True wireless what is this

I purposely did not divide these headphones because they are as similar as possible: expensive, flagship, in-channel, with active noise cancellation.

The 4 deadly sins of TWS headphones: why is True Wireless still a no-no?

When everyone around me started talking about totally wireless headphones, my joy was unbounded. No more collars, no more wires! Nothing but two earplugs connected to each other by some kind of mental magic, right in your ears? Give me two! One in each ear! And a cute charging case to go with it!

And in exactly two months, please take them back, hide them away, and give me back my dear and beloved wireless collar.

I cried. Now, I'm going to try, under the cat, to talk less emotionally about what's wrong with the TWS form factor, who it doesn't fit, and why I don't like it so much

The backstory, which you can skip

True Wireless Stereo, TWS, are the first truly wireless headphones that are paired not with a headband, hard collar, or soft wire, but wirelessly.

Apple and its AirPods have been talking about why TWS is awesome for years, and a good dozen manufacturers with varying degrees of success have quickly picked up on the trend and made True Wireless one of the most popular formats of wearable headphones.

So when I burned out my beloved MOMENTUM In-Ear Wireless for all intents and purposes, I just went out and bought myself one just like it, but even more wireless.

Sennheiser considers them a flagship model and actively promotes them on the market, so full-fledged reviews on them without me, so I will not repeat the rave reviews.

Because I am not delighted. And not so much from the super-premium Sennheiser, which squeezed a lot out of the format, as from TWS itself.

Wireless headphones Redmi AirDots 3

One of the most popular wireless headphones in the world. They have earned their fame because of the price and the features they offer for it. The device is an in-canal earphone with passive noise isolation. To cut off as much external noise as possible, you will need to match the earpiece to your ear. The headphones come with splash protection standard IPX4. That is, they can not swim in them, but a little water they will survive. For the third generation, they abandoned the terrible buttons to control playback, which could deafen you when you press them. Now each of the "ears" is equipped with touch controls. Like any sensor, it is not without its flaw in the form of occasional malfunctions. But it is clearly better than the buttons on the Redmi AirDots first generation.

The headphones have Bluetooth 5.2 on board, which allows them to confidently keep in touch and not to break the connection. At around 80% volume, the Redmi AirDots 3 can hold a charge for about 7 hours, plus they can be fully recharged twice more in the case. The output is around 25-30 hours. A very decent result for their price. And now about the most interesting thing. You can buy these headphones with delivery from China for 900 rubles. Excellent option to try what is TWS headphones.

Realme Buds Air 2 headphones

If you want headphones similar to the AirPods, but do not want to pay a lot, then Realme Buds Air 2 is your choice.

Since the release of the AirPods, many manufacturers have tried to copy their look and make sales by doing so. Realme Buds Air 2 also remotely resembles the AirPods. But fortunately, only remotely. Realme headphones are in-channel earpieces with active noise cancelling system. That is, in addition to the passive, with the right tips on the headphone you can activate and complete cutting off of external noise. Of course, the form factor of TWS-headphones does not allow to remove all the noise, as big overhead "ears" for a lot of money do. But, nevertheless, the sound in the subway can be lowered to a comfortable for listening to music at 70-75% volume.

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In addition to the active noise cancelling mode, the headphones also have transparency mode. When the microphones start working not to cut off external noise, but, on the contrary, to amplify. In this mode, you can easily communicate with people without removing the headphones from your ear. This is quite an office use when you need to hear what is happening around, but you can do it with music or your favorite audiobooks. Realme Buds Air 2., as well as the Redmi AirDots 3, have Bluetooth 5.2 on board, which allows you to hold the connection with confidence without consuming a lot of charge. With noise reduction turned off, the headphones can play music for about 5 hours, with it on – about 4. If you recharge them in the case, the total listening time you can get from them is about 25 hours. You can buy Realme Buds Air 2 for 3,300 rubles.

Fall out or not

None of the four didn't fall out for me: earmuffs as well as earplugs. I wore them to the gym, rode a bike, shook my head on purpose – all fit snugly. Another thing is that not all people have such a great fit. I gave these models to my friends and in the end I did not find any correlation: some people's heads fall out, while others do not. Some wear Jabra and Apple, while others tend to fall out. For some people only Sony did not fall out, for others Samsung did. At the same time, Samsung and Sony have protruding parts on the headphones that rest against the ears for reliability, while Jabra's similar design does not. But, in short, my advice to you: before you buy any such headphones, try them on in person.

