, which can be toggled in the app. The ergonomics throughout make them very comfortable to use for the duration of their battery life – to the point you can forget they’re in your ears.
They weigh 4.26g – heavier than the original, but the weight is all in the head, so it doesn’t affect the displacement – in fact, it improves it.
The Comfobuds 2 are extremely stable. The buds retain the IPX5 WR rating, making them fine for a trip out in the rain, but not for swimming or showering.
Audio – 7/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
The audio on the original Comfobuds wasn’t bad at all by semi-in-ear standards, although they sound pretty terrible by comparison these days! This release is an improvement, but it still isn’t great out of the box.
On receipt, firmware v4.00.02 had such an elevated low-end that tracks would distort very easily, and the treble also sounded far too raspy. Pushing the buds close onto your concha betrayed this bizarre tuning decision. This was certainly not the 1More sound-signature that Luca Bignardi put his name to.
By the time v4.00.07 came around, the default EQ setting had levelled-off the spike in the lower frequencies, but when you push the buds far in your ear, the subbass lift is still quite apparent.
Fortunately, the 1More app has a plethora of EQ options – however the majority sound dire. Deep is quite reminiscent of the originals – it lifts the gap in the mids at around 1K, and I ended up settling on Electronic – it levels off the bass a bit whilst retaining the mid-bass, and doesn’t compromise too much on the clarity.
The Achilles heel is seemingly the thing that makes them so good though – the fit. With a slightly tighter push onto your concha, the sound changes drastically, but in their natural position they can sound rather thin, and when pushed too hard, the bass is overwhelming. As a result, you can spend quite a long time either adjusting them or hunting through the EQ’s in the app trying to get the sound right, even from track-to-track…then a marginal movement and you’re back tweaking again. Frustrating.
Whilst out of the box they lack the rounded performance of the Air3 and punchy Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro, the airy soundstage is most welcome, and overall, it’s not bad once you get it tweaked to your liking. The Comfobuds 2 have lots of redeeming features, and whilst they aren't the best for sound of this form factor and fit, they certainly aren't the worst.
Call Quality - Indoors – 7.5/10, Outdoors - 7/10
Calls on the T60BT are fine indoors. Your voice comes through reasonably clearly without thinning out too much, although ambient sounds will produce quite obvious crackles. On Zoom or Teams, they again perform quite adequately.
Outdoors, your voice sounds a little muffled – there is some obvious compression, but nothing like the older Airoha-chip-based buds (such as that in the FIIL CC2). Whilst they combat wind reasonably well, traffic and splashes are not removed altogether – they are still audible without being too prominent – but compared to budget buds like the QCY T13 or SoundPEATS Air3, where they compete for clarity, they lag behind a little in naturalness, and that’s what 1More are competing with at this price point.
The Comfobuds 2 appear on my 2022 Call Quality YouTube video here:
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7/10
As you would expect, 1More have not exactly maxed out on the features at this price point. Steering clear of Qualcomm these days, 1More can’t offer aptX support, although latency is respectable (claimed 90ms), and can be improved further by initiating gaming mode via the app.
The app actually isn’t bad by TWS standards – it offers OTA firmware updates, customisable controls (albeit only double and triple tap) which as a result allows you to control volume from the touch control area, which is in the same place as before – the head of the stem. You can choose between volume, voice control or toggling tracks.
There are some other nice touches, such as in-ear detection, which can be toggled on, off, or to pause only – a handy feature – and you can also play ‘soothing sounds’ through the app too, although it isn’t too soothing when the loop finishes and it just suddenly stops! A nice idea though.
The app also allows EQ, as mentioned previously, although the majority of the templates are pretty horrible sounding and there is no 5-band custom setting like with many apps – you can use Wavelet on Android though.
Speaking of Android – I get some odd, occasional messages pop up on my OnePlus phone, even when I’m using the buds with another device, with the Airoha chip name and a request asking me if I want to control it. Not sure what this means - kinda looks like Google Fast Pair has been half-implemented.
They also support single mode – just leave one in the case.
Battery Life - 8/10
Battery life is good by semi-in-ear standards, consistently hitting within 75% of the claimed 6-hour mark, and although the case could offer better at just 24 hours total, the ‘15-minute juice for 3 hours playtime’ warp-charge is a great feature that definitely softens the blow.
A full charge takes just two-hours, so they’re a decent travel companion.
Final Comments
The Comfobuds 2 are a fair upgrade to the original, adding in some essential ‘me too’ features rather than re-inventing the wheel. 1More have retained, even improved, their comfort whilst bringing them up-to-date, with Bluetooth 5.2, improved battery life, customisable controls, app support and gaming mode.
To their credit, they improve over many semi-in-ear releases, such as the SoundPEATS Air3, by optimising the user experience (outside of getting the EQ right!) - fit is exceptional, the additional replaceable tips increases hygiene and improves the likelihood of them sitting in your ears (a common problem for buds of this form factor), and the LED's on the case, lights on the buds, app, quick charges, very easy to operate case and controls (i.e. they don't suddenly initiate the controls on removal due to the design) and rock-solid stability have made them my go-to for listening to audiobooks or podcasts when out for a walk, at least if the traffic has died down and the need for a 'seal' is less. In this environment, or if you don't like the invasiveness of silicone tips, they fare pretty well.
However, if it's music you're primarily interested in, you'll probably find the sound is a bit of a chore to get right, and given they're priced considerably higher than the QCY T12 and SoundPEATS Air3, you'll have to be a big 1More fan to choose these over the competition outside those specific use-cases.
Price Weighted Score: 80%
Raw Score: 77%
Other 1More Regancipher Reviews:
Comfobuds Pro
Comfobuds
Colorbuds
Omthing Airfree
Stylish
About 1More:
In the past years, as a professional headphones brand, 1MORE has won many international awards, including 38 International Design Awards (such as iDEA, Red Dot Design Award, GOOD DESIGN AWARD, iF Design Awards and etc.), 12 CES Awards, 3 EHA Awards and 19 VGP Awards.
In addition, many of 1MORE’s headphones have been receiving awards from top-tier media outlets across the world and are being highly recommended by those editors who rigorously tested our products to ensure they meet the highest standards in the headphone market. These media include but are not limited to Forbes, Rolling Stone, WIRED, Digital Trends, CNET and more.
4-time Grammy Award-winning Sound Engineer Luca Bignardi uniquely tunes all of 1MORE’s headphones to deliver a precise representation of the artist’s intended sound.
1MORE has branches in the US, the UK and China. Our channels reach 40 countries and regions, including the US, Canada, UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, Australia, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and Vietnam.
RC062
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Model: SoundMAGIC T60BT
Website: Aliexpress Store
Review Reference: RC062
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual, English & Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the @regancipher review of SoundMAGIC’s second TWS release of 2021, the T60BT. SoundMAGIC are one of those names that will resonate with audiophiles and headfi subscribers, but fly under the radar for the average consumer outside of China. Like KZ, CCA, Tin, Ikko and BQEZ, they have tended to focus on the IEM market, but with the growing popularity of Bluetooth TWS, they have finally joined the party, with the T60BT quickly following up the release of their TWS30.
SoundMAGIC have a rich history in the audio arena – just searching the name on headfi brings up results from back when I was playing clubs and festivals all over Europe – and that seems like a lifetime ago! Founded in 2005 by acoustic engineer Tony Xu, they quickly developed a reputation for high performance at an affordable price, winning award after award from ‘What Hifi’, ‘Stuff’, ‘Trusted Review’ and a forum I spent most of the early noughties hanging out on, ‘Avforums’. The E10 series, a popular model here at Headfi, won best in-ear headphone award with What Hifi six years in a row – no mean feat – and seeing them enter the TWS market is an overdue, but welcome arrival that will undoubtedly leave some of the die-hard SoundMAGIC fans intrigued as to how they fare in a congested market.
Unboxing - 8/10
The T60BT transcend the usual budget-earbud experience, arriving in a dual-layer box, with the SoundMAGIC logo in the corner and their signature handle – Listen More – just below.
The front cover portrays the case fully-opened with the model, description and key features just below, with symbols to signify each: ‘Bluetooth 5.2’, ‘IPX6 WR’, ‘Long Battery Life’, ‘Intelligent Voice’ and ‘Good Sound’. Let’s hope that last one is an understatement, huh?!
The back displays a lot of additional details – what’s in the box, as well as ‘beyond the headlines’ specifications, such as DC Resistance, talk time, etc. It is nice to have these specifications listed on the box – it’s commonplace in the IEM market, but with TWS, typically it is all a bit ‘fluffy’. It certainly shows SoundMAGIC’s background, in that they are prepared to give away as much detail as possible, rather than hide behind buzzwords.
The second layer houses the item itself, and is exposed by simply slipping off the outer layer either upwards or downwards.
The package you are left with once the layers are peeled are off is nothing you haven’t seen before, but is nevertheless well-presented. The buds and case nestle inside a white, plastic enclosure, and the manual, tips and USB-C charge cable rest below in the gaps.
Whilst the manual is exclusively in English and Chinese, SoundMAGIC must have been reading my reviews, because rather than the tiny manuals that QCY, KZ and Haylou typically include, they’ve gone for a larger one, with really nice diagrams that show how to operate the buds and case.
Not only is this great for those with bad eyesight like me, but it also opens the market up to countries where English and Chinese aren’t the native tongue – I wish more TWS vendors would follow suit.
It is worth pointing out at this juncture that the cable and tips are far better quality than I’m used to with TWS – the cable is longer and thicker, and the tips are wide bore, and feature thick insultation. We’ll get to why later.
The Case - 8.5/10
As is always the case with white charge enclosures, the pictures simply don’t do the case justice. Having just reviewed the QCY G1, this is another extremely unorthodox charging box, and I didn’t even bother doing any comparison photos because I’ve seen nothing like it before – it’s like a cube, and the only box that got anywhere close to resembling it was the Kinera YH623, but even that would be like comparing Channing Tatum and John Cena. Similar, but different, and both easy on the eye (if you like that sort of thing!)
Taking photos of white cases is one of my least-favourite pastimes – I’ve broken from my usual tradition of plain white background here to give you some action shots.
Firstly, the material of the case is semi-matte, almost the pearlescent white of the original 1More Comfobuds. It is very-well finished, with a large lip allowing the case to be flipped-open easily with one-hand.
The case doesn’t support wireless charging, but does support quick-charge, and can be charged very quickly with USB-C, with the port located at the rear – my preferred charge point location, as it can rest on your desk very nicely as you will see in the next image.
The port is also not exposed to the elements – SoundMAGIC have set it back a little, with a mini power-logo underneath. This reduces the likelihood of accidental damage and enhances longevity, and it’s a shame we don’t see if more often. You will also see just above a metallic, reinforced hinge – the first I’ve seen since the TaoTronics TT-BH080 – which adds to the durability, but may be a potential rust-magnet, so keep the case away from the rain.
Just above the SoundMAGIC logo is a very bright LED. With an impressive 30-minute charge time, and the case supporting three additional charges, the colour scheme is easy enough to follow – red = one or less, green = one to two, blue = two to three, off = three full charges. This helps see immediately how much juice you’re going to get for the day.
The buds sit tips-first in the tightly-packed cockpit, and the model number – T60BT – is displayed on the lid, which has suitably deep cut-outs to allow the buds to sit inside the case with a variety of tips applied (including a few Spinfits I tried) whilst also ensuring they are secure enough to prevent the pogo pins not connecting and losing charge whilst rattling around in your bag. The magnet is rather strong, so getting them out of the case isn’t necessarily easy – they might need a bit of a yank.
When charging, if you open the case you will see the buds glow red. If you hold the metal buttons on the buds down for 0.5 seconds three times, the buds will reset their pairing status. I fell foul of this when, like many other QCC3040 buds, they defaulted to single mode out of the box. Fortunately, the instructions were very clear and worked like a charm.
The case is nicely proportioned at just under 5cm wide, around 3.35cm tall and a depth of 3.45cm. Whilst it makes for a very handy desk companion, and is perfect for bags, for gents it is not great for trouser pockets in the way that the Elevoc Clear, for example, is flat in your pocket. However, the nature of the buds means this was always going to be a trade-off, and SoundMAGIC have achieved a happy compromise by creating a case that looks totally different to anything else out there – result.
Ergonomics - 8/10
Like the QCY T1C, T16 and, probably the most relevant comparison, the Whizzer E3, the buds are designed to rest upwards against your pinna. Unlike the E3 the T60BT are quite angular and retro-looking - SoundMAGIC have shunned the popular rounded or custom-finish you see with most buds, adding a thick rim, presumably to help you locate the tactile control button.
Whilst the first image makes them look like they protrude a little, from the front they aren’t noticeable. They take a bit of fiddling around to get the right fit, but once you do, they are extremely comfortable for prolonged use, despite the unorthodox, boxy-look to them
The T60BT have a slightly-odd, generic-looking design that have an outer-shape reminiscent of the QCY T1C, but have gone against the grain with a physical touch-button that is tactile as opposed to pressure-sensitive. However, unlike the Jabra 75T, where this feature places excess pressure on your ear canals, the slim nozzle – just under 21cm total depth, including the pretty thick bud itself, means touch controls are actually rather pleasant – more like the Whizzer E3 and Tronsmart Onyx Free, placing minimal pressure on your ears, even if you have to hunt around for a while to find the button. When you do, the buttons are responsive and the controls intuitive.
The outside also has an outer-rim to it – I’m not really sure why, but it adds to the kinda-odd look of the buds – in black it is much less noticeable. It appears there is only a single mic, at least that I could see, on each bud, and this is located just below the touch control.
The inside of the buds shows some thoughtful design features. The pogo pins are bevelled away from the skin to reduce the risk of allergic reactions, the logo and ear notation are displayed clearly, and the build quality is all too evident when you remove the tips – the driver surrounds are metallic, and this strong build quality adds to the water resistance rating – an impressive IPX6, which will more than withstand sweat and rain.
The metallic surrounds justify the thicker-rimmed eartips, and this is something SoundMAGIC clearly learned from where KZ failed – the tips with the SKS were very flimsy, a blot on the copybook of an otherwise excellent release.
The shape of the buds, a little difficult to see above, are right-angle – like the KZ SKS (to the left) and the FIIL T1 Pro (to the right). This is in contrast to the SoundPEATS H1, QCY T17 and Jabra 75t above, which all angle the nozzle – the H1 upwards, the T17 downwards, and the Jabra – well, it really depends on how you wear it.
If you go with the right-angle approach then typically the position of most comfort is to go with a shorter nozzle – the FIIL T1 Pro and T1XS can feel invasive, like the Jabra 75t. Thankfully, SoundMAGIC have gone for a very short nozzle, so steer clear of using the small tips – you will not hear much bass. Instead, go with medium or large and let them fill your concha.
There is no issue with them staying in your ear – unlike the FIIL, the short nozzle length means they just kinda rest there, and with a decent seal are not the strongest at passive isolation, but certainly good enough to nullify passing traffic.
With a weight of just 4.23g, they are lightweight, and are suitable for exercise – useful, given they are IPX6 rated and designed for this very purpose!
Overall, the ergonomics are a bit of a mixed bag – they are certainly comfortable, usable and combine some good design features, but they won’t win any awards on the catwalk.
Audio - 8/10 (for the price paid), 8/10 (raw score)
The T60BT use the Qualcomm QCC3040 chipset, promoting the use of the aptX codec, but support AAC and SBC. On Android, it defaulted immediately to aptX, and on iPhone AAC.
The first thing you will notice about the T60BT is that trademark SoundMAGIC sound signature. Direct coupling means the low mids need to be elevated, and they are, very nicely. Lower frequencies track a little above the Harman curve, spiking a shade at around 30Hz and then levelling off, dipping at around 200Hz, however from there the upper mids start to lift, peaking somewhat early at around 2,200Hz, then a small U with another peak at around 8K. From there, the higher frequencies are on a gradual slope down to around 18k, where they perk back up again slightly.
What this means in reality, is that the sound has a nice, balanced feel to it that boosts the subbass and midbass sufficiently to give body to almost any track without it feeling overpowering, but vocals can take a back-seat, especially female vocals on house tracks.
If like me, you like melodic techno, house, opera and 80’s, the T60BT can sound great. Melodic techno notches the hats to give them longevity as basslines rumble along. Tenor vocalists lack a little sparkle but extend the soundstage, and 80’s tracks from artists like George Michael have a beautiful intimacy that was intended.
‘Stars’ by Simply Red has an earthy resonance to the wah-wah guitar, with Mick Hucknall’s vocals occasionally bleeding into the bass guitars, but otherwise, the track separates nicely. The shakers give the essence of a wider-than-expected soundstage – the T60BT have the elasticity to feel both intimate and airy depending on the track. ‘Another Day in Paradise’ by Phil Collins on Tidal Masters displays this beautifully, with the Roland 808 bouncing around your ears as Phil Collins’ lead vocals come to the fore ahead of the classical and bass guitars and strings.
Where the T60BT can leave you wanting more is with punchier kicks. Simple productions like ‘This Is What You Came For’ by Calvin Harris and Rihanna sound great, and even ‘Gecko’ by Oliver Heldens is very pleasant throughout the majority of the track. This is a production that many TWS really struggle with, usually due to poor low-frequency tuning. The T60BT suffer no distortion on the lower frequencies, but the T60BT rumble along effortlessly. It’s when Becky Hill’s vocal comes in, they leave you wanting a little more extension – they’ve clearly traded off sibilance for a less-shouty, earthy feel. This doesn’t become an issue until you get tracks like Cecilia Krull’s ‘My Life is Going On’, which lacks a little precision in the strings and tightness to the kick, and symptomatic of the tapered sound signature, the vocals come through, but the strings, hats and tams can sound a little muddy.
When you compare with hybrid-armature releases like the SoundPEATS H1 and Tronsmart Onyx Prime it is very clear that SoundMAGIC have tuned that tiny 5.8mm driver fantastically well – so if they can do that with a single driver release, what could they do with dual-armature TWS?
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 6/10
Calls on the T60BT are fine indoors. Your voice comes through very clearly and very naturally. However, outdoors, even despite the cVc noise reduction, splashes and traffic were very evident, even overtaking your voice at times. This is not uncommon with new players to the scene, especially those focused on the sound, but it does mean calls outdoors are pretty much impossible.
There is a hole for the mic on the outside, and I suspect a second mic in the nozzle – there is certainly a notch for it, but without the loupe it is hard to tell. To optimise the cVc noise reduction you would need a dual-mic array, so I expect this is the location.
The likes of QCY and Tronsmart have been honing their mic performance while SoundMAGIC have been mastering tuning, and it shows – there’s definite room for improvement here on the next release.
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7/10
Firstly, rather than a beep or sound effect, almost every major gesture, such as ‘Power On’ or ‘Connected’ is represented by a clearly spoken English voice. This is a nice touch that is always welcome.
Turning up the volume, which you can do by holding the tactile button for half a second or so, gives a beep, and surprisingly, it is easy to differentiate volume control (hold for 0.5s), pause (single tap) and next or previous track (double tap). Somewhat annoyingly, left double tap is next track, right double tap is previous track, and it’s the same for volume. But hey, I’m not a leftie, so I’m gonna say that!
Triple tap hails voice assistant, and four taps initiates gaming mode. This is represented by a sound effect rather than a voice, but it is immediately obvious, and latency is good – certainly for watching videos back the T60BT were on par with other buds of this chipset.
Where the T60BT perform strongly is in connection strength – despite using a relatively dated Unictron CW505 (the same antenna used by QCY on their T4) it holds up quite well, not disconnecting until beyond the usual 10m. Bluetooth 5.2 gives a degree of future-proofing, and the aptX codec means they are ideal for Android users, although AAC sounded perfectly fine to me on IOS.
The buds support single, binaural and sharing mode, and whilst there is no app, that is often a good thing. For EQ on Android, use Wavelet.
Battery Life - 7/10
With many TWS hitting around 7-10 hours now, the 3.5-5 hours is a little on the low side, although despite SoundMAGIC stating that they could dip as low as 3.5 hours, I got closer to 5 on my first blast, and well over 4 on my second.
The 30-minute recharge is a great feature that definitely softens the blow.
Final Comments
The SoundMAGIC T60BT deliver exactly as expected – good quality, well-engineered audio that requires little-to-no tweaking out-of-the-box to offer a pleasant listening experience for prolonged use. They’ve taken a winning formula – their sound, and brought some up-to-date features: Bluetooth 5.2, Gaming Mode, Quick Charge, AptX support and a comfortable fit that will accommodate most users.
The mic performance could be better, but for indoor use it is passable, and battery life could be longer, and these are definitely areas for improvement on their next release.
It will be interesting to see if SoundMAGIC retain the trajectory that their IEM’s managed with continuous improvement a hallmark of their brand – perhaps even more drivers, taking advantage of that expert engineering experience they’ve developed after so many years in the game.
Overall, it is a very respectable release by SoundMAGIC, and a solidoption, especially if: audio is your primary driver, you need the IPX6 water resistance, and can’t be bothered tweaking the sound with data-harvesting apps, complex apps. If you like tactile buttons, then even better.
Price Weighted Score: 79%
Raw Score: 75%
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About SoundMAGIC:
In 2005, Tony Xu founded Shenzhen SoundMAGIC Technology Development Co., Ltd., and subsequently registered the trademark "SoundMAGIC" in Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the United States, Japan, Europe and other places. Shenzhen SoundMAGIC Technology Co., Ltd. is an innovative enterprise integrating audio product design, research and development, production and sales. The main products include in-ear headphones, professional HiFi headphones, Bluetooth headphones, game headphones, the machine of decoding and amplification to headphones, wireless speakers and other high-end products.
As a pioneer in the domestic headphone industry, SoundMAGIC is the only Chinese headphone brand that is widely recognized overseas so far. The products of SoundMAGIC sell well in China, the United States, Britain, Germany, South Korea, Japan, India and other dozens of countries and regions around the world. SoundMAGIC has high popularity and influence overseas, especially in Europe and the United States. Many classic products are highly praised by《WHAT Hi-Fi》 and《Stuff》, the two famous industry magazines in the world, and have repeatedly won the "Best Product of the Year " awards.
For more than ten years, SoundMAGIC has been keeping to the brand purpose: providing high quality audio products with extreme cost performance to customers. In the future, SoundMAGIC will stick to its original faith, spare no effort to promote to the reform and innovation of the industry to make a contribution, and bring better products and services to the majority of video and audio fans.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Model: SoundMAGIC T60BT
Website: Aliexpress Store
Review Reference: RC062
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: SoundMAGIC
- Model: T60BT
- Driver: 5.8mm Neodymium Dynamic Driver
- Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3040
- Mic: Uses cVc 8.0 noise reduction, sensitivity -42 to + 3 dB
- ANC: No
- Codecs: AptX, AAC, SBC
- App Support: No
- Volume Control: Yes
- Gaming Mode: Yes
- Earbud Weight: 4.23g
- Earbud Dimensions: 21.5mm height, 20.7mm depth with nozzle
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 41.07g
- Case Dimensions: 49mm (length) x 34mm (width) x 33mm (height)
- Case Charge Capacity: 500mAh
- Quick Charge: Yes, 30 min for the buds
- Wireless Charging: No
- Input: 5V 500mA
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 5 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 25 hours
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: IPX6
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual, English & Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the @regancipher review of SoundMAGIC’s second TWS release of 2021, the T60BT. SoundMAGIC are one of those names that will resonate with audiophiles and headfi subscribers, but fly under the radar for the average consumer outside of China. Like KZ, CCA, Tin, Ikko and BQEZ, they have tended to focus on the IEM market, but with the growing popularity of Bluetooth TWS, they have finally joined the party, with the T60BT quickly following up the release of their TWS30.
SoundMAGIC have a rich history in the audio arena – just searching the name on headfi brings up results from back when I was playing clubs and festivals all over Europe – and that seems like a lifetime ago! Founded in 2005 by acoustic engineer Tony Xu, they quickly developed a reputation for high performance at an affordable price, winning award after award from ‘What Hifi’, ‘Stuff’, ‘Trusted Review’ and a forum I spent most of the early noughties hanging out on, ‘Avforums’. The E10 series, a popular model here at Headfi, won best in-ear headphone award with What Hifi six years in a row – no mean feat – and seeing them enter the TWS market is an overdue, but welcome arrival that will undoubtedly leave some of the die-hard SoundMAGIC fans intrigued as to how they fare in a congested market.
Unboxing - 8/10
The T60BT transcend the usual budget-earbud experience, arriving in a dual-layer box, with the SoundMAGIC logo in the corner and their signature handle – Listen More – just below.
The front cover portrays the case fully-opened with the model, description and key features just below, with symbols to signify each: ‘Bluetooth 5.2’, ‘IPX6 WR’, ‘Long Battery Life’, ‘Intelligent Voice’ and ‘Good Sound’. Let’s hope that last one is an understatement, huh?!
The back displays a lot of additional details – what’s in the box, as well as ‘beyond the headlines’ specifications, such as DC Resistance, talk time, etc. It is nice to have these specifications listed on the box – it’s commonplace in the IEM market, but with TWS, typically it is all a bit ‘fluffy’. It certainly shows SoundMAGIC’s background, in that they are prepared to give away as much detail as possible, rather than hide behind buzzwords.
The second layer houses the item itself, and is exposed by simply slipping off the outer layer either upwards or downwards.
The package you are left with once the layers are peeled are off is nothing you haven’t seen before, but is nevertheless well-presented. The buds and case nestle inside a white, plastic enclosure, and the manual, tips and USB-C charge cable rest below in the gaps.
Whilst the manual is exclusively in English and Chinese, SoundMAGIC must have been reading my reviews, because rather than the tiny manuals that QCY, KZ and Haylou typically include, they’ve gone for a larger one, with really nice diagrams that show how to operate the buds and case.
Not only is this great for those with bad eyesight like me, but it also opens the market up to countries where English and Chinese aren’t the native tongue – I wish more TWS vendors would follow suit.
It is worth pointing out at this juncture that the cable and tips are far better quality than I’m used to with TWS – the cable is longer and thicker, and the tips are wide bore, and feature thick insultation. We’ll get to why later.
The Case - 8.5/10
As is always the case with white charge enclosures, the pictures simply don’t do the case justice. Having just reviewed the QCY G1, this is another extremely unorthodox charging box, and I didn’t even bother doing any comparison photos because I’ve seen nothing like it before – it’s like a cube, and the only box that got anywhere close to resembling it was the Kinera YH623, but even that would be like comparing Channing Tatum and John Cena. Similar, but different, and both easy on the eye (if you like that sort of thing!)
Taking photos of white cases is one of my least-favourite pastimes – I’ve broken from my usual tradition of plain white background here to give you some action shots.
Firstly, the material of the case is semi-matte, almost the pearlescent white of the original 1More Comfobuds. It is very-well finished, with a large lip allowing the case to be flipped-open easily with one-hand.
The case doesn’t support wireless charging, but does support quick-charge, and can be charged very quickly with USB-C, with the port located at the rear – my preferred charge point location, as it can rest on your desk very nicely as you will see in the next image.
The port is also not exposed to the elements – SoundMAGIC have set it back a little, with a mini power-logo underneath. This reduces the likelihood of accidental damage and enhances longevity, and it’s a shame we don’t see if more often. You will also see just above a metallic, reinforced hinge – the first I’ve seen since the TaoTronics TT-BH080 – which adds to the durability, but may be a potential rust-magnet, so keep the case away from the rain.
Just above the SoundMAGIC logo is a very bright LED. With an impressive 30-minute charge time, and the case supporting three additional charges, the colour scheme is easy enough to follow – red = one or less, green = one to two, blue = two to three, off = three full charges. This helps see immediately how much juice you’re going to get for the day.
The buds sit tips-first in the tightly-packed cockpit, and the model number – T60BT – is displayed on the lid, which has suitably deep cut-outs to allow the buds to sit inside the case with a variety of tips applied (including a few Spinfits I tried) whilst also ensuring they are secure enough to prevent the pogo pins not connecting and losing charge whilst rattling around in your bag. The magnet is rather strong, so getting them out of the case isn’t necessarily easy – they might need a bit of a yank.
When charging, if you open the case you will see the buds glow red. If you hold the metal buttons on the buds down for 0.5 seconds three times, the buds will reset their pairing status. I fell foul of this when, like many other QCC3040 buds, they defaulted to single mode out of the box. Fortunately, the instructions were very clear and worked like a charm.
The case is nicely proportioned at just under 5cm wide, around 3.35cm tall and a depth of 3.45cm. Whilst it makes for a very handy desk companion, and is perfect for bags, for gents it is not great for trouser pockets in the way that the Elevoc Clear, for example, is flat in your pocket. However, the nature of the buds means this was always going to be a trade-off, and SoundMAGIC have achieved a happy compromise by creating a case that looks totally different to anything else out there – result.
Ergonomics - 8/10
Like the QCY T1C, T16 and, probably the most relevant comparison, the Whizzer E3, the buds are designed to rest upwards against your pinna. Unlike the E3 the T60BT are quite angular and retro-looking - SoundMAGIC have shunned the popular rounded or custom-finish you see with most buds, adding a thick rim, presumably to help you locate the tactile control button.
