How can you spend hundreds of euros for TWS earphones when with less than fifty you can buy valid ones like the Tribit Flybuds 1? This is the question we asked ourselves at the end of our tests and with which we will try to give an answer through this article by telling you how it was to wear them for a week to listen to music and answer the phone calls, many, that have passed in our days. There are two peculiarities of these earphones: the way they fit and the depth of sound. The fact that they are very small, among the smallest in this category that this reporter has ever had the opportunity to try to date, is a great thing also because they are overall really very light, so they are particularly stable even if you do jumps and somersaults. .
The ear muffs: two sets available, what changes
The bulk of the work is done by the in-ear pads and with the Tribit Flybuds 1 you cannot say that you do not have them: in the package there are twice as many as you can usually find. Two sets in sizes S, M and L that stand out at first glance for the color, red inside and semi-transparent on the outer grommet for one series, completely black for the other. Wearing one or the other changes everything: in fact, having found the right size for one and the other – and it is not taken for granted that it is the same: in our case with the series of red rubber pads we got on well with the M, while those black in color we preferred them in size L – they will be chosen and interchanged based on the result you want to obtain.
The set of red ear muffs offer better soundproofing from external noise, are softer to wear and slightly more stable. We therefore see them very well in contexts such as workouts in the gym, during a run and in all those activities where concentration is a fundamental part of the activity, therefore possibly also in the office or at home, to reconcile work and isolate oneself from the small noises that arise from normal family life especially in a period like this, where isolation and smart working can be an integral part of everyday life.
The black in-ear capsules are smaller and the rubber they are made of is slightly harder. On the contrary, they are a little less stable (to sensation they seemed less adherent to the sides), even if trying to shake the head vigorously they never fell, but above all they let you perceive more noises and external sounds. Perhaps in this sense it also helps the flat area that characterizes the terminal part of the grommet, the one that inserts deeper into the ear. In our opinion they are to be preferred for phone calls, which are less “aggressive”, but also for the background music with which you can be accompanied while traveling around the city or traveling by car.
It must be said that much of the soundproofing work is also done by the volume level set: with the red ear muffs at 20-30% volume, external noises are heard equally and in the same way at maximum volume with those of black color, in full traffic, we may not hear the voice of a passerby calling us. Each set must therefore also be adjusted in the volume level according to how you will use the earphones. For example, a good choice is to wear only one earphone, in mono, for phone calls in the street, with the black earphone cover: so it seems to have the phone placed on one ear only, without the “sucking” effect that distinguishes the use of earphones with in-ear tips, especially in this case if you are wearing the red ones.
Clearly with black ear muffs it will never be like wearing EarPods or other headphones that don't use such covers. There is always minimal soundproofing but greater stability is also guaranteed which, as we explained at the beginning, is also facilitated by the size and weight of the earphones.
The three-dimensionality of the sound: test on the road
The audio quality of the Tribit Flybuds 1 is remarkable. In the opinion of the writer we are at the levels of other headphones that also cost double (and over the years we have tried many): they mainly strike for three-dimensionality and depth of sound. Without any adjustment in the equalization they are able to reproduce and balance the frequencies of the various music tracks being played without distortion. In instrumental tracks such as those we find in Tommy Emmanuel's albums, the guitar seems to be right there somewhere around us: the sound box vibrating, the fingers running on the strings, all those sensations that you wanted to make available during the recording phase. to the listener's ear they are perceived very well.
We used them mainly to listen to music of this genre, especially Classical, but for the record we also tried with the reproduction of some songs of completely different genres including Pop, Rock and some songs in which we were also able to evaluate the arrogance of the bass. Well, with these earphones they all feel, they are deep and seem to completely envelop us. In short, our feelings were more than positive.
Even during a telephone call they work very well: the built-in microphones are capable of picking up our voice even in noisy environments, with the result that listening to us is not distracted by the rest but always manages to hear us “loud and clear”, so we have been told more of an occasion when we requested it. With two earphones, everything is better, also because there are two microphones used, but even in mono they work very well and does not make you regret managing the phone call with the smartphone resting on your ear.
No touch: welcome!
The fact that they cost less than others is also dictated by the fact that the technology, inside, is not the most modern. There are no touch controls, although the flat surface on the outside can give the impression. Instead, it should be pressed, because on balance it is a button in all respects: different clicks correspond to different actions, which we find listed precisely in the supplied manual, available in various languages - including Italian, well translated.
We do not mind at all having to press the button instead of touching its surface, also because in this price range those who offer a similar technology almost spite us: there have not been rare cases, documented by us in the individual reviews, in which a touch is interpreted incorrectly, perhaps going to change the song being listened to instead of adjusting the volume, or hanging up on an incoming call because the double tap is perceived instead of the single to answer. And how many times have you inadvertently activated a headset simply because you were placing it in your ear. No, the absence of touch technology is not lacking.
