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Model: EPZ G10
Price: £46.91 - AliExpress
Review Reference: RC119

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: EPZ
• Model: Q5
• Driver: 10mm self-developed dual-magnetic circuit, dual-cavity ceramic carbon nano-composite diaphragm
• IEM Weight: 4.17g
• IEM Dimensions: 18mm (height) x 20.3mm (width) x 20.3mm (max depth)
• Shell: 3D printed resin shell & acoustic cavity
• Impedance: 26Ω±15%(@1kHz)
• Sensitivity: 109dB/Vrms(@1kHz)
• Frequency Response Range: 10Hz-50kHz
• Effective Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
• Cable: 1.2m 4-core single crystal copper silver plated cable
• Connector: MMCX Single Pin with 3.5mm jack

Includes:

1 x Pair IEM
1 x Detachable 4-core single crystal copper silver plated (no mic)
1 x User Manual
1 x Warranty Card
6 x Pair spare tips (3 x flat style SML, 3 x medium bore SML)
1 x Carry Case
1 x Microfiber cleaning cloth

YouTube Review:



Introduction

EPZ have had quite the year, raising their heads above the parapet of relative Chifi obscurity to elevate their profile enough to force the usual suspects into raising their game substantially if they hope to maintain market share going into 2024. I recently reviewed their G10, and was wowed with what I encountered - EPZ don't just deliver good audio hardware, but they make the whole consumer experience enjoyable, with themed unboxing experiences and relatively decent accessories given their price bracket.

The 5 in Q5 I'm sure represents the 'Five Years of Glory and Prosperity' that have followed EPZ building their brand out in 2019. Whilst they are relative newcomers to the market - they aren't strangers to the scene, having been originally founded much earlier, focusing mostly on OEM manufacture of shells and audio components. Realising that they could probably carve themselves a niche in this saturated marketplace - that's exactly what they've done - and we're now seeing the fruits of their labour, with high quality products thanks to their experience and expertise, with nicely engineered shells and the use of their own in-house drivers delivering excellent value for money and audio that belies the relatively lowly price tag.

The Q5 are another Harman-diffuse-field set with a slight w-shape sound, and great build quality and ergonomics, albeit with more than a hint of homage paid to Meze Audio's Advar. If you can get over the stylistics, you're left with a very technically capable IEM that excels with some genres in particular. Whilst it perhaps isn't quite up there with the G10 in terms of bang-for-buck, the Q5 are one of my favourite sets of 2023 for their straightforward driveability, excellent comfort and mature, natural sound.

Unboxing

Theming is something we've grown somewhat accustomed to with Chifi releases throughout 2023. It isn't enough any more to deliver a Harman sound without a story - and with EPZ here, it manifests in quite the unboxing, which takes the unravelling of a few layers to get access to the goodies. Eventually, you're greeted with the first of a few accessories - the EPZ carry case. It's fairly unremarkable, measuring 100mm wide, 72mm high and 36mm deep, but there's enough room for the sleek shells of the Q5 and their cable, as well as room in the side pocket for the array of spare tips.



And it is quite the array. EPZ have included a SML selection in both flat and NiceHCK 7-style rounder, medium-bore tips. The latter are similar to those included with the G10, and whilst they worked on that model, they don't jive well with the Q5, for me at least. I'll talk about their positional sensitivity later, but the experience initially wasn't great for me until I switched the tips to the Azla Sednaearfit Crystal ones - this mitigated the driver flex I was experiencing with the former, and ill-fit and comfort with the latter. Don't take my word for it though - tips are a very subjective experience, and at least EPZ have given you a couple of options here.



Also in the box are a somewhat hard-to-read manual, a QC approval card and an EPZ-branded microfibre cleaning cloth, which helps no end with the inevitable finger-marks which plague the black version I'm testing here.



Finally, there's a 1.2m MMCX 4-core single crystal copper silver plated cable, and it's a good one too. Overall, a pretty nice package for those who don't have boxes and boxes of this stuff already - if you're entering this hobby and you're looking for a set that can get you up and running quickly, EPZ are a brand that you can't really go wrong with.

Design and Build Quality

The Q5 are very slim-profile, stage-style IEMs that feature a high-quality glossy piano-black finish and concave funnel-style void with a tuning aperture in the centre. Sure it's a homage to the Advar, but they're $600 IEMs - whilst they may look similar on paper, and maybe even on the screen, in reality, an homage is really all it is. Despite that, the Q5 do possess their own impressive build quality and finish, although as you would expect, it's a long way from the precision engineering on its look-a-like.



The Q5 are a low profile, slimline IEM, measuring 20.3mm wide, around 18mm high and around 20.3mm in depth. There's a nice curvature to the outside, and the macro shot here reveals the persistence in underlining the 5 year anniversary theming, with the message 'EPZ AUDIO - STARTED IN 2019' circling the tuning hole. They're lightweight too - weighing in at just over 4g, which is slightly below average for 3d printed resin shells, no doubt aided by the carbon drivers.



Here's evidence of where the cleaning cloth comes in handy! The inside of the dermatologically-friendly 3d printed resin shell has very subtle curves, but despite this, it ensures a snug, comfy fit with decent isolation, matching up with the antihelix area quite well.



As mentioned previously, it's a single pin MMCX connector which marries the cable and the IEM, which is kinda expected being a stage-style IEM. MMCX ensures a little more flexibility in the wearing, but you do have the rather tiresome 5-20 minute spell the first few times you connect (and remove them) where you 'find the bite' and are able to get them to click into place rather than pretend they're connected and then suddenly release. Once connected, they work well with a more active user.



The nozzles and MMCX connector have a matching brassy finish. The nozzle is medium insertion, so not too invasive, but sufficient isolation with good noise cancelling properties without feeling too stuffy.



The connectors display the L (or R) on the outside to denote which is which. As you see here, it's an ultra-ergonomic design that in truth probably fits Kemar better than it does me! The ear hooks are super comfy, although I did notice they had a habit of coming loose the first few times I wore them. After getting used to them, they have remained in place ever since.



Overall, it is a super-comfy, lightweight, ergonomic IEM with good fit for prolonged use. Isolation is also good enough to ensure that the Q5 are a versatile, go-to set which work well for both home and active use.

Audio & Sound Signature

The Q5 sport a dual cavity, dual magnet 10mm dynamic driver, developed in-house by EPZ. The back of the box shows the frequency response - a mild W shaped sound that, like the G10 and many others in its price category, follows the Harman 2019 target curve, however it has enough nuances to the sound to stamp its own authority and position it for some music styles more than others. For vocal jazz, opera, blues, movie soundtracks, and particularly melodic techno, the Q5 are very well positioned. For rock and metal, they're perhaps not quite so well suited, and when we look at the graphs, there are plenty of hints as to why that might be.



As I mentioned in my review of the G10, the Q5 has a moreish sound that does bring me back to it quite often. Its sound signature aligns to my preferred music style - Anjunabeats - with a slightly elevated lower frequency response, warmth and natural tonality and solid texture to the midbass. The subtle boost at 80JHz injects warmth and body, and as with the G10 steers clear of one-note thump. Kick drums are clean and tight, fast and punchy. The bass is tactile and tangible, and not coloured or blurred, leaning into midbass rhythm over subbass rumble. Its mix of mid bass punch and top-end air produce a sound with momentum and spaciousness. You still get full lows to anchor the sound, but details shine through with the Q5's fast transient response. For deep, progressive vocal house from the likes of Eli & Fur, the Q5 are really in their element - bass conveys power more than prominence. They aren't basshead IEMs, but the texture is above average in its bracket.

Through the midrange, the Q5 captivate - for the most part. Lower mids accentuate 300Hz for male vocals, which sound natural and buttery. Move over to opera, and tenors in particular resonate emotion with expression, power and weight. The Q5 are a very musical set, endowed with transparency- strings receive added spice and detail and synths have a rounder attack. As the response ascends, so does the energy - the upper mid lift places female vocals brightly atop mixes. Mostly, female vocals are silky in their presentation, augmented by the warm, organic, immersive sound signature.

Where the Q5 don't excel is rock. The peak at 5k can result in perception of low treble sibilance. Whilst the Q5 don't wilt at a congested arrangement, more complex, energetic rock tracks don't flex the Q5's surprisingly excellent imaging. Guitars can have a metallic overtone - the only real blot on the copybook of an otherwise believable, honest-to-the-source presentation. The trebles are otherwise slightly-south-of-neutral, dialling back brilliance in favour of realism with a graceful triangle decay of sparkle and space without fatigue. Its a polite treble response that gives sufficient attack and texture to percussion and sizzle to cymbals to offer a happy medium of detail and energy that makes prolonged listening enjoyable, and rarely fatiguing.

Imaging on the Q5 is a particular highlight. Layering and coherency impress for a single DD budget set - they're a smooth, musical IEM with accurate and precise placement and good width to the soundstage. Resolution here is much better than I'm used to experiencing at sub £50. The Q5 are a real gem, with technicalities that make a mockery of their price and are a real statement of intent from EPZ in this respect.

However, their positionally-sensitive nature is worthy of a mention here. It takes a while to organise the Q5 into optimum position, with optimum tips too. There is a slight brightness to the Q5 that is more detectable with more simple styles of music. This is amplified unless the Q5 are pointed in their prime position. It took me quite a while to work out what that was. It also took quite a bit of tip rolling to get the sound spot on too. This is quite subjective, but is reflective of my own experience with the Q5.



Comparing them to the G10, the Q5 are a more lively listen. Thanks to the increased lower mid-focus, male vocals exude more creaminess, and are unmatched by their more linear little sister. The G10 is smooth, but the Q5 have crisper note presentation. Strings have more rosiny bite and cymbals more shimmer than the G10, but on rock and 80s the G10 offer slightly greater versatility, negating the metallic overtone on more congested performances.

The Q5 cost a bit more than the G10, and whilst musically the Q5 are superior, the G10 will appeal to those on a strict budget with their excellent bang-for-buck.



The Zero2 are the darling of reviewers across Headfi and YouTube, but it didn't really tickle my fancy. It feels a bit like they went too far the other way from the Zero, and the result is a coarser, boomier, less-resolving affair with more rumble but inferior staging and technicalities. Next to the thunderously bass-soaked Zero2, the Q5 may underwhelm for those who feel the need for low-end power. Listening to thumping hip hop or aggressive EDM, the Zero 2 stomps mightily thanks to the boosted 40Hz slam, whilst synth growls shudder, but switching genres quickly reveals the Zero2's weaknesses. Ambient electronica loses its glistening atmosphere, smothered in blurry echo. The Q5 by comparison projecting clear and true, with its euphonic, more accurate and faithful midband reproduction, augmented by added air and vastly superior microdetail.

The Zero2 cost quite a bit less than the Q5, but the Q5 are worth every extra penny a far better value proposition.



The Simgot EA500LM are even warmer than the Q5, with a little more subbass rumble and thump, whilst delivering great texture and depth within their price category. The subbass extension makes them a more discerning basshead set than the Zero2, with a thicker note weight than the Q5. From a treble perspective, the LM sharing a similarly bright yet natural presentation to the Q5, rarely teetering on the fatiguing. The staging is more intimate on the EA500LM, but their improved technical performance means they cope slightly better with more congested arrangements, making up for the notably inferior width with slightly superior depth and height. The LM also offer some added versatility by including additional nozzles for alternative tunings.

Summary

This is the second EPZ set I've been testing over the last few weeks, and again, it doesn't fail to impress. Both of EPZ's single DD releases in 2023 have showcased their abilities to deliver modern, Harman-df tuning with above average technicalities, whilst also projecting what buyers want in terms of the ergonomics and overall package. Both the G10 and Q5 are ideal for newcomers feeling their way into the hobby, with build quality and overall package that offer great value for money and longevity.

Due to the way the stock tips engaged with my ears, it took a little tip rolling to mitigate driver flex and maximise comfort and audio delivery, but once I did I was extremely happy with the Q5. Some will no doubt take exception to the Advar-homage appearance and MMCX cable, but these are very minor quibbles as far as I'm concerned. The Q5 is a very solid choice in the sub £50 category, and outperforms many IEMs priced much higher by the names we know, but perhaps are falling out of love with.

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Model: OneOdio OpenRock Pro
Price: MSRP £119.99 - currently £89.99 from Amazon UK
Website: AliExpress
Review Reference: RC103

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: OneOdio
• Model: OpenRock Pro
• Driver: 16.2mm Dynamic Driver
• Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3040
• Mic: 4 mics with environmental noise reduction for calls
• ANC: No
• Codecs: AptX, AAC, SBC
• App Support: No
• Multipoint: No
• Customisable Controls: No
• Gaming Mode: No
• Earbud Weight: 12.84g
• Earbud Dimensions: 57mm wide, 47mm high
• Gross Case & Buds Weight: 89g
• Case Dimensions: 77.6mm (width) x 58.4mm (height) x 41.7mm (depth)
• Case Charge Capacity: 400mAh
• Quick Charge: Yes - up to 1 hour from 5 min juice
• Wireless Charging: No
• Charge Time: 60 minutes (buds), 90 minutes (buds and case)
• Single Use Playtime: Up to 19 hours
• Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 46 hours
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
• Bluetooth Protocols: BLE/ HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
• Water Resistance: IPX5

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x User Manual: 9 different languages
1 x Quick Wear Guide

YouTube Review:



Introduction

Sports-focused open ear buds seem to be all the rage at the moment, with even the budget vendors making headway into this market and adding them into their portfolio. My next review after this is probably going to be the SoundPEATS Wings2, we've seen the Haylou Purfree Buds in my previous reviews, QCY have their Crossky GTR, and of course there are the OG Oladance Open Ear and the pretenders to the crown, the new Shokz Openfit.

The OneOdio OpenRock Pro have been around a few months now, and with a fairly hefty price tag (MSRP £119.99) expectations are rather high for this release. I've been testing them over the course of the last few weeks across a number of activities - here's what I thought of them.

Unboxing



OneOdio unboxings are typically quite impressive, and the OpenRock Pro are no exception. In a yellow and black enclosure that has a hint of 'Poco' about it, the case and cable are held in with a foam inlay and the manuals and warranty card sit on top. These kind of earbuds don't tend to have too many accessories other than a charge cable, and the user manual, which comes in 9 different languages: English, Chinese, French, German, Russian, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Polish. Everything in the manuals is very clear and they've used diagrams to pretty good effect here.

It isn't quite up there with the Haylou Purfree Buds as far as unboxings go, but it will do.

Charge Case



The clamshell style case is certainly different. The black plastic clamshell style design even looks a bit like a shell, with the lined outer edges adding a bit of friction to prevent it slipping out of your hand. It's a bit of a beast at around 7x5x4cm and just shy of 90g fully loaded. Put it this way - you won't be taking this case out with you on a run unless you want it to be a weighted one! The case is held narrow-way facing you, the OpenRock logo side. Flip it open and you'll immediately notice there's no friction on the hinge until you get to full extension, where it has a double-latch effect. Shake it hard enough, and that hinge will unfortunately slam shut. Due to the shape, where OneOdio have tried to reduce the overall dimensions by adding curvature to the edges, it won't stand on the desk - hence the picture above. Instead, you have to hold with one hand and remove the buds with the other. The case gives you plenty of room to unhook them, and away you go.

I've tried a few different releases of this ilk, and nobody has really come up with a consistent, winning case configuration in any of their products really - each has their pros and cons. The OpenRock Pro case is durable and hard-wearing, if not the most portable approach, but removing the buds is a little easier than, say the Haylou Purfree Buds, which operates more like a glasses case, lying the buds flat.

The case does give an impressive level of charge though. The buds are capable of around 19 hours playback - and even with the odd call I wasn't too far short of this - and the case takes that up even further to a total of 46 hours. There's a quick charge feature giving you an extra hour of playtime from 5 minutes juice, and OneOdio also supply a travel sleeve so you can at least pack them away if you're on a bike ride and you decide you don't want to listen any more - you can switch them off by long pressing the buttons.

On the bottom of the case you'll find a USB-C socket (there's no wireless charging) and an LED, which gives you indications of the battery level when charging and when not. When charging, you'll get a red pulse when it's below 20%, a red and green simultaneous pulse when 21-50%, pulsing green when 51-99% and then solid green when it's fully charged, and there's a similar configuration when it isn't charging that makes it very straightforward to learn how much battery you have remaining.

Ergonomics



Plenty of thought has gone into the OpenRock Pro, and as a result it is both very comfortable and extremely secure. The buds measure around 57mm at their widest and around 47mm high, and weigh in at 12.8g. That may sound heavy, but it's identical to the Oladance equivalent and only slightly heavier than the Haylou. They feel extremely lightweight until you start moving, and their mass is a big benefit at this point because there's no movement whatsoever, regardless of how rigorous you're moving around.

As you see above, the units are predominantly plastic, save for a flexible area around the top which allows you some minor adjustment if they don't sit perfect on your ear. I have averagely-large ears as a 43 year old male, and didn't need any adjustment personally, but it's there if you need it, and this could come in handy particularly if you're not getting the most out of the 16.2mm drivers. These drivers are spread over a single cylindrical area as opposed to the multiple points you see on some others, but this doesn't seem to really make any difference either way.

On the main body underneath the OpenRock logo, you will find the control buttons. Yep - there's no touch controls here thankfully, they are physical, tactile buttons. They do feel a little cheap admittedly, but it's still a far better solution than touch controls, and they have made them light enough that you don't have to fiddle around too much while you're moving. Pressing the button once operates play or pause, pressing the left ear twice turns the volume down and the right ear twice turns it up, whilst progressing songs is done by holding the respective button for a couple of seconds. Triple tapping the button hails your voice assistant. It takes a little getting used to, but I like that OneOdio haven't tried to overcomplicate it and are giving you all the basic controls you're going to need, even if in practice whichever solution vendors go for isn't going to be perfect when you're running.



I did wonder beforehand if the predominant use of hard plastic would result in the buds wearing a bit bulky or looking a tad intrusive, but this isn't the case at all. OneOdio seem to have got the dimensions pretty much spot on. The OpenRock Pro are extremely comfortable for long periods of time, and they pass the shake test with flying colours. I even used them doing ab exercises, where I'd be tilting my head back on the mat a fair bit, and they stayed in place a little better than the Haylou. Whether you could wear them under a motorcycle helmet is perhaps a little questionable, and they aren't as good for side sleepers as the Purfree Buds, but for running, cycling, hiking and use at the gym, the OpenRock Pro are ideal, and their IPX5 rating improves on the likes of the Oladance, which tops out at a slightly disappointing IPX4.



Here you can see how each of the vendors have taken an alternative route. For me, the Haylou (middle) have a better hook - made from titanium alloy and a soft rubberised edge, there's a little more maleability to them, and they feel a little more gentle on your ears, but the main control area is better on the OpenRock Pro, keeping a similar if not improved level of thinness to the profile without jutting outwards. The Haylou can look a little awkward at times, whereas the OpenRock wear a bit more intuitively, and don't make your ears stick out quite as much.

The build quality is good, and comfort is very good too. You've got some flexibility in the hooks and they wear well with sunglasses, so absolutely nothing to complain about the ergonomics at least. The only minor quibble could be the aesthetics - my ears are a little longer than average, so the slightly 80's-looking black and grey 'bluetooth headset'-esque look probably doesn't resonate as much as it does on smaller ears. I've seen some pictures where it seems to take over the wearers entire ear, and the silver panel is a little cheap looking under close scrutiny. It probably isn't going to win first prize in a beauty contest, so if this is a major thing to you check the pictures carefully, but for me at least I don't think they look too bad.

Audio

OneOdio have combined large, 16.2mm drivers with the AptX codec and their 'TrueBass' technology, and the result is, by open ear standards, fairly impressive. With open-ear designs, the focus in slightly different to TWS or IEMs, because there's also the form factor to consider - the drivers will be set back from your ear canal somewhat, and as a manufacturer you want to give users a tuning that balances appropriate acoustics and loudness with the requisite situational awareness for the specific use cases.

With the OpenRock Pro, the balance is about right. It's a v-shaped sound signature, with slightly muted vocals and harmonics and a warmer tone, with a fullness to lower frequencies. Uncharacteristically for open ear designs, you get a fair bit of oomph to kick drums and darker tones come through emphatically in electronic synths. There's also decent balance to the trebles, with percussive elements retaining texture and presence without ever sounding harsh, even on higher volumes. Whilst the bass is arguably a bit too strong when you're listening in silence, when you're out on a run or on the bike, this is where the OpenRock Pro sound signature shines - it's much more engaging than the Haylou Purfree Buds, sounding much less thin as a result. The trebles are rolled off a little, and this works really well, because out of the box you really don't want something etched and coarse - this is an absolute no-no, but many vendors don't necessarily follow that mantra.

The soundstage is quite nice too. It isn't as wide and open as the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, for example, but there's far better layering and dimension than most open ear offerings. OneOdio have favoured getting those lower frequencies across strongly without bordering on distortion, and in that respect it is mission accomplished. In my experience, this kind of tuning works really well for this type of earbud, because it retains plenty of energy and guards against fatigue.

The only blot on the copybook is the slightly-low maximum volume - like the Haylou Purfree Buds, it's perhaps a notch or two short of being perfect in all conditions. I took the OpenRock Pro out on the bike near Gatwick Airport, and the mixture of traffic and aircraft noises around the A23 left my audiobook a little incoherent even on maximum volume. You are also deprived of the ability to customise the sound, because OneOdio doesn't have app support. Of course, you can use Wavelet on Android, and there's some merit in that, but overall I think they've done a decent job with the tuning that won't have you desperately trying to EQ them.

So as far as open ear products go, it's one of the most impressive tunings out of the box I've tested so far.

Call Quality

Call quality on the OpenRock Pro probably wasn't their priority, but it's actually rather effective. Outdoors in particular, it handles traffic and general commuting noises pretty well, and whilst wind can take your call off course a fair bit, this is the case with most TWS, let alone open ear ones. The ambient noise reduction works well in this environment, taking the edge off engine noises and only really struggling with sirens and alarms. Outdoor calls are definitely possible - it's far better than something like the SoundPEATS RunFree Lite, for example.

Indoors, you can sense very quickly that the noise reduction wasn't tuned with a busy coffee shop or office in mind. Whilst calls aren't impossible, the NR battles to work out whether it is your voice or the incoherent chatter around you that needs to be dulled, and as a result your voice, whilst still elevated, is softened a little bit, making it hard to decipher every word. Even so, your voice comes across with a fairly natural weight and tone, it just isn't quite sharp enough to make them ideal for calling in a way the better performing TWS do.

You can also control volume with the physical buttons whilst on a call, which is a nice touch, and isn't always the case. I

Battery Life

The advertised 19 hour battery life on the OpenRock Pro almost knocked me for six - were they really going to over DOUBLE the battery life of the Haylou, almost TRIPLE the original Cleer Ally Arc and SMASH the 16 hours on the Oladance?!

Yes, they actually did! They didn't quite hit the heights of the advertised - using the aptX codec on Android on maximum volume with a few calls in there, I got a few minutes over 15 hours - still way more than the competition and incredibly respectable as an audio device of any description.

The case features a handy quick charge feature too, giving you can additional 1 hour of playtime from 5 minutes in the case, and the total playtime - 46 hours - is pretty much unparalleled, making up for the chunkiness of the case profile very quickly!

Other Features & Drawbacks

The OpenRock Pro use the Qualcomm QCC3040 chipset - a very popular Bluetooth 5.2 chip which we see a lot in sports wearable audio. It is extremely stable and gives you actually pretty good latency if you are going to watch videos with them. Gaming is probably out of the question as there's no low latency mode - again, not really an issue for me given their raison d'etre, but worth a mention. There's also no in-ear detection, although for me I tend not to worry about this with open-ear buds like these as pausing them is just easier.

Usually in my TWS reviews it's at this point I start tearing strips off the app, but sadly OneOdio don't have one. It's a gift and a curse- whilst they avoid my wrath, it does mean you're kinda stuck with the EQ and button configuration, especially if you're on IOS and can't benefit from Wavelet. An app isn't just about EQ and buttons though - they are also useful at seeing your battery percentage at a glance, and updating firmware. And once again, there's no option for this....and at around £100 this does once again feel like an opportunity missed.

The case, whilst fine for me, isn't going to please everyone. It won't fit in your pockets, and whilst there is a silicone carry case for the OpenRock Pro, you have to buy it as an extra. Whilst it's only an extra fiver, I think OneOdio could have won some PR points here by including it with the buds. Not a deal breaker, but still a bit of a shame.

Summary

2023 has definitely been the year of the open ear bud so far, and having been one of the early adopters, OneOdio remain a front runner if you're looking for a design that gives you plenty of long-term comfort, good stability, decent sound and outstanding battery life.

At £119.99, they are much cheaper than the Shokz Openfit and Oladance, and around the same price as they Haylou Purfree Buds. Given they've been on the market a while and with Prime Day coming up, I could foresee some decent discounts on the OpenRock Pro - if you're a runner or cyclist and these drop below the £90 mark I'd bite their hands off - they're a solid performer that will even stand the test for 50 mile ultramarathon runners.

About OneOdio

At OneOdio, everything revolves around excellent sound, tapping the visceral power of music for all. We have infused decades of experience and passion into creating music to life. Fueled by cutting-edge tech and unwavering passion for quality, we create high-end headphones and audio equipment designed to elevate your listening experience. So far we have firmly planted the OneOdio flag in the DJ, Monitor, ANC and HIFI industries. Besides, we are also devoted to the high-tech consumer electronics industry-sports open earbuds.

OneOdio have successfully branched into different product areas - now adding microphones and sports headphones to their portfolio, and this outward product development looks set to continue strongly into 2023.

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Model: SoundPEATS H1 Premium
Price: MSRP $90
Vendor Website: SoundPEATS
Review Reference: RC041

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: SoundPEATS
• Model: H1 Premium
• Driver: 8.6mm Dynamic Driver & Knowles BA
• Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3040
• Impedence: 16 Ohm
• Mic: 4, cVc 8.0
• ANC: No
• Volume Control: Yes
• Codecs: AptX-adaptive, AptX, AAC, SBC
• Earbud Weight: 6.18g
• Earbud Dimensions: 24-26mm wide, neck approx. 13mm, 20mm height
• Case Weight: 41g
• Gross Weight: 53g
• Case Dimensions: 70mm (width) x 41mm (depth) x 30mm (height)
• Case Charge Capacity: 500mAh
• Full Charge Time: 90 minutes
• Quick Charge: No
• Wireless Charging: Yes
• Input: 5V 1A
• Single Use Playtime: Up to 10 hours
• Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 40 hours
• App Support: Not currently
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
• Bluetooth Protocols: BLE/ HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
• Water Resistance: IPX5
• Firmware Tested: 0.2.9

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C & Qi Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
3 x Pair Silicone Tips
1 x Pair Comply Foam Tips
1 x User manual, warranty card



Real Life Experience

Welcome to the Regancipher review of the eagerly-anticipated SoundPEATS H1. This is my fourth SoundPEATS review, and it is pleasing to see them improving incrementally, gradually moving up to higher specifications (and higher price tags). Originally a Kickstarter product, this is now available through the usual procurement channels, and retails at the relatively high price of around £69.99, taking them outside the budget sub $50 category for the first time. This is their first attempt at hybrid multi-driver bud, and having been so disappointed with QCY's T10, and to a degree, KZ's SA08, I was cautiously optimistic that SoundPEATS would deliver where the others failed. And they did.

The thing that sets SoundPEATS apart from other vendors, and makes them one of 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 Unboxing - 7/10

Despite this being SoundPEATS' flagship product, the unboxing is identical to all of their other recent releases, which isn't a bad thing, but it certainly isn't in the league of the Tronsmart Apollo Bold, for example. Perhaps this is something SoundPEATS need to have in mind if they are going to cross the Rubicon and release truly ground-breaking products like the H1 again - whilst I have no issue with corners being cut on the bit of cardboard it comes in, sometimes people will judge a book by its cover, so that could be an area to look to embellish if they are going to establish as a truly global brand.

It is evident that SoundPEATS have marketed the product as a sports earbud, which is surprising as they are only IPX5 moisture resistant. That said, IPX5 is more than suitable for a bit of sweat and even light rain, so don't be too concerned from that aspect.

The other side reminds us that the buds are their first attempt at hybrid drivers, but the branding isn't really 'in your face' like some brands - a more understated approach is taken.

Once inside you get the usual user guide and warranty card, but you also get a set of COMPLY TRUEGRIP foam tips. I like foam tips, but the supplied silicone tips are also decent quality, so you have some decisions to make when it comes to fit and function. With the foam, you get slightly better isolation - estimated up to 28dB, which is not far off ANC levels, and I'm sure it will change the sound profile slightly, so will add to the review once I've tested that element out.

The manual comes with instructions in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Chinese and gives a very clear indication on how to use the buds, including the control scheme, which is very nicely detailed with easy-to-understand graphics as well as a text box. You also get a USB-C charge cable, not that I need any more of those!

The Case - 8/10



The case is reminiscent of the one SoundPEATS used for the Sonic, albeit slightly wider, with a nice gun metal-style finish on top. The bottom section is a more generic-looking semi-matte black, with the SoundPEATS brand name screen printed on the top, giving them a true two-tone look. At 7x4x3cm, it still has a relatively low footprint and decent portability, but you wouldn't want them in your trouser pocket in skinny jeans.



The case weighs in at around 41g, and 53g with the buds inside. As you can see above, they have moved away from the red/amber/green lighting scheme used on the Sonic to a more accurate 'four quarters', which aligns well with their total battery life - approx. 40 hours (4 full charges).



The buds slot in the top, and there's a medium strength magnet pulling the buds in, and a slightly flimsy hinge securing the case when shut. I love the 'friction-style' hinge on the BOYA BY-AP4 and SoundPEATS other recent release, the T2, which has a satisfying 'stop' that prevents it from accidentally shutting, but this is a minor quibble and not worth losing any sleep over! The front is very similar to the Sonic case, and whilst there is a small lip to assist with opening it, it can't feasibly be prised open with one hand, well, not easily anyway, due to the width of the case.



At the back, there's a USB-C charge socket. There is also a light next to it, which turns red when you plonk it on a Qi wireless charger - yep, the case supports wireless charging. There is no indication 'quick charge' is supported - a full charge takes just 90 minutes though, which is still very impressive considering the total playtime.

The Ergonomics - 9/10



The fit on the H1 is more like the True Engine 3SE than the Sonic or T2, thankfully, with a curvature that ensures excellent passive noise isolation, and the buds don't feel too invasive whilst still remaining secure during exercise - something the Sonic really struggled with, and is a feature of buds like the FIIL T1XS, Jabra Elite 75t and Alien Secret QCC010.



From the side, the buds clearly shape around your concha quite nicely, and the light at the bottom underneath the logo thankfully only displays when no media is playing. I like to think of this as an 'it's OK to shout at me' prompt to anyone approaching!



When we take a closer look at the design compared with some of its peers, we see that whilst they are relatively wide (27mm) when you factor in the neck, they do not feel as invasive as the Jabra, Alien Secret QCC010 or FIIL T1XS, but lacks the truly custom fit of the SKS. Nevertheless, this makes for a nice balance that ensures they are comfortable for prolonged use and is more universally acceptable than something like the SKS, which fit my right ear perfectly, but aren't quite so comfy on my left.




From the back, you get a welcome view of the BA, and see the wide bore of the tip.



A well-finished mesh protects the driver, unlike the Jabra. Nevertheless, they should still be cleaned on a regular basis to ensure they don't get clogged up.



You get the feeling of a very premium product when you start to analyse it under closer scrutiny. This is far more impressive than the T2, for example, which feels a little generic. No such issues here. The teardrop style shape really works, and and the SoundPEATS logo is not too overt, disappearing in certain lights, and the outer ambient mic is the only evident addition to the surface area.



The tips are good quality, with a thicker inner ring protecting your ear from the driver surround, which is important, because earbuds can feel a little uncomfortable if you have shallow ear canals.



Weighing in at 6.18g, they are by no means light, but weight displacement has been handled well - they don't feel at all heavy.



SoundPEATS have done a really good job here balancing build quality, aesthetics, practicality and comfort - their best in-ear fit and finish by some distance.

Audio & Sound Signature- 9/10 (for the price paid), 9/10 (raw score)

I tested the sound against other BA earbuds, and was not disappointed. Whilst not quite my go-to sound signature in every music style, it is pretty damn close, and will definitely receive widespread acclaim as it does not fall short in any category, regardless of genre.

Whilst the soundstage is nice and wide, providing plenty of clarity and space, unless you like that consumer friendly, punchy edge to your music, I think you'll be hard pressed not to want to notch the subbass a little, which can be fatiguing, and the top end, which can, with certain tracks, feel like SoundPEATS are just plain bragging about the capabilities of the balanced armature moving coil - again, this could do with a tweak around the 8k mark to negate any sibilance, but only a touch as you'll want to retain the dynamism that accompanies kicks and percussion.

Male vocals feel prominent and forward, whereas female vocals sound a little more detached, although by bringing down those peaks via the EQ, this can be remediated quite easily.

It's a relatively unfamiliar sound signature, certainly in budget Bluetooth TWS, that's both dynamic and flat, and thanks to those hybrid drivers, you can EQ and still get a fantastic sound. There is little to no bleed in the mids, and only the lower midrange frequencies get a shade congested without a ten band EQ - the H1 are now supported by the SoundPEATS app, so along with Wavelet, you have plenty of options to resolve this.

Listening to 'Rose Rouge' by St Germain, a really nice clear instrument separation is immediately obvious, although the wide sound stage does not flourish until you start to hear the brass instruments dance around the vocals. The sax sounded a little too shrilly, so I had to notch the treble a tad here, but this is a very minor complaint, and on the volume I settled on - 68% - the notch was not essential and down to personal preference.

The mids are recessed, but not to the detriment of the experience on 'Retrospect' by Kokiri, a simplistic house track that sounds so much better through decent buds - I'm used to this sounding a bit tinny, but no issues here. Bass is fast and punchy. More challenging dance tracks like 'Mama' by Jonas Blue, a toughie for most TWS, is handled well, with only minor low-mid congestion. Only the SA08 separated better on this track.

Now here's the caveat - not only does the treble occasionally require taming, so does the bass. 'Joy' by Kokiri and 'Mama' by Jonas Blue show how the lower frequencies can, with certain tips, ripple through your ears to the point of discomfort. They can be mitigated with EQ, and still sound great, but seem to lose a little tonality when you do. Tip rolling can also help slightly.

'Rich Kids Blues' by Lyyke Li is extremely well organised and her vocals still shine through. Baritone vocal tracks sound rich - I tried a few John Legend tracks and they sounded magnificent - warm, yet retaining a brightness that prevents it from ever sounding dull.

I don't remember which track it was but something came on on Spotify, and even that sounded nice. I think it was 'Watermelon Sugar' by Harry Styles...a track I would never play, but damn it sounded good!

Resolution is not going to trouble high-end IEM's or even premium bluetooth buds, but it is adequate for the price.

I've really dug deep here to find issues - for $60 this really is gold standard stuff. The KZ SA08 and SKS are the only other buds that come close to the sound quality in budget or even mid-budget TWS. I've not tested any of the recent premium releases, but the H1 (and the SKS for that matter) outperform the Jabra 75t and some of the Soundcore buds I've tested lately too. Very impressive for a budget pair.

