Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen, 2023 Review: Great for the price

All things considered, the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen, 2023 release) remains one of the best mini smart speakers to get your hands on. Priced at ₹5,499, it has all the features that you could ask for, and the responsiveness is something that would put other manufacturers to shame. The only other viable option in this space right now, with smart assistant baked in, is the Google Nest Mini. In India, it retails at almost half the price of the Echo Dot (₹2,499 at the time of writing). It retains most of the functionality of its pricier cousins but pales in comparison to the Echo Dot in terms of its audio output because of its smaller size. But, if a truly compact solution is what you are looking for, and do not want to go for the dated 3rd Gen Amazon Echo Dot, then you can definitely go for it. For the price, it's a great offering and can be an awesome gateway for anyone into the world of smart home speakers.

Amazon has had a stronghold in the smart devices market with their Echo line of products. The latest in their line of Echo smart speakers, powered by their homegrown assistant Alexa is the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen, 2023). This tiny spherical speaker comes loaded with features and makes for a nifty addition to your smart home setup. Launched in March 2023, the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen, 2023) showed up at the Digit Test Centre; as we do with everything that we review, we put it through our rigorous test process. The results, to say the least, were interesting. With the upgrades in both the hardware and software, it did surprise many folks who played around with it, feeding it some really interesting and challenging commands.

Here’s a look at how the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen, 2023 release) fared in our tests –

Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen, 2023): Build and Design

Amazon has definitely worked on the design of the Echo Dot (5th Gen, 2023 release). Coming in line with the rest of the lineup, it comes with a fabric-covered top, with solid and sturdy plastic completing the rest of the body. You have three colour options available – White, Blue, and Black. You can pick and choose between these three colours. There’s a nice heft to the device, and the feet do a good job of keeping it from slipping, even when it is placed on smooth glass-finish surfaces.

If you are a stickler for aesthetics, then one thing that may bother you is the power adapter cable, which is not colour matched with the rest of the device. We have seen brands these days colour-match their cables with the device, especially in the case of ones which are meant to have a certain sense of aesthetics and blend in with the devices surrounding them.  The indicator LED strip covers the bottom circumference of the device.

On the body of the speaker itself, you get a set of four buttons that’ll help you control the device without using voice commands for the most part. You get a pair of volume rockers, an action button, and a mic toggle button, which helps you turn the microphone on and off. With the discussions doing rounds about smart home devices listening in on your conversations when they are not supposed to, this is a nice little addition, which definitely is reassuring for users. Even I was happy to see it being present as a physical control on the device. The button also has a light indicator which lets you easily know whether the microphone is on or off.

The top surface of the speaker is touch sensitive and can be used to snooze alarms or play and pause music in case you do not want to shout out a command to your device. On the front, you get a set of basic LEDs that will get you some basic information, including but not limited to time and temperature readings.

As for the app, the device makes use of the Amazon Alexa app. It offers tons of customisation options, including privacy settings and an equaliser, which is a nice thing to have, given that the speaker can double up as a standalone Bluetooth speaker. It is laden with features, with the interface being intuitive. However, if someone is opening up such an app for the first time, the interface, in my opinion, can be a bit overwhelming. There are instructions every step of the way for the most part, but when they are missing, people can find themselves looking for that one specific setting for fairly long times.

Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen, 2023): Features

Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen (2023 release) comes packed with features. Amazon has added a couple of sensors, which immensely elevate the functionality of this product. First off, is the motion sensor. If your Amazon Echo Dot is plugged in and turned on, it will automatically trigger a set action as soon as it senses motion. And it works the other way around as well. So, for example, if you are not in a room, it will turn the lights off, and as soon as you walk in, it will turn them back on.

The second is the temperature sensor. This would come in handy, especially for people who find it difficult to get their ACs to the optimal temperature while sleeping. Its functionality is very basic. When in action, the sensor will gauge the ambient temperature and adjust the temperature of your air conditioner accordingly, helping you have an uninterrupted night's sleep.

Other features of the Echo Dot include compatibility with a variety of music providers, including Apple Music, Jio Saavn, and Spotify, ensuring that you won’t have to worry about having your favourite tracks on Amazon Prime Music. You can also daisy chain the Alexa with other Bluetooth devices as well, creating a wireless stereo setup with up to two speakers and a subwoofer. The device can also be used as a stand-alone Bluetooth speaker as well.

In my time using the device, I found the daisy chain feature came in handier than I thought I would. And, the ease of pairing made my life even easier. As for the temperature sensing and motion sensing, it did have its own share of hiccups and was triggered at times that I did not want it to, but otherwise, it worked like a charm. Sometimes it does fascinate me how far IoT and smart home devices have come. And, the way the technology that is packed in these smart devices is progressing, it is only about time that we see ourselves interacting with our smart devices intuitively, exponentially more often than we do right now.

Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen, 2023): Performance

Let’s start off this section by talking about the music playback performance of the Amazon Echo Dot Gen 5 (2023 release). In my time listening to music on this device, I found the sound to be great for regular music consumption. As you can see in our sound signature graph, with the readings taken in an environment where such devices are used the most, an open room, both the bass frequencies (especially the high bass frequencies, which trickle into the mids) and the high frequencies between the 2 kHz and the 10 kHz range have a boost, with the mids staying close to our baseline reading of the pink noise.

This shows that the sound is well-rounded, and you will not be busy hunting for vocals or instruments in your favourite tracks. It is in no way comparable to a pair of studio monitors which nail every frequency and their response is crisp and precise. But, again, considering their use case, the Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen will serve their owner well. We played a variety of tracks on this device, and sometimes we did feel the lack of some bass, which is strange because Amazon has specifically advertised the bass response of this speaker. We had to tweak the sound signature in the app, which comes with a triband equaliser, to feel the thump in some of the tracks that we were playing.

Now, coming to the smart voice command capabilities of this device. We tested the voice command response of the device in four different conditions – 

- Human close to the speaker in a quiet room, - Human close to the speaker with music playing from the speaker at 50 per cent volume, - Human 10 feet away from the speaker standing in a quiet room, and - Human 10 feet away from the speaker with music playing from the speaker at 50 per cent volume. 

 

In all these scenarios, the device performed well. I tested the activation time between the command being said and actions being triggered, and almost every time, the response was instantaneous and flawless. One peculiar thing that I noticed was that whenever I asked the Echo Dot to tell a joke while it was playing music, it repeated the same joke over and over again. Otherwise, as stated above, the responsiveness was flawless.

All of this is powered using the 15 W adapter that is included in the box. You can find a barrel plug port at the back of the speaker, which is where you plug in the adapter. Amazon claims that this device has a "Low Power Mode" which gets triggered when the device is not in use, helping it power down, and reduce the overall power consumption, which is a good this not only for your wallet, but also for the planet.

Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen, 2023): Verdict

All things considered, the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen, 2023 release) remains one of the best mini smart speakers to get your hands on. Priced at ₹5,499, it has all the features that you could ask for, and the responsiveness is something that would put other manufacturers to shame. The only other viable option in this space right now, with smart assistant baked in, is the Google Nest Mini. In India, it retails at almost half the price of the Echo Dot (₹2,499 at the time of writing). It retains most of the functionality of its pricier cousins but pales in comparison to the Echo Dot in terms of its audio output because of its smaller size. But, if a truly compact solution is what you are looking for, and do not want to go for the dated 3rd Gen Amazon Echo Dot, then you can definitely go for it. For the price, it's a great offering and can be an awesome gateway for anyone into the world of smart home speakers.

