Sony HT-A7000 soundbar Review: A fantastic modular soundbar

The Sony HT-A7000 is a fantastic soundbar for the home theatre enthusiast who doesn't want to run cables through his house. It has a simple plug and play setup and the soundbar can auto-calibrate itself to your room. It supports all popular formats including Dolby Atmos and Sony’s own 360 Reality Audio. It has two HDMI 2.1 ports for a 4K 120Hz pass-through. The soundbar is yet to receive an update to support VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) but the two HDMI 2.1 ports make this device futureproof. It has excellent build quality. The overall sound quality is absolutely immersive with a decent representation of Dolby Atmos height channels via its up-firing drivers. The only downside is that the soundbar is very premium priced. As of writing this review, the Sony HT-A7000, paired with the SW3 subwoofer is priced at Rs 1,50,980. The variant we got for review - the HT-A7000 paired with the more powerful SW5 subwoofer is priced at Rs 1,77,980. The SA-RS3S surround speakers are an additional Rs 30,990. It does deliver some breathtaking sound with some impressive surround effects when you get the complete package.

The value of a home theatre has increased tremendously over the past 2 years - and rightly so. While a lot of movies have been released in the theatre only, it hasn't taken them long to transition to streaming services online. Streaming service providers like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar and more have cashed in on people spending more time at home by offering quality content in high fidelity formats like 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. To enjoy the content in its fullest fidelity, one needs to invest in a TV capable of doing justice to these formats. But the TV is just one half of the entertainment story. To truly immerse yourself, you need to invest in a quality home theatre as well. While the debate for soundbar vs home theatre is a never-ending one, we can safely say that soundbars have started offering a very immersive experience especially when you consider their plug and play setup. Today we have with us Sony’s flagship modular soundbar - the HT-A7000. You can purchase the soundbar separately with the option of two different wireless subwoofers and can invest in rear surround speakers later if you like. The soundbar boasts of support for Dolby Atmos along with Sony’s own 360 Reality Audio. 

While you can get the bar, sub and satellite speakers separately, for the purpose of this review we have used them all together as a package and will touch upon what it's like using the system as a whole or just the individual components.  

Sony HT-A7000 What’s in the box

In the box, you get the soundbar itself along with an HDMI cable, power cable remote control, and audio cable. The HDMI cable that comes in the box is identical to the one you get with the PS5. It is an HDMI 2.1 cable and the soundbar has two HDMI 2.1 passthrough ports. In the subwoofer box, we get just the subwoofer and the power cable. In the satellite speakers' box, we get two satellite speakers and two power cables. 

Sony HT-A7000 Connectivity options

When it comes to connectivity options, the Sony HT-A7000 has an HDMI port for eARC and two HDMI pass-through ports that support HDMI 2.1 along with 4K/120Hz and Dolby Vision passthrough. The soundbar also has an optical port, aux port, Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi. The speaker also boasts support for DTS-X, Dolby Atmos and Sony’s own 360 Reality Audio. The soundbar has upward-firing drivers along with side-firing beam tweeters, five front-firing drivers and built-in dual subwoofers. These dual-subwoofers are active when you aren't using the dedicated subwoofer. But when the wireless sub is paired with the bar, the low frequencies are transferred to the sub. When it comes to smart features, the speaker supports Amazon Alexa along with Chromecast. 

Setting up the Sony HT-A7000

Setting up the Sony HT-A7000 is plug and play. Place the soundbar under the TV and connect it to the TV via the provided HDMI cable. Since the soundbar has three HDMI ports two are inputs and one is the output. Connect the soundbar and the TV by plugging the HDMI cable in the soundbar’s output port and the eARC port of your TV. Plug the subwoofer and rear satellite speakers into a power outlet. All the speakers sync to the soundbar automatically. If they don't, you can simply press the ‘link’ button behind the speaker when prompted and the little red light on the front of each speaker will turn green. 

When you power on the soundbar for the first time, switch the HDMI source to the eARC port. One of the best features of the HT-A7000 is that just like the HT-Z9F (review), you get onscreen instructions for setup and settings which is a boon, especially when compared to other soundbars. 

Sony HT-A7000 Build and design

The Sony HT-A7000 has a very commanding presence when placed below your TV. Unlike the Samsung Q950A (review), the Sony has a traditional flat rectangular design. Whether you prefer the sharp edges of the Samsung or the traditional design of the Sony is up to you. What I will give Sony the extra point for is putting the display upfront (unlike the Samsung, which has it on top) so it is readable by the user. And yes, the Sony soundbar does give you the option to dim the display and switch it off completely in case it is hampering your experience. 

The front of the HT-A7000 has a grill with a premium finish behind which we have five drivers. Unlike the HT-Z9F, this grill is not removable. We also have two beam tweeters for the surround effects. There are two upward-firing drivers as well on the soundbar for height and Dolby Atmos. The left and the right of the soundbar have two ducts that house the dual built-in subwoofers. The upward-firing speakers and the subwoofer duct have a fabric covering similar to what we saw on the Samsung Q950A. The rest of the top has a premium glass finish. You may want to be careful as it is possible in the long term this glass can get prone to scratches. You also have touch controls on the top right corner of the soundbar and while I am one that prefers physical buttons to touch controls, it is just a personal preference. All the connectivity ports are neatly housed at the back with some space for simple cable management. 

The soundbar is not as deep as say the Sennheiser Ambeo (review), but it will occupy considerable space below your TV. Its length is just right to fit below a 55-inch or even 65-inch TV.

The subwoofer on the other hand has a unique design reminding me of the subwoofer found on the Sony HT-ST5000. The one we have with us is the SA-SW5 subwoofer. It has a textured finish all around with a fabric front. The down-firing driver is slightly elevated for better bass response. It has quite a unique design and is a lot bigger than the Samsung Q950A subwoofer. 

The rear satellite speakers are quite unassuming and remind me a lot of the ones you got with the HT-Z9F. Unlike the Samsung Q950A surround speakers that have 3 drivers facing front, side and up, the Sony has a single driver and a single tweeter facing one direction. I was sceptical about the surround performance of these speakers, but more on that in the performance section. The surround satellite speakers are well built and have a good amount of heft to them. They also have a premium grill covering the drivers, just like the main bar. 

All in all, the soundbar is extremely well built and while it may appear minimal when the lights are down for movie night, in the day, this beast will command attention below your TV and that's a very good thing. 

Sony HT-A7000 Performance

For the course of the review, we paired the Sony HT-A7000 with an LG B9 OLED TV. If you have a compatible Sony BRAVIA TV, then you can use the TV as the centre channel. This wasn't the case for us. However, the LG B9 does support HDMI 2.1 along with eARC, so we were able to exploit Dolby Atmos on this soundbar.  

I would recommend that once you connect the soundbar to the TV, during the setup process you will be asked if you want to optimise the soundbar for the room. You should do this as it calibrates the soundbar and speakers to the room. You can do this again from the settings menu if you move the speakers around. You can find this under Setup- Advanced Settings - Speaker Settings - Sound Field Optimization. It really helps increase the surround effects of the soundbar.   

For the duration of the test, we consumed content from the TV built-in OTT apps, played some games on a PS5 (Review) and Xbox Series X (review) and also connected an Apple TV 4K to the soundbars HDMI port to test the pass-through capabilities. 

