TWS true wireless earphones - under $100
FOUR STARS - The SoundPEATS Engine 4 sounds much better than the brands previous 'audiophile' endeauvours Opera 03 and Opera 05, and more grown-up than ever before. These wireless earbuds aren't flawless, however.
SoundPEATS Engine4 specs and features:
Bluetooth 5.3 with LDAC codec
IPX4 waterproof (splash proof)
12,5 hours listening on a single charge
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 3 times
Comes with 3 sets of ear tips, USB-C cable, English manual
$70 - Buy on Amazon US, Amazon Germany or other Amazon countries
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SoundPEATS seems confident about the Engine4. The successor to the TruEngine SE and TruEngine 3 SE lost the Tru in its name, and the earbuds ditched the professional looking, but finicky shape of the predecessors.
The Engine 4 looks much more in the line of recent releases like the SoundPEATS Opera series, the Free2 Classic, or the Mini Pro: it's round and compact in shape. The finish is a step up for the brand. The design is original and seems to resemble an aftermarket car engine-filter in line with the name, there's a soft-grey that reduces sliding in the ears, and SoundPEATS kept the transparant inner parts.
The result is a present, snug, yet comfortable pair of earbuds, which can be worn for quite some time - although you probably won't make the MASSIVE 12,5 hours battery life on a single charge in one go.
Other features are solid as well. Play/pause, the voice assistant, track selection and volume can be changed directly on the responsive touch panels of the earbuds, and the gaming mode does a solid job of synchronizing sound effects with the action on your screen.
Better yet, the Engine 4 has multipoint or dual device connection support, so you can connect the earbuds to either two phones or a phone or a laptop. That's great, and it switches neatly when you pause on one device and play on the other. Do update the firmware from the app straightaway to smoothen out this function, however.
The call quality is less convincing. The Engine 4's microphones have some trouble putting your voice loud and clear enough when there's noise around you. They perform even worse when there's a bit of wind. Video and phone calls are only doable in quiet areas.
The app support also stays a weakness. As with other models from the brand, the free SoundPEATS app lacks the polish of competitors like Soundcore, especially on iPhone, whereas the Android app also demands too many permissions. There isn't always visual feedback on your applied settings, and the app sometimes shows an inaccurate sound equalizer. It takes away from the entire presentation of the product - the app feels amateurish at best.
Let's hope that the app can in time offer a solution to the earbuds’ current biggest problem, via a firmware update. What that is? The SoundPEATS Engine 4 has irregular sound dropouts. You can have zero problems one session, but heavy sound stutters that last several seconds the next.
As the Engine4 costs around 70 dollars and also lacks now common features as Active Noise Cancelling and a Transparency mode, or auto-pausing of music when you take an earbud out, it's obvious that this a more audio-centric model. Happily, this is where SoundPEATS delivers.
The Engine 4 sound straight up convinces with nicely balanced out frequencies and an impressive wide stage.
It puts most of its attention to the center-mids and lower treble, and to success: both male and female vocals take a center (although somewhat floating) position in songs, with secondary vocals and details coming far from your left and right. So far, it can feel a bit distant at first. There's serious air and width in the Engine 4's sound, and it's achieved without extending the highs too far or inducing sharpness, sibilance (dragging sss-tones) or harsh peaks.
Guitars and piano play are clear and natural, and vocals come with plenty of nuance - even if specific higher male vocalsists can appear a bit nasal. Lower-mids are remarkably clean; they're barely boosted and pave the way for impressive texture in drums and darker guitar riffs.
To transform the bass into more than a buttery soft underlining, you may need to mount bigger ear tips from the package on the earbuds than you normally would. As SoundPEATS provides tips with wide holes, the bass otherwise falls a bit flat. Opt for a bigger tip, and the sub-bass reaches deep and tight, and the mid-bass gains a natural weight with a tight and timely slam. There's no bloat or artificial longevity so many competitors have.
Things start to change a bit on the very highest volumes - in order to pave the way for the treble, the lows then can get a little light.
