Soundpeats TrueAir2 Wireless Earbuds Bluetooth V5.2 Qualcomm QCC3040
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The above review already covered most of it, I thought I'd give more thoughts on the audio presentation as well as some comparisons.
First the ergonomics are great, as good as mx500 shells, maybe better. The earbud is angled on the stem, and sort of "hooks" into your ear. Very secure fit for me. The touch controls are also very sensitive and easy to use, I had no problem with it. I like how obvious the touch area is.
The stock tuning is okay, with typical overshoot around 300 and 2000hz, and treble rolloff post 8000hz. What's surprising is how competent the bass is, which is helped by the open soundstage. The following is the EQ I came up with (preamp at -7.0db):
I like to use full foams on my earbuds though, the added seal helps channel the bass. This is the EQ I wound up using with foams:
This led to a decent U-shaped tuning. Overall resolution is pretty good, easily as good as the apple Airpods, and the larger staging really helps to add clarity. Bass is plenty audible and well controlled, with good extension into the subbass. Mids are alright, not as rich and defined as I'd like but still a little above average. Treble/air/definition is pretty average, not bad, not great. It took to EQ pretty well, adding some strength to the subbass and shaving the midbass ~300hz really helped make drums sound full yet tight, much better than any other earbuds I've tried thanks to the open soundstage. 2khz needed some reduction, and boosting the treble ~12khz really helped bring some definition to the music, although the overall resolution still isn't what you'd find in a good iem. For earbuds though it's pretty good, especially considering the price. My only complaint is that notes can sound sort of weak, but this is typical in earbuds. Everything comes through well resolved but not as strong and authoritative as I'd like.
The soundstage on these is decent, not incredible but definitely good. The shell has three vents, on the front, side, and back (same placement as Airpods). This makes the soundstage much more open. I wouldn't call it spacious, it's more like there's a layer for each frequency. Center image can be a bit hazy, but it does have very good width extending left & right. Bass, mids, and treble are cleanly separated, greatly enhancing overall resolution. Bass notes in particular come in noticably clean, whereas on most earbuds bass sounds congested and crammed in with everything else.
On that note, these aren't very good for gaming. The soundstage is more layered than 3-dimensional; I could get a rough idea where footsteps/gunshots were coming from, but discerning the exact distance was always confusing; again the staging is more "layered" than true 3D spaciousness. The "game mode" function seems to lower bass and boost the lower-mids, which helps a lot, but it was still hard to pinpoint the enemy's position compared to my other buds. There's also the usual Bluetooth latency. They're usable, but really not good for gaming.
These are great for movies though. For example in this scene (NSFW language)
you can hear the diners talking all around & behind you, while the actors discussion is more up front. Feels as if you're sitting right there with them. Decent immersion. The Bluetooth latency is low enough that words seem properly lip-synced.
One small annoyance, they don't automatically turn themselves off. So if you pause music and put them down, the battery will slowly drain. You have to manually power them off (6-8 seconds holding touch) if you're not putting them back in the case.
Edit: So, sometimes they do automatically power off. And sometimes when removing them from the case they'll power on, connect, disconnect, then power off, at which point I'll have to manually power them back on. Happens about 5% of the time.. they're still great, just a little odd sometimes.
Overall these are great for $30, as far as earbuds go I'd guess they're probably A= in tuning and B+ in technicalities, something around there. If they die on me I'll probably check out the Fiil CC2, till then I'll be using them as my daily buds.
Edit: I also want to comment on the durability, after using these for about five months I've dropped them on hard floors and even dropped them in water (removed immediately) and they're still working just fine. I'm really happy with the durability on these. Other than the occasional Bluetooth hiccup there haven't been any problems. Hopefully I can get a few years out of them.
Comparisons:
Apple Gen2 Airpods
The TrueAir2 and Airpods both have very similar shells with the same vent placement, and as a result they both have the same "open" staging. However the TrueAir2 soundstage is simply larger than the Airpods, which helps give it much cleaner imaging. The Airpods sound congested in comparison. The TrueAir2 also has much better bass extension; bass is quite audible down ~60hz, while the Airpods start to roll off ~100hz. In general though, they seem to have similar resolution. The TrueAir2 just presents itself better, and has audible bass.
