Gravastar Sirius Pro + TWS
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GravaStar Sirius Pro / Pro+ TWS IEMS - Gaming Edge Performance
Gravastar Sirius Pro+ is a TWS IEM made for gamers, priced at 150 USD. They have 5 drivers inside, one large 7.2mm dynamic driver, and 4 Knowles Balanced Armatures, to power the Pro+, along with dynamic lights and Ultra Low Latency. Given the price point of the Sirius Pro+, I will be comparing it to NUARL N10 Plus (165 USD), 1More ANC TWS EHD9001TA (200 USD), and Fostex TM-2, which is priced at 300 USD, but can often be found around 200 USD.
Introduction
Gravastar is a company that deals in making very aesthetic products, all of them modern and oriented towards a young, and mainly gaming centered community. They have speakers, as well as TWS Earbuds, all of them looking like they came out of a game, although those are not designs I can recognize from any of the titles I played before. The company is professional and offers good price / performance balance in general, and although they are a newer company, I trust they will be around for a while to come.
To give you some backstory, the company was founded in 2019, and is dedicated to creating art, rather than speakers and TWS IEMs only. The company sees their products as collectibles rather than run of the mill products, and they take great pride in their designs. The company aims to create qualitative products that won't break, as a means of sustainability, which I respect, and they are committed to listen to their customers.
It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with GravaStar, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I'd like to thank GravaStar for providing the sample for this review. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in GravaStar Sirius Pro+ TWS IEMs find their next music companion.
Official Link
https://www.gravastar.com/products/sirius-pro-earbuds
Packaging
First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:
The package of Sirius Pro+ is a big part of the experience, and where most TWS IEMs come in your run of the mill cardboard package, Sirius Pro+ comes in a full plastic package that reflects the quality and overall design of the company.
Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort
Starting with the case, we have tons of extra features, many of which I never knew I needed or wanted but which are really cool to have. The case is fully made of metal, and it is quite hefty. The design is made in such a way that the variant I have looks like it had some usage, being named the War Damaged Gray, and feeling like it has some connection to Cyberbunk as a fashion / style but also to the Cyberpunk 2077 game.
The case features 4 extra charges for the IEMs, and the IEMs last for about 3-4 hours on a single charge, and for those who are adults now, you can even crack open a cold one with the TWS case, which has a bottle opener slot. It also has 6 RGB lights below the Sirius Pro+ IEMs, and there are 6 RGB lights that can be customized, and which will help you gain more FPS, as we know RGB lights do. The RGB lights are for aesthetic purposes, and they can be used by long pressing the button next to the type-c case, long press to cycle through the colors they offer.
The IEMs are IPX5 waterproof rated, and they come with three sizes of silicone tips for comfortable wear. The case has a top part that is secured and which holds the IEMs in place so they don't fall off the case, so you can enjoy this case design worry-free. I think that for most practical reasons, a TWS IEM will fall on the ground a few times during its usable lifetime, and Sirius Pro+ is awesome at not getting any noticeable scratches, given their texture and design.
The main control is touch based, but somehow Sirius Pro+ is much better at handling my mistouches than any of the previous TWS IEMs with touch-based shells that I tried. You need to tap the right ear to play / pause, double tap for the next song, and three taps on any side for switching through gaming / movie / music modes. The volume adjustments are based on a long press, then lift finger, for one tap adjustments, so large volume adjustments done quickly are not possible. This being said, they do not have a separate sound from the smartphone, so you can just use the volume buttons on your phone instead. The Bluetooth protocols Sirius Pro+ features are AAC and SBC. Four taps on the right side will bring up google search assistant.
The wearing comfort of Sirius Pro+ is superb at a superlative level, they are really light, yet have a really good seal and fit. They are rounded and incredibly light, making wearing them an absolute pleasure, and since I have a gaming phone, I can say that I totally see myself using the pair in public. The passive noise isolation is between 10 and 15 dB of passive noise isolation. They do not leak very much, and they can achieve pretty high maximum volume levels, satisfying compared to most TWS IEMs that have a pretty limited maximum volume. At the absolute maximum volume my smartphone has, they tend to be overdriven, but just one tap below that and they are set for perfection.
One trick I discovered through experimenting with them is that you can cycle between gaming mode and music mode by 3 taps on the right ear, but you can cycle through movie mode and music mode on the left ear. Both ears cycle through music mode, but right is gaming and left is movie mode. The Environmental Noise cancellation they offer is for calls, and it helps lower the noise the other side hears when using Sirius Pro+ for calls. It works great, and they are ok for taking calls. The comfort adds to the call experience with them. There is zero noise leakage while using Sirius Pro+, regardless of the volume you're listening at.
Sound Quality
The sound of Sirius Pro+ is not a one sided thing, since they have three modes, and they all change the sound considerably. In all modes the sound is best one tap away from the maximum volume, and in all modes the sound has a base signature, that is slightly dark, lush, musical, full and deep, but the modes have a somewhat high effect on how this signature is played. A deep and cool male voice tells you when you have any of the modes engaged. All modes have very low latency, and you can totally watch movies with Sirius Pro+ or game with them, the company delivering on their promise of low latency and gaming-friendly TWS IEMS. The sound goes from fairly dark, relaxed and lush to V-Shaped and pretty lively. I tend to play games on the go often, especially Visual Novels, so I'm a huge fan of high quality soundtracks and hearing them the best I can. We all know that on-the-go, you don't want wires if you're already looking at your phone. The bass of Sirius Pro+ is always tumpy rather than boomy or having a deep rumble. It is enjoyable to listen to, and feels like the sound of speakers with closed designs does.
