One of the most affordable fully wireless headphones is priced at 3,000 rubles. For this money, the user is promised a comfortable fit, stable connection and powerful sound of 12mm drivers. Will the expectations be justified?
Design and ergonomics
The HONOR Choice Earbuds X case has become noticeably more compact compared to the first generation and now neatly hides in a jeans pocket. The shape has not changed, still the same elongated with flat ends. The case combines two materials. White glossy plastic is mainly used: non-staining, but very delicate – the surface is quickly covered with small scratches. The bottom and interior are made of matte plastic without any texture.
Headphones certified for Russia received a strange design touch – a sticker indicating 28 hours of battery life. Good marketing ploy, but why would the user need to find out about it every time they use it? Fortunately, the sticker peels off easily and without traces.
The case opens with one hand, just pry off the lid. But the hinge is not fixed in the open position and does not resist movement at all – the spring-loaded closer is simply absent. It is not recommended to play with the cover, as the headphones are connected to the smartphone immediately after opening the case.
The fundamental difference from the first generation was the transition to an open design. Now HONOR Choice – AirPods-style earbuds. Very light (4.3 grams) and with a comfortable fit. But with the complete absence of passive isolation and other unpleasant features, which we will discuss in the section on sound.
Connection and management
The headphones are packed separately from the case, for the first connection they must be removed inside, and then press the button on the bottom of the case. One of the simplifications lies in the lack of a companion app and support for Google Fast Pair. The only convenience is the charge level next to the Bluetooth icon in the status bar. The connection quality has been fixed, there are no more problems with signal strength. Music plays stably even through two concrete walls and in public transport surrounded by other Bluetooth headphones. There are no problems with audio out of sync in the video, AAC codec.
The touchpads are highlighted with almost imperceptible recesses. Double-tap any earphone – play / pause, long hold the left – the previous track, long hold the right – the next track. Game mode with reduced latency up to 125ms is activated by holding both touchpads for a long time. The novelty does not have IR sensors: the headphones do not react in any way to being pulled out of the ears, the touch panels work all the time.
Sound and microphone
The format of open earbuds leaves its mark on the sound. Inside there is a huge 12mm driver with explosive lows and generally good frequency balance. You can only find fault with the poor dynamics: the variety of sounds in complex scenes merges into a single mess and turns into an obsessive noise. The final impression strongly depends on how deep the earbuds sit in the ears. In my case, the headphones sit tight and secure, but not deep enough for a good immersion in low frequencies. It is impossible to adjust the fit, there are no interchangeable nozzles.
The second feature of open earbuds is the complete absence of passive isolation, there is also no active noise cancellation. All ambient noises fully penetrate the ears and mix with the playing music. The feeling can be compared to the included sound transmission in the usual plugs. That is, it is very convenient when you need to exchange a couple of phrases with the seller, but the rest of the time, extraneous noise causes only discomfort. It is especially unpleasant to be in public transport or walk along a busy street. It is also worth considering the opposite effect: music from headphones easily breaks out and becomes public.
Two microphones (on the outside and at the base of the stem) for headset mode provide active noise cancellation. As a result, excellent audibility when talking in a quiet room and in calm weather outside. In transport, active noise reduction works worse, although speech remains intelligible.
autonomy
Inside each earbud are rechargeable batteries for 6 hours of music playback. The case is enough for almost 4 full charges, giving a total of 28 hours of use. That is, HONOR Choice Earbuds X has to be charged a little more than once a week via USB Type-C for two cases.
The kit contains a short thin wire designed for a small charging current.
Review after two weeks of use
Last year’s Moecen Earbuds X1 were a real discovery for their 3,000 rubles – inexpensive and unpretentious, with good sound. It was only possible to find fault with the lack of an IR sensor. In new HONOR Choice Earbuds X they did not correct this main miscalculation, but at the same time they replaced the successful form with specific liners with a complete absence of passive insulation. The conclusion is clear: I can only recommend the new HONOR Choice Earbuds X to fans of AirPods-like style. If this is not the case, but you still need inexpensive TWS headphones, I recommend taking a closer look at last year’s version, it is still on sale.
Advantages:
- 12mm drivers still have quite an explosive sound;
- comfortable easy landing;
- compact case;
- excellent autonomy;
- USB Type-C for case charging.
Flaws:
- open design without passive isolation.
May not like:
- scratchy gloss;
- no IR sensor.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
