SoundPEATS Engine4 Bluetooth 5.3 Dual Driver Multipoint IPX4 TWS

Soundpeats Engine4 Review​

​

Soundpeats Engine4​

Hello friends, today I’m reviewing the Soundpeats Engine4 which comes from one of the biggest names in true wireless… Soundpeats. I want to first thank Ellen as well as Soundpeats for providing the Engine4 in exchange for a full review as well as a feature at the website. I’ve had nothing but very positive dealings with Soundpeats and have come away impressed by the company in general. Never have they asked me to skew my words or shed a positive light in their products and for that I have nothing but respect.

Soundpeats has been around for years creating mostly budget oriented audio gear and is positioned at the forefront of the industry as far as advancement in the technology is concerned. Always near the top of respective price points you will see a Soundpeats product. Within the past year I’ve reviewed a number of their products which all received very good to great marks. Sets like the Soundpeats Mini Pro HS, Capsule 3 Pro, Air3 Deluxe HS, and even an air conduction set, the Soundpeats RunFree Lite. All very well done aesthetically, built nice, and all sound great as well. The set I’m reviewing today seems like an upgrade across the board from some of their recent efforts as well as in its design language. With that said, let’s check out this latest entry into Soundpeats lineup of true wireless iem’s.

​

Packaging​

The Engine4 or “E4” as I’ll refer to it for this review, arrived at my door and I have to admit I was really looking forward to this set. You’ll notice the box is not large, it’s black, it has a picture of the E4 imposed graphically on the cover along with some specs and features. Nothing too grand or wasteful. Inside you’ll find the E4 charging case in all its beauty staring back at you. Underneath that is the charging cable and tips. This will not knock your socks off or anything but it’s an elegant little packaging.

​

Case​

I really enjoy the size, shape, and look of the E4’s charging case. For me it is perfect. There isn’t a place I go without a set of true wireless tucked nicely into the tiny pocket (5th pocket) within my front pocket in my jeans. I really value cases which can easily slide into that pocket. I realize this is an odd “pro” as I am likely in the minority of people who actually do this. Still, the case is very smooth and glossy which aids it to easily slide into that tight pocket, and it doesn’t bulge out in any weird ways. Okay, now that I helped nobody with that, let’s look at the charging case a little deeper.

The charging case that Soundpeats designed for the E4 is very much reminiscent in size and shape to previous cases in the Soundpeats lineup. Namely the Soundpeats Mini Pro HS which I just reviewed not too long ago. I gave that case great props for the same use cases. However, this case is a true upgrade. For one, the case provided with the E4 is beautiful with its coffee-colored high gloss metallic paint job which covers the entirety of the outside of the case. The hinge has a nice rectangular logo adorned on it. The Mini Pro HS has a similar style case but comparatively I enjoy the E4’s case a bit more. First, it’s a hint larger to make room for the larger battery, which in turn means it has a higher battery capacity. In this case the E4 can provide up to 43 hours of battery life. Another thing which I find nice is its ability to withstand scratches, which is not normal for anything with a gloss to it. So far, no scratches.

Stellar case​

I think Soundpeats did a great job with this one. On the bottom you’ll see the type-c charging port and right next to it is the reset button. As you open the case, you’ll find the small LED light which communicates battery life and pairing. I also like how strong the magnet is on both the charging pins for the earpieces as well as the lid magnet. Very strong. However, like the other Soundpeats cases thee number one great attribute of this case is its ability to allow 3rd party eartips! Friends, this is huge! I cannot begin to tell you how annoying it is when tws companies leave only enough room for their proprietary eartips. In the case of the E4 I haven’t used any tips that won’t fit inside the case. This is a great benefit, and anyone who’s been in the hobby can tell you how important finding the right tips is. Great job Soundpeats!

I think the only downside I’ve come across is the difficulty I have at times removing the buds from the charging case. I am embarrassed to admit that I do have to concentrate at times to get these things out. There is simply no real good place to grip my fingers on. Oh well, if that’s the worst thing then the E4 is doing pretty darn good.

Eartips​

Soundpeats provides three sets of eartips (S, M, L) for the E4. They are nice tips with a rigid flange and are more of a shallow fit with a medium-wide bore. To be perfectly honest I don’t think these tips do me much justice due to the fit and seal. I suppose for some people they will work perfectly fine, and they aren’t of bad quality by any means. I instead went with my favorite tips, the KBear 07‘s. One thing the 07’s will do is add a bit of cleaner mid-bass punch without adding any muddiness but also, they tend to emphasize the upper mids to a degree. The sound is more open and simply a bit airier too. Most importantly the fit is perfect using these tips. Obviously, this may slightly vary from person to person, but for the most part I do think most people will benefit from trying to find the best tips for them personally. Again, thankfully we have a case which allows us to get creative with our tips.