Also, the Airpods touch controls are absolute garbage on Android, half the time they wouldn't work at all, whereas I had no problems using the TrueAir2. The TrueAir2 also fits better than the Airpods. I honestly feel the build quality of the TrueAir2 buds is slightly better as well, with better weight distribution.
Yincrow X6/RW-9
The TrueAir2's tuning is more comparable to the RW-9 as bass boosted neutral. With foams the X6 is still warmer, but not by much. The RW-9 has slightly more bass/subbass, but the staging on the TrueAir2 is a little bigger and has much more width, giving bass much more room & presence. The timbre on the Yincrows seems a bit thin as well, whereas the TrueAir2 is more full and immersive. Even though the resolution between the two is pretty similar, the much cleaner imaging & separation on the TrueAir2 offers better overall fidelity.
First the ergonomics are great, as good as mx500 shells, maybe better. The earbud is angled on the stem, and sort of "hooks" into your ear. Very secure fit for me. The touch controls are also very sensitive and easy to use, I had no problem with it. I like how obvious the touch area is.
The stock tuning is okay, with typical overshoot around 300 and 2000hz, and treble rolloff post 8000hz. What's surprising is how competent the bass is, which is helped by the open soundstage. The following is the EQ I came up with (preamp at -7.0db):
I like to use full foams on my earbuds though, the added seal helps channel the bass. This is the EQ I wound up using with foams:
This led to a decent U-shaped tuning. Overall resolution is pretty good, easily as good as the apple Airpods, and the larger staging really helps to add clarity. Bass is plenty audible and well controlled, with good extension into the subbass. Mids are alright, not as rich and defined as I'd like but still a little above average. Treble/air/definition is pretty average, not bad, not great. It took to EQ pretty well, adding some strength to the subbass and shaving the midbass ~300hz really helped make drums sound full yet tight, much better than any other earbuds I've tried thanks to the open soundstage. 2khz needed some reduction, and boosting the treble ~12khz really helped bring some definition to the music, although the overall resolution still isn't what you'd find in a good iem. For earbuds though it's pretty good, especially considering the price. My only complaint is that notes can sound sort of weak, but this is typical in earbuds. Everything comes through well resolved but not as strong and authoritative as I'd like.
The soundstage on these is decent, not incredible but definitely good. The shell has three vents, on the front, side, and back (same placement as Airpods). This makes the soundstage much more open. I wouldn't call it spacious, it's more like there's a layer for each frequency. Center image can be a bit hazy, but it does have very good width extending left & right. Bass, mids, and treble are cleanly separated, greatly enhancing overall resolution. Bass notes in particular come in noticably clean, whereas on most earbuds bass sounds congested and crammed in with everything else.
On that note, these aren't very good for gaming. The soundstage is more layered than 3-dimensional; I could get a rough idea where footsteps/gunshots were coming from, but discerning the exact distance was always confusing; again the staging is more "layered" than true 3D spaciousness. The "game mode" function seems to lower bass and boost the lower-mids, which helps a lot, but it was still hard to pinpoint the enemy's position compared to my other buds. There's also the usual Bluetooth latency. They're usable, but really not good for gaming.
These are great for movies though. For example in this scene (NSFW language)
you can hear the diners talking all around & behind you, while the actors discussion is more up front. Feels as if you're sitting right there with them. Decent immersion. The Bluetooth latency is low enough that words seem properly lip-synced.
One small annoyance, they don't automatically turn themselves off. So if you pause music and put them down, the battery will slowly drain. You have to manually power them off (6-8 seconds holding touch) if you're not putting them back in the case.
Edit: So, sometimes they do automatically power off. And sometimes when removing them from the case they'll power on, connect, disconnect, then power off, at which point I'll have to manually power them back on. Happens about 5% of the time.. they're still great, just a little odd sometimes.
Overall these are great for $30, as far as earbuds go I'd guess they're probably A= in tuning and B+ in technicalities, something around there. If they die on me I'll probably check out the Fiil CC2, till then I'll be using them as my daily buds.
