- Soundpeats launches Air6 HS
- The new earbuds have AirPods 4 or Galaxy Buds tip-less 'open-fit' design
- Solid specs (including 13mm drivers) and a low price make them tempting
Most owners of the best earbuds have (rightly) made the move to models with ear tips, which offer a more stable fit, noise cancellation and a sealed-in sound. But some prefer to ditch the tip.
Joining the AirPods 4 and Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 in the "you don't want your earbuds reaching half-way to your brain, right?" camp is a new option from budget sound company SoundPeats, catchily called the Air6 HS.
The Soundpeats Air6 HS cost $39.99 (about £30, AU$60) so they're also inexpensive options — which is what the company is known for. But there are a few reasons these new buds might outstrip the non-ANC enhanced AirPods 4 ($129 / £129 / AU$219) or the flagship and ANC-toting Galaxy Buds 4 ($179 / £159 / AU$299) for buyers. They're out now, and you can buy them from Amazon.
Now, before you dismiss these as some cheap-and-cheerful but unspecial options, we've been impressed by the brand before. The company's Soundpeats H3 were fantastic affordable earbuds, and I was also fond of the SoundPeats Cove Pro over-ears I tested recently. What I'm saying is, this is a brand worth paying attention to.
Budget buds with solid specs
Other than being cheaper, there are a few ways the Soundpeats beat Samsung and Apple's alternatives.
Take the battery life: the Air6 HS last for 9 hours of listening, with the case bumping that up to 45 hours. Move over Apple (5/30) and Samsung (6/30, though these buds do have noise cancellation, which the others don't).
The driver of the Soundpeats is 13mm, which means it should offer louder audio than the 11mm on the Samsung. Apple doesn't publicize its driver sizes, although it's unlikely that it's 13mm or above. Bear in mind, higher volume doesn't mean better audio chops.
The Air6 HS weigh 4g, which is 0.3g lighter than the AirPods and 0.6g lighter than the Galaxy Buds. Admittedly that margin isn't huge, but it's still points in favor of the Soundpeats.
Offering Bluetooth 6.0, the new buds also beat the AirPods 4's Bluetooth 5.3, though fall slightly behind the Bluetooth 6.1 of the Galaxy Buds 4. This higher standard will likely result in slightly more stable a connection, useful for avoiding drop-outs.
I'm being slightly facetious in calling these genuine AirPods rivals, if the price didn't give it away.
Soundpeats specializes in budget audio and so I don't expect they'll sound as good as Apple's versions, or offer as many features (though they will work on Android).
But if you're looking for earbuds with a similar design and longer battery yet don't break the bank, these could really be better than AirPods for you.
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