TWS true wireless earphones - under $150
FOUR STARS - The Teufel Airy True Wireless offers too little features for its steep price point, but is saved by its entertaining, butter-smooth sound.
Teufel Airy True Wireless specs:
Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC codec
IPX5 waterproof rating (rain and sweat resistant)
6 hours listening on a full charge
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 4 times
Comes with 3 sizes ear tips and micro-USB cable
Buy: $150 on the official Teufel site (available in black, blue, white)
Below this Teufel Airy True Wireless review, you will find comparisons between the Teufel Airy True Wireless vs Earfun Air, Aukey EP-N5, Haylou T19 and Mpow M12.
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Design, comfort and battery life
Teufel positions their first true wireless earphones in the premium segment. While the first reviews compare to them to other premium-priced products, Scarbir.com readers know better - with so many great wireless earbuds costing way under 100 dollars. Teufel's 150 dollars is a steep price point.
Happily, the Teufel Airy True Wireless doesn't look too generic. Available in black, white, or metallic blue, the stem-design earpieces have a Teufel-logo on their touch panel.
The charging case also sets itself apart from the competition. It's got the Teufel-logo big on the front and combines a matte finish on the front and back, with shiny sides. It is a bit bulky, however, measuring 520 x 480 x 250 millimeters. The case's specs aren't special either. The 500mAh case can recharge the earpieces four times fully, but repowers via micro-USB. It doesn't sport USB-C and can't be charged wirelessly. On the front, three subtle LED-lights show the battery status after turning the earpieces in.
The earbuds itself deliver 6 hours on a single charge when playing music on pretty high volume, which is plenty of battery life for regular use. Unfortunately, fifteen minutes of charging only provides them with an hour of listening, rather than the 1,5 of 2 hours of other new market releases. Their IPX5 waterproof rating makes them withstand rain and sweat, but by far their best aspect is their comfort.
On top of the stem, the Teufel Airy True Wireless has a diagonally placed, oval part that goes into your ears. The earbuds feel light, compact, and very comfortable in your ears. They also say in tight, likely due to the tiny hook at the top-end. The fit doesn't change when you rapidly shake your head or smile broadly.
That said - with so many competitors delivering the same or better battery life, USB-C and even wireless charging under $50, the Airy True Wireless specs are outdated for its price.
Connectivity and controls
Connectivity on the Teufel Airy True Wireless is great. The Bluetooth 5.0 connection holds good up to ten meters, also when walking or cycling.
While it doesn't automatically pause when you take an earbud out, you can seamlessly switch between mono and stereo mode - meaning you can charge one earpiece while listening to the other, then pick up the charged earbud and instantly listen in stereo.
The touch-panels on the round part of the earpieces respond fairly well to your touches. With a single tap, you play or pause music. With two taps, you skip to the next song, with three, you return a track. By holding the panel for 2,5 seconds, you activate the voice assistant on your smartphone. This scheme goes for both sides of the earpieces. Clever - since it's so easy to swap earpieces.
There are no volume controls on the Teufel Airy True Wireless, unfortunately. As the earbuds lack app-support, there isn't a way to change the controls either.
Calling and watching movies
Having long stems on your earpieces doesn't automatically grant great call quality on wireless earphones. The Teufel Airy True Wireless is decent on this aspect.
Your voice has a typical telephone-sound, meaning your voice sounds clear, but a bit flat or tinny. Not a problem. However, surrounding noises can be a threat to calls. Passing traffic, voices talking nearby, accelerating vehicles: they're reduced pretty neat most of the time, but do come with peak volume moments, where they rule out your voice. Phone calls in busier outdoor areas are doable, but not very comfortable to have.
Indoor, calling with these will be fine mostly, including when you're surrounded by other people talking on a moderate level.
The Teufel handles videos well - mostly. It doesn't get perfect synchronization between audio and video on the YouTube-app on iPhone, which is often reached by other new wireless earbuds. It handles other videos on both Android and iPhone perfectly, happily. There is a noticeable delay in sound effects when playing games, however.
Also read: The best wireless earbuds under $100
Sound quality of Teufel Airy: Silky smooth
Teufel put a lot of effort into the tuning of the sound. It may not deliver the clearest highs or the heaviest bass, but do read on - the overall sound signature is very pleasant.
Most of all - the sound of the Teufel TWS is warm and smooth. Silky smooth. The Airy TWS has boosted lower-mids, and as a result, especially smeared-out darker electronic tones take up a prominent in the music. Dance music and (modern) pop music with electronic underlining, flow on the Teufel. Take Lorde's Ribs, for example. The background choir-vocals take you through the music, strengthened by Lorde's powerful low voice.
