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Back in post #7, I shared how I was trying some under $30 cheapie buds as a potential replacement for my AirPods Pro 2s with conking battery. My own expectations were low but I was thinking maybe the cheapies could have "good enough" sound to make it to AirPods 4 Pro that have had some rumors such as the one at the top of this very thread.
I expected all the flaws one would expect when comparing nearly $200 to about $30. However, after they arrived today, I can already say that the sound is surprisingly good (as in, seemingly on par with APpro if not maybe better. This may reflect that the latter is older and used long enough to be near battery death or it may just be better speakers or better tech- IDK. I definitely notice better bass than AP). They easily connected to my iDevice. Ear fit feels about the same as APpro (no surprise since they seem to be close design clones of the APs).
Besides the many very positive reviews on Amazon, I found
this written review when searching for a digital version of the manual that arrived in box. I won't repeat much of what is there other than to say that except for the battery life claim (very positive in both many Amazon reviews and in this review- but I haven't got to test myself yet) I agree with what this reviewer said in all of those points.
I also didn't try a distance and big crowd test as the review implies at the end of his review "Bluetooth" section, which may or may not yield the "little wonky" issue the reviewer referenced. TBD with my own first-hand testing.
That reviewer lists a con of "weight" but I could not feel any added weight vs APpro 2. That seems quite subjective for such tiny things. I don't think my ears can be that sensitive to what must be only a few grams if that.
I especially like the external indicator of charge showing with bars for each bud and up to 100% charged indicator as a number vs. the green or orange dot on the APpro. USB-C port for charging. Case looks, feels and generally works just like Apples. Magnets even secure each bud like Apples.
Here's
another review I found.
Longevity seems to be the key test which can only come in time. I can say that first impression is much better sound than I expected, easy connection to iDevice, touch controls seem to work just fine, etc. Will they last at least for a good while or will they fade fast with use? TBD.
These are NOT noise cancelling (there's a version of that for only $20 more) but my general uses are in quiet places, so these may be a great "for now", "good enough" choice.
At least on first impression without giving them a few weeks to see how the battery fares after a number of charges & drains and how they sound with a fair amount of use, I proclaim quite the bargain here for only about $30. If it can sound as good and still have plenty of battery in 3 months, I may not even bother with APpro 4. I was hoping for "good enough" audio but I perceive "as good as" audio on this quick starter round... and that seems towards shocking.
If something reveals itself to be a big con in the next few days, I'll post an update to this.
