Dudios Tic Wireless earbuds
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Introduction
Dudios Tic are finally here after some troubles with the shipment. Carrie has reached me again for a review of their latest product and I immediately accepted even considering their sponsored low-latency mode.
Let’s see how do they behave.
Disclaimer: the Dudios Tic were provided by Carrie from Dudios free of charge in order to write a honest review.
At the time of the review, the Dudios Tic were sold for €29.
For more reviews, remember to check out our website: https://www.audio-monkeys.com
Packaging
Packaging consists in a simple carton box just like other Dudios products.
What do you get in the box?
Connectivity
Connectivity is great just like other Dudios products. I had no issues while walking around in my house with the Tic in my ears and never had any problem with them even outside.
Their connection to the phone is blazing fast and they’re ready-to-play in some seconds.
They don’t have AptX codec but they have a low-latency mode which grants a low latency for gaming purposes, and I have to say I’m using them to play PUBGM on my smartphone with no issues. I’ve tried using many other Bluetooth 5.0 TWS earphones without any low-latency codec and they’re just not able to keep up with games, moreover if we speak about real-time shooters and similar games.
Design and Build Quality
They are made of plastic and they seem well built at the same time: although they’re lightweight they’re don’t feel “very cheap” in the hands.
The design is clean, modern, without any fancy or “gaming” LED, I would say almost minimal.
The charging isn’t bulky and is fairly lightweight (the battery is only 380mAh, so that’s why it’s so lightweight), although I don’t like the fact there isn’t any LED that Dudios used to sport on the Ace.
The only LED you have is the one that’s present on each TWS earphone and it indicates the level of charge of the single earphone (red isn’t charged, green is charged) but you won’t be able to see the level of charge of the charging box itself in any way.
The inner charging slots have a nice magnetic force, and this ensures that the earphones won’t fall out of the charging box even if you leave the box open.
Last but not least, the Tic are IPX5 certified, and I can confirm that I’ve been running with them since 2 weeks (and it’s raining very often in my city in this period) and they still work fine (plus, they’re dust resistant as well).
Commands and Battery Life
The Tic controls are easy to learn. I’m posting under the text a little pic of the controls instructions found in the manual.
Speaking about battery, I’ve used them for like 4 hours with medium-high volume (with no low latency mode enable), and I have been able to charge them for around 4 times before having to charge the case again, and although it’s not bad, it’s definitely a lower result if compared to the Dudios Zeus Ace for example, which sport a bulkier charging case with a bigger battery.
Comfort and Isolation
They’re comfortable, and their rounded shape can be moved in the ear until you find the most comfortable position for you.
The only thing you have to be aware of is that you cannot use every kind of tips with the Tic (for example I’m not able to use foam tips because the earphones won’t stay in their slots perfectly if I put them on).
Isolation is average considering the type of product.
Sound
Let’s get into it.
Now the critical factor that decides if something has to be tried or not: how do they sound? I mainly listen to EDM subgenres, Dupstep, Future Bass, Euphoric Hardstyle, Bass House, Midtempo and downtempo, darkwave, drum’n bass, but I even listen to many vocal tracks, moreover female ones. I always search for headphones that have a little bit of emphasis in the lower region, and can sacrifice mids with some recession if they still sound clear and natural. I love vivid and sparkling highs if they’re not at a headache level.
V-shaped signature is usually my favourite one but in the last period i’m appreciating a more balanced presentation with less recessed mids, more of a U shape or Y-shape.
Lows: Sub-bass is boosted but hasn’t the best extension I’ve found in a pair of earphones. Bass is forward with slow decay but it’s still controlled, and this makes the bass thicker and punchier that you’d expect. I think the low-end here will satisfy the majority of people for almost every genre.
Mids: the lower midrange sound warm and pleasant thanks to the thick bass response which heats up male voices. Instruments are very recessed but they keep a fairly natural timbre, and female voices gets some energy from a little boost in the upper treble that makes them a tad more forward. There’s no trace of sibilance.
