Belkin - SOUNDFORM Freedom True Wireless Earbuds Environmental Noise Cancelling (ENC) Works with Apple Find My - White

I am a member of Best Buy’s Technical Insider Network, TIN for short. Reviewers in this invitation-only program are provided products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased reviews. Initial impressions: The Belkin Soundform Freedom True Wireless earbuds pack a lot of technology into a budget package. The central body fits into the ear with a short microphone boom extending away from the earbud’s body down below the ear. The body is a combination of smooth and slightly textured plastics. Each Soundform Freedom earbud has two touch sensors: one facing away from the ear and one facing the ear. The charging pins are recessed into the earbuds so there is no worry of them causing any chaffing while wearing them. The earbuds ship with three sizes of soft silicon ear adapters so there should not be any issue fitting any ear canal size. The included charging box is a clamshell design. The case is small enough fit into your pocket, purse, or backpack. It also doubles as a portable charging station for the Earbuds. According to Belkin, the earbud batteries are capable of supply up to 8 hours of continuous use. The case auto charges the earbuds when they are placed inside. The case’s battery can provide up to an additional 28 hours charge time. Essentially you can use these all over the course of several days if you keep them in their charging case between uses. Music: Expect budget sound with the Soundform Freedoms. Music is crystal clear but lacks dynamic range and detail at low volumes. I tested the Soundform Freedoms with a wide musical selection including classical, techno, pop, Brazilian pop, electro swing, 80’s and 90’s rock, and vocals. In all instances the music was clear and precise but lacked definition. Base is weak but can be remedied using the pre-defined Base Boost EQ setting in the iOS sound settings app. Unfortunately, Apple did not bundle EQ settings with their iOS music app so you will need to adjust your EQ through the Music option in your phone’s settings. Phone calls: The Soundform Freedoms excels with phone calls. Reception and transmission are crystal clear. There were no dropouts between the earbuds and phone. There were also no dropouts between the two earbuds. There was no static or smearing of the speaker’s voice. The people I spoke with reported that reception on their end was so clear that they did not realize I was talking to them on earbuds and not directly into my phone’s microphone. The pick-up and hang-up functions of the earbuds also worked without any issues. Double tap either earbud to answer and end a call worked wonderfully. Comfort: I find the Soundform Freedom earbuds uncomfortable to wear. I had to remove them after an hour of use. This is typical for me with most large earbuds due to how small my ears are. The Soundform Freedom’s ship with small, medium, and large silicon tips to fit any ear canal. In my case, the discomfort is caused by the pressure the earbuds place on the cartilage just outside my ear canal; the part of my ear that holds the earbud in my ear. Unfortunately, this means activity such as talking and or chewing exasperate the issues for me. For a test, I asked a family member with larger ears wear these for about an hour. He reported that the earbuds were comfortable and that he could see himself using these for work. Overall, comfort seems relative to the size of the ear. “Find My” Feature in iOS: Setting up the Find My feature with the Soundform Freedom was simple. The included instructions were easy to follow. If you require more detailed instructions, then you get these from Belkin’s website. Just scan the QR code in the provided instructions to navigate to Belkin’s simple step by step instructions for many of the Soundform Freedom’s features. This feature took a few minutes to setup. Controls: The touch controls work well. Play, pause, track forward, track back, volume, and phone are all controlled by tapping the touch sensors on the outside of the earbuds. Both earbuds have touch sensors. In some instance they can be used interchangeable for multiple functions. Belkin’s instruction many organized this information into a very easy to read table. Volume control is the only one touch function for either earbud. The left earbud controls volume down and the right controls volume up. Expectations need to be adjusted here. The volume works like this: touch, count “one Mississippi”, touch, count “two Mississippi, touch, and so on until you get to your desired sound level. I think Belkin should have used a continuous touch function for volume, but they didn’t. My recommendation is to use the volume controls directly on the phone. There is a second touch control surface on the inside of each earbud. This touch surface detects when the earbud is in the ear. Remove the earbud and the device pauses all audio output. Put the earbud back in your ear and audio output resumes. During my test, removing the right earbud paused audio for both. Removing the left earbud paused audio for the left earbud. I’m guessing that the true wireless transmitter is in the right earbud. Syncing: Syncing with any Bluetooth device such as a phone or laptop is easy. Open the clamshell, place the earbuds inside the clamshell, and have the device search for the Soundform Freedoms. There is one caveat. The Soundform Freedoms will not remember more than a single Bluetooth partner. If you want to migrate from your phone to your laptop you will need to reset the charging case and resync according to Belkin’s instructions. Final thoughts: Belkin really packed in a lot of technology for budget earbuds. Sound is crystal clear which is great for phone calls. Musically they do not compete with other similarly priced earbuds I have owned. The difference, those earbuds were awful for phone calls. True Wireless guarantees that the connection between the earbuds will be clear and free from static. The touch controls are simple to learn and use. Battery life is outstanding. And they ship with a charging case that can provide up to an additional 28 hours of use. Perfect for those long trips where wall outlets may be few and far between. As mentioned earlier, these do not work for my ears due my small ear size. This is beyond Belkin’s control. Overall, the Soundform Freedoms just work. There are no frills or special marketing magic here. These are the functional essentials of what people expect from their earbuds these days. If you are in the market for budget earbuds that are easy to use and get the job done, then gives these a try.

