DISCLAIMER
I would like to thank Tronsmart for providing this review unit.
The Onyx Ace Pro can be gotten here:
https://www.tronsmart.com/products/tronsmart-onyx-ace-pro-true-wireless-earphones
Or
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256803966421645.html
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro are a versatile on-the-go TWS pair of buds, very suited for a daily beater pair, or even for calls and meetings. They feature stable BT connectivity, multiple codec support, long battery life, waterproofing and an intuitive UI.
SPECIFICATIONS
Bluetooth: 5.2
Bluetooth chip: Qualcomm® QCC3040
Bluetooth codec: aptX Adaptive, aptX, AAC, SBC
Frequency range: 20Hz - 20KHz
Connection distance: 10m/33ft (Open Area)
Waterproof rating: IPX5
Dimensions: Earphone: 39 x 16.5 x 16.8 mm / 1.54 x 0.65 x 0.66 inches Charging Case: 48 x 23 x 57.5 mm / 1.89 x 0.9 x 2.26 inches
Weight: Earphone: about 4 g / 0.008lbs Charging Case: about 37 g / 0.08lbs
Playtime: Up to 6.5 Hours (on a Single Charge); Up to 27 Hours (with the Charging Case)
Charging time: Earphones: About 1 Hour 30 Minutes; Charging Case: About 2 Hours
Microphones: 4
Voice Assistant: Supports Siri, Cortana and Google Assistant
Tested at: USD$40, currently selling at $26
ACCESSORIES
In addition to the TWS buds, a Type-C charging cable and charging case are provided.
The charging case features a magnetic grip on the earbuds, so even if the contents of the case are turned upside down, the TWS buds inside won't drop out. The charging case supports USB Type-C charging, but no fast charging is available.
Weighing in at 30+ grams, the case itself is pretty light and small in profile, and can easily be slipped into a pocket.
The number of lights at the front of the case will indicate the remaining battery life and charging status.
The case has a reset button - see no. 7 circled above. If a reset or pairing issues are encountered, one can press the reset button on the case for 10 seconds.
BUILD/UTILITY
The Onyx Ace Pro's fit is similar to that of apple airpods, featuring a hybrid between earbuds/IEMs.
These buds are very light and ergonomic, I've no issues using them for hours. Indeed, they also fit well and do not drop out of the ears even with robust head turning/shaking, eg during exercise. The long stem provide a good counterweight to the actual earbud, so in terms of design, they are well implemented.
Speaking about exercise, these are IPX5 rated waterproof, so they can resist a sustained, low-pressure water jet spray, and are well suited for gym work or even jogging in the rain.
FUNCTION
The mic/charging contact are at the bottom of the stem and the function button is located at the top of these buds
The buttons work as advertised, and are on the more sensitive side. However, the buttons are a bit small and those with large fingers may have an issue with pressing them.
Taking the earbuds out of the charging case will turn them on automatically, and putting them back in turns them off. They can also be turned off manually via pressing the buttons for 5 seconds. To manually turn them on, tap and hold the buttons on both earphones for 2 seconds. These buds will also turn themselves off after 5 minutes if there is no sound input provided via BT, or when the battery is low.
Interestingly, the Onyx Ace Pro can be used in Mono mode, but volume cannot be adjusted in this mode.
Battery life is rather good, advertised by Tronsmart to hit up to 6.5 Hours (on one charge) or up to 27 Hours (with the charging case) at moderate volumes. In practice, I found the battery specs to be just a tinge below the above, but as per most electronics, the battery life is expected to decrease with repeated charges. Suffice to say, one can easily get thru a whole day with the charges provided via the charging case.
CONNECTIVITY
I had no issues pairing the Onxy Ace Pro with multiple bluetooth devices (both windows, android and apple based, and even some DAPs like the Sony A55 and Shanling Q1), they recognized them immediately.
Various codecs such as aptX Adaptive, aptX, AAC and SBC are supported by these buds, so that's pretty nifty. In terms of BT connectivity, the Onyx Ace Pro doesn't disappoint, having very stable connectivity and range. Tronsmart advertises the effective range to be around 10 meters, and it is thereabouts, assuming no big obstructions are in the way. I had few dropouts during my few weeks of usage with them.
Sadly there is no app support on the Tronsmart app (at this current time), so there are no EQ or touch button customization options.
SOUND
The Onyx Ace Pro features a 13mm composite polymer driver, and they are tuned to a consumer friendly mild V-shape signature. While they aren't the most "audiophile" tuned pair of TWS buds in terms of absolute sonic fidelity, they are well suited to be a daily beater pair for lay consumers, and do a fair job in terms of sound.
These are mid-bass focused, with a sub-bass roll-off due to the lack of isolation (in view of the hybrid earbud design). Bass is fast enough, and decently textured for a TWS pair. The lower midrange is depressed as per the V-shaped tuning, but upper mids are boosted and female vocals are quite forward over male vocals. The upper mids region may get a bit hot at louder volumes (Fletcher Munson curve), especially if they are used in a noisy environments, as the lack of isolation may make one tempted to boost the volume to hear better. Treble is quite airy and extended with occasional sibilance at louder volumes (as mentioned above).
At low volumes and in quiet places, the V-shaped tuning is quite well done, but perhaps at noisy places, I would resist the urge to pump up the volume, to protect hearing health and to lower the upper midrange glare.
Instrumental timbre is very good and natural, though vocals can be a bit nasal at times, with a thin note weight. For a TWS pair, micro-details, clarity are decent, imaging and instrument separation are about average. Soundstage width is quite good, though depth/height are kind of "in your head". The caveat is that one can't compare these technical aspects with wired gear, but I would say the Onyx Ace Pro are more tuned for consumers than for true "audiophiles"; the Onyx Ace Pro do a decent enough job for sound on the go, and indeed one wouldn't be really focused on the fine nuances and analysis of critical listening while out and about.
I didn’t detect overt latency with music but there is a gaming mode that actually decreases the latency further. This gaming mode does decrease the soundstage to be more "in your head" but imaging seems to be more focused in this mode, perhaps giving better localization to footsteps and gunshots in this mode.
The Onyx Ace Pro supports various Voice Assistants like Siri, Cortana and Google Assistant, which is a nice addition.
Tronsmart advertises that these buds feature dual mics with cVc 8.0 call reduction, to theoretically quell background noise to offer better call quality. Indeed, call quality is pretty good on the Onyx Ace Pro, during calls for zoom teleconferences, I could hear others very well, and the feedback garnered from the other participants is that the speech was intelligible and understandable (though a bit soft and just a tinge muffled).
CONCLUSIONS
The Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro are a versatile on-the-go TWS pair of buds, very suited for a daily beater pair, or even for calls and meetings. They feature stable BT connectivity, multiple codec support, long battery life, waterproofing and an intuitive UI.
While not the last word in absolute sonic fidelity for "audiophiles", the Onyx Ace Pro are a good pair for consumers who want an all-rounder TWS set that serves most functions well. For the $26 USD introductory price, I'd happily stock up on a couple as presents for friends and family!
