Soundpeats Air5 Pro Review

Intro 

Hello, this review and feature covers the latest from the audio brand Soundpeats, named the Soundpeats Air5 Pro. The Air5 Pro is yet another release from the Soundpeats “Air” series of true wireless earphones which promotes definite upgrades from its predecessor, the Soundpeats Air4 Pro (Air4 Pro Review). When I heard about the Air5 Pro I was wondering what in the world Soundpeats was going to do to upgrade from the Air4 Pro. I honestly feel that the Air4 Pro was such a bargain at its cost. So understandably I was racking my brain with what those upgrades may be. No doubt about it, when it comes to “price-to-performance” Soundpeats is almost second to none in the wireless earbuds world. We’ve seen brand after brand come and go and most of them are simply copy/paste versions of other earbuds. It’s the brands like Soundpeats who seem to push the boundaries with every new release. So, it’s no wonder that I was thrilled to find out I’d be able to spend quality time with Soundpeats latest. 

Soundpeats

Over the course of the last few years, I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing and featuring many Soundpeats products. I have to say, there isn’t even one of them that I’ve given a less than par review to. Furthermore, I haven’t turned any down either. They’ve all been solid products for the cost. Feel free to check them out in the next section… 

Reviews

It all started with the highly capable Soundpeats Capsule3 Pro (Capsule3 Pro Review) which clearly was one of the best earbuds of its kinds for the cost. Next was the Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe (Air3 Deluxe Review) which was another very solid semi-in-ear earbud. Then came the Soundpeats RunFree Lite (RunFree Lite Review) which was a Total departure from anything I had reviewed to that point. Then Soundpeats came out with the Soundpeats Mini Pro HS (Mini Pro HS Review) followed by one of the best sounding earbuds anywhere near its price in the Soundpeats Engine4 (Engine4 Review). Honestly, that set is still one of the best you’ll find. Next came the Air4 (Air4 Review) as well as Air4 Pro (Air4 Pro Review), which were both huge upgrades from their predecessors. Then I reviewed the budget Soundpeats Clear (Clear Review) as well as an update/upgrade to the RunFree Lite with the Soundpeats RunFree (RunFree Review). Next was the awesome GoFree2 (GoFree2 Review) which blew my mind how nice air-conduction can sound. Soundpeats then asked if I’d review their over ear headphones, the Soundpeats Space (Space Review). The one of the best wireless earbuds for sound quality in the market under $100 with the Capsule3 Pro Plus (Capsule3 Pro Plus Review). I followed that with some cool reviews of the PearlClip Pro (PearlClip Pro Review) and the Pop Clip (Pop Clip Review). This brings us to today. The point is, Soundpeats truly makes solid products that make price-to-performance a top priority. 

Let’s get it going… 

I suppose the biggest issue for the Air5 Pro will likely be the competition at or around its price point. Of course, this is an issue with every earbud in every price point. However, the $50 to $100 price range is a literal warzone with huge competitors that really do deliver. I suppose my first question is if the Air5 Pro is worth the cost, and if there is anything else which may make more sense for the consumer. I can tell you one thing for certain; Soundpeats just made it much more difficult for any of those supposed “competitors” because this set sounds and functions very well. With that all said, I think I’m ready to get this one going. So, without further ado… the Soundpeats Air5 Pro… 

Non-Affiliated Purchasing Links 

–Soundpeats

–Amazon 

Air5 Pros

-Design and build 

-Price

-Very comfortable 

-3rd party tips fit in the case

-AI Noise Cancellation 

-LE Audio, LDAC, & Aptx Lossless audio codecs

-Snapdragon Sound

-Call quality is fantastic with Ai Call Noise Reduction

-Awesome Bluetooth chip in the Qualcomm QCC3091 chip

-Soundpeats APP and all its additional functionality 

-Balanced and clean signature

-Deep, penetrative lows, nice definition, punchy

-Smooth midrange, very clean

-Sparkly highs, nice extension for a tws

Air5 Cons

-Some slight metallic timbre at times

-Bass can be a bit much for some (you can always EQ) 

-Fit can be a bit difficult 

-Stem style isn’t for everyone

Packaging / Accessories 

Unboxing 

So, the unboxing experience is about what any of you would expect from a true wireless set of earphones. This isn’t like some iem with a bunch of accessories, nor should we expect that. So, the Soundpeats Air5 Pro comes in a smaller box, pretty unassuming, you have a picture of the Air5 Pro on the cover and some specs on the back. Pretty routine. Open the box and you’ll see the carrying case wrapped in plastic, open up the carrying case and you’ll find the Air5 Pro themselves. On each side of the box is a smaller flap which houses the eartips as well as the USB type c charging cable. And that’s about it. Again, you really aren’t going to see a multitude of accessories with a tws set. Not bad at all though. 