Let's start with the Gaming Mode, which is the baseline usage for Sirius Pro+. In gaming mode, the soundstage receives a really big expansion through what the company calls a 5.1 processing. This is some kind of DXP or digital sound processing, but it is quite effective, and Sirius Pro+ sounds really wide, holographic even, with excellent spatial and stereo precision, great overall detail, and good overall depth. The sound has excellent bass, reaching as low as about 35Hz, while the upper bass is uplifted, creating a slightly thick and lush sound. Gaming mode works well for EDM, Dubstep and Electronic music, providing a really holographic experience. The midrange is slightly unnatural for rock and voice-led music, but they get a stage that's almost as good as a Sennheiser HD820 from a TWS IEM, so as long as you're looking for impressive they are going to deliver. The sound is smooth and most relaxed in gaming mode.
In Music Mode, the soundstage is actually more natural, and the detail becomes better, while everything is presented through what I think is the natural response of the drivers. The sound has a deeper bass, more depth, and is really good if you're looking for a V-Shaped IEM, with a full, deep and thick bass. The treble is more prominent, has more sparkle and more air in this mode, with the treble extension going as high as a peak in about 12 kHz after which it rolls off. The stage is separated in a really nice way, and the sound has excellent overall impact. Dynamics are best in music mode, along with the detail and actual resolution. Game mode is more fun to use for games, and especially if you're playing a visual novel, it helps with the immersion.
Let's proceed with Movie Mode, which seems to combine the advantages of both music mode and gaming mode. It takes on the wider soundstage of Gaming mode, creating a really holographic experience, but takes on the bass of Music Mode, adds even more depth, and creates an earth-shaking experience for the listener. All in all, Movie Mode is the most V-Shaped and most explosive, but also has the most unnatural midrange, and I see it better used for actual movies, EDM, Electronic, but not for Rap or music that has voices, as you notice the digital processing applying an odd texture to voices.
All in all, GravaStar provides a dark and lush TWS IEM that can expand its bass and stage, can become more nuanced and balanced, or can go crazy. It is worth a shot if you like wide stages, don't mind some coloration in the mids, and if you're looking for a TWS IEM with low latency.
Comparisons
GravaStar Sirius Pro+ vs 1More ANC TWS EHD9001TA (150 USD vs 200 USD) - For the first comparison, we need to mention that ANC TWS from 1More has actual Active Noise canceling, a tech that helps cancel the noise from outside, and which can let it pass through as well if needed. The design winner is Sirius Pro+, which is more of a looker, and which is also more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time having a smoother, more rounded design, but proprietary tips too. The sound is deeper, darker, more lush on Sirius Pro+, but can also have a wider soundstage, more instrument separation, better instrument placement and a much more holographic presentation. ANC TWS is more detailed, can go louder without overdrive, and is generally better suited for audio, but the sound does not have the wow factor that Sirius Pro+ has. The bass has a more tumpy presentation on Sirius Pro+, while it is more traditional on ANC TWS.
GravaStar Sirius Pro+ vs NUARL N10Plus (150 USD vs 165 USD) - N10 Plus is similar in comfort to Sirius, but the overall sound is actually quite different. The sound of Sirius Pro is more thumpy, also wider and more holographic. N10Plus is warmer, more natural, and has more detail. The overall clarity is similar between them, but Sirius Pro is quite smooth where N10Plus has a more natural texture presentation. The design winner for edgy gamers is Sirius Pro+, while N10 Plus works better for someone looking for an elegant and natural and professional looking TWS.
GravaStar Sirius Pro+ vs Fostex TM-2 (150 USD vs 200 USD) - We have two very different products here, as Fostex made an IEM with detachable ear hooks, similar to FiiO UTWS3 and you basically get both a pair of bluetooth adapters, and a pair of IEMs with MMCX connectors. The bluetooth adapters do not charge from the case, and they have a battery that is large inside, but the case has none, and only it can be used for charging. I prefer the type-c port on Sirius Pro+ for convenience. The sound is more detailed from Fostex, and they have a brighter sound with less bass. By comparison Sirious Pro+ sounds considerably deeper, more thumpy, more punchy, darker, more lush, thicker, wider and with a more holographic presentation.
Value and Conclusion
At their current price of 150 USD, Sirius Pro+ can be seen as an artisanal product, and has good value for something with an interesting design and which takes a different path than the beaten one, with a fairly good price / performance ratio.
At the end of today's written review, if you're looking for a TWS IEM with a metallic case, fairly good battery life, excellent comfort, a wide soundstage, thumpy, impactful bass, and a detailed sound, which is full and smooth in textures, GravaStar Sirius Pro+ is an excellent choice, and my inner gamer recommends it entirely.
Gravastar Sirius Pro+ is a TWS IEM made for gamers, priced at 150 USD. They have 5 drivers inside, one large 7.2mm dynamic driver, and 4 Knowles Balanced Armatures, to power the Pro+, along with dynamic lights and Ultra Low Latency. Given the price point of the Sirius Pro+, I will be comparing it to NUARL N10 Plus (165 USD), 1More ANC TWS EHD9001TA (200 USD), and Fostex TM-2, which is priced at 300 USD, but can often be found around 200 USD.
Introduction
Gravastar is a company that deals in making very aesthetic products, all of them modern and oriented towards a young, and mainly gaming centered community. They have speakers, as well as TWS Earbuds, all of them looking like they came out of a game, although those are not designs I can recognize from any of the titles I played before. The company is professional and offers good price / performance balance in general, and although they are a newer company, I trust they will be around for a while to come.