Sony HT-A7000 Movie performance

Before we get into the details of the performance, I have always had one problem with soundbars boasting of Dolby Atmos sound - you never feel like the sound is coming from exactly above you. This feeling is amplified when you play Dolby Atmos content and expect the rain to fall from above you. With the Sony HT-A7000, I am happy to say that there were moments when I looked up at my ceiling, wondering if I heard the sound from above me or was my mind playing tricks on me. Considering the lack of height performance on the HT-Z9F a mere two years ago is a testament to how far virtual surround sound technology has advanced in Sony's library of premium soundbars. 

While streaming services have a large catalogue of Dolby Atmos content, we played some of our Dolby Atmos content via a Dolby Atmos demo disc, some content on the Apple TV 4K with moves we’ve purchased and of course, content off streaming services. 

Straight off the bat, I’d like to tell you that for the best immersive experience, you should invest in the SW5 subwoofer and the rear speakers. In a movie like Ready Player One’s race at the 13-minute mark, you have a lot of cars whizzing by the screen. There is a ‘jump’ here where all the cars fly through the air and a subway train comes crashing into the cars. This is just one of the instances where I actually looked up wondering whether I heard the sound come from above me or not. Needless to say, all the cars whizzing on screen were very well represented in the surround speakers. To get the best from the surround speakers I increased their volume to max, which is 12. I kept the subwoofer volume at 10 which is just 2 points shy of the maximum volume to get the thumpiest bass when consuming content.

Even in the Dark Knight rises, the motorcycle chase where Batman appears for the first time was impressively executed by the surround speakers. There is an Immersive AE button on the remote control of the soundbar and I highly recommend you enable it as it does widen the area of surround sound.

Even the sequence in Spider-Man: Far From Home, where Mysterio tricks Spider-Man into walking in front of a train is an absolute treat to watch. The sound of the train at the end of the sequence originates from the left surround speaker before filling the room, giving you a very good surround experience.

The movie enthusiast who has access to good surround sound content will definitely enjoy the effects this soundbar has to offer. The soundbar has sound presets like Cinema, Movie and Standard, but I found that leaving it on Auto Sound yielded the best results. 

We tested the soundbar in a 12-feet by 14-feet room and it was more than enough to bring the house down. For the most part, I left the soundbar at 60% volume and got a very rich experience. Going beyond 80% made the room vibrate considerably. 

Sony HT-A7000 Music Performance

Before we get into music, know that the soundbar supports Sony’s 360 Reality Audio and while I couldn’t get my hands on any music mastered in 360 Reality Audio, there is a demo on the soundbar to give you a taste of the feature. Apple Music does have content in Dolby Atmos and we played music primarily by connecting the smartphone to the bar via Bluetooth and also some content from the Apple TV 4K connected to the soundbar. 

The soundbar does have quite pronounced bass in music and you can manually tune this down if you like. While I know most in India prefer bass-heavy music, the added bass is signature Sony and does not sound bad. Vocals are clear and instruments come to life. Whether you are listening to Mamacita by Black Eyed Peas or The Weekend, some Daft Punk or even some Punjabi music from Jalebi Baby to Bijlee Bijlee by Hardy Sandhu, the soundbar is a sublime experience. Some of the songs do bring their surround effects into the mix as well. But even without that, the separation of the instruments, the clarity of the vocals and the thump of the subwoofer make this soundbar enjoyable for music as well. 

Sony HT-A7000 Soundbar Gaming Performance

Sony’s 3D audio on the PlayStation 5 is quite impressive when it comes to headphones and I am patiently waiting for it to make its way to soundbars. Until then, you can expect some excellent surround sound from the HT-A7000. Once again, the channel separation and surround effects work really well. In a game like Uncharted 4 when you are in the middle of a firefight, you can hear the bullets whiz all around you. Similarly, in a game like Spider-man Miles Morales (review), you get this immersive surround effect when you trigger your Venom powers. Even in Ghost of Tsushima (review), when an archer fires from offscreen, you can hear it from the respective surround speaker.

For the surround output overall, I thought I’d be disappointed that the SA-RS3S surround speakers lack the up-firing and side-firing drivers we've seen in the Samsung Qn950A, but that wasn’t the case. While it is difficult to comment on which system is better without hearing them side by side, I think each brings its own advantage to the table. For the SA-RS3S surround speakers, I placed them equidistant at ear level 4 feet away from me and found the experience to be very good. Then I replaced them and sat in my ideal position at home which placed the left surround speaker 2 feet away from me and the right 6 feet away, both at ear level and facing me. After calibrating the home theatre, I got a very good surround experience. Without the SA-RS3S surround speakers, the soundbar tries to enhance its channel separation to mimic a surround sound experience and while this may get the job done for a small room, I think investing in the surround speakers is paramount for an immersive viewing experience.  

Sony HT-A7000 Remote Control

The Sony HT-A7000 comes with a simple remote control that's almost identical to the one found on the HT-Z9F, with a few key features moved around. In addition to controlling the input source, you also get access to the Immersive AE (which I recommend you switch on and forget about), control for the volume, surround and subwoofer levels along with playback controls. The remote control is functional, intuitive and easy to use. Its only downside is that you need to point it directly at the soundbar to use, which can feel a little dated. 

Sony HT-A7000 Review: Bottom line

The Sony HT-A7000 is a fantastic soundbar for the home theatre enthusiast who doesn't want to run cables through his house. It has a simple plug and play setup and the soundbar can auto-calibrate itself to your room. It supports all popular formats including Dolby Atmos and Sony’s own 360 Reality Audio. It has two HDMI 2.1 ports for a 4K 120Hz pass-through. The soundbar is yet to receive an update to support VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) but the two HDMI 2.1 ports make this device futureproof. It has excellent build quality. The overall sound quality is absolutely immersive with a decent representation of Dolby Atmos height channels via its up-firing drivers. The only downside is that the soundbar is very premium priced. As of writing this review, the Sony HT-A7000, paired with the SW3 subwoofer is priced at Rs 1,50,980. The variant we got for review - the HT-A7000 paired with the more powerful SW5 subwoofer is priced at Rs 1,77,980. The SA-RS3S surround speakers are an additional Rs 30,990. It does deliver some breathtaking sound with some impressive surround effects when you get the complete package, but then again so does the Samsung Q950A which is available for almost half the price. I would highly recommend you visit an offline store and experience these soundbars as you truly have to experience them to believe how sublime they sound.

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Jabra Elite 7 Pro Review: Stunning microphone performance

If you're looking for a premium pair of truly wireless earphones with excellent microphone performance and a warm-sound signature, the Jabra Elite 7 Pro is a compelling choice under 20K. Although the earbuds are priced at Rs 18,999, you can get these for as low as 13K during sales. At that price, the Elite 7 Pro becomes one of the best tws we can recommend with a pleasant sound signature, great battery life, tons of customisation options via the Sound+ app and IP57 water and dust resistance.

Jabra has carved out a stellar reputation for its range of truly wireless earbuds over the years. The company decided to overhaul its lineup of TWS earbuds with the launch of three new models – the premium Jabra Elite 7 Pro priced at Rs 18,999, the sporty variant dubbed the Jabra Elite 7 Active with a price tag of Rs 15,999, and finally, the entry-level Jabra Elite 3 priced at Rs 6,999. Jabra sent us the Elite 7 Pro and the Elite 3 for review. In this article, we will be reviewing the former. The Jabra Elite 7 Pro sports the same price tag as the Jabra Elite 85t that launched in India late in 2020 and it shares a lot of features with the Elite 85t for that reason. However, Jabra is positioning the Elite 7 Pro as the successor of the older Jabra Elite 75t. In comparison to the Jabra Elite 75t, the Elite 7 Pro comes packing some upgrades in terms of IP rating, wireless charging, and more. At this price range, the earphones compete against stellar options in the market such as the Sony WF-1000XM4 and the Apple AirPods 3. However, owing to Jabra's strong reputation and history in the true wireless space, we were cautiously optimistic when testing these earphones. Did these new earbuds meet our expectations or not? Let's find out.

