SoundPEATS Air3 Wireless Earbuds Mini Bluetooth V5.2
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RC053
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
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Socials: Biolink
Model: Soundpeats Air3
Price: MSRP - £49.99, Current Price - £37.99
Soundpeats Website: Soundpeats
Review Reference: RC053
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair wireless earbuds
1 x Type-C USB Battery charging case
1 x Type-C USB charging cable
1 x User manual, quick guide, warranty card
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the Regancipher review of the SoundPEATS Air3, their lateral movement from the TrueAir2+.
Having already enjoyed the TrueAir2, which I rated as my number one semi-in-ear bud for 2020 here, and then the TA2+, which I reviewed here, I was excited to learn that SoundPEATS had decided to release another iteration of the already widely acclaimed budget Airpod-killers.
The Air3 is more of a complementary release than a replacement - it makes some compromises to give you some extra benefits. Having both the Air3 and the TA2+ gives me the best of both worlds! This review aims to evaluate the Air3 on their merits, and also differentiate the TA2 and the Air3 to help you work out what's best for you.
The Unboxing - 7/10
Well here we are again, a familiar sight. SoundPEATS are nothing if not consistent! The packaging is like any other SoundPEATS release, detailing their key features on the back, showing how they are worn and the model on the front. A foam insert houses the charge case and buds, and the manual is in the usual English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and Simplified Chinese.
The Case - 8/10
The case has had a major redesign, with the buds moving away from the design that inspired OnePlus with their Buds Pro to a more traditional cigarette box style design where the buds slot in the top tail first. Usually, I'm not keen on this design, but SoundPEATS have done it really well. The single light at the front denotes charge status - green means you're good, red means get it on charge quick - and the size is perfect for single handed operation.
The button to the centre is useful for resetting and pairing the buds, and the light is quite visible even out in the wild.
As with other SoundPEATS releases, the lid has a small gap, which allows for easy flipping open to use with one hand. This avoids the need for a deep lip, keeping the weight and proportions down.
The SoundPEATS logo is etched in the top, and whilst the case looks pristine now, don't be too surprised if it gets a little scuffed in your pocket. Matte finishes tend to attract marks - be they scuffs or shiny lines - rather easily, and revisiting my case after a few months, with very little in the way of rough use confirms this.
The portability is underlined when you see the case alongside the TA2. Whilst they've only taken give or take half a centimetre off the width and length, the more rounded universal shaping makes it feel much smaller. It also feels rather cheap at the same time, and the hinge is very thin, so avoid tugging on it too hard. It can also snap shut when you don't want it to, lacking the friction hinge that was so good about the T2.
A weight comparison further underlines the portability, with 20% of the weight lifted to become possibly the lightest case I've ever tested - making them perfect for fitting in the pocket of your skinny jeans. Whilst I don't usually like USB sockets at the bottom, because SoundPEATS have added the LED on the front, it is easy to see whether the buds are charging - this was a minor quibble with the TA2+.
The Air3 have compromised on charge though - like the original TA2, there is no wireless charging, and you only get 17.5 hours from the case and buds combined, compared with 25 on the TA2+.
Ergonomics - 9/10
I already loved the TA2+, but even I had to concede they weren't the most stable semi-in-ear buds around. However SoundPEATS have found a way to improve this without a drastic redesign - a simple weight displacement.
As you can see, there is very little difference to the shape of the Air3. The contoured edge is the same, the neck is the same, the depth is perhaps a shade thicker, and yet they seem to fit far more snugly, resting nicely in the bottom of your ear.
The biggest change is the stem length. By shaving 4mm off, taking it down to 33mm, they are now as sturdy as most silicone-based buds, with no danger of them falling out when you tilt or shake your head. Whilst I rarely recommend buds of this form factor for sports, I went for a quick run in them and found them staying in without an issue.
The touch controls remain at the top, and that can be a pain. I've found myself cutting callers off when I've taken the buds out of the box, because now you have to touch that part of the bud in order to remove and then use them. They will also invariably initiate play, which is fine when you're connected to your phone, but when a random YouTube video from one of the thirty browser tabs you have open starts an OS-wide manhunt, it can be a bit of a pain.