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Nothing Ear 2 Review: An incremental update in a competitive space

The Nothing Ear (2) is a great pair of earbuds for regular folk if they are dedicated fans of the brand. These earbuds go into tricky waters when you start comparing them to the offerings from OnePlus, Oppo, and Jabra. In terms of sound quality, all three earbuds are more balanced-sounding than the Nothing. We are talking about out of box experience here. You can tune the audio and match the levels of the competition. 

But, in terms of design, they are hands down some of the best earbuds you can get your hands on. They are, what they say, conversation starters. Nothing (literally, not the brand) matches up to these earbuds. So, if you want a package that can get you a transparent novelty design and a sound signature that, with some tweaking, can be made serviceable for the purists as well, then you won’t go wrong with the Nothing Ear (2)

Making transparent tech is something that Carl Pei’s Nothing has mastered since the launch of their first pair of TWS earbuds, the Nothing Ear (1), back in 2021. Since then, the brand has branched out into making smartphones and has released another pair of TWS earbuds, the Nothing Ear (stick). Due to the unique design and hardware they pack, the devices from Nothing are hyped a lot before launch.

It was no different with the Nothing Ear (2). Days before launch, the internet was filled with news and chatter about the imminent launch of the successor of the Nothing Ear (1). The Nothing Ear (2) hype train was supercharged by the fact that the Nothing Ear (1) was one of the undisputed kings of the budget segment when it launched, and the expectations that people had for its successor were sky-high. This also sparked curiosity in the minds of the folks here at the Digit Test Centre. Even I was curious to see how these earbuds performed given that had daily driven the Nothing Ear (1) ever since I bought them back in 2021. And, having stayed at home during the pandemic, taking calls and consuming content day in and day out, I can safely say that I knew exactly what Nothing Ear (1) is all about.

So naturally, when the Nothing Ear (2) showed up, I put it through our rigorous test process, and the results were ‘somewhat’ in line with the expectations we had set for the device. They’re competing with the likes of the OnePlus Buds Pro 2, Jabra Elite Active 4, and the Oppo Enco X2. All three earbuds hold their ground well, so Nothing Ear (2) had an uphill battle to fight. Spoiler alert – it almost came out as the victor. Almost is the keyword. Curious why? 

Read our full review of Nothing Ear (2) and find out if these ₹9,999 earbuds are worth your money or not!

Nothing Ear (2): Build, Design, and Fit

As I prefaced earlier, Nothing’s products stand out and are a treat to look at. The transparent design, complimented by the subtle metallic touches from the hinge and the magnets fitted in the solid white-coloured cavity, makes them stand out in the sea of earbuds. The design overall retains the quintessential Nothing Ear look. The earbuds look the same, and the branding is all in the same place; the charging port, the paring button, and the charging/pairing indicator LED, everything is the same.

However, upon closer inspection, you start noticing the subtle differences. Let’s start with the overall design of the case. Instead of the rounded edges of the Nothing Ear (1), the Nothing Ear (2) features a more industrial-looking design with squared-off edges. And it has a smaller footprint than that of the Ear(1). This is something that has made me very curious, especially after the launch of the Apple iPhone 12 series. Since the Cupertino-based giant switched to a boxier design on their phones, the industry got on to the squared-edge bandwagon. And, if you had any doubt about Nothing also being on board, them have a look at their Phone. You’ll understand what I mean. The boxy and squared-edge design has trickled down into these earbuds too, and it will be interesting to see how the rest of the industry reacts to this move. Now, let’s get back to the actual review.

On the back, Nothing has shaved off some of the plastic, making way for the inner plastic cavity, which on the earlier variant of the earbuds was tucked behind the clear plastic. But, as great as it looks, this has added a lot of crevices on the body of the earbuds, which are a dumping ground for dirt and pocket lint. And the plastic still has that glossy finish and quality, which in our few days of use, caught a lot of scratches and scuffs.

Just look at this image of my own pair of Nothing Ear (1), which I bought in 2021. Now, imagine the plight of these earbuds when you will daily drive them. If you want to preserve the looks of these earbuds, then we highly recommend using a case. It is not a deal-breaker in any way and will only be a bummer if you are too attached to the natural, out-of-box look, which I would say is gorgeous.

As for the other changes, the hinge is smaller yet stronger and has a satisfying click to it. It is also metallic, which is always appreciated. The inner cavity as well, is smaller, which explains the smaller footprint of the case. The magnets also have received a small change in design, with both ones being exposed instead of just one on the top in the Ear (1).

The earbuds also follow the same theme. They have received small changes, apart from one, which are the controls. Now, instead of the touch-sensitive gesture-based controls, Nothing has added pinch controls on the stem. And to distinguish that area, they have added subtle recessed bits of shiny metallic strips on each earbud. I honestly love the way that they work and feel during regular use. With the earlier variation, often times I used to miss out on triggering the exact action that I wanted, and when I was lying down, as soon as my arm touched the stem, something or the other would happen. And it was VERY annoying. Now I can listen to my end-of-day podcasts without switching out to the next episode or triggering ANC on and off. This is another place where Nothing Ear (2)s draw inspiration from its Apple counterpart.

The rest of the earbuds are the same, with the grill on the top of the buds getting a more pronounced look, which you won’t even notice unless you are on a hunt for it, specifically. As for the fit, it remains excellent, and as my fellow reviewer had described it in her review of Nothing Ear (1) – “a very snug and comfortable fit for the most part.” Having said that, let’s move on to the features.

Nothing Ear (2): Features

The Nothing Ear (2) is not the most feature-rich pair of earbuds that is out there in the market around the ₹10,000 mark. We have the Oppo Enco X2, which is laden with features, almost all of which are well-implemented. Nothing against the Nothing Ear (2), though. They have a defined and well-rounded feature set which ensures that you do not lose out on the overall experience of using the earbuds.

We have the new set of controls which work like a charm, and ANC, which in my opinion, was not leagues apart from the Nothing Ear (1), but still an improvement and very much serviceable. With these earbuds, we also get audio personalisation as well. A new feature that affects the performance is the support for 24-bit Hi-Res audio and the LHDC codec. These things will add a subtle boost to your performance (if your source device is compatible) but don’t expect audiophile-grade performance numbers from these earbuds.

Nothing has moved away from the Ear (1) app and has migrated to the Nothing X app, starting with the Nothing Ear (stick). While the Ear (1) app felt like a placeholder, the Nothing X app is something that other brands can take inspiration from. There are a ton of features like a tri-band equaliser, (I would have preferred a 5-band one) personalised ANC toggle, low latency mode, an ear tip fit test, and dual connection toggle, along with the regulars like find my earbuds, firmware update buttons, and the like.

Let’s talk a bit about the personalised fit test and the personal sound profile. These features have been played around with by quite a few brands. Everyone has their own way of doing it. And, while some fail, some brands are able to pull off feats that leave others in awe. Now, you might be thinking that I said earlier that other brands could take inspiration from the app, and this might be it, right? Well, let me tell you, this is not it. In this department, the earbuds land bang in the middle.

After you have completed the test, you will definitely notice a difference in sound. It did get better for me, and it might vary from person to person, depending on the fit of the earbuds. But, despite the change in the sound signature, the sound signature did not change drastically. It was just that the positioning and overall staging of whatever audio was being pushed by the drivers became more precise. This was it. 