Jabra Elite 7 Pro: Build and comfort

With the Elite 7 Pro, Jabra has gone back to their tried-and-tested design formula of rounded earbuds – that they used and popularised in the Elite 75t and 65t lineup – over the semi-open oval-shaped design that the company adopted for the Elite 85t. This design creates a much more secure fit as compared to the Elite 85t but you may get the plugged-up ear feeling that some users may dislike. The earbuds have to be twisted and locked in place to create a snug, secure fit. 

Both the earbuds and the charging case are significantly smaller than the Elite 85t which makes them more portable but also makes the buds easier to lose. However, we prefer this design language over the clunkier one of the Elite 85t. According to Jabra, the shape of the earbuds has been designed "using data from 62,000 ear scans". The earbuds are extremely comfortable and don't cause any fatigue even after hours of usage. You also get a snug and secure fit that helps during activities such as gymming, running, walking, and more.

The earbuds have a matte-black finish that looks understated yet elegant. They are also rated IP57, so you don't have to worry about dust or water damage. The charging case's hinge, however, isn't very robust since it is only reinforced by plastic, so keep that in mind.

On the charging case, you have the USB Type-C charging port and LED indicator light on the front and the Jabra logo on the top. The case also supports Qi-wireless charging, which is convenient. Overall, the build quality of the earphones is pretty decent, and the fit has definitely improved in comparison to the Elite 85ts.

Jabra Elite 7 Pro: Performance

Since the Jabra Elite 7 Pro is positioned as the successor to the Elite 75t and not the 85t, these earbuds come packing 6mm drivers. The Elite 75t also housed 6mm drivers, but Jabra has stated that the 6mm drivers used this time around are re-engineered. In contrast, the Elite 85t housed much larger 12mm drivers that brought in oodles of punch, especially in the low-bass region. The Elite 75t has a similar frequency response curve in the bass region as the Elite 85t but due to the smaller drivers, you can feel a drop in low-bass impact and also, overall volume levels. The Jabra Elite 7 Pro has a pleasant V-shaped sound signature with emphasised lows and highs. The mids are, surprisingly, accurately produced which results in detailed vocals and lead instruments reproduction. 

Uncompensated frequency response graph of Jabra Elite 7 Pro (Purple) vs Flat response (Dark Green)

Uncompensated frequency response graph of Jabra Elite 7 Pro (Purple) vs Jabra Elite 85t (Light Green)

The lows have a nice weight to them without sounding boomy or muddy. These buds won't extract as much detail in the sub-bass region as compared to the Elite 85t, however, it's pretty good for casual listening. These earbuds do sound much more controlled in the bass region in comparison to the Elite 75t. Another thing in the Jabra Elite 7 Pro's favour in comparison to the Elite 85t is that the mids are better reproduced so the problem of auditory masking isn't as jarring as on the Elite 85ts. So, vocals sound engaging in the mix without being overshadowed by the lows. The highs are also pretty decent, however, there's a prominent drop-off post 6kHz that robs some detail from cymbals and hi-hats. Also, the region from 2kHz to 4.5kHz sees a spike on the graph that results in bright-sounding highs that may become slightly fatiguing to listen to over extended periods of time.

Uncompensated frequency response graph of Jabra Elite 7 Pro (Purple) vs Apple AirPods 3 (Grey) vs Sony WF-1000XM4 (Blue)

As for imaging, the Jabra Elite 7 Pro impresses with the accurate positioning of elements in tracks within the soundscape. However, the soundstage is mediocre, at best, mainly due to the smaller driver size and the closed-off design. This contrasts with the Elite 85t's wide soundstage due to the semi-open design. Overall, the Jabra Elite 7 Pro is warm sounding pair of earbuds that produce pristine mids and decent highs as well. So, genres such as pop, EDM, rap, and hip hop should be right up the Elite 7 Pro's alley but these buds aren't well-equipped enough to excel with classical and rock tracks.

Now, moving on to the microphone, this is one area Jabra earphones consistently blow us away. This time is no different. The Jabra Elite 7 Pro houses four microphones with a VPU (voice pick up) sensor in each bud. These sensors use bone conduction technology to transmit your voice via the vibrations in your jawbone, according to the company. Jabra's algorithms then cancel out other ambient sounds such as wind and voices. During our testing period, we were supremely impressed with the Jabra Elite 7 Pro's microphone quality. Be it calls or voice recordings, the speaker's voice sounds crystal clear with barely any distortion. Ambient sounds are also reduced drastically making this one of the best microphone systems we've come across on a TWS pair of earbuds. 

While the microphone impressed us thoroughly, we were disappointed by the choppy wireless connectivity. The earbuds come with Bluetooth v5.2 and 33 feet of wireless range. In our testing period of two weeks, the earphones' wireless connection suffered from many lags and stutters and there was also the occasional connection drop altogether, which did get frustrating over time. A firmware update did alleviate the issue slightly, but we still experienced the occasional lag and stutter after that as well, although it was considerably less frequent. This could be an issue with our particular review unit but we had a similar experience on the Elite 75t as well. We also noticed that a few other reviews (global reviews) also complain about the same issue, so keep that in mind. 

Jabra Elite 7 Pro: Features

One of the most enticing features of the Jabra Elite 7 Pro is Active Noise Cancellation. We raved about the ANC quality of the Jabra Elite 85t and we were expecting to do the same for Jabra's latest and greatest. However, we were met with disappointment since the Active Noise Cancellation on the Elite 7 Pros isn't half as effective as the 85t's ANC performance. Not only do these buds struggle with cancelling out mid and high-end sounds, they also surprisingly struggle with cancelling out all low-end sounds such as the hum of an AC. The buds' saving grace on this front is excellent passive isolation facilitated by the snug seal provided by the earbuds. In fact, we could barely tell when the ANC mode was not and when it wasn't, which speaks volumes for how ineffective the ANC is on the Elite 7 Pros. We'd even go as far as to advise you to turn on ANC mode altogether to save some juice. 

The Elite 7 Pro also comes with a HearThrough mode that heightens environmental sounds, allowing users to be aware of their surroundings. This mode worked pretty well and sounded quite natural as well, although they don't come close to how natural the AirPods Pro's Ambient Mode sounds. But it is pretty comparable to the Sony WF-1000XM3's ambient sound mode. Both ANC and Hearthrough modes are adjustable; users can choose the intensity of these modes via the Jabra Sound+ app.

Aside from Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode, another excellent feature on the Elite 7 Pro is Jabra Sound+ app support. Jabra's Sound+ app has consistently been one of the most versatile accompanying apps for headphones in the market. The app comes with a 5-band customisable EQ that allows users to customise the sound as per their liking. You can also switch between noise-cancellation modes, check battery levels on the earbuds as well as the charging case, choose between music presets, listen to some white noises, and more. The app also allows you to customise earbud controls for music playback and calls, however, there is no option for adding volume controls which is disappointing. 