Call Quality - Indoors - 6/10, Outdoors - 5/10

The earbuds feature a 4-mic array with a mic at the top for ambient noise, and a voice mic at the bottom of the teardrop. This form factor usually struggles compared with stem-based buds, for obvious reasons - the call mic is further from your mouth, and squeezing in some kind of AI voice sensor is, well, a little while off being both cost-effective and perform better than a decent USB mic.

There have only been a few notable exceptions in mic development in TWS- Taotronics used the Elevoc Voc+ module in a couple of their SoundLiberty releases, and Samsung and Huawei used bone conducting modules and accelerometers in their Buds Live and FreeBuds Pro. In both instances, call quality definitely improved, but modules are just one part of it - far more has to be taken into consideration, usually compromising on other features. Elevoc seem to be doing just that with their imminent release, which I'm really looking forward to, but these are isolated examples- usually mic implementations are, if you'll pardon the expression, different shades of crap!

Soundpeats have shown several times on their in-ear releases that call quality is bottom of their list of priorities - and the H1 is no exception. Calls are good enough indoors. You can sound a little distant at times - to be expected given the form factor - so it's necessary to speak a little louder than stem-based buds, but your voice is reasonably natural and doesn't sound too over-compressed, and that is pretty much all you can ask for really given the above constraints.

Like most other earbuds of this form factor, outdoors they struggle with wind. Whilst kids voices come through quite clearly, sometimes ahead of your own, a blast of traffic virtually wipes out your voice. That said, the cVc8.0 noise reduction is characteristically fairly good at distinguishing sounds around your own voice frequency, so low rumbling sounds are negated rather well. The problem is everything is so muffled it's just too difficult to hear you, demonstrated here in my outdoor call test of 28 different tws models in fairly challenging conditions:



On Zoom and Teams, I found they sometimes scrambled the sound a bit. This is almost certainly down to my Bluetooth adapter - it is has happened with every QCC3040 set I've tested so far - very strange, but as I said, likely a feature of my adapter, not the buds themselves, since it has happened too many times now.

Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 8/10

Connectivity is good. You get a 'Power On' message when you initiate them, like with all SoundPEATS buds, then a 'connected' sound when they connect to your device, along with a chime. AptX-adaptive is the default codec on Android.



Controls are good - intuitive and accurate. Unlike the Sonic, these are touch control, and they operate without too many false positives. They've changed the control scheme around this time, with single tap for volume (left decrease, right increase), double tap for play/pause and answering or hanging up calls.

As detailed above, you are also able to switch between calls, activate voice assistant and initiate game mode. Single mode is activated easily by simply taking one bud out. They do not auto pause, which will please many, as it seems it's a feature I am in the select few to appreciate. And like the Sonic, it is really seamless, although sometimes it can lag if you go back to twin - a feature of all QCC3040 buds I've tested so far.



Latency is about as good as it gets - I measured just over 170Ms with game mode on, and just over 200Ms with standard aptX-adaptive. This is very close to lip sync and ideal for gamers. NOTE - while the material claims the latency is 40-60Ms, remember you need to add in the source too.

Voice prompts are more muted than the Sonic, which is good, because they were deafening! There is no quick charge, but they do support QI wireless charging, and a red light comes on at the back to let you know. There is no app - well, there is, but it was pulled before release. Never a bad thing. If you really need to EQ, Wavelet is fine on android.

Despite no ANC or quick charge, and no multipoint, the H1 are feature-rich where you need them most, and when you consider they've been an active product for over 6 months now, it's even more impressive. Plus, with the Tanchjim tips you may as well have ANC - the difference is very marginal between the PNI provided by this combination and the lower-end ANC buds.

App Support



In January 2022, SoundPEATS have rolled out app support for the H1 and Air3, and whilst the app is still somewhat embryonic, it does give the option to upgrade the firmware, deactivate LED's, initiate gaming mode and either use the custom 6-band equaliser or choose from a number of presets. You can find more detail in my review of the Air3.

Interestingly, as well as the custom equaliser, SoundPEATS included 'Adaptive EQ'. This, like with other vendors, plays through a series of frequencies, testing your hearing, and applies the EQ it deems best fits your hearing. Whilst it works, it gives the warning it is an 'experimental feature', and like Anker and other brands, I didn't find it improved my listening on the Air3 or the H1 immeasurably - on the H1 the difference was far clearer with the mids culled, but the bass was still far too prominent. Even so, a nice feature at the mid to lower price tier budget. There is sadly no button mapping available, and the noise reduction section has no effect.

The app also requires sign up to SoundPEATS' cloud server - not my favourite process by any means, but that's the price you pay with many of these TWS apps.


Battery Life - 9/10



Whilst not reaching the heights of the market-leading Sonic, you get around 40 hours worth of battery in total, with over 6 hours quite realistic from a single charge at a decent volume. I got approx. 36 hours at around 70% volume, so this is not misleading. My tester showed 5.01v, 0.24-0.38A, 1.29-1.9w at full input power.

Recommended Tips



For the H1, the Tanchjim T-APB 300B Medium work well for me. Despite being slightly taller than most tips I use at 9mm high, the 12mm width is sufficient to provide a comfortable but secure seal, when exercising or casually listening.



You may find this fit too invasive, and I have toyed with the extremely flat tips that come with the Elevoc Clear. This enables a pretty much perfect fit, but at the expense of weaker noise isolation.

If you prefer foam or hybrid tips, the Misodiko Mix460 work well.

Final Comments

SoundPEATS have got pretty close to the perfect earbuds here. My previous top-scoring buds, the FIIL T1 Pro, have a nice small case, ANC and wing tips, perform better on outdoor calls, and have quick charge, but the H1 sound far far better than the FIIL, with clearer trebles, better instrument separation and soundstage, and better overall looks. They also feel more comfortable for prolonged use, even more so with the Elevoc tips.

The one minor issue here for SoundPEATS is that they were essentially a 'kickstarter' or indiegogo product (I don't remember which) for the first 7 months of their life. 7 months is a long time in the TWS world. They've aged well considering, lacking no features other than ANC that would be comparable today, but the competitive edge a proper release would have given them in November has been lost a little. It's kinda like the chicken and the egg I guess, but it gives me hope that SoundPEATS can continue their excellent run of releases going forward. Adding app support is a belated but welcome addition, and hopefully this will not be the false start that accompanied the app's initial launch in 2021.

Honestly, having the SKS and H1 to review in one week has been thoroughly enjoyable. It feels like TWS are genuinely reaching that next level. And whilst I mention the lack of ANC, this really should not put you off. The passive isolation is still very good, and for the money you get a truly superb set of buds that support all music styles - ANC becomes kinda irrelevant in the scheme of things when you're getting all the other good stuff that the H1 bring.

The H1 have taken the top spot as the number one earbuds under $100. Well done SoundPEATS!

Ideal if:

• You like a detailed but dynamic sound signature
• You like a snug fit and good passive isolation
• Bang-for-buck is important
• Music is your top priority

Not so suitable for:

• Those that need market-leading active noise cancellation
• Those on a budget
• Those that use the mic a lot
• Those who don't like messing with the EQ and want an extremely neutral sound out of the box

Price Weighted Score: 93%
Raw Score: 90%
2023 Score: 80%

2023 Comments:

The H1 are still a very competent set of earbuds in 2023, at least in terms of audio delivery, although they aren't a stand-out any more like they perhaps were on their release. The H1 were the first SoundPEATS model that really shined, selling a lot of units, and as a result some quality control issues were magnified, with a high number of reported failures. My model is still kicking along without any issues whatsoever, and SoundPEATS continue to support it with further firmware updates.

SoundPEATS Review Inventory:

H2
T3
Mini
Air3
TrueAir2+
TrueAir 2
H1
T2
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.

RC019

How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
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Model: Soundpeats Sonic
Price: £39.99
Vendor Website: Soundpeats
Review Reference: RC019

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: SoundPEATS
• Model: Sonic
• Driver: 10mm
• Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3040
• Mic: 4 cVc 8.0
• ANC: No
• Volume Control: Yes
• Codecs: SBC, APTX, APTX-adaptive
• Earbud Dimension: 18.3x20.5x27.2mm
• Charging Case Dimensions: 61x39x35mm
• Charging Case Power Capacity: 400mah
• Sensitivity: 94±3dB
• Resistance: 16Ω
• Frequency Response Range: 20-20000Hz
• Playing Time: About 15 Hours (volume at 60% on SBC)
• Earbuds Charging Time: About 1.5 hours
• Case Charging Time: 1.5 Hours
• Charging Case Recharge Earbuds: 2 times
• Earbud Power Capacity: 70mah
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth 5.2
• Bluetooth Protocols: HSP, HFP, A2DP, AVRCP

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
3 x Pair Silicone Tips
1 x User manual
1 x Cloth Carry Case




Real Life Experience

The Sonic were another exciting release from the fast-paced SoundPEATS brand, offering a new colour scheme and the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 chip, which supports the efficient aptx-adaptive codec, Bluetooth 5.2 and offers a monstrous single charge battery life.

SoundPEATS' back catalogue is becoming longer than Katie Price's list of conquests, and the Sonic Pro have already been added, essentially offering little different to the non-Pro version besides a more neutral sound signature and the lights no longer stay on. Result!

The Sonic are their mid-range offering, with the H1 being their flagship. The H1 lead in terms of clarity, the Sonic are their all-rounders, with a better mic (albeit with a questionable fit). The T2 are specialist ANC buds, and the excellent TrueAir2+ their 'Airpod' equivalent.

It's sometimes difficult to keep track of the SoundPEATS range, so I'm always happy when I get feedback that reviewing their offering has helped clarify the differences and ensured buyers know what they're getting. I probably get more feedback about SoundPEATS reviews than any other brand - which says more about SoundPEATS than my reviews! Their reputation continues to go from strength to strength, and the Sonic are another excellent release - but not for everyone. Read on and enjoy!

The Unboxing - 7/10



Soundpeats have definitely upped their game. The old budget packaging is gone - the new finish is glossy, the new Soundpeats logo is prominent, and it clearly shows the key features - aptx-adaptive, 35 hours playtime and the use of the QCC3040 chip. The unboxing is not on the level of Edifier or Tronsmart yet, but it's decent. The soft shell still remains - it's on the level of Taotronics now, rather than Mpow or Boltune.



Inside, they've added the nice feature of QR codes to extend the warranty to 21 months, and the case is presented minimally and in compact packaging. A small rectangular foam protection casing encloses the box, with the USB-C cable and spare tips in the cardboard insert above.

The Case - 7.5/10



The finish is a very nice brush metallic effect with a gold lip around the edge, with the Soundpeats logo on top. The case is powered by USB-C (no QI) and the adjacent indicator light tells you when the case is charging and when it is finished



The case also has a lighting scheme on the inside, with 100-50% charge designated with a green light, 50-10% in amber, and below 10% red. The light is in the middle of the two buds directly below. Whilst charging, the lights flash slowly in red when below 20%, amber when below 70%, green when charging up to 100%, at which point the green light turns solid. This is a nice feature that Soundpeats have had for a while.



The case is nice overall, and the magnets are strong, but the hinge is very flimsy and I can't imagine particularly durable. It does however give the already mammoth battery life a boost - a further two charges takes the playtime to 45 hours in total (3 x 15 hours). Sadly it lacks the wireless charging functionality of many of its peers, and does not support quick charge.



The case measures just shy of 6cm wide - one of the thinner cases I've tested, around 3.5cm high (slightly taller than the FIIL T1 series) and just under 4cm depth (one of the girthier cases around). This still makes them delightfully portable.

Ergonomics - 5/10, Build Quality - 7.5/10

The Soundpeats Sonic look great - the finish of the buds matches the case. They also feature a lighting scheme whereby the buds glow red when not connected (well, more an orange colour), flash until connected, and then when connected, stay lit in white until media starts playing.



This is the first problem. I woke up to find the room to resemble Blackpool illuminations during then I fell asleep listening to an audiobook. Due to Audible's sleep timer kicking in, the buds stopped playing media and stayed lit up, so absolutely do not consider these for falling asleep with, as this is the last thing your circadian rhythm will want, but they do act as a useful 'ready to talk' light for anyone who wants to interrupt you during the day!

Whilst there is no danger of them falling out when stationary, by laying the responsibility of keeping them in with the tips themselves, they are almost unbearably thuddy for exercise, and before long start to droop with any serious movement. This is such a shame, as their IPX6 rating does make them suitable for exercise, even a run in the rain. A wing tip would have really helped them, but the main problem is the weight displacement. There is a lot of tech in these buds, and that takes space. So ergonomically, the Sonic just don't agree with me in the same way the TrueEngine 3SE and H1, or even the T2, which have a shorter neck, do.



It isn't just exercise. They also wear quite awkwardly generally. The supplied tips are OK quality - which makes a change, and they have to be, as the top heavy buds try to rest in your ear canal.



The isolation is excellent when they are inserted and you get a seal, but because of their chunky design and lack of wing tips, they don't stay in place well at all and so the effort is lost. They've made an effort by contouring the buds heavier at the bottom, but whilst I'm sure this helps some, it doesn't really work for me. It makes them far less comfortable than the Alien Secret (pictured directly below the Sonic in the above image), and the angle isn't as ergonomic as the Tronsmart Apollo Bold, which rests in my ears much sturdier.

The price you pay for a lot of tech is the weight displacement, and this, along with the glowing buttons, makes the Sonic a no go for me as a daily beater.

Audio Quality - 7.5/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)

The Sonic are definitely tuned with the consumer in mind, with a punchy, aggressive sound signature that can become fatiguing even on 60% volume. The bass and top end are, whilst well represented, not easy to take for prolonged listening out of the box. Bass in particular is very heavy - I had to notch the sub-bass quite a bit to get them to sing to me, and whilst they are boomy, the lower frequencies are discernible and separate quite nicely, especially with a little tweak of the EQ.

Treble is crisp, female vocals are crystal clear with only a little sibilance. 'Heaven Help' by Lenny Kravitz sounded better than I think it has with many other buds I've tested - very intimate with a nice, balanced soundstage that eeks out what it can from in ear wireless buds - vocals come to the front quite clearly, almost as well with John Legend as they do with Mara Carlyle. Instrument separation is good even on challenging tracks.

Overall, the Sonic don't disappoint. Even if the sound signature is not as I like it, the response to EQ is good and shouldn't be a barrier with apps like Wavelet available to tune as much as 10 bars now.

Call Quality - Indoors - 7.5/10, Outdoors - 7/10

This style earbud usually struggles compared to stem-based, which bring the mic closer to your mouth. The Sonic were a pleasant surprise - very impressive for in-ear form factor buds. Calls to my mum to talk her through how to use password managers on Vodafone UK were noted as being very clear indoors.

I recorded a call from Poco X3 to iPhone, again on cellular, and it was perfectly passable - very clear internally, and only a few struggles outdoors. Excessive traffic or wind will inevitably result in the compression algorithms kicking in, and your voice starts to thin and break up a little, but this is a function of form factor and technology limitations, and no different to most earbuds on the market.

On Zoom I found it sounded even more distant and a touch robotic, but still better than most. It's up there with the Tronsmart Apollo Bold and FIIL T1 Pro in the market leading mic for in-ear buds.

Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 8/10

Connectivity is absolutely rock solid. I couldn't manage to get it to disconnect in my flat, making it the only earbuds to ever achieve this feat.

Controls are good - intuitive and accurate. They feature a tactile button - single tap for pause/play and answering calls, double tap left for volume down, right for volume up, triple tap left for game mode, right for voice assistant. Holding down the buttons when a call comes through rejects and skips tracks. All of these worked first time.

If you hold the button down for longer it even allows switching between calls. I did not test this. The only problem with the controls is the tactile button increases the pressure into your ear- the buttons are much firmer than the Whizzer E3 or Tronsmart Onyx Free.

Single mode is activated easily by simply taking one bud out. They do not auto pause, which will please many, as it seems it's a feature I am in the select few to appreciate!

There is no app - which is, whilst not a deal breaker, requires you having an EQ app to tone down the bass if you so require. (I recommend Wavelet on Android)

The earbuds support the aptX-adaptive codec, which I tested and verified on Android 11, and also the newest version of Bluetooth thanks to the BT5.2-ready Qualcomm QCC3040 chip. Whilst I didn't notice any obvious difference in sound quality, the excellent range, impressive latency (183 Ms on PC source to destination, and much lower on both IOS and Android) and long battery life reflect the enhanced chipset. For gaming they are a solid option.

Voice prompts are a little loud, but clear.

Battery Life - 9.5/10

15 hours from the buds themselves, a further two charges from the case. Amazing. Whilst I couldn't get 15 hours even on 60% volume, it wasn't too far short - approx 11 hours, and whilst not as advertised, the headline number is usually at 50% volume without taking into account calls (which use more battery than music) so this is very respectable compared to the marketed figure, and by far exceeding your average earbud.

Final Comments

The Sonic are unfathomably good for the low price - we really have come a long way in a short space of time. The sound quality is up there with FIIL as best-in-class for budget TWS, despite the very bass-heavy sound signature, which without a doubt will require taming with an EQ adjustment, and punching well above their weight for latency and mic quality (for this form factor). Battery life is incredible, and passive noise isolation is also excellent - albeit hamstrung by their outside-heavy form-factor, which often results in them drooping without some kind of adjustment.

Sadly the light up buttons and poor fit mean they are no good for me, but for others, as long as you can tolerate these nuances, don't hesitate to buy.

Price Weighted Score: 83%
Raw Score: 77%
2022 Score: 75% (since replaced by the Sonic Pro, not scored here)

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)
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Model: QCY T16
Price: MSRP $59.99, available on Aliexpress for as low as $22!
Website: QCY Store
Review Reference: RC055

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: QCY
• Model: T16 / TG_W10
• Driver: 7.2mm Dynamic Armature
• Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3040
• Frequency Response Range: 20-20000Hz
• Mic: 4, cVc 8.0
• ANC: No
• Volume Control: Yes (not native - must be configured in the app)
• Codecs: AptX-Adaptive, SBC
• Earbud Weight: 4.13g
• Earbud Dimensions: 11mm nozzle, 22mm height (without nozzle), 27mm (height with nozzle)
• Case + Earbuds Gross Weight: 40.38g
• Case Dimensions: 62mm (width) x 45mm (depth) x 30mm (height)
• Case Charge Capacity: 380mAh
• Full Charge Time: 120 minutes
• Quick Charge: Yes - ten minutes for 1 hour juice!
• Wireless Charging: No
• Input: 5V 400mA
• Single Use Playtime: Up to 5.5 hours
• Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 22 hours
• App Support: Yes
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
• Bluetooth Protocols: HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
• Water Resistance: Not listed

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x Type-C USB Battery charging case
1 x Type-C USB charging cable
3 x Pair Silicone Eartips
1 x User manual (English, Chinese)

Real Life Experience



Welcome to the Regancipher review of the QCY T16. QCY should need no introduction - they are probably the leading budget brand on the market, certainly in China, with a growing presence in the West. Their products are growing in maturity fast, with better releases coming thick and fast after the success of the T5 and the many OEM versions of it that followed.

More recently, they've been using Qualcomm chips, and this is their second aptX-adaptive-supporting release, which will please Android owners hugely. However, if the buds look a little familiar - well, there's two reasons for that. Firstly, the buds were 'soft launched' in China some time ago as the 'Air Beans' - now we already know here in the West that the word 'Beans' is synonymous with a certain Korean brand, so after road-testing their suitability, they've now hit the mass market, albeit branded as the T16.

The other reason is they bear more than a passing resemblance to the Whizzer E3 (and B6 for that matter), a product I reviewed all the way back in RC013 here. Now that's no bad thing - I loved the E3 other than their somewhat dated specification, so a re-rub of that product would have had me hooked straight away anyway, but despite the initial impressions, there are still some subtle differences, and I'll be touching on those throughout the review.

As always, there is a link to my other reviews from this brand at the bottom, along with a paragraph on the brand.

The Unboxing - 7/10



As I said in my review of the HT03, the maturity of the unboxing is clearly evident with QCY's brand transition. As always, the key features are listed on the front, with the individual characteristics spelled out on the back in English and in Chinese.



Once inside you're greeted by the buds and case enclosed in a grey plastic surround, just like their previous recent releases.



The package includes a USB Type-C charge cable, spare tips (you'll need these), and an instruction manual. The manual, whilst a little flimsy, tells you everything you need to know, and QCY have improved the content by adding more diagrams to it in order to demonstrate their points. Really, we know the TWS vendors want you to use the online manual within the app, but it's one area I feel QCY will need to brush up on if they want to make that jump to the next tier of vendor, in the same way Tronsmart did with their 2020 releases. They've still missed some basic stuff out like what the LED's denote - an area of improvement for sure.

The tips are not especially great quality - although they aren't bad. The problem is, like the KZ SKS, the nozzle only comes half way down the full surface of the tip. This limits the number of aftermarket tips you can use. If you're between-sizes like me (ML would be ideal), this can be a minor quibble if you want to get the very best out of them.

The Case - 8/10



It is actually quite hard to convey how nicely designed the case is with pictures, because they really don't do it justice. It is a lovely little case that has some very nice details, such as the grooves around the gaps for the buds, hall switch mode, which enables immediate pairing when the case is opened, and an LED button to the front which both resets the pairing status when held down for 10 seconds, and also demonstrates the level of remaining charge. Green shows 70% and above, and it turns to red when 30% and below. If you flip the lid open, the LED will stay on for a few seconds to make sure you are fully aware.

The pogo pins face upwards, so the buds lie flat in the case as per the image above.



The case is very compact, measuring 61mm at its very longest, 42mm at its very widest, and around 30mm at its very highest - however the rounded design makes it feel much smaller then this. Above you can see the LED button, USB-C socket to the rear, a small but not unsubstantially weighted hinge and a nice lip to the front of the lid that allows easy single-handed use. It is a nice, slow-close hinge that doesn't suddenly snap shut on you while you're trying to use it.



On top is the new QCY logo in a small circle, whilst the overall shape is asymmetrical. This design makes it feel really nice in your hands, and despite the glossy finish, it has been reasonably durable so far.



The portability is further enhanced by the weight - just 40g fully loaded - remarkably light, and both pocket and handbag friendly.



Above shows the likeness with the E3 case design. The Whizzer had an undeniably unique design brief, with a pebble-style outer texture, but absence often makes the heart grow fonder, and comparing the two reminded me of its flaws - whilst it looked spectacular, it was far less portable - much taller, and more of a gimmick than a genuinely usable design. Both cases suffer with it being sometimes not immediately apparent which bud goes in which cavity in the cockpit.

I'm nitpicking - these are very minor flaws in an otherwise excellent case that also adds the bonus of supporting quick charge - 10 minutes connected to USB-C gives you 1 hour of playback - extraordinary at this price point.

Ergonomics - 7/10



Photographing white buds is a nightmare, especially against a white background, so you'll have to take my word for it when I say the buds are very nicely finished, with an almost-dusted-like effect, and feel much higher quality than the price suggests. Only a join around the centre of the bud shows they are not 'one-piece', but it's straight, not trying to hide and consistent. It doesn't detract from a very comfortable bud that provides reasonable isolation. The 'bean' style is all too apparent, and QCY advise that the buds are worn slightly more upright than pictured here - just like Samsung do.



The problem is, for me to do that, I need to use smaller eartips than the Large, which drastically changes the sound. So I wear them as is suitable for me - with the large tips, and tilted slightly, and it certainly doesn't look as obvious from the front.



When you open the case the buds will glow red briefly, then flash intermittently in green to indicate the initiation process to pair. Once paired or connected, the green LED will turn solid, then disappear. Removing them from the case is perfectly weighted, with the magnets not too tight to require you to use force, but strong enough to prevent them rattling around in the case.



On the inside of the bud there are pogo pins which initiate charge, a circle which denotes the orientation of the bud (L or R). There is a gap just below, where QCY clearly toyed with the idea of smart wear detection, but decided against it.

There are two microphones - one on the inside close to the nozzle, one on the outside - and they do a remarkably good job.



There have been a wave of mini in-ear style buds recently, with Jabra's new releases, the Soundpeats Mini, the upgraded Redmi Airdots 3, etc. Above shows that the T16 are more like the Redmi or Whizzer in their shape - elongated and thin, as opposed to the fat, yet still fairly discrete Jabra and Soundpeats. The angle of the Nozzle is more akin to the Airdots or even the Tronsmart Onyx Free.

Whilst there is no water resistance rating to the buds, I've worn them outside without any issues.

Weighing in at 4g, they're comfy, sit nicely in the ears, and can be worn for prolonged periods without any fatigue. Adjustments don't typically trigger the touch controls, which is welcome.

The fit does feel slightly awkward at times and requires a bit of adjustment - they look like they should be more upright, but end up sitting in a kinda diagonal position - I don't think this was how it was intended, and you have to be careful your tragus is not blocking the voice mic if this is the case.

Audio Quality - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)

The T16 are definitely very fit dependent. First impression was - huh, where's the bass?! Then I flipped the tips to the Large....well, there it is!

Second impressions were quite protracted. I had to test a lot of styles to understand what I did and didn't like about them. The dynamic style isn't usually my cup of tea, and yet the T16 are very enjoyable buds that only occasionally leave you wishing for more.

I tried a few bouncier tracks with both sets of tips. 'Gecko' by Oliver Heldens, a simple house track where he modulated the pitch of the attack with a heavy side chain in order to give the bassline more emphasis, is pretty well translated throughout, although at high volumes you will note some distortion. It absolutely blasts through on the on the large tips, sometimes recessing the whole track a little too much. Contrast this to the Soundpeats Mini, which sound good, without ever urging you to get up and dance - relatively flat by comparison.

'Red Roses' by Pep and Rash shows similar traits, although it lacks a little mid-bass presence, sounding punchy but lacking in depth. Instruments are nicely arranged and weighted - the unmistakable Western guitar lick sounds clear, just as the single vocal line 'and then it hit me' does - before the thumping bassline tears through. It's a shame there wasn't slightly more emphasis on depth, so you can tweak this in the EQ to at least round it off a little and eek even more out of the buds. I tried this with Michael Calfan's 'Treasured Soul' - a tough track for TWS despite it's relatively simplistic orchestral arrangement - basic piano chords with mallet hits and kicks, that translate well, giving room for the vocals without disrupting the timbre. So EQ'ing shouldn't spoil the party.

Moving to different styles, 'Photograph' by Ed Sheeran sounded slightly less driven, with a fairly open soundstage sounding slightly odd with such an intimate track that suggests this is slightly artificial, created by the position of the driver in relation to your ear canal. Drums here lacked the punchiness of the house tracks, but this couldn't be said for 'Diamonds' by Rihanna, which offered tremendous presence, clarity and finesse for the price point. 'Happy' by Pharrell revealed some of the flaws - whilst the claps sounded natural enough, the tams and hats sound a little lispy/thin, in the same way Ed Sheeran did.

Overall, it's a huge leap forward from where we were 12 months ago. The dynamic sound which almost became typecast as 'sounding crap' at one stage sounds far more palatable here. I'm not really a dynamic sound signature sort-of-listener, but I occasionally enjoy it for what it is - and that's the case here with the T16.

Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 8/10

The big surprise - the call quality is excellent. Usually with buds of this type, it's a real chore getting your voice to sound like anything other than you talking into a pillow. I unfortunately didn't have the facility to record the calls when I did the test, so I rang my mum, a pensioner, who knows the drill. Where to go, when to go...blah blah.

Not only did she catch every word I said, she complemented me on the clarity and tone of my voice. She said that like the Soundpeats Mini the week before, an occasional crackle would come through (this was when motorbikes tore past) otherwise traffic and wind posed no issues whatsoever. The only break in my voice came from passers-by who spoke in a slightly higher frequency.

Despite no AI-based features, 6-mic array, accelerometer, or anything else that could augment the call quality, QCY seem to have done pretty well out of a clever design and cVc 8.0 - something most other vendors find more of a hindrance than a help!

The 'mum test' is not my final word on the T16 - they demonstrated their ability to nullify background noise very well in my test of 28 different sets of earbuds outdoors:



Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7/10

QCY often take a no-frills approach to their releases, limiting the number of needless features in favour of a lower price tag, but the T16 are possibly the exception, with lots of features here in their price bracket.

Firstly, whilst the controls don't allow you to change the volume, this can and will be able to be customised via the QCY app. Out of the box, double taps play/pause and answer/end calls, holding left and right skips track back and forward respectively (and ignores call). Triple left tap hails voice assistant, and right tap gaming mode. The audible beeps which tell you your 'taps' are doing something are less offensive than previous releases, and the touch area is positioned well to minimise accidental touches - I found myself adjusting by pinching the top and bottom and twisting occasionally, only once causing the track to skip.

Gaming mode gave a marginal improvement in latency compared with it off, although it relies on the 'fixed-ish' parameters of AptX-adaptive - still great that they support this more efficient codec.

They support Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, although I didn't find this especially improved their stability. Quick charge is a great feature - 1 hour from 10 minutes of juice. The QCY app is discussed in previous reviews (see the bottom of the review) but a welcome addition at this price point.

Battery Life - 7.5/10

Perfectly respectable around 4.5-5 hours for calls and music. This extends to a less impressive 22 hours with the case, but you can get longer by simply listening at a reasonable volume. The T16 are very loud - you don't need more than 60%.

Final Comments

In my introduction, as with every QCY review, I stress that their approach is not to be the best, most feature-rich set of earbuds on the market, but instead to try to bring premium, high end features into low-cost, high value releases, and the T16 are a sign of their growing maturity, because the rough edges that once typified QCY releases are being levelled off, and they're getting the fundamentals right - good sound, good calls, good ergonomics and battery life - whilst also adding in some nice bonus features, like quick charge, gaming mode and app support.

If you have been looking for a replacement for the Whizzer or that style of earbud, the T16 are an excellent choice - especially if you like house, R&B and pop. The big bonus is the excellent call quality - nice job QCY!

Price Weighted Score: 81%
Raw Score: 77%

instagram: regancipher

QCY Review Inventory:

HT07 Arcbuds
HT05 Melobuds ANC
T20 Ailypods
T18
G1
T17
T16
T13
HT03
T12
T11

About QCY:

Whilst not quite a household name outside of China yet, QCY are well-renowned in the budget TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that, whilst perhaps lacking some of the bells and whistles of the more expensive brands, deliver to the segment of the market where 'good enough is good enough', with solid reliability and tremendous value for money.

Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5), with three of their major customers being brands you will certainly recognise and in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019. In 2020, market research indicated they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor worldwide - no mean feat.

Despite a close relationship with SoC manufactuer Zhuhai Jieli, QCY are not afraid to mix and match components to suit their target market. This often sees a number of releases in quick succession - their T17S are an example of this, released subsequent to the T17, and differentiating with the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 SoC, to support customers who require the added lower latency enabled by the aptX codecs that the Qualcomm chips support. They did a similar thing with the very popular T5, T8 and T9 - nice to see a vendor using an easy to follow naming convention! The G1 use the newest Pixart chip in order to reduce latency - horses for courses!

The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses at a very affordable price - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value from a brand they can trust.

How I review: (See Previous Reviews)

Model: Alien Secret Predator QCC010
Price: $20
Vendor Website: Alien Secret Audio
Review Reference: RC015

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: Alien Secret
• Model: QCC010 Predator
• Driver: 6.2mm carbon nanotube Custom-Made High-Fidelity MicroDrivers
• Frequency Range: 15Hz - 22Khz
• Sensitivity at 100Hz: 102dB SPL/1mW
• Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3020
• Impedence: 16 Ohm
• Mics: 4, cVc 8.0
• Control Button: Yes, tactile
• ANC: No
• Volume Control: No
• Wear Detection: No
• Codecs: AptX, AAC, SBC
• Earbud Weight: 4.27g
• Earbud Dimensions: 23.7mm wide, neck approx. 12.6mm, 21mm height
• Earbud Battery Type: Varta CP 1454 Lithium-Ion Micro-Coin
• Case Weight: 43g
• Gross Weight: 51.94g
• Case Dimensions: 63mm (width) x 30mm (depth) x 42mm (height)
• Case Charge Capacity: 1000mAh, 3.7w (tested, accurate)
• Full Charge Time: 90 minutes
• Quick Charge: No
• Wireless Charging: Yes!
• Input: 5V 1A
• Single Use Playtime: Up to 8 hours (50% volume)
• Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 80 hours!
• APP Support: No
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.0
• Bluetooth Protocols: HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
• Water Resistance: IPX5

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C & Qi Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
3 x Pair Silicone Tips
1 x Quick Guide



Real Life Experience

Who are Alien Secret? How the hell should I know?! I only just recently found their website, and the first thing you see is their Airpod clones. Not exactly inspiring!!

Despite that, the QCC010 or Animobuds or whatever they are called, looked very impressive on paper. Using the Qualcomm QCC3020 chipset, the product defied their lowly price on paper. I've had this situation before with both the Whizzer E3 and Boltune BT-BH024 and been pleasantly surprised, so I was hoping for more of the same with the Predator, QCC010, etc...

The Unboxing - 5/10



Alien Secret are not going to win any awards in the unboxing category. The buds arrive in a very basic plain white box with a very flimsy set of instructions. Seller advertised free foam tips but they weren't included.



Included is a usb type C charge cable, 3 sets of short, silicone tips, charge case and manual (Chinese and English). The manual did not make a whole lot of sense to me and is absolutely tiny!



The tips are very short, and they should be - longer would be uncomfortable. You'll probably want to replace the tips - they've cut corners here, as you would expect for the price.

The Case - 8/10



Well, as you can see we almost broke the record for the tallest case! Only the Whizzer E3 is taller, and it measures twice the height of the FIIL T1XS.



Perhaps a fairer comparison is the similarly sized Jabra Elite 75t, although the Predator is still slightly taller.



Weighing in at 52g, and measuring 63mm wide, 40mm high and 25mm depth, the case is still portable for the daily commute (unlike the Whizzer pebble) and the height is forgiven when you discover it provides a whopping 8 additional charges - a total of around 63 hours powered by USB-C, but also supporting wireless charging.



The lights on the front represent percentage rather than number of charges left, but 4 lights is always better than one.



The lid is firm but could be a weak point as you would expect with the case being being bottom heavy, but the magnets are very tight. These ain't falling out in the road unless it's out of brute force trying to prize them out!



The 'rest in the top' approach is gaining traction in the TWS world!


The Ergonomics - 7/10



Despite being pretty generic looking - they go under several different names including Anomoibuds - they look OK, certainly inoffensive, and well worthy of their price tag.



At 4.27g, they are by no means heavy. They offer an advertised IPX5 water resistance.



The fit is super tight. A minor adjustment can completely change the audio delivery, but fortunately once they are in, they require barely any adjustment.



The right-angle style design pushes them deeper into your ear, and can feel a little overwhelming at times, although no different to something like the FIIL T1XS, Kinera YH623 and to a degree, the Jabra Elite 75t. There's a seal, and then there's feeling your brain rattling around, and the QCC010 are more the latter than the former, so if you are more inclined towards semi-in-ear, then you probably won't enjoy them.

I definitely recommend playing around with the tips to get the right option. When you do, you will notice a solid isolation that is as effective as some of the poorer ANC options on the market.