Eartips

Real quick I should talk about the included eartips. Soundpeats offers three pairs (S, M L) of oval stem silicone eartips. The included tips are gray in color, somewhat firm at the flange, and very much a shallow fit. You’ll always see shallow fit eartips with tws sets and the Air5 Pro is no exception. Now, I cannot get a good seal with the included tips no matter how hard I try to get a seal. It’s not the earbuds issue; it’s really just the tips. However, there is one amazing quality that the Air5 Pro from Soundpeats has that not every true wireless earbud manufacturer thinks to incorporate. It’s something that I’ve praised Soundpeats for time and time again. That is; they make enough room inside of the charging case for the earbuds to accept just about all 3rd party eartips. This is so important. I say that because I rarely ever get a good seal with any made-for-tws eartips. Always too shallow, always flimsy, and simply not firm enough to seal within my ears without fidgeting around for 30 minutes. So, Soundpeats gets a huge thumbs up from me. So, I did not use the eartips provided in the packaging. I actually used some of those blue wide-bore Letshuoer eartips. The fit is phenomenal. The seal is perfect. Wow, does it make a difference in the overall sound quality? Maybe the included tips will fit you, but if they don’t, have no fear because you can pick up 3rd party tips from a number of locations.

Charging Case

I love a good charging case folks. Coincidentally, I certainly don’t love a bad one. Who’da thunk it. Really though, the Air5 Pro’s charging case is really a great one, for a couple reasons. For one, the case is a perfect size. I cannot stress this enough that if it cannot fit inside of the tiny watch pocket in the front right side of every pair of jeans; then the case is too big. We should rename that little pocket the “True Wireless Pocket”. I’m not at all lying when I tell you that I go absolutely NO WHERE without a set of tws in that pocket. The Air5 Pro’s case fits like a glove without any issue. So, that first reason is actually very subjective, but I’m sure it matters to somebody else… maybe? Next, the case is made well for a plastic case. It isn’t some chinsy material that feels like it’s going to burst to pieces if you drop it. It’s well made. Also, it looks nice. All black, rounded edges, flips up from the front, nice unassuming writing on it. Really a sleek case. Also, the case gives the listener a grand total of 37 hours of battery life which is pretty darn awesome for the size of the case. Lastly, the Air5 Pro earbuds are very easy to get in & out without any hassle, and the magnets are actually strong enough that they suck right into place without much manual coercion. Oh, one more thing that I already mentioned; the case offers plenty of room for 3rd party eartips. I really like Soundpeats charging cases. 

Build / Design / Internals / Fit / Chipset / Controls 

Build Quality / Design 

I think we have to be at least a little honest with ourselves when we speak on the build quality of almost all tws earbuds. Let’s face it, they almost always have to be made of plastic. Now, not all plastic is created equal, and the Soundpeats Air5 Pro is a testament to that. I say that because the Air5 Pro is actually made of some hard and durable plastic. It doesn’t feel cheap and certainly doesn’t look like it either. As you can see the Air5 Pro is a stem style earbud, just like its predecessor, the Air4 Pro. Only on this model we have an updated and fresher look and aesthetic. Really a well-built set that is also very nice looking. Now, the Air5 Pro comes only in black (I believe) as I haven’t seen another colorway up to this point. However, I really enjoy the design on the stem, it’s a slick look that doesn’t appear odd in the ear. The stems curl right around the ear for a sleek look and fit. I should also me tjin that the nozzles do have a shallower fit as they aren’t very long. Like 9/10 earbuds on the market. Beyond that, there really isn’t a whole lot of changes. Hey, if something works you should probably stick with it. 

Internals 

I have always been amazed at what these brands are able to shove inside of these small earbuds. Inside of the Soundpeats Air5 Pro is a single dynamic driver. To be exact, that’s a 10mm Composite Bio-Diaphragm Driver (PU+Peek) which will be making the Air5 Pro sing. Soundpeats also added a very capable chipset in the Qualcomm QCC3091 chipset. More on that later. Beyond the driver and the chipset is also the battery, which I will also speak on in a bit. 