The Sound+ app also has a fit test feature that lets you know if the eartips you're using is providing you with an adequate fit. There's also a MySound feature that customises the sound according to your hearing profile but we didn't hear a major change even after using this. Nevertheless, this should be of great help for people who have any kind of hearing impairment. The app also lets users name their headset, personalise ANC according to their preference, find a lost earbud that's connected to your phone, update the firmware and more. It is an extremely feature-laden app that honestly, not many others on the market can beat easily. 

As for other features, the earbuds allow mono earbud usage where you can use either earbud independently of the other. There's also Voice Assistant support which you can set up within the Jabra Sound+ app. Sadly, there's no multipoint connectivity support right now which Jabra earphones are usually known for. However, Jabra has mentioned on their website that this feature will make its way on these earbuds sometime in January 2022, so any day now, hopefully. The earbuds' charging case is also Qi-compatible, so you can charge it wirelessly on any Qi wireless charger. Lastly, the earbuds are rated IP57. So, you can use these earbuds in most conditions without having to worry about damage from elements such as dust and water. Whether you take them with you during trekking, running, walking, or to the gym, the earbuds should do just fine.

Jabra Elite 7 Pro: Battery life

The Jabra Elite 7 Pro comes with 8 hours worth of wireless playback time on the buds alone and 30 hours of total playback time with the charging case, according to Jabra. This number proved to be pretty accurate as per our tests as well. With ANC set to max, we got a little over 8 hours of playback time on the buds alone. The charging case was able to provide 2-3 additional charges as well. The battery life on these buds is impressive. It beats the AirPods Pro's 4.5 hours of battery life on the buds with ANC on and it matches up to the Sony WF-1000XM4's 8 hours of playback time on the buds. 

The earphones also support fast charge as well, so plugging in the earbuds for 5 minutes will net you an hour's worth of listening time. The charging case is Qi-compatible as well, so you can use any Qi-enabled wireless charger to quickly power up the buds. All in all, the Jabra Elite 7 Pro can go without a charge for days, especially if you only use the earphones for about 4-6 hours every day.

Jabra Elite 7 Pro: Verdict

If you're looking for a premium pair of truly wireless earphones with excellent microphone performance and a warm-sound signature, the Jabra Elite 7 Pro is a compelling choice under 20K. Although the earbuds are priced at Rs 18,999, you can get these for as low as 13K during sales. At that price, the Elite 7 Pro becomes one of the best TWS we can recommend with a pleasant sound signature, great battery life, tons of customisation options via the Sound+ app and IP57 water and dust resistance. The one area where these earbuds falter though is Active Noise Cancellation. There are many options on the market that provide better ANC quality in the same price range including the Sony WF-1000XM4, OnePlus Buds Pro, and even Jabra's own Elite 85t. 

 

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Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G Review: Powerful all-rounder

The Galaxy S21 FE is a good deal if you're looking to buy a new phone that not only works like a truly high-end device but also looks and feels as such. It flaunts a killer display, offers good performance, and also comes with the promise of clicking good photos in a variety of conditions. Yes, it's true Samsung could have done the S21 FE 5G a favour by launching the phone with a much more aggressive price tag. It would have not only helped the S21 FE 5G compete better with phones from the likes of OnePlus, iQOO and Xiaomi but also helped it look like a no-brainer in front of the Galaxy S20 FE 5G.

 

The Galaxy S20 FE was one of Samsung's better-selling phones of 2020. It brought with it the promise of a flagship smartphone experience, but at a more affordable price than what you'd typically pay for the top-of-the-line Galaxy S series flagships. But despite packing some seriously good cameras, a fun design language and a gorgeous display, the phone did suffer a little when it came to the core hardware. 

Now at the turn of the year, Samsung launched the Galaxy S21 FE as an upgrade over the Galaxy S20 FE 5G. The new phone follows the same script as the fan edition phone from last year but crucially improves in key departments, including design and core hardware. 

We've had the Galaxy S21 FE with us for a few days, giving us the chance to examine it in-depth and give a verdict on if the phone is worth your money. 

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G review: Design 

Let's get to the interesting bit first. The design. 

So, the moment you lay your hands on the Galaxy S21 FE you'll notice some interesting things. The first among them is just how the phone has obvious design similarities with the Galaxy S20 FE. There's the use of plastic at the back with the frame on both the phones created using metal. 

Both also feature curved corners and a central punch-hole camera at the top of the display. But, there are plenty of differences as well. Because of the presence of a slightly smaller display and thinner bezels on the S21 FE, the phone looks and feels more compact in the hand when compared to the Galaxy S20 FE. It is also a little lighter at 177 grams compared to the S20 FE which weighs in at 190g.

The Galaxy S21 FE also has a redesigned camera module which is more in line with the one found on the other S21 series phones. The one on the Galaxy S20 FE has a camera island that protrudes like the Galaxy S20 series phones. 

All these elements combine to make the S21 FE a very interesting-looking phone, in my opinion, one that will appeal to a large audience. 

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G review: Display 

At the front of the phone, we have a 6.4-inch display with no fancy curves on it. This is a flat display that offers support for up to FHD+ resolution. The flat panel is accompanied by very little in terms of bezels and houses a centre-aligned punch-hole for the selfie camera. 

As you'd expect from Samsung, the AMOLED panel used on the device is quite feature-rich and is capable of fast refresh rates. While there is no support for adaptive refresh rates, it does offer support for working at either 60Hz or 120Hz. And as we found during our review, it also does not disappoint in performance. It offers deep blacks and punchy colours, making it great for watching movies or consuming multimedia content on the device. 

In our Calman display tests, the Galaxy S21 FE performed well, clocking up an average DeltaE of 2.6 in both the sRGB and DCI-P3 colour space. However, in both the max DeltaE was a little on the higher side. Calman testing of the display also showed a very good contrast ratio and decent RGB balance as well. Samsung's also done a good job tuning the display to have no visible colour biases running in the natural colour profile. This is something that the Calman testing also showed, with the panel throwing up a very good average correlated colour temperature of 6513. 

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G: Performance

In India, the Galaxy S21 FE 5G is powered by the Exynos 2100 SoC. This is a chip built using the 5nm process. On the phone, this chip has been paired with 8GB of LDRR5 memory and up to 256GB of UFS3.1 storage. Because the phone runs on Samsung's One UI 4, we also get support for the company's RAM Plus feature which extends the RAM by another 4GB. This is a pretty powerful combination, even if not the most powerful for the start of 2022. 

In benchmarks, this combination serves the phone well, with the S21 FE 5G racking up high scores in tests such as AnTuTu, Geekbench and 3D Mark WildLife. Interestingly, not only were these benchmarks scores higher than what the similarly specced Galaxy S21 Ultra achieved, but surprisingly also better than what some Snapdragon 888-based phones such as the OnePlus 9 managed to get in our tests. The only benchmark where the Galaxy S21 FE 5G did not perform too well was the CPU Throttling Test. Here, we found the chipset being dramatically throttled after the 15-minute mark of the test, leading us to believe the phone possibly has issues with handling thermals. 

In real-world scenarios, these numbers translated into smooth performance in day-to-day tasks while running apps of daily use such as Twitter, Facebook and even when browsing the internet through apps like Chrome. Gaming performance too was pretty good, with Gamebench showing the Galaxy S21 FE can handle resource-intensive games such as Asphalt 9 Legends and Call of Duty 5 with relative ease. However, it must be noted the performance in games was not as stable as what we have previously seen on competing devices like the OnePlus 9 running last year’s flagship Snapdragon chipset. 