Now, if you are someone who works out regularly or is planning to go out in the rain, you can stay assured that these earbuds will survive your escapades as they come with an Ingress Protection (IP) rating of IP55. Don’t jump into the pool with these on, though.

One more thing that impressed me a lot was that the earbuds, while I was reviewing them, got a firmware update. It included some quality-of-life improvements and changes to make the ear tip fit test better. I tried taking the test again, but I believe nothing changed for me. However, it is always lovely to see a brand be proactive and deliver OTA updates to their products, making sure that the consumer experience gets nothing but better.

Now, lastly, the thing that other brands should take notice of in the Nothing X app. It is the design and the ease of navigation inside the app. Having studied a bit of UI design in college and experienced the apps that complement earbuds across price ranges, I think that the UI of the Nothing X app, for me is the best that is out there. It is clean and intuitive. Nothing’s branding elements and the imagery of buds themselves  look modern and psychologically calm the user down. There are many cases where things are thrown your way all at once, which causes even the most experienced and technically sound individuals to panic and freeze up. Here, the buttons are well-rounded, literally, and all the features that the buds have to offer are compartmentalised in a way that almost everyone will be able to make their way through to them with a little bit of digging around.

Enough about the features and the design. Let’s talk about the performance of these earbuds.

Nothing Ear (2): Performance

Nothing Ear (2) bring a ton of incremental upgrades in terms of performance when compared to its older cousins, the Nothing Ear (1). When looking at the graph, you can see that the bass of Nothing Ear (2) has been amplified. However, it is balanced out by the highs, which have also been boosted. The overall sound signature is U-shaped, which is the go-to for most consumer brands, and in daily usage, also sounds well-rounded if done well, which, as you will see, is not really the case with the Nothing Ear (2).

Let’s start with the lows. Not in the literal sense. We’re talking about the frequency range. This is where most of the thump, aka bass, comes from. On the graph, this lies between the 20 Hz and the 250 Hz mark. See the bump in that range? That shows that the bass frequencies are overly boosted on the Nothing Ear (2), which means that it eats into the reproduction of the mids and the highs, which are responsible for the vocals, and instruments like hi-hats and cymbals. The Nothing engineering team did try to make up for it by boosting some of the higher frequencies, especially in the 2 kHz to about 7.5 kHz range. However, this boost does more harm than good.

The boost in the higher frequencies introduces sibilance, which means that there’s always high-pitched S and T sounds present in the audio. And that is not pleasant to listen to. My fellow reviewer, Dhriti, also gave these earbuds a try before I started writing the review, and her first comment was about the sibilance. In many cases, as it was with Dhriti as well, sibilance can induce headaches and general listening fatigue. This is not good to have. 

The bass boost also eats into the mids, which is where the vocals lie. This is something that is immediately picked up when you are listening to tracks like OneRepublic’s Rescue Me. The sound is muddy, and at times, the voice of the artist is lost in the middle of all the sounds that are around it. It is ironic that the numbers that are high are bringing down the performance and overall audio quality of these earbuds.

Now, when pitted against the Nothing Ear (1), these earbuds are much better. And, if you are not an audiophile, you might as well find them to be completely normal-sounding in day-to-day use. These are not ‘bad’ in any regard when observed in an isolated bubble. In fact, they are a definite improvement from Nothing, especially after the Ear (stick), which had me legitimately worried about the brand.

These earbuds are in a space where, as I mentioned earlier, there are players like OnePlus Buds Pro 2, Jabra Elite Active 4, and the Oppo Enco X2. As you can see in the graphs linked below, all these earbuds have a much more balanced sound-signature, which, once you experience for yourself, you will appreciate. Here at Digit, our benchmark is the flat sound signature, which is represented by the readings of the pink noise that we have captured. 

[Click on the pair you want to see the comparison graph of]

 

Nothing Ear (2) vs Nothing Ear (1) Nothing Ear (2) vs OnePlus Buds 2 Pro Nothing Ear (2) vs Jabra Elite 4 Active Nothing Ear (2) vs Oppo Enco X2

As for the ANC, they come pretty close to the Oppo Enco X2, which is our pick in this price range. In indoor conditions, these earbuds hold their own. However, as soon as you step out in a noisy environment and turn the ANC on, you feel the lacklustre ANC performance on these earbuds. I am sure that Nothing as a brand is capable of doing more. They have improved on their ANC performance, albeit slightly when compared to the Ear (1), and they have the potential to do more. With the right fit, the passive isolation is decent on these earbuds. So if you are someone who is averse to using ANC, then you will get your share of passive noise cancellation.

The microphone performance of these earbuds is something that I loved when comparing these to others in the market. The extended stem and the microphones baked in these earbuds work great. You obviously cannot expect flagship-level performance from these earbuds, but they hold their ground well. Be it in games, or calls in my auto-rides, apart from a couple of instances, I rarely received complaints from the person I was speaking with about my voice quality.

Talking about gaming, the low latency mode on these earbuds gave a considerable boost to the sound or rather brought down the latency by a considerable amount. And that is what I liked a lot when using these earbuds. It did cause my battery to drain faster than it should, but being a gamer, you will know that getting the best out of your hardware comes with the cost of power consumption. Now, since we are already on the topic of battery life, let’s talk about it, shall we?

Nothing Ear (2): Battery Life

The battery life of the Nothing Ear (2) is also something that the brand seems to have given special attention to. In our tests, these lasted a whole hour more than the Nothing Ear (1), with the volume set to 50 per cent and ANC turned on. These earbuds clocked in about four and a half hours, compared to the three and a half hours of the Nothing Ear (1). With ANC turned off, you can expect about an hour added to the battery life on the earbuds. With the case, you get about four more rounds of charging, bringing the total battery life at 50 per cent volume, up to 18.8 hours with ANC turned on and 22 hours with ANC turned off. 

If you are out of juice, you can use the included USB Type-C cable or plonk these on to a wireless charging pad. Nothing claims that these earbuds can give you eight hours of music playback on just a 10-minute charge, which is impressive. Add to that, the Qi wireless charging certification, and you get a nifty little powerhouse.

The earbuds have an LED on the case and audio prompts programmed into the earbuds to tell you how much battery is left in them. And, the way the audio prompts and the LED has been implemented impressed me. Trust me, there are audio prompts and LEDs which can’t do this simple task of giving the user an idea of the battery level well. 

Nothing Ear (2): Verdict

If you read through this review, first of all, congratulations! You get a Digit reader rating of 10/10.

Now, coming back to my final thoughts about Nothing Ear (1). Here I would like to draw some parallels with the world of watches. On one hand, you have lifestyle brands making watches, which bring a lot of clout and visual appeal to the table. These are appreciated by the masses and frowned upon by the purists. On the other hand, you have brands that have years of watch-making experience behind them, and they have the most intricate movements available and craftsmanship of the highest quality. Such brands are loved by the purists and might not be liked by regular consumers.

With Nothing, there’s a curious case of an identity crisis. On one hand, the brand is trying to prove to the purists and, in a sense, failing to do so because it is just starting out. However, with the masses, as you would know, it is immensely popular. And there is nothing wrong here. As a brand, you get the hype that you want and drive sales and provide end-user satisfaction. But the purists are sat in a corner frowning upon your product.

The Nothing Ear (2) came in with the baggage from the Nothing Ear (1), which at the time of launch was about 60 per cent of the price of the Ear (2). It did well. Everyone expected Nothing to build the next AirPods killer. They tried and, in my opinion, are on the track to doing it. However, between the launch of the Ear (1) and the Ear (2), the market has evolved. We have loads of new products that are competing in a close-knit space.