They kinda need wings to offer consistency. These guys just love a snug fit, no, they need a snug fit. I managed to fit an old set of wings from an old set of Soundcore Liberty Duo and they sat in perfectly. Sadly, they have to be removed to go back in the case.



The design is similar to the Tronsmart Onyx Free with tactile, albeit smaller and more fiddly, touch control buttons. Microphone, like the Tronsmart, is on the bottom, but doesn't perform as well.

Sound Quality - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)

It is always a difficult balance reviewing raw sound quality against intermediate sound quality (i.e. sound quality against price). Here, I wasn't expecting much given the low cost. How wrong was I?!

The frequency range is advertised, like the FIIL I recently reviewed, as 15Hz to 22KHz, and objective testing revealed a heavy subbass rumble reminiscent of the Tronsmart Apollo Bold that was noticeable with the mini tips. This seems to dissipate with foam tips or medium silicon ones. This was only offensive on a few tracks and at high volume - the max volume on these seems to be lower than most. The treble notches slightly short of the advertised, with a spike in the high mid frequencies, and is much less fatiguing than others around the same price point whilst delivering usually quite clear vocals, especially on female vocal tracks.

Despite the roll off, the trebles and high mids can come across harsh at times until you play around with the fit. Eventually, you can get a slightly less harsh sound that puts some room between you and the soundstage, which is a good thing because any closer and they will be tickling your hypothalamus! They would have scored higher but for the wildly inconsistent sound profile dependent on how they are angled - I expect a bit of variation but they went from tinny to bassheads with a flick of the ear.

When you get that ideal fit they are no slouch, in fact, they are really very good! At that point whatever I threw at it - from Jonas Blue to Saint Etienne to John Legend - all the tracks that usually betray massive flaws - were handled without too many problems. In fact, they handled them so well it begs the question....if Alien Secret can make a £16 set of buds sound acceptable, how come Mpow, Anker, Taotronics, Nillkin, Aukey and all the other garbage I've stuck in my ears over the last few months get it so wrong?!

Don't get me wrong - they lack the finesse that is evident when you listen to the likes of the FIIL T1 Pro straight after - but you can easily spend triple this and get nowhere near this standard.

Using aptX on windows with various FLAC files, they separated the low and high mids without unusable bleed - I've lost count of the number of times the vocals have either got lost or caused the bass guitars to become indiscernible with cheap earbuds, but no such problems here. I have an EQ setting on my sound bar called 'concert' and it's like these are set to that by default.

It's worth remembering these were less than $20. Unlike the IEM world, you rarely get a $20 headphone that gives any more than below average sound, but for the price the Alien Secret are fun bass monsters that won't give you much detail, but will give you value if you're on a strict budget, so enjoy them for what they are.

Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors - 3/10

These are very much in the 'let everything through' camp. There's no noise cancelling going on in the mic 'array'. Well, there is, but cVc 8.0 is not known for its effectiveness. And by array, I mean a questionable hole at the bottom of the button and a gap somewhere for ambient sound.

That makes background noise omnipresent, but your voice does come across very clearly, even bassy, when the scene has a normal ambient noise level, so indoors, you can have a decent conversation, putting them above many sets I've reviewed of late.

Outdoors becomes the usual sham that is associated with low cost earbuds. The wind and traffic quickly overwhelm your voice. Don't expect to make calls, and you won't be disappointed.

Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 7/10

Connectivity is OK. The usual 8-10m indoors and no real interference issues. However after disconnecting from Bluetooth Tweaker, they really didn't want to reconnect automatically. Strange, as every other set I've ever reviewed has. One thing I do like, is that holding down the buttons switches them back on or off. This saves fiddling around with the case.

Controls are straightforward. Single touch to answer, hold to reject. Single touch to play and pause, double tap left and right to go backwards and forwards respectively. Three taps calls your voice assistant. No volume control sadly.

The small button takes a bit of getting used to, but is better than having a touch control screwing around with your audio the moment you rest your head down. This makes them ideal for relaxing and bed listening.

AptX means latency is acceptable especially on newer Android devices. It also supports AAC and a bitrate of 293k, so whilst I couldn't get a latency measurement, it's the usual fare of around 130ms. Watching YouTube on Windows revealed the strength of the AAC configuration - latency was not obvious. Netflix was even better.

Battery Life - 10/10

Outstanding. Comfortably 6 hours and the case offers a further 9 full charges! Wireless charging is a big plus too.

Final Comments

I had little expectation for my final review for September. At such a low price I was expecting MPow quality sound. Instead, the Alien Secret were more like the Spunky Beat - a very pleasant surprise.

For android users the presence of the aptX codec make these a good option. The IPX5 water resistance rating makes them suitable for workouts, but the passive isolation is so strong I probably wouldn't recommend running in them.

The sound is great for the price, but get the right fit, otherwise you will be either disappointed or overwhelmed. When you get it right, they are strong in every department. Mic quality outdoors is a no-no, so don't get these for the daily commute.

Overall, I can't believe the quality for the money. I've gone through enough rubbish earbuds this year to know a duffer - these are unequivocally not one of them.

These are the best sub $25 earbuds you will ever buy. A total bolt out of the blue!

Price Weighted Score: 88%
Raw Score: 75%
2021 Score: 69%

How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
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Model: Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro
Price: MSRP Approx $40
Website: Tronsmart, Geekbuying, AliExpress
Review Reference: RC071

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: Tronsmart
• Model: Onyx Ace Pro
• Driver: 13mm Composite Polymer Dynamic Driver
• Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3040
• Mic: 4, Uses cVc 8.0 noise reduction
• ANC: No
• Codecs: AptX-Adaptive, AptX, AAC, SBC
• App Support: Not Yet
• Volume Control: Yes
• Gaming Mode: Yes
• Earbud Weight: 3.47g
• Earbud Dimensions: 37mm total stem length
• Gross Case & Buds Weight: 41.4g
• Case Dimensions: 48mm (width) x 58mm (height) x 23mm (depth)
• Case Charge Capacity: 400mAh
• Quick Charge: No
• Wireless Charging: No
• Single Use Playtime: Up to 6 hours (60% volume)
• Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 27 hours
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
• Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
• Water Resistance: IPX5

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Simplified Chinese
1 x Warranty Card

YouTube Review:



Real Life Experience

Welcome to the @regancipher review of the sequel to the @Tronsmart Official Onyx Ace, the imaginatively named Onyx Ace Pro. With their strong partnership with Qualcomm and rapid expansion into America, Europe, Middle East & Asia, Tronsmart releases are always a pleasure, and I'm delighted to be seemingly amongst the first to review this new TWS, their first for a while as they bombard the market with speakers!

The Onyx Ace Pro were a set of buds I tried before I decided to start reviewing, and piqued my interest in Chinese-branded earbuds. However, even despite their qualities, they still suffered with comparatively weak sound (as every TWS did back then) compared with wired IEM's, connection frailties (as every wireless earbud did back then) - even so, for many they were the go-to for semi-in-ear 'Airpod-style' non-invasive buds at a price everyone could afford.

Fast forward two years and you have a pretty congested market, although this style of earbud tends to get little in the way of attention from vendors. Tronsmart have to compete with the Soundpeats Air3 / TrueAir2+, 1More Comfobuds 2, QCY T12, Haylou Moripods and FIIL CC2 (and soon the Nano), so I was interested to see how big a deal this release was to Tronsmart given the competitive landscape.

Comparison with Onyx Ace



As you can see above, on paper, the differences are rather academic. The Bluetooth version has been upgraded to 5.2, the QCC3040 chip replaces the QCC3020 of the original thus now offering aptX-adaptive codec support, the battery life has been extended to 6/27 hours, gaming mode has been added along with voice assistant and a button has appeared on the base for 'one key recovery' (I assume this is factory default).

Otherwise it really is pretty much the same bud - except it isn't - the sound is a big change, in a good way. Read on for more....

The Unboxing - 7.5/10



Tronsmart unboxings go from insane experiences (the Onyx Prime and Apollo Bold) to pretty basic (the Apollo Q10). This is definitely closer to the Q10, with the standard parameters listed on the back, key features on the front and sides, and the buds and case housed inside a nicely custom-molded insert. It's those major under the hood changes that are listed - battery life, aptx-adaptive support and Bluetooth 5.2.



Inside the box you are greeted by the case - which is identical to the original, a warranty card, a manual (in a number of European languages as well as Chinese and RuZZian, and a USB-C to A charge cable.

The manual, as you can see above, is monochrome as opposed to full colour - a little disappointing, but with so few features on this style of earbud, understandable. Instructions are still easy to read and understand, with visuals accompanying text to good effect.

The Case - 8/10

The Onyx Ace case is both attractive and functional, finished in a reasonably hard-wearing glossy white, with a shiny, metallic 'well' in the centre above the Tronsmart logo. This displays the amount of charge remaining in the case through four LED's, each of which represent a 25% chunk of the impressive 27 hours total charge offered by the case. Rather cleverly, the top LED will light up when the left earbud is charging and the bottom the right when plugged in or closed. This is a nice little feature to remind you in case you've left the other in your ear without realising, or if the charging connectors are obscured and thus one or more isn't charging.

Not pictured, the case also has a 'One Key Recovery' button, which I assume is to factory default (at least it does that on my mum's Lenovo laptop!) in case of any issues, or being stuck in single mode. As a maintenance and support feature it is always good to have something like this, and it is prominent without being positioned where it could be accidentally initiated. The USB socket shows thought in the design, with a thick metallic rim reinforcing the connection. Tronsmart have gone some lengths to minimising unnecessary returns, which is pretty amazing given the price point.



In terms of dimensions, it is really well-proportioned, and certainly nice to carry around. The shape is vertically asymmetrical but horizontally symmetrical, and importantly it's tiny, which means it is possible to pop them in your trouser pocket without them looking or feeling too intrusive.



This is reinforced by their lightweight footprint - just 41g, amongst the lightest cases around, but not especially light compared to other semi-in-earbud cases - it is a whole 10g heavier than the SoundPeats Air3 case, and only the metallic FIIL CC2 and TaoTronics TT-BH080 are heavier. That said, the flat-pebble design is ideally shaped for handbags and pockets alike - the lighter QCY T12's open design was prone to debrid obscuring the battery connectors, and the Air3 case is notably flimsy by comparison. The Moripods case is awkward-shaped, and of very questionable quality by comparison.

Some comparisons:

SoundPeats Air3 - 31g
QCY T12 - 33.13g
1More Comfobuds 2 - 35g
SoundPeats TrueAir2 - 37g
Haylou Moripods - 39.76g
Tronsmart Battle - 39.81g
Tronsmart Onyx Ace - 41.1g
FIIL CC2 - 44.39g
TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 - 46.9g



The case combines the attractive looks of the TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80, the portability of the Air3, and the battery life of the 1More Comfobuds 2. Whilst sticking with the looks that were successful on their maiden release, the shiny finish goes against the grain in an increasingly matte world, but as I show in my video review, it's matte cases that tend to wear the most scratches a month or two in your pocket with your keys.

If I had a minor complaint it would be the hinge, which is a little flimsy, although not atypically-so at this price point. You can't leave the case propped open on the desk like with the Huawei FreeBuds Pro for example - it just snaps shut. This makes single bud use a two handed operation, and the buds aren't especially easy to remove from the case at the best of times, but overall it is a nice case that, if we are being brutally honest is probably everything the Soundpeats Air3 case should have been had they not cut so many corners, and some genuine evidence of good workmanship for the price.

Ergonomics - 7.5/10

The Onyx Ace Pro design has, like the case, not changed from the original.

The cylindrical stem is a little odd-looking, although it enhances the surface area of the battery connection, which is often the first thing to fail with TWS - again, Tronsmart have thought about longevity!

Otherwise it is a very familiar design, with mics at the base (for the voice) and the top of the touch control area for ambient sound. The touch controls are really easy and intuitive to use, and well-positioned, with limited accidental touches compared to the Air3 and CC2.

At the bottom, on the outside you have LED's denoting pairing status, and an L or R depending on which bud you're looking at. On the top and inside are pressure release chambers, and they work very well (put a finger over the top one, and you'll see what I mean!)



The inside reveals a meshed-finish to the driver-surround (like the QCY T12). This is always pleasing to see, and provides both resistance to and clear evidence of any waxy residue build-up that is obscuring the driver and thus causing blockages, potentially dropping the volume - a common complaint with TWS.

The profile of the top of the buds is also very nicely curved, and compared with the angular FIIL CC2 and Haylou Moripods and sloped Soundpeats Air3 and TrueAir2, it makes adjusting them a little easier and more reliable - in other words, you don't suddenly pause your music if you need to reposition them.

The bevel around the edge is not too thick, and thus the Ace Pro wear comfortably for prolonged periods - something Haylou really messed up on their Moripods (which I ended up having to sand down!)



The stem-length is noticeably rather long compared with newer releases, such as the Air3 and Tronsmart Battle. With the alternatives coming in at 33 and 30mm respectively, the Ace Pro feels a bit unwieldy with it's non-tapered base and protruding length, fortunately the neck is well designed and they still pass the shake test quite comfortably. Even so, it is an area I would have liked to have seen a little more imagination from Tronsmart on - FIIL also stuck rigidly to their CC design, and it isn't necessarily a good thing - continuous improvement is always the aim, after all. A shorter stem would have been preferred, and maybe we will see one coming from Tronsmart in the future with the economics of the Battle and features and sound of the Ace Pro.



The driver opening is notably probably the biggest of all of the buds pictured above, and it makes for a nice airy soundstage through auditory masking.



The weight of the bud - 3.47g - is comparatively low. Below are some comparisons:

Tronsmart Battle - 3.27g
Tronsmart Onyx Ace - 3.47g
SoundPeats TrueAir2 - 3.85g
SoundPeats Air3 - 3.96g
FIIL CC2 - 4.08g
QCY T12 - 4.17g
Haylou Moripods - 4.21g
1More Comfobuds 2 - 4.26g
TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 - 4.47g

This can make them feel a little light in the ear, and again a shorter stem with slightly different weight displacement could have helped ensure even greater stability, but all in all Tronsmart have balanced stability and comfort really quite well.



In the ear, they don't protrude past your ear, look perfectly fine, and bring the voice mic close enough to your mouth to help with call clarity.

They are IPX5, ensuring they do not go bang if you get caught in the rain, and you can use them for a workout without any moisture-related worries. This is pretty good by semi in ear standards.

Audio Quality - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)

The original Onyx Ace suffered with a slightly bloated low end, and rolled off trebles that could see them described as a tad dull. Not so this time around.

Tronsmart have tried remedying this by boosting the treble, and with a more airy soundstage they can bring a bit more life to tracks that sounded peripheral on the original. The shape of semi in ear means detail is rarely going to be a priority - that's why you use IEM's - but you want a pleasant listening experience where you hear enough without it sounding imbalanced or fatiguing. Many buds sound fine when you push them right in your ear, but as soon as you experience them in real life it's a different story, and Tronsmart have acknowledged this with a punchier, v-shaped sound signature that complements the design nicely.

Even compared with the excellent Soundpeats Air3, hearing Alanis Morissette's unmistakable vocals panning from left to right on the remastered 2015 edit of 'You Oughta Know' was a surprise. Female vocals come right to the front, but whereas they were hard to make out on the original, they've over-egged the pudding a little on the successor, with sibilance creeping in, especially at higher volumes.

There is a nice texture to 'Thinking About Your Love' by Kenny Thomas, with male vocals a little less prominent, giving instruments a little more room to breath. Percussion comes through clearly on tracks like 'Sign Your Name' by Terence Trent D'Arby (Sananda Maitreya), and even more challenging tracks like 'Fly Away' by Lenny Kravitz have a more open feel, but the recessed, more central mids make some notes difficult to discern.

The Onyx Ace Pro are fun earbuds with a v-shaped sound signature that, like most buds around this price point, prioritise oomph over accuracy - and it's a good trade-off. Compared with the mid-centric Edifier TWS200, 1More Comfobuds 1 and TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80, the un-equalised result is a fun, bouncy sound that only needs a little notch to become less fatiguing - not quite to the extent of the thinner 1More Comfobuds 2, but still, for many they will still be a shade too tiring after prolonged use. Fortunately, this can be remedied with Wavelet, and hopefully through the Tronsmart app in the future for IOS users.

The open soundstage differentiates it from the darker, more intimate SoundPeats sound signature, so they're a great option for house, dance and electronic music fans, and a really enjoyable alternative for those that prefer their sound airy and punchy.

Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 7/10

Call quality is pretty good. The Onyx Ace Pro use cVc 8.0, inherent to the Qualcomm QCC3040, but their interpretation does a better-than-average job at separating ambient and voice frequencies, and as a result you get a coherent call indoors, and a decent call outdoors, save for the odd rogue motorbike!

Your voice sounds natural, although the volume can be a little low - you may need to speak slightly louder to make yourself heard, but ambient sound is also reduced, so it balances out on outdoor calls in particular.

The Onyx Ace Pro feature on my latest YouTube mic test here:



Controls and Other Features - 7/10

The Onyx Ace Pro are not awash with features, but have all the basics - Gaming Mode and Voice Assistant have been added, and are initiated with a triple tap on the left and right buds respectively.

Without app support, you're stuck with Tronsmart's default control scheme - which thankfully includes single tap for volume control and double tap for play/pause and answer call - which should be the industry standard, but isn't always! On calls, it gets a bit more confusing - you have to hold the buttons down for 2 seconds to increase volume, otherwise you will end up cutting the caller off! Single mode is also supported, but you lose volume control.

Hall-Switch mode is supported, pairing or connecting from the moment you open the case, and the AptX-adaptive codec selected by default on Android 12.

Battery Life - 8/10

I got just over 5 1/2 hours on my first blast. Considering this included calls, and the advertised 6.5 hours is at 60% volume, it's about what I expected, and edges them some way ahead of the SoundPeats Air3 and QCY T12, making them the plum choice for prolonged use.

Unfortunately, quick charge is absent. There is no 15 minutes for 1 hour playtime like on the 1More Comfobuds 2. This is slightly disappointing and an area, IMO, that vendors should be looking to prioritise. A full charge takes around 90 minutes, which is a fair compromise, giving three additional charges.

Some comparisons:

Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro - 6.5 hours / 27 hours
1More Comfobuds 2 - 6 hours / 24 hours
FIIL CC2 - 5 hours / 27 hours
SoundPeats TrueAir2+ - 5 hours / 25 hours
Haylou Moripods - 5 hours / 25 hours
Tronsmart Battle - 5 hours / 25 hours
SoundPeats Air3 - 5 hours / 17.5 hours
QCY T12 - 4 hours / 20 hours
TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 - 4 hours / 20 hours

Summary

Whenever Airpod-style buds are discussed, the de facto response has been the SoundPeats Air3 or TrueAir2+ for quite some time. Now we have the, erm, 'comfy' Comfobuds 2, and for those who like their soundstage bigger, the Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro. Whilst the Onyx Ace have received little cosmetic surgery, under the hood the improvements are obvious, with far better battery life - leading the way amongst the semi-in-ear vendors, AptX-adaptive and Bluetooth 5.2 support, improved call quality, gaming mode, voice assistant support, and most importantly, a far more vibrant sound that doesn't compromise too much on detail.

I think Tronsmart recognise this is a bit of a 'me too' release - but at the same time, they have an offering that has some clear differentiators over their direct competition. Whilst it isn't the innovative, reinvention of the wheel that some of us look for in our TWS, it's a solid option for the semi-in-ear brigade, ticking almost all of the boxes, and finally breaking the SoundPeats monopoly!

Price Weighted Score: 84%
Raw Score: 80%

Tronsmart Review Inventory:

Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro
Tronsmart Bang
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)
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Model: OneOdio Focus A10
Price: £69.99 Amazon UK
Website: OneOdio Focus Series
Review Reference: RC094

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: OneOdio
• Model: Focus A10
• Driver: 40mm Driver
• Impedance: 32Ω±15%
• Frequency response: 20 Hz–40 kHz
• Sensitivity: -42±3 dB
• Chipset: BES 2300
• Mic: 4 mics with ENC
• ANC: Up to 35dB Hybrid ANC
• Codecs: AAC, SBC
• Hi-Res Audio: Yes (Wired only)
• App Support: No
• Volume Control: Yes
• Multipoint Connectivity: Yes
• Headphone Weight: 295g
• Quick Charge: Yes - 2 hours from 5min
• Total Charge Time: 2 hours
• Playtime: Up to 40 hours (ANC+BT), up to 50 hours (BT only), up to 62 hours (ANC only)
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.0
• Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7 / A2DP 1.3 / AVRCP 1.5
• Water Resistance: Not listed

Includes:

1* OneOdio A10 Hybrid ANC Headphone,
1* EVA Carry Case
1* 3.55mm Audio Cable
1* Type C Charging Cable
1* User Manual

YouTube Review:



Introduction:

Welcome to the @regancipher review of OneOdio's over-ear hybrid ANC headphones, the upgraded for 2022 Focus A10. With the glut of TWS passing through the RC test bench, it has been a while since I've documented a review of a wired/wireless headphone here at Headfi - the last ones being the Soundcore Q series and Tronsmart Apollo Q10 - but the competitive price and impressive feature set definitely catch the eye with the A10, and with OneOdio being a specialist over-ear vendor, rather than a TWS manufacturer going off on a tangent, this has been a review I've been really looking forward to doing, having put the product rigorously through it's paces over the course of the last few weeks.

Buying an A10 today rather than when the first incarnation was released back in 2020 gives you a number of advantages, both cosmetic and under-the-hood. The shells have been upgraded to aluminum-feel, giving the product a more durable feel. ANC has been boosted to 35dB, taking advantage of both feed-forward and feed-back mics. Battery life has also seen a jump with a handy quick charge feature, and they can now be used in wired mode once the battery has run out. They are now capable of Hi-Res audio too (although only on wired), and all of these improvements have been facilitated with the deployment of the ever-reliable Bestechnic BES2300 chipset, used almost ubiquitously by audio tech vendors throughout 2022.

Unboxing

The unboxing experience with OneOdio certainly has a more premium feel than the price tag would suggest, with a robust cardboard 'gift box-style' enclosure housing the release and its accessories.



On the front, a striking depiction of the headphones is accompanied by the Hi-Res Audio and OneOdio logos in the corners, with the back listing the key parameters, what's in the box, and contact details for OneOdio's customer services. So far, so good.



In terms of accessories, you're getting pretty much everything you're going to need. The instruction manual is quite small, but it details very clearly using mostly diagrams what the LED status means, how the controls correspond to listening to music and taking calls, and how to toggle the different ANC modes. You're also getting a USB-C to A charge cable and an auxiliary 3.5mm jack cable, which enables the headphones to be used in wired mode. The cable is a little short, so you may not end up using this - I found it too short to use at my desk, at least.



A final addition to mention is the EVA case. Whilst it isn't anything fancy, it is certainly nice to receive one as part of the package. It comfortably stores your headphones and charge cables, with the OneOdio logo screen printed on the front. A pocket inside to hold the cables would have been nice, but it's a very minor quibble.

Design

First impressions of the A10 are very good - the headphones have a robust feel, without feeling too heavy, thanks to a combination of smart ergonomics and quality materials.

The headband on the top has a plastic exterior, with a very soft padding around the inside. The padding takes the thickness to around 20mm, which makes for a very comfortable fit, even allowing for receding patches on your crown if you, like me, are a suffering with the effects of old father time. The generous memory foam padding has plenty of give, and has not misshaped in any way since I've been testing them.



The plastic headband is reinforced by a thin aluminum insert, and this insert slides back and forth to ensure you get the desired fit. This extends to an extra 35-40mm either side, which gives the profile ample customisation to suit heads of any size, and the teeth hold it in place very securely. I would say my head is larger than average size, but I don't really need to extend the band too far. The OneOdio logo is screen printed on top, looking quite subtle - the absence of any overt branding on the A10 is one of the highlights for us minimalists.



The inside of the cups is not the biggest, but not the smallest. measuring around 68mm lengthways, with a width of 40mm which extends to around 48mm. It's just about big enough for my wider-than-average ears, falling a little short of the spacious Soundcore Q series, which give you an extra approx. 5mm in the width, but even so, I didn't notice any discomfort when used for a prolonged period of time. If you do have larger ears, I'd recommend to test them out first. The protein cushions on the ears, like the headband, are very soft, spreading quite nicely, but not too thin.



The profile of the headphone is narrower than many of the ones I've tested, more in-line with the contours of your head. Thankfully, it isn't as narrow as the borderline pokey 1More Sonoflow, and looks a lot less overt than the protruding Soundcore Q35 - again, adding to the sleek nature of the minimalist design. The clamping force is low to medium - this has advantages and disadvantages.



The fit is very comfortable and the look is very subtle as far as over-ears go - I found myself only making occasional micro-adjustments, and the low clamping force means your ears won't get too sweaty, which is always a big bonus, but on the flip side it can occasionally result in some sound leakage, and comfort is optimised over noise reduction. It means that the A10 are better suited to casual listening and the daily commute over exercise, where excessive motion can result in the headphones moving around quite a bit - you'll be fine with a dash to make the train, but I wouldn't run 10km in them.

The headphones fold, twist and tilt, and everything snaps into place securely and satisfyingly. The hinges which allow the headphones to fold up quite compact have a robust feel to them, and they should, since they are reinforced with aluminum alloy. There is no squeaking, and unlike some of their competitors, they don't sound like they're going to snap in two when they lock in place. The cups can rotate more than 90 degrees, which is always nice to see, although the tilt range is quite limited, and this area is predominantly made out of plastic in order to keep the weight displacement at the optimal areas.



The exterior edges to the cups are finished in black plastic, with Rolex Daytona-esque concentric circles surrounding the OneOdio logo. It is a very subtle, very attractive look, that contrasts well with the charcoal grey 'aluminum-look-and-feel' main body, and it is this combination that gives the A10 a little character, allowing it to stand out a little from the almost unavoidable generic look that designing a set of headphones dictates, giving it fair durability whilst not compromising comfort nor portability.



The controls are intuitive and responsive - my natural inclination was to reach for the main body, but they are located on the bottom of the subsection of the cup which juts out, which is precisely where you would locate them if you were designing these from scratch! Most of the grunt work is done on your right ear, with the volume up and down buttons sitting either side of the main MFB. The volume buttons double up as track back and forward respectively (although I feel like the + and - buttons should probably be the other way around in terms of their positioning), and the MFB switches the headphones on, acts as play/pause, and hails voice assistant when double tapped. There is a good contrast to the tactile feel of each button, which helps you remember which is which.

You've also got the 3.5mm jack socket located here, at the front for easy access. On the left cup, you've got the USB-C socket for charging the headphones at the front, and behind it the ANC button. Pressing this toggles the modes between ANC on and off and Transparency. Sometimes it can take a little while to register, and it seemed to me like you have to select your ANC mode before inserting the cable if you want to use ANC in wired mode, but otherwise the buttons are fine - controls sit in a reasonably intuitive array and are responsive and tactile, and with ANC, you get a voice telling you which mode you've selected, which is extremely welcome.

Audio & Sound Signature

Onto the audio, and as you can see from the graph, OneOdio have gone with a very upper-mid-centric 'monitor-style' tuning which favours a clean, lean sound signature, giving prominence to female vocals and instruments with a very gentle and lightweight lower frequency response.

The A10 have a very natural, fresh tonality and head stage, with good width and depth. The focus on the midrange, with a recessed lower frequency response permits a perceived sense of depth and positioning, and allows for good separation - it's easy to separate instruments and locate exactly where they are around you. I tested with a number of different genres and found imaging to be very accurate throughout. Despite the clean nature to the sound signature, trebles are not too bright - there's texture and finesse to tams, shakers and cymbals, without ever sounding shrill or edgy.

Whilst the graph gives the impression of a deep recess in the bass, that doesn't detract from the lower frequency response altogether. There's a gentle rumble to the subbass on 'Gecko' by Oliver Heldens and 'Break Up With Your Girlfriend' by Arianna Grande that will certainly satisfy those with a preference for a more neutral sound signature, but they definitely aren't for bassheads - if you like a relentless rumble, then they probably aren't for you. That said, I adjusted the bass quite a bit through Wavelet and saw no distortion at all, so if you really do want more grunt to your subbass it is possible to tweak them to your liking.

The timbre is on the colder side of natural, and this works well with most music styles, especially electronic 80's & 90's from the likes of Tears for Fears and Seal. Switching ANC on/off doesn't have a huge impact on the sound in the way we often see it tightening the sound up on TWS. Using the headphones in wired over wireless gives you the benefit of Hi-Res Audio, and for me I did notice an upturn in the sound when plugging a cable in. Everything feels a little tighter, and the volume seems a little quieter, so you may have to crank it up a little louder.

For me, the A10 are a pleasant listen, with good detail and adequate resolution - it's a shame there's no app for users to tweak the sound to their own personal preference, and hopefully this will come in time, at least for iPhone users who don't have the benefit of Wavelet to call upon.

Active Noise Cancellation

ANC on this model negates up to 35dB of environmental sound, which on paper, is comparable to the other pretenders to the sub £100 crown. I find that with most headphones, the efficacy is very much more dependent on the fit than the documented dB level - if you can get a good seal with your ears, that's more than half the battle. That said, even though the fit on the A10 isn't tight against your ears, they still achieve very good results.

With ANC on, low rumbling sounds are handled effortlessly. Indoors, air conditioning units and nearby traffic see sizeable reductions, and keyboard taps, whilst not eradicated altogether, are reduced from a click to a tap. Nearby conversations are more difficult for headphones to handle, and unsurprisingly this is the limit to how effective the A10 are too. To date, the Sony WH-1000XM4 are the undisputed champion in this area, with others struggling to compete. I'd say the A10 perform around about on par with the Soundcore Space Q45 and a little better than the 1More Sonoflow and Tronsmart Apollo Q10.

Outdoors, the A10 don't quite perform as strongly. This is one area where earbuds tend to perform better than headphones, unless the headphones were engineered predominantly with strong ANC in mind, like the XM4. Whilst traffic and environmental sounds are comfortably muted, they don't disappear altogether. Wind noise is a particular Achilles heel for the A10, with strong gusts reverberating around the back of the cups. I took a two hour walk through a variety of scenarios today, and the A10 certainly didn't let me down at all, but if you are expecting or hoping for noise to be removed altogether, it's worth keeping a check on expectations - the A10 are £70, multi-purpose headphones i.e. they have to satisfy the lion's share of users. Whilst the ANC is still punching above it's weight, and will be more than satisfactory for the average user, it doesn't give you the feeling of jawache or vertigo like the XM4 have reportedly done for many users. And that's unquestionably a good thing.

Transparency mode is adequate, but can make your own voice sound a little raspy in your own ears, and whilst there is only a minor amount of static noise that wasn't enough to bother me, it may not be to everyone's liking. It handles mid-distance conversations well, but any further and it may struggle - if someone is shouting at you from the other side of the room, you'll probably hear it, but you may not be able to decipher every word.

Call Quality

The A10 handle voice calls pretty well. Indoors, your voice comes across clearly and with good tone and articulation. Introduce some light background noise, and the ENC kicks in, trying to reduce it, and at least dulling noise where possible to a crackle. If you're in a busy office or school or college corridor, as expected, the A10 like most headphones and earbuds is less successful at negating the noise altogether, but you'll almost certainly find your voice is elevated sufficiently that a call is not insurmountable.

Outdoors, it's a similar story - in relatively sterile environments, your calls will be fine, but add wind and traffic to the mix, and dealing with multiple sources of obfuscation is more challenging. Even so, considering there are no stems, calls are certainly doable - a very credible attempt.

Battery Life

Battery life is one of the highlights of the Focus A10, with the 40 hours playtime with ANC on and fast charge feature providing two hour's worth of playtime from five minutes juice comparing favourably with the likes of the Soundcore Q series. The ability to plug a 3.5mm cable into the jack and continue to use the headphones, firstly to save battery (you can still use ANC+wired and get up to 62 hours) and secondly to just keep using them after the battery has run out altogether, is a big bonus.

On the first round of battery life, I've used around 15 hours playtime and lots of calls, and I'm still at 60%, so the 40 hour mark seems an accurate representation so far.

Connectivity & Other Features

The A10 use the industry-standard BES2300 chipset, which we've seen in the Soundcore Q Series, 1More Comfobuds Pro and a number of other high profile releases across 2022. Whilst it is only capable of Bluetooth 5.0, I didn't experience any issues with stability of signal, topping out at around 10m line of sight, even using multipoint.

The 2300 chipset allows for support of AAC and SBC - there's no LDAC support sadly, but it's possible to meet the Hi-Res Standard (as we mentioned previously) by using the headphones in wired mode.

Multipoint connectivity is always a bonus. I was able to connect to two simultaneous devices without any issue. Whilst I haven't tried the headphones out for any serious gaming, latency on videos is pretty much lip synchronised.

Summary

OneOdio's decision to return to the A10 and give it a revamp for 2022/23 seems to have paid dividends, with a solid update to the A10 that fares comparatively well with the competition in this congested price category. The comfortable ergonomics, good build quality and smart aesthetics that categorised the original have been carried over into the new model, and the upturn in sound, ANC and call quality are all welcome improvements. Battery life is also very good, and the quick charge feature is another pleasing inclusion. The result is a very competitively priced set of headphones that do all the basics very well, with sound in particular a highlight in this competitive sub-£100 category, avoiding the bloated v-shaped profiles that plague the majority of releases in this price category.

There are a few omissions and areas of improvement - app support being the main one, ANC could be a little stronger, transparency mode could be a little more natural, and arguably the +- button orientation would have been better the other way around, but these are very minor quibbles, and there's nothing stopping OneOdio from adding app support in the future - fingers crossed!

So a very solid attempt, and if you're in the market for a set of wired/wireless hybrid ANC headphones on a budget, the A10 are a sound option, especially at the current price of £69.99 here in the UK.

Price Weighted Score: 85%
Raw Score: 81%

About OneOdio

At OneOdio, everything revolves around excellent sound, tapping the visceral power of music for all. We have infused decades of experience and passion into creating music to life. Fueled by cutting-edge tech and unwavering passion for quality, we create high-end headphones and audio equipment designed to elevate your listening experience. So far we have firmly planted the OneOdio flag in the DJ, Monitor, ANC and HIFI industries. Besides, we are also devoted to the high-tech consumer electronics industry-sports open earbuds.

OneOdio have successfully branched into different product areas - now adding microphones and sports headphones to their portfolio, and this outward product development looks set to continue strongly into 2023.

