The last time I reviewed a Soundpeats product was in 2020. Surprised to hear from them after 4 years. Honestly, they have some good products and audio tuning, and I was impressed that they have been doing rather well serving the highly competitive audio market. Recently, they requested me to review the Capsule3 Pro+ that uses the xMEMS drivers. This is the same revolutionary drivers that Creative used in the Aurvana Ace series.
Soundpeats Capsule3 Pro+ uses a combination of xMEMS drivers and 12mm dynamic drivers to achieve a full frequency range delivery. For the uninitiated, XMEMS is the latest micro speaker technology that reproduces sound using solid-state silicon membrane which is very small and hard. Like every driver technology, there are pros and cons. The advantages are that the sound is more precise, technically cleaner sound because the driver that generates the frequency is very stiff and fast compared to normal drivers whose diaphragm area is larger and more flexible. The disadvantage is unexciting low frequency reproduction, hence Soundpeats supplement the Capsule3 Pro+ with traditional dynamic drivers to boost the lower frequency range.
The earbuds come with a smartphone app and with it you can select the ANC modes, update firmware, enable game mode for lower latency, adjust EQ, change the touch gesture controls. It supports LDAC, AAC and SBC codec, delivers 6.5 hours continuous battery life, while the case extends the usage to 43 hours. The earbuds are rated IPX4 to repel some water.
I find the adaptive EQ feature quite interesting. After going through a series of hearing test, the app will generate the EQ that matches your hearing capability. It took me a few tries to get the process correct, and like any aged ears, I need a boost on the upper frequencies, though not very much.
Audio Quality: “xMEM-ceptional”
When I reviewed the Creative Aurvana Ace 2 which also uses xMEMS and dynamic drivers combo, I commented that they sounded a little less sparkly, given the fact that xMEMS can achieve much better clarity than traditional large-diaphragm drivers. On the Soundpeats Capsule3 Pro+, I have finally experienced its full potential.
If I were to simplify my description, I would say that the Capsule3 Pro+ probably sounds like a digital version of headphones, where every digital bit of information is accurately converted into digital sound waves and fed into my ears. With these earbuds, I have yet again managed to hear more musical details that would not have been possible even if I crank up the volume to the max.
Amazingly, even when I literally pushed the volume to the max, I am able to hear even more sounds from the recording without causing any driver distortion or phase effects or sibilance. I am really feeling myself inside the actual recording moment and able to hear every microphone pickup on every instrument. At maximum volume, I was gearing myself to be cringed with uncontrollable harshness or distortion or messy noise. Instead, I was treated with an overwhelming musical timbre that magically presents without fighting one another for air space.
How is this possible? From what I hear, each instrument sounds very clean and fast. The notes do not linger and cause chaos with subsequent notes. Neither do the highs sound metallic. There exist hints of fullness but you do not get the bloomy sound or spongy warmth. The bass does contain some intense subsonic feel but does not obscure the sound.
Unfortunately, this kind of “hyper-detailed” audio reproduction may not work for some recordings. If you recall, when the recording industry started to record in digital format and pressed CDs, they don’t sound as good as analog medium, because the engineers did not understand digital. Decades later, recording engineers can deliver extremely high resolution recordings. Ironically, the speaker technology remains “antique”, made up of magnetic coils and large physical membrane materials to vibrate sound waves.
Because of these MEMS-driver characteristics, it turns out that analogue-source recordings sound rather poorly because they capture a lot of analogue artifacts that get heard on the earbuds. It’s like, when you watch VCR on an old-school CRT TV, they look authentic and good, but if you connect it to an LED TV, the footage just looks so inauthentic. Ironically, sometimes we are counting on the imperfections of the speaker medium to provide some authenticity to the digital source. Isn’t that why vinyl records sound “better”?
To truly enjoy xMEMS earbuds, you need recordings that are meticulously mixed. Go immerse yourself with hi-res audio tracks, FLAC, DSD, 24-bit, 192kHz and above. Else, you will only get superficial audio experience, along the lines of “clear articulated treble, lean bass boom, clean midrange”.
Comparing to the other xMEMS earbuds I reviewed, Creative Aurvana Ace 2, this Capsule 3 Pro+ has the upper hand with its brighter treble. And interestingly, even though the Capsule 3 Pro+ uses a larger-size dynamic driver, the lower frequency is not as prominent as the Aurvana Ace. While the latter is audibly precise and detailed, the higher clarity of the Capsule 3 Pro+ provides a greater perception that it is easier to listen to details and offers clearer audio.
Comparing to the Technics AZ80, the Technics delivers a more sparkly upper-treble tuning, but the rest of the musical instruments are less articulate. Indeed, xMEMS drivers have outperformed dynamic drivers with its precision and sonic discipline that some may even call it “clinical”. Delivering clean accurate sounds might not always be a good thing, just like how people prefer vinyl record sound than hi-res digital files. But I am enjoying listening to the Capsule3 Pro+ because of how I can uncover new musical elements.
The noise cancellation is effective on average. Using it on trains, the ANC keeps rumbling tunnel sounds low enough for me to enjoy my music, but it does not suppress upper frequency ambient noise compared to class-leading brands. In Transparency mode, the ambient sound is natural and not over-amplified, which I prefer over the Aurvana Ace 2 which is slightly more amplified. Switching the various modes require some time, and there is a slight change in frequency response, especially when ANC is off, the bass is a lot leaner and less depth.
Verdict
I must say that the Capsule3 Pro+ has allowed me to experience audio at a different level. The xMEMS driver has delivered more immersive, clearer details, yet less sonic clutter. The resultant sound is quite radical and unlike the usual V-shaped frequency response curve, but fortunately you can EQ it to your liking. It took me a while and some eartip swapping to get the best out of the drivers.
You can order a set from Amazon for less than S$100. Price fluctuates, something that Amazon does all the time, so happy price-watching! Here’s the buy link: https://bit.ly/3A7GFIe