The Nothing Ear (2) is a great pair of earbuds for regular folk if they are dedicated fans of the brand. These earbuds go into tricky waters when you start comparing them to the offerings from OnePlus, Oppo, and Jabra. In terms of sound quality, all three earbuds are more balanced-sounding than the Nothing. We are talking about out of box experience here. You can tune the audio and match the levels of the competition. 

But, in terms of design, they are hands down some of the best earbuds you can get your hands on. They are, what they say, conversation starters. Nothing (literally, not the brand) matches up to these earbuds. So, if you want a package that can get you a transparent novelty design and a sound signature that, with some tweaking, can be made serviceable for the purists as well, then you won’t go wrong with the Nothing Ear (2).

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Jabra Elite 5 Review: A solid daily driver

If you are someone who has looked at earphones online or are looking for one right now, then you must have come across the brand Jabra. The legendary audio brand has recently launched the Jabra Elite 5. Jabra has had a history of releasing fan-favourite audio products, which are praised by many, but criticised by few. And the Digit Test Centre has a few people who daily drive Jabra’s TWS earbuds.

So naturally, when the Jabra Elite 5 showed up at the Digit Test Centre, there was an air of excitement around these TWS earbuds. However, before anyone could get their hands on the earbuds, the reviewer took them for a spin and put them through our rigorous testing process. And the results were, to say the least, interesting. Here’s what we found out when we tested the Jabra Elite 5 TWS earbuds.

Jabra Elite 5: Build and Design

As soon as you get your hands on the Jabra Elite 5, the design and feel of the product just scream out loud - “I was made by Jabra”. The company has been consistent with its case quality and design, including the material and the overall feel. So, it is really hard to ignore the fact that these earbuds are in fact made by Jabra.

Our review unit was in a shade of beige that is being marketed by Jabra as “Gold Beige”. The other colour option available is Titanium Black. So, coming back to our assessment of the case. The front of the case has a subtle Jabra branding, below which is the charging indicator LED. When you flip the case around, you see the USB-C type charging port. The rest of the case is plain and classy, with just a small embossed bit of branding present at the bottom.

Upon opening the top lid of the case, you are welcomed by the glittery button covers of the earbuds with the branding making a subtle reappearance again on the buds. While the magnets holding the top lid in place are strong, we would have loved it if there was a metallic hinge on the case. It adds reassurance and structural strength that we generally appreciate, especially in premium earbuds.

As for the buds themselves, they are lightweight, and thanks to the three pairs of EarGels that Jabra has included, the fit is great. The magnet holding the buds inside the cavity of the case is strong and makes sure that they do not go flying out if you ever drop the case. We did not obviously drop-test the buds or the case, but we did shake the case with the lid open quite a bit, and the buds refused to come out. 

The lobes fit snuggly in the ears of most people at the Digit Test Centre. While our testing subset is not expansive in any sense. However, if you are interested in buying these earbuds, then you can very safely take the plunge, as the chances of you getting a bad fit are pretty slim.

Jabra Elite 5: Features

Now coming to the features of the Jabra Elite 5, the only thing we’d say is - Well done! Instead of beating around the bush and including gimmicky features, Jabra has gone for the quality-over-quantity approach. Whatever features are included on the earbuds, they are well implemented.

Starting off with voice assistant compatibility. It was one of the first times in a long period for the reviewer that he got a pair of earbuds, which he actually used for activating the voice assistant on his phone. The pickup of the voice command was almost instant and seamless, with the lag between the command being said and the action being triggered being minimal.

Next, we were presented with the Hybrid ANC that has been advertised by Jabra. We will talk about the performance of the ANC in the next section of the review. However, we would like to preface that with information about how this works. As per the description given by Jabra, the earphones equipped with Hybrid ANC take the reading of noise levels not only outside your ears but also in your ear canal. Depending on the levels, both inside and outside, your ANC levels and intensity would be determined. Spoiler alert: It worked well… Kinda.

Additionally, the case has wireless charging capabilities, with the Qi-certified wireless charging. As for the app, we were presented with the Jabra Sound+ app, which gives us a lot of customisation options. It has a five-band equaliser, which makes sure that you can tune the sound to your liking. The purists at Digit Test Centre are always looking for an EQ with as many bands as possible, but something is better than nothing. And not to forget, these earbuds are rated IP55, meaning you can take these out in light rains and on dusty Indian roads, and you will come back with a functioning pair of earbuds.

Jabra Elite 5: Performance

The part that we spent the most time testing is the performance of the Jabra Elite 5. With Jabra products, we generally expect a decent-sounding pair of earbuds, but despite that, we left no stone unturned to ensure that the buds were put through the entire test suite to ensure that we got the most unbiased results.

As you can see in the graphs that we have made for you, the bass frequencies have a subtle boost, while the mids come pretty close to our baseline reading of the pink noise. In the higher frequencies, we do see a spike in the 2000-4000kHz frequency range. But, when all of this is put together, you get a sound signature that is well-rounded.

We found it to be great for regular content consumption and music listening needs. Be it regular OTT content or heavy metal songs, you will never be left wondering where were the sounds that you were expecting from these earbuds. Again, the purists at the Test Centre were left looking for something more that we are sure Jabra is capable of pulling off. However, that is us. In your use, for the most part, you will find these to be perfect.

As you would be able to see in the comparative graphs linked below, these earbuds hold their ground with ease and grace. [Click on the pair you want to see the comparison graph of] LG Tone Free FP9 vs Jabra Elite 5 Jabra Elite 7 Pro vs Jabra Elite 5 Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro vs Jabra Elite 5 Sony WF-LS900N vs Jabra Elite 5

In terms of the microphone performance, and ANC performance, these TWS earbuds held their own both in relatively quiet office environments as well as noisy outdoor environments. The ANC cancelled out most of the sound that we were exposed to when using the headphones during our commute to and fro from the office. And, taking calls while stuck in traffic or in office was also a pleasant experience overall, with minimal hiccups.

Jabra Elite 5: Battery

The battery on the Jabra Elite 5 is pretty solid as well. Jabra claims that these earbuds come with 7 hours of battery life in the earbuds. With four more additional rounds of charging from the case, the total battery life comes to about 28 hours.

In our tests, we found that the earbuds lasted for six and a half hours, with the case providing four more charges, bringing the total battery life up to 26 hours. This, complemented by the fast charging capability of these earbuds over USB-C, which as per claims, can provide for an extra hour of listening time in 10 minutes of charging time, makes these earbuds a pair that will get you through a day of work without much hassle. And, when the charge runs out, and you own a wireless charging pad, then you can just pop these earbuds on that, and charge them as they come with wireless charging capabilities baked into the case.

Jabra Elite 5: Verdict

With the Jabra Elite 5, Jabra has reaffirmed its position in the TWS earbuds market. The biggest competitors in this space right now are the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, which are slightly more expensive, and the LG Tone Free FP9, along with the Sony WF-LS900N, which are priced similarly to the Elite 5. 

While the offering from Samsung is a solid deal and was the winner of the Digit 2022 Zero1 Awards, the cost difference might be a deal breaker for you. This leaves the Sonys, and the LG earbuds, which we’d say are catered towards a specific audience. Read our reviews of all these earbuds to find out more.