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.

The Belkin - SOUNDFORM Freedom True Wireless Earbuds with Environmental Noise Cancelling (ENC) Works with Apple Find My in Black is very compact and highly portable in one's pocket, in fact maybe too compact. So, that is what is great about linking it to My Find Apple if you happen to have an Apple phone. However, in my case, I have a Samsung so I could not take advantage of that feature. These earbuds easily connect by Bluetooth to my devices, whethter mobile phone or laptop or tablet. It is seamless and detection is effortless. That is great since I am not an IT genius and over 60 years old. So, I am still wondering if is a pro or a con that they are made of plastic. Pro would be that they are very lightweight and featherweight while in your ear, but at the same time are they easily destructible. I have had some older ones that were made of metal with loops that could be fit around the outer ear to secure them as the user moves and helps from dislodging. As you can see in my selfie picture, they are pointed down which is the position shown on front of the box. You know, I also tried putting my other ear's earbud in and pointed the stem straight up and it also stayed in that ear, too. I have made several cell phone calls with them in and in all cases the person that I was talking to heard me crystal clear and I heard them the same. In fact I was listening to a music site on my phone and when the call came in, it was also a seamless transition when I answered the call. I have a picture of the user manual that instructs you on how to operate the various functions. Essentially, it is a series of taps on the earbud to go through to get to the operation that you wish to use. So, there is a little bit of a learning curve. I do not have dexterity issues, but these I wonder if that could be a deterrent for a user if they did. You know, these are not very expensive and one cannot expect the same listening experience that you might get with a more expensive set of earbuds. I definitely felt that there was noise canceling and there was stereo surround with both the left and right ones in, however, the music still was a bit brassy and I do not know about the bass adjustment so much. But like I said, this is not a huge investment so if you wanted to give a set to a child or someone that has trouble keeping hold of them and often loses them, this would be a good alternative for a decent listening experience at not that high a cost. If you are a music listening snob then these might not be the ones for you, but I am a middle of the road type person and I enjoyed the experience.

Belkin SOUNDFORM FREEDOM True Wireless Earbuds (AUC002) Belkin’s Soundform Freedom wireless earbuds sound really good and I found their fit in my ears to be as comfortable as any I’ve used. I was perfectly fine with the already mounted set of silicone tips but there are two more sets of different sizes. I’m quick to complain when earbuds don’t fit. It ruins the bass performance and keeps me constantly fussing with the buds. These just work, right out of the box and are a nice return to when listening to your music was as easy as it is enjoyable. FEATURES and SETUP: There is no App. I like earbud Apps, but if the earbuds work without one I can find no reason to complain. It simplifies using the earbuds because all you need is your music App. Instructions for use are on the Quick Setup Guide which is all diagrams and minimal text. Not my favorite. However, these are well done. I’ve snapped a picture of the button-push guide. The storage and charging case contributes 28 more hours and I didn’t have the patience to test Belkin’s specs. It is very small and convenient, and includes a USB-C cable while also providing Qi wireless charging. Earbud control is handled by pressing on the earbud shells. Sweat resistance is addressed with an IPX5 rating. Noise control for audio (music/audiobook) is completely passive. A comfortable, secure fit provides a significant amount of sound isolation for the earbuds, but there isn’t any circuitry to remove droning engine noises or office voices. ENC (Advanced Environment Noise Cancellation (CLEAR-CALL) is intended only for keeping phone calls easy to understand, despite background noise. This might be a bit confusing and really ought to have a different name. But, phone calls were highly listenable. I registered my Soundform Freedom’s with my iPhone’s “Find My” app, so my iPhone now monitors the whereabouts of my earbud case. Cool. Took a few minutes and now I can’t misplace my earbud case. PERFORMANCE: A very fast, fuss free Bluetooth (5.2) connection dropped me into my Apple Music playlist with Billie Eilish’s "Bellyache" playing. I thought the sound was a bit thin until I reset the Soundform earpieces more securely in my ears. The bass got much deeper and the sound filled in like the best earbuds I’ve used this past year. Mary J. Blige followed and “Be Without You” illustrated how nicely these earbuds can sound on voices, solo and massed in the background. John Legend’s “Green Light” tested the bass one more time and the voices stayed natural with a lot of detail filling in the very broad sound stage. All very nice. For this review I finished with Beirut’s “Candle’s Fire” to see whether the mix of horns, snare drums, and accordion sounded real and balanced in the mix. Again, very nice and completely enjoyable. These are the real thing. Very nicely accomplished. I did find the sound tilted a bit upwards in the treble, but this is easily corrected with a number of playback Apps, I kind’a like the extra detail. RECOMMENDED. I like the Soundform Freedom True Wireless Earbuds. Earbud manufacturers often reach for too many features and miss on a few. The Belkin contribution to the wireless earbud marketplace keeps it simple and everything works and sounds really fine.

