SoundPEATS Engine4 Bluetooth 5.3 Dual Driver Multipoint IPX4 TWS
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Model: SoundPEATS Opera05
Price: MSRP approx. $69
Website: SoundPEATS
Review Reference: RC098
Manufacturer Specification:
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.
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.
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: SoundPEATS Opera05
Price: MSRP approx. $69
Website: SoundPEATS
Review Reference: RC098
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
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.
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.
Nice to see MP for first time on SoundPeats AFAIR.
How long normally till the Pro's (or whatever they call the ANC model) come out after the (True)Engine models?