I like what SoundPEATS is doing with its products; the brand has proven over the last two years that it knows how to deliver great-sounding products that don’t cost anywhere as much as its rivals, and its steady pace of progress has led to buds that genuinely stand out.
That’s the case with the latest Air5 Pro+ as well; these earbuds have just about every feature you’d want, including Snapdragon Sound, Hi-Res Audio, AptX Lossless, LDAC, and LC3 codecs, exquisite noise isolation up to 55dB, and IPX5 dust and water resistance. The earbuds usually cost $129, but they’re now down to just $103 on Amazon, a decent 20% discount.
I’m excited to see audio brands increasingly use dual-driver designs in their products. Status Audio did a great job in this area with the Pro X, which uses a Knowles balanced armature driver in addition to a standard dynamic driver. With the Air5 Pro+, however, Soundpeats is taking things to the next level by using xMEMS’ Cowell driver; this is a solid-state piezoelectric driver that’s considerably smaller than regular coil-based drivers, and it makes a noticeable difference to the mid-range and treble.
The Air5 Pro+ has a traditional 10mm dynamic driver, and this leads to energetic bass and a full-bodied mid-range; the xMEMS solid-state driver brings out additional detail in the sound, and creates an immersive soundstage that you just don’t get with most earbuds in this category. I used Creative’s Aurvana buds that have similar solid-state drivers, but the tuning on the Air5 Pro+ is better by a long shot.
Soundpeats is using a custom amplifier to make the most of the dual-driver design, and the result is that these buds sound better than anything under $250 — you just don’t get this level of detail and clarity in this category. The difference in audio quality is evident if you’re listening to something with ensemble instruments, and even with most mainstream music, you get a wonderful high-end extension that adds dimensionality to the sound.
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Then there’s the extras; the Air5 Pro+ have all the high-end codecs you’ll need, including AptX Lossless, LDAC, and LC3. The codecs go a long way in making these buds stand out, and I didn’t have any issues with lossless music on Spotify or Roon. Also notable is the Snapdragon Sound inclusion, and this allows devices to take full advantage of the high-res codecs. You’ll need to have a phone that also does Snapdragon Sound, and thankfully, Xiaomi has several models that have this integration.
The design itself is pretty good; the buds have a long stalk, and the contoured design of the sound tube and nozzle delivers a decent level of comfort. I didn’t see any issues with the fit, and they stay securely in the ear even during intense activity. While it’s not quite as comfortable as open earbuds that Soundpeats makes, it is better than most other regular earbuds.
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Another standout is noise isolation; these buds are able to meaningfully tune out sounds up to 55dB thanks to ANC, and they are good enough that I didn’t take my usual Bose headset on a recent flight. They’re just as effective in daily use as well, and if you’re in a noisy environment or just want buds that remove ambient sounds like the hum of the air con, these are a great choice.
The Air5 Pro+ have multipoint connectivity as well, so you can easily connect to two phones or a phone and a tablet at the same time. I didn’t see any issues with connectivity over Bluetooth 5.4, and range has been stable.
On the whole, the Air5 Pro+ show just how much Soundpeats has grown as a brand in the last 12 months; these are among the best-sounding earbuds under $250, and all the additional features you get make the buds a no-brainer. Now that they’re down to just $103, this is the best time to get your hands on these buds.
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