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: Cameras

When it comes to optics, the Galaxy S21 FE does not offer anything new in the camera department. This is because Samsung has equipped the device with a triple rear camera setup that features a 12MP primary lens with support for OIS sat next to another 12MP ultra-wide camera. Completing the camera set-up is an 8MP telephoto lens with 3X optical zoom. 

All three lenses throw up some really good results, with the primary lens churning out good shots in the daytime when the camera is fed with a good amount of natural light. Living up to our expectations, the lens captured detailed shots with rich and accurate colours. These shots offer good dynamic range and even more improved results with HDR on. 

The ultra-wide lens is also good, with clicking shots with plenty of details in them. However, there is some fish-eye effect in the images captured using this lens. The telephoto lens is our least favourite lens of the set-up. But, that's not a consequence of the poor performance of the lens. Rather, it's because of just how little usability telephoto lenses offer in general. The lens does offer serviceable details at 3x optical zoom. However, the quality of the images takes a hit once you zoom in further digitally.

Apart from these, the S21 FE's camera app and supporting computational photography algorithms ensure the phone performs well in low light conditions. With the primary lens, we clicked some really good shots that packed in a lot of detail and very little noise to ruin the frame. 

Apart from these, the phone also brings modes such as Single Take and Live Focus. The latter is the phone's portrait mode which clicks some really nice shots with good depth effect in them. The mode works almost equally well in both daytime and low light conditions. However, in the latter, the level of detail and accuracy of the blur along the edges of the subject goes for a toss a little. 

For selfies, the phone comes with a 32MP lens that captures accurate skin tones and skin details in well-lit situations. The low light performance of the lens, however, is something that leaves a little to be desired. 

Galaxy S21 FE review: Battery

For battery, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE comes with a 4,500mAh battery pack -- much like the Galaxy S20 FE 5G. This pack manages to ensure the phone lasts over a day on moderate use and also gets you through the day even if subjected to heavy usage. When the phone runs out of charge, the device can be topped up using a 25W charger in about an hour and a half. 

Honestly, for a phone in 2022, this just doesn't cut it anymore as much more affordable devices are now offering even 120W fast charging promising a complete charge in less than 20 minutes. But the S21 FE does have a few other tricks up its sleeve. The phone also comes with support for wireless charging. However, the speeds here are slightly slower, topping up at 15W. 

Galaxy S21 FE 5G review: Verdict

With all the gyan out of the way, let's get to the all-important question. 

Is the Galaxy S21 FE worth buying?

For me, the answer would be a yes. The Galaxy S21 FE is a good deal if you're looking to buy a new phone that not only works like a truly high-end device but also looks and feels as such. It flaunts a killer display, offers good performance, and also comes with the promise of clicking good photos in a variety of conditions.  

The only catch here is its price. 

At Rs 54,999, the Galaxy S21 FE is actually not badly priced. But could the pricing have been better? Maybe, yes. Considering the fiercely fought segment the phone comes in, Samsung could have done the S21 FE 5G a favour by launching the phone with a much more aggressive price tag. It would have not only helped the S21 FE 5G compete better with phones from the likes of OnePlus, iQOO and Xiaomi but also helped it look like a no-brainer in front of the Galaxy S20 FE 5g which despite offering a similar camera and overall performance, is retailing at a much more aggressive price point. 

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Sony WF-1000XM4 Review: An all-rounder like no other

There’s a reason why Sony’s ANC headphone launches are surrounded by so much hype. This company consistently makes some of the best ANC audio devices on the market rivalled by few others. The Sony WF-1000XM4 is simply the best noise-cancelling truly wireless earphones money can buy. It has dethroned the Sony WF-1000XM3 to take up this spot which shows Sony's prowess in this area. Apart from excellent ANC performance, you get impressive sound quality with LDAC codec, excellent app support, great battery life and microphone performance, and so much more. 

Even though the acclaimed Sony WF-1000XM3 TWS earphones were launched in 2020, these noise-cancelling earbuds continued to reign supreme in our noise-cancelling TWS lists until now. This just indicates Sony’s prowess in this noise-cancelling space. Now that the latest model in Sony’s supremely successful WF-1000X lineup – Sony WF-1000XM4 (“Mark 4”) – has finally made its way to India, we have a feeling it may just dethrone its predecessor. Sony has a formidable presence in the TWS market in India with gems such as the Sony WF-1000XM3, the Sony WF-SP800N, and others that users can choose from. If history is any indicator, the Sony WF-1000XM4 will continue the trend of being one of the best TWS earbuds money could buy. But will it continue to be the best ANC TWS?

The newly-launched Sony WF-1000XM4 comes packing numerous improvements that set it apart from the previous-gen model. These include the new and improved V1 chip, LDAC codec support, IPX4 water resistance, Qi wireless charging, and a brand new design. These premium TWS earbuds go toe to toe with the likes of the Apple AirPods Pro, Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2. We had a blast reviewing these earbuds and came away with many thoughts. Here’s how the Sony WF-1000XM4 fared in our review.

Build and design

Let’s begin with the box. The Sony WF-1000XM4 arrives in a box 34 per cent smaller than the WF-1000XM3 box and it’s completely plastic-free. The box is made of recycled paper which is certainly a step in the right direction for the environment, however, it does take some of the glamour out of the unboxing experience. Nevertheless, we appreciate Sony’s efforts in going the environmentally-friendly route, all without removing any important accessories from the box. Inside the box, you get 3 sizes of silicone eartips, a Type-C charging cable, some documentation and the earbuds themselves.

As for the design, Sony went back to the drawing board and completely redesigned the Sony WF-1000XM4. While the WF-1000XM3 looked sophisticated and classy, the charging case and the earbuds were anything but discreet, making it quite a hassle to carry around in pockets or small bags. The new Mark 4s have a case that’s 40 per cent smaller and earbuds that are 10 per cent smaller. While there’s a clear reduction in size compared to their predecessor, the charging case and earbuds of the Sony WF-1000XM4 are still on the bulkier side of TWS earphones. 

The earbuds are available in two colours – Black and Silver. We got the latter for review. The cream-coloured case has a simple matte texture with the Sony logo stamped on top in golden. There’s a large LED battery indicator on the front and a USB Type-C charging port on the back. The case is also wireless charging compatible, all you need is a compatible Qi wireless charger. The magnets inside the case are extremely strong and hold the earbuds securely, however, the lid feels a tad flimsy since it isn’t reinforced by metal. The case is definitely more pocketable than its predecessor’s case, but it will still bulge out considerably from pockets, especially if you’re wearing skinny jeans.

The earbuds are more rounded than the Mark 3s and have a circular golden accent around the microphone that adds some flair. The back of the earbuds houses capacitive touch controls, which are reliable and responsive. The earbuds are pretty bulky and hefty in comparison to other premium TWS earbuds on the market such as the Jabra Elite 7 Pro and Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro. Overall, the WF-1000XM4 earbuds are a definite improvement in terms of build in comparison to the WF-1000XM3. But we’re hoping Sony can shrink down the size even further with the next iteration in this lineup.