The stem, at 33mm, is the shortest semi-in-ear design I've tested so far. Here you see, from left to right, the Air3, Tronsmart Battle, SoundPEATS TA2+, Haylou Moripods, 1More Comfobuds 2 and FIIL CC. The Air3 come in 11mm shorter than the FIIL, and 4mm shorter than the average. What's more, this doesn't compromise call quality (see further down the review)
A closer look in the wild shows SoundPEATS have retained the ambient mic at the top, with a voice mic at the bottom, and the Qualcomm QCC3040 chip features cVc 8.0 noise reduction to try to balance the clarity of your voice against the noise of your surroundings. The SoundPEATS logo is much clearer without the white background, and the upgraded battery connectors, which reduce the nickel content in order to prevent skin irritation, balance the need to move them to the base - another welcome tweak.
The Air3 are slightly heavier, but this adds to the stability and makes them a snug, secure fit suitable for a variety of applications.
IPX5 water resistance means they will survive a splash of rain, but do not submerge them. The buds also feature wear detection, although this cannot be toggled on or off.
Audio Quality - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
There is a subtle difference to the Air3 over the TrueAir2, although you'll be hard pressed to notice most of the time. The TrueAir2 had a slightly warmer feel to the soundstage that balanced well against the 'spacious' sensation that semi-in-ear buds give off by virtue of their form factor. One of the biggest complaints about this style earbud is the lack of bass, but the TrueAir2 could never be accused of that, and the Air3 even more so.
'Are You Gonna Go My Way' by Lenny Kravitz and 'Beautiful' by James Blunt, two tracks I used in my TA2 test, both show off the more expansive sound stage. 'All of Me' by John Legend shows that vocals are not compromised - baritone, falsetto and counter tenor all sound great, although they definitely take a step back to allow the instruments to take centre stage, unlike the TA2 which were definitely more vocal-centric. While the buds are loud, I noticed some distortion around 50-60Hz on high volumes, so you may want to use Wavelet to tweak that ever so slightly.
The 'classic' Soundpeats sound signature is quite v-shaped, with a raw, punchy lower frequency response and slightly harsh trebles. It makes listening to genres like house and techno 'energetic' without a great deal of detail. This works well in this style of earbud, because they sit back a little from your ear canal, so you won't have that connection you realistically need to benefit from more detail. Many earbuds of this form factor fail to account for that, and as a result audio can sound thin and underwhelming - the Air3 certainly don't fit into that category.
The 14.2mm drivers are no doubt a help in delivering this excellent bang-for-buck sound, but it goes beyond this - many earbuds at this price point have the same driver size and sound awful. SoundPEATS have done a great job with both the TA2+ and Air3, and both are a pleasant break from the usual tinny sound you get from this form factor.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 7/10
The main improvement in call quality is indoors, where your voice sounds less processed than the TA2. For the lion's share of the time, you come through quite natural and rich, and most background noises are nullified quite well. This was a surprise improvement given the the shorter stem length. It was a similar story on Zoom calls, except my voice sounded even more natural. Despite improving upon the TA2, I'm scoring them the same, as earbuds have organically become better in this respect - but don't be fooled, the Air3 are amongst the best, certainly in the sub $50 category.
The Air3 were included in my blanket YouTube indoor mic test here:
Outdoors I noticed a little improvement too. Calls were already good outdoors on the TA2, not in the league of the Huawei FreeBuds Pro or Elevoc offerings, but still impressive unless faced with extreme blustery conditions or heavy traffic, and it is the same story with the Air3, where your voice has a little more body than on the TrueAir2:
Overall, really quite incredible for the money - this is one area where so many mess it up, but SoundPEATS have to their credit stuck with a winning formula.
Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 7.5/10
Connectivity is, like SoundPEATS other Qualcomm-based buds, very good. They use Bluetooth 5.2 and Qualcomm's TrueWireless Mirroring technology to ensure a future-proofed design that retains stability between both left and right bud. They support the aptX adaptive profile OOTB, and this, combined with gaming mode, delivers low latency - good enough for both videos and gamers alike.
In-ear detection works in both single and dual mode. If you want to take one bud out for the call, the music will still stop. If you want to take both buds out and use your phone, audio will quickly switch and the track will remain paused.