Whilst the first image makes them look like they protrude a little, from the front they aren’t noticeable. They take a bit of fiddling around to get the right fit, but once you do, they are extremely comfortable for prolonged use, despite the unorthodox, boxy-look to them
The T60BT have a slightly-odd, generic-looking design that have an outer-shape reminiscent of the QCY T1C, but have gone against the grain with a physical touch-button that is tactile as opposed to pressure-sensitive. However, unlike the Jabra 75T, where this feature places excess pressure on your ear canals, the slim nozzle – just under 21cm total depth, including the pretty thick bud itself, means touch controls are actually rather pleasant – more like the Whizzer E3 and Tronsmart Onyx Free, placing minimal pressure on your ears, even if you have to hunt around for a while to find the button. When you do, the buttons are responsive and the controls intuitive.
The outside also has an outer-rim to it – I’m not really sure why, but it adds to the kinda-odd look of the buds – in black it is much less noticeable. It appears there is only a single mic, at least that I could see, on each bud, and this is located just below the touch control.
The inside of the buds shows some thoughtful design features. The pogo pins are bevelled away from the skin to reduce the risk of allergic reactions, the logo and ear notation are displayed clearly, and the build quality is all too evident when you remove the tips – the driver surrounds are metallic, and this strong build quality adds to the water resistance rating – an impressive IPX6, which will more than withstand sweat and rain.
The metallic surrounds justify the thicker-rimmed eartips, and this is something SoundMAGIC clearly learned from where KZ failed – the tips with the SKS were very flimsy, a blot on the copybook of an otherwise excellent release.
The shape of the buds, a little difficult to see above, are right-angle – like the KZ SKS (to the left) and the FIIL T1 Pro (to the right). This is in contrast to the SoundPEATS H1, QCY T17 and Jabra 75t above, which all angle the nozzle – the H1 upwards, the T17 downwards, and the Jabra – well, it really depends on how you wear it.
If you go with the right-angle approach then typically the position of most comfort is to go with a shorter nozzle – the FIIL T1 Pro and T1XS can feel invasive, like the Jabra 75t. Thankfully, SoundMAGIC have gone for a very short nozzle, so steer clear of using the small tips – you will not hear much bass. Instead, go with medium or large and let them fill your concha.
There is no issue with them staying in your ear – unlike the FIIL, the short nozzle length means they just kinda rest there, and with a decent seal are not the strongest at passive isolation, but certainly good enough to nullify passing traffic.
With a weight of just 4.23g, they are lightweight, and are suitable for exercise – useful, given they are IPX6 rated and designed for this very purpose!
Overall, the ergonomics are a bit of a mixed bag – they are certainly comfortable, usable and combine some good design features, but they won’t win any awards on the catwalk.
Audio - 8/10 (for the price paid), 8/10 (raw score)
The T60BT use the Qualcomm QCC3040 chipset, promoting the use of the aptX codec, but support AAC and SBC. On Android, it defaulted immediately to aptX, and on iPhone AAC.
The first thing you will notice about the T60BT is that trademark SoundMAGIC sound signature. Direct coupling means the low mids need to be elevated, and they are, very nicely. Lower frequencies track a little above the Harman curve, spiking a shade at around 30Hz and then levelling off, dipping at around 200Hz, however from there the upper mids start to lift, peaking somewhat early at around 2,200Hz, then a small U with another peak at around 8K. From there, the higher frequencies are on a gradual slope down to around 18k, where they perk back up again slightly.
What this means in reality, is that the sound has a nice, balanced feel to it that boosts the subbass and midbass sufficiently to give body to almost any track without it feeling overpowering, but vocals can take a back-seat, especially female vocals on house tracks.
If like me, you like melodic techno, house, opera and 80’s, the T60BT can sound great. Melodic techno notches the hats to give them longevity as basslines rumble along. Tenor vocalists lack a little sparkle but extend the soundstage, and 80’s tracks from artists like George Michael have a beautiful intimacy that was intended.
‘Stars’ by Simply Red has an earthy resonance to the wah-wah guitar, with Mick Hucknall’s vocals occasionally bleeding into the bass guitars, but otherwise, the track separates nicely. The shakers give the essence of a wider-than-expected soundstage – the T60BT have the elasticity to feel both intimate and airy depending on the track. ‘Another Day in Paradise’ by Phil Collins on Tidal Masters displays this beautifully, with the Roland 808 bouncing around your ears as Phil Collins’ lead vocals come to the fore ahead of the classical and bass guitars and strings.
Where the T60BT can leave you wanting more is with punchier kicks. Simple productions like ‘This Is What You Came For’ by Calvin Harris and Rihanna sound great, and even ‘Gecko’ by Oliver Heldens is very pleasant throughout the majority of the track. This is a production that many TWS really struggle with, usually due to poor low-frequency tuning. The T60BT suffer no distortion on the lower frequencies, but the T60BT rumble along effortlessly. It’s when Becky Hill’s vocal comes in, they leave you wanting a little more extension – they’ve clearly traded off sibilance for a less-shouty, earthy feel. This doesn’t become an issue until you get tracks like Cecilia Krull’s ‘My Life is Going On’, which lacks a little precision in the strings and tightness to the kick, and symptomatic of the tapered sound signature, the vocals come through, but the strings, hats and tams can sound a little muddy.
When you compare with hybrid-armature releases like the SoundPEATS H1 and Tronsmart Onyx Prime it is very clear that SoundMAGIC have tuned that tiny 5.8mm driver fantastically well – so if they can do that with a single driver release, what could they do with dual-armature TWS?
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 6/10
Calls on the T60BT are fine indoors. Your voice comes through very clearly and very naturally. However, outdoors, even despite the cVc noise reduction, splashes and traffic were very evident, even overtaking your voice at times. This is not uncommon with new players to the scene, especially those focused on the sound, but it does mean calls outdoors are pretty much impossible.
There is a hole for the mic on the outside, and I suspect a second mic in the nozzle – there is certainly a notch for it, but without the loupe it is hard to tell. To optimise the cVc noise reduction you would need a dual-mic array, so I expect this is the location.
The likes of QCY and Tronsmart have been honing their mic performance while SoundMAGIC have been mastering tuning, and it shows – there’s definite room for improvement here on the next release.
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7/10
Firstly, rather than a beep or sound effect, almost every major gesture, such as ‘Power On’ or ‘Connected’ is represented by a clearly spoken English voice. This is a nice touch that is always welcome.
Turning up the volume, which you can do by holding the tactile button for half a second or so, gives a beep, and surprisingly, it is easy to differentiate volume control (hold for 0.5s), pause (single tap) and next or previous track (double tap). Somewhat annoyingly, left double tap is next track, right double tap is previous track, and it’s the same for volume. But hey, I’m not a leftie, so I’m gonna say that!
Triple tap hails voice assistant, and four taps initiates gaming mode. This is represented by a sound effect rather than a voice, but it is immediately obvious, and latency is good – certainly for watching videos back the T60BT were on par with other buds of this chipset.
Where the T60BT perform strongly is in connection strength – despite using a relatively dated Unictron CW505 (the same antenna used by QCY on their T4) it holds up quite well, not disconnecting until beyond the usual 10m. Bluetooth 5.2 gives a degree of future-proofing, and the aptX codec means they are ideal for Android users, although AAC sounded perfectly fine to me on IOS.
The buds support single, binaural and sharing mode, and whilst there is no app, that is often a good thing. For EQ on Android, use Wavelet.
Battery Life - 7/10
With many TWS hitting around 7-10 hours now, the 3.5-5 hours is a little on the low side, although despite SoundMAGIC stating that they could dip as low as 3.5 hours, I got closer to 5 on my first blast, and well over 4 on my second.
The 30-minute recharge is a great feature that definitely softens the blow.
Final Comments
The SoundMAGIC T60BT deliver exactly as expected – good quality, well-engineered audio that requires little-to-no tweaking out-of-the-box to offer a pleasant listening experience for prolonged use. They’ve taken a winning formula – their sound, and brought some up-to-date features: Bluetooth 5.2, Gaming Mode, Quick Charge, AptX support and a comfortable fit that will accommodate most users.
The mic performance could be better, but for indoor use it is passable, and battery life could be longer, and these are definitely areas for improvement on their next release.
It will be interesting to see if SoundMAGIC retain the trajectory that their IEM’s managed with continuous improvement a hallmark of their brand – perhaps even more drivers, taking advantage of that expert engineering experience they’ve developed after so many years in the game.
Overall, it is a very respectable release by SoundMAGIC, and a solidoption, especially if: audio is your primary driver, you need the IPX6 water resistance, and can’t be bothered tweaking the sound with data-harvesting apps, complex apps. If you like tactile buttons, then even better.
Price Weighted Score: 79%
Raw Score: 75%
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About SoundMAGIC:
In 2005, Tony Xu founded Shenzhen SoundMAGIC Technology Development Co., Ltd., and subsequently registered the trademark "SoundMAGIC" in Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the United States, Japan, Europe and other places. Shenzhen SoundMAGIC Technology Co., Ltd. is an innovative enterprise integrating audio product design, research and development, production and sales. The main products include in-ear headphones, professional HiFi headphones, Bluetooth headphones, game headphones, the machine of decoding and amplification to headphones, wireless speakers and other high-end products.
As a pioneer in the domestic headphone industry, SoundMAGIC is the only Chinese headphone brand that is widely recognized overseas so far. The products of SoundMAGIC sell well in China, the United States, Britain, Germany, South Korea, Japan, India and other dozens of countries and regions around the world. SoundMAGIC has high popularity and influence overseas, especially in Europe and the United States. Many classic products are highly praised by《WHAT Hi-Fi》 and《Stuff》, the two famous industry magazines in the world, and have repeatedly won the "Best Product of the Year " awards.
For more than ten years, SoundMAGIC has been keeping to the brand purpose: providing high quality audio products with extreme cost performance to customers. In the future, SoundMAGIC will stick to its original faith, spare no effort to promote to the reform and innovation of the industry to make a contribution, and bring better products and services to the majority of video and audio fans.
RC061
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Model: QCY G1
Price: MSRP Approx $49.99
Website: QCY Store, Aliexpress Store
Review Reference: RC061
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual, English & Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the World Exclusive @regancipher review of QCY's new Esports / gaming buds, released this month, with FCC clearance only going through in mid-October!
I was extremely lucky to get hold of an early review model, and to say I'm not disappointed would be an understatement. QCY's stratospheric rise from the ultra-budget T1C, to OEM provider, to all-rounders with a full portfolio of low to mid-range buds of all shapes and sizes is an exciting story of a young but determined sub-company within a behemoth parent company absolutely determined to go places - and with releases coming thick and fast, it is often difficult to see at first where they are going with certain releases. Not so any longer - there are clear lines in the sand over the key attributes, and whilst aimed at the E-Sports market, the G1 will prove popular to many for their array of features that we aren't used to seeing from QCY. Typically they are happy with 'good enough', but this time they've gone the extra mile....read on for more on this surprising, flagship release that signals their intentions for 2022....
Unboxing - 7/10
If there is one area QCY could brush up if they really want to hit the market in a big way, it's the manual. Once again it is a monochrome, folding manual in just English and Chinese, and whilst the idea is clearly for users to scan the QR, use their app and fire over their data (get used to it, it's every TWS app and plenty more), if they want to reach the Russian and Ukraine markets for example, larger diagrammatic visual representations will benefit them far more than saving a few yen on printing a manual commensurate with the quality of the device. Tronsmart have demonstrated this to very good effect, and should be the poster-boy for this kind of approach, as pictures tell a thousand words, as they say.
The tips are grey and actually reasonable quality with thicker inner nozzles than usual. The USB-C cable is in the usual bag.
The Case - 8.5/10
The case is an odd little thing - clearly premium looking with a deeply embossed QCY logo atop a strip light that breaths on and off, kinda like a cross between the Edifier NeoBuds Pro, only less 80's looking, and Hecate GM45 from the same brand.
Despite being shaped strangely like half a mouse - the type you use to navigate a PC, not the ones that get dragged into your living room proudly by a neighbour's cat, it is strangely satisfying from a usability perspective, and actually isn't too shabby in the portability department either.
The front LED glows red whilst on charge, blue when both buds are charging inside the case (or neither, strangely), and red if only one bud is charging in the case. An odd combination, but I'm not gonna argue with it if I find only one of my buds has charged! There is also an LED inside the case, and this also designates charge level - fully charged hits green (apparently), blue is in the middle, red is low. The button below the LED (pictured top left) can be used to display battery (if the case has been open a while) on the above LED or to force into pairing mode, otherwise it will connect to the previously paired device. Hang on - why would the case be open for a while? Well, because it DOESN'T slam shut....a gift and a curse, depending on who you speak to - for me, I love this feature and am always surprised when it is omitted. The buds also feature 'hall switch' mode, allowing them to pair or connect the moment you open the case.
Now since they don't claim to support quick charge, I question whether this is actually reality, as I've been listening for around 2 hours now just with brief charges here and there with no sign of a recharge required. And it never went green when it was charging, so I don't think it arrived with 70% or anything like that. So read into that what you will (I think it does support quick charge, but will defer to QCY for the purposes of the review).
The case is proportioned, with my own measurements, at 54 - 59mm (length) x 45.7 - 56.7 mm (width) x 23.3 - 29.8mm (height). The ranges should be self-explanatory from the top right picture, which clearly shows the half-mouse style design.
The case is not heavy at a shade under 51g fully loaded and supports wireless charging. It has a 'not-quite-rubbery-but-less-slippery' base for stable wireless charging, and wireless charging will be slower than USB-C. Capacity is 450mA and it takes 5v, and the multimeter read pretty close to this, in fact just over. USB-C is on the back - very convenient and a big improvement from the old T10/T11.
The buds have a satisfying click into the cockpit, but it takes some getting used to. Whereas the natural inclination will be to pop them in tip first - don't. They just get confused, and you start questioning your left from your right! Slide stem-first and they just click in no problem.
Everyone loves a family portrait except those in it, but I'm sure the above won't mind. The only ones missing were the HT01 which are in my drawer at work. Yep, we are back in semi-lockdown here in the UK and the HT01 are confined to the office! It gives you an idea of the size compared to the T13.
Ergonomics - 9/10
The G1 are stem-based earbuds that wear diagonally in your ears, following the contour of your jawline. Whilst there is no overt QCY branding, there is some 'Gamer' related text, etched in a light grey against the dark grey backdrop.
QCY have an uncanny knack of producing earbuds that just feel so comfortable. Funnily enough, their most popular, the T13, are probably my least favourite, but only because the T17 are outrageously comfy, and the G1 are the best yet.
The 'breathing light' Blue LED's, which can thankfully be toggled in the app, are actually quite cool for gaming buds. But they aren't the killer feature of the G1. The comfort is off-the-scale! I forgot they were even in my ears like maybe three or four times. I even tried putting earbuds into my ears whilst wearing them. At first they seem really odd to put in your ears, then you realise that actually, it's every other earbud that is odd! These just sit and then twist. And boy do they feel good - they are comfortable all-dayers.
Despite the relatively long stems - 35mm, they aren't by any means obtrusive, and from the front their ergonomic design is clearly evident.
A close up of the buds reveals nothing particularly fancy. Sure, they've bevelled the pogo pins to restrict them touching your skin - that's always nice, especially if you have nickel allergies.
Yep, there's LED's on there (again that can be toggled on and off in the app) but default is on, and blue. There's a large gap at the bottom, likely a mic chamber, although the mic appears to be at the bottom which suggests it's possible for ambient listen-through mode, although it isn't currently an option as would be unlikely due to the absence of ANC. There is a feed-through mic and pressure release gap on the rounded area, and the touch control areas are clearly designated by the change in surface depth.
Sadly, there is no IPX rating, otherwise the G1 would score a perfect ten. QCY, like Huawei, choose not to put their earbuds though the testing process in order to minimize costs. They are expected to be the equivalent to ipx5, but I certainly wouldn't recommend going snorkeling in them.
Audio - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
Audio on the G1 appears to be an afterthought from their marketing material, but unlike previous Pixart buds I've tested (ahem, Boya), and the majority of gaming buds (Hecate, Razer, etc) the G1 aren't bad at all, doubling up as acceptable music companions too.
The G1 has a relatively flat lower frequency response which recesses from 100k, and again stays flat up to 3k, with a warm and balanced bass delivery that offers body without a great deal of punch. The peaks in the mids correlate to the vocal ranges to bring some presence around acoustics, preventing voices from sounding muffled, and the gentle peaks at 3 and 8k try to create the illusion of definition to a relatively soft sounding earbud. The sharp drop-off from around 9k adds to the nature of the warm sound even further.
Despite a relatively flat profile, the G1 doesn't sound overly congested on simplistic tracks. 'Alive and Kicking' by Simple Minds - a straightforward rock track from the 80's - has adequate separation, but feels somewhat constrained, with little space between you and each orchestral component. Perhaps because these are gamers buds? I don't know. It isn't that all tracks sound really warm - 'Bleeding Love' by Leona Lewis sounds pretty much as it does on my more open buds, but on classical or opera you notice the intimacy even more. Even tracks like 'A Little Respect' by Erasure sounds quite two-dimensional, and that certainly wasn't their intention when they created it.
House tracks, on the other hand, sound heavy and side-chain translates surprisingly well. 'Gecko' by Oliver Heldens is all straight down the middle, but tightly engineered. 'All of Me' by John Legend is pleasant and clear, but it sounds like you're listening to it at a wedding rather than in concert. And that kinda sums it up. It isn't that the sound is badly engineered - far from it, it is clear and well-defined. No distortion, no frequency spikes, no nasty surprises - it's just they weren't designed for audiophiles, they were designed for gamers. Nevertheless, despite the buds feeling super comfy, prolonged use can leave you thinking the sound is a bit dull and lifeless, and you'll almost certainly be reaching for your AKG or SGBL's before long.
Soundstage is not linear: wide isn't necessarily good, narrow isn't necessarily bad. It's a personal preference thing. I like a very airy soundstage most of the time - I don't really go to nightclubs these days, I like festivals where the bounce-around of beats and percussion makes you feel like you're at a carnival. The G1 makes you feel more like you're sat in your front room, and for gamers, this situational awareness is no doubt really useful.
The preset EQ's in the app are, as always, horrific. Fortunately, you have a customisable mode, with a ten-bar equaliser (you need all ten) - a slight lift of the lower mids and a tweak of the trebles and you can get a really palatable sound.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 7.5/10
By the time you read this, I'm hoping my YouTube clip will have uploaded, so you can see for yourself, but once again despite no accelerometers, no fancy AI algorithms, etc....QCY have still once again delivered a perfectly usable set of earbuds that don't skimp on call quality.
Outdoors, the volume can spike a little, but traffic and fire engines were dulled quite significantly - you can hear something, but it's a big step over what we were testing out last year. Your voice can still sound quite over-processed, but every word is very clear. The performance was very similar to the excellent QCY T17, but not quite as natural.
Compared to the Omthing Airfree, your voice sounds less natural but on that model - it is far more difficult to hear every word and environmental sound is far more prevalent. Compared to the Tronsmart Onyx Prime, environmental sound is more obvious, but the spikes in your voice are less bassy so you sound less muffled.
Overall QCY have done another superb job of delivering excellent call quality in this price bracket.
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 8/10
QCY often take a no-frills approach to their releases, limiting the number of needless features in favour of a lower price tag, but the G1 have managed to dig practically every specification sheet out here and pack feature after feature into these little pocket rockets.
Firstly, whilst the controls don't allow you to change the volume out of the box, this can be customised via the QCY app. Out of the box, double taps play/pause and answer/end calls, holding left and right skips track back and forward respectively (and ignores call). Triple left tap hails voice assistant, and right tap gaming mode, which brings latency down to a stupid level - not only can you can expect lipsync on YouTube, especially as AAC is the focus codec here, gaming is actually acceptable - only the Razer Hammerhead have come close to this level of latency on PUBG. Be aware it will drain the battery, so try not to keep it on unless absolutely necessary.
The audible beeps which tell you your 'taps' are doing something are on par with the T16 in volume - loud enough without blowing your eardrums, but lack the finesse of the spoken word of Tronsmart or Elevoc, for example (another area of improvement, such a shame their biggest market doesn't speak English!).
Using the Pixart chip, the Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity is very stable and the distance extraordinary - I can go almost 20m line of sight. In the same week as I tested the choppy and flakey Elevoc Clear, the T13 stood up to strenuous testing, only dropping out at beyond the marketed 10m, and the G1 smashed both models - I was literally down the street before they disconnected.
Wireless charging is a first for QCY, and whilst I don't use it personally, it will be attractive to many. Codecs-wise, we've got SBC and AAC - there are no hi-def codecs sadly.
The QCY app is discussed in previous reviews (see the bottom of the review) but a welcome addition at this price point, and it is worth mentioning that whilst the buds aren't yet selectable in the Android app, they are in IOS, and they offer two features just below 'Gaming Mode' that aren't explained in the manual - 'Sleeping Mode' and 'LED'. LED turns the LED off altogether (it goes off when media is playing anyway) - 'Sleeping Mode' - well, who knows. Maybe they automatically switch into standby when no media plays after a while. Nevertheless, whatever it is, I'm sure QCY will fill us in in due course. The app has matured nicely since those early reviews - you get a brief glimpse of it in my YouTube short here:
Back to the EQ, and whilst most of the options sound a bit trash, rock is my preferred option, otherwise you can tweak from there, but above the list of options is a line of text which says 'Hot Sound Effects' and two Chinese words, one of which is highlighted orange. Press on the one to the right, and you're offered a list - 'Default, Gunshots, Human Steps, Explosion, Vehicles and Aircraft'. That's right - they boost the sound of these specific elements in gaming mode to help you hear them easier. What?!!! Maybe this is the norm in gaming buds, but I've never heard anything like it. Fair play QCY for one of the most innovative things I've ever seen in a set of earbuds, something else!!
Battery Life - 8.5/10
One of the best in class TWS, and a very strong performer at this price point. The buds are capable of just under 8 hours on 50-60% volume, music only. This drops to around 7 hours 'real-world' - i.e. occasionally increasing the volume and spending a good amount of that time on calls, which is more battery-intensive for any earbuds. I have been using them for hours and they haven't dropped below 100%. Gaming mode has around a 15-20% impact, and I'd imagine calls the same. 32 hours from the case plus buds is remarkable, they charge quickly, they offer wireless charging, and whilst there is no advertised quick charge, take it from me, they charge quick!
Final Comments
Possibly QCY's strangest ever release. One of my favourite recent earbud releases for comfort, design and ergonomics and gaming buds that go way beyond the usual 'low latency' criteria, with a whole load of features usually reserved for premium releases.
For budget buds, the G1 do all the basics well. My only complaint is the audio has been optimised for gaming - kinda necessary for a gaming bud, but for those looking beyond gaming, there are some areas of improvement - notably in the audio, as you would expect because....they are a gaming bud.
If QCY take this design into future releases, I don't think anybody could be disappointed with that - the ergonomics are nicer than the T13, and even their super-comfy T11. Sure there is no ANC, but passive isolation is excellent. Sound is good enough without troubling audiophile offerings. Calls are good. Battery is excellent. They have wireless charging, a unique case, app support where you can customise everything from the LED's to the preloading of gunshot recognition. It's an impressive package.
I don't know what these buds will retail at but you can bet it will be lower than the Razer and Hecate, and that is once again to QCY's credit - they've smashed it. Sure I got these as a pre-release, but I also got the Tronsmart Battle - and they were not even close to these in any way shape or form.
Not being into E-Sports myself, I can't say for sure whether these will be ideal for everyone, but I can't see how they can possibly improve other than some small things like bigger diagrams on the manuals and removing the beeps in favour of spoken words or subtle sound effects, like 1More do.
This would take QCY into the next echelon - maybe as a business they aren't ready for that, although more recently it appears they may well be, but as a product, they are consistently proving they are. A really top-notch release from the QCY team.
Price Weighted Score: 85%
Raw Score: 78%
instagram: regancipher
QCY Audio Comparison:
QCY Review Inventory:
HT07 Arcbuds
HT05 Melobuds ANC
T20 Ailypods
T18
G1
T17
T16
T13
HT03
T12
T11
About QCY:
Whilst not quite a household name outside of China yet, QCY are well-renowned in the budget TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that, whilst perhaps lacking some of the bells and whistles of the more expensive brands, deliver to the segment of the market where 'good enough is good enough', with solid reliability and tremendous value for money.
Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5), with three of their major customers being brands you will certainly recognise and in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019. In 2020, market research indicated they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor worldwide - no mean feat.
Despite a close relationship with SoC manufactuer Zhuhai Jieli, QCY are not afraid to mix and match components to suit their target market. This often sees a number of releases in quick succession - their T17S are an example of this, released subsequent to the T17, and differentiating with the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 SoC, to support customers who require the added lower latency enabled by the aptX codecs that the Qualcomm chips support. They did a similar thing with the very popular T5, T8 and T9 - nice to see a vendor using an easy to follow naming convention! The G1 use the newest Pixart chip in order to reduce latency - horses for courses!
The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses at a very affordable price - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value from a brand they can trust.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Model: QCY G1
Price: MSRP Approx $49.99
Website: QCY Store, Aliexpress Store
Review Reference: RC061
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: QCY
- Model: G1 / BH21G1AR
- Driver: 10mm Dynamic Driver
- Chipset: Pixart PAU1800X (unclear from the FCC pics)
- Mic: 4, ENC noise reduction, mic amplification and echo cancellation
- ANC: No
- Codecs: AAC, SBC
- App Support: Yes
- Volume Control: Yes, via the QCY app
- Gaming Mode: Yes
- Latency: 40ms (Gaming Mode)
- Earbud Weight: 4.26g
- Earbud Dimensions: 32mm stem length, 22mm depth with nozzle
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 50.70g
- Case Dimensions: 54 - 59mm (length) x 45.7 - 56.7 mm (width) x 23.3 - 29.8mm (height)
- Case Charge Capacity: 450mAh
- Full Charge Time: approx. 90 minutes
- Quick Charge: Not advertised - seems to be supported though
- Wireless Charging: Yes
- Input: 5V 450mA
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 8 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 32 hours
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: Not stated
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual, English & Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the World Exclusive @regancipher review of QCY's new Esports / gaming buds, released this month, with FCC clearance only going through in mid-October!
I was extremely lucky to get hold of an early review model, and to say I'm not disappointed would be an understatement. QCY's stratospheric rise from the ultra-budget T1C, to OEM provider, to all-rounders with a full portfolio of low to mid-range buds of all shapes and sizes is an exciting story of a young but determined sub-company within a behemoth parent company absolutely determined to go places - and with releases coming thick and fast, it is often difficult to see at first where they are going with certain releases. Not so any longer - there are clear lines in the sand over the key attributes, and whilst aimed at the E-Sports market, the G1 will prove popular to many for their array of features that we aren't used to seeing from QCY. Typically they are happy with 'good enough', but this time they've gone the extra mile....read on for more on this surprising, flagship release that signals their intentions for 2022....
Unboxing - 7/10
If there is one area QCY could brush up if they really want to hit the market in a big way, it's the manual. Once again it is a monochrome, folding manual in just English and Chinese, and whilst the idea is clearly for users to scan the QR, use their app and fire over their data (get used to it, it's every TWS app and plenty more), if they want to reach the Russian and Ukraine markets for example, larger diagrammatic visual representations will benefit them far more than saving a few yen on printing a manual commensurate with the quality of the device. Tronsmart have demonstrated this to very good effect, and should be the poster-boy for this kind of approach, as pictures tell a thousand words, as they say.
The tips are grey and actually reasonable quality with thicker inner nozzles than usual. The USB-C cable is in the usual bag.
The Case - 8.5/10
The case is an odd little thing - clearly premium looking with a deeply embossed QCY logo atop a strip light that breaths on and off, kinda like a cross between the Edifier NeoBuds Pro, only less 80's looking, and Hecate GM45 from the same brand.
Despite being shaped strangely like half a mouse - the type you use to navigate a PC, not the ones that get dragged into your living room proudly by a neighbour's cat, it is strangely satisfying from a usability perspective, and actually isn't too shabby in the portability department either.
The front LED glows red whilst on charge, blue when both buds are charging inside the case (or neither, strangely), and red if only one bud is charging in the case. An odd combination, but I'm not gonna argue with it if I find only one of my buds has charged! There is also an LED inside the case, and this also designates charge level - fully charged hits green (apparently), blue is in the middle, red is low. The button below the LED (pictured top left) can be used to display battery (if the case has been open a while) on the above LED or to force into pairing mode, otherwise it will connect to the previously paired device. Hang on - why would the case be open for a while? Well, because it DOESN'T slam shut....a gift and a curse, depending on who you speak to - for me, I love this feature and am always surprised when it is omitted. The buds also feature 'hall switch' mode, allowing them to pair or connect the moment you open the case.
Now since they don't claim to support quick charge, I question whether this is actually reality, as I've been listening for around 2 hours now just with brief charges here and there with no sign of a recharge required. And it never went green when it was charging, so I don't think it arrived with 70% or anything like that. So read into that what you will (I think it does support quick charge, but will defer to QCY for the purposes of the review).
The case is proportioned, with my own measurements, at 54 - 59mm (length) x 45.7 - 56.7 mm (width) x 23.3 - 29.8mm (height). The ranges should be self-explanatory from the top right picture, which clearly shows the half-mouse style design.
The case is not heavy at a shade under 51g fully loaded and supports wireless charging. It has a 'not-quite-rubbery-but-less-slippery' base for stable wireless charging, and wireless charging will be slower than USB-C. Capacity is 450mA and it takes 5v, and the multimeter read pretty close to this, in fact just over. USB-C is on the back - very convenient and a big improvement from the old T10/T11.
The buds have a satisfying click into the cockpit, but it takes some getting used to. Whereas the natural inclination will be to pop them in tip first - don't. They just get confused, and you start questioning your left from your right! Slide stem-first and they just click in no problem.
