Finding true wireless earbuds that balance hi-res sound, strong noise cancellation and comfort often means paying premium prices. Brands like Sony, Bose and Apple dominate the high-end, but Soundpeats has been building a reputation for delivering excellent value. Their latest release, the Air5 Pro, aims to offer flagship-style performance at a far more accessible cost. I was so eager to try these, I actually opened them & started using them straight away. Normally, I would take photos of earphones before using them, but I live by a loud road & it’s getting harder to hear my podcasts on my daily walks, so I was desperate to test out the noise-cancelling. I’ve not been disappointed. As usual for sound peats, they come well packaged & they feel premium. The charging case is great & I’ve only needed to recharge it once since getting the Air5 Pro’s.

With support for aptX Lossless, LDAC, adaptive ANC and multipoint Bluetooth, the Air5 Pro look like an audiophile-friendly option on paper. After several weeks of testing them across commuting, home listening, workouts and calls, here’s how they perform in real life.

Specs Overview

• Bluetooth: 5.4 with Snapdragon Sound
• Chipset: Qualcomm QCC3091
• Drivers: 10 mm bio-diaphragm (PU + PEEK)
• Supported codecs: SBC, AAC, LC3, LDAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless
• Noise cancellation: AI Adaptive ANC (up to 55 dB claimed reduction)
• Microphones: 6-mic system with cVc 8.0
• Battery life: 7.5 h per charge, 37 h with case
• Charging: USB-C, 10 min fast charge = ~2 h playback
• Water resistance: IPX5
• Weight: 4.8 g per earbud, ~50 g total with case
• Extras: Multipoint connectivity, touch controls, PeatsAudio app

Design and Comfort

The Air5 Pro use a familiar stemmed design with a compact charging case that slips easily into a pocket similar to that of AirPods. The earbuds weigh just 4.8 g each, making them feather-light and comfortable for long listening sessions. The silicone tips create a snug seal, and the stem design helps keep them stable during movement. I’ve found the medium silicone tips to very comfortable, and even without ANC, the design blocks out quite a bit of ambient sound. Build quality feels solid and these have become my go-to earphones for all uses, even supplanting my AND headphones. The charging case is solid with a strong hinge and the magnets hold the buds securely in place. With IPX5 water resistance, they can handle sweat and light rain, making them workout-friendly. I’ve worn these out in the autumn rain and they have been flawless.

Sound Quality

This is where the Air5 Pro shine. Powered by a 10 mm bio-diaphragm driver and Qualcomm’s QCC3091 chipset, they deliver audio quality that outperforms most rivals at this price point.

• Bass: Punchy and controlled, with enough weight for EDM and hip-hop without muddying the mids. Perfect for rock, metal & grunge. You can select EQ’s directly on the chipset via the app.
• Mids: Clear and natural, keeping vocals and instruments well-defined.
• Treble: Crisp and lively, adding sparkle without becoming harsh.
• Soundstage: Impressively wide for budget earbuds, with good instrument separation.

The real game-changer is codec support. With LDAC and aptX Lossless, the Air5 Pro can stream hi-res music if your device supports it. Listening to Tidal HiFi and my FLAC files, the earbuds revealed details and dynamics usually reserved for higher-end models.

Adaptive Noise Cancellation

Soundpeats claims up to 55 dB of reduction with AI-driven ANC. I’ve had great results with the ANC, now listening to my podcasts without vocal boost and only needing about 20% volume. With standard earbuds, I was at 100% volume and a vocal boost, due to the traffic noise on local roads where I walk daily. In practice, results are very strong:

• Commute: Engine and train rumbles are cut to a low murmur.
• Office: Background chatter and typing are reduced significantly.
• Outdoors: Wind is handled decently, though strong gusts can still sneak through.

The Transparency mode is effective for quick conversations or staying aware of traffic, though there’s a slight digital hiss in very quiet settings. While ANC doesn’t quite match Sony or Bose flagships, it’s excellent for the price.

Call Quality

With six microphones and cVc 8.0 noise reduction, the Air5 Pro are reliable for calls:

• Indoors: Voices are natural and clear, great for Zoom or Teams.
• Noisy streets: Background noise is suppressed well, though your voice can sound thinner.
• Windy conditions: Still usable, though some noise makes it through.

For work calls and everyday conversations, they’re more than adequate.

Connectivity and Features

Using Bluetooth 5.4, the Air5 Pro maintain a stable connection with no dropouts, even in crowded areas.

