Intro
Contents
Apple’s AirPods are seen everywhere, and for good reason. They are comfortable, sound good and you can make great calls with them, indoors and outdoors. The only downside: the price. AirPods cost 250-300 euros depending on the version and that’s a lot for two sound sticks in your ears. Therefore, there are many brands trying to offer an alternative. Take the Air4 from Soundpeats.
Founded in 2010, Soundpeats specializes in Bluetooth headphones. Since then, the China-based brand says it has sold more than 20 million headsets and is especially popular through Amazon, Current offerings range from true wireless in-ear monitors to over-ear headphones and smartwatches. The website looks slick and so do the products. Pricing is around 50 euros for all products, sometimes mounting to 80 euros.
Air4 earsticks
Soundpeats’ earsticks come in a box with rounded corners, which doubles as a charging station. Charging is complete in 1-1.5 hours, allowing us to use the Air4 set for 26 hours. The app allows us to set the control zones on the earbuds (volume, next track, answer phone), set the noise canceling and there is the option to perform a personalized EQ setting. To do that, we enter a test procedure where we hear different frequencies at different volume levels. We have to indicate when we hear something. A kind of “room correction” for the ears. And we must say it works; we experience the personalized EQ as more pleasant than the neutral setting. There is even a game mode that promises us minimal sound delay.
In use
The earsticks weigh only 4 grams each and are easy to place in the ear. There is a sensor that understands when there is contact with the ear; if we take out the sticks, the music stops and vice versa. The fit is comfortable and using the phone using the Air4s is also without problems. On the other end of the telephone line, there were never any comments about thin or disturbed sound. And because the earplugs do not completely close off the ear canal, we keep in touch with the outside world. As such, we didn’t quite understand the usefulness and necessity of the automatic noise cancellation the Air4 offers, because this only works well when there is an adequate seal against the environment; an over-ear design or in-ears that seal the ear canal.
Operation of the touch sensors is also fine, though the sensitivity of those things takes some getting used to. Just straighten the Air4 and the track jumps, the song stops.