The bottom line with the Jabra Elite 5, is that these are a solid offering by Jabra. Everything from the sound signature to the battery life and the build and design of these earbuds is something that some brands are not able to replicate, even with pricier products. So, if you are looking to take the plunge right at the time of launch, then you can go for them.

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Oppo Enco Air3 Review: Hold their ground firmly

If you have already read our first impressions article about the Oppo Enco Air3, then you’d know what we thought of these earbuds when they showed up at the Digit Test Centre for the first time. But, if you did not get a chance to read through that piece, then here’s a one-line summary of what we wrote – It looks good, but only time will tell the whole story.

Well, that time has passed, and the reviewer has put these TWS earbuds through our testing process. And, to give you guys an idea of what you can expect in this review of the Oppo Enco Air3, we will only say that it did hold its ground. If you want to learn more about the newly launched Oppo Enco Air3, which is available for pre-order now, then read through… We have some exciting stuff in store for you.

Oppo Enco Air3: Build and Design

As we prefaced in our first impressions article, the case of the Oppo Enco Air3 looks great at first sight. The “Glaze White” finish makes it look like a big candy that you would have pestered your parents to buy at the store when you were young. The case has a dual-tone finish, with the lid being translucent and the rest of the body solid white. There’s a light grey-coloured branding on the lid, which we think fits well.

When you flip the case around, you see a lot of text. Like a lot! There’s information about all sorts of clearance and compliance that the bud has. And, on the hinge, which to our dismay, is plastic and not metal, you find the Oppo Enco branding. On the case, we also get to see a USB-C type port, which can be used to top off the 300mAh battery of the case. 

When you flip the case open, you find the earbuds resting in their cavity. They also sport a really subtle dual-tone finish, with the stem having a semi-translucent finish, with the rest of the body of the earbuds being solid white. There are touch controls on the top of the stem and contact pads for chagrin on the inside. The lobe of the earbuds has a half-in-ear design, which raised some eyebrows among the folks at the Digit Test Centre.

This is where our first concerns came to the surface. As we have maintained in our earlier reviews as well, we are not fans of the half-in-ear design on earbuds. This is because whenever a bud comes with this design, the chance of it fitting perfectly in different people’s ears drops by a lot. Even here at the Test Centre, we passed around the earbuds, and they failed to provide a consistent fit in the ears of our fellow reviewers. 

A normal design with a replaceable silicon or foam tip, we feel, should have been the way to go, considering that these earbuds are priced at around ₹3,000 (pre-order price checked at the time of writing). The price range in which these earbuds fall is one of the most competitive and sought-after categories in the market. So, a product with additional customisations should be the way to go. And, if you are planning on picking up a pair of these earbuds, we’d recommend you try out the fit before spending your hard-earned money.

Additionally, we are not big fans of the glossy finish on the buds and the case. Time and again, buds at the Test Centre, which have a glossy finish, have proven to lose their aesthetic charm over a long period of daily use. And we are sure that these earbuds would meet the same fate. In about a week of use by the reviewer, the buds and the case had started picking up scratches, which is never a good sign.

But aesthetics are not the be-all and end-all of a product, so let us have a look at the features, performance, and battery life of the earbuds.

Oppo Enco Air3: Features

Coming to the features of the Oppo Enco Air3, the first one that caught our eye was the Cadence HiFi5 DSP (Digital Signal Processor) that these earbuds come packing with. As claimed by Oppo, this processor “enhances speech recognition for rich voice-based interactions”. In real-world performance, these earbuds would ensure that calling other human voice-related tasks would be handled by these earbuds with ease.

In our testing, we found that the earbuds did not sound bad. But, there was still some background noise that was being let in. This shows that in day-to-day use, if you are in a closed space, like an office, these earbuds would make for a great calling companion. But, in extremely noisy environments, such as on the road, with a lot of noise around you, some problems might creep in.

Oppo Alive Audio was another feature highlighted by the brand. It is aimed at expanding the soundstage of the earbuds, ensuring that the surround sound experience is not hampered by the poor fit that might be experienced by some users of these earbuds. In our testing, we noticed the presence of this feature. With a decent fit, as was the case with the reviewer, these earbuds did not sound completely hollow. The presence of Alive Audio helped in preventing these earbuds from lacking any character or body when being used to listen to songs or consume video content with a lot of dialogue. 

Again, it did not work wonders, suddenly pushing it to the level of top-of-the-line earbuds. But it did bring back some lost character from the sound. 

When talking about multi-point connectivity, these earbuds did a fairly good job of switching between devices. But, when testing out this feature, we noticed a very important issue. The earbuds lack any kind of play-pause controls on the stem. You need to pause the output from the first device, before starting to play audio from the second for the quick device switching to work.

By tapping the stem, you can change the tracks and volume levels of the earbuds, but you cannot play or pause music. So, when we were not able to do that when switching between devices from the earbuds themselves, we were taken aback. Basic play and pause functionality on earbuds is a necessity, and this seems like a massive oversight on the part of the brand.

Oppo Enco Air3: Performance

In terms of performance, as stated in our first impressions of the buds, they are competing against the likes of the OnePlus Nord Buds, the Nord Buds CE, and other offerings from brands like Realme. And the first few tracks that we listened to and the output that we got when testing the performance of these earbuds.

As can be seen in the following uncompensated frequency response graph of the Oppo Enco Air3, compared to the response of the Pink Noise, which is our benchmark, the earbuds faired decently well. Well, they are not as great as some of the top-shelf earbuds that are out there in the market, but they hold their ground, especially considering the price at which they are retailing at.

We see that there is a boost in the low frequencies, up to the 125 Hz mark, where the graph starts to drop down. As it approaches the mid frequencies, it comes pretty close to the Pink Noise response, which is our benchmark, before spiking in the higher frequencies.

Their response was reflected in the truest sense when we were listening to our set of songs which we do for every earbud that comes into the Digit Test Centre. In tracks like UpTown Funk, we noticed that the bass was not muddy and not completely lost, either. It lingered somewhere between registering its presence with authority and overpowering some parts of the high-mids and the low-low frequencies. However, because of the spikes that are noticed in the high frequencies, the earbuds were able to produce vocals with some amount of clarity in tracks like Rescue Me by One Republic.

Here you can see how these earbuds compare to some other offerings by Nothing and OnePlus: [Click on the pair you want to see the comparison graph of]

Nothing Ear (Stick) vs Oppo Enco Air3 OnePlus Nord Buds CE vs Oppo Enco Air3 OnePlus Nord Buds vs Oppo Enco Air3

In terms of the microphone performance of the earbuds, the audio quality in our tests met the expectations that we set for earbuds in this price range. We have already talked about this in the features section when talking about the Cadence HiFi5 DSP (Digital Signal Processor).

Oppo Enco Air3: Battery

The battery on the Oppo Enco Air3, in our tests, lasted five and a half hours, in contrast to the company’s claims of six hours. And the case provided for about four more charges, with some juice left over, bringing the total battery life of the earbuds to 22 hours.

To juice up the 27mAh battery of the earbuds using the 300mAh battery on the case, you are provided with a USB-C port on the case. As for the consistency of the battery drain on both earbuds, it was the same for the most part. There was a difference of a per cent or two in battery levels. While that may be a concern for people who drain their earbuds quite often as they may need to use one bud for a few minutes. But otherwise, it is not a deal breaker.

