Tronsmart Battle RGB Gaming TWS Ultra-Low Latency 13mm Drivers
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Disclaimer: Tronsmart offered these unit for me to test and review. Everything i write here is my subjective honest opinion about the unit.
Gears used for testing:
Spotify from my Android phone
Other TWS used for comparison: Tronsmart Onyx Ace, Vivo TWS Neo, Airpods Pro
I won’t be covering informations/specifications that’s already available on the website, so feel free to go to this link for more info.
https://www.tronsmart.com/products/tronsmart-battle-gaming-earbuds
I will be covering things/ info that are not readily available on the spec page, also some personal thoughts and opinions after using it personally for a few days.
What you get in the box:
Back of the box info:
Built and accessories:
The Tronsmart Battle has a different case form and material compared to their older releases. This time around they are using round form factor that has a “Pokemon Ball” kind of vibe to it. Other TWS that I know of that’s using similar clear plastic material are Edifier GM6 and Lenovo LP80.
The difference the Battle has compared to that other two is the opening mechanism. This one uses sliding to the side instead of the regular opening lid that other TWS uses. It might require some time to get use to, but after a while even opening them with one hand is easy enough.
Also that rotating lid, along with the overall roundness of the case, almost give it a fidget toy feel when holding it as i kind of want to twiddle it.
There’s a RGB LED strip underneath of the case that would glow when opened, but it’s just cosmetics only (albeit a pretty looking one), as the real battery indicator is a single small red LED near the buds itself. It’s would glow solid red when the battery of the case is full, and would blink when it’s time to charge the case.
It would automatically turn on and pair as soon as the lid is opened.
The case itself doesn’t support wireless charging, so we can only charge with the USB-C connection.
The earpiece itself is comfortably small, compared to my older Tronsmart Onyx Ace and Vivo TWS Neo. It’s similar in size to my Airpods Pro.
Of course as this is open Earbud styled TWS, there’s no eartips provided in the box.
The Onyx Apex is only available in black
Size comparison (left to right: AirPods Pro, Battle, Onyx Ace, TWS Neo):
Fit:
The fit is typical to other stemmed open earbuds. The shorter stems do contribute for it to be slightly more comfortable than my other earbud styled TWS.
I usually put some earbud foams or silicon sleeves on my open TWS, so this one is no different. Putting some kind of silicon or foam sleeves would not only help with a more secure fit, but also can help increase the bass response on these type of TWS, though sadly on some TWS, once you put the sleeves on sometimes it would not fit on the case and charge.
Luckily on this Tronsmart Battle, it would still fit and charge inside the case with sleeves on.
Battery life:
Battery life is average for this type of TWS. I usually get around 4 to 5 hours of moderate listening volume.
Apps:
At this moment, the Tronsmart Battle doesn’t have any apps support, so what you have out of the box is what you get. Thankfully the button layout, stock sound, and connection performance are good out of the box, but i do hope Tronsmart would add an app support for this in the future.
There’s no APTX codec support on the Battle, and also when i paired it with my android phones, it would only connect using SBC. It might bother some people, though to be honest i don’t hear any glaring difference between different codecs anyway.
Passive isolation: Basically no isolation whatsoever on this kind of open TWS form, which is kinda the whole thing..as usually people would get this kind of TWS form when they want that non-isolation type of feeling.
Sound characteristic:
In summary, it is a balanced overall sound that have a hint of sub-bass to it (especially if using it with silicon or foam sleeves), with a wide and spread out sense of soundstage, even compared to the other similar open TWS in my collection.
I think among my open buds TWS this one is the widest in soundstsage and the most suited for gaming and watching movies
Bass:
Without sleeves on, the bass can be quite thin for some people, but with sleeves on, it can go down and reach subbass, though the overall quantity is still not in the basshead category. Bass attacks are fast and lean.
Mids:
Mids here is more of the lean type and less intimate. It gives more sense of space in the center stage and make the overall soundstage seems wider than usual. It might be intentional tuning, as this is a TWS that is geared more for playing games, and i think this kind of tuning is really suited for that gaming purposes and also for watching movies.
Treble:
It has a bright and cold sounding treble, giving it a more precise “ping” and sparkle to the overall sound.
Soundstage:
Given the overall tuning, it can give the impression that the soundstage spread and reached even slightly behind the ears. I really like it when listening to live recording and classical music.
Conclusion:
Other than the lack of APTX compared to its competition that might bother some potential buyer, i really like this Tronsmart Battle as a whole package. The cool looking case, small earpieces, and great button operation (which typical to Tronsmart TWS product that I have)
Gears used for testing:
Spotify from my Android phone
Other TWS used for comparison: Tronsmart Onyx Ace, Vivo TWS Neo, Airpods Pro
I won’t be covering informations/specifications that’s already available on the website, so feel free to go to this link for more info.
https://www.tronsmart.com/products/tronsmart-battle-gaming-earbuds
I will be covering things/ info that are not readily available on the spec page, also some personal thoughts and opinions after using it personally for a few days.
What you get in the box:
Back of the box info:
Built and accessories:
The Tronsmart Battle has a different case form and material compared to their older releases. This time around they are using round form factor that has a “Pokemon Ball” kind of vibe to it. Other TWS that I know of that’s using similar clear plastic material are Edifier GM6 and Lenovo LP80.
The difference the Battle has compared to that other two is the opening mechanism. This one uses sliding to the side instead of the regular opening lid that other TWS uses. It might require some time to get use to, but after a while even opening them with one hand is easy enough.
Also that rotating lid, along with the overall roundness of the case, almost give it a fidget toy feel when holding it as i kind of want to twiddle it.
There’s a RGB LED strip underneath of the case that would glow when opened, but it’s just cosmetics only (albeit a pretty looking one), as the real battery indicator is a single small red LED near the buds itself. It’s would glow solid red when the battery of the case is full, and would blink when it’s time to charge the case.
