TWS true wireless earphones - under $25
FOUR STARS - Right after Tronsmart released the impressive Tronsmart Spunky Beat, the brand launched the comparable priced Tronsmart Onyx Neo. It's let down by horrible touch controls, but it's great for treble lovers and frequent callers.
Specs of the Tronsmart Onyx Neo:
Bluetooth 5.0 with AptX and AAC codec
4 hours listening on a full charge
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 3 times
Comes with 4 sizes ear tips, USB-C cable
$25 on AliExpress (check current price!)
This is a Tronsmart Onyx Neo review. Below this review, you will find a comparison of the Tronsmart Onyx Neo vs Tronsmart Spunky Beat, KZ S1 TWS Hybrid and Haylou GT2.
Update February 12, 2020: After much feedback from readers, I've changed the battery life to 4 hours.
Update February 20, 2020: Turns out that, after a long and extensive phone call comparison, the Tronsmart Onyx Neo really has stellar call quality! The overall score has therefore been upgraded from 3 to 4 stars.
Design, comfort and battery life
It's hard to see Tronsmarts strategy between the Spunky Beat and the Onyx Neo. Not only in name, but also in form factor. The earpieces of both models are practically identical, and their charging cases share the oval shape and are both pleasantly compact.
The case of the Spunky Beat is a centimeter longer, and it has an attached string. You can charge it via a USB-C plug or via the USB-A cable that you can directly pull out the bottom of the case. A convenient feature, making it possible to charge the Beat everywhere. The Onyx Neo doesn't have those features - 'just' a regular USB-C connection. The case is smaller, but it's also less sturdy, with a bit of a wonky cover. It's the build quality you can expect for this price - it's just that the Spunky Beat raised the bar before it.
The earpieces of the Onyx Neo have a similar size and shape as the Spunky Beat earpieces. You can even swap the earpieces between the cases. The earpieces on the Onyx Neo have a smooth center part rather than a textured round center, however. The Neo comes with four sizes of wide-ish tips. Together with the sleek and bean-shaped inside, the Onyx Neo feels comfortable and tight enough in your ears. It also blocks noise very well, even when you're not playing music on them.
The battery delivers around 4 hours of playtime per charge, and can get up to three full recharges from the case. Steady performances for this price.
Connectivity and controls of Onyx Neo
The connectivity on the Tronsmart Onyx Neo is good, with a stable Bluetooth 5.0 connection up to ten meters, indoor and outdoor. It also pairs and connects fast when you take the earpieces out of the case - and it's easy to switch between one and two earpieces, whether it's left or right.
Now, the touch controls of the Spunky Beat are questionable. The right bud doesn't always respond, and sometimes, the controls stop responding at all. It's the weakest part of the earphones. Yet somehow, the Tronsmart Onyx Neo has even worse touch controls.
Just like on the Spunky Beat, it isn't always easy to pause or play the music with a tap on the right one. But what's worse is that the Onyx Neo tempts to overreact to your touches. Pick them up, and it can happen that they immediately start to play and then pause and then play again. Re-position the earpieces in your ears by touching them on the outsides... and the Onyx Neo pauses. Changing the volume (tap twice on the right or left bud) or skipping or returning a track (tap thrice on the left or right bud), is nearly impossible to do. If you're happy, you activate the voice assistant instead. It doesn't matter where you press the buds - it's all hit or miss.
Two times during the testing period, the Onyx Neo just shut itself off while (accidentally) touching the sides of the earpieces. Once, it shut itself off without touching anything - and without a battery warning before it. And once, it even shut off right after it paired - without touching anything.
The Tronsmart Spunky Beat doesn't control too well - but the Onyx Neo doesn't at all.
Call quality and watching videos
The Tronsmart Onyx Neo is excellent for watching videos, on both Android devices supporting Bluetooth 5.0 and the iPhone. There is no noticeable delay when using YouTube, Netflix, or other video services. There is a significant audio delay when playing games, however.
Surprisingly, in a comprehensive call quality test after the publication of this review, it becomes clear that the call quality of the Tronsmart Onyx Neo is excellent.
With the earbuds of the Onyx Neo going in so deep, they seem to automatically block out a lot of wind noise when you take these outside. Noises like motors and other traffic around you, are also heavily reduced. Your own voice sounds clear, although it could be a bit louder.