To give you some backstory, the company was founded in 2019, and is dedicated to creating art, rather than speakers and TWS IEMs only. The company sees their products as collectibles rather than run of the mill products, and they take great pride in their designs. The company aims to create qualitative products that won't break, as a means of sustainability, which I respect, and they are committed to listen to their customers.
It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with GravaStar, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I'd like to thank GravaStar for providing the sample for this review. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in GravaStar Sirius Pro+ TWS IEMs find their next music companion.
Official Link
https://www.gravastar.com/products/sirius-pro-earbuds
Packaging
First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:
The package of Sirius Pro+ is a big part of the experience, and where most TWS IEMs come in your run of the mill cardboard package, Sirius Pro+ comes in a full plastic package that reflects the quality and overall design of the company.
Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort
Starting with the case, we have tons of extra features, many of which I never knew I needed or wanted but which are really cool to have. The case is fully made of metal, and it is quite hefty. The design is made in such a way that the variant I have looks like it had some usage, being named the War Damaged Gray, and feeling like it has some connection to Cyberbunk as a fashion / style but also to the Cyberpunk 2077 game.
The case features 4 extra charges for the IEMs, and the IEMs last for about 3-4 hours on a single charge, and for those who are adults now, you can even crack open a cold one with the TWS case, which has a bottle opener slot. It also has 6 RGB lights below the Sirius Pro+ IEMs, and there are 6 RGB lights that can be customized, and which will help you gain more FPS, as we know RGB lights do. The RGB lights are for aesthetic purposes, and they can be used by long pressing the button next to the type-c case, long press to cycle through the colors they offer.
The IEMs are IPX5 waterproof rated, and they come with three sizes of silicone tips for comfortable wear. The case has a top part that is secured and which holds the IEMs in place so they don't fall off the case, so you can enjoy this case design worry-free. I think that for most practical reasons, a TWS IEM will fall on the ground a few times during its usable lifetime, and Sirius Pro+ is awesome at not getting any noticeable scratches, given their texture and design.
The main control is touch based, but somehow Sirius Pro+ is much better at handling my mistouches than any of the previous TWS IEMs with touch-based shells that I tried. You need to tap the right ear to play / pause, double tap for the next song, and three taps on any side for switching through gaming / movie / music modes. The volume adjustments are based on a long press, then lift finger, for one tap adjustments, so large volume adjustments done quickly are not possible. This being said, they do not have a separate sound from the smartphone, so you can just use the volume buttons on your phone instead. The Bluetooth protocols Sirius Pro+ features are AAC and SBC. Four taps on the right side will bring up google search assistant.
The wearing comfort of Sirius Pro+ is superb at a superlative level, they are really light, yet have a really good seal and fit. They are rounded and incredibly light, making wearing them an absolute pleasure, and since I have a gaming phone, I can say that I totally see myself using the pair in public. The passive noise isolation is between 10 and 15 dB of passive noise isolation. They do not leak very much, and they can achieve pretty high maximum volume levels, satisfying compared to most TWS IEMs that have a pretty limited maximum volume. At the absolute maximum volume my smartphone has, they tend to be overdriven, but just one tap below that and they are set for perfection.
One trick I discovered through experimenting with them is that you can cycle between gaming mode and music mode by 3 taps on the right ear, but you can cycle through movie mode and music mode on the left ear. Both ears cycle through music mode, but right is gaming and left is movie mode. The Environmental Noise cancellation they offer is for calls, and it helps lower the noise the other side hears when using Sirius Pro+ for calls. It works great, and they are ok for taking calls. The comfort adds to the call experience with them. There is zero noise leakage while using Sirius Pro+, regardless of the volume you're listening at.
Sound Quality
The sound of Sirius Pro+ is not a one sided thing, since they have three modes, and they all change the sound considerably. In all modes the sound is best one tap away from the maximum volume, and in all modes the sound has a base signature, that is slightly dark, lush, musical, full and deep, but the modes have a somewhat high effect on how this signature is played. A deep and cool male voice tells you when you have any of the modes engaged. All modes have very low latency, and you can totally watch movies with Sirius Pro+ or game with them, the company delivering on their promise of low latency and gaming-friendly TWS IEMS. The sound goes from fairly dark, relaxed and lush to V-Shaped and pretty lively. I tend to play games on the go often, especially Visual Novels, so I'm a huge fan of high quality soundtracks and hearing them the best I can. We all know that on-the-go, you don't want wires if you're already looking at your phone. The bass of Sirius Pro+ is always tumpy rather than boomy or having a deep rumble. It is enjoyable to listen to, and feels like the sound of speakers with closed designs does.
Let's start with the Gaming Mode, which is the baseline usage for Sirius Pro+. In gaming mode, the soundstage receives a really big expansion through what the company calls a 5.1 processing. This is some kind of DXP or digital sound processing, but it is quite effective, and Sirius Pro+ sounds really wide, holographic even, with excellent spatial and stereo precision, great overall detail, and good overall depth. The sound has excellent bass, reaching as low as about 35Hz, while the upper bass is uplifted, creating a slightly thick and lush sound. Gaming mode works well for EDM, Dubstep and Electronic music, providing a really holographic experience. The midrange is slightly unnatural for rock and voice-led music, but they get a stage that's almost as good as a Sennheiser HD820 from a TWS IEM, so as long as you're looking for impressive they are going to deliver. The sound is smooth and most relaxed in gaming mode.
