TWS true wireless earphones - under $100
FOUR STARS - Finally - there's a half-in-ear TWS with excellent battery life. The Sabbat Vooplay looks original and delivers an open, airy sound, but is sometimes challenged by sound hiccups between the two earbuds.
Sabbat Vooplay specs:
Bluetooth 5.0 with AptX and AAC codec
6 hours listening on a full charge
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 4 times
Comes with USB-C cable, pouch and big box
$70 on AliExpress or Amazon US, Amazon Germany or other Amazon stores - or on Linsoul - check new price!
Below this Sabbat Vooplay review, you will find comparisons between the Sabbat Vooplay vs Sabbat X12 Pro, Xiaomi Mi Air 2 SE, Fiil CC and 1more E1029BT.
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Design, comfort and battery life
The Sabbat Vooplay earbuds - tested in the army green Moss color here, but available in much more colors - have a typical AirPods-like earpiece that you can 'hang' in your ears rather than a rubber you completely push in your ears. Attached to the earpiece is a round green button, just compact enough to be comfortable enough in medium-sized ears. It has a vertical line in the middle, which operates the controls.
The Vooplay stays good in your ears. Even rapid shake tests with your head or bowing with them is safe to do. Surprising for half-in-ears, the Vooplay earbuds stay in tight AND are lightweight and comfortable. Still - sporting and sweating with them probably isn't a good idea, even more so because it lacks a waterproof-rating.
Battery life is great for half-in-ear designs: up to 6 hours playtime on a single charge. The charging case can recharge them around four times before needing new power via USB-C or wireless charging. A full charge is done in an hour. Four LED-lights show the battery status inside the case.
This case looks like an oval macron due to the two lines between the base and the lid. The Moss-version has the same army green as the earbuds and comes with a subtle leather-like effect.
However - I know I have the theme all wrong here. Sabbat itself calls its Moss color 'The voice of earth', the color indeed hinting to moss, and the leather-look no doubt a reference to cracks in the earthly ground. All the other available colors have a relation to the earth and nature.
It's nice to see an original design for half-in-ear wireless earbuds again, more than a year after the excentric Sabbat X12 Pro. In between, 1more tried a blob-like design with their E1029BT, but other times, you'll get an AirPods-like stem design if you want earbuds that don't entirely fill up your ears. It's great that Sabbat walks its own path.
One more thing: if you love big, premium packaging: the Sabbat Vooplay has it. Big and nice enough to put on your shelves. Including 'The voice of earth' postcard, a nice English booklet, and a sack to put the case in.
Connectivity and controls
The Sabbat Vooplay uses actual buttons: the two vertical lines in the middle of the bud. Pressing them isn't always the most comfortable feeling, but the controls respond well to your input.
Single press left or right: play/ pause music
Double-press right: skip a song
Double-press left: return a song
Triple-tap right: increase volume
Triple-tap left: decrease volume
Long-press: activate the voice assistant
The control scheme is the same as the Sabbat X12 Pro - it's convenient and more comprehensive than almost all other half-in-ear wireless earbuds.
On to connectivity. Sadly, there can be hiccups in the sound when you're walking or cycling with these... or even when you're just sitting at your desk. Sometimes the sound drops until you move your head, sometimes there's a crackle in the sound. During the test time, this sometimes occurred once in seven songs, but a single song could have it twice in other instances. It always picks up the sound good afterward, happily, but it is an annoyance.
The connection between the earbuds and your smartphone is good, however, up to ten meters away from your device and with thin walls in between.
The Vooplay also lets you switch between mono and stereo modes while listening. You can continue listening to one earbud while charging the other, and resume playing in stereo if you put them both in again. The earbuds don't automatically pause music when you take one out.
Calling and video playback on Vooplay
Watching videos on the Sabbat Vooplay is a great experience. There is no noticeable delay in the audio on Android and iPhone, including the challenging YouTube app.
There is a delay in sound effects while playing games, as is the case on almost all wireless earphones.
The call quality on the Vooplay is acceptable, although it's safer to stay in quieter areas when you're calling. Your voice is put through loud enough, but so are peak volumes of traffic and people talking nearby, resulting in scooters interfering with your voice and sounding piercing to the other end of the line, for example. Most constant background noises are left out of your calls, though. In quieter indoor and outside areas, it's doable to have a call with these.
Also read: The best AirPods-like earbuds under $50
Sound quality of Sabbat Vooplay: Airy
The Sabbat Vooplay has the strengths of half-in-ear earbuds and minimizes the weaknesses this design can have. The result is a rich and airy sound.
