TaoTronics makes some of the most popular budget headphones on Amazon, and if you caught my review of the company's noise-canceling headphones, you'll know that I've previously been impressed with what TaoTronics can pull off with such competitively-priced products.
The latest TaoTronics headphones to hit the scene is a pair of truly wireless earbuds called the TT-BH052. This is the very first time TaoTronics has tried making a pair of earbuds in this form factor, and while they're far from perfect, this is a really valiant first result that's still worth your consideration.
The Good
- Easy pairing process
- Bluetooth connection is (mostly) reliable
- Multiple listening modes
- IPX7 water resistant
The Bad
- Sound quality is just OK
- Charging case feels cheap
- Finicky touch controls
If you plan on buying the TaoTronics True Wireless Earbuds, be sure to use the promo code N8IO63G9 at checkout for $20 off your order for a final price of just $40. The code is valid now through December 5 at 11:59 PM EDT.
TaoTronics True Wireless Earbuds What's good
With truly wireless earbuds, one of the easiest things to get wrong is the pairing and connectivity. So many models utterly fail in these regards, but somehow TaoTronics has managed to avoid most of these pitfalls.
Upon pairing them to your phone for the first time, just put both earbuds in your ears, tap on them from the list of Bluetooth devices on your phone, and they'll connect. From that point forward, they'll automatically connect when you put them in your ears and disconnect when they're placed back in the case.
While not quite as magical as what you'll find with AirPods with an iPhone, everything here works much better than I was expecting. Bluetooth 5.0 is used to deliver strong connectivity for up to 10 meters (33 feet), and while I noticed a couple of tiny dropouts during my testing, it was for less than a second and nothing that really detracts too much from the overall experience.
You can listen in full stereo sound with both earbuds in each ear, or listen to mono audio with just one. Along with that, TaoTronics also offers a Twin Mode that allows two people to each use one earbud.
Add that together with IPX7 water resistance, customizable ear tips, and solid battery life (3 hours of playback with 40 chargers with the charging case), and it's easy to see that TaoTronics did a lot of things right.
TaoTronics True Wireless Earbuds What needs some work
On that same note, there are a few areas where I'd like to see some improvements made if we get a version 2 of these earbuds at some point down the road.
For starters, sound quality can't help but feel a bit lifeless. It's perfectly fine for casual listening at the gym or around the house, but don't expect anything more. Songs and podcasts aren't unenjoyable to listen to, but bass is virtually nonexistent.
Sound quality for these earbuds is just OK.
You can control your tunes using a variety of taps on the side of either earbud, ranging from skipping tracks, playing/pausing a song, and even adjusting your volume. Having access to all of these controls is nice and something you won't even find on the $160 AirPods, but if you're not precise with each tap, it's easy to not have anything be registered or to accidentally skip a song when you just meant to pause it.
As for the charging case, I'm a bit hesitant about how well it'll hold up after a few months of solid use. It's relatively portable and simple to use, but the button to open it is extremely mushy and the top plastic feels like it could pop off at any second.
Should you buy them? If you're on a budget, maybe
Time to get down to business — should you buy the TaoTronics True Wireless Earbuds?
For its first shot at earbuds of this form factor, I think TaoTronics did an admirable job. The earbuds are enjoyable to use and give you the same conveniences of other products that cost $100 more.
If you absolutely need the truly wireless style, TaoTronics' earbuds are some of the best you'll find within this price range. Then again, if you're okay with the traditional wireless style that has a wire connecting both earbuds, you can get similarly priced products with much better sound.
I wouldn't recommend everyone rush out and buy these ASAP, but for the right buyer, they could be exactly what you've been looking for.
If you plan on buying the TaoTronics True Wireless Earbuds, be sure to use the promo code N8IO63G9 at checkout for $20 off your order for a final price of just $40. The code is valid now through December 5 at 11:59 PM EDT.