Build / Design / Internals / Fit ​

Build quality​

I find the build of the E4 to be very sturdy, very premium feeling in the hand and structurally well put together. They feel rugged as well, with solid quality materials used in construction. Soundpeats didn’t use any cheap plastic material but a more robust and dense plastic. Not chinsy and cheap. The Faceplate is made of what also feels like a hard plastic, while the top half of the shell is textured with an ornate design. The bottom half of the shell cavity is a harder rubber material which is very substantial and compact to the touch and slightly grippy for sitting in the ear. A cool touch is the clear plastic which runs to the nozzles and allows me to see the drivers. Also, the metal nozzle grill is another nice touch. Soundpeats also included a total of four different mics as well as ENC.

Size​

The E4 are not very large, especially in comparison to other tws iems on the market. They are comparable in size to the Mini Pro or Mini Pro HS. One thing which helps is the exclusion of some of the features and tech which would otherwise take up a lot of space and increase the size. For me the E4 are a very good size, and they are very light weight as well. They do slightly stick out from the ear but not like some Frankenstein looking tws iems. They still look stylish to me.

Design​

The E4 is truly an exceptionally nice-looking set of tws earbuds. The look is a “class act” from top to bottom with perfectly contrasting colors and design language. From front to back the E4 are simply ornate and very trendy looking. Starting with the faceplate touch surface, there is the faintest logo semi hidden inside of the darker plastic. It’s really only visible in the right light. Next, as I’ve mentioned, the top half of the shell which houses all the tech within has this cool textured design formed from imposed squares all stacked together, and this pattern circles all the way around the buds. The hard gray rubber on the bottom is a nice contrast as well. The E4 is simply a very nice-looking set which certainly seems as though it should be more expensive than it is.

I love the choice of coffee brown and matte gray with a little bit of luster finish on the faceplate. Couple that with the clear lower shell which gives us a sneak peek at the bronze-colored coaxial drivers inside and what you get is a very elegant and premium looking set. The team of people who designed the E4 should truly be proud. They have created a wholly unique pair of earbuds that certainly looks much more expensive than they are.

Internals​

Soundpeats decided upon another unique feature in the driver configuration. They went with Dual Coaxial Dynamic Drivers. One being a Titanium coated 10mm Driver acting as a dedicated Woofer and the other being a 6mm Tweeter. Both drivers are stacked on top of each other which helps to keep the size of the E4 to a minimum. Also, Inside is the battery of unknown size and Soundpeats also went with the same chip that they’ve been using for a few of their more recent sets, the WUQI WQ7033AR chipset.

Fit​

The fit will likely be a mixed bag unless you find a pair of eartips which seal really well in your ears. As for myself I need a wider tip to seal as the nozzle length is on the shorter side. Hence why it was difficult for me to use the included shallow fit eartips. Anyways, the fit is great once you get them situated. In fact, I have most certainly had these in my ears almost all day in my office doing work on multiple occasions. Truthfully, they never even once bothered me. I don’t know how they will do for you but I’m willing to bet that the E4 will fit most people perfectly fine.

​

Features​

SOC Chipset / Audio Codecs​

Like I quickly stated earlier, the E4 houses the WUQI WQ7033AR chipset. This has proven to be a very good chip which allows the E4 to achieve Bluetooth 5.3. This chipset also allows LDAC, AAC and SBC Codecs. The E4 can reach up to 990 kbs using LDAC which is as good as it gets as far as Bluetooth is concerned. The MPHS can also replay at 24bit/96khz as well which is fantastic to see at $59. Friends, there was a time when we couldn’t even dream of getting LDAC inside of any tws iem, let alone a set which costs under $60 US. Really great to see. Soundpeats also advertises a Bluetooth range signal of up to 10 meters or roughly 32′ in unobstructed length.

Game Mode (Low Latency)​

One feature which comes in handy is game mode. This feature is becoming much more commonplace anymore as most earbuds come equipped with some sort of low-latency mode. Having said that, not all “game modes” are created equal as they must work as intended. In the case of the E4, Soundpeats says that you can achieve down to 70 ms latency playing games on your mobile device or watching videos or movies. I cannot speak on the exact number in milliseconds, but I can honestly say that the E4 did a relatively decent job in most any game I tested them with. Videos are a breeze but it’s the first-person shooters with a lot of commotion that I still had slight issues with. Which by the way is very normal.

Multipoint connectivity​

Another fantastic feature is only recently becoming more easily attainable in on-the-go Bluetooth devices. It used to be that you’d have to pay $300 for a set which could actually do such a thing. It’s like anything I suppose, as time moves on by the technology grows and gets better. In the case of the E4, what you get is a Multipoint connection but a sort-of stripped version of it. What I mean is, you cannot simply play a game on one device and then switch to the next device and automatically begin to watch a video. Yes, you can be connected to both devices but only it seems that only one device will be the one you must use for your videos and gaming while the other will be to answer phone calls. Still a solid addition that I welcome very much. Also, it works like a charm, and you won’t know how much you enjoy it until you’ve used it for a while and then it was taken away.