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Model: SoundPEATS Air4
Price: £52.79 - Amazon UK
Review Reference: RC105

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: SoundPEATS
• Model: Air4
• Driver: 13mm Dynamic Driver
• Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3071
• Mic: 6 mics with CvC environmental noise reduction for calls
• ANC: Yes - approx. 20dB
• Codecs: AAC, SBC, Aptx-Adaptive, Snapdragon Sound
• App Support: Yes
• Multipoint: Yes
• Customisable Controls: No
• Gaming Mode: Yes
• Earbud Weight: 4.19g
• Earbud Dimensions: 33.3mm stem, 18.8mm maximum depth
• Gross Case & Buds Weight: 38.62g
• Case Dimensions: 54mm {maximum} (width) x 58mm (height) x 24mm (depth)
• Case Charge Capacity: 330mAh
• Quick Charge: No
• Wireless Charging: No
• Charge Time: approx. 60 minutes (buds), 90 minutes (buds and case)
• Single Use Playtime: Up to 6.5 hours
• Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 26 hours
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.3
• Bluetooth Protocols: BLE/ HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
• Water Resistance: IPX4

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual

YouTube Review:



Introduction



After taking the summer off, I've come back to a big pile of the latest and possibly greatest earbuds for 2023, but being a connoisseur of the semi-in-ear style of TWS, I think it's fair to say few were as eagerly anticipated as the SoundPEATS Air4. It's been a busy year for SoundPEATS, with the launch of their sub-brand TrueFree, LDAC re-rubs of their popular models hitting the market, and now the sequel to their esteemed Air3 series in two flavours - the 'Lite', and the regular. Whilst I haven't had chance to check out the Lite yet, I've been testing the Air4 for a good few weeks now, and with semi-in-ear being 'my thing', I've plenty of others on the market to benchmark it against.

Whereas the Lite version mimicked the Capsule3 Pro, Mini Pro HS and others released during 2023 in using the WUQI WQ70XX series chipset, the Air4 has seen SoundPEATS going back to Qualcomm, showcasing the QCC3071chip used previously by Earfun in their disappointing Air Pro 3. Like Earfun, SoundPEATS haven't flexed the full capability of the chip, with LE audio and Google Fast Pair not implemented at this stage. Even so, they've still included some nice features, such as Multipoint connectivity and support for the 'Snapdragon Sound' suite, which includes 'lossless' transmission of up to 44.1kHz/16bit and AptX-voice for wideband voice calls for phones with the Snapdragon 8 processor and above. Most interestingly, they've also decided to implement Active Noise Cancellation, which is dangerous given some will always try to compare the performance with in-ear designs (despite SoundPEATS' protestations otherwise in their marketing material!)

I reviewed the Air3 Deluxe HS a while ago here at Headfi, and have been a huge fan of this range ever since the TrueAir2, but for the first time in the trifecta they've made a notable change to the ergonomics, with the Air4 now more akin to the Apple AirPod 3 than the second generation. Would this somehow scupper SoundPEATS' bid to retain their crown as the best budget Airpod-clone? Read on.....

Unboxing



Since the Air3 Deluxe HS, SoundPEATS have been edging the professionalism and 'premiumness' of their unboxing experience upwards a notch with almost every release, and the Air4 thus follow the Engine4 and Wings2 with a smart outer enclosure that is now punching above the lower-midrange price point at which SoundPEATS typical retail. The SoundPEATS logo and Air4 text have a metallic shimmer, matching the accents on the product itself, and on the back you've got most of the key parameters.

Inside it is the usual fare of SoundPEATS manual and basic USB A-C charge cable. The manual is very good - as always coming in 7 different languages, with text and diagrams used well to convey their simple instructions. You've also got a small booklet telling you how to install and use the SoundPEATS app.

Charge Case



The charge case on the Air4 is instantly recognisable as being from the SoundPEATS stable - it has the matte, mono, two-tone look of the Capsule3 Pro, whilst the green LED resembles that which was used on their bassy in-ear stem release, the SoundPEATS Life. The LED on this case is actually a bit of a disappointment - it's rather dim, difficult to see in well-lit rooms even, but it does the job - letting you know when the case battery is dropping - staying green up until it drops below 50% where it turns amber until you've got below 10%, when it turns red. There's a slightly different percentage alignment when you plug the case in, where amber represents 20-69% whilst charging. You have to say it is pretty weird how they come up with these random numbers, so just follow the colour scheme and you'll be fine, unless you're colour blind....if you are, I don't think I have any answers for you! You've also got a small reset/pairing button on the front, which isn't easy to see here but is much easier to use than the fiddly buttons on the back and side you get with some earbud cases.



I think it would be a stretch to call the case premium-feeling - like most SoundPEATS cases, it's functional, but whether it's built to last the distance is less clear. Even so, it has been in my bag and pocket for the last 4-6 weeks, scratched up with my keys and covered in sun tan lotion on the sunlounger in Rhodes, and unlike the Air3 Case which scuffed up pretty quickly, most of the marks are not really visible. When compared to the Air3 case it is clearly more well-built - the hinge, lid, and general feel to the case are all 'next level up' although admittedly the Air3 case was one of their flimsier efforts.

The hinge to the lid has two positions - open and closed, and there's a hard friction stop at 90 degrees. Open the case and hall-switch mode will immediately trigger the pairing or connection to your last connected device.



In terms of size, SoundPEATS have been increasing the case dimensions steadily since the Air3, but they've also been enhancing battery life too. We've gone from 17 hours on the Air3, to 20 on the Deluxe HS, to up to 26 on the Air4. Just bear in mind if you're using ANC, that will erode a bit quicker. There's no quick charge feature and no wireless charging.

Ergonomics



The Air4 are, like the Air3 series before them, a stem-based semi-in-ear design earbud, which are ideal for those who don't like the invasiveness of silicone tips. SoundPEATS are widely recognised as the budget leader in this area due to their ability to tune their drivers to offer punchy basslines without distortion, something the likes of Edifier and 1More haven't successfully been able to achieve.

The touch control area, denoted by the gold accent and SoundPEATS logo, has increased ever-so-slightly in diameter, with the touch sensor remaining the same. This means they aren't quite so prone to accidental touches, but they're still in a bloody awkward place - exactly the position you will inevitably touch if you need to adjust them. You've got pretty much full control from the earbuds, except track back, because as with all SoundPEATS ANC models, holding the left bud for a couple of seconds toggles your ANC mode instead (whereas holding the right bud cycles tracks forward). This isn't a deal breaker for me, but I know others bemoan it.

You do have volume control (single tap) but unfortunately there's no option to customise the touch controls, and with even budget brands like QCY and Baseus now offering at least some customisation, it feels a little disappointing that SoundPEATS aren't even trying to address this.



The Air4, from the outside at least, are hardly an imaginative upgrade, and they still suffer from the problem of having a touch control sensor precisely where you need to adjust them if they start to come loose, but turn the bud around and you see a genuine difference. Firstly, the neck has been slightly elongated - an upgrade which, by itself, isn't going to do much, but when combined with a more targeted, narrower but longer nozzle, this has provided the Air4 with far greater stability than the previous iterations. They now not only pass the shake test, but require little additional readjustment if at all. This added stability makes them much better suited to taking out and about on the daily commute, for example. It's not the most original amendment - Apple did the same when they went from AirPod Gen 2 to Gen 3 - but it is most welcome, and I found the fit much more secure when out walking, although I still probably wouldn't run with them other than a light jog if I'm late for the train.



Otherwise, the only other real differences are cosmetic - the driver shroud is now copper-coloured, to match the accents on the back of the case and the SoundPEATS logo on the touch control area, and the section that sits on your ear is shiny rather than matte, but this doesn't detract from the 'grippiness' in any way. The flat ring around the driver nozzle (as opposed to protruding) is another micro-adjustment that has a very minor comfort benefit, and having brought this to SoundPEATS' attention myself in the past, I'm definitely going to fool myself into thinking someone in R&D read that email and thought - 'yeah, that's what I was thinking Regancipher - I'll change that next time around'!

Stems are still 33mm, charge connectors are still at the base, mics are in the same place, etc - evolution rather than revolution. The buds are IPX4 moisture resistant - as always with SoundPEATS buds, this means sweat and rain are fine, but anything else and you may find yourself invalidating the warranty if they go wrong.

It's possible to use the earbuds in single mode - you get stereo sound through the one channel. The earbuds will automatically shut down after three minutes of inactivity.

Audio & Sound Signature

The Air4, like previous SoundPEATS models, use a large dynamic driver (although it has been reduced from 14.2mm to 13mm) but with the SoC being from Qualcomm, instead of offering LDAC the hi-res codec support comes from the Qualcomm stable - namely aptX Lossless, one of the core tenets of the Snapdragon Sound suite. Lossless isn't strictly lossless here - 16bit/44.1kHz transmission is achieved at between 1,100 - 1200kbps, whereas a CD file is 1,411kbps, but it's very close, and beats the highest performing LDAC transmission of 990kbps.

Regardless of codec, the fundamentals to improving sound are via the drivers and the tuning. It's quite evident very quickly that the resolution and imaging are not really improved at all from previous versions. Despite my phone supporting Snapdragon Sound, I don't feel wowed by the texture or precision like I occasionally am with wired IEM's. I do come to expect this, as semi in-ear and wireless are hardly a killer combination for audiophiles, but it feels like the Air4 are just the Air3 Deluxe HS with a slightly different sound signature, and despite the strides SoundPEATS have made in other areas, I'd have liked to have seen a bit of progression here to truly distinguish between the regular and the Lite and demonstrate some genuine progress.



One of the problems with the Air3 DHS was the constrained midrange - in particular the upper mids, which could leave vocals sounding a little whispered. Well, on the Air4 they've gone the other way, with a peak and then drop between 1-2k, before a gradual climb up to around 5k which sustains until around 7kHz before a sharp drop. As a result vocals pop out a lot more than on the A3DHS, but it borders on shrill at times, with higher male vocals in particular.

This profile of sound is a little more like the original Air3, and I guess the idea here was to lift the bass a little and contrast that with greater attack to instruments and percussion and crisper vocals. And it kinda works, most of the time, but when it doesn't, you're left with an imbalanced and slightly awkward sound that benefits hugely from some minor, and some major, adjustments.

On 'Something Got Me Started' by Simply Red, the acoustic guitars come through with good harmonics and a warmer tone, and drums also have decent presence and body. The limitations are more evident when the vocals come in - Mick Hucknall hits as high as B4 in this track, and when he does it's just a bit too overpowering. With the woodwind instruments set too far back, you get an excessively sharp, bordering on shrill impact, which very quickly becomes fatiguing. A deeper voice - Curt Smith from Tears for Fears, for example, sounds much more balanced, and if you like opera, tenors are also better represented.

Female vocals on the other hand pop - Katy Perry on 'California Gurls' has great clarity, and the lisps and gasps in Cecilia Krull's 'My Life Is Going On' translate well to the representation. 'Side to Side' by Ariana Grande in particular sounds great - it's not too complicated in terms of arrangement and it plays well to the Air4's strengths, with Ariana's vocal taking centre stage, the bassline coming through quite thick and lots of texture to the percussion.

On a more simple house track like 'Wombass' by Oliver Heldens, the combination works arguably even better - bass is fast, subbass is resonant, midbass is more balanced than the Air3 DHS and the kick drum has body, weight and punch. The coarse trebles work well, giving the illusion of detail as shakers come to the fore, and percussion sounds crispy - but it's on these type of tracks where the Air4, like the original Air3, are by some distance at their most comfortable - introduce complexity into the arrangement and they aren't anywhere near at home. The trebles in particular struggle with separation where you have a variety of clashes, cymbals and other percussive elements, and even on their own can at times sound a shade artificial in terms of their texture.

If you found the Air3 DHS too big a side-step from the rawer-sounding Air3, you'll probably welcome the return to this more energetic sound signature, and despite a just satisfactory staging, they are still a pretty enjoyable listen and can be fine-tuned with the EQ to bring a more natural sound to vocals. Of the presets, 'Pop' is almost a half-way house between the Air3 DHS and Air4, taking a little of the harshness out of trebles and upper mids - for more longevity and less fatigue, give this preset a try. If you're a basshead, maybe try bass boost - the lower frequencies can sound a bit bloated depending on what you're listening to, but this preset also rolls off the harshness of the higher frequencies, whilst retaining energy and drive.

You could also try my custom EQ: 1, -1, -1, -1, 0, 1, 2, -3, -1, 0. It isn't as energetic as SoundPEATS Classic, but it's more balanced and, IMO, makes them a far more palatable listen across each genre, taking the inconsistencies out of the treble and trimming the fat out of the bass.



And by the way, all of these observations are with ANC on - without ANC they are simply unusable. Even with the 'Bass Boost' preset activated, there's simply nowhere near enough depth to the sound. This obviously has implications on the battery life, as we will come to shortly.....

Active Noise Cancellation

Now being late to the party on this review, I've had chance to watch and read some other reviews especially on the ANC, and it doesn't cease to amaze me how many are disappointed by the performance. What exactly are you expecting?! Semi-in-ear style earbuds don't have a seal, and it's the seal which contributes the most in typical ANC buds, especially with the middle and higher frequency environmental sounds. So already, the Air4 are at a huge disadvantage due to their design. And yet, despite this, you can still hear the ANC kicking in immediately, as soon as you put the buds in your ears.

I tested them in a variety of environments - even on a plane, and whilst they aren't ever going to match the effect you get on an IEM-shaped bud, to dismiss it as 'non-existent' is harsh to say the least. If you're expecting them to negate voices or screaming kids, think again - it just isn't going to happen. However, if you're out and about or at home doing work and you get bothered by lower frequency sounds - the sound of engines, aircon or computer fans, then you'll notice these are subdued completely. Subdue is probably the best word to describe ANC - noises aren't cancelled, but they can make your environment much more comfortable, and having experienced this conundrum previously with the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, I can honestly say the Air4 are miles ahead of those, for me, with my fit, at least. I've heard of other semi-in-ear models having this feature now - such as Huawei FreeBuds 5 and Edifier W320TN, so it will be an interesting comparison to see how they fare in relation to those models.

In case you were wondering - there's no selectable ambient mode, because there's no seal, so ANC off is the equivalent to your typical passthrough with ANC in-ears.

Call Quality

The Air4 boast 6 mics, which work harmoniously to facilitate the cVc noise reduction native to the Qualcomm chipset. As you'll see in the YouTube review, I tested the Air4 in a bunch of different real life environments - including a commuter train, a busy coffee shop, and outdoors on a windy day. After some initial problems with the mic not activating, the air4 settled down into a solid call performance. The Air4 are, in particular, first-class at negating background noise - only a very strong gust of wind was clearly heard out of all of those scenarios, and you can quite clearly see a couple conversing right next to me on the coffee shop scene, with none of that being relayed through the Air4.

The only drawback is on particularly busy indoor scenes, where your voice can soften a little, and with the boomy nature of the mids already making your voice sound quite bassy, it can leave you a little less coherent than you would like. Even so, it's a huge upgrade from the Air3, a tangible improvement from the Air3 DHS, and probably the best semi-in-ear performer alongside the Edifier W220T.

Features

The Air4 have a host of codecs - AptX-Lossless, AptX-Adaptive, AptX, AAC & SBC. This makes them a great choice if you own a Snapdragon-based Android phone in particular, but if you own a Google Pixel or older phone, you'll still benefit from the presence of AptX. If you're lucky enough to have a newer Snapdragon phone, you'll benefit from superb latency. With gaming mode activated, the Air4 perform well on casual games, only falling a shade short on first-person shooters. Along with the Air3 Pro, this is SoundPEATS' best gaming performance so far.

Multipoint is adequate. It's a bit of a faff to set it up (you need to disconnect from your primary device, then connect to the secondary, then reconnect to the primary) and to initiate you need to pause the primary device and the secondary device plays a second or two later. However, if you then pause the secondary device, playback does not resume on the primary device - I found I had to disconnect and reconnect again. There's no ability to see which devices are connected in the app, unlike the Realme/Oppo/OnePlus range, which is a shame - you may find yourself (like I did) hearing the 'Connected' voice prompt twice and wondering what else you're connected to.

There's no quick charge, no wireless charging, no in-ear detection (unlike the Air3) and no spatial audio, which we've started to see creep into even budget models recently (albeit badly) such as Oppo Enco Air3.

The SoundPEATS app is one we've discussed many times before, and having prioritised stability over features, is reasonably mature albeit a bit lacking. Adaptive EQ is back (and again, didn't really work for me). In case you haven't seen it, it's similar to Soundcore's 'Hear ID', with tones generated at different frequencies, requiring you to tap the screen when you hear something. At the end, you get a hearing curve customised to your hearing, but the reality is less exciting - stick to the equalisers and custom EQ.

The custom EQ section is very useful, with ten bands. It isn't parametric, but it does seem to give you the most customisation at the points where you probably need it the most. If you're on Android, you always have Wavelet to fall back on if you don't want to use the app.

The app also gives you the ability to toggle ANC and gaming mode, and you can also switch off touch controls altogether.

Bluetooth version is 5.3, and when connected to my Sony Xperia 1 IV I got an impressive 15m line of sight - a strong connection performance. Outdoors, even in congested areas, the Air4 seemingly prioritise connection, dropping the quality as opposed to intermittent dropouts when you try and push them to their distance limits.

Battery Life

Some comparisons (advertised):

TrueFree T3 - 7 hours / 28 hours
Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro - 6.5 hours / 27 hours
SoundPEATS Air4 - (up to) 6.5 hours / 26 hours
FIIL CC2 - 5 hours / 27 hours
SoundPEATS TrueAir2+ - 5 hours / 25 hours
Haylou Moripods - 5 hours / 25 hours
Tronsmart Battle - 5 hours / 25 hours
1More Comfobuds 2 - 6 hours / 24 hours
FIIL KEY - 5 hours / 24 hours
SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe - 5 hours / 22 hours
QCY T20 - 5.5 hours / 20 hours
SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS - 5 hours / 20 hours
QCY T12 - 4 hours / 20 hours
TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 - 4 hours / 20 hours
SoundPEATS Air3 - 5 hours / 17.5 hours

Battery life on the Air4 is, on the face of it, very strong - up to 4.5 hours with ANC on, and 6.5 hours with ANC off, with 20 additional hours from the case puts them some way ahead of the Air3 and Air3 DHS. However, in reality, you're not going to use these without ANC on due to the dearth of lower frequency in the sound signature. With ANC on, my readings varied between 4 hours 4 minutes and 4 hours 19 minutes, using aptX-adaptive, 60% volume and taking the odd call. With ANC off, again I got around the advertised, with 5 hours 52 being my shortest and 6 hours 17 minutes being my longest. Semi-in-ear buds have always struggled with battery life, I suspect due to the larger drivers.

Summary

Let's start with the positives. SoundPEATS have basically done exactly what I said they would do in the comments of my review of the Air3 DHS - offer options for different consumers of different primary source devices. The Air4 and Air4 Lite show they aren't afraid to try to cater for everyone. Using the Qualcomm chips - not cheap - is a bold move that benefits in particular Snapdragon-based device owners, and they've integrated some nice features, like multipoint connectivity, lots of codecs and a subtle ANC that is an added bonus for seasoned semi-in-ear connoisseurs. Call Quality is amongst the best in class, and the superb latency performance will be a big benefit to casual gamers.

The problems that ANC has brought, however - diminished battery life and a sound signature that simply isn't viable without it activated, not to mention the inconsistencies in the tuning this has inadvertently introduced, might leave the market wondering if it was really worth it. For me, I think it's a bold and justified experiment, but a big part of me is left wondering what might have been - SoundPEATS still haven't bottomed out ensuring all of the fundamentals are met in the design brief, and an earbud in 2023 without quick charge, in-ear detection and mappable controls feels like SoundPEATS may lose ground with the competition if they aren't careful, in trying to be a little too extravagant.

The sound is good by semi-in-ear standards with a decent weight to lower frequencies when ANC is on. With some adjustments on the EQ, you can get the sound signature to a quite nice state, but it didn't seem that long ago that SoundPEATS were miles ahead of the competition here, and now....well, they are still probably the pick of the budget options, but the gap is closing. By downgrading the driver size and focusing most of the energy into features with this release, it feels a bit like SoundPEATS have accepted critical listening isn't for semi-in-ear wireless buds.....and you can see the logic in that, but it would surely be dangerous to relinquish their lofty position at the top of the budget tree without a fight?!

Despite my protestations, it's still hard to argue against the Air4 once again capturing the hearts and wallets of the budget semi-in-ear crowd - but next time around I'd love to see the evolution improving the audio even more, and adding some of those fundamentals we've been banging on about like Quick Charge and mappable controls.

SoundPEATS Review Inventory:

SoundPEATS Engine4
SoundPEATS RunFree Lite
SoundPEATS Life Classic
SoundPEATS Opera05
SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro
SoundPEATS H2
SoundPEATS T3
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)
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Model: QCY T12
Price: MSRP $20
Vendor Website: QCY
Review Reference: RC042

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: QCY
• Model: T12
• Driver: 13mm
• Chipset: Jieli (aka Jerry) AC6972A
• Impedence: 32 Ohm
• Mic: Dual MEMS
• ANC: No
• Volume Control: No
• Codecs: AAC, SBC
• Earbud Weight: 4.17g
• Earbud Dimensions: Stem Length 35.8mm
• Gross Weight with Case: 24.79g
• Case Dimensions: 45 x 44 x 25
• Case Charge Capacity: 380mAh
• Full Charge Time: 120 minutes
• Quick Charge: No
• Wireless Charging: No
• Input: 5V 400mA
• Single Use Playtime: Up to 4 hours
• Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 20 hours
• App Support: Yes
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.1
• Bluetooth Protocols: HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
• Water Resistance: IPX5

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual, Chinese & English



Real Life Experience

Welcome to the Regancipher review of the QCY T12.

QCY are well renowned in the TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that perhaps lack some of the bells and whistles of the more lauded chifi brands, but deliver to the segment of the market that need 'good enough', reliability and value for money. Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5) with three of their major customers in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019, and in 2020 they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor in the world, according to market research.

The last time I reviewed a set of QCY earbuds - the T10 - was a bit of a damp squib. I shouldn't have expected much, but the lure of balanced armature drivers at less than $20 was too much to ignore. Unsurprisingly, they turned out to be, well, as good as you would expect for $20 - nothing more, nothing less. However, QCY are very quick learners - straight after the T10 came the T11, and they were much improved. What I like about QCY is they seem to keep the elements that are good, and improve on the areas that are weak, with every release. Fit and comfort on the T10 were great, but they lacked a little in audio quality. The T11 retained the form factor and simply improved the audio delivery - smart decision.

The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value....and this time, they got it just about right.

The Unboxing - 7/10



Like Haylou, whose Moripods and W1 I recently reviewed, there is nothing fancy about a QCY unboxing. What is noticeable is that they have upped their game in recent releases. The change in branding and logo is evident, and the key features - 13mm drivers, low latency and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity - are all detailed clearly on the front. Inside the buds are held securely in a plastic insert, along with the case, the type-C USB charge cable.



The user manual is a little primitive, and in English and Chinese only. Some of the print is a bit small so make sure you have your reading glasses on!



The back of the box features some of the key characteristics and a QR code for their app.

The Case - 7/10



The case is an 'open cigarette box-style' - similar to the FIIL CC2 - and that can cause a problem with foreign objects getting inside the case and obscuring the charging sensors - so be aware of this.

QCY have favoured a glossy, but solid plastic over the metallic finish of the FIIL, which is robust and very solid. Compared with the FIIL, it provides a much lower total charge capacity.



It is very portable - one of the smallest cases I've tested. The case is visibly smaller than the Haylou Moripods (top left), FIIL CC2 (bottom left) and SoundPEATS TrueAir 2 (bottom right).



It is also extremely light - less than 24g fully loaded, and unlike previous QCY releases it has a nice glossy finish, and the build quality feels more premium than the price would suggest.

A single light on the front glows red when the case is on charge, and green when charge is complete, but there is no indicator of percentage. The light for the buds does the same, and is on the outside - the same side as the case. This makes it very straightforward to see whether they need charging or not and is a nice feature, although it takes an eternity for the lights to go off!

Ergonomics - 7/10, Build Quality - 7.5/10

The shape of the T12 is rectangular, which, like the Moripods and CC2, makes it very easy to adjust them without accidentally initiating the touch controls. There is no obvious sign of the ambient mic on the outside, although the marketing material claims they do have it - where it is, I'm not really sure.

The 'head' of the buds is much thicker than any of the other models above, and this, combined with their very short length (35.4mm) can make them a little lopsided in terms of weight displacement, and consequently quite loose fitting if you have a shallow concha, so these are better suited to those with slightly larger ears, or ears that droop down only a little to enhance stability.

The SoundPEATS and Haylou models get round this with more angular necks to hook better on the ear, and the 1More, FIIL and Taotronics, have a more refined nib which is designed to rest further in the ear canal. To be honest none of them will fit everyone perfectly so it should be remembered fit is entirely subjective, and is especially pertinent with this semi-in-ear style.

They driver surround terminates in a nice metallic mesh cover though, differentiating them from the pack - usually we see this on IEM's, so nice to see on TWS. The build quality is much better than the rough-edged Haylou Moripods.

On the inside we see what is probably the second mic, and a pressure relief hole, commonplace on buds of this ilk. The glossy finish throughout again looks nice, but doesn't help secure them like the traction of the rubberised Comfobuds or matte finish of the TrueAir2 and CC2.

Weighing just 4.17g, they are very light, although as I mentioned earlier, the weight displacement is better suited to those with deep conchas.

Above shows how they look in the ear - a little generic - but they look very nice overall and the LED lights do not flash once they are out of the case and in your ears - a bug bear I have with other manufacturers.

Audio Quality - 7/10 (for the price), 6.5/10 (raw score)

Unlike most buds at this price point, the focus has been on elevating the mids a little, but not too much. This can give the sound a warm, intimate feeling, and whilst they lack a little tonality, they can also sound spacious and airy thanks to the form factor creating a little room between you and the source. High mids are rolled off, which makes them less fatiguing when worn for long periods, but can sound a little muddy on more complex tracks.

I gave them a tweak through Wavelet and Windows, and they responded pretty well through both. It is worth remembering these are $20 buds - the sound is perfectly acceptable for the money. If you're mainly going to be listening to audiobooks or podcasts, these are a great option, as they lack the harshness associated with the v shaped, consumer sound signature typically present on buds at this price point.

The buds support AAC and SBC codecs. QCY mostly use the Jerry chipset range, which supports Bluetooth 5.1, but does not facilitate the aptX codec range as it isn't a Qualcomm SoC. This relationship with Jieli is one of the reasons QCY can keep the buds affordable, and the sound is very good for the price, and especially good for the offer price!

Call Quality - Indoors - 7.5/10, Outdoors - 6.5/10

Calls are surprisingly very clear and natural, if a little boomy, at this price point. Your voice comes across very clear in both cell and Zoom calls, and most sounds that are more than 5m away are blotted out. Closer sounds feel dulled but definitely present, although your voice is elevated above them quite clearly.

Outdoors they seem to suffer the same fate as most other buds of this type. Traffic and wind can completely decimate your calls, and your voice gets lost. This is not exclusive to the T12, more a feature of TWS that all vendors have to compromise on.

Controls & Other Features - 7.5/10

Controls are quite straightforward, and whilst there is no volume control by default, the QCY app does allow you to remap the buttons - remarkable at this price. The manual details how to initiate different functions, and also what the LED status and prompt is. Rather than a Chinese sounding voice, you get a single tone. QCY's YouTube channel gives you very nice visual instructions on how to use the buds here.

Low latency mode is initiated by triple-tapping the right bud, and left triple tap hails voice assistant. Latency came in quite good on this model

The app, like most TWS apps, requires a lot of permissions and doesn't always connect straight away. It does, however, have a remarkable amount of features, including touch sensitivity, button mapping (detailed above), a ten-band equaliser and a 'find my buds' feature a la Samsung. Some very impressive features for the money.

Battery Life - 7/10

The buds are pretty loud, so you can achieve close to the advertised 4 hours at around 55% volume comfortably, and 20 hours from the case is respectable, if unspectacular. In fact, it's pretty low by today's standards, although for semi-in-ear it's still about right.

The lack of quick charge is a shame, and wireless charging would have been a nice to have, but at the price point, it is understandable that it has been ommitted.

Final Comments

In a crowded market, QCY have offered a very respectable set of buds at an extraordinarily low price that do nothing outstandingly well, and nothing badly, still providing some high-end features, such as app support, low latency and control mapping that bely their incredibly low price tag. The build quality is very impressive - the semi-in-ear market is dominated by SoundPEATS' excellent TrueAir 2, FIIL CC2, 1More Comfobuds and Haylou Moripods, but the T12 are definitely more solid than all of the above, and whilst they don't top the charts overall, they also costs a lot less. If the above buds price you out of the market, or you want a spare pair to use in case the others fail, you can do a lot worse than the T12.

At just $16 - you can pay more for a beer in London - QCY deserve major kudos for once again delivering a reasonable attempt at an extraordinary price point.

Ideal for:

• Low-budget customers that need a good set of buds for today
• All round users that value comfort, good sound and good calls
• Those on the move, that see value in the small case
• Those that like to hear their surroundings

Not so suitable for:

• Those that need active noise cancellation
• Those with a bigger budget
• Exercise

Price Weighted Score: 79%
Raw Score: 74%

QCY Review Inventory:

HT07 Arcbuds
HT05 Melobuds ANC
T20 Ailypods
T18
G1
T17
T16
T13
HT03
T12
T11

About QCY:

Whilst not quite a household name outside of China yet, QCY are well-renowned in the budget TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that, whilst perhaps lacking some of the bells and whistles of the more expensive brands, deliver to the segment of the market where 'good enough is good enough', with solid reliability and tremendous value for money.

Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5), with three of their major customers being brands you will certainly recognise and in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019. In 2020, market research indicated they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor worldwide - no mean feat.

Despite a close relationship with SoC manufactuer Zhuhai Jieli, QCY are not afraid to mix and match components to suit their target market. This often sees a number of releases in quick succession - their T17S are an example of this, released subsequent to the T17, and differentiating with the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 SoC, to support customers who require the added lower latency enabled by the aptX codecs that the Qualcomm chips support. They did a similar thing with the very popular T5, T8 and T9 - nice to see a vendor using an easy to follow naming convention! The G1 use the newest Pixart chip in order to reduce latency - horses for courses!

The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses at a very affordable price - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value from a brand they can trust.

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Model: SoundPEATS Mini Pro
Price: MSRP Approx $60
Website: Amazon UK
Review Reference: RC086

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: SoundPEATS
• Model: Mini Pro HS
• Driver: 10mm Bio-Diamphragm Driver
• Chipset: WUQI WQ7033AR
• Mic: 6 mics with NNPU AI ENC
• ANC: Yes, up to 40dB
• Codecs: LDAC, AAC, SBC
• App Support: Yes
• Volume Control: Yes
• Gaming Mode: Yes
• Earbud Weight: 4.8g
• Earbud Dimensions: 18mm height, 23.2mm depth with nozzle
• Gross Case & Buds Weight: 36.7g
• Case Dimensions: 58mm (width) x 43mm (height) x 26mm (depth)
• Case Charge Capacity: 300mAh / 1.1Wh
• Quick Charge: No
• Wireless Charging: No
• Single Use Playtime: Up to 8 hours (ANC off), Up to 4.5 hours (ANC on, LDAC)
• Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 28 hours
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
• Bluetooth Protocols: BLE/ HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
• Water Resistance: IPX5

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips



YouTube Review



Introduction

Welcome to the @regancipher review of SoundPEATS' latest 'LDAC upgrade' - the Mini Pro HS.

The cat was out of the bag a little while ago with this one, with SoundPEATS having left a thumbnail of the product in the shop section of their app. TWS detectives across the globe don't miss a trick, and here we are in double quick time!

Soundpeats seem to be updating most of their Qualcomm-based products with LDAC iterations - the potential motives are discussed on headfi here, but one interpretation could be to jump on the high resolution bandwagon and offer an alternative to those with non-Qualcomm devices (Google Pixel, for example) where aptX-adaptive is not an option, opening up a larger pool of potential customers that value higher resolutions.

Whilst this agile approach to product releases does mean that SoundPEATS, as a brand, remain at the forefront of innovation, it can tire reviewers a little with seemingly iterative improvements, rather than evolutions that focus on the weak points of the product and try to remedy as many as possible.

On paper, it is difficult to imagine that the Mini Pro HS will offer a huge improvement over the original, but improvements are rarely encapsulated on specification sheets, so onto the review to see if the Mini Pro HS stacks up to expectation as we approach 2023.

Unboxing - 8/10

The Mini Pro had already marked the beginning of an improved unboxing experience for SoundPEATS, and with the Air3 Deluxe HS and now the Mini Pro HS, the improvement has been cemented and refined. It is a more 'premium-feeling' packaging that passes the 'would you give these as a gift?' test, with a tougher outer package and a nice insert. The back and sides of the box display the key headline features: LDAC, Hybrid ANC, 10mm bio-coated diaphragm dynamic driver

One aim for SoundPEATS in 2022 has been to take a more environmentally-friendly approach to product packaging, reducing unnecessary plastic and finding new ways to deliver without compromise. An example is the Apple/Huawei-style enclosure holding the eartips - after taking a while to work out how to get it open, it definitely improves on the 'plastic baggy' approach, which had a budget air about it.

Another improvement is the sleeve containing the product manual. I had a hard time being able to retrieve this from the box on previous releases, but by adding a thumb pull on the side, retrieval is much easier.

The manual is as per previous releases, with diagrams and text used to good effect to display basic instructions, including the control scheme. The instructions are in seven different languages (as per the product specification at the top of this review). You also get the usual USB-A to USB-C charge cable.

Case - 8/10



The case is essentially the same as the case on the original Mini Pro, with gold 'flecks' giving a speckled-effect to differentiate it from its predecessor. The outer layer to the case, an upgrade from Mini to Pro version (see my review on the original pro here) gives it a little more durability, feeling almost-rubberised and adding a degree of resistance to scratches.

As per the previous, you get a tactile LED on the front to denote charge status. It's the usual traffic-light scheme here, with Amber kicking in when the case drops below 50% charge, and Red below 10%.



When you open the case, you'll notice immediately the nice friction hinge is further reinforced. This allows you to pop the case on the desk with the buds open, use one bud in single mode and leave one in the case for it to charge. Getting the buds out of the case is a bit awkward at times, as you only have a small area to grip onto.

Unfortunately, once again SoundPEATS have omitted 'hall-switch' mode from the case, which means they will not immediately connect to your device when you open the case. There are positives and negatives to this - it negates the issue of the buds draining in the case when the case battery is dead, and prevents you from skipping a track or something like that while you're taking the buds out of the case, since they will typically still be in the process of connecting. However, you lose the ability to see whether you're connected to the right device whilst the buds are still in the case, so you may have to negotiate the connect/reconnect process with the buds in your ears, and may even have to restore the buds to the case to reset in case you have any issues.

The buds slot gently into the top with the magnets giving adequate holding power, and the buds slot in with the S facing you straight up, unlike the confusing angle which was necessitated with the original Mini. You'll notice the tiny LEDs on the bottom of the outer side of the buds are glowing red - this means they are charging, take them out and they will flash white to denote connection, or red and white to denote pairing mode. Once connected, the white light will remain on until the bud connects sound from the connected source - pressing play on Spotify etc. will immediately cause the LED to switch off.



The case is charged exclusively with USB (no wireless charging) and sadly there's no quick charge feature. The case capacity is 300mAh, and the case charges with an input power of around 1.4w at 5v. The latest generation Low Power Semi charging module is designed to withstand higher voltages, negating the need for separate overcharge and overvoltage protection components, eliminating extra points of failure whilst adding resilience. It provides up to 2.5 additional charges (see Battery section for further details)



The case shares the dimensions with the original Mini Pro - measuring just under 6cm wide, just over 4cm high and around 2.5cm depth. At under 37g it sits firmly in the lighter case category without ever feeling flimsy. It's a nice size for ideal portability - I took it into town for mic tests in my trouser pocket, and it didn't feel uncomfortable at all, making it ideal for the daily commute.