In Music Mode, the soundstage is actually more natural, and the detail becomes better, while everything is presented through what I think is the natural response of the drivers. The sound has a deeper bass, more depth, and is really good if you're looking for a V-Shaped IEM, with a full, deep and thick bass. The treble is more prominent, has more sparkle and more air in this mode, with the treble extension going as high as a peak in about 12 kHz after which it rolls off. The stage is separated in a really nice way, and the sound has excellent overall impact. Dynamics are best in music mode, along with the detail and actual resolution. Game mode is more fun to use for games, and especially if you're playing a visual novel, it helps with the immersion.
Let's proceed with Movie Mode, which seems to combine the advantages of both music mode and gaming mode. It takes on the wider soundstage of Gaming mode, creating a really holographic experience, but takes on the bass of Music Mode, adds even more depth, and creates an earth-shaking experience for the listener. All in all, Movie Mode is the most V-Shaped and most explosive, but also has the most unnatural midrange, and I see it better used for actual movies, EDM, Electronic, but not for Rap or music that has voices, as you notice the digital processing applying an odd texture to voices.
All in all, GravaStar provides a dark and lush TWS IEM that can expand its bass and stage, can become more nuanced and balanced, or can go crazy. It is worth a shot if you like wide stages, don't mind some coloration in the mids, and if you're looking for a TWS IEM with low latency.
Comparisons
GravaStar Sirius Pro+ vs 1More ANC TWS EHD9001TA (150 USD vs 200 USD) - For the first comparison, we need to mention that ANC TWS from 1More has actual Active Noise canceling, a tech that helps cancel the noise from outside, and which can let it pass through as well if needed. The design winner is Sirius Pro+, which is more of a looker, and which is also more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time having a smoother, more rounded design, but proprietary tips too. The sound is deeper, darker, more lush on Sirius Pro+, but can also have a wider soundstage, more instrument separation, better instrument placement and a much more holographic presentation. ANC TWS is more detailed, can go louder without overdrive, and is generally better suited for audio, but the sound does not have the wow factor that Sirius Pro+ has. The bass has a more tumpy presentation on Sirius Pro+, while it is more traditional on ANC TWS.
GravaStar Sirius Pro+ vs NUARL N10Plus (150 USD vs 165 USD) - N10 Plus is similar in comfort to Sirius, but the overall sound is actually quite different. The sound of Sirius Pro is more thumpy, also wider and more holographic. N10Plus is warmer, more natural, and has more detail. The overall clarity is similar between them, but Sirius Pro is quite smooth where N10Plus has a more natural texture presentation. The design winner for edgy gamers is Sirius Pro+, while N10 Plus works better for someone looking for an elegant and natural and professional looking TWS.
GravaStar Sirius Pro+ vs Fostex TM-2 (150 USD vs 200 USD) - We have two very different products here, as Fostex made an IEM with detachable ear hooks, similar to FiiO UTWS3 and you basically get both a pair of bluetooth adapters, and a pair of IEMs with MMCX connectors. The bluetooth adapters do not charge from the case, and they have a battery that is large inside, but the case has none, and only it can be used for charging. I prefer the type-c port on Sirius Pro+ for convenience. The sound is more detailed from Fostex, and they have a brighter sound with less bass. By comparison Sirious Pro+ sounds considerably deeper, more thumpy, more punchy, darker, more lush, thicker, wider and with a more holographic presentation.
Value and Conclusion
At their current price of 150 USD, Sirius Pro+ can be seen as an artisanal product, and has good value for something with an interesting design and which takes a different path than the beaten one, with a fairly good price / performance ratio.
At the end of today's written review, if you're looking for a TWS IEM with a metallic case, fairly good battery life, excellent comfort, a wide soundstage, thumpy, impactful bass, and a detailed sound, which is full and smooth in textures, GravaStar Sirius Pro+ is an excellent choice, and my inner gamer recommends it entirely.
Intro
“GravaStar was born in 2018 from the founder Yong’s vision to create a futuristic, cyberpunk world fusing sci-fi with hi-fi. The brand was established to merge mecha, metal, and technology in everyday products. With over 10 years of industrial design experience, Yong uses his personal passion to produce design-driven, hyper-modern playable collectibles that don’t compromise on sound quality.” Snippet taken from Gravastar’s website
I have only seen their cyberpunk-like speakers at some retail stores in my country and they look cool,the cool factor does carry over to their TWS lineup fortunately.Perhaps,this type of design is not everyone’s cup of tea,but they are certainly appealing to me.
Sirius Pro is a dual driver TWS that consists of a single dynamic driver as well as a Knowles balanced armature.
Packaging
Sirius Pro’s packaging is very unique,it is minimal yet it doesn’t look cheap.It came in a cyberpunk-like hard case which consists of the charging case and the TWS unit,and also the eartips and charging cable and a necklace loop. Very unique looking case and it does feel kind of premium
Build/Comfort
The charging case itself is made out of zinc alloy,the case looks very unique and futuristic and also very solid to hold. The earbuds are also very light and fit very well in my ear. However,the stock eartips don't fit well/seal well hence i have to resort to using Spinfit’s CP360 to get a good seal.
I do have a gripe with it which is the earbuds are a little hard to be taken out from the charging case,this is due to the surface of the earbud itself is smooth and at times it is a little hard to get a good grip on it and it will often slip off my fingers and i have to re-attempt to take it out. On a positive note,you don’t have to worry that the earbuds will drop out from the charging case as the magnet is pretty strong.
