Coumi ANC-860 True Wireless Earbuds With Noise Cancelling
$59.00
What We Dig
- Great Build Quality
- Above Average Sound
- Decent ANC
What To Think About
- Sound a tad bit boxy at times
I feel like I’ve listened to so many true wireless earbuds over the last year or so. Regardless, I’ve probably only heard a fraction of the innumerable models on Amazon these days.
The latest model sent to me for review, the $59 Coumi ANC-860, is a noise-canceling TWS pair with touch controls on each earpiece and Bluetooth 5.0.
Bluetooth 5.0 allows you to roam further from the BT Transmitter, in most cases, your smartphone, and it also allows for lower power consumption, which results in longer battery life.
In the case of the ANC-860, battery life is said to top out at 7.5 hours with noise-canceling turned off, and 5.5 with it on. The included charging case will re-charge them several times, providing a total of 40 hours of playtime before you have to plug the case back in. Charging is achieved via a USB-C port on the rear of the case.
The case is shaped like a square cushion, and it’s a little on the large side. It’s a bit bigger than I would like to have in my jeans pocket, but it seems pretty sturdy, and the door is easy to open. It also stays shut when you close it, which is something that has bothered me with other models in the past.
The matte black case also has a protein leather carrying loop that runs through the corner, adding a touch of class.
Inside the case, resides the two earpieces, which are relatively small in comparison to the case itself. The even smaller earbud portion that sits in your ear sticks out of the rear, meaning the bulk of the earpiece remains outside the ear.
Funnel-shaped soft silicone ear tips sit on top of the earbud section and allow the ANC-860 to sit both lightly and securely in the ear canal. Its reminiscent of Bose ear tips, except the Coumi tips, seem to fit more snug and also seems to keep out external sounds better. Like the Bose, the shallow fit makes them supremely comfortable.
Speaking of keeping out external noises, the built-in ANC is quite good for a TWS earphone of this price. It’s not Bose or Sony level, but it’s useful, which is more than I can say for other ANC buds at this price.
It did a great job of filtering out voices at lower volumes as well as A/C hum and the like. If you need something to reduce the DIN of an office or noisy household, the ANC-860 will do the trick. They should also help with plane noise, which is remarkable for a pair of earphones that sell for around $50.
The ANC-860’s noise-canceling also has an “ambient” mode, which is becoming pretty standard on ANC headphones. When switched on, it allows you to hear more outside noise without taking the earpieces out of your ear. It works well here, quickly amplifying exterior noises when called upon.
I was also impressed by the connection strength and call quality. Connections between the earbuds and my smartphone remained strong on both floors of my townhouse, and calls were also clear on both ends.
All functions on these earphones are controlled by two small touchpads on the top of each earpiece. A series of taps will let you activate the ANC, change volume, answer calls, etc. etc.
Like any touch control setup, it will take more getting uses to than a set of buttons would, but the touch controls work pretty well on the ANC-860. They are responsive, and the accompanying voice prompts let you know right away if a tap was successful.
Listening To The Coumi ANC-860
As this is an audiophile blog, I put a lot of weight on sound quality when I review a pair of TWS earphones. The ANC-860 is advertised as having “a truly natural, authentic sound and powerful bass performance” and for the most part, I agree.
I wouldn’t call the sound quite audiophile quality, but it’s good enough to keep an audiophile like myself happy on a long commute or work session at the local Starbucks. The treble is pretty detailed, and the midrange is pretty clear for a budget set of TWS earbuds.
The bass is a little soft, but it’s not overdone like you’ll find on a lot of cheap earphones. It has a little bit of articulation, which adds a lot of richness to the sound.
If there’s a weakness to be found, it would be with the soundstage. The sound is a little bit boxy and closed in, and there is very little air between instruments.
That being said, when listening to the new deluxe version of the Black Pumas debut album, the ANC-860 was pretty balanced and exciting, providing a recessed yet clear vocal, along with a soft yet crisp guitar riff. The bass was filled in nicely, even though there was some tubbiness.
Conclusion
With the sheer amount of TWS earbuds that pass across my desk, all with similar designs and features, it takes a lot for me to get excited by a pair. However, I must say in the case of the Coumi ANC-860 True Wireless Earbuds with Noise Canceling, the decent ANC, combined with their comfort, and decent sound quality, made me take notice. For the price, I wholeheartedly recommend them!
If you’re interested…you can pick these up now for 40% off…use the code below (exp. 9/20)
$35.99 with multi-use code LP453NDU
Original Price: $59.99
40% OFF
Start Date: 2020/8/18 00:00 AM
Expire Date: 2020/9/20 23:59 PM
I’m an audio writer who started as a young audio salesman/consumer electronics professional back in the late 90s. That’s where I discovered the magic of 2-Channel sound. My thirst for great sound has led me on a delightful music quest that continues today.
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