Design & Ergonomics - 7.5/10

The aesthetics of the buds have changed very little, with the gold accent from the case replicated across the earbuds. The touch control area is very responsive and large enough for your fingertips. A small cutout at the bottom of the S opens for a single LED and a Ruiqin Leidiao R230 voice mic. A further opening at the top exists, for the feed-forward noise cancelling mic, also manufactured by Ruiqin, to pick up environmental noise.



On the inner side, you have a cutout that allows the battery connectors to recess, minimising direct contact with your skin. You also have another opening, for a feed-back noise cancelling microphone, the second of two additional mics used to improve voice calls and maximise noise cancellation. The oval nozzle is nicely finished with a brass-coloured metallic mesh.



The ergonomics of the Mini Pro HS are identical to the original Mini Pro, with a double-flange design and steep, shallow oval nozzle. The expectation here is for the steep part to augment the eartip and close off the entrance to the ear canal without going inside it. This design is in contrast to something like the original Mini or Jabra Elite 75t, which has a deeper nozzle that enters your ear canal and closes it off that way.

The double flange is necessitated by the large battery and overcharge/overvoltage protection components. It is clear more of the space is being utilised in this model over the original.



There are pros and cons to this design - whilst it feels less invasive in the short term, it can cause fatigue due to the pressure you're placing on your concha. The pressure builds up around the edges of the seal, and I found after a few hours I needed to remove the buds and give my ears a rest. I also found going up a size to the largest (right ear) and medium (left ear) tips for my odd-sized canals benefited both comfort and ANC.

As you can see above, regardless of which sized tips, there is a small gap around the top of the bud where the fit isn't perfectly even. Whilst this wasn't reflected with the power of the ANC (which performs superbly), it does look a little awkward, and I found myself having to adjust them with exercise - they certainly didn't feel like they would hold up from me pounding the turf for a 10km run. There's definitely the argument that SoundPEATS have missed a trick by not exploring the option of a wing tip, that works well with the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro - another double-flange-style design.



The weight is identical to the Mini Pro, and keeping it under 5g certainly minimises the potential for 'droop' during exercise (although not so much if you have odd ears like me)

ANC - 8.5/10

Active Noise Cancellation was one of the disappointments of the original Mini Pro, offering only mediocre performance, working fine with deep, low rumbling sounds but struggling to deal with higher pitched noise.

The Mini Pro HS obliterates the original in every way, taking advantage of the capabilities of the WUQI chip and adding a 6 mic array, with both feed-forward and feed-back methods utilised. As a result, the Mini Pro HS offers performance that almost compares with the industry heavyweights in this field, the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro and Edifier NeoBuds Pro, only falling short with limitations in options (only three modes - on, off and passthrough). It is the strongest performing ANC bud SoundPEATS have released to date.

Indoors, air conditioning units and outside traffic are negated altogether. Chatting or TV sounds are reduced to incoherent mumbles, I'm sat here with the World Cup on TV, around 5m away from the source - the crowd noise is reduced altogether, and the commentator sounds like he's hissing - you can't make the words out at all. Keyboard clicks become taps, and whilst they don't disappear altogether with no music playing, the harshness is certainly taken out of the sound.

Outdoors, it's a similar story. Engine noises don't disappear altogether, but they do turn high pitched and incidental. Unfortunately the lack of wind here in the UK currently hasn't allowed me to assess how well it deals with wind noise, but I will update when that is the case.

Passthrough mode is quite powerful in the near distance, but more distant sounds dissipate. Even so, it is quite natural sounding and one of the most impressive I've tested, if not the most impressive, under $100.

Wearing them for a while then removing them suddenly and you'll feel briefly like you're hearing for the first time, with sounds overwhelming you - always a good sign in ANC tests. Whilst it isn't over-ear headphone levels of ANC, by TWS standards, performance is very strong, especially at the price.

Audio Quality and Sound Signature - 8.5/10 (for the price), 8/10 (raw score)

As mentioned in the intro, the Mini Pro HS takes advantage of the capabilities of the WUQI chipset, which permits a frequency response of 20Hz-40KHz, transfer rate of 990kbps and transmission up to 24bit/96KHz using the LDAC Bluetooth codec. Whilst this pushes the transmission to 3x that of SBC, delivering relatively efficiently, the theory is usually more emphatic than the reality. LDAC will not turn badly-tuned drivers good, and the differences are usually somewhat academic.



Regardless, the audio delivery of the Mini Pro HS is, like the Air3 Deluxe HS, an improvement over its predecessor. With Active Noise Cancellation switched off, the Mini Pro HS has a moderately rich midbass, gentle subbass and rolled-off trebles. The midrange isn't as scooped as it was on the Air3 Pro HS or the Life (see the graph above), allowing vocals to stand out considerably more. Whilst male vocals tend to sit back slightly from the orchestral arrangement more than female vocals, all vocal ranges come through with decent clarity and tonality, without the depth and resonance that they have on buds like the Edifier NeoBuds Pro. Higher frequencies, however, definitely lack a little sparkle - if you're used to buds like the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro, you will almost certainly notice very quickly that shakers, claps and hats feel a little incidental by comparison. It is certainly a more dynamic sound than the Air 3 Deluxe HS, staying a little truer to the original in terms of sound signature, and adding a touch of smoothness to the rawer sounding predecessor.

On tracks like 'Everybody Rules The World' by Tears For Fears, the Mini Pro HS separate the lower frequency elements nicely to give a decent sense of space, and clashes and drums have nice texture, good clarity and reasonable separation. Switch genre to Oliver Heldens' 'Wombass', and you experience a clean subbass with fast attack and decay whilst retaining the texture of the sound. Switch again to 'My Life is Going On' by Cecilia Krull, and the subbass is again fast, vocals this time are much more forward without sibilance. If anything, the trebles maybe lack a little sparkle and texture compared with something like the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro or Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2, which deconstruct hats, strings and tams much better by comparison. Strings and winds separate more than adequately on 'On The Nature Of Daylight' by Max Richter, offering better than average depth and tonality.

Turn on ANC and the soundstage tightens, the trebles roll off a little and the lower frequencies lift quite overtly, even bordering on a little bloated with more complex tracks. On tracks with heavy subbass and lowpass filtered kicks like 'Side to Side' by Ariana Grande and 'We Don't Talk Anymore' by Charlie Puth, it's almost a wobble - not quite 'Soundpeats Life'-heavy, but it may feel overwhelming, especially if you like extra detail to your higher frequencies. Switch genre to 'Gecko' by Oliver Heldens and Becky Hill, a simply electro house track from a few years ago, and the subbass rumbles through with no impact on the other elements of the track - same story with 'Jimmy Cooks' by Drake & 21 Savage, however move to something a little more elaborate like 'There Is No End' by Mahmut Orhan, and a little detail is lost by the overwhelming subbass decay. Even so, with ANC on there is a greater energy and punch - being able to toggle quickly at least allows you to select the right format of sound depending on the genre or style.

Soundstage is neither especially wide nor especially narrow. This elasticity gives a little air to tracks, but doesn't feel too open. On 'Low' by Lenny Kravitz, vocals pan around nicely and strings, horns and drums move outwards. Switch ANC on and it feels like the soundstage is compressed somewhat (both in depth and width) with a warmer sound, even with the EQ.

Whilst resolution is good, and certainly an improvement on the original, I didn't feel like the Mini Pro HS dazzled me with its technicalities in the way the Deluxe HS did, but perhaps given it is an in-ear bud, maybe my expectations are a little too high. Even so, it is one of the better sounding earbuds at its price, and the improvements show how far SoundPEATS and wireless earbuds at this price in general have come.

Call Quality - Indoors - 7.5/10, Outdoors - 7.5/10

Adding an additional mic seems to have helped Soundpeats not only with active noise cancellation but also delivering very strong.

Indoor your voice comes across very clearly. With no other sounds around you, you can sound a little robotic and a little thin, but everything is very coherent. Add some ambient sound and the Mini Pro HS seem to perform better, almost negating all ambient sound to a whisper, and retaining the authority and tone to your voice, if not the weight.

Outdoors, it's a similar story. Passing cars are reduced to virtual silence - only the occasional crackle over your voice intrudes on the presentation, and even then it certainly doesn't impact on your coherence.

It is certainly a big improvement over the original Mini Pro, and offers a good option given the form factor (usually stems are a pre-requisite for this level of performance).

Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7.5/10

The SoundPEATS app is starting to mature, thankfully, as you'll definitely need to use it. Firstly, whilst I had no issue with connectivity, LDAC is reputed to weaken signal strength the more distance and interference you put between you and the source compared with the transmission of lower bitrate audio - whilst the science makes sense to me, I've never noticed it, but regardless, improvements in stability are provided by firmware v1.4.4, which my buds were not shipped with, so a firmware upgrade was required immediately. The upgrade also fixes an issue where the buds default to ANC off when you take the buds out of the case. Upgrading the firmware is not in the main section - touch the top left corner and you'll see an option listed there.

The app has actually removed some of the features you get with the Air3 Deluxe HS, including 'Adaptive EQ'. This allowed you to put your ears through a hearing test of various different frequency bleeps before serving you with an EQ setting customised for your hearing. For whatever reason, this beta feature is not available with the Mini Pro HS.

In terms of the EQ, whilst you get the usual 9 presets, they aren't usable in the way they were on the Air3 Deluxe HS. 'Bass Boost', even with ANC off, adds far too much weight to the subbass. 'Bass Reduction' on ANC mode cuts too much off, 'electronic' lifts the mids so high it sounds uncomfortable and 'Folk' and 'Classical' sound like your audio is being played underwater. The only usable preset is 'Pop', giving sound a 'warmer' feel.

The custom equaliser has also been scaled back here, moving from a 10-bar to a 7-bar EQ. Aside that, the app gives you the ability to switch single touch off (not so much of an issue for this model, because accidental touches are less frequent), and toggle gaming mode and ANC mode, both of which can also be accomplished from the touch controls.

Controls are back to the old scheme, with no option to play the previous track unfortunately. Single tap on the left and right bud reduces and increases volume respectively. Double tap plays/pauses and answers calls, hold the left bud for a couple of seconds to toggle ANC mode, hold the right bud to progress track forward. Triple left tap for gaming mode, triple right tap for voice assistant. The controls are responsive and intuitive, although whilst you do receive spoken confirmation of ANC mode and gaming mode, you don't hear a tone when you change volume.

Latency is fine - videos are lipsynchronised without any issue. With gaming mode on, first person shooters like PUBG see a minor delay, although it seems slightly improved from the original. Volume is very loud. I rarely went above 50%, a little lower than most of my earbuds.

Battery Life - 8/10

Battery life is solid on the Mini Pro HS, although can vary depending on your usage. My findings were as follows:

ANC off, SBC, occasional call & gaming mode, 50% volume - just under 7.5 hours playtime (advertised 8)
ANC off, LDAC, one call, 50% volume - 4 hours 47 minutes (advertised 5.5 hours)
ANC on, SBC, 50% volume - 5 hours 35 minutes (advertised 6.5 hours)
ANC on, LDAC, 50% volume - 4 hours 3 minutes (advertised 4.5 hours)

The charge case enables the buds to be charged an additional 2.5 times - there is no quick charge feature unfortunately.

Comparing this to the competition, it falls some way short of something like the more expensive Soundcore Space A40, which does support fast charging and gives you around an hour extra across all of those different modes. By the same token, compared with the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2, longevity is much better, offering around 30-45 additional minutes.

Summary

The Mini Pro HS are a decent upgrade on the original Mini - offering a big improvement in ANC, decent improvement in calls and sound. In one sense, you could say this was a more justifiable upgrade than the Air3 Deluxe HS, but in another you could say SoundPEATS have missed some potential opportunities for improvement - wing tips to improve stability, quick charge and in-ear detection.

Even so, at around the $60 mark, there isn't a great deal around this price that can compete with the Mini Pro HS in doing the basics so well, at least when purchasing from conventional outlets (i.e. Amazon). Coming in some way below the price of the Soundcore Space A40, 1More Evo and Edifier NeoBuds Pro, they offer almost-comparable features at a much reduced price, and are an attractive option for those on a budget.

Price Weighted Score: 84%
Raw Score: 82%

SoundPEATS Sound Signature Comparison:

SoundPEATS Review Inventory:

SoundPEATS Engine4
SoundPEATS RunFree Lite
SoundPEATS Life Classic
SoundPEATS Opera05
SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS
SoundPEATS Air3 Pro
SoundPEATS Mini Pro
SoundPEATS H2
SoundPEATS T3
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)
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Socials: Biolink

Model: IKKO OH300
Price: £49.68 - Amazon UK (currently £32.00 at IKKO)
Review Reference: RC120

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: IKKO
• Model: OH300
• Driver: 10mm liquid crystal dynamic driver
• IEM Weight: 5.22g
• IEM Dimensions: 24.2mm (height) x 17.0mm (width) x 25.5mm (max depth)
• Shell: CNC+PC+ Photochromic Color-Changing Glass
• Impedance: 32Ω±15% (at 1kHz)
• Sensitivity: 107dB/Vrms (at 1kHz)
• Frequency Response Range: 10Hz-50kHz
• Effective Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
• Cable: High Purity Oxygen-Free Single Crystal Copper
• Connector: 0.78 2 Pin QDC with 3.5mm jack

Includes:

1 x Pair IEM
1 x Detachable Oxygen-Free Copper Cable
6 x Pair spare tips (3 x narrow bore SML, 3 x wide bore SML)
1 x User Manual
1 x Warranty Card

YouTube Review:



Introduction

IKKO are a brand that likes to do things their own way, refusing to flood the market with release after release and shunning the Harman profile that typifies your average budget IEM release these days. Their individualistic approach has seen them pick up a string of VGP awards over the last few years, including for the OH10 - a very popular IEM with the Headfi community. The OH300 joins the OH10S in branching away from the original OH10, retaining a similar fun, energetic sound but bringing a rather unique-looking photochromic glass faceplate to enhance the visuals. The OH300 is the budget-friendly option, sporting a single LCP driver and retailing for around £50 - a price bracket where the competition is fierce - but they definitely have their merits. If you like a fun, bassy sound and don't mind their slightly larger profile then these could be a plum choice.

Unboxing



The OH300 come in a small, bold outer enclosure which showcase the design of the buds, along with the Hi-Res Audio logo. It is a simplistic, uncluttered styling that extends further into the overall unboxing experience, and it gives you that first glimpse of the photochromic design that symbolises the raison d'etre of this release.



Unperturbed by many of their competitors' more extravagant, themed affairs, IKKO have kept the overall unboxing experience simple, with accessories kept to the bare minimum. You're getting 6 sets of eartips - 3 SML in wide bore, 3 SML in narrow, an instruction manual and a high purity copper cable. There's no carry case nor pouch, so if you're the kind of buyer that likes to get a load of freebies in the box, prepare to be a little disappointed. Fortunately, the accessories are serviceable, although due to the shape of the OH300 you may still look to roll those tips anyway.

Design and Build Quality



The first thing to address when examining the design is the OH300's signature - their photochromic glass faceplates, designed to safeguard the circuitry components from ultraviolet damage in sunlight. This has the added bonus of presenting a blue hue in strong light, and whilst it does certainly differentiate the OH300 from other IEMs, the effect isn't quite as startling in the flesh. Nevertheless, the shells are very well designed with good build quality and QC.



Looking away from the plate, the rest of the shell is predominantly plastic, but don't let that put you off. The OH300 is a beefy, robust IEM with a custom 'feel' to the inside. They're a relatively heavy IEM - over 5g - and they're also a deep insertion design with a pretty long nozzle, bringing their overall width to over 25mm. The semi-transparent smoked look enables the internals to be seen with a close look. It's an attractive overall design that is certainly eye-catching, and the brass nozzles reflect solid craftsmanship - the OH300 feel much higher quality than many of their competitors at a similar price.



The cable and connectors are also respectable quality - the latter being a 2 pin QDC type. The ear hooks are augmented by a silicone sleeve that gives them a little more malleability and hold. The price-performance parity is about right here, although the absence of chin slider again on the cable is a minor quibble.



The teardrop shape of the IEM has an ergonomic geometric to it, following the contours of your antihelix and sitting quite naturally against your concha. The ear hook coils pull quite tightly, but I didn't feel any discomfort - instead walking around outdoors I felt a sense of confidence that the hooks wouldn't come loose - something that should be bare minimum, but isn't always the case.



The only slight disappointment for me with the design is how bulky they are, which may or may not be a problem for you depending on your ear anatomy. The 25.5mm depth and long nozzle mean they don't really fit my shallow ear canals particularly well, and whilst they do provide excellent isolation, the deep fit could at times feel a little awkward for me. I could still use the OH300 for a few hours at a time without any issue, but any more than that and I'd need to give my ears a little rest. Bear in mind, my ear canals are definitely not as deep as the average ear - I often have this problem with IEMs, and the ill-fitting look you see above is not so much reflected in real life.

Audio & Sound Signature



The OH300 are the first non-Harman set I've listened to for a while, and after a brief period of readjustment I was able to enjoy what they had to offer - a fun, warm, bouncy v-shape sound that excel particularly with non-complex, energetic genres such as pop, EDM and R&B, where the relaxed treble can combined with polite upper-mids and an enriched low end, offering good detail without fatigue.

A broad +6dB lift spanning 80Hz up through 500Hz injects plenty of warmth and body. The slope ascent brings acoustic instruments forward with woody resonance and injects electronic genres with atmospheric depth. The enlarged bass presence remains tight and punchy thanks to the restrained mid-bass - its a richer, colourful bass rather than a more physical rumble. The bass is punchy and energetic, and whilst this isn't a basshead set, if you like a richer, slightly thicker tone then the OH300 should have enough in the locker for you.

Though the midrange the OH300 takes a politer stance, the sound retains sharpness and clarity, at least when the volume is a little higher. While male vocals shine around 300Hz, a notable -3dB dip at 800Hz can pull some female artists voices and guitars back in the mix. This reduces clarity and intimacy at lower volumes, yet prevents hardness or fatigue at higher levels. Overall the mid contour sounds smooth rather than articulate - atmospheric instruments like strings focus on tone over texture. Vocals maintain intelligibility if not constant presence. The laidback upper-mids likely contribute to the OH300's genre versatility, though critical listeners may want more midrange energy. I tend to prefer a more prominent midrange due to the style of music I favour - progressive house, melodic techno, opera and vocal jazz - but for more energetic listening I found myself enjoying what the OH300 had to offer far more than I thought I would.

As per previous, treble takes a slightly more laidback stance than some of the brighter sets that have passed through the RC test bench, rolling off the extension and dialing brilliance back considerably compared to target, counter-balancing other frequencies nicely to set the tone. A relaxed downward slope prevents vocal sizzle or cymbal sting in exchange for fatigue-free listening. There's no hardness present - rather a graceful triangle decay delivering adequate air and sparkle without fatigue. Ikko have boxed clever here - arranging the treble in a slightly different way to the OH10S due to the absence of BA.

There's enough detail to satisfy non-critical listening, and whilst the OH300 sounds best when enjoying the heart of the music, rather than analyzing every last detail, that isn't to say the sound is blurred or incoherent. Imaging is accurate with a hint of precision - placement is very good for a sub $50 set here, and with its natural staging and tonality, it is unquestionable that IKKO have put their years of experience into the tuning, eeking out strong performance from a relatively bare-bones driver arrangement.



So how do the OH300 compare to other similarly priced buds? At time of writing, in the UK you can pick up the 7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 for around £7 less than the OH300, but I personally wouldn't bother. Listening to aggressive hip hop or EDM, the Zero 2 stomps with authoritative slam thanks to its +7dB boost at 40Hz. The boosted sub-bass force shouldn't be understated, allowing synthesizers to growl fiercely while kicks punch with physical impact, but it sounds rather pillowy and bleeds more into the midrange, obscuring details and congesting the sound. Ambient electronica loses its sparkling clarity and jazz pianos sound a shade boomy, lacking the crispness of the OH300. The OH300 provides cleaner mids along with smoother, more fatigue-free treble. Its smoother sound won't rattle ear drums, but instrumentation remains more intelligible across genres without the coarseness that blights the Zero:2. Fans of vocal-centric pop and acoustic styles will almost certainly prefer the OH300's smooth tuning, whereas bassheads will probably favour the less refined Zero:2.



The EPZ Q5 are close to the MSRP of the OH300, and are another Harman-diffuse field set which impressed me. The Q5 are a more musical set, with a dialled-down midbass and upper mid-register extension that suits my preferred styles - melodic techno, vocal jazz, etc by bringing an even cleaner, more cohesive sound to instruments and vocals, and particularly percussion, which has more bite and granularity. However, whilst the bass is clean and reasonably well-textured, bringing a slightly quicker attack and decay, it lacks a little robustness compared to the fuller, thicker sound of the OH300. Non-complex vocal arrangements and rock and metal can both paradoxically sound a bit echoey on the Q5, whereas the sound is fuller and more dynamic on the OH300. Both sets benefit from great imaging for the money, and both are amongst the best picks at around this price, depending on your preferred genre.

Summary

The OH300 are a continuation of IKKO's excellent work with their OH10 and OH10S, and represent a solid addition to their portfolio and a good option in the crowded budget category, especially at their current reduced price of £32.

The photochromic effect is probably more gimmick than tangible benefit, but it makes for an attractive, albeit slightly bulky IEM that offers great isolation and is straightforward to drive. The build quality and craftsmanship are high, despite the predominantly plastic, and whilst the lack of accessories may not appeal to beginners who perhaps don't have carry-cases or pouches and rooms full of spare tips, the cable and tips they do come with are serviceable.

Whilst lacking the theming of some of their competitors, the OH300 may not seem quite as exciting a choice, but they deliver good performance, build quality and finishing, and their engaging, dynamic sound will register with those who enjoy punchy-sounding baselines and a smoother treble.

How I review: (See Previous Reviews)

Model: Tronsmart Studio
Vendor Website: Tronsmart
Review Reference: RC052

Manufacturer Specifications:

• Brand: Tronsmart
• Model: Studio
• Power: 30w RMS
• Audio: Dynamic 2.1 channel dual tweeter and single subwoofer
• Technology: SoundPulse®, Tuneconn Technology
• Mic: Yes
• Codecs: AAC, SBC
• Digital Assistant: Yes
• Inputs: TF/BT/3.5mm LI
• Weight: 961g
• Dimensions: 208mm x 70mm x 59mm
• Input: 5v 2A
• Full Charge Time: 3-3.5 hours
• Single Use Playtime: Up to 15 hours
• App Support: Yes - Android and IOS
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.0
• Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.6/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.4
• Water Resistance: IPX4

Includes:

1 x Speaker
1 x User Manual (ENG, ESP, FR, DE, JP, RU)
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x AUX cable
1 x Warranty Card



Introduction

Welcome to the Regancipher review of the Tronsmart Studio 30w Bluetooth Speaker. This is a first for me - usually I only publish earbud reviews - but I was in the audio industry for a long time and have taken enough brands of speaker to festivals and hotels for weekends on the sesh to know a good (and a bad) one!

Tronsmart are now fully established as a mid range technology vendor at a very competitive price point, 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 Apollo Air. 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.

In the middle is the Tronsmart Studio. Unlike the T6, this is a horizontal speaker, so designed to sit landscape across a desk. The key differentiator with the Studio is the ability to daisy-chain up to 100 speakers in leader-follower configuration - no mean feat! Its design is definitely with the home office in mind, and that's how I've been testing it over the past few months.

You can see the full range of Tronsmart speakers here

The Unboxing

Unboxing the Studio is a pleasant enough experience, with the top lid, which details most of the key features, lifted away to reveal a nice grey sleeve with the Studio layout etched out.



Once you get into the box itself, you see a very hefty speaker, a card detailing their SoundPulse technology, a warranty card, USB-C charge cable and a very clear and easy to follow user manual detailing the button configuration, an explanation of what each of the lights mean, and instructions on how to use the product.

The manual is excellent, and uses the same format as the Apollo Air and Onyx Apex, with diagrammatic explanations of the control scheme. This is really useful as it crosses the language barrier, but regardless, there are still text instructions in English, French, German, Spanish, Russian and Japanese.

Build Quality



The build quality of the Studio is superb, especially given the price point. It has a relatively sizeable footprint at 21cm wide, with a depth of 7cm and a height of around 65mm. The unit is extremely robust, built with an aluminum alloy shell and finished in powder-coated black, and the three drivers (two tweeter, one woofer) are backed up with 4 passive radiators. The weight is quite substantial - around 850g.

The back of the unit shows the variety of inputs - 3.5mm jack, TF/SD card (up to 128gb supported) and USB-C for power. Obviously they also support Bluetooth connection too.



The bottom of the unit has a rubberised-finish silicone pad. This is really useful in avoiding scratching or chipping surfaces, which it unquestionably would without it. It also acts as a vibration dissipater, providing more clarity to the sound.

On the top you see the buttons which control the unit. You'll notice I've had to max out the exposure - it is very difficult to see the buttons otherwise, and this is one of the minor quibbles I have with the Studio - I find myself having to tilt the unit from time to time, even shining my phone torch on it to verify.

The volume buttons double up as track cycle buttons (down is previous, up is next) if you hold them down for 2 secs. The other buttons are power cycle, input mode, broadcast mode, SoundPulse mode and answer call/hang up. There is also the option to hail the voice assistant, which worked fine for me with Google and Alexa on my OnePlus Nord.

Amidst the buttons are a number of lights - white lights around the power button denote the battery/charge status, blue signifies Bluetooth pairing status, green denotes AUX/TF, yellow shows broadcast mode, and around the SoundPulse button, a white LED shows whether it is on or off.

Charging takes quite a while - around 3.5 hours (just over) to get 100% from dead, but this gives you around 15 hours playtime at 50% volume. My testing showed around 9.5 hours with a few podcasts, teams calls and several phone calls.

Audio and Features

Tronsmart advertise SoundPulse Technology as a patented headline feature, which facilitates strong bass with minimal distortion. Combined with the build they have clearly tried to enable different sound profiles for different audiences.

SoundPulse is definitely no placebo - bass is very prominent, with a subbass rumble that defies the wattage and will unquestionably appeal to those who like a thumping bassline. Whilst it gives a full, warmer sound, when the low frequencies get complex you may find midrange elements recess a little and lose detail, and around 60-70Hz there is some minor distortion as the amplitude spikes. This is to be expected given the form factor - it should be remembered this is a portable speaker, not a home media system - and performance is overall excellent taking this into consideration. The unit is also very loud, and sound distribution is good.

Default mode will be fine for most listeners, albeit a little thin, but via the Tronsmart app, you have a number of other options to EQ the sound as you see fit.



Connecting to the speaker is straightforward - you need the Tronsmart app, which is the same app as the Apollo Bold/Air etc. - and connecting gives you the familiar three screen menu.

The EQ offers, aside SoundPulse, Deep Bass, which reduces the volume slightly and recesses the middle frequencies further. 3D tries to give the illusion of surround sound by lifting the mids and high mids to give the impression of an airier soundstage, Hifi is very balanced, and my preferred sound signature, Vocal is the Spunky Beat v-shaped style sound and Rock reduces the subbass and higher frequencies in order to give the lower mids room to breath. Unfortunately there is no custom mode (yet) but using Wavelet, you can keep the Hifi sound and tweak the bass a little, getting an ideal sound, certainly for me.

The app also allows you to daisy chain up to 100 speakers through their 'TuneConn' technology. Whilst this is unquestionably a cool feature, only having one in my hand, I could not test it out. You can update the firmware and consult the manual too.

Calls

Calls are doable with the Studio speaker. You need to be around 30cm away to get the full benefit, otherwise you will sound like you're mumbling.

Summary

Whilst it is quite difficult to understand the use case for the Studio over many of the other Tronsmart speakers, sitting on my desk next to my PC it is a very good option for listening to tutorials, making phone calls, joining webinars and generally improving upon the sound from my monitor.

I don't have huge experience with mini Bluetooth speakers but I've tried similarly priced offerings from Anker, Tribit, JBL and Doss, and the Studio certainly doesn't lag behind any of them. The impressive battery life, decent sound and solid selection of features makes it a sound purchase - if you have a habit of dropping your speakers on the floor, look no further, unless you have a glass floor of course!

At the current price on Amazon UK, it is very competitively priced against its peers, with some notable improvements. If they can offer a customisable EQ through their app, it would be the icing on the cake.

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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)
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Socials: Biolink

Model: TrueFree T3
Price: MSRP £19.99 - Amazon UK
Review Reference: RC104

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: TrueFree
• Model: T3
• Driver: 13mm Dynamic Driver
• Chipset: Jieli AD6973D
• Mic: 4 mics with AI environmental noise reduction for calls
• ANC: No
• Codecs: AAC, SBC
• App Support: No
• Multipoint: No
• Customisable Controls: No
• Gaming Mode: Yes
• Earbud Weight: 3.47g
• Earbud Dimensions: 33.8mm stem, 19.5mm maximum depth
• Gross Case & Buds Weight: 36.82g
• Case Dimensions: 50mm {maximum} (width) x 50mm (height) x 25.7mm (depth)
• Case Charge Capacity: 300mAh
• Quick Charge: No
• Wireless Charging: No
• Charge Time: approx. 60 minutes (buds), 90 minutes (buds and case)
• Single Use Playtime: Up to 7 hours
• Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 28 hours
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.3
• Bluetooth Protocols: BLE/ HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
• Water Resistance: IPX4

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual

YouTube Review:



Introduction

Not content with releasing the heavy churn of earbuds under the SoundPEATS brand, the Shenzhen Ginto E-Commerce Company have added a budget moniker to their portfolio, and they didn't have to take too long to think about the name either! Today, we're taking a look at an interesting-looking semi-in-ear bud, the TrueFree T3.

I'm not sure whether the lack of imagination over the naming convention (or the brand for that matter) is deliberate or not, but it did make searching for additional content an impossible task without inverted colons!! The disconnect between the two brands hasn't been clarified yet, but as I see it, it seems TrueFree will be handling some of the more budget options - the T3 are definitely that, and as with many SoundPEATS releases, they are a pleasant surprise, offering a no-frills, 'do the basics well' option without too many features.

At £19.99 (with an additional 5% off via a voucher currently) they represent cracking value for money, and are definitely an option if you're in the market for a semi in-ear bud with a tight budget.

Unboxing



Unboxing the T3 feels like a trip back in time to Dudios and even some of SoundPEATS' early releases - even the manual has shades of the SoundPEATS brand, and it's in seven different languages, too, using diagrams and text to familiar, but expert effect.

The front of the box spells out the key features - 13mm bio-coated dynamic drivers, AI ENC for calls and up to 28 hours battery life. The back gives you a few other parameters, all of which are listed (and more) at the top of this review.

It's very much a 'no-frills' approach to the unboxing, that reduces unnecessary packaging and keeps you down to the bare essentials.

Charge Case



The T3 charge case is tiny, with a nice friction hinge that opens out to around 85 degrees, and has hall-switch mode, meaning they connect to your device as soon as you open the case. There's a small lip at the front that allows the case to be flipped open with your thumbnail, and due to this combination of features, single-handed operation is not only possible, but essential. Measuring 5cm x 5cm x 2.5cm and weighing just over 35g fully-loaded, it's a really portable case that can disappear in your trouser pockets nicely and not disturb you or look odd through excessive protrusion.

There's an LED at the front representing battery life, and when you shut the case it will glow depending on how much battery is remaining. It seems to have a red-amber-green configuration, and although I haven't managed to obliterate the battery enough to determine whether it does eventually go red, I think it's a fair assumption.



The top of the case is semi-transparent, allowing you to see the top of the buds in full glory, and the case for the most part feels pretty solid - it's more robust than the SoundPEATS Air3 case, and whilst it is slightly bigger in terms of depth, it is functionally and aesthetically a much more suitable option than the former.

The USB-C socket is located on the bottom, and it gives three additional full charges. It takes around 90 minutes for a full charge, there's no quick charge feature and no wireless charging.

The buds slot into the top with the bases facing down and the nozzles facing outwards. This cigarette-box-style design is convenient for buds of this ilk, and overall using the case with the buds is a no-nonsense affair that translates well into everyday usage.

Ergonomics



The T3 are semi-in-ear style earbuds which, the colour scheme and semi-transparent shells aside, have more than a hint of the Apple Airpod Gen 3 about them, with a 33.8mm stem and a large neck with deep curvature to allow the oversized nozzles to rest just outside your ear canal. The opening is, by semi-in-ear standards, pretty large, suiting the 13mm dynamic drivers well. The battery connectors are bevelled and sit in the base of the buds.

Whilst, at only 3.5g each, they are lightweight, TrueFree have got the weight displacement just right. They don't feel uncomfortable like the QCY T20 did after a while, with no unsightly thick edges.



Look closely into the shells and you'll see the Jieli logo on the mainboard, signifying the 6972 Bluetooth 5.3-ready chipset. At the top of the stem, you've got a fingertip -sized and -shaped touch control area, and this makes it much easier to use and less prone to accidental touches than something like the SoundPEATS Air3, which could easily set the volume controls off if you needed to make a minor adjustment, and far better than the QCY T20, which had the least sensitive controls of all time!

The stability of this design is very good. Even with talking and a brisk walk, there's little movement. To get a secure fit, I have to tilt the earbuds upwards ever so slightly. It's the same on the Airpod 3 too - damn my weirdly narrow ear canals! I took them out for my daily walk/Duolingo session, picking up the pace periodically, and other than the occasional micro-adjustment, I didn't really have to think about them. Whilst they do pass the shake test, I don't think they will stay in your ears too long with heavy movement - well, they don't in mine anyway, but if you have the anatomy that allows you to run with Airpods then you'll probably be OK here - and with an IPX4 rating, you'll be fine with a bit of light rain or sweat from workouts.

We haven't addressed the colour scheme yet - bright orange is definitely going to divide opinion, but as a Wolverhampton Wanderers supporter, I'm used to all shades of orange over the years, so it's no issue to me. In fact, it slightly-better colour-co-ordinates me on matchdays, but if you don't like orange...….well, let's see if TrueFree bring more colours to the table in the future, as currently you have only this as an option. One of the positives of this is you will almost certainly be less prone to losing them than monochrome colours, which can be easy to misplace and difficult to locate quickly.

Audio & Sound Signature



The T3, like the QCY T20, appear almost completely devoid of lower frequency response on the graphs, but it is worth remembering that this is largely determined by their design. Were you to push the earbuds right into your ears, you'd hear that they aren't tuned without any bass at all, it's just that by the time the sound makes its way into your ear canals, much of the impact of the lower frequencies has dissipated.

The T3 carry a little more presence, especially in the midbass. The bump at 100-150Hz boosts the bass harmonics, although never detracting from vocals which come through clearly front and centre. On 'Side to Side' by Ariana Grande, the wasp-style sound that accompanies the verses definitely lacks the 'warp' which vibrates through you on bass-centric IEM's, and both her and Nicky Minaj's vocals take centre stage. Percussion has some texture but lacks detail, and the dip between 3-7k blunts things a little, with the energy of kick drums somewhat subdued.

