SoundPEATS Air 3 Deluxe Review: A Quality AirPods Alternative For $50!

TL;DR

SoundPEATS Air 3 Deluxe Review: If you want an affordable AirPods Alternative or don’t want earbuds you have to shove in your ears, then the Air 3 Deluxe should be on your shortlist. They are easy to use, comfortable to wear and have a rich, open sound that will keep your head nodding in the gym or on a commute. Just keep in mind you’ll trade a little bass thump for comfort.

Intro

The SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe ($49.99) we’re reviewing today are wireless earbuds designed to deliver high-quality audio without draining your pockets or your phone battery.

They use the latest Qualcomm chip with Bluetooth V5.2, giving you faster transmission speed and connection stability than previous versions of Bluetooth. In addition, Bluetooth 5.2 provides ultra-low power consumption to save battery life on your phone. That’s a good thing since many phones are already taxed trying to power large screens, 5G connections, etc.

Additionally, the Bluetooth chip on board provides compatibility with Qualcomm’s AptX Adaptive, the newest version of their enhanced Bluetooth codec, which provides CD-Quality sound. This is something you don’t usually see at the price point of the Air 3 Deluxe.

That codec, in conjunction with the 3 Deluxe’s relatively large driver (14.2mm), allows you to get a remarkably full-range sound, especially for earbuds that don’t seal into your ear canal.

Features

The Air 3 Deluxe has a rechargeable battery, allowing you to enjoy up to 5 hours of playtime on a single charge. The included charging case provides up to 22 hours of playback with subsequent charges.

Speaking of the charging case, it will fit easily in any bag or pocket with its sleek design and compact size, and the buds are also quite small, making them quite comfortable to wear.

In actuality, they may be a little too light because when I first put them in, I felt like they would fall right out. However, at the end of the day, they proved to be quite secure, staying put even when I bent down to pick up stuff, etc.

On the side of each earpiece is a small touch control that initiates playback, volume control, track skipping, and phone calls. The controls are both responsive and intuitive. The buds also have in-ear detection, which pauses music when you pull an earbud from your ear and restarts the music when you put it back in.

Additional control is available via the free SoundPEATS app (Android and iOS). With the app, you can manage the earbuds’ general settings, volume, EQ, reset the earbuds, and upgrade the firmware wirelessly. The app also gives you a graphic display of the battery life in each earpiece.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t show the battery level for the case, you have to depend on a light in the front of the case for that.

One of the most interesting settings was the Adaptive EQ, which sets the EQ based on a little listening test initiated in the app. I found it made the sound a little too bright for my liking, but YMMV.

SoundPEATS Air 3 Deluxe Review: Listening

In the past, I haven’t been a big fan of earbud-style earphones because they usually lacked deep bass. Without the in-ear seal of IEM-style earphones, it used to be a physical limitation you had to live with if you wanted an earbud.

That said, I have recently heard several earbuds (including the 3rd generation Apple AirPods) where designers have been able to figure out how to coax a little more low-end response out of them. This is usually done through the use of DSP, housing shape, and/or larger drivers.

In the case of the SoundPEATS Air 3 Deluxe, I would attribute its better-than-expected bass response primarily to the 14.2mm Bio-diaphragm Driver, but I’m sure there’s a little DSP magic going on as well.

While the Air 3 Deluxe doesn’t have the sound isolation of other earphones (which is to be expected), they do a decent job of not sounding too thin, especially since you don’t have to shove them in your ear.

Overall, I found the Air 3 Deluxe’s sound to be nice and balanced, with no undue emphasis on any part of the audioband. While there was some roll-off on the very top end, a slight bump in the upper mids kept things from sounding dull. It also provided some nice openness as well. The center mids were a little recessed but still pretty clean, and on the low end, there was some decent punch that provided good pace, rhythm, and timing.

Of course, being a $50 earbud, all wasn’t perfect. The bass lacked the slam you would get from earphones that seal your ear canal, and there wasn’t a lot of texture for vocals or instruments.

That said, at the end of the day, I found the Air 3 Deluxe to be quite entertaining, providing a spacious and rhythmic sound that made all my music sound lively and rich. It’s the type of sound that will get your head bobbing while on the go and yet stay interesting enough to unleash the musicality of a song.

SoundPEATS Air 3 Deluxe Review: The Wrap Up

I think, just like the SoundPEATS Free2 Classic we just reviewed, you get a lot here for the money.

If you’re looking for an affordable Apple AirPods alternative, or you’re trying to get away from earphones that press into your ear canal, then you should look at the SoundPEATS Air 3 Deluxe.

They have a rich sound that’s spacious and musical, plus they are comfortable to wear. They also have a quick and stable Bluetooth connection, and the companion app gives you much more control than you get with most earbuds at this price. Just keep in mind you’ll have to give up a little bass response in exchange for the comfort.

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