TWS true wireless earphones - under $50
FOUR STARS - The Hakii Time is a solid pair of cheap wireless earbuds with ANC. The noise cancelling strength may be disappointing, but the Time earbuds are comfortable, offer decent call quality, and a clear and vivid sound.
Havit Hakii Time ANC specs:
Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC codec
IPX4 waterproof rating (light rain and sweat resistant)
4,5 hours listening on a full charge
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 4 times
Comes with 3 sizes ear tips and USB-C cable
Available in black and white
$40 on AliExpress, or $60-$70 on Hakii's own site
Below this Hakii Time ANC review, you will find comparisons between the Hakii Time vs Oppo W51, Fiil T1 Pro, and Edifier TWS NB2.
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Design, comfort and battery life
The Hakii Time made by Havit has a matte white, egg-shaped case - something we've seen on the KZ S1 and S1D before. It's smaller than the average chicken egg, happily, and a lot more robust as well. Of course, it has a flattened bottom, so you can still set it on any surface.
On the front of the case, four LED-lights indicate the charging status of the case. With USB-C (or wireless?), you can recharge the case four times before needing new power itself. Recharging the case and earpieces entirely costs around 1,5 hours.
The Hakiii Time earbuds offer around 4,5 hours of playtime on a single charge, a score that can be compared with other ANC wireless earbuds like the Mpow X3 and Oppo W51.
The earbuds themselves have around the same in-ear oval as the Oppo W51 and the Edifier TWS NB2. The Hakii feels bigger than those two but is still comfortable when you get used to the size. They're light and tight enough to stay in your ears when you're shaking your head or bowing. The rounded stems outside of the in-ear oval don't brush your cheeks.
They earbuds stick out of your ears a small bit, and this makes them catch wind noise easily. You'll need to have the ANC off to shake it off.
Connectivity and controls
The Havit Hakii Time has touch panels in the round part, on top of the stem. They're easy to find on the touch, as these rounds lay a little deeper than the rest of the stem. Controlling them is simple, and the Hakii Time responds fairly well to your touch. Unfortunately, the controls are also quite basic.
Tap once (either sides) to play/pause music
Hold 2 seconds (either side) to activate the voice-assistant on your phone
Hold 3 seconds (either side) to switch between ANC, Ambient Mode, and ANC off
It isn't possible to change tracks or volume with the earbuds' controls - you'll have to reach your phone for those. Also, a three-second-hold feels long - the scheme and response time could have been better.
Connectivity on the Hakii Time is good, with the Bluetooth signal holding up to ten meters from your device. The earbuds pair and connect fast when you take them out of the case, and it's possible to put one earbud in the case and continue listening to the other. Once you pick the charged bud again, the Hakii Time plays in stereo again seamlessly.
Calling and watching movies
It's doable to take a phone call with the Hakii Time. The wind you may hear when you're using these earbuds with ANC on, isn't put through to the other end of the line. For the person you're talking to, your voice may be a little soft, but so are most sounds from your surroundings, like traffic and people talking around you.
Accelerating scooters and other unexpected peak volumes can still come through loud in calls, unfortunately. Especially indoors, the Hakii Time handle calls effortlessly.
Watching videos with the Hakii Time is convenient. Audio synchronizes well with video, including the challenging YouTube-app on iPhone and Android. There is a noticeable delay in sound effects when playing games, as is the case on almost all affordable wireless earphones.
How good is the ANC of the Hakii Time?
Functions and switching: The Havit Hakii Time has an ANC mode, an Ambient Mode, and the option to switch ANC off. Cycling between the functions takes a three (!) second touch on either of the buds. ANC on and off are announced by English voice prompts, a loud bell-sound introduces the Ambient Mode.
ANC quality: The active noise cancelling on the Havit Hakii Time isn't very convincing. It can remove some darker sounds from noises from your surroundings (like the humming of a fridge or air conditioner) and reduce the volume of sounds like traffic at a distance. However, the function seems to emphasize brighter sounds somehow! The clicking of a keyboard or people talking nearby will sound softer than when you're not wearing earbuds, but as the darker tones are removed, and the brighter ones aren't, your surroundings may feel too bright. You'll get used to this effect, but you will keep hearing sounds closeby if you're not playing music or playing on low volume levels.
Ambient Mode quality: The Ambient Mode, the mode that puts through sounds like traffic and chatting around you, works quite good on the Hakii Time. It's easy to hear traffic while you're playing music, and the function also makes it easier to eavesdrop on conversations.