It would automatically turn on and pair as soon as the lid is opened.
The case itself doesn’t support wireless charging, so we can only charge with the USB-C connection.
The earpiece itself is comfortably small, compared to my older Tronsmart Onyx Ace and Vivo TWS Neo. It’s similar in size to my Airpods Pro.
Of course as this is open Earbud styled TWS, there’s no eartips provided in the box.
The Onyx Apex is only available in black
Size comparison (left to right: AirPods Pro, Battle, Onyx Ace, TWS Neo):
Fit:
The fit is typical to other stemmed open earbuds. The shorter stems do contribute for it to be slightly more comfortable than my other earbud styled TWS.
I usually put some earbud foams or silicon sleeves on my open TWS, so this one is no different. Putting some kind of silicon or foam sleeves would not only help with a more secure fit, but also can help increase the bass response on these type of TWS, though sadly on some TWS, once you put the sleeves on sometimes it would not fit on the case and charge.
Luckily on this Tronsmart Battle, it would still fit and charge inside the case with sleeves on.
Battery life:
Battery life is average for this type of TWS. I usually get around 4 to 5 hours of moderate listening volume.
Apps:
At this moment, the Tronsmart Battle doesn’t have any apps support, so what you have out of the box is what you get. Thankfully the button layout, stock sound, and connection performance are good out of the box, but i do hope Tronsmart would add an app support for this in the future.
There’s no APTX codec support on the Battle, and also when i paired it with my android phones, it would only connect using SBC. It might bother some people, though to be honest i don’t hear any glaring difference between different codecs anyway.
Passive isolation: Basically no isolation whatsoever on this kind of open TWS form, which is kinda the whole thing..as usually people would get this kind of TWS form when they want that non-isolation type of feeling.
Sound characteristic:
In summary, it is a balanced overall sound that have a hint of sub-bass to it (especially if using it with silicon or foam sleeves), with a wide and spread out sense of soundstage, even compared to the other similar open TWS in my collection.
I think among my open buds TWS this one is the widest in soundstsage and the most suited for gaming and watching movies
Bass:
Without sleeves on, the bass can be quite thin for some people, but with sleeves on, it can go down and reach subbass, though the overall quantity is still not in the basshead category. Bass attacks are fast and lean.
Mids:
Mids here is more of the lean type and less intimate. It gives more sense of space in the center stage and make the overall soundstage seems wider than usual. It might be intentional tuning, as this is a TWS that is geared more for playing games, and i think this kind of tuning is really suited for that gaming purposes and also for watching movies.
Treble:
It has a bright and cold sounding treble, giving it a more precise “ping” and sparkle to the overall sound.
Soundstage:
Given the overall tuning, it can give the impression that the soundstage spread and reached even slightly behind the ears. I really like it when listening to live recording and classical music.
Conclusion:
Other than the lack of APTX compared to its competition that might bother some potential buyer, i really like this Tronsmart Battle as a whole package. The cool looking case, small earpieces, and great button operation (which typical to Tronsmart TWS product that I have)
Tronsmart BATTLE review
The Tronsmart Battle is the latest Gaming TWS released by Tronsmart with lag free technology.
Packaging
The Tronsmart Battle comes with:
- True Wireless Earbud with Charging Case (RGB running LED battery indicators)
- USB Type-C Charging Cable
- 3 pairs of silicon tips
- Warranty Card
- User Manual
Specifications
Model: Tronsmart Battle
Chipset: ATS3019
Bluetooth version: Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth profile: HFP/HSP/AVRCP/A2DP
Audio codec: AAC, SBC
Connection distance: Up to 10 meters / 33 feet
Driver: 13mm Driver
Microphone sensitivity: -42dB ± 1dB
Audio frequency range: 20 – 20K Hz
Noise cancellation mode: Ambient, ANC OFF/ ON
Playtime: up to 15 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 Battle is the inner ear type and come with a long stem with 4 mics for call. The Tronsmart Battle earbuds are well designed and stays comfortable in the ears during my normal usage outdoor walking around. You can switch between gaming mode and music mode by tapping 3 times on the left or right ear bud.
The case is futuristic looking with a rotating transparent clear cover. The overall design of the case gives it a premium type of look. There is a RGB running LED effect on the case to indicate the case is charging. There is a USB C port behind support fast charge (10mins for 1 hr usage). The earbuds are in auto pairing 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 rotate opens and closes with a solid quality kind of feeling and it relief stress too.
Sound, call quality and Gaming Mode
The Tronsmart Battle’s chipset supports SBC and ACC for android devices and 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 pairs after the ear buds are taken out of the case. As the Tronsmart Battle 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 Battle 13mm dynamic drivers produce rich, clear sound quality. Bass is deep and punchy.. Sound quality I would give it a 7/10.
The Tronsmart Battle is the long stem type of earbud with 4 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. Voice quality 8/10
The gaming mode in Tronsmart Battle is the best I tried so far. When playing FPS games like PUBG and Call of Duty, every gunshot is instantaneous after every click. This further enhanced the mobile gaming experience to another level. Gaming experience is a 10/10
Verdict
Tronsmart Battle is the TWS that I would recommend to those who are looking for an excellent lag free TWS for gaming. For a modest $35 this is the best gaming TWS in the market, period. Tronsmart definitely hit another winner with the Tronsmart Battle.
The Tronsmart Battle is the latest Gaming TWS released by Tronsmart with lag free technology.