Chipset

Like I mentioned earlier, Soundpeats once again offers one of the best SOC chipsets in the market at these prices by using the Qualcomm QCC3091 chipset. This is a straight upgrade from the QCC3071 chip that the Air4 Pro used. What’s great about this chipset is definitely its performance. Of course, some may argue that the best thing about the QCC3091 is its functionality and features. For one, the QCC3091 provides a slew of only the best audio codecs on planet earth. Also, it has LE Audio and Snapdragon Sound. What a huge benefit. Also, this chipset allows the Air5 Pro to have AI powered ANC and AI powered Call Noise Canceling. This chip allows seamless streaming, amazing latency as well as game mode to make it even better. This chip offers multi-point connection and a transparency mode as well. On top of all of that, the QCC3091 aids the battery to not use nearly as much power whilst also providing some of the best performance that this price point has to offer. 

Fit / Comfort 

As far as fitment, I find the Air5 Pro to be a very comfortable tws iem. First off, the Air5 Pro is very lightweight. This is not a heavy set of earbuds. Once I get my tips right everything is great. I don’t know how the fit will be for you but I’m assuming most people will have a similar situation as I do and they will fit you just fine. 

Earbud Controls

One of the awesome qualities of any Soundpeats earbud is the fact that you can control just about every function from the earbuds touch surfaces. You can tap pause/play, Answer/Hang-up phone calls, volume up or down, next track or previous track, game mode, all ANC settings, transparency mode, and you can summon your phone’s assistant using touch controls. This is a huge thing folks. Being able to control all functions at the tap of your finger is really a nice feature. I cannot describe to you how many sets don’t have volume controls, or the ability to scroll through modes and you have no idea how many sets don’t have previous track. Oddly enough. The Air5 Pro has them all and they are very easy to commit to memory. Very much intuitive. 

Control Functionality 

Another cool part about having a set of earbuds with all commands at the touch of your finger is when those controls actually work. Soundpeats has been at the wireless game almost longer than everyone folks. They know what they are doing, and they craft and create earbuds with a proper touch surface. I mean, you aren’t going to have a hundred phantom touches. It isn’t too sensitive, and it isn’t too unsensitive. On top of that, there’s really no lag from the moment you touch the touch surface until the command is being carried out. I have much more expensive earbuds which don’t work even half as well as almost all of the Soundpeats models. I guess they have the experience and understanding that other brands just haven’t acquired. 

Specifications 

Core Specs

Bluetooth: V5.4

Profiles: HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP

Chipset: QCC3091

Supported Bluetooth Codec: AAC/SBC/APTX/APTX Adaptive Lossless/LC3/LDAC

Battery

Battery Capacity: 37*2 mAH(Earbuds) 400mAH (Case) 

Charging Time:  ＜1H (Earbuds）＜2H(Case)

Charging Port: Type-C

Total Playtime: 37 hours

What’s in the box

SOUNDPEATS Air5 Pro Wireless Earbuds

Type-C Charging Cable

Charging Case

User Manual

Packaging 

Single Earbud Weight: 4.8g

Charging Case with Earbuds: 50.3g

Control Type: Touch

Waterproof Rating: IPX5

Features

Snapdragon Sound 

This is one area where you begin to see the fruit of having such a good Qualcomm Chipset. The QCC3071 chip enables the Air4 Pro to have what is called “Snapdragon Sound“. If you don’t know what this is I will try to fill you in as best, I can. Snapdragon Sound is an all-encompassing audio solution to bring lossless (bit-to-bit) sound replay as well as an entire infrastructure that allows crazy low latency for movies, videos, and games as well as the most robust connection and high-speed streaming connection as well. There is a lot more involved, but one of the best features is what Snapdragon Sound does for your music through Bluetooth. Snapdragon Sound allows for the LC3 codec which was created by LE Audio and is used to provide much better audio at lower bit rates. Well, that’s it in a nutshell. Truly it is a game changer once all the wrinkles are ironed out. 

Audio Codec Support 

The Soundpeats Air5 Pro’s come equipped with LDAC, LC3, Aptx-Adaptive Lossless due to the integration of Snapdragon Sound which provides 24bit/96khz audio transmission. The Air5 Pro also has regular Aptx-Adaptive, Aptx, AAC & SBC. To be honest; any of these Codecs will provide good quality sound. However, how good the sound is really all depends on how the driver and components inside the Air5 Pro are implemented. For instance, IOS (Apple) users only have the option for AAC codec which has a substantially smaller bit rate (256kbs) than the others, still it sounds very good. I know this because I used this set with my iPad and all sounds great. The point is, Soundpeats did a good job making sure the Air5 Pro sounds good first. 