Everyone loves a family portrait except those in it, but I'm sure the above won't mind. The only ones missing were the HT01 which are in my drawer at work. Yep, we are back in semi-lockdown here in the UK and the HT01 are confined to the office! It gives you an idea of the size compared to the T13.
Ergonomics - 9/10
The G1 are stem-based earbuds that wear diagonally in your ears, following the contour of your jawline. Whilst there is no overt QCY branding, there is some 'Gamer' related text, etched in a light grey against the dark grey backdrop.
QCY have an uncanny knack of producing earbuds that just feel so comfortable. Funnily enough, their most popular, the T13, are probably my least favourite, but only because the T17 are outrageously comfy, and the G1 are the best yet.
The 'breathing light' Blue LED's, which can thankfully be toggled in the app, are actually quite cool for gaming buds. But they aren't the killer feature of the G1. The comfort is off-the-scale! I forgot they were even in my ears like maybe three or four times. I even tried putting earbuds into my ears whilst wearing them. At first they seem really odd to put in your ears, then you realise that actually, it's every other earbud that is odd! These just sit and then twist. And boy do they feel good - they are comfortable all-dayers.
Despite the relatively long stems - 35mm, they aren't by any means obtrusive, and from the front their ergonomic design is clearly evident.
A close up of the buds reveals nothing particularly fancy. Sure, they've bevelled the pogo pins to restrict them touching your skin - that's always nice, especially if you have nickel allergies.
Yep, there's LED's on there (again that can be toggled on and off in the app) but default is on, and blue. There's a large gap at the bottom, likely a mic chamber, although the mic appears to be at the bottom which suggests it's possible for ambient listen-through mode, although it isn't currently an option as would be unlikely due to the absence of ANC. There is a feed-through mic and pressure release gap on the rounded area, and the touch control areas are clearly designated by the change in surface depth.
Sadly, there is no IPX rating, otherwise the G1 would score a perfect ten. QCY, like Huawei, choose not to put their earbuds though the testing process in order to minimize costs. They are expected to be the equivalent to ipx5, but I certainly wouldn't recommend going snorkeling in them.
Audio - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
Audio on the G1 appears to be an afterthought from their marketing material, but unlike previous Pixart buds I've tested (ahem, Boya), and the majority of gaming buds (Hecate, Razer, etc) the G1 aren't bad at all, doubling up as acceptable music companions too.
The G1 has a relatively flat lower frequency response which recesses from 100k, and again stays flat up to 3k, with a warm and balanced bass delivery that offers body without a great deal of punch. The peaks in the mids correlate to the vocal ranges to bring some presence around acoustics, preventing voices from sounding muffled, and the gentle peaks at 3 and 8k try to create the illusion of definition to a relatively soft sounding earbud. The sharp drop-off from around 9k adds to the nature of the warm sound even further.
Despite a relatively flat profile, the G1 doesn't sound overly congested on simplistic tracks. 'Alive and Kicking' by Simple Minds - a straightforward rock track from the 80's - has adequate separation, but feels somewhat constrained, with little space between you and each orchestral component. Perhaps because these are gamers buds? I don't know. It isn't that all tracks sound really warm - 'Bleeding Love' by Leona Lewis sounds pretty much as it does on my more open buds, but on classical or opera you notice the intimacy even more. Even tracks like 'A Little Respect' by Erasure sounds quite two-dimensional, and that certainly wasn't their intention when they created it.
House tracks, on the other hand, sound heavy and side-chain translates surprisingly well. 'Gecko' by Oliver Heldens is all straight down the middle, but tightly engineered. 'All of Me' by John Legend is pleasant and clear, but it sounds like you're listening to it at a wedding rather than in concert. And that kinda sums it up. It isn't that the sound is badly engineered - far from it, it is clear and well-defined. No distortion, no frequency spikes, no nasty surprises - it's just they weren't designed for audiophiles, they were designed for gamers. Nevertheless, despite the buds feeling super comfy, prolonged use can leave you thinking the sound is a bit dull and lifeless, and you'll almost certainly be reaching for your AKG or SGBL's before long.
Soundstage is not linear: wide isn't necessarily good, narrow isn't necessarily bad. It's a personal preference thing. I like a very airy soundstage most of the time - I don't really go to nightclubs these days, I like festivals where the bounce-around of beats and percussion makes you feel like you're at a carnival. The G1 makes you feel more like you're sat in your front room, and for gamers, this situational awareness is no doubt really useful.
The preset EQ's in the app are, as always, horrific. Fortunately, you have a customisable mode, with a ten-bar equaliser (you need all ten) - a slight lift of the lower mids and a tweak of the trebles and you can get a really palatable sound.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 7.5/10
By the time you read this, I'm hoping my YouTube clip will have uploaded, so you can see for yourself, but once again despite no accelerometers, no fancy AI algorithms, etc....QCY have still once again delivered a perfectly usable set of earbuds that don't skimp on call quality.
Outdoors, the volume can spike a little, but traffic and fire engines were dulled quite significantly - you can hear something, but it's a big step over what we were testing out last year. Your voice can still sound quite over-processed, but every word is very clear. The performance was very similar to the excellent QCY T17, but not quite as natural.
Compared to the Omthing Airfree, your voice sounds less natural but on that model - it is far more difficult to hear every word and environmental sound is far more prevalent. Compared to the Tronsmart Onyx Prime, environmental sound is more obvious, but the spikes in your voice are less bassy so you sound less muffled.
Overall QCY have done another superb job of delivering excellent call quality in this price bracket.
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 8/10
QCY often take a no-frills approach to their releases, limiting the number of needless features in favour of a lower price tag, but the G1 have managed to dig practically every specification sheet out here and pack feature after feature into these little pocket rockets.
Firstly, whilst the controls don't allow you to change the volume out of the box, this can be customised via the QCY app. Out of the box, double taps play/pause and answer/end calls, holding left and right skips track back and forward respectively (and ignores call). Triple left tap hails voice assistant, and right tap gaming mode, which brings latency down to a stupid level - not only can you can expect lipsync on YouTube, especially as AAC is the focus codec here, gaming is actually acceptable - only the Razer Hammerhead have come close to this level of latency on PUBG. Be aware it will drain the battery, so try not to keep it on unless absolutely necessary.
The audible beeps which tell you your 'taps' are doing something are on par with the T16 in volume - loud enough without blowing your eardrums, but lack the finesse of the spoken word of Tronsmart or Elevoc, for example (another area of improvement, such a shame their biggest market doesn't speak English!).
Using the Pixart chip, the Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity is very stable and the distance extraordinary - I can go almost 20m line of sight. In the same week as I tested the choppy and flakey Elevoc Clear, the T13 stood up to strenuous testing, only dropping out at beyond the marketed 10m, and the G1 smashed both models - I was literally down the street before they disconnected.
Wireless charging is a first for QCY, and whilst I don't use it personally, it will be attractive to many. Codecs-wise, we've got SBC and AAC - there are no hi-def codecs sadly.
The QCY app is discussed in previous reviews (see the bottom of the review) but a welcome addition at this price point, and it is worth mentioning that whilst the buds aren't yet selectable in the Android app, they are in IOS, and they offer two features just below 'Gaming Mode' that aren't explained in the manual - 'Sleeping Mode' and 'LED'. LED turns the LED off altogether (it goes off when media is playing anyway) - 'Sleeping Mode' - well, who knows. Maybe they automatically switch into standby when no media plays after a while. Nevertheless, whatever it is, I'm sure QCY will fill us in in due course. The app has matured nicely since those early reviews - you get a brief glimpse of it in my YouTube short here:
Back to the EQ, and whilst most of the options sound a bit trash, rock is my preferred option, otherwise you can tweak from there, but above the list of options is a line of text which says 'Hot Sound Effects' and two Chinese words, one of which is highlighted orange. Press on the one to the right, and you're offered a list - 'Default, Gunshots, Human Steps, Explosion, Vehicles and Aircraft'. That's right - they boost the sound of these specific elements in gaming mode to help you hear them easier. What?!!! Maybe this is the norm in gaming buds, but I've never heard anything like it. Fair play QCY for one of the most innovative things I've ever seen in a set of earbuds, something else!!
Battery Life - 8.5/10
One of the best in class TWS, and a very strong performer at this price point. The buds are capable of just under 8 hours on 50-60% volume, music only. This drops to around 7 hours 'real-world' - i.e. occasionally increasing the volume and spending a good amount of that time on calls, which is more battery-intensive for any earbuds. I have been using them for hours and they haven't dropped below 100%. Gaming mode has around a 15-20% impact, and I'd imagine calls the same. 32 hours from the case plus buds is remarkable, they charge quickly, they offer wireless charging, and whilst there is no advertised quick charge, take it from me, they charge quick!
Final Comments
Possibly QCY's strangest ever release. One of my favourite recent earbud releases for comfort, design and ergonomics and gaming buds that go way beyond the usual 'low latency' criteria, with a whole load of features usually reserved for premium releases.
For budget buds, the G1 do all the basics well. My only complaint is the audio has been optimised for gaming - kinda necessary for a gaming bud, but for those looking beyond gaming, there are some areas of improvement - notably in the audio, as you would expect because....they are a gaming bud.
If QCY take this design into future releases, I don't think anybody could be disappointed with that - the ergonomics are nicer than the T13, and even their super-comfy T11. Sure there is no ANC, but passive isolation is excellent. Sound is good enough without troubling audiophile offerings. Calls are good. Battery is excellent. They have wireless charging, a unique case, app support where you can customise everything from the LED's to the preloading of gunshot recognition. It's an impressive package.
I don't know what these buds will retail at but you can bet it will be lower than the Razer and Hecate, and that is once again to QCY's credit - they've smashed it. Sure I got these as a pre-release, but I also got the Tronsmart Battle - and they were not even close to these in any way shape or form.
Not being into E-Sports myself, I can't say for sure whether these will be ideal for everyone, but I can't see how they can possibly improve other than some small things like bigger diagrams on the manuals and removing the beeps in favour of spoken words or subtle sound effects, like 1More do.
This would take QCY into the next echelon - maybe as a business they aren't ready for that, although more recently it appears they may well be, but as a product, they are consistently proving they are. A really top-notch release from the QCY team.
Price Weighted Score: 85%
Raw Score: 78%
instagram: regancipher
QCY Audio Comparison:
QCY Review Inventory:
HT07 Arcbuds
HT05 Melobuds ANC
T20 Ailypods
T18
G1
T17
T16
T13
HT03
T12
T11
About QCY:
Whilst not quite a household name outside of China yet, QCY are well-renowned in the budget TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that, whilst perhaps lacking some of the bells and whistles of the more expensive brands, deliver to the segment of the market where 'good enough is good enough', with solid reliability and tremendous value for money.
Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5), with three of their major customers being brands you will certainly recognise and in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019. In 2020, market research indicated they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor worldwide - no mean feat.
Despite a close relationship with SoC manufactuer Zhuhai Jieli, QCY are not afraid to mix and match components to suit their target market. This often sees a number of releases in quick succession - their T17S are an example of this, released subsequent to the T17, and differentiating with the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 SoC, to support customers who require the added lower latency enabled by the aptX codecs that the Qualcomm chips support. They did a similar thing with the very popular T5, T8 and T9 - nice to see a vendor using an easy to follow naming convention! The G1 use the newest Pixart chip in order to reduce latency - horses for courses!
The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses at a very affordable price - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value from a brand they can trust.
RC060
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Model: SoundPEATS T3
Price: MSRP Approx $39.99 - currently £27.99 at Amazon UK
Website: SoundPEATS
Review Reference: RC060
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual, English, French, Chinese, Japanese
3 x Pairs Eartips
1 x Warranty Card
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the Regancipher review of the SoundPEATS T3. I've had these for a while, so my datapoints are much longer than other earbuds. That will probably result in a slightly more critical review, unfortunately for SoundPEATS!
First things first, there are some very confusing reviews going around, such as Gamesky's review of the T3, which have failed to grasp the direction of SoundPEATS product range. SoundPEATS are currently revamping all of their portfolio, so a lot of new 5.2 chip-based products are coming in to replace the Realtek 5.0 chip products from 2018-2020. The T3 shouldn't be looked upon as an upgrade to the T2, so don't judge them that way - they are an upgrade from the Q or TrueCapsule.
Also, it is confusing to critisize them for having weak ANC compared to the T2 - they are a totally different form factor and chipset, and not even advertising stronger ANC anyway. Plus, if you don't know what's coming next - maybe SoundPEATS also have a full hybrid ANC stem-based product released soon too, in the same way Tronsmart released the Apollo Air and Onyx Apex at the same time - then it might make more sense. So these factors need to be taken into consideration - don't believe every review on YouTube, no matter how accomplished the reviewer is (and how many followers they have).
To summarise, here is how I see their range progression:
At the top, you have some of the early products like the TrueShift, TrueFree and TrueWings. These products were early Realtek chip (mostly) Bluetooth 5.0 releases, that have simply been overtaken by technology. To replace them, SoundPEATS have expanded their range laterally rather than direct like-for-likes, adding three mid-tier equivalents - the T2 (button-style with ANC and Bluetooth 5.1), the Mini (Bluetooth 5.2, Elevoc AI, Great Battery) and the Sonic range, which kinda traverses the TrueEngine and the aforementioned trio, adding aptX-adaptive, Bluetooth 5.2 and great battery, but sticking to dynamic drivers only.
The TrueEngine 3SE, still great buds, are more simple to map - they have been superseded across a slow transition by the H1 and H1 Premium. I've put them on the far side, as they would represent SoundPEATS' 'Top Tier'. Both sides are hybrid driver, nothing too complicated there.
The older stem-based in-ear offerings, the Q and TrueCapsule, were superseded by the T3, which added ANC and Bluetooth 5.2. Then they also added the H2, the dual-driver (but non ANC) BT 5.2 traversal.
The semi-in-ear evolution is easier to follow. The TrueAir2 are seeing a slow obsolescence, replaced by the TrueAir2+ and Air3, which added wireless charging and a smaller case respectively.
Hopefully this preamble provides more clarity on the SoundPEATS journey - note, this is just my interpretation, and is not from SoundPEATS themselves.
The Unboxing - 7/10
It's the usual fare with SoundPEATS here - an image of the same poor girl wearing the buds on one side, and on the other the three key features - ANC, call quality and battery life.
In terms of what you get in the box, there's nothing much to add here either - it's a manual in the usual European and Asian languages (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and Simplified Chinese), a charge case, a charge cable (type-C) and three sets of tips.
The Case - 7/10
I've seen some criticism in some reviews about the case, and I'm not really sure why or what people expect, but I'll add that SoundPEATS have gone for durability over portability, and perhaps that's the key driver for the critique. It measures around 5.5cm squared, and 3cm in thickness, and this thickness prohibits it from realistically being popped in your jeans pocket in the same way the QCY T13 could, for example. The USB connector is on the side, which no doubt facilitates the handy LED light on the front which denotes the level of remaining charge - Green is above 50%, amber is 49-10%, and red means find your cable quick.
Whilst the size is subjecting the case to some minor grumbles, it should be added that it isn't hugely bigger than the TrueAir2 nor SGBL, it just sticks out a bit. The finish is, like the TrueAir2, matte, although more charcoal grey than black, and the logo is screen printed rather than etched. The case can scuff up pretty easily and go shiny in parts, so it's definitely no looker - although to be fair, neither was that of the TA2.
The hinge is fairly robust given it's relatively small size, and single handed operation is possible - there is a small, thumbnail-sized lip which allows you to flip the case open and then prize the first bud away from it's very heavily magnetised pogo-pin connection to the cockpit, which is also pretty robust and has a raised staging area which denotes the left and right hand side, and adds to the grey line around the edge which makes it slightly less generic-looking.
At 47g it's not especially light nor heavy, so realistically this is one for the bag rather than the pocket.
It only charges the buds an additional two times, due to the low charge capacity. This is a little disappointing for the size.
Ergonomics - 8/10
One of my common complaints with SoundPEATS buds is the ergonomics, but once again they have got it right with their newer releases - the T3 are comfy for prolonged use, and that's not something that can often be levelled at stem-based designs. From the side they look a lot like the Q, from the front there is very little protrusion.
The inner side of the bud has pogo pins on the bit that faces your skin, and there is no bevel - so beware, if you suffer nickel allergies, this may be problematic. The 10mm drivers are housed in a circular nozzle, and the overall extension depth is 25mm. This, combined with a nicely curved design, makes them really comfy from the off. Close to the nozzle is the pressure relief chamber / FF mic, and it is the feedthrough mic which provides the ANC - more on this later.
As you saw in the case section, the other side has a very nicely shaped and proportioned section for initiating touch controls, which are accurate and intuitive.
The rounded-style is slightly reminiscent of the Neobuds Pro from Edifier (second in from the right), but is probably closest to the Tronsmart Onyx Apex- also Feedthrough ANC only, and at 33mm in stem length, proportionally they're similar, although they feel slightly longer.
The reverse shows that they're angled more like the Tronsmart Apollo Air, and just this tiny deviation in angle probably helps with their overall comfort and longevity.
The buds weigh 4.74g (spookily, 1/10th of the case weight!). This again adds to the really nice ergonomics by being neither too heavy, nor too light.
On the negative side, they are pretty ugly, with a generic matte finish not differentiating them in any way from your average cheap earbuds on Amazon, and it is this area I feel SoundPEATS will really have to work on to progress, as they've gone backwards a bit of late from the attractive, albeit flawed, Sonic.
Audio Quality - 7/10 (for the price paid), 6.5/10 (raw score)
I've been using the T3 for a good few weeks now, and can't quite put my finger on why, but they can veer from engaging and full bodied to distant and somewhat incidental from one track to the next.
I've seen some reviews describing them as bright - one even remarked they were too bright, with distinct sibilance. I found them quite the opposite - high hats and kick drums seemed to lack dynamism or punch, which is fine if you're just listening in the background whilst doing some work, but not so much when you want to listen to music exclusively. Like the T2, you get the impression it was the last thing on their mind - a reflection of the widening utility of earbuds these days.
With the final few episodes of La Casa de Papel (or Money Heist as we know it outside Spain) approaching, I gave Cecilia Krull's 'My Life is Going On' a blast. Sure, the vocal is brought to the front, and the shakers have some texture, but the rest of the percussive elements are quite muddy and lack clarity. The same track through the Tronsmart Onyx Prime, for example, has a really nicely defined fast bassline, punchier kick, and the strings and ukulele are far more apparent. It's a similar thing with the Edifier NeoBuds Pro, which has a slightly unnatural but providing better instrument clarity elevated mid-range. Even the similarly-priced QCY has far more orchestral depth, a more natural timbre and a vastly superior soundstage.
Mostly the problem with the T3 is present with heavily percussive tracks, with lots of detail getting lost in the middle. Lower frequencies are fine and reasonably well presented, and some tracks even thrived - I listened to Caruso by Pavarotti and it had a nice 'big room' live-sound to it. Sure, the gasps and instrument drops weren't as prominent, but the sound isn't as bad as it could be - it is clear the T3 just isn't designed to flex in the audiophile zone.
Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors - 6.5/10
Just OK. Indoors you sound clear and legible although you can come across boomy, and it is easily possible to use them for a quick chat or a Zoom/Teams call, which is where they thrive, with more body added to your voice than most earbuds, which try too hard at times to compress background sound that isn't there.
In fact, even outdoors they performed quite well - prominent background sounds are adequately nullified, and calls on your commute are not too much of a chore - although you can sound a little robotic and at times over-emphasized to the point of boomy distortion, it certainly isn't impossible to have a conversation.
The T3 were featured in my indoor mic test extravaganza here:
And also my outdoor mic test here:
ANC - 7/10
I've read some bad reviews about the ANC on the T3, but I'd like to counter that actually, I think it is pretty good. On a scale of Edifier NeoBuds Pro and Elevoc Clear (front runners) to Omthing Airfree 2 (non-existent) it is definitely closer to the former than the latter.
Firstly, SoundPEATS make it very clear in their marketing material that they only reduce up to 24dB. Given a busy street is often between 50-80dB it follows that you're going to hear 'something'. And outdoors, whilst they do struggle a little, as you would expect, with a good fit, is it THAT much worse than, for example, the 1More Comfobuds Pro at three times the price? I don't think so.
Indoors they cut out fans, PC noise and even keyboard taps quite well. Just like with the Tronsmart Onyx Apex, it's not market-leading, and neither do they claim it to be, but it is a happy workaround for the issue many vendors seem to be suffering now, which is feedback through the other mic. I've witnessed this on SoundPEATS, Tronsmart and even Huawei buds recently - so this is a good get out of jail free card for vendors, and I certainly wouldn't leave the T3 behind if I needed a set that cut out background noise - they're maybe not hitting SoundPEATS high standards in other areas, but that's the price you pay when you become a victim of your own success I suppose.
Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 6/10
Connectivity is seemingly fine. The buds advertise EATT (Enhanced Attribute Protocol) which is an improvement on GATT (Generic Attribute Protocol). To cut through the jargon, it reduces race conditions and improves latency, and this was clearly evident on the T3, with lip sync on anything I threw at them.
Controls are the usual Soundpeats scheme (see the previous page) and this is definitely a good thing, as there is no app to remap them. Yes, as always, you can control volume.
There is no quick charge, which is particularly annoying, and no app support.
Battery Life - 6/10
I got a disappointing 3 hours 45 minutes first time around, with ANC on, continuous music, around 60% volume and a lot of Zoom calls. Over the course of the two week testing period I was hitting closer to 4.5 hours, and this is in-keeping with most of my other buds too, which over-advertise and under-deliver. The problem is the charge case providing only 16.5 hours worth of playtime - they will end up back on charge a fair bit.
On a brighter note, they do not leak charge when on standby like some of my other buds do. There is no wireless charging - it's USB-C only.
Summary
SoundPEATS have set themselves an impossibly high bar to maintain now, and it is hard not to feel sorry for them that this release has come under unfair criticism, despite being, on the face of it, a credible upgrade to the Q, adding ANC at a very affordable price.
SoundPEATS have tried to focus their attentions with this release on good connectivity, good call quality, decent ANC and good controls, and they fulfill all of those requirements easily, but the lack of quick charge (and overall disappointing battery life), beefy case and uncharacteristically disappointing audio means their use-cases are rather narrow.
At £27.99 current price, the T3 are still very good value, and a dose of reality is required at times. SoundPEATS will be back with another addition to the portfolio at a higher price that WILL do all of the things we were hoping the T3 would do, and the T3 will enjoy decent market share, especially in the Amazon-centric countries, where a low-cost ANC bud may be the consumer's number one priority.
If you're a Soundpeats disciple coming from the Q or TrueCapsule, and are looking for an upgrade that doesn't cost the earth, the T3 are a credible option. If you're looking at SoundPEATS to disrupt this segment of the market in the same way the H1 and TrueAir2+ did, then you'll be disappointed, because that was never their intention. That said, it's perhaps time for Soundpeats to be looking over their shoulders: Earfun are dropping their prices and QCY are improving their quality. All Tronsmart need to do is buck up their ideas in hitting the mass market and suddenly they will have to drive the market, instead of 'me too' releases like the T3.
Price Weighted Score: 79%
Raw Score: 73%
instagram: regancipher
SoundPEATS Review Inventory:
SoundPEATS T3
SoundPEATS Mini
SoundPEATS Air3
SoundPEATS TrueAir2+
SoundPEATS TrueAir 2
SoundPEATS H1
SoundPEATS T2
SoundPEATS Sonic
About SoundPEATS:
SoundPEATS seem to have become an overnight sensation, wiping up a large portion of budget TWS earbud market share with a business model that has served them (and Anker before them) exceptionally well - good distribution channels (via Amazon), good support, a catchy name and product that performs well at a very competitive price point. In reality, they have been around a long time - whilst Shenzhen SoundSOUL IT Co LTD is a different trading name to Ginto E-Commerce, they share the same business address (including room number) as them - you may know their brand name better as Dudios. With Dudios not sounding quite so cool as Soundpeats, maybe the brand transition has been instrumental in their success, but having been around since 2010 and patents in Bluetooth tech stretching back to 2015, they are not the plucky upstarts that some may think - they know their stuff, have a great network of contacts, and now a very solid brand in Europe, and deservedly so.
The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them my favourite budget earbud vendor, is that they are completely transparent over their components. Whether they use Realtek, Qualcomm or Airoha chips in their buds, they are totally open about it, and as a reviewer this really helps, because whilst I have, and do, dismantle buds to check the way that certain things have been implemented (such as the power management, mems mics, etc) and I really don't like having to do it with every set of earbuds, because they then become unusable.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Model: SoundPEATS T3
Price: MSRP Approx $39.99 - currently £27.99 at Amazon UK
Website: SoundPEATS
Review Reference: RC060
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: SoundPEATS
- Model: T3
- Driver: 10mm Dynamic Driver
- Chipset: BES 2500 IZ
- Mic: 4, ENC
- ANC: Yes, up to 24dB
- Volume Control: Yes
- Codecs: AAC, SBC
- Earbud Weight: 5g
- Earbud Dimensions: 33mm stem length, 25.35mm depth with nozzle
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 47.4g
- Case Dimensions: 54mm width, 54mm depth, 30mm height
- Case Charge Capacity: 330mAh
- Full Charge Time: 120 minutes
- Quick Charge: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Input: 5V 400mA
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 4/5.5 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 16.5 hours
- App Support: No
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: IPX4
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual, English, French, Chinese, Japanese
3 x Pairs Eartips
1 x Warranty Card
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the Regancipher review of the SoundPEATS T3. I've had these for a while, so my datapoints are much longer than other earbuds. That will probably result in a slightly more critical review, unfortunately for SoundPEATS!
First things first, there are some very confusing reviews going around, such as Gamesky's review of the T3, which have failed to grasp the direction of SoundPEATS product range. SoundPEATS are currently revamping all of their portfolio, so a lot of new 5.2 chip-based products are coming in to replace the Realtek 5.0 chip products from 2018-2020. The T3 shouldn't be looked upon as an upgrade to the T2, so don't judge them that way - they are an upgrade from the Q or TrueCapsule.
Also, it is confusing to critisize them for having weak ANC compared to the T2 - they are a totally different form factor and chipset, and not even advertising stronger ANC anyway. Plus, if you don't know what's coming next - maybe SoundPEATS also have a full hybrid ANC stem-based product released soon too, in the same way Tronsmart released the Apollo Air and Onyx Apex at the same time - then it might make more sense. So these factors need to be taken into consideration - don't believe every review on YouTube, no matter how accomplished the reviewer is (and how many followers they have).
To summarise, here is how I see their range progression:
At the top, you have some of the early products like the TrueShift, TrueFree and TrueWings. These products were early Realtek chip (mostly) Bluetooth 5.0 releases, that have simply been overtaken by technology. To replace them, SoundPEATS have expanded their range laterally rather than direct like-for-likes, adding three mid-tier equivalents - the T2 (button-style with ANC and Bluetooth 5.1), the Mini (Bluetooth 5.2, Elevoc AI, Great Battery) and the Sonic range, which kinda traverses the TrueEngine and the aforementioned trio, adding aptX-adaptive, Bluetooth 5.2 and great battery, but sticking to dynamic drivers only.
The TrueEngine 3SE, still great buds, are more simple to map - they have been superseded across a slow transition by the H1 and H1 Premium. I've put them on the far side, as they would represent SoundPEATS' 'Top Tier'. Both sides are hybrid driver, nothing too complicated there.
The older stem-based in-ear offerings, the Q and TrueCapsule, were superseded by the T3, which added ANC and Bluetooth 5.2. Then they also added the H2, the dual-driver (but non ANC) BT 5.2 traversal.
The semi-in-ear evolution is easier to follow. The TrueAir2 are seeing a slow obsolescence, replaced by the TrueAir2+ and Air3, which added wireless charging and a smaller case respectively.
Hopefully this preamble provides more clarity on the SoundPEATS journey - note, this is just my interpretation, and is not from SoundPEATS themselves.
The Unboxing - 7/10
It's the usual fare with SoundPEATS here - an image of the same poor girl wearing the buds on one side, and on the other the three key features - ANC, call quality and battery life.
In terms of what you get in the box, there's nothing much to add here either - it's a manual in the usual European and Asian languages (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and Simplified Chinese), a charge case, a charge cable (type-C) and three sets of tips.
The Case - 7/10
I've seen some criticism in some reviews about the case, and I'm not really sure why or what people expect, but I'll add that SoundPEATS have gone for durability over portability, and perhaps that's the key driver for the critique. It measures around 5.5cm squared, and 3cm in thickness, and this thickness prohibits it from realistically being popped in your jeans pocket in the same way the QCY T13 could, for example. The USB connector is on the side, which no doubt facilitates the handy LED light on the front which denotes the level of remaining charge - Green is above 50%, amber is 49-10%, and red means find your cable quick.
Whilst the size is subjecting the case to some minor grumbles, it should be added that it isn't hugely bigger than the TrueAir2 nor SGBL, it just sticks out a bit. The finish is, like the TrueAir2, matte, although more charcoal grey than black, and the logo is screen printed rather than etched. The case can scuff up pretty easily and go shiny in parts, so it's definitely no looker - although to be fair, neither was that of the TA2.
The hinge is fairly robust given it's relatively small size, and single handed operation is possible - there is a small, thumbnail-sized lip which allows you to flip the case open and then prize the first bud away from it's very heavily magnetised pogo-pin connection to the cockpit, which is also pretty robust and has a raised staging area which denotes the left and right hand side, and adds to the grey line around the edge which makes it slightly less generic-looking.
