RC011
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Model: TaoTronics SoundLiberty 79
Price: £29.99
Vendor Website: Taotronics
Review Reference: RC011
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: Taotronics
- Model: Soundliberty 79
- Driver: 6mm PEEK
- Chipset: Not Known
- Impedence: 16Ω
- Frequency Response Range: 20-20000Hz
- Mic: 4, elevoc voc-plus
- ANC: Yes, up to 40dB
- Codecs: AAC, SBC
- Case Charge Capacity: 220mAh
- Full Charge Time: 120 minutes
- Quick Charge: Yes
- Wireless Charging: No
- Input: 5V 1A
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 8 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 30 hours
- App Support: Not currently
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.0
- Bluetooth Protocols: HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
- Water Resistance: IPX8
In The Box:
1 x Pair TaoTronics SoundLiberty 79 headphones
1 x USB-C Charging case
3 x Eartip options
1 x Wing Tips
1 x USB-C charging cable
2 x Manuals
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the Regancipher review of the TaoTronics SoundLiberty 79. Are they sports buds? Are they office buds? I don't think Taotronics know, so lets investigate....
The Unboxing - 6/10
I've tested TT headphones so I knew what to expect. Nothing exciting. The box is small and it contains the bare essentials - user manual, case, charge cable, quick guide and voucher exchanging an Amazon gift card for a 5 star review....ahem, I think not.
The Case - 7/10
The case is generic - it looks identical to many others on the market, including Taotronics SoundLiberty 94. It is portable enough to go in a handbag, but the pill shape makes it ill-equipped for jacket pockets.
The case gives an extra 22 hours charge via USB, supports quick charge but no wireless charging.
Ergonomics - 6/10
The buds look nice, slotting into the case tip down. They have the Taotronics logo etched in with a shiny metallic finish to the edges. Whilst they look good, the ergonomics are sadly not great - and here's why:
The nozzle is too short and without any kind of gradient, and the thick ring surrounding the driver is gives it a diameter of over 7mm. This makes it very painful when inserting deep into your ear canal if you have thin ears. I tried every one of the supplied 6 (yes, 6!) sets of tips. The tips are sadly poor quality, but I tried foam tips and spinfits - still the same problem.
Unfortunately my phone managed to destroy the images I took of the calipers measuring these areas but you can see from another reviewers picture what I mean.
Sound Quality - 7.5/10
If you can get a good fit, then the 79 actually sound pretty good. The bass is pretty flat throughout, and this gives the mid ranges a punch, retaining speed and minimising bloat. They've also engineered the mid ranges really nicely, and vocals do not take a back seat, instead really coming to the front without losing any accuracy in guitars or drums.
The higher frequencies are also rather good, with the low trebles elevated. This brings to life jazz and classical tracks, although there's a bit of a spike at 4000Hz which can make certain vocalists sound a bit shrieky, which sounds odd when the trebles are by and large quite neutral.
Unfortunately to enjoy the buds soundstage you need to insert them properly, which was simply too painful for me for prolonged use.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 7/10
Whilst your voice can sound a touch hollow, the 'smart-AI' is no gimmick - it actually works.
I put the TV on, stood with my head practically in a fan...nothing. It hides everything.
Outside was not so hot. Cars were audible (wind was cancelled out which was impressive, although it was not a particularly windy day). When I played back the recording, my voice was a bit in-and-out, so it's clear it is prone to over-isolate.
Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 7/10
Connectivity surprisingly very strong. They took a little longer to cut out than most. I should not be surprised, this is the second set of TT headphones that have outperformed the average in this area.
Sadly the controls let it down. They are all over the shop. You can at least change the volume with a single tap (left down, right up) (in theory) which is my preferred default. Sadly this hardly ever happened, all I kept doing was accessing SIRI!
Double-tap is play or pause, triple tap right advances track/chapter, left does the previous.
When a call comes through, a single tap answers and a long press rejects. I kept rejecting then immediately activating SIRI!
The IPX rating means you can swim with these and the fins are a nice addition.
6 pairs of albeit flimsy tips is a nice touch.
Battery Life - 8/10
A good 8 hours and 30 with the case. I couldn't keep them in my ears long enough to double check.
Final Comments
At £30 I wasn't expecting much. I didn't expect the AI mic to be as effective as it was - indoors it works very well, but this is a little odd in that these don't really jump out as commuter buds. The fins and IPX rating suggest these are designed for sport - well, you won't be making many calls under water and if you're running or cycling good luck with the controls!
The main issue is the design. The driver surround is too thick and there is no graduation making them awfully uncomfortable unless you have thick ear canals.
The SQ is OK but at this price point, you have the likes of the Tranya T10 which is far better. I'd even put the Edifier X3 and MPOW M30 Plus way ahead in this field. Already in the box on the way back. Sorry Taotronics, not good enough I'm afraid.
Price Weighted Score: 63%
Raw Score: 60%
2022 Score: 59%