The warmth and smoothness continue in the mids, where instruments like the guitar, piano, saxophones are well-represented but flirt with the lows rather than the highs. In Rage Against the Machine's Killing in the Name, the rough and sharp edges are taken from the guitars, taking away the hooks from the music, and giving it warmth instead.
This goes for vocals as well, and that's an aspect of the Teufel you may or may not like. From darker male vocalists to higher-pitched female singers: vocals are forward enough, but roll-off in the highs early, opting for smoothness instead of clarity. Its smooth approach comes at the cost of detail, but the lack of harsh, sharp, or thin highs is definitely worth something. You won't see yourself grabbing the volume button on your phone because a song suddenly becomes too bright.
Also: Teufels' smooth doesn't mean powerless. Drum kicks always pack a punch on the Airy True Wireless, and the bass is well-balanced too. The mid-bass provides plenty of punch without dominating the music. Below, the sub-bass is capable of a rumble but remains well-behaved even in a song like James Blake's Limit to Your Love. While bass-lines are separated well, the bass isn't the fastest or tightest - adding to the laidback character of this earphone.
Smooth also doesn't mean ‘without detail’. The Airy True Wireless has a wide soundstage with instruments and musical effects coming in from your left and right, each instrument and layer rewarded with its own position, and vocals in the center position. These dynamics remain on the highest volumes - and the Teufel can go quite loud on both iPhone and Android.
The Teufel Airy True Wireless may not be the most analytical or clear-sounding pair of wireless earbuds, but its combination of smoothness, warmth, and still plenty of bass without a single rough edge, makes it pleasant to listen to for hours.
Teufel Airy True Wireless comparisons
Teufel Airy vs Haylou T19
Costing a baffling 120 dollars less, the Haylou T19 shows the Teufel Airy True Wireless’ problem. While it offers five instead of 6 hours playtime, it recharges via both USB-C and wirelessly, offers comparable call quality, and its video playback is better. You can even change the controls via an app. The Haylou T19 delivers a more detailed sound, with better bass separation and punch, crispier vocals due to the more extended highs and more space in between the instruments within its soundstage. The Teufel does sound smoother, warmer - friendlier. It works better for dance and electronic music, whereas the Haylou has an advantage for acoustics and classical genres.
Teufel Airy True Wireless vs Fiil T1X
Rated the best-sounding TWS under $100 on Scarbir.com, the keyword of the Fiil T1X against the Teufel is pronunciation. The Fiil puts more emphasis on the center-mids, giving instruments like guitars, pianos and claps more texture and lifelike tonality. For example, in The Who's Overture, you can hear additional string-pulling, more precise instrument placement, and higher notes in both instruments and vocals. The Teufel removes the sharp bits and emphasizes the lower-mids instead, providing a warmer and friendlier sound. The Teufel soundstage is rounder, the Fiil has deeper bass. In functionality, the Teufel lacks an app with equalizing options, volume controls and sport-wings.
Teufel Airy TWS vs Earfun Air
Being almost $100 cheaper, the Earfun Air has the same approach as the Teufel Airy. It has stem-design earpieces, with a comfortable round part that goes into your ears. Battery life and waterproof-rating are better on the Earfun, and so is call quality. The Earfun also has an auto-pause function when you take an earbud out. Soundwise, they're also in the same boat. They both aim for a smooth yet engaging sound, and both have an airy feeling to the music. There's plenty of mid-bass on the two, but the Teufel's does strike a bit harder. The Airy TWS also has more room in between instruments and has slightly more emphasis on the lower-mids. It sounds a bit more refined.
Teufel Airy True Wireless vs Aukey EP-N5 ANC
Throwing in fair ANC active noise cancelling that reduces volume from your surroundings even without playing music, the Aukey EP-N5 is already a fuller package than the Teufel, at around half the price. With its slightly lighter earpieces, the Aukey its more comfortable, although the Teufel has a tighter fit. The Aukey has a clearer sound, with further extended highs and more separation between instruments and layers. The Teufel sounds smoother and warmer; without the harshness vocals and cymbals can reach on the Aukey. The Airy provides a more laidback, relaxing listen.
Teufel Airy True Wireless vs Mpow M12
If you're here for the warm, pleasantly bassy sound of the Teufel Airy True Wireless, it's worth considering the Mpow M12 too. At just one-fifth of the price (!), the sound signatures of these two are remarkably similar. The Teufel has more body in the mid-tones, giving a richer sound. Its emphasized lower-mids give dance and pop songs more warmth, and its highs are controlled better. With other features being rather similar, the Mpow could save you a lot of money, however.
Verdict
No wireless charging, no USB-C, no volume controls, no app: The Teufel Airy True Wireless feels outdated at its 150 dollar price point. It's saved by its lovely, silky smooth sound with pleasant bass.
Four stars - very good
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