At 47g it's not especially light nor heavy, so realistically this is one for the bag rather than the pocket.
It only charges the buds an additional two times, due to the low charge capacity. This is a little disappointing for the size.
Ergonomics - 8/10
One of my common complaints with SoundPEATS buds is the ergonomics, but once again they have got it right with their newer releases - the T3 are comfy for prolonged use, and that's not something that can often be levelled at stem-based designs. From the side they look a lot like the Q, from the front there is very little protrusion.
The inner side of the bud has pogo pins on the bit that faces your skin, and there is no bevel - so beware, if you suffer nickel allergies, this may be problematic. The 10mm drivers are housed in a circular nozzle, and the overall extension depth is 25mm. This, combined with a nicely curved design, makes them really comfy from the off. Close to the nozzle is the pressure relief chamber / FF mic, and it is the feedthrough mic which provides the ANC - more on this later.
As you saw in the case section, the other side has a very nicely shaped and proportioned section for initiating touch controls, which are accurate and intuitive.
The rounded-style is slightly reminiscent of the Neobuds Pro from Edifier (second in from the right), but is probably closest to the Tronsmart Onyx Apex- also Feedthrough ANC only, and at 33mm in stem length, proportionally they're similar, although they feel slightly longer.
The reverse shows that they're angled more like the Tronsmart Apollo Air, and just this tiny deviation in angle probably helps with their overall comfort and longevity.
The buds weigh 4.74g (spookily, 1/10th of the case weight!). This again adds to the really nice ergonomics by being neither too heavy, nor too light.
On the negative side, they are pretty ugly, with a generic matte finish not differentiating them in any way from your average cheap earbuds on Amazon, and it is this area I feel SoundPEATS will really have to work on to progress, as they've gone backwards a bit of late from the attractive, albeit flawed, Sonic.
Audio Quality - 7/10 (for the price paid), 6.5/10 (raw score)
I've been using the T3 for a good few weeks now, and can't quite put my finger on why, but they can veer from engaging and full bodied to distant and somewhat incidental from one track to the next.
I've seen some reviews describing them as bright - one even remarked they were too bright, with distinct sibilance. I found them quite the opposite - high hats and kick drums seemed to lack dynamism or punch, which is fine if you're just listening in the background whilst doing some work, but not so much when you want to listen to music exclusively. Like the T2, you get the impression it was the last thing on their mind - a reflection of the widening utility of earbuds these days.
With the final few episodes of La Casa de Papel (or Money Heist as we know it outside Spain) approaching, I gave Cecilia Krull's 'My Life is Going On' a blast. Sure, the vocal is brought to the front, and the shakers have some texture, but the rest of the percussive elements are quite muddy and lack clarity. The same track through the Tronsmart Onyx Prime, for example, has a really nicely defined fast bassline, punchier kick, and the strings and ukulele are far more apparent. It's a similar thing with the Edifier NeoBuds Pro, which has a slightly unnatural but providing better instrument clarity elevated mid-range. Even the similarly-priced QCY has far more orchestral depth, a more natural timbre and a vastly superior soundstage.
Mostly the problem with the T3 is present with heavily percussive tracks, with lots of detail getting lost in the middle. Lower frequencies are fine and reasonably well presented, and some tracks even thrived - I listened to Caruso by Pavarotti and it had a nice 'big room' live-sound to it. Sure, the gasps and instrument drops weren't as prominent, but the sound isn't as bad as it could be - it is clear the T3 just isn't designed to flex in the audiophile zone.
Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors - 6.5/10
Just OK. Indoors you sound clear and legible although you can come across boomy, and it is easily possible to use them for a quick chat or a Zoom/Teams call, which is where they thrive, with more body added to your voice than most earbuds, which try too hard at times to compress background sound that isn't there.
In fact, even outdoors they performed quite well - prominent background sounds are adequately nullified, and calls on your commute are not too much of a chore - although you can sound a little robotic and at times over-emphasized to the point of boomy distortion, it certainly isn't impossible to have a conversation.
The T3 were featured in my indoor mic test extravaganza here:
And also my outdoor mic test here:
ANC - 7/10
I've read some bad reviews about the ANC on the T3, but I'd like to counter that actually, I think it is pretty good. On a scale of Edifier NeoBuds Pro and Elevoc Clear (front runners) to Omthing Airfree 2 (non-existent) it is definitely closer to the former than the latter.
Firstly, SoundPEATS make it very clear in their marketing material that they only reduce up to 24dB. Given a busy street is often between 50-80dB it follows that you're going to hear 'something'. And outdoors, whilst they do struggle a little, as you would expect, with a good fit, is it THAT much worse than, for example, the 1More Comfobuds Pro at three times the price? I don't think so.
Indoors they cut out fans, PC noise and even keyboard taps quite well. Just like with the Tronsmart Onyx Apex, it's not market-leading, and neither do they claim it to be, but it is a happy workaround for the issue many vendors seem to be suffering now, which is feedback through the other mic. I've witnessed this on SoundPEATS, Tronsmart and even Huawei buds recently - so this is a good get out of jail free card for vendors, and I certainly wouldn't leave the T3 behind if I needed a set that cut out background noise - they're maybe not hitting SoundPEATS high standards in other areas, but that's the price you pay when you become a victim of your own success I suppose.
Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 6/10
Connectivity is seemingly fine. The buds advertise EATT (Enhanced Attribute Protocol) which is an improvement on GATT (Generic Attribute Protocol). To cut through the jargon, it reduces race conditions and improves latency, and this was clearly evident on the T3, with lip sync on anything I threw at them.
Controls are the usual Soundpeats scheme (see the previous page) and this is definitely a good thing, as there is no app to remap them. Yes, as always, you can control volume.
There is no quick charge, which is particularly annoying, and no app support.
Battery Life - 6/10
I got a disappointing 3 hours 45 minutes first time around, with ANC on, continuous music, around 60% volume and a lot of Zoom calls. Over the course of the two week testing period I was hitting closer to 4.5 hours, and this is in-keeping with most of my other buds too, which over-advertise and under-deliver. The problem is the charge case providing only 16.5 hours worth of playtime - they will end up back on charge a fair bit.
On a brighter note, they do not leak charge when on standby like some of my other buds do. There is no wireless charging - it's USB-C only.
Summary
SoundPEATS have set themselves an impossibly high bar to maintain now, and it is hard not to feel sorry for them that this release has come under unfair criticism, despite being, on the face of it, a credible upgrade to the Q, adding ANC at a very affordable price.
SoundPEATS have tried to focus their attentions with this release on good connectivity, good call quality, decent ANC and good controls, and they fulfill all of those requirements easily, but the lack of quick charge (and overall disappointing battery life), beefy case and uncharacteristically disappointing audio means their use-cases are rather narrow.
At £27.99 current price, the T3 are still very good value, and a dose of reality is required at times. SoundPEATS will be back with another addition to the portfolio at a higher price that WILL do all of the things we were hoping the T3 would do, and the T3 will enjoy decent market share, especially in the Amazon-centric countries, where a low-cost ANC bud may be the consumer's number one priority.
If you're a Soundpeats disciple coming from the Q or TrueCapsule, and are looking for an upgrade that doesn't cost the earth, the T3 are a credible option. If you're looking at SoundPEATS to disrupt this segment of the market in the same way the H1 and TrueAir2+ did, then you'll be disappointed, because that was never their intention. That said, it's perhaps time for Soundpeats to be looking over their shoulders: Earfun are dropping their prices and QCY are improving their quality. All Tronsmart need to do is buck up their ideas in hitting the mass market and suddenly they will have to drive the market, instead of 'me too' releases like the T3.
Price Weighted Score: 79%
Raw Score: 73%
instagram: regancipher
SoundPEATS Review Inventory:
SoundPEATS T3
SoundPEATS Mini
SoundPEATS Air3
SoundPEATS TrueAir2+
SoundPEATS TrueAir 2
SoundPEATS H1
SoundPEATS T2
SoundPEATS Sonic
About SoundPEATS:
SoundPEATS seem to have become an overnight sensation, wiping up a large portion of budget TWS earbud market share with a business model that has served them (and Anker before them) exceptionally well - good distribution channels (via Amazon), good support, a catchy name and product that performs well at a very competitive price point. In reality, they have been around a long time - whilst Shenzhen SoundSOUL IT Co LTD is a different trading name to Ginto E-Commerce, they share the same business address (including room number) as them - you may know their brand name better as Dudios. With Dudios not sounding quite so cool as Soundpeats, maybe the brand transition has been instrumental in their success, but having been around since 2010 and patents in Bluetooth tech stretching back to 2015, they are not the plucky upstarts that some may think - they know their stuff, have a great network of contacts, and now a very solid brand in Europe, and deservedly so.
The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them my favourite budget earbud vendor, is that they are completely transparent over their components. Whether they use Realtek, Qualcomm or Airoha chips in their buds, they are totally open about it, and as a reviewer this really helps, because whilst I have, and do, dismantle buds to check the way that certain things have been implemented (such as the power management, mems mics, etc) and I really don't like having to do it with every set of earbuds, because they then become unusable.
RC059
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Model: Elevoc Clear
Price: MSRP Approx $129.99 - I paid $59.99 via Indiegogo
Website: Elevoc
Review Reference: RC059
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual, English, French, Chinese, Japanese
7 x Pairs Eartips
1 x Warranty Card
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the @regancipher review of one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of the year, at least for those who value strong call quality, the Elevoc Clear.
Daxiangshengke Technology, or Elevoc as they are known in the West, have one key differentiator: Calls. With the growing number of scenarios whereby TWS are used today, calls are increasingly important to many users. Qualcomm's cVc and MEMS mic array combination is inconsistent in its application and doesn't quite cut the mustard when you're out on a windy day and there's families, traffic and splashes all disturbing your attempt to call work and tell them you're running late or send your 30th voice note of the day. So Elevoc took things a step further - as well as the 6-mic array we've come to expect, they've used a number of AI algorithms with a trained deep-learning CASA (Computational Auditory Scene Analysis) model in conjunction with hardware accelerometers in order to separate human and background noise real-time more efficiently and effectively, at least that's the aim.
This is the third set of buds I've reviewed with this technology - Taotronics SoundLiberty 80 were the first, then the SoundPEATS Mini. Oppo used it in the M31 and Q1, Edifier in the Lollipods Pro and DreamPods, and Boltune in their BT-BH023, however this is the first to use the both the hardware and software in tandem - so I was expecting and eagerly awaiting revolution over evolution.....and I wasn't disappointed, but as always, there is a compromise....
Unboxing - 8/10
Unboxing the Elevoc Clear isn't disappointing. With most of the key features highlighted on the front and back, inside you get a manual, strangely in English, French, Japanese and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional). The manual is easy enough to read, with large diagrams accompanying clear text instructions.
The buds also come with 7 sets of eartips - as well as the ones already on the buds, you get an assortment of different sizes. Sadly the comfiest, the flatter ones on the top, are also the least effective at active noise cancellation, but at least it gives you some options.
The Case - 8.5/10
Another really nice feature of the Clear is the case. Whilst difficult to show in pictures, it has a pleasant, rubberised finish that allows you to slide off scratches with your thumb, making it look as good as new again in seconds.
The back of the case shows a large, robust hinge and a nice metallic lip around the edge of the lid that provides the traction to flip the case open. On the bottom (not pictured) you get a USB-C port, rest/pairing button and four LED lights. Holding the button for 5 seconds initiates pairing - around 10 seconds for reset. The lights are multi-functional - when charging, each light denotes a quarter of capable charge from left to right. when pairing, the first two then second two will flash intermittently for a few seconds. It is discrete and very effective, and adds to a really impressive veneer.
The case capacity is 600mAh - large for TWS, but still, you're looking at a two-hour full charge, and there is some quick charge function, although it isn't stated in the accompanying marketing material.
Aside from looking and feeling good, the Clear is also very portable - just 6cm wide, around 5cm high and around 2.5cm in depth, and just 55g. This is about what I would expect of quality earbuds, and is around the same weight as the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live case.
Ergonomics - 6.5/10
The Elevoc Clear look the part that's for sure. With a metallic silver outer finish, they look premium. The Elevoc logo sits below a chamber for noise reduction and ventillation, and the pogo pins reside at the bottom, keeping contact away from your skin.
Zooming out, we see the Clear have a familiar shape - similar to the OnePlus Buds Pro and QCY T11, they protrude quite far - the nozzle length brings their overall depth to over 25mm, and unfortunately, this can leave them feeling very uncomfortable when you use them for a long time. I had to switch to latex tips, as the discomfort was too much to bear, as whilst the flatter of the supplied tips were fine, you lose the benefit of strong ANC. With the longer tips ANC is better, but discomfort increases. It is a shame as a slightly shorter nozzle would have made all the difference - the Edifier NeoBuds Pro, for example, get this aspect spot on.
Comparing to some of their contemporaries, the QCY HT03 retain good ANC even with shorter tips, the Huawei FreeBuds Pro are more comfortable due to a less invasive nozzle, and the SoundPEATS T3 are also comfier for prolonged use, even if none of them look quite as good as the Clear.
From the front, it is a little easier to see the Clear than most buds out there. My left ear canal is narrower than my right, so the left protrudes slightly more here.
From the side you see the buds don't rely on a long stem to convey your voice - at just 33mm they are quite average, but look absolutely fine.
There's something about the Clear that just doesn't make them especially comfortable for me. I can't quite put my finger on what it is. When you compare with something like the Edifier NeoBuds Pro - similarly shaped and with a similar sized nozzle, it just isn't a nice experience, especially over a few hours. That doesn't mean to say it will be the same for me, but a shame nontheless.
Audio - 6/10 (price weighted), 6.5/10 (raw score)
Audio is something of an afterthought on the Elevoc Clear. They make no mention of 'audiophile sound' or anything like that in their marketing, and it isn't surprising - it seems like, and in the era of dual armature TWS that are capable of excellent dynamic range and detail, you still have to make a trade-off, and Elevoc have evidently prioritized memory for their mic processing.
In default mode, the sound is quite dark and bass-centric, with rolled off trebles that sound, well, to put it politely dull - not universally unpleasant, but not commensurate with the $129 current price tage. However, when you switch on ANC it improves drastically, moving very evidently from a dark, constrained sound signature to a brighter, more pleasant sound signature, opening up the higher mids. You could make the case that it is at the expense of a little detail, but fortunately there is no distortion, as was occasionally the case in default mode.
'All My Lovin' by Amy Winehouse sounds like she's singing through a pillow on default mode - there's little to no mid-range extension, with the vocal disappearing behind distorted, bloated bass. With ANC on, the vocals are far more prominent, but the bump in the lower mids virtually disappears, leaving you with a drab, flat sound signature with no dynamism.
The soundstage opens up a little with The Verve's 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' as the bass guitars extend outwards and make space for the strings and vocals. Switch ANC off and once again, the sound is flat almost like the switch from headphones to headset.
The strength of the Elevoc Clear is not in their audio representation, just be aware there is a dramatic disparity between ANC on and off, and that it really isn't great considering the glut of impressive budget releases this year.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8.5/10, Outdoors - 9/10
Make no mistake, the Elevoc Clear have a single raison d'etre. Calls. The 6 mic-array and litany of AI algorithms do not disappoint.
Indoor, calls sound OK - nothing spectacular. 'What's all the fuss about?'....well, the first hint was the repeated pop-ups on MS Teams to tell me there must be something wrong with my mic as they didn't detect any output. Interesting. I recorded a podcast using the Elevoc and it was light years away from my HyperX Solocast, so much so that I begged the interviewer to allow me to re-record it! So don't expect spectacular voice renditions - you are clear and coherent indoors, but it's no substitute for a USB cardioid mic. Even so, it is incrementally better than your average buds.
Outdoors is where they really shine. This weekend I took the Clear out for road testing - quite literally - I stood on the side of the road, moving and stationary, next to screaming kids, incessant traffic, wind, rain, you name it....the Elevoc nullified everything. And I don't just mean dulled it to a point your voice is clear, it was as if I was sat at home recording from my living room.
This is the third set of Elevoc- enabled buds I've tested, but the first from Elevoc themselves. As well as the VocPlus algorithm, which was present in the Taotronics TT-BH080 and SoundPEATS Mini, Elevoc have added two hardware accelerometers and adaptive wind noise reduction. It makes for incredible outdoor call quality that defies the environment, and gives you the solitary reason to own these buds.
They aren't going to replace a USB mic for streaming, for example - indoors there is still an over-processed sound to your voice that makes you sound clear if a little unnatural. However if your primary concern is being heard while commuting, or a decent set of buds that you can use both on the road and in the office, predominantly for calls, the Clear are the number one choice as things stand.
I've recorded a snippet with Protake and uploaded to YouTube - have a listen and make your own mind up:
Even more pertinent is how they performed on my test of 28 tws outdoors - spoiler alert - they were number one.
Note - in 2023, AI ENC is pretty commonplace. We've seen it appear on budget releases from SoundPEATS, such as their Capsule3 Pro and Mini Pro HS - and in all honesty, they perform as well if not better. The Elevoc were the option to go for in 2021 for calls, but it doesn't take long for the market to catch up.
ANC - 8/10
There are three ANC modes - normal mode, ANC on, and ambient mode. With normal sized tips, ANC is extremely good, and you need it - sound is pretty horrible without it on. However those tips are rather uncomfortable for prolonged use, so if you switch to the flatter, smaller tips, suddenly you lose the power of the ANC.
It's a real shame they can't quite get both right. If you want very strong ANC you may have to forfeit comfort - for me at least, both were not possible without third party tips - invest in some Azla Crystals - whilst pricey, they do give you a good balance of comfort and ANC strength.
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 6.5/10
Aside from the obvious AI voice functions, there is little other reason to buy the Clear. The BES 2300YP chip allows for Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, and connection is reasonably solid most of the time, although I did get the occasionally dropout on Windows, and whilst it reconnects immediately, it is a tad annoying. Distance is also disappointing - the QCY T13, a fraction of the price, allowed me to leave my desk and go to the drinks machine at work whilst still remaining connected to a Teams call. The Clear would start to lose connection a good few metres shorter, with choppy audio quickly followed by total disconnection.
Controls are also a mixed bag. Touches give a satisfying click so you know when the control has been initiated. Play and pause are intuitively initiated with a single tap, double tap moves to next song, triple tap to the previous song. Sadly there is no volume control. and it cannot be adjusted through the Elevoc App, so you have to reach for your phone - no biggie for me, but not helpful if you're on the move.
On the subject of the app....well, there's not much to it. Once the buds are detected, you have one option - dial down the ENC. No ANC control, no EQ....just the ability to turn the one differentiating feature either down or off! I didn't really play with the ENC dial too much as I found maximum ENC to be really the major beneficial factor.
There's no low latency or gaming mode and no wireless charging, two other options that usually give an extra mark.
Battery Life - 8/10
Battery Life is pretty much the norm with buds of this type. 5-6 hours was about what I experienced after three days of Zoom training - it would start to die around lunchtime, which would be around 4.5 hours with repeated talking. Not bad, and close to what is advertised. A quick hour juice over lunch would get me back to full by the time I'd finished my sandwich and was ready for round two.
Subsequent tests have shown similar results, and the 25 to 30 hours with the case is similar to my own experiences.
Final Comments
Elevoc's first foray into the TWS market without the safety net of their partners is an interesting, and at times impressive debut, but one with plenty of room for improvement. Whilst their outdoor call quality actually exceeds expectations - it really is something else - and ANC is superb, they don't quite get some of the basics right, and whilst this no doubt introduces the possibility for an improved 'Clear 2', at $130 some consumers may be left wondering what all the fuss is about, especially if their use-case extends little beyond the daily commute or on-site calls in the outdoors.
Despite 10mm drivers, sound is only OK, and it relies on ANC being switched on, otherwise it turns into a muddy mess! The buds look good, but ergonomics, whilst subjective, are really a bit all over the place. They've tried to accommodate everyone with their multitude of tips and narrow nozzles, but the length of the nozzle makes them a little too invasive - something their competition realised, hence the totally different shape you see on the FreeBuds Pro, Airpods Pro, etc. Getting this right would assist with a more palatable experience when listening for a longer duration - food for thought, Elevoc, if you're reading.
Battery life is pretty good, and the case is wonderful, but the lack of options through the app, such as customising touch controls (which QCY can do on $20 earbuds), no Bluetooth 5.2, no hi res codecs, a lower-than-CD fixed AAC implementation, no wireless charging and iffy connectivity mean that whilst there is a fair bit to like about the Elevoc Clear, there's lot's to improve too. Nevertheless, this is an indicator of where earbuds can go in the future, so Elevoc deserve some kudos for looking at the market and trying to solve a genuine real-life problem.
In 2023, they have shown their age quite a bit. Most, even budget, releases are performing as well on calls - QCY HT05 Melobuds and SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro are two examples of buds that easily compete, whilst offering a far better all-round experience. Sadly, we've heard nothing of Elevoc since - I suspect they will focus on selling their technology as modules for other vendors to utilise - and the reasons for not buying the Clear these days are, ahem, clear!
Price Weighted Score: 80%
Raw Score: 83%
2022 Score: 75%
2023 Score: 55%
instagram: regancipher
About Elevoc:
Founded in 2017, Elevoc is a leading AI-powered audio solution provider on a mission to help people communicate with the world. We develop and deliver deep learning-based speech enhancement and voice interaction technologies for a wide range of products, including smartphones, headphones, PCs, VoIP applications, automobiles, smart home devices, and more.
Based on decades of research in Computational Auditory Scene Analysis ("CASA") and Deep Learning ("DL"), Elevoc has successfully implemented real-time DL speech denoising and elevated the performance of multi-channel speech enhancement and human-machine voice interaction to new heights.
Vocplus is the world's first real-time, deep learning-based speech enhancement solution that extracts speech from background noise, enhances voice clarity, and improves speech intelligibility in smart devices and communication applications. Successfully deployed in millions of devices, Vocplus ensures users can always communicate clearly, even in the noisiest environments.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Model: Elevoc Clear
Price: MSRP Approx $129.99 - I paid $59.99 via Indiegogo
Website: Elevoc
Review Reference: RC059
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: Elevoc
- Model: Clear / IC27399
- Driver: 10mm Dynamic Driver
- Chipset: BES 2300 YP
- Mic: 6, AI ENC noise cancellation, VocPlus DL algorithm, Adaptive WN reduction
- ANC: Yes
- Volume Control: No
- Codecs: AAC (fixed bitrates 264,630 and 202,500), SBC
- Earbud Weight: 5g
- Earbud Dimensions: 33mm stem length, 25.35mm depth with nozzle
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 54.69g
- Case Dimensions: 65mm width, 25.7mm depth, 49mm height
- Case Charge Capacity: 600mAh
- Full Charge Time: 120 minutes
- Quick Charge: Yes
- Wireless Charging: No
- Input: 5V 1A
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 5/6 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 25/30 hours
- App Support: Yes (IOS and Android, but does very little)
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.0
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: IP54
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual, English, French, Chinese, Japanese
7 x Pairs Eartips
1 x Warranty Card
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the @regancipher review of one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of the year, at least for those who value strong call quality, the Elevoc Clear.
Daxiangshengke Technology, or Elevoc as they are known in the West, have one key differentiator: Calls. With the growing number of scenarios whereby TWS are used today, calls are increasingly important to many users. Qualcomm's cVc and MEMS mic array combination is inconsistent in its application and doesn't quite cut the mustard when you're out on a windy day and there's families, traffic and splashes all disturbing your attempt to call work and tell them you're running late or send your 30th voice note of the day. So Elevoc took things a step further - as well as the 6-mic array we've come to expect, they've used a number of AI algorithms with a trained deep-learning CASA (Computational Auditory Scene Analysis) model in conjunction with hardware accelerometers in order to separate human and background noise real-time more efficiently and effectively, at least that's the aim.
This is the third set of buds I've reviewed with this technology - Taotronics SoundLiberty 80 were the first, then the SoundPEATS Mini. Oppo used it in the M31 and Q1, Edifier in the Lollipods Pro and DreamPods, and Boltune in their BT-BH023, however this is the first to use the both the hardware and software in tandem - so I was expecting and eagerly awaiting revolution over evolution.....and I wasn't disappointed, but as always, there is a compromise....
Unboxing - 8/10
Unboxing the Elevoc Clear isn't disappointing. With most of the key features highlighted on the front and back, inside you get a manual, strangely in English, French, Japanese and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional). The manual is easy enough to read, with large diagrams accompanying clear text instructions.
The buds also come with 7 sets of eartips - as well as the ones already on the buds, you get an assortment of different sizes. Sadly the comfiest, the flatter ones on the top, are also the least effective at active noise cancellation, but at least it gives you some options.
The Case - 8.5/10
Another really nice feature of the Clear is the case. Whilst difficult to show in pictures, it has a pleasant, rubberised finish that allows you to slide off scratches with your thumb, making it look as good as new again in seconds.
The back of the case shows a large, robust hinge and a nice metallic lip around the edge of the lid that provides the traction to flip the case open. On the bottom (not pictured) you get a USB-C port, rest/pairing button and four LED lights. Holding the button for 5 seconds initiates pairing - around 10 seconds for reset. The lights are multi-functional - when charging, each light denotes a quarter of capable charge from left to right. when pairing, the first two then second two will flash intermittently for a few seconds. It is discrete and very effective, and adds to a really impressive veneer.
The case capacity is 600mAh - large for TWS, but still, you're looking at a two-hour full charge, and there is some quick charge function, although it isn't stated in the accompanying marketing material.
Aside from looking and feeling good, the Clear is also very portable - just 6cm wide, around 5cm high and around 2.5cm in depth, and just 55g. This is about what I would expect of quality earbuds, and is around the same weight as the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live case.
Ergonomics - 6.5/10
The Elevoc Clear look the part that's for sure. With a metallic silver outer finish, they look premium. The Elevoc logo sits below a chamber for noise reduction and ventillation, and the pogo pins reside at the bottom, keeping contact away from your skin.
Zooming out, we see the Clear have a familiar shape - similar to the OnePlus Buds Pro and QCY T11, they protrude quite far - the nozzle length brings their overall depth to over 25mm, and unfortunately, this can leave them feeling very uncomfortable when you use them for a long time. I had to switch to latex tips, as the discomfort was too much to bear, as whilst the flatter of the supplied tips were fine, you lose the benefit of strong ANC. With the longer tips ANC is better, but discomfort increases. It is a shame as a slightly shorter nozzle would have made all the difference - the Edifier NeoBuds Pro, for example, get this aspect spot on.
Comparing to some of their contemporaries, the QCY HT03 retain good ANC even with shorter tips, the Huawei FreeBuds Pro are more comfortable due to a less invasive nozzle, and the SoundPEATS T3 are also comfier for prolonged use, even if none of them look quite as good as the Clear.
From the front, it is a little easier to see the Clear than most buds out there. My left ear canal is narrower than my right, so the left protrudes slightly more here.
From the side you see the buds don't rely on a long stem to convey your voice - at just 33mm they are quite average, but look absolutely fine.
There's something about the Clear that just doesn't make them especially comfortable for me. I can't quite put my finger on what it is. When you compare with something like the Edifier NeoBuds Pro - similarly shaped and with a similar sized nozzle, it just isn't a nice experience, especially over a few hours. That doesn't mean to say it will be the same for me, but a shame nontheless.
Audio - 6/10 (price weighted), 6.5/10 (raw score)
Audio is something of an afterthought on the Elevoc Clear. They make no mention of 'audiophile sound' or anything like that in their marketing, and it isn't surprising - it seems like, and in the era of dual armature TWS that are capable of excellent dynamic range and detail, you still have to make a trade-off, and Elevoc have evidently prioritized memory for their mic processing.
In default mode, the sound is quite dark and bass-centric, with rolled off trebles that sound, well, to put it politely dull - not universally unpleasant, but not commensurate with the $129 current price tage. However, when you switch on ANC it improves drastically, moving very evidently from a dark, constrained sound signature to a brighter, more pleasant sound signature, opening up the higher mids. You could make the case that it is at the expense of a little detail, but fortunately there is no distortion, as was occasionally the case in default mode.
'All My Lovin' by Amy Winehouse sounds like she's singing through a pillow on default mode - there's little to no mid-range extension, with the vocal disappearing behind distorted, bloated bass. With ANC on, the vocals are far more prominent, but the bump in the lower mids virtually disappears, leaving you with a drab, flat sound signature with no dynamism.
The soundstage opens up a little with The Verve's 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' as the bass guitars extend outwards and make space for the strings and vocals. Switch ANC off and once again, the sound is flat almost like the switch from headphones to headset.
The strength of the Elevoc Clear is not in their audio representation, just be aware there is a dramatic disparity between ANC on and off, and that it really isn't great considering the glut of impressive budget releases this year.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8.5/10, Outdoors - 9/10
Make no mistake, the Elevoc Clear have a single raison d'etre. Calls. The 6 mic-array and litany of AI algorithms do not disappoint.
Indoor, calls sound OK - nothing spectacular. 'What's all the fuss about?'....well, the first hint was the repeated pop-ups on MS Teams to tell me there must be something wrong with my mic as they didn't detect any output. Interesting. I recorded a podcast using the Elevoc and it was light years away from my HyperX Solocast, so much so that I begged the interviewer to allow me to re-record it! So don't expect spectacular voice renditions - you are clear and coherent indoors, but it's no substitute for a USB cardioid mic. Even so, it is incrementally better than your average buds.