Packaging
The Tronsmart Battle comes with:
- True Wireless Earbud with Charging Case (RGB running LED battery indicators)
- USB Type-C Charging Cable
- 3 pairs of silicon tips
- Warranty Card
- User Manual
Specifications
Model: Tronsmart Battle
Chipset: ATS3019
Bluetooth version: Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth profile: HFP/HSP/AVRCP/A2DP
Audio codec: AAC, SBC
Connection distance: Up to 10 meters / 33 feet
Driver: 13mm Driver
Microphone sensitivity: -42dB ± 1dB
Audio frequency range: 20 – 20K Hz
Noise cancellation mode: Ambient, ANC OFF/ ON
Playtime: up to 15 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 Battle is the inner ear type and come with a long stem with 4 mics for call. The Tronsmart Battle earbuds are well designed and stays comfortable in the ears during my normal usage outdoor walking around. You can switch between gaming mode and music mode by tapping 3 times on the left or right ear bud.
The case is futuristic looking with a rotating transparent clear cover. The overall design of the case gives it a premium type of look. There is a RGB running LED effect on the case to indicate the case is charging. There is a USB C port behind support fast charge (10mins for 1 hr usage). The earbuds are in auto pairing 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 rotate opens and closes with a solid quality kind of feeling and it relief stress too.
Sound, call quality and Gaming Mode
The Tronsmart Battle’s chipset supports SBC and ACC for android devices and 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 pairs after the ear buds are taken out of the case. As the Tronsmart Battle 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 Battle 13mm dynamic drivers produce rich, clear sound quality. Bass is deep and punchy.. Sound quality I would give it a 7/10.
The Tronsmart Battle is the long stem type of earbud with 4 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. Voice quality 8/10
The gaming mode in Tronsmart Battle is the best I tried so far. When playing FPS games like PUBG and Call of Duty, every gunshot is instantaneous after every click. This further enhanced the mobile gaming experience to another level. Gaming experience is a 10/10
Verdict
Tronsmart Battle is the TWS that I would recommend to those who are looking for an excellent lag free TWS for gaming. For a modest $35 this is the best gaming TWS in the market, period. Tronsmart definitely hit another winner with the Tronsmart Battle.
Tronsmart have very kindly sent me a number of their products to review over the last few months and I have to say that I’m constantly impressed with their stuff - be it bluetooth iem’s, full sized headphones or wireless speakers. Tronsmart appears to put what’s important in their stuff - good amplification, good sound quality and overall good electronics. Where they perhaps sometimes have a flaw, it’s with the materials they use. For example, their Q10 full sized bluetooth headphones have excellent range, rather good sound quality and some genuinely useful functions that are only let down slightly by the ‘feel’ of the plastic construction. However, the same cannot be said for the Tronsmart Studio bluetooth speaker which features genuinely superb build quality to match all it’s other attributes.
The Battle bluetooth IEM’s unfortunately don’t share the same build quality of the Studio speaker but rather have the build quality of the Q10’s - except they're not as good. In all fairness though, there’s certainly nothing wrong with their electronics and capabilities.
Whilst sharing a very similar look to Apple’s original Airpods, they feel a lot lighter and cheaper. One clear advantage that these do offer though is that once you’ve put them in your ears, they effectively completely disappear. Like with the Airpods though, you do have to wriggle them around a bit in order to bring out the bass.
The charging case is very unusual - shaped a bit like a hockey puck, the case uses a strange rotating lid which activates the headphones once the lid is swivelled open. Due to the nature of the case, it’s easy to hold it the wrong way round which means the left and right can get mixed up sometimes. I suspect that over time I will get used to it.
I’ve been using the Battle primarily on my Xbox One and a cheap bluetooth transmitter (which actually works really well). The Battle uses touch controls for both track navigation and volume controls. This is especially useful when using these headphones for gaming. Of course, the Battle’s real claim to fame is their low latency. This mode has to be triggered with a triple-tap on the right earbud and this appears to work well. Interestingly I get a similar result when using the Q10’s in the same way. Although there is some latency with the Q10's, they still work well as a gaming headphone.
Pairing with my inexpensive bluetooth transmitter is reasonably fast and appears to be stable once connected. Latency is kept to a minimum and the touch control for volume is reasonably subtle allowing for a reasonable degree of control.
One thing about this type of earphone is that you have to wriggle them around a little bit in your ears in order to get the best possible bass response. Having previously owned Apple's Airpods I'm used to doing this and can consistently get a good fit but your results may vary depending on your ear shape. The Tronsmart Battle is a very lightweight headphone and thís definitely helps when having longer gaming sessions.
It's only fair to point out that the sound quality of these IEM's is nothing to write home about when it comes to listening to music. When playing games though, they do come into their own and offer a number of advantages when compared to listening using loudspeakers. Firstly, you don't annoy anyone else in the house with incessant gunfire and revving virtual engines. Secondly you get much better audio cues when playing games like Call Of Duty. When wearing these headphones my game performance is significantly improved (although I'm still crap at most games).
I haven't really had the chance to test out things ike battery life and connection range. After all, my Xbox is right in front of me so it's not really a struggle to maintain good signal strength - this is also helped by the comparatively low bit rate transmission needed with these headphones.
In conclusion, I think that these headphones do what they’re supposed to do - offer low latency gaming capabilities - in this mode they work pretty good. I personally don’t like them for music but I suspect that most people purchasing these headphones are going to use them primarily for gaming. I do kinda like the unusual charging case but do find it a little fiddly to use. Recommended for gaming - not so much for music though.
Tronsmart are currently offering special offers of some of their products. This information is listed below:-
Force 2 Bluetooth speaker
Discount: 40% off
Code: HFGGPTAH
List price: $59.99
Deal price: $35.99
End date: 9/5/2021
https://amzn.to/2WHtnOQ
Studio Bluetooth speaker
Discount: 30% offa
Code: 79LOD889
List price: $69.99
Deal price: $48.99
End date: 9/5/2021
https://amzn.to/3BqR3Wx
Apollo Air earbuds
Discount: 40% off
Code: ZXN3A7PY
List price: $65.99
Deal price: $39.59
End date: 9/5/2021
https://amzn.to/3yyiw6V
The Battle bluetooth IEM’s unfortunately don’t share the same build quality of the Studio speaker but rather have the build quality of the Q10’s - except they're not as good. In all fairness though, there’s certainly nothing wrong with their electronics and capabilities.
