TWS true wireless earphones - under $100
4.5 STARS - The Fiil T1XS is an even better version of the already brilliant Fiil T1X. It's the best sounding affordable TWS you can get.
Fiil T1XS specs:
Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC codec
IPX5 waterproof rating (rain and sweat resistant)
6 hours listening on a full charge
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 3 times
Comes with 4 sizes ear tips, 3 sizes sport-wings and USB-C cable
$60 on Amazon US or AliExpress (possibly cheaper here) - check current price!
Below this Fiil T1XS review, you will find comparisons between the Fiil T1XS vs Fiil T1X, Haylou T19, Samsung Galaxy Buds, Mpow M30, and Tozo NC9/ SoundLiberty 94/ 20Decebel.
Update July 22, 2022: As I've re-evaluated the importance of good call quality, the overall score of this model has been changed from 5 to 4.5 stars.
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Design, comfort and battery life
You may have seen the review of the Fiil T1X - crowned the best TWS under 100 dollars for nearly half a year - on Scarbir TWS review before. The Fiil T1XS is very clearly a continuation of that model, available in black and now also a sleek white-grey color scheme.
Most importantly, the charging case has become a lot more pocketable. The T1XS box measures 65 mm x 30 mm x 25 mm (width, height, depth) in size instead of the 73 x 30 x 35 mm before. It's much easier to let it slide in your jeans pocket.
The Fiil T1X on the left, T1XS on the right
Fortunately, the case didn't give in on power. It can still recharge the earpieces three times fully via USB-C. The two LED-lights on the T1X case are replaced by a single, color-switching LED-light on the front. It still indicates the battery and charging status of the T1XS.
The earbuds have stayed the same in size and shape. They come with four sizes of ear tips and three sizes of rubber ear-rings you can pull around the earbuds - two of them with sport-wings that make the earpieces stay snugly in your ears.
Perhaps make that very snugly. The earpieces have a rectangular shape, and with the addition of the sport-wings, they are among the most tight-fitting earphones you can get. They fill up your ears, and as they are so tight, there are times you can feel your footsteps or even heartbeat resonating in your ears when you play music on low volume.
Happily, the tight fit also comes with big pluses. First of all, the earbuds offer solid passive noise isolation. They take away quite a bit of volume of your surroundings by just putting them in - while traffic and people talking nearby are still audible when you're not playing music very loud. Secondly, their fit makes them incredibly wind-resistant. Wind noise is kept outside of the earbuds completely - it just doesn't infiltrate the sound! Due to its IPX5 waterproof-level, the T1XS can withstand rain and sweat, making them great work commuting, running, and working out.
The Fiil T1XS earbuds deliver around 6 hours playtime on a single charge and even longer talking time. There are better scores around this budget, but that's plenty of juice for average daily use. Plus, a 15-minute recharge gives them around 1,5 hours extra playtime.
Connectivity and controls
The Fiil T1XS has robust connectivity, with its Bluetooth 5.0 signal keeping stable up to ten meters from your device, even with thin walls in between. It also stays reliable when you're running or cycling.
Like other earphones, you can switch seamlessly between one and two earpieces too. If you take an earpiece out and put it in the charger, music will pause, but you can keep playing on one side by pressing play again. Take the earpiece out the case again, and the earbuds instantly play in stereo mode again.
Indeed - music automatically pauses when you take an earpiece out. Although - this is dependent on how you hold the earbud you've removed from your ears. If you hold it on its touch panel or side, music will keep playing. If you hold it around the nozzle or put it on a table, music will stop. You can then resume playing by tapping the earpiece twice.
Speaking of the controls - it's a must to download the Fiil-app for Android or iPhone. Without it, double-tapping to play or pause the music, or holding the earbuds for the voice-assistant on your phone, are the only controls on the earbuds.
Within the Fiil-app, hitting the 'Easy Mode controls' switch will unlock the other control options. Then, you can also change the volume controls (tap the left bud once to increase volume, three times to decrease it) and track controls (tap the right bud once to skip to the next track, thrice to return a song).
The touch panels on the Fiil T1XS respond very well to your touches and confirms your input by mild beeps. Even triple-tapping to reduce the volume, works great almost all the time.
Calling and watching movies
The call quality of the Fiil T1XS is dependent on your surroundings. Like the Fiil CC, calling is great in quieter areas, where your voice sounds full, and there's an extreme silence over your surroundings, which makes phone calls very clear.
Unfortunately, outdoors the call quality is less stellar. Nearby cars, scooters, and trains come through in your calls and compete with your voice. Frequent lower noises are filtered out nicely, happily, making the T1XS still suitable for outdoor calling if you're removed from traffic.
When watching videos on the Fiil T1XS, expect good synchronization between audio and video on both the iPhone and Android. Unfortunately, the YouTube-app on the iPhone just misses perfect lipsync. There's a trick to this, however. With the Fiil-app, you can activate the Low Latency mode, which makes the lipsync in videos spot-on and improves the speed of sound effects in games. This setting can lead to decreased stability, however, with occasional split-second dropouts in the sound. It's recommended to turn it off again after gaming.