If you do want a strong yet still tight bass thump, though, do experiment further with ear tips with narrower holes - the mixture of wide mids and a deep and full bass can be ecstatic at times!
Even though the best sound may require a bigger ear tip than you usually wear, the Engine 4 deliver a much more organic sound than the Opera 03 and Opera 05, and they finally touch that very rare soundstage of the SoundPEATS H1 again.
These are the brands best-sounding earbuds to date.
Design and comfort: 4/5 - Incredible battery life, buds do feel present
Controls and connectivity: 1/5 - Solid multipoint connection, good controls, but suffers from severe and regular music dropouts
Playback: 4/5 - Great for videos, solid gaming mode performance
Call quality: 2/5 - Clarity fails with noise or wind around you, ever-present light beep surrounding your voice
ANC: -
Transparency mode: -
App support: 2/5 - Amateurish at best
Sound quality: 4.5/5 - May require a bigger ear tip - shines with tight bass, natural and clear mids and an impressive wide sound
VERDICT: 4 STARS (Good)
SoundPEATS Engine4 comparisons
SoundPEATS Engine 4 vs Soundcore Space A40
The Soundcore Space A40 at around $80 also a multipoint connection with great, balanced sound. The sound feels tighter packed than the SoundPEATS Engine 4, with a more closed-in sound, thumpier bass, and fuller lower-mids. Center-mids and treble are weightier too, instead of the clearer approach on the Engine 4.
The SoundPEATS has longer battery life: 12,5 vs 8 hours - although the Space A40 also throws in Active Noise Cancelling, higher waterproof rating, and a more comfortable fit. Both aren't the best choices for phone and video calls.
SoundPEATS Engine4 vs Samsung Galaxy Buds 2
Weak Active Noise Cancelling and lacklustre call quality, but amazing sound quality? Of course the renown Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 is a contender to the SoundPEATS Engine 4. The Buds 2 has a colder tonality, reaches a bit higher and sounds deeper, as its sub-bass reveals itself easier and the mid-bass has more depth to it as well. The Engine4 has a slimmer, tighter bass. The center-mids and lower treble on the Galaxy Buds 2 are a tad more dynamic - swinging from lows to highs easier than the Engine 4, whereas the SoundPEATS often sounds wider in its soundstage. It can feel more expansive. Feature wise, the SoundPEATS has multipoint connection and at least twice the battery life of the Galaxy Buds 2 - but the latter is more comfortable.
SoundPEATS Engine 4 vs Google Pixel Buds A-Series
The Google Pixel Buds A-Series (review to follow) is considered one of the most clear-sounding earbuds under $100, but even this model sounds a little dense next to the wider and airier SoundPEATS Engine 4, with slightly fuller (and more comfortable) lower mid-tones and vocals that have a warmer undertone than the SoundPEATS. Despite having a balanced bass approach, the Pixel Buds A bass is still stronger than the Engine 4's one - although much depends on the ear tip you mount on the Engine4. Both lack ANC; Google's microphone output is better for phone and video calls; SoundPEATS offers more than twice the battery life on a single charge.
SoundPEATS Engine4 vs SoundPEATS Capsule 3 Pro: Which is better?
The SoundPEATS Engine 4 has fierce in-house competition from the SoundPEATS Capsule 3 Pro when it comes to price. They are different kind of earbuds, however. The Capsule 3 Pro is more feature-focused, with a decent Transparency mode and strong Active Noise Cancelling. The Engine 4 has more than double the battery life on a single charge, however, and it sounds better as well. The Capsule 3 Pro sounds warm, bassy, and smooth, but the Engine 4 literally knocks it out of the park with sound: it's more articulated, more detailed, more dynamic, and wider.
Buy SoundPEATS Engine 4/ check lowest price:
Buy on Amazon US
Buy on Amazon Germany
Buy on other Amazon countries
I received the SoundPEATS Engine 4 from the manufacturer to test and review. My reviews are 100% independent and non-commercial - read about it here.
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