Multipoint connectivity works smoothly, letting you switch between phone and laptop without re-pairing. Latency is low enough for streaming video in sync, and casual gaming is fine.

The PeatsAudio app adds useful features like EQ presets, touch control remapping, and firmware updates. It’s not as advanced as Sony’s Headphones app, but it covers the essentials.

Controls

Touch controls are responsive and cover playback, volume, ANC, and calls. The learning curve is short, though accidental taps can happen when adjusting the fit. Thankfully, the app allows remapping or disabling certain gestures.

Battery Life

• 7.5 hours per charge with ANC on (longer with ANC off)
• 37 hours total with the charging case
• 10 minutes quick charge = ~2 hours playback

In daily use, they easily last a full workday plus commute. The case recharges via USB-C, though there’s no wireless charging option.

Long-Term Impressions (After 4 Weeks of Use)

After several weeks, the Air5 Pro still hold up well:

• Comfort: Lightweight fit remains comfortable for long listening sessions. Tips keep their seal.
• Battery: Runtime hasn’t dropped noticeably, and there’s no sign of idle battery drain in the case.
• Connectivity: Multipoint switching between laptop and phone works seamlessly. No random dropouts experienced.
• Durability: The earbuds resist scratches well, though the case shows fingerprints. IPX5 protection has survived sweat and rain during workouts.
• Sound: Still detailed and lively. After “burn-in,” mids feel slightly smoother, making vocals richer.
• ANC: Continues to handle commuting noise effectively, though not at flagship levels. Transparency mode remains practical.
• App and Updates: Firmware updates via the app are simple, showing that Soundpeats is committed to long-term support.

Overall, they’ve proven reliable beyond first impressions — not always the case with budget earbuds.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Excellent hi-res audio with LDAC and aptX Lossless
• Punchy, detailed sound across genres
• Effective adaptive ANC for commuting and office use
• Lightweight, secure and comfortable fit
• Stable Bluetooth 5.4 with multipoint pairing
• Strong battery life and fast charging

Cons

• No wireless charging for the case
• Companion app is basic

The Air5 Pro stand out for Android users who want lossless audio at a budget-friendly price. I tend mostly to use iOS, but they are wonderful for my use case and have become my go-to earbud. At this price, I’d say they are an AirPods Pro challenger & a no-brainer purchase for those wanting a premium earbud and ANC at a fraction of the cost.

Verdict

The Soundpeats Air5 Pro are among the best value wireless earbuds of 2025. They combine hi-res audio support, adaptive ANC, multipoint connectivity, and excellent battery life into a lightweight, comfortable package.

They don’t fully dethrone flagship models from Sony or Bose, but they come surprisingly close at less than half the cost. For listeners who want premium features without the premium price tag, the Air5 Pro are an easy recommendation — and they’ve proven durable in the long run.

Verdict: A superb choice for budget-conscious audiophiles and commuters alike. Keep an eye out for these on the upcoming Amazon Prime Day, as I hear they are going to have a significant discount available.

A week later I had the OneOdio A30’s in my hand, and I was instantly impressed with this little gem. I wasn’t expecting great things given the sub £60 price tag, but I’ve got to say I’m blown away by how good these headphones are. My expectations were low due to price, but that was misplaced. They are wonderful.

They are on over ear design so the soft ear cups naturally block out a lot of ambient noise. Trigger the ANC switch though & you have 26db active noise cancelling which is brilliant. Like all noise cancelling, it is better at blocking out constant pitch of noise such as the hum of an engine, but these do well to block out most sounds, even sudden bangs and crashes in the environment.

Without the noise cancelling active, the sound response is decent from the 40mm drivers. Bass is punchy but not overpowering & treble doesn’t get muddy like it tends to on a lot of Bluetooth headphones. I’ve paired them with my MacBook, iMac, Apple Watch & iPhone, and they work flawlessly with each device, also allowing for easy switching between devices as they favour the current connected device which is outputting audio. Simply pause on one device and start playing on another and the audio source automatically switches. I have found that they work best without any EQ settings on iOS. I had a bass booster turned on for my earpods, but have switched it off for use with these. It was too bassy.

The multi function buttons on the side allow you to power on/off the headphones and also feature volume up and down buttons. Tap the power button to pause and resume and long press the volume buttons to skip tracks. The controls are always at hand, but I tend to use my Apple Watch to control my music, so not a function I use often.

