After I published a review of the Soundpeats Truengine2 which was sent over by the Singapore distributor iCentral Mobile, the global office of Soundpeats Audio wrote and asked me to review more of their products. On this article, I will share my experience on the Soundpeats TrueShift2 which goes at a retail price of USD 49 at the global website or SGD 69.90 from Soundpeats Official Singapore at Shoppe Mall or Lazada Mall.
Unboxing and Design
Before we proceed, please enjoy the unboxing video, ASMR style.
The TrueShift2 is designed in a ergonomically-shaped earbud mould with a triangular external-facing plate imprinted with the Soundpeats logo which wildly resembles the Superman logo.
The package comes with 3 pairs of ear tips and ear fins to keep the earbuds secure in your ears during intense workout.
The charging case has a cover to protect the connectors. The USB-C is for charging the case, and the USB-A port is to charge any external device, like a power bank.
With a 3000 mAh battery capacity at 1A current, it may not be fast nor sufficient to charge your smartphone fully, but it will be a critical lifeline in an emergency.
Because of this additional feature, the case is understandably large. If you choose to keep all the battery capacity to the earbuds, then you can use it for 100 hours before it runs flat. The earbuds itself hold a charge of 6 hours play time. Knowing how long the earbuds can go, I think you can afford to spare some juice for those who may need it more.
Here’s how it pares with the Creative Outlier Gold, Earfun Free and the Soundpeats TrueBuds.
Even though the Soundpeats TrueShift2 has the largest case, the earbud is slightly less bulky. The normal cone-shaped tip compared to the Creative one makes it also slightly more comfortable to wear.
Operations
Few years back, it would have been a pain to pair true wireless earbuds to various devices because of the need to press-hold the power button to go into pairing mode. But the Soundpeats TrueShift2 supports auto-pairing once no device is being connected. To pair to another device, just disconnect from the current one and you can discover TrusShift2 in the new device. To manually re-pair, press-hold the earbud touch panel for 6 seconds.
The earbuds operate via touch controls.
- Change volume: tap left earbud to reduce, tap right earbud to increase.
- Change track: tap-hold left earbud for 1.5s to go back, tap-hold right earbud for 1.5s to skip to next.
- Play-pause: double tap either earbuds.
- Voice assistant (Google, Siri): triple tap.
To reset the earbuds due to any operational issues, place the earbuds back in the charging case, and press both touch sensors for 10 seconds until the LED flashes red and white twice on each earbud. When you remove the earbuds, both will blink and after that, one earbuds should turn solid white as the other remains in pairing mode. If both earbuds are in flashing white-red mode, then it means both earbuds are not paired to each other and you will not get stereo sound.
Audio Quality
Running on Airoha AB1536U Bluetooth chip, the TrueShift2 supports SBC and AAC audio codecs. The sound quality is quite good for the price. There are no audible compression artefacts, which is expected given this day and age of true wireless audio development. The sound balance is also above average, with sufficient bass feel and treble clarity as well as musical details to satisfy most casual consumers. Sound staging is front and spreads slightly sideways, not too close to the ears. Listening to lightly-mixed tracks, the instrumental details appear well-positioned within the stage, delivering layers of nuances and sibilance which adds to the musical texture yet not too forceful.
But going into audiophile-mode, the overall sound is slightly compressed, the bass may not deliver the firmness and definition that bass lovers yearn. The bass kicks are there, but it spreads over the sound stage instead of into the ears. Treble is clear, not pushy, not clinical, which may be good for some. Here, I am really trying to justify that such a low-priced earbuds is too good to be true, and I had to find some weak points, or else there is no point spending money on higher-end models.
I am rather impressed at how instantaneous the earbuds switch from stereo to mono back to stereo whenever one of the earbuds is placed on the charging case. During the call, the microphone also switches immediately to the master earbud if the other earbud is in the charging port. This eliminates any listening disruptions. As for the call quality, the TrueShift2 works best when the user speaks up, as I find that the background noise cancelling can be a little too aggressive. Audio pick-up is mostly chesty midrange, which I find is pleasant, not too piercing.
Compared To…
I selected a few other brands of earbuds which I feel are close to the sound signature and/or price range of the TrueShift2 to share some audio differences.
Audio Technica ATH-CK3TW – The treble on the Audio Technica is a lot more precise and tight. Percussion like triangle is more tingling. The low-treble is thinner. Its bass is also more compact and better impact.
Pamu Slide – Pamu is a darker-sounding earbuds. The midrange is not as detailed and the treble is also trying to break out of the mix, albeit clear.
SOUL ST-XS2 – The SOUL earbuds deliver harsher treble yet the percussions are less bright, the bass has more kicks but weaker tonality. Comparatively, the SoundShift2 delivers cleaner treble, clearer vocals, and a better bass blend.
Sudio Fem – This earbuds offer brighter sound signature, with less emphasis on bass. Treble lovers should go for this.
Verdict
The Soundpeats TrueShift2 is my favourite model among the Soundpeats products I have reviewed so far. In fact, this might be the best-value budget earbuds I have reviewed this year so far. Well-build materials, secure fit for sports, comes with power bank functions, sufficient bass, clear treble. If you only have a S$70 budget for your next earbuds, I highly recommend the Soundpeats TrueShift2.
Soundpeats TrueShift2 retails at USD 49 available at the global website. Singapore shoppers can purchase locally at SGD 69.90 from Soundpeats Official Singapore at Shoppe Mall or Lazada Mall.
Visit the official product website of Soundpeats TrueShift2 here.
