On first impression, I liked the design of the half glossy-half matte square case. The case is a bit bigger than what I’m used to but still portable enough. The lid stays up when opened and closes tightly, keeping the buds magnetically secure. Taking the buds out is easily done, even with one hand. I am not the biggest fan of stem design but that is what makes them easy to handle. The buds also have that gloss-matte finish, which is nice but also makes the case and buds incredibly susceptible to smudges and fingerprints, so be prepared to wipe them often.
Once you find the right ear tips, these buds are quite comfortable. The stem is longer and thicker than I’d like, but don’t stick out that much. I wore them for about 6 hours straight and did not experience any discomfort or soreness. However, I found myself fidgeting and adjusting them quite often when running or exercising. Keep in mind that fit may vary from ear to ear. Also, there is no need to worry about sweat or rain as these are rated IPX5.
The buds feature Bluetooth 5.2, so they’re future-proof. They connected effortlessly to my Android phone and kept a strong connection while walking around my medium-size apartment. I noticed no sync issues when watching videos and, when looking closely for it, a very slight lag while playing certain games. I did notice that disconnecting from the phone when placing them back in the case is not instant and takes more than a few seconds.
While not everything can be controlled from the buds, I am glad that the most important actions like volume, playback, and voice assistance are available. The touchpads are very responsive. I also appreciate the auto-pause/play when taking the buds out of the ear.
The battery life is impressive at this price range. I’ve been using them for 4-6 hours for three days and they are still going strong. Belkin claims 8 hours plus 28 hours from the case, and I believe them. I also like that they feature fast charging, where 15 minutes in the case adds 2 hours of playback. It is also nice that Belkin managed to add wireless Qi charging to the case.
The call quality is OK. While I had no issues with people hearing me, I was told that I sounded a bit far and as if I was in a tunnel -especially in a loud environment. For those who may ask, these are not noise-canceling headphones. The Advanced environmental noise cancellation (ENC) is for calls only. That means that blocking out ambient sound depends entirely on finding a good seal.
The 7mm drivers deliver decent, enjoyable sound. That is when a good seal is maintained. The bass is strong and has that subwoofer effect that many enjoy, without being overbearing. The mids are well represented and the treble is loud and clear, although there were times when I thought it might’ve been a bit harsh and sibilant. While certainly not always accurate, I enjoyed most of what I threw at them.
Now I am disappointed that there is no app support, so you’re pretty much stuck with the sound quality, controls, and firmware. I think that is a glaring misstep at this price range.
In the end, I find these buds average at best. If you do decide to get them, I think you will not regret it as the sound quality may make up for the lack of app support and true ANC.