Now have the TRUEFREE 01 on my desk. As clearly stated on the box, it’s a true wireless earbud. Lightweight in form and running Bluetooth 5.3, it instantly reminded me of the Dunu Vivaldi I reviewed recently. But as always, the real question is how the connection holds up and, more importantly, how it sounds.
The fit feels a bit unconventional at first. To get the fullest and most balanced sound, the chunky part of the shell needs to sit slightly lower behind the ear. Even so, without opening the companion app and just pairing it to my phone, it already does a solid job of presenting the full stage in live recordings.
Once I open the app, I’m greeted by a very user-friendly interface. The main screen covers basic settings, firmware updates, and battery levels. Below that, there’s a section with preset EQ profiles. Another page allows you to create and save your own EQ settings. The real highlight, though, is the final tab: a hearing test that generates a personalized EQ profile tailored specifically to your ears. That’s something I usually expect from higher-end devices, so seeing it here was a genuinely pleasant surprise. There’s also a dedicated relaxation mode included.
No extra eartips come in the box. The 16.2 mm dynamic driver gives off a sound that reminds me of ultra-miniature speakers—almost like a tiny, pocket-sized Hifiman Ananda. In terms of ambience, immersion, musicality, soundstage width, and clarity, it performs well across the board. It’s also quite efficient. Even around 50/100 volume, calm tracks already sound fairly loud. At that level, I wouldn’t really want to listen to thrash or death metal. But while listening to Riverside’s recent live recordings—with 3D-imaging-heavy applause and the crowd chanting “RI-VER-SIDE, RI-VER-SIDE”—my first notes on the TRUEFREE 01 come to an end.
To sum it up briefly: this is a pair of earbuds that captures on-stage details well during live recordings and manages to convey a convincing concert atmosphere. With its technical feature set and sound character, the TRUEFREE 01 feels like a strong contender in its segment. In the full review, I’ll also include impressions from other genres and from listening sessions using the personalized EQ profile created after the hearing test. But even after just this first half-hour, I can comfortably say this: compared to the Dunu Vivaldi I mentioned earlier, it offers more bass and a higher level of fun—at around the $50 mark 😉