Indoors in crowded office spaces, the Onyx Neo acts even better. Background noises are attacked successfully, and your own voice sounds crystal clear. This one is perfectly suitable for a longer conversation.
Sound quality of Tronsmart Onyx Neo
The sound signature of the Tronsmart Onyx Neo reminds of the brilliant, engaging Tronsmart Spunky Beat. This time, there's less emphasis on the bass and even more focus on clarity.
The bass of the Onyx Neo has a slam you can feel in songs pushing it, such as dance and techno tracks. The mid-bass slam is also noticeable in pop songs. It is much thinner than on the hard-hitting Spunky Beat, however, which bass is more full-bodied and goes deeper. The slimmer bass does give the Onyx Neo faster pacing. It can make dance songs sound a little quicker. On top of it, lower-mids enjoy enough presence, without coloring the music warm.
What's important is that this Tronsmart doesn't feel bassy. This time around, the focus is on the treble. There is even more emphasis on the higher frequencies than on the Spunky Beat. The sound feels even more opened-up. Higher-pitched vocals and instruments such as cymbals and violins come through with great clarity.
There is a downside to this. When a song already lays much emphasis on upper-mids from itself, the Onyx Neo can sound splashy. Other times, a song can sound too thin and flat with so much emphasis on the higher frequencies, and lack of body in the lows. The Tronsmart Onyx Neo can sound crystal clear, but at times, a bit too clear.
If you're a treble lover, you shouldn't have to back down from these downsides. Previous treble-focused wireless earphones (which are quite rare in this price segment), like the KZ E10 TWS and the UiiSii TWS60, found their fanbase - and the Tronsmart Onyx Neo can absolutely compete with them. The Onyx Neo offers battery life than the KZ E10, and adds in more weight to the lower frequencies than the UiiSii - making this a sweet choice for treble lovers.
Selected comparisons
Tronsmart Onyx Neo vs Tronsmart Spunky Beat
Tronsmarts cheapest sets of wireless earbuds both lack great functioning touch controls, but at least the Spunky Beat doesn't shut down automatically. The Spunky Beat offers more massive bass and more presence of lower-mids. Both have clear highs, but due to the even higher elevated treble on the Onyx Neo, Tronsmarts newest can sound a little too splashy or thin - while the Spunky Beat always throws an engaging bass and more active lower-mids in the mix. It makes the Spunky Beat a more versatile, fun TWS. The Onyx Neo convinces with a better call quality, however.
Tronsmart Onyx Neo vs KZ S1 Hybrid
If you're looking for something else than bass, the KZ S1 is another choice you can make for the money. The KZ S1 is smoother and more laidback, the Onyx Neo has a quicker pace and has a bigger soundstage. The S1 has less emphasis on upper-mids and highs. It's more mid-centric instead, delivering a balanced sound with natural vocals and instruments, and still enough presence in the bass and highs.
Tronsmart Onyx Neo vs Haylou GT2
The Haylou GT2 delivers a warmer sound than the Onyx Neo, with more balance between the bass, mids, and highs. The Onyx Neo has more outspoken upper-mids and highs and sounds more active and bright than the Haylou GT2. The Onyx Neo sound has a quicker, more engaging pace; the Haylou GT2 has better controls.
Tronsmart Onyx Neo vs Tronsmart Onyx Free
Update July 17, 2020: Tronsmart has released the Onyx Free, which is like the Onyx Neo and still have the same, lovely tiny earpieces. However - they come with better-responding actual buttons, longer playtime on a single charge and even better call quality. Sound quality on the Tronsmart Onyx Free is better as well; the sound is more balanced, less harsh in the highs. Choosing between these two? Go for the Onyx Free.
Verdict
It's hard to fall in love with the Tronsmart Onyx Neo with touch controls that are so sluggish, but you get a bright and clear sound quality, convincing video playback and stellar call quality in return.
FOUR STARS - VERY GOOD
Buy Tronsmart Onyx Neo / check current price:
I received the Tronsmart Onyx Neo from Tronsmart to test and review. I test and review all audio products equally honest - read about it here.
Consider buying this earphone? I'd really appreciate it if you use the links in this article. It won't cost you extra, yet it will financially support me a bit in my ongoing quest for great affordable audio. <3
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