Oppo Enco Air3: Verdict

Oppo Enco Air3 make for a decent pair of earbuds. However, we have maintained that the space that they are competing in is densely packed with competitors that match or exceed the performance and features of these earbuds. When pitched against the like of the OnePlus Nord Buds, and their CE variant, these earbuds hold their ground and register their presence with authority. They have their own flaws, but overall are a decent package for people to put their money into.

If you are looking for a half-in-ear experience, then the other earbuds that you can look at are the Nothing Ear (Stick), which are slightly more expensive than these. In the same price range, you will find the OnePlud Nord Buds CE, which are in essence, their direct competitors.

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GOVO GOBUDS 920 Review: Great fit, but struggles to compete with budget heavyweights

With the GOBUDS 920, homegrown brand GOVO attempts to carve a spot for itself in the competitive budget TWS market in India. While the earbuds have a solid, snug fit and come with an IPX4 rating for sweat and splash resistance, they don’t particularly impress in other areas. The feature set is barebones, the sound quality isn’t up to the mark – even considering the price, and the battery life, while decent, is bested by some of its competitors.

Homegrown Bengaluru-based startup, GOVO, launched a number of products in the competitive audio segment. We got our hands on the GOVO GOBUDS 920 – one of the company’s top-of-the-line TWS earphones priced at ₹2,499. The brand has a plethora of TWS earphones in its portfolio; all priced inexpensively to cater to price-conscious Indian consumers, which we appreciate. Packing 6mm drivers, Bluetooth v5.1, IPX5 sweat resistance, and 30 hours of playtime, these are basic entry-level TWS earphones that compete against products from realme, OPPO, DIZO, and OnePlus in the same price bracket. Let’s see how this homegrown brand’s GOPODS 920 stacks up against the competition.

GOVO GOBUDS 920 Review: Build, design, and comfort

The GOVO GOBUDS 920 have a simple, no-frills aesthetic. The company has opted for a simple matte black finish on the case and earbuds that looks decent and is resistant to fingerprints. However, the case and buds can get smudged easily if your hands are oily. The top of the case and the back of the earbuds house a simple, blue GOVO logo. However, there’s no real flair in the aesthetics. That said the case is fairly pocketable and should fit inside most pockets and handbags.

The front of the case features three LED battery indicator lights and the back features a USB-C charging port. This isn’t the easiest case to open one-handed but you can do it with some finger gymnastics. The earbuds have silicone ear fins attached that add a little something to the overall look. But that’s not all that they do.

The ear fins provide an excellent in-ear fit allowing you to use these earbuds when you’re running or gymming with ease. They fit snugly inside the ear; as long as you find the correct size of ear tips. The company has provided a total of three sizes of silicone eartips, so finding a decent fit shouldn’t be an issue. 

The buds are also extremely lightweight; only 4 g each. So, they’re exceptionally comfortable to wear over extended periods of time. The silicone fins slot into the ears and give it that extra snug fit. We’re glad GOVO has chosen to incorporate this since many companies give it a skip. Overall, these are comfortable earbuds for daily use, but they lack any aesthetic flair.

GOVO GOBUDS 920 Review: Features

GOVO has incorporated touch controls on the GOBUDS 920 – the back portion of each earbud doubles as a capacitive touch surface. The controls work fairly well but since there’s no dedicated app, you do not get the option to customise the controls. This is something you will get on most Realme and OPPO earphones at the same price point.

Touch controls aside, the GOVO GOBUDS 920 are quite barebones when it comes to features. You get basic features such as voice assistant support, an IPX5 rating, Bluetooth v5.0, and mono-mode support. However, the earbuds are missing other features such as a dedicated app, multipoint connection, on-ear detection, and Active Noise Cancellation. 

In contrast, the DIZO GoPods (review) which cost just ₹500 more come with pretty decent ANC and the Realme Buds Q2 (review) – which are available at the exact same price – also have ANC. Therefore, it becomes rather difficult to recommend these earphones when competitors that are priced similarly offer not just high-end features such as ANC but also quality-of-life features such as an accompanying app.

GOVO GOBUDS 920 Review: Performance

The GOVO GOPODS 920 have a dark and muddy sound profile since the bass response is excessively bloated on these earphones while the mids pale in comparison. The buds support the SBC and AAC audio codecs, which is standard at this price. While most budget TWS earphones favour the bass response, the GOVO GOPODS 920 takes it one step further by pushing the bass excessively while limiting the mids too much. 

Uncompensated frequency response graph of GOVO GOPODS 920 (White) vs Realme Buds Air 3s (Yellow) vs Neutral (Dark Green)

This kind of sound profile can often mar the fine details in tracks and it can especially impede the quality of vocals and lead instruments to shine in the mix. For example, in the track bad guy by Billie Eilish, the bass thumps overpowered Billie’s wispy vocals which essentially ruins the ASMR-like quality of the song.

The highs are decent enough for a pair of budget earphones, however, the auditory masking from the bloated bass response can be felt here as well. They don’t sound as sparkly as necessary which can cause a loss of detail in tracks with cymbals and hi-hats such as Something From Nothing by Foo Fighters.

Uncompensated frequency response graph of GOVO GOPODS 920 (White) vs DIZO GoPods (Blue) vs Neutral (Dark Green)

Overall, the earphones’ dark and muddy sound profile struggles to keep up with competitors such as the DIZO GoPods and Realme Buds Air 3s (review) since the mids are much better defined on these competing buds. The buds have decent passive isolation though, achieved by the solid fit, so they’re a good pair of earphones for outdoor usage if you can stomach the excessively boosted bass response.

Another area where the GOVO GOPODS 920 fails to impress is the microphone performance. The earphones’ mics deliver muffled sounds even when you’re taking calls in an indoor setting. In an outdoor setting, the microphones capture too much ambient noise which can get distracting when you’re on a call.

GOVO GOBUDS 920 Review: Battery life

With a rated battery life of 30 hours, the GOVO GOPODS 920 has quite a decent playtime for its price. The earbuds are rated to last 5 hours on a single charge, and our testing (with the volume at 60 per cent) yielded similar results with the earbuds lasting 4 hours and 52 minutes on a single charge.

The case adds another 25 hours of playtime to the mix, meaning you can charge your buds five times over before having to power up the case itself. This is decent enough for the price, but the OnePlus Nord Buds (review) and the OPPO Enco Buds2 (review) are capable of a much more impressive 7 hours of playtime on a single charge. 

The GOBUDS 920 do come with fast charging support – so, a quick 10-minute charge will provide you with 3 hours of playback, which is impressive. We can confirm that a 5-minute charge provided us with about 1 hour and 20 minutes of playback during our testing.

GOVO GOBUDS 920 Review: Verdict

With the GOBUDS 920, homegrown brand GOVO attempts to carve a spot for itself in the competitive budget TWS market in India. While the earbuds have a solid, snug fit and come with an IPX4 rating for sweat and splash resistance, they don’t particularly impress in other areas. The feature set is barebones, the sound quality isn’t up to the mark – even considering the price, and the battery life, while decent, is bested by some of its competitors. 

Given these shortcomings, we would find it difficult to recommend these pair of earphones over the OnePlus Nord Buds, Realme Buds Air 3s, OPPO Enco Buds2, Realme Buds Q2, and DIZO GoPods. Each one of these earbuds offers an extra feature or two and comes with a more palatable sound signature. However, if you do find these earbuds in the price range of ₹1,200 – ₹1,600 during sales, they could be a decent purchase at that price.

