Tronsmart Onyx Ace: The best Earbuds you Have Never Heard Of

With big name manufacturers putting no end to the release of expensive truly wireless earbuds, Xiaomi has gained attention for its Xiaomi Mi Air 2 SE - but unfortunately, while they were cheap, they were not great. Now, with the release of the Tronsmart Onyx Ace, we finally have hope that consumers can get a solid listening experience without breaking the bank.

You may have never heard of Tronsmart, but upon first impressions with the Onyx Ace, you may feel like they’ve been in this game for a while. With a glossy finish, and a compact form factor, the Onyx Ace not only feels more premium than the Xiaomi Mi Air 2 SE, but more substantial. Coming from an entirely plastic-made build, this is a very welcomed change that may make customers feel as if they have gotten their money’s worth.

But the premium design isn’t limited to the earbuds themselves, as the same rules apply to the case that will be keeping your earbuds powered and secured on the go. Not only does the Tronsmart deliver in the looks, even offering extremely affordable cases that give the product an extra bit of flair, but minor touches such as ta battery charge indicator goes a long way too.

Besides looking better, the Tronsmart Onyx Ace also delivers in the sound department. Upon letting our self-proclaimed audiophile friend test both, he surmised his experience the Xiaomi Mi Air 2 SE as “Something I’d thank you for giving me, but then instantly put in the sock drawer,” but the “lifelessness” he identified with the Air 2 SE is not a problem for the Tronsmart Onyx Ace. Delivering “Rich” and “distinct” sound, users can expect to fully enjoy their songs with less obvious compromises.

Yet even as the Xiaomi Mi Air 2 SE may seem clearly defeated, the Tronsmart Onyx Ace come for the last punch in the functionality department. With a full range of controls from playback, volume and voice assistant without the need of any apps, the Tronsmart Onyx Ace is perfect for just about anyone right out of the box. The same cannot be said with the Xiaomi Mi Air 2 SE, which promises customisation through an app that to this day still does not exist.

With the release of the Xiaomi Mi Air 2 SE, our hopes of having a cheap, equally capable pair of truly wireless earbuds as those made by bigger brands was nearly dead, but the Tronsmart Onyx Ace not only refills these hopes - it sets a new standard on how budget truly wireless earbuds should be.

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Xiaomi Mi Airdots in 2020: Worth Your Purchase?

About a year ago, Xiaomi took its first stab at the truly wireless earbud market with the Xiaomi Mi Airdots, a journey that would bathe the company in controversy as well as set it on a direct path to becoming a sizeable player in this market space. Now, just a year later, I have bought myself the Xiaomi Mi Airdots at its lowest price yet, and despite having its flaws, I do not regret my purchase.

A Design that Hasn’t Aged Too Well

Upon first unboxing my earbuds, which I bought in the black colour, I found a minimal, stylish looking earbud and case. From the very first moment I saw it, I knew that this was a product that I was willing to use in public without the fear of it impacting my style, the same of which I cannot say of Xiaomi’s latest efforts, which all look too big and bulky in my opinion.

Despite looking like an expensive set of earbuds, the Xiaomi Mi Airdots unfortunately don’t feel very premium in the hand. In the age where many companies, Xiaomi included, have moved on to using more careful construction and more expensive materials, the plastic construction of this device feels very “first generation”. I knew from the very first touch, that this device would be one that would be prone to scratching in no time.

Yet another area where the design has not aged so well is in the case’s charging method. In the era where using a single USB C cable for all your products is possible, having to carry around a micro USB cable feels very outdated. What’s worse is that, at least in the “basic”edition that I purchased in Hong Kong, a charging cable was not included, and as I have tried to USB C all things, I had to purchase a new cable separately. Considering that this device is sold in many regions of the world where the micro USB charging method is still the standard, some users may not experience this same frustration, but it would certainly be nice to see a revision of this device that uses the USB C standard.

Overall, in terms of design, the Xiaomi Mi Airdots look stunning, featuring a minimal design language that would make anyone assume it is worth more than its cost. Unfortunately, it is once you touch it that the product starts to show its age, with a build quality that isn’t anything impressive, and a charging method that feels lacking when compared to modern offerings.

Functionality That Holds Up

But perhaps you don’t care for looks, and in terms of functionality, the Xiaomi Mi Airdots still hold up. In a market that is saturated with expensive earbuds full of customisation, companion apps and touch controls, the Mi Airdots keeps to the basics and just work. They are not impressive, but they are a no risk solution, and I adore that!

Take Xiaomi’s latest for example, the Mi Air 2 SE, it is a much better sounding pair of earbuds, but the price is way higher all thanks for the product’s ability to connect to a phone app, which at the time of our review did not even work. But with the Mi Airdots, that isn’t a concern - you’re buying them because they’ll connect to your phone and just work.

On the sound front, as I just stated, Xiaomi’s latest offerings will sound much better than this one, but for the casual user who just wants a cheap way to listen to music without the wires, I have no complaints. If what you’re looking for however is a great way to join voice calls, stay away from this product. The microphone quality is just terrible, and on most instances, the people who I was calling said they would rather have me use no microphone at all.

Another thing that is certainly worth mentioning is this product’s durability. When it was first released, Xiaomi received a lot of criticism because the earbuds would either physically break or stop working altogether. I am glad to say that neither of these issues have happened to me after roughly a month of very frequent usage. Perhaps I got lucky, or maybe the latest production units are built to a higher standard, but if my experience is anything to judge by, you should have a pleasurable experience using these earbuds for years to come.

Conclusion

What was originally Xiaomi’s decent but untrustworthy entry into the truly wireless earbud market has now become a cheap, accessible way to buy yourself a truly wireless set of earbuds. In a market full of extra features, the Xiaomi Mi Airdots strip down to the very basics, offering a pleasurable experience only hindered by the already outdated build quality. For its price, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this product to anyone simply looking to listen to some music on the go without the hassles that come with wires.

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