Edit: I also want to comment on the durability, after using these for about five months I've dropped them on hard floors and even dropped them in water (removed immediately) and they're still working just fine. I'm really happy with the durability on these. Other than the occasional Bluetooth hiccup there haven't been any problems. Hopefully I can get a few years out of them.
Comparisons:
Apple Gen2 Airpods
The TrueAir2 and Airpods both have very similar shells with the same vent placement, and as a result they both have the same "open" staging. However the TrueAir2 soundstage is simply larger than the Airpods, which helps give it much cleaner imaging. The Airpods sound congested in comparison. The TrueAir2 also has much better bass extension; bass is quite audible down ~60hz, while the Airpods start to roll off ~100hz. In general though, they seem to have similar resolution. The TrueAir2 just presents itself better, and has audible bass.
Also, the Airpods touch controls are absolute garbage on Android, half the time they wouldn't work at all, whereas I had no problems using the TrueAir2. The TrueAir2 also fits better than the Airpods. I honestly feel the build quality of the TrueAir2 buds is slightly better as well, with better weight distribution.
Yincrow X6/RW-9
The TrueAir2's tuning is more comparable to the RW-9 as bass boosted neutral. With foams the X6 is still warmer, but not by much. The RW-9 has slightly more bass/subbass, but the staging on the TrueAir2 is a little bigger and has much more width, giving bass much more room & presence. The timbre on the Yincrows seems a bit thin as well, whereas the TrueAir2 is more full and immersive. Even though the resolution between the two is pretty similar, the much cleaner imaging & separation on the TrueAir2 offers better overall fidelity.
Nool
No, I haven't heard the TrueAir3. It looks like it uses the same 14.2mm driver and shell design, so I wouldn't expect there to be much difference in the staging/resolution, no idea about the tuning though.
Nool
It is the built in equalizer for AIMP. I did wind up lowering the bass in my EQ, which I just updated in the review.
RC021
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Model: Soundpeats TrueAir2
Price: £29.99 (Currently £24.99 with voucher)
Soundpeats Website: Here
Review Reference: RC021
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, €20 off VIP card
Real Life Experience
Up until this point, SoundPEATS had very much sat in the 'budget buds' category. Having been around for a long time (they were previously marketing under the name 'Dudios', they are no overnight sensations - Shenzhen SoundSOUL Co has been established since 2010, with patents stretching back to 2015. Like Tronsmart, they are no 'smart device who just happens to OEM earbuds' vendor, they are a growing, established brand that really took off during 2020/21.
The thing that sets SoundPEATS, and Tronsmart for that matter, apart from other vendors, and makes them amongst my favourite budget earbud vendors, 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.
The TA2 were one of the first to the market to use the Qualcomm QCC3040 chipset. They must have bought up a lot of stock as even Qualcomm were complaining of supply shortages! So I was excited to review this, the Sonic, and their other upcoming releases.
The Unboxing - 7/10
The box is almost identical to the Sonic, which I reviewed here. It advertises the 25 hour battery and QCC3040 chipset. No mention of aptX-adaptive, which is a shame as the chipset is capable of it. I bought both the black and white, and each has their own colour - a nice touch.
SoundPEATS included a €20 off voucher, and whilst it does not mention or even allude to a 5 star review (like Taotronics, Aukey and others who have recently been culled from Amazon) it's not a practice I support. Granted, if you do sign up to their mailing list etc they don't spam you like Taotronics do, but even so the product should speak for itself, and in Soundpeats case, it does!
The unboxing is more premium than Soundpeats pre-H1 offerings. The QR takes you through to their various digital marketing platforms. The quick guide is a little hard to read, but straightforward enough.
The Case - 7.5/10
The TrueAir2 case is quite nice, if a little budget-feeling. The finish is a little sloppy and scratches emerge fairly quickly, but this really isn't an issue. It has a weighted hinge and a small lip for single-handed use. At 5cm square and just 2cm high, it has a nice 'palm of your hand' feel to it.
At 33.5g few cases are as light as the TA2.