Comfort and fit

Owing to the bulky nature of the earbuds, the Sony WF-1000XM4 is definitely not the most secure pair of earbuds we’ve worn. We definitely think that the Jabra Elite 7 Pro and Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro reign supreme when it comes to fit in the premium TWS segment. Nevertheless, what you get with the Sony WF-1000XM4 is still a pretty decent fit that may need some readjustment in your ears from time to time. They’re definitely miles better than the Mark 3s when it comes to fit. The Mark 3s used to easily slip out of ears during intense activities such as working out, but that’s not too much of an issue with the Mark 4s.

One big complaint we have with the Sony WF-1000XM4 is that they come with rubber silicone ear tips. We distinctly remember when these earbuds launched in the international market, we were excited to see Sony’s new Noise Isolation Earbud Tips that were made out of polyurethane foam. Unfortunately, we’re getting the regular silicone ear tips here in India that are much less secure and snug-fitting than foam. We asked Sony about this discrepancy between the global variant and the one that’s coming to India. They informed us that the silicone “Noise-Isolation” ear tips present in the retail box in India will also make their way to the global retail box of the product. We have a REALLY hard time believing that since the polyurethane foam tips are advertised so aggressively on the global web page of this product.

That aside, the foam ear tips provide a snug fit and you can go jogging with them, although the earbuds may feel loose at times. They’re comfortable to wear over long periods though, and don’t really strain the ear. Let’s move on to a big positive now – IPX4 sweat and water resistance. Yes, these buds come with a water resistance rating which was woefully absent on the Mark 3s. So, you can go jogging with them in light rain without worrying about any damage. 

Companion app: Sony Headphones Connect and other features

The Sony Headphone Connect app is possibly one of the most utilitarian and versatile companion apps we’ve ever used with TWS earbuds. The app has a plethora of features and customisation options that give users granular control over the earbuds. The app has nifty features such as a 5-band customisable EQ, sound presets, charging status, and customisable controls. However, the exact controls cannot be chosen, all you can do is switch the control type for each earbud.

For example, by default, the left earbud is set for Ambient Sound Control. So, a tap will cycle between noise cancellation profiles and pressing and holding will turn on something called Quick Attention mode. You can’t change the function of a ‘tap’ and ‘tap and hold’ individually. You can switch the entire touch control profile with something like Volume Control where a tap now raises the volume and pressing and holding decreases the volume. 

There are four control types to choose from – Ambient Sound Control, Volume Control, Playback Control, and None. You can apply any one of these on one earbud. So, essentially, you can have only two profiles active simultaneously. We opted for Ambient Sound Control and Playback Control (which also has a voice assistant gesture), so we had to miss out on volume controls. We don’t like this implementation and would rather have Sony provide users with the option to remap specific gestures as per their own preferences. 

Aside from that, the earbud’s app allows users to access features such as Adaptive Sound Control, Speak to Chat, 360 Reality Audio, DSEE Extreme, Earbud Fit test, and more. Adaptive Sound Control is a useful feature that uses AI smarts to determine your activity (staying, walking, running, or transport) and applies noise-cancellation settings accordingly. It can also detect your location and apply noise cancellation settings that you usually prefer in that location. The feature worked exceedingly well in our tests with it promptly switching between NC modes as the activity called for it.

DSEE Extreme is a feature that uses AI to upscale compressed lossy files. The effect is minimal and there isn’t a stark difference in the sound when using it versus when it’s toggled off. The Earbud Fit test is convenient and it lets you know if the eartips you’ve used are giving you a good seal. 

One of our favourite features on the Sony WF-1000XM4 is Quick Attention mode. It is present by default on the earbuds and can be activated by pressing and holding the left earbud’s touch panel (if you’ve left it on default control settings). Activating this will enable Ambient Sound and turn down media volume so you can have a quick conversation without having to pause your music and manually turn on Ambient Mode. It is an extremely nifty feature that we used a lot during our time with these earbuds. 

One feature we did miss is multipoint connectivity which lets you connect the earbuds to two source devices simultaneously and switch between them seamlessly. It’s a shame that a premium TWS like the WF-1000XM4 has skipped this feature. We would rather have multipoint support than features such as Speak to Chat or 360 Reality Audio, both of which are not very useful since Quick Attention mode basically does the same thing as Speak to Chat more reliably and there aren’t a lot of apps that support 360 Reality Audio in India. 

Overall, the Sony WF-1000XM4 is extremely feature-laden and a large portion of the features are accessible via the app. The Headphones Connect app is available on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. We definitely recommend using these earbuds with the app installed to unlock their full potential.

Performance – Noise cancellation and Ambient Sound

We’ve already discussed Adaptive Sound Control that automatically switches between Active Noise Cancellation and Ambient Sound mode according to the activity or location. Now, let’s talk about the performance of these headlining features in detail. Sony headphones are formidable in the ANC category, and for good reason. The company has consistently launched some of the best ANC headphones and earphones on the market for the past few years. Fortunately, the Sony WF-1000XM4 more than lives up to the legacy of Sony noise-cancelling headphones.

Active Noise Cancellation on these earbuds is truly exceptional, so much so that it almost matches up the performance of their over-ear noise-cancelling cans! From an AC’s drone to sounds of rail tracks when travelling in Mumbai locals to noisy office environments, the Sony WF-1000XM4 suppresses all these sounds to a truly impressive degree.  Low-frequency, constant sounds are almost cut out entirely. So, you can be assured that turning on ANC on these earphones will immediately isolate you from your surroundings.

All of this is accomplished by the new Sony V1 processor – the successor to the lauded QN1e chip that was present in the Mark 3 – and dual noise-sensing microphones in each earbud. The chip and microphones work together to provide improved ANC performance over the last-gen model that greatly diminishes most ambient sounds as per our tests. The earphones easily beat the Jabra Elite 7 Pro and the AirPods Pro when it comes to ANC performance. The only earbuds that come anywhere close are the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds.

As for Ambient Sound, we noticed an improvement in this area compared to their predecessors. The ambient sounds that are let in with Ambient Mode turned on sound natural and clear, while they sounded slightly artificial on the Mark 3s.

Performance – Sound, microphone, and connectivity

While Sony is mostly known for their bass-forward headsets and earphones, the WF-1000X series is where they keep the sound as clean and balanced as possible. The Sony WF-1000XM4 packs 6mm drivers that produce energetic yet balanced sound. The earphones support the SBC, AAC and LDAC codecs. We tested the earphones on the LDAC codec since it provides the highest quality of all the available ones. The Sony WF-1000XM4 has dynamic bass response, pristine mids, and decent highs. We tested these earbuds with our audio testing equipment and you can check out its sound signature in the frequency graph below.

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

In the frequency graph, you can see that the bass response is boosted, but not by too much as is the case with Sony’s more bass-forward headphones in their XB lineup. The bass response is also toned down from what the Mark 3s had. This result is an analytical yet energetic bass response that brought out the rumble in the lows while still maintaining clarity and accuracy. In tracks like Heat Waves by Glass Animals, the bass beats sound punchy yet controlled and the vocals sound absolutely sublime. We are seriously impressed by how exquisitely detailed the lows are but even more impressed with the mids’ clarity. The region from 500Hz to 3kHz is almost identical to the neutral sound signature making vocals and instruments in this range sound almost clinical. In the track Easy On Me by Adele, you can hear almost every breath she takes between lines, which is often not heard on other TWS.

