When it comes to true wireless audio, buyers are spoiled for choice, but that doesn't mean every experience is created equal. That's why when a lesser-known brand, Tronsmart, offered to send its Tronsmart Apollo Air for review, I was curious and wanted to check them out, especially after a recommendation from a close colleague.
Some affordable headphones With aptX support, Bluetooth 5.2, six microphones with cVc 8.0 technology and 35dB of full-frequency hybrid active noise cancellation, it's something that stands out at such a low price, or so I thought before reviewing them.
Unfortunately, not all that glitters is gold.. While we have a quality pair of headphones in front of us, they do make a few mistakes that buyers should be aware of. So let's take a look at where the Apollo Air shines and where it falters.
[wpsm_toggle title=»Specifications»]- Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3046
- Bluetooth version: Bluetooth 5.2
- Bluetooth Profile: HFP/HSP/AVRCP/A2DP
- Audio Codec: APTX Adaptive, APTX, AAC, SBC
- Connection distance: Up to 15 meters / 50 feet
- Driver: 10mm graphene driver
- Microphone sensitivity: -42dB ± 1dB
- Audio frequency range: 20 – 20K Hz
- Noise Cancelling Mode: Ambient, ANC OFF/ ON
- Playback time: up to 5 hours (50% volume)
- Charging time: up to 20 hours (50% volume)
- Battery capacity: Earphone: 35 mAh
- Charging case capacity: 300mAh
- Waterproof/dustproof: IP45
Who do we recommend the Tronsmart Apollo Air for?
We only recommend the Apollo Air for those who are going to do a exclusive use of them to listen to music for short periods of time.
They are not recommended for athletes, but could be used for those who go to the gym. On the plus side, they have an IPX45 waterproof rating so you don't have to worry about those little drops of sweat. Even so, as we mentioned before, there are better headphones for sports even without leaving the brand itself, such as the Tronsmart Apollo Bold.
What's in the box?
The Tronsmart Apollo Air box comes with:
- True Wireless Earbuds with Charging Case (1 LED battery indicator outside, 1 LED inside to show pairing status).
- USB Type C charging cable.
- 3 pairs of silicone tips.
- Warranty card.
- User manual.
Design and comfort
The Tronsmart Air ANC are the type of in ear headphones (inserted deep into the ear canal) and come with a long stem with 6 microphones for calls, ambient mode and noise cancellation function. The Tronsmart Air earphones They are well designed and comfortable in the ears during normal use. outdoors. We do not recommend them for sports, for this it is better to wear some sports headphones more specialized. Perhaps they could improve in terms of size since they can be large for some people.
The case is made of smooth white plastic, giving it a premium look. There is only one LED on the case to indicate the battery level., red for the 0-10% and blue for the 11-100%. There is a USB C port on the back and a pairing button next to the port. However, I think the button has no use because the headphones are in standby mode. Auto pairing once the case is opened.
The case and earphones have a IPX45 rating, meaning it can withstand light rain, sweat, and water splashes. The case lid opens and closes with a solid quality feel and the magnets keep the case lid securely closed.
Sound, noise cancellation and microphone
The Tronsmart Apollo AIR's QCC3046 chip supports SBC, APTX and APTX adaptive codecs for android devices and ACC codec for IOS devices. Its Extremely low power consumption and low latency mean there will be no lag while watching a movie with your devices.
Pairing of the earbuds started while the lid was open, which is a surprise since most TWS earbud pairings are done after taking the earbuds out of the case.
Tronsmart Apollo AIR 10mm dynamic drivers produce very rich and clear sound quality. The bass is deep and powerful.
The noise cancellation, when activated, cuts the 50% from background noise, as long as a good seal is achieved in the earsIf the design was weak, it is in the sound that we find its true potential.
The Microphone quality is loud and clear for the other party on the call. The voice sound is heard loud and clear, there is no need to raise your voice or hear loud background noise thanks to the CVC8.0 technology of the QCC3046 chip and the built-in ANC function.
Autonomy and battery life
Each Tronsmart Apollo Air earphone is equipped with a 35mAh battery that can provide you with music for maximum 5 hours of use. In addition, there is an additional 300mAh battery in the charging case. This will allow you to charge the earphones 3 or 4 more times and get a total battery life of about 20 hours. The result is quite good.
Charging the case battery takes about 2.5 hours via the Type-C port.
Apollo Air Controls and Connectivity
The Tronsmart Apollo Air and Air + have a very good Bluetooth 5.2 connection up to ten meters away from your device. It is also possible seamlessly switch between listening with two earphones or just one while charging the other and vice versa.
Only the Air+ has in-ear detection, which means it automatically pauses music playback when you take an earbud out of your ear and it continues playing once you put it back in.
The controls are very comprehensive and respond quickly and reliably to your inputs:
- Double press L or R to play/pause music
- Tap (right earbud) R once to increase volume.
- Tap (left earbud) L once to decrease volume.
- Hold R to skip to the next track.
- Hold L to go back to the previous song.
- Press and hold L or R to activate the voice assistant.
- Triple tap L or R to switch between ANC on, ambient mode, and ANC off.
It's difficult to activate the voice assistant by tapping and holding, as it's likely to change the volume as well. If the control scheme is too complicated for you, You can change it completely to your liking with the application.
Tronsmart Apollo Air App
Tronsmart app is available on Google Playstore and Apple store. In addition to the usual equalizer (I wish Tronsmart included a customizable EQ setting for us) that can be used to customize the sound signature depending on the type of music we listen to, we can Customize the touch control of the headphonesHere we can select ambient mode, ANC on and off as well.