SoundPEATS Free2 classic

Lightweight at just under five grams, the plain-looking SoundPEATS Free2 classic earbuds are visually enhanced by the silver brand logo. In addition, the chrome-plated dust-proof metal grille for the microphone and the golden charging pins stand out on the matt black plastic housing. A special highlight: the status LED is hidden under the grille. The driver channel, onto which the three sizes of silicone earpieces can be securely fitted, is wider in diameter compared to other models. The earbuds are charged in a slim oval hard plastic case with a leather-look and USB-C port and status LED, which is included in the package along with the matching cable, silicone attachments and operating instructions.

Comfort and functions

For inserting the SoundPEATS Free2 classic into the ear, it would be useful to have some markings on the earpieces to indicate which earpiece belongs in which ear. To avoid confusion, they should be inserted directly from the case into your ears.

Due to their rather compact shape, the Free2 classic earbuds hardly protrude from the ear, which prevents air circulation during sports activities and hardly creates any pressure under hats or caps. Since these earphones are protected against splashes of water and sweat according to their IPX5 certification, they are recommended for mobile outdoor use. Thanks to the suitable size of the earplugs, they fit very securely in the ear canal and are comfortable without pressing too much.

As befits Bluetooth headphones, their two multifunctional tap buttons can not only start, pause and skip streamed music, but also accept, reject and end phone calls. In addition, each device’s voice assistants respond at the touch of a button.

Battery and technical features

The SoundPEATS Free2 classic work with Bluetooth 5.1, so the connection stretches over up to ten metres. According to the manufacturer, the battery of these earphones lasts up to eight hours, depending on the volume, and the case provides a further 22 hours of battery life. In my endurance test, at around 75 per cent of the maximum volume, they managed just under seven hours of playing time. The earbuds are fully charged after 1.5 hours, and the case is charged after two hours.

SoundPEATS are completely silent on sound-specific data such as frequency response, only revealing that they use the SBC audio codec.

Sound

The SoundPEATS Free2 classic feature six-millimetre dynamic bio-compound diaphragms, and the first impression they give is of a punchy, slightly bass-driven sound, where mids and highs nevertheless know how to present themselves. A certain amount of volume is revealed, but only if the earbuds fit perfectly. Therefore, one should generally pay attention to the optimal size of the earbuds. With Massive Attack’s “Protection”, the kick was literally booming, but without being too thick or cloying. The Rhodes piano later in the track was in no way intimidated by this. It blended in harmoniously. Tracy Thorn’s voice proved that the drivers also know how to hold their own in the lower and middle trebles. It was only in the upper treble and super high frequencies that I started to miss lightness and brilliance in the sound compared to other headphones. This was also confirmed by a listening test with Bob James’ “Westchester Lady”, the triangle part, which I have often mentioned before, lacked a certain bite. Nevertheless, especially considering the low price and the “simple” Bluetooth codec SBC, I found the sound quite convincing.

If you turn the level on your smartphone up to maximum, these headphones deliver a considerable volume, but I wouldn’t subject my ears to it over the long term. Apart from their immense level, the drivers reached their limits and no longer reproduced transients as naturally and cleanly as at conventional volume levels.

Telephoning

The built-in microphones offered a convincing, quite stable and thus easily understandable voice quality for telephone calls as well as voice recordings in quiet surroundings, despite slight signal noise. Fortunately, the disturbing signal fluctuations that I am familiar with from many models of this type and price range did not occur to any great extent.

However, since the microphones transmitted all environmental noise unfiltered, it became more incomprehensible as the background noise increased. Therefore, longer or more important phone calls should only be made in a quiet environment.