As a result, these headphones are excellent for not only popular genres such as pop, rap, EDM and more but also to listen to classical tunes, podcasts and watch movies. The frequency range past 3kHz sees a drop so the highs do see a slight drop in detail and clarity after that point. So, you may notice that cymbals and hi-hats don’t sound as good in the mix, but just tweaking the highs in the EQ settings in the app pretty much fixes this issue. So, in tracks such as Something From Nothing by Foo Fighters, the cymbals lose some of its sparkle since they’re under-emphasised but when we EQed up the highs, we got back some of the missing detail. Overall, the Sony WF-1000XM4 seriously impressed us with its exquisite sound quality in the lows and mids, rivalled by only a few earphones such as the Devialet Gemini, Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2, and Shure AONIC 215 TWS Gen2. 

Uncompensated frequency response graph of Sony WF-1000XM4 (Blue) vs Sony WF-1000XM3 (Orange)

The imaging on these earphones is fantastic. In Selkies by Between the Buried and Me, the instruments can be distinguished and are placed accurately within the mix. The soundstage is pretty good for TWS earphones, although the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 still holds the crown in this department.

Now, let’s move on to the microphone performance. The earphones come with Sony’s Precise Voice Pickup Technology that leverages the beamforming microphones and bone conduction sensor on the buds to pick up your voice and relay it. The microphone quality is very good, voices are clear and loud on calls and during recordings. Ambient sounds are suppressed to some degree but if you’re in extremely noisy environments, some surrounding noise will make its way through. Overall though, these earphones have one of the best microphone setups on TWS earphones.

As for wireless connectivity, the WF-1000XM4 is powered by Bluetooth v5.2 and supports Google’s Fast Pair feature. This allows Android users to quickly connect to the earbuds with just one tap. The wireless range on these earbuds is pretty good and the connection stays put even if you are a room or two away from the source device. There are also minimal lags and connection drops, and the overall experience is quite seamless. Sony has also added a swift pair feature for PCs. Swift Pair brings up a pop-up pairing guide on nearby Windows 10+ PCs or laptops, allowing users to connect in a jiffy. The latency is also minimal and we noticed very little delay between the content and audio.

Battery life

Owing to the reduced size of the charging and earbuds, we were fully expecting the battery life on the Mark 4 to take a hit in comparison to its predecessor. Fortunately, though, that’s not the case. The Mark 3s were capable of 6 hours of wireless playback from the earbuds with ANC turned on. This number has been bumped up to 8 hours with the newer Mark 4s, according to the company. Along with the charging case, you get 24 hours of total battery life (8 hours on earbuds + 16 hours from charging case). 

If you use the earphones with ANC turned off, on the other hand, Sony claims you get 32 hours of total battery life, which is pretty good. In our tests, the earbuds themselves lasted 6.5 hours with LDAC and ANC turned on. If you turn LDAC off, you’ll get better mileage. The case provided another 2 charges and still had some juice left over for a partial third charge.

The earphones also come with Quick Charge capabilities where 5 minutes of charging will provide an hour’s worth of playtime. The earbuds’ charging case finally comes with wireless charging capabilities, which was absent on its predecessor. So, you can simply set the case down on any Qi-compatible charger or a phone with reverse wireless charging to power it up.

Verdict

There’s a reason why Sony’s ANC headphone launches are surrounded by so much hype. This company consistently makes some of the best ANC audio devices on the market rivalled by few others. The Sony WF-1000XM4 is simply the best noise-cancelling truly wireless earphones money can buy. It has dethroned the Sony WF-1000XM3 to take up this spot which shows Sony's prowess in this area. Apart from excellent ANC performance, you get impressive sound quality with LDAC codec, excellent app support, great battery life and microphone performance, and so much more. The only two drawbacks are the missing multipoint connectivity support and the fit. For users with smaller ears especially, you may not get a snug fit from these earbuds since they are pretty hefty and stick out from the ears considerably. So, if getting the best fit from your earbuds is a top priority for you, we’d definitely recommend the Jabra Elite 7 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro over these earbuds. However, for almost everything else, the Sony WF-1000XM4 is an excellent choice. The Sony WF-1000XM4 is truly an all-rounder like no other that not only does so many things, but does most of them well.

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Apple AirPods 3 Review: A step up over its predecessor

The Apple AirPods 3 are, no doubt, a big step up in terms of performance, features and build from their predecessors. Priced at Rs 18,500, they offer a wide array of enticing features, especially for Apple users, including Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, hands-free Siri, IPX4 rating, Audio Sharing, and more. The earphones miss out on Active Noise Cancellation, so if that is something you'd like your earphones to have, there are numerous options on the market in the same price range that do offer ANC.

Apple is often credited as the company that ushered in the era of truly wireless earphones, and for good reason. The original Apple AirPods, launched in 2016, exploded a segment in its infancy to massive levels of popularity. Since then, audio companies have been coming out with their own iterations of truly wireless earphones in several price brackets. Nevertheless, the AirPods lineup continues to be one of the most ubiquitous, if not the most, across the globe. In October this year, Apple launched the third generation of its AirPods lineup - the Apple AirPods 3 complete with an upgraded design, Spatial Audio support, wireless charging compatibility, and a host of other features. Priced at Rs 18,500, the earphones compete against the likes of the Sony WF-1000XM3, Jabra Elite 7 Pro, and a few others. But are the 3rd-Gen AirPods worth their price tag or are there better options in the market? We're going to find out that and more in this review. 

Apple AirPods 3: Performance – Sound quality, Spatial Audio, Microphone and Wireless Connectivity

Equipped with custom-made, low distortion drivers and high-dynamic range amplifiers, the Apple AirPods 3 is packing spanking new tech compared to its predecessor - the AirPods 2nd Gen. The earphones also come with the Apple H1 chip that was previously present on the AirPods Pro and AirPods 2. Due to the improved hardware, the earphones are a definite step up from their predecessors - the AirPods 2 - when it comes to sound quality. 

Not just that, the earphones also boast of a feature dubbed Adaptive EQ that uses computational audio and an inward-facing microphone to adjust sound playback in real-time to compensate for losses in the mids and highs due to an inadequate fit. Another trick the AirPods 3 has up its sleeves is Spatial Audio that has previously been seen on the AirPods Pro. Spatial audio technology takes 5.1, 7.1 and Dolby Atmos content and applies audio filters to it to place the sound in a 3D soundscape making it feel more like it’s coming from around you. This is coupled with dynamic head tracking to make you feel like you're always in the centre of tracks and scenes. So, what do all of these new features and hardware translate to? Pretty impressive performance, for the most part.

Let's start with the sound quality. The AirPods 3 has a bright sound profile with recessed bass notes and pronounced mids and highs. The earbuds are semi-open, so due to this design, they do struggle to form a seal that can effectively produce the punch and rumble of low bass. So, you may find the earbuds a bit lacking when it comes to that front and may find that the bass response isn't as hard-hitting as one would expect. The rest of the frequency range, however, is well-balanced and detailed. The mids are present and clear so vocals and lead instruments sound quite pristine in the mix and the highs are also well-produced with ample detail. 

Uncompensated frequency response graph of AirPods 3 (Gray) vs Flat response (Dark Green)

The sound signature of the AirPods 3 is especially good for podcasts, audiobooks, and even films and TV shows. Although, if you're watching an action-packed one, you may miss some of the rumble and roar in those sequences. Unfortunately, there are no EQ customisations features, so you're pretty much stuck with what you get on both Apple and Android devices. 

The earphones, however, have excellent imaging performance with accurate placement of voices and instruments within the stage. The soundstage is also pretty good for TWS earphones, primarily due to the design. Do note that Adaptive EQ remains turned on constantly and there's no way to turn it off, so we couldn't test the earphones without the feature activated.

