TWS true wireless earphones - under $25
FOUR STARS - The Tiso i7 may be basic in features and controls - but with its clear sound, it's a great buy at a bargain price.
Tiso i7 specs:
Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC codec
IPX5 waterproof (rain and sweat resistant)
3,5 hours listening on a full charge
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 3 times
Comes with 3 sets of ear tips and micro-USB cable
$20 on AliExpress - check latest price!
Below this Tiso i7 review, you will find comparisons of the Tiso i7 vs QCY T5, Haylou GT1 Plus, Haylou T19, SoundPEATS TrueDot, Edifier X3 and Alien Secret QCC010.
Update January 2021: As the quality of new TWS wireless earbuds keeps improving and there are more and more great models on the market, the overall score for this model has been adjusted from 4.5 to 4 stars
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Design, comfort and battery life
Tiso is a sister brand of the now world-famous QCY, and with a bit of fantasy, you could think the Tiso i7 is a newer version of the brilliant QCY T5. Tiso's earpieces and charging case have around the same size as the QCY, but both are a little sleeker.
At its incredible price of under 20 dollars, it's no surprise that the Tiso i7 looks and feels basic. The charging case is made from scratchy black with a weakly printed brand logo, and powers via micro-USB instead of USB-C. You will only find a charging indication LED-light on the back, next to the charging port, and while the lid is robust, it closes almost automatically when you touch the case.
The i7 earbuds are quite elegant. They are only a millimeter longer than the QCY T5's, yet with their incredibly thin stem and polished shiny-black color, they look longer and more upmarket. Comfort is great, too: the part that goes into your ears is round and compact, ensuring a comfortable fit for a few hours. The earpieces barely move in your ears while you're moving, shaking your head, or smiling broadly - but you still may want to press the buds in a bit deeper sometimes, to get the most out of the bass.
It's no shame that the Tiso i7 battery lasts 3,5 hours per charge for this price point. It's enough for daily commuting and the same score as the wonderful QCY T5 and SoundPEATS TrueDot - but it doesn't reach the same 6 hours as the Edifier X3 or Alien Secret QCC3010.
Connectivity and controls
The touch controls on the Tiso i7 are basic, and unfortunately, it stays challenging where you have to press the buds to control them. Sometimes, a double-tap on the upper part of the round bit makes you pause or play the music; other times it the backside responds better.
With a long tap on the right earpiece, you skip a song. By holding down the left earbud, you return a track. With three taps, you activate the voice assistant on your phone. Unfortunately, there are no volume controls on the earbuds.
The connectivity on the Tiso i7 is fine - mostly. The Bluetooth 5.0 connection holds strong up to around 8 meters, a tad less than most other earbuds. When you're walking with them or even sitting still with them, there can be rare hiccups between the left and right earpiece, but these are restored quickly.
The Tiso i7 doesn't automatically pause when you take an earbud out. Still, you can switch from mono to stereo mode in a heartbeat - meaning you can charge an earpiece while listening to the other, put the charged earpiece in your ears, and immediately listen in stereo again.
Calling and watching movies with Tiso i7
Calling with the Tiso i7 can be done, but your voice and the person you're talking to won't sound the clearest. The other end of the line can sound like he or she's talking into a pillow. Indoors, calling will be fine mostly. Outdoors or inside in noisy areas, this changes. Surrounding noises are processed into something - with trains, passing cars, and voices sounding deformed - but they come through quite loud.
When you're watching videos on the YouTube-app on iPhone, you'll experience a noticeable delay in the sound. On Android, audio-video sync is a bit better, but still not perfect. Other video services, like Netflix and Amazon Prime, offer solid synchronization on both phone systems.
There is a severe delay in sound effects while playing games.
If video playback and call quality are your primary concerns for this money, take a look at the Edifier X3 or Xiaomi Mi Air 2 SE.
—> Also see: All TWS under $25 reviewed and rated
Sound quality of Tiso i7: Clarity galore
The Tiso i7 has a balanced yet dynamic sound with great clarity, among the best choices you can make for this money.
Treble. That's the keyword on the Tiso i7. These earbuds emphasize the higher frequencies. Both female and higher-pitched male vocals take a central position in the music and come with much clarity. Instruments also sound crisp. Higher instruments like violins and cymbals have a prominent role, and mid-instruments like guitars and trumpets show more detail in the highest notes than you might expect for this price.
A strong emphasis on higher notes comes with the risk that the sound sometimes is too bright or harsh. This can be the case on the Tiso i7 as well. On higher volumes on iPhone, the treble can become somewhat sharp. You may want to decrease the volume a bit when a treble peak occurs. Surprisingly, this rarely happens on Android. This difference makes the Tiso i7 even better on Android than on iPhone.
