After AirPods, the true wireless earphone landscape has completely exploded. The exponents of the genre are no longer counted, and for several years now they have become the preferred choice for most users. Doing something original within this segment is really difficult, yet the Alfawise X8 we test are really curious. Here because.
It is useless to deny that the first element that catches the eye is the aesthetic sector. Upon opening the package it is almost difficult to recognize that they are TWS earphones, and at least visually, in the first moments of unboxing it seems to be in front of a padlock, due to the strange shape that the case takes.
Yeah, the charging case is completely different from what you expect. Rather than being a standard container, it is made up of two parts that can be detached, and which hold together magnetically.
On the sides of this strange case there are two grooves, where the two earphones fit together perfectly, which become almost invisible to sight, even if they are outside the case. Always on the sides, however, there is a charging cable, which forms an arc and which gives the overall impression of having a padlock in your hands.
The peculiarity lies in the fact that this case can be literally separated, and that in each module there is the battery for charging, so as to make each headset completely independent from the other .
This means that, when the two earphones separate, beyond 10 meters, they can be combined with different terminals, for different uses. Each, however, will be able to count on an autonomous battery present on its module, without having to rely on the other.
The choice of such a case is completely particular, but it is not an end in itself, thus allowing an independent use of each headset.
It must be said that this particular shape, and aesthetic, is absolutely distant from almost all cases for earphones currently available on the market. You may like it, but you may not like it. It goes totally to subjective tastes.
It is certainly more cumbersome than many other competitors, but it still carries well in any bag, backpack, pouch and even in a pocket. To reduce its size, it is also possible to disconnect the USB cable, which, however, will be used whenever you want to recharge the case.
In terms of design, therefore, a great originality compared to competitors is undeniable. However, it is not just an aesthetic choice, but also a functional one, for the reasons mentioned above. The form factor might not like it, but it fulfills the task of making the two earphones completely autonomous.
Speaking of the earphones themselves, these offer an elongated shape, even if they are very angular and square. Also in this case, the aesthetic distances itself from the rounded TWS of the competitors. The plastics used are not of premium workmanship, and the shell is completely opaque. It must be said that they are very light, and that they can be worn comfortably on the ear.
How they sound
To tell the truth, the particular aesthetics had us a little scared. We were convinced that we were dealing with a poor pair of earphones. Yet, after wearing them, and clicking on the play button, we changed our mind. Let's be clear, they are not audiophile earphones, and they are located in an economic price range.
That said, however, the sound coming out of the earphones is clean . Not very powerful, and with really absent bass. The mid and high tones, on the other hand, are very good, and return the singers' voices in an appreciable way. A single earphone, of course, gives a not too satisfying musical sensation, so that the possibility of dividing the earphones could be useful for emergency listening, not for obtaining good acoustics.
Overall, when you wear both earphones, you get good soundproofing with your surroundings. Very interesting to note the almost absence of lag with YouTube videos. Synchronization is really good , and even when listening to podcasts, where the streamer talks in the foreground very fast, you are satisfied. Certainly one more point for such a cheap pair of earphones.
Phone call quality
As usual, here the donkey falls, as they say. The telephone conversation does not happen with extreme clarity. Not for those who wear headphones, who still receive a crystalline voice from the interlocutor, but for the listener. The problem is likely to be that the microphones are far from the mouth; the fact is that the earphones from this point of view are incomplete.
Autonomy and controls
8 hours of playback are declared , but realistically 6 hours will be reached, which obviously can triple thanks to the charging case. Obviously, it all depends on the use made of it and the average listening volume.
As for controls, both headphones are equipped with a soft touch area. While a single tap is to play / pause music, or even answer calls, a long press will call the voice assistant back, or reject the call. Finally, the double tap will allow you to redial the last number called. The touches for volume management are totally missing.
Conclusions
The Alfawise X8 earphones are certainly particular, and it is a product that stands out for its construction and aesthetics, which you may like or not. It is a choice that, however, we reiterate, is not an end in itself, but which serves to make the earphones completely independent from each other.
They also sound sufficiently, obviously without expecting a quality comparable to the AirPods. Despite the limitation of the bass, they are appreciated for everyday use of music. Also good for watching streaming content, thanks to a very low lag.
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Prices and availability
If you are interested in buying them, instead of paying them 50.10 euros as per the list price, at the moment you can find them on a flash offer at 29.22 euros. However, if you enter the code R6779C9B47153000 in the cart before purchasing, you pay even less: 16.62 euros.
