Soundpeats RunFree Lite ($29.99)
Hello friends, today I am kind of walking off course a bit and reviewing a very peculiar but also very neat new product from Soundpeats. The Soundpeats RunFree Lite, or “RFL” as I’ll call them for this review. The RunFree Lite is an open ear design which actually utilizes “Air-Conduction” technology to transfer the sound, all the while your ears are open to the atmosphere. It really is a very neat technology. I was more than happy to get to spend some time with the RunFree Lite as this is the first time, I’ve had the pleasure of listening to such a design.
Soundpeats is at the forefront of the budget wireless scene as they constantly release products which are both affordable as well as very well made and very well-tuned. Truly, I am a fan of the company, but I will not let any bias creep into this review. I Have already completed a few reviews of Soundpeats Products, the Soundpeats Capsule 3 Pro and the Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS and in each review, I walked away impressed. Mahir also recently reviewed the Opera 5 as well and that came away with an impressive review. I want to thank Ellen and Soundpeats for their constant generosity as they provided to me the RunFree Lite in exchange for a fair and honest feature at Mobileaudiophile.com. With that I’d like to get into the review of the RunFree Lite…
Soundpeats Promotional
-Soundpeats RunFree Lite (Air Conduction Sport Headphone)
-Offer: 10% off code: RFLFORPR
-Find the RunFree Lite at Amazon HERE
-MMSRP: $29.99
Bud-Free Comfort
Unlike traditional wireless earphones, SOUNDPEATS RunFree Lite Open Ear Headphones utilize air conduction technology to provide a comfortable and painless listening experience. You won’t have to worry about hot ears, even during the hottest of runs. With a weight of only 28 g, these headphones are designed for all-day comfort.
Soundpeats Promotional
RFL Pros🔥🔥🔥
-Priced very well, especially with promotional
-Lightweight
-Multi-point connection
-Battery Life (17 hrs.)
-Soundpeats App is great
-Great button placement
-Full controls
-Awareness of your surroundings
-Air conduction technology
-Balanced Tuning
-These actually have decent bass
-Overall, a pleasant-sounding set
RFL Cons🥶
-Cannot adjust
-Fit: they can move around on you slightly
-No other cons at this price and for the purpose of this set
Packaging
Well, this will go rather quick. Of course, there really is no reason for the packaging to be too in depth based on the function and purpose of the RFL. Soundpeats sent to me a decently sized box to accommodate the RFL headband itself and the only other inclusion with the package is a usbc charging cable. I would expect nothing more due to what the RFL are. Obviously, there is no reason to add anything else.
Build / Design / Internals / Fit
Build
Soundpeats does everything to keep costs down yet never seems to skimp on the functionality, sound and the build quality of their products. The RFL is no different. Of course, we are talking about a set which somehow costs under $30 so we must temper our expectations a little bit. Soundpeats decided to use hard plastic on the earpieces and controls which is very lightweight and user friendly. I know because I used the RFL for a few long runs and I almost forgot I even was wearing them. Now the headband portion is actually made of an aerospace-grade nickel-titanium memory alloy and skin-friendly liquid silicone gel which is also extremely lightweight. The RFL is quite literally featherweight (27g) which seems to defy the size/weight expectation when looking at this set. Great job Soundpeats.
You will find the controls are located on a block which sits just behind the ear which takes a second of getting used to. However, once I wrapped my brain around where the controls are at, I realized this is a perfectly natural place to have the controls. It makes sense and is in a perfect spot to not move the RFL around too much.
The earhooks themselves wrap around the ear while the speaker section sits just in front of the ear. This boggled my mind. I remember thinking “How is this supposed to work”? Well, I come to find out that it works like a charm, and I will explain all of that further along in this review. Everything just works so flawlessly that I feel any active person on a budget should have a set. The build is perfect for the purpose and my hat goes off to the people at Soundpeats.
Sweatproof and Secure Fit
The neckband of the RunFree Lite sports earphones is made of skin-friendly liquid silicone, ensuring a secure fit for any sport. The headphones are also IPX4 waterproof, resisting light rain and sweat, making them suitable for activities like jogging, running, driving, cycling, and hiking.
Soundpeats promotional
Design
The design of the RFL is also very user friendly as it is all in one piece so to easily put on and take off. It is designed with an all-black colorway and is a very sleek design. I have touched a little bit already of the design as it all relates to the build, but I find the RFL to be very cool looking and please understand that I would have never thought that I would be saying something like that. You almost need to try it out to understand. The RFL is designed completely around safety and being able to hear the world around you all the while not sacrificing sound quality in the process.
Soundpeats Promotional images above
Internals
Soundoeats adopted a massive 16.2 mm Dynamic Driver with what Soundpeats refers to as “Bass Enhancement Technology” which I’m assuming they would have to use due to the loss of a seal. I was most surprised at the low-end actually, more on that later. The RFL also uses “Air-Conduction Tech” which is all based around the placement of the earbuds to your ears. The RFL air conduction tech actually targets certain areas to shoot the sound at your ears all the while you are constantly able to hear your surroundings as your ears are always open to the atmosphere. Great for outdoor usage, especially for running, cycling, camping and basically anything which puts a premium on safety and awareness of what is around you. Really it is a genius tech and Soundpeats nailed the implementation of it.