One problem I did find was when pairing with my MacBook & iMac, the Bluetooth codec would default to SBC which is the basic Bluetooth reference codec & means audio will go out of sync with videos when playing. However, not stated on the box is that these headphones support the AAC codec which is the native apple codec on Mac/iOS devices. AAC is normally reserved for much higher end hardware & I’m surprised it isn’t advertised on the specs as it would make these even more desirable with apple users. Running the following commands in terminal on my iMac and MacBook enabled AAC support & audio/video streaming was in sync & the audio much better quality. I also enabled aptX for other headphones.

To enable AptX support
sudo defaults write bluetoothaudiod "Enable AptX codec" -bool true

And AAC support

sudo defaults write bluetoothaudiod "Enable AAC codec" -bool true

The headphones charge using a USB C cable which is supplied & the OneOdio A30 headphones also come with carry case, wired cable for use when battery is low or on older non Bluetooth devices & an airline adaptor to allow you to use them on a plane.

The headphones are made out of plastic, which doesn’t feel premium like the alloys used in other brands, but they feel robust and hard wearing. The ear cups are a comfortable synthetic leather & I haven’t had any issues with hot ears or itching. The headband is padded in a similar vegan leather and one aspect I really like is that the top of the headband where the logo is, is also padded. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve banged my beats against things like car doors and not wanted to look at the scratches & gouges. A nice touch.

Battery life is excellent. Specs quote that you will get 15 hours using Bluetooth and noise cancelling, while you should get 25 hours with noise cancelling disabled & 45 hours of just noise cancelling without Bluetooth switched on. This all from a 500mAH battery. For my usage, listening to music, meditating & watching films while I work, I find that I’m charging them once a week. I don’t tend to use ANC when sat in the office, but will when meditating or walking outdoors & I’ve found it a really handy feature. It really does help. These headphones also have mics built in for hands-free calling which is a feature I’m using a lot during lockdown.

For under £60 on Amazon these are a no brainer. Great price, great product and wonderful value for money. As good if not better than headphones I’ve used at 5-6 times the price. Their support of AAC makes them perfect for iOS & Mac users & if you stream from Apple Music, you will notice that the audio is crisp and pleasant as intended. A highly recommended purchase.

I first tried deleting old apps and app data. This helped a little. I then deleted all of the music off my device which freed up some space but not a great deal. Next I opened the Battery Doctor app and ran the clean up scripts included, which clean out old cache and orphaned files. Again, this gave me a few extra MB but nothing noticeable.

The final thing I tried was to disable iCloud music under settings > music. As soon as I returned to check the storage space available I could see I had quite a bit more free. I checked back 5 minutes later and I had gone from almost full to 2GB free. It would seem that the caching of music on the iPhone with iTunes match is very inefficient on smaller devices. I see the benefit of caching music files for quicker retrieval & a reduction in cellular usage, but on smaller devices this really doesn’t help and I do wish they would include a way to disable caching, or a cache time-out.

If you use an Apple iPhone or iPad along with iTunes match/iCloud music I would advise giving this trick a go. Turn off iCloud music and watch your free space return. I now do this on a regular basis to free up space & delete the cache. It has really helped me free up space & made my 16GB iPhone much more useable.

If you are having the same issue please do let me know. I would love to hear your own fixes for storage issues on smaller iOS devices. iTunes match & iCloud music library seem very under-optimised in iOS 9 & I do hope they invest some more time & effort into improving this, especially on 16GB devices which I assume they will phase out in future iPhone & iPad models.

In a perfect world, devices that apple deem end of life should have the option of easily selecting any older version of iOS depending on a users needs. On iOS 9 my iPad 2 went really unloved. I wouldn’t turn it on for weeks on end as it was too slow for even basic web browsing. If apple had any sense they would allow downgrading on older devices as standard. I guess it’s a good way of making us keep upgrading. But I couldn’t live with the fact that this machine which was ludicrously fast only a few years ago was no obsolete.

Up until iOS 8 I was a fanatical jailbreaker. I had the ATV 2 jailbroken & running XBMC, I had my iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS jailbroken along with my iPad 2. I liked being able to run homebrew tweaks & software, especially XBMC/Kodi. I’m glad I used to jailbreak as it got me thinking about downgrading. I have all of my old SHSH blobs backed up so I looked at older versions of iOS. Due to the changes made in the way apple sign ipsw’s post iOS 5.1.1 it looked increasingly difficult to downgrade to iOS 6,7 or 8. I therefore decided to go for 5.1.1 which looked like the most straight forward thing to do.

