Disclaimer:
Good morning, readers! Thanks to Hifigo and Roseselsa, I received today the Roseselsa Earfree i5, a new TWS with all the most important features that I consider necessary on every model of a certain quality. The last ones reviewed by heart are the Creative Aurvana Ace 2 of a particular quality and innovation. Will the Roseselsa manage to impress me with their dynamic driver with a 12 mm topological diaphragm?
However, the review will still be 100% honest and in no way biased.
I’m not an audiophile; I’m just a guy that likes to test out different IEMs and DACs and spends a lot of time listening to music.
So I’m not going to use super-technical words to review it, but I will do my best to describe it.
Tech Specs:
- Driver Unit: 12mm DLC Dynamics
- Audio Format: LDAC/AAC/SBC
- Impedance: 32 Ω
- Output Power: 15 mW
- Frequency Response Range: 14 – 23600 Hz
- Bluetooth Version: 5.3
- Communication Range: 10 m
- Earphone Battery Capacity: 40 mAh
- Charging Case Battery Capacity: 500 mAh
- Charging Time: Approx. 1h
Packaging:
The Roseselsa EarFree i5 packaging is the classic one we might expect from a product like a TWS. Honestly, the packaging is more than excellent if I think of the Hifiman Svanar with packaging of practically the same quality. At 60 USD, we have a metal charging case wrapped in protective plastic instead of the classic bag.
Inside we find:
- Charging case
- Charging cable
- 3 oval Eartips
- Instruction manual
Let’s say that the accessories of the TWS are never exciting, especially on the Eartips side. I see these oval tips very often. The only thing I would have included, given the metal case, is a small carrying bag.
Design/Build Quality:
Given the cost of the Roseselsa EarFree i5, I honestly would not have expected such a fine and refined charging case. Its metal covering lends the product a high-end appearance. On the front, there is a white status LED that turns red when it has low power and green when it is charged. Another thing that immediately caught my eye is that it is really very compact. The two earphones have a dark gray color, plastic material but with a good finish. On the part of the arm there is a darker oval spot, which is essentially where you should press for the touch/gesture controls. In the part of the nozzle, I seem to understand that there is a ventilation hole with a groove that passes under the rubber of the earstips and vents out. There is another hole that I think could be for the back of the driver without in the internal position of the TWS. In the lower part, in the middle of the charging pins, there is definitely a microphone.
Overall, the TWS does not have major aesthetic features but contains some hardware and software gems.
Built-in Technology:
I can tell you that for 60 USD of TWS, the technology inside is particularly good. The Roseselsa Earfree i5 is equipped with a 12mm topological diaphragm driver with quite good performance but we will talk about it later. The maximum supported codec is LDAC and honestly, its presence is not a given. The LDAC for those who want to get closer to wired quality is a must. Inside we have the Cadence HiFi 5 DSP responsible for the EQ tuning that does a more than excellent job.
“EARFREE-i5 is equipped with the flagship HR2 topologic diaphragm driver unit, Cadence HiFi 5 DSP chips and support for LDAC codec. 636 days spent dedicated to R&D, the i5 achieves higher sensitivity and more expansive dynamics with only 0.02%@1000Hz distortion, allowing you to indulge in passionate pop music and serene classical melodies. These TWS earbuds are meant to sound for audiophiles!”
Roseselsa
In addition to this, hybrid noise cancellation of up to 48 dB is promised at an ultra-wide frequency range capable of suppressing most everyday noises.
The microphone seems to be supplied by GoerTek Acoustics and should be of excellent quality but I will only find out this by doing real tests.
Ability to connect two devices simultaneously, which can be very useful for those who have two smartphones for work.
RoseLink App:
Who would have thought that Roseselsa would produce such a successful application? The Roselink App is one of the smoothest and fastest TWS applications I have ever tried. Even the Creative one is a snail in comparison. The connection once you associate the EarFree i5 for the first time is lightning fast and allows you a truly remarkable amount of customizations. Don’t worry, there is also a sore point.
As soon as the connection is made, the application offers you a firmware update that is not at all obvious in this price range. Having support that allows you to update and improve the product is a big plus. The management from the APP is truly very intuitive and fast.
We have the possibility of changing the different modes between Normal, ANC, Wind, and transparency, which we can obviously also do via gestures. We can exclude the modes that do not interest us to change more quickly via gesture.
As for the EQ, I don’t know why they limited themselves to 4 and there is no possibility of making a custom one. We have the low-altitude game mode that reduces lag if we use them to play. Possibility to choose the codec and dual connectivity.
We have the device finder that makes the TWS play at full volume but if you get lost in a noisy environment, you will not find them.
Instead, we can customize the touch gestures of each earphone separately.
There is also a LAB section where new features are probably tested. The automatic play/pause function works well and is very responsive.
At twice the cost, many other TWS does not even offer many functions. It would require a minor update, I must admit, so that the music fades when you switch modes so you can hear the vocal prompt better.
Fit & Comfort:
Nowadays TWS all have more or less the same shape; the real difference is made by the ears, which in the case of TWS are always very basic. I immediately checked that the case could also accept different eartips like Divinus Velvet and obviously we are too much at the limit and the case closes badly. You have to limit yourself with models suitable for tws and some other model that keeps the nozzle short.