There is also a moment of comfort when you wear the headphones for several hours in a row. Personally, I'm starting to get tired of earplugs: my ears start to itch, I want them, excuse me, "air out. But the trick, obviously, is not that they are wireless. I usually have the same story with corded earplugs.

First connection

Apple has tried to simplify the user's life as much as possible. If you have an iPhone, it takes a couple of seconds to connect the AirPods: you open the lid of the case, the iPhone immediately asks you to press the button on the case, a couple of seconds – and it's done.

But with Android this trick won't work: you must first press the button on the case, then the AirPods will go into pairing mode and you can find them among the Bluetooth devices, as usual.

It seems that Samsung wanted to implement the connection of the IconX to Galaxy smartphones in the same way, but apparently this applies to other devices. And for the IconX 2018, the Galaxy Wearable app says exactly that: Press and hold the Bluetooth button on the case. After that, the headphones icon appears on the screen, press it, and then the pairing takes place.

With Sony and Jabra, to connect for the first time, you have to put the headphones in detection mode. To do this, there are mechanical buttons on both of them, which you have to press for a few seconds and wait for the blue diode to flash.

In general, if you want to use proprietary software with the headphones in the future, the first time it is better to connect through native applications, and not just look for BT-devices in the standard menu. Otherwise, they will then ask to perform the procedure again, and for this you will need to break the pair first.

Is there a difference in sound?

If you compare simple wireless and TWS headphones, absolutely none. However, wired and wireless speakers have a difference in sound, and in some cases a significant one. It is justified by the way wireless communication functions: the data is compressed before being transmitted from the source to the headphones, so some of the complex acoustic effects are lost. And how exactly the two headphones are interconnected with each other – with or without a wire – it doesn't matter anymore.

But it should be noted that Bluetooth is improving every year. Although wireless headphones still do not play as perfectly as wired ones, today this difference is only noticeable to audiophiles and people with trained hearing.

What about battery life?

Built-in battery life is a very important consideration when choosing a truly wireless headset. Because the design doesn't include a wire with a remote control or a headband, the battery fits right into the body of the earplugs. And it just can't physically be very high capacity, although attempts are being made.

There are True Wireless models with ten hours of playback on a single charge. Many come with charging cases that power the headphones during downtime, with an average case that can add about 25 hours of listening time.

The Lypertek PurePlay Z3 headphones have a record time of up to 80 hours of playback in total.

Xiaomi Air Mi True Wireless battery life

On a full charge, the headphones work for about 3 hours at ~70% volume. They are discharged independently of each other, and often there is a situation where one headphone is already disconnected, and the second still continues to play for 10-20 minutes.

The battery capacity of the case is enough to charge the headphones 3 times, thus increasing the total sound time to 10 hours.

Charging time of the case is 1 hour.

It is impossible to know the exact charge level of the case. When you press the side button, the light on the case either lights up continuously for 5 seconds or blinks. In the first case, the charge is enough, in the second – not enough. What exactly is meant by "enough" and "not enough" Xiaomi does not specify.

The charge of the headphones is determined in the same way. When opening the lid of the case, the indicators on the headphones either light steadily for 5 seconds, or blink. Unlike the case battery, the exact percentage of charge of the headphones can be seen on the smartphone.

Air Mi True Wireless Earphones review. Conclusions .

The Mi True Wireless has only one serious disadvantage: their size. They are noticeably larger than similar products from Samsung, Honor, Huawei, Xiaomi and Apple.

And most importantly, such a large size is not due to any additional features, the company simply could not (or did not want to) make a compact case on the level of competitors.

If you are not confused by the size and you understand what vacuum headphones are – Xiaomi Air Mi True Wireless will be a good choice for its price.

The closest competitor to these headphones is Huawei Freebuds Lite, a review of which you can also read on our website.

