I used the $29 earbuds everyone keeps tagging me in for 30 days

Every week somebody tags me in a short video of the same $29 earbuds. "Trey these are better than AirPods." Are they though? I bought a pair (my money, a big marketplace listing, no brand sent anything) and used them as my only earbuds for 30 days. 📦

Battery

I ran my usual loop: a podcast playlist at 50% volume, phone about a foot away, noise cancelling off. The box says 7 hours. I got 4h52m on the left bud and 5h10m on the right. The case gave me roughly three full recharges. Not terrible for the price. Not 7 hours either.

Sound

Honestly? Fine. Boomy bass, a little harsh up top, totally okay for podcasts and the gym. If you're coming from the earbuds that came free with a phone in 2015, you'll be happy. If you're coming from a $150 pair, you'll hear the difference in a minute.

Calls

This is where it falls apart. I recorded a call on Peachtree around 5pm with traffic going by. On the other end you could hear the buses better than you could hear me. Indoors it's acceptable. Outdoors, people will ask you to call back.

Latency

There's a delay on video, I'd guess somewhere around 200ms by eye. YouTube on Android corrects for it most of the time. Games don't. If you play anything with timing, you'll notice the lips and the sound drifting apart.

Build

• Day 19: the case hinge cracked. Still closes, but it wobbles now.
• No app at all. Pair and pray. Weirdly, a plus.
• Fit is good for my ears, the tips are basic silicone, swap them if they don't seal.

So, better than AirPods?

No. But that was never the honest comparison. The honest comparison is "earbuds I won't cry about losing on the bus", and in that category they do the job.

Verdict: Skip if you take calls outside. Buy if you lose earbuds every month or you need a gym pair. No need to wait for a sale, they're already $29.