Battery life​

Soundpeats claims the E4 can get you up to 12.5 hours of listening on a single charge. I cannot speak on the truth of this claim. The truth is, when using SBC or AAC codecs you can get close to that 12.5 hours but using LDAC you will get around 8.5 hours. This is still a huge number for a tws. Not to mention that the housing is not very large, so how Soundpeats managed to squeeze 8.5 hours out of the E4 on LDAC is beyond me. I can say for certain that I have used this set many days in my office, watching videos as I do my work and not once have, they run out of battery, on LDAC. This is a huge benefit and a true selling point.

Soundpeats App​

Another great feature isn’t really a feature persa but instead it is the app that all Soundpeats Bluetooth devices get to interact with. Please understand folks, not every tws set has the luxury of an app and even fewer get an app as useful as Soundpeats. You can do the usual things like firmware updates, check battery status, reset the buds themselves, toggle game mode, toggle multi-point connection and so forth.

One of the best features in my opinion is the Soundpeats graphic equalizer. It is a ten band fully functional equalizer which does make a significant difference in my listening. You can also use Soundpeats already preset equalizer settings as there are actually eight different sound modes to choose from. There is Bass Boost, Bass Reduction, Electronic, Rock & Roll, Folk, Treble Enhancement, Pop, Classical Music and last but never the least is Soundpeats Classic setting. For your info I am using the classic setting throughout all critical listening for this review.

Touch Controls​

Another nice feature on the E4 is the touch controls. Thankfully Soundpeats gives us the ability to handle almost all functions straight from the touch controls. Again, the faceplate area is the touch surface, and I found the controls to be very responsive. I only have had a few ghost touches but other than that I’ve never had any issues. Anyways, with that said, you do get forward and backward controls, volume controls (up / down), you can speak to your voice assistant, answer calls etc.

Call quality​

My experience with Soundpeats involving call quality has always been rather good. However, if the E4 had a downside I’d say that call quality may possibly be it. I wouldn’t call it poor, but it simply isn’t as good as previous sets within their lineup. Let’s put it this way, I’ve done multiple Teams meetings using this set and speak often with my wife and kids over the phone using the E4. I have heard my wife say I sound muffled, and my son said I sounded tinny. In the case with my wife, I simply readjusted the E4, and she it sounded better. In the case of the metallic sound, I haven’t heard anyone else tell me this so take it for what it’s worth. Soundpeats employs ENC which stands for “Environmental Noise Cancelation” and for the most part this is exactly what it does. So, in that case I’d say that they nailed it. They use four mics and I believe one is this ENC mic.

Waterproofing​

Soundpeats did give the E4 an IPX4 waterproof Rating which actually means they aren’t waterproof at all but instead they are more akin to being splash proof. They can take splashes and possibly rain in a jog but do not submerge them. This is still a nice feature and I actually prefer this to full Waterproofing as I’ve noticed that at times a higher Rating means a slightly more veiled sound due to the film covering.

​

Sound Impressions​

Note: I want to quickly make mention that I do not use EQ when reviewing tws iems. I may occasionally clue the reader in to how well a set reacts to EQ, but I want this to be an almost right out of the box review. I have a hard time not including what this set can sound like with some addition or subtraction of dBs at specific spots in the frequency. For the Engine4’s I used the “Soundpeats Classic” preset which is what is used out-the-box. Also, I listen using either UAPP or Poweramp using flac files stored on my devices.

Summary​

Out of the box I would say that the Engine4 has an L-shaped to V-shaped sound signature with a slightly warmer tonality overall. I hear a pretty good dynamic balance between the frequencies with an emphasis in the low-end, upper midrange and the treble. The bass hits with good authority and moderate density. The midrange has a thicker note weight in the lower-mids and a bit more shimmer in the upper. The treble is mostly laid back yet with moments of uplifting levity.

The E4 comes across with a rich quality to the sound and a smoother note delivery while still sounding energetic and lively. Quite a feat for a true wireless. The stage is about average in size and the E4 is well adept at picking up smaller details in my music though I wouldn’t call them a detail oriented tws iem.

Only Gripe​

The only gripe I see is that the volume is lower on the Engine4 than I’d like. I listen at around 90/100 on my Samsung Galaxy Fold 4 and about the same on my daps as well. They aren’t the loudest. Of course, this is an issue with many true wireless earphones. If Soundpeats could add a bit more volume headroom to the E4 than they’d be perfect. As it is, I’m not bothered by it as I simply have to crank the volume a bit more. Especially for activities which involve louder things going on around me. For instance, cutting the grass with the E4 is out of the question as they aren’t loud enough. However, for quiet environments, just chillin’ on my couch listening to music or watching videos I find the volume to be just fine.