Luckily redsn0w supports downgrading of the iPad 2 easily so long as you have SHSH blobs for iOS 5.1.1 and any version of iOS 4. I downloaded the correct iOS 5.1.1 ipsw and also a 4.3.5 ipsw and let redsn0w retrieve my SHSH blobs from cydia and start the restore. The restore itself was painless, let redsn0w do it’s thing, throw the iPad 2 into DFU mode and let it restore first to iOS 4.3.5 and then to 5.1.1.

A word of warning, a few apps will not run at all on iOS 5.1.1, most notably Instagram and BBC iPlayer.  For other apps an older version will install but I’ve found all the apps I need, to work in one version or another, including Pinterest, YouTube, Tumblr, Plex etc.

The next step for me was to head back to redsn0w and jailbreak. The jailbreak for iOS 5.1.1 is so simple. It’s known as Rocky Racoon and takes a matter of minutes. Once installed & cydia was setup, I added the Kodi iOS repository to my list of sources and installed Kodi.

This iPad 2 now has a new lease of life. It’s so fast. I will admit it takes a little getting used to after using iOS 9, but it’s so fast it’s worth it to resurrect your old tech. Kodi works a dream on this thing, with incredible battery life it’s the best portable media centre by far. The fact mine has 64GB of storage means I can keep loads of media locally on the iPad and playback using Kodi. The facebook app is an older version but so much better. The content is concise and not cluttered like modern facebook.

Safari is super fast & I’ve installed Adblock via Cydia to block ads iPad wide, not just in Safari. This means no annoying ads in videos. All in all I’m really impressed. I also love the fact that I can now airplay any video to my Kodi media centre running on the Raspberry Pi. The latest iterations of iOS changed airplay encryption & broke airplay to Kodi for everything but Audio. However on 5.1.1 I can airplay any video, meaning I can use safari based TV catchup services such as Quest TV and airplay the video to my Kodi media centre. I can also airplay the video from the YouTube app which is a huge bonus.

All in all I’d say this is the best decision I’ve made for the iPad 2. Whilst I do lose some functionality, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. The difference in speed is incredible and it’s now a device I use daily again. If you have one I would recommend running a backup and trying this, you can always restore back to the latest version if you aren’t happy. I for one will be sticking with iOS 5.1.1 on legacy devices.

I’ve also got my eye on an iPad Air. The price are pretty good for a huge leap in technology. Speeds are now much better and even weight has been drastically reduced.

Of course we had the version with blood & pedestrians, not the post public outcry version with green blood & zombies. We played this game relentlessly. Unlocking all the cars but never knowing just how to unlock them. You play it enough and it just happens.

I must have committed hours and hours of my life to this game as a youngster and year after year I’ve come back to play it. Most recently, without access to a PC capable of playing the game I’ve resorted to running it virtually on the Mac with various patches and fixes to just run it.

Then, on twitter, I saw that the original team where running a kickstarter campaign to bring this game to modern hardware. So a donation and a little while later I had the game on my iPad. Wow, I’m impressed. The hardware I used to require to run this game was, at the time, cutting edge. This game now runs on my iPad with no fuss & mega frame rates. At first I thought the on screen controls would be cumbersome but you quickly get to grips with them and it’s mega.

This game is like the best trip down memory lane, and unlike most nostalgia, it lives upto your memory. I got the game for free on release day and instantly paid to gain access to the complete set of maps. You can complete a level in this game in two ways. Firstly, you can race a traditional race. Complete all the checkpoints before your opponents and win the race. Alternatively, and always my chosen method, you can hunt down each of your opponents and destroy their cars. I became a master at this as a teen and I’m glad to see I still have the knack.

You earn credits for killing pedestrians, wasting opponents and collecting power ups. These can be redeemed in return for more armour, power and offensive parts in the garage. Get your car upto full bars for each and you are going to storm the opposition.

The game provides a load of maps to play and each race always pans out differently so it’s really hard to tire of. I love it and the iOS port is genius.

I do hope they bring out a mac version as I would love to return to a keyboard layout, but the iOS version means I can sit in starbucks wasting opponents and sipping a latte. Not bad.

The physics in this game are excellent. The power ups are a lot of fun and with infinite possibilities I’m sure you will be hooked too.

One criticism would be the lack of vocabulary for max damage, but this port stays true to the original so I wouldn’t have expected them to add extra vocab.

Buy this game and get playing.