Review: A $25 Sport Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds by Aukey

As the world is transitioning more and more into wireless technologies in all corners of our lives, it had a particularly strong impact on the headphones industry, it has set a new standard for them. They all are going to be wireless, much before any other tech accessory. With that in mind, finding a cheap pair of wireless headphones today is not hard, but are they worth it or is it still soon? To find out I got my hands on a pair of sport wireless earbuds from Aukey, they cost 25 dollars, yep a fraction of AirPods. And I've spent a month with them, running, working out, or using them in the office, almost everywhere I went. And finally, I was ready to give them a proper review.

Box and accessories

I ordered them from Amazon and got them on time, as you usually do with the fast Amazon shipping network. The box was small, made of strong paper, which made me wonder what's inside the box? To my surprise, you get everything you need. I found 3 pairs of ear-tips and ear-hooks made from solid rubber to properly adjust the earbuds to your ear size, carrying pouch, and a USB cable. Everything, except a power adapter which you can reuse from your phone or Bluetooth speaker, so I'm ok with that, less electronic waste, and more reusable components.

Build quality, connection, and wearing

When I saw the earbuds I had a strong positive impression. They seemed robust and ready for action, as you would expect from a sports accessories. I easily changed the ear-tips and ear-hooks and tested the wearing, they were solid in my ear. Which was my number one priority from earbuds I want to use in my workouts. Aukey implemented Bluetooth 4.1 so basically, you can connect them to any phone like any other Bluetooth device. The connection to my iPhone was straightforward without any hassle, I tested the controls which allow you to regulate sound volume and answer or your phone, all worked perfectly.

Charging and battery

Charging was pretty easy, just plug the USB cable in the controller and that's it. Nothing fancy like a charging box from a premium models but that's what you get for 25 bucks. So you really can't charge them on the go, and that's where you should be a bit careful. Charging time is about 1.5 hours to get them fully charged.

The battery is packed by 2 × 60mAh batteries and Aukey claims 8-10 hours battery on a full charge which I repeatedly confirmed true. I used them daily for about 4 hours a day and they lasted for 2-3 days straight. So they can last the whole working day and more without a problem.

Sound quality

This is where it gets interesting, knowing that these earbuds are meant for doing sports, they sounded pretty good during my workouts. Whether I was running or lifting weights, the ear-tips isolated properly the outside sounds and provided a nice sound quality with a medium bass level. But you don't really notice the sound difference while you are concentrated on a workout until I moved in the office or a more quiet space, that's where I noticed the difference. When I focused better on the sound quality, even with different genres, the sound was flat. Not so rich in details. The bass is not too heavy, not too soft, and that's where they got it right in my opinion. Thanks to the Bluetooth 4.1, the connection was always good without tangling.

Calls, on the other hand, are pretty much normal. Nothing special about them, I can have a decent conversation and the mic will work just fine. I had no problems people telling me they can't hear me.

Bonus features

One of the features I really liked was magnets in each earbud, which attach them together when not using. They would make a necklace around my neck and I was sure I wouldn't lose them. Or just append them at home or in the office. Another great feature is the IPX4 splash-proof resistance. If you catch the rain or sweat a lot, no need to worry because they will keep working with no problems.

Conclusion

So going back to my initial question, are affordable wireless headphones worth buying, or is it too soon? My answer is they are worth buying today. In this particular case of Aukey earbuds and considering the price of $25 they offer a lot for the price. I recommend them to anyone who wants a cheap pair of earbuds that work great in any situation without much worrying.