Bass Region​

The bass is fantastic on the E4. I could end this section here and that’s all you need to know. The bass is tight, with a nice transient behavior and good density for a true wireless. Using the “Soundpeats Classic” setting and no EQ I found the bass to be clean for a true wireless and dynamically full, almost like a wired set of earphones. Texture is actually nice, and the bass is not simply a one-noted affair. It’s not sloppy or smeared and isn’t wooly or hollow.

Sub-bass​

The sub-bass shows off on “Heavy is the Ocean” by Bush. To begin this track there is a very deep rumbling electric bass that reverbs in my brain using a bass heavy set of earphones. In the case of the E4 I almost get there. In fact, the sound has a nice leading edge and a clean and dense delivery that sounds awesome for a true wireless. I would venture to say this is the best I’ve heard from a Soundpeats product. Cleaner than the Soundpeats H1, which is saying something.

Mid-bass​

The mid bass does very well for bass drops, bass guitar, kick drums. It all sounds nicely rounded and buoyant yet slightly punchy too. I really enjoy the tuning here. With the Soundpeats Classic setting the mid-bass is moderate in quantity. Not even close to basshead… but clean. The E4 isn’t fuzzy, or wooly, and not even close to muddy. However, when I personalize the EQ, I began to see just how well this set performs. With the ten-band equalizer I found that the E4 reacts very well and without distortion or any weird artifacts from adding db’s. Of course, there is a correct way to go about EQ’ing but I can verifiably turn this moderately bassy set into a bass cannon!! In the track “Heat Waves” by The Glass Animals you have to wait out the beginning jingle knowing the bass drop is about to hit. Some sets can replay the gravely & sharp slam of the bass drop well, and others… can’t. The E4 sounds great here. Very satisfying.

The bass is done right. Out of the box Soundpeats tuned the E4 to be a mature sounding V-shaped set with a nice sub-bass that’s deep and has good haptic vibration and a mid-bass that is held back a bit. This helps to ensure the midrange is free and clear of any mud or veil. There is evident texture to the low-end and remember, with a little EQ this set can flat out detonate.

Midrange​

The mids are clean and halfway between lush and crisp. It’s a warmish-neutral midrange with nice note weight and a smoother replay. The midrange is organic sounding to me. Lifelike I would say. There is a sense of space between instruments and voices that is nice for a true wireless product. The stage is expanded and there isn’t that overcast veil over the sound or the congested type of replay that simply smears my favorite tracks. The E4 is well tuned friends, and I am more than happy to report that.

Lower-midrange​

Male come across slightly warm and well bodied. In the song “I Walk Alone” by Chase Rice, he comes across very present in the mix and while he begins the track singing less loudly and softer, his voice still sounds somewhat up front and full. As the track progresses (around the 2-minute mark) his voice grows, and this is where you see the clarity in the sound as the instrumentation around him picks up as well. His voice comes across palpable and separated from the melody surrounding him as he takes on a crisper inflection to his voice.

Upper-Midrange​

Females come across smooth, lush even. However, they also have a slight shimmer to them, very slight. Just enough to evoke the sense of sparkle and levity in a woman’s voice. As it should be. Of course, I will keep saying it, you can EQ until your heart’s content. With “Classic” I find females to be slightly laid back dynamically while still sounding expressive. There is a softer leading edge to vocal notes in this range which plays well with more emotional type tracks in my opinion. “Mariana Trench” by Gabrielle Aplin is such a song. Her voice is nicely rendered, breathy at times, sentimental yet ardent and the E4 is able to replay this very well. Again, surrounding instruments aren’t blurred into the background and there is a distinctness to the sound between elements on the stage.

Not bad at all​

Instrumentation all sounds pretty natural. Strings have a ping to them with nice harmonics and the piano sounds elegant and contoured and again… nice harmonics. Percussion is good for a true wireless as well, but all of this can change in tonal color and timbre when you switch between settings or use the EQ. Out of the box, I like the way the midrange is tuned. It isn’t too far back on the stage and voices sound centered and distinct. Not bad at all.

Treble region​

The treble has a sense of warm airiness to it that is able to pick up on some macro details pretty well. There is certainly an emphasis up top which does well to bring up the entire mix and bring everything a bit closer to neutrality. I don’t hear an over emphasis at all and in fact when I EQ I add a little bit to the presence region. Not that the E4 really needs anything else but I do like a slightly crisper treble. There is a nice smoothness to the sound while still providing an open feel to it. I do hear some treble punch on certain tracks, but it never gets knife edged or sharp.

In the track “Do it Again” by Steely Dan the E4 replays the cymbals with a fullness to them while not sounding unnatural. The electric sitar is also fuller in body and harmonious. However, I do like that the E4 is able to illuminate some of the details and minutiae within this song.

