TWS true wireless earphones - under $50
How good are the Xiaomi Redmi AirDots S with low-latency gaming mode, the Ugreen HiTune with stellar 7 hours battery life, and the ultra-cheap Ugreen 80636? Compact but extensive reviews for cheap wireless earbuds from $20 to $30.
With the enormous amount of new wireless earphones released in mid-2020, not all models get their own extensive review on Scarbir.com. This is a short review of three new models available on AliExpress and sometimes Amazon too.
They are reviewed just a thoroughly as other Scarbir.com reviews. The earphones are extensively tested on comfort and fit, build quality, battery life, call quality, video playback and of course sound quality. All reviews on this site are 100% honest.
Check out the Scarbir.com leaderboard for ratings and reviews of over 140+ cheap wireless earbuds, or check all the latest reviews.
Xiaomi Redmi AirDots S review: Gaming mode!
Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC - 4 hours playtime - micro-USB
Xiaomi renewed it's popular Redmi AirDots with the S-version. The biggest change is a low-latency gaming mode, which you can activate with three presses of the buttons on the earpieces.
It introduces itself with a soft beep and reduces the delay in sound effects when playing games and watching videos on the YouTube-app on iPhone effectively. Like the QCY T5, the result is noticeable in action games where it counts. It does come at the cost of being able to skip/ return songs and change the volume directly from the earpieces, as two button presses always activate your voice assistant.
The compact case is the same as before and still micro-USB powered, and earpieces look the same as the previous Redmi AirDots; with those same small comfortable bean-shaped earbuds we also see on the Haylou GT1 Plus and SoundPEATS TrueDot.
Unfortunately, music doesn't sound as good as on those two budget winners. The Redmi AirDots S has a balanced sound signature but doesn't extend too well in both the lows and the highs. It has a decent bass-slam, but it keeps a bit shallow, without depth, or rumbles from the sub-bass. The AirDots S doesn't avoid playing upper-mid and the highest notes, but they don't get enough body and sound thin. You could say the Haylou GT1 Plus has a comparable balance, but better execution: the bass has more body, the highs are more opened-up.
As for the rest, the Xiaomi Redmi AirDots 2 performs average for the price. It has up to 4 hours playtime and decent call quality - your voice is loud, but other people talking and higher surrounding noise are barely reduced.
While nothing special overall, the Redmi AirDots S is great for gamers.
Comfort, build and battery life: 4/5
Controls and connectivity: 3/5
Videos and calls: 4/5
Sound quality: 3/5
VERDICT:
$20 on AliExpress - check current price!
$25 on Amazon US, Amazon Germany or other Amazon stores (please check if it's the AirDots S version!)
Ugreen HiTune TWS review: Great battery, strange fit
Bluetooth 5.0 with AptX and AAC codec - 7 hours playtime - USB-C
The specs on the Ugreen HiTune are its highlight. Thanks to both the AptX and AAC-codecs, it should reach around 7 hours of playtime on Android and iPhone. That's a massive score.
When empty, the USB-C powered charging case can recharge them three times before needing power itself.
One thing you can't miss on the HiTune wireless earbuds is their shape. The insides of the earpieces are round and follow your ears' contours, but Ugreen provides thin ear tips with the Hitune, making an ideal fit challenging. The earpieces wiggle in your ears a bit - it's unwise to run or workout with them.
Still, the compact earpieces look good, and control well too, with a single tap to play/ pause music, double-tap to skip a song and triple-tap to return a song on both earpieces. A long press activates the voice assistant on your phone. Unfortunately, it's impossible to change the volume or recharge one earpiece while listening to the other.
Call quality is only average - your voice comes with white noise underneath, and higher sounds infiltrate your calls. Watching videos is mostly flawless, except it doesn't reach perfect lipsync on the YouTube-app on iPhone. There aren't problems on Android.
The sound of the Ugreen HiTune is pleasant but doesn't stand out from the crowd. It has a decent mid-bass slam and minimal sub-bass rumble, and lower-mids enjoy a fairly natural presentation. Upper-mid tones and highs have enough room to take up their place in the music, and excellent left-right separation boasts the decent airiness of the sound. Other than the slightly cold tonality, the HiTune doesn't do anything wrong. Still, it misses the warmth, bass impact, and instrument placement from class-leading competitors like the Haylou T19 or SoundPEATS TrueDot. Mid-instruments and darker male vocals can also sound a bit recessed - and there's a slight white noise underneath music playback.
The Ugreen HiTune is a great choice if you're not working out with your earphones, but need a great battery. The good but middle-of-the-road sound shouldn't hold you back.
Comfort, build and battery life: 4/5
Controls and connectivity: 3/5
Videos and calls: 3/5
Sound quality: 4/5
VERDICT:
$30 on AliExpress - check current price!
$40 on Amazon US, Amazon Germany or other Amazon stores
Ugreen TWS 80636 review: Everything decent
Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC codec - 5 hours playtime - micro-USB
Ugreen has another model in its lineup, which doesn't seem to have a name at all. Coming in at $20 instead of Hitune's $30, it looks and feels a little more basic in both the charging case (which is more stretched) and earpieces (interchangeable single-color design).
The earpieces follow the shape of your ears better, granting a better and tighter fit than its more expensive brother. The Ugreen 'model 80636' (the product name shown on the back) offers up to 5 hours playtime on a single charge, and the case can recharge the earpieces three times fully, before needing power via micro-USB itself.
The call quality is sub-par, with volume-shifts in the sound and higher-pitched noises coming through very loud in your calls. Like the HiTune, there is a bit of sound-delay when watching videos in the YouTube-app, although other movie-apps work well on Android and iPhone.
The sound of this low-cost Ugreen can use a bit of polish. Especially in modern pop and dance, where many different musical layers meet, the sound can strike as harsh. Higher-pitched (often female) vocals sound thin and sharp, and upper-mids are so boosted, they are surrounded by a hissy effect. The mid-bass delivers a steady punch to make music sound uplifting, and lower-mids are elevated to give the 80636 a warmer character than the HiTune.
This Ugreen can go real loud, but before reaching the highest levels, you're probably already put off by the tiring and piercing higher frequencies.
Comfort, build and battery life: 4/5
Controls and connectivity: 4/5
Videos and calls: 4/5
Sound quality: 3/5
VERDICT:
$20-$25 on AliExpress - check current price!
Also read: The best wireless earbuds under $25
Disclaimer: I bought these TWS true wireless earbuds myself. I test and review all audio products equally honest - read about it here.
Consider buying this earphone? I'd really appreciate it if you use the links in this article. It won't cost you extra, yet it will financially support me a bit in my ongoing quest for great affordable audio. <3
Also read:
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