Whilst sharing a very similar look to Apple’s original Airpods, they feel a lot lighter and cheaper. One clear advantage that these do offer though is that once you’ve put them in your ears, they effectively completely disappear. Like with the Airpods though, you do have to wriggle them around a bit in order to bring out the bass.
The charging case is very unusual - shaped a bit like a hockey puck, the case uses a strange rotating lid which activates the headphones once the lid is swivelled open. Due to the nature of the case, it’s easy to hold it the wrong way round which means the left and right can get mixed up sometimes. I suspect that over time I will get used to it.
I’ve been using the Battle primarily on my Xbox One and a cheap bluetooth transmitter (which actually works really well). The Battle uses touch controls for both track navigation and volume controls. This is especially useful when using these headphones for gaming. Of course, the Battle’s real claim to fame is their low latency. This mode has to be triggered with a triple-tap on the right earbud and this appears to work well. Interestingly I get a similar result when using the Q10’s in the same way. Although there is some latency with the Q10's, they still work well as a gaming headphone.
Pairing with my inexpensive bluetooth transmitter is reasonably fast and appears to be stable once connected. Latency is kept to a minimum and the touch control for volume is reasonably subtle allowing for a reasonable degree of control.
One thing about this type of earphone is that you have to wriggle them around a little bit in your ears in order to get the best possible bass response. Having previously owned Apple's Airpods I'm used to doing this and can consistently get a good fit but your results may vary depending on your ear shape. The Tronsmart Battle is a very lightweight headphone and thís definitely helps when having longer gaming sessions.
It's only fair to point out that the sound quality of these IEM's is nothing to write home about when it comes to listening to music. When playing games though, they do come into their own and offer a number of advantages when compared to listening using loudspeakers. Firstly, you don't annoy anyone else in the house with incessant gunfire and revving virtual engines. Secondly you get much better audio cues when playing games like Call Of Duty. When wearing these headphones my game performance is significantly improved (although I'm still crap at most games).
I haven't really had the chance to test out things ike battery life and connection range. After all, my Xbox is right in front of me so it's not really a struggle to maintain good signal strength - this is also helped by the comparatively low bit rate transmission needed with these headphones.
In conclusion, I think that these headphones do what they’re supposed to do - offer low latency gaming capabilities - in this mode they work pretty good. I personally don’t like them for music but I suspect that most people purchasing these headphones are going to use them primarily for gaming. I do kinda like the unusual charging case but do find it a little fiddly to use. Recommended for gaming - not so much for music though.
Tronsmart are currently offering special offers of some of their products. This information is listed below:-
Force 2 Bluetooth speaker
Discount: 40% off
Code: HFGGPTAH
List price: $59.99
Deal price: $35.99
End date: 9/5/2021
https://amzn.to/2WHtnOQ
Studio Bluetooth speaker
Discount: 30% offa
Code: 79LOD889
List price: $69.99
Deal price: $48.99
End date: 9/5/2021
https://amzn.to/3BqR3Wx
Apollo Air earbuds
Discount: 40% off
Code: ZXN3A7PY
List price: $65.99
Deal price: $39.59
End date: 9/5/2021
https://amzn.to/3yyiw6V
RC049
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Model: Tronsmart Battle
Price: MSRP $34.99
Distributor: Aliexpress, Geekbuy
Vendor Website: Tronsmart
Review Reference: RC049
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, Chinese and English
1 x Warranty Card
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the Regancipher review of the final of four stem-based TWS offerings from our friends at Tronsmart Official - the first semi-in ear release since their popular Onyx Ace, the ultra-low latency 'Battle'.
Tronsmart are now fully established as a mid to premium range earbud vendor, with their focus almost solely on audio products - mostly speakers and headphones. Founder Eric Cheng, a self-confessed geek, founded the company with his first paycheck (where was he working?!), building a lab to disassemble audio products with the aim to recreate them in his own vision at a cost-efficient price point. After bringing in ear-chewing trophy-winning footballer Luis Suarez as an ambassador, the company have gone from strength to strength, building a close relationship with Qualcomm, and bringing two of their chips to market first with the Apollo Bold, and the Apollo Air, which uses the Qualcomm QCC3046.
This release, however, is not engineered for studio-quality sound. Tronsmart have identified that gamers want the lightweight convenience of using earbuds, but need lower latency than any of the Qualcomm-based chipsets, and almost any of the other mainstream chips, can offer. Thus, they have stepped outside of the realms of Qualcomm and BES in their SoC choice, using the Action Semi ATS3019. My only previous experience of this chip manufacturer was in the Enacfire E90, but ATS have also been used by Baseus in their AirNora and Xiaodu in the S1.
The chip is aimed at applications which require low latency, and that it delivers, but are the Battle simply gaming earbuds only? Read on....
The Unboxing - 7.5/10
Unboxing with Tronsmart has become really consistent, and consistently good too. The key features are displayed on the front of the box, and some specific attributes listed on the back. The highlights include 45ms latency, two latency modes, RGB lighting, a novel-looking case and a total of 20 hours playtime.
Inside is quite reminiscent of the Q10 unboxing, with a plastic crate-inlay, but on this occasion the buds rather than over-ears. This also houses the round, semi-transparent charge case, and underneath is the charge cable and manuals.
Once you remove everything from the enclosure, you're left with the essentials above - the buds, a manual, warranty card, the case and a charge cable, USB type-C.
