The next big step in the headphone world is true wireless earbuds, and we’ve seen a number of companies come out with great true wireless options, including the likes of Bragi, Samsung, and Apple with the Apple AirPods. Those headphones, however, are generally pretty expensive. That’s where the SoundPEATS Q29 true wireless Bluetooth earbuds come in.
Of course, these aren’t the first true wireless headphones we’ve looked at. We also reviewed the Motorola VerveOnes, which were not great, and the Alpha Audiotronics Skybuds, which scored quite well.
The SoundPEATS Q29 comes in at around $50 on Amazon, which is far cheaper than any other true wireless headphones on offer. But does that translate into a poor quality of headphones? We put the SoundPEATS Q29 earbuds to the test to find out.
Design
The first thing you’ll notice about the SoundPEATS Q29 earbuds is their design, and they don’t look bad. The earbuds feature a somewhat basic look with their oval design, with a small rod sticking out each earbud meant to go in your ear canal. Like other true wireless earbuds, they’ll be totally hidden if you have long hair covering your ears.
The face of each earbud actually also serves as a multi-use button, but it’s generally well implemented into the design of the headphones. You’ll find the SoundPEATS logo on each button too, which also doesn’t look bad.
The earbuds themselves are only one part of the design of true wireless earbuds. You also have the charging case, which is an important aspect to consider. You’ll fit the two earbuds in the case, which itself features a battery to charge the earbuds when the earbuds themselves run out of battery. The case also features a small microUSB port, which is found on the back of the case. That’s how you’ll charge both the case and the earphones when they’re in the case.
In the box, you’ll find the headphones themselves, along with the charging case, a microUSB charging cable, and a total of three pairs of ear tips, including the ones that come pre-installed on the headphones.
In general, the SoundPEATS Q29 earbuds look quite good. They’re a little larger than you might want, but so are most other true wireless earbuds. That’s because the earbuds need to house a battery and a Bluetooth chip to connect with each other and to your listening device.
Comfort
In-ear headphones in general have a tough time when it comes to comfort, and that’s simply because they fit inside your ear instead of on our around your ear. True wireless headphones are even more susceptible to a low comfort level, because of the fact that they can often be a little heavier than standard in-ear headphones with their battery and Bluetooth chip.
Thankfully, when we put the headphones on, we found that they really weren’t all that bad in comfort. You’ll certainly want to play around a little with the different ear tips to try and find the right size for you, which will not only help the headphones be more comfortable, but will also help them stay in and help them sound better by creating a better seal.
In general, the SoundPEATS Q29 headphones are both comfortable and they generally stay in well. If you’re moving around a lot, you will have some trouble with keeping them in — these aren’t sports buds. But otherwise, you shouldn’t have much issue.
Sound
Of course, the most important thing to consider has nothing to do with design or comfort — it’s how the headphones sound. The SoundPEATS Q29 headphones aren’t bad, but their definitely not for audiophiles. Having said that, they’re a lot better than we expected.
For starters, the bass is heavy and powerful, putting plenty of emphasis on the kick drum and bass guitar in Katy Perry’s California Girls. Audiophiles again may want to stay away — the bass is definitely boosted to a somewhat unnatural level, but plenty of consumers are looking for that sound.
The midrange is a little rocky. There’s plenty of low-mids, but it ultimately makes the headphones sound a little muddy. On the flipside, the high-mids are boosted in some areas that you might not want them boosted — causing them to sound a little like an AM radio.
Last but not least is the high-end, which is unfortunately the weakest part of the listening experience here. The high frequencies could be boosted much more than they are, and in the end the headphones lack a crispness that we would have liked to see.
The headphones also suffer a little at louder volumes, and noticeably distorted, though it wasn’t as bad at lower volumes.
In general, the SoundPEATS Q29 headphones sound fine, but don’t expect audiophile-level quality.
Performance
Performance is a very important aspect to consider when it comes to true wireless headphones, and while the SoundPEATS Q29 headphones didn’t break any records, they weren’t too bad either. Let’s start with connectivity. When we first took the headphones out of the box, we had some trouble connecting them to each other. However after a few minutes of trying we looked up the manual to find that there were a few methods of connecting the two buds.
Judging by other reviews of these headphones, our experience wasn’t unique, either. Thankfully, the headphones connected fine eventually — but it will take a little wrangling.
Once they were paired, we experience some pretty serious issues with skipping and the headphones falling out of sync, however disconnecting the Bluetooth mouse from the computer we were listening from alleviated most of those issues. In other words, don’t expect to be able to use multiple Bluetooth-connected devices at once with the SoundPEATS Q29’s.
Battery life is a real concern with true wireless headphones, and you’ll get around three hours of continuous playback before you’ll need to pop the headphones in the charging case. The case can offer up to an extra 12 hours of battery life, but you’ll obviously need to wait for the headphones to charge each three hours.
If you’re fine with only listening for a few hours at a time, then you’ll be fine with the Q29 headphones. Then again, if you’re not, true wireless headphones may not be the best choice for you.
Conclusions
The SoundPEATS Q29 headphones aren’t bad. They offer a pretty nice design and are generally comfortable, and while the sound leaves a little to be desired it’s certainly passable. The real draw, however, has nothing to do with those things — it’s that these are by far the best value-for-money true wireless headphones out there.
At $59, if you’re looking for a pair of true wireless headphones and are on a reasonably low budget, these are definitely the headphones for you. In fact, thanks largely to their excellent value-for-money, we’ve awarded the SoundPEATS Q29 headphones the Headphone Review Bronze Medal.
| Store | Price |
|---|---|
 |
$59.99 |
| SoundPEATS | $59.99 |
| Frequency response | Unknown | Active noise cancellation |
No |
| Driver size | Unknown | Noise attenuation | Unknown |
| Driver type |
Dynamic | On-ear controls | Yes |
| Design |
Closed | Microphone | Yes |
| Sensitivity | Unknown | Eartip material | Gel |
| Rated impedance |
Unknown | Magnet material | Unknown |
| Total harmonic distortion |
Unknown | Water resistance | No |
| Rated input power |
Unknown | Battery life | 3 hours |
| Maximum input power |
Unknown | Wireless distance | 10m (33ft) |
| Wireless connection |
Bluetooth 4.1 | Cable length | N/A |
| Wired connection |
No | Case type | Charging case |
| Detachable cable |
No | In-the-box |
|
| Weight | 0.18oz | Colors | Black |