Audio codecs cont… 

For a quick refresher so that you have an elementary grasp on bit rates “SBC” codec provides up to 328kbs & 16bit/44.1khz audio at best. “AAC” provides up to 256kbs & 24bit/48khz audio. “Aptx” is where we start to see some higher quality Audio at 356kbs & 24bit/48khz audio. Moving up to “Aptx-Adaptive”, it has a scalable bit rate from 279kbs-429kbs & 16bit-24bit/48khz-44.1khz. “Aptx-Lossless” is an entirely different beast which scales between 140kbs to over 1mbs, which is well over CD quality and operates at a bit-perfect rate. Aptx-Lossless will scale between these bit rates depending on the outside environment to allow the best connection and superior listening in all environments. LC3 codec is actually a substitute for the SBC codec and gets bit rates from 16-356 kbs. However, this is a revolutionary new code which brings crystal clear sound and very little power consumption. Don’t let the bit rates fool you. Lastly, the Air5 Pro offers LDAC which has always been the go-to for hi-res Bluetooth listening. I think one of the biggest benefits of the Air5 Pro is the huge number of codecs available. It has something for everyone and each codec sounds great on the Air5 Pro. 

AI Adaptive Noise Cancellation 

One feature also found on the earlier Air4 Pro tws was ANC (Active Noise Cancelation) which we also find here on the Air5 Pro. Now, “AI” Adaptive ANC is a bit different from regular Adaptive ANC. Qualcomm states that the chip itself (QCC3091) will decide the level of noise cancellation depending on the outside environment and does so in “real time”. Working off of six mics in total between the left and right earbuds this AI integrated adaptive ANC is able to pick up noises from all sides of the listener. Combine that with Qualcomm’s CVC noise-canceling algorithm which I’ll cover later, there is some nice tech involved with this set. Soundpeats says you can get up to an amazing 55db reduction in outside noises. This is quite awesome. I can tell you right now it’s the best Soundpeats has ever made. 

I should add that Soundpeats added in different types of ANC as well. Within the PeatsAudio APP you can actually choose different levels of ANC depending on your situation. Which is very cool. You’ll notice on the first page about halfway down it’ll give you a toggle to either choose “Indoor Noise Canceling”, Outdoor Noise Canceling”, and “Traffic Mode”. I feel like each setting has its place. Also, I don’t necessarily feel that either style is better than the other, but they are different. Without question, I think that you should spend some time going through each setting. 

How well does the ANC work? 

I have had a multitude of ANC true wireless iems and I have had a number that claimed that the inboard ANC worked as intended. I can say with 100% confidence that most of the time ANC is a complete gimmick. A selling feature. Friends, please hear me when I say that the Air5 Pro has some of the best ANC I’ve ever used in a set of Soundpeats tws. I am blown away how well Soundpeats did on this set! The only thing it doesn’t attenuate perfectly is high pitched noises. For instance, when my AC is running in my home I hear none of the low rumbling but instead only hear a faint higher pitched sound of the air blowing, or the sound of voices. For the price that Soundpeats is offering I feel the ANC is a huge “Pro”. That is of course if you value ANC in your daily usage. Remember, the battery dies quicker. 

Call quality

As far as call quality, the Soundpeats Air5 Pro utilizes what I consider a breakthrough in voice quality with Ai integrated noise cancellation for phone calls. First off, the Air5 Pro uses six mics in total and using the AI algorithm which cancels any outside noises in real-time. I find voice calls are extremely clean and clear. I use this set for many meetings over Zoom or Teams, and I have yet to get a complaint. Many of the people I’m in the meetings with know I review audio devices, and they always tell me the truth about how I sound. Now, I don’t think there’s any earbuds which sound perfectly natural, but the Air5 Pro gets us close for a set of tws earbuds. 

Game Mode / Low Latency Mode

Another nice feature that I actually use daily is the “Game Mode”. Game Mode is basically a low-latency mode for use when playing games or watching videos. I found that the game mode works wonderfully for any video watching and for most games. The only game type that I have played that doesn’t sync up perfectly was many of the first-person shooter games. Really everything else worked great. 

Multi-point 

Soundpeats also added in a feature that used to be unheard of in true wireless only a couple years ago and now seems much more prevalent, that is Multi-point Connection. It is a nice feature that you don’t know how much you enjoy it until it’s gone. I should add that I haven’t tried out the Air5 Pro’s Multi-point yet. Simply because I haven’t needed it. But it is a very nice feature to have and should be standard in earbuds over $50 anymore. Having said that, there was a time (not long ago) that Multi-point Connection was unheard of. 

Battery

Soundpeats states in their promotional material that you can achieve 7.5 hours of battery life from the earbuds themselves in a single charge. Of course there’s a lot to unpack with those figures. Hour ratings depend heavily on listening volume, what audio codec you are using and a few other factors. I can tell you this; I have been able to last quite some time (5 hours) with the Air5 Pro blaring in my eardrums cutting my grass and still had 50% battery. I only used LDAC too. So, that is much better than I get with many earbuds. Also, 7.5 hours is a very good number folks. How often are you in a listening session for longer than a couple hours at a time? I should also add that the Air5 Pro can get you up to 2 hours of battery on a quick 10 min charge. So, it also has fast charging. Wonderful. 