It is worth paying tribute again here to Tronsmart's approach to designing their user guides. They outline the key features, controls and usage guidelines in English, with the universal language of visuals alongside the text.
There is also warranty information, care and maintenance and support contact details printed in English, Italian, Spanish, German, French, Russian and Chinese.
The Case - 7/10
The key differentiator about the Battle case is the RGB lighting effect. The exterior of the case flashes, cycling between red, green and blue to signify the case has been opened, but the colours don't actually mean anything - it's just for novelty value. It would have been nice if they did mean something, but then you probably wouldn't see the full array very often, so I can understand why they didn't add this as a feature.
At first glance, the case looks familiar, with both Edifier (Hecate GM5) and Lenovo adopting similar, round and semi-transparent designs, but there are some subtle differences.
The Tronsmart logo is displayed on the front, and unlike the other brands, rather than displaying any other LED's on the front of the case, the LED's are visually accessible by looking down at the top of the plastic bit which holds the buds in. This 'roof' also guides you which way to put the buds in - which takes a bit of getting used to. The LED shows a solid red light if the battery is anything less than perilously low, and it flashes when you're about to run out of juice. This light only shows when the buds are replaced into the case.
Another differentiator is the way the case opens. Unlike the Lenovo and Edifier, it doesn't flip open from the front - you have to rotate the side. This is a pretty nice feature, and doubles up as a fidget toy, which can be quite addictive - you can see why kids love this stuff! You do get an occasional high-pitched sound when you close it though, which is annoying, and the buds will still carry on playing until the case is fully closed, to the point you wish you could hear inside the case to make sure your battery isn't draining!
The back reveals the USB-C charge socket, and displays the CE logo and some other stuff that was too small for me to read. The location of this is I guess the obvious choice - there's no right place to put it on a case like this. Unless you have some kind of flat docking station, the case is going to be dangling while you charge it, but it's not like this is exclusively Tronsmart's problem - the FIIL CC2, most of the QCY releases, Haylou Moripods...take your pick - plenty of buds struggle with design layout and practicality, and Tronsmart have probably got it just about right here, within the confines of electronics.
The case is moderately-sized - 60mm diameter, just over 3cm depth, and weighs just under 40g, making it super-portable. Despite this lightweight footprint, it's reasonably well made - there's no rattling around and you have to shake it pretty hard to get the buds to only release marginally from the case before the magnet restores it. It's not even visible - you have to listen really closely.
The case claims 400mA input at 5v, and this confirmed, measuring 0.38A at 5.19v. This means a charge time of around 2 hours, with no support for quick charge, and the case gives an extra 15 hours charge on top of the documented 5 from a single playtime.
Ergonomics - 9/10, Build quality - 7/10
The first thing to note about the Battle ergonomics is they fit very nicely in your ears - in fact, they're one of the best fitting semi-in-ear buds I've ever tested.
Not only do they pass the 'shake test', you can hang 90 degrees without them falling out. Very rare to see such a secure fit from this style bud - ideal for when games of Boomerang Fu get out of hand!
Identifying what Tronsmart have done to ensure this is kinda tricky. They are shorter than every other example above - and that certainly helps. At just 30mm, there is no danger of the wind taking them from your ears due to the length of the stem. However the neck also protrudes further than most, and this is also a factor which is influential.
The inside is a similar story - they've gone for a decent weight displacement in the bit that sits in your ear, and a less-chiseled edge than the SoundPEATS TrueAir2+ - it's more akin to that of the Haylou Moripods, and it's a good design that works very well.
Analysing the internals close up, you see nothing especially out of the ordinary here - the battery connectors terminate at the base, and there's a pressure release hole just on the inside, that rests against your antihelix. The thick rim, that I had to sand down on the Haylou Moripods, doesn't seem to affect comfort at all on the Battle.
The outside reveals typical Tronsmart branding. Whilst the colour scheme is pretty generic - black and grey - the glossier outer edge contrasts well with the matte, lighter inside. There is a voice mic at the bottom, and LED's at the top, which signify pairing and battery status. 'Blue and Red flashing' means it's pairing or connecting, and the red lights are as per the case. I was under the impression there is a second ambient mic, but did not see it under close examination.
At just 3.27g the Battle are one of the lightest around, and this unquestionably helps with their comfort too. I did not see any water resistance rating, so probably better to err on the side of caution when it comes to wearing the Battle outdoors - EDIT, I've found out they are IPX4 - even so, only suitable for a light drizzle.
Audio Quality - 6/10 (for the price), 6/10 (raw score)
So perhaps I have a faulty model, but I can only get the Battle to deliver audio via the SBC codec, and this without a doubt has an impact on their performance. They sound like SBC earbuds.
On PC they sound especially thin, lacking any bass and even sounding like there's distortion at high volumes. On iPhone, it's a similar story, with a weak dynamic performance that doesn't sound great, regardless of music style. On the OnePlus Nord, the volume is rather low, and again, it was impossible to select any codec other than SBC.
It's perhaps unfair to judge the Battle on audio quality - the Hecate GM5 weren't great either, and it seems ultra-low latency is going to trade off on audio, regardless of brand or technology.
Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors - 6/10
The Battle are definitely in the 'let everything through' category - your voice sounds natural enough, although it can sound muffled on Teams calls.
Outdoors, the buds are not going to compete with wind and traffic, although they fared better than I expected. If the road is around 15 ft away, you're fine. Any closer and you're going to get lost in the conditions - but if you're gaming outdoors, then when am I getting an invite?!
The ATS3019 supports ENC, so I guess the second mic is somewhere - I just couldn't find it.
Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 6/10
Like all Tronsmart devices, there is a female voice guiding you with voice prompts rather than blips and beeps, which is welcome, although the 'Power on' and 'Audio Connected' prompts are occasionally out-of-sync - a tad annoying. The high-pitched sound which squeals at you in between powering them on and 'audio connecting' - far worse when the buds are in your ears than when they are sat in the case - is far worse though.
As I said previously, I can only get the SBC codec to work. Even so, latency is very good - around 48Ms, 83Ms source to destination. This outperforms the Hecate by some distance, as well as any of the other buds I have tested, which offer low latency modes. For PUBG, it's the closest I have got to synchronised audio and video.
Touch controls are also quite good on this model. You get to switch between gaming and music mode (music mode adds latency) with a triple left tap, and single-tapping changes the volume.
The Bluetooth version is 5.0, and that is down to the ATS3019 chipset, which means you won't get the benefit of 5.2 when it does finally become mainstream.
Connectivity is fine though with no dropouts, and is responsive due to the low-load power consumption and reception sensitivity of the SoC, although the buds do almost exclusively forget the last device they were connected to almost every occasion taking them out of the case put them back into pairing mode - fortunately, just pressing connect on your device resolves it, but it's something that really shouldn't be happening on modern day buds. Interestingly the chip claims to support multipoint connectivity, although it is not stated by Tronsmart, nor did I manage to get it working.
Tronsmart have one of the more polished TWS apps out there, but sadly the Battle are not supported.
Battery Life - 6.5/10
5 hours from a single use was pretty accurate. I gave up at 4 hours today with volume around 75%, which again is down to the low power consumption of the chip. 20 hours with the charge case is a little lower than BES-and Airoha- based buds, and to compound this, the charge time is long (2 hours) and there's no quick charge support.
Final Comments
After three excellent releases in the Apollo Air, Onyx Apex and Q10, the Battle feel like a bit of a disappointment - but a dose of realism is required when assessing them in terms of their applicability to the market, because despite their great ergonomics and attractive-looking case, the Battle are gaming buds. Period.
If you try and compare these to the SoundPEATS TrueAir2+, you will be disappointed if your use case is anything other than gaming, just as if you tried to compare them as a gamer, you would be perturbed by the TA2+'s latency.
Low-latency buds are few and far between, and those that are on the market invariably disappoint or are high in cost. The Hecate GM5, for example, cost two to three times as much as the Battle, but they aren't great, and certainly aren't three times better. Even so, there are some annoying glitches - like only SBC working, the high-pitched noises, and also the voice prompts changing accent from the trademark Tronsmart voice for certain commands, that make the Battle feel like a half-finished product.
It will be tempting to many to try out the Battle because Tronsmart are a great vendor who often make products that exceed expectation, but take their word for it - they clearly market the buds as gaming buds for a reason.
I am hoping, and if Tronsmart are reading this, encouraging them (wink wink, nudge nudge) to release a non-Gaming version of the Battle, because if they could get the sound from any one of their premium TWS releases into this form factor, along with the Qualcomm or BES chips they usually favour, this could be a smash hit.
Suited to:
Raw Score: 65%
instagram: regancipher
Tronsmart Review Inventory:
Tronsmart Studio
Tronsmart Apollo Air
Tronsmart Battle
Tronsmart Onyx Apex
Tronsmart Apollo Q10
Tronsmart Onyx Free
Tronsmart Apollo Bold
About Tronsmart:
Tronsmart are now fully established as a mid to premium range earbud vendor, with their focus almost solely on audio products - mostly speakers and headphones. Founder Eric Cheng, a self-confessed geek, founded the company with his first paycheck (where was he working?!), building a lab to disassemble audio products with the aim to recreate them in his own vision at a cost-efficient price point.
After bringing in ear-chewing trophy-winning footballer Luis Suarez as an ambassador, the company have gone from strength to strength, building a close relationship with Qualcomm, and bringing two of their chips to market first with the Apollo Bold, and then the Apollo Air, which uses the Qualcomm QCC3046.
For speakers, the range is now almost as extensive as their earbuds, ranging from 7, 10 and 15w mini speakers through to the 60w Force Pro and Mega Pro.
Tronsmart remain one of my favourite mid-tier vendors, outrunning their budget competitors by releasing flagship products alongside the run-of-the-mill releases, and demonstrating transparency and commitment to quality and innovation with every release.
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Model: Tronsmart Battle
Price: MSRP $34.99
Distributor: Aliexpress, Geekbuy
Vendor Website: Tronsmart
Review Reference: RC049
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: Tronsmart
- Model: Battle
- Driver: 13mm Custom Engineered Dynamic Driver
- Chipset: Actions Semi ATS3019
- Impedance: 16 Ohm
- Mic: 4, ENC
- ANC: No
- Volume Control: Yes, double tap
- Codecs: AAC, SBC (I couldn't get AAC to work)
- Earbud Weight: 3.27g
- Earbud Dimensions: 30mm stem length
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 39.81g
- Case Dimensions: 60mm diameter, 33mm depth
- Case Charge Capacity: 400mAh
- Full Charge Time: 120 minutes
- Quick Charge: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Input: 5V 400mA
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 5 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 20 hours
- App Support: No
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.0
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
- 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, Chinese and English
1 x Warranty Card
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the Regancipher review of the final of four stem-based TWS offerings from our friends at Tronsmart Official - the first semi-in ear release since their popular Onyx Ace, the ultra-low latency 'Battle'.
Tronsmart are now fully established as a mid to premium range earbud vendor, with their focus almost solely on audio products - mostly speakers and headphones. Founder Eric Cheng, a self-confessed geek, founded the company with his first paycheck (where was he working?!), building a lab to disassemble audio products with the aim to recreate them in his own vision at a cost-efficient price point. After bringing in ear-chewing trophy-winning footballer Luis Suarez as an ambassador, the company have gone from strength to strength, building a close relationship with Qualcomm, and bringing two of their chips to market first with the Apollo Bold, and the Apollo Air, which uses the Qualcomm QCC3046.
