Where To Buy
Introduction
Hmmm, a true wireless earbuds (TWS) with a single dynamic driver selling at an affordable price (< $50). Where have we seen this before? Throw a stone and you can hit someone wearing such a TWS. From the spec-sheet, the Taotronics SoundLiberty 79 looks like a run-of-the mill chi-fi TWS. On closer inspection, features like “Smart AI Noise-Cancellation” microphone technology and 40hrs battery life perks my attention. Taotronics proceeded to casually mention the IPX7 waterproof rating. Any higher, and they will be suitable for swimming. Perhaps, there is something more to this. Are the mics that great? Is the battery life that long? And does it even sound good? Let’s find out.
Case
Battery
Battery Life: 32 Hours of playback time Connector: USB-C Wireless Charging: No
According to specs, the charging case can hold 32 hours of playback time. This translates to charging the earbuds of up to 4 times. The case has one USB-C connector (situated at the back of the case) for charging. There is no wireless charging and for this price range, I will be surprised if there’s one.
UX
Can be open easily with one hand: Yes Pass the shake test: Yes Light Indicators: 4
The case cover is easy enough to open with one hand. Even with a few hard shakes, the earbuds did not budge from the case. Even so, the earbuds are easy enough to be retrieved from the case. This is usually the case for lightweight earbuds where a slightly strong magnetic hold can secure the earbuds snugly in the case. There are 4 LED light indicators on the front of the case. It represents the current battery life of the charging case. You activate it by opening the cover or plugging in the charging cable.
Design
The aesthetics of the SoundLiberty 79’s case is nothing outstanding. It has the common clamshell look that many other brands of TWS use. The build quality is surprisingly decent. The cover case does not squeak and has a soft closing sound. It also has a nice weight to it and feels good on the hand. The matte surface leaves little to no fingerprints on the case and this deserved extra bonus points from me.
Portability
Weight: 46g (With earbuds inside) Volume: 6.5 x 2.5 x 4 = 65cm cu (~3.97 in cu)
With its light weight and relatively small volume, I will say the SoundLiberty 79 is quite portable. The smooth matte surface of the case also helps to slide the case easily into a jeans pocket.
Earbuds
Battery
Battery Life: 8hrs Charge Time: 15mins = 90 mins playback time
UX
Control Mechanism: Touch Mono Use: Yes (For both side) You cannot switch on/off the earbuds No touch feedback except you reach maximum or minimum volume
The usability is where I feel the SoundLiberty 79 has major room for improvements. First off, the touch controls. The hit rate is low. I constantly have to redo my actions a couple of time before the action is registered. To make things worse, Taotronics decides to make play/pause action (the most common action, imo) a two-tap action. For touch controls, having sound feedback to the touch is very important. Unlike tactile buttons, you have no idea if the touch did register unless there is sound feedback. The TWS, unfortunately, only has sound feedback (a toot sound) when you reach maximum or minimum volume. There is also no way to switch off your earbuds without inserting them back to the case.
Design
Profile: Low Body Material: Mostly matte plastic Comfortness: Good Fit: Good
The earbuds come with S, M, L ear tips. I used the L ear tips for the best fit. The ear nozzle is rather short but it sits snugly in the ear canal with the help of the ear tips. The earbuds are comfortable to wear and I wore them up to 3 hours without feeling any discomfort. The earbuds also come with a removable rubber fin for extra fit. The body of the earbuds is made up from mainly matte plastic. It has the glossy Taotronics logo emblazoned on the faceplate of the earbuds. At the bottom of the earbuds, it has a chrome tip that I mistakenly thought was a button at first. The chrome tip does add a touch of style and differentiation to the earbuds. Due to the short nozzle, the earbuds can be pressed further into the ear, decreasing the profile of the earbuds.
Mic
Taotronics tout the SoundLiberty 79 to have “Smart AI Noise Reduction Technology” for its microphone. From our test, it seems to be able to pick up and enhance our voice from the background sound. However, you can also hear that the background noise is also picked up significantly. You can hear it for yourself.
Sound
The SoundLiberty 79 has slightly v-shaped sound signature with the bass more emphasized than the treble. The mids is pretty decent but performed inconsistently for me in the upper-mids range where it can sound recessed at times. The soundstage is on the narrow side. For a single dynamic driver, the sound separation in songs with complex song layers is surprisingly good. Overall, the IEM’s sound profile presents good dynamics especially for fast-paced songs with strong bass line.
Sub-bass
The sub-bass range is the key highlight of the SoundLiberty 79.
Bass
The bass tuning of the IEM is slightly forward than the rest of the frequency range. As a result, the bass has a good amount of quantity. Punch-wise, they are in the average “budget IEM” range. It has weight but nothing spectacular.
Mids
The mid-range is generally fine. There is no audible coloration in the vocals. The mids are not muddied by the bass. It retains clarity and details in songs with complex layers. However, I find the upper mids slightly more relaxed that I would like it to be. This causes the song to lose its dynamism at the crescendo of female vocals.
Highs
The treble sounded slightly more forward than the mids. I find that it sparkles more in the lower to mid treble than the upper treble range. There is no graininess that I can hear. It handled the tricky electric violin distortion segment of Rude by Daniel Jang fairly decently. It controls the sound without letting it become tizzy but alas, I find it slightly overly-smooth. If it has been slightly aggressive, the treble department will have scored higher.
Connectivity
Audio Codec: SBC, AAC Bluetooth Version: 5.0
The SoundLiberty 79 uses the BES2300H as their Bluetooth SoC. I haven’t heard of this brand but it has impressed me. The pairing process is a breeze. Switching from mono usage back to normal usage is easy – just take out the dormant earbud inside the case and it will auto pair with the other active earbud. The Bluetooth connection is also quite stable. It probably had only 1 average brief drop-out for every hour of playback.
Waterproof
IPX: IPX7
With an IPX rating of IPX7, a comfortable snug fit, and a sound signature suitable for bassy songs, the SoundLiberty 79 is a great fit for workout.
