Tronsmart Apollo Air

Intro

Tronsmart is no stranger in the TWS market. They have several TWS that offer very good price performance ratios. Let’s find out today if Apollo Air offers the same as well.
Boosting 6 microphones, it is touted to have crystal clear conversation, let’s see if it hold up to that claim.

Packaging

The packaging is pretty straight forward, nothing to expect at this price point.
A box consists of the IEM, eartips. Pretty straight forward no BS.



Build and Comfort

The whole earbud is made out of plastic and there are no sharp edges or any protrusion that causes discomfort. The only thing that i don’t like is the eartips, i find that it doesn’t give enough seal, but thankfully an easy ear tip swap solved the problem.





Connection Test and Latency

• Utilising Bluetooth 5.2, the connection is very stable for my use case
• Placing my phone on my dining table in my living room, i walked to my balcony with a thick wall in between and there’s no disconnection nor any distortion, connection remained rock solid stable
• In order to test the latency, i tried firing up an action game, Genshin Impact. I can’t say that there’s no delay at all, but it is very minimal. To put it in context, using a normal TWS with Bluetooth 5.0, for example when i slashed the enemy,right after that slashing action,only came the sound, which is about 0.1 or 2 seconds of delay, whereas for the Apollo Air, the delay is pretty much very very minimal and at times, it feels like there is no delay at all, it feels as if i am connected to iPhone with H1 chip using my Airpod Pro.
• Watching Netflix with it on my iPad, there isn’t any delay as well

Audio Quality

*Not using the stock tip due to not getting good fit from it
Apollo Air’s tuning sounded like V shaped that generally pleases the general consumer.
However the vocal can sound a bit recessed being a V shaped tuning earphone.

Do not expect Apollo Air to produce audiophile kind of audio output and you will be fine with it. This is aimed towards the general consumer, all in all it offers a very good audio quality which you will enjoy during your daily commute or repping so reps in the gym.

Bass

• Sub bass rumble can be felt and heard during EDM track such as Ping Pong by Armin
• Mid Bass thump is also very prominent and at times it bleed into the mids

Mids

• Vocal is slightly recessed being a V shaped tuning, however the body of the vocal doesn’t sound that thin that cause it to be veil sounding
• The vocal positioning sounded rather in your face
• Occasional bass bleed during busy track such as Slipknot’s Duality, most of the time it doesn’t, unless you are listening to metal music most of the time
• Warm tonality in the mid range with enough note weight

Treble

• Lacking in terms of treble extension, hence the laidback presentation and warm sounding tonality
• Detail retrieval and technicalities of Apollo Air is average and nothing much to shout out about. It provides good enough details for general listening

Soundstage and Imaging

• Soundstage is pretty much in your head, not too narrow or wide, not the audiophile kind of soundstage that you expect
• Imaging is alright as the instruments can be pinpointed correctly

Battery Life Test

• With ANC On
• 8.30AM at full battery (100%)
• APTX Codec
• 50% Volume
• 10% left at 12.30pm
• Quite in line with what Tronsmart Advertised
• With ANC off, i get additional hour at the same volume level and playing back via the same Codec
• I would say the battery life is not bad nor exceptional, good enough to last you through the day if you are a heavy user, as the case hold an additional of 20 hours approximately

ANC Test/Ambient Mode

Let me just be honest here and tell you that, if you are expecting the ANC’s performance to be like Sony’s XM4, or even Apple’s AirPod Pro, please just drop those thoughts now.

This is not to say that the ANC capability is bad, but it just doesn’t cancel out that much noise. For example, when I'm typing with my keyboard, I can still hear the keyboard’s clicking noise when my music is playing at very low volume.

However it does lower down the noise of your surroundings, such as when you are at a busy cafe, the noise does get reduced slightly, but just don’t expect it to be dead silent. That’s it. In fact, for its asking price, I think the implementation is pretty good already.

As for ambient mode, it is average i would say, not exceptional. Surroundings can be heard very clearly. Conversation can be heard quite clearly as well. Probably this is due to the 6 microphones.