Highs: highs aren’t the smoothest one you’ll find on a pair of TWS earphones, but they’re not fatiguing either. Microdetail retrieval is not one of the strenghts of the Tic, but treble is definitely sounding good with no strange peaks, at least on my sample.
Soundstage tends to be more expansive in width while depth and height are just average. Imaging is good for the price while instrument separation is average as well and shows its limits while listening to complex orchestral tracks.
Microphone quality has no issues while speaking, and I’d say Dudios improved a lot its quality if compared to previous models.
Some comparisons:
Dudios Tic vs Dudios Zeus Ace
Very different. The Ace are much more bassier with more recessed midrange and boosted highs, while Tic’s low-end is punchy but more controlled, and mids and treble sound just right without being too forward nor peaky. Stage is bigger on the Zeus Ace due to the midrange recession, while imaging and instrument separation are better on the Tic. The Tic earphones have a better battery life when out-of-the-box, but the Ace have a bigger battery in the charging station, so you can charge the latter for about twice the times. The Tic also have a low-latency mode which is absent on the Ace, making the first ones the best choice for gamers on-the-go and for people who usually watch films or TV series through streaming apps on the smartphone.
The Tic also have easier controls due to them having touch controls instead of a physical button like the Ace.
Dudios Tic vs Dudios Shuttle
The Shuttle are more recent than the Ace but they didn’t impress me in terms of sound. In fact, this is an easy comparison as the Tic just sound much better, with a more transparent and natural sound and a less boomy and intrusive low-end, which was something that I didn’t like on the Shuttle as the bass bleeds too much into the mids on the latter. Plus, they have a low-latency mode that the Shuttle don’t feature, and this is another advantage of the Tic. The battery life of the Tic out-of-the-box is a tad better, while the charging station sports a bit more mAhs in the charging station, so the total battery life should be very similar.
Final Thoughts
The Dudios Tic are one of the best offerings in sub-€30 price bracket: they won’t be revealing monsters or audiophile grade earphones, but they do well what they’re made for. They sound good, battery life is more than decent and the low-latency mode is almost flawless, granting a great multimedia experience.
For the asking price, they’re an absolute bargain, and I’m sure I will have many occasions to advise them to friends and other people on the web.
Dudios Tic are finally here after some troubles with the shipment. Carrie has reached me again for a review of their latest product and I immediately accepted even considering their sponsored low-latency mode.
Let’s see how do they behave.
Disclaimer: the Dudios Tic were provided by Carrie from Dudios free of charge in order to write a honest review.
At the time of the review, the Dudios Tic were sold for €29.
For more reviews, remember to check out our website: https://www.audio-monkeys.com
Packaging
Packaging consists in a simple carton box just like other Dudios products.
What do you get in the box?
- The Dudios Tic TWS earphones
- Their charging box
- A set of silicone tips
- A micro-USB charging cable
- Some instruction papers
Connectivity
Connectivity is great just like other Dudios products. I had no issues while walking around in my house with the Tic in my ears and never had any problem with them even outside.
Their connection to the phone is blazing fast and they’re ready-to-play in some seconds.
They don’t have AptX codec but they have a low-latency mode which grants a low latency for gaming purposes, and I have to say I’m using them to play PUBGM on my smartphone with no issues. I’ve tried using many other Bluetooth 5.0 TWS earphones without any low-latency codec and they’re just not able to keep up with games, moreover if we speak about real-time shooters and similar games.
Design and Build Quality
They are made of plastic and they seem well built at the same time: although they’re lightweight they’re don’t feel “very cheap” in the hands.
The design is clean, modern, without any fancy or “gaming” LED, I would say almost minimal.
The charging isn’t bulky and is fairly lightweight (the battery is only 380mAh, so that’s why it’s so lightweight), although I don’t like the fact there isn’t any LED that Dudios used to sport on the Ace.
The only LED you have is the one that’s present on each TWS earphone and it indicates the level of charge of the single earphone (red isn’t charged, green is charged) but you won’t be able to see the level of charge of the charging box itself in any way.
