Tribit FlyBuds C1 True Wireless Earbuds
Summary
Tribit FlyBuds C1 True Wireless Earbuds offer outstanding sound despite missing a few bells and whistles like ANC and Qi charging. But for the price, they are hard to beat for audio quality.
Tribit FlyBuds C1 True Wireless Earbuds Review
I continue to be amazed at the number of high-quality headphones and earbuds available at a reasonable price. The new Tribit FlyBuds C1 True Wireless Earbuds retail for just $89.99 on the Tribit site, but they can be purchased as of the writing of this review at just $34.99 with a $10 coupon on Amazon applied to the already discounted list price and sale price (see the box to the right for the latest Amazon pricing).
The Tribit FlyBuds don’t include all the features, like Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) or Qi wireless charging, but for the price, they deliver outstanding sound, and while the case is nondescript, the earbuds themselves offer a bit of a Sci-Fi edge with their matte black finish and red metallic accents.
What we like
Pros
- Audio-first attention to detail: resonant bass and tinkly highs
- Very good battery life
- AAC and AptX support
- Small, pocketable case
- Bluetooth® 5.2
- Solid call quality
- IPX5 water resistance
The basic shape of the Tribit FlyBuds C1 mimics the Apple Airpod stem aesthetic. But unlike the Apple Airpods, Tribit eschews touch controls in favor of a single-button design. The following graphic is all you need to know about managing the FlyBuds C1.
Dua Lipa’s Dance the Night tests the edges of earbud performance, and the Tribit FlyBuds C1 bend but don’t break, even at peak volume. For a more vulnerable take, I channeled Oliva Rodrigo’s Vampire. The earbuds reproduced all the ache and defenselessness rising like smoke from Rodrigo’s vocal cords. The buds easily translated to the haunted beats at the end of the song without, well, missing a beat. I also tested them against Surfin’ USA from the Beach Boys and Rocket Man from Sir Elton John. Crisp, clear, with an open sound stage that gave all the vocals and instruments their due.
The latest firmware update brings EQ control to the FlyBuds C1s, and while this is great for listening to personal collections, those of us who subscribe to music services, like Apple Music, already have control over the sound profile. Using device-specific features might interfere, or erode, the sound-sculpting originating from the likes of Apple’s Spatial audio mixes.
While not top-of-the-line earbuds, the FlyBuds C1s manage to integrate plenty of technology, including Qualcomm® AptX support and their CVC tech for Environmental Noise Cancellation on the four built-in microphones. Qualcomm’s low-power QCC340 helps take the FlyBuds C1 to 60 hours total listening time (12 hours on the earbuds, plus 48 more on the case), with Bluetooth® 5.2 also contributing power improvements along with connection stability.
I like voice prompts. I know that usually ends up with an English bias, but I like direct communication rather than trying to interpret dings, buzzes or dingles. Tribit offers the most perky connection voice in any earbud.
What could be improved
Cons
- No Qi Charging
- Too much non-recyclable plastic in the packaging
At this price, it’s hard to complain about much. Qi charging would be nice, but the long total playtime from the battery means owners will likely find a place to plug in the case before it eeks out its last electrons.
More importantly, design away from plastic-wrapped boxes and non-recyclable blister packs. There are plenty of examples of commodity products that have moved to completely paper-based packaging. Even the Tribit StormBox Micro 2 ships with a cardboard insert rather than a plastic blister pack around the speaker.
Tribit FlyBuds C1: The bottom line
I like the Tribit FlyBuds C1 very much. For those without noise cancelling needs derived from flying or other noisy commutes, the Tribit FlyBuds C1 could be the perfect earbuds, especially when highly discounted, but even at full list price, they are worth every dollar.
Tribit provided the Tribit FlyBuds C1 True Wireless Earbuds for review. Images courtesy of Tribit unless otherwise noted.
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