TWS true wireless earphones - under $50
FOUR STARS - A laidback smooth sound with plenty of bass and six hours of playtime per charge - the SoundPEATS TruEngine 3 SE improves over its predecessor, but still isn't the best allrounder.
SoundPEATS TrueEngine 3 SE specs:
Bluetooth 5.0 with AptX 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 4 sizes ear tips and USB-C cable
$50 on Amazon US or AliExpress - check current price!
Below this SoundPEATS TruEngine 3 SE review, you will find comparisons between the SoundPEATS TruEngine 3 SE vs TrueEngine SE, SoundPEATS TrueDot, Mpow MS1, Fiil T1X, Enacfire E60 and Mpow M30.
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Design, comfort and battery life
The TruEngine-models are the lookers within the extensive SoundPEATS line-up of truly wireless earbuds. They all wear a transparent part which shows some internals (and some glue rests). The TruEngine 3 SE has the same size and shape as the predecessor TrueEngine SE, but wears a touch-panel in roségold. Along with the matte rubber around it, it's one of the more outspoken earphones in this price segment.
Unfortunately, the TruEngine III SE earbuds stick out of your ears a bit. The upper-part creates a little gap between your ears and the earpieces, making the earpieces wiggle in your ears a bit and creating an airflow that causes the earphones to pick up a lot of wind in phone calls - more on that later.
As the transparent part sits horizontally in your ears and may brush the sides of your ear canal, you can feel the TruEngine 3 SE sitting in - your ears may need time to adjust to these. These SoundPEATS don't have the most steady fit. Happily, they're loose enough so that moving your mouth doesn't alter the fit and sound.
Bonus! The TrueEngine 3 SE does come with Comply Foam-tips besides the three sizes rubber-tips. You flatten these tips before putting them in your ears, and they adjust to your ears once they're in. Without altering the sound too much, but may increase your comfort.
The charging case has the same shape as the brilliant SoundPEATS TrueDot, except it's almost twice the size. It charges via USB-C and can recharge the earpieces 4 times before needing new power itself. Meanwhile, it shows the status of the battery with four LED-lights inside the case. Battery life on the earbuds is above average: the TrueEngine 3 SE delivers around 6 hours playtime on a single charge.
Connectivity and controls
You control the SoundPEATS TruEngine III SE by touching the roségold hearts on the sides. A single tap right increases volume, a single tap on the left decreases it. You don't get feedback sounds from this, but clearly, you'll notice some steps in volume soon enough. Response time is pretty good.
With a double-tap on the panel, you pause or play music. Holding the right side, makes you skip a track - with a long tap on the left bud, you return a song.
This combination requires getting used too. If you want to increase volume up, you need different taps on the right side - you can't do it by holding the right side, because that will make you skip a track. A triple-tap to skip a track would have been more convenient, perhaps, but that activates the voice assistant instead. You may do it wrong a couple of times before doing it right.
The SoundPEATS TruEngine 3 SE has solid connectivity. Its Bluetooth 5.0 signal keeps stable up to ten meters. It's possible to switch between mono and stereo-mode, meaning you can charge one earpiece while listening to the other - and then pick it up and immediately listen in stereo again. There isn't an automatic pause-function when you take an earbud out, however.
Calling and watching movies
The TruEngine 3 SE handles video playback well on both iPhone and Android. Videos in apps like YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime all synchronize sound and image perfectly.
There is a noticeable delay in sound effects when playing games, as is the case in almost all wireless earbuds.
If calling with wireless earphones is important to you, it may be better to skip this model. It picks up a lot of wind noise in your calls, even when there isn't any wind. When you're walking, the microphone already picks up wind noise, when there's a slight breeze, the other end of the line will hear plenty of it... and when there's actual wind... well, it's best to hang up.
Dark sounds from your surroundings are filtered out nicely, but higher-pitched sounds like voices and accelerating scooters are audible and intertwined with your voice. Your voice sounds clear (if a bit harsh) enough to call indoors, but as any circumstance will challenge your call immediately, calling with these isn't recommended.
Also read: The best wireless earbuds under $100
Sound quality of SoundPEATS TruEngine 3 SE
Forget the dark, bassy sound of the previous TruEngine SE. The third installment does things differently, with a surprisingly laidback approach.
It's not that the TruEngine 3 SE doesn't have bass. There's a mid-bass slam that balances perfectly between gentle and powerful, and when songs request it, the sub-bass can reach impressive depth. But even more so, the bass is a bit laidback.
It's as if the TrueEngine 3 SE doesn't take the regular mid-bass frequency to deliver the bass punch, but just a frequency under it. The mid-bass feels a bit darker than on most competitors, and it's also a tad indirect, a tiny bit slower than on the competition. There's absolutely plenty of punch available for dance and hip-hop tracks, but switch over to the compared earphones below, and you'll immediately get a more aggressive bass.