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Sony WF-LS900N Review: A hit and a miss

As a package, the Sony WF-LS900N, makes for a decent purchase. If you like Sony as a brand, and want a budget alternative to WF-1000XM4, then these are the buds you could go for. These buds are not flawless. When you weigh the pros and cons, these make for a decent pair of TWS earbuds.

If you are comparing these to the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, the flaws in these buds come to surface. They retail at a slightly higher price than these earbuds, but still outperform the LS900N in almost every aspect. What we suspect here is that Sony did not want to step directly into the territory of their flagship buds. That is why they held back in making these as great as Samsung’s offering. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are the company’s flagship earbuds. So, Samsung did not hold back at all.

All in all, if seen in an isolated bubble, these buds are decent. But, given the current situation of the earphones market, there are some better alternatives for sure. 

Sony has been actively working to increase its strong hold in the Indian audio market. Its lineup offers earphones from the lower end of the pricing spectrum to the other extreme. With one of the best ANC tech and sound quality packed into their iconic Sony WF-1000XM4, the brand has established itself as a known entity in the market. 

To plug the gap that was there in their lineup, between the 1000XM4 and the mid range price bracket, they have come out with the Sony WF-LS900N, priced at ₹16,990. With the design and specs similar to the flagship 1000XM4s, will the WF-LS900N be able to match up to the expectations set in the minds of consumers? To answer this question, we put the Sony WF-LS900N through our rigorous testing process when they showed up at the Digit Test Centre. Here’s what we found out.

Sony WF-LS900N: Build and Design

When it comes to the build quality of products, Sony has been a brand that has never let us down. Apart from an odd product here and there, Sony’s earphones tend to have great build quality. And, when it comes to their latest launch, there are no compromises either.

Sony’s environmentally friendly recycled materials featured on their recently launched line of earphones have proven to be surprisingly durable. In the seven odd days where we were daily driving the earphones, the case picked up minimal scratches and scuffs. The reviewer is known in the Digit Test Centre to be tough on the gadgets that he uses. So, the fact that the LS900N stood the test of time in his custody, means something.

As for the buds themselves, they carry over the same material as the cases and underwent minimal wear and tear. They were lightweight, and comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. The four different varieties of eartips that were included in the box ensured that the buds had a snug fit in the ears of the folks at the Test Centre. 

The earbuds snapped in place in the case thanks to the magnets that were fitted in. The case featured an easy to open lid and was pocketable. We would have preferred a metal hinge on the lid of the case. But, the plastic contraption connecting the lid to the case does the job well enough. The overall look and feel of the LS900N is worth the money that you are shelling out. They fit well and from whatever we could gauge in the week-long testing of these buds, would last you a decent amount of time. The buds that we got were in our personal favourite beige colour, with the other available options being black and white.

Sony WF-LS900N: Features

The Sony WF-LS900N TWS earbuds come packed with plenty of features. Everything from ANC to the app worked flawlessly during our testing process. Let us start with talking about the Active Noise Cancellation that is baked into these buds. Sony’s ANC in their flagship earbuds has become a benchmark for other players in the market to match up to. Their ANC processor is something that other brands try their best to match up to. So, when you are using the LS900N, you can feel that it is from the same family of products. 

When in office, the buds cancelled out ambient sounds like that of the AC, and people’s chatter in the background relatively easily. When we stepped out, the results were the same. Sounds of heavy traffic during auto rides was cancelled out pretty decently. While it is not at the same level as that of the AirPods Pro (Gen 2) [review coming out soon] or Sony’s own WF-1000XM4, it is definitely serviceable. 

When earbuds come equipped with ANC, their ambient mode also becomes important, and is something that people are on the lookout for when making their buying decisions. In the WF-LS900N, the ambient mode matches up the ANC that is baked into these earbuds. With these earbuds, Sony has made some changes to the design, which allows for natural sound from your surroundings to seep in, along with the audio that is being captured by the microphones. While we did not notice a drastic change, in some situations, this change in design did register its presence.

However, when looking at the price of the buds, the quality of the ANC and the ambient mode is something that we would have wanted to better than what it is. In day to day use, it might not make that big of a difference. But, looking at other buds at this price, we were expecting them to perform better. 

Now, let us talk about the other features, like the touch control and the app that accompanies these buds. 

The controls on these earbuds are basic and well executed. If you are someone who is coming from a different brand of earphones, then you might take some time to get acclimatised to the controls. But, once you get a hang of it, it is smooth sailing for you. The touch sensitive area on both these buds was wide and sensitive enough to register our inputs. There were occasional misses, but that can be forgiven when looking at the larger picture.

Coming to the app, it is the same as the one before. The Sony headphones connect app provides plenty of customisation options, along with an EQ that helps users customise the sound quality of the buds to their liking. The multi point connect and the swift pairing features of these buds were also flawless. Even when connected to an iOS device, almost all the features worked well, without any glitches.

Sony WF-LS900N: Performance

If you are spending ₹16,990, you would expect your earbuds to have an excellent sound signature, right? Well in the case of Sony WF-LS900N, it does not seem to be the case. We noticed the boosted bass and the underemphasized high mids during our daily use. So, to verify this, we put the Sonys through our test rig.

Uncompensated frequency response of Sony WF-LS900N (Light Blue) vs Flat Response (Green)

As you can see in the graph, the bass is on the higher end on these earbuds. Especially, when compared to the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 2, the bass frequencies are much higher. And, when it comes to the higher mids, our suspicions came out to be true. The mids were a place where the Sony’s performed beyond our expectations. The boosted bass might not be a problem for the bass lovers. But, for anyone else, it can get a bit overwhelming. It is fairly hard to come by any pair of TWS earbuds that would satisfy the demands of audiophiles at this price. However, there are some options out there.

Uncompensated frequency response of Sony WF-LS900N (Light Blue) vs Flat Response (Green) vs Sony WF-1000XM4 (Dark Blue)

Same is the case with the underemphasized high mids. When these frequencies are underemphasized, what tends to happen is that the female vocals get suppressed. This also affects the day to day listening experience as well. 

Uncompensated frequency response of Sony WF-LS900N (Light Blue) vs Flat Response (Green) vs Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 2 (Pink)

For anyone looking for a decent overall audio experience, these buds are adequate. In songs like Uptown Funk that are known to put the bass response of the best earbuds in the market to test, the Sonys come out with flying colours. This might be a pain point for you if you are someone who does not like bass a lot. If you are planning to rock out to the tunes of songs like Centuries by Fall Out Boy, you will experience almost no distortion at 100 percent volume. 

Sony WF-LS900N: Battery Life

When talking about the battery life, Sony WF-LS900N came fairly close to the claims made by Sony. With ANC turned on, and the volume set to 50 per cent, the battery on the buds lasted about five hours and ten minutes. And, with the case, the total went up to 19 hours, with some juice still left in the case.

As for the charging port, we get a USB-C port, which as per Sony’s claims can provide 60 minutes of playback with just five minutes of charging time. This can come in handy if you are in a rush. With ANC turned off, you can safely assume that these buds will last longer. So, you shouldn’t be worried about battery life as much.

Sony WF-LS900N: Verdict

As a package, the Sony WF-LS900N, makes for a decent purchase. If you like Sony as a brand, and want a budget alternative to WF-1000XM4, then these are the buds you could go for. These buds are not flawless. When you weigh the pros and cons, these make for a decent pair of TWS earbuds.