All things considered​

All things considered, this is a true wireless and there are shortcomings with the technology. Still, the E4 are getting remarkably close to the expressive dynamism of a wired connection. The E4 has decent extension up top so to not leave out instrumentation and most secondary harmonics. There isn’t anything sibilant at all, not even close. I also don’t hear anything shrill or piercing at all. The treble nicely uplifted yet not even close to overdone, I’d even call it safe. I would also call it non-offensive and good for long listening. Again, this can all change with a few dB bumps through EQ. Not bad at all.

Technicalities​

Soundstage​

The stage size is just above average for most true wireless. This is evident in the track “Hook” by Blues Traveler. The sound is just past my ears in width and there is sufficient height and even some depth to add some layering. This is not a flat wall of sound in front of me and there is a sense of 3D depth around elements of the stage.

Separation / Imaging​

Instruments and voices have suitable air in between to accommodate a realistic stage performance. It isn’t perfect though. On some more congested tracks or songs with more commotion there is some masking and smearing but this isn’t the most noticeable in my opinion. Mostly, I hear a nicely partitioned off stage. As far as imaging I’d say that the E4 is very well done. I had no problem discerning individual Instruments most of the time. Left to right imaging is perceptible as well as front to back.

Details​

As far as the detail retrieval of the Soundpeats Engine4. I’d say it has a lot stacked up against it. First, it is a true wireless and again, the tech alone holds it back. Second, this set isn’t tuned to pick up every tiny detail, it simply isn’t. This is a musical set with good macro-dynamics that is more fun than it is analytical. Despite all of that the E4 is actually very clean and even resolving for a set of tws. The transient speed seems to be on the quicker side and there is a boost in the treble region to add a sense of space along with good extension both ways. All this adds up to decent details. It won’t blow your mind, though I’d say if you were looking to have your mind blown in detail-oriented wonder then you are looking at the wrong stuff. The E4 isn’t bad at all though and does a lot very well.

Is it worth the asking price?​

Soundpeats lists the Engine4 at $59.99 and while the early bird sale goes on you can get it for significantly less. To be perfectly honest, Soundpeats could have sold the E4 for over $100 US without batting an eye. I have heard many many tws iems that cannot even stand next to the E4 sonically. So… Absolutely the E4 is worth the asking price! Without question this set is well worth the asking price.

Feature deficient ​

The only thing holding the E4 back is the fact that it is feature deficient. We don’t see some of the features that other tws have in its price point. In fact, there are sets from the same company who dwarf the E4 in features. There is no ANC, Transparency mode, wireless charging, in-ear detection etc. The other thing that this set has going against it is the fact that the volume is pretty low. We want headroom! All hobbyists want more volume, we want to be the ones turning down our tws sets. So yes, there are some things holding the E4 back against its peers.

The caveat ​

There is one caveat though, the E4 simply sounds better than the others. It isn’t sold as a feature rich tws iem. It isn’t advertised as such. Anyone going for this set is going for it because it looks flat-out DOPE and because they want something which can replay music at a very high level for the technology. Add in LDAC and you have a set that faithfully replays hi-res music at very close to wired levels. So… With everything laid on the table I can most assuredly recommend the Engine4 and can most definitely state that it is well worth the asking price.

Ratings (0-10) ​

*All Ratings are given per the price point as well as the style of earphone. In this case I am rating the Engine4 against the field of similarly priced tws iems. Keep in mind that a “5.0” is exactly average. These scores are collected only against the other sets in the price point, so it isn’t crazy to see some higher scores. This basically is my subjective scores in a price to performance against the rest of the similarly priced market. I feel this is the best way to gauge a set.

Aesthetic​

Build- 10.0

Design- 10.0

Features- 6.5

Feature function- 9.5

Overall Rating- 9.0

Sound Rating​

Timbre/Tonality- 9.8

Bass- 9.7

Midrange- 9.5

Treble- 9.0

Technicalities- 9.5

P2P- 10.0 (Price to Performance)

Overall Rating- 9.6

Conclusion​

What a nice set. I have a strong feeling that the Engine4 will become a daily carry tws iem for me. I personally don’t need anc, passive mode, or any other mode honestly. Just give me something which works, sounds nice and is built nicely while looking good. The E4 checks all of those boxes. However, I am not everyone else. I’m sure that many will like something with a richer feature set. One thing is for sure, the Engine4 excels at what it can do. I have enjoyed my time with this set, and I hope this review has been of some help to the folks out there in the market for a true wireless earphone. Please listen to, read, or watch other reviews relating to the Engine4. We are not all the same, so getting other perspectives will only help you to make an informed purchasing decision.