Final Thoughts

Throughout the week that i’ve been using Apollo Air, i find them to be very comfortable over all and soundwise, they offers a good price performance ratio, however, i do find them to be a bit tip sensitive, the ear tip that you use will change the sound, eg: more bass and eventually too much and cause it to sound bloated and muddy, or some might even trim away the bass and causing it to be too lean. The stock ones are pretty balanced to my ears but I have to change them because they don’t seal well to my ears.

Overall I find them to offer a balanced performance with a good price performance ratio considering the specifications of the earbuds. At the time of writing, Apollo Air cost $69.99.
However, with the upcoming Double 11 sale, you can grab them at half price! Yes, Half price!
If you are interested in acquiring them, do not miss out this chance.
Head to this link!

*I received the unit in exchange for my honest opinion from Tronsmart. The link attached is not affiliated and i don’t earn a single cent even if you decide to purchase it

Thanks to Tronsmart for providing the Apollo Air for free in exchange of my thoughts.

My main brief review is in my @moedawg140 Instagram account, here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CQK5YwqhTrm/

Basically, for the price, custom sound, uniquely useful modes, great sound, coupled with a price that won't break the bank at a price that's a fraction of most other mainstream brands, the Tronsmart Apollo Air is a very good choice to make!

Some photos for your viewing pleasure:










Take care, and enjoy your Apollo Air!

Tronsmart APOLLO AIR ANC review





Tronsmart Apollo Air & Air+ are the two TWS released by Tronsmart after Apollo Bold to have active noise cancellation technology. I received the Apollo Air model and I understand the differences between the Air and the + model is that the Air+ model is having the wireless charging case and extra sensor to detect in ear/ off ear mode.


Packaging



The Tronsmart Apollo Air comes with:

- True Wireless Earbud with Charging Case (1 LED battery indicator outside, 1 LED inside to show pairing status)
- USB Type-C Charging Cable
- 3 pairs of silicon tips
- Warranty Card
- User Manual


Specifications

Model: Tronsmart Apollo Air

Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3046
Bluetooth version: Bluetooth 5.2
Bluetooth profile: HFP/HSP/AVRCP/A2DP
Audio codec: APTX adaptive, APTX, AAC, SBC
Connection distance: Up to 15 meters / 50 feet
Driver: 10 mm Graphene Driver
Microphone sensitivity: -42dB ± 1dB
Audio frequency range: 20 – 20K Hz
Noise cancellation mode: Ambient, ANC OFF/ ON
Playtime: up to 5 hours (50% volume)
Charging case: up to 20 hours (50% volume)
Battery capacity: Earphone: 35 mAh
Charging case capacity: 300 mAh
Water/ Dust Proof: IP45




Design and build quality



The Tronsmart Air ANC is the inner ear type (insert deep into the ear canal) and come with a long stem with 6 mics for call, ambient mode and noise cancellation function. The Tronsmart Air earbuds are well designed and stays comfortable in the ears during my normal usage outdoor walking around.

The case is the smooth white type of plastic and thus gives the case a premium type of look. There is only 1 led on the case to indicate the battery level red for 0-10%, blue for 11-100%. There is a USB C port behind and a pairing button next to the port. However I feel the button is of no use cause the earbuds are in auto pair mode once you open the case. The case and earbuds are all rated IPX45 which mean they will survive light rain, sweat and low water splashes. The cover of the case opens and closes with a solid quality kind of feeling and the magnets keep the case cover close perfectly.

Apps Control

The Tronsmart app is available in Google playstore and Apple store. Beside the usual EQ (I wish Tronsmart can include a customizable EQ setting for us) you can use to customise the sound signature to the type of music you listen to, you can customise the touch control of your ear buds. Here we can select ambient mode, ANC on and off too.


Sound and call quality

The Tronsmart Apollo AIR’s QCC3046 chip supports SBC, APTX and APTX adaptive codecs for android devices and ACC codec for IOS devices. Its extreme low power consumption and low latency means there will be no lag while watching movie with your devices.

