SonicGear is a company from Singapore that specialises in audio products. You might have seen their booth during PC Shows. Today, we’re gonna take a look at two of the entry level true wireless earbuds – Earpump TWS 1 and Earpump TWS 2. The Earpump TWS 1 retails for S$29.90, while the Earpump TWS 2 retails for S$39.90.
To make the review easier to identify, the TWS 1 is in black while the TWS 2 is in white.
Unboxing
| TWS 1 | TWS 1 earbuds Micro-USB cable Ear wings User manual |
| TWS 2 | TWS 2 earbuds USB-C to USB-A cable Ear tips x3 (S, M, L) User manual |
Tech specs
| TWS 1 | TWS 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Driver | 10mm | 6mm |
| Frequency response | 50Hz – 20KHz | 50Hz – 20KHz |
| Impedance | 32Ω ± 15% | 16Ω ± 15% |
| Battery life | 6 hours per full charge 12 hours in case | 7 hours per full charge 15 hours in case |
| Bluetooth version | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Water resistance | None | None |
| Charging port | Micro-USB | USB-C |
Build quality and design
Let’s start with the charging case. Both the cases of the SonicGear TWS 1 and TWS 2 are made from plastic, and feature a clamshell design. The hinge of TWS 1 case feels a little flimsy and there is a slight bit of rattling from the earbuds inside. The hinge on the TWS 2 case is sturdy and the overall build is quite good. Both cases have rather slim and low profile design to them.
As for the earbuds, both TWS 1 and TWS 2 are different kind of earbuds. The TWS 1 is an open-fit earbuds like the AirPods, while the TWS 2 is the typical earbuds with silicon ear tips. The TWS 1 is designed very similar to the AirPods, but with a thicker stem. Both earbuds are light and have decent build quality. I do find the the TWS 2’s plastic a little slippery at times. Both earbuds are not rated for any water resistance so you might not want to gym with them.
Controls
Both SonicGear TWS 1 and TWS 2 share the same touch controls:
- Play/Pause: Double tap on either earbud
- Forward/Backward: Tap and hold for 1.5 seconds (left = back, right = forward)
- Volume up/down: Tap left to decrease, tap right to increase
- Voice Assistant: Tap three times on either earbud
For the TWS 1, it is generally easy to use to increase volume and skip tracks. But when it comes to play/pause or triggering my voice assistant, the double or triple tips are sometimes hard to get it right. TWS 2’s touch controls are as they intended to work and I have no issues triggering them. However, they are a tad too sensitive and I often find myself either bumping up the volume or skipping many tracks while adjusting the fit.
Battery life
Both earbuds provide 6 hours of music play time per full charge which is average in 2020’s standards. The TWS 1 packs 12 hours in the case, while the TWS 2 has a little more at 15 hours. Charging on the TWS 1 is unfortunately done via micro-USB but kind of expected for its price. Luckily, the TWS 2 is charged via USB-C.
Fit
The SonicGear TWS 1 has a typical open-fit earbuds kind of fit where the earbuds just rest on along your ears. However, I do find that the TWS 1 do not fit as good as the AirPods even though their design are similar. I believe this is partly due to the thicker stem that reduces contact with my ear grooves. Having said that, the TWS 1 is still able to stay well in my ears and not fall out easily.
And if you want to increase the security of the fit, SonicGear actually included a pair of wing tips that you can attach the the earbuds.
As for the SonicGear TWS 2, the contoured design allows the earbuds to go in deeper into your ear canal, allowing for better noise isolation and fit. The TWS 2 is sits comfortably in my ears and has the typcial snug fit. The ear tips used are flat, and choosing the correct size is important for a good fit.
Sound quality
For the SonicGear TWS 1, it sounds more bassy than the AirPods, bringing about more pump and depth to your music, but the darkness of the bass does creep into the mids. Treble is warm and supportive. If you are someone who likes the clear vocals and sparkly highs on AirPods, then the TWS 1 may sound a little too mellow for you. However, if you want more punch and kick from your music, then the TWS 1 does offer much more bass that open-fit earbuds don’t usually have.
The SonicGear TWS 2 is also bass heavy, emphasis can clearly be heard on the sub-bass and bass. You can expect rumble and thumps on your songs. The mids sounds recessed and can at times be overpowered by the bass to lack clarity. Treble is veiled and warm, but has enough presence to add dynamism to the sound tuning. If bass and warm sound are your thing, the TWS 2 can be a comfortable sound signature for long hours of listening.
Both the TWS 1 and TWS 2 are tuned to be loud. I found that 20-30% of volume on these equate to about 50 – 60% of most of my earbuds’ volume.
Conclusion
SonicGear offers you two really affordable true wireless earbuds in the TWS 1 and TWS 2. If you prefer an open-fit style, the TWS 1 is an option. But if you prefer a traditional earbuds, the TWS 2 is also an option. SonicGear has tuned both TWS 1 and TWS 2 to be bass heavy sounding. If you enjoy impactful thumping bass then the TWS 1 and TWS 2 gives you that in for below S$40.
If you are interested in purchasing the SonicGear TWS 1 or TWS 2, you can purchase them from multiple places on Lazada, Shopee, Qoo10 and Leapfroglobal.