TWS true wireless earphones - under $100
4.5 STARS - Fiil took the best aspects of the brilliant T1XS and improved upon it. The Fiil T1 Pro earpieces are more compact and comfortable, and the sound is... even better. Just don't expect too much from the ANC active noise cancelling.
Fiil T1 Pro specs:
Bluetooth 5.2 with AAC codec
IPX5 waterproof rating (rain and sweat resistant)
6 hours listening on a full charge
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 4 times
Comes with 4 sizes ear tips, 3 sizes sport-wings and USB-C cable
$70 on AliExpress (possibly cheaper here) - check current price!
Below this Fiil T1 Pro review, you will find comparisons between the Fiil T1 Pro vs Fiil T1XS, Samsung Galaxy Buds+, Edifier TWS NB2 and 1more ColorBuds.
Update May 5, 2021: As some users are reporting some irregularities with the T1 Pro charging case, and the $35 Fiil T1 Lite offers almost the same sound for half the price, the overall score has been downgraded from 5 to 4.5 stars.
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Design, comfort and battery life
Let's start with the biggest improvement: the Fiil T1 Pro earpieces are tinier than those of the Fiil T1X and Fiil T1XS. They have the same square-ish shape but are slightly slimmer. This makes them much more comfortable to wear, even though Fiil now uses larger ear tips. The tips now have a more comfortable oval shape rather than a perfectly round one, following the AirPods Pro-design. While even the medium-sized tips may look large, they aren't annoying or uncomfortable.
Once again, this Fiil comes with three sizes of rubber-rings you can wrap around the earpieces, of which two include sport-wings to grant an extra steady fit, making these ANC earbuds perfectly suitable for running, working out, and sports. The IPX5 rain- and sweat waterproof rating helps here, and the slimmer design makes them more comfortable while breaking a sweat than previous Fiil's. Like its predecessors, the T1 Pro can make a squishy sound when you put it in your ears, but it has more space between the earphones and your inner-ears, making for a lighter and more pleasant fit.
The Fiil T1 Pro earpieces have a duotone color scheme, with a dark grey lining around the black touch panel. It makes the earbuds look formal and sleek - even though the earpieces are prone to fingerprints. The case stayed the same since the T1XS, except it's a half millimeter higher, and it now has a duotone color scheme too. The piano shiny-black lid is also sensitive to fingerprints, but it's a compact and sturdy enough design.
The battery life on the T1 Pro is suitable for everyday use, providing up to 6 hours playtime on a single charge. The case can recharge the earpieces four times fully before needing new power itself. You can also charge the case via USB-C and wirelessly. A 15-minute recharge gives them about 1,5 hours of extra playtime.
Connectivity and controls
Out of the box, the Fiil T1 Pro's controls are limited:
Double-tap L or R to play/ pause music
Hold L or R to activate ANC or Ambient Mode
With the Chinese version of the Fiil+ app (more on that later), you can flip the switch on the 'easy controls' and gain great control options. This way, you can also change the volume (tap the left bud once to increase, three times to decrease) and track selection (tap the right bud once to skip, three times to return a song).
The touch panel responds good to your touch, but you have to wait for a slight beep as feedback before your desired function activates. The beep itself is more relaxed than on the T1XS.
The connectivity on the Fiil T1 Pro is solid. It holds its Bluetooth signal stable up to ten meters away from your phone or computer, and the earbuds are already connected when you take them out of the case. Music automatically pauses when you take an earbud out (you can change this via the app), and resumes when putting it in again.
It's also possible to swap between listening mono and stereo. Put one earbud in the case to charge, and you can continue to listen to the other; take it out of the case again, and the sound returns to stereo.
Calling and watching movies
It's convenient to take a phone call or video call with the Fiil T1 Pro. The call quality seems to be slightly improved over the T1XS. While wind noise still challenges your voice, other surrounding noises like traffic passing by and people talking around you, are reduced to mere zoof-like sounds in the background. Both inside and outdoors, your voice appears loud and clear.