This release, however, is not engineered for studio-quality sound. Tronsmart have identified that gamers want the lightweight convenience of using earbuds, but need lower latency than any of the Qualcomm-based chipsets, and almost any of the other mainstream chips, can offer. Thus, they have stepped outside of the realms of Qualcomm and BES in their SoC choice, using the Action Semi ATS3019. My only previous experience of this chip manufacturer was in the Enacfire E90, but ATS have also been used by Baseus in their AirNora and Xiaodu in the S1.
The chip is aimed at applications which require low latency, and that it delivers, but are the Battle simply gaming earbuds only? Read on....
The Unboxing - 7.5/10
Unboxing with Tronsmart has become really consistent, and consistently good too. The key features are displayed on the front of the box, and some specific attributes listed on the back. The highlights include 45ms latency, two latency modes, RGB lighting, a novel-looking case and a total of 20 hours playtime.
Inside is quite reminiscent of the Q10 unboxing, with a plastic crate-inlay, but on this occasion the buds rather than over-ears. This also houses the round, semi-transparent charge case, and underneath is the charge cable and manuals.
Once you remove everything from the enclosure, you're left with the essentials above - the buds, a manual, warranty card, the case and a charge cable, USB type-C.
It is worth paying tribute again here to Tronsmart's approach to designing their user guides. They outline the key features, controls and usage guidelines in English, with the universal language of visuals alongside the text.
There is also warranty information, care and maintenance and support contact details printed in English, Italian, Spanish, German, French, Russian and Chinese.
The Case - 7/10
The key differentiator about the Battle case is the RGB lighting effect. The exterior of the case flashes, cycling between red, green and blue to signify the case has been opened, but the colours don't actually mean anything - it's just for novelty value. It would have been nice if they did mean something, but then you probably wouldn't see the full array very often, so I can understand why they didn't add this as a feature.
At first glance, the case looks familiar, with both Edifier (Hecate GM5) and Lenovo adopting similar, round and semi-transparent designs, but there are some subtle differences.
The Tronsmart logo is displayed on the front, and unlike the other brands, rather than displaying any other LED's on the front of the case, the LED's are visually accessible by looking down at the top of the plastic bit which holds the buds in. This 'roof' also guides you which way to put the buds in - which takes a bit of getting used to. The LED shows a solid red light if the battery is anything less than perilously low, and it flashes when you're about to run out of juice. This light only shows when the buds are replaced into the case.
Another differentiator is the way the case opens. Unlike the Lenovo and Edifier, it doesn't flip open from the front - you have to rotate the side. This is a pretty nice feature, and doubles up as a fidget toy, which can be quite addictive - you can see why kids love this stuff! You do get an occasional high-pitched sound when you close it though, which is annoying, and the buds will still carry on playing until the case is fully closed, to the point you wish you could hear inside the case to make sure your battery isn't draining!
The back reveals the USB-C charge socket, and displays the CE logo and some other stuff that was too small for me to read. The location of this is I guess the obvious choice - there's no right place to put it on a case like this. Unless you have some kind of flat docking station, the case is going to be dangling while you charge it, but it's not like this is exclusively Tronsmart's problem - the FIIL CC2, most of the QCY releases, Haylou Moripods...take your pick - plenty of buds struggle with design layout and practicality, and Tronsmart have probably got it just about right here, within the confines of electronics.
The case is moderately-sized - 60mm diameter, just over 3cm depth, and weighs just under 40g, making it super-portable. Despite this lightweight footprint, it's reasonably well made - there's no rattling around and you have to shake it pretty hard to get the buds to only release marginally from the case before the magnet restores it. It's not even visible - you have to listen really closely.
The case claims 400mA input at 5v, and this confirmed, measuring 0.38A at 5.19v. This means a charge time of around 2 hours, with no support for quick charge, and the case gives an extra 15 hours charge on top of the documented 5 from a single playtime.
Ergonomics - 9/10, Build quality - 7/10
The first thing to note about the Battle ergonomics is they fit very nicely in your ears - in fact, they're one of the best fitting semi-in-ear buds I've ever tested.
Not only do they pass the 'shake test', you can hang 90 degrees without them falling out. Very rare to see such a secure fit from this style bud - ideal for when games of Boomerang Fu get out of hand!
Identifying what Tronsmart have done to ensure this is kinda tricky. They are shorter than every other example above - and that certainly helps. At just 30mm, there is no danger of the wind taking them from your ears due to the length of the stem. However the neck also protrudes further than most, and this is also a factor which is influential.
The inside is a similar story - they've gone for a decent weight displacement in the bit that sits in your ear, and a less-chiseled edge than the SoundPEATS TrueAir2+ - it's more akin to that of the Haylou Moripods, and it's a good design that works very well.
Analysing the internals close up, you see nothing especially out of the ordinary here - the battery connectors terminate at the base, and there's a pressure release hole just on the inside, that rests against your antihelix. The thick rim, that I had to sand down on the Haylou Moripods, doesn't seem to affect comfort at all on the Battle.
The outside reveals typical Tronsmart branding. Whilst the colour scheme is pretty generic - black and grey - the glossier outer edge contrasts well with the matte, lighter inside. There is a voice mic at the bottom, and LED's at the top, which signify pairing and battery status. 'Blue and Red flashing' means it's pairing or connecting, and the red lights are as per the case. I was under the impression there is a second ambient mic, but did not see it under close examination.
At just 3.27g the Battle are one of the lightest around, and this unquestionably helps with their comfort too. I did not see any water resistance rating, so probably better to err on the side of caution when it comes to wearing the Battle outdoors - EDIT, I've found out they are IPX4 - even so, only suitable for a light drizzle.