On 'Everybody wants to rule the world' by Tears for Fears, there's a strong emphasis to synths and guitars, and vocals are given sufficient space to breath without blending into the acoustics. On rock and guitar tracks, the T3 particularly excel, with the drop-off in the trebles ensuring they never border on fatiguing, despite sounding a little thin overall. Even so, it is a more palatable sound over long periods than something like the QCY T20 - a similarly priced, similarly shaped bud with the same chipset - which could sometimes sound a little too bright.

Call Quality

Calls on the T3 are a welcome surprise. As always, I tested them both indoor and outdoor in busy scenes. Indoors, they are reasonably effective at nullifying ambient sound and lifting your voice somewhat. You can still hear the indistinct sounds around you, but the AI noise reduction isn't excessively powerful, and as a result most of what you say comes through quite coherently.

Outdoors, as always, the performance is better. Your voice is softened a little, but gentle breeze, traffic and engine noises are handled better than other voices. Your voice comes across with good weight and quite accurate tone. For calls, the T3 definitely punch above their weight at the price.

Features

The T3 use the Jieli 6973 Bluetooth 5.3 chipset, and I got very good stability over the course of my week-long testing period. Range is around 10m.

There is no app support on this model, so if you want to adjust the EQ, you're stuck with Wavelet on Android, or not at all an IOS. This is one of the compromises with this budget range, sadly. You are also stuck with the controls, although this is unquestionably a good thing - you've got the traditional SoundPEATS setup, with single tap adjusting volume, holding for 1.5s cycling through tracks, double tap for play and pause, triple tap right for voice assistant and left for gaming mode.

The addition of gaming mode is definitely welcome. Lip sync is OK without it, but activate it and your videos are spot on. For professional PUBG officionados you might find it falling a little short of the required latency level, but for casual gamers like myself it was adequate enough on my Sony Xperia 1 IV.

Battery Life

Battery life is actually quite good - certainly better than the Air3/TrueAir2 series. I got around 6 hours on the first go, and just under 6 on the second with a few calls. Volume for me is comfortable at around 70-80%, which explains the slight discrepancy over the factory-tested advertised.

You get an additional three charges from the case, which is great, and it takes around 90-120 minutes to charge from flat. There's no quick charge feature, and no wireless charging.

Semi-in-ear buds traditionally have a slightly weaker battery performance than in-ear, and the T3 compare favourably with their competition in this respect:

Some comparisons:

TrueFree T3 - 7 hours / 28 hours
Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro - 6.5 hours / 27 hours
FIIL CC2 - 5 hours / 27 hours
SoundPeats TrueAir2+ - 5 hours / 25 hours
Haylou Moripods - 5 hours / 25 hours
Tronsmart Battle - 5 hours / 25 hours
1More Comfobuds 2 - 6 hours / 24 hours
FIIL KEY - 5 hours / 24 hours
Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe - 5 hours / 22 hours
QCY T20 - 5.5 hours / 20 hours
QCY T12 - 4 hours / 20 hours
TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 - 4 hours / 20 hours
SoundPeats Air3 - 5 hours / 17.5 hours

Summary

Overall, I think the T3 is a pretty good option if you are in the market for a semi-in-ear bud that feels and wears like the Airpod Gen 3. The T3 are a great backup pair of buds, doing all the basics well - they sound good enough for the money, perform well on calls and have great ergonomics. Their battery life is decent and the case is highly portable.

Sure, they lack a number of bells and whistles, but sometimes that's preferable to a pair with a dodgy app, suspect in-ear detection and spotty connectivity.

This is released around the same time as the Air4 is about to hit the market, and it will be interesting to see how successful it is as a result, but for me they've very quickly become a spare pair to have in the bag to get me out of jail when my main buds' battery has gone or I've forgotten to charge them - and they haven't let me down so far.

Price Weighted Score: 80%
Raw Score: 74%

How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
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Model: Haylou S35 ANC
Price: Approx. $39-49 AliExpress
Website: Haylou
Review Reference: RC095

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: Haylou
• Model: S35 ANC
• Driver: 40mm Driver
• Impedance: 32Ω±15%
• Frequency response: 20 Hz–40 kHz (wired)
• Sensitivity: -42±3 dB
• Chipset: BES 2500 HP
• Mic: 4 mics with ENC
• ANC: Up to 42dB Hybrid ANC
• Codecs: AAC, SBC
• Hi-Res Audio: Yes (Wired only)
• App Support: Yes
• Volume Control: Yes
• Multipoint Connectivity: Yes
• Headphone Weight: 293g
• Battery Capacity: 600mAh
• Quick Charge: Yes - 2 hours from 5min
• Total Charge Time: 2 -2.5 hours
• Playtime: Up to 40 hours (ANC+BT), up to 60 hours (BT only)
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
• Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7 / A2DP 1.3 / AVRCP 1.5
• Water Resistance: Not listed

Includes:

1* Haylou S35 ANC A10 Hybrid ANC Headphone,
1* 3.55mm Audio Cable
1* Type C Charging Cable
1* User Manual (English, Russian, Chinese)

YouTube Review:



Introduction

Welcome to the @regancipher review of the latest over-ear 'WH-1000-a-like' hybrid ANC wired/wireless headphones, this time from Haylou.

Haylou have been on a 're-invention' journey of sorts, breaking away from their tradition of budget TWS and into new markets, including smart wearables and premium sports audio accessories, including the superb Purfree Bone Conduction headphones and Purfree Buds, which I reviewed here a little while ago. Before a new release, I'm never sure where Haylou are pitching their new products, but after seeing the price tag, there is no question the S35 are aimed at those on a strict budget. Retailing at around $43 at the time of the review (with the inevitable AliExpress coupons potentially taking the price down even further), Haylou have put some distance between themselves and the likes of OneOdio, 1More and Soundcore, undoubtedly offering huge appeal to those on a shoestring budget.

Despite the low cost, the S35 boast some impressive features, including up to 42dB hybrid Active Noise Cancellation, a 3.5mm jack permitting Hi-Res Audio through wired usage, Gaming Mode and AI environmental noise reduction. So with this in mind, I was very keen to see what the S35 could offer, in terms of both performance and value for money.

Unboxing



The unboxing experience here reflects the price - there is nothing fancy about the packaging compared to the Purfree series, and the bold branding and striking images and logos will be more familiar to those who have bought Haylou's range of smart wearables.

You're getting a first view of the headphone, which have a real Sony XM4 vibe going on, and there's a reminder that they support the Hi-Res Audio standard in wired mode, and offer hybrid ANC and, in Haylou's own words, incredible sound!



On the back Haylou have outlined each of the headline features of the S35 - up to 42dB hybrid ANC, 3.5mm jack for wired mode (and Hi-Res Audio), up to 60 hours battery life with ANC off, 40mm dynamic drivers, app support to customise sound and ANC, soft cushioned earpads and environmental noise cancellation to improve voice calls.

Haylou's previous earbuds did not have app support, so this is something developed to support the release and is definitely a welcome addition to the portfolio.



Usually I'd include a 'family photo' of all the accessories here, but Haylou unfortunately haven't included a carry case, and aside the manual and a phono & USB-C charge cable, there's not much more to show really. The instructions are a small folded monochrome affair, with the controls clearly outlined in English and Russian on one side, and Chinese on the other. Haylou have used some diagrams, mostly text here, and as I've said previously, if they want to penetrate new markets, this is probably one area that both they (and most other vendors) will need to brush up on to ensure widespread recognition - a glossier manual with more striking diagrams will reduce the need for so much text, and thus less requirement for a broad range of translation services.

Even so, the instructions are clear enough with no spelling or grammatical errors and certainly enough to get you on your way.

Design



The S35 are a familiar design that lends itself to other over-ear headphones of their ilk. There are a few similarities with the Sony XM4, with the arms away from which the cups swivel almost identical in shape. Haylou have put their own slant on this, with gold accents above the cut-off 'H' branding protecting the cavities for the mics.

The branding is very subtle - not in your face or obtrustive in any way whatsoever. The same cannot be said for the alternative colours though, and definitely in a good way! Like Sony, the S35 comes with blue/black and oat options, but Haylou have also released a violet/orange combo - whilst it sounds garish it actually looks pretty cool. 'Very Peri' as it is otherwise known was named as Pantone Color of The Year in 2022, representing 'courageous creativity', and whilst I almost bit the bullet and chose that model, as a bloke in his forties with teenage daughters, I left my courage and creativity behind and opted for the safe bet - blue/black had to do!

The constructions is almost exclusively plastic, and the headphones weigh in at 293g. This is one of the lighter sets I've tested, and it shows - if you pick up the headphones randomly and give them a little shake, they can feel a little....rattly. I wouldn't call them flimsy, but it would be fair to say that they 'feel' more budget than some of the $70+ sets I've put through their paces. Even compared with the OneOdio A10, despite only being a couple of grams lighter, the alloys used result in the A10 just feeling a shade heftier. I wouldn't call this a problem necessarily - it has it's benefits (they feel light on your head as well as in your hands), and it's something worth bearing in mind - the lack of carry case means you'll probably want to pick a generic one up, as they don't seem like they will endure too many bashes in the bottom of a rucksack.



Another quirk to the S35 design is the extra short headband. It comes in around an inch shorter than pretty much any other set I've tested, with the length of the padding also a little shorter. Certainly not a problem as far as I was concerned - I'm thinning on top, and despite this I certainly didn't notice any discomfort, but what it does mean is that if you have a slightly larger head and need to use the extensions at the edge of the band, you'll be inevitably putting more pressure on the thin metallic band on the inside that facilitates the extension, and that may also impact into the longevity, but comfort-wise it doesn't make any noticeable difference.

Unlike many headphone models, there is no branding on the top of the band, again adding to the subtlety of the design.



The shorter band had me fearing the worst about the clamping force, but I had no reason to be concerned - the S35 fit larger heads just fine, without the feeling of pain or even discomfort when used for a prolonged period of time.

They are tight enough that after a while you may want to release your ears back into the wild a little bit, especially if it is a hot day as the cups can get a little sweaty, but from a comfort perspective the S35 score well compared to some of the other models I've tried, whilst also giving a little more form to the design, tracking the shape of your head well.



The headphones also wear well with baseball caps and glasses, and in terms of the design, for me it looks really quite nice from the side - not too 'in your face' at all.



Comfort is augmented by the soft protein padding, which has sufficient give to feel good both on the top of your head and against your ears. When compressed, it is evident the material is identical to more expensive offerings - the thickness is around 20mm - identical to the OneOdio A10, Soundcore Q35 and Tronsmart Apollo Q10 - which is definitely a good thing.

The openings in the cup are a little larger than most headphones coming out of China, and this was a really pleasant surprise - it certainly adds to the comfort. The openings are approximately 46mm wide and 63mm in length - this is a little different to most headphones, which have more oval-shaped openings compared to the rounder openings on the S35. The result is that your ears will almost certainly have a little more room to sit comfortably inside the cups - compared to the OneOdio A10 (41x68mm), your ears don't feel like the inside of the padding is penning them in, so hats off to Haylou for bucking the trend and making this aspect much more forgiving as a result.



The headphones, like most others, have a twist range of just over 90 degrees. They tilt upwards and fold inside themselves for added portability.



A closer look at the materials and finishing on the hinges gives an indication where some corners were cut in order to keep the costs down. Haylou have used mostly plastic joints, and again this would suggest question marks over the longevity compared to those which use metal alloy, and the finishing on both hinges on my model suggested slightly iffy quality control. Even despite these inevitable compromises, the headphones don't feel flimsy or like they are going to break any time soon - but understand that with $50 headphones, you will have to accept that not everything is going to be finished like a $100 pair.



All of the grunt work in terms of the controls is done on the right cup. You've got a nice simplistic three button layout, with the ANC button located at the back, a volume control in the middle and the power button at the front. Because of the limited number of buttons, Haylou haven't added a texturized finish to the buttons, and there's no rocker on the volume. Here, I feel they have possible cut one corner too much - a rocker for the volume would have made far more sense - instead, it looks like a rocker, but you have to short press to turn the volume up, and long press to turn it down. It works OK, but timing it right is a bit of a pain. The power button is more like an MFB, acting as a play/pause when tapped, and double tapping skips tracks forward whilst triple tapping skips tracks back. ANC is toggled with the ANC button, and hailing voice assistant is through tapping the flat 'H' touch-control panel on the outer side of the cup three times, with gaming mode toggling after a double tap.

The touch control area can also be held down whilst talking/listening for a temporary transparency mode - an incredibly useful feature that shouldn't be understated, even if we have seen it before with competitors models.

Whilst the panel works really well, skipping through tracks with that single button is a bit counter-intuitive - Haylou have included all of the controls you'll need, it's just you might take a bit of learning to get used to them. Fortunately, the controls are mostly responsive, and you do get alternative musical notes depending on what you select.

Also on the right cup, you've got a 3.5mm jack and an LED indicator light. The light only seems to indicate in use when you turn the headphones on - white for on, red for off. This is naturally a good thing - nobody wants LED's coming on randomly! Next to the jack you've also got the USB charging socket - plug in and you will notice the LED turn red.

Audio & Sound Signature



The S35 boast the usual 40mm Dynamic Drivers and default to the AAC codec in 'Wireless', as well as using the full 20-40KHz spectrum in 'Wired' courtesy of their ability to deliver Hi-Res Audio. Sound on the S35 is pleasant, making them easy to listen to throughout a variety of music styles. The bass peaks at 50Hz before a steep decline to around 300Hz. It's a tuning that works quite well with a set like this - there's very moderate warmth and a nice punchiness on simple tracks, although it can get a shade congested when you introduce a little more complexity.

The point of emphasis on the S35 is the elevation around 500Hz onwards. The Harman-inspired response between 1 and 3k gives the impression of more detail, and contrasts well with the lower frequencies to give sufficient energy and prevent instruments sounding sharp or edgy. Due to the relatively balanced trebles though, again there's not much bite or finesse across the whole spectrum - if you like listening to music for long periods of time without any harshness or fatigue, the S35 excel in this department, but if you want your headphones to sound a bit more lively and more fun, you'll need to tweak the sound a little.

The soundstage is reasonably wide and it's straightforward to locate instruments most of the time. On 'Crazy' by Seal and 'Crucify' by Tori Amos, percussion and bass guitars and percussion and pianos respectively project with sufficient distance, and reasonable depth too. Resolution is OK - as you would expect at this price, it isn't earth shattering, but it's certainly good enough for the money.

You do have the ability to select alternative presets through the Haylou app. One of those presets is imaginatively titled 'Bass', and this gives the sound a very different feel feel, with the bass shelf lifted by around 5dB. This definitely changes the tone of the sound, but it feels a little too over-emphasised and detracts a little from the clarity of the midrange as a result, sounding a little bloated and heavy. The other presets - 'Rock', 'Soft' and 'Classical' are, as always seems to be the case with vendor apps, a little too pronounced and not really usable - unfortunately, there's no custom EQ currently, so you'll have to turn to Wavelet as an Android owner unfortunately.

The headphones can be used in 'Wired' and 'Wireless' mode. I found that with both modes, the volume is a little quiet even on maximum volume. It seems to be the norm that 'Wired' mode is slightly quieter - I found turning them up to between 75-80% was the norm, and sometimes even a little louder.

You can hear a binaural sample of the S35 ANC in the video below:



Call Quality

I tested the S35 both indoor and outdoor, and the dual mic array and environmental noise reduction combine pretty well to reduce some of the more common annoyances that infiltrate your calls, such as wind and traffic. I tested the S35 against a bunch of mixed performing earbuds, and they were of a comparable quality to the better performing ones - on a main road, only horns and speeding vehicles provided a real challenge to your voice, which comes through with good tone and fair clarity. It's certainly possible to conduct regular calls on your daily commute. In a coffee shop environment, your voice is elevated over the background, which it nullifies without eradicating altogether.

Due to the softness to the tone of your voice, you may need to speak up a little on indoor calls to be completely coherent, but this is the norm with over-ear headphones. You also can't use the voice mic on calls when you have the 3.5mm jack cable plugged in.

Overall, I was quite pleased with the performance - again, it's not market-leading, but is better than you would expect at the price.

Active Noise Cancellation

Active Noise Cancellation is of the hybrid variety - in other words, it makes use of both the feedforward and feedback mics to deliver the 42dB reductions boasted by Haylou. I tested ANC in a variety of scenarios attempting to replicate common use-cases, and they did pretty well both indoors and outdoors, particularly in dealing with the typical low-rumbling sounds such as engine noises and air conditioning units.

In the home office, they mute the sound of PC fans on full blast, and take the edge slightly off mechanical keyboard taps. In the coffee shop or busy office, with no music playing at all you can certainly still here the indistinct chatter going on around you, but taking the headphones off brings a blast of sound back into your ears to demonstrate the S35 do a decent job here too, muffling distant conversations fairly well. However, conversations happening close up will be audible and you'll probably still be able to make out most of the detail - the S35 perform well for their price point, but it's not Sony or Bose level noise cancellation as you would expect.

Outdoors, again the performance is above average - they do suffer a little with the sound of wind against the sides of the cans, but this is also normal outside of Sony and Bose. For general run-of-the-mill everyday sounds, the S35 cope well enough to render ANC a core feature of this product. However, you'll have to manually activate ANC when you switch them on, because rather annoyingly, the S35 default to 'Normal Mode' (i.e. ANC off) on initiation. Hopefully this is something Haylou can rectify with future firmware releases.

Transparency mode is quite accentuated compared to the more natural sounding OneOdio A10, with voices (including your own) sounding a little raspy. That said, you will be able to hear more of the conversation happening around you, with the lispy voices lifted sufficiently to enhance your awareness. One fantastic feature Haylou have included here is the ability to initiate temporary 'Transparency mode' by holding down the panel on the side of the headphone whilst you need it. I know we mentioned it briefly earlier, but it is worth discussing here too - an incredibly useful feature that also reduces the volume of whatever you have playing at the time, allowing you to hear yourself speak without fumbling for the pause button! I found myself defaulting to this very quickly, rather than fiddling around with the buttons, and whilst we've seen it before with Soundcore and Tronsmart making use of this feature native to the chipset, it's still a very handy 'me too'

Battery Life

Battery life on the S35 is very respectable. The headphones, like most of this ilk, are capable of up to 60 hours playtime from a single charge. I've been testing the S35 for a few weeks now and only now the battery percentage has dropped below 50%, which demonstrates good efficiency, despite using them for calls and call quality tests.

You can get around 40 hours with ANC on, and judging from my reverse-engineered calculations, this seems pretty accurate. Mostly, battery stats are presented with 50% volume in mind - I had to bump the volume up slightly higher, so perhaps we will see the battery life reduce as a result, but pro rata it seems to be on course to around about the 40 hour mark. You have always got the option of using them in 'Wired' mode thanks to the jack port on the cup, although bear in mind you are no longer able to use the mics for voice calls whilst the cable is plugged in.

It takes around two hours for a full charge of the S35, and the LED changes to red when the headphones are plugged in to let you know they are charging. There's unfortunately no quick charge feature - at least as far as I could tell - and this is one area perhaps Haylou could look to including with future releases.

The 60/40 hour figures match the numbers offered by the likes of Soundcore with their Q35, OneOdio with the A10 and 1More Sonoflow, and all of these models dwarf others such as the Edifier W820NB.

Connectivity & Other Features

The S35 use the BES 2500 series chipset - this is almost ubiquitously used in higher-end wireless headphones, so it is pleasing to see Haylou have retained it in a budget-friendly product. The chip is capable of Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, and other than one very brief 'jitter' where the transmission was attenuated ever-so-slightly, I've not experienced a single drop out over the few weeks I've been testing, even in built-up areas.

The 2500 chipset allows for support of AAC and SBC - there's no LDAC support sadly, but it's possible to meet the Hi-Res Standard (as we mentioned previously) by using the headphones in wired mode.

Multipoint connectivity is always a bonus. I was able to connect to two simultaneous devices without any issue, but functionality seems a little buggy. I followed the instructions - connect to the first device, enter pairing mode, connect to the second device. No issue so far. Then, I started to play Tidal on my phone (the first device) and couldn't hear anything. I disconnected the second device and the sound played immediately. Connected again to the second device as well, and the music on my phone continued to play. I then tried to play a YouTube video on my second device (Windows laptop) and nothing happened. I paused the music on the first device, and viola - the YouTube video started to play. However, after pausing the YouTube video and resuming Tidal on the first device - nothing, no audio. So it looks like either the implementation is a little buggy or there are some limitations - I'll continue to test with assorted devices, and update as I discover more.

The headphones also give the option of Gaming Mode. Other than a couple of games of Roblox to test them, I haven't tried any serious gaming, but it does reduce latency noticeably, which will certainly please casual gamers.

App Support

The S35 are supported by the 'Haylou Sound' app, which you can download via the Playstore/App Store. Whilst the app is quite basic and certainly embryonic (it only currently supports two models), it is certainly worth mentioning because I have no doubts that Haylou, like SoundPEATS and others before them, will update it and add further capabilities over time.

On installing, after skirting around a bunch of 'Privacy Policy' notifications and requests to allow certain permissions, you'll get a notification to turn on your device and pair normally first (there's no Fastpair feature). Once you've done that, the S35 will show in the centre of the main screen.



On the main 'Status' tab, you are able to rename the device, toggle ANC and see how much battery is remaining, but first, you'll likely be prompted to update the firmware. I went ahead and did this, and after less than 150 seconds, the firmware was updated to v1.0.8.3 - it didn't tell me what features or fixes had been resultant from this, and initially I got a 'connection failed' message. A manual reboot later and we were good to go.



As you'll see at the top, you have three tabs - Status, Sound and Settings. Sound allows you to select one of their five presets - Default, Bass, Rock, Soft and Classical. As always, I found the default to be the best option. You've also got an intriguing section called 'Sound Market', which I assume is going to be the mechanism for loading alternative presets, but with no sound effects currently available this is a little bit of a mystery.

Unfortunately, there is no custom EQ. Instead of using the Haylou app, I found myself reaching for Wavelet instead, and they respond to EQ this way pretty well, but perhaps Haylou can look to add this as the app develops over time.



Scroll across to 'Settings' and again, it's pretty basic in terms of functionality, but you do get the option to toggle 'Gaming Mode' here, manually initiate a firmware update, and finally, 'Find headset'.



This is a feature I never find especially useful on earbuds, but on headphones it is very handy. Tap into the section and you get a screen as shown above, whereby tapping the 'Play sound' button will cause a fairly loud 'drip' sound on the headphones - it was loud enough for me to hear it on first go in a fairly large room.

Otherwise, I think we can see that the app is quite basic, but a useful addition and it gives Haylou the time to develop the app and improve functionality going forward - just don't expect too much as things stand.

Summary

Haylou's first major entry into the headphones market is a successful one, with a very respectable set of headphones that do the basics very well at a super-competitive price. Given their competition - Soundcore Q30 and Edifier W820NB, which come in at approx. £55 and the OneOdio A10 & 1More Sonoflow which come in at even more - the S35 should appeal strongly to those on a strict budget, with no compromises over the fundamentals - sound, call quality, ANC and comfort are all as good if not better than expected at this price level.

As always, there are areas for improvement. The absence of quick charge is a shame as it's a feature I've found useful over the years, and having to manually switch on ANC every time I switch the buds on is an annoyance and hopefully something that will be resolved with a firmware patch. Likewise the slightly finnicky multipoint implementation, and the absence of a custom EQ within the nascent Haylou Sound app. A carry case would have been nice, but it's a compromise I'd almost certainly be willing to accept on a budget - and besides, Haylou have shown with their smartwatches that budget accessories to augment their releases is something they aren't too shy to try, so maybe they will offer Haylou branded cases in the future, giving users to choose whether they value it or not.

So overall, I can recommend the S35 as a really good option in the wide, wide world of 'over-ears', especially if you're constrained for how much you can spend, but you want a reliable, good-sounding set of headphones that ticks all the boxes and offers you excellent bang for buck.

Price Weighted Score: 86%
Raw Score: 82%

Previous Haylou Reviews:

Purfree Buds
Purfree BC01 Bone Conduction Headphones
W1
Moripods

About Haylou

The brand name Haylou is taken from the homonym of the English word "Hello". We believe that we can resonate with the sea through conch and listen to the voice of the ocean together, and we can also listen to the voice of users through Haylou and share the beauty of the voice together. Haylou is the messenger of sound and the medium through which we resonate with our users.

Haylou is a brand belonging to Dongguan Liesheng Electronic Technology. Dongguan Liesheng Electronic Technology, established in 2015, is a subsidiary of Dongguan Hele Electronics, having secured Series A funding from Xiaomi technology, becoming one of the earliest members of the Xiaomi Ecological Chain. Hele Electronics and Liesheng Electronic are the OEM for Xiaomi's Mi / Redmi Airdots, and their portfolio of products includes smart and sports wearables as well as a comprehensive range of audio products.

Haylou's product portfolio ranges from wireless audio, smart wearables, to IoT and other categories. And its business has covered more than 100 countries and regions, serving tens of millions of users around the world. We are committed to establishing a digital health ecology by integrating a "user-device-data" scenario via technological innovation. Embracing the values of "Empowering & Awakening", Haylou aims to inspire you to keep challenge, explore your potential and find a better self.

How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
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Model: Hidizs MS3
Price: £93.49 - Hidizs direct
Review Reference: RC121

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: Hidizs
• Model: Mermaid MS3
• Driver: 10.2mm Dual Magnetic Circuit Dual Cavity Gen3 PEEK+PU Dynamic Driver and 2 x Knowles SWFK-31736 Composite Balanced Armature Driver
• Tuning: Three filters - Gold, Silver and Red
• IEM Weight: 7.41g
• IEM Dimensions: 22.6mm (height) x 19.1mm (width) x 24mm (max depth)
• Shell: Aviation Aluminium Alloy CNC Integral Molding Shell
• Impedance: 18Ω±15% (at 1kHz)
• Sensitivity: 112dB/Vrms (at 1kHz)
• Frequency Response Range: 10Hz-50kHz
• Effective Frequency Response: 20Hz-40kHz
• Cable: High Purity Oxygen-Free Copper 4-Strand Mixed Braiding 1.2m
• Connector: 0.78 2 Pin Gold Plated Socket

Includes:

1 x Pair IEM
1 x Detachable Oxygen-Free Copper Cable
9 x Pair spare tips (3 x vocal SML, 3 x bass SML, 3 x balanced SML)
1 x User Manual
1 x Hidizs Branded Carry Pouch

YouTube Review:



Introduction

Firstly, happy new year to everyone here at Headfi, and a big up to me for my 100th Headfi review! Today we're taking a look at the HIDIZS MS3. HIDIZS are, in their words "an acoustic brand focused on recreating natural and authentic sound, capturing the essence and emotions of musical performances". Having been founded by a musician with expertise in psychoacoustics, their approach claims to 'recognize that each listener has a unique auditory perception, aiming to respect those differences, focusing not just on technical excellence, but also perceived sound, too.'. Thank goodness for that!!

This approach has clearly paid dividends though, earning three consecutive VGP 'golden prize' awards in 2019, 2020 and 2021, and generally being recognised here at Headfi and in the wider market as a brand you can trust. Whether it's IEMs, DAPs, DACs or amps, their products tend to be characterised by high quality craftsmanship, operating at the less budget-conscious end of the market, augmented by a strong market position courtesy of over a decade establishing the HIDIZS brand.

The Mermaid MS3 have been around a little while - released almost 6 months ago now - but they probably haven't quite had the fanfare they deserve, despite killer 'shark fin' aesthetics theming the plates and connectors, and outrageous build quality accompanying a competitive launch price that has now been reduced even further. At time of writing, the MS3 are available from HIDIZS direct for just £78.99 - an absolute steal given their impressive hardware. (EDIT - price has gone back up to £93.49 - still a great deal!)

Whilst much has already been said about the MS3 already in the below reviews here on Headfi, we've since seen some very popular IEM releases perhaps stealing the limelight from the MS3 somewhat, so now seems like an opportune moment to revisit and see how well they've aged, and assess whether and to whom they offer a good option in this uber-competitive space.

Unboxing



The Mermaid MS3 come in an impressively-authoritative outer enclosure which oozes understated quality. There's no wild mermaid-or-otherwise-theming - instead you get a sharp image of the MS3 and a brief summary of the driver arrangement. It's a pretty large, heavy enclosure which provided the contents with ample protection on their long journey over to the UK!



Inside, on the first floor you get a pretty nice selection of eartips and a first glimpse of the other two replaceable pneumatic sound tuning filters. The stock-fitted rose gold are listed as 'balanced', reflecting Hidizs' signature style, and are targeted at listeners of pop and folk. 'Charm Red' is their bassy, energetic filter, better suited for rock and metal, whereas 'Quiet Silver' is marketed for classical music lovers. I'll go into more detail on whether these are accurate representations in the Audio & Sound Signature section.

The eartips are all actually pretty usable. They're targeted at comfort over isolation and are very soft, unravelling when you remove them. I guess the best compliment is I didn't switch them out straight away, and have been using the vocal tips without complaint throughout my testing regime and beyond.



The MS3 also come with a carry pouch, and thankfully, a cable! The cable is incredibly impressive - probably the best freebie cable I've ever seen with a sub $200 set - it's a 4 core, 192 strand OFC cable at the standard length of 1.2m. It's so thick that the thumb pull barely budges over the top of it! The cable terminates to either 3.5 or 4.4mm depending on how you order, and at the other end you've got red and blue marked 'shark fin' detachable 0.28mm 2pin plugs.

The pouch is OK, although a little less impressive. It comes in faux leather effect material with metallic hinges keeping it shut. It's serviceable, but isn't going to offer your tuning filters any real protection.

Overall it's a pretty decent unboxing experience that aligns to its price. It will satisfy those who don't have a load of accessories already in their inventory, but for those of us with hefty existing collections, we aren't going to see too much in the way of tangible benefit, the excellent cable aside.

Design & Build Quality



If the unboxing was arguably a shade underwhelming, the same cannot be said for the design and build quality of the MS3, which tick every box as far as aesthetics and ergonomics go. If an IEM could ever be sexy, then the MS3 is probably the one you'd get permission to break your marital vows for! Granted, it bears more than a passing resemblance to their big brother, the MS5, but they aren't just a lift-and-shift - despite being a fraction of the cost, for me the MS3 are a better look and fit.

Working in the aviation industry, I was intrigued to see that the MS3 are crafted from 'aviation aluminium alloy' shells, carved by five-axis CNC. The panel is particularly eye-catching, with its black oxidation treatment and three-dimensional 'flame' style design.



The immediate first impression of the MS3 is its unmistakeable quality. The shells, despite weighing over 7g, do not feel especially heavy thanks to their well-proportioned, ergonomic dimensions, but they do feel incredibly well made. The faceplate measures 19mm wide and just over 22mm high - sure, they aren't quite as dainty as something like the Simgot EA1000, but they're still small enough to barely be noticed in the ear. Their teardrop-shaped profile rests subtly against the antihelix and around the concha, and combines tastefully with the polished rose-gold outer edge to present an alluring visual experience. The look is enhanced further by the self-styled shark-fin connectors - a fairly minor inclusion but one that doesn't go unnoticed. There's only a very slight reinforcement in the ear hook, which works well in preventing it from pulling when you're on the move and doesn't cause any discomfort or irritation.



The insides of the IEM feature a very shallow graduation upwards and outwards from the nozzle. The curvature is so slight that it's quite hard to see without the spotlight, but it's enough optimise the balance of fit and the need to create sufficient isolation. The depth of the IEM tops out at just under 24mm, and whilst this makes it a little deeper insertion than some of the competition, the whole belies the part - there's very little feeling of presence or occlusion. There's a tuning hole on the inside, and a plastic shield protecting the connectors - and it is this attention to detail that is quite symbolic when it comes to the MS3 - everything about the design is very deliberate and thoughtful.



With the nozzle undressed, you get a little glimpse of the balanced armature. The filters are quite small and fiddly, but unscrewing and replacing them isn't too much of an ordeal.



The filters, complete with o-ring to optimise sound delivery, are a bit fiddly, but again HIDIZS' attention to detail is reflected here, with orings around the edge to optimise the seal. All three filter types use differing thicknesses of what appears to be black foam on the inside.



The fit, at least for my odd-shaped ears and shallow ear canals, is quite perfect. HIDIZS have absolutely nailed the ergonomics, and it helps that they look pretty good too.

Audio & Sound Signature



The MS3 is a fun, energetic IEM which showcases HIDIZS' own take(s) on Harman, and its certainly enough to give them their own, vibrant character.

The MS3 boasts a hybrid driver configuration of a single DMDC 3rd Generation PEEK driver handling the bass, and two Knowles SWFK-31736 composite balanced armatures dealing with the mids and highs. HIDIZS redesigned the the crossover point, using tantalum capacitors for their higher frequency response and lower equivalent series resistance, with the aim of delivering higher resolution, better, more accurate treble extension and wider sound field performance ability, but despite this, driver cohesion steps aside in favour of powerful, slightly boomy lower frequencies, crispy trebles (sometimes a little too crispy), dynamics and quite impressive technicalities.

With a judicious sub-bass extension, the MS3 provides low-frequency physicality without one-note boom, benefitting tracks leaning on synthetic or acoustic bass texture alike. It's definitely not in the basshead realms, but there's enough power to lend bass guitars increased resonance and electronic kick drums a floor-shaking 'first few rows' immersion. That power tends to linger and then disperse a little inconsistently though - whilst the initial impact is certainly there, it can dissipate a tad unsatisfyingly.

There is plenty of midbass presence, categorised by a little bleed from the upper bass regions into the midrange - enough to add warmth and richness to the sound, but it can sometimes border on a little sloppy. On more bassy reproductions, the power and resonance can sound a shade uncontrolled, especially with wider bore tips and on lower quality sources, blurring it a little. It does improve somewhat after a lengthy burn-in and with careful tip selection. Bass is energetic, fun and enjoyable, more than it is clean and textured.

Departing the bass region, the MS3 midrange begins a smooth downward slope, crossing the Harman target at 400Hz. The trajectory continues descending further, reaching a +4dB valley at 800Hz relative to target before rising back upwards.

The prolonged dip through the lower mids provides a relaxed warmth. Male vocals have fair depth and texture, but join cellos and horns in a set-back, mildly recessed staging. Acoustic guitars, pianos and strings for the most part sound lifelike and enjoyable, although violins can extend to strident in solo. The mid-mids see a quantifiable recession, before an elevated upper midrange presents. The lift at 1.5kHz injects crisp presence to higher guitar tones and adds clarity and presence to female voices, which are much more forward than male vocals, although they do fall short in depth and sweetness compared to some of the smoother sets on the market. On female vocals and percussive tracks, you do get a little taste of the BA timbre, with a little splash to cymbals too. Depending on the vocalist, the sound can thin out a tad. Vocals are probably not the strong suit of the MS3, but the mids are generally well-done with good note weight and, for the most part, decent transparency.