Video playback on the T1 Pro is perfect in most video apps on both Android and iPhone. The YouTube-app on iPhone is an exception, however, with a noticeable delay in the sound. This can be prevented by activating the Low-latency Gaming Mode from the app, which also speeds up sound effects in games impressively.
If you want the most versatile wireless ANC earbuds with great video and call quality and games synchronization, the Edifier TWS NB2 is worthier of your attention.
How does the Fiil T1 Pro app-support work?
The Fiil T1 Pro promises app support on the box, but this doesn't work outside of China at the moment.
This text is updated December 2020 and contains a disclaimer
At this moment, app support for the T1 Pro is very hard to get for iPhone and Android. Scanning the QR code from the box or downloading the Fiil+ Global app from the App Store or Play Store directly won't get you support for the T1 Pro (or T1 Lite) in countries other than China. I've contacted the USA brand importer of Fiil, and there are currently no plans to change this.
The only chance of app support that remains is trying to download the Chinese app for Android. Beware: downloading this app gives a Google Play Protect warning that this file may use data to track and follow you. When you still decide to install it, the app needs permissions to access your storage, controlling your phone calls, and your location. Download only at your own risk.
Choose from three standard equalizers or genre equalizers. Under it, you can switch between the ANC functions from the app
Flip the highest switch in the settings to activate extended controles, the one underneath is the Gaming Mode
If you download the Chinese Fiil-app, you can activate the low latency Gaming Mode, choose from three standard equalizers or 10+ genre equalizers, create a custom equalizer yourself, or activate the extensive controls from the settings. In that case, these controls are added:
Tap R once to skip to the next track
Tap R three times to return a song
Tap L once to increase the volume
Tap L three times to decrease volume
Via the Fiil+ Global app, there's no English app support for the Fiil T1 Pro at the moment and there likely won't be anytime soon. Keep this in mind.
How good is the ANC of the Fiil T1 Pro?
Functions and switching: The Fiil T1 Pro has an ANC mode (voice prompt sounds like sie-thin-quan) on by default, and an Ambient Mode ('sie-thin-khai'). There's no option to turn ANC off. Cycling between the two functions is done by a two second-touch on the left or the right bud, but you'll only hear the activation of the function once you've let go of the touch panel.
ANC quality: Unfortunately, the active noise cancelling on the Fiil T1 Pro is plain bad. When you're in a quiet area, the T1 Pro helps to reduce the volume of constant darker and higher-pitched sounds in the distance, but good-fitting earbuds can achieve almost the same effect without ANC. Surrounding noise doesn't sound much softer than without the earbuds. Close to a big airconditioner, the T1 Pro filters out some of the machine's darker sounds, but the machine sounds almost just as loud. The same goes for people talking or sounds like keyboard clicks - the Fiil T1 Pro hardly reduces them. It works good to reduce the volume of darker background sounds though.
Ambient Mode quality: The Ambient Mode, the mode that puts through sounds like traffic and chatting around you, doesn't work very well. The effect isn't strong enough to hear when you're playing music on a medium volume. The music also doesn't automatically stop when you activate the mode.
Wind noise reduction: Happily, wind noises are kept away from the Fiil T1 Pro sound wonderfully. While you can't turn ANC off, you won't hear any wind when you're cycling or walking with them with ANC on.
Also read: The best wireless earbuds under $100
Sound quality of Fiil T1 Pro: The best got better
Only two months after its release, Fiil improved upon the sound of the already outstanding T1XS. The Fiil T1 Pro takes away the predecessor's mid-peak and has a larger soundstage.
The basics of the T1 Pro are incredibly right, once again. The bass has a strong yet tight mid-bass thump, and the sub-bass (the darkest of bass-tones - the bass you can feel as much as hear) can give a proper shakeup of your ears when called for, but doesn't force itself in genres where it doesn't belong. More importantly, it also knows how to dive deep. Even in the most crowded musical pieces, bass lines can be separated easily - with a mid-bass full of texture and lovely low-hitting subs.
