Whilst wireless earbuds/headphones are the next big thing that every brand, marketer and purchaser is jumping on board for, there are still times where a pair of good old wired earbuds come in handy. No need to charge, no need to pair – sometimes simple plug-and-play is needed! Keeping a cheap yet decent quality pair of wired earbuds close-by for when your wireless headphones need to charge is a sensible thing to do. Enter: The SoundPEATS B30 Upgraded Edition.
Table of Contents
Features
- Crazy cheap @ [amazon_link asins=’B074W4PPMV’ template=’PriceLink’ store=’askanasu04-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’1f450f36-90d6-11e7-aca4-6390b7d54d20′]
- 9mm drivers
- Decent sound isolation
- 4 sizes of ear-tips included in the box
- 3 sizes of ear-hooks included in the box
- Carry pouch included in the box
- Lapel clip included to keep the cable in place
- 3.5mm gold plated connector
- 1.2m non-tangling cable with in-line microphone
- 12 month warranty
What’s in the box?
SoundPEATS have provided everything needed to get yourself started with a great listening experience. From the 4 sets of interchangeable tips, on to the 3 sets of interchangeable hooks – you should be covered regardless of your ear size. There’s even a user manual included – however these earbuds are simple plug-and-play earbuds (which is nice when compared to the pairing experience of the SoundPEATS Q29’s I recently reviewed).
A list of everything in the box is shown in the image below – the headphones I’m reviewing are the “Upgraded Edition”.
Sound quality
Moving quickly on to the bit that really matters to most of us… Sound quality. In all honesty – these little headphones are possibly some of the better in-ear earbuds I’ve heard in quite some time. Noise isolation was absolutely brilliant, once I’d installed the right size ear-tips – there’s definitely no need for you to turn your volume up to 100% to drown out background noise.
To give you an example of how well these headphones isolate audio: I had my phone set to around 50% volume and listened to some simple spoken word audio (think Prince EA, SuliBreaks etc.) and could not hear my keypresses on my mechanical keyboard, which are fairly loud.
Audio is crisp and clear even when turned up to higher volumes – no noticeable tinniness or distortion when turned up to max volumes. On that note, these earbuds can definitely get up to some decent volume levels – definitely louder than the Q29’s, but not quite as loud as the TaoTronic’s wireless earbuds I reviewed a while back.
SoundPEATS claims that these earbuds have improved bass, however I did not use the previous version of these headphones so cannot confirm these claims. I would note that the bass levels are definitely pleasant for standard, day-to-day listening, however if you’re the type of person listening to bass-heavy songs on the regular and want that brain rattling bass pounding through your ear canals, the bass will be a little lacklustre for you.
Build quality
These headphones are pretty well built. The product box alone is constructed of solid cardboard, with a foam insert containing the cutouts for each part.
The body of the earbuds appears to be made of aluminium and plastic, with the ear-tips and ear-hooks being rubber. The wire is slightly rubberised, with the in-line microphone being made solely of plastic. The 3.5mm connector is gold plated and housed in a plastic 90 degree L shaped housing.
Whilst there’s no official IP rating for these headphones, I’ve used the B30’s in hot/sunny conditions, rain and I’ve also used them whilst washing the car and doing general outside chores on a pretty hot day. These headphones have stood up to rain, sweat and water spray and I’ve experienced no issues yet.
Summary
The SoundPEATS B30’s (upgraded edition) are pretty impressive. Even more so when you take into account that these headphones can currently be purchased at the low, low price of £14/$13!
Audio quality has been genuinely impressive, is clear and crisp with decent enough bass for most. Noise isolation is amongst the best I’ve ever heard and doesn’t require you to turn your volume up to extreme levels.
In-ear fit is comfortable once you fit the right tip and the ear hooks work surprisingly well, keeping the earbuds in-place until you want them to move.
I’ve used these earbuds for Skype calls via a laptop, general music listening via my iPhone & Spotify/YouTube and day-to-day phone calls and have had absolutely no issues with any of the above. Both outgoing audio (in-line microphone) and incoming audio is clear, has no distortion and no background noise leaks through.
At £14, these earbuds are amazing to have as a backup for when your wired earbuds/headphones run out of juice, or you simply want a cheap pair of wired earbuds. I’d highly recommend these earbuds to anyone!!
Useful Links
SoundPEATS: http://www.soundpeatsaudio.com/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B074W4PPMV/ref=twister_B074W4D914
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/earphones-Headphones-Cancelling-Comfort-Fit-Compatible/dp/B073P5JV26/
REVIEW DISCLOSURE
Please note: SoundPEATS sent me a pair of the B30’s in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. This review is 100% honest and the fact that the product was sent to me has not influenced or swayed any of my opinions or findings.
I have worked with many companies previously (both large and small) and the first thing I mention to any company requesting a review is that anything I find will be noted in my review, whether it be positive and negative.
