SOUND
These earbuds can be pretty loud and have quite satisfying bass. No crackling nor rattling bs heard on heavy bass test tracks. Though the higher end has some muffle from the bias, overall they sound balanced decently enough while bringing the beef. When there is a good seal, they really sound bigger than they are.
However, since they can be loud, they should be used with caution and not for children/immature people who may get their hearing damaged like I did way back when.
EASE OF USE
They connect fairly quickly to my phone and computer and don’t randomly disconnect as much as my previous earbuds (Occiam T-17).
The volume buttons are easy to feel and use, however can sometimes be confusing as it seems these sometimes have their own volume level independent of whatever device it’s connected to. For example I can adjust the loudness of the earbud but it won’t change the volume level on the device. Sometimes it does (usually on PC)? Idk what determines that but may be important to keep in mind.The main buttons on the side can require a bit of pressure while turning on/off since it takes a few seconds. They usually work for pause/play but sometimes don’t, depending on device; it may just be a buggy player app.For calls sometimes I get the notification for ‘incoming call’, other times I don’t. Either way the sound goes through on the call so far. I’m guessing it may just be my old android phone being stupid, or both?
The battery charge display for the case is nice with the digits, but the meters for each earbud could use improvement. The 4-segment battery animations do not indicate what level each earbud battery is currently at. They just keep animating 0-4 bars and off when done. Not as it should; change over time to 1-4, then 2-4 and so on like my previous T-17’s would do on its charger case which is the same type (but has 3 contacts per earbud instead of 2 like these).
RANGE
Range is not wonderful but not worse than the previous pair. They will work fine usually within maybe 50 ft or so, depending on line of sight and noise environment. Thick walls, typical RF blocking obstacles, and large amounts of nearby RF traffic will of course make it less or choppy.I have yet to experience any connection loss less than around 20 ft. They will shut off after about 5 minutes of no connection.
NOISE CANCELLING?
Sadly, I don’t think there is any active noise cancelling, despite “CVC 8.0” being claimed in the description. The only noise cancelling I can tell exists is passive/basic; good ear rubber seal and loud enough volume to block everything else. :/
Maybe the cancelling is only for the ones with the distinctly different, red-colored buttons as seen in pics from other reviews. As I think I read someone said on one they have noise cancelling (but supposedly have the same model, ‘YYK Q63’ was shown in charger lid pic but no choice for those red button ones is available and not seen in the official pictures of this Amazon page beyond the reviews, AFAIK)??? Or maybe it’s only to keep the mic from picking up too much noise for others listening during a phone call? If so, I guess it’s better than nothing but also kind of a waste to not also have it applied to the main audio.
MICThere is a microphone and it sits right behind where the ear rubbers are with an oblong hole and backed by a screen identical to one in the output hole. Though I have only had 1 call that I used it on, so far it seems to work OK while I was in a crowded airport.
ERGONOMICS
They are fairly comfortable with oval shaped output holes that alleviate pressure on the sidewall of ear canal compared to circular ones.
If you have ears that are slightly asymmetrical like many, one side may slip out requiring it to be shoved back in for balanced sound and will get sore after a while of doing this, but I’ve had far sooner and worse soreness with many other earbuds. One can also use different size rubber than the other side to make it less of a problem. At least there are hooks to keep them on the head instead of falling off and landing in the sink/toilet when looking down that the hookless seem to always do for me.
They may have a slight heft to them vs other earbuds of the same type, probably from bigger batteries. I don’t think it really affects use while running much but may be noticeable over time. At least the batteries do seem to last several hours with busy sound/music.
They are not small enough to keep on while sleeping and laying on your side, as with most hook style earbuds which should be self-evident. Unless you have a pillow that has a hole for the ear area to alleviate the pressure.
FINISH
The overall aesthetic is pretty basic but not too ugly either. The glowing blue button outlines seen in the marketing pictures are misleading. While it might look neat here and there, thankfully it’s only on when charging (red) and when pairing (alternating blue/red) and I’m not forced to be looking like some techno/tron dweeb wannabe otherwise.The overall finish is mostly matte with some gloss around the bulb part of the earbuds next to the ear rubbers.
I have not tested the overall battery life longevity but hope it will take good charge at least for a year or more. Nor have I tested the waterproofness, but at the 20$ point for a pair I feel they are well worth money vs others that don’t sound as good but cost way more. Over the couple dozen I’ve had, I have yet to hear earbuds sound this good for the price.
Genie - Research Bot
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