Uncompensated frequency response graph of AirPods 3 (Gray) vs Sony WF-1000XM3 (Orange) vs Jabra Elite 85t (Green)

Now, moving on to Spatial Audio, the technology is accessible not just on Apple phones but also Android smartphones as long as your phone supports Dolby Atmos and you use a source capable of playing Spatial Audio music such as Apple Music. The effect produced is pretty impressive. The positioning of the vocals and instruments in the 3-dimensional space make tracks come alive and make you feel like you're in a room listening to the band play around you. 

Each instrument has its own space to shine and the AirPods 3 convey the sense of space convincingly. The whole experience is very enjoyable and coupled with pretty accurate head tracking, the immersiveness just goes up a couple of notches in comparison to regular stereo sound. As for codec support, the earbuds support SBC and AAC codecs, so they can't really handle hi-res audio which is a bit disappointing since Apple Music does offer lossless audio. 

Onto the microphone performance, the AirPods 3 are equipped with dual beamforming microphones that do a great job at capturing the speaker's voice while reducing environmental sounds such as wind. In our tests, the microphone recorded clear sound with minimal distortions. 

As for connectivity, the AirPods 3 are, of course, optimised to work most seamlessly with Apple devices. The buds have a one-touch setup that auto pairs them to Apple devices instantaneously. There were absolutely no connection drops or stutters during our 2-week testing window.

Apple AirPods 3: Features 

Priced at Rs 18,500, the AirPods 3 are definitely on the higher-end of truly wireless earphones even though they are the company's latest entry-level option. So, at this price, they compete against industry heavyweights such as the Sony WF-1000XM3. Most TWS earphones in this price range sport Active Noise Cancellation, but you won't find that feature on these buds since they're the lower-priced TWS offering from the company and the ANC feature is reserved for the higher-end Pro variant. 

However, the fact that these earphones do not have ear tips to seal the fit does mean that ANC is a feature that is sorely missed mainly due to the lacking passive isolation. If you're in a noisy environment, ambient sounds will definitely make their way through probably prompting most of you to increase the volume levels as we did, which isn't exactly the best for your ears. There's a degree of sound leakage as well due to the semi-open design of the AirPods 3. 

The lacking Active Noise Cancellation feature aside, the AirPods 3 do come with an array of features, some of which we did cover in the performance section, namely Adaptive EQ and Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking. Aside from these, the earphones and the charging case are also rated IPX4, so they are resistant to light splashes of water, making them safe to use during workouts and light rain. However, the fit is another topic altogether when working out, but we'll come to that later, so stick around. The case can be wirelessly charged on a Magsafe charger or any Qi-enabled wireless charger. 

Next, the buds come equipped with a new skin-detect sensor that automatically pauses the music when an earbud leaves your ear and resumes it when it's back in. You also get force-sensitive capacitive controls that allow you to register music controls by squeezing the stem. This feature worked supremely well in our testing and we prefer force-enabled controls far more than traditional touch controls that are often marred by mistaps. There are, however, no volume controls, which is disappointing. 

Nevertheless, you can ask Siri to lower the volume on Apple devices handsfree by simply saying Hey Siri. The earphones come with handsfree Siri, exclusive to Apple devices, of course, so you can simply say Hey Siri to make a call, play music, get directions and more. Apple users can also have Siri read out all their notifications through their AirPods 3, which is convenient. 

There are also a bunch of other Apple-exclusive features such as Spatial Audio with head tracking in Group FaceTime calls, Audio Sharing with other AirPods so you and your friend can listen to the same song or show simultaneously on any sets of AirPods, Fast Pairing, and Apple's Find My network integration. These extra features set these earphones apart from the competition and if you're using an Android phone, you will miss out on these features, so keep that in mind.

Apple AirPods 3: Battery life

The 3rd Gen AirPods come with improved battery life rated at 6 hours on the buds alone, and a total of 30 hours with the charging case. In comparison, the AirPods 2 offered up to 24 hours of total wireless playback time and 5 hours from the earbuds alone. However, with Spatial Audio enabled, you really end up with the same or slightly worse battery life as compared to the Gen2 AirPods. In our tests, the earphones lasted 4 hours and 20 minutes with Spatial Audio active at all times. The case provided about 4 additional charges to the earbuds. 

Since most users would use the earphones with Spatial Audio enabled since it is a pivotal feature in getting the full AirPods 3 experience, we would say this number is a better indicator of battery life. So, the battery life, when compared to competitors such as the Sony WF-1000XM3 with 6 hours of playback with ANC on and the Jabra Elite 85t with 5.5 hours of playback with ANC on is pretty ordinary. Nevertheless, the AirPods 3's battery life is good enough that it should easily get you through about 5-7 days' worth of usage.

You also get wireless charging via Magsafe or any Qi wireless chargers. Additionally, the earphones come with quick charge, where a 5-minute charging session will net you an hour's worth of playback. All in all, the AirPods 3 come with good battery life but with Spatial Audio enabled it is about the same as the previous-gen model.

Apple AirPods 3: Build, design and comfort

The AirPods 3 continue the design language popularised by the original AirPods with some key changes. These are all-white, minimalist earphones with protruding curved stems. They offer a new contoured design that allows for better fit and comfort as compared to its predecessor. The stem is also 33 per cent shorter than the AirPods 2's stem, which makes them more compact and inconspicuous. The shorter stem, contoured earbuds and brushed aluminium accents also give these new AirPods a more streamlined look. 

The force-sensitive capacitive sensors are housed at the bottom of the stem and they work exceptionally well. They also provide some audio feedback when pressed that lets you know the control has registered. The earphones are also pretty lightweight and the case is pretty pocketable. The case is slightly bigger than the AirPods 2's charging case but not by too much. It feels pretty robust like it can take a drop or two with ease. The case has a battery indicator light on the front and a Lightning port for charging. 

As for fit and comfort, this is where the AirPods 3 can be a bit polarising. Unlike the AirPods Pro, you don't get ear tips on these buds and they have a semi-open design like the AirPods Gen2. While this will appeal to those who don't like the earbuds pushing too deep into the ear canals, the fit does feel less secure especially when working out or jogging. 

Also, if you have smaller ear canals, you may find the fit even less secure since the housings are pretty broad themselves so they may not nestle in your ears as securely. Nevertheless, the earbuds are lightweight at only 4.28g each so they are comfortable to wear over long periods of time. We urge you to visit a store and try out these earbuds before buying them to get an idea of the fit and if it works for you since all ears are shaped differently.

Apple AirPods 3: Verdict

The Apple AirPods 3 are, no doubt, a big step up in terms of performance, features and build from their predecessors. Priced at Rs 18,500, they offer a wide array of enticing features, especially for Apple users, including Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, hands-free Siri, IPX4 rating, Audio Sharing, and more. The earphones miss out on Active Noise Cancellation, so if that is something you'd like your earphones to have, there are numerous options on the market in the same price range that do offer ANC. 

However, if ANC isn't a concern for you, the AirPods 3 make a pretty strong case for themselves with decent sound quality, immersive Spatial Audio support, good battery life, and more. Moreover, if you're an Apple user, you will get access to even more quality of life features. So, if you're looking for solid Apple ecosystem support without having to shell out 7500 rupees more for the AirPods Pro while still having access to Spatial Audio, these earphones are your best bet.

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