Packaging and Accessories
The box again looks very normal, similar to the Earfree i3. And also the accessories are very similar: a USB-C charging cable and three pair of ear-tips. However, the ear-tips are not as standard-affair as they are with the Earfree i3: they are not as cone shaped and their ring around the outlet seems to be slightly thicker than most standard ear-tips. And in my experience with these and similar tips: that works pretty well in terms of fit. Meaning, even the standard tips fit very secure and are relatively comfortable. Even the sizes are pretty well chosen: for me S fits good, but could insert a bit deeper
The TWS charging case is about average in size and the TWS do fit well in it with less rocking around than e.g. the i3 or the Buds2 Pro. Also, the build of the charging case seems to be absolutely fine: it feels solid, it doesn’t “squeak” and the hinge doesn’t rock either However, it is not made of metal and I’m not sure how well it’ll last. Furthermore, the magnets keep it closed well and the pairing button seems to only be pressed when actually intended.
Unlike the Earfree i3 though, RoseTechnics doesn’t provide an additional case for the charging case.
Overall though, packaging and accessories are fine and the provided tips actually good.
Build Quality
Similar to the i3, the tolerances of the Ceramics X are only ok, not the best I have seen at the 50ish price point, but also not the worst. Meaning, the seams are noticeable to the finger and to the eye, but there seem to be no bigger gaps or deficiencies with the glueing.
One point I’m still a bit worried about is the nozzle: it seems to be rather thin and we can easily see this because of the transparent nature of it. Sure, in the weeks I have been using it, I didn’t have any issues with it and I also do not see any glue issues around it… It just
Where I praised the unboxing and accessories at this price, unfortunately, I can not say the same about the build quality: the plastic they use here is rather thin and feels and looks a bit “flimsy”. Granted, in my time using it, it has held up well and I can’t see any signs of wear.. Due to the shiny finish and thin material, it does not come off as “quality”. Here the Soundpeats Capsule 3 Pro definitively do a way better job in terms of felt build.
In the details though, the Ceramics X is totally fine: the printing quality on the back is well done, the microphone holes seem like they have mesh on the inside and the charging contacts on the inside are looking well integrated. As a small bonus, the LED on the back is bright enough to be visible even in normal daylight. What I would still improve though is the R/L indicator only being recessed in the shell, but not colour-coded.
Overall, the build is totally fine for the price without any issues.
Comfort & Fit
Coming from the i3 and also from Rose Technics, the Ceramics X definitively is an upgrade in terms of comfort as well as fit. First, it stays in my ear better due to it inserting a bit deeper, but it also has a better angle of insertion with its case leading to a more comfortable wearing experience for me.
In fact, I’d say it fits me quite a bit better than the Buds 2 Pro! That means, even the included tips do work for my ear and it stays safe and comfortable enough. Granted, the included S tips are just a tad to big for me and after like 30min or so I feel a light pain, but with most other tips I have the Ceramics X fits very well even for hours on end.
Additionally due to the bit longer nozzle, even shorter tips usually fit me fine with this: Max, Xelastecs 2, Omni and so on all worked similarly well.
Isolation
I couldn’t really say much positive about the isolation of the i3 from Rose Technics and unfortunately, I can’t say much positive about the isolation of the Ceramics X either. Yes, it isolates a bit better than the i3, but not a lot and therefore still is worse in terms of passive isolation than compared to e.g. the Buds 2 Pro.
Turning on ANC does improve the lower frequency attenuation as expected, but isn’t even close to being as effective as the Buds 2 Pro. Mid or lower mid frequencies do not seem to be attenuated at all if they are, just around the threshold of not being noticeable. Also, the ANC is a bit wind sensitive and the ANC mode can NOT be combined with the wind noise isolation. That means, when it’s windy, you absolutely need the wind noise isolation mode…
Which in turn works surprisingly well! I have no clue if it’s done via software or if the mic hole has a small actuator blocking it, but it really works nicely and makes these easily wearable outside in most situations. Unfortunately, it’s summer at the time of writing this review, so it wasn’t that windy, but before a heavy rainfall it did attenuate most of the wind noise without any problem so I assume it should do well in most other windy situations too.
Software
As I stated in my review of the i3, the software is still very much in development and regularly gets updates. This is still the case 2 months after that, but today it seems to work way better: on startup, it’s now English, there’s a dedicated “update” button for your TWS and the other functions (which of course includes setting modes or customising the controls) seem to work fine now.
Also, I didn’t have any other weird bugs or weird behaviour now and even changing from LDAC to dual-device mode worked fine. However let me again say that I would prefer both working at the same time and because there are devices out there that can do both, I assume this might be a limitation of Rose Technics chipset.
All in all though, two months after the i3, I no longer have problems with the software side and my wish-list would now contain a real EQ software instead of just three profiles “Hifi”, “pop” and “rock”.
First a big disclaimer here: the app seems to get updates in less than a weekly schedule. That means, that when you use it, it might work way better or worse, depending on how seriously they test their software.
Usability & Use-Cases
I have been using the Ceramics X in day-to-day life for like 2 weeks now and I do like it more there than the i3. This is mainly because it isolates better and fits better and the wind noise isolation also makes it a better companion than you’d want to go for a jog or so. I personally wouldn’t recommend using a closed audio system for sports outside, but you do if you are aware of the danger of not hearing your surroundings. Oh and did I mention that the Ceramics X are water resistant? So even some rain or heavy sweat shouldn’t kill the device, making it a decent choice for sports.