The inner charging slots have a nice magnetic force, and this ensures that the earphones won’t fall out of the charging box even if you leave the box open.
Last but not least, the Tic are IPX5 certified, and I can confirm that I’ve been running with them since 2 weeks (and it’s raining very often in my city in this period) and they still work fine (plus, they’re dust resistant as well).
Commands and Battery Life
The Tic controls are easy to learn. I’m posting under the text a little pic of the controls instructions found in the manual.
Speaking about battery, I’ve used them for like 4 hours with medium-high volume (with no low latency mode enable), and I have been able to charge them for around 4 times before having to charge the case again, and although it’s not bad, it’s definitely a lower result if compared to the Dudios Zeus Ace for example, which sport a bulkier charging case with a bigger battery.
Comfort and Isolation
They’re comfortable, and their rounded shape can be moved in the ear until you find the most comfortable position for you.
The only thing you have to be aware of is that you cannot use every kind of tips with the Tic (for example I’m not able to use foam tips because the earphones won’t stay in their slots perfectly if I put them on).
Isolation is average considering the type of product.
Sound
Let’s get into it.
Now the critical factor that decides if something has to be tried or not: how do they sound? I mainly listen to EDM subgenres, Dupstep, Future Bass, Euphoric Hardstyle, Bass House, Midtempo and downtempo, darkwave, drum’n bass, but I even listen to many vocal tracks, moreover female ones. I always search for headphones that have a little bit of emphasis in the lower region, and can sacrifice mids with some recession if they still sound clear and natural. I love vivid and sparkling highs if they’re not at a headache level.
V-shaped signature is usually my favourite one but in the last period i’m appreciating a more balanced presentation with less recessed mids, more of a U shape or Y-shape.
Lows: Sub-bass is boosted but hasn’t the best extension I’ve found in a pair of earphones. Bass is forward with slow decay but it’s still controlled, and this makes the bass thicker and punchier that you’d expect. I think the low-end here will satisfy the majority of people for almost every genre.
Mids: the lower midrange sound warm and pleasant thanks to the thick bass response which heats up male voices. Instruments are very recessed but they keep a fairly natural timbre, and female voices gets some energy from a little boost in the upper treble that makes them a tad more forward. There’s no trace of sibilance.
Highs: highs aren’t the smoothest one you’ll find on a pair of TWS earphones, but they’re not fatiguing either. Microdetail retrieval is not one of the strenghts of the Tic, but treble is definitely sounding good with no strange peaks, at least on my sample.
Soundstage tends to be more expansive in width while depth and height are just average. Imaging is good for the price while instrument separation is average as well and shows its limits while listening to complex orchestral tracks.
Microphone quality has no issues while speaking, and I’d say Dudios improved a lot its quality if compared to previous models.
Some comparisons:
Dudios Tic vs Dudios Zeus Ace
Very different. The Ace are much more bassier with more recessed midrange and boosted highs, while Tic’s low-end is punchy but more controlled, and mids and treble sound just right without being too forward nor peaky. Stage is bigger on the Zeus Ace due to the midrange recession, while imaging and instrument separation are better on the Tic. The Tic earphones have a better battery life when out-of-the-box, but the Ace have a bigger battery in the charging station, so you can charge the latter for about twice the times. The Tic also have a low-latency mode which is absent on the Ace, making the first ones the best choice for gamers on-the-go and for people who usually watch films or TV series through streaming apps on the smartphone.
The Tic also have easier controls due to them having touch controls instead of a physical button like the Ace.
Dudios Tic vs Dudios Shuttle
The Shuttle are more recent than the Ace but they didn’t impress me in terms of sound. In fact, this is an easy comparison as the Tic just sound much better, with a more transparent and natural sound and a less boomy and intrusive low-end, which was something that I didn’t like on the Shuttle as the bass bleeds too much into the mids on the latter. Plus, they have a low-latency mode that the Shuttle don’t feature, and this is another advantage of the Tic. The battery life of the Tic out-of-the-box is a tad better, while the charging station sports a bit more mAhs in the charging station, so the total battery life should be very similar.