Outdoors is where they really shine. This weekend I took the Clear out for road testing - quite literally - I stood on the side of the road, moving and stationary, next to screaming kids, incessant traffic, wind, rain, you name it....the Elevoc nullified everything. And I don't just mean dulled it to a point your voice is clear, it was as if I was sat at home recording from my living room.
This is the third set of Elevoc- enabled buds I've tested, but the first from Elevoc themselves. As well as the VocPlus algorithm, which was present in the Taotronics TT-BH080 and SoundPEATS Mini, Elevoc have added two hardware accelerometers and adaptive wind noise reduction. It makes for incredible outdoor call quality that defies the environment, and gives you the solitary reason to own these buds.
They aren't going to replace a USB mic for streaming, for example - indoors there is still an over-processed sound to your voice that makes you sound clear if a little unnatural. However if your primary concern is being heard while commuting, or a decent set of buds that you can use both on the road and in the office, predominantly for calls, the Clear are the number one choice as things stand.
I've recorded a snippet with Protake and uploaded to YouTube - have a listen and make your own mind up:
Even more pertinent is how they performed on my test of 28 tws outdoors - spoiler alert - they were number one.
Note - in 2023, AI ENC is pretty commonplace. We've seen it appear on budget releases from SoundPEATS, such as their Capsule3 Pro and Mini Pro HS - and in all honesty, they perform as well if not better. The Elevoc were the option to go for in 2021 for calls, but it doesn't take long for the market to catch up.
ANC - 8/10
There are three ANC modes - normal mode, ANC on, and ambient mode. With normal sized tips, ANC is extremely good, and you need it - sound is pretty horrible without it on. However those tips are rather uncomfortable for prolonged use, so if you switch to the flatter, smaller tips, suddenly you lose the power of the ANC.
It's a real shame they can't quite get both right. If you want very strong ANC you may have to forfeit comfort - for me at least, both were not possible without third party tips - invest in some Azla Crystals - whilst pricey, they do give you a good balance of comfort and ANC strength.
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 6.5/10
Aside from the obvious AI voice functions, there is little other reason to buy the Clear. The BES 2300YP chip allows for Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, and connection is reasonably solid most of the time, although I did get the occasionally dropout on Windows, and whilst it reconnects immediately, it is a tad annoying. Distance is also disappointing - the QCY T13, a fraction of the price, allowed me to leave my desk and go to the drinks machine at work whilst still remaining connected to a Teams call. The Clear would start to lose connection a good few metres shorter, with choppy audio quickly followed by total disconnection.
Controls are also a mixed bag. Touches give a satisfying click so you know when the control has been initiated. Play and pause are intuitively initiated with a single tap, double tap moves to next song, triple tap to the previous song. Sadly there is no volume control. and it cannot be adjusted through the Elevoc App, so you have to reach for your phone - no biggie for me, but not helpful if you're on the move.
On the subject of the app....well, there's not much to it. Once the buds are detected, you have one option - dial down the ENC. No ANC control, no EQ....just the ability to turn the one differentiating feature either down or off! I didn't really play with the ENC dial too much as I found maximum ENC to be really the major beneficial factor.
There's no low latency or gaming mode and no wireless charging, two other options that usually give an extra mark.
Battery Life - 8/10
Battery Life is pretty much the norm with buds of this type. 5-6 hours was about what I experienced after three days of Zoom training - it would start to die around lunchtime, which would be around 4.5 hours with repeated talking. Not bad, and close to what is advertised. A quick hour juice over lunch would get me back to full by the time I'd finished my sandwich and was ready for round two.
Subsequent tests have shown similar results, and the 25 to 30 hours with the case is similar to my own experiences.
Final Comments
Elevoc's first foray into the TWS market without the safety net of their partners is an interesting, and at times impressive debut, but one with plenty of room for improvement. Whilst their outdoor call quality actually exceeds expectations - it really is something else - and ANC is superb, they don't quite get some of the basics right, and whilst this no doubt introduces the possibility for an improved 'Clear 2', at $130 some consumers may be left wondering what all the fuss is about, especially if their use-case extends little beyond the daily commute or on-site calls in the outdoors.
Despite 10mm drivers, sound is only OK, and it relies on ANC being switched on, otherwise it turns into a muddy mess! The buds look good, but ergonomics, whilst subjective, are really a bit all over the place. They've tried to accommodate everyone with their multitude of tips and narrow nozzles, but the length of the nozzle makes them a little too invasive - something their competition realised, hence the totally different shape you see on the FreeBuds Pro, Airpods Pro, etc. Getting this right would assist with a more palatable experience when listening for a longer duration - food for thought, Elevoc, if you're reading.
Battery life is pretty good, and the case is wonderful, but the lack of options through the app, such as customising touch controls (which QCY can do on $20 earbuds), no Bluetooth 5.2, no hi res codecs, a lower-than-CD fixed AAC implementation, no wireless charging and iffy connectivity mean that whilst there is a fair bit to like about the Elevoc Clear, there's lot's to improve too. Nevertheless, this is an indicator of where earbuds can go in the future, so Elevoc deserve some kudos for looking at the market and trying to solve a genuine real-life problem.
In 2023, they have shown their age quite a bit. Most, even budget, releases are performing as well on calls - QCY HT05 Melobuds and SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro are two examples of buds that easily compete, whilst offering a far better all-round experience. Sadly, we've heard nothing of Elevoc since - I suspect they will focus on selling their technology as modules for other vendors to utilise - and the reasons for not buying the Clear these days are, ahem, clear!
Price Weighted Score: 80%
Raw Score: 83%
2022 Score: 75%
2023 Score: 55%
instagram: regancipher
About Elevoc:
Founded in 2017, Elevoc is a leading AI-powered audio solution provider on a mission to help people communicate with the world. We develop and deliver deep learning-based speech enhancement and voice interaction technologies for a wide range of products, including smartphones, headphones, PCs, VoIP applications, automobiles, smart home devices, and more.
Based on decades of research in Computational Auditory Scene Analysis ("CASA") and Deep Learning ("DL"), Elevoc has successfully implemented real-time DL speech denoising and elevated the performance of multi-channel speech enhancement and human-machine voice interaction to new heights.
Vocplus is the world's first real-time, deep learning-based speech enhancement solution that extracts speech from background noise, enhances voice clarity, and improves speech intelligibility in smart devices and communication applications. Successfully deployed in millions of devices, Vocplus ensures users can always communicate clearly, even in the noisiest environments.
cresny
Thanks much for this writeup. With some hearing challenged older family members, phone calls can be a challenge and I was looking at these, even at their current $129 current price. But after reading this I'll give them a pass. Based on some mic tests I've heard, I'll probably go for soon. Liberty soundcore air 2 pros.
regancipher
Thanks. At $129 it's a bit much. I added a video showing how they perform afterwards, not sure if you saw that in time! Their ability for calls is first class, the drop outs are just annoying though.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
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YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: QCY T13
Price: MSRP Approx $24.99
Website: QCY Store
Review Reference: RC058
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual, English & Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the (belated) Regancipher review of one of the most popular earbuds on the market today, the QCY T13.
QCY's glut of releases this year has been frenetic - almost impossible to keep pace with! Having reviewed the T16 and T17 in the last month, I was urged to give the T13 a try, and they don't disappoint, once again doing the basics superbly as well as adding some high end features at a budget price.
The T13 essentially replaces the T5 as the mainstream, stem-based in-ear offering - there are no dual-drivers like the T11, no aptx support like the T11S, just solid performance and high build quality at a highly affordable price tag.
Unboxing - 7/10
Inside, the earbuds slot into a plastic crate, along with the usual charge cable, tips and manual. The manual, whilst a little flimsy, tells you everything you need to know, and QCY have improved the content by adding more diagrams to it in order to demonstrate their points. Really, we know the TWS vendors want you to use the online manual within the app, but it's one area I feel QCY will need to brush up on if they want to make that jump to the next tier of vendor, in the same way Tronsmart did with their 2020 releases. They've still missed some basic stuff out like what the LED's denote - an area of improvement for sure.
The Case - 8.5/10
The T13 case is, like the T16, more premium-feeling than the usual generic, matte finish cases we typically see in this price range. The QCY logo sits atop a glossy-finished lid, and it has shown no sign of degradation or scuff despite being in the bottom of my bag for the last two weeks.
The case has a similar feel to the SoundPEATS T3, with a similar flip-top design, and the buds nestling in tip-down, with the pogo pins resting horizontally against the cockpit.
Against a darker background you see the pairing/reset button in the centre, a suitably-weighted and proportioned hinge, and what you don't see is a nice, powder matte finish to the cockpit, which contrasts well with the rest of the case.
On the front is a single LED denoting charge status. When you put the case on charge, it turns red, then green when the case is fully charged. The pairing/reset button in the case also acts as a battery-level indicator, showing blue when between 50 and 90%, green when above 90%, and red when below 50%. Whilst it sounds awkward, in practice it is far better than waiting around for the lid to close - you just flip the case open with your left hand, tilt the cockpit to face you and touch the button with your right hand. Whilst it doesn't facilitate easy single handed use, that's the price you pay for improved build quality.
The off-centre USB port is on the right hand side, so a 90 degree USB-C cable would have been the icing on the cake, albeit not expected.
With a weight of 48g, the case is neither excessively heavy nor light - it is perfectly proportioned, highly portable, well-finished, provides an additional 3 full charges and supports quick charge feature, which gives you an hour of playtime from just 5 minutes charge.
It is really a quite impressive case that, had it featured wireless charging, would have given you everything you could possibly want from a case - good ergonomics, good function - top job!
Ergonomics - 8.5/10
The stem-based design of the T13 isn't revolutionary in any way, but it doesn't need to be - they've got the fit spot on as usual, with a good balance of comfort, passive noise isolation and a high quality finish.
The design is fairly similar to the T11 with some notable exceptions. The outer shape is more 'lollipop' than 'matchstick' with a rounded edge facilitating better usability of the touch controls. Like the T11, there is an LED on the outside, although on this model, the LED only shows when charging - red when under 100%, blue when complete.
Like the T11, there is a fairly wide bore, supporting the 7.2mm dynamic driver, and a pressure release vent close to the feedthrough mic and L/R symbol which references which ear it corresponds to. The battery connectors are on the inside of the stem as opposed to the bottom of it.
At 4.25g the are once again neither heavy nor light, neither long nor short (stem length is albeit on the shorter end of the spectrum at 29mm). However you get the picture - they're comfy, well proportioned, well finished and certainly feel more impressive than their price tag.
The only negative is a lack of official IPX rating, but the build looks to me like it will stand up to a bit of sweat and rain - IPX certification adds extra layers of cost, so QCY are cutting their cloth accordingly here.
Audio - 8.5/10 (for the price paid), 7.5/10 (raw score)
The T13 are often mentioned by reviewers as one of the best sounding budget buds on the market, and when we take a look at the frequency response chart (green), it isn't altogether surprising given the tuning, which complements the single dynamic driver well.
The majority of the competition favours an aggressive lower frequency response, shouty upper mids and harsh trebles. QCY have been in the game a long time, and have adjusted their house sound accordingly, and it works - the lower frequencies are still boosted (albeit smoother), the midrange is a still a little recessed, and the trebles are tuned to roll off without losing all texture and coarseness to cymbals, which can sometimes feel that way with the G1 (red - see diagram at the bottom of this section). It makes for a nicely elastic soundstage that can sound warm and intimate on baritone, soul tracks, and expansive and airy on tracks which are orchestrally appropriate. Importantly, they avoid the congestion you hear on many budget earbuds, and the trebles lack the metallic sound synonymous with cheap earbuds.
'Crazy' demonstrates the soundstage nicely as Seal's haunting vocals echo around a distant percussion and throaty wah-wah pedal guitar from Kenji Suzuki. Simply Red's rendition of Barry White's 'It's Only Love' shows the trebles aren't ignored as the kick and percussion have bite and presence, and separate nicely from the Chad Jackson-inspired synths and Mick Hucknall's wide vocal range. There is definitely a more laid-back feel to shakers and tams, especially when you compare to some of the more archetypal budget offerings on the market today, but this adds balance and warmth and complements the sound well.
House tracks like Oliver Helden's 'Gecko' can often sound recessed when the drop and vocal arrive on budget TWS - this is definitely less of a problem with the T13, which retain energy with good vocal representation, also ensuring sufficient clarity and separation given the price and technology constraints.
The performance, considering the relatively small 7.2mm Woai Audio dynamic drivers, is very respectable. Don't expect $100 audio, but for around $30 it's more than acceptable, and the T13 punch above their weight, giving a more enjoyable experience than many more expensive buds that promise much and offer relatively little.
You can see the evolution in QCY's sound signature above, with a comparison of several of their recent releases. If you like a slightly darker tone and timbre to your music, the T13 are a better pick than something like the T17 or HT05, which are brighter and more natural sounding, respectively.
Call Quality - Indoors - 7.5/10, Outdoors - 8/10
Call quality on the T13 is good enough. Whilst your voice can sound a little thin on cell calls, and the conversation as a whole sound a little over-processed, this is only really the case indoors when the acoustics in the room are sufficiently open.
Outdoors the performance is only just behind the surprise star-performers, the T16, with solid noise reduction elevating your voice clearly over nearby splashes and wooshes from traffic. They featured in my YouTube test of 28 different sets of TWS in December 2021 and were one of the star performers:
Mics have also been a focus for earbud vendors this year, with elevoc algorithms and accelerometers creeping onto specification sheets, and whilst the T13 can't boast any of those features, call quality is good enough for the average user who isn't expecting to livestream their YouTube videos and get similar performance to a USB-mic (top tip - no earbuds are there yet!)
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7/10
QCY often take a no-frills approach to their releases, limiting the number of needless features in favour of a lower price tag, but the T13 have a few strings to their bow that put the competition to shame.
Firstly, whilst the controls don't allow you to change the volume, this can and will be able to be customised via the QCY app. Out of the box, double taps play/pause and answer/end calls, holding left and right skips track back and forward respectively (and ignores call). Triple left tap hails voice assistant, and right tap gaming mode, which brings latency down even further - you can expect lipsync on YouTube, especially as AAC is the focus codec here, and gaming isn't terrible either.
One of the corners that QCY cut is voice prompts - instead of an American-sounding female voice (used by Tronsmart), an associated sound-effect (1More) or kinda creepy voice balanced with ASMR-friendly clicks (Elevoc), you get a selection of beeps - at least on this model (the HT03 being the exception.) These beeps which tell you your 'taps' are doing something are not quite as palatable as the T16, although the touch area is enlarged compared to the T11 - a nice feature that combines good design and nice aesthetics.
Using the Jieli AD6976D chip, the Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity is pretty stable and the distance good. In the same week as I tested the choppy and flakey Elevoc Clear, the T13 stood up to strenuous testing, only dropping out at beyond the marketed 10m. Quick charge is a great feature - 1 hour from 5 minutes of juice.
The QCY app is discussed in previous reviews (see the bottom of the review) but a welcome addition at this price point.
Battery Life - 8.5/10
One of the best in class TWS, and a very strong performer at this price point. The buds are capable of just under 8 hours on 50-60% volume, music only. This drops to around 6-6.5 hours 'real-world' - i.e. occasionally increasing the volume and spending a good amount of that time on calls, which is more battery-intensive for any earbuds. Whilst not quite at the mammoth 10 hours of the ZMI PurPods or SoundPEATS Sonic, total playtime extends to a very respectable 40 hours with the case, and given the quick charge feature described above, it is highly unlikely you're going to run out of battery with the T13.
Final Comments
It is very rare I'm playing catchup with TWS, usually trying to review on release rather than a good few months later. When I do, I'm usually lamenting their lack of *insert new innovative feature here*, but that wasn't the case with the T13. Like with the T16 and T17, you're now getting very consistent, solid performance in every category from buds which are typically available for under $20 - a remarkable indicator of progress for both QCY and the TWS market in general.
QCY have included all the basic features and more here, and whilst there is no ANC or wireless charging, considering the price, you're getting superb bang for buck once again.
QCY will naturally move into the higher performance market at some point, but for now they've owned the 'good enough' section where consumers on a budget want a brand and a product they can rely on. Before they do, I'd just like to see slightly improved instruction manuals - larger text, and preferably more reliance on visuals, will open them up to other, non-English speaking markets, and give them the icing on the cake at this price point.
Price Weighted Score: 88%
Raw Score: 83%
QCY Review Inventory:
HT07 Arcbuds
HT05 Melobuds ANC
T20 Ailypods
T18
G1
T17
T16
T13
HT03
T12
T11
About QCY:
Whilst not quite a household name outside of China yet, QCY are well-renowned in the budget TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that, whilst perhaps lacking some of the bells and whistles of the more expensive brands, deliver to the segment of the market where 'good enough is good enough', with solid reliability and tremendous value for money.
Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5), with three of their major customers being brands you will certainly recognise and in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019. In 2020, market research indicated they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor worldwide - no mean feat.
Despite a close relationship with SoC manufactuer Zhuhai Jieli, QCY are not afraid to mix and match components to suit their target market. This often sees a number of releases in quick succession - their T17S are an example of this, released subsequent to the T17, and differentiating with the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 SoC, to support customers who require the added lower latency enabled by the aptX codecs that the Qualcomm chips support. They did a similar thing with the very popular T5, T8 and T9 - nice to see a vendor using an easy to follow naming convention! The G1 use the newest Pixart chip in order to reduce latency - horses for courses!
The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses at a very affordable price - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value from a brand they can trust.
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YouTube: regancipher
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Socials: Biolink
Model: QCY T13
Price: MSRP Approx $24.99
Website: QCY Store
Review Reference: RC058
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: QCY
- Model: T13 / BH20T13A
- Driver: 7.2mm Dynamic Driver
- Chipset: Jieli AD6976D
- Mic: 4, ENC noise reduction, mic amplification and echo cancellation
- ANC: No
- Volume Control: Yes, via the QCY app
- Codecs: AAC, SBC
- Earbud Weight: 4.25g
- Earbud Dimensions: 29mm stem length, 24mm depth with nozzle
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 48.15g
- Case Dimensions: 54mm width, 54mm depth, 28mm height
- Case Charge Capacity: 380mAh
- Full Charge Time: 120 minutes
- Quick Charge: Yes
- Wireless Charging: No
- Input: 5V 400mA
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 8 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 40 hours
- App Support: Yes
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.1
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: Not stated
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual, English & Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the (belated) Regancipher review of one of the most popular earbuds on the market today, the QCY T13.
QCY's glut of releases this year has been frenetic - almost impossible to keep pace with! Having reviewed the T16 and T17 in the last month, I was urged to give the T13 a try, and they don't disappoint, once again doing the basics superbly as well as adding some high end features at a budget price.
The T13 essentially replaces the T5 as the mainstream, stem-based in-ear offering - there are no dual-drivers like the T11, no aptx support like the T11S, just solid performance and high build quality at a highly affordable price tag.
Unboxing - 7/10
Inside, the earbuds slot into a plastic crate, along with the usual charge cable, tips and manual. The manual, whilst a little flimsy, tells you everything you need to know, and QCY have improved the content by adding more diagrams to it in order to demonstrate their points. Really, we know the TWS vendors want you to use the online manual within the app, but it's one area I feel QCY will need to brush up on if they want to make that jump to the next tier of vendor, in the same way Tronsmart did with their 2020 releases. They've still missed some basic stuff out like what the LED's denote - an area of improvement for sure.
The Case - 8.5/10
The T13 case is, like the T16, more premium-feeling than the usual generic, matte finish cases we typically see in this price range. The QCY logo sits atop a glossy-finished lid, and it has shown no sign of degradation or scuff despite being in the bottom of my bag for the last two weeks.
The case has a similar feel to the SoundPEATS T3, with a similar flip-top design, and the buds nestling in tip-down, with the pogo pins resting horizontally against the cockpit.
Against a darker background you see the pairing/reset button in the centre, a suitably-weighted and proportioned hinge, and what you don't see is a nice, powder matte finish to the cockpit, which contrasts well with the rest of the case.
On the front is a single LED denoting charge status. When you put the case on charge, it turns red, then green when the case is fully charged. The pairing/reset button in the case also acts as a battery-level indicator, showing blue when between 50 and 90%, green when above 90%, and red when below 50%. Whilst it sounds awkward, in practice it is far better than waiting around for the lid to close - you just flip the case open with your left hand, tilt the cockpit to face you and touch the button with your right hand. Whilst it doesn't facilitate easy single handed use, that's the price you pay for improved build quality.
The off-centre USB port is on the right hand side, so a 90 degree USB-C cable would have been the icing on the cake, albeit not expected.
With a weight of 48g, the case is neither excessively heavy nor light - it is perfectly proportioned, highly portable, well-finished, provides an additional 3 full charges and supports quick charge feature, which gives you an hour of playtime from just 5 minutes charge.
It is really a quite impressive case that, had it featured wireless charging, would have given you everything you could possibly want from a case - good ergonomics, good function - top job!
Ergonomics - 8.5/10
The stem-based design of the T13 isn't revolutionary in any way, but it doesn't need to be - they've got the fit spot on as usual, with a good balance of comfort, passive noise isolation and a high quality finish.
The design is fairly similar to the T11 with some notable exceptions. The outer shape is more 'lollipop' than 'matchstick' with a rounded edge facilitating better usability of the touch controls. Like the T11, there is an LED on the outside, although on this model, the LED only shows when charging - red when under 100%, blue when complete.
Like the T11, there is a fairly wide bore, supporting the 7.2mm dynamic driver, and a pressure release vent close to the feedthrough mic and L/R symbol which references which ear it corresponds to. The battery connectors are on the inside of the stem as opposed to the bottom of it.
At 4.25g the are once again neither heavy nor light, neither long nor short (stem length is albeit on the shorter end of the spectrum at 29mm). However you get the picture - they're comfy, well proportioned, well finished and certainly feel more impressive than their price tag.
The only negative is a lack of official IPX rating, but the build looks to me like it will stand up to a bit of sweat and rain - IPX certification adds extra layers of cost, so QCY are cutting their cloth accordingly here.
Audio - 8.5/10 (for the price paid), 7.5/10 (raw score)
The T13 are often mentioned by reviewers as one of the best sounding budget buds on the market, and when we take a look at the frequency response chart (green), it isn't altogether surprising given the tuning, which complements the single dynamic driver well.
The majority of the competition favours an aggressive lower frequency response, shouty upper mids and harsh trebles. QCY have been in the game a long time, and have adjusted their house sound accordingly, and it works - the lower frequencies are still boosted (albeit smoother), the midrange is a still a little recessed, and the trebles are tuned to roll off without losing all texture and coarseness to cymbals, which can sometimes feel that way with the G1 (red - see diagram at the bottom of this section). It makes for a nicely elastic soundstage that can sound warm and intimate on baritone, soul tracks, and expansive and airy on tracks which are orchestrally appropriate. Importantly, they avoid the congestion you hear on many budget earbuds, and the trebles lack the metallic sound synonymous with cheap earbuds.
'Crazy' demonstrates the soundstage nicely as Seal's haunting vocals echo around a distant percussion and throaty wah-wah pedal guitar from Kenji Suzuki. Simply Red's rendition of Barry White's 'It's Only Love' shows the trebles aren't ignored as the kick and percussion have bite and presence, and separate nicely from the Chad Jackson-inspired synths and Mick Hucknall's wide vocal range. There is definitely a more laid-back feel to shakers and tams, especially when you compare to some of the more archetypal budget offerings on the market today, but this adds balance and warmth and complements the sound well.
House tracks like Oliver Helden's 'Gecko' can often sound recessed when the drop and vocal arrive on budget TWS - this is definitely less of a problem with the T13, which retain energy with good vocal representation, also ensuring sufficient clarity and separation given the price and technology constraints.
The performance, considering the relatively small 7.2mm Woai Audio dynamic drivers, is very respectable. Don't expect $100 audio, but for around $30 it's more than acceptable, and the T13 punch above their weight, giving a more enjoyable experience than many more expensive buds that promise much and offer relatively little.
You can see the evolution in QCY's sound signature above, with a comparison of several of their recent releases. If you like a slightly darker tone and timbre to your music, the T13 are a better pick than something like the T17 or HT05, which are brighter and more natural sounding, respectively.
Call Quality - Indoors - 7.5/10, Outdoors - 8/10
Call quality on the T13 is good enough. Whilst your voice can sound a little thin on cell calls, and the conversation as a whole sound a little over-processed, this is only really the case indoors when the acoustics in the room are sufficiently open.
Outdoors the performance is only just behind the surprise star-performers, the T16, with solid noise reduction elevating your voice clearly over nearby splashes and wooshes from traffic. They featured in my YouTube test of 28 different sets of TWS in December 2021 and were one of the star performers:
Mics have also been a focus for earbud vendors this year, with elevoc algorithms and accelerometers creeping onto specification sheets, and whilst the T13 can't boast any of those features, call quality is good enough for the average user who isn't expecting to livestream their YouTube videos and get similar performance to a USB-mic (top tip - no earbuds are there yet!)
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7/10
QCY often take a no-frills approach to their releases, limiting the number of needless features in favour of a lower price tag, but the T13 have a few strings to their bow that put the competition to shame.
Firstly, whilst the controls don't allow you to change the volume, this can and will be able to be customised via the QCY app. Out of the box, double taps play/pause and answer/end calls, holding left and right skips track back and forward respectively (and ignores call). Triple left tap hails voice assistant, and right tap gaming mode, which brings latency down even further - you can expect lipsync on YouTube, especially as AAC is the focus codec here, and gaming isn't terrible either.
One of the corners that QCY cut is voice prompts - instead of an American-sounding female voice (used by Tronsmart), an associated sound-effect (1More) or kinda creepy voice balanced with ASMR-friendly clicks (Elevoc), you get a selection of beeps - at least on this model (the HT03 being the exception.) These beeps which tell you your 'taps' are doing something are not quite as palatable as the T16, although the touch area is enlarged compared to the T11 - a nice feature that combines good design and nice aesthetics.
Using the Jieli AD6976D chip, the Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity is pretty stable and the distance good. In the same week as I tested the choppy and flakey Elevoc Clear, the T13 stood up to strenuous testing, only dropping out at beyond the marketed 10m. Quick charge is a great feature - 1 hour from 5 minutes of juice.
The QCY app is discussed in previous reviews (see the bottom of the review) but a welcome addition at this price point.
Battery Life - 8.5/10
One of the best in class TWS, and a very strong performer at this price point. The buds are capable of just under 8 hours on 50-60% volume, music only. This drops to around 6-6.5 hours 'real-world' - i.e. occasionally increasing the volume and spending a good amount of that time on calls, which is more battery-intensive for any earbuds. Whilst not quite at the mammoth 10 hours of the ZMI PurPods or SoundPEATS Sonic, total playtime extends to a very respectable 40 hours with the case, and given the quick charge feature described above, it is highly unlikely you're going to run out of battery with the T13.
Final Comments
It is very rare I'm playing catchup with TWS, usually trying to review on release rather than a good few months later. When I do, I'm usually lamenting their lack of *insert new innovative feature here*, but that wasn't the case with the T13. Like with the T16 and T17, you're now getting very consistent, solid performance in every category from buds which are typically available for under $20 - a remarkable indicator of progress for both QCY and the TWS market in general.
QCY have included all the basic features and more here, and whilst there is no ANC or wireless charging, considering the price, you're getting superb bang for buck once again.
QCY will naturally move into the higher performance market at some point, but for now they've owned the 'good enough' section where consumers on a budget want a brand and a product they can rely on. Before they do, I'd just like to see slightly improved instruction manuals - larger text, and preferably more reliance on visuals, will open them up to other, non-English speaking markets, and give them the icing on the cake at this price point.
Price Weighted Score: 88%
Raw Score: 83%
QCY Review Inventory:
HT07 Arcbuds
HT05 Melobuds ANC
T20 Ailypods
T18
G1
T17
T16
T13
HT03
T12
T11
About QCY:
Whilst not quite a household name outside of China yet, QCY are well-renowned in the budget TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that, whilst perhaps lacking some of the bells and whistles of the more expensive brands, deliver to the segment of the market where 'good enough is good enough', with solid reliability and tremendous value for money.
Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5), with three of their major customers being brands you will certainly recognise and in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019. In 2020, market research indicated they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor worldwide - no mean feat.
Despite a close relationship with SoC manufactuer Zhuhai Jieli, QCY are not afraid to mix and match components to suit their target market. This often sees a number of releases in quick succession - their T17S are an example of this, released subsequent to the T17, and differentiating with the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 SoC, to support customers who require the added lower latency enabled by the aptX codecs that the Qualcomm chips support. They did a similar thing with the very popular T5, T8 and T9 - nice to see a vendor using an easy to follow naming convention! The G1 use the newest Pixart chip in order to reduce latency - horses for courses!
The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses at a very affordable price - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value from a brand they can trust.
RC057
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Model: Tronsmart Onyx Prime
Price: MSRP Approx $59.99
Distributor: Aliexpress, Geekbuy
Vendor Website: Tronsmart
Review Reference: RC057
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual, English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Russian
3 x Pairs Eartips and Earhooks
1 x Warranty Card
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the Regancipher review of one I've been eagerly anticipating, the @Tronsmart Official Onyx Prime.
When I reviewed the Apollo Air a few months ago, I lamented the absence of dual driver options within their range. At the time, SoundPEATS already hit the market with the H1, Anker with the SoundCore Liberty Air Pro 2 - even budget brands KZ, QCY and Haylou had a couple of releases, and subsequently we saw the Edifier NeoBuds Pro amongst others also offer hybrid driver products to the market. This release clearly demonstrates Tronsmart listen to the market and act accordingly - exactly what we want from a vendor - but are a little late to the party, so the release would have to be worth it!