Fiil T1XS app for iPhone: A must!
The Fiil T1XS doesn't have official iPhone app support in Western countries, but by downloading the Fiil+ Global app for iPhone and pretend you have the Fiil T1X, you still get great features.
Download the Fiil+ app, start it and pretend you have the Fiil T1X. The app will recognize your T1XS as one. Sure, it's weird and inconvenient, but it will grant you access to functions you don't want to miss.
The most important function of the app is the switch for the control scheme. As the Easy controls (double-tap to play-pause) are activated on the T1XS out of the box, flipping the Easy Mode-controls switch will get you the extensive controls on the earbuds. This way, you can also change volume and tracks on the earpieces.
With a different switch, you can change the touch panels' sensitivity, and another lets you activate the Low Latency-mode, which improves audio-video synchronization in videos and games. The app also lets you choose between 10+ preset music equalizers - which let you alter the sound in a great way - see the sound part of this review.
The iPhone app-support of the Global Fiil+ app hugely improves the Fiil T1XS functionality.
Fiil T1XS app for Android: even more functions!
As of late September, Fiil updated its global Android app to support even more functions for the Fiil T1XS.
The app will recognize the T1XS and will give you even more options than the iPhone app. Expect all functions from the iPhone-app and these additions:
A battery indicator for the earphones and charging case
Custom equalizer: tweak the sound with a 10-band equalizer, from the lows to the highs
DSP Audio Enhance: a setting that should improve the audio quality further, at the cost of more white noise sound from your phone. On the Xiaomi Mi A1 phone, there seems to be no effect.
MorpheusSTB Power Saving: Takes away some voice crispness in calls (and introduces some crackles on the line), but saves battery when calling.
Wear detect (Advanced settings): Decide whether the earbuds should automatically pause/ resume playing when you're taking them out of your ears and put them in again
Voice prompt (Advanced settings): Change the voice prompts from Chinese to English!
With the advanced functions of the Android app, the Fiil T1XS becomes an even bigger recommendation, taking away the minor flaws (like Chinese voice prompts) the T1XS has. It's an essential addition to the Fiil T1XS.
Also read: The best wireless earbuds under $100
Sound quality of Fiil T1XS: Phenomenal
The Fiil T1XS delivers a phenomenal balanced and rich sound, taking away the already outstanding predecessor's rough edges.
The Fiil T1XS is pronounced from the deepest bass to the highest highs. Every frequency along the line is represented amazingly.
The bass on the T1XS has great depth. There's an attacking, juicy mid-bass slam that gives pop, dance, and electronic genres their uplifting character - but it's the combination with the tight, impressively deep sub-bass rumbles that really make the bass shine. The T1XS has no challenge displaying multiple basslines simultaneously, providing each one with power and texture.
The mids are the standout factor on the Fiil, however. The lower-mids, such as drums, darker electronic tones in more modern genres, or saxophones, are boosted and represented fantastic, providing warmth and flow to the sound. This emphasis can sometimes be tricky, but here, there is no bass-bleed into the mids, and the lower-mids don't weaken the bass either: both coexist in perfect harmony - both brim with life.
Other mids are just as pronounced. On higher-quality recordings, you can hear the pressing of piano keys, the string-pulling of guitars, or a trumpet's sputters. Vocals sound just as outstanding, from Leonard Cohen's utter darkness up to the often harsh, higher-pitched male vocals from Foster the People. There isn't a voice that sounds recessed - they all enjoy forwardness, still controlling even the highest of notes and attacks wonderfully. The same way that highs like cymbals, claps, and violins get all the room in the world - without ever sounding peaky, thin, too loud, or sharp.
It's not just the individual qualities though - it's the way the Fiil T1XS combines the frequencies.
It's not just the individual qualities though - it's the way the Fiil T1XS combines the frequencies. Whereas predecessor T1X had a big soundstage on easier going songs, but could be crowded on heavy metal or dance tracks, the T1XS holds on to its dynamics. The overall soundstage is more intimate than the T1X and the airiest of wireless earphones, but no matter how crowded the songs - the bass always presents itself with its depth, vocals keep on shining, and instruments and effects always have their own place in the music, coming from your left and right, often slightly in front of you.
Happily, the Fiil T1XS can go loud on both iPhone and Android. The latter even provides the option to increase volume on the earpieces further than your device may indicate.
And then, of course, there's an app with multiple equalizers on top of it. At least three presets are worth trying: Bass adds more punch and thickness to the lower frequencies, making the sound a tad warmer. Treble reduces the weight on lower frequencies, paving even more way for higher-pitched vocals and instruments, and New Age is worth a look too, as it tones down the mid-tones and provides a more comforting, easy-going listen.