Controls are extensive, but sensitive. Play/Pause and Answering calls are predictably a double tap. Volume up and down is a single tap - nice to have on budget buds. Hold the buttons down for skipping tracks back and forth and rejecting calls. Triple tap right for siri/hey google, and triple tap left to toggle Gaming Mode. Very similar to the TA2 and Sonic.
If I try to adjust the buds, however, I will inevitably change track and maybe even cut callers off. Not much they can do about it, but app support to turn them on or off would solve the problem. An app is in the works - whether the Air3 will be supported, who knows.
Battery Life - 7/10
I got around 3.5 hours from the TA2, and reach similar levels, if possibly slightly higher, from the Air3 with continuous podcast listening and occasional calls.
The case adds an additional 2 charges, which reduces total playtime from 25 to 17.5 hours - in reality, if you get 10 hours from prolific use, you've had a good stint. This is pretty low by today's standards, even for this form factor, and with no fast charge supported, bear this in mind if you need an all-day set, especially as there is no quick charge nor wireless charging.
App Support
In January 2022, SoundPEATS have rolled out app support for the Air3, and whilst the app is still somewhat embryonic, it does give the option to upgrade the firmware, deactivate wear detection, initiate gaming mode and either use the custom 6-band equaliser or one of eight additional presets.
Interestingly, as well as the custom equaliser, SoundPEATS included 'Adaptive EQ'. This, like with other vendors, plays through a series of frequencies, testing your hearing, and applies the EQ it deems best fits your hearing. Whilst it works, it gives the warning it is an 'experimental feature', and like Anker and other brands, I didn't find it improved my listening immeasurably. Second time I tested was much better - it goes without saying that due to being semi-in-ear, a quiet room to do this is essential. Even so, it's a nice feature. There is sadly no button mapping in the app, so some room for improvement.
The app also requires sign up to SoundPEATS' cloud server - not my favourite process by any means, but that's the price you pay with many of these TWS apps.
Summary
The TrueAir2+ were a nice little re-rub of an already excellent set of earbuds. Only adding £5 to the price, they included wireless charging, lower latency, a red/amber/green light to denote charge and, well...that was about it. App support has been added since, putting a little more daylight between the models.
The Air3 are also an evolution rather than a revolution, with a big improvement in stability, gaming mode, a very pocket-friendly and more practical box, especially if you want something to fit in your skinny jeans pockets, and slightly improved call quality.
If you value wireless charging and long battery life, the TA2+ may still be the better option, but the Air3 are an excellent addition to the portfolio, and have become my go-to for semi-in-ear buds - my preferred form factor by some distance.
Well done SoundPEATS on another excellent release.
Price Weighted Score: 95%
Raw Score: 87%
2022 Score: 82%
SoundPEATS Review Inventory:
SoundPEATS Mini
SoundPEATS Air3
SoundPEATS TrueAir2+
SoundPEATS TrueAir 2
SoundPEATS H1
SoundPEATS T2
SoundPEATS Sonic
About SoundPEATS:
SoundPEATS seem to have become an overnight sensation, wiping up a large portion of budget TWS earbud market share with a business model that has served them (and Anker before them) exceptionally well - good distribution channels (via Amazon), good support, a catchy name and product that performs well at a very competitive price point. In reality, they have been around a long time - whilst Shenzhen SoundSOUL IT Co LTD is a different trading name to Ginto E-Commerce, they share the same business address (including room number) as them - you may know their brand name better as Dudios. With Dudios not sounding quite so cool as Soundpeats, maybe the brand transition has been instrumental in their success, but having been around since 2010 and patents in Bluetooth tech stretching back to 2015, they are not the plucky upstarts that some may think - they know their stuff, have a great network of contacts, and now a very solid brand in Europe, and deservedly so.