Final Thoughts
The Dudios Tic are one of the best offerings in sub-€30 price bracket: they won’t be revealing monsters or audiophile grade earphones, but they do well what they’re made for. They sound good, battery life is more than decent and the low-latency mode is almost flawless, granting a great multimedia experience.
For the asking price, they’re an absolute bargain, and I’m sure I will have many occasions to advise them to friends and other people on the web.
Attachments
Dudios Tic Bluetooth Earbuds
Preamble
I've had a fair amount of experience with different Bluetooth headphones over the past couple of years - from full size, through Bluetooth buds which connect to each other with a cable to the true wireless headphones which have now become so popular. Although I do still have a few wired headphones still in my collection - the Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10, Sennheiser HD598 Sr and the 1More Triple Driver IEMs, I find myself listening through Bluetooth headphones most of the time these days. I love the convenience and, for most of the time, I don't feel that there's too much reduction in sound quality when going wireless.
The Dudios Tic TWS headphones follow a slightly different form factor than many of the other TWS headphones out there. These are more like the Apple Airpods in design - except they use an In-Ear style rather than the conventional Airpod/Earpod design used by Apple. This definitely helps when it comes to improved bass response and higher volume. Unfortunately due to the shape of my ears, the stalks on these headphones tend to move around a little but whilst they're in my ears so I find I have to make small adjustments from time to time.
The Tic's come with a really small charger case which uses Micro USB rather than USB Type C. Whilst this can bother some people, I'm not one of them as I always seem to have access to this type of connector lead available. The buds fit in the case in a somewhat unusual way which I personally find every counter-intuitive as you basically have to kind of rotate the earphones in your hand before inserting them in the case - likewise when removing them from the case. That's definitely going to take some getting used to. Both the buds and the case are of typical plastic construction and so are a little slippery to handle. This, coupled with the way they fit in the case, makes it almost inevitable that I'm going to drop them sooner or later. The Tic's come with a couple of extra sets of tips in different sizes and the inevitable super-short charging cable. One thing I would like the point out is that they packing on these is super minimal - I applaud this wholeheartedly and genuinely wish that all manufacturers of these products would follow suit. After all, it's just stuff that's going to end up in the bin.
The Tic's feature the latest Bluetooth 5.0 and use the AAC code so they certainly have the potential for good sound quality. Whilst not having the best wireless range for a TWS type headphone (that honour definitely goes to the Mavin Air-X and Apple Airpods) they do just about pass the upstairs bathroom test.
Clearly one of the main selling points with these headphones is their remarkably compact size. The Tic's can be carried around with you pretty much all the time without any problems. I can see headphones like these becoming very popular with younger people due to their compact size, form factor and the cheap price. These cost considerably less than the Apple Airpods but offer a similar trendy style.
Sound Quality
I feel that it's only fair to point out a couple of things before I continue. Firstly, I'm 56 years old and have come to terms with the fact that my hearing isn't as good as it was when I was in my teens. Having said that, I do feel that my hearing is pretty good all things considered. Secondly I must confess that I'm constantly surprised at just how good sounding these inexpensive bluetooth earbuds have become. It's getting increasingly difficult to justify spending more than £100 on a set when there's so many excellent ones now on the market.
The Tic's are surprisingly nice sounding earbuds. I say surprising because of their lightweight construction they don't give the impression of being particularly powerful sounding and yet they can rock with the best of them. I can confirm that these go nice and loud - far louder than I would be comfortable listening to. What's more they remain clean sounding at higher volumes. There's not much soundstage compared to say the Sony WF1000XM3's but it's not really any worse than many others earbuds of this type that's out there.
One thing that they are though is comfortable. With the right tips these definitely feel more secure than the Apple Airpods for example. They fit in your ear in much the same way as the Airpods as well so they're a little easier to use casually than earbuds that rely on deeper insertion. One problem I always have with earphones with touch controls is continually triggering playback and other functions whilst trying to adjust the fit - I personally prefer Sony's way of operating touch controls - where there's a beep and a short delay before the function is triggered.