Specifications (Taken from Gravastar Sirius Pro+’s Product Page)
Bluetooth Version: V5.2
Operation Range: 10m±
Noise Canceling Mode: ENC
Charging Time: 1.5-2H
Battery Life: 4H±
Weight: 6g (Single earbud)
Charging Case
Input: 5V=500mA
Output: 5V=150mA
Charging Time: 3H±
Battery Capacity: 400mAh (3 times battery life)
Battery Type: Li-ion
Charging Port: Type-C
Test Equipments
- iPhone 12 Mini
- Sony Xperia 1
Sound Impression based on various modes:
*Stock eartips doesn’t fit me that well,the sound impressions are based on Spinfit’s CP360 eartips
Music Mode:
- Listening to music via music mode,i perceive the tuning as V shaped because the lows and highs are emphasised and slightly recessed mids
- You can feel the sub bass rumble whenever it’s called for,mid bass is also thumpy and generally very pleasant to listen to EDM tracks or some Pop tracks
- Texture of the bass is also pretty good
- Mids are slightly recessed and so the vocal doesn’t sound that forward and being pushed back a little
- Male and female vocal has good enough texture but nowhere near audiophile’s quality,i wouldn’t complain much here because this TWS is obviously not marketed as an audiophile’s TWS,but it sounds decent enough for casual music listening as long as you are not using it for critical listening
- Soundstage has average depth and width which is expected from a TWS,imaging is average as long as the track doesn’t get too busy
Movie Mode:
- I tried watching some netflix series on Sirius Pro via Movie Mode,it is actually very nice as this mode further boosts the sub bass of it and expansion on the soundstage,creates an immersive feel when watching a video/movie with it. Every action scene comes alive with every rumble and also the dialog remain audible
- Listening to music via movie mode is not really suitable to my taste as the bass is very boosted and the expanded soundstage is too artificial for music,it does well in movie/video but not music certainly
Gaming Mode/Latency:
- I fired up the latest Diablo Immortal on my iPhone 12 Mini to test the gaming mode
- I find that the positional audio is very accurate as enemies coming from various directions I am able to pick it up
- Bass remains boosted for the sake of the actions happening during the game
- iPhone only supports AAC and logically it doesn’t really do a good job in reducing latency from that codec itself,however,switching to gaming mode and playing Diablo with it,i did not encounter and delay in terms of the scene and audio,perhaps there might be some delays in terms of millisecs,however it is not perceivable by me while i’m gaming with it
- This mode does what it does as advertised as a gaming TWS,up to expectation!
Connectivity Test
- The connectivity is quite good and works well when i’m testing it
- I had the Sirius Pro connected to my iPhone that’s charging in the living room while i was away to do some chores which is about 10 feet away with some walls in between and the connection remained stable,but it starts to break when i go a little further which i believe is normal and fair given the circumstances
- Taking it to the outdoor,i did not encounter any dropout in terms of connectivity,however there are times where it does have some sort of interference like occasional breaking up possibly due to other signals interference
Battery Life:
- In terms of battery life,it is more or less as claimed by Gravastar at the 4 hours+ mark
- I am using Sirius Pro at 40% volume while listening to music,gaming and also watching videos
- All the above battery life test is based on my observation based on my usage scenario,your result might vary depending on the volume level that you are listening to as well as connection strength
Final Thoughts
Gravastar Sirius Pro+ is a very unique looking TWS in terms of design,sound wise,it’s safe to say it is not for audiophile’s critical listening but rather it is tuned to a more acceptable tuning by the general consumers.Don’t get me wrong,they sound good listening to music but it is not something that you want to use when you want to hear every details in the song.
As far as the movie and gaming mode,it does what it is supposed to and overall I am very happy with it.You will have a unique looking TWS and also good sounding TWS if Sirius Pro’s design is for you.
If you are interested in getting one,head over to the following link to purchase
Gravastar Sirius Pro Plus (Non Affiliated)
*A big thanks to ShanShan from Gravastar for sending over this sample F.O.C in exchange for my review.I am in no way influenced or receive any compensation for producing this review.All thoughts are of my own
GravaStar is a US-based workteam founded by an industial designer developing wireless speakers and earbuds putting a strong accent on the aesthetics of their audio products in addition of course to their sonic contents. Their main leitmotiv is “cyberpunk style”. I got a chance to assess their current totl TWS airbud model named “Sirius Pro”, which retails for $149.95.
Build
Sirius Pro TWS’ carry & battery recharge case is very, very nice design-wise, both in terms of aesthetics and of phyisical conception. The shell is fully metallic, with a sort of “unlockable cage” on the upper side safely keeping the buds down in their recharge position. The design follows a very well calibrated cyberpunk style, clearly clinging at such theme lovers but staying a small but decisive step “not too far” on that path, resulting in an item that can still stafely be taken out during an informal business meeting for example.
The metal case is complemented by fancy LED lighting – up to the user selecting their color by cycle-clicking on a button at the bottom, or disabling (!) them – and it’s very uncommon “open-body” shape indeed doubles as a bottlecap opener. Again: strong styles aesthetics design involved, but always with an eye at not really “overexceeding”, the result being still possibly compatible with the taste of an old somewhat conservative old european sole like myself for example. YMMV, needless to say.
I couldn’t devine what material are Sirius Pro TWS’ bud housings themselves made of – the manufacturer talks about zinc-alloy. Whatever, they are apparently very solid, and IPX5 certified which means they can bear moderate watering (like rain, or of course sweat) – no submersion or big water splashes tho so remember that when going to the beach or so.