Capacity

The earbuds themselves have a battery capacity of 35mah, and the case has a capacity of 520mah, so they are relatively decent sized batteries. Soundpeats states that the charging case will get you an additional 37 hours of use, which is substantial. Just a quick reminder; remember that much of the battery life will be greatly affected by usage. Using ANC for instance will decrease the battery life a bit more. Listening on higher volumes as well. Any feature which uses the battery to function will ultimately kill the battery a bit quicker. Again, using higher bit rate codecs will eat more battery too. So do keep that in mind. 

PeatsAudio App

One of the best features involving any Soundpeats tws or wireless device is its ability to connect to the PeatsAudio App. One of the easier to understand, simplest, and more functional apps out there, as far as wireless devices goes anyways. It isn’t the most diverse and intricate app out there, but it gets the job done. I should add that if you are using LEAudio, you will not be able to connect to the app. You must first disconnect and reconnect using a different audio codec. I switched to Aptx and I’m good to go. Moving on. 

First, you can obviously make firmware upgrades through the app. You can also play around with the EQ presets, of which Soundpeats provides nine different presets. Furthermore, you can also make your own personalized EQ changes through the Custom EQ and the beauty of that is your personal EQ settings save to your earbuds for good until you change them again. In the app you can toggle Game Mode, ANC Settings, toggle Dual-Device Connection, increase the volume (most of this you can do from the earbuds themselves) and you can reset the earbuds from the app too. The app lets you check battery level, change languages, and it’ll perform a fit test. I find the PeatsAudio app to be perfectly fluid and easy to use and it’s a great asset that really does separate Soundpeats from some other audio brands. 

IPX Rating

The Soundpeats Air5 Pro comes in rated at IPX5 which is something we’ve seen time and time again from any set using ANC. IPX5 will be good for random splashes or moisture from sweat. You can even go running with this set in the rain if that’s what you are into. However, you cannot submerge the Air5 Pro into water, drop them in a swimming pool, puddle or toilet. What’s nice is that if you splash water or any other liquid on the Air5 Pro from any direction you won’t have to worry. I thought this was a great thing to see. 

EQ Settings

One huge benefit of the Soundpeats app is the ability to EQ your true wireless earphones. Not all tws sets have this ability with a dedicated app. The huge “plus” in my eyes is that whatever EQ settings you change on the app, it saves those settings on the buds or wireless device you are using. This is wonderful folks. This means that any music app you listen to, whether it be a streaming app like YouTube Music, Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music etc. Or if you listen to actual music apps which use stored music files to play like Poweramp, UAPP, Neutron, Hiby Music or Fiio Player etc. The EQ settings will save to your buds so that you may use it on any app or any device you are listening to. I realize that this isn’t a new concept and has been done for years now but it is worth mentioning for those who don’t understand it. 

EQ cont… 

Now, Soundpeats actually provides up to ten presets in their app if you want to simply use already EQ’d settings. Those include Bass Boost, Bass Reduction, Electronic, Rock ‘n Roll, Folk, Treble Enhancement, Pop, Classical Music, and the Soundpeats Classic setting as well. They also added in an “Adaptive EQ” which will switch up the EQ settings for you, based on the type of music you are listening to and some other parameters like environment noise etc. All things considered I think Soundpeats knocked this one out of the park in providing the listener with many options to to tinker with the sound. Now, does the Air5 Pro absolutely “Need” EQ? No, it doesn’t, in fact this entire review will be based on stock sound, with some commentary about some of the changes I may make using EQ. I think in its stock form… the Air5 Pro sounds very-very good. However, it is always good to EQ to your own liking and preferences. 

Sound Impressions

*Note: I want to add a couple notes prior to the sound section. First, I used different eartips from the included tips. I used Letshuoer’s wide-bore blue tips. I feel this really helped to get the most out of the Air5 Pro’s sound. Next, I listen mainly to flac or better files which are stored on my devices. I rarely stream any music. Also, I listened using LDAC codec for the majority of critical listening. 

What’s it sound like? 

The Soundpeats Air5 Pro really is one of the better tuned Soundpeats sets when talking about “out-of-the-box” tuning. This nice tuning only gets better with EQ. In truth, I’ve barely even touched the EQ at all because I simply didn’t have to. I will say that the Air5 Pro has one of the smoother sounds that Soundpeats has offered in a while as well as one of the cleanest overall sound as well. I’m telling you right now, the Air5 Pro is truly one of the more well-tailored tunings within its price point. No one area stands above another as there is equal dynamics across the mix. Furthermore, I hear no area left behind either. No huge recessions, vibrance, solid semi-rich note weight, and enough crispness to help define. Soundpeats has really dialed in their tuning folks. 

