TWS true wireless earphones - under $50
FOUR STARS - Pleasant warm sound, good call quality and great battery life: if it weren't for the strange sound effects in the otherwise strong active noise cancelling, the SoundPEATS T2 would have been a blast.
SoundPEATS T2 review:
Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC codec
IPX5 waterproof (rain and sweat resistant)
5-9 hours listening on a full charge (ANC on/off)
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 3 times
Comes with 3 sizes ear tips and USB-C cable
Check price on Amazon US, Amazon Germany, other Amazon countries or AliExpress
Below this SoundPEATS T2 review, you will find comparisons of the SoundPEATS T2 vs SoundPEATS Sonic, Earfun Free Pro, Oppo W51, Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro, Fiil T1Pro and T1 Lite, the Sennheiser CX 400BT.
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Design, comfort and battery life
Unlike a few other models from the same brand, the SoundPEATS T2 comes in a pocketable charging case, which easily slides in a jeans pocket. It can recharge the earbuds three times before needing a recharge itself, which can be done via USB-C. Three LED-lights on the front indicate the charging status of the case.
The earbuds don't look too special, but their oval shape with a slight bump on the inside follows your ears' shape and makes them comfortable to wear for hours. The case may feel a bit heavy - the earbuds don't. The earpieces may move a little bit when you shake your head, but they're likely to stay in good, and the sound isn't altered by it. What's more, is that they are IPX5 waterproof - meaning they should survive rain and sweat.
Once again, the battery life is a standout factor of the SoundPEATS T2. With ANC off (which is the standard setting), it reaches up to 9 hours on a single charge. Turn on ANC as well, and the mark almost goes in half, but it's a stunning score either way.
Connectivity and controls
The SoundPEATS T2 controls easily via touch panels in the round center-part of the earbuds.
Tap R to increase the volume
Tap L to decrease volume
Double-tap L or R to play/ pause
Hold R to skip to the next track
Hold L to switch between Transparency mode, ANC on, and ANC off
Triple-tap L or R to activate the voice assistant
The scheme may take time to get used to, but it works fine. The only thing missing is the option to return to the previous song.
Connectivity on the SoundPEATS T2 is strong, with a robust Bluetooth signal up to ten meters away from your device. It also holds good in areas crowded with wireless signals. You can also switch seamlessly between listening to two or one earpieces, for example when you want to charge one bud in the case.
Calling and watching movies
The SoundPEATS T2 handles both indoor and outside phone calls great. While your voice has a bit of a robotic feel, noises from your surroundings are reduced or completely left out in the call. If it's silent around you, it's totally silent on the line. Even an accelerating scooter is reduced to a mere sound. Wind noise interferes your voice somewhat - but it's still doable to have a clear call despite it.
For video calls (like Microsoft Teams and Facetime), your voice is loud enough, but there seems to be heavy compression on both your voice and incoming sounds. It's doable, but not very pleasant to have a conversation this way.
The T2 is a safe choice for watching videos, with good audio-video synchronization in different video apps on both iPhone and Android. This includes the often challenging YouTube-app. There is a noticeable delay in sound effects when playing games, however.
Noise cancelling test of SoundPEATS T2
The SoundPEATS T2 doesn't have ANC on by default. The standard setting is 'off' and that's fine; when you're playing music on moderate volume levels, the T2 will already rule out most surrounding noises. With a 2-second touch of the left earbud, you switch to Passthrough/ Transparency mode; with another 2 seconds the ANC mode kicks in. A pleasant female voice announces the activated function.
ANC quality of the SoundPEATS T2: As the earbuds follow the form of your ears, they already rule out quite a bit of noise from your surroundings with ANC off. With Active Noise Cancelling activated, nearby and brighter sound effects such as higher-pitched voices are reduced in volume. Some effects are still audible - like the clacking of keys on your laptop or people talking nearby, for instance. It's mostly background sounds, like electronic hummings and distant traffic that are wonderfully reduced. The T2 mainly takes away the darker tones from these sounds; some brighter effects are still noticeable. Don't expect a passing train to disappear entirely, but it will definitely sound much softer. However…
There is a serious SoundPEATS T2 ANC problem. After a few days of heavy using, activating the active noise cancelling comes with strange sound effects in one of the earbuds. Sometimes it sounds like a static electronic sound, otherwise it's even a mild pulsating. It happens when you use the ANC without listening to music.