Bass
Slightly boosted but actually surprisingly effective given the fact that their insertion depth isn't as deep as others on the market. Bass is slightly soft and lacking detail but certainly not bad - especially given their price. These headphones have a fairly shallow insertion depth due to their fundamental design so it's important that you choose your tips carefully to ensure the best possible fit and bass response.
Midrange
Slightly veiled so vocals are a little further back in the mix. This does however help stop the headphones from becoming 'shouty' in the higher mid frequencies which in turn helps to reduce listening fatigue.
Treble
The treble sounds a little 'brittle' but in all fairness I haven't run them in yet and I often find that the high end can be somewhat tamed after a little time. The detail is there but I would describe these as detail monsters.
The overall sound character is pleasantly boosted. At the same time there's clearly some cutoff at both frequency ends. This works well when listening to music at lower volumes and I can't help thinking that the form factor of these headphones make them an ideal candidate for bedtime use. It's a shame that there's no volume control via the touch panels - this would have been a really nice feature to have when you want to fall asleep listening to music. Another nice touch with the Tic's is that they don't leak sound too much - again very useful for bedtime listening.
Conclusion
The Dudios Tic is an honest pair of bluetooth earbuds. The sound quality is really very good, their wireless performance is perhaps slightly better than average and the battery life is comparable to others which follow a similar form factor. The case is nice and compact but I honestly don't like the way the headphones are stored in the case. Dudios should have copied Apple's way of storing buds and the touch controls are far too easy to accidentally trigger- but apart from that I'm really impressed with them. I'm going to knock off one star for the case design but if this doesn't bother you then you can buy with confidence - they're a really nice set of bluetooth 'cans'.
Preamble
I've had a fair amount of experience with different Bluetooth headphones over the past couple of years - from full size, through Bluetooth buds which connect to each other with a cable to the true wireless headphones which have now become so popular. Although I do still have a few wired headphones still in my collection - the Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10, Sennheiser HD598 Sr and the 1More Triple Driver IEMs, I find myself listening through Bluetooth headphones most of the time these days. I love the convenience and, for most of the time, I don't feel that there's too much reduction in sound quality when going wireless.
The Dudios Tic TWS headphones follow a slightly different form factor than many of the other TWS headphones out there. These are more like the Apple Airpods in design - except they use an In-Ear style rather than the conventional Airpod/Earpod design used by Apple. This definitely helps when it comes to improved bass response and higher volume. Unfortunately due to the shape of my ears, the stalks on these headphones tend to move around a little but whilst they're in my ears so I find I have to make small adjustments from time to time.
The Tic's come with a really small charger case which uses Micro USB rather than USB Type C. Whilst this can bother some people, I'm not one of them as I always seem to have access to this type of connector lead available. The buds fit in the case in a somewhat unusual way which I personally find every counter-intuitive as you basically have to kind of rotate the earphones in your hand before inserting them in the case - likewise when removing them from the case. That's definitely going to take some getting used to. Both the buds and the case are of typical plastic construction and so are a little slippery to handle. This, coupled with the way they fit in the case, makes it almost inevitable that I'm going to drop them sooner or later. The Tic's come with a couple of extra sets of tips in different sizes and the inevitable super-short charging cable. One thing I would like the point out is that they packing on these is super minimal - I applaud this wholeheartedly and genuinely wish that all manufacturers of these products would follow suit. After all, it's just stuff that's going to end up in the bin.
The Tic's feature the latest Bluetooth 5.0 and use the AAC code so they certainly have the potential for good sound quality. Whilst not having the best wireless range for a TWS type headphone (that honour definitely goes to the Mavin Air-X and Apple Airpods) they do just about pass the upstairs bathroom test.
Clearly one of the main selling points with these headphones is their remarkably compact size. The Tic's can be carried around with you pretty much all the time without any problems. I can see headphones like these becoming very popular with younger people due to their compact size, form factor and the cheap price. These cost considerably less than the Apple Airpods but offer a similar trendy style.