Timbre… 

Another thing that I really do enjoy about this latest Soundpeats set is that the timbre is closer to organic than many tws sets that have hit the market. It’s what I’d call “Fun-Audiophile” as the Air5 Pro has that fun semi-lifted bass, the vibrant mids, and the fairly energetic treble, but it also carries that natural sway to the sound along with very nice clarity. Especially using LDAC. I find that there is some ever-so-slight warmth cast across the entire mix from the lifted bass region, but I don’t hear any veil, and I don’t hear any muddy or sloppy across the range. If you asked me, I’d say the sound is closer to warm/neutral than anything else yet with a slight lean towards neutral. I hear fairly natural transients for a true wireless set. I don’t feel they are necessarily fast or slow, but they sound pretty darn clean, unsullied, smooth yet clean-lined with an almost natural vibrance. Again, natural. Really, it’s just a clean sounding set. Now, as far as musicality goes, I’d say the Air5 Pro is 60% musicality and 40% analytical leaning. I’d say a very slight V-shaped sound, or maybe more accurate; a U-shaped sound out-of-the-box with only a very slight recession in the lower midrange. Having said that, I would never say the Air5 Pro is a technical beast, and I wouldn’t say it uncovers every last detail. However, I find the spectrum balanced enough, the clarity and resolution are transparent enough, and the macro-dynamics are expressive enough to draw some of those more subtle details to the surface. Truly a very nice sounding set for the cost. Let’s check out each 3rd of the mix, shall we? 

Bass Region 

One of my favorite aspects of the Soundpeats Air5 Pro is most certainly the bass region. The Air5 Pro carries a just-above-moderate emphasis which has the ability to really run deep with palpable weight and rumble. Having said that, I really don’t feel that the Air5 Pro is overly emphasized or too weighted down low at all. It’s really a very tastefully tuned region. Just enough weight for a beefy yet tight bass guitar growl. Deep enough to provide some haptic feedback with plenty of low droning muscle. This is not a snappy and ultra petite bass region which will pull out every last detail. It’s more atmospheric, without coming across laggy. The low-end also has some very nice punch. It punches with a very nice hard-edged attack. Very clean for such an emphasis. Truthfully, the Air5 Pro’s low-end sounds like it’s perfectly capped as far as emphasis is concerned. I love the fact that it can take on fairly complicated tracks rather well, yet at the same time the Air5 Pro can really deliver some authoritative and substantial boom when a track calls for it also. 

Command

In my opinion the low-end leans a bit more towards the mid-bass but doesn’t nearly exclude some sublevel weight also. Like I said, the sub-bass carries enough haptic feedback and kinetic raw juddering rumble to add that extra feel to my music. Which is really saying something for a true wireless earphone. I say that but the sub-bass also doesn’t merge so much with the mid-bass that it comes across muddy or mashed together. Nothing really one-noted here. Unless of course you are listening to a very commanding bass track. At which point the Air5 Pro will reciprocate with some command of its own. Once again, really a nice job on the low-end. It’s fun, it’s full-bodied, it has a nice punch to it, it isn’t sloppy, yet it truly can deliver some impactful meat when needed. 

Midrange 

This brings us to the midrange which actually is very nicely tuned. To my ears I hear a pretty much neutral take on the region with just a subtle warmth throughout. Again, the sound altogether is much closer to organic than anything else and the midrange is a huge reason for that. What you won’t hear is anything odd timberally. Nothing comes across metallic, no sibilance, nothing too edgy, coarse, or abrasive. It’s all smooth, very nice note weight as well. The low-end falls into the midrange just enough to add that last little bit of note density, yet not so much to erase any clarity. The midrange is really nicely laid out. Very nice for vocalists. Instruments sound great as well, in that, the Air5 Pro has enough shimmer to provide that energetic sparkle, but enough lean density to give this range some You’ll notice the midrange has good energy with good presence against the rest of the mix. There’s nothing boring here folks. Nothing drab or dull either. It’s a very musical and fluid sound with a very rhythmic quality. Again, it’s smooth, easy listening, nothing piercing or harsh. I should also add that resolution is much better than I would have guessed within the midrange for a tws set at this cost. 

