True wireless headphones are no longer a rarity. There are dozens of true wireless earbuds on the market these days, and they are often inexpensive and readily available. However, one of the newest models seems even cheaper than the rest. The SoundPeats TrueFree headphones cost $35,99, which is quite impressive for a pair of headphones that would have been revolutionary if released five years ago.
But what compromises are made to bring these headphones to such an inexpensive level? Should I buy or look elsewhere? We're testing the SoundPeats TrueFree headphones to find out.
Design
The SoundPeats TrueFree true wireless earbuds look good, but are a bit boring overall. The earbuds and charging case feature an all-black color scheme with the SoundPeats logo on every detail.
The earphones are not too big, which is nice to see, and will most likely get to the comfort level a bit later. They're not as small as some of the true wireless earbuds we've seen, but they're still quite small.
On each earbud, you'll find a button whose buttons are used to control playback, volume, and more. Pressing the buttons requires pressing - of course - but due to the placement of the buttons, you'll also be pushing the earbuds deeper into your ears, which can be a little uncomfortable.
The charging case is charged via a microUSB cable. I wish SoundPeats would use a USB-C connector, but didn't expect that given the price range. Also in the box you will find three additional pairs of ear tips, and it is worth experimenting with them to find the right size.
Comfort
Due to being relatively small and light, we found them to be quite comfortable to wear. Any in-ear headphones will experience some level of discomfort, but we found that these headphones generally avoid the comfort issues that other true wireless headphones face.
The earphones were also pretty good in the ears. These headphones just aren't made for sports or running, so if you use them for that, don't be surprised when they fall out. However, under normal use they should stay in your ears decently well.
Sound
Ultimately, sound quality is an area where many cheap headphones compromise, but luckily the SoundPeats TrueFree headphones are actually not that bad for the price. Of course, these are not headphones for audiophiles, but they are not scary either.
Let's start with the bass, which is relatively deep and powerful given the size and price range of the headphones. Kick drums are able to punch through the mix quite well, despite the fact that the bass extension isn't all that great.
The midrange is, as you'd expect, a bit all over the place, but it's not a deal breaker. The low-mids are decently warm, but they're marred a bit by boosted high-mids, which can sound a bit shrill at times.
The highs sound good, but they're not as present as we'd like. The music is decently detailed for this price range, but it's far from perfect.
Performance
The SoundPeats TrueFree headphones connect to your listening device via Bluetooth 5.0, and we found they held that connection pretty well. We never experienced any skipping or jumping during playback, and we didn't have any problems connecting our headphones.
The battery life in the headphones is 3,5 hours, which is not very good. However, the charger will give you a total of 15 hours of use, so if you don't think you'll be using the earbuds for more than a few hours at a time, then the battery life is 3,5 hours. single buds should be enough for most.
Conclusions
The SoundPeats TrueFree headphones aren't perfect, but for the price they really have to offer. The design might be a bit boring, but they certainly don't sound bad. They are also quite comfortable, and sound good considering their price.
But are they the best option in their price range? Well, so far we think they're pretty close. If you can spend the extra $15 then the JBab Audio JBab is a bit better, but if $50 is not much then it's a great option.
Given their excellent value for money, we're honoring the SoundPeats TrueFree headphones with a Bronze Headphone Medal.