So what is so special about dual-armature drivers? Well, firstly lets understand our apples and pears. Dynamic drivers are what you find typically in Bluetooth earbuds. They're small, cheap and generally do a decent job. A static magnetic field interacts with the current in the coil to move it back and forth as per the signal applied, and a diaphragm amplifies the vibrations producing soundwaves, just like any standard tweeter or woofer. So far so good.
The problem is, when stuff improves, the interconnected stuff with it has to improve too. As codecs have become more efficient, SoC's have become more powerful per mm, and transmission has become more stable, there was always going to be a point where the hardware in TWS had to keep pace with what's under the hood and the ecosystem around it.
Balanced Armature drivers are nothing new, and in fact work in a very similar way to Dynamic drivers, albeit looking very different. The key differentiator is the coil in a BA is stationary - instead a reed runs through the coil and attaches to the diaphragm. When voltage is applied to the coil, the coil magnetises the reed and causes it to vibrate, which in turn vibrates the diaphragm.
Hang on...that sounds familiar. If you're thinking 'isn't that how hearing aids work' then you would be correct - the hearing aid market uses BA almost exclusively. In fact, QCY's first hybrid driver release (the disappointing T10) was essentially using a hybrid-driver single unit, like the reverse of what we are seeing here - separate drivers working in harmony. It is worth mentioning as well, that there are vendors that design BA drivers for music only now - whilst QCY used a multi-functional BA in the T10 and T11, Sony and Etymotic have designed their own music-specialised BA drivers, and Knowles - a name many will be familiar with - have a wide range of functional BA drivers in their portfolio.
Hybrid-armature SHOULD mean (at least) two separate drivers, one dynamic and one balanced, and in TWS two is probably as convenient as it can get, because despite the small footprint of these drivers, you still have to factor in positioning. Whilst the wavelengths are also small, there are still optimal and suboptimal (and everything in between) positions for locating each driver. Tronsmart have, like SoundPEATS and Soundcore, positioned the BA in front of the woofer, and it is actually visible (like the H1) if you look close enough into the nozzle - usually a bad idea, but it works with TWS due to the size and usually a clever design. More on that later. When you get the positioning right, the idea is the combination of a tweeter (the BA) and a woofer (the DD) can produce a much nicer sound signature - instead of nasty, bloated mid-bass spikes, you can tune the DD to handle the lower frequencies more precisely (avoiding bleed) and the BA to handle the detailed, higher frequencies.
This worked emphatically with the 4BA KZ SKS, one of the best sounding earbuds around, but they lacked practicality due to the size, so vendors have been chipping away since trying to find the perfect balance.
The Unboxing - 9/10
Unboxing with Tronsmart is often a cut above the rest, and we are back to Apollo Bold levels with the Onyx Prime. The front cover is in Tronsmart's signature orange and white (although the purple has been dropped) with the slogan MADE FOR AUDIOPHILES clearly denoting the target audience - not sure that's going to apply looking at the Frequency Response, but let's see!
The inner folding cover explains what I described above in less jargon and more consumer-friendly parlance, and is a true representation of the design, at least according to the photos they submitted for FCC approval.
The back details the key features, and the unboxing reveals an impressive array of tips and wings to try to make the fit as stable as possible.
Tronsmart's documentation is the best in this price range. Whilst the text is in a variety of languages, the main manual section uses visuals and symbols to represent how to use the buds, and it is extremely effective.
The Case - 6.5/10
The case is possibly the most underwhelming element of this release. It isn't especially big, although it is definitely on the larger end of the scale at 7cm wide and 5cm high. The finish also isn't half as bad as some cases, albeit still quite generic looking with a deeply-etched Tronsmart logo on the top. However, whilst it has a lip in the middle for single-handed operation, in practice because of the position (just under half-way up) it is pretty awkward to use in this way, borderline impossible. It is reasonably well-built (although the hinge is the weakest part), but the array of seemingly unnecessary grooves at the back makes it rather ugly looking and sometimes a bit uncomfortable in your hand.
The charging socket - USB-C - is located towards the bottom, with a blue light next to it denoting charge. When you replace the buds, the light will flicker six times to tell you they are on charge - blue if above 20%, red if below. When you plug the case in, a solid red light will show the case needs charging, going off when the case is fully charged (approx 2 hours). Again, this is not really very helpful, when you have buds like 1More, Samsung and even KZ giving you far more visual information about how much charge you have left or need. Otherwise it's guesswork, and this is further exacerbated by the absence of quick or 'warp' charge.
Weighing 53g, it is one of the heavier cases I've tested, although it is suitable for a jacket pocket. Certainly not a deal-breaker, but a more visible and intuitive charging LED scheme (preferably on the front)
Ergonomics - 7/10
The buds are a little 80's looking in their design, with a mini-stem shape a minor variation on that used by Anker with their Soundcore Liberty Air Pro 2. The mesh next to the logo is a chamber which facilitates the mic noise reduction, assists the driver arrangement and acts as a pressure relief hole.
The touch control area is, as always, fingertip-shaped, and makes for easy and intuitive control. The LED on the outside is mostly for when the buds are in the case (getting around the lack of LED's on the front). They do flash blue and red intermittently to demonstrate they are looking to pair. When charging, opening the case will reveal the buds glowing red, and this stops when charge is complete. If you need to reset the buds, hold the buttons down in the case, and you'll get a longer intermittent blue and red flashing sequence.
The only time the LED comes on when in use is when the battery is about to die, and this is actually pretty useful - you also get a clear, English voice prompt - again, one of Tronsmart's key differentiators.
From the side, they look like a cross between the SLA2 Pro and the Apollo Air, with a hairdryer-esque shape, but with handy wingtips, which tuck into your antihelix to provide a little more support, although not that it is really necessary. They got the shape down to a tee, with the design providing such good passive isolation that the lack of ANC is academic. Usefully, the beveled charge connectors are kept apart from your skin - especially useful if you suffer from allergies.
You can just about make-out the rectangular BA in the nozzle above, and the angled, asymmetrical location of the nozzle augments the design and comfort.
From the front, the buds are obviously more obtrusive than, for example. Jabra Elite or SoundPEATS Mini, in-ear button-style buds. Even with the smallest tips, the elongated nozzle, designed so due to the positioning of the drivers, means they are a little overt. They are reasonably comfortable though, and only start to give fatigue after a good few hours use. Comfort is not on par with the smaller buds on the market nowadays, but they balance comfort and stability along with the necessities of the design really well. No arguments here.
From the side you see that the 80's look is toned down quite a bit, and the wingtips are really useful in tucking in and giving you that extra bit of support.
Sadly there is no IPX rating with the Onyx Prime, and I suspect this is down to the BA drivers - it adds complexity to the design to keep them insulated and provide the best possible acoustic environment - not impossible, but would have added additional cost for sure.
The buds are quite heavy - over 6g - but due to their surface area, they don't feel especially heavy in the ears, and I took them out for a little run earlier and other than a few minor adjustments they were fine.
Audio - 8.5/10 (for the price paid), 7.5/10 (raw score)
Boom! This is where the Onyx Prime come into their own. I tested with a wide variety of music styles and the Onyx Prime passed every test with flying colours. The 'made for audiophiles' claim might be a bit wide of the mark here though - the Onyx Pure have a boomy lower frequency response and sparkly trebles that makes them a raw and punchy companion best reserved for the moments you can dance around the living room without too much care for accuracy.
Crazy by Seal has a warmth and intimacy where the keyboard separates beautifully from the wah-wah pedal guitar. The percussion has great texture despite the heavy focus on the lower frequencies in the track. The higher frequencies have much more emphasis than the SoundPEATS H1 or Edifier NeoBuds Pro, and this at times makes for a more engaging experience. Whilst not quite the Harman-style 'audiophile' sound signature that Tronsmart inferred on the front cover, the detail is not lost - in fact, the detail in the percussion, tams and pads is quite well represented, if a shade fatiguing after a while.
This is further demonstrated in 7 Seconds by Yossou N'Dour, a naturally spacious track with a full bassline which shows no degredation as Neneh Cherry's vocals, strings and synths of a variety of frequencies are introduced. It is here that the first signs of minor sibilance are revealed, and a look into the Tronsmart app shows the default EQ position inexplicably overbakes the top end. Revoking this gives you a far less fatiguing experience. However it is this track which shows the elastic soundstage errs on the side of warmth and intimacy over wide and airy - not a problem, as it is the case with most TWS, but worthy of note.
This is again the case with 'Just Another Day' by Jon Secada, where the claps and hats are a little raspy throughout. Moving through the genres, 'Momentum' by Don Diablo has great punchiness and speed to the kick, but those raspy high-hats come out again in Blonde's 'I Loved You More' and notably in the build up in 'Koala' by Oliver Heldens.
Even with these nuances, I'm not gonna lie I haven't really smiled much listening to music over the last few years. With my favourite festivals pretty much all cancelled I've barely listened to anything other than to review. The Onyx Prime had me up dancing from the moment I put them in my ears...and there's a lot to be said for that. Music is a spiritual thing, something that is meant to invoke emotion....harman curves are great for prolonged listening but when I'm banging out some techno, fatigue is the last thing on my mind....I went through all my favourite playlists and I'm pretty sure the neighbours saw me bopping to Camelphat at one point
If the H1 were the pre-party, the Galaxy Buds Live the festival, the Onyx Prime are the club. Probably Printworks at around 5am!
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 7.5/10
Calls are pretty decent on the Onyx Prime, and reflective of recent releases which show that whilst little thought has gone into the mic placement or design, the MEMS units are simply improving in quality.
Your voice sounds very natural indoors, and handles background noise, especially other voices, quite well. Unfortunately, your voice also loses a bit of clarity, but there's no 'overprocessing' you hear on many other sets. They feature on my indoor call test here:
Outdoors, your voice is elevated over traffic or splashes, and whilst they are more evident than, for example, the SoundPEATS Mini, which uses an AI-based algorithm to differentiate your voice from other frequencies, they don't sound like splashes or traffic, they just sound like 'hums'. Again, you retain naturalness but lose a little clarity.
They were one of the better performers in my test of 28 different tws models in a testing, outdoor environment:
Calls are easily doable on the Prime, and whilst not the headline feature, are more than respectable.
Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 8/10
Tronsmart have once again used the Qualcomm QCC3040 chip, which brings Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity and aptX-adaptive support, and it was evident again that the occasional glitches symptomatic of early QCC3040 releases, and even lesser chips like the Jieli, Airoha and BES equivalents, have been ironed out. Connectivity is very solid.
The Onyx Prime are supported in the Tronsmart app, and from left to right, top to bottom, you see the journey of connecting them, and then using them. The first screen after connection shows you the battery level of each bud and allows you to switch between gaming and music mode. Next you have the equaliser - as I said earlier, inexplicably lifted trebles by default, just notching this down a shade is a measurable improvement.
Almost all of the touch controls are customisable, including tap and hold. A fairly common feature these days, but a welcome one. The voice prompts are very clear, and you don't have to decipher morse code to tell what's going on - a nice bonus that adds gloss to Tronsmart's releases. Latency is good in music mode - practically lip sync, even with AAC.
The obvious omissions - ANC, Fast Charge, Wireless Charging and High Res Codecs are a shame. ANC is not such an issue as the passive isolation is very good, but quick charge and the option for LHDC would have been nice. Perhaps this is reserved for the next Apollo release?!
Battery Life - 8.5/10
Battery life has typically disappointed with Tronsmart buds, but with the efficient BA driver taking some of the load, this allows for a good 5.5-7 hours playtime from a single charge, and you can get around 3-3.5 more charges from the case, a total of 40 hours - very respectable and helped by the cases large capacity. The problem is the charge time - no quick charge, and 2 hours for a full charge, but given the long total playtime, it shouldn't be a deal-breaker.
Final Comments
Tronsmart have not really made a big splash about this release - despite getting it out for Singles Day, a new and fairly intensive day job meant I couldn't get the photos done this week with barely any daylight here in the UK outside working hours, and it was a shame as I really wanted to help promote this surprisingly excellent release.
Overall Tronsmart can be happy with the Onyx Prime, and I really hope the community supports it. I posted a few deals on hotukdeals last week for earbuds, and the Tronsmart one got the least love (although it was the most expensive) - I suspect partly because of the association with Luis Suarez (outside Liverpool he's generally hated over here) and partly because they aren't overt about their products. Fingers crossed we can get more consumers to realise that Tronsmart has a quality offering - and drive more traffic Headfi's way too. Tronsmart as a vendor engage actively here, and it is this engagement that helps them help us - I think they actually gave away several pairs in a competition on here, which is again to their credit - doing the right things, the right way.
Dual-armature TWS aren't as simple as chucking a tweeter in there, there are a lot to consider before getting the release out there and getting it right. It feels like Tronsmart took their time over this and understood the sacrifices before releasing a very decent first effort in the hybrid driver arena. The sound is incredibly engaging. The Prime are the life and soul of the party, but don't skimp on detail. The soundstage contracts and expands as it needs to, although it could be wider at times, and the comfort is good enough for a series of sprints, if not a marathon.
I really like the Prime, to the point they reminded me how fun music can be. One of the questions I always hate is 'Which are the best buds' and inevitably the question will soon be 'These or the H1?'...when genuinely I have to say the answer is both. I like the relative calm of the H1 and the joyous anarchy of the Onyx Prime...why can't I have both?! Calls are better on the Onyx Prime, although battery life is better on the H1. Both use the same chip (although not the same drivers) and have the same codec support. The H1 are IPX5.
I suspect Tronsmart will follow this up with an Apollo Hybrid-Driver in time, but for now, the Onyx should not be overlooked. It is far better than the KZ attempts, and a very credible attempt. Well done Tronsmart!
Price Weighted Score: 83%
Raw Score: 79%
instagram: regancipher
Tronsmart Review Inventory:
Onyx Prime
Studio
Apollo Air
Battle
Onyx Apex
Apollo Q10
Onyx Free
Apollo Bold
About Tronsmart:
Tronsmart are now fully established as a mid to premium range earbud vendor, with their focus almost solely on audio products - mostly speakers and headphones. Founder Eric Cheng, a self-confessed geek, founded the company with his first paycheck (where was he working?!), building a lab to disassemble audio products with the aim to recreate them in his own vision at a cost-efficient price point.
After bringing in ear-chewing trophy-winning footballer Luis Suarez as an ambassador, the company have gone from strength to strength, building a close relationship with Qualcomm, and bringing two of their chips to market first with the Apollo Bold, and then the Apollo Air, which uses the Qualcomm QCC3046.
For speakers, the range is now almost as extensive as their earbuds, ranging from 7, 10 and 15w mini speakers through to the 60w Force Pro and Mega Pro.
Tronsmart remain one of my favourite mid-tier vendors, outrunning their budget competitors by releasing flagship products alongside the run-of-the-mill releases, and demonstrating transparency and commitment to quality and innovation with every release.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Model: Tronsmart Onyx Prime
Price: MSRP Approx $59.99
Distributor: Aliexpress, Geekbuy
Vendor Website: Tronsmart
Review Reference: RC057
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: Tronsmart
- Model: Onyx Prime
- Driver: Hybrid Dual-Armature Driver
- Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3040
- Mic: 4, cVc 8.0 Noise Reduction
- ANC: No
- Volume Control: Yes
- Codecs: AptX-adaptive, AAC, SBC
- Earbud Weight: 6.34g
- Earbud Dimensions: 28mm stem length, 29mm depth with nozzle
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 53.14g
- Case Dimensions: 70mm width, 30mm depth, 50mm height
- Case Charge Capacity: 400mAh
- Full Charge Time: 120 minutes
- Quick Charge: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Input: 5V 400mA
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 7 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 40 hours
- App Support: No
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: Not stated
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual, English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Russian
3 x Pairs Eartips and Earhooks
1 x Warranty Card
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the Regancipher review of one I've been eagerly anticipating, the @Tronsmart Official Onyx Prime.
When I reviewed the Apollo Air a few months ago, I lamented the absence of dual driver options within their range. At the time, SoundPEATS already hit the market with the H1, Anker with the SoundCore Liberty Air Pro 2 - even budget brands KZ, QCY and Haylou had a couple of releases, and subsequently we saw the Edifier NeoBuds Pro amongst others also offer hybrid driver products to the market. This release clearly demonstrates Tronsmart listen to the market and act accordingly - exactly what we want from a vendor - but are a little late to the party, so the release would have to be worth it!
So what is so special about dual-armature drivers? Well, firstly lets understand our apples and pears. Dynamic drivers are what you find typically in Bluetooth earbuds. They're small, cheap and generally do a decent job. A static magnetic field interacts with the current in the coil to move it back and forth as per the signal applied, and a diaphragm amplifies the vibrations producing soundwaves, just like any standard tweeter or woofer. So far so good.
The problem is, when stuff improves, the interconnected stuff with it has to improve too. As codecs have become more efficient, SoC's have become more powerful per mm, and transmission has become more stable, there was always going to be a point where the hardware in TWS had to keep pace with what's under the hood and the ecosystem around it.
Balanced Armature drivers are nothing new, and in fact work in a very similar way to Dynamic drivers, albeit looking very different. The key differentiator is the coil in a BA is stationary - instead a reed runs through the coil and attaches to the diaphragm. When voltage is applied to the coil, the coil magnetises the reed and causes it to vibrate, which in turn vibrates the diaphragm.
Hang on...that sounds familiar. If you're thinking 'isn't that how hearing aids work' then you would be correct - the hearing aid market uses BA almost exclusively. In fact, QCY's first hybrid driver release (the disappointing T10) was essentially using a hybrid-driver single unit, like the reverse of what we are seeing here - separate drivers working in harmony. It is worth mentioning as well, that there are vendors that design BA drivers for music only now - whilst QCY used a multi-functional BA in the T10 and T11, Sony and Etymotic have designed their own music-specialised BA drivers, and Knowles - a name many will be familiar with - have a wide range of functional BA drivers in their portfolio.
Hybrid-armature SHOULD mean (at least) two separate drivers, one dynamic and one balanced, and in TWS two is probably as convenient as it can get, because despite the small footprint of these drivers, you still have to factor in positioning. Whilst the wavelengths are also small, there are still optimal and suboptimal (and everything in between) positions for locating each driver. Tronsmart have, like SoundPEATS and Soundcore, positioned the BA in front of the woofer, and it is actually visible (like the H1) if you look close enough into the nozzle - usually a bad idea, but it works with TWS due to the size and usually a clever design. More on that later. When you get the positioning right, the idea is the combination of a tweeter (the BA) and a woofer (the DD) can produce a much nicer sound signature - instead of nasty, bloated mid-bass spikes, you can tune the DD to handle the lower frequencies more precisely (avoiding bleed) and the BA to handle the detailed, higher frequencies.
This worked emphatically with the 4BA KZ SKS, one of the best sounding earbuds around, but they lacked practicality due to the size, so vendors have been chipping away since trying to find the perfect balance.
The Unboxing - 9/10
Unboxing with Tronsmart is often a cut above the rest, and we are back to Apollo Bold levels with the Onyx Prime. The front cover is in Tronsmart's signature orange and white (although the purple has been dropped) with the slogan MADE FOR AUDIOPHILES clearly denoting the target audience - not sure that's going to apply looking at the Frequency Response, but let's see!
The inner folding cover explains what I described above in less jargon and more consumer-friendly parlance, and is a true representation of the design, at least according to the photos they submitted for FCC approval.
The back details the key features, and the unboxing reveals an impressive array of tips and wings to try to make the fit as stable as possible.
Tronsmart's documentation is the best in this price range. Whilst the text is in a variety of languages, the main manual section uses visuals and symbols to represent how to use the buds, and it is extremely effective.
The Case - 6.5/10
The case is possibly the most underwhelming element of this release. It isn't especially big, although it is definitely on the larger end of the scale at 7cm wide and 5cm high. The finish also isn't half as bad as some cases, albeit still quite generic looking with a deeply-etched Tronsmart logo on the top. However, whilst it has a lip in the middle for single-handed operation, in practice because of the position (just under half-way up) it is pretty awkward to use in this way, borderline impossible. It is reasonably well-built (although the hinge is the weakest part), but the array of seemingly unnecessary grooves at the back makes it rather ugly looking and sometimes a bit uncomfortable in your hand.
The charging socket - USB-C - is located towards the bottom, with a blue light next to it denoting charge. When you replace the buds, the light will flicker six times to tell you they are on charge - blue if above 20%, red if below. When you plug the case in, a solid red light will show the case needs charging, going off when the case is fully charged (approx 2 hours). Again, this is not really very helpful, when you have buds like 1More, Samsung and even KZ giving you far more visual information about how much charge you have left or need. Otherwise it's guesswork, and this is further exacerbated by the absence of quick or 'warp' charge.
Weighing 53g, it is one of the heavier cases I've tested, although it is suitable for a jacket pocket. Certainly not a deal-breaker, but a more visible and intuitive charging LED scheme (preferably on the front)
Ergonomics - 7/10
The buds are a little 80's looking in their design, with a mini-stem shape a minor variation on that used by Anker with their Soundcore Liberty Air Pro 2. The mesh next to the logo is a chamber which facilitates the mic noise reduction, assists the driver arrangement and acts as a pressure relief hole.
The touch control area is, as always, fingertip-shaped, and makes for easy and intuitive control. The LED on the outside is mostly for when the buds are in the case (getting around the lack of LED's on the front). They do flash blue and red intermittently to demonstrate they are looking to pair. When charging, opening the case will reveal the buds glowing red, and this stops when charge is complete. If you need to reset the buds, hold the buttons down in the case, and you'll get a longer intermittent blue and red flashing sequence.
The only time the LED comes on when in use is when the battery is about to die, and this is actually pretty useful - you also get a clear, English voice prompt - again, one of Tronsmart's key differentiators.
From the side, they look like a cross between the SLA2 Pro and the Apollo Air, with a hairdryer-esque shape, but with handy wingtips, which tuck into your antihelix to provide a little more support, although not that it is really necessary. They got the shape down to a tee, with the design providing such good passive isolation that the lack of ANC is academic. Usefully, the beveled charge connectors are kept apart from your skin - especially useful if you suffer from allergies.
You can just about make-out the rectangular BA in the nozzle above, and the angled, asymmetrical location of the nozzle augments the design and comfort.
From the front, the buds are obviously more obtrusive than, for example. Jabra Elite or SoundPEATS Mini, in-ear button-style buds. Even with the smallest tips, the elongated nozzle, designed so due to the positioning of the drivers, means they are a little overt. They are reasonably comfortable though, and only start to give fatigue after a good few hours use. Comfort is not on par with the smaller buds on the market nowadays, but they balance comfort and stability along with the necessities of the design really well. No arguments here.
From the side you see that the 80's look is toned down quite a bit, and the wingtips are really useful in tucking in and giving you that extra bit of support.
Sadly there is no IPX rating with the Onyx Prime, and I suspect this is down to the BA drivers - it adds complexity to the design to keep them insulated and provide the best possible acoustic environment - not impossible, but would have added additional cost for sure.
The buds are quite heavy - over 6g - but due to their surface area, they don't feel especially heavy in the ears, and I took them out for a little run earlier and other than a few minor adjustments they were fine.
Audio - 8.5/10 (for the price paid), 7.5/10 (raw score)
Boom! This is where the Onyx Prime come into their own. I tested with a wide variety of music styles and the Onyx Prime passed every test with flying colours. The 'made for audiophiles' claim might be a bit wide of the mark here though - the Onyx Pure have a boomy lower frequency response and sparkly trebles that makes them a raw and punchy companion best reserved for the moments you can dance around the living room without too much care for accuracy.
Crazy by Seal has a warmth and intimacy where the keyboard separates beautifully from the wah-wah pedal guitar. The percussion has great texture despite the heavy focus on the lower frequencies in the track. The higher frequencies have much more emphasis than the SoundPEATS H1 or Edifier NeoBuds Pro, and this at times makes for a more engaging experience. Whilst not quite the Harman-style 'audiophile' sound signature that Tronsmart inferred on the front cover, the detail is not lost - in fact, the detail in the percussion, tams and pads is quite well represented, if a shade fatiguing after a while.
This is further demonstrated in 7 Seconds by Yossou N'Dour, a naturally spacious track with a full bassline which shows no degredation as Neneh Cherry's vocals, strings and synths of a variety of frequencies are introduced. It is here that the first signs of minor sibilance are revealed, and a look into the Tronsmart app shows the default EQ position inexplicably overbakes the top end. Revoking this gives you a far less fatiguing experience. However it is this track which shows the elastic soundstage errs on the side of warmth and intimacy over wide and airy - not a problem, as it is the case with most TWS, but worthy of note.
This is again the case with 'Just Another Day' by Jon Secada, where the claps and hats are a little raspy throughout. Moving through the genres, 'Momentum' by Don Diablo has great punchiness and speed to the kick, but those raspy high-hats come out again in Blonde's 'I Loved You More' and notably in the build up in 'Koala' by Oliver Heldens.
Even with these nuances, I'm not gonna lie I haven't really smiled much listening to music over the last few years. With my favourite festivals pretty much all cancelled I've barely listened to anything other than to review. The Onyx Prime had me up dancing from the moment I put them in my ears...and there's a lot to be said for that. Music is a spiritual thing, something that is meant to invoke emotion....harman curves are great for prolonged listening but when I'm banging out some techno, fatigue is the last thing on my mind....I went through all my favourite playlists and I'm pretty sure the neighbours saw me bopping to Camelphat at one point
If the H1 were the pre-party, the Galaxy Buds Live the festival, the Onyx Prime are the club. Probably Printworks at around 5am!
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 7.5/10
Calls are pretty decent on the Onyx Prime, and reflective of recent releases which show that whilst little thought has gone into the mic placement or design, the MEMS units are simply improving in quality.
Your voice sounds very natural indoors, and handles background noise, especially other voices, quite well. Unfortunately, your voice also loses a bit of clarity, but there's no 'overprocessing' you hear on many other sets. They feature on my indoor call test here:
Outdoors, your voice is elevated over traffic or splashes, and whilst they are more evident than, for example, the SoundPEATS Mini, which uses an AI-based algorithm to differentiate your voice from other frequencies, they don't sound like splashes or traffic, they just sound like 'hums'. Again, you retain naturalness but lose a little clarity.
They were one of the better performers in my test of 28 different tws models in a testing, outdoor environment:
Calls are easily doable on the Prime, and whilst not the headline feature, are more than respectable.
Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 8/10
Tronsmart have once again used the Qualcomm QCC3040 chip, which brings Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity and aptX-adaptive support, and it was evident again that the occasional glitches symptomatic of early QCC3040 releases, and even lesser chips like the Jieli, Airoha and BES equivalents, have been ironed out. Connectivity is very solid.
The Onyx Prime are supported in the Tronsmart app, and from left to right, top to bottom, you see the journey of connecting them, and then using them. The first screen after connection shows you the battery level of each bud and allows you to switch between gaming and music mode. Next you have the equaliser - as I said earlier, inexplicably lifted trebles by default, just notching this down a shade is a measurable improvement.
Almost all of the touch controls are customisable, including tap and hold. A fairly common feature these days, but a welcome one. The voice prompts are very clear, and you don't have to decipher morse code to tell what's going on - a nice bonus that adds gloss to Tronsmart's releases. Latency is good in music mode - practically lip sync, even with AAC.
The obvious omissions - ANC, Fast Charge, Wireless Charging and High Res Codecs are a shame. ANC is not such an issue as the passive isolation is very good, but quick charge and the option for LHDC would have been nice. Perhaps this is reserved for the next Apollo release?!
Battery Life - 8.5/10
Battery life has typically disappointed with Tronsmart buds, but with the efficient BA driver taking some of the load, this allows for a good 5.5-7 hours playtime from a single charge, and you can get around 3-3.5 more charges from the case, a total of 40 hours - very respectable and helped by the cases large capacity. The problem is the charge time - no quick charge, and 2 hours for a full charge, but given the long total playtime, it shouldn't be a deal-breaker.
Final Comments
Tronsmart have not really made a big splash about this release - despite getting it out for Singles Day, a new and fairly intensive day job meant I couldn't get the photos done this week with barely any daylight here in the UK outside working hours, and it was a shame as I really wanted to help promote this surprisingly excellent release.
Overall Tronsmart can be happy with the Onyx Prime, and I really hope the community supports it. I posted a few deals on hotukdeals last week for earbuds, and the Tronsmart one got the least love (although it was the most expensive) - I suspect partly because of the association with Luis Suarez (outside Liverpool he's generally hated over here
) and partly because they aren't overt about their products. Fingers crossed we can get more consumers to realise that Tronsmart has a quality offering - and drive more traffic Headfi's way too. Tronsmart as a vendor engage actively here, and it is this engagement that helps them help us - I think they actually gave away several pairs in a competition on here, which is again to their credit - doing the right things, the right way.Dual-armature TWS aren't as simple as chucking a tweeter in there, there are a lot to consider before getting the release out there and getting it right. It feels like Tronsmart took their time over this and understood the sacrifices before releasing a very decent first effort in the hybrid driver arena. The sound is incredibly engaging. The Prime are the life and soul of the party, but don't skimp on detail. The soundstage contracts and expands as it needs to, although it could be wider at times, and the comfort is good enough for a series of sprints, if not a marathon.