Vocalists 

Like I said, vocalists really do sound great on this set. One thing I noticed is that they are always dead-center in the middle of the sound field and always a hair more forward than the Instruments. Vocalists, whether they be male or female, have that prominence within the melody of any track I listen to. I wouldn’t say they are forward, but they definitely come with a solid presence. The lower mids are slightly more recessed, but they also carry better note weight too. However, females have that extra bit of upper midrange shimmer and sparkle. Females come across both feathery and resounding and never seem to cross that harshness line for me. Perhaps fans of a more transient quick and analytically dry sound with even better resolution may not be as enraptured as I am, but for what the Air5 Pro is, it does a nice job. 

Technically Speaking

Now, another thing which kind of surprised me was the clarity. The Air5 Pro has better resolution than you’ll usually hear in sets which hover around this price. I mean, the Air5 Pro actually does a bang-up job at uncovering some of the subtleties within my music. I mean, the details. Like I said earlier; “No, the Air5 Pro is not a detail beast”. Soundpeats tuned this set with a balance, but also with some fun in mind. However, the solid driver used and because the balance is what it is allows the smaller details to peak through. Definitely more-so on a macro level, but the Air5 Pro’s mids also carry some of the finer micro-details as well. I’d also say that imaging is much better than I ever would have guessed. Especially for a tws which generally has a harder time creating that depth of field for layering and the left to right distinction. Most certainly the Air5 Pro bucks that trend. So, if you are into a very clean yet musically gifted midrange with great presence then I may have the set for you. 

Treble Region 

Once again, I have to say that the treble too has a very nicely balanced tuning which offsets the bass very well folks. You’ll hear a semi-brilliant sound, just enough luminance to add that last little bit of sparkle. It’s certainly an uplifted treble which makes its mark across the spectrum providing some air to the sound. The treble doesn’t necessarily come with loads of note bite or crispness, but the tone of the treble is great. For the record I would never think a single DD tws set at this cost would have perfectly contoured and perfectly chiseled treble. It’s all about tone and timbre for the Air5 Pro. So, it isn’t the most well-defined treble I’ve ever heard, but it also does add some great macro resolution. I also enjoy that the treble doesn’t have any forced resolution like you’ll hear so often. Many true wireless manufacturers don’t really use audiophile tuners and sound engineers. This is where Soundpeats begins to show their pedigree for creating budget-oriented products with some great sound quality. The treble is a perfect example of that. 

Extension 

The Air5 Pro also has plenty of good extension into the upper treble to illuminate those higher pitched harmonics without sounding splashy at all. It’s really cool to hear. The secondary harmonics of a cymbal strike or the raw edginess of a crying violin, the lively and lovely abrasiveness of an electric guitar all play around in this area of the frequency band and they all sound fairly natural too. 

Some speed… 

Now, the treble is actually fairly speedy too. I said it doesn’t have perfect note contours such as you’ll hear with a good balanced armature, EST, or micro-planar etc. But for a single dynamic driver, it has plenty of quick reflex speed which can be heard in any number of tracks. Faster tracks like Billy String’s “Ice Bridge” or Lindsey Stirling’s “Evil Twin”. Every note is accounted for with enough air and openness, note contour, and note structure to distinctly hear those notes in a rounded way. Especially when you add a hair more EQ in certain areas. However, I’m not talking about its ability to take EQ right now. This is out-of-the-box sound here folks. Really a nicely tuned treble for a nice overall tuning. 

Technicalities 

Soundstage 

Now, you have to understand that I am speaking on the soundstage of a true wireless earphone. Let’s put it this way, if you are expecting to hear some enormously grand stage, think again. True wireless simply aren’t tuned to sound massive by traditional means. They use DSP engines completely folks. They don’t rely on the acoustics of an inner acoustic cavity and psycho-acoustic trickery to sound full, wide and chasmic. Having said that, the soundstage is actually fairly large folks. I expected to hear a narrower stage, not as tall, 2-dimensional, more of a flat plane of sound. On this set the stage actually has some above average width, some decent height, and even more surprising is the depth of field on the Air5 Pro. I’m not saying it’s stadium sized, but they sound like a decent iem for a comparison. In my opinion, they sound great. 

Separation / Imaging 

As far as separation of elements within the sound field (stuff like instruments and vocalists), I find the Air5 Pro is about average to above average depending on the track. You have to understand that the Air5 Pro is a single DD. It’s tuned in a musical fashion, it has some bass weight and muscle, and transients aren’t blazing fast. However, the sound does have some air to it. There’s some real nice clarity too. This is not a set which ever sounds congested with smoothed-together notes. So, most of the time I do hear pretty intricate and distinct note delivery. All in all, the separation of instruments is pretty nice. Imaging on the other hand was much better than I thought it’d be. I can easily hear placement of instruments, some depth and layering abilities too. Good for gaming. Soundpeats did a great job here. 