Comparisons:
SoundPeats TrueAir 2 - 34g average
1More Comfobuds - 36g average
QCY T10 - 36g average
FIIL CC2 - 42g average
TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 - 47g average
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live - 52g average
Inside, the buds site facing the base, and snap in really nicely. I much prefer this design to the cigarette box approach that TaoTronics, Apple and Boya use. As I demonstrated in reviews of the FIIL CC2 and TaoTronics 95, that style can present issues with getting the buds in and out of the case. No such problem here. There is a designated L and R to remind you where to put them. Inside the red light denotes they need charging. This turns to white when they are charged.
It stacks up well against other peers too. The FIIL CC2 is beautifully finished, but its open style leaves it prone to picking up pocket or handbag debris which can get in the way of the charging connectors. The 1More Comfobuds case is probably my favourite of the lot, adding a green/amber/red charge light to the front - and the absence of this is a bit disappointing.
On the TrueAir 2 the light is at the side next to the charge connector - logical, but not generally in your vision when you're charging them. Still, I prefer a side-mount charge socket and a light at all - the Moripods (top left) have the USB-C connector on the bottom, which is awkward, and the light is not especially obvious, hidden within the plastic.
On my white buds they were shipped in Single Mode. To clear this, you place them in the case open and hold down the Multi-function button for around 10 seconds. The lights will flash red then white twice to denote that it has cleared, and you're good to go again.
The Ergonomics - 8.5/10
The Soundpeats Sonic ergonomics let it down for me, and it was a similar story with the TrueEngine3SE. It was the only thing wrong with an otherwise flawless pair of earbuds. No such misfortune here - the TA2 are sensational!
They sit really nicely in the ear and are not too long to be obtrusive. From the front, they are barely noticeable.
From the side, again nothing too overt, and they look subtle and pleasant. The light you see above disappears when music starts playing - a feature of SoundPEATS products.
Unlike many semi-in-ear buds, they seem to fit in your ears very well without a hint they are going to fall. I made it almost 90 degrees and still the earbuds stayed in!
How do they do it? Well, for a start, they've gone against the grain with a matching matte finish to the earbuds as well as the case. This gives them a modicum of extra resistance, and boy does it make a difference. The contoured shape and matte finish is really evident here. You can see the nib is evidently more refined, and the edges chamfered.
Above shows a comparison with the other popular current models of semi-in-ear buds. The TA2 have a longer, more rounded and angular neck, and the mesh section drops low, is well finished and they get the weight balance absolutely SPOT ON! There's no tipping due to a heavy main section - the exact opposite of the Soundpeats Sonic!
One minor issue is in favouring looks over practicality, the uglier, squarish CC2 and Moripods are easier to use in the touch control department.
With the TA2 controls in the grey section, that's generally where you would put your fingers to adjust them, as, well, there's nowhere else to put your finger. So you can inadvertently initiate the controls, which is a little annoying.
Against its peers it has the shortest stem at just 37mm. This makes it one of the less obvious earbuds out there, and no doubt assists with its stability. At 4g per bud, it is also lightweight, but not as light as the 1More. Nevertheless, again, it helps keep them stable.
Like many such buds, they are unfortunately only IPX4. They will survive a dash from the station in the rain, but don't take them in the shower.
Audio Quality - 10/10 (for the price paid), 8/10 (raw score)
I thought the Sonic were good...the True Air 2 are AMAZING!!!!
Are You Gonna Go My Way by Lenny Kravitz and Beautiful by James Blunt both show off the highly impressive frequency response and expansive sound stage. All of Me by John Legend shows how well vocals are represented - baritone, falsetto, counter tenor all sound majestic. Instrument separation is tougher with female voices - mezzo-soprano's like Leona Lewis see the mids recess a tad. But I'm splitting heirs here, if this is all I have to complain about then that speaks volumes.
While the Sonic were fatiguing, the TA2 are nothing short of joyful. The 14.2mm drivers are no doubt a help, but it goes beyond this - many earbuds at this price point have the same driver size and sound awful. SoundPeats get it bang on with the tuning of the TrueAir2 - even the soundstage, for buds of this type and price, is impressively airy.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 7/10
Not bad at all. On cellular they are clear, very good indoors, can suffer a little with echo in enclosed spaces as you would expect, but I had Catherine O'Hara wailing in the background on Schitt's Creek and it completely muted her on my call.
