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While these are the most expensive true wireless earbuds in the company’s current lineup, the hardware upgrades fully justify the slight price bump. Of course, choosing them does mean sacrificing some of the seamless ecosystem integration and polished software experience found in more expensive flagship rivals.
Design and Fit of Soundpeats Air 5 Pro+
The Soundpeats Air 5 Pro+ share an almost identical design language with the standard Air 5 Pro. They feature a familiar stem-style form factor, with more rounded, contoured lines and a high-gloss finish. While I am generally not a fan of stem designs, the aesthetic here is more than palatable. The metallic accents add a touch of opulence and distinguish them from generic alternatives, though the glossy finish and gold touch make them quite the attention grabber.
Despite the elongated form, the earbuds feel incredibly lightweight and easy to insert. I wore them during a two-hour video call for an online class, and they did not feel heavy or cause ear fatigue. This was a welcome change from my previous bean-shaped earbuds that often felt like they were digging into my ear lobes after only a few tracks. During a one-hour workout, they remained snug and secure. You also don’t need to worry about getting the buds soaked in sweat, as they are IPx5 rated. The included silicone ear tips provide wonderful passive isolation, and Soundpeats includes multiple sizes to ensure a proper seal.
Playback on the Air 5 Pro+ is handled via touch-sensitive panels on the exterior. These support taps rather than the squeeze or swipe gestures found on some competitors. You can customize up to three taps per action, plus a long press, for a total of four unique shortcuts. This is a significant improvement over buds that lack volume controls entirely. The shortcuts were easy to learn, and the sensors remained reliable and responsive even with sweaty fingers.
In contrast to the glossy buds, the charging case features a matte treatment, which is a nice touch for resisting fingerprints and scratches. The lid feels firm with a satisfying thud upon closing. My only minor gripe is that the case layout can be confusing at first. I frequently tried to open it from the back, where the logo is located, though this is a minor learning curve that is easily overcome.
- Prefer open-ear headphones? Check out our Sony LinkBuds Clip review
Soundpeats Air 5 Pro+ Sound Quality
Soundpeats has equipped the Air 5 Pro+ with a dual driver hybrid setup consisting of a 10 mm dynamic driver and an xMEMS solid state driver, powered by the Qualcomm QCC3091 chipset. This configuration gives the Pro+ a significant edge in clarity, particularly in the high frequencies, over the standard Pro model and even some high-end ANC rivals. With support for aptX Lossless and LDAC codecs, you are getting top-tier audio fidelity, provided your phone is compatible. I was able to fully exploit this with my Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, but not on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
As someone who has owned various non-major and premium earbuds, my expectation was that these would offer superior sound quality. After a month of testing, I thoroughly enjoyed the performance. They are incredibly versatile across genres, including pop and pop rock tracks. Moreover, the vocals remained precise with warm highs and well-balanced mids. Despite the focus on clarity, the bass remains prominent and punchy. The overall soundstage is impressively wide with a classic V-shaped profile that caters perfectly to mainstream and prosumer listeners.
ANC and Calls Performance
ANC is a standout feature here, with a noise cancellation rating of 55 dB. In real-world use, the earbuds effectively silenced the ambient drone. They excelled at drowning out chatter in crowded cafes and performed even better at blocking low-frequency noise like airplane cabin hum or passing traffic. While a faint hiss is occasionally audible when no music is playing, it is not intrusive. However, the system does struggle slightly with high-frequency, sharp noises like clanging metal or loud fans, which it only partially manages to suppress.
The Soundpeats Air 5 Pro+ delivers clear calls and voice pick up. The vocals are clean and don’t sound muddy or compressed. According to the company, this is because it adjusts the resources, such as disabling the ANC or transparency mode, to prioritize the voice-enhancing process.
The transparency mode sounds natural for the most part, though there is a consistent layer of white noise that sounds similar to distant rain. I often found myself opting for the natural mode when I simply wanted to stay aware of my surroundings without that artificial layer.
- Also read: Why R and L on Headphones Matter
Features and App Integration
To maintain their competitive price point, the Air 5 Pro+ lacks flashy extras like spatial audio or wear detection. However, wearable maker has managed to include highly functional additions like an adaptive equalizer with numerous presets and multipoint connection. Note that enabling LDAC will disable the dual device connection feature.
The SoundPeats app is straightforward and user-friendly. It displays battery levels at a glance and allows for full touch control customization, fit tests, and firmware management. There is also a Find My Earbuds function to help locate the buds if they are separated from the case. Gamers will also appreciate the low-latency game mode for lag-free audio during gameplay.
Battery Life and Charging
Battery performance is where the Air 5 Pro+ lags behind the standard Air 5 Pro. The 35 mAh batteries are rated for 6 hours of playback without ANC, which drops to about 4 or 5 hours with ANC enabled. In my experience with heavy video call usage, that figure dropped further to around 2 to 3 hours. This is lower than some competitors in this price bracket. What I improvised was using one earbud at a time, swapping it out before the battery runs out, so I can continue the call.
The fast charging features are a redeeming factor. A 10-minute charge in the case provides up to 2 hours of listening time. The 520 mAh charging case offers a total of 30 hours of listening time and takes approximately 2 hours to fully charge from flat. Even though the case lacks wireless charging, I didn’t find it to be a major friction.
Conclusion
Compared to pricier rivals, the Soundpeats Air 5 Pro+ offer a distinct advantage in audio quality thanks to that dual hybrid driver setup. While they lack some of the deeper ecosystem features and the battery life is merely average, they offer incredible value for the money. If you prioritize high-fidelity sound and efficient ANC over flashy software gimmicks, these earbuds fill that need while offering a premium experience for a fraction of the cost.
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