Sliding the buds out of the battery case gets some… creativity, at least the first times you try. Their backsides are conic shaped and short, and they are almost impossible to safely grab with a fingertip pinch to pull them out both due to their shape & size and to the magnetic force applied between them and the case. The trick at least for me is to start pinching on the case (!) right below where the buds start emerging from it, and pull up while letting fingertips slide on the structure: this way they come out easilly and aergonomically as (I suppose) intended.
Access to the battery case is regulated by a metal “gate” which besides being aestheticall in-line with the overall style also serves the function of keeping the two buds safely into their case when pocketing them, and last but not least ensuring their bottomside contacts do fully match those on the receptacles, to initiate recharging when the buds are homed.
Fit
Sirius Pro TWS bud shells are very reasonably lightweight and their shape is quite anatomical. They fit easily into my ears but be warned: they need to be orientated the “right” way. Simply put, you have to make sure the “octopus legs” are pointing towards your lobe, and this for two reasons: one to get the best fit of course and two to avoid the mic hole being occluded. This is also properly mentioned on the manual (RTFM, ***!
) )
Nozzles are oval shaped (à la Ikko OH1S, to give an idea) so are the bundled eartips. I must say this is one of those rare occasions where stock tips are perfect for the job. Caveat: it may be not so simple finding third party spares.
Comfort
Once properly fitted I found Sirius Pro TWS very comfy, also for prolonged usage timeframes – both listening and/or office calls. I presume this is another achievement coming from all the industrial design attention which was obviously applied to this project and product.
Tapping once on more on the housings allows the user to issue the usual commands e.g. track fwd, track backwards, play, pause, answer call, reject call, etc. Tunneling voice commands to Android assistant is also supported.
Connectivity and battery
Sirius Pro TWS support Bluetooth 5.2, but sadly only SBC and AAC codecs. No aptX, no LDAC. So forget hi-res audio in the first place with them, although as I will report more below that’s not their worse audio drawback.
Pairing with all the transports I tried them with was straightforward, no annoying bad surprises. Long-clicking the button at the bottom of the batterycase resets all BT pairing by the way.
The buds themselves turn ON when take off the battery case, and OFF when put back in. After pairing the two to a given source, they can be used together or one at a time as preferred – just leaving one of the two inside the case.
The battery-case on its turn has a USB-C port for recharging of course.
The small batteries inside the buds offer up to 4 hours of operation time, and the case can fully recharge them for 3 times, up to a theoretical autonomy of 16 hours. But : earbuds take 1.5/2h to recharge ! So if you imagine to use them continually until they are fully discharged you will have to bear a quite sizeable downtime every 3.5/4h. In more practical terms you can expect to use Sirius Pro TWS for more than a full working day (including even long commuting time) for calls, and for listening to music during free time, as long as you take them off into their case for a while every now and then to restore some juice up.
As all TWS earphones/headphones, Sirius Pro of course carry their own small DAC-AMP which is in charge of analog reconstruction starting from the digital stream received via BT. Barred a few very high end (and expensive) cases, the overwhelming majority of budget-priced TWS drivers carry quite basic-quality DAC-AMP circuitry, from which of course we can’t reasonably expect top sonic results.
Sirius Pro TWS are no exception. Simply put, they offer some pleasant music rendering experience when evaluated under “non-audiophile” standards, while – like most of their peers – they fall way behind critical listening / audiophile quality standards offered by even more modestly priced wired options.
Sirius Pro TWS also carry some DSP capabilities offering the user 3 pre-set audio modes – Music, Gaming and Movie – each offering a different overall presentation which the user can switch onto on the fly by simply tapping on the buds’ housings.
Music Mode
Music Mode is probably the zero-DSP mode, i.e. the situation where I am direct listening to the unaltered Sirius Pro DAC voicing.
Tonality on Music Mode is V shaped, on a warm, dark-ish timbre.
Bass range is moderately extended, sub bass is hinted but does not deliver proper rumble. Midbass is pushed up, and too much proactive for acoustic music where it comes accross almost booming. May be liked by EDM and other non-acoustic music lovers.
Mids are evidently recessed and seriously overshadowed by the midbass. Highmids are also quite timid so even on female vocal prominent tracks the ryhtm section steals the scene to the leader. Trebles are inoffensive and unshrilling, at least that, but (quite coherently with the rest of the presentation) they clearly lack air thereby not succeeding in properly “counterbalancing” the overall experience.
Technicalities are very basic. Soundstage is intimate, with just a bit of depth. Imaging is hampered by the midbass. Microdynamics are nowhere near audiophile ballparks.
Gaming Mode
Gaming mode evidently expands the soundstage, a distributes imaging better on the X axis at least.
Midbass gets less invasive which makes at least female vocals come up more natural.
Movie Mode
Movie mode delivers a stage similar to the gaming one, and stretches (so to say) bass similarly too, so midbass is also less invasive, which is good of course.
The less good part is that mids are pushed forward and end up quite artificial from the sound fidelity perspective. Good for watching movies (as intended!), not for listening to folk singers nor jazz or most pop stuff of course.
Latency
Latency is very modest, and simply put it does not get in the way any seriously when watching movies. And that’s good.
While gaming… well, it depends on gaming levels. I expect an hardcore FPS gamer to underline the ever so slight delay Sirius Pro TWS deliver, but then again that individual would probably not choose a similar pair of TWS buds for his most engaging plays anyway.
Calls
I could quite successfully use Sirius Pro TWS for business calls, and I was very positively surprised by that.