I then took the earbuds outside. The receiver didn't even hear some of the cars going past. Eventually some noises did inevitably filter through, and your voice is elevated and thins out a bit. It also dips from time to time, but is still distinguishable.
It was a similar story on Zoom calls, except my voice sounded even more natural.
Overall, really quite incredible for the money.
Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 7/10
Connectivity is, like the Sonic, absolutely rock solid. Distance was marginally shorter than the Sonic and on par with my SGBL.
Controls are fine. Play/Pause and Answering calls are predictably a double tap. Volume up and down is a single tap. Hold the buttons down for skipping tracks back and forth and rejecting calls. Triple tap for siri/hey google. This is uniform with the Sonic and seems to be their new system - and it's good.
The problem is it's a bit too sensitive. If I try to adjust the buds I will inevitably change track. Not much they can do about it, but app support to turn them on or off would solve the problem. For £24.99 I feel like an idiot for suggesting it, but these buds could sell for double easily and I would still feel like they were a bargain.
Single mode is possible, but I don't generally use it so I'm not sure how. My white set were shipped like it, and it took a reset to get them back to dual mode.
The Sonic feature aptX-adaptive, and the BT5.2 Qualcomm QCC3040 chip is also present in the TA2. We only get aptX on the TA2, but the chip I would imagine could allow for software enhancements in the future. Not that it really needs it - latency is so low - even YouTube music is almost lip-synched.
Voice prompts are quieter than the Sonic, and equally clear.
Battery Life - 8/10
Advertised at 25 hours total, my experience was between 3 and a half and 4 and a half hours from a single charge. This is far better in real-world tests than the 1More Comfobuds and Taotronics SoundLiberty 80, which barely gave me 2 and a half hours.
The case adds an additional 3 charges. Perfectly adequate for this form factor.
Summary
Sending back the Soundpeats Sonic was kinda disappointing for me because the sound signature was amazing. I was prepping my email to Soundpeats to plead with them to improve the fit - little did I know they already had a fantastic product ready and waiting!
At £24.99 these earbuds are daylight robbery. At £40 they would be a good deal. At £70 you would be hard pushed to criticise them - they're the best semi-in-ears aside from the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live - and some may even consider them better. They are unequivocally better than the Apple Airpods 2nd Gen. In fact, they are the best sub £50 earbuds I've tested this year, the best sub £25 buds I've ever tested, and in my top 3 overall for 2020.
Well done SoundPEATS!
Price Weighted Score: 95%
Raw Score: 86%
2022 Score: 85% (Now replaced by the TrueAir2+ and Air3)
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
Model: Soundpeats TrueAir2
Price: £29.99 (Currently £24.99 with voucher)
Soundpeats Website: Here
Review Reference: RC021
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: SoundPEATS
- Model: TrueAir 2
- 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, SBC
- Earbud Weight: 3.89g
- Earbud Dimensions: 24-26mm wide, neck approx. 13mm, 20mm height
- Case + Earbuds Gross Weight: 33.54g
- Case Dimensions: 52mm (length) x 52mm (width) x 21mm (height)
- Case Charge Capacity: 300mAh
- Full Charge Time: 90 minutes
- Quick Charge: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Input: 5V 1A
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 5 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 25 hours
- App Support: Not currently
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
- Water Resistance: IPX4
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, €20 off VIP card
Real Life Experience
Up until this point, SoundPEATS had very much sat in the 'budget buds' category. Having been around for a long time (they were previously marketing under the name 'Dudios', they are no overnight sensations - Shenzhen SoundSOUL Co has been established since 2010, with patents stretching back to 2015. Like Tronsmart, they are no 'smart device who just happens to OEM earbuds' vendor, they are a growing, established brand that really took off during 2020/21.
The thing that sets SoundPEATS, and Tronsmart for that matter, apart from other vendors, and makes them amongst my favourite budget earbud vendors, 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.
The TA2 were one of the first to the market to use the Qualcomm QCC3040 chipset. They must have bought up a lot of stock as even Qualcomm were complaining of supply shortages! So I was excited to review this, the Sonic, and their other upcoming releases.