THE BREAKDOWN: Belkin Soundform Freedom True Wireless Earbuds sound great and fit great. I usually have to experiment with different earbud tips until I found the combination that work the best. For this set they were perfect out of the box and I even tested the other sets that came with it to be sure! Getting started and setting up are a snap as there is no app to download they just need a full charge then you are good to go. The instructions included was very straight forward on how to push the buttons on the earbuds. The charging case plastic and the bottom half is matte black while the top half is kind of glossy. The charging case along with the earbuds claims to give 28 hours of battery life. It also comes with a USB-C charging cable and supports wireless charging. The earbuds were very comfortable after listening to music for more than 4 hours. They feature 5.2 Bluetooth connection. I had zero connection problems with my phone, laptop or tablet. The sound for making calls was just ok, most people I spoke with said that I sounded like I was in a barrel. The sound for listening to music and video was pretty good. Not the best but then again these are not priced like a high end wireless earbud either. Having an app to keep things updated and do a little control of the features would have been very nice. PRO’s: - Wireless Charging - USB-C - IPX5 rated - Apple find my feature CON’s: - Phone calls sounded like I was in a barrel - Could have used and app to keep things up to date and give some control of the features. SUMMARY: Overall, this product worked as intended, and I would recommend this to a friend if they are in the market for device like this.

Belkin Soundform freedom, and extremely light and very well constructed wireless earbuds. They are shiny black with a flat touch surface that is used to control the volume, music, voice assistance and phone calls. They are very small but they can produce a really good sound with a deep base. They feel comfortable in the ear and they won't fall off. They are easy to pair and there is no need for a third party app to do that. Just go into the bluetooth settings on your phone and find SF Freedom - Find and pair. These earbuds will give you 8hrs of continuous play and 28hrs of charge in the charging case. Phone calls' sound quality were pretty clear whether it was over the cellphone towers or Wi-fi calling. To summon your OS assistant you have to press and hold for 2 seconds. I Honestly would rather summon by just saying hot words, however if you have your phone close by saying it will work. They do not have active noise canceling but they advance environmental noise cancellation or (ENC). There is no way to control that or turn it on or off. The charging case is also small and it can be charged with the included USBC cable or wirelessly. The charging case can also be paired with Apple Find My to locate it when missing. Overall these are really nice earbuds, very comfortable, extremely light, good sound, and neat features for a fraction of the price from the more expensive counterparts. In the box you get the earbuds, charging case, USBC cable, ear foams, and manuals.