I really like the Prime, to the point they reminded me how fun music can be. One of the questions I always hate is 'Which are the best buds' and inevitably the question will soon be 'These or the H1?'...when genuinely I have to say the answer is both. I like the relative calm of the H1 and the joyous anarchy of the Onyx Prime...why can't I have both?! Calls are better on the Onyx Prime, although battery life is better on the H1. Both use the same chip (although not the same drivers) and have the same codec support. The H1 are IPX5.
I suspect Tronsmart will follow this up with an Apollo Hybrid-Driver in time, but for now, the Onyx should not be overlooked. It is far better than the KZ attempts, and a very credible attempt. Well done Tronsmart!
Price Weighted Score: 83%
Raw Score: 79%
instagram: regancipher
Tronsmart Review Inventory:
Onyx Prime
Studio
Apollo Air
Battle
Onyx Apex
Apollo Q10
Onyx Free
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.
Peddler
Wow! Superb review. Once again, you've set the bar mate. My set arrived the other day - having some problems getting the app to run - keeps wanting to install additional bluetooth connections and then buggering up the connection next time. Have to keep resetting. Any thoughts?
On a positive note - yup! From what I've heard so far, they're extremely impressive - especially when you take into account their price.
Review pending.....
On a positive note - yup! From what I've heard so far, they're extremely impressive - especially when you take into account their price.
Review pending.....
Peddler
Just thought I would mention that I've sorted the app out and don't have any connection problems and have managed to update the buds to the latest firmware without problems. Really impressed with these - a definite 'Diamond in the Rough'.
vinokurov
They are damn good for music in which there is no sub-bass, everything from metal and till chamber classics sounds very exciting. But EDM, hip-hop, etc. where much information below 100 Hz is a hard test comparable with blows to the head. But, I still like them )
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Model: QCY T17
Price: MSRP $39.98 - 11.11 price = $15.99!
Website: QCY Store
Review Reference: RC056
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x Type-C USB Battery charging case
1 x Type-C USB charging cable
3 x Pair Silicone Eartips
1 x User manual (English, Chinese)
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the Regancipher review of the QCY T17. QCY have been releasing products like they are going out of fashion lately, and this is actually the first of two in the T17 series, with the T17S to follow soon. Reading through the Chinese equivalents to Head-fi, even they are surprised at the frenetic pace of releases!
However all things considered, this isn't altogether surprising. With the T1C now showing its age, QCY needed a 'sports-style' in-ear bud, with the mini wingtips proving historically a useful feature in adding some resistance for exercise. It's younger ears that this release is aimed at though, with few features and a very low price tag being the attraction, just as the T1C was. There is a segment of the market that can't afford, or don't want to shell out a fortune on TWS - and why should they not be treated to good sound? Well, that's where QCY step in and take centre stage.
It has been reported that they have sold over 10m units of the T17 in the first month of release, and you can see why.....
The Unboxing - 7/10
I am not going to go over the layout again - see my reviews of the other QCY products (at the bottom) for more details. This is consistent with the T16, HT03 and T12.
Inside, the earbuds slot into a plastic crate, along with the usual charge cable, tips and manual. The manual, whilst a little flimsy, tells you everything you need to know, and QCY have improved the content by adding more diagrams to it in order to demonstrate their points. Really, we know the TWS vendors want you to use the online manual within the app, but it's one area I feel QCY will need to brush up on if they want to make that jump to the next tier of vendor, in the same way Tronsmart did with their 2020 releases. They've still missed some basic stuff out like what the LED's denote - an area of improvement for sure.
The Case - 8/10
The T17 case is nicely proportioned, measuring 7cm at its widest, around 3.5cm high, and just over 2.5cm in depth. I've seen some earbud releases claiming to look like lipstick - well, this is definitely close than any I've seen previously.
Due to the lighting, it was hard to capture the Comfobuds 2 case, but they are proportionally almost identical. The 1More case is slightly girthier, and slightly shorter in height. Otherwise they are pretty similar.
Like the 1More case, there is an LED at the front denoting the charge status. Like other QCY releases, it's just two colour states - blue or red. The buds and the case show blue when above 50% battery, red when below. The case blinks when charging and turns solid blue when fully charged. The buds glow white (ok, so there's three colour states strictly speaking!) when the case is charging, and it is a very small subtle LED that wouldn't light a room up, so they are fine for taking out in the dark. The LED does not show when worn - even when paused.
The QCY logo sits atop the lid, and USB-C charges the case, which takes around 90 minutes for a full charge, providing the buds with 7.5 hours playtime and an additional 2-3 charges.
The finish is a little generic - it's charcoal grey, it has a fairly flimsy lid and a small lip for single handed use. It's back to the T11/T10 sort of finish - matte, but scuffs up and goes shiny very quickly in your pocket.
A birds-eye view shows the buds sitting in the cockpit. Placing the buds in the case is really straightforward - there's nothing scientific about it, it's pretty intuitive and the magnet clicks them into place. L and R in the middle, like with many earbuds, directs you in case you're new to the world of earbuds and/or think illogically! That said, you do have to ensure they 'click' into place, otherwise they may discharge in the case - not ideal.
The case is equipped with a 380mAh Zijian lithium battery and a Wenxianwei WSDY06 overcharge protection module, along with a separate Siyuan SY8812 SoC to relay information between each of the different modules. It makes for a very efficient and safe charge/discharging process that is built for longevity - impressive at this price point.
The weight of the case with the buds is crucial to the score. At 33g and its tiny dimensions, it is an exceptional case for popping in your trouser pocket whilst out on the move. This is the kind of case I don't mind having in my pocket when cycling, for example, as it is no burden at all to wear on you without a bag or even a jacket.
Whilst the capacity is relatively low, the low-power Jieli chip means you can get a total of 26 hours playtime with the case, and I found without calls, this was actually pretty accurate.
Ergonomics - 9.5/10
It would be no exaggeration to say the T17 are the comfiest buds I have ever had the pleasure of wearing. They fit my ears like gloves (on your hands, not on your ears. The gloves, not the earbuds!!!) There is barely any protrusion from the front profile, and the nozzle means they sit perfectly in your ears without any pressure on the concha. Marvellous!
Close up you can see the tiny wing adding a tiny amount of stability to the fit, but for me it is academic. With many buds you see a drooping, where the long neck means gravity pulls them away from your concha. Not the T17. They just sit majestically in your ears and are stable regardless of the level of movement you subject them too. Mosh pit? No problem!
Side profile shows how the shorter nozzle makes for a really quite perfect fit. They are comfier than the SoundPEATS Mini and other similarly shaped buds, but at the cost of passive noise isolation - you can hear pretty much everything around you, as they don't provide an invasive seal. This works fine for me, and I see why they are aimed at a younger audience - nobody wants their kids with silicone jammed inside their ear canals.
Above is a comparison with the SoundPEATS Mini. As you can see, there are some differences. The feedthrough mic is on the inside, the mini-wing is apparent, the thickness is slightly less and the nozzle is slightly shorter. The battery connectors also have a slight bevel, which could be useful for those who suffer nickel allergies. The outer edge is more rounded and glossy, similar to the Samsung Buds + (in fact, lets not beat around the bush, they are dead ringers!)
Left to Right - Top Row: Jabra Elite 75T, SoundPEATS Mini, QCY T17, KZ SKS
Bottom Row: FIIL T1 Pro / Earfun Free Pro
The design is not really similar to any buds above, taking the best elements from all of them. They're less invasive than the Jabra, less customised than the KZ SKS and lack the lengthy wing-tip and long nozzle of the FIIL/Earfun. However, the T17 don't need any of those features. They're just really well designed. As you see, they lack the inner contouring of the SoundPEATS Mini, which makes their noise isolation inferior, but this is only a problem if it's a problem - for me, it certainly isn't.
Above gives a clearer view of how the T17 fit in your ears. The nozzles are fairly normal, suggesting a 6-7mm driver, although this isn't specified in any of the promotional material. The glossy edge and QCY logo, as well as the blue light and bottom mic, can be seen in the top right. The light only shows when pairing.
At just over 4g they are amongst the lightest earbuds around, and are perfectly suited for prolonged use. You could use the T17 for exercise, side-sleeping - anything. They're so versatile. It's just a shame there's no WR rating, but QCY do tend to omit the testing from their release process to keep costs down, so I wouldn't be too concerned about training in them.
Note - since the T17 were released, the eerily-similar Redmi Buds 3 'Youth Edition' have hit the market. Whilst aesthetically they are almost identical (albeit slightly heavier), they use the BES 2500 chip (as opposed to the Jieli used by QCY) and a smaller, 5.5mm driver as opposed to the 6.25mm driver used by QCY.
Audio - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
Interestingly, QCY are starting to chamfer the rough edges of their traditional v-shaped sound, edging away from the extreme 'scooped' sound signature of many of their previous releases. Ok - it's not audiophile tuning, but by Bluetooth standards it's certainly a marked improvement.
The trebles are slightly less harsh, and the bass far less bloated - this is no bad thing, regardless of your preferred profile. The peaks at 3k and 5k ensure the T17 don't sound boring, giving a little sparkle and brightness to instruments without the piercing and distorted clashes and cymbals we typically heard with releases back in 2020, and the difference between ultra-budget buds like these, and the mid-range sub $100 mark is certainly closing. However, the slight dip in overall volume on complex tracks, symptomatic of buds trying not to over-emphasize any specific frequency over another without losing too much detail, can leave tracks feeling either a little thin or inconsistent, especially if you can't get a great fit.
The dynamic drivers still provide punchy kick drums and textured snares, but when tracks start to get complex, the intimate warmth or spacious airiness you get with higher-budget buds (depending on their raison d'etre) is the compromise. This seems to be the evolving approach of many vendors at this price point, and whilst it agreeably reduces sibilance in vocals and distortion in basslines substantially, it can render listening to music more a 'secondary activity', i.e. something you're doing while you're doing something else because you've forgotten that's what you were actually doing.
Toto's 'Africa' is a prime example - really rather pleasant to listen to rather than coming to life as the soft-rock orchestral phenomena should. David Paich's vocal takes a back seat when the congas, cowbells and shakers are added to the mix, and further back goes the bass guitar. The 'gong' around 2 minutes in, which feels quite distant but prolonged on dual-armature buds like the SoundPEATS H1, is less apparent, and it is these details that you compromise at this price point.
It is a similar story when you switch music styles. Michael Calfan's 'Treasured Soul', for example, opens with the intended full but punchy kick drum, breaking down to reveal a fairly warm, intimate piano and well-represented, time-stretched vocal. Claps come through nice and clean as the build up starts to crescendo, but the ukulele doesn't have the tone that was intended. Then the drop, whilst retaining all of the individual elements, is just a little lacking in emphasis and boost.
Female vocals, emphasised in the frequency response, are understandably less muted, and mostly without sibilance. 'Bleeding Love' by Leona Lewis, a traditionally difficult track for budget buds to deal with, especially in the opening 90 seconds, sees the bass rumble along nicely, giving Leona's vocal range plenty of room. However the brightness means you may at times feel they are overpowering depending on your preferred sound signature - for me, it's fine, but it may not be for everyone.
Overall though, for sub $20 it is quite remarkable how far we've come. If this is the compromise for budget buds for 2021, then I think we've come a long way.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 7/10
Again, QCY have ignored the fancy features and noise compression algorithms and yet still managed to deliver very good call quality from a budget bud.
My daughter and I went and did the mic test on a blustery November Saturday afternoon, and the T17 gave sufficient clarity for me to hear every word she said outdoors. There is some noticeable compression, and passing traffic is audible, albeit reduced emphatically, but considering their form factor and price, it really can't be grumbled at.
The T17 use Laserdiao MEMS mics (like just about every other vendor) and the 32-bit Jieli SoC supports the features we typically see on Qualcomm and BES-based products, such as single/dual mic noise reduction. What is unique about the T17 is the triple magnetic shielding inductors - actually, unique is unfair - I've seen them used in TWS before, but nothing at this price point - Apple, Huawei, Samsung, Libratone, 1More and Soundcore maybe, but nothing below the $100 mark. It reduces interference, and this helps calls as well as connectivity. It is another example of why QCY are becoming the smartest cookies in town, making simple but effective incremental improvements in every release.
The T17 were not out of place tested alongside buds in some instances five times the price of them on my outdoor mic test of 28 sets of buds in December 2021:
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 6/10
QCY often take a no-frills approach to their releases, limiting the number of needless features in favour of a lower price tag, and the T17 are a prime example of their loss-leaders with few even favourable features included.
Lets start with the positives - the controls are very good - intuitive and easy to use. Whilst the controls don't allow you to change the volume, this can and will be able to be customised via the QCY app. Out of the box, double taps play/pause and answer/end calls, holding left and right skips track back and forward respectively (and ignores call). Triple left tap hails voice assistant, and right tap gaming mode. The audible beeps which tell you your 'taps' are doing something are less offensive than previous releases, and the touch area is positioned well to minimise accidental touches.
One of the minor issues is they seem to stay connected even when you shut the case. There is a very evident click and the buds flash white to demonstrate they are charging - that's fine. But often, certainly on Android, I found myself having to manually turn off the connection. Perhaps this is something a firmware update will resolve, but having received them prior to release, they weren't even showing in the app. The QCY app is discussed in previous reviews (see the bottom of the review) but a welcome addition at this price point.
They support Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity, although I didn't find this especially improved their stability. In fact, I had some small issues with it. I would occasionally get glitches - but get this, only on Audible. No other platform, just Audible, on both Android and IOS. Utterly bizarre.
Unlike the more expensive T16, there is no quick-charge feature, and this is a real shame. There is no wireless charging nor ANC as you would expect at this price point. Codecs-wise, you're stuck with AAC - if you want AptX, trade up to the T16.
Battery Life - 8/10
Battery life is a strong feature. On around 60% volume, which is perfectly adequate, you can get around 6-7 hours of music playtime. Take calls, and your overall battery life will reduce. With the case, you get an additional 2-3 charges, so you could conceivably get around 25-26 hours of playtime - a very respectable figure at this price point.
Final Comments
In my introduction, as with every QCY review, I stress that their approach is not to be the best, most feature-rich set of earbuds on the market, but instead to try to bring selected, premium, high end features into low-cost, high value releases.
The T17 break away from the features, instead delivering an ultra-low budget offering with near perfect ergonomics that fit beautifully, have a wide-range of use-cases, and marketed as 'youth buds', balance comfort with decent sound, good call quality and low latency whilst not compromising on battery life.
They're not in the league of the excellent recent T16 in terms of pure audio, but I have a feeling I will be wearing these a lot, and if your T1C are finally giving up the ghost, the T17 are outstanding value for money - even more so in the 11.11 sale.
EDIT - I haven't stopped wearing them as daily beaters since writing this review and some of the early problems, such as some connectivity glitches, have vanished as they've settled down. They are truly remarkable earbuds for the price.
I'm looking forward to the imminent G1 release, and am a firm advocate of QCY's mass-market, niche products for niche requirements approach. Some would call it scattergun, but if you try and keep everyone happy with one release, well....even those with the best intentions may start that way, but they certainly don't stay that way.
The T17 are another clear indication of QCY's growing maturity level - for entry-level, this is really outstanding stuff. The T17S look to be a step further in the evolution, utilizing the Qualcomm QCC3040 to provide aptX-adaptive support and increasing the mics from 2 to 4. I haven't tested them yet- but if they can retain and maybe even improve on the sound further, they will unquestionably be a big hit, especially with their interesting color combinations and low price.
Price Weighted Score: 85%
Raw Score: 78%
instagram: regancipher
QCY Review Inventory:
HT07 Arcbuds
HT05 Melobuds ANC
T20 Ailypods
T18
G1
T17
T16
T13
HT03
T12
T11
About QCY:
Whilst not quite a household name outside of China yet, QCY are well-renowned in the budget TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that, whilst perhaps lacking some of the bells and whistles of the more expensive brands, deliver to the segment of the market where 'good enough is good enough', with solid reliability and tremendous value for money.
Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5), with three of their major customers being brands you will certainly recognise and in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019. In 2020, market research indicated they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor worldwide - no mean feat.
Despite a close relationship with SoC manufactuer Zhuhai Jieli, QCY are not afraid to mix and match components to suit their target market. This often sees a number of releases in quick succession - their T17S are an example of this, released subsequent to the T17, and differentiating with the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 SoC, to support customers who require the added lower latency enabled by the aptX codecs that the Qualcomm chips support. They did a similar thing with the very popular T5, T8 and T9 - nice to see a vendor using an easy to follow naming convention! The G1 use the newest Pixart chip in order to reduce latency - horses for courses!
The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses at a very affordable price - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value from a brand they can trust.
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Model: QCY T17
Price: MSRP $39.98 - 11.11 price = $15.99!
Website: QCY Store
Review Reference: RC056
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: QCY
- Model: T17 / BH21Q17A / IN2031A
- Driver: 6.25mm WOAI Dynamic Composite Driver
- Chipset: Jieli AD6973D4 32-Bit DSP
- Frequency Response Range: 20-20000Hz
- Mic: 4, LaserDiao 1054
- ANC: No
- Volume Control: Yes (not native - must be configured in the app)
- Codecs: AAC, SBC
- Earbud Weight: 4.05g
- Case + Earbuds Gross Weight: 33.49g
- Case Dimensions: 70mm (width) x 27mm (depth) x 33mm (height)
- Case Charge Capacity: 380mAh
- Full Charge Time: 120 minutes
- Quick Charge: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Input: 5V 400mA
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 7.5 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 26 hours
- App Support: Yes
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.1
- Bluetooth Protocols: HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
- Water Resistance: Not listed
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x Type-C USB Battery charging case
1 x Type-C USB charging cable
3 x Pair Silicone Eartips
1 x User manual (English, Chinese)
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the Regancipher review of the QCY T17. QCY have been releasing products like they are going out of fashion lately, and this is actually the first of two in the T17 series, with the T17S to follow soon. Reading through the Chinese equivalents to Head-fi, even they are surprised at the frenetic pace of releases!
However all things considered, this isn't altogether surprising. With the T1C now showing its age, QCY needed a 'sports-style' in-ear bud, with the mini wingtips proving historically a useful feature in adding some resistance for exercise. It's younger ears that this release is aimed at though, with few features and a very low price tag being the attraction, just as the T1C was. There is a segment of the market that can't afford, or don't want to shell out a fortune on TWS - and why should they not be treated to good sound? Well, that's where QCY step in and take centre stage.
It has been reported that they have sold over 10m units of the T17 in the first month of release, and you can see why.....
The Unboxing - 7/10
I am not going to go over the layout again - see my reviews of the other QCY products (at the bottom) for more details. This is consistent with the T16, HT03 and T12.
Inside, the earbuds slot into a plastic crate, along with the usual charge cable, tips and manual. The manual, whilst a little flimsy, tells you everything you need to know, and QCY have improved the content by adding more diagrams to it in order to demonstrate their points. Really, we know the TWS vendors want you to use the online manual within the app, but it's one area I feel QCY will need to brush up on if they want to make that jump to the next tier of vendor, in the same way Tronsmart did with their 2020 releases. They've still missed some basic stuff out like what the LED's denote - an area of improvement for sure.
The Case - 8/10
The T17 case is nicely proportioned, measuring 7cm at its widest, around 3.5cm high, and just over 2.5cm in depth. I've seen some earbud releases claiming to look like lipstick - well, this is definitely close than any I've seen previously.
Due to the lighting, it was hard to capture the Comfobuds 2 case, but they are proportionally almost identical. The 1More case is slightly girthier, and slightly shorter in height. Otherwise they are pretty similar.
Like the 1More case, there is an LED at the front denoting the charge status. Like other QCY releases, it's just two colour states - blue or red. The buds and the case show blue when above 50% battery, red when below. The case blinks when charging and turns solid blue when fully charged. The buds glow white (ok, so there's three colour states strictly speaking!) when the case is charging, and it is a very small subtle LED that wouldn't light a room up, so they are fine for taking out in the dark. The LED does not show when worn - even when paused.
The QCY logo sits atop the lid, and USB-C charges the case, which takes around 90 minutes for a full charge, providing the buds with 7.5 hours playtime and an additional 2-3 charges.
The finish is a little generic - it's charcoal grey, it has a fairly flimsy lid and a small lip for single handed use. It's back to the T11/T10 sort of finish - matte, but scuffs up and goes shiny very quickly in your pocket.
A birds-eye view shows the buds sitting in the cockpit. Placing the buds in the case is really straightforward - there's nothing scientific about it, it's pretty intuitive and the magnet clicks them into place. L and R in the middle, like with many earbuds, directs you in case you're new to the world of earbuds and/or think illogically! That said, you do have to ensure they 'click' into place, otherwise they may discharge in the case - not ideal.
The case is equipped with a 380mAh Zijian lithium battery and a Wenxianwei WSDY06 overcharge protection module, along with a separate Siyuan SY8812 SoC to relay information between each of the different modules. It makes for a very efficient and safe charge/discharging process that is built for longevity - impressive at this price point.
The weight of the case with the buds is crucial to the score. At 33g and its tiny dimensions, it is an exceptional case for popping in your trouser pocket whilst out on the move. This is the kind of case I don't mind having in my pocket when cycling, for example, as it is no burden at all to wear on you without a bag or even a jacket.
Whilst the capacity is relatively low, the low-power Jieli chip means you can get a total of 26 hours playtime with the case, and I found without calls, this was actually pretty accurate.
Ergonomics - 9.5/10
It would be no exaggeration to say the T17 are the comfiest buds I have ever had the pleasure of wearing. They fit my ears like gloves (on your hands, not on your ears. The gloves, not the earbuds!!!) There is barely any protrusion from the front profile, and the nozzle means they sit perfectly in your ears without any pressure on the concha. Marvellous!
Close up you can see the tiny wing adding a tiny amount of stability to the fit, but for me it is academic. With many buds you see a drooping, where the long neck means gravity pulls them away from your concha. Not the T17. They just sit majestically in your ears and are stable regardless of the level of movement you subject them too. Mosh pit? No problem!
Side profile shows how the shorter nozzle makes for a really quite perfect fit. They are comfier than the SoundPEATS Mini and other similarly shaped buds, but at the cost of passive noise isolation - you can hear pretty much everything around you, as they don't provide an invasive seal. This works fine for me, and I see why they are aimed at a younger audience - nobody wants their kids with silicone jammed inside their ear canals.
Above is a comparison with the SoundPEATS Mini. As you can see, there are some differences. The feedthrough mic is on the inside, the mini-wing is apparent, the thickness is slightly less and the nozzle is slightly shorter. The battery connectors also have a slight bevel, which could be useful for those who suffer nickel allergies. The outer edge is more rounded and glossy, similar to the Samsung Buds + (in fact, lets not beat around the bush, they are dead ringers!)
Left to Right - Top Row: Jabra Elite 75T, SoundPEATS Mini, QCY T17, KZ SKS
Bottom Row: FIIL T1 Pro / Earfun Free Pro
The design is not really similar to any buds above, taking the best elements from all of them. They're less invasive than the Jabra, less customised than the KZ SKS and lack the lengthy wing-tip and long nozzle of the FIIL/Earfun. However, the T17 don't need any of those features. They're just really well designed. As you see, they lack the inner contouring of the SoundPEATS Mini, which makes their noise isolation inferior, but this is only a problem if it's a problem - for me, it certainly isn't.
Above gives a clearer view of how the T17 fit in your ears. The nozzles are fairly normal, suggesting a 6-7mm driver, although this isn't specified in any of the promotional material. The glossy edge and QCY logo, as well as the blue light and bottom mic, can be seen in the top right. The light only shows when pairing.
At just over 4g they are amongst the lightest earbuds around, and are perfectly suited for prolonged use. You could use the T17 for exercise, side-sleeping - anything. They're so versatile. It's just a shame there's no WR rating, but QCY do tend to omit the testing from their release process to keep costs down, so I wouldn't be too concerned about training in them.
Note - since the T17 were released, the eerily-similar Redmi Buds 3 'Youth Edition' have hit the market. Whilst aesthetically they are almost identical (albeit slightly heavier), they use the BES 2500 chip (as opposed to the Jieli used by QCY) and a smaller, 5.5mm driver as opposed to the 6.25mm driver used by QCY.
Audio - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
Interestingly, QCY are starting to chamfer the rough edges of their traditional v-shaped sound, edging away from the extreme 'scooped' sound signature of many of their previous releases. Ok - it's not audiophile tuning, but by Bluetooth standards it's certainly a marked improvement.
The trebles are slightly less harsh, and the bass far less bloated - this is no bad thing, regardless of your preferred profile. The peaks at 3k and 5k ensure the T17 don't sound boring, giving a little sparkle and brightness to instruments without the piercing and distorted clashes and cymbals we typically heard with releases back in 2020, and the difference between ultra-budget buds like these, and the mid-range sub $100 mark is certainly closing. However, the slight dip in overall volume on complex tracks, symptomatic of buds trying not to over-emphasize any specific frequency over another without losing too much detail, can leave tracks feeling either a little thin or inconsistent, especially if you can't get a great fit.
The dynamic drivers still provide punchy kick drums and textured snares, but when tracks start to get complex, the intimate warmth or spacious airiness you get with higher-budget buds (depending on their raison d'etre) is the compromise. This seems to be the evolving approach of many vendors at this price point, and whilst it agreeably reduces sibilance in vocals and distortion in basslines substantially, it can render listening to music more a 'secondary activity', i.e. something you're doing while you're doing something else because you've forgotten that's what you were actually doing.
Toto's 'Africa' is a prime example - really rather pleasant to listen to rather than coming to life as the soft-rock orchestral phenomena should. David Paich's vocal takes a back seat when the congas, cowbells and shakers are added to the mix, and further back goes the bass guitar. The 'gong' around 2 minutes in, which feels quite distant but prolonged on dual-armature buds like the SoundPEATS H1, is less apparent, and it is these details that you compromise at this price point.
It is a similar story when you switch music styles. Michael Calfan's 'Treasured Soul', for example, opens with the intended full but punchy kick drum, breaking down to reveal a fairly warm, intimate piano and well-represented, time-stretched vocal. Claps come through nice and clean as the build up starts to crescendo, but the ukulele doesn't have the tone that was intended. Then the drop, whilst retaining all of the individual elements, is just a little lacking in emphasis and boost.
Female vocals, emphasised in the frequency response, are understandably less muted, and mostly without sibilance. 'Bleeding Love' by Leona Lewis, a traditionally difficult track for budget buds to deal with, especially in the opening 90 seconds, sees the bass rumble along nicely, giving Leona's vocal range plenty of room. However the brightness means you may at times feel they are overpowering depending on your preferred sound signature - for me, it's fine, but it may not be for everyone.
Overall though, for sub $20 it is quite remarkable how far we've come. If this is the compromise for budget buds for 2021, then I think we've come a long way.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 7/10
Again, QCY have ignored the fancy features and noise compression algorithms and yet still managed to deliver very good call quality from a budget bud.
My daughter and I went and did the mic test on a blustery November Saturday afternoon, and the T17 gave sufficient clarity for me to hear every word she said outdoors. There is some noticeable compression, and passing traffic is audible, albeit reduced emphatically, but considering their form factor and price, it really can't be grumbled at.
The T17 use Laserdiao MEMS mics (like just about every other vendor) and the 32-bit Jieli SoC supports the features we typically see on Qualcomm and BES-based products, such as single/dual mic noise reduction. What is unique about the T17 is the triple magnetic shielding inductors - actually, unique is unfair - I've seen them used in TWS before, but nothing at this price point - Apple, Huawei, Samsung, Libratone, 1More and Soundcore maybe, but nothing below the $100 mark. It reduces interference, and this helps calls as well as connectivity. It is another example of why QCY are becoming the smartest cookies in town, making simple but effective incremental improvements in every release.
The T17 were not out of place tested alongside buds in some instances five times the price of them on my outdoor mic test of 28 sets of buds in December 2021:
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 6/10
QCY often take a no-frills approach to their releases, limiting the number of needless features in favour of a lower price tag, and the T17 are a prime example of their loss-leaders with few even favourable features included.
Lets start with the positives - the controls are very good - intuitive and easy to use. Whilst the controls don't allow you to change the volume, this can and will be able to be customised via the QCY app. Out of the box, double taps play/pause and answer/end calls, holding left and right skips track back and forward respectively (and ignores call). Triple left tap hails voice assistant, and right tap gaming mode. The audible beeps which tell you your 'taps' are doing something are less offensive than previous releases, and the touch area is positioned well to minimise accidental touches.
One of the minor issues is they seem to stay connected even when you shut the case. There is a very evident click and the buds flash white to demonstrate they are charging - that's fine. But often, certainly on Android, I found myself having to manually turn off the connection. Perhaps this is something a firmware update will resolve, but having received them prior to release, they weren't even showing in the app. The QCY app is discussed in previous reviews (see the bottom of the review) but a welcome addition at this price point.
They support Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity, although I didn't find this especially improved their stability. In fact, I had some small issues with it. I would occasionally get glitches - but get this, only on Audible. No other platform, just Audible, on both Android and IOS. Utterly bizarre.
Unlike the more expensive T16, there is no quick-charge feature, and this is a real shame. There is no wireless charging nor ANC as you would expect at this price point. Codecs-wise, you're stuck with AAC - if you want AptX, trade up to the T16.
Battery Life - 8/10
Battery life is a strong feature. On around 60% volume, which is perfectly adequate, you can get around 6-7 hours of music playtime. Take calls, and your overall battery life will reduce. With the case, you get an additional 2-3 charges, so you could conceivably get around 25-26 hours of playtime - a very respectable figure at this price point.