The pairing of the earbuds started while the cover is open which is a surprise as most TWS earbud pairs after the ear buds are taken out of the case. As the AIR is the long stem type of earbuds, silicons tips of different sizings are provided. The earbuds stays on the ear comfortably and “disappears” after a while while listening to the music. Volume, music play/pause, call answer/reject and call assistant controls are all available via the touch sensitive button on the earbuds.

Tronsmart Apollo AIR 10mm dynamic drivers produce rich, clear sound quality. Bass is deep and punchy. The ANC when turn on does cut off 50% of the background noise out there provided you get a good seal in your ears. Sound quality I would give it a 8/10.

The Tronsmart Apollo Air is the long stem type of earbud with 6 external microphones, the microphone quality is loud and clear for the other party in the call. My friend is able to hear my voice loud and clear. Backgound noise are filtered away by the QCC 3046’s CVC8.0 technology and the built in ANC function.

Verdict

Tronsmart Apollo AIR is the TWS that I would recommend to those who are looking for goos TWS with APTX Adaptive and Active noise cancellation. For a modest $79 you can buy an excellet TWS-earbuds with extremely good build quality, sound quality and decent battery life. Tronsmart definitely hit another winner with the Apollo Air beside the Apollo Bold.


Currently the Air+ is available on Amaozn.com and has 30% off after discount code.

Discount: 30% off
Code: H8POKWEL
List price: $99.99
Deal price: $69.99
End date: 8/15/2021
https://amzn.to/3ArSkfB

Introduction​

I have had the opportunity to review a number of Tronsmart products recently - they very kindly sent me the Apollo Bolds, Apollo Q10 full sized ANC headphones and their recently released Force 2 bluetooth speaker and now their very new Apollo Air ANC buds. Note that I haven't felt any obligation to rate them higher than they're worth - the truth is I think their products are very good quality and excellent value for money.

Description​

The case reminds me of the Apple Airpods Pro - although the headphones fit inside the case differently. Brilliant white in colour - it's almost certain that they're not going to remain this way. The lid features a magnetic latch and appears to be fairly strong - not as strong as the AirPods though. The case features wireless charging and uses USB Type C (which is nice). The LED on the front is multicoloured - blue shows 11 - 100% charge and red 1 - 10%. Simple and useful. I have to be honest here - I would have much rather seen something like the Airpod way of storing the buds in the case - my ham fingers always struggle with stuff like this and I can definitely see me dropping them in the street more than once. That's a personal thing for me though - functionally the case works just fine.



The earbuds themselves feel a little bit cheap. Having said that, they're incredibly lightweight - I'm not sure what a single earbud weighs but the whole package weighs 40g according to the packaging. The plastic has a subtle matt finish - unlike the Airpods - the stems are used to help bring the mics slightly closer to your mouth.

Functions and Features​

The Apollo Air's feature Bluetooth 5.2. Once they're paired to your device, they automatically connect the moment you open the case which effectively means that they're ready to use the moment you put them in your ears. I really like the touch controls - one tap for volume, two taps for Play/Skip and three taps for selecting the different sound modes. Speaking of sound modes the Air's feature both active noise cancelling and ambient mode. The ambient mode is rather impressive - producing a fairly natural effect. The ANC works quite well at reducing the traffic noise (front bedroom windows open next to a busy road). I personally found the ANC to be as good as the Apollo Bold's but not quite up to the standard set by the Sony WF1000XM3's and the Soundpeats T2.



Pairing is done but simply opening the case and pressing the button on the back for a couple of seconds. The Air's feature APtX which is always welcome and this means that I can use them with my Sony Walkman MW A55 and get good sound. The touch controls operate pretty much like all other touch-controlled wireless IEM's - and I have to say that they work really nicely. All the functions are there. The touch functions work easily as well as those found on the Sony WF1000XM3's - with the added advantage of volume control. I can't comment on battery life yet - I see no reason why you wouldn't achieve what they claim on the box though. The 'Plus' version features wireless charging which is a feature I'm using quite frequently as more and more of my equipment makes use of this feature. I wasn't able to install the latest update for the app which I’m hoping will offer configurable touch-controls. I’ve set the Apollo Bold’s up so that I can wear them in bed without accidentally activating the touch controls when I lay on my side. I would love to see this feature on these as they’re so light and comfortable.