Thanks​

I again want to thank Ellen and the good people of Soundpeats for providing the Soundpeats Engine4 for a fair and honest review. They have always been so very kind and have never asked me to say anything against my integrity. I also want to thank you, the reader, for checking out this review. You are a huge the reason I even complete these reviews, other than I truly enjoy writing them. Please take care and stay safe.

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

Model: SoundPEATS Engine 4
Price: MSRP approx. $69
Website: SoundPEATS
Review Reference: RC098

Early Bird Price: £46.19 at Amazon UK - use code REGANXSP at checkout

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: SoundPEATS
• Model: Engine4
• Driver: Dual Co-axial Dynamic Drivers - 10mm Woofer, 6mm Tweeter
• Chipset: WUQI WQ7033AR
• Mic: 4 mics with ENC
• ANC: No
• Codecs: LDAC, AAC, SBC
• Multipoint: Yes
• App Support: Yes
• Volume Control: Yes
• Gaming Mode: Yes
• Earbud Weight: 6.3g
• Earbud Dimensions: 19.8mm height, depth approx. 26.8mm
• Gross Case & Buds Weight: 42.74g
• Case Dimensions: 61mm (width) x 45mm (height) x 28mm (depth)
• Case Charge Capacity: 350mAh
• Quick Charge: No
• Wireless Charging: No
• Single Use Playtime: Up to 12.5 hours (AAC), up to 8 hours (LDAC)
• Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 43 hours
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.3
• Bluetooth Protocols: BLE/ HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
• Water Resistance: IPX4

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips

YouTube Review:



Introduction

The SoundPEATS release show is back on the road, and this time it's essentially an LDAC, 2023 re-rub for the TrueEngine 3SE, with a big room sound signature that is more than a tip of the hat to the H1 and H2.

After a quiet month or so following the Life Classic, Runfree Lite and Opera03/05 kept them busy during Q1, SoundPEATS have several new products about to the hit the market too, including the Oladance-esque GoFree and the Airpod Gen3-inspired Air4 series. But first the Engine4 - a dual coaxial dynamic driver bud with LDAC and no ANC, not to mention a mammoth 12.5 hours battery life extending to up to 43 hours with the case. Today we will look at the merits of the Engine4 over something like the Opera05, and determine if the ANC trade-off is worth it.

Unboxing

This is comfortably SoundPEATS' most impressive unboxing so far, with a smart matte-black case and gold lettering giving the box a real premium feel to it. You've got the Hi-Res Wireless and LDAC logos on the front accompanying an artist impression of the buds, with the key features on the side and product parameters on the front.

The high quality unboxing extends to the inside, where the usual spare tips and charge cable as enclosed within a custom cardboard separator, and both this and the envelope containing the manual and app quick guide have little thumb pulls to help you remove them from the case a little easier.

Charge Case

The charge case of the Engine4 is, like most SoundPEATS cases these days, pill-shaped, and similarly-sized to the Mini Pro HS case, albeit slightly larger at 6.1x4.5x2.8cm. It is a compact-ish case that wears well inside a jacket pocket when you're on the move, and isn't completely out of the question for popping in your shorts or trousers - it weighs only 43g fully loaded, so it isn't going to give you a bruised thigh if you need to jog for the train.

The finish of the exterior of the case is a metallic coffee-brown, and so far it has held up better than the last glossy SoundPEATS case, the Air3 Deluxe HS. I'm a big fan of SoundPEATS cases generally, and this one is no exception - looking and feeling the part. On the bottom you have a USB-C charge socket and re-set button, which you hold with the case open to reset into pairing mode, and are rewarded with the LED on the inside turning white - there's no outer LED this time as SoundPEATS have tried to make the case as minimalist as possible, and for me it's not an issue as long as the LED is somewhere! The indicator light will glow green when you have 50-100% battery life remaining, amber when 10-49% and red when less than 10%. If you want to check the battery of the buds, you can consult the app, where the front page tells you an approximate percentage value for each.



Open the cockpit and you'll notice the buds slot in similarly to SoundPEATS other in-ear cases. The magnets are quite powerful here, but you've got plenty of the bud to grab onto to prevent it feeling like you might send them spinning on the floor if you pull too hard. The hinge is a particular highlight here with a very nice friction feel to it that pairs nicely with the in-built hall-switch mode, allowing you to connect the buds to your device without removing them - instead you can leave it popped open on the desk, a useful feature.

The case doesn't have wireless charging and there's no quick charge feature, which is a shame. However, with long single use battery life that shouldn't be quite such an ordeal. The case is 350mAh, which gives you just under three additional charges, taking the total battery life to around 43 hours.

Design and Ergonomics

The Engine4 returns to SoundPEATS roots a little, combining the open-heart look of the H1 and True Engine 3SE with the outline of something like the original SoundPEATS Mini. It has the look of the Opera05 from the outside looking in, but they are much, much more compact - thankfully!