As previously mentioned, it’s crucial to appropriately orientate the housings into the ears to get the best fit and properly expose the mic’s hole (again: RTFM). When that is taken care of, mic quality and Environment Noise Cancellation (ENC) is above decent at the very least – not comparable with professional vertical products of course, but way beyond usable.
On calls I ended up preferring Sirius Pro TWS on Gaming mode in terms of vocal quality.
Firstly, there ain’t such thing as “lossless BT communication” so that is an apriori negative bias no matter what technology or competence goes into the buds themselves.
Even more importantly, by definition TWS earphones must carry their own DAC-AMP. Think to how much did you spend for your DAC and your AMP, and/or for your DAP, add the cost of your preferred IEMs, then compare that with the budget you are investing into a pair of TWS IEMs : this will give you a rough measure of the expectations you may reasonably set in terms of output quality from TWS buds.
Indeed, it’s even worse than that: earbuds are small. The smaller the size, the more complicated (and sometimes impossible) it is to fit truly high quality DAC and especially AMP technology in.
With all the above in mind, looking at their asked price Gravastar Sirius Pro TWS are a wonderful piece of industrial design in terms of construction, ergonomics, features set and not least aesthetics (although carrying a definitely sided style at that). On the flip side they evidently lag behind in terms of pure hires sound reproduction quality – which I quite simply rate “no audiophile grade” – and make themselves more appreciated as a multipurpose music, office calls, gaming, movie watching audio gadget instead.
The Sirius Pro TWS set I assessed have been provided free of charge by Gravastar Europe, to whom my thanks goes for the consideration and the trust. They can be purchased from Gravastar web site, here. This article originally appeared on audioreviews.org, here.
Test setup
Transports: Samsung smartphone and tablet, two different Windows 10 laptops, Sony NW-A55 DAP – Stock silicon eartips – 16/24bit-44.1/192KHz tracksPhysicals
Build
Sirius Pro TWS’ carry & battery recharge case is very, very nice design-wise, both in terms of aesthetics and of phyisical conception. The shell is fully metallic, with a sort of “unlockable cage” on the upper side safely keeping the buds down in their recharge position. The design follows a very well calibrated cyberpunk style, clearly clinging at such theme lovers but staying a small but decisive step “not too far” on that path, resulting in an item that can still stafely be taken out during an informal business meeting for example.
The metal case is complemented by fancy LED lighting – up to the user selecting their color by cycle-clicking on a button at the bottom, or disabling (!) them – and it’s very uncommon “open-body” shape indeed doubles as a bottlecap opener. Again: strong styles aesthetics design involved, but always with an eye at not really “overexceeding”, the result being still possibly compatible with the taste of an old somewhat conservative old european sole like myself for example. YMMV, needless to say.
I couldn’t devine what material are Sirius Pro TWS’ bud housings themselves made of – the manufacturer talks about zinc-alloy. Whatever, they are apparently very solid, and IPX5 certified which means they can bear moderate watering (like rain, or of course sweat) – no submersion or big water splashes tho so remember that when going to the beach or so.
Sliding the buds out of the battery case gets some… creativity, at least the first times you try. Their backsides are conic shaped and short, and they are almost impossible to safely grab with a fingertip pinch to pull them out both due to their shape & size and to the magnetic force applied between them and the case. The trick at least for me is to start pinching on the case (!) right below where the buds start emerging from it, and pull up while letting fingertips slide on the structure: this way they come out easilly and aergonomically as (I suppose) intended.
Access to the battery case is regulated by a metal “gate” which besides being aestheticall in-line with the overall style also serves the function of keeping the two buds safely into their case when pocketing them, and last but not least ensuring their bottomside contacts do fully match those on the receptacles, to initiate recharging when the buds are homed.
Fit
Sirius Pro TWS bud shells are very reasonably lightweight and their shape is quite anatomical. They fit easily into my ears but be warned: they need to be orientated the “right” way. Simply put, you have to make sure the “octopus legs” are pointing towards your lobe, and this for two reasons: one to get the best fit of course and two to avoid the mic hole being occluded. This is also properly mentioned on the manual (RTFM, ***!
) )Nozzles are oval shaped (à la Ikko OH1S, to give an idea) so are the bundled eartips. I must say this is one of those rare occasions where stock tips are perfect for the job. Caveat: it may be not so simple finding third party spares.
Comfort
Once properly fitted I found Sirius Pro TWS very comfy, also for prolonged usage timeframes – both listening and/or office calls. I presume this is another achievement coming from all the industrial design attention which was obviously applied to this project and product.
Tapping once on more on the housings allows the user to issue the usual commands e.g. track fwd, track backwards, play, pause, answer call, reject call, etc. Tunneling voice commands to Android assistant is also supported.
Connectivity and battery
Sirius Pro TWS support Bluetooth 5.2, but sadly only SBC and AAC codecs. No aptX, no LDAC. So forget hi-res audio in the first place with them, although as I will report more below that’s not their worse audio drawback.
Pairing with all the transports I tried them with was straightforward, no annoying bad surprises. Long-clicking the button at the bottom of the batterycase resets all BT pairing by the way.
The buds themselves turn ON when take off the battery case, and OFF when put back in. After pairing the two to a given source, they can be used together or one at a time as preferred – just leaving one of the two inside the case.
The battery-case on its turn has a USB-C port for recharging of course.