Speaking of volume: the Tiso i7 can go very loud, on both iPhone and Android.
The treble on the Tiso i7 also comes with a lovely airiness in the sound. Music feels around you instead of shouting in your ears, and instruments and musical details come from your left and right. It isn't always possible to place instruments around you precisely, but there's a large amount of space between them, making the music sound more cleaned-up and spacious than the QCY T5 and Haylou GT1 Plus.
The bass on the Tiso i7 has a moderate punch, giving drum kicks impact and providing electronic basses enough power to make dance and pop music sound uplifting. The bass is tight, too, meaning it's quicker but also rumbles less than the earlier mentioned competitors. The darkest sub-bass still has nice weight to it, though, just like the lower-mids such as like darker electronic tones. They have enough presence, offering counterweight to the highs and creating a balanced, yet dynamic sound.
With its tight bass, clear vocals, and lovely spaciousness, the Tiso i7 delivers excellent musical qualities at a bargain price.
Tiso i7 comparisons
Tiso i7 vs QCY T5
The newer Tiso i7 has a more cleaned-up sound than the QCY T5. The Tiso has more air, with more space in between the frequencies and instruments in the music. It has more emphasis on highs, and mid-tones often sound brighter than on the T5. The QCY bass packs more punch and rumbles more often, but it lacks the Tiso bass's tightness. While specs are mostly the same, the QCY T5 is a bigger all-round earphone due to a gaming mode that makes the audio and video sync better in games and videos.
Tiso i7 vs Haylou GT1 Plus
The Haylou GT1 Plus and Tiso i7 sound quite alike, with some differences worth mentioning. The GT1 Plus sounds a tad flatter, as the Tiso i7 extends highs further and creates a brighter sound. The GT1 Plus has more body in the lower-mids and the bass area, which causes the music to sound a bit fuller. The Tiso i7 sounds more cleaned-up, it has a tighter bass, and a more spacious sound, with more room for individual instruments and effects to shine in. On other aspects, the Tiso and Haylou go head-to-head.
Tiso i7 vs Edifier X3
The Edifier X3 has a warmer sound than the Tiso i7, with a stronger bass-slam that gives pop and dance music more punch. Lower-mids, like darker electronic tones, also enjoy more presence on the Edifier. Once again, the Tiso i7 has a more airy sound, more space between the layers, and more details for individual instruments. The Tiso i7 has more emphasis and detail in the highs but might push it a tad too much sometimes - the Edifier X3 toned-down highs remain more pleasing. In functionality, the Edifier X3 is unbeaten, with better call quality, around 6 hours battery life, and its amazing small case.
Tiso i7 vs SoundPEATS TrueDot
The SoundPEATS TrueDot - crowned best-sounding TWS under $25 on Scarbir.com - trades in focus on treble of the Tiso i7 to emphasize the lower frequencies. The TrueDot has a stronger bass, more detail in the lowest sub-bass tones, and thicker lower-mids, giving the sound a much warmer character and instruments in the mids more body and texture. The Tiso sounds more cleaned-up and gives more attention to claps and slaps. While it extends highs further, the TrueDot doesn't give in to detail in the higher frequencies, ultimately giving the SoundPEATS a slight advantage - especially if you like a strong bass.
Tiso i7 vs Haylou T19
While the Tiso i7 may offer a lot of clarity in the upper-mid tones and highs, the slightly more expensive Haylou T19 takes it up a notch. Female and higher-pitched male vocals sound clearer and more robust on the Haylou, even on higher volumes. That said, the Tiso i7 is likely to please more people. It can go louder on both iPhone and Android, and while sporting the same spaciousness as the Haylou T19, it sounds warmer and more powerful thanks to its emphasized lower-mids and bass. The Haylou T19 may be exceptional for classical and acoustic genres - the Tiso i7 is great for all genres.
Tiso i7 vs Alien Secret QCC010
Now sold for under 25 dollars, the Alien Secret QCC010 is one of the finest low-budget offerings, providing 7 hours battery life and comfort all enough to wear them in bed. It has a stronger bass than the Tiso, and while also paving the way for the upper-mids and highs, it sounds smoother and warmer. The Tiso i7 sound is more analytical, with tighter bass and more room for individual instruments - but the Alien Secret is a better allrounder.
Verdict
The Tiso i7 may be basic in features and controls - but with its clear sound, it's a great buy at a bargain price.
Four stars - good
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I bought the Tiso i7 myself for testing and review purposes, with reviewer discount from the manufacturer. 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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