Ascending into upper frequencies beyond 3kHz the MS3 Gold takes a decisively assertive stance, at times crossing +10dB over the Harman Target, opening out the sound and bringing crunchiness and energy to percussive elements. This begins mildly at 5kHz before aggressive elevation persists spanning from 7kHz to 15kHz - no relaxation or restraint here. The fulsome lower and middle treble emphasis adds substantial shimmer and detail portrayal to guitar work, but notes don't always decay with crisp decisiveness - it is, for the most part, a clean treble delivery, but its slightly peaky nature, whilst adding bite to accentuate transients, can sometimes also present a metallic sheen over percussive elements. This is especially evident on tribal house and funk tracks layered with drums.

The mid treble is more intense than most Harman-inspired sets, and whilst not always orthodox-sounding, the MS3 is one of the more resolving sets around the $100 mark. Detail retrieval is very strong at this price bracket, and imaging is also excellent. Instrument separation is better in the mid and higher frequencies, as you would expect, and the positioning, imaging and layering are all very strong. Staging is a tad constrained, although wider than it is deep, and the MS3 have good dynamics. HIDIZS have struck a nice balance here between delivering detail and precision, whilst at the same time bringing a healthy dose of warmth, fun and energy.



The MS3 comes with two other 'funny' filters to offer alternative sound signatures - one slightly more than the other! The silver nozzle doesn't seem to be a particularly wide deviation from the stock rose gold, but its an even brighter sound, adding further detail and punchiness to the trebles, but also thinning out vocals more. It's a hotter sound, and on higher volumes, this filter does reveal a bit too much low level sibilance though. If you're treble sensitive this is probably one to avoid, but does certainly strut its stuff with classical music on mid volumes.

The red filter is a far bigger deviation, boosting the bass, smoothing out the 5k peak and moving and enhancing the 7.5kHz peak to 8kHz. It shifts the tone a bit from bright to slightly darker and loosens the reigns even further. Basslines are richer (although less controlled) but not as punchy as the Gold filter. The note weight is a bit thicker and the sound overall a little smoother, with a more intimate presentation. I particularly enjoyed this filter with vocal jazz, soul and melodic techno where the warmer sound smooths out the vocals and the trebles are much more rounded and less edgy.

It's always nice to get very usable filter options - and all three are definitely that - but the stark deviation from red to gold has me wondering what a filter somewhere in the middle of the two would have offered. As always seems to be the case!



The Simgot EM6L are another hybrid driver option at around a similar price, sporting 4 BA's as opposed to 2. They also retail at $109 - roughly the launch price of the MS3. Putting the audio to one side, the build quality of the MS3 feels a bit more sturdy and more premium. The EM6L are slightly smaller and more lightweight, but both wear equally comfortably. Both are straightforward to drive, although the EM6L definitely benefit from a bit more oomph.

The EM6L sound is a bit smoother and warmer throughout. With the centre point of the bass at around 45Hz rather than 80Hz, the EM6L has a little more rumble. Both models bleed a little into the midrange, although it's perhaps a little more obvious on the MS3. With its more recessed midrange, vocals are a bit thinner and at times shoutier on the MS3, which is more susceptible to low treble sibilance, regardless of filter. The mids are more transparent on the EM6L - they are a bit more natural and musical than the MS3. Trebles are safer on the EM6L, remaining a little truer to Harman throughout the upper registers. The EM6L have a slightly faster transient response, but the MS3 are more fun and energetic. The MS3 have three filter options, whereas with the EM6L you're stuck with its default sound - not that that is a bad thing, mind. Both models punch above their weight in technical performance though, with the EM6L offering arguably slightly better imaging and the MS3 a marginally wider sound field.

Both are great choices, but the MS3 at the current price might represent a more competitive value proposition for those who value the added versatility. If you prefer a more natural tone and timbre, you'll probably favour the EM6L.

Summary

The HIDIZS MS3 has aged pretty well, faring well against the competition especially at their current reduced price. The unboxing and overall presentation is very good, albeit a carry case would have added gloss. The build quality of the IEM is first class and punches well above its category. It is a very versatile and comfortable IEM that offers good isolation and is straightforward to drive.

The sound represent HIDIZS' take on Harman nicely with a well-done v-shape and triple driver crossover. The bass is more about power than precision, and its energy and vibrance lend itself well across genres, particularly to pop and EDM. The midrange is recessed, but the thicker note weight and added warmth presents well on soul and RnB. If you prefer classical music, you'll probably be less enamoured. The elevated upper mid register gives pianos and strings crispness and detail. The trebles are reasonably clean and not overdone, with good exclamation to percussion and cymbals - but the BA timbre is definitely tangible here. The technical performance of the MS3 is a particular highlight, with great imaging and separation for a sub $100 set.

MS3 is a good choice in its price bracket, and the three very usable filters bring added versatility. If you seek a balance of a wider soundstage, good technicalities and energy, and favour this over a natural tone and timbre, then this might be one to add to your collection. Given this retailed at $169 at one point, the current offer price at HIDIZ is an absolute steal.

RC043

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Model: Tronsmart Onyx Apex
Price: MSRP $48
Vendor Website: Tronsmart Onyx Apex
Review Reference: RC043

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: Tronsmart
• Model: Onyx Apex
• Driver: 10mm Dynamic Drivers
• Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3040
• Impedence: 32 Ohm
• Mic: 4, cVc 8.0
• ANC: Yes, Entry Level
• Volume Control: Yes
• Codecs: Aptx-Adaptive, AAC, SBC
• Earbud Weight: 4.92g
• Earbud Dimensions: 24.8mm wide, neck approx. 19.3mm, 30.4mm stem length
• Gross Case & Buds Weight: 46g
• Case Dimensions: 62mm (width) x 41mm (depth) x 30mm (height)
• Case Charge Capacity: 400mAh
• Full Charge Time: 90 minutes
• Quick Charge: Yes
• Wireless Charging: No
• Input: 5V 1A
• Single Use Playtime: Up to 5 hours
• Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 24 hours
• App Support: Not currently
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
• Bluetooth Protocols: BLE/ HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
• Water Resistance: IPX45

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
3 x Pair Silicone Tips
1 x User manual, warranty card



Real Life Experience

Welcome to the Regancipher review of the third of four stem-based TWS offerings from our friends at @Tronsmart Official

Tronsmart first caught my eye just over a year ago with some fantastic budget releases - the Spunky Beat and Onyx Free, which received great reviews from the likes of myself, Scarbir, El Jefe, Kenneth Tannaka and many members at Head-Fi for their bang-for-buck. Last year was a pivotal year for them, releasing the 'Airpod Killer' Onyx Ace TWS, Mega Pro and Shadow Elite series speakers, the highly acclaimed Apollo Bold TWS and Apollo Q10 over-ears. My review of the Apollo Bold even made the front page of Head-Fi, and they remain today one of the leading choices for ANC buds despite the TWS market moving at such a frenetic pace.

Last month Tronsmart celebrated their 8th birthday, with a roll-out plan of four sets of buds - the Apollo Air, Apollo Air+, Onyx Apex and Battle. It was difficult to see where the Onyx Apex would fit into the portfolio, but having received them at the same time as the Apollo Air, I will later add a comparison between the two, and you can judge based on your own priorities and preferences.

All of the buds are using the newer Qualcomm Bluetooth 5.2 ready SoC chips, this model using the QCC3040.

The Unboxing - 8.5/10

The unboxing of the Q10, after redefining the expectations of TWS with the extravagant Apollo Bold, was a bit of a damp squib, but Tronsmart have returned to form with their new releases, making some key changes in their branding and marketing that push them above the average budget earbud, and embellish the consumer experience according.

The branding is now sharp, bright and distinctive, with their orange and purple colour schema retained, and the key features clearly outlined on the front and back. However gone are the days of cheap plastic inlays and monochrome manuals
- they've upped their game considerably, and you feel like you're getting far better value for money.

One area of clear maturity is the product collateral. Now I mean no disrespect to Haylou - this could have been a QCY, FIIL, KZ or pretty much any other budget earbud vendor comparison, but what would you rather read, the top one, or the bottom one?

The Tronsmart manuals clearly demonstrate controls, charge indication, parameters, and provide visual and written instruction on how to use the buds. Not only that, they've managed to retain consistency between this and their last release, the Apollo Air. Whilst the real-life diagrams are only accompanied by English text, the parameters and support details are in French, German, Spanish, Italian and Chinese.

That aside, you get the usual fare of spare tips, warranty card, charger cable and charge case, but it's up a notch from what I usually see - and that's definitely a good thing in this case. The tips are reasonable quality and shaped appropriately for the fit and form factor.

No vouchers for 5 star reviews here - always good to see a vendor stand behind their products without the need for bribes.

The Case - 7/10

The case is finished in a generic-looking matte black with the Tronsmart logo screen printed in grey on the top. At first glance, the finish is nice enough, but like most matte-black finish cases, shiny patches soon appear, and the look very quickly starts to fade. A week in a handbag will show a lifetime of wear - always a danger with this type of case. My pearlescent 1More Comfobuds case, by contrast, looks as good as the day I bought them.



The case is not altogether dissimilar to the SoundPEATS T2, with it's four indicator lights denoting how many charges the case has left. Placing the buds back into the case immediately displays the remaining percentage (in quarters) with single glowing white lights, which diminish quickly - albeit a little too quickly at times. This is an underrated feature that they over-complicated with the Apollo Air, although it would be good if the lights came on when the buds weren't in case, but the case was closed, too.

Note the gap between the top and bottom sections - this is something I am seeing more and more lately, and unfortunately it makes for a very wobbly lid that doesn't feel great. When you analyse closer, you see some reinforcement to the hinge as a compensating control, but compared to the Apollo Air, it is a little flimsy. If the lid can actually wiggle in your hand when the case is closed then that is not a good sign of longevity for me, but a month or two later and its still going strong, so what do I know?!



At 62 x 41 x 30mm, with rounded edges, it is quite appropriate to fit in your pocket, despite being on the larger side compared to the lipstick - style cases of the FIIL T1 Pro and 1More Comfobuds Pro, and differs from the SoundPEATS T2 case by not tapering inwards. Symmetric cases are always nicer in my opinion, and more practical when you're storing loads of TWS together.



Weighing in at 46g fully loaded, it is not especially heavy, so portability is generally pretty good, whether in a handbag or jacket pocket, although single handed operation is impossible with this shape and absence of any grooved lip. You really do need two hands to operate this case easily.



Another set of buds released at the same time with the same chip, the Haylou W1, have a slightly different style case, but is easier to replace the buds when you finish with them - they just slot in, face first, in the 12 O'clock position. Overall I prefer the case of the Haylou, but it does take more desk space and is less portable, if that's a problem to you.

The re-insertion of the Apex buds into the case is actually more reminiscent of the Omthing Airfree / 1More Pistonbuds, although they sit tilted slightly at an angle, and this can make getting used to their placement a bit of a learning curve as they lean slightly upwards. It feels like they're in the wrong place at first, even though they aren't. It's very difficult to show this in photos so you'll have to take my word for it!



The case met the documented battery draw criteria in the specification sheet of 5v 1a. I did not dismantle it to check on the overcharge components etc as I actually quite like them and only have one set!

The case also supports hall switch, connecting or pairing immediately, without the need for removing the buds.

Ergonomics - 8/10, Build quality - 8/10

From the front, there is only a marginal protrusion of the buds despite their bulbous shape. This is in contrast to recent releases the ZMI PurPods Pro and 1More Comfobuds Pro, which protrude a fair bit and are clearly visible face - on.

Side view shows a well-thought out and subtle profile that is not too 'in your face', although the Apex are not excessively comfortable for prolonged use, as unlike the Haylou Moripods and QCY T11, for example, Tronsmart have focused on strong passive noise isolation, and the trade off when you do this is always comfort. They're absolutely fine for a few hours, but an all - day session can put some pressure on your concha. My recommendation is tip roll. After finding some BGVP tips which are also flat but higher quality than the stock buds, I found them very comfortable.

First impressions of the Onyx Apex are of a very well-finished, premium earbud. The buds themselves are far nicer than the case. Their very glossy black finish feels and looks pristine, and whilst the camera doesn't capture how striking they appear adequately, rest assured they have all the hallmarks of a top quality earbud, and feel well made, with no rough edges or sharp lines that you find with the likes of QCY, Haylou and others in that price bracket.

The buds come with large, flat tips with a sizeable bore to facilitate the over-sized driver surround. The bulbous nature is, as I alluded to prior, evidently designed with passive isolation in mind, and in this respect, it works very well. Below the Tronsmart logo is an indicator light, which flashes blue and red when pairing, blue when paired, and red when replaced into the case. Otherwise, no bright lights when the music stops, thankfully!

A closer look shows you just how big that medium sized tip is - it is like a donut compared to my old trusty spinfits, and when you put them in your ears, you kinda understand why it is designed in this way.

The plastic surround separating the driver and the tip is oval and rather large. Like the airpods pro, this is likely the primary attribute that can make them feel a little tiresome during lengthy sessions. I'll reiterate here, getting the right tip is important, and I'm still tip-rolling now to maximise comfort and isolation. I have a bunch from BGVP, Tanchjim, Spinfit, Dekoni, Feaulle and some others that I'm still waiting for, and when my website launches there will probably be a more appropriate place to include those tests, but I'll retrospectively add my preferred tips here later anyway. At the moment the BGVP W01 ML are pretty good, increasing comfort and supporting the sound.

All of the supplied tips are flat, the larger are simply larger in diameter rather than thickness. The idea is for them to fill up the intermediate area around your antihelix. This is similar logic to the Apollo Bold, and the Edifier TWS NB2 also appeared to be designed with this principle in mind, although Tronsmart have refined it a little here.

The inside of the bud is evidently shiny - in fact, the whole bud is very shiny - and it features a pressure release hole towards the top. This is no doubt useful when activating ambient mode. You can also just about detect the L on the bottom there - each bud has its individual 'side' designated.



The battery connectors are slightly beveled, and sit at the bottom on the inside. The bevel is not deep enough to circumvent contact with the skin, so they would not be ideal for those with nickel allergies - bear this in mind. Below is the voice mic, situated in the bottom of the outer edge. Once again you see the oval shape to the nozzle, which discourages the buds from being forced down your ear canal, and is an approach I support. Nobody wants listening to music to feel like a trip to the gynecologists'. Whilst it's large enough to discourage being inserted too deeply, it's small enough to avoid discomfort, unlike the FIIL CC Pro, which is uncomfortable however you insert them.



The Tronsmart logo is nicely screen printed onto a flat, very responsive and intuitive touch control area, that is well designed and well-finished. The way that Tronsmart really underline the shape of the touch area means missed touches and false positives are very infrequent. Getting this right isn't easy - the FIIL CC Pro is a great example of how not to do it.



At less than 4g they are not heavy in the ears, which is good, because if they were then this would probably make it a deal breaker. By filling you concha and minimising the weight displacement on the outer edge, it means they aren't fighting with gravity. I had this issue with the Soundpeats Sonic, where they crammed so much tech in on the outside, they would eventually start wilting outwards. No such issues here.



I always enjoy comparing different buds of a similar ilk to try and second - guess why designs have been implemented in a certain way. At 30.7mm, the Apex are actually marginally shorter than the Boya BY AP-4, but the inner design lends itself more to the Haylou W1, elevating upwards slightly before contouring down with a flatter - indeed the flattest - tip. Not pictured are the 1More Comfobuds Pro, but their tips are similar, although they offer alternative thickness tips within the 4 sets they provide. That wouldn't work with the Apex due to their design.

In terms of comfort, as I said earlier, they lag behind more simple buds like the W1 and BY-AP4, but are comfier than the shortest in my range, the 1More Pistonbuds, which, whilst initially comfy, fatigue after prolonged use due to their invasive, long neck, and fight with gravity to stay in your ears if you move around too much. It's difficult with stem-based buds to get this comfort factor perfect for everyone. The QCY T10 and Haylou W1 are incredibly comfortable, but the poor supplied tips help with this because they're flimsy and don't support the sound quality. On the flip, the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air Pro 2 were incredibly uncomfortable regardless of tip, but are generally quite well supported, so it's worth adding here fit is wholly subjective and once again underlines the need to tip roll to optimise your purchase, whatever you choose to buy.

Overall Tronsmart have done a very decent job balancing looks, ergonomics, comfort, and form factor, but I definitely recommend tip rolling with these buds. The shape is not what I'm used to, certainly, and it took a while to get the right fit and angle. Once you get it right, they fit nicely and provide excellent passive isolation.

Audio Quality - 8/10 (for the price), 7.5/10 (raw score)

I tested the sound with a number of signature tracks in FLAC using the aptX codec, and unlike the Apollo Air, the default sound signature is quite bright. Not as bright as the Haylou Moripods, but a shade too much sibilance on female vocals on treble-heavy tracks manifested on my first test track - He's On The Phone by Saint Etienne, where Sarah Cracknell's lispy vocal struggles around cymbals and snares. This is not unusual, and is why I tend to use that album first.

The Onyx Apex are better suited to tracks with an emphasis on lower frequency instruments. When you have a Contralto like Rebecca Ferguson, who is my guilty pleasure (I love her deep, expressive vocal style) - singing amongst jazz, blues and acoustic guitars, you can sense an airy but intimate separation that is really quite nice. Jazz and Blues really stand out with the Apex.

Middle-chest vocals like Ryan Tedder do not disappoint either. Ryan is another underrated vocalist, and as he passes passagio on Counting Stars the buds do not distort or push the instruments too far back, which you often detect on poorly tuned drivers.

Phil Collins' unmistakable high tenor vocals on In The Air Tonight do not degenerate either, despite the heavy reverb. So maybe it's just the ultra-soprano range that they need a tweak with. It underlines that a balanced armature driver would have taken these to the next level, and probably would have been the ideal differentiator to the Apollo Air.

Tronsmart advertise these buds as bassy, and maybe that's a fly in the face of the recent craze for BA TWS, but in reality bass is actually not a strong point with the Apex. Without any EQ the bass response is typically fast albeit sometimes flabby, but they've clearly learned lessons from the Apollo Bold as the subbass is really reigned in compared with the v1 firmware on their flagship bud from last year. Now they were bass monsters.

The instruments move around quite well for in-ear. I mean, it's not at the level of the BA earbuds I've tested lately, but still an enjoyable listen for the money, and they respond well to EQ - I struggled to get them to distort on a ten band, so there's lots of wiggle room for getting your signature sound right.

Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 7.5/10

The earbuds feature a 4-mic array with a mic at the top for ambient noise, and a voice mic at the bottom. And like other QCC3040 buds, they use cVc 8.0 noise reduction to try to improve the mic.

In all honesty I am struggling to tell the difference between most of these buds when it comes to calls. Call quality is more than good enough indoors. Your voice is extremely natural sounding. With simulated background noise, it performs well. After a few seconds of acclimatizing, it adjusts and nullifies high frequencies quite well.

Outdoors most sounds around you are nullified, although it doesn't handle outdoor calls anything like as well as the Apollo Air - compression is good, but your voice can clip.

Like most other earbuds of this form factor, outdoors they struggle a little with wind, whilst kids voices come through quite clearly, sometimes ahead of your own. That said, the cVc8.0 noise reduction is characteristically pretty good at distinguishing sounds around your own voice frequency, so traffic and other similar low-rumbling sounds are negated rather well.

Their performance is summarized quite well in my blanket test of 28 different tws in a challenging environment here:



ANC - 6/10, PNI - 8/10

ANC is described as entry level, and you definitely get that impression. Even with ambient mode on, it doesn't have that over-emphasis of ambient sound that you get on many buds. Ambient mode is not a huge leap from ANC like it is on the Comfobuds Pro or Apollo Air, and that is mainly down to the other models using 6 mics, as opposed to 4.

Noise cancellation is nevertheless surprisingly good at all round 'taking the edge off' - I can hear keyboard taps, but they are nullified. Low frequencies are nullified. The TV is nullified. Everything is nullified. You can hear noise there, but there is no white noise being pumped through to amplify the experience, so it's quite natural, and in all honesty, feels a bit weak as a result. It is no doubt helped by the excellent passive noise isolation, and is augmented even further when you switch tips. I didn't mind the stock tips, but after switching them for BGVP W01 L ANC improved immeasurably.

I took them out for an outdoor mic test and they struggled to blot out the wind, but if you purchase these with the notion that ANC is not their primary feature - it's just a handy add-on, then it serves its purpose.

Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 7.5/10

So first things first, Tronsmart have a really nice app. Sadly, the buds don't work with it yet. That was a bit disappointing. Hopefully this will change in the future.

The buds do not advertise aptX-adaptive, but they default to it on Android. On Windows, it's aptX, and latency is practically lip-sync - very good latency of around 180Ms (source+destination). AAC is also well-scoped, with a capped max variable bitrate of just under CD-quality. There is no circumventing- chopping out MPEG2, like FIIL et al did.

Controls are really intuitive and accurate. I posted above the control schema. They also offer quick charge - 10 min gives you 1 hour playtime, there is no wireless charging but you do get voice assistant and volume control. Voice prompts are in an English female voice - the same as previous Tronsmart releases, and are a welcome escape from random beeps or Chinese (FIIL) or Chinglish (KZ) prompts! (no offence meant, of course)

Like every QCC3040 chip earbud I've tested so far, they do not always connect to each other when you take them out of the case. I have noticed Scarbir mentioned it in his review of the Apollo Air and will reach out to the wider earbud review community and see what they have experienced, but it's certainly the case for me. Just holding the guilty bud down will power it on, but that could have implications with certain control schemes. Otherwise connectivity is good - this chip does not add range in my experience (other than the Haylou Moripods), and they support Bluetooth 5.2 for future compatibility.

Battery Life - 7.5/10

5 hours from a single use was pretty accurate. I got just under 5 with volume around 70%. 24 hours with the charge case is about right for Qualcomm buds, although Qualcomm will need to keep pace as the BES-and Airoha- based buds are offering double that now.

Final Comments

The Onyx Apex are a great return to form for Tronsmart. There is a clear delineation now between the likes of Tronsmart and SoundPEATS, who are offering mid- to premium performance and general overall package, and the also-rans at the bottom end.

The case is a little disappointing - like SoundPEATS, you can see where they have cut corners to balance quality and cost, and I'd rather it be in the case than the buds. All in all, the Onyx Apex are unquestionably high quality - well made, well fitting, well designed, perform well across the board, and do all the basics very well. The ANC, whilst not particularly strong, is a bonus (Tronsmart make up for it with the Apollo Air, which is probably the better choice if ANC is your main target feature).

Hopefully Tronsmart will add the Apex to the app so we can tune the sound, but otherwise it's another great release, bringing some good features at a low cost.

Next I would like to see Tronsmart push the boundaries and include BA drivers or even hi res codecs, but with no stem based releases in their portfolio, They have quickly added the essentials to their range, and I have no doubts both models will be a great success.

Well done Tronsmart on another top release!

Price Weighted Score: 83%
Raw Score: 81%

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.

RC043

How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
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Model: Tronsmart Apollo Air
Price: MSRP $69.99 - usually around $30 on AliExpress
Vendor Website: Tronsmart Apollo Air
Distributor: Geekbuying
Review Reference: RC043

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: Tronsmart
• Model: Apollo Air
• Driver: 10mm Customised Graphene Drivers
• Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3046
• Impedence: 32 Ohm
• Mic: 6, cVc 8.0
• ANC: Yes, 35dB
• Volume Control: Yes
• Codecs: AptX adaptive, AAC, SBC
• Earbud Weight: 4.19g
• Earbud Dimensions: 25.6mm wide, neck approx. 17.9mm, 32.7mm stem length
• Gross Case & Buds Weight: 39g
• Case Dimensions: 62mm (width) x 32mm (depth) x 37mm (height)
• Case Charge Capacity: 500mAh
• Full Charge Time: 150 minutes
• Quick Charge: No
• Wireless Charging: No (Only on Air+)
• Input: 5V 1A
• Single Use Playtime: Up to 5 hours
• Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 20 hours
• App Support: Yes, but not fully, and issues on IOS
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
• Bluetooth Protocols: BLE/ HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
• Water Resistance: IPX45

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
3 x Pair Silicone Tips
1 x User manual, warranty card
1 x Bag Silicone Gel (Random!)



Real Life Experience

Welcome to the Regancipher review of the first of four stem-based TWS offerings from our friends at @Tronsmart Official, hot on the heels of the Onyx Apex - which I reviewed here, but received first.

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 this release, the Apollo Air, which uses the Qualcomm QCC3046. The only major difference between this and the QCC3040 is the support of an external quad-SPI peripheral, designed to make flash memory run faster and reduce bottlenecks.

Last month Tronsmart celebrated their 8th birthday, with a roll-out plan of four sets of buds - the Apollo Air, Apollo Air+, Onyx Apex and Battle. The Air+ are essentially the same, but feature in-ear detection and wireless charging.

The Unboxing - 8.5/10

The unboxing of the Q10, after redefining the expectations with the Apollo Bold, was a bit of a damp squib, but Tronsmart have returned to form with some key changes in their branding and marketing that push them above the average budget earbud.



The branding is sharp, bright and distinctive, with their orange and purple colour schema retained, and the key features clearly outlined on the front and back. The box is larger than the Onyx Apex.



As per the review of the Onyx Apex, the manual clearly demonstrates controls, charge indication, parameters, and provides easy to follow visual instruction on how to use the buds. Not only that, they've managed to retain consistency which I hope they keep up. Whilst the real-life diagrams are only accompanied by English text, the parameters and support details are in French, German, Spanish, Italian and Chinese.

That aside, you get the usual fare of spare tips, warranty card, charger cable and charge case, but it's up a notch from what I usually see - and that's definitely a good thing in this case. The tips are reasonable quality and shaped appropriately for the fit and form factor.

No vouchers for 5 star reviews here - always good to see a vendor stand behind their products without the need for bribes. The Apollo Air are available in black or white, with the 'Plus' version supporting wireless charging

The Case - 7/10 (Black), 7.5/10 (White)



The case is finished in a generic-looking matte black with the Tronsmart embossed into the top. The finish and build quality is evidently a step up from the Onyx Apex. The white case scores half a mark higher for looking a bit nicer- the finish seems more scratch resistant and the blue lighting scheme looks really nice against the color of the case!



The case is smaller than the Onyx Apex, and more akin to that of the SoundPEATS Sonic. The height and depth make it very portable.



This time, the four lights denoting charge have been replaced with a single light, which flashes blue three times if above 10%, and red three times if below. Whilst charging, the light is red until fully charged. This feels like a bit of a backward step from the Onyx Apex, and a red/amber/green scheme would definitely have been a better option. It doesn't help that in the app, you just get a bar for the remaining battery of the buds rather than a percentage, or any indication of what juice is left in the case. You do get a voice prompt telling you when battery is about to die, but by that point it's a it late.



Just as with the Onyx Apex, there is no lip for single handed use. There is a little more give in the hinge. The buds sit flat, as opposed to angular on the Onyx Apex, and the parameters are printed on the inside of the lid, rather than the bottom. Even so, using the case is quite enjoyable - I much prefer this style to cases that don't sit on the desk, so you can pop the buds back in with the case upright as well as seeing charge status. These facets make it a good case for sitting on your office desk (as opposed to dangling off the end of a USB cable which is often what happens when the USB socket is on the bottom)



Whilst the rear looks like there are large gaps, it is a shiny edge which runs all the way round the case to the hinge. Unlike the Apex, there is a pairing button on the back, but I found they went into pairing mode automatically anyway since they feature hall switch mode. Like the Apex, they are charged with USB-C, and the 500mA capacity is pretty large by case standards- as a result it takes a little longer than usual to charge the case and buds fully.



Weighing in at less than 39g fully loaded, this is without doubt one of the more portable cases around, almost 10g lighter than the Apex, and 15g lighter than the FIIL CC Pro so it is ideal for both inside and outside jacket pockets. This is almost the same weight as the SoundPEATS Mini, so Tronsmart have done extraordinarily well to keep the weight down.



The case charges slower than the Apex, and I struggled to get the full 500mA at 5v input, which is likely down to overcharge protection components, which will prolong the life of the product and are always a welcome feature.

Ergonomics - 8/10, Build quality - 8/10



From the front, there is only a marginal protrusion of the buds despite their alternative, hairdryer style shape.



Side view shows they actually protrude a fair bit more than the Apex and do require periodic re-adjustment to stop them sticking out a bit. Nothing major, but a side-effect of the shape.



First impressions of the Apollo Air are of another very well-finished earbud. The buds themselves are, once again far nicer than the case. Very glossy black can sometimes appear a little cheap, but it is clear that unlike some of the very budget buds (Haylou, etc.) care has been taken with the QC, with no rough edges or sharp lines. The white are also impressive, with the glossy finish and, again, consistent chamber sizes and finishes commensurate with the 'Apollo' branding.



The first thing to note is the shape. Now I no longer own the Dudios T8, but I reviewed them here, and that's probably the closest comparison I can find.

The 'hairdryer' design is definitely not the norm with earbuds, and I did fear for their fit on first glance, but actually it seems to work out OK - despite the lack of contouring, the shape still complements noise cancellation and isolation, and over a few hours use they still feel very comfortable. If you chop the top off the Boltune BT-BH024 I guess they are fairly similar, although feel less invasive due to a shorter neck.



Close-up comparisons of the Apollo Air and Onyx Apex show that the Apex are really relying on that solid seal for isolating sound, but the Apollo Air have little to no contour, albeit with a similar, oval driver protector. It is nigh-on impossible to capture, but the Apollo Air feature an additional feedback mic, on the outer edge at the top of the stem.



The differences with the Onyx Apex start to unfold when we flip the bud over. The 6 mic array is accommodated with a larger, hairdryer-style rectangle at the top, but Tronsmart have elongated the stem slightly and the voice mic is on the inside rather than within the base. The battery connectors are slightly beveled, and sit at the bottom on the inside. The bevel is not deep enough to circumvent contact with the skin, so they would not be ideal for those with nickel allergies - bear this in mind.



They are still shorter than average at just under 33mm stem length, and this is really highlighted when pictured alongside some other popular stem-based, in-ear models, where the average is around 37mm in length. Despite the stubbiness of the Tronsmart offerings, call quality does not suffer, which is testament to the implementation of the mic array.



At 4.19g they are heavier than the Apex, but still not heavy in the ears. Anything above 5g I find starts to wilt after a while without a fin, so despite the bulky middle section, they still fit comfortably and securely and add stability, which is needed given their bulky shoulders.

Like the 1More Comfobuds Pro and Huawei Freebuds Pro, they suffer a little bit with their form factor being really tip-dependant. Like the Comfobuds, to get good fit and performance you need to tip roll - but unlike the Comfobuds, the best bet is the Feaulle h370 latex tip. It improves the stability immeasurably. With the latex tips, the Apollo Air just stay sticky in your ears and feel great. It gives them a new dimension.

Overall Tronsmart have done a very decent job shaping an earbud for a very specific use case - good calls and good ANC, and whilst it may not look especially appealing at first glance, the Apollo Air looks good in your ears and the form factor is conducive to performance, whilst demonstrating a novel design that sets them apart from the crowd.

Audio Quality - 8/10 (for the price), 7/10 (raw score)

I tested the sound with a number of signature tracks in FLAC using the aptX codec, and above you can see the frequency response using SBC on Windows 11.

The sound profile is quite similar to the SoundPEATS Sonic. The bass is beefy and can feel a little bloated, even rumble, bordering on dark at times. 'So Sick' by Neyo is a simple track but on default setting the subbass is way too boosted for my liking out of the box. When you notch the subbass down in the EQ, it's a much more palatable experience, but this is unquestionably the fullest sounding earbud from Tronsmart since the Apollo Bold.

Tracks with plenty of high hats and snares like Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean' and 'Got To Have Your Love' by Mantronix benefit from the rolled off treble, giving a warmth to the sound that makes them pleasant, if a little unambitious listening. 'Outstanding' by Kenny Thomas separates out his vocals, piano and drums quite nicely, and although the sound feels constrained at times, this does come to life a bit on more complex tracks, which the Apollo Air deals with reasonably well.

Tracks which really push the boundaries in terms of soundstage, such as Crazy by Seal, the Apollo Air have trouble conveying the passion and intent of the production.

With a tweak of the subbass and an uplift of the high mids, you can achieve a nice enough sound signature from the Apollo Air. They won't be for everyone out of the box, but respond very well to EQ - if you favour a slightly more neutral, less consumer-focused signature, you'll appreciate the tuning here.

There is no LDAC or LHDC support, and with the competition releasing hybrid driver buds now, I feel like this is the next natural step for Tronsmart - they've eeked everything they can out of single driver buds now.

Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors - 7/10

With 6 mics, I expected calls to be good, and they did not disappoint. Just like the Comfobuds Pro, your voice sounds extremely natural, and simulated background noise indoors is practically eradicated completely. The only issue is on Teams, I got the occasional crackle. Otherwise this is market-leading stuff.



Outdoors the compression works so well that you start to think maybe cVc 8.0 was designed for 6 mics. Impressive stuff. Even in a very busy scene traffic was reduced to a minimum and your voice, whilst it gets a bit raspy, is perfectly discernible.



Incidentally, whilst perfect on Zoom and Teams calls, I had instances of crackling on IOS cell calls. I contacted Tronsmart support and it turned out there was a minor issue with the way the ANC behaves when a call initiates. This will undoubtedly be fixed with a firmware update, but for reference, if you do experience this, then tapping the buds to switch ANC off is a workaround that quickly resolves the problem.

ANC - 8/10

Without question, ANC is very good on the Apollo Air. With some vendors now offering multiple modes, like wind reduction etc, there's an onus on Tronsmart to make sure high noise cancelling works well - and it doesn't disappoint.

There may only be three modes, but it outperforms the 1More Comfobuds Pro, notably in low frequency sounds, and only struggling a little with higher frequencies such as keyboard taps, but even they are still substantially muted. Using the hybrid (FF/FT) method, with a good seal you can achieve very good performance. I took the Apollo Air out on a run in the rain, and only splashes from cars hitting puddles were audible, even with my podcast on quite low volume.

Ambient mode works very well, although if you are in a very busy environment it can sound quite piercing. This is the benefit and the curse of 6 mics - when it lets all that noise back in it's quite a shock to the system!

In terms of strength, the Apollo Air is not quite on the level of the market-leading Edifier NeoBuds Pro, but for this form factor, it's the best I've tested so far. It is quite fit-dependent, like always with TWS, so ensure you have the right tips. I used the Feaulle h240 latex tips, and they do the job really well.

Connectivity, Controls and Other Features - 7.5/10

So first things first, Tronsmart have a pretty nice app on both IOS and Android, which supports a lot of their products- the Apollo Air, Apollo Bold, Studio, Spunky Beat Pro, Q10 and their forthcoming release are all supported. Having this single source app is really nice, and there are no nasty permission settings or requirements, it's really simple.

Selecting the model is quite straightforward - you scroll from left to right on the main screen and press select and then it scans for the Bluetooth connection and takes you into the control page. On IOS, when the Apollo Air were first released I had some trouble getting the app to recognize the buds even though they were connected. This has sorted itself out over time - sometimes it takes a couple of attempts, but it's generally very reliable and polished by TWS standards.

The app doesn't do a great deal, but what it does, it does well. You can check the battery, adjust ANC, use the EQ which has numerous presets (I use wavelet anyway) update the firmware and read the manual,.