The small batteries inside the buds offer up to 4 hours of operation time, and the case can fully recharge them for 3 times, up to a theoretical autonomy of 16 hours. But : earbuds take 1.5/2h to recharge ! So if you imagine to use them continually until they are fully discharged you will have to bear a quite sizeable downtime every 3.5/4h. In more practical terms you can expect to use Sirius Pro TWS for more than a full working day (including even long commuting time) for calls, and for listening to music during free time, as long as you take them off into their case for a while every now and then to restore some juice up.
Sound analysis
As all TWS earphones/headphones, Sirius Pro of course carry their own small DAC-AMP which is in charge of analog reconstruction starting from the digital stream received via BT. Barred a few very high end (and expensive) cases, the overwhelming majority of budget-priced TWS drivers carry quite basic-quality DAC-AMP circuitry, from which of course we can’t reasonably expect top sonic results.
Sirius Pro TWS are no exception. Simply put, they offer some pleasant music rendering experience when evaluated under “non-audiophile” standards, while – like most of their peers – they fall way behind critical listening / audiophile quality standards offered by even more modestly priced wired options.
Sirius Pro TWS also carry some DSP capabilities offering the user 3 pre-set audio modes – Music, Gaming and Movie – each offering a different overall presentation which the user can switch onto on the fly by simply tapping on the buds’ housings.
Music Mode
Music Mode is probably the zero-DSP mode, i.e. the situation where I am direct listening to the unaltered Sirius Pro DAC voicing.
Tonality on Music Mode is V shaped, on a warm, dark-ish timbre.
Bass range is moderately extended, sub bass is hinted but does not deliver proper rumble. Midbass is pushed up, and too much proactive for acoustic music where it comes accross almost booming. May be liked by EDM and other non-acoustic music lovers.
Mids are evidently recessed and seriously overshadowed by the midbass. Highmids are also quite timid so even on female vocal prominent tracks the ryhtm section steals the scene to the leader. Trebles are inoffensive and unshrilling, at least that, but (quite coherently with the rest of the presentation) they clearly lack air thereby not succeeding in properly “counterbalancing” the overall experience.
Technicalities are very basic. Soundstage is intimate, with just a bit of depth. Imaging is hampered by the midbass. Microdynamics are nowhere near audiophile ballparks.
Gaming Mode
Gaming mode evidently expands the soundstage, a distributes imaging better on the X axis at least.
Midbass gets less invasive which makes at least female vocals come up more natural.
Movie Mode
Movie mode delivers a stage similar to the gaming one, and stretches (so to say) bass similarly too, so midbass is also less invasive, which is good of course.
The less good part is that mids are pushed forward and end up quite artificial from the sound fidelity perspective. Good for watching movies (as intended!), not for listening to folk singers nor jazz or most pop stuff of course.
Latency
Latency is very modest, and simply put it does not get in the way any seriously when watching movies. And that’s good.
While gaming… well, it depends on gaming levels. I expect an hardcore FPS gamer to underline the ever so slight delay Sirius Pro TWS deliver, but then again that individual would probably not choose a similar pair of TWS buds for his most engaging plays anyway.
Calls
I could quite successfully use Sirius Pro TWS for business calls, and I was very positively surprised by that.
As previously mentioned, it’s crucial to appropriately orientate the housings into the ears to get the best fit and properly expose the mic’s hole (again: RTFM). When that is taken care of, mic quality and Environment Noise Cancellation (ENC) is above decent at the very least – not comparable with professional vertical products of course, but way beyond usable.
On calls I ended up preferring Sirius Pro TWS on Gaming mode in terms of vocal quality.
Specifications (declared)
| Housing | Zinc-alloy housings, IPx5 certified. Full metal charging case (not waterproof). |
| Driver(s) | 1 x 7.2mm dynamic driver + 1 x Knowles balanced armature driver |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.2 – SBC, AAC codecs. 65ms latency. 10m range |
| Battery | 4h battery life, 1.5/2h recharge time for the buds. 3 full earbuds recharges (400mAh LI-ion), 3h+ recharge time for the case. |
| Accessories and package | One set S/M/L oval silicon tips, USB-C battery case recharge cable, Plastic outer packaging box, Hip-hop style metal necklace |
| MSRP at this post time | $149.95 |
| Purchase link | https://www.gravastar.com/products/sirius-pro-earbuds |
Considerations & conclusions
TWS earphones are no doubt a huge technical challenge in terms of achieving true audiophile results, comparable with wired alternatives.Firstly, there ain’t such thing as “lossless BT communication” so that is an apriori negative bias no matter what technology or competence goes into the buds themselves.
Even more importantly, by definition TWS earphones must carry their own DAC-AMP. Think to how much did you spend for your DAC and your AMP, and/or for your DAP, add the cost of your preferred IEMs, then compare that with the budget you are investing into a pair of TWS IEMs : this will give you a rough measure of the expectations you may reasonably set in terms of output quality from TWS buds.
Indeed, it’s even worse than that: earbuds are small. The smaller the size, the more complicated (and sometimes impossible) it is to fit truly high quality DAC and especially AMP technology in.
With all the above in mind, looking at their asked price Gravastar Sirius Pro TWS are a wonderful piece of industrial design in terms of construction, ergonomics, features set and not least aesthetics (although carrying a definitely sided style at that). On the flip side they evidently lag behind in terms of pure hires sound reproduction quality – which I quite simply rate “no audiophile grade” – and make themselves more appreciated as a multipurpose music, office calls, gaming, movie watching audio gadget instead.
The Sirius Pro TWS set I assessed have been provided free of charge by Gravastar Europe, to whom my thanks goes for the consideration and the trust. They can be purchased from Gravastar web site, here. This article originally appeared on audioreviews.org, here.