The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them my favourite budget earbud vendor, is that they are completely transparent over their components. Whether they use Realtek, Qualcomm or Airoha chips in their buds, they are totally open about it, and as a reviewer this really helps, because whilst I have, and do, dismantle buds to check the way that certain things have been implemented (such as the power management, mems mics, etc) and I really don't like having to do it with every set of earbuds, because they then become unusable.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: Soundpeats Air3
Price: MSRP - £49.99, Current Price - £37.99
Soundpeats Website: Soundpeats
Review Reference: RC053
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: SoundPEATS
- Model: Air3
- Driver: 14.2mm bio-compound diaphragm
- Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3040
- Impedence: 16Ω
- Frequency Response Range: 20-20000Hz
- Mic: 4, cVc 8.0
- ANC: No
- Codecs: AptX, AptX-adaptive, SBC
- Earbud Weight: 3.96g
- Earbud Dimensions: 33mm stem length
- Case + Earbuds Gross Weight: 31g
- Case Dimensions: 48.7mm (width) x 47.2mm (height) x 22mm (depth)
- Case Charge Capacity: 220mAh
- Full Charge Time: 120 minutes
- Quick Charge: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Input: 5V 1A
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 5 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 17.5 hours
- App Support: Yes
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
- Water Resistance: IPX5
- Firmware Version Tested: 0.3.9
1 x Pair wireless earbuds
1 x Type-C USB Battery charging case
1 x Type-C USB charging cable
1 x User manual, quick guide, warranty card
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the Regancipher review of the SoundPEATS Air3, their lateral movement from the TrueAir2+.
Having already enjoyed the TrueAir2, which I rated as my number one semi-in-ear bud for 2020 here, and then the TA2+, which I reviewed here, I was excited to learn that SoundPEATS had decided to release another iteration of the already widely acclaimed budget Airpod-killers.
The Air3 is more of a complementary release than a replacement - it makes some compromises to give you some extra benefits. Having both the Air3 and the TA2+ gives me the best of both worlds! This review aims to evaluate the Air3 on their merits, and also differentiate the TA2 and the Air3 to help you work out what's best for you.
The Unboxing - 7/10
Well here we are again, a familiar sight. SoundPEATS are nothing if not consistent! The packaging is like any other SoundPEATS release, detailing their key features on the back, showing how they are worn and the model on the front. A foam insert houses the charge case and buds, and the manual is in the usual English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and Simplified Chinese.
The Case - 8/10
The case has had a major redesign, with the buds moving away from the design that inspired OnePlus with their Buds Pro to a more traditional cigarette box style design where the buds slot in the top tail first. Usually, I'm not keen on this design, but SoundPEATS have done it really well. The single light at the front denotes charge status - green means you're good, red means get it on charge quick - and the size is perfect for single handed operation.
The button to the centre is useful for resetting and pairing the buds, and the light is quite visible even out in the wild.
As with other SoundPEATS releases, the lid has a small gap, which allows for easy flipping open to use with one hand. This avoids the need for a deep lip, keeping the weight and proportions down.
The SoundPEATS logo is etched in the top, and whilst the case looks pristine now, don't be too surprised if it gets a little scuffed in your pocket. Matte finishes tend to attract marks - be they scuffs or shiny lines - rather easily, and revisiting my case after a few months, with very little in the way of rough use confirms this.
The portability is underlined when you see the case alongside the TA2. Whilst they've only taken give or take half a centimetre off the width and length, the more rounded universal shaping makes it feel much smaller. It also feels rather cheap at the same time, and the hinge is very thin, so avoid tugging on it too hard. It can also snap shut when you don't want it to, lacking the friction hinge that was so good about the T2.
A weight comparison further underlines the portability, with 20% of the weight lifted to become possibly the lightest case I've ever tested - making them perfect for fitting in the pocket of your skinny jeans. Whilst I don't usually like USB sockets at the bottom, because SoundPEATS have added the LED on the front, it is easy to see whether the buds are charging - this was a minor quibble with the TA2+.
The Air3 have compromised on charge though - like the original TA2, there is no wireless charging, and you only get 17.5 hours from the case and buds combined, compared with 25 on the TA2+.
Ergonomics - 9/10
I already loved the TA2+, but even I had to concede they weren't the most stable semi-in-ear buds around. However SoundPEATS have found a way to improve this without a drastic redesign - a simple weight displacement.
As you can see, there is very little difference to the shape of the Air3. The contoured edge is the same, the neck is the same, the depth is perhaps a shade thicker, and yet they seem to fit far more snugly, resting nicely in the bottom of your ear.