However the best feature of the app is button configuration - you can customise practically every button touch, including single touch, which is a big benefit if you're set in your ways and don't like the Tronsmart control scheme. Not only that, it gives you a really clear explanation of every change. This puts them ahead of brands like 1More and Edifier, who allow some customisation, but not all.

The buds do not advertise aptX-adaptive, but they default to it on Android. On Windows, it's aptX, and latency is practically lip-sync - very good latency of around 180Ms (source+destination). AAC is also well-scoped, with a capped max variable bitrate of just under CD-quality. There is no circumventing- chopping out MPEG2, like FIIL et al did. YouTube and other video sources show little to no lag, although gamers will notice the usual slight delay. There's no gaming mode to reduce the sound quality and speed up the delivery- you'll need the Battle for that.



Controls are really intuitive and accurate. I posted above the default control scheme, but this can be adjusted in the app as per the above explanation. Touch controls are really easy and reliable due to the fingertip-shaped notch.

Voice prompts are delivered in both ears and in a English-speaking female voice - the same as previous Tronsmart releases, and a welcome escape from random beeps (Haylou) or Chinese (FIIL) or Chinglish (KZ) prompts! (no offence meant, of course). It's professional and enhances the user experience. Well, it does if you speak English like I do anyway!

One of the really nice features which Tronsmart don't really talk about much is the 'regenerative braking'-style pause, which slowly stops your music, rather than grinding it to a sudden halt. This really improves the audio experience - once you've experienced it, not having it is a real nause!

Like every QCC304X chip earbud I've tested so far, they do not always connect to each other when you take them out of the case. Just holding the guilty bud down will power it on, so make sure not to change that button setting! Either that or put them back in the case. This is evidently a 'Qualcomm thing', not a 'Tronsmart thing', and may even be source-specific...i.e. it requires a certain version of one of the connection protocols to be implemented and enabled. I noticed Scarbir mentioned it in his review of the Apollo Air, and spoke to him briefly about it and how it seems to be a feature of the chip rather than the bud. I will reach out to the wider earbud review community and see what they have experienced, and hopefully a fix can be found- it certainly isn't a deal breaker.

Otherwise connectivity is very good - they retain stability much longer than the other QCC304X buds I tested lately, similar to the Haylou Moripods - over 10m LOS is impressive. I've noticed with Qualcomm's chip shortage many vendors have turned to BES and Airoha in their product designs, and I've found whilst these SoC's have their merits, retaining strong, consistent connectivity over distance isn't one of them, so Tronsmart's loyalty to Qualcomm has paid dividends in that respect.

Aside from that, there's no wireless charging or ear detection - you need the plus version for that, and I kinda feel like Tronsmart should've bundled that in and released one version of the product.

Battery Life - 7/10

5 hours from a single use was pretty accurate. I got 4 with volume around 60% and ANC on - volume is loud on these by default. This is just shy of where the majority of the market are, but Tronsmart close the gap by being much closer to the advertised number than some of their competitors.

20 hours juice with the charge case is a little lower than the Apex, but about right for Qualcomm buds, although Qualcomm will need to keep pace, as the BES-and Airoha- based buds are offering double that now, with the caveat that ANC reduces the charge level sizeably. It has less of a difference with the Apollo Air, which is good if you use ANC a lot, not so good if you're an infrequent user.

To compound this, the charge time is long (over 2 hours) and there's no quick charge support. The charge case has one of the largest capacities on the market, so Tronsmart have not skimmed on components - it's simply a sign that this chipset is powerful and requires a lot of juice. Even so, warp charge has become so common you do actually miss it when it's not there, but 20 hours should get you through the day anyway.

Recommended Tips



For the Apollo Air, to ensure maximum comfort around the massive nozzle, the Tanchjim T-APB 300T Medium are the ideal tip. The inner nozzle is wide enough at 5.4mm, and reinforced, providing a comfortable barrier between your ear canal and the hard plastic edge. They are relatively short at 8.5mm, the 11mm width is sufficient to provide a comfortable fit and optimise hybrid ANC, but the constricted yet thickened nozzle also takes some of the flabbiness out of the bass and allows cymbals and high-hats to shine.



Another option is the Feaulle h370. These latex tips hold the buds in your ear really nicely, and work very well at optimising ANC on this model. I've settled on these, as they provide extra stability and are really comfy. Whilst ANC isn't quite as strong as with the Tanchjim, it is still very good and has transformed the Apollo Air into one of my daily drivers.

Final Comments

The Apollo Air are a really solid release from Tronsmart, that are clear front runners in the mid-budget ANC market, especially if you prefer your buds stem-based.

The sound is good, without hitting the heights of the new BA releases - namely the Edifier NeoBuds Pro and SoundPEATS H1 - but their solid call quality makes them a good option for the commuter or anyone working from home, adding practicality where the others are unsuited, at a stupidly low price.

The ANC is very underrated on this model. I rarely hear it mentioned in the same breath as the 1More Comfobuds Pro, for example, despite it clearly outperforming it.

Tronsmart have a really nice portfolio of products now, but the slow pace of their TWS releases means they have to take risks, such as new chips, to stay relevant - a challenge when you develop products across multiple segments. Tronsmart were once again the first to the market with the new Qualcomm chip, and had some early challenges. It's testament to them as a brand that so many bugs in early releases are fixed quickly and quietly. with Soundcore, for example, it often feels like one step forward, two steps back. However, fixing most of the issues, the ones that remain: calls 'sounding lispy' at your end with ANC on, and occasional failure to connect to the app, will put some off, and it's a shame Tronsmart didn't really follow through and resolve them all with this release in the way that they did with the Apollo Bold.

By spreading their design resource across both speakers and earbuds, their releases sometimes feel a little 'me too' these days - I'd love to see them take an even bigger risk with future releases, just as they did with the one that brought them to my attention, the Apollo Bold.

Nevertheless, it is a welcome return to form from Tronsmart, with two excellent sets of buds hitting the market and addressing different needs at different price points. Over time I have to say the Apollo Air have really grown on me to become a firm favourite - at this price point. They offer far greater bang for buck than the 1More Comfobuds Pro, and give you a feature set and performance that wouldn't look out of place at double the price. If you're looking for ANC and great calls at a mid-tier price, and can overlook the minor quibbles, look no further.

Price Weighted Score: 80%
Raw Score: 73%

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 Uruguayan international footballer Luis Suarez as a brand 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 - still not yet seen in the TWS world.

Also manufacturing 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)
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Model: SoundPEATS Air3 Pro
Price: MSRP Approx $55
Review Reference: RC073

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: SoundPEATS
• Model: Air3 Pro
• Driver: 12mm Bio-Diaphragm Dynamic Driver
• Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3046
• Mic: Uses cVc 8.0 noise reduction
• ANC: Yes, up to 35dB
• Codecs: AptX-Adaptive, AptX, AAC, SBC
• App Support: Not Currently
• Volume Control: Yes
• Gaming Mode: Yes
• Earbud Weight: 4.4g
• Earbud Dimensions: 33mm height, 23.7mm depth with nozzle
• Gross Case & Buds Weight: 35.95g
• Case Dimensions: 60.6mm (width) x 44.9mm (height) x 24.1mm (depth)
• Case Charge Capacity: 280mAh
• Quick Charge: No
• Wireless Charging: No
• Single Use Playtime: Up to 6 hours (ANC off), 5 hours (ANC on)
• Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 20/24 hours
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
• Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
• Water Resistance: IPX5 (not stated on box)

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Japanese
3 x Pairs Eartips

YouTube Review:



Real Life Experience



Welcome to the @regancipher review of the SoundPEATS Air3 Pro. SoundPEATS have followed the path of Apple, FIIL and 1More by taking their popular semi-in-earbud and making a 'Pro' version, albeit now with in-ear style tips. Like with the other aforementioned brands, this has enabled them to add Active Noise Cancellation due to the presence of those flappy bits of silicone, and have added sufficient features to render it a very engaging proposition, especially for those who enjoyed the original Air3 - one of the most popular and highly-rated 'airpod-style' design buds of recent times (although soon to be superseded by the Air3 Deluxe - I told you this market stands still for no man!)

I'll be taking you through the unboxing experience, case and battery life, ergonomics and build, ANC performance, sound signature and key features, comparing to the original Air3 and some of their main competitors in this space - notable, the Tronsmart Onyx Apex and Omthing Airfree 2.

Unboxing - 7/10



Like with most SoundPEATS releases, the unboxing is a pretty standard affair. It's neither cheap- nor premium-feeling - it sits somewhere in the middle, with a compact box detailing most of the key parameters on the sides, and the front giving a visual representation on a bloke with a chiseled jaw having a stand-up nap, whilst the back shows an extreme close-up of the side of the bud with the three headline features along the bottom - the use of the Qualcomm QCC3046 chipset, Hybrid ANC and Qualcomm Aptx-Adaptive codec support.

They also proudly display their VGP 2022 awards in the top left corner. Whilst Visual Grand Prix awards are not quite the Oscars, SoundPEATS have won many such awards over the years, and it's no co-incidence - they offer very strong products at a competitive price. The Air3 Pro is no different - a compelling release that will definitely prove popular once again.



Even so, your small investment isn't going to give you a gift-box-style presentation. You get small and large tips in a baggie, as well as a USB A-C charge cable. The manual is in seven different languages - most of the major European languages plus Chinese and Japanese, and it's great to see SoundPEATS keeping that winning formula of visuals and text making it very clear how to use, control and maintain the buds (see my YouTube Review for more details). The spare tips, at least, are a jump in quality from the tips of yesteryear, offering more comfort and flexibility than the junk manufacturers were including a few years ago.

The Case - 8/10




As with the Mini Pro, SoundPEATS have given the successor to the Air3 Pro a rubberised texture that offers the promise of improved longevity over the scratch-magnet that was the Air3 case. Proportionally quite similar to the Mini Pro, it also gives a more premium feel to the release, and I really hope SoundPEATS retain these big improvements on all releases going forward.

Whilst the image above doesn't capture it, the dip in the centre of the lip is where the LED battery indicator is located. SoundPEATS have a consistent lighting schema - green denotes 50-100% charge, amber is 10-49% and red is below 10%.. This consistency is really useful - some vendors (ahem Soundcore) have an annoying habit of adjusting how they display battery life - with SoundPEATS their H series have multiple LED's, everything else is Green/Amber/Red - nice and easy for reviewers like me.



The case is around 6cm wide, 4.5cm high and 2.4cm in depth - so proportionally quite similar to the Mini Pro. Even with the stems, it still retains the ideal portability for commuters. Yes, you have to swivel the buds around when you remove them as the stems sit back-to-back in the case - but trust me, compared to the alternative (The Elevoc Clear, Baseus S2 or Omthing Airfree2, for example) it makes them far easier to remove and reinsert.

The reset button is located at the back, as opposed to the front this time. Holding down for a few seconds sends the device into pairing mode, for 10 seconds or longer you get a red flash, and that clears the memory.



The portability of the case is enhanced further, with a lightweight design at even less than the Mini Pro - 35.95g fully loaded. Like with the Mini Pro, this makes them trouser-pocket friendly - I popped them in my shorts whilst out cycling and they were practically unnoticeable.

When you insert the buds you get a 'Power On' then 'Connected' alert. This all happens super fast. There is hall-switch mode, so you can start the pairing as soon as you open the case, and the friction hinge - another huge improvement over the original - allows you to do that with the case propped on the desk - again, this is a massive plus in my book.

Due to the low-power chipset, they can afford to drop down the battery mAh capacity whilst retaining the three additional charges. There is no quick charge, and no wireless charging. USB-C is located on the base.

Battery Life - 8/10

Battery life is a solid 5/6 hours on paper, going up to 20/24 hours with the case. In my tests I achieved between 4 and 4.5 hours with periodic calls (slightly more efficient on IOS than Android). With ANC off I consistently got between 5 hours and 5 hours 14 minutes, so you pretty much know what you're getting on that front.

Unfortunately the absence of quick charge means a 90 minute charge cycle for the case and buds. Removing warp charge is pretty inconvenient in all honesty, and something I would rather SoundPEATS didn't skimp out on. Even so, good to see the figures mapping closely enough to those advertised, and pleasing to see that they have essentially retained the battery life from the original Air3 despite adding ANC.

Ergonomics - 8.5/10

From an aesthetics-perspective, SoundPEATS have retained the essence of the original design, staying true to the simplistic, matte-black finish with shiny buttons and a slender stem that suited the predecessor so well.

One of the biggest benefits of the Air3 was the weight displacement and overall ergonomic design that facilitated a very stable fit, especially for buds of that form factor. They've managed to take those special ingredients and work a similar recipe for the Air3 Pro, which matches the original for stability, and offers excellent passive noise isolation at the same time.



The stem length is slightly longer (although it doesn't appear so in the comparison image) but that is mainly due to the more bulbous neck. However, this doesn't detract from the comfort, and also improves one major bug-bear of the original - the temperamental touch controls. On the Pro, you have a far wider area of 'non-touch-controlliness' above the sensor. This removes one of the gripes with the original and is a welcome upgrade.

On the inside, visible on YouTube but difficult to capture above, is an opening with a pressure release chamber and pickup mic for ambient sound, covered by a protective mesh. The battery connectors are located at the base, and again, mitigate direct contact with the skin - useful for those with nickel allergies.

The depth of 23.2mm is in that 'Goldilocks Zone' of not being too invasive, but giving sufficient room to mould around your ear. The nozzle sits back in the opening to your ear canal, preferring to fill the chamber around it rather than invade it. This makes it a super comfy option for prolonged use.

The weight of 4.4g is lighter than the T3 and H2, and this helps with the comfort. Similarly-lightweight buds like the QCY T13 and G1 are also super comfy, so good job from SoundPEATS on reducing the weight but retaining the stability.



As a result of these well-thought-out parameters, the Air3 Pro sit very nicely in your ears. If you don't like silicone-tipped buds (I don't especially), the Air3 Pro are a good adjunct.



A look at how SoundPEATS have designed the buds alongside some of the competition reveals there is nothing especially revolutionary going on here, but protruding far less than the Tronsmart Onyx Apex, Baseus S2 and 'shoulder-pad'-style Omthing Airfree 2 demonstrates they've clearly looked at what doesn't work, and have tried to get close to what does. By adding a little more girth over something like the OnePlus Buds Pro, they've achieved improved stability, but with less than the Baseus, they've ensured they don't stick out too much. It's a happy medium that they've done well to achieve - giving a rare combination of both stability and comfort, that only the Edifier NeoBuds Pro also does with such consummate ease.

ANC – 7/10

ANC is a big improvement from the T3, and almost as good as the T2 could be with the right tips. Sure, it's not up there with the Edifier NeoBuds Pro or OnePlus Buds Pro, but at the price point only the QCY HT03 comes close.

Like most earbuds, the Achilles heel is in the mid to high frequencies, but the Air3 Pro does a stellar job at reducing low frequency rumbles. I can sit with my office window open and whilst traffic is audible with no music playing, it is reduced to a distant, higher pitched sound as opposed to the usual frustrating roar that accompanies life on a main road.

Like many buds at this price point, higher pitched or higher frequency sounds are dealt with less effectively - nearby chatter and keyboard taps, especially if you use blue switches like me, are still fairly prominent, however this isn't really out of the ordinary - competitors like the Omthing Airfree 2 are far less effective, and the Baseus S2 don't even come close. Only the Edifier NeoBuds Pro and Airpods Pro handle these types of sound with any great strength.

Transparency mode, initiated by holding down the MFB for a second, was far less accentuated than some of their previous models on the Mini Pro, which made for a more natural experience, but they've gone too far with the Air3 Pro, and discerning conversations can sometimes be a little difficult - there's no great difference between ANC off and Transparency, which is unfortunate. In stereo mode, you can toggle through ANC on/off and ambient, but unfortunately this is not possible in single mode - not a problem for me, but I have seen this registered as a bug-bear to others.

Audio & Sound Signature

The Air3 Pro use the Qualcomm QCC3046 chipset, promoting the use of the aptX-adaptive codec, but they also support aptX, AAC and SBC. On Android, it defaulted immediately to aptX-adaptive, and on iOS, I assume, AAC.

The Air3 Pro have a less dynamic, mid-centric sound than many of SoundPEATS previous releases, and this will come as a bit of a surprise to some. Lower frequencies emphasise the subbass, but there is a dip around 200Hz that detracts from the linearity. Spiking at around 500Hz, this has the benefit of bringing a more atmospheric midrange, emphasising vocals and acoustic guitars, but can result in a slightly muddy mid-bass response on more complex tracks. Trebles are pretty well handled - there is less extension, but better resolution. The highs you have sound good, albeit a shade rolled off - this is perfect for long, marathon music sessions, but less good for analytical bursts.

Soundstage has the perception of more breadth than most in-ear releases due to those elevated mids. However instrument separation isn't always easy to discern, and the problem of trying to create openness when you have no physical room to do so, without using dual-armature drivers, like is the case with the H1 and H2, which capture the essence of those tracks very well, is quite evident here - SoundPEATS have gone for a non-fatiguing, non-offensive sound that is less bright or lively than their usual sound signature, but that plays into styles like melodic techno, which have a gentle atmospheric-feel, conveying vocals and pianos without sibilance, whilst retaining a gentle thump on the drops.

Overall, for the price, it’s a fair audio performance without hitting the heights of the H series. I’ve found on many occasions that ANC usually impacts quite harshly on audio performance but that isn’t the case here - ANC without a doubt improves performance. Regardless, you are sacrificing sound for ANC compared with the H1 and H2, so if audio clarity and detail is your primary concern, stick with the H series. By the same token, sound is better than the T2 and T3 - pick your poison!

Call Quality - Indoors - 7/10, Outdoors – 7/10

Indoors the Air3 Pro performs well. Your voice is very crisp and clear, with a nice naturalness to it. There's a minor lisp to your voice, but you're perfectly coherent on calls.

Introduce mild ambient sound and that starts to wain a little. Your voice is still elevated, but background noise is not removed altogether.

Outdoors, it's actually pretty good. It seems to handle a variety of ambient sounds better than isolated ones. I tested both in Central London and at the beach, and sure, other sounds still infiltrated your call, but your voice remained overpowering to the point everything was pretty coherent. It's not on the level of OnePlus Buds Pro or Edifier NeoBuds Pro, which are both very strong in removing those external sounds, but it's a happy medium and strong for this price bracket.

You can hear the mic performance in my YouTube review, and there's some comparisons of over 30 TWS models in my comparison from earlier in the year here:



Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 8/10

The Air3 Pro use what Qualcomm describe as a 'mid-range' SoC - the QCC3046 chip. This differs from the QCC3040 in that the flash memory is removed from the processor overhead, allowing vendors to run applications via external memory if they see fit. In terms of connectivity, it hasn't really changed much - I got my usual 10m line of sight, with obstructions reducing that. I did suffer an occasional single-bud drop out until resetting them, and have had no problems since. Connectivity is lightning-fast.

Controls are excellent with SoundPEATS – single tap is always volume (left = down, right = up), double tap plays or pauses (or answers a call), triple tap left and you have gaming mode, triple tap right and you have voice assistant, and holding down the left bud toggles ANC. Strangely, you can hold the right bud in order to skip to the next track, but you can’t go backwards, and there are no control mapping options from the app, which doesn’t currently support this model, although I understand it will soon. Indeed, if you try and run the SoundPEATS app it tries to update the firmware then fails, so it can't be long before this is remedied. Note - you don't get any tones for any selections other than pause, changing the volume and progressing the tracks does not give any audible recognition. ANC modes and gaming mode are denoted with spoken word.

The main features here include Gaming Mode, activated with a triple-left-tap, which offers very low latency - amongst the best I've tested. I'm no gamer, but a quick blast of Roblox with my daughters and I was experiencing no discernible delay at all. Videos are similarly well-synchronised. The other is the support of the AptX-Adaptive codec, which is inherent to the use of the Qualcomm chip, providing up to 420k audio delivery.

There’s no wireless charging and no quick charge, and these are features I would have liked to have seen, as I think that’s reflective of what we come to expect now from our TWS.

Final Comments

The Air3 Pro are a worthy addition to the portfolio, showing it IS possible to convert a successful semi-in-ear concept into more mainstream in-ear designs, even if you're not Apple! SoundPEATS have done just enough to improve in all the key areas to justify the release of the product, and I'd expect anyone looking for ANC in stem-based buds at around the $50 mark to strongly consider the Air3 Pro.

With subtle sound, great comfort and good battery life, they are positioned at those consumers who spend the day with their buds frequently for fairly long periods - which makes the absence of quick charge even more baffling. Even so, the Air3 Pro do the basics very well and have certainly not let the Air3 name down. The ultra low-latency is another major feather in the cap for this release, delivering surprisingly good results with gaming mode.

SoundPEATS' churn of releases at that sub-$60 price point make them a consistently wise option - and the Air3 Pro is no exception. You're not getting everything you could want, but you're getting almost everything at a very smart price, knowing you can upgrade in the future without major reinvestment. Another great job with this very decent mid-tier release.

Price Weighted Score: 82%
Raw Score: 80%

SoundPEATS Review Inventory:

SoundPEATS Mini Pro
SoundPEATS H2
SoundPEATS T3
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
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Socials: Biolink

Model: QCY HT07 Arcbuds
Price: Approx. £22 AliExpress
Website: QCY (not listed)
Review Reference: RC096

Manufacturer Specification:

• Brand: QCY
• Model: HT07 Arcbuds (BH22HT07A)
• Driver: 10mm Biofilm Dynamic Driver
• Chipset: WUQI WQ7003AR
• Mic: 6 mics with AI ENC & Intelligent Anti-Wind Noise
• ANC: Yes, up to 40dB Hybrid ANC with multiple modes
• Codecs: AAC, SBC
• App Support: Yes
• Volume Control: Yes (customisable via app)
• Gaming Mode: Yes
• Multipoint Connectivity: No
• Earbud Weight: 4.57g
• Gross Case & Buds Weight: 33.79g
• Case Dimensions: 60mm (width) x 42mm (height) x 25mm (depth)
• Quick Charge: Not stated
• Total Charge Time: 2 hours
• Wireless Charging: No
• Single Use Playtime: Up to 8 hours (ANC off), up to 7 hours (ANC on)
• Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 32 hours (ANC off), up to 28 hours
• Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
• Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7 / A2DP 1.3 / AVRCP 1.5
• Water Resistance: Not stated

Includes:

1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English & Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips

YouTube Review:



Introduction

Welcome to the @regancipher review of QCY's follow-up to their highly-acclaimed HT05 Melobuds, the HT07.....Arcbuds!

The strange collection of names that QCY attribute to each release is odd to say the least, but what isn't is the winning formula QCY seem to have stumbled upon in developing their 'house sound'. When I heard QCY were bringing out a 'button-shaped' in-ear to sit proudly alongside their stem-based offerings, I was very keen to get them in for test - and what a bargain, they cost just over £20 delivered, and are already on offer with the promise of even further discounts with AliExpress voucher codes!

The HT07 again boast some impressive features for the money, but if they are anything like their older sister then you'll have to accept some, albeit relatively trivial, compromises....or will you? Read on for my thoughts.....

Unboxing

Unboxing with QCY is consistent - consistently meh, and I don't think I'd have it any other way! One way QCY keep the cost down is limiting the unboxing to the bare essentials - the logo may have changed since the days of the T11 and T5, and the branding has evolved a little, but it's still a very low-budget affair with a plastic carton holding the buds, case, manual, charge cable and tips in place.

The manual is a small, folded piece of mono paper with basic instructions, although it is becoming increasingly less important as QCY continue their shift to pushing everything via their app.

Charge Case



The charge case is also very basic. Reminding me a lot of the Tronsmart Onyx Pure case, it's around 6cm wide, 4.5cm high and just over a couple of cm in depth.



It is very small and lightweight, and the matte black exterior, with the QCY logo screen printed in gold on the top, is unlikely to go too long without shiny scuffs on it.



The front of the case has a small LED on the front. It flashes white when you plug it in, and then solid once the case is fully charged, or red if you remove it from charge before it's full. You may also see the case flash red if the battery is low, as I did on a few occasions, although there was no mention of why this might be in the manual so I could be wrong.

The hinge has some friction to it, which would be even more useful if the case supported hall switch mode - but it doesn't! At least when you're opening it on a windy day, there's just enough friction on it to prevent it from slamming shut, which had been a quibble of mine with previous QCY releases, so it's good to see they seem to be at least listening.

As you can see, there's quite a large area to grab onto the buds to remove them from the case when you need to use them, but a combination of their slippery nature and the reasonably powerful magnets mean you may end up dropping them at least more than once if my own experiences are anything to go by - I'd advise opening the case nowhere near a drain or long grass!



In the cockpit you'll notice that the buds rest in the top with the tips facing the outer edges. There is a small L/R on the respective side to remind you of your left and right. Whilst the case doesn't stand up due to its shape, the USB socket is located on the back towards the bottom, so they will kinda stand up if your USB cable is sufficiently reinforced.

There is no quick charge feature, and no wireless charging. Full charge takes approx. 2 hours.

Ergonomics & Build



Like the HT05, there's nothing fancy about the shells. Other than a matching, gold screen printed QCY logo on the outer edges, the only notable observations are the locations of the mics on the bottom and top of the bud. The HT05 uses three mics on each bud, with the voice mic at the bottom and ambient mics taking up the other cavities. There is also a small LED on the top which has two colours - white and red, same as the case, and it's messages are consistent with that of the case.



The shell of the HT07 is like a throwback to what all earbuds used to be like before these oversized oval nozzles became the flavour of the month. The HT07, similar to the SoundPEATS Mini and Engine4, is slightly bulky as you would expect given the large battery capacity.



It certainly isn't as bulky as the SoundPEATS Opera series or even the Edifier W240TN, but there's enough of heft for it to be noticeable, unless you push the neck a little deeper into your ear canal. If you do - and I can on one ear without any discomfort (although my other is more shallow, as per the above) then you'll also benefit from improved ANC as well as fit, but this form factor can feel a shade invasive, especially if you spend most of your time rocking semi-in-ear buds as I do.



On the inside, you've got another L/R reminder, another mic cavity and battery connectors, slightly bevelled. The eartips are quite short, and the round, small diameter nozzles at least mean you'll have a broad selection of third party tips which will fit with ease.



From the side-on, the HT07 don't look too obvious, and their minimal branding will suit those who prefer their earbuds on the subtle side.

Despite being slightly bulky, they weigh in at 4.57g, and by being relatively lightweight you aren't going to be tusslign with gravity to ensure they stay in your ears. Whilst they aren't going to be super-comfy for those who don't like this sort of invasive design, if it doesn't bother you then you'll be fine with the fit - I found them to be one of the comfier earbuds I've tested in a long time.

ANC - 8/10

ANC on the Arcbuds is surprisingly very respectable. As with all budget buds, it performs far better with low frequency sounds over nearby conversations or the clicks of mechanical keyboards, but it definitely punches above it's weight, and not without plenty of customisation too.

Like the MeloBuds, you've got three modes- Indoor, Commuting and Noisy, and within each, you've got three strength levels. It doesn't seem to be linear - i.e. Level 3 Indoor isn't less than Level 1 Commuting - instead, each mode has different types of sound which it deals with best, and the strength levels are in turn attributed to that mode only. Noisy is the strongest though - and with this on full strength, the HT07 are surprisingly effective at the full frequency range of sounds.

You've got similar levels of customisation of transparency mode - six strength levels and a separate 'vocal enhancement' button. Vocal enhancement is the least natural, although it is very clear, and is more natural than many other earbuds in their default mode. Conversations are extremely clear in this mode. Level 1 is quite gentle, but still pretty good - transparency is pretty effective, even with conversations a little further away.

Audio & Sound Signature - 8/10 (for the price), 6.5/10 (raw score)



The sound profile on the HT05 would vary substantially when toggling ANC on and off, and it is a similar story on the HT07. Despite barely any difference on the measurements, with ANC off the subbass is far less overwhelming, and the tonal balance is much better - and it's lucky it is, because with ANC on, it can border on very messy at times.

QCY have had to adjust the sound signature because of the change in form factor, boosting the bass slightly, dipping the midbass more, adding more presence to vocals and rolling off the frequencies over 10k. Despite the latter, it lacks the smoothness you hear on the HT05, and the tone and timbre are less natural sounding too.

The peaks at 3k, 5k and 9k give the HT07 added sharpness compared to the silky HT05. On 'Side to Side' by Ariana Grande, the subbass comes in quite powerful 14 seconds in, almost overwhelmingly, flanked by crunchy percussion. The lower frequencies, certainly with ANC off, can sound almost uncontrolled at times. Vocals are forward ever-so-slightly, with decent presence, but back a little from the thick bass. With ANC on, the bass is even thicker and there's a little sibilance to both Ariana and Nicki Minaj's vocals. The trebles have a metallic sound to them, with drums lacking a balanced punch.

On 'Something Got Me Started' by Simply Red, the boosted lower frequencies are less obvious - bass and wah wah guitars don't sound anywhere near as impressive as on the HT05, and whilst sax and shakers sound fairly natural, there's a lack of texture to other percussive elements - add pianos and flutes into the arrangement and everything starts to become rather congested.

Move to more simplistic arrangements like 'Wombass' by Oliver Heldens, and the HT07 are back in their comfort zone, with little noticeable distortion on the side chain. If you like house and techno, you might be safe with the HT07, but with other genres, especially rock and R&B, you may find yourself a little disappointed.

There isn't a particularly open soundstage as such - it's certainly a little more reigned in than the HT05, and depth is shallow by comparison too - and that's the problem here really, after delivering such outstanding sound on the HT05, comparison would always be inevitable....and sadly, they fall some way short. They aren't a terrible sounding earbud by any means - even pretty good for the money, but there's nothing to differentiate them from any other average $30 earbud here, unlike their older sister.

Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 8.5/10

Calls on the HT07, despite the lack of stem, are surprisingly effective. With 6 mics, AI ENC and wind noise reduction algorithms, there's plenty going on to try to improve your calls as much as possible, and whilst those effects can sometimes overstep the mark a little, by-and-large they are doing a decent job when you keep in mind how much these earbuds cost.

The HT07 feature in my indoor call quality test, where they were pitched against 36 other models to see how they perform in a coffee shop:



Outdoors, you can hear how they fare here:



On indoor calls with no sound around you, your voice sounds reasonably clear and certainly authoritative. There's a little softness to it that may leave the person on the other end not 100% sure of every word you've said, but it's close enough.

On busy scenes indoors it's a similar story. The HT07 do a sterling job of negating indistinct chatter, but they also intrude into your own voice sometimes, and syllables here and there may be lost, but it's certainly above-average performance here.

On busy outdoor scenes, they really come into their own. Handling wind and traffic noises better than other strong budget performers like the Soundcore P3i, there's less crackle across your voice. Even on a very busy main road, my voice came across cleanly and clearly.

Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7/10

The QCY app has been done to death in my other QCY reviews, but it's been a while so let's go over some of the pros and cons again.

Firstly, you have to register with QCY to be able to use the app. This will no doubt annoy people, and believe me it annoys me as well, especially when I use my profile on another phone and none of my devices are there, which seemingly devalues the purpose of having a login altogether.

The app feels like a work in progress and has done since it surfaced, although this time around the HT07 paired and connected without too many issues - even so, do not expect Soundcore levels of polish, it's very 'beta' feeling at best.

The front page just gives you the battery estimates for the buds, again without an estimate for the case. With the absence of LED's you are basically in the dark over how much battery your case actually has. There are sections for customising the sound - including a 10-bar EQ and a number of presets, and the ANC (as discussed in the ANC section)

The settings section allows you to tailor your controls. Single tap setting is left empty - I immediately added volume control - and double-tap and triple-tap are also available to change, although they are pre-set to play/pause and voice assistant/skip track forward. Holding the right button will toggle ANC, but you can change double and triple tap to do the same, and you can change them to pretty much anything. You have full control over right and left - it's far better than something like the 1More app, which gives you very limited levels of customisation. Generally the controls are pretty responsive on this model - it's certainly a step back in the right direction after the dire T20.

Also within the app, you can toggle gaming mode, initiate sleep mode (which toggles touch functions) and 'find your headset'. This requires you to allow location sharing with the QCY app, something I wasn't prepared to test! There's also a timing mode, which shuts the buds down after a certain period of time - a nice feature. You can also access the QCY shop, and pay nearly double the prices AliExpress charge from QCY's shop.

Connectivity is good - the buds use Bluetooth 5.2, and stayed connected without any hiccups to my Sony Xperia IV in separate crowded area tests.

Latency is also good- videos are very close to lipsync, and with gaming mode toggled, even gaming is pretty close to suitable synchronisation, although hardcore gamers will undoubtedly disagree - it's still not bad.

Battery Life - 8/10

The HT07 advertise up to 8 hours battery life and up to 32 with the case. The buds are quite loud - 75% volume was fine for me - and taking a few calls and mostly listening to Tidal, I got 7 hours 12 minutes from the first use, and between 6 hours 45 and 7 hours 19 minutes on additional uses. This is actually much better than most vendors estimates, although granted it is a little easier to predict without the complication of high resolution codecs.

With ANC on, the figure dropped to just under 6 hours. This was mostly using ANC on 'Noisy' with the strength setting at maximum. Whilst this is a substantial drop the maximum advertised value, for me anything above 5 hours is a good result, and with 3-4 additional case recharges, represents good battery value from a full charge.

There is no quick charge feature and no wireless charging, sadly.

Summary

The HT07 are a solid release from QCY with notably respectable ANC and call quality. The button-shaped form factor will be attractive to stem-haters who long for the old days, but it isn't just the form factor that has taken a step back in time - sadly the sound has too.

The HT07 don't sound outrageously bad, but they suffer from being the release after the excellent HT05 Melobuds, which have become my go-to in the sub $30 category. The silky smooth sound signature has been replaced by a harsher, edgier sound which suffers particularly with ANC on, with an overwhelming lower frequency response that can leave more complex tracks sounding messy and congested.

The customisable controls and EQ, which save to the buds, are a standout feature from QCY, and will sell them a few extra units for sure, but if you had or currently own the HT05, I have a feeling you'll be disappointed with the follow-up.

Price Weighted Score: 79%
Raw Score: 75%

QCY Review Inventory:

HT07 Arcbuds
HT05 Melobuds ANC
T20 Ailypods
T18
G1
T17
T16
T13
HT03
T12
T11

About QCY:

Whilst not quite a household name outside of China yet, QCY are well-renowned in the budget TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that, whilst perhaps lacking some of the bells and whistles of the more expensive brands, deliver to the segment of the market where 'good enough is good enough', with solid reliability and tremendous value for money.

Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5), with three of their major customers being brands you will certainly recognise and in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019. In 2020, market research indicated they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor worldwide - no mean feat.

Despite a close relationship with SoC manufactuer Zhuhai Jieli, QCY are not afraid to mix and match components to suit their target market. This often sees a number of releases in quick succession - their T17S are an example of this, released subsequent to the T17, and differentiating with the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 SoC, to support customers who require the added lower latency enabled by the aptX codecs that the Qualcomm chips support. They did a similar thing with the very popular T5, T8 and T9 - nice to see a vendor using an easy to follow naming convention! The G1 use the newest Pixart chip in order to reduce latency - horses for courses!

The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses at a very affordable price - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value from a brand they can trust.