The Fiil T1 Pro has a slight boost in the lower-mid tones. They don't overpower the other frequencies, but instruments like cello's, drums, and darker guitars, gained some weight compared to previous Fiil models. The same goes for darker electronic tones, too, providing modern genres like electronic pop, dance, and techno their flow.
In the mids and highs, the Fiil T1 Pro performs excellent. Both male and female vocals take center stage in the music - they sound forward, clear, and brim with detail. In higher-quality recordings or specifically singer-songwriter ballads, blues, or jazz, vocals somehow appear more dynamic than on so many other wireless earbuds.
Take a straightforward Britpop-rock song like Cordova's This Town's A Drag. On many wireless earbuds, the male vocals and guitars are drawn towards the lows. On the highly praised Samsung Galaxy Buds+ (review coming soon), it sounds near-shouty, shaky as intended… but a little bright and flat. The Fiil T1 Pro takes the best of both worlds: the guitars still sound loose, the male singer just as natural as on the Buds+. Yet, his voice comes with more detail in the low-end than on the Samsung. It's not dark like on many TWS; no, it's mid-bliss that flirts with darker tones and keeps highs perfectly in control.
Speaking of the mids, they mark the biggest chance with the T1XS. The T1XS and Fiil T1X really pushed the mids, giving them staggering detail, but also filling up the sound. The T1 Pro removes a peak in the mids, taking away some minor details, but creating an impressively wide soundstage in return. Instruments have more room to breathe on the T1 Pro. They are placed more around you, further away from you on your left and right.
The removal of the mid-peak also makes vocals in the upper-mids sound more natural. Tonality is still spot-on; instruments sound lifelike and sound natural - not cold, not overly warm. Mind you though, if you're used to warm sounding earphones and headphones, the sound of the Fiil T1 Pro can appear cold and harsh at first. It's a clear, technical sound you may have to get used to. Overall, however, the mid-peak removal is a great tradeoff Fiil makes here.
Don't forget - the app has sound equalizers as well, and especially the Bass EQ may please lovers of a full, (even) more heavy-hitting bass. However, you'll do fine without.
The Fiil T1 Pro is a lovely sounding wireless earphone, with a clear presentation from the bass to the highs, excellent tonality and detail.
Fiil T1 Pro comparisons
Fiil T1 Pro vs Fiil T1XS
The Fiil T1 Pro earbuds in black, the T1XS buds in white (tap to enlarge)
The Fiil T1 Pro has smaller earbuds than the T1XS. The T1 Pro buds are less round and thick, and don't fill up your ears as much. The T1 Pro is therefore comfortable to wear for longer amounts of time. Its call quality is better, too, as surrounding noise is better left out of your calls. Unfortunately, the ANC active noise cancellation is all but the killer feature on the T1 Pro. It just doesn't add anything.
Soundwise, a peak in the mid-tones on the T1XS sound delivers more microdetail; slightly more texture in guitars, violins, or cymbals. However, this mid-peak can make some higher-pitched male vocals sound a bit tinny, while they sound more natural on the T1 Pro. At the same time, when voices hit the highest-notes, the T1 Pro handles them better, more controlled than the T1XS.
Without the mid-peak, the T1 Pro creates a bigger, wider soundstage with more room in between instruments and vocals. The T1XS sounds a little closed-in in comparison.