In the first days, this SoundPEATS T2 ANC issue would pop-up sometimes and it would be gone by readjusting the earbuds or reactivating the function. Just after publishing this review, the effect pop-ups every time and can't be shut off anymore. No matter how strong the ANC is; if you like to use ANC without listening to music, this problem renders the function on these earbuds useless.
Transparency mode quality: The mode SoundPEATS calls 'Passthrough' works decent. It emphasizes brighter mid-tones from your surroundings, to make you hear voices and traffic around you. This works when you're listening to music on low to moderate volumes, but it also lets in strong wind noise, making it annoying to use when walking or cycling.
Versus competitors: The T2 has some of the strongest noise-cancelling you can find on affordable wireless earbuds, and beats that of the Mpow X6/ QCY HT01, Haylou T16 and Mpow X3. The more expensive Oppo Enco W51 and Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro deliver a slightly better performance. These also come without an occasional static humming.
Also read: The best wireless ANC earbuds
Sound quality of SoundPEATS T2: Pleasant
The T2 cuts off the brighter, sharp edges of the SoundPEATS Q and Sonic, and has a warmer, friendlier sound. As a result, it can sound a little closed-in.
The SoundPEATS T2 puts most of its effort into the lower frequencies - it sounds deep and full in these areas. There's a mid-bass thump, with a nicely rumbling sub-bass you can feel in songs that pave the way for it, like James Blake's test case Limit to Your Love. Both the mid-bass and sub-bass aren't the tightest or most textured, and when multiple basslines come together, things can even get a little muddy.
Boosting them without making them too powerful: the SoundPEATS T2 does the same for the lower mid-tones. In many electronic genres and dance songs, the darker electronic tones are elevated and provide the music with flow. Drums and darker male vocals are emphasized as well, with the latter prominent enough to outperform instruments around it. The emphasis on bass and the lower-mids color music on the T2 warm and smooth.
In a way, the T2 is the counterpart of the recently released SoundPEATS Sonic, which didn't lift the darker tones, but the higher frequencies instead, resulting in a very clear but almost aggressive sound that could become too bright at times.
On the T2, SoundPEATS rolls of the highs much earlier. Both female and higher-pitched male vocals sound forward, but don't really extend into the highs. They do not sound as full as the lower frequencies, and higher voices can appear a bit thin. Instruments don't dive into the highs much either: piano keys, trumpets, cymbals, even the guitars in Rage Against the Machine's Killing In the Name Of sound warmer than natural.
The result is a warm sound that works well for genres like jazz, blues, bossanova, or soul. More modern genres like pop, dance, and electronic, could benefit from a punchier and more detailed bass and more extended vocals.
SoundPEATS T2 comparisons
SoundPEATS T2 vs SoundPEATS Sonic
On Android, the SoundPEATS Sonic with AptX Adaptive codec seems to have an advantage over the SBC-codec T2, but rest assured: tuning is more important. The T2 has a more pleasant, warm sound, with a more controlled mid-bass and more prominent lower-mids, yet it's pronounced enough vocals to give a balanced presentation. The Sonic has a stronger rumbling bass, with more space in the sound, thanks to the opened-up upper-mids and further extended highs. The Sonic sounds clearer but can become a bit too bright, even shaky in some songs, whereas the T2 sounds smoother - friendlier. The Sonic has a 12 hours-unbeatable battery life; the T2 rocks a more compact case, is more comfortable, and has good ANC in return.
