TWS true wireless earphones - under $50
FIVE STARS - The Fiil CC2 removed the biggest cons of the already great predecessor. Next to impressive sound and call quality, it now also offers solid video playback and better battery life - although with a twist.
Fiil CC2 specs:
Bluetooth 5.2 with AAC codec
5 hours listening on a full charge
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 5 times
Comes with USB-C cable
$55 on Amazon US or AliExpress (possibly cheaper here)
Below this Fiil CC2 review, you will find comparisons between the Fiil CC2 vs Fiil CC, SoundPEATS TrueAir2, TaoTronics SoundLiberty 95 and Fiil T1 Pro.
Update June 18: As the new promised 5-6 hours battery life isn't all that convenient with the trick this earphone uses, the total score has been adjusted from 5 tot 4,5 stars.
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Design, comfort and battery life
It's impossible to spot the differences between the Fiil CC and the brand new Fiil CC2. Simply... because there aren't any when it comes to looks. The CC2 has still one of the most original and most stylish wireless earbud designs among the more than 190 models tested on Scarbir.com.
The Fiil's ultra-thin, matte-metallic grey stems look amazing both in and out of your ears. The subtle Fiil-branding on the sides, the microphones put away in the bottom of the stems, the LED-light (which doesn't blink when you play music, happily) hidden away in the top. Fiil put a lot of thought into this design.
The part that goes into your ears has a far more conventional design - it has the same round mound, the same side-aiming speaker design we've seen from the Apple AirPods, and many other 'half-in-ears'. You can just 'hang' the CC2 in your ears, and they will remain there snugly. The buds are lightweight and comfortable to carry for a couple of hours.
Previously, the slim stems meant bad news for the battery life. The original Fiil CC could run out of juice after only three hours of listening to music and 3,5 hours of taking calls. The Fiil CC2 can play up to 5 hours playtime on a single charge, but it only gets there with a certain trick: it shuts itself off after a few minutes of inactivity. You'll have to turn them on again to continue using them. The total score they can last without being in the case, is 5 hours this way. If you're using them actively, you again won't get passed the 3,5 hours mark.
It recharges quickly, too: putting them in the case for only five minutes will almost get you an hour of listening time. In total, the case can recharge the earbuds five times fully before needing new power via USB-C itself.
The metallic, stylish charging case of the Fiil CC2 still doesn't come with a lid - the two earbuds rest openly in the middle part of the case. It can be a bit of a hassle to take them out, unfortunately. Also: keep some cotton swabs at home. When the case stops charging the buds due to dirt, a small sweep of the swabs near the charging dots in the case saves your earbuds.
Connectivity and controls
The Fiil CC2 has minimal controls, which operate easily by touching the upper part of the stem:
Double-tap L or R to pause or play music
Hold L or R to activate the voice assistant
That's all the controls you get out of the box. Now, Fiil has an Android and iPhone app that grants you a more extensive control scheme, but don't take this for granted. Fiil keeps releasing app-updates on its website, but over the last months it turned out to be a guess when and which Fiil-models will be supported - and if the app is in English or Chinese. If you can get the app to activate (chances are much bigger on Android, as there are often multiple versions available), the controls become more extensive:
Double-tap L or R to pause or play music
Tap R once to skip a song
Tap R three times to return a song
Tap L once to increase the volume
Tap L three times to decrease volume
Hold L or R to activate the voice assistant
It's best to buy these with the thought you will only have play/ pause at hand, however. Better safe than sorry.
Happily, the connectivity on the Fiil CC2 is great either way, with or without an app. The earbuds keep their signal up to ten meters away from your device and don't show hiccups in the sound, including in areas crowded with wireless signals. It's also possible to switch listening between one and two earphones easily: just put one earbud in the charger while listening to the other. Take it out, and the earbuds immediately play stereo again.
Calling and video playback on Fiil CC2
Taking a phone call was convenient with the first CC and that doesn't change in the CC2. Your voice comes through loud and clear to the other end of the line, and surrounding noises are reduced wonderfully. Wind noise is still audible, but most traffic and people talking around you are put in the background. If you aren't a talker yourself, it can even occur the person you're talking to asks you if you're still there - it can be that silent.
Performance in video calls - like Zoom meetings - is stunning too, again presenting your voice clear and loud, overruling background sounds around you.
Watching videos with the Fiil CC2 is a blast too. Other Fiil-models, including the previous CC, needed a low-latency button in the app to speed up the audio synchronization with video and games. The CC2 app still offers that function - but this time around, videos are in lipsync out of the box on both iPhone and Android already, including the challenging YouTube-app. No app required.
Also read: The best true wireless earphones under $50
Sound quality of Fiil CC2: Rich and clear
There was a time that half-in-ears didn't sound as good as wireless earphones with rubber-tups that go into your ears entirely. It's harder to make a sideways-aiming speaker that is further away from your ear canal, sound just as full and rich as full-in-ears. The Fiil CC and Fiil CC2 come incredibly close, however.