The Unboxing - 7/10
The box is almost identical to the Sonic, which I reviewed here. It advertises the 25 hour battery and QCC3040 chipset. No mention of aptX-adaptive, which is a shame as the chipset is capable of it. I bought both the black and white, and each has their own colour - a nice touch.
SoundPEATS included a €20 off voucher, and whilst it does not mention or even allude to a 5 star review (like Taotronics, Aukey and others who have recently been culled from Amazon) it's not a practice I support. Granted, if you do sign up to their mailing list etc they don't spam you like Taotronics do, but even so the product should speak for itself, and in Soundpeats case, it does!
The unboxing is more premium than Soundpeats pre-H1 offerings. The QR takes you through to their various digital marketing platforms. The quick guide is a little hard to read, but straightforward enough.
The Case - 7.5/10
The TrueAir2 case is quite nice, if a little budget-feeling. The finish is a little sloppy and scratches emerge fairly quickly, but this really isn't an issue. It has a weighted hinge and a small lip for single-handed use. At 5cm square and just 2cm high, it has a nice 'palm of your hand' feel to it.
At 33.5g few cases are as light as the TA2.
Comparisons:
SoundPeats TrueAir 2 - 34g average
1More Comfobuds - 36g average
QCY T10 - 36g average
FIIL CC2 - 42g average
TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 - 47g average
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live - 52g average
Inside, the buds site facing the base, and snap in really nicely. I much prefer this design to the cigarette box approach that TaoTronics, Apple and Boya use. As I demonstrated in reviews of the FIIL CC2 and TaoTronics 95, that style can present issues with getting the buds in and out of the case. No such problem here. There is a designated L and R to remind you where to put them. Inside the red light denotes they need charging. This turns to white when they are charged.
It stacks up well against other peers too. The FIIL CC2 is beautifully finished, but its open style leaves it prone to picking up pocket or handbag debris which can get in the way of the charging connectors. The 1More Comfobuds case is probably my favourite of the lot, adding a green/amber/red charge light to the front - and the absence of this is a bit disappointing.
On the TrueAir 2 the light is at the side next to the charge connector - logical, but not generally in your vision when you're charging them. Still, I prefer a side-mount charge socket and a light at all - the Moripods (top left) have the USB-C connector on the bottom, which is awkward, and the light is not especially obvious, hidden within the plastic.
On my white buds they were shipped in Single Mode. To clear this, you place them in the case open and hold down the Multi-function button for around 10 seconds. The lights will flash red then white twice to denote that it has cleared, and you're good to go again.
The Ergonomics - 8.5/10
The Soundpeats Sonic ergonomics let it down for me, and it was a similar story with the TrueEngine3SE. It was the only thing wrong with an otherwise flawless pair of earbuds. No such misfortune here - the TA2 are sensational!
They sit really nicely in the ear and are not too long to be obtrusive. From the front, they are barely noticeable.
From the side, again nothing too overt, and they look subtle and pleasant. The light you see above disappears when music starts playing - a feature of SoundPEATS products.
Unlike many semi-in-ear buds, they seem to fit in your ears very well without a hint they are going to fall. I made it almost 90 degrees and still the earbuds stayed in!
How do they do it? Well, for a start, they've gone against the grain with a matching matte finish to the earbuds as well as the case. This gives them a modicum of extra resistance, and boy does it make a difference. The contoured shape and matte finish is really evident here. You can see the nib is evidently more refined, and the edges chamfered.
Above shows a comparison with the other popular current models of semi-in-ear buds. The TA2 have a longer, more rounded and angular neck, and the mesh section drops low, is well finished and they get the weight balance absolutely SPOT ON! There's no tipping due to a heavy main section - the exact opposite of the Soundpeats Sonic!
One minor issue is in favouring looks over practicality, the uglier, squarish CC2 and Moripods are easier to use in the touch control department.
With the TA2 controls in the grey section, that's generally where you would put your fingers to adjust them, as, well, there's nowhere else to put your finger. So you can inadvertently initiate the controls, which is a little annoying.
Against its peers it has the shortest stem at just 37mm. This makes it one of the less obvious earbuds out there, and no doubt assists with its stability. At 4g per bud, it is also lightweight, but not as light as the 1More. Nevertheless, again, it helps keep them stable.