Sound Quality​

Well, this is what it's all about as far as I'm concerned. The good news is that they sound really good. The ANC does have an effect on sound quality - the bass has a bit of a boost when activated - in a similar way to the Apollo Bold's. When ANC is switched off the sound character considerably flatter - although I have to admit I kinda like the boosted bass.



The top end sounds really nice though. I'm sensitive to harsh treble and the Air's thankfully have a really nice sweet top-end. Mids are slightly recessed - making them somewhat V shaped in their sound character. Like the Bold's they sound really nice when listening at lower volume and this is where the ANC really comes into its own - you're not fighting against ambient noise all the time. This, coupled with the boosted bass really helps making low-level listening a real pleasure.



The Air's have a nice punchy sound. Bass notes can be a little 'lumpy' sometimes when ANC is active but to be honest I really like this setting - it makes them fun to listen to. However some genres of music (chillstep for example) produce too much bass. Switching off the ANC and Ambient Mode results in a far more balanced sound. ANC does produce a noticeable noise floor but this disappears once the music starts playing. With ANC off this noise floor effectively disappears. I think it’s fair to say that the Air’s share a similar sound characteristic with the Apollo Bold’s. For my ears, the Bold’s sound better when listening to them at lower volumes. In fact, I rate the Apollo Bold’s as one of the finest headphones out there for low level listening. Where the Air’s appear to have the edge is a more accurate and better balanced sound character.



I have to be honest I'm not a big fan on this Airpod style shape but I must admit they are very comfortable. The more I look at their shape, the more I feel that these headphones aren’t designed for deep insertion in your ears. Rather a more shallow fit. This would normally result in a definite reduction in bass, but thanks to the combination of active noise cancelling and their slightly boosted bass has resulted in a really nice wireless headphone.

Conclusion​

If you like a low profile, ANC enabled TWS headphone with a massive amount of presence and superb low-level listening capabilities, then get the Apollo Bold’s. If you like an Airpod-like experience, with a fairly balanced sound (with ANC off at least) and a superb level of comfort, then the Apollo Air’s might be right up your street. Very highly recommended.

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Tronsmart asked if I would include this information at the end of my review - didn't see the harm.


Tronsmart Celebrates the 8th Birthday

LONDON 15th Jun 2021: Consumer technology expert, Tronsmart, today celebrates its 8th birthday. They are also giving away a number of prizes, including a gift box worth $500, newly launched Apollo Air and Air+ earbuds, and 15% off coupon for geekbuying. The gift box includes a Tronsmart Element T2 Plus Portable Bluetooth Speaker, a pair of Tronsmart Onyx Ace TWS earbuds, as well as customized pen and notebook. Anyone can click her to win them.

• First prize: Gift Box valued over $500*30pcs
• Second Prize: $99 ANC earbuds Apollo Air+*30pcs
• Third Prize: $69 ANC earbuds Apollo Air *50pcs
• Lucky prize: 15% OFF coupon for geekbuying

Established in 2013 and celebrating its 8th Anniversary today, Tronsmart is a tech brand that designs and manufactures world-class tech accessories which has been recommended by Qualcomm, Forbes, Yahoo, and many other big companies and media. It also signed Luis Suarez as the official ambassador in 2018. The company has rapidly expanded and sell its products to over 70 countries in many regions including North America, South America, Europe, The Middle East and Asia and has over 40 patents including its SoundPulse® technology. The core value of Tronsmart is to make life easier by providing customers with high-tech, high-quality and high-performance products.

Hope all you can win the gift you want in this competition.



All links you may need:

Link to 8th anniversary landing page:
https://bit.ly/3p99Pgd

Link to patent SoundPulse®:
https://bit.ly/3vEdyF5

Link to Geekbuying:
https://www.geekbuying.com/

Tronsmart Element T2 Plus Portable Bluetooth Speaker
https://bit.ly/3g4Vj4T

Link to Tronsmart Apollo Air and Air+:
https://bit.ly/2RTdwL0

Link to Tronsmart Onyx Ace TWS earbuds:
https://bit.ly/3pe11pC