As both earphones can go just as (lovely) loud and sound the same, here's a partly copypasted sound-review of the original Fiil CC with some added findings.
The CC2 has a steady bass, with a rather tight bass-thump that doesn't bloat. The sub-bass can rumble gently, although it doesn't reach the deepest tones. The CC2 isn't about bass, however. It's supportive, not dominant.
The same goes for the lower frequencies. Drums have plenty of impact, cello's sound lifelike, and darker electronic tones are represented well in more modern genres. They don't take the overhand in the music, though; another great-sounding competitor like the SoundPEATS TrueAir 2 definitely puts more weight in both the bass and the lower-mids.
The Fiil CC2 paves the way for the mid-tones instead. These brim with detail. Instruments like guitars, trumpets, and piano sound clear and natural. Vocals, especially female and higher-pitched male vocals sound crisp and detailed. They play the most prominent part of the music - and do so with flying colours.
However, in (mostly acoustic, shambly British rock) songs with lots of guitars and high-pitched vocals, the abundance of mid-tones can come at the lower frequencies' cost, making the sound a bit thin at times.
Other than that, the Fiil CC2 handles both modern and more traditional genres very well, especially since there's a great sense of air in the music too. Music feels around you rather than directly in your ears, with great left-right separation and convincing instrument placement.
Like the previous model, the Fiil CC2 is among the best sounding pair of half-in-ears wireless earbuds on the market, no matter the price.
Fiil CC2 comparisons
Fiil CC2 vs Fiil CC
What are the differences between the Fiil CC and Fiil CC2? It comes down to two things in favor of the Fiil CC2. The battery life of the Fiil CC2 is much stronger, reaching up to 5 hours of music playback per charge, instead of the 3 hours of the first CC when playing music at loud volume. As the CC2 earbuds recharge faster, the CC2 is much more usable on your average day of calling, work, studying, or commuting. The other difference is video playback: the CC2 always handles YouTube videos great, whereas you need a button in the app off the original CC to make audio synchronize with video. As both models share their fantastic design and sound the same, the Fiil CC2 is most of all a worthwhile upgrade for everyday use.
Fiil CC2 vs SoundPEATS TrueAir2
When the first CC was released, its sound quality stood above the competition. This isn't the case at the end of 2020 anymore: it now shares honours with the SoundPEATS TrueAir2. The SoundPEATS has a stronger mid-bass, deeper sounding sub-bass, and puts more weight in the lower frequencies, making music sound warmer and fuller. In songs with much lows, they can push higher-pitched vocals away a bit, making them sound a little off. Fiil makes another choice: the bass is less engaging, but vocals and upper-mids on the CC2 sound clearer, and mid-instruments like guitars and drums sound more natural.
The call quality on both models is outstanding, although the Fiil handles indoor calls a bit better. Battery life is slightly stronger on the CC2 (5 hours against 4,5), but the SoundPEATS has track and volume controls right out of the box - whereas you need Fiil's unreliable app to get those on the CC2. With the added controls straightaway, the TrueAir2 is even more convenient for daily use.
If you listen to modern and electronic genres mostly, the added lows of the TrueAir2 will work better for you; if you prefer listening to acoustic and older genres, the Fiil CC2 should be your top choice.
Fiil CC2 vs SoundLiberty 95
The SoundLiberty 95 is another great pair of half-in-ears around the $50 price point, with even longer battery life: up to 6 hours battery per charge. It also has track controls on the earbuds, without the need for an app. In music playback, it has much more emphasis on the lows. The 95 has a stronger mid-bass thump, and in addition to darker electronic tones, all instruments and vocals reach into the lows a bit, making a warmer if a bit dark sound. The CC2 sounds more open, brighter, detailed in vocals and instruments, and while the bass isn't as present, it is tighter.
Fiil CC2 vs Fiil T1 Pro
You don't care about half-in-ears or full-in-ears? You could also consider one of the best full-in-ears around the same price - the Fiil T1 Pro. With an extra 1-1,5 hours of battery life and sport-wings to make them stay tightly in your ears while working out, there's something to say for the T1 Pro. The CC2 does offer better call quality and audio-video synchronization in the YouTube-app, however. Soundwise, both have a strong emphasis on the mid-tones and vocals, but the T1 Pro has a stronger mid-bass, deeper sub-bass rumblings, and stronger lower-mids to make music sound fuller. The CC2 has a cleaner sound. It focuses on vocals and upper-mids more and delivers a bigger soundstage. There's more space in between instruments, and highs are better controlled.
—> See all TWS reviews and ratings here
Verdict
The Fiil CC2 removed the biggest cons of the already great predecessor. Next to impressive sound and call quality, it now also offers solid video playback and better if tricky battery life, making it one of the most desirable half-in-ears wireless earbuds on the entire market.
4.5 stars - Great
Buy SoundPEATS TrueAir2/ check current price:
Buy Fiil CC2 on AliExpress (possibly cheaper link)
I bought the Fiil CC2 myself to test and review. All my reviews are 100% honest and non-commercial. I test and review all audio products equally honest - read about it here.
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