The Fiil T1XS is a triumph for music listeners, delivering a rich sound from the lows to the highs. It's the best sounding affordable wireless earbuds to date.
Fiil T1XS comparisons
Fiil T1XS vs Fiil T1X
If you've already got the excellent Fiil T1X - crowned the best TWS under $100 nearly half a year on Scarbir.com - is it worth upgrading to the T1XS? It is. Perhaps because of its more pocketable charging case, slightly better call quality, or better use of materials. Whereas the T1X could have a slightly 'squishy' sound when you put the earphones in your ears, or worse, when you wear them, the T1XS seems to have a somewhat different type of rubber ear-tips and rings, preventing the newer model from the same squishy effect.
Soundwise, the T1X has a bigger soundstage than the T1XS. In easy-going, high-quality recordings, the older model gives music and the instruments in it more air. In fuller songs, the T1X can sound a bit crowded, however. The T1XS has a more intimate soundstage, and keeps better control of it. It holds even when songs become overly full or aggressive - the T1XS always gives instruments and layers their own place. The bass on the T1XS is a bit tighter, too, giving the sound a slight hook. Ultimately it's the dynamics that make the T1XS even better, more versatile than the T1X. Here we go: the Fiil T1XS are the new best sounding budget wireless earbuds.
Fiil T1XS vs Haylou T19
The Haylou T19 may not be a beauty with its white AirPods-like stems with a gold accent; at $30, it is one of the best sounding wireless earbuds tested in the last months. It has a more rounded, natural sound than the T1XS. Instruments and vocals are more harmonical with each other, whereas they are more pronounced on the Fiil. The T1XS has better left-right separation, more embodied and detailed lower-mids, and deeper bass. It reveals even more detail - although you could prefer the Haylou for its more fluent approach.
Fiil T1XS vs Samsung Galaxy Buds
The original Samsung Galaxy Buds are among the most well-balanced sounding premium wireless earbuds. On first listen, the T1XS sounds pretty close to the 'Gbuds', but the more you listen, the more the differences stand out. The Fiil puts vocals in the upper-mid frequencies more forward and makes them sound a little more natural, whereas the Gbuds can give vocals metallic underlining. The T1XS puts more weight in the bass and lower-mids, although the last have more texture on the Gbuds. The Fiil soundstage feels more natural, and it delivers even more details and nuances in the sound.
Fiil T1Xs vs 1more ColorBuds
1more's latest wireless earphones, the 1more ColorBuds at $100, gather some hype on mainstream tech sites, and they sound very good indeed. The 1more has a bigger soundstage than the T1Xs. It feels more around you, while the Fiil mostly centers the sound next and slightly in front of you. That said, instrument placement and individual instrument details on the Fiil are better. The bass dives deeper, highs show more nuances, and mids are better represented on the T1XS. Whether its guitars, pianos, electronic tunes or vocalists: they have more texture on the Fiil, instead of the overall smoother 1more sound.
The 1more ColorBuds delivers a clearer call quality in crowded outside areas, and battery life is comparable, but the Fiil fares better on other aspects. The T1XS is more sports-proof due to its fit, and a more allround performer - as the ColorBuds has a troublesome connection between the two earbuds, and the touch controls are restricted too pause/ resume playing only - responding very bad to your touch at that.
Fiil T1XS vs Mpow M30
As one of the highest ranked sub-$50 wireless earbuds on Scarbir.com, it should immediately be said the Fiil T1XS sounds better than the Mpow M30. It delivers more refinement in the bass, more presence and detail in the entire mid-range, and makes vocals sound more lifelike. The Mpow elevates the highest frequencies further, which gives the neat effect you can hear musical details even when you're working out - the biggest specialty of the Mpow M30. Even though the volume controls can 'hang' a bit when you're controlling them with sweaty fingers, the M30 may be a better option for workouts - as it also has a more compact and comfortable fit in your ears than the sometimes footsteps-thumping Fiil. The Fiil T1XS is a better all-round and better sounding TWS, however.
Fiil T1XS vs 20Decebel/ Tozo NC9
The triplets 20Decebel, Tozo NC9, and TaoTronics SoundLiberty 94 are the best wireless earphones under $100 with active noise cancelling so far, but that doesn't mean they can compete with a brilliant non-ANC earphone. The Fiil T1Xs has a tighter, deeper, and more refined bass, and not only has more presence but also more clarity, details, and more precise placement in the mids. Vocals enjoy a more prominent role and sound better too. Considering ANC earbuds don't quite deliver the noise cancelling of the best full-sized headphones, and the Fiil T1XS already delivers solid passive noise isolation by just putting them in - the Fiil is a better choice if you love music.
Verdict
The Fiil T1XS is a triumph for music listeners, delivering a rich sound from the lows to the highs. These are the best sounding affordable wireless earbuds to date.
4.5 stars - Great
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I bought the Fiil T1XS 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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