Construction and autonomy
Always taking into account how much you are spending – or spent – to buy them, the build quality is not bad at all. All polycarbonate, it is true, but it seemed particularly sturdy: impossible to bend them by squeezing them between your fingers. The cover of the drivers is made of metal but is located at the bottom: we did not like it, let's be honest, because it means that the dirt that will be irreparably deposited inside will also be very difficult to remove. However, it is made of metal, therefore better than the rubber membranes or plastic grids that we find in other competing solutions.
Autonomy is another strong point of the Tribit Flybuds 1. They easily exceed five hours of uninterrupted music listening on each earphone, with similar performance even on calls. Then, like others, they are recharged by inserting them in the case so unless you live with the headphones on, you will hardly be left without energy right on the most beautiful. On the other hand, the battery of the supplied case is quite large: it ensured five full recharges, of both earphones, before indicating with a single lit dot in the internal indicator that the available energy was about to run out.
To recharge everything, just open the side cover and connect the USB-C plug of the supplied cable or one of the others we have at home. With a 5V power supply the battery is restored in an hour and a half, while a little less is needed to recharge the individual fully discharged earphones when we put them in the case.
Equipment and operation
We dedicate a small part of this review leaving you some numbers along with a few other indications in the manual, in case you missed it. In the package you will find the earphones already housed in the case – with the contacts protected by a transparent film in order to avoid ruining the battery with unnecessary recharges ahead of time – together with a strap to hang them on the belt and the charging cable.
And the manual, in fact, where the operation of the earphones is also explained in Italian. Like many others, they turn on automatically as soon as they are removed from the case and turn off when they return to their place. The shape is identical for both and there is therefore no dedicated compartment for the left earpiece from the right one, which can therefore be put on charge independently in one or the other. They can be recognized by the small letter printed on the outside: L for the left and R for the right (to indicate, in English, left and right, precisely). After pairing them for the first time with your smartphone, just keep Bluetooth always active, take them out of the case and put them in your ears: a few seconds of waiting and they are immediately ready for use.
To start or pause the music just a short press of the button on one of the two earphones, which in the same way allows you to answer an incoming call and hang up at the end of the same. To reject it instead you need to double click, which during listening to music instead skips to the next song. Three clicks to call up the voice assistant. If, on the other hand, you hold it down for 5 seconds, you can turn off the headset without putting it back in the case, a feature that few, indeed very few, offer: it is very useful for keeping them on the ears all day but without having to use them, so it is also preserved. battery. To turn them back on, just hold the button down for 3 seconds.
More on the case
Before closing, there are two more things to say. We liked one, the other didn't, and both are about custody. In order, the magnetic system that characterizes it is really powerful, in some cases even more than others that we have had the opportunity to try in the past. The earphones are practically “sucked” into the internal housings when they are close enough and even the lid remains tightly closed thanks to the use of another magnet.
It is the tab that instead holds the two parts, base and lid together, which leaves something to be desired. He is weak, dancer, and gives all the impression of tearing himself up in a few months. Here, on the other hand, the wrist strap must also be fixed, which would have been better positioned with the more traditional system of holes, to be recessed perhaps in a point of the external frame. In our opinion, the closing system should be completely revised, perhaps with a firmer hinge, or with a completely different mechanism that offers access to the internal area by rotating the lid: on the other hand, the circular shape, of a flattened ball at the two sides, it would make it particularly intuitive.
Conclusions
So, to go back to the original question: why should we spend hundreds of euros maybe for g them AirPods Pro instead of spending just under fifty for the Tribit Flybuds 1? Everything is in the technology that you want to have in your hands. Indeed, in the ears. Of the AirPods, in fact, not only the audio quality is well known but also the reliable touch system, the intuitive coupling with the iPhone, but also its own way of being in the ears.
These earphones, on the other hand, are an alternative that is not only cheaper but also different to use, due to the very good set of earphone covers, the solid button controls and everything we have written so far. There is therefore not only a saving but also a different approach in listening to music and in managing phone calls, which is and remains completely subjective.
Retail price
If the Tribit Flybuds 1 convince you, you can find them on Amazon: they cost € 44.99 including shipping, to which you can possibly add € 6.59 at the time of purchase to get two years of coverage for accidental damage.
Pro Small and very light, with an excellent set of accessories and particularly good from an audio point of view. The physical management of music and calls is also excellent
Cons Difficult to clean and with a case to be reviewed as regards the opening