Because there's an actual distance between the earpiece and your ear canal, half-in-ears can sound open, or airy. The Vooplay is no exception. There's room in between the vocals, instruments, and effects. They surround your head and come from left and right, either closeby or far away. In higher-quality recordings, it's possible to place instruments around you too.
The openness in the sound works great for mids and brighter instruments like violins, trumpets, cymbals (which are somehow, still controlled), and flutes, which get all the room to shine. The Vooplay is a great pair for classical and more instrumental pieces. Vocals benefit from the airiness as well. Especially higher-pitched female and male singers enjoy a prominent role in music, with audible details such as gasps and other nuances.
It's easy to say the Vooplay has a brighter sound, but that's not the total picture. The Sabbat has enough weight in the lower-mids to prevent a tinny or flat sound. While mid-instruments like guitars and piano tend towards the highs a bit, darker instruments like cello's, drums, and darker electronic tones are intact - providing warmth and depth to the sound. The sound isn't bright - it's clear and dynamic. Unfortunately, in (dance, electronic, and pop) songs, especially on lower volumes, the Vooplay has a slight muddiness in the lower-mids, it can be a tad congested.
Speaking of volume: the Sabbat Vooplay can go from medium soft to very loud.
The bass lacks the body and sub-bass rumble of full-in-ears, but the mid-bass has a slam that attacks quick enough to power up music. It doesn't have the biggest depth or offers the amount of separation needed for the most crowded electronic pieces, but it performs very well in acoustic bass lines - like guitars and drums. Whereas many half-in-ears blow up the bass to get some weight in the lows, the Sabbat stays away from this trick, resulting in more bass quality.
The Sabbat Vooplay are capable half-in-ears. It has enough bass - always challenging for half-in-ears - and convinces with its airiness, separation, and dynamics.
Sabbat Vooplay comparisons
Sabbat Vooplay vs 1more E1029 BT
The $40 1more E1029BT doesn't fit as tight in your ears as the Sabbat. The Sabbat has almost double the battery life; it can go louder and has more extensive controls, with the ability to change tracks. The 1more has more body in the lower-mids but sounds less congested in these tones. It has more articulated mids, resulting in more texture on instruments. However, the Sabbat has more air in between the instruments and vocals. The Sabbat extends highs more and controls them better as well. The Sabbat also has a nicer mid-bass slam.
Sabbat Vooplay vs Sabbat X12 Pro
The $40 Sabbat X12 Pro has been on the market for well over a year now, and still is one of the most original looking half-in-ears. It feels a bit bigger in your ears than the Vooplay, and it offers 1,5 hours less battery life, but its buttons are easier to press than the Vooplay's. Soundwise, the X12 Pro has a brighter, more piercing top-end, which is better controlled on the Vooplay. The Vooplay sounds more balanced and is a step up in the detail compartment. No matter which color scheme you choose on either the X12 Pro or the Moss; the Vooplay looks more distinguished.
Sabbat Vooplay vs Xiaomi Mi Air 2 SE
The $30 Xiaomi Mi Air 2 SE has a more V-shape sound than the more balanced Sabbat, meaning it emphasizes both upper-mids (brighter vocals) and the bass more than the Vooplay. The Xiaomi has a steadier bass punch, and leaves more space in between the lows and the highs, while the Sabbat strength lies in between, in these mids. The Sabbat sounds opener, and offers better definition in the lows. The Xiaomi wins on call quality, making it a very versatile pair. The Vooplay's battery life is 1,5 hours longer on a single charge, though, and it has better controls. Let's not hide it: it looks better as well.
Sabbat Vooplay vs Fiil CC
The $50 Fiil CC has more emphasis on the mid-tones than the Sabbat Vooplay, but the Sabbat combines them with a nice, soothing airiness the Fiil can't quite grasp. You'll get more instrumental detail with the Fiil, but an easier listening on the Vooplay, giving more space to each instrument. The Sabbat sound is slightly more laidback, less full. Call quality on the Fiil CC is better and clearer, but the Sabbat wins on video playback and battery life.
—> See all TWS reviews and ratings here
Verdict
Finally - there's a half-in-ear design TWS with excellent battery life. The Sabbat Vooplay looks original and delivers an open, airy sound especially well suited for more acoustic and classic genres, but is challenged by sound hiccups issues between the two earbuds.
FOUR stars - very good
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I received the Sabbat Vooplay from Linsoul to test and review. Many thanks, Linsoul! 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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