The outside has a reasonably-sized touch control area that responds well, without acceidental touches ever seeming like they could be a problem. There's still a fair bit of depth - approx 27mm - to house the mammoth battery, but it's some way short of the gargantuan Opera05 which measure in at almost 33mm. The size is much more like what we would expect to see from an earbud, fitting similarly to the True Engine 3SE.

Around where the earbud makes contact with your skin, SoundPEATS contrast the matching brown metallic finish with a softer, almost rubberised matte grey, which adds to the comfort and stability. The nozzle is round, plastic and of a normal diameter that would allow third party tips to fit almost universally.

The tips that come with the Engine4 are quite good, and certainly suitable for them given their proportions. They have a large bore, are soft and reasonably flat, although there's enough depth to them to ensure a solid feel. However, where you may usually take the factory-fitted Medium, on this model I'm pretty sure you will be reaching for the Large, because the result is a far more immersive audio experience and impressive passive noise isolation.

The looks and ergonomics of the Engine4 are great - and not just great compared to the Opera series! They protrude a little on me - although not even as much as the Mini Pro HS, and the weight displacement means they don't droop out of your ears with a bit of movement. Overall it's a really nice segway from the Opera with an attractive colour scheme and a comfortable fit.

Audio & Sound Signature



The Engine4 use a 10mm titanium-plated composite membrane woofer and a 6mm tweeter, and together with LDAC support up to 960k, this allows SoundPEATS to deliver their most immersive audio experience since the H1 & H2, with a deep lower frequency response that bassheads will find more satisfying than their Mini Pro HS or Capsule3 Pro, and an airy open soundstage that will have H1 and H2 owners salivating.

The Engine4 boast a boosted subbass that isn't overpowering, but has a rumble and a growl that you feel as well as hear. This is accentuated when you switch the Medium tips for Large - as soon as you do this, you'll notice there's far more fullness to your kicks and toms. House music sounds particularly nice here, with the beater to your kick drum giving you a clean and punchy edge. Bass has much greater texture and tone to it than something like the Earfun Air Pro 3, where it feels exaggerated and overwhelming - instead, here we have a better balance against the midbass that prevents tracks from sounding muddy or boxy but retains energy and drive.

On 'Into You' by Ariana Grande, the bassline and synths sound more natural and contrast against the airy upper frequencies to give the vocal range plenty of presence, separating effortlessly from cowbells and percussion. On 'Gecko' by Oliver Heldens the kick is chunky and fast with plenty of rumble to the bassline. There is a far better balance that results in improved, more authentic harmonics without compromising energy or flavour. Lower mids are lean and clean, and this prevents the mix from sounding bloated or muddy in any way.

The balanced midrange gives a nice natural tone and body to instruments and vocals. The gradual climb and peak from 1k-4k brings attack to the kick and ensures good clarity to vocals. Female vocals can sometimes sound a little back from the arrangement, but male vocals are typically forward without ever sounding too prominent. On 'If you don't know me' by Simply Red, Mick Hucknall's silky vocals pan around with great presence, and switch to rap tracks like Jimmy Cooks by Drake and 21 Savage and it's similarly impressive - despite the wobble of the subbass, 21 Savage's tone even when whispering is transmitted faithfully.

The dip from 3k and gradual rise and peak at around 7k gives sufficient impression of detail without sounding etched or sibilent. On 'Come Undone' by Duran Duran, shakers and other percussive elements have texture that isn't too sharp or edgy, whilst the open soundstage gives tracks a 'live' feel. The dip around 5k can leave backing vocals and some instruments sounding a little distant, but otherwise instruments are straightforward to place. On 'Crucify' by Tori Amos, the mix of acoustic piano, mandolin, ukulele and percussion shows off the Engine4's breadth.



For both complex and simplistic arrangements, the Engine4 sound very enjoyable - there's a bit more depth to the bass than the Capsule3 Pro and it's not quite as emphasised as the H1, whilst the dual-driver arrangements allows SoundPEATS to bring more midrange presence without bloat. The trebles aren't as coarse as the H1, rendering them a little less fatiguing.

For me, the tuning is spot on for the driver arrangement. It makes the Engine4 the pick of SoundPEATS releases of recent times - possibly their most convincing sounding TWS so far. They aren't as pushy as the Opera series, and aren't as raw as the H1, but give them a few hours and they're everything you want from a budget TWS.

Call Quality

Calls on the Engine4 are OK. There are 4 mics and some kind of environmental noise reduction algorithm being applied, and this is especially evident outdoors where traffic and gusts of wind are generally dealt with pretty well. The problem is, your voice is also subdued a little, leaving you sounding a little faint and distant.



