SoundPEATS TrueWings: affordable earbuds built for the gym

The wireless Bluetooth earbud market has exploded in the last couple of years, mainly thanks to the Apple AirPods and the market they created when they removed the 3.55 mm headphone jack from the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.  There are now a plethora of Bluetooth headphones on the market, ranging in price and functionality, but one thing remains certain: local gyms are packed with people wearing earbuds and headphones. Bluetooth earbuds are particularly good for working out and so as many of us are trying to get into the gym to make good on our new year’s resolutions, I thought it would be a good time to take a look at a pair of affordable wireless earbuds from SoundPEATS that are “engineered for sports.”

The SoundPEATS TrueWings are truly wireless earbuds that feature an over-ear design, which I normally do not like, but the compact design makes the earbuds sit very close to your head and honestly don’t look bad. They ship with three different sizes of silicone ear tips so you can find the right size for your ear and, although they aren’t noise-canceling, the silicone tips help to create a nice seal with some passive noise cancellation. 

Shop SoundPEATS TrueWings at Chrome Shop

The flexible ear hooks are comfortable and are made so that the earbuds won’t fall out of your ears. I didn’t have any issues with them falling out as I was testing them out at the gym, riding my mountain bike, and running. I will say, at first the top piece of the ear hook did keep hitting my hat and made the earbuds become unseated a couple of times. After some minor adjustments, however, I was able to get them positioned where this was no longer an issue. 

Sound quality is fantastic for the price – just like the other SoundPEATS earbuds we have tested – and the 13.6 mm drivers produce a nice rich sound with plenty of bass response. I am honestly surprised every time that I try out a pair of SoundPEATS; they sound evenly tuned without a bunch of EQ adjustments and it creates a realistic and smooth sound. I also had no problems with Bluetooth pairing and was able to get them quickly connected to a Pixel 3 XL, Pixelbook Go, and MacBook. Bluetooth range was comparable to my other pair of Jaybird X2’s, which is to say pretty good with some signal loss when my bag was on the other side of the gym about 75-80 feet away.

Touch controls on the TrueWings can be a little confusing at first but they work consistently and with some practice, I was able to easily play/pause, adjust the volume, and trigger the Google Assistant on my phone. The best touch control, though, is definitely the transparency mode, which lowers the volume of the music and amplifies your voice so you can talk to people around you without yelling. It seems like this feature only works when listening to music and does not work on phone calls, like the Bose QC35II, but it is still impressive for a pair of earbuds at this price point. The touch control is not listed in the instruction manual but I have found that a double-tap on the left earbud enables transparency mode. 

The provided charging case can be charged up with USB Type-C and will give you an extra 18 hours of playback, in addition to the 4 hours of playback from the earbuds. The earbuds power on when you remove them from the case and will power off when you put them back in. There is also a small battery bar indicator in the case so you can know when it’s time to charge the case. I wish they would have included a larger battery in the charging case given the bulky size but I understand they have limited space due to the ear hook design of the earbuds. 

Last but certainly not least, these earbuds are waterproof and are IPX7 rated, so they can be submerged in up to 3 feet of water. This means they will definitely stand up to any rain you might encounter on a run or some sweat while working out in the gym. 

Shop SoundPEATS TrueWings at Chrome Shop

For the price, the SoundPEATS TrueWings are great multi-use true wireless earbuds and for $45.99, they will be the perfect tech accessory for your gym bag. There is even an extra 5% off coupon for the Amazon listing. I will admit that I am a tech/gear nerd but I often find that a new piece of gear is sometimes all I need to motivate me to the gym or to lace up my shoes for a run. If you are looking for a good but affordable pair of active earbuds, I think you will not regret picking up the SoundPEATS TrueWings.