SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe Earbuds review: Big sound for a small price

Customizable sound is not something I would expect from a pair of affordable earbuds, but the Deluxe Air3 buds come with a surprising array of features. Because of a range of in-app controls, you can tailor them to your own musical preferences, including adaptive EQ technology. 

Combine that with gaming mode, a loud, punchy sound profile, and a small, sleek charging case, and you've got an excellent earbud to go along with your best iPhone. With all that, the reasonable price tag is enough to seal the deal, especially if your budget is running low. Here's the lowdown on price and availability:

SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe Earbuds: Price and availability

SoundPEATS earbuds are available at several major retailers including Amazon, Walmart, and Newegg. The Air3 Deluxe model goes for about $50, although the best deal you'll find right now is at Walmart, where you can buy them for $48. It comes in either black or white colorways, and the white one looks pretty similar to Apple's AirPods, if that's what you're into. 

SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe Earbuds: A lotta bang for a little buck

When it comes to audio accessories, the most important thing to consider is sound. The SoundPEATS Wireless Air3 Deluxe Earbuds deliver a surprisingly good sound quality for this price range. They have plenty of volume capacity; in fact, these earbuds are LOUD. You may want to use them with Apple's Headphone Safety settings to make sure they don't get too loud. The sound is clear and detailed, with a reasonably wide soundstage that sounds great in Spatial Audio.

If you listen to hip-hop or other bass-heavy music, you'll notice that these earphones give out a deep, extra punchy bass that you can almost feel. In fact, some songs  even seem a little bass-heavy. If you love a good deep bass, you probably won't mind, but there are also several ways to adjust the EQ of the Air3 Deluxe earbuds to find a sound profile you like better. That's one of things I like most about these earbuds. 

SoundPEATS provides a companion app that allows you to tweak and adjust the way you listen to and use the earbuds. Not only does it offer adaptive EQ that adjusts the sound to the way you hear, it also allows you to create a custom EQ profile so you can adjust the equalizer just how you like it. There are also ways to adjust touch controls, in-ear detection, and usage settings within the app. 

Along with good sound quality and custom controls, SoundPeats Air3 Deluxe Earbuds also have game mode and ENC (environmental noise cancellation) during phone calls. This means they work great for both gaming and working from home. Game mode is a low-latency setting that ensures a perfect sync with the visual graphics and sound effects of the game. ENC, on the other hand, uses four microphones to isolate your voice during calls so others can hear you over any background noise. Extras like these just help to ensure that you can use the earbuds for a wide range of activities beyond just listening to music and videos. 

Finally, after considering all of the features these earbuds have to offer, you have to admit that the price is surprisingly reasonable. Most earphones under the $60 mark leave a lot to be desired, especially in sound quality. I was surprised and pleased at the sound quality delivered by the Air3 Deluxe, as well as the additional customized features and benefits that came along with it. 

SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe Earbuds: Tiresome for tiny ears

Although this is not a problem with the earbuds per se, the fact that I have a small and strangely shaped ear canal does cause a problem for me when wearing these. The traditional design means that there's no way to change out ear tips, and after a few hours I do feel some ear fatigue when wearing the Air3 Deluxe buds. This is the same problem I had with AirPods and many other earbuds as well, so it might just be me. Luckily with these, I can wear them loosely without inserting them all the way, and they stay in pretty well. So as long as I don't insert them all the way into the ear canal, the sensation of fatigue can be avoided. 

And while the charging case is small and sleek enough to fit into even the smallest jeans pocket, it does not support wireless charging. I have become accustomed to charging all of my devices on my multi-device wireless charger, so this is a mild annoyance. At least it does charge quite quickly via USB-C cable 

SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe Earbuds: Competition

While there are plenty of wireless earbuds on the market, they vary vastly in price, features, and sound quality. I haven't found many brands that offer decent sound quality and a lot of added features in a similar price range as the SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe. One very similar example, however, is the JBL Tune 225TWS. This set of earbuds also has good sound quality with a nice booming bass, as well as a companion app to adjust EQ and sound profile. Like the Air3 Deluxe, the JBL set does not offer wireless charging of the case or active noise cancellation, although they do have ENC for phone calls. It's a comparable product but the JBL 225TWS is $10 more expensive, so if I had to choose between the two, I'd save $10 and go for the Air 3 Deluxe earbuds. 

SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe Earbuds: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if... 

• You need affordable earbuds with good sound quality
• You enjoy some bumpin' bass in your music
• You also use your earbuds for gaming or virtual meetings

You shouldn't buy this if... 

• You have exceptionally small or oddly shaped ear canals
• You need a charging case that charges wirelessly 

For anyone who's looking for some affordable earbuds that deliver on quality sound and added features, these are an excellent choice. You won't find the same sound quality and customization options at a similar price point. Since the Air 3 Deluxe Earbuds also offer game mode and ENC for phone calls, they also work great for gamers and work-from-home professionals. Although they did cause some ear fatigue for me, these should be perfectly comfortable for anyone who likes the fit of Apple's AirPods. 

For me, the Air3 Deluxe is an ideal purchase for audiophiles on a tight budget, especially if you enjoy a strong punchy bass. Hip-hop and classic rock sound beautiful on these earphones, especially in Spatial Audio. For everyone else, the in-app EQ controls make it easy to adjust the sound to your musical tastes. This is a unique set of features that offer a good value for the price.