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TWS headphones and sound quality

Obviously, one of the main criteria when choosing headphones, whether TWS or conventional, is sound quality. And there are a lot of nuances and misconceptions.

By design, all TWS headphones are divided into two types: In-Canal и in-ear. A lot depends on this parameter alone, so let's look at the differences between them.

TWS in-ear headphones

These are headphones, which are placed in the ear canal and do not cover the ear canal tightly. Examples of such devices are the mentioned Apple AirPods or Huawei FreeBuds 3:

Their main advantage is precisely the fact that the ear canal remains open. Accordingly, these headphones do not create a feeling of "vacuum" in the ears, do not completely block out external sounds and do not hear your voice loudly when you talk.

It is very convenient to use the in earphones as a headset. They fit in your ears quickly and easily, are the same size, and do not create discomfort when you wear them.

The main disadvantage of earmolds is the open ear canal. The fact is that only when external sounds are completely isolated can the deepest bass and best sound quality be achieved.

For this reason, earmolds are not considered "musical" headphones in the full sense of the word. You won't find a musician anywhere who uses earmolds on stage. Also, it is very rare to find expensive in-ear headphones (even corded ones) on sale, because often the Hi-Fi segment is dominated by in-canal models (here we do not take into account over-the-ear and full-size headphones).

TWS In-Canal Headphones

In-canal headphones, as the name implies, are inserted directly into the ear canal, isolating it from external sounds. These headphones always come with a set of interchangeable ear cushions (ear pieces) in different sizes to accommodate each user's physiology.

Codec support and sound volume of TWS headphones

Many people make one mistake, thinking that the cost and quality of a smartphone can somehow miraculously affect the sound quality of Bluetooth headphones. This common misconception comes from an analogy with wired headphones.

The fact is that when we plug in a wire, the signal has to be converted from digital to analog and then sent to the headphones on that wire. The quality of the digital-to-analog conversion is very important, and a special device inside the smartphone called a DAC is responsible for this.

But when we connect wireless headphones, there is no conversion from digital to analog, and there can't be. The signal must be sent digitally via Bluetooth to the headphones, and the TWS headphones, having received this digital signal, convert it to analog before supplying it to the speakers.

Accordingly, the DAC and smartphone amplifier have no effect on the sound quality of wireless headphones. It all depends on the DAC and amplifier, which are built directly into the headphones. For the same reason, headphone volume is often independent of the smartphone. But, sometimes there are exceptions where the volume is limited by the smartphone software.

And yet, something in the smartphone can affect the sound quality – it is a set of supported codecs. For a better understanding we need to dwell on this issue in more detail.

The main problem with wireless audio is the bandwidth of the Bluetooth channel. We cannot send uncompressed files with a high bitrate (data rate) to the headphones via Bluetooth. The bitrate of most Bluetooth headphones is limited to 256 or 328 kbps.

No matter how good our audio file is (even if it is flac at 1411 kbps), the headphone's DAC will only reach the mp3 (320 kbps) quality.

This is because the smartphone first compresses (encodes) the original file with certain losses, and then sends it to the headphones. Those, in turn, must decode the signal. But since certain data is lost during compression, it will not come back during decoding.

Advantages of TWS headphones

Users choose TWS-equipped models for several obvious advantages:

• Easy and convenient to use (TWS headphones pair quickly with devices)
• Freedom of movement without cable, allowing you to move around the city, jog or perform sports exercises;
• Good connection over short distances (Bluetooth works up to 9 meters) and if you decide to do household chores, you can safely move around the room with headphones.
• Ergonomic design.
• Excellent noise isolation, saving you from the noise of trains, neighbor's repairs or other external factors;
• Battery case provides several times longer working time of the headphones in comparison to traditional wireless devices

However, due to the nature of the technology, TWS headphones are more demanding than previous generations of Bluetooth accessories. For example, they can disconnect from each other and then one headphone will work and the other will simply turn off. In order to synchronize them, you need to reconnect the device.

Disadvantages of TWS headphones

As we wrote above, this headset is not for everyone. Make sure you understand the disadvantages of using TWS headphones versus using wired headphones before you purchase them.

