INTRODUCTION:
ND Audio, the brand based out of China is a newly established audio venture that’s starting to get the audiophiles attention. The ND Audio Planet, which is known for its best bass heavy sound signature in its price, let’s check out their recently launched TWS ND Air 3 in this review.
DISCLAIMER:
This unit was provided by Garcia Kate in exchange for my honest review hence the views are based on my observations with the product and is not influenced.
ND AIR 3 SPECIFICATIONS:
Driver: 13mm Dynamic Driver with HyperBass 3.0
Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth 5.4
Mic: Yes (Dual Microphone)
Audio Codecs: SBC, AAC
Latency Mode: 60ms Ultra-Low Latency Gaming Mode
Earbuds Playback: Up to 5 hours (Single Charge)
Total Battery Life: Up to 30 hours (with Charging Case)
Battery Capacity (Earbuds): 30mAh
Battery Capacity (Charging Case): 300mAh
Charging Port: USB-C
BUILD AND DESIGN:
The Air 3 is built solid enough both in terms of case and earbud. The case has a solid thud and embedded with a type c port for the charging. No ear tips are included in the package since the earbuds comes in half in ear design. The included type c cable is of average quality and no other accessories are included. LED indicators are present in both the earbuds and the case that represents the charge and connection status.
ND AIR 3 SOUND IMPRESSIONS:
Air 3 adopts a single 13mm Hyper bass 3.0 Dynamic Driver which delivers a very energetic sound that skews towards a L shaped signature. Technical aspects are pretty average for its price and nothing to brag about. Let’s dive in detail through detailed sections.
BASS PROFILE:
- Air 3 has a huge quantity of bass that overpours throughout the presentation.
- The excess bass even overpowers and smudges the whole spectrum of sound which makes the presentation bloated.
- It’s more mid bass dominant while the sub bass gets minimal presence which sometimes feel non-existent.
- Bass feels uncontrolled, loose and accompanied with the grainy texture makes the overall bass presence as more boomy.
MID SECTION:
- Air 3 got a recessed mid-section with laidback presentation.
- The excessive bass presence does bleeds into the mid-section making them appear more cluttered.
- Dark tint can be observed in its tone and along with its darker background makes it lacklustre.
- Upper mid-section feels subdued which made the female vocals less noticeable in the presentation.
- Lower mid-section feels fuller with bold male vocals yet it feels uncontrolled and bloated for the most times.
TREBLE:
- The treble is well restricted and that can be evidently noticed with its darker background.
- Percussion instruments have a dull note edge which makes the presentation softer.
- The limited presence of air led to constricted separation throughout the play.
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING: The excessive bass creates a sense of deeper stage presence and thanks to the open-air design. The width feels narrow and the holographic staging can’t be appreciated here.
DETAIL RETRIEVAL AND SEPARATION: They are average at its best with no noticeable awestruck moments. For a casual listening, there’s nothing to complain.
VERDICT:
ND Air 3, the budget half in ear designed TWS adopts a 13mm Single Dynamic Driver (Bio-Fiber Composite Diaphragm) delivers a dynamic sound that lines with the liking of general consumers but as an audiophile, it’s a disappointment. The build is great though, which gets that solid thud when closing the lid and nice premium touch to the case but the sound definitely disappoints. It comes with Bluetooth 5.4 hence connectivity felt strong enough but as far as the mic quality, it’s pretty disappointing. It does have the low latency mode but I haven’t tested it since I usually prefer the wired earphones while playing games. The total playback it provides is around 5 hours on a single charge with 30 hours along with the case. It does have the Type C port for charging and the cable is included in the package.
The supported codecs are the SBC and AAC which leaves no room for replaying HI-RES Audio. I’m not a big fan of half in ears since they don’t create a proper seal around one’s ear canal. There’s no dedicated app support which leaves no room for EQ’ing the sound. The sound signature leans towards L shaped profile representing humongous volume of bass that’s more on the looser side, uncontrolled and less textured. The upper mid-section and treble are pretty much restricted with poor extension hence detail retrieval and track separation are mediocre.
Overall, ND Air 3 is a good package in terms of build and design for people who like the half in ear design but the MIDDLING SOUND out of the Air 3 is a disappointment.
POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES:
Pros:
- L Shaped Signature
- Half in ear design (Subjective)
- Solid Build
Cons:
- Average Technicalities
- Dark Background