This relaxed approach is drawn further into other frequencies. Except for lovely accentuated female vocals and higher-pitched male vocals, both the mids and highs are toned-down. The highest frequencies roll off quickly, preventing the TrueEngine 3 SE from sounding bright or harsh. Mid-tones are reduced too. Especially claps and snare drums play merely a background role, and guitars, pianos, and darker male vocals too, sound distant.
'Distant' doesn't just mean 'soft' here. In higher-quality recordings, it means actual distance within the soundstage. The SoundPEATS TruEngine 3 SE displays an impressive soundstage - one that's around you, and with the controlled highs, can appear as a roomy cave. Within it, instruments, vocals, and electronic layers are everywhere. On your left, right, in front of you and nearby and distant. You can't always place them precisely, but they are separated very well from each other.
As the mids are so recessed, the TruEngine 3 SE doesn't deliver much detail within its soundstage, but this grants the bass, pleasantly balanced lower-mids, and vocals more room. As it results in a clean sound on lower volumes, and a big round cave on higher volumes, sometimes, less is more.
SoundPEATS TruEngine 3 SE comparisons
SoundPEATS TruEngine 3 SE vs TruEngine SE
While SoundPEATS kept the shape and the design of the earpieces of the TrueEngine, the sound signature differs between SE and 3 SE. The previous version focuses more on bass and sounds darker, as upper-mids and highs are sooner rolled-off than on the TrueEngine 3 SE. The bass is more controlled on the newcomer, and upper-mid tones and highs get more room, opening up the sound. If you were looking for a new bass fest, take a look at the Mpow MS1 comparison below.
SoundPEATS TruEngine 3 SE vs TrueDot
The SoundPEATS TrueDot is the best sounding earphone you can buy around $25 - and even gets an honorable mention in the guide for best TWS under $100. A comparison with the new TrueEngine 3 SE turns out to be very interesting. The 3 SE has a more cleaned-up sound, thanks to its more relaxed bass and the separation of instruments within the soundstage.
The TrueDot has a warmer and fuller sound, with a stronger mid-bass and more pronounced mids. It resolves a lot more detail but switching over from the TrueEngine 3 SE, the TrueDot can sound unfocused - in-your-face even. Because the SE delivers less detail, crowded songs can sometimes hold their dynamics better on the TrueEngine 3 SE.
SoundPEATS Truengine 3 SE vs Fiil T1X
If you compare the TruEngine 3 SE with the Fiil T1X (crowned best TWS under $100 on Scarbir.com), the new SoundPEATS has a much more laidback character, with more space in the sound, but less detail. The T1X has a stronger mid-bass thump, gives more attention to mid-tones, and takes vocals center stage instead of the distant approach on the TrueEngine. While instrument placement of the T1X is impeccable and it has more details in the soundstage, the TrueEngine has a bigger, rounder soundstage with more information coming in from more directions than the T1X. The bass also extends further, with the sub-bass reaching deeper depths. Apart from the sound, the better (indoor) call quality, app, and sport-wings make the T1X a better allrounder.
SoundPEATS Truengine 3 SE vs Enacfire E60
The similar priced Enacfire E60 has a smaller case, an hour longer playtime per charge, and can go even louder than the SoundPEATS. The E60's sound is more active, with a harder-hitting mid-bass slam and more sub-bass rumble. It sounds brighter, too, with more elevated upper-mids and vocals. However: higher-pitched voices can sound thinner and harsher on the Enacfire. While the E60 has excellent left-right details, but the SoundPEATS has a more spacious sound.
SoundPEATS Truengine 3 SE vs Mpow M30
The Mpow M30 is another recommendation for wireless earphones under $50, and once again, has a different character than the SoundPEATS. It mostly sounds brighter, with a big emphasis on the upper-mids and well-extended highs. Female and higher-pitched male vocals are so forward, the sound can be a bit too bright for some. The M30 represents drum kicks better, but for other lows, the TrueEngine 3 SE is boss. While slower, its bass has more impact and reaches much deeper. Instrument tonality is better too, and the soundstage feels more natural.
SoundPEATS Truengine 3 SE vs Mpow MS1
If you were hoping for the thickest bass on the new TrueEngine, you might want to take a loot at the Mpow MS1 instead. At only $25, it delivers the thickest bass you can find on cheap wireless earphones. It has a stronger mid-bass slam, and the sub-bass rumbles easier and heavier. Vocals are more forward and warmer. Even more so than the TrueEngine 3 SE, the MS1 can give you the sense of being in a roomy cave (or stadium, if you prefer) while listening to dance songs. The SoundPEATS delivers better battery life and a smoother sound for background listening.
Verdict
A laidback smooth sound with plenty of bass and six hours of playtime per charge - the SoundPEATS TruEngine 3 SE improves on its predecessor but still isn't the best allrounder.
FOUR stars - very good
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I bought the SoundPEATS TruEngine 3 SE to test and review myself. My reviews are 100% independent and non-commercial. I test and review all audio products equally honest - read about it here.
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