SoundPEATS T3 Active Noise Canceling Bluetooth 5.2 4 Mic TWS

RC060

How I review: (See Previous Reviews)

Model: SoundPEATS T3
Price: MSRP Approx $39.99 - currently £27.99 at Amazon UK
Website: SoundPEATS
Review Reference: RC060

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: SoundPEATS
• Model: T3
• Driver: 10mm Dynamic Driver
• Chipset: BES 2500 IZ
• Mic: 4, ENC
• ANC: Yes, up to 24dB
• Volume Control: Yes
• Codecs: AAC, SBC
• Earbud Weight: 5g
• Earbud Dimensions: 33mm stem length, 25.35mm depth with nozzle
• Gross Case & Buds Weight: 47.4g
• Case Dimensions: 54mm width, 54mm depth, 30mm height
• Case Charge Capacity: 330mAh
• Full Charge Time: 120 minutes
• Quick Charge: No
• Wireless Charging: No
• Input: 5V 400mA
• Single Use Playtime: Up to 4/5.5 hours
• Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 16.5 hours
• App Support: No
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
• Bluetooth Protocols: 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, Chinese, Japanese
3 x Pairs Eartips
1 x Warranty Card

Real Life Experience



Welcome to the Regancipher review of the SoundPEATS T3. I've had these for a while, so my datapoints are much longer than other earbuds. That will probably result in a slightly more critical review, unfortunately for SoundPEATS!

First things first, there are some very confusing reviews going around, such as Gamesky's review of the T3, which have failed to grasp the direction of SoundPEATS product range. SoundPEATS are currently revamping all of their portfolio, so a lot of new 5.2 chip-based products are coming in to replace the Realtek 5.0 chip products from 2018-2020. The T3 shouldn't be looked upon as an upgrade to the T2, so don't judge them that way - they are an upgrade from the Q or TrueCapsule.

Also, it is confusing to critisize them for having weak ANC compared to the T2 - they are a totally different form factor and chipset, and not even advertising stronger ANC anyway. Plus, if you don't know what's coming next - maybe SoundPEATS also have a full hybrid ANC stem-based product released soon too, in the same way Tronsmart released the Apollo Air and Onyx Apex at the same time - then it might make more sense. So these factors need to be taken into consideration - don't believe every review on YouTube, no matter how accomplished the reviewer is (and how many followers they have).

To summarise, here is how I see their range progression:



At the top, you have some of the early products like the TrueShift, TrueFree and TrueWings. These products were early Realtek chip (mostly) Bluetooth 5.0 releases, that have simply been overtaken by technology. To replace them, SoundPEATS have expanded their range laterally rather than direct like-for-likes, adding three mid-tier equivalents - the T2 (button-style with ANC and Bluetooth 5.1), the Mini (Bluetooth 5.2, Elevoc AI, Great Battery) and the Sonic range, which kinda traverses the TrueEngine and the aforementioned trio, adding aptX-adaptive, Bluetooth 5.2 and great battery, but sticking to dynamic drivers only.

The TrueEngine 3SE, still great buds, are more simple to map - they have been superseded across a slow transition by the H1 and H1 Premium. I've put them on the far side, as they would represent SoundPEATS' 'Top Tier'. Both sides are hybrid driver, nothing too complicated there.

The older stem-based in-ear offerings, the Q and TrueCapsule, were superseded by the T3, which added ANC and Bluetooth 5.2. Then they also added the H2, the dual-driver (but non ANC) BT 5.2 traversal.

The semi-in-ear evolution is easier to follow. The TrueAir2 are seeing a slow obsolescence, replaced by the TrueAir2+ and Air3, which added wireless charging and a smaller case respectively.

Hopefully this preamble provides more clarity on the SoundPEATS journey - note, this is just my interpretation, and is not from SoundPEATS themselves.

The Unboxing - 7/10



It's the usual fare with SoundPEATS here - an image of the same poor girl wearing the buds on one side, and on the other the three key features - ANC, call quality and battery life.



In terms of what you get in the box, there's nothing much to add here either - it's a manual in the usual European and Asian languages (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and Simplified Chinese), a charge case, a charge cable (type-C) and three sets of tips.

The Case - 7/10

I've seen some criticism in some reviews about the case, and I'm not really sure why or what people expect, but I'll add that SoundPEATS have gone for durability over portability, and perhaps that's the key driver for the critique. It measures around 5.5cm squared, and 3cm in thickness, and this thickness prohibits it from realistically being popped in your jeans pocket in the same way the QCY T13 could, for example. The USB connector is on the side, which no doubt facilitates the handy LED light on the front which denotes the level of remaining charge - Green is above 50%, amber is 49-10%, and red means find your cable quick.