Additionally, the telephoning/ mic function worked well enough, similar to the i3 and the touch controls were also absolutely fine AND you can modify them via the app in case you don’t like them.
Battery life is advertised as 10h (I assume without ANC) which I unfortunately can not confirm, as I haven’t managed to use these 10h in a row. However, I can confirm that in the office with ANC on, they survive most of the day, only interrupted by a lunch break of 30min. So run-time-wise, these are very good, definitively beating the Buds 2 Pro or the i3.
One word though about the “game mode”, I did not have the feeling it improved the latency at all. That means, while for casual gaming, it was totally fine, I do not think it is enough for e.g. Sandstorm or other more intense, faster games where you really need to know where things are ASAP.
All in all, if the ANC would be a bit better, I’d probably really like the usability of the Ceramics X in day-to-day life and would replace my Buds 2 Pro with them due to the strong points mentioned before.
Bringing me to use cases. With the fit, wind-cancelling and ANC performance of this device, I would most likely see it in the light commuter or light to medium dynamic sports category. Light to medium dynamic sport, because it lacks better water protection (only IP54) or some stability fins so you won’t be able to use them for high mobility sports. Examples would be: biking, weight lifting...
Sound
The Ceramics X can be best described as V-shaped, with a decent balance between bass and treble, maybe a tad more on the bright side.
My measurements can be found here:
https://donspektor.squig.link/iems/?share=Ceramics_X_ANC
Treble
To get one thing out of the way here, the huge 10k peak is not as offensive as it looks on the graph, I assume probably because it could be parts of the resonance peak, but it is audible and therefore adds some unnatural sharpness to some notes like cymbals or trumpets. This could be fixable via EQ, but unfortunately the app doesn’t allow for EQ…
Past 10k, there's an other peak according to the coupler and that seems to be more of an artefact than actually there: yes, my ear tells me there is some information past 10k, but not as much as you’d get with most planars out there. Meaning, trailing ends and leading edges while well audible, lack the last few per cent of “resolution”, which for this price is a zero-issue as the Ceramics X definitively extends past 10k, to like 13k or so to my ear.
Mid treble on the other hand is absolutely fine, having a dip at like 7.5k that prevents sibilance for me without coming off as too strongly pronounced to interfere with the overall tonal balance. That combined with the light peak at 4.5k and the stronger pronounced peak at 2.5k make a bright but balances presentation that I personally like, but can see many people finding too bright.
This means, the treble notes definitively take the spotlight with the Ceramics X, making some fundamental to harmonic ratio a bit off, but it also pushes pure treble notes more out of the mix. This was noticeable to me in e.g. the Nier Automata soundtrack, where also the female vocalist was brought out very well, which unfortunately came at the cost of natural tonality and a bit of voice body.
This also means with the relatively strongly pronounced 2.5k peak and early gain, some will experience shout with the Ceramics X. I personally did not, but I’m also not sensitive to shout.
Mids
While the mids on the Ceramics X are not the greatest, they are also not what I’d describe as absolutely “recessed”. Meaning, that while a not-so-great mixed track will leave a bit to be desired in terms of vocal presence and clarity, most better-mixed tracks worked reasonably well for the price.
Lower mids on the other hand are a bit warmer, giving growls and bass guitars a good tonality and body, while maybe overshadowing the mids just a tad, but not to a degree where it is super noticeable.
Bass
Bass on the other hand worked well for me and with the good speed and punch it has, I see not many points to criticize here. That means metal, synth-wave or even jazz music all worked fine in terms of bass representation, with the small caveat that sub-bass isn’t the most textured. In my benchmark track, Mountains from the Inerstellar soundtrack, the Ceramics X managed a very average 2.14min, already compensated for the Bluetooth delay.
Soundstage, Layering and Imaging
Using a “carbon nanotube diaphragm”, in theory, the Ceramics X should be pretty good in its technicalities… But in real life, I have the feeling it’s a bit worse than the i3. That means, while the stage size is decent, the layering most of the time only is three distinct layers. Imaging though is very solid, bordering good which for a TWS at this price point is a strong point to have.
Imaging though is totally sufficient and I have no problems with it.
Separation, Dynamics and Coherence (including timbre)
In direct comparison to the Earfree i3, I somehow have the feeling the Ceramics X is a bit worse in terms of separation. Not a lot, but a tad. Dynamics though are totally ok for the price, as is coherence and timbre. Minus there's some glare on top, that probably comes from the 10k peak, but it’s not as bad as the graph indicates.
Verdict
In terms of fit, isolation and feature set, I would definitively take the Ceramics X over the Earfree i3 from Rose Technics. Also, the tuning being better makes this a better option in my books. However, I’m still not sure if that is enough to recommend it, mostly because I still think the tuning is too v-shaped with too much emphasis on the lower treble/upper mids, which I don’t think will work for a good subset of people. Also the app still not having a real EQ prevents us from fixing the too bright treble. But at least Rose Technics still seems to work hard on the app (status 31.8.2024) and I expect it to still work better in a few months from now and I will press Rose Technics again after this review on adding a real EQ.
Other than that, the Ceramics X does everything it is supposed to with the “wind cancelling” being the standout feature for me: it works really well and combined with the good fit, I can see this being used outside pretty effectively. Here though, I wish the ANC would be a bit better.
Overall Ceramics X missed my recommendation by just an inch, being a good but not great TWS at the 50-buck price point.