SoundPEATS Sonic review ($40)
SoundPEATS T2 vs Earfun Free Pro
The T2 has much stronger noise-cancelling than the Earfun Free Pro: the T2 rules out more sounds closeby and in the background. The Earfun is a better choice for sporting and working out, thanks to the ear wings, which keep the earbuds in more securely. Soundwise, the Earfun Free Pro has a stronger, more engaging mid-bass than the SoundPEATS T2 and offers more air around the vocals and higher-pitched instruments. The T2 has a less intrusive bass, and delivers a warmer sound. The T2 is a smoother ride, but the Earfun Free Pro is definitely more engaging.
Earfun Free Pro review ($60)
SoundPEATS T2 vs Oppo Enco W51
The slightly more expensive Oppo W51 has even stronger active noise cancelling: it silences background noises even better, and it doesn't come with strange sound effects in your ears. While the Oppo has only half the battery life and the controls of the SoundPEATS, it does offer the same call quality, and handles video calls with more clarity and loudness. The T2 and Oppo share the same sound character, being slightly but not overly bassy, and both have a strong warm undertone. The Oppo extends upper-mids and highs further and gives vocals more body and air; the T2 holds the highs in and can sound a little closed-in in comparison.
Oppo Enco W51 review ($60)
SoundPEATS T2 vs Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro
The more expensive Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro offers even stronger noise-cancelling than the SoundPEATS T2, if only a little. The T2 Transparency mode is better, however. The Soundcore looks and feels as a more premium product and comes with a free app crammed full of nifty ANC and Transparency modes and sound equalizers. The latter gives the sound quality on the Liberty Air 2 Pro more options - while it's slightly dull with a strong focus on bass and lower-mids out of the box, you can tweak it so the upper-mids and highs pop, and when you do, the Soundcore can sound fuller and richer than the SoundPEATS.
SoundPEATS T2 vs Fiil T1 Pro
Compared to the strong upper-mids and highs of the Fiil T1 Pro ($60, with ANC) and Fiil T1 Lite ($35, almost the same, but without ear wings and ANC), higher vocals and instruments on the SoundPEATS T2 sound a bit thin. The Fiils have a more bulbous sound: they rock a stronger mid-bass, more detailed sub-bass, present more detail in center-mids like guitars, AND extends highs further, giving vocals, trumpets, and cymbals more detail. The T2 gives smoothness in return. Its darker, warmer sound is less protrusive, whereas a singer or violin can sound occasionally sharp on the Fiils - which is slightly more the case on the T1 Pro than the T1 Lite. The T2 wins on noise cancelling strength and battery life.
Fiil T1 Pro review or Fiil T1 Lite review ($35, without ANC)
SoundPEATS T2 vs Mpow X6 (or QCY HT01)
The SoundPEATS T2 has noticeably better active noise cancelling than the QCY HT01, which is also sold as Mpow X6 in the United States. The T2 blocks both distant and nearby sounds better, even passively, as it seals your ears off better. The QCY has a more noticeable white noise effect, too. But yeah - it comes with strange sound effects, and that isn't the case on the HT01. The SoundPEATS wins on call quality and battery life, which up to twice the score of the HT01. Soundwise, they both sound warm with enough room around vocals, but the SoundPEATS restricts the highs more, whereas the QCY can sound a little bright in some parts. The T2 has slightly better separation between mids and its mid-bass has more impact than the HT01; the latter has a deeper-sounding bass.
QCY HT01/ Mpow X6 review ($40)
SoundPEATS T2 vs Sennheiser CX 400BT
Where you can see the SoundPEATS T2 rolls off the highs early, is netx to the Sennheiser CX 400BT. The Senn has the same warm vibe in music, but it makes vocals much more present and brings out the higher-edges of instruments better, both in the lows and the mids. It also has a more defined soundstage; it's intimate but more controlled, with stronger separation and instrument placement. The T2 doesn't necessarily have more presence in the lower-mids and bass, but it seems like it - as it focuses so much on the lows.
Sennheiser CX 400BT review ($100)
Verdict
Pleasant warm sound, good call quality and great battery life: if it weren't for the strange sound effects in the otherwise strong active noise cancelling, the SoundPEATS T2 would have been a blast.
Four stars - good
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