Sound Quality
I feel that it's only fair to point out a couple of things before I continue. Firstly, I'm 56 years old and have come to terms with the fact that my hearing isn't as good as it was when I was in my teens. Having said that, I do feel that my hearing is pretty good all things considered. Secondly I must confess that I'm constantly surprised at just how good sounding these inexpensive bluetooth earbuds have become. It's getting increasingly difficult to justify spending more than £100 on a set when there's so many excellent ones now on the market.
The Tic's are surprisingly nice sounding earbuds. I say surprising because of their lightweight construction they don't give the impression of being particularly powerful sounding and yet they can rock with the best of them. I can confirm that these go nice and loud - far louder than I would be comfortable listening to. What's more they remain clean sounding at higher volumes. There's not much soundstage compared to say the Sony WF1000XM3's but it's not really any worse than many others earbuds of this type that's out there.
One thing that they are though is comfortable. With the right tips these definitely feel more secure than the Apple Airpods for example. They fit in your ear in much the same way as the Airpods as well so they're a little easier to use casually than earbuds that rely on deeper insertion. One problem I always have with earphones with touch controls is continually triggering playback and other functions whilst trying to adjust the fit - I personally prefer Sony's way of operating touch controls - where there's a beep and a short delay before the function is triggered.
Bass
Slightly boosted but actually surprisingly effective given the fact that their insertion depth isn't as deep as others on the market. Bass is slightly soft and lacking detail but certainly not bad - especially given their price. These headphones have a fairly shallow insertion depth due to their fundamental design so it's important that you choose your tips carefully to ensure the best possible fit and bass response.
Midrange
Slightly veiled so vocals are a little further back in the mix. This does however help stop the headphones from becoming 'shouty' in the higher mid frequencies which in turn helps to reduce listening fatigue.
Treble
The treble sounds a little 'brittle' but in all fairness I haven't run them in yet and I often find that the high end can be somewhat tamed after a little time. The detail is there but I would describe these as detail monsters.
The overall sound character is pleasantly boosted. At the same time there's clearly some cutoff at both frequency ends. This works well when listening to music at lower volumes and I can't help thinking that the form factor of these headphones make them an ideal candidate for bedtime use. It's a shame that there's no volume control via the touch panels - this would have been a really nice feature to have when you want to fall asleep listening to music. Another nice touch with the Tic's is that they don't leak sound too much - again very useful for bedtime listening.
Conclusion
The Dudios Tic is an honest pair of bluetooth earbuds. The sound quality is really very good, their wireless performance is perhaps slightly better than average and the battery life is comparable to others which follow a similar form factor. The case is nice and compact but I honestly don't like the way the headphones are stored in the case. Dudios should have copied Apple's way of storing buds and the touch controls are far too easy to accidentally trigger- but apart from that I'm really impressed with them. I'm going to knock off one star for the case design but if this doesn't bother you then you can buy with confidence - they're a really nice set of bluetooth 'cans'.
Attachments
disclaimer: This is my third product from Dudios having recently reviewed their free mini and Shuttle tws in-ears. I was approached via my facebook and asked if I was interested in trying additional models and quickly agreed. The Tic retails at ~$30 and is available through their amazon store. You may also find them marketed by either Dudios or SoundPeats depending on the market you are in.
Unboxing / Packaging:
The tic arrived packaged very similarly to the previous models in a side opening press board box with the name and photo emblazoned on the front this time in a mottled yellow. Each seems each model gets its own color as previous models were green (shuttle) and aqua (free-mini). Inside the box is a small plastic clam shell case resting in a tray that takes up roughly 4/5th of the box and a small box (about the size of a chapstick tube) that takes up the remaining space. The earpieces are in the case while the cable and tips are hiding in the small box above it. The charging case is roughly the size of an automobile keyfob and about twice as thick.