Detail Retrieval 

I’d say that detail retrieval is very nice for a musicality-first tws iem. Let’s face it, Soundpeats didn’t tune this set to be the picture of detail retrieval superiority within the price point. Still, I don’t feel that many tws are very good at detail retrieval capabilities. There’s a few which are tuned more analytical in nature with clean-lined note definition and a less bass heavy response. However, the Air5 Pro does carry a bit more bass. Here’s the thing; the Air5 is actually very “airy” sounding which does spread the sound field out, creates some separation, illuminates some of those subtle and finer elements within a track. Treble is boosted enough to increase resolution, and the Air5 Pro (once again) has very nice clarity. Honestly, against the field of less clean sounding sets; I feel that the Air5 Pro is certainly above average in detail retrieval ability. 

Is it worth the asking price? 

This is easy. Um… yes, it is. In fact, this is an absolute no-brainer. Folks, any other brand would sell this set for at least $40-50 more. Soundpeats only gives deals. Remember, they are all about price to performance. This is one of the easier no-brainer questions that I’ve had to answer. Of course, the Air5 Pro is worth the cost of $79. 

The Why… 

Because it’s made well. Nothing feels cheap. It’s designed slick and looks dope. The Soundpeats Air5 Pro also comes with just about every set of features that you’d want in a tws. Ai integrated noise cancellation which works really really well. Easily the best ANC that Soundpeats has ever created, up to 55dbs! On top of that the Air5 Pro has tremendous call quality which also (by the way) has AI integrated noise cancellation for phone calls. It works very well. It has game mode, multi-point connection, and a slew of other features. Guess what, most of those features you control at the touch surface. The rest you can find in the awesome PeatsAudio app. Which brings me to the app. Folks, the Air5 Pro has one of the most complete companion apps out there. The PeatsAudio app is flat-out great with a ton of preset EQ settings, or you can make the sound perfect for your liking with the 10-band EQ. I should note that the EQ works great on this set. You get 37 hours of battery life, 7.5 on the buds themselves. The Air5 Pro has one of the best chips you can get under $200 in the Qualcomm QCC3091 chip. It has Snapdragon Sound, LE Audio, Aptx-Adaptive Lossless, LC3, LDAC, and every other audio codec under the sun. Every way you turn this set it is loaded. To be honest, I really feel like I’m missing some features. 

That sound… 

However, if we are talking about earbuds, then we have to talk about the sound. No doubt this is where the Air5 Pro shines the brightest. I love the organic and perfectly clean sound that Soundpeats tuned into the Air5 Pro. The sound is very nicely dynamically balanced with some of the better timbre I’ve heard out of a Soundpeats product. The bass is deep, penetrative, authoritative, yet never a burden, never sloppy, never muddy, good note definition. Then the midrange is great for vocalists with a very fun, yet also very refined midrange. Both male and female voices come across melodic and tuneful. There’s some nice note weight, very nice shimmer, and it never sounds harsh or glaring. Also, the treble has that perfect amount of brilliance to offset the bass and add levity across the mix. The treble is reasonably well detailed with very nice extension, and it too never goes overboard, overcooked, or oversaturated. I have to add that the Air5 Pro is nicely detailed for what it is and for the tuning, good note separation, better than average imaging abilities, and the stage has good size, good width, and very nice depth. Overall, this is a great sounding set that I am very pleased to report on. Absolutely the Air5 Pro is worth every penny of that $79.

Conclusion

To conclude my full review of the Soundpeats Air5 Pro, I first have to thank the good folks over at Soundpeats for providing the Air5 Pro. I cannot thank Soundpeats enough. They are always stand-up people, classy, hard working people too. Every interaction I’ve ever had has been pleasant and they’ve never asked me to do anything that would corrupt my integrity. Very sweet people. Thank you. I also thank you, the reader, for taking the time to read my review and I hope very much that it helps you in any way. Thank you very much. 

Other Perspectives 

However, I have to ask you to now go and read, watch, or listen to other people, other reviews, other perspectives. Don’t just take my word and run with it. Listen, I only review what I enjoy because I only have so much time. I simply don’t have the energy or time to write these long reviews on something that I don’t enjoy. I cannot do it. Maybe one day when I retire. Not now. However, there are plenty of people who have the time to review and feature products which may tell a different tale than mine. Or, maybe they too live this set and feel it’s a great bargain as I do. The point is, it can only be a good thing to check out as many thoughts as possible to hopefully help you make a decision that you won’t regret. And with that, I think I’m done friends. So, please take good care, stay as safe as possible and always… God Bless!!