The biggest change is the stem length. By shaving 4mm off, taking it down to 33mm, they are now as sturdy as most silicone-based buds, with no danger of them falling out when you tilt or shake your head. Whilst I rarely recommend buds of this form factor for sports, I went for a quick run in them and found them staying in without an issue.
The touch controls remain at the top, and that can be a pain. I've found myself cutting callers off when I've taken the buds out of the box, because now you have to touch that part of the bud in order to remove and then use them. They will also invariably initiate play, which is fine when you're connected to your phone, but when a random YouTube video from one of the thirty browser tabs you have open starts an OS-wide manhunt, it can be a bit of a pain.
The stem, at 33mm, is the shortest semi-in-ear design I've tested so far. Here you see, from left to right, the Air3, Tronsmart Battle, SoundPEATS TA2+, Haylou Moripods, 1More Comfobuds 2 and FIIL CC. The Air3 come in 11mm shorter than the FIIL, and 4mm shorter than the average. What's more, this doesn't compromise call quality (see further down the review)
A closer look in the wild shows SoundPEATS have retained the ambient mic at the top, with a voice mic at the bottom, and the Qualcomm QCC3040 chip features cVc 8.0 noise reduction to try to balance the clarity of your voice against the noise of your surroundings. The SoundPEATS logo is much clearer without the white background, and the upgraded battery connectors, which reduce the nickel content in order to prevent skin irritation, balance the need to move them to the base - another welcome tweak.
The Air3 are slightly heavier, but this adds to the stability and makes them a snug, secure fit suitable for a variety of applications.
IPX5 water resistance means they will survive a splash of rain, but do not submerge them. The buds also feature wear detection, although this cannot be toggled on or off.
Audio Quality - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
There is a subtle difference to the Air3 over the TrueAir2, although you'll be hard pressed to notice most of the time. The TrueAir2 had a slightly warmer feel to the soundstage that balanced well against the 'spacious' sensation that semi-in-ear buds give off by virtue of their form factor. One of the biggest complaints about this style earbud is the lack of bass, but the TrueAir2 could never be accused of that, and the Air3 even more so.
'Are You Gonna Go My Way' by Lenny Kravitz and 'Beautiful' by James Blunt, two tracks I used in my TA2 test, both show off the more expansive sound stage. 'All of Me' by John Legend shows that vocals are not compromised - baritone, falsetto and counter tenor all sound great, although they definitely take a step back to allow the instruments to take centre stage, unlike the TA2 which were definitely more vocal-centric. While the buds are loud, I noticed some distortion around 50-60Hz on high volumes, so you may want to use Wavelet to tweak that ever so slightly.
The 'classic' Soundpeats sound signature is quite v-shaped, with a raw, punchy lower frequency response and slightly harsh trebles. It makes listening to genres like house and techno 'energetic' without a great deal of detail. This works well in this style of earbud, because they sit back a little from your ear canal, so you won't have that connection you realistically need to benefit from more detail. Many earbuds of this form factor fail to account for that, and as a result audio can sound thin and underwhelming - the Air3 certainly don't fit into that category.
The 14.2mm drivers are no doubt a help in delivering this excellent bang-for-buck sound, but it goes beyond this - many earbuds at this price point have the same driver size and sound awful. SoundPEATS have done a great job with both the TA2+ and Air3, and both are a pleasant break from the usual tinny sound you get from this form factor.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 7/10
The main improvement in call quality is indoors, where your voice sounds less processed than the TA2. For the lion's share of the time, you come through quite natural and rich, and most background noises are nullified quite well. This was a surprise improvement given the the shorter stem length. It was a similar story on Zoom calls, except my voice sounded even more natural. Despite improving upon the TA2, I'm scoring them the same, as earbuds have organically become better in this respect - but don't be fooled, the Air3 are amongst the best, certainly in the sub $50 category.
The Air3 were included in my blanket YouTube indoor mic test here:
Outdoors I noticed a little improvement too. Calls were already good outdoors on the TA2, not in the league of the Huawei FreeBuds Pro or Elevoc offerings, but still impressive unless faced with extreme blustery conditions or heavy traffic, and it is the same story with the Air3, where your voice has a little more body than on the TrueAir2:
Overall, really quite incredible for the money - this is one area where so many mess it up, but SoundPEATS have to their credit stuck with a winning formula.
Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 7.5/10
Connectivity is, like SoundPEATS other Qualcomm-based buds, very good. They use Bluetooth 5.2 and Qualcomm's TrueWireless Mirroring technology to ensure a future-proofed design that retains stability between both left and right bud. They support the aptX adaptive profile OOTB, and this, combined with gaming mode, delivers low latency - good enough for both videos and gamers alike.
In-ear detection works in both single and dual mode. If you want to take one bud out for the call, the music will still stop. If you want to take both buds out and use your phone, audio will quickly switch and the track will remain paused.
Controls are extensive, but sensitive. Play/Pause and Answering calls are predictably a double tap. Volume up and down is a single tap - nice to have on budget buds. Hold the buttons down for skipping tracks back and forth and rejecting calls. Triple tap right for siri/hey google, and triple tap left to toggle Gaming Mode. Very similar to the TA2 and Sonic.
If I try to adjust the buds, however, I will inevitably change track and maybe even cut callers off. Not much they can do about it, but app support to turn them on or off would solve the problem. An app is in the works - whether the Air3 will be supported, who knows.
Battery Life - 7/10
I got around 3.5 hours from the TA2, and reach similar levels, if possibly slightly higher, from the Air3 with continuous podcast listening and occasional calls.
The case adds an additional 2 charges, which reduces total playtime from 25 to 17.5 hours - in reality, if you get 10 hours from prolific use, you've had a good stint. This is pretty low by today's standards, even for this form factor, and with no fast charge supported, bear this in mind if you need an all-day set, especially as there is no quick charge nor wireless charging.
App Support
In January 2022, SoundPEATS have rolled out app support for the Air3, and whilst the app is still somewhat embryonic, it does give the option to upgrade the firmware, deactivate wear detection, initiate gaming mode and either use the custom 6-band equaliser or one of eight additional presets.
Interestingly, as well as the custom equaliser, SoundPEATS included 'Adaptive EQ'. This, like with other vendors, plays through a series of frequencies, testing your hearing, and applies the EQ it deems best fits your hearing. Whilst it works, it gives the warning it is an 'experimental feature', and like Anker and other brands, I didn't find it improved my listening immeasurably. Second time I tested was much better - it goes without saying that due to being semi-in-ear, a quiet room to do this is essential. Even so, it's a nice feature. There is sadly no button mapping in the app, so some room for improvement.
The app also requires sign up to SoundPEATS' cloud server - not my favourite process by any means, but that's the price you pay with many of these TWS apps.
Summary
The TrueAir2+ were a nice little re-rub of an already excellent set of earbuds. Only adding £5 to the price, they included wireless charging, lower latency, a red/amber/green light to denote charge and, well...that was about it. App support has been added since, putting a little more daylight between the models.
The Air3 are also an evolution rather than a revolution, with a big improvement in stability, gaming mode, a very pocket-friendly and more practical box, especially if you want something to fit in your skinny jeans pockets, and slightly improved call quality.
If you value wireless charging and long battery life, the TA2+ may still be the better option, but the Air3 are an excellent addition to the portfolio, and have become my go-to for semi-in-ear buds - my preferred form factor by some distance.
Well done SoundPEATS on another excellent release.
Price Weighted Score: 95%
Raw Score: 87%
2022 Score: 82%
SoundPEATS Review Inventory:
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.
regancipher
@ilffej yes it is a little annoying. Less so when in use, more when you remove the buds from the case. Because of the position of the touch controls, you have no choice but to initiate them, and also sometimes if the track is paused and you reinstate the buds to the case it can then suddenly restart - annoying but definitely down to the case design.
@ruffandruff muffled is probably the wrong word. The TA2 are punchier, vocals are less pronounced on the Air3. I think I marginally prefer the TA2+ out of the box, even though it isn't my preferred sound signature, but you can EQ both to sound practically identical using Wavelet anyway.
@ruffandruff muffled is probably the wrong word. The TA2 are punchier, vocals are less pronounced on the Air3. I think I marginally prefer the TA2+ out of the box, even though it isn't my preferred sound signature, but you can EQ both to sound practically identical using Wavelet anyway.
RockSloth
If you put foam covers on them, would they still fit in the case and charge or is it quite snug?
