SOUNDPEATS is a brand from Shenzhen Soundsoul Information Technology Co. Ltd. founded in 2010. Like many companies in China, they hope to grow their brand globally by designing good-quality audio products. They target primarily the urban sports market and in 2018 launched the world’s first dual-driver crossover TWS earbuds. A year later, they launched the second-generation Truengine2. In Singapore, they retail at S$119 (Premium version with wireless charging) and is distributed by iCentral Mobile.
Unboxing and Operations
The retail box appears small and compact, but when unboxed, I was greeted with a chunky case. The earbuds are equally bulky, but surprisingly easy to handle. While most earbuds are so tiny that there are high risks of them slipping out of your hands, the Truengine2 is good to handle as I am able to hold on to the earbuds without contacting the touch panel, which ensures I do not accidentally trigger any actions.
As Truengine2 is designed specifically for the urban sports enthusiasts, the earbuds come with long earfins that secure the earbuds on the ears, and the case happily accommodates them without a fuss. The relatively long and narrow eartips allow the earbuds to be inserted firmly into the ear canals for a good seal.
Pairing the Truengine2
The earbuds pair easily by automatically going into pairing mode whenever there are no active devices connected. Based on QCC3020 True Wireless Stereo Plus and supports SBC, AAC and aptX, both earbuds connect directly to the device without cross-head transmission. But there will still be a disruption when the primary earbud is docked into the case, as the device searches for the secondary earbud to reconnect as primary earbud. This disruption would not occur if you are docking the secondary earbud. During pairing or charging, the logo on the earbuds light up, but once audio is streamed, the light turns off. For wearers, they do not have to worry about blinking lights when listening to music, but it also means the lights will come back up when audio stops.
Touch Controls
The touch controls are slightly different from other earbuds. To play-pause, you have to double tap. To change tracks, tap and hold. To adjust volume, tap the right (increase) or left earbud (decrease). The case supports wireless charging, or you can charge via USB-C cable. It requires about 2 hours to fully charge the case, which offers 30 hours play time.
Audio Quality
The earbuds are easily recognisable from the transparent housing revealing the iconic dual drivers. The overall sound signature is warm with strong bass emphasis but not massively deep like Jabra Elite 75t. It is full, slightly cloudy, less tight, somewhat boomy without distinct tonality. The treble is relatively dark, obscured by the dominating bass, but there are details buried.
I find that the Truengine2 truly shines when listening at really high volumes, and this is where the dual-driver config puts Truengine2 at an advantage against other TWS earbuds. At high volumes, the earbuds deliver the audio details which I usually could not decipher from a single driver because it would have been overworked from handling the extreme frequency ranges simultaneously – like a beatboxer trying to produce both bass notes and hi-hats at the same time with his mouth. With dual drivers, each diaphragm handles specific frequencies without getting affected by the other. The tamed treble is also helpful in letting me listen at higher volumes without stressing my ear drums, while the higher volume pushes the finer audio details to my ears.
So I was listening to the SACD version of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody and the track sounds cosy, tight, and detailed despite prominent bass presence. When treble-heavy concert mixes like Yanni Live At The Acropolis, the Truengine2 deliver uncanny audio information I never noticed previously due to the “frequency competition” (with flat earphones, the original mix would be so treble-heavy that I could never listen at high volumes).
The sound staging is slightly forward and close to the sides of the ears. The stage does not extend very wide nor far ahead. Because of the veiled presence, any reverb or room echo could not be easily felt. I would certainly prefer to lift up the treble slightly and tame the bass, as I did here. When once I do that, the sound staging is much better
Call Quality
Like all true-wireless earbuds, call quality is not the clearest when talking naturally, but the mic picks up the voice adequately, standing out against the background noise. One easy way to boost the clarity is simply raise your hand close to the face which acts like a reflector to bounce your voice into the earbuds mic. You will be surprised how effective this simple gesture has on the voice clarity. Note that during calls, only the primary earbud is used for mic pick-up, and the primary earbud varies depending on which earbud is connected first by the device.
Verdict
Like many SOUNDPEATS relies on social media and opinion articles to get people to notice their products. With the U.S. and Japan as their core markets, they cover more than 20 markets with over 5 million users all over the world. The second-generation Truengine2 is a decent true wireless earbuds, with well-thought design and touch operations. The wireless charging has become one of the more premium features on TWS, and the earfins keep the earbuds secure during intense workouts. The audio tuning is comfortable with tame treble and prominent bass, favouring the modern power pops. The dual drivers allow the listener to enjoy all the finer details in surprising comfort.
Retailing at S$119 (with Wireless Charging) in Singapore, this is another excellent value true-wireless earbuds, only to be appreciated by listeners preferring warm highs and strong bass. The Truengine2 demonstrates that dual-driver earbuds can drive musical information at both ends of the frequency without having to compromise with the physical demands of a single diaphragm. Available at Mobilestop, Shopee, Challenger.
Visit the official product website here.