Outdoors, you can hear how they fare here:



Indoors, the noise reduction isn't anywhere near as prominent. They feature in Part 1 of my 2023 Call Quality test, and compared to the competition, they let in a little more background noise, and your voice has a slightly artificial, digitised feel to it - stem-based earbuds generally perform much better on calls, and the rule of thumb doesn't mislead us in any way here.

Features

The Engine4 are the first SoundPEATS bud to feature Multipoint connectivity. It isn't enabled by default, but work your way through the customisation page in the app and you'll find a toggle for dual device connection. Enable this, and it will connect to the two most recent devices you connected to after rebooting. There's no device list - you'll have to try and remember what those devices were, but still, it's good to see. When using Multipoint, it's much like other such devices in that your second device will only really be for calls. If I listened to a YouTube video on Windows 11, then paused and tried to play Tidal on my phone, I still couldn't hear any audio, but as soon as the phone rang that came through without any issues. This is similar to what I experienced on the Earfun Air Pro 3.

Controls are great - as always with SoundPEATS, you get volume control with single taps. Holding the right and left buttons progresses tracks forwards and backwards respectively - that's right, you get a track back button! This is always the way when SoundPEATS omits ANC.

Connectivity is also good. I had some glitches on Firmware 1.2 which the buds were shipped with. A couple of weeks later version 1.6 came through, and the buds have been rock solid ever since.

The app is very basic, although they've now added Adaptive EQ back, which tries to serve you an EQ based on your ears. Generally, I prefer to do this manually, which you have the option to do with a ten band equaliser from 31Hz to 16KHz, +-6. This is more than adequate in terms of customisation, and you can roll the dice with SoundPEATS' eight presets too if that takes your fancy.

There are a few other options in the app - you can toggle gaming mode and switch off touch controls. Latency is good enough for lip synchronisation for YouTube videos, even with Gaming Mode switched off. With games, like most earbuds you've got a noticeable delay, and gaming mode helps this, but doesn't remove it altogether. Sadly, there's no auto-pause on this model.

Battery Life

Battery Life on Engine4 is a real standout feature - with no ANC to scupper your totals, it's only LDAC that scales the 12.5 hour battery life down to approximately 8 hours. These estimates are at 60% volume, and whilst the buds are fairly loud, I found myself using them at 70-80% depending on the scene and source. Even so, I got a very respectable just over 7 hours from the first go, which is highly impressive for a set of LDAC buds.

Sadly there is no quick charge feature, and no wireless charging - a full charge on wired takes around 2 hours.

Summary

Having endured a design that didn't really suit me with the Opera05, SoundPEATS have finally given me a no-stem in-ear that combines more balanced ergonomics that suit my shallow ear canals, great sound and some useful features such as Multipoint connectivity. But most importantly, sound on the Engine4 is a real standout - SoundPEATS have strayed away from their more cautious and more balanced, but 'more suited to single driver arrangements' evolved house sound and blended it with the best bits of their more raw, edgy H1& H2 to deliver a really convincing, enjoyable audio experience that hits all the right notes with killer battery life that keeps these going on and on and on.

They aren't perfect - there's no in-ear detection, call quality is average, there's no quick charge and the app is neither pretty nor feature-rich, and excluding ANC will put some off, but there's more good than bad, and the Engine4 is quickly becoming my favourite SoundPEATS TWS so far, and their best of 2023.

Price Weighted Score: 86%
Raw Score: 85%

SoundPEATS Review Inventory:

SoundPEATS RunFree Lite
SoundPEATS Life Classic
SoundPEATS Opera05
SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro
SoundPEATS H2
SoundPEATS T3
SoundPEATS Mini
SoundPEATS Air3
SoundPEATS TrueAir2+
SoundPEATS TrueAir 2
SoundPEATS H1
SoundPEATS T2
SoundPEATS Sonic

About SoundPEATS:

SoundPEATS seem to have become an overnight sensation, wiping up a large portion of budget TWS earbud market share with a business model that has served them (and Anker before them) exceptionally well - good distribution channels (via Amazon), good support, a catchy name and product that performs well at a very competitive price point. In reality, they have been around a long time - whilst Shenzhen SoundSOUL IT Co LTD is a different trading name to Ginto E-Commerce, they share the same business address (including room number) as them - you may know their brand name better as Dudios. With Dudios not sounding quite so cool as Soundpeats, maybe the brand transition has been instrumental in their success, but having been around since 2010 and patents in Bluetooth tech stretching back to 2015, they are not the plucky upstarts that some may think - they know their stuff, have a great network of contacts, and now a very solid brand in Europe, and deservedly so.

The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them my favourite budget earbud vendor, is that they are completely transparent over their components. Whether they use Realtek, Qualcomm or Airoha chips in their buds, they are totally open about it, and as a reviewer this really helps, because whilst I have, and do, dismantle buds to check the way that certain things have been implemented (such as the power management, mems mics, etc) and I really don't like having to do it with every set of earbuds, because they then become unusable.