Many would think that Apple were the first company to have released True Wireless Earphones to the world in Dec 2016. but in fact the first True Wireless Earphones were announced by a Japanese electronics company Onkyo the W800BT in IFA technology show  in Berlin 2015.

It’s been 4 years since the first True Wireless Earphones were born. With the Apple Airpods taking this technology and bringing it mainstream in 2017, we’ve seen the market grown and adapting to this new technology through 2 short years with 100s of new brands popping up vying for market share.

What True Wireless earphones should i choose? and what’s is the best True Wireless earphones on the market? Those are the most common questions a non tech savvy consumer will ask when they first looking to buy a pair of True Wireless Earphones. In this blog we will go through some tips on how to choose your pair of decent pair of True Wireless earphones. Like all audio products it’s about personal preference and budget. There is no perfect True Wireless Earphones out there on the market that does everything. The questions one should ask when buying a pair of True Wireless earphone is what’s my budget? what do i intent to use it for? how long will i use those earphones for? Those are the correct questions one should ask before buying a pair of True Wireless Earphones. There are a lot of marketing fluff that consumers has to go though. Words like apt-X, AAC, A2DP,  noise cancellation, CVC 8.0, ANC, IPX rating, BT 5.0. All those are technology built into the earphones to serve a function. I’ll list a simple guide on what each function does under intent of use.

A: Intent to use True Wireless Earphone in office or transit (2-4hrs a day)

Look for earphones with:

apt-X, AAC (codec which gives better compression of your music and send it out through bluetooth. This feature gives you platform for clearer sound)

BT 5.0 (stands for bluetooth 5.0 is the latest version of the short range wireless standards. This feature gives you better connection)

Battery Life of at least 4hours (most True Wireless Earbuds those days will last this long)

optional ANC (stands for Active Noise Cancelling. This feature blocks out noisy surroundings so you can hear your music better)

For those who travel a lot and looking for the best Active Noise Cancelling earbuds on the market are the Sony WF1000XM3 and Apple Airpods Pro

Good choice budget choice would be the Tronsmart Spunky Beats, 1More, Jabra Elite 65t all 3 offers some of the best passive noise blocking with their design and fit.

B: Intent to use True Wireless Earphone for sports/gym

Look for earphones with:

IPX rating of 5 or more (IPX rating determines how waterproof or dust proof a product is)

Water-Resistance Rating:

IPX0 – Offers no protection at all against the smallest drop of water.

IPX1 – Offers protection from some water drops to an extent of at least 10 minutes.

IPX2 – This adds on to IPX1, however, this ranking requires that the product can survive being rotated while having water dripped on for at least 10 minutes.

IPX3 – Offers protection from water being sprayed on the product from for at least 5 minutes.

IPX4 – Offers protection from splashes of water in any direction for at least 5 minutes.

IPX5 – Offers protection from a 6.33mm spray of water in any direction for at least 3 minutes.

IPX6 – Offers protection from a 12.5mm spray of water in any direction for at least 3 minutes.

IPX7 – Offers protection from being completely submerged under at least 1 meter for at least 30 minutes. (This is where we’re getting into the more “real” waterproof subjects).

IPX8 – Offers different protection given by the manufacturer. This means that it’s better than the above but not to what degree. (This might be mentioned if it has been properly studied and tested by the manufacturer).

Light  (anything under 7g per ear bud are considered light)

Secure fit   (Some type of Ear Hook for extra secure fit)

Products such as the Mifo O5  comes with IPX7 rating which you can swim in.

C: Audiophile that only cares about sound quality and connections of True Wireless Earphone

Look for earphones with:

apt-X, AAC (codec which gives better compression of your music and send it out through bluetooth. This feature gives you a platform for clearer sound)

BT 5.0 (stands for bluetooth 5.0 is the latest version of the short range wireless standards. This feature gives you better connection)

Better Drivers most cheaper version are sub 6mm ( The best sounding True Wireless Earphones I’ve tested are Master Dynamic MW07 10mm and Sennhinser MTW 7mm  drivers specifically tuned and designed for the True Wireless platform)

Although sound is a subjective thing there is a consensus on those two brands amongst the audiophiles as the best sounding premium earphones both cost well over $350+

There are quite a few budget choices like the 1More, Tronsmart Spunky Beats we carry, which both sounds fantastic and are extremely good valued with their sound quality compared to more expensive offerings punching above its weight.

my personal sound preference is neutral sounding with large sound stage, clear separation and depth*

D: Intent to use True Wireless Earphone for calls and communications

BT 5.0 (stands for bluetooth 5.0 is the latest version of the short range wireless standards. This feature gives you better connection)

cVc 8.0 (It’s a noise suppression and enhancement technology developed by Qualcomm® for clearer voice communications mostly used in their popular QCC30XX chipset used by many True Wireless Earphone manufactures)

RCV (stands for Real Clear Voice it’s another noise suppression technology developed by Realtek for their bluetooth chipsets frequently used in True Wireless Earphones)

Although those chipsets with the featured noise suppressing technology do help in getting clearer voice communication. Ultimately components such as quality of microphones used plays a great role in communication clarity.

Products such as Jabra elite 65t and Apple Airpods Pro is rated the best for clear voice calls.

Just beware that quite a few manufacturers put titles such as noise cancelling mic technology in their product marketing, this would lead to confusion for consumers thinking they are buying the more expensive Active Noise Cancelling earphones.

In 2020 what can we expect from the True Wireless Earbuds market?

Well i predict there will be a explosion of new budget friendly ANC (active noise cancellation) earbuds with better quality battery life and sound quality. It’s a exciting year ahead!

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