Final Comments
In my introduction, as with every QCY review, I stress that their approach is not to be the best, most feature-rich set of earbuds on the market, but instead to try to bring selected, premium, high end features into low-cost, high value releases.
The T17 break away from the features, instead delivering an ultra-low budget offering with near perfect ergonomics that fit beautifully, have a wide-range of use-cases, and marketed as 'youth buds', balance comfort with decent sound, good call quality and low latency whilst not compromising on battery life.
They're not in the league of the excellent recent T16 in terms of pure audio, but I have a feeling I will be wearing these a lot, and if your T1C are finally giving up the ghost, the T17 are outstanding value for money - even more so in the 11.11 sale.
EDIT - I haven't stopped wearing them as daily beaters since writing this review and some of the early problems, such as some connectivity glitches, have vanished as they've settled down. They are truly remarkable earbuds for the price.
I'm looking forward to the imminent G1 release, and am a firm advocate of QCY's mass-market, niche products for niche requirements approach. Some would call it scattergun, but if you try and keep everyone happy with one release, well....even those with the best intentions may start that way, but they certainly don't stay that way.
The T17 are another clear indication of QCY's growing maturity level - for entry-level, this is really outstanding stuff. The T17S look to be a step further in the evolution, utilizing the Qualcomm QCC3040 to provide aptX-adaptive support and increasing the mics from 2 to 4. I haven't tested them yet- but if they can retain and maybe even improve on the sound further, they will unquestionably be a big hit, especially with their interesting color combinations and low price.
Price Weighted Score: 85%
Raw Score: 78%
instagram: regancipher
QCY Review Inventory:
HT07 Arcbuds
HT05 Melobuds ANC
T20 Ailypods
T18
G1
T17
T16
T13
HT03
T12
T11
About QCY:
Whilst not quite a household name outside of China yet, QCY are well-renowned in the budget TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that, whilst perhaps lacking some of the bells and whistles of the more expensive brands, deliver to the segment of the market where 'good enough is good enough', with solid reliability and tremendous value for money.
Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5), with three of their major customers being brands you will certainly recognise and in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019. In 2020, market research indicated they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor worldwide - no mean feat.
Despite a close relationship with SoC manufactuer Zhuhai Jieli, QCY are not afraid to mix and match components to suit their target market. This often sees a number of releases in quick succession - their T17S are an example of this, released subsequent to the T17, and differentiating with the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 SoC, to support customers who require the added lower latency enabled by the aptX codecs that the Qualcomm chips support. They did a similar thing with the very popular T5, T8 and T9 - nice to see a vendor using an easy to follow naming convention! The G1 use the newest Pixart chip in order to reduce latency - horses for courses!
The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses at a very affordable price - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value from a brand they can trust.
tendou
Hi!
For podcast or YouTube speech video. Which is better between t17 and t13?
For podcast or YouTube speech video. Which is better between t17 and t13?
regancipher
Probably T13 but neither will sound great. TWS are better designed for calls than streaming. For YouTube or streaming etc I recommend a mic like the Hyper-X Solocast, it's miles better than TWS in that respect
tendou
Oh. I'm sorry for not being clear. It is for listening to podcast and YouTube video. I'm not creating content..
So t13 better isolation from outside sound? Though I usually preferred no stem design
So t13 better isolation from outside sound? Though I usually preferred no stem design
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
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Socials: Biolink
Model: QCY T16
Price: MSRP $59.99, available on Aliexpress for as low as $22!
Website: QCY Store
Review Reference: RC055
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x Type-C USB Battery charging case
1 x Type-C USB charging cable
3 x Pair Silicone Eartips
1 x User manual (English, Chinese)
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the Regancipher review of the QCY T16. QCY should need no introduction - they are probably the leading budget brand on the market, certainly in China, with a growing presence in the West. Their products are growing in maturity fast, with better releases coming thick and fast after the success of the T5 and the many OEM versions of it that followed.
More recently, they've been using Qualcomm chips, and this is their second aptX-adaptive-supporting release, which will please Android owners hugely. However, if the buds look a little familiar - well, there's two reasons for that. Firstly, the buds were 'soft launched' in China some time ago as the 'Air Beans' - now we already know here in the West that the word 'Beans' is synonymous with a certain Korean brand, so after road-testing their suitability, they've now hit the mass market, albeit branded as the T16.
The other reason is they bear more than a passing resemblance to the Whizzer E3 (and B6 for that matter), a product I reviewed all the way back in RC013 here. Now that's no bad thing - I loved the E3 other than their somewhat dated specification, so a re-rub of that product would have had me hooked straight away anyway, but despite the initial impressions, there are still some subtle differences, and I'll be touching on those throughout the review.
As always, there is a link to my other reviews from this brand at the bottom, along with a paragraph on the brand.
The Unboxing - 7/10
As I said in my review of the HT03, the maturity of the unboxing is clearly evident with QCY's brand transition. As always, the key features are listed on the front, with the individual characteristics spelled out on the back in English and in Chinese.
Once inside you're greeted by the buds and case enclosed in a grey plastic surround, just like their previous recent releases.
The package includes a USB Type-C charge cable, spare tips (you'll need these), and an instruction manual. The manual, whilst a little flimsy, tells you everything you need to know, and QCY have improved the content by adding more diagrams to it in order to demonstrate their points. Really, we know the TWS vendors want you to use the online manual within the app, but it's one area I feel QCY will need to brush up on if they want to make that jump to the next tier of vendor, in the same way Tronsmart did with their 2020 releases. They've still missed some basic stuff out like what the LED's denote - an area of improvement for sure.
The tips are not especially great quality - although they aren't bad. The problem is, like the KZ SKS, the nozzle only comes half way down the full surface of the tip. This limits the number of aftermarket tips you can use. If you're between-sizes like me (ML would be ideal), this can be a minor quibble if you want to get the very best out of them.
The Case - 8/10
It is actually quite hard to convey how nicely designed the case is with pictures, because they really don't do it justice. It is a lovely little case that has some very nice details, such as the grooves around the gaps for the buds, hall switch mode, which enables immediate pairing when the case is opened, and an LED button to the front which both resets the pairing status when held down for 10 seconds, and also demonstrates the level of remaining charge. Green shows 70% and above, and it turns to red when 30% and below. If you flip the lid open, the LED will stay on for a few seconds to make sure you are fully aware.
The pogo pins face upwards, so the buds lie flat in the case as per the image above.
The case is very compact, measuring 61mm at its very longest, 42mm at its very widest, and around 30mm at its very highest - however the rounded design makes it feel much smaller then this. Above you can see the LED button, USB-C socket to the rear, a small but not unsubstantially weighted hinge and a nice lip to the front of the lid that allows easy single-handed use. It is a nice, slow-close hinge that doesn't suddenly snap shut on you while you're trying to use it.
On top is the new QCY logo in a small circle, whilst the overall shape is asymmetrical. This design makes it feel really nice in your hands, and despite the glossy finish, it has been reasonably durable so far.
The portability is further enhanced by the weight - just 40g fully loaded - remarkably light, and both pocket and handbag friendly.
Above shows the likeness with the E3 case design. The Whizzer had an undeniably unique design brief, with a pebble-style outer texture, but absence often makes the heart grow fonder, and comparing the two reminded me of its flaws - whilst it looked spectacular, it was far less portable - much taller, and more of a gimmick than a genuinely usable design. Both cases suffer with it being sometimes not immediately apparent which bud goes in which cavity in the cockpit.
I'm nitpicking - these are very minor flaws in an otherwise excellent case that also adds the bonus of supporting quick charge - 10 minutes connected to USB-C gives you 1 hour of playback - extraordinary at this price point.
Ergonomics - 7/10
Photographing white buds is a nightmare, especially against a white background, so you'll have to take my word for it when I say the buds are very nicely finished, with an almost-dusted-like effect, and feel much higher quality than the price suggests. Only a join around the centre of the bud shows they are not 'one-piece', but it's straight, not trying to hide and consistent. It doesn't detract from a very comfortable bud that provides reasonable isolation. The 'bean' style is all too apparent, and QCY advise that the buds are worn slightly more upright than pictured here - just like Samsung do.
The problem is, for me to do that, I need to use smaller eartips than the Large, which drastically changes the sound. So I wear them as is suitable for me - with the large tips, and tilted slightly, and it certainly doesn't look as obvious from the front.
When you open the case the buds will glow red briefly, then flash intermittently in green to indicate the initiation process to pair. Once paired or connected, the green LED will turn solid, then disappear. Removing them from the case is perfectly weighted, with the magnets not too tight to require you to use force, but strong enough to prevent them rattling around in the case.
On the inside of the bud there are pogo pins which initiate charge, a circle which denotes the orientation of the bud (L or R). There is a gap just below, where QCY clearly toyed with the idea of smart wear detection, but decided against it.
There are two microphones - one on the inside close to the nozzle, one on the outside - and they do a remarkably good job.
There have been a wave of mini in-ear style buds recently, with Jabra's new releases, the Soundpeats Mini, the upgraded Redmi Airdots 3, etc. Above shows that the T16 are more like the Redmi or Whizzer in their shape - elongated and thin, as opposed to the fat, yet still fairly discrete Jabra and Soundpeats. The angle of the Nozzle is more akin to the Airdots or even the Tronsmart Onyx Free.
Whilst there is no water resistance rating to the buds, I've worn them outside without any issues.
Weighing in at 4g, they're comfy, sit nicely in the ears, and can be worn for prolonged periods without any fatigue. Adjustments don't typically trigger the touch controls, which is welcome.
The fit does feel slightly awkward at times and requires a bit of adjustment - they look like they should be more upright, but end up sitting in a kinda diagonal position - I don't think this was how it was intended, and you have to be careful your tragus is not blocking the voice mic if this is the case.
Audio Quality - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
The T16 are definitely very fit dependent. First impression was - huh, where's the bass?! Then I flipped the tips to the Large....well, there it is!
Second impressions were quite protracted. I had to test a lot of styles to understand what I did and didn't like about them. The dynamic style isn't usually my cup of tea, and yet the T16 are very enjoyable buds that only occasionally leave you wishing for more.
I tried a few bouncier tracks with both sets of tips. 'Gecko' by Oliver Heldens, a simple house track where he modulated the pitch of the attack with a heavy side chain in order to give the bassline more emphasis, is pretty well translated throughout, although at high volumes you will note some distortion. It absolutely blasts through on the on the large tips, sometimes recessing the whole track a little too much. Contrast this to the Soundpeats Mini, which sound good, without ever urging you to get up and dance - relatively flat by comparison.
'Red Roses' by Pep and Rash shows similar traits, although it lacks a little mid-bass presence, sounding punchy but lacking in depth. Instruments are nicely arranged and weighted - the unmistakable Western guitar lick sounds clear, just as the single vocal line 'and then it hit me' does - before the thumping bassline tears through. It's a shame there wasn't slightly more emphasis on depth, so you can tweak this in the EQ to at least round it off a little and eek even more out of the buds. I tried this with Michael Calfan's 'Treasured Soul' - a tough track for TWS despite it's relatively simplistic orchestral arrangement - basic piano chords with mallet hits and kicks, that translate well, giving room for the vocals without disrupting the timbre. So EQ'ing shouldn't spoil the party.
Moving to different styles, 'Photograph' by Ed Sheeran sounded slightly less driven, with a fairly open soundstage sounding slightly odd with such an intimate track that suggests this is slightly artificial, created by the position of the driver in relation to your ear canal. Drums here lacked the punchiness of the house tracks, but this couldn't be said for 'Diamonds' by Rihanna, which offered tremendous presence, clarity and finesse for the price point. 'Happy' by Pharrell revealed some of the flaws - whilst the claps sounded natural enough, the tams and hats sound a little lispy/thin, in the same way Ed Sheeran did.
Overall, it's a huge leap forward from where we were 12 months ago. The dynamic sound which almost became typecast as 'sounding crap' at one stage sounds far more palatable here. I'm not really a dynamic sound signature sort-of-listener, but I occasionally enjoy it for what it is - and that's the case here with the T16.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 8/10
The big surprise - the call quality is excellent. Usually with buds of this type, it's a real chore getting your voice to sound like anything other than you talking into a pillow. I unfortunately didn't have the facility to record the calls when I did the test, so I rang my mum, a pensioner, who knows the drill. Where to go, when to go...blah blah.
Not only did she catch every word I said, she complemented me on the clarity and tone of my voice. She said that like the Soundpeats Mini the week before, an occasional crackle would come through (this was when motorbikes tore past) otherwise traffic and wind posed no issues whatsoever. The only break in my voice came from passers-by who spoke in a slightly higher frequency.
Despite no AI-based features, 6-mic array, accelerometer, or anything else that could augment the call quality, QCY seem to have done pretty well out of a clever design and cVc 8.0 - something most other vendors find more of a hindrance than a help!
The 'mum test' is not my final word on the T16 - they demonstrated their ability to nullify background noise very well in my test of 28 different sets of earbuds outdoors:
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7/10
QCY often take a no-frills approach to their releases, limiting the number of needless features in favour of a lower price tag, but the T16 are possibly the exception, with lots of features here in their price bracket.
Firstly, whilst the controls don't allow you to change the volume, this can and will be able to be customised via the QCY app. Out of the box, double taps play/pause and answer/end calls, holding left and right skips track back and forward respectively (and ignores call). Triple left tap hails voice assistant, and right tap gaming mode. The audible beeps which tell you your 'taps' are doing something are less offensive than previous releases, and the touch area is positioned well to minimise accidental touches - I found myself adjusting by pinching the top and bottom and twisting occasionally, only once causing the track to skip.
Gaming mode gave a marginal improvement in latency compared with it off, although it relies on the 'fixed-ish' parameters of AptX-adaptive - still great that they support this more efficient codec.
They support Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, although I didn't find this especially improved their stability. Quick charge is a great feature - 1 hour from 10 minutes of juice. The QCY app is discussed in previous reviews (see the bottom of the review) but a welcome addition at this price point.
Battery Life - 7.5/10
Perfectly respectable around 4.5-5 hours for calls and music. This extends to a less impressive 22 hours with the case, but you can get longer by simply listening at a reasonable volume. The T16 are very loud - you don't need more than 60%.
Final Comments
In my introduction, as with every QCY review, I stress that their approach is not to be the best, most feature-rich set of earbuds on the market, but instead to try to bring premium, high end features into low-cost, high value releases, and the T16 are a sign of their growing maturity, because the rough edges that once typified QCY releases are being levelled off, and they're getting the fundamentals right - good sound, good calls, good ergonomics and battery life - whilst also adding in some nice bonus features, like quick charge, gaming mode and app support.
If you have been looking for a replacement for the Whizzer or that style of earbud, the T16 are an excellent choice - especially if you like house, R&B and pop. The big bonus is the excellent call quality - nice job QCY!
Price Weighted Score: 81%
Raw Score: 77%
instagram: regancipher
QCY Review Inventory:
HT07 Arcbuds
HT05 Melobuds ANC
T20 Ailypods
T18
G1
T17
T16
T13
HT03
T12
T11
About QCY:
Whilst not quite a household name outside of China yet, QCY are well-renowned in the budget TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that, whilst perhaps lacking some of the bells and whistles of the more expensive brands, deliver to the segment of the market where 'good enough is good enough', with solid reliability and tremendous value for money.
Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5), with three of their major customers being brands you will certainly recognise and in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019. In 2020, market research indicated they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor worldwide - no mean feat.
Despite a close relationship with SoC manufactuer Zhuhai Jieli, QCY are not afraid to mix and match components to suit their target market. This often sees a number of releases in quick succession - their T17S are an example of this, released subsequent to the T17, and differentiating with the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 SoC, to support customers who require the added lower latency enabled by the aptX codecs that the Qualcomm chips support. They did a similar thing with the very popular T5, T8 and T9 - nice to see a vendor using an easy to follow naming convention! The G1 use the newest Pixart chip in order to reduce latency - horses for courses!
The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses at a very affordable price - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value from a brand they can trust.
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: QCY T16
Price: MSRP $59.99, available on Aliexpress for as low as $22!
Website: QCY Store
Review Reference: RC055
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: QCY
- Model: T16 / TG_W10
- Driver: 7.2mm Dynamic Armature
- Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3040
- Frequency Response Range: 20-20000Hz
- Mic: 4, cVc 8.0
- ANC: No
- Volume Control: Yes (not native - must be configured in the app)
- Codecs: AptX-Adaptive, SBC
- Earbud Weight: 4.13g
- Earbud Dimensions: 11mm nozzle, 22mm height (without nozzle), 27mm (height with nozzle)
- Case + Earbuds Gross Weight: 40.38g
- Case Dimensions: 62mm (width) x 45mm (depth) x 30mm (height)
- Case Charge Capacity: 380mAh
- Full Charge Time: 120 minutes
- Quick Charge: Yes - ten minutes for 1 hour juice!
- Wireless Charging: No
- Input: 5V 400mA
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 5.5 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 22 hours
- App Support: Yes
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
- Water Resistance: Not listed
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x Type-C USB Battery charging case
1 x Type-C USB charging cable
3 x Pair Silicone Eartips
1 x User manual (English, Chinese)
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the Regancipher review of the QCY T16. QCY should need no introduction - they are probably the leading budget brand on the market, certainly in China, with a growing presence in the West. Their products are growing in maturity fast, with better releases coming thick and fast after the success of the T5 and the many OEM versions of it that followed.
More recently, they've been using Qualcomm chips, and this is their second aptX-adaptive-supporting release, which will please Android owners hugely. However, if the buds look a little familiar - well, there's two reasons for that. Firstly, the buds were 'soft launched' in China some time ago as the 'Air Beans' - now we already know here in the West that the word 'Beans' is synonymous with a certain Korean brand, so after road-testing their suitability, they've now hit the mass market, albeit branded as the T16.
The other reason is they bear more than a passing resemblance to the Whizzer E3 (and B6 for that matter), a product I reviewed all the way back in RC013 here. Now that's no bad thing - I loved the E3 other than their somewhat dated specification, so a re-rub of that product would have had me hooked straight away anyway, but despite the initial impressions, there are still some subtle differences, and I'll be touching on those throughout the review.
As always, there is a link to my other reviews from this brand at the bottom, along with a paragraph on the brand.
The Unboxing - 7/10
As I said in my review of the HT03, the maturity of the unboxing is clearly evident with QCY's brand transition. As always, the key features are listed on the front, with the individual characteristics spelled out on the back in English and in Chinese.
Once inside you're greeted by the buds and case enclosed in a grey plastic surround, just like their previous recent releases.
The package includes a USB Type-C charge cable, spare tips (you'll need these), and an instruction manual. The manual, whilst a little flimsy, tells you everything you need to know, and QCY have improved the content by adding more diagrams to it in order to demonstrate their points. Really, we know the TWS vendors want you to use the online manual within the app, but it's one area I feel QCY will need to brush up on if they want to make that jump to the next tier of vendor, in the same way Tronsmart did with their 2020 releases. They've still missed some basic stuff out like what the LED's denote - an area of improvement for sure.
The tips are not especially great quality - although they aren't bad. The problem is, like the KZ SKS, the nozzle only comes half way down the full surface of the tip. This limits the number of aftermarket tips you can use. If you're between-sizes like me (ML would be ideal), this can be a minor quibble if you want to get the very best out of them.
The Case - 8/10
It is actually quite hard to convey how nicely designed the case is with pictures, because they really don't do it justice. It is a lovely little case that has some very nice details, such as the grooves around the gaps for the buds, hall switch mode, which enables immediate pairing when the case is opened, and an LED button to the front which both resets the pairing status when held down for 10 seconds, and also demonstrates the level of remaining charge. Green shows 70% and above, and it turns to red when 30% and below. If you flip the lid open, the LED will stay on for a few seconds to make sure you are fully aware.
The pogo pins face upwards, so the buds lie flat in the case as per the image above.
The case is very compact, measuring 61mm at its very longest, 42mm at its very widest, and around 30mm at its very highest - however the rounded design makes it feel much smaller then this. Above you can see the LED button, USB-C socket to the rear, a small but not unsubstantially weighted hinge and a nice lip to the front of the lid that allows easy single-handed use. It is a nice, slow-close hinge that doesn't suddenly snap shut on you while you're trying to use it.
On top is the new QCY logo in a small circle, whilst the overall shape is asymmetrical. This design makes it feel really nice in your hands, and despite the glossy finish, it has been reasonably durable so far.
The portability is further enhanced by the weight - just 40g fully loaded - remarkably light, and both pocket and handbag friendly.
Above shows the likeness with the E3 case design. The Whizzer had an undeniably unique design brief, with a pebble-style outer texture, but absence often makes the heart grow fonder, and comparing the two reminded me of its flaws - whilst it looked spectacular, it was far less portable - much taller, and more of a gimmick than a genuinely usable design. Both cases suffer with it being sometimes not immediately apparent which bud goes in which cavity in the cockpit.
I'm nitpicking - these are very minor flaws in an otherwise excellent case that also adds the bonus of supporting quick charge - 10 minutes connected to USB-C gives you 1 hour of playback - extraordinary at this price point.
Ergonomics - 7/10
Photographing white buds is a nightmare, especially against a white background, so you'll have to take my word for it when I say the buds are very nicely finished, with an almost-dusted-like effect, and feel much higher quality than the price suggests. Only a join around the centre of the bud shows they are not 'one-piece', but it's straight, not trying to hide and consistent. It doesn't detract from a very comfortable bud that provides reasonable isolation. The 'bean' style is all too apparent, and QCY advise that the buds are worn slightly more upright than pictured here - just like Samsung do.
The problem is, for me to do that, I need to use smaller eartips than the Large, which drastically changes the sound. So I wear them as is suitable for me - with the large tips, and tilted slightly, and it certainly doesn't look as obvious from the front.
When you open the case the buds will glow red briefly, then flash intermittently in green to indicate the initiation process to pair. Once paired or connected, the green LED will turn solid, then disappear. Removing them from the case is perfectly weighted, with the magnets not too tight to require you to use force, but strong enough to prevent them rattling around in the case.
On the inside of the bud there are pogo pins which initiate charge, a circle which denotes the orientation of the bud (L or R). There is a gap just below, where QCY clearly toyed with the idea of smart wear detection, but decided against it.
There are two microphones - one on the inside close to the nozzle, one on the outside - and they do a remarkably good job.
There have been a wave of mini in-ear style buds recently, with Jabra's new releases, the Soundpeats Mini, the upgraded Redmi Airdots 3, etc. Above shows that the T16 are more like the Redmi or Whizzer in their shape - elongated and thin, as opposed to the fat, yet still fairly discrete Jabra and Soundpeats. The angle of the Nozzle is more akin to the Airdots or even the Tronsmart Onyx Free.
Whilst there is no water resistance rating to the buds, I've worn them outside without any issues.
Weighing in at 4g, they're comfy, sit nicely in the ears, and can be worn for prolonged periods without any fatigue. Adjustments don't typically trigger the touch controls, which is welcome.
The fit does feel slightly awkward at times and requires a bit of adjustment - they look like they should be more upright, but end up sitting in a kinda diagonal position - I don't think this was how it was intended, and you have to be careful your tragus is not blocking the voice mic if this is the case.
Audio Quality - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
The T16 are definitely very fit dependent. First impression was - huh, where's the bass?! Then I flipped the tips to the Large....well, there it is!
Second impressions were quite protracted. I had to test a lot of styles to understand what I did and didn't like about them. The dynamic style isn't usually my cup of tea, and yet the T16 are very enjoyable buds that only occasionally leave you wishing for more.
I tried a few bouncier tracks with both sets of tips. 'Gecko' by Oliver Heldens, a simple house track where he modulated the pitch of the attack with a heavy side chain in order to give the bassline more emphasis, is pretty well translated throughout, although at high volumes you will note some distortion. It absolutely blasts through on the on the large tips, sometimes recessing the whole track a little too much. Contrast this to the Soundpeats Mini, which sound good, without ever urging you to get up and dance - relatively flat by comparison.
'Red Roses' by Pep and Rash shows similar traits, although it lacks a little mid-bass presence, sounding punchy but lacking in depth. Instruments are nicely arranged and weighted - the unmistakable Western guitar lick sounds clear, just as the single vocal line 'and then it hit me' does - before the thumping bassline tears through. It's a shame there wasn't slightly more emphasis on depth, so you can tweak this in the EQ to at least round it off a little and eek even more out of the buds. I tried this with Michael Calfan's 'Treasured Soul' - a tough track for TWS despite it's relatively simplistic orchestral arrangement - basic piano chords with mallet hits and kicks, that translate well, giving room for the vocals without disrupting the timbre. So EQ'ing shouldn't spoil the party.
Moving to different styles, 'Photograph' by Ed Sheeran sounded slightly less driven, with a fairly open soundstage sounding slightly odd with such an intimate track that suggests this is slightly artificial, created by the position of the driver in relation to your ear canal. Drums here lacked the punchiness of the house tracks, but this couldn't be said for 'Diamonds' by Rihanna, which offered tremendous presence, clarity and finesse for the price point. 'Happy' by Pharrell revealed some of the flaws - whilst the claps sounded natural enough, the tams and hats sound a little lispy/thin, in the same way Ed Sheeran did.
Overall, it's a huge leap forward from where we were 12 months ago. The dynamic sound which almost became typecast as 'sounding crap' at one stage sounds far more palatable here. I'm not really a dynamic sound signature sort-of-listener, but I occasionally enjoy it for what it is - and that's the case here with the T16.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 8/10
The big surprise - the call quality is excellent. Usually with buds of this type, it's a real chore getting your voice to sound like anything other than you talking into a pillow. I unfortunately didn't have the facility to record the calls when I did the test, so I rang my mum, a pensioner, who knows the drill. Where to go, when to go...blah blah.
Not only did she catch every word I said, she complemented me on the clarity and tone of my voice. She said that like the Soundpeats Mini the week before, an occasional crackle would come through (this was when motorbikes tore past) otherwise traffic and wind posed no issues whatsoever. The only break in my voice came from passers-by who spoke in a slightly higher frequency.
Despite no AI-based features, 6-mic array, accelerometer, or anything else that could augment the call quality, QCY seem to have done pretty well out of a clever design and cVc 8.0 - something most other vendors find more of a hindrance than a help!
The 'mum test' is not my final word on the T16 - they demonstrated their ability to nullify background noise very well in my test of 28 different sets of earbuds outdoors:
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7/10
QCY often take a no-frills approach to their releases, limiting the number of needless features in favour of a lower price tag, but the T16 are possibly the exception, with lots of features here in their price bracket.
Firstly, whilst the controls don't allow you to change the volume, this can and will be able to be customised via the QCY app. Out of the box, double taps play/pause and answer/end calls, holding left and right skips track back and forward respectively (and ignores call). Triple left tap hails voice assistant, and right tap gaming mode. The audible beeps which tell you your 'taps' are doing something are less offensive than previous releases, and the touch area is positioned well to minimise accidental touches - I found myself adjusting by pinching the top and bottom and twisting occasionally, only once causing the track to skip.
Gaming mode gave a marginal improvement in latency compared with it off, although it relies on the 'fixed-ish' parameters of AptX-adaptive - still great that they support this more efficient codec.
They support Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, although I didn't find this especially improved their stability. Quick charge is a great feature - 1 hour from 10 minutes of juice. The QCY app is discussed in previous reviews (see the bottom of the review) but a welcome addition at this price point.
Battery Life - 7.5/10
Perfectly respectable around 4.5-5 hours for calls and music. This extends to a less impressive 22 hours with the case, but you can get longer by simply listening at a reasonable volume. The T16 are very loud - you don't need more than 60%.
Final Comments
In my introduction, as with every QCY review, I stress that their approach is not to be the best, most feature-rich set of earbuds on the market, but instead to try to bring premium, high end features into low-cost, high value releases, and the T16 are a sign of their growing maturity, because the rough edges that once typified QCY releases are being levelled off, and they're getting the fundamentals right - good sound, good calls, good ergonomics and battery life - whilst also adding in some nice bonus features, like quick charge, gaming mode and app support.
If you have been looking for a replacement for the Whizzer or that style of earbud, the T16 are an excellent choice - especially if you like house, R&B and pop. The big bonus is the excellent call quality - nice job QCY!
Price Weighted Score: 81%
Raw Score: 77%
instagram: regancipher
QCY Review Inventory:
HT07 Arcbuds
HT05 Melobuds ANC
T20 Ailypods
T18
G1
T17
T16
T13
HT03
T12
T11
About QCY:
Whilst not quite a household name outside of China yet, QCY are well-renowned in the budget TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that, whilst perhaps lacking some of the bells and whistles of the more expensive brands, deliver to the segment of the market where 'good enough is good enough', with solid reliability and tremendous value for money.
Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5), with three of their major customers being brands you will certainly recognise and in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019. In 2020, market research indicated they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor worldwide - no mean feat.
Despite a close relationship with SoC manufactuer Zhuhai Jieli, QCY are not afraid to mix and match components to suit their target market. This often sees a number of releases in quick succession - their T17S are an example of this, released subsequent to the T17, and differentiating with the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 SoC, to support customers who require the added lower latency enabled by the aptX codecs that the Qualcomm chips support. They did a similar thing with the very popular T5, T8 and T9 - nice to see a vendor using an easy to follow naming convention! The G1 use the newest Pixart chip in order to reduce latency - horses for courses!
The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses at a very affordable price - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value from a brand they can trust.
paddler57
Just under $22 right now on Aliexpress.
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mLfLZgE
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mLfLZgE