If you are comparing these to the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, the flaws in these buds come to surface. They retail at a slightly higher price than these earbuds, but still outperform the LS900N in almost every aspect. What we suspect here is that Sony did not want to step directly into the territory of their flagship buds. That is why they held back in making these as great as Samsung’s offering. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are the company’s flagship earbuds. So, Samsung did not hold back at all.

All in all, if seen in an isolated bubble, these buds are decent. But, given the current situation of the earphones market, there are some better alternatives for sure. 

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Realme Buds Air 3S Review: Adequate for the price

After thoroughly testing the Realme Buds Air 3S and comparing them with their rivals, we can safely say that they are a decent overall package. They sport a decent build quality and pack features that you can rely on. The only downside, which may be a deal breaker for many, is the bass heavy sound signature that you get out of the box. If you want, you can tune the bass down using the EQ that is built into its app, and enjoy a nice music listening session. However, if you want to look for other options in the price range, then offerings from OnePlus and Oppo are the way to go for now. These include, the OnePlus Nord Buds and the Enco Buds2, that sell for a cheaper price than the Buds Air 3S, can be the ones you consider.

 

Realme has stepped into the Indian market and has made its mark by making quality products across categories. When it comes to True Wireless Headphones, the brand has established a dominant presence in the Indian market with its budget offerings. However, Realme is not the only brand that is active in that space and brands like Oppo, Xiaomi, and One Plus too are trying their best to make their mark when it comes to budget True Wireless Earbuds. 

To ensure that their presence is registered in the market, they recently came out with the Realme Buds Air 3S. And, when these budget TWS earbuds which are retailing in the market at the time of writing for ₹1,99 (launch price - ₹2,499), we put them through their paces to find out where they stand in this overly crowded headphone price segment.

Realme Buds Air 3S: Build

Realme Buds Air 3S are a treat to look at. Our black coloured review unit looked gorgeous when we first pulled it out of its box. The lid of the case was translucent giving a nice peek into the charging case, which had a grey coloured housing to hold the headphones in place. The housing had a matte finish, with the Realme logo subtly placed below the charging indicator LED, and the company's slogan - Dare To Leap, printed on a slightly raised bump on the top half of the case. The hinge did not have a metal support bracket which is always appreciated, and is a regular feature on some of the TWS cases that score some of the highest points in the build quality department.

The earbuds themselves were pretty to look at, and wear for extended periods of time. The short stem had a glossy black tinted finish which added a subtle bling to the otherwise relatively muted design. They sport a small wing that adds to the grip of the earbuds inside the earlobe, and the three different sizes of tips generally cover all the different bases. The earbuds were sturdy, and were comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.

One gripe that we had with these TWS earbuds was the glossy finish of the plastics. While it looks awesome during the early stages of use, when the earbuds have been taken out of the box, the finish just deteriorates very quickly. Within a week-long usage of the buds, both the case's lid and the stems of the buds had significant signs of wear. It picked up scratches like it was a brick of butter being rubbed with a red hot knife. This is something that you will need to look out for. If you are someone who does not handle their tech with extreme care and caution, then you will be sacrificing the otherwise beautiful look of the overall package.

Realme Buds Air 3S: Features

When talking about features, the only thing that we'd like to say is - Well done, Realme. While the buds are not packed with features like some of its competitors in the market, whatever is there is so well executed that you cannot look past it.

For the amount of money that you are spending, you get great touch-sensitive controls on the stem, both visual and audio indicators of the battery level of the device, and a good collection of customisation options in the app that compliments these buds. It packs a multi-band EQ which you can use to customise the sound of the earbuds to your liking. The EQ has four presets - Bass Boost, Clear Bass, Nature Bass, and Clear Vocals. But, you can add additional custom profiles as well!

The controls can also be customised to a certain extent, but there is not much flexibility here. There is Dolby Atmos support too, meaning that high quality audio files will be reproduced well by the 11mm liquid silicone triple titanium bass drivers that it comes packed with.

Another thing that we liked about these earbuds was the instant pairing which worked like a charm with Android devices. But, when it was the turn of the iOS devices, it had its share of hiccups. The buds also feature multi-point connection, meaning that you can connect to two devices at the same time.

As for the app, as we said earlier in the review, it was adequate. It had decent features and customisation options. The UI was intuitive and easy to use and it looked like a finished and polished product unlike the offerings from certain other brands. There is the option to turn on a game mode in the app, which brings down the latency to a claimed level of 69 ms.

One feature that we had been looking forward to, was the heavily advertised AI Noise Cancellation. While it worked well in most environments, in the ones where we had a room full of people and some music playing in the background, all the hype came crashing on the floor. We also took it out for a spin on one of our Mumbai local train rides. There too issues persisted. The problem that we faced in these two places was of our audio being cut abruptly mid-sentence. What we think happened was that the 'AI' confused our audio with the background noise and removed chunks of it, assuming that it was not something that needed to be conveyed to the person on the other end of the phone call.

Realme Buds Air 3S: Performance

Performance is one section where most budget TWs earbuds tend to fall apart and show their true colours. However, when it was the turn of the Realme Buds Air 3S to be tested for their frequency response, the results were... To say the least, interesting.

As you can see in the graphs below, the bass was boosted. This is something that we expected to happen as the company itself advertised the bass-heavy sound signature of these earbuds. But, as we moved to the mids, the Buds Air #s surprised us with their stellar performance. 

Uncompensated frequency response graph of Realme Buds Air 3S (Orange) vs Flat response (Dark Green)

Their sound signature, to our surprise, very close to the pink noise that we use as a standard in our tests. The highs on the other hand, showed a very interesting pattern. In some sections, they were overemphasised, before falling down, and then rising again. This meant that the vocals of the artists voicing the songs that we use in testing, like Rescue Me by One Republic had the voice of the singer brought down significantly due to the overly heavy bass. 

Uncompensated frequency response graph of Realme Buds Air 3S (Orange) vs Flat response (Dark Green) vs Realme Buds Air (Purple)

While this may make the earbuds a perfect pick for the bass heads, the purists at Digit, who love the audio that is as close to neutral as possible, this was a bummer. But then again, in the sub 3k price bracket, there are hardly any earbuds that would give us that sound signature. Realme's own Realme Buds Air that retail for a higher price than these did not perform that well when compared against these. That strengthens the case of these earbuds.

Realme Buds Air 3S: Battery

During the battery tests, the Realme Buds Air 3S faired decently well. Their claimed battery life was a total of 30 hours (music playback), with the buds being promised to deliver 7 hours of playback on their own. So, when we put these buds through our testing process, we found that they almost stood to the claims that Realme had made.

The buds during our test lasted for about 6 hours and 50 minutes. During the test, the volume level was set to 50 per cent and the lack of ANC meant that they fell just shy of the claimed 7 hour mark.

For charging, these earbuds sport a USB C port which supports fast charging. As per the claims made by Realme, these buds can provide 5 hours playback time if they are charged for just 10 minutes.

Realme Buds Air 3S: Verdict

After thoroughly testing the Realme Buds Air 3S and comparing them with their rivals, we can safely say that they are a decent overall package. They sport a decent build quality and pack features that you can rely on. The only downside, which may be a deal breaker for many, is the bass heavy sound signature that you get out of the box. If you want, you can tune the bass down using the EQ that is built into its app, and enjoy a nice music listening session. However, if you want to look for other options in the price range, then offerings from OnePlus and Oppo are the way to go for now. These include, the OnePlus Nord Buds and the Enco Buds2, that sell for a cheaper price than the Buds Air 3S, can be the ones you consider.

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