Noise Reduction and Speech Recognition Capability

If having headphones designed to take work calls is paramount to you, we recommend buying separate headphones with good noise isolation. Despite the presence of this feature in TWS headphones, noise cancellation is not always active and helps avoid external noise. Many owners of the headset note that when talking in public places through the headphones, the interlocutors complain about low hearing.

Cost

As a newer and more advanced technology, most TWS headphones cost more than standard wired ones. For example, a pair of cheap wired headphones can cost you 500 rubles, while the price of the cheapest TWS headset ranges from 2500-3000 rubles.

In this situation, you get what you pay for: a pair of cheap wired headphones may be a good short-term investment, but a pair of TWS headphones has a long lifespan and all the benefits listed above. It's important to weigh your options when shopping.

Pamu Quiet.

These are really cool headphones from all angles. There's a fancy leather case made as a chronograph, and support for the aptX codec, and wireless charging, and several chips to work with the sound, and there's even active noise cancellation.

An original feature is the illuminated battery indicator. It is located in the top edge, under the leather cover. The semicircle is smoothly filled with blue backlighting.

Pamu Quiet has an active noise cancellation. For its operation it is necessary to install the application on your smartphone. Noise reduction is the same as in the serious brothers for $200 and above. But I did not like the effect itself: there is some sound pressure (the meaning of the sound in antiphase), I would like to reduce it or turn off the modulation at all.

1. Deep low frequencies, turning on even on simple tunes from "Yandex.Music". And it is an interesting impression, as most similar TWS are completely incapable of doing so – the sound is flat and primitive.
2. Detail. You can hear every instrument.
3. Volume. The headphones do not sound flat, the scene is wide, and it is very pleasant.

As a headset: the main microphone is in the left earpiece, you can hear you with quite a bit of hoarseness, not too loud.

Bottom line: cool-looking headphones with cool sound, support for aptX codec and active "noise modulation".

Samsung Galaxy Buds Live

Naturally, the whole thing about this model is in the design – a multicolored bean, or kidney.

I am also won over by the size of the case: it is about the same size as the case for Huawei FreeBuds 3. By the way, it also charges wirelessly using the Qi standard.

There is a special application for smartphones. It's probably the most sophisticated app I've ever seen for headphones. It gives you and equalizer, and touch control setting, and enable/disable noise cancellation, and different modes of use (for example, gaming).

I wouldn't say that the Galaxy Buds Live give out great sound, but for streaming services this model is enough by the eye.

The active noise cancellation works about the same as in the FreeBuds 3i, that is not bad, but there are better.

I would recommend to buy Samsung Galaxy Buds Live exactly as a gift, because the appearance will not leave anyone indifferent.

How to connect wireless headphones to iPhone

• Open "Settings" on your phone. To do this, locate the gear icon on the toolbar.

• Click on the Bluetooth icon. Make sure that you are running Bluetooth.
• Press and hold the Bluetooth button on the headphones or on the box for a moment (the cover should be open), depending on the model of device. This activates the pairing mode.

If you take the headphones out of the case and they do not turn on (but they are charged), be sure to take out both headphones and press the button on the box for 3-6 seconds.

Useful tips for using wireless headphones

Gesture Setting

On many models of headphones (such as AirPods or on Android 10), a gesture change is available, which means to rewind, pause, and switch songs. The gesture in this case refers to the number of taps on the headphone's touch area (usually dark in color, oval in shape, and located on the outside, as in the photo below). In some cases, each headphone can be configured with unique user-friendly gestures. For example, you can tap the earpiece twice to answer an incoming call.

Gesture switching can be set in one of two ways:

• In the official application, which is responsible for changing the settings of wireless headphones (each manufacturer has its own, check the company's website or in the instructions for the headphones).
• In the Bluetooth settings. To open them, click on the name of the desired headset.

Mono sound

In case you need only one earphone, you can turn on the "Mono" mode. After that, the audio designed for two headphones will be fully transmitted to one. You can start mono audio for one earphone in the "Special Features" tab for Android and in the "Universal Access" tab, "Audio Visualization" section on iPhone.

Changing your name

For convenience, you can change the name of your wireless headphones. To do this, you need to go to the Bluetooth section, tap once or tap the line with the desired headphones, and then change the name. This option can also be available in the official headset setup app.

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