Fiil T1 Pro vs Fiil T1 Lite
The Fiil T1 Lite is only half the price of the Fiil T1 Pro: $35 against $65. For this price, it loses the sport-wings and the disappointing active noise-canceling of the T1 Pro. You'll give in a bit on call quality as well, as the T1 Pro reduces surrounding noise better. The T1 Lite counters this with better video playback on the YouTube-app on iPhone and a higher waterproof rating. Most surprisingly: the T1 Lite sounds just a bit better. It takes the brilliant basis of the T1 Pro but reduces the rough edge of cymbals, bells, and high-hats - it has better-controlled highs than the T1 Pro, while also displaying a deeper-diving sub-bass that performs steadier in crowded music pieces. If you don't mind using the Chinese Android app, the Fiil T1 Pro offers more equalizers and the option to make a custom equalizer yourself. If you don't need these functions, you could just save some money and go with the T1 Lite.
Fiil T1 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Buds+
Available for around 100 dollars now, the much-praised Samsung Galaxy Buds+ is a direct competitor to the Fiil. The Samsung app-support with multiple equalizers is more convenient on Android and iPhone, and Samsung delivers even crisper call quality. Both TWS come with three sizes of rubber sport-wings and are workout-proof, but connectivity on the Fiil is better, as the Buds+ can have slight connection drops when you're running or cycling.
Both earphones sound great. The Galaxy Buds+ sound brighter than the Fiil T1 Pro, with more extended and prominent highs. Unfortunately, these can also make music sound a bit shallow and harsh at times - in both the normal setting and with the equalizers, especially since the bass and lower-mids don't always offer enough weight to counter the higher tones. This doesn't affect all genres (like rock), but the added weight in the lower frequencies makes the T1 Pro both more dynamic ánd balanced sounding than the Galaxy Buds+.
Samsung Galaxy Buds+ review soon, buy on Amazon US, Amazon Germany or other Amazon stores
Fiil T1Xs vs 1more ColorBuds
The 1more ColorBuds is priced competitively with the T1 Pro, and has some of the same challenges. The basic controls are too simple, and the app support is unreliable. With the 1more, the iPhone-app is (nearly) impossible to get to work. While the T1 Pro lacks extended controls and equalizers without the app, the ColorBuds problems are much bigger without app support - as the earbuds out of the box have a hard time connecting quickly to each other. Both are suitable for calls, but the sport-wings make the T1 Pro more suited for working out.
While both TWS have a balanced sound, the T1 Pro adds in a more pronounced bass, more forwardness and detail in its vocals, and more prominent mids, beneficial for instruments like guitars and violins. The 1more sounds straightforward; the Fiil throws in more depth and detail upon its balanced basis.
1more ColorBuds review - buy on Amazon US, Amazon Germany or other Amazon Stores
Fiil T1 Pro vs Edifier TWS NB2
The Edifier TWS NB2 are other wireless ANC earbuds that don't offer great active noise cancellation, although they soften more sound than the Fiil. Still, the Edifier is a more versatile wireless earphone. It has even clearer call quality both indoors and outside, video playback is spot-on, and there's even a gaming mode which reduces the delay in sound effects while playing games convincingly.
Soundwise, the T1 Pro has a more balanced approach than the TWS NB2. The Edifier has a much warmer, more bass-oriented sound, with lots of emphasis on lower frequencies. Its mid-bass sounds thicker, but it has slightly faster pacing, making dance songs more energizing. The Fiil extends highs better, and especially higher-pitched vocals sound crisper and come with more nuances. Instrument tonality and separation are more natural.
Verdict
There are some things to complain about with the Fiil T1 Pro. The ANC noise cancelling is a below-average and the app-support is tricky, potentially limiting the controls of these earbuds to just play and pause and ANC activation.
Yet, the T1 Pro gets 4.5 stars. Fiil took the best aspects of the brilliant T1XS and made it even better. The tinier earbuds are more comfortable, even for sports. The call quality improved, and it delivers an impressively detailed audio experience.
If you love music and don't want to spend too much on wireless earbuds, the $60 Fiil T1 Pro is a great deal.
4.5 stars - Great
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I bought the Fiil T1 Pro myself to test and review myself. My reviews are 100% independent and non-commercial. I test and review all audio products equally honest - read about it here.
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