Like many such buds, they are unfortunately only IPX4. They will survive a dash from the station in the rain, but don't take them in the shower.
Audio Quality - 10/10 (for the price paid), 8/10 (raw score)
I thought the Sonic were good...the True Air 2 are AMAZING!!!!
Are You Gonna Go My Way by Lenny Kravitz and Beautiful by James Blunt both show off the highly impressive frequency response and expansive sound stage. All of Me by John Legend shows how well vocals are represented - baritone, falsetto, counter tenor all sound majestic. Instrument separation is tougher with female voices - mezzo-soprano's like Leona Lewis see the mids recess a tad. But I'm splitting heirs here, if this is all I have to complain about then that speaks volumes.
While the Sonic were fatiguing, the TA2 are nothing short of joyful. The 14.2mm drivers are no doubt a help, but it goes beyond this - many earbuds at this price point have the same driver size and sound awful. SoundPeats get it bang on with the tuning of the TrueAir2 - even the soundstage, for buds of this type and price, is impressively airy.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 7/10
Not bad at all. On cellular they are clear, very good indoors, can suffer a little with echo in enclosed spaces as you would expect, but I had Catherine O'Hara wailing in the background on Schitt's Creek and it completely muted her on my call.
I then took the earbuds outside. The receiver didn't even hear some of the cars going past. Eventually some noises did inevitably filter through, and your voice is elevated and thins out a bit. It also dips from time to time, but is still distinguishable.
It was a similar story on Zoom calls, except my voice sounded even more natural.
Overall, really quite incredible for the money.
Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 7/10
Connectivity is, like the Sonic, absolutely rock solid. Distance was marginally shorter than the Sonic and on par with my SGBL.
Controls are fine. Play/Pause and Answering calls are predictably a double tap. Volume up and down is a single tap. Hold the buttons down for skipping tracks back and forth and rejecting calls. Triple tap for siri/hey google. This is uniform with the Sonic and seems to be their new system - and it's good.
The problem is it's a bit too sensitive. If I try to adjust the buds I will inevitably change track. Not much they can do about it, but app support to turn them on or off would solve the problem. For £24.99 I feel like an idiot for suggesting it, but these buds could sell for double easily and I would still feel like they were a bargain.
Single mode is possible, but I don't generally use it so I'm not sure how. My white set were shipped like it, and it took a reset to get them back to dual mode.
The Sonic feature aptX-adaptive, and the BT5.2 Qualcomm QCC3040 chip is also present in the TA2. We only get aptX on the TA2, but the chip I would imagine could allow for software enhancements in the future. Not that it really needs it - latency is so low - even YouTube music is almost lip-synched.
Voice prompts are quieter than the Sonic, and equally clear.
Battery Life - 8/10
Advertised at 25 hours total, my experience was between 3 and a half and 4 and a half hours from a single charge. This is far better in real-world tests than the 1More Comfobuds and Taotronics SoundLiberty 80, which barely gave me 2 and a half hours.
The case adds an additional 3 charges. Perfectly adequate for this form factor.
Summary
Sending back the Soundpeats Sonic was kinda disappointing for me because the sound signature was amazing. I was prepping my email to Soundpeats to plead with them to improve the fit - little did I know they already had a fantastic product ready and waiting!
At £24.99 these earbuds are daylight robbery. At £40 they would be a good deal. At £70 you would be hard pushed to criticise them - they're the best semi-in-ears aside from the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live - and some may even consider them better. They are unequivocally better than the Apple Airpods 2nd Gen. In fact, they are the best sub £50 earbuds I've tested this year, the best sub £25 buds I've ever tested, and in my top 3 overall for 2020.
Well done SoundPEATS!
Price Weighted Score: 95%
Raw Score: 86%
2022 Score: 85% (Now replaced by the TrueAir2+ and Air3)
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.
An0MillY
There's a new version of these which has been out a while now the Soundpeats TrueAir2+.
It bring with it wireless charging capability, support for Atpx Adaptive and a low latency Gaming mode.
It bring with it wireless charging capability, support for Atpx Adaptive and a low latency Gaming mode.