Audio Quality - 6/10 (for the price), 6/10 (raw score)
So perhaps I have a faulty model, but I can only get the Battle to deliver audio via the SBC codec, and this without a doubt has an impact on their performance. They sound like SBC earbuds.
On PC they sound especially thin, lacking any bass and even sounding like there's distortion at high volumes. On iPhone, it's a similar story, with a weak dynamic performance that doesn't sound great, regardless of music style. On the OnePlus Nord, the volume is rather low, and again, it was impossible to select any codec other than SBC.
It's perhaps unfair to judge the Battle on audio quality - the Hecate GM5 weren't great either, and it seems ultra-low latency is going to trade off on audio, regardless of brand or technology.
Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors - 6/10
The Battle are definitely in the 'let everything through' category - your voice sounds natural enough, although it can sound muffled on Teams calls.
Outdoors, the buds are not going to compete with wind and traffic, although they fared better than I expected. If the road is around 15 ft away, you're fine. Any closer and you're going to get lost in the conditions - but if you're gaming outdoors, then when am I getting an invite?!
The ATS3019 supports ENC, so I guess the second mic is somewhere - I just couldn't find it.
Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 6/10
Like all Tronsmart devices, there is a female voice guiding you with voice prompts rather than blips and beeps, which is welcome, although the 'Power on' and 'Audio Connected' prompts are occasionally out-of-sync - a tad annoying. The high-pitched sound which squeals at you in between powering them on and 'audio connecting' - far worse when the buds are in your ears than when they are sat in the case - is far worse though.
As I said previously, I can only get the SBC codec to work. Even so, latency is very good - around 48Ms, 83Ms source to destination. This outperforms the Hecate by some distance, as well as any of the other buds I have tested, which offer low latency modes. For PUBG, it's the closest I have got to synchronised audio and video.
Touch controls are also quite good on this model. You get to switch between gaming and music mode (music mode adds latency) with a triple left tap, and single-tapping changes the volume.
The Bluetooth version is 5.0, and that is down to the ATS3019 chipset, which means you won't get the benefit of 5.2 when it does finally become mainstream.
Connectivity is fine though with no dropouts, and is responsive due to the low-load power consumption and reception sensitivity of the SoC, although the buds do almost exclusively forget the last device they were connected to almost every occasion taking them out of the case put them back into pairing mode - fortunately, just pressing connect on your device resolves it, but it's something that really shouldn't be happening on modern day buds. Interestingly the chip claims to support multipoint connectivity, although it is not stated by Tronsmart, nor did I manage to get it working.
Tronsmart have one of the more polished TWS apps out there, but sadly the Battle are not supported.
Battery Life - 6.5/10
5 hours from a single use was pretty accurate. I gave up at 4 hours today with volume around 75%, which again is down to the low power consumption of the chip. 20 hours with the charge case is a little lower than BES-and Airoha- based buds, and to compound this, the charge time is long (2 hours) and there's no quick charge support.
Final Comments
After three excellent releases in the Apollo Air, Onyx Apex and Q10, the Battle feel like a bit of a disappointment - but a dose of realism is required when assessing them in terms of their applicability to the market, because despite their great ergonomics and attractive-looking case, the Battle are gaming buds. Period.
If you try and compare these to the SoundPEATS TrueAir2+, you will be disappointed if your use case is anything other than gaming, just as if you tried to compare them as a gamer, you would be perturbed by the TA2+'s latency.
Low-latency buds are few and far between, and those that are on the market invariably disappoint or are high in cost. The Hecate GM5, for example, cost two to three times as much as the Battle, but they aren't great, and certainly aren't three times better. Even so, there are some annoying glitches - like only SBC working, the high-pitched noises, and also the voice prompts changing accent from the trademark Tronsmart voice for certain commands, that make the Battle feel like a half-finished product.
It will be tempting to many to try out the Battle because Tronsmart are a great vendor who often make products that exceed expectation, but take their word for it - they clearly market the buds as gaming buds for a reason.
I am hoping, and if Tronsmart are reading this, encouraging them (wink wink, nudge nudge) to release a non-Gaming version of the Battle, because if they could get the sound from any one of their premium TWS releases into this form factor, along with the Qualcomm or BES chips they usually favour, this could be a smash hit.
Suited to:
- Gamers looking for low-latency, comfy buds
- Those who mostly watch YouTube or other videos on tablets and phones
- Those who just listen to podcasts and make and take occasional calls
- Those who only listen to music
Raw Score: 65%
instagram: regancipher
Tronsmart Review Inventory:
Tronsmart Studio
Tronsmart Apollo Air
Tronsmart Battle
Tronsmart Onyx Apex
Tronsmart Apollo Q10
Tronsmart Onyx Free
Tronsmart Apollo Bold
About Tronsmart:
Tronsmart are now fully established as a mid to premium range earbud vendor, with their focus almost solely on audio products - mostly speakers and headphones. Founder Eric Cheng, a self-confessed geek, founded the company with his first paycheck (where was he working?!), building a lab to disassemble audio products with the aim to recreate them in his own vision at a cost-efficient price point.
After bringing in ear-chewing trophy-winning footballer Luis Suarez as an ambassador, the company have gone from strength to strength, building a close relationship with Qualcomm, and bringing two of their chips to market first with the Apollo Bold, and then the Apollo Air, which uses the Qualcomm QCC3046.
For speakers, the range is now almost as extensive as their earbuds, ranging from 7, 10 and 15w mini speakers through to the 60w Force Pro and Mega Pro.
Tronsmart remain one of my favourite mid-tier vendors, outrunning their budget competitors by releasing flagship products alongside the run-of-the-mill releases, and demonstrating transparency and commitment to quality and innovation with every release.