Fit
This is the only area where there may possibly be an issue and that is the fit. Now, I think the only real problem would arise if you had a giant head as the headband itself gives plenty of room for this issue. I think the fit should work for 99% of the world’s people as the ear hooks naturally rest right at your ears. I suppose if you have some oddly shaped ears than this may present a slight issue, but I do think the vast majority of people will find the RFL works as it is intended and the fit will be perfect.
Features
One thing the RFL are not heavy in is “feature” due to the fact that the features are built in. There isn’t a passive mode because they are naturally open to the atmosphere and well…passive by nature. Of course, you won’t see any type of ANC or wireless charging but there really is no need per the purpose of the RunFree Lite.
SOC Chipset
Soundpeats added the all-new SOC Chipset, the WUQI WQ7033MX, which by all accounts is a very powerful chipset. With it you get SBC and AAC Audio Codecs. This is great as both Android and Apple users can listen to a high quality codec. This chipset also runs on Bluetooth 5.3 which means that connection stability and distance from the source is drastically improved.
Game Mode
One feature that is a fantastic addition is the “game mode” which does exactly as it implies. I suppose you could also call it low-latency mode as it performs the same task basically. The game mode on the RFL works as intended by providing no real lag at all during gaming. The only issue I saw was when playing first person shooter type games or games that have a ton of craziness or any game that is really graphically intense. For the most part it is perfect for movies, videos and games.
Multi-point Connection
The RFL also has another great feature in multi-point connection where the RFL can actually connect to two devices at one time. Again, this used to be unheard of except in very expensive models, but Soundpeats was able to put it in a set which costs less than $30. It works as advertised though setting it all up takes a minute of patience. However, once a connection to two devices is established than it is easy-peasy going back and forth between them. I actually used two phones just to see how well it works and sure enough, the multi-point actually functions very well.
Soundpeats App
The Soundpeats app (I use Android) has come a long way. Thankfully Soundpeats realizes how important a good app can be for us consumers. The Soundpeats App actually gives you many options. You can upgrade firmware through the app (don’t forget to do this right away). There is also a 10-band equalizer which is very effective at switching up the sound to your liking.
Personally, I don’t use eq for reviews, but I did play around and the RFL does very well in reaction to EQ. Soundpeats also offers 9 preset EQ settings as well as the custom user EQ. One huge plus is the fact that whatever setting you choose it will save on the buds themselves. You can also toggle between ANC, Transparency mode and Normal mode as well as toggle on or off game mode. Finally, you can check the battery status of each Earbud. It isn’t the most in depth app, but it is exactly what we need. Very nice.
Battery Life
Battery Life is ridiculously good for something so inexpensive. Soundpeats advertises that RFL to get around 17 hours of battery life in total. I of course didn’t do a battery drain test and mostly I was simply just periodically using the RFL for a few days probably in total. Still, 17 Hours is a huge number and certainly enough for quite a few workouts without needing to charge.
Call Quality
I spoke with my wife at length over the phone using the RFL and I conducted Zoom meetings at my office using the RFL and I have been very impressed once again. Everyone I asked said that my voice came through very well with perfect clarity and had nolo issues understanding me. Of course, Soundpeats used 3 mics which helps tremendously in how well your voice actually gets picked up. I had no lost connections anytime I had the RFL and each time it was pleasant enough. Something about being able to perfectly hear your surroundings is very liberating and very cool.
Controls
I’ll make this short but thankfully Soundpeats added function controls for everything on using the control panel located just behind the ear. There are three buttons in total and the middle button acts as the multi-functional button. You can power on & off, enter gaming mode, change tracks, volume control and use the voice assistant right from the control pad. The buttons are very easy to get used to and they are easy to operate. I actually much prefer push buttons to a touch surface. Something about the tactile buttons that conveys some semblance of peace in my mind.
Waterproofing
I must also add that Soundpeats was able to add up to an IPX4 waterproof rating which enables at the most some water splash resistance to the RunFree Lite. This means that you can use the RFL while it is lightly raining however, they cannot be submerged into water. I suppose for the purposes that you would normally use the RFL this is about all that you would need.
Sound Impressions
I have to begin this sound impressions portion of the review with a couple disclaimers. First, this set is not meant to usurp some of the better wireless sound quality tws iems. This set is based around safety and figuring a way to work around this issue while still providing good sound quality. Also, I don’t EQ at all when performing a review as I use the stock and out of box sound. I may remark on certain changes I’ve made through EQ but other than that it should be assumed that all comments are with no EQ.