Build/Fit:
Alright, there is no getting around the fact that the stick earbud craze is now in full swing with everyone wanting to have an i-bud knock off. These follow that pattern of circular earpiece at top and stick with mic at the leading end. Shells are 2 parts with an inner shell with nozzle, an outer shell with touch controls. The seam between inner and outer units is visible but uniform without obvious glue or slop. there is a single vent on the inner shell immediately behind the nozzles which exit with a distinct downward and forward rake. This rake is negated when the earpieces are turned so the stems exits via the incisura intertragica. The inner stems have two contacts for charging and an L or R to indicate side. The letters are recessed into the shell and are not colored to distinguish them from their surroundings so may require tilting the earpieces so the light strikes them to be visible. LEDs are present on the exterior stem below the Dudios name and indicate power on, charging, and pairing modes. The faceplates contain a touch sensor in the upper portion, but nothing to delimit the touch sensitive region so some tinkering is necessary to find the boundaries. Fit is fairly comfortable comfortable as the portion that sits in ear is on the smaller side but tip selection does make a big difference in comfort and due to the fairly deep insertion, I did switch to a size smaller tip. Controls are touch sensors on the outer shell which is nice as it doesn’t require a press that pushes the bud further into your ear in order to activate the functions. It does take a bit of getting used to.
Internals:
Dudios is fairly tight lipped about the technology inside the Shuttle but we were able to find enough to state that each side has a single dynamic driver of roughly 10mm in size, a touch sensor, BT receiver board, a battery & charging circuit, and a microphone. Dudios website claims upgraded drivers and software compared to previous versions to improve sound quality and touch control latency. The case battery is listed at 380mAh while the batteries in the earpieces themselves are not specified.
Connectivity:
The tic is listed as supporting Bluetooth 5.0 and connects with either AptX or AAC when paired to my phones and tablets during testing. I was not able to get AptX HD or LDAC to pair so I am not certain if either of those protocols are supported. The tic also support AptX-LL via what it calls game mode that reduces the latency of the connection. I found the game mode did lower latency, but also lowered the power of the connection and limited range considerably. I also initially had some trouble with getting the tic to connect correctly with windows 10 on a Dell laptop. It would see the Tic, and would pair, but did not recognize the device as headphones. I found that after replacing the bluetooth driver on the laptop, the problem resolved itself. If you run into similar problems, you may want to check for updates to drivers on the computer side. The earpieces automatically go into pairing mode when removed from the case, and will automatically re-pair to the last source used if available when you take them out of the case. Once connected, I found they did well as long as they were kept within about 25 feet of the source in open space. Walls did defeat the signal fairly easily as sometimes a single layer of drywall was enough to cause drops while at other times it took two layers to defeat the signal.
Case/Battery:
Marketing material lists battery life as 4.5 hours for the earpieces and 4 charges from the case before needing to plug it in. I found those numbers a bit optimistic as my use gave more like 3.5 hours on the earpieces and 3 charges from the case. This is not quite as good as the previously reviewed shuttle, but it is a larger case and a slightly larger earpiece as well and packs a 650mAh battery pack so the tic is more efficient when compared objectively. The case has a micro-USB port at the center rear below the hinge and uses the leds on the earpieces themselves rather than adding an additional LED on the case. Earpieces are magnetically held in place and begin charging as soon as connection is established. The provided cable is extremely short and will leave the case hanging from a standard height wall outlet. A longer cable might be advantageous here but chances are you already have one around the house.
Call Quality:
Stereo calling is one of the advantages of the Dudios line as it uses one earpiece to mic the speaker and the other to use for ambient noise cancellation which gives the Dudios models excellent vocal quality compared to those without the dual mic configuration. The Smart touch control is also nice as it doesn’t force me to push the earpiece into my ear in order to answer a call or hang up. a simple touch of the shell answers the call and a 2nd hangs up when finished.
Sound:
Bass:
Sub-bass is the star here with an emphasis centered around 60Hz and roll-off significant below 25Hz. Mid-bass drops rapidly from the sub-bass peak, and continues to drop into the lower-mids. Bass is similar to the Free-mini model and not quite as tight or clean as the Shuttle, but considerably larger. Those looking for more bass than the Shuttle provides, will likely prefer the thump of the Tic, while those looking for a bit less emphasis with a bit tighter control will like the Shuttle. Mid-bass bleed is present and does hide a bit of the lower mids which is regrettable as the lower mids are already considerably behind both the bass and the lower-treble regions.
