Official Review Hardware Updated

Review cover Soundpeats Sonic Pro (Hardware)
Official GBAtemp Review

Product Information:

We know you can’t get enough of wireless earbuds, but are these worth checking out? With aptX-Adaptive, Bluetooth 5.2, dual balanced armature drivers, game mode and wireless charging - it sure sounds interesting. Let’s see!

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SoundPeats is back with yet another pair of wireless earbuds, focusing on sound quality and with a proper game mode. There is no active noise cancellation this time around, but with a price under $60 it is to be expected considering the list of features that are present in this powerful earbud.

Just like all of their earbuds, you’ll get a small paper box with a charging case and earbuds, a user manual, a tiny USB-C charging cable and 3 pairs of silicone ear tips. It’s the standard set of small, medium and large - and these fit just as well as they always do. I use a large tip for my right ear, and a medium one for the left which creates a perfect seal, passively shutting out some noise and keeping the earbuds securely in my ears. I imagined being at a rock concert, headbanging until I got dizzy without ever feeling that the earbuds were even close to losing their place in my ears. I have used these daily for a couple of months and even though I have praised their earbuds in the past, these have been even more comfortable for me. They sit a little bit deeper in the ear, and feel very natural. (The last photo at the end of the review shows a comparison between the T2 on the left, and the Sonic Pro on the right.) I have on several occasions fallen asleep with these in my ears, just like I did with their T2 buds as well. These are considerably smaller than the T2 though, sticking out less, which makes it comfortable even when sleeping on your side with them in the ear. 

Core Specs

  • Bluetooth Chip: Qualcomm® QCC3040
  • Bluetooth: 5.2
  • Waterproof Rating: IPX5
  • Wireless Range: 33 ft (10 m)
  • Profiles: HSP, HFP, A2DP, AVRCP
  • codecs: aptX-Adaptive, aptX, AAC, SBC

Battery

  • Battery Capacity: 400mAH (Case)
  • Battery Capacity: 70*2mAH (Earbuds)
  • Charging Time: 2 hours (Earbuds), 1.5 hours (Case)
  • Standby Time: 150 hours
  • Playtime Time: 15 hours (Gaming mode ON: ~7 hours)
  • Charging port: USB Type C & wireless charging

Package

  • Earbuds Dimensions: 20.5*18.3*27.2mm
  • Item Weight: 47.49g
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The Sonic Pro looks like the Sonic with a different color, but there is much more beneath the surface. Instead of the dynamic drivers that are so common in earbuds and headphones, these utilize dual balanced armature drivers - that is 2 balanced armature drivers in each earbud. The balanced armature drivers are a lot smaller in size than a regular dynamic driver, and is one the reason they are also used in hearing aids, since it allows for a bigger battery to be used, and in this case also allows for several drivers to be used together. One driver is tuned for the mids, and the other is tuned for the highs, giving clarity and sparkling sound with a great focus on vocals. The downside is that the rumbling bass that a big dynamic driver element could provide isn’t there, but is changed into a more punchy bass. You are trading a “fun” sound signature to a more “natural” sound signature, similar to an in ear monitor. With a bit of equalizer tweaking, or just a simple bass boost, you can still feel a really impactful bass. 

Vocal music is where these shine the brightest, but they are really wonderful for any genre of music. Audiobooks and podcasts are also something the Sonic Pro handles beautifully with the balanced armature drivers. But what about gaming? Yes, gaming works wonderful with these earbuds! Since these earbuds come with a game mode that you activate simply by pushing the left earbud’s button 3 times, latency won’t be a big issue for casual gaming. Hardcore rhythm games and competitive shooters might still require wired headphones, but the game mode is great for everything else. I paired these easily with the Nintendo Switch, played a little bit, then just as easily connected them to my phone and listened to music. To test out the latency I decided to play a digital piano on my phone. I have a physical MIDI keyboard controller for music production, and unless I activate ASIO to reduce latency I can’t play music since what I play doesn’t match what I hear. With these earbuds and game mode turned on, I had no problems playing since the latency was low enough for it to feel next to instantaneous.

The microphone quality is not that good, as is to be expected with wireless earbuds. They feature CVC8.0 Noise Cancellation which works well for phone calls, and removes some of the background noises when speaking with someone, but it can’t block heavy traffic or the noise from crowded stores. All in all it’s the standard fare when it comes to wireless earbud microphones.


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The case and earbuds are sporting a base of dark gray color with glitter, and rose gold details. The large logo on the side of the earbuds is a physical button, something that can feel weird at first, but after a while you’ll learn to grip the earbud when clicking the button to not push it further into your ear with ease. The logo also lights up if the earbuds are connected but has no sound playing. This is useful in case you have forgotten them outside the case, but it could also be annoying if your ears are lighting up a dark room at night. Luckily SoundPeats have thought of this, and clicking either button 4 times will toggle the light!

The case features strong magnets holding the earbuds in place while charging, as well as a single LED giving an indication how much battery is left in the case. The case will give the earbuds up to 2 full charges and I must say I am very impressed - even though I use these daily for many hours, the earbuds and case together last a full week easily. The specs say up to 35 hours, but I do feel that I have used them more than that without the case running out of battery. And not only is the battery life impressive, the case even features wireless charging. Ease and comfort: outstanding. 

But the case is also where I have issues. The lid and hinge creaks and feels loose, it feels like cheap plastic and doesn’t have a satisfying snap. The hinge is mushy and the feel of the glossy case is slippery, and the case is quite big, so it’s not the most comfortable to shove in your front pocket. This sounds worse than it is though, it just drags the feeling of quality down a bit especially since I know they can do better when comparing this to their other products. It is minor, but it is also the only truly negative thing I have to say about the product.

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I really recommend these feature packed earbuds, especially if you enjoy a more natural sounding experience and not go all out for bass. Works well for gaming, and if you are looking for earbuds with good sound quality and wireless charging for under $60 - consider these.

Verdict

What We Liked ...
  • Great value
  • Impressive game mode
  • Sound clarity and quality
  • Comfort
  • Wireless charging
  • Battery life
What We Didn't Like ...
  • Flimsy feeling case
  • Microphone quality not being anything special
9.5
out of 10

Overall

Highly recommended for anything from music, to podcasts, to gaming. Especially when gaming on the go with the Switch, these are a joy to use.
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S
I have owned one of these for past 3 or 4 months. The sound quality is amazing and there is practically no lag between sound and lip movement; it is as close to a wired headphone feeling as it can get.

The con for me is I can't chew on chips or popcorn when I have them on.. it's like my chewing sound as been amplified
 
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E1ite007
These are nice.
I would say that if you can't buy the H1 (or H2 if you're after that form factor), these are the second best option overall.
 
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Reactions: Issac
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