I would call the RFL a more balanced sounding unit as each 3rd of the spectrum takes on a supporting role. No one area superseded any other. The overall tonality is a hint on the warm side and is likely a V-shaped sound signature. The RunFree Lite get plenty loud enough and is good for the use case in my opinion. I wouldn’t go using these for cutting the grass or during anything with loud sounds or noises happening. I like the tonality and timbre is actually nice.
Bass
If there was any area which I was sure there’d be an issue it was the low-end of the RFL. However, count me as surprised as Soundpeats did a fantastic job as the RFL have an actual punchy and tight low end. Of course, this is not the most physical of bass regions, but it actually has a nice and balanced emphasis with the rest of the mix. I don’t hear that deep sub-bass rumble as it is closer to a moderate level, but I was surprised there was a low-end at all.
The mid-bass also has a moderate level of slam and this all depends on how you have the RFL positioned on your ear. I never had an issue myself and the bass came through crystal clear. All in all, it’s not bad at all and for the use case I’d say that Soundpeats did a wonderful job. Tone and timbre are great sounding more natural than not and there is decent oomph down low. Be advised that this is in no way basshead type bass.
Midrange
The midrange is not too recessed which was something I was also expecting. I of course am not judging this set as I would any other set of in-ears as this is the most unusual device I’ve ever reviewed. In fact, I contemplated even adding a three-part sound impression. With that said, the midrange sounds pleasant, again for the purpose. Males sound loud and clear, possibly a hint thin but also, they have actual good note definition. Females have a hint of shimmer to them and sit a bit more forward than males. The midrange comes across nicely and is never fatiguing but rather it is a smooth midrange.
Treble Region
The treble region is also well tuned with good body to notes. I hear a snappier attack and decay and there is enough air up top to add good levity to the sound overall. You won’t get perfect details and technicalities, but the sound comes across with great clarity. One thing I was surprised about was that this is a very non-offensive treble with nothing sharp or metallic. All things considered this set sound great up top and Soundpeats should pat themselves on the back. It can’t be easy trying to tune a set in this configuration.
Technicalities
As far as technicalities go, I wouldn’t think that anyone would be purchasing this set for its audiophile replay. However, there are some slight macro-details which can be heard but it is all dependent on how much outside noises are going on around you. Remember these are marketed at runners and cyclists and not for the person sitting in his sofa listening intently to his favorite jams. No, the details won’t blow you away but also, they aren’t supposed to. I say that but you may be surprised how well they can come through on the RFL. The soundstage is actually pretty wide which is really just a psycho-acoustic illusion due to the openness of the sound. It’s wide, even tall but not very deep. Still, for the price and for the makeup of the RFL I am so very impressed. Really a great sounding Air Conduction set.
Is it worth the asking price?
This is one of the easiest recommendations I’ve ever given. Of course, this is worth the asking price! You get so much for the low amount of only $29.99 and that price goes down even more with the promotion. The RFL have surprised me to a great degree as I had no clue they could sound as nice using a tech that I’ve never used before. As I’m reviewing, I have to remember the purpose and intent of this unit and sometimes while using I almost forgot I had these on, thinking I had some in-ear tws. I’m telling you; you may do this as well…they sound that good.
Truly the Sounpeats RunFree Lite are perfect for who they are created for. There was a niche in the market which needed filled in the budget arena and Soundpeats did a fantastic job at giving us their best rendition of this specific type of listening device. From all accounts and friends in the hobby who’ve used the RFL, they all tell me that for the price compared to other units, the RFL blows the others out of the water in features, build, functionality and sound quality. This is an easy rec, another fine job.
Ratings (0-10)
Please be aware that all Ratings are based upon the market and the type, price and function of whatever it is I am reviewing. In this case I have no other comparison to judge these against. Remember “5” is exactly average.
Aesthetic
Build: 9.5
Design: 8.7
Sound Impressions
Treble: 9.5
Midrange: 9.0
Bass: 9.0
P2P: 10.0
Conclusion
To conclude this fun review of an off the wall set which serves a definite need in the community I couldn’t help but to recommend this set. For the measly price of $29 you get great sound, game mode, multi-connect as well as great call quality. I have said way too much but I am so very impressed with what I have heard here. Again, please understand that the RFL are not an audiophile type product. These simply make it a safe and good option for those on the go and for those who have an active lifestyle as well as those office folks who want to hear their surroundings. Just a great job!
Other Perspectives
Please take in other thoughts on this set before you purchase. I would always advise you to take in other opinions as not everyone’s the same. I try to be as objective as possible, but I am only a man with my own thoughts. No matter what at some point my subjective judgment will come through, as with any reviewer anywhere on planet earth. We all have different likes and dislikes, music libraries, in the case of the RFL we may have different lifestyles. Also, I cannot finish this without thanking Ellen and the good people of Soundpeats for the kindness. What a great company to deal with from many different perspectives. So, thank you Soundpeats. I also Thank you the reader and do hope this has helped at least one person make a purchasing decision. Please stay safe everyone and take good care.