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TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Truefree O2
While those who read my written reviews will not have seen it, I mentioned in my last video that I was going on vacation for a couple of weeks and that I planned to disconnect, something that I achieved. I spent a couple of weeks camping with my family and completely disconnected from the internet and also from headphones and IEMs in general.
I did actually take a couple of sets of IEMs with me to try out but didn’t get around to sitting down and spending time listening to anything in particular. When I wasn’t having fun with the family, I was sleeping and trying to recuperate the energy I needed for the next day!
The only thing that I have really tried out during these past two weeks are the Truefree O2 that I have here today. These were sent to me directly by Turefree some time ago and I thought that it would be a good time to give them a try.
Truefree have not requested anything in particular and the O2 can be found on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/truefree-O2-Auriculares-reproducci%C3%B3n-aplicaciones/dp/B0D54DLM8V?ref_=ast_sto_dp
As always, this is a non-affiliate link.
Intro…
I hadn’t heard of Truefree (at least as far as I can remember) before they reached out to me and, although I haven’t really had great experiences with bluetooth earphones from brands I haven’t heard of in the past (most of them never make it as far as being reviewed), I was interested in giving the O2 a try as I was curious about the form factor.
While they are labelled as Wireless Earbuds, yet they are more like little speakers that sit just outside your ear canals, but I will explain a little better in a moment under build.
They usually retail for around 60€ on Amazon but, at the time of writing this review, they are on sale for 48€, placing them inside the ultra budget category.
Presentation…
The presentation is rather simple, with a black box arriving inside an outer sleeve that shows an image of the earphones on the front, along with the brand, model, and some basic specs. On the back we get some more basic specs, along with the CE approval etc.
Inside the box we find a charging case that is sort of a dark grey/black stone effect with orange highlights and the brand on the top. Inside the case, which is orange, we find the earphones in a matching colour scheme.
Underneath the case we get a user manual in 9 languages (which is nice to see!), along with another small black box that contains a short USB-A to USB-C charging cable.
Build and aesthetics…
The build is a combination of plastic and rubber, with a shape to them which is strange (if you are used to IEMs etc.) but also very comfortable, at least I have found them to be. I literally forget that I am wearing them as they are so light and just sort of hang on your ears.
At first I was trying to work out how to wear them, as when you push them towards your ear canals, they obviously sound louder. I was subconsciously looking for a seal that doesn’t exist. After checking the manual, it just says “place the hook over your ear and rotate the earbuds until you find the most comfortable position”. I did just that and they just sort of disappear.
As they sit so lightly on your ears, I thought that they would move around and fall off, but they actually stay in place well, again due to the fact that they are so light plus the fact that the pill shaped part at the back gives them very good balance.
As far as build quality, they seem to be pretty decent. I obviously can’t vouch for how long they will last with daily abuse at the gym etc, but they are designed for that, so my guess is that they will hold up fairly well. They are also stated as IPX5, so they should do pretty well with sweat and even a few unexpected rain showers if out running.
In general, the build, the looks and the design are aimed at using them while doing sports or exercise and they seem to have done a decent job.
Functionality…
The earbuds feature a touch panel on the outside that offers all of the functionality that I would want from a set of wireless earphones. You can control volume, next/last track, control calls, use the voice assistant and even enter game mode (something that I really don’t need but it’s there).
It did take me a while to get used to the controls as, because the earphones are just sitting in your ear, they move around a little and can be a little finicky at times. But they do work and once I got used to them, I really didn’t experience any issues with response.
There is also an app that can be installed on Android and iOS to control some other features, such as EQ, turn off the touch controls, etc.
As far as EQ, there are 9x preset EQ’s, along with a 10 band graphic EQ which allow you to store custom EQ’s. The bands are obviously fixed on the graphic EQ but at least they are at sensible frequencies (31, 62. 125, 250, 500, 1K, 2K, 4K, 8K, 16K), giving you a decent amount of control over the sound.
There is also a function called “Adaptive” that plays test tones and has you tap when you hear them, adapting the EQ to best suit your hearing. I can’t say that I was amazed by the results but it didn’t sound bad, I just preferred playing around with the graphic EQ personally.
One thing to note about the app is that it does make you register your email address to be able to use it and it also shows publicity (Truefree publicity, not 3rd party) each time you open it. It also has quite a few translation errors in the Spanish version, with a few Italian words and some non-existent words to be found.
In general, I can’t complain about the functionality. Yes, there is certainly room for improvement but it is better than some other “better known” brands out there.
Sound…
Let me first say that these are not a set of earphones that are designed for sitting down and listening to music. They are designed to be used while in movement, with what they refer to as an “open-ear” design, not to be confused with “open back” as we find in headphones.
Basically these are 15mm speakers that sit outside the entrance to your ear canal and reproduce sound in that general direction. There is no seal, so don’t expect these to perform like IEM’s or even like flathead earbuds. They are meant to play background music while you are doing other things, like jogging, while keeping you connected to your surroundings and avoiding you getting run over by a car in the process.
Saying that, considering the limitations of the design, they don’t do a bad job. As the surrounding sound comes in naturally, it is not like a transparent mode on a set of noise cancelling IEMs, it is more, well, natural.
There is not a ton of bass of course but it is not totally absent. I did try the “Chameleon” torture test which is, of course, fairly bland in the low end. Boosting it with EQ helps a little but overboosting will soon bring more distortion than bass.
But that doesn’t mean there is no bass, if you like listening to things like EDM while working out, then you will certainly be able to follow the beat, just don’t expect them to provide you with deep thumping bass.
As there are so many options with the onboard EQ, I can’t really give you a specific run down on exactly how they sound in depth but, as I said before, these are not made for detailed listening anyway.
With some tweaking of EQ (or maybe just the “Adaptive” function”, these provide ample sound quality for the times when music is just as a background accompaniment and not a forefront experience.
Conclusion…
I think the Truefree O2 have their place and are clear about what they are made for. They are not something that should be judged on sound quality, rather something that should be judged on how they are used and what they provide.
That doesn’t mean that the sound quality is terrible, again, I think they are decent enough for when you are more interested in your surroundings than the actual music experience. In other words, when you are out jogging, walking through the city, hiking or even cycling (please don’t use earphones when cycling, cars are crazy and have no respect, but if you have to, then the O2 will give you a better chance of survival!).
These are even a good option for those who go out jogging or walking in pairs or groups, as you can all listen to your own music while still being able to have a conversation.
So, my conclusion is that these are not something that are going to blow you away with sound quality but if you are looking for something for a use case similar to those that I described, then these are a very reasonably priced option.
All FR measurements of IEMs can be viewed and compared on achoreviews.squig.link
All isolation measurements of IEMs can be found on achoreviews.squig.link/isolation
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