The Belkin Soundform Freedom Wireless Earbuds are one of Belkin’s latest Wireless Earbuds with Environmental Noise Cancelling (ENC) that works with Apple’s Find My software. Touting “crystal clear calls and a design that is similar to a popular earbud from Apple, let’s see if the Soundform Freedom is worth the money. In the Box: - Earbuds - Qi Wireless Charging/USB-C Charging Case - Three Sets of Silicone Ear Gels (S, M, L) - USB-C Cable - Instruction Manual Setup: Simple These earbuds use the latest Bluetooth 5.2 technology and are very straight forward to pair like most devices these days. With no app or other integration, just open the BT settings from your phone, pair the earbuds, and you are on your way. These do support single earbud use if you would only like to use one at a time. The beeping upon button press (Volume, skip, back, etc.) on the earbud is annoying and something I will address later. Charging/Battery: No Complaints The charging case on these earbuds support Qi wireless charging which is great to see with a product at this price point. The case features a fairly large LED light to show charging status. Battery life seems to be close to the claims and with the additional battery from the charging case there is plenty to last several days if needed. The case itself features a glossy top cover which may scratch easily if thrown around but the design itself is fairly compact considering the earbud design and easy to open and close with the cutout below the lid. Features/Controls: To much BEEPING These earbuds feature ENC, wear sensor for ear detection, touch sensitive controls on each earbud, IPX5 rating, and Apple Find My compatible case. I assume the ENC works similar to ANC for enhanced call quality. There doesn’t seem to be any or very much active noise cancellation from these earbuds. The touch sensors on each bud work well although every time one is pressed it BEEPS which is VERY annoying. I wish there was a way to disable this because it makes the listening experience worse (as the fit and sound quality is not very good either). The call quality is good as both parties were able to communicate effectively. The ENC will help cancel out surround background noise or so Belkin states. Comfort/Design: Not Great This is the first time I have used an earbud with this design with a peg that sticks down from the ear. I totally understand how they would work well for some people but in my ears one fit perfect with the medium tip and I couldn’t get the other to stay in with any size ear tip. They have a lot of plastic which may make contact with the ear so long term comfort may be an issue unless they fit perfect in both ears. When I used the touch sensors on each earbud they moved around a lot so overall I found the fit pretty poor overall. This contributes to the poor sound quality too. Sound Quality: Very little low end The fit to these earbuds contribute to how they will sound in your ear. Since they don’t fit inside my ears well at all the sound was very “tinny” and had no depth to it. With no apparent app to adjust EQ and the like, you rely on the phone’s EQ adjusts ability and I would say overall these sound marginal at best. Pros: - Charging Case Qi Compatible - Battery Life - Good Mics Cons: - Sound Quality - No App - Poor Earbud Design/Comfort Overall: I think Belkin Soundform Freedom Wireless Earbuds are an attempt to mimic the popular earbud from Apple. With a much more attractive price point some may be tempted to try them out as a substitute but from my usage I cannot recommend this product. The design surely limits the ears that they will fit well inside and then that dramatically impacts the comfort and sound quality. Given the cost of many earbuds these days, I would recommend trying something a little higher in price point or with a more traditional design unless you can verify ahead of time these absolutely work inside your ears.

Available in the colors of either Black or White, the Belkin SoundFORM Freedom True Wireless Earbuds are a pleasant powerful find, and available right now at an exceptional price. Not only are they extremely comfortable to the point that I forgot I had them in my ears, but they are also equipped with noise – cancelling and produce a superior sound. The advanced ENC reduces call background noise and with the clear call technology, and Qualcomm aptX audio, the clarity of the tone is vibrant with very minimal distortion. The base is powerful and clear. The earbuds are equipped with dual microphones and with the call background noise cancelling I feel very confident in making and receiving calls. There are several great features to these earbuds that one would expect out of earbuds costing 3x to 4x as much as these. The earbuds are designed with their own small charging case which gives an extra 28 hours of battery life on top of the original all day 8 hours of play. Another plus is the Intelligent Sensors that have been designed into the product that auto pause and auto play when the earbuds are removed or reinserted. Did I mention that the earbuds are water resistant to the point of making them splash and sweat proof? They also come with three different sizes of silicone ear tips so that the user can find the perfect size for the perfect fit. And even though they come with a USB – C charging cable, they are also wireless and can be charged on any Qi wireless charging device. If misplaced or lost, they can be found by using the Apple Find MY but are also equipped with Bluetooth that connects to many types of Bluetooth audio-enabled devices such as phones, tablets, and computers. The case and earbuds both have charging status lights that help to keep track of the battery life. I had no trouble at all paring the earbuds to the Bluetooth on my phone, computer, and tablet. The earbuds paired instantly and took less than 10 seconds to do so. Then I was able to fully enjoy the design and functional aspects of the earbuds. If one encounters a problem with pairing the earbuds to their devices, then there is a factory reset button on the case that should streamline your efforts toward a quick connection. What is in the box? Well, the package includes the Qi compatible charging case, one USB-A to USB-C charging cable, the three different sizes of silicon ear tips, and the earbuds themselves. Belkin offers a two-year warranty on the product if registered online. This is a very good product because of all of the features that Belkin has designed into the product that won’t “break the bank” but will bring hours of enjoyment and pleasure to the new owner. I have used a variety of brands of earbuds over the years and definitely recommend these because they truly hold their own against many other brands. Simply put, they are a very good product.