Mids:
Mids are the weakest point in the Tic as they are both colored by mid-bass bleed and considerably recessed. Male vocals sound distant at times as a result and guitars can come across a bit that way as well. The upper-mids are also quite recessed compared to the bass and lower treble regions and make female vocals a bit less lively and mildly recessed as well. Female vocals benefit from the lower-treble push so are not quite as far back as their lower counterparts, but are still impacted by the scoop to the mid-section. Again the Tic seems to share a lot with the Free-mini that also had fairly scooped mids and less with the Shuttle that was more linear and better detailed in this region. From the shuttle to the tic was certainly a step backward in the mids.
Treble:
Lower treble is pushed forward at about 3kHz and then falls back off fairly rapidly to a trough at about 6kHz before rising again with a 2nd push forward at 8kHz before rolling off at roughly 11kHz. While not uncommon to see a lower treble emphasis followed by a drop-off and then a reintroduction of some energy around 10kHz, the Tic seems to have over-stated it a bit and as a result can be quite bright at times. It does deliver good detail in the lower treble and the push back forward at 8kHz does give it a bit of air and sparkle at the top. Unfortunately, it also brings a bit of harshness to the sound as that spike sits firmly in the 9kHz range that typically results in a piercing signature if not tamed a bit. Cymbals are sharp and kind of clicky while snare rattle is a bit dull. I probably shouldn’t expect a ton at this price point, but here again, the tic fails to improve on what the Shuttle delivered.
Soundstage / Imaging:
Soundstage is a strong suit for the Tic as it is larger than expected for a nearly completely sealed dynamic driver in a space not much larger than a breath mint. It is wider than deep, but does have some depth and even manages to muster a bit of height at times. Seating the orchestra is straight forward but often the instruments are more beside than behind due to stage dimensions. Imaging is mostly correct with an occasional sound that should be behind coming more from the side than the rear. Spatial cues are mostly correct as well. Layering is not quite as good as the Shuttle and does suffer as passages get busier as it thickens up and gets a bit muddy at times.
Thoughts / Conclusion:
If you have read this far, you probably already know what I am going to say here. If not, then I can sum it up by saying I think the Shuttle model represents a better value than the tic as its sound signature is more neutral and its battery life a bit better. Those with small ears may prefer the tic as it is a bit smaller and more Airpod-esque, and those looking for a deep V for big bass will fidn the tic more to their liking as it definitely delivers a larger bass. The touch controls are well thought out, and the stereo calling is a great feature particularly at a price tag of sub $30. Its always good to have options and now Dudios has two solid ones in the budget category with the Tic and Shuttle models. If you prefer a big V and are looking for a budget TWS, the Tic may be the one for you.
These offer a very pleasant V shaped signature that is fun and enjoyable with most music.
They offer a good level of comfort and fit depending on ear size and tips used. I would however recommend a foam tip for gym use as they might fall out with jarring movements.
The item paired with everything perfectly from android, iOS to windows 10 for me first try. I only had a minor issue after accidentally tripping gaming mode.
I was really surprised but the features and quality of this product for the price its very impressive.
From the 18 hour playback time to the touch controls.
In a nutshell a great bargain for the price good sound, great features for under $40 , one cant go wrong for gym use or as a grab and go pair for general use.
They offer a good level of comfort and fit depending on ear size and tips used. I would however recommend a foam tip for gym use as they might fall out with jarring movements.
The item paired with everything perfectly from android, iOS to windows 10 for me first try. I only had a minor issue after accidentally tripping gaming mode.
I was really surprised but the features and quality of this product for the price its very impressive.
From the 18 hour playback time to the touch controls.
In a nutshell a great bargain for the price good sound, great features for under $40 , one cant go wrong for gym use or as a grab and go pair for general use.