Wind noise reduction: Unfortunately, both the ANC and Ambient Mode let in a lot of wind noise, interfering loudly with music playback. You probably won't be using the Ambient Mode much while commuting because of this. Happily, you can turn ANC off. The wind noise will then disappear.
Also read: The best wireless earbuds under $100
Sound quality of Hakii Time: clear and vivid
The sound quality is the greatest strength of the Hakii Time ANC earbuds. They offer a clear sound, with plenty of detail and clarity.
The Hakii Time isn't extremely bassy like some other wireless earphones with noise cancelling can be, like the Boltune BH023 or TaoTronics SoundLiberty 94. The Hakii doesn't try to make every song a bass-loaded fest, and can hold back just fine in classical pieces or acoustic, singer-song writer pieces.
There is plenty of bass, but it isn't the tightest or most detailed. In Bad Guy from Billy Eilish, the bass shows impressive depth, that typical darkness the song demands. In Daft Punk's Get Lucky, there's a sweet slam, while the bass still leaves plenty of space for other frequencies. Unfortunately, bass-heavy songs can come with a slight crackle.
Lower-mids are slightly boosted on the Hakii, giving darker electronic tones, drums, and instruments like cello's a prominent role and the music an enjoyable warmth. Because darker male and female vocals get the same treatment, songs with many lower tones can sound a little congested on the Hakii. It's probably not the best idea to get these for heavy metal, where you need different drum lines and grunts at the same time.
Higher up in the frequencies is where the Hakii begins to sparkle. There's a forward position reserved for vocals. Singers sound clear, detailed, and have room for themselves, not interfered by the instruments that surround them. The Hakii paves the way for treble. There can be hissy moments (sibilant, sss-sound emphasizing) in sharp vocals, cymbals or violins, but most of the time, the Hakii Time walks a fine line between extending the highs to retrieve detail and rolling them off to remain smooth.
As a result, there's plenty of detail in the (upper) mids and highs on the Hakii. Whereas it can be a tad congested in the lower frequencies, there's a wide soundstage and good separation in the sound overall.
The Hakii Time offers a pleasant sound with warmth, detail, clarity, and enough bass - although the last one could have been tighter.
Hakii Time comparisons
Hakii Time vs Oppo W51
The ($50-$100) Oppo Enco W51 offers the same battery life and the same in-ear comfort as the Hakii Time, but the Hakii still feels a bit more comfortable, as the stems are further from your ears and cheeks - it feels less tight to wear. Controls on both leave a bit to be desired, as they both could use track and volume changing controls. That said, the Oppo W51 is a better all-round earbud. Its ANC noise canceling is stronger, effectively reducing more background sounds around you. Its call quality is clearer, and the sound is warmer with tighter lows - especially on Android, where the lower-end enjoys more separation than on iPhone.
Hakii Time vs Fiil T1 Pro
The ($60-$80) Fiil T1 Pro has less effective noise canceling strength than the Hakii, incapable of reducing practically any sound around you. The T1 Pro minimizes background noise better in phone calls, and battery life is also around 1,5 hours per charge stronger. The T1 Pro also has sport-wings ensuring a good fit even when you work out with them. When it comes to sound, the Hakii sounds a bit more congested in the lows. Fiil has more presence and detail in the mids and sounds a bit more natural in both instruments and vocals. Still, separation and soundstage on the Hakii are on par.
Hakii Time vs Edifier TWS NB2
The ($60-$100) Edifier TWS NB2 is the most versatile pair of ANC earbuds. It may not have the ANC strength of the Oppo W51, but it reduces more low-frequency and constant sounds than the Hakii Time. Battery life is up to TWICE as long on the Edifier; the Edifier has better clarity in calls, and the TWS NB2 even comes with a Gaming Mode that synchronizes the audio and video when playing games impressively. The Hakii does have a more vivid sound, with more emphasis on upper-mids and more forward vocals. The TWS NB2 sounds warmer due to highly boosted lower-mids and bass, but also smoother and less lifelike due to its toned-down vocals and mid-tones.
Verdict
The Hakii Time is a solid pair of affordable wireless earbuds with ANC. The noise cancelling strength may be disappointing, but the Time earbuds are comfortable, offer decent call quality, and a clear and vivid sound.
Four stars - Very good
Buy Hakii Time ANC/ check price:
Buy Hakii Time on AliExpress (around $40)
Buy Hakii Time on their official site (around $70)
I received the Hakii Time from the manufacturer to test and review. 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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