Whilst the size is subjecting the case to some minor grumbles, it should be added that it isn't hugely bigger than the TrueAir2 nor SGBL, it just sticks out a bit. The finish is, like the TrueAir2, matte, although more charcoal grey than black, and the logo is screen printed rather than etched. The case can scuff up pretty easily and go shiny in parts, so it's definitely no looker - although to be fair, neither was that of the TA2.



The hinge is fairly robust given it's relatively small size, and single handed operation is possible - there is a small, thumbnail-sized lip which allows you to flip the case open and then prize the first bud away from it's very heavily magnetised pogo-pin connection to the cockpit, which is also pretty robust and has a raised staging area which denotes the left and right hand side, and adds to the grey line around the edge which makes it slightly less generic-looking.



At 47g it's not especially light nor heavy, so realistically this is one for the bag rather than the pocket.

It only charges the buds an additional two times, due to the low charge capacity. This is a little disappointing for the size.

Ergonomics - 8/10

One of my common complaints with SoundPEATS buds is the ergonomics, but once again they have got it right with their newer releases - the T3 are comfy for prolonged use, and that's not something that can often be levelled at stem-based designs. From the side they look a lot like the Q, from the front there is very little protrusion.



The inner side of the bud has pogo pins on the bit that faces your skin, and there is no bevel - so beware, if you suffer nickel allergies, this may be problematic. The 10mm drivers are housed in a circular nozzle, and the overall extension depth is 25mm. This, combined with a nicely curved design, makes them really comfy from the off. Close to the nozzle is the pressure relief chamber / FF mic, and it is the feedthrough mic which provides the ANC - more on this later.

As you saw in the case section, the other side has a very nicely shaped and proportioned section for initiating touch controls, which are accurate and intuitive.



The rounded-style is slightly reminiscent of the Neobuds Pro from Edifier (second in from the right), but is probably closest to the Tronsmart Onyx Apex- also Feedthrough ANC only, and at 33mm in stem length, proportionally they're similar, although they feel slightly longer.



The reverse shows that they're angled more like the Tronsmart Apollo Air, and just this tiny deviation in angle probably helps with their overall comfort and longevity.



The buds weigh 4.74g (spookily, 1/10th of the case weight!). This again adds to the really nice ergonomics by being neither too heavy, nor too light.

On the negative side, they are pretty ugly, with a generic matte finish not differentiating them in any way from your average cheap earbuds on Amazon, and it is this area I feel SoundPEATS will really have to work on to progress, as they've gone backwards a bit of late from the attractive, albeit flawed, Sonic.

Audio Quality - 7/10 (for the price paid), 6.5/10 (raw score)

I've been using the T3 for a good few weeks now, and can't quite put my finger on why, but they can veer from engaging and full bodied to distant and somewhat incidental from one track to the next.

I've seen some reviews describing them as bright - one even remarked they were too bright, with distinct sibilance. I found them quite the opposite - high hats and kick drums seemed to lack dynamism or punch, which is fine if you're just listening in the background whilst doing some work, but not so much when you want to listen to music exclusively. Like the T2, you get the impression it was the last thing on their mind - a reflection of the widening utility of earbuds these days.

With the final few episodes of La Casa de Papel (or Money Heist as we know it outside Spain) approaching, I gave Cecilia Krull's 'My Life is Going On' a blast. Sure, the vocal is brought to the front, and the shakers have some texture, but the rest of the percussive elements are quite muddy and lack clarity. The same track through the Tronsmart Onyx Prime, for example, has a really nicely defined fast bassline, punchier kick, and the strings and ukulele are far more apparent. It's a similar thing with the Edifier NeoBuds Pro, which has a slightly unnatural but providing better instrument clarity elevated mid-range. Even the similarly-priced QCY has far more orchestral depth, a more natural timbre and a vastly superior soundstage.

Mostly the problem with the T3 is present with heavily percussive tracks, with lots of detail getting lost in the middle. Lower frequencies are fine and reasonably well presented, and some tracks even thrived - I listened to Caruso by Pavarotti and it had a nice 'big room' live-sound to it. Sure, the gasps and instrument drops weren't as prominent, but the sound isn't as bad as it could be - it is clear the T3 just isn't designed to flex in the audiophile zone.

Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors - 6.5/10

Just OK. Indoors you sound clear and legible although you can come across boomy, and it is easily possible to use them for a quick chat or a Zoom/Teams call, which is where they thrive, with more body added to your voice than most earbuds, which try too hard at times to compress background sound that isn't there.

In fact, even outdoors they performed quite well - prominent background sounds are adequately nullified, and calls on your commute are not too much of a chore - although you can sound a little robotic and at times over-emphasized to the point of boomy distortion, it certainly isn't impossible to have a conversation.

The T3 were featured in my indoor mic test extravaganza here:



And also my outdoor mic test here:



ANC - 7/10

I've read some bad reviews about the ANC on the T3, but I'd like to counter that actually, I think it is pretty good. On a scale of Edifier NeoBuds Pro and Elevoc Clear (front runners) to Omthing Airfree 2 (non-existent) it is definitely closer to the former than the latter.

Firstly, SoundPEATS make it very clear in their marketing material that they only reduce up to 24dB. Given a busy street is often between 50-80dB it follows that you're going to hear 'something'. And outdoors, whilst they do struggle a little, as you would expect, with a good fit, is it THAT much worse than, for example, the 1More Comfobuds Pro at three times the price? I don't think so.

Indoors they cut out fans, PC noise and even keyboard taps quite well. Just like with the Tronsmart Onyx Apex, it's not market-leading, and neither do they claim it to be, but it is a happy workaround for the issue many vendors seem to be suffering now, which is feedback through the other mic. I've witnessed this on SoundPEATS, Tronsmart and even Huawei buds recently - so this is a good get out of jail free card for vendors, and I certainly wouldn't leave the T3 behind if I needed a set that cut out background noise - they're maybe not hitting SoundPEATS high standards in other areas, but that's the price you pay when you become a victim of your own success I suppose.

Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 6/10

Connectivity is seemingly fine. The buds advertise EATT (Enhanced Attribute Protocol) which is an improvement on GATT (Generic Attribute Protocol). To cut through the jargon, it reduces race conditions and improves latency, and this was clearly evident on the T3, with lip sync on anything I threw at them.

Controls are the usual Soundpeats scheme (see the previous page) and this is definitely a good thing, as there is no app to remap them. Yes, as always, you can control volume.

There is no quick charge, which is particularly annoying, and no app support.

Battery Life - 6/10

I got a disappointing 3 hours 45 minutes first time around, with ANC on, continuous music, around 60% volume and a lot of Zoom calls. Over the course of the two week testing period I was hitting closer to 4.5 hours, and this is in-keeping with most of my other buds too, which over-advertise and under-deliver. The problem is the charge case providing only 16.5 hours worth of playtime - they will end up back on charge a fair bit.

On a brighter note, they do not leak charge when on standby like some of my other buds do. There is no wireless charging - it's USB-C only.

Summary

SoundPEATS have set themselves an impossibly high bar to maintain now, and it is hard not to feel sorry for them that this release has come under unfair criticism, despite being, on the face of it, a credible upgrade to the Q, adding ANC at a very affordable price.

SoundPEATS have tried to focus their attentions with this release on good connectivity, good call quality, decent ANC and good controls, and they fulfill all of those requirements easily, but the lack of quick charge (and overall disappointing battery life), beefy case and uncharacteristically disappointing audio means their use-cases are rather narrow.

At £27.99 current price, the T3 are still very good value, and a dose of reality is required at times. SoundPEATS will be back with another addition to the portfolio at a higher price that WILL do all of the things we were hoping the T3 would do, and the T3 will enjoy decent market share, especially in the Amazon-centric countries, where a low-cost ANC bud may be the consumer's number one priority.

If you're a Soundpeats disciple coming from the Q or TrueCapsule, and are looking for an upgrade that doesn't cost the earth, the T3 are a credible option. If you're looking at SoundPEATS to disrupt this segment of the market in the same way the H1 and TrueAir2+ did, then you'll be disappointed, because that was never their intention. That said, it's perhaps time for Soundpeats to be looking over their shoulders: Earfun are dropping their prices and QCY are improving their quality. All Tronsmart need to do is buck up their ideas in hitting the mass market and suddenly they will have to drive the market, instead of 'me too' releases like the T3.

Price Weighted Score: 79%
Raw Score: 73%

instagram: regancipher

SoundPEATS Review Inventory:

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.