ANC & Wind modes:
Here Rose Technics has outdone itself; the Roseselsa Earfree i5 promises 48 dB of noise suppression and I feel like telling you that despite the very high declared value, the performance is actually very good. The wind function is absolutely the most interesting seen on TWS and I can tell you that it does not present the turbulence typical of any other. The difference between ANC OFF and Transparency instead seems minimal to me and actually, in both cases, I do not notice any variations. Let me explain better: switching from one mode to the other, the noises that enter the headphones are exactly the same. I believe that there is no normal mode.
The ANC suppresses very well and I carried out tests both in traffic and indoors with two speakers in front and the reduction is notable, even if not total.
The Wind function remains the most impressive; somehow they have removed the classic noise that the wind goes into the microphones (noticeable in the other modes) while still keeping external noises discreetly audible.
I remind you that these are 60 USD TWS. Even 400 USD models don’t have this feature.
Equipment used for the testing:
Device:
- Redmi Note 7 (LDAC)
- Poco M4 Pro (LDAC)
- Hotwav Pad 8 (AAC)
Software:
- Amazon music UHD 24bit 96kHz
Sound impressions:
The audio quality of the Roseselsa EarFree i5 is very respectable. It is a mild V-shaped TWS with however few EQ options. Those present are 4 and the possibility of creating custom ones is missing. Whether it is a desired lack or not, I cannot tell you, but if they want via firmware update, they can certainly add the function.
The sound is very rich and detailed; it tends to be bright and full of macro and micro details. It has that kind of tuning that is not really suitable for particularly complex and bass-rich music. I noticed some bass bleeding on slightly hardcore genres. Roseselsa always has a tuning more for pop and classical genres but all in all, apart from some tracks, it behaves very well.
I don’t notice any changes in sound when switching between modes. The touch gestures have a sort of audible feedback that vaguely reminds me of the iPod nano.
Treble
A nice sparkle that enriches all the tracks with details that usually TWS lose a bit for the quality of the drivers and a bit for the compression of the codecs. The extension guarantees macro and micro details in abundance with a good dose of sparkles. It is not the treble that creates problems for me but at high volumes they start to be a bit harsh on some tracks.
Mids
The mids are not bad; I would say quite natural in tone but they lack a bit of thickness and tangibility. I do not find them recessed but more or less quite forward together with the rest. I think that a touch more warmth together with a light push on the mid-bass could have given them more tone.
Bass
The bass is present and is also particularly fast and composed but on particularly difficult tracks it tends to bleed slightly but I think it is more an effect of the oval Eartips as with the Divinus the effect is significantly reduced. It is not a question of bass that makes their authority felt but more of their naturalness. There are undoubtedly sets with a better presence. To solve these things, just insert the customizable EQ in the next firmware update.
Soundstage & Imaging:
In terms of soundstage, the dimensions are contained; we do not have a sensation that goes much beyond the ears. There are undoubtedly TWS that do better but I do not believe at this price. As for the image and layering, we are at very good levels. LDAC, the DSP, and the drivers chosen are a good formula.
Practical Consideration:
After a few weeks of use I can confirm the quality of the product and the app. Everything works very well but obviously there are some things that can be improved. The wind feature can’t stand up to a strong wind but rather to a bit of air. Let’s say that this result was quite predictable since it would need some windproof material right above the microphones to have a clean sound from strong turbulence noises. For the rest, the ANC works particularly well and suppresses a lot of noise. Eartips can be improved as well as the space for any aftermarket Eartips in the case.
Fast Comparison:
Objectively speaking, in terms of quality/price ratio, in my opinion they are equivalent. Obviously, the sound of the Creative with the xMEMS drivers is much richer and the tuning has thicker notes. There is also the possibility of adjusting different parameters of the EQ to your liking. Two products that, in my opinion, are excellent with two different targets. Who wins? Neither of them. In terms of sound, Creative is warmer and has fewer functions. The Roseselsa EarFree i5 is instead more bright and natural, intimate soundstage with many features and an excellent app.
Conclusion:
Compared to the Creative, I can tell you that they do not seem like two very different products. They hide different technologies but in the end the Roselink app seems to even work better; the sound quality for the 60 USD is still amazing and the LDAC support is very stable.
Honestly for those who want to spend little while maintaining high quality, it seems to me the best product I have tried so far.
In addition, the stability of the Bluetooth using LDAC is excellent; I have never heard quality drops or skipping playback. Even the Svanar had problems.
Excellent product recommended for those looking for TWS with a natural and bright profile.
8.6/10
Pros:
- Build quality is pretty good
- Metal charging case
- 12mm DD with topology diaphragm
- Bright and detailed sound
- Nice macro and micro details
- I can’t really feel the compression “effect.”
- Many modes, including Wind Mode
- Automatic play/pause
- LDAC codec
- Stable connection
- App Support
- Firmware update (probably)
Cons:
- You can’t swap tips with any models you want
- No Custom EQ and limited presets
- Bass quantity can be slightly more
