Tronsmart Apollo Air+ Earbuds review: Expensive sound quality for a reasonable price

Let me tell you about my favorite new earbuds. Now, I'm no audiophile, and I won't pay more than $100 for a pair of earbuds because I know, without a doubt, that I will eventually lose one. So, when I say these are my favorite earbuds ever, I'm not trying to compare them to some $200 or $300 earbuds from Apple or Bose. But when it comes to affordable earbuds under the $100 mark, these Apollo Air+ Earbuds from Tronsmart are positively the best.

After a few weeks of steady listening, I've come to the following conclusions about the Apollo Air+ Earbuds; the sound is gorgeous, the microphones are top-notch, and technology is mostly on point. However, these earbuds are not perfect, which is why I gave them 4.5 stars instead of 5, but they are pretty dang close. I'll go over all of the details below, but first, the straight pros and cons:

Tronsmart Apollo Air+ Earbuds: Price and availability

You can find Tronsmart Apollo Air+ Earbuds on the Tronsmart website, on Amazon, or at Geekbuying.com, which is the official dealer of Tronsmart. That's where you'll get the best deal, currently at $80. On Amazon, they're going for $99, but the shipping is a lot faster for USA buyers. No matter where you buy them, the price is a great value for the sound quality you're getting.

Tronsmart Apollo Air+ Earbuds: Pure and clear and ready to rumble

I've already touched on this, but I want to emphasize how good these earbuds sound. I've never heard a sound so clear and pure from another pair of mid-line earphones. Voices especially are crystal clear, and Apple's spatial audio music is gorgeous to listen to. Even the bass is deep and rumbly, which I haven't experienced before with earbuds.

The microphones are also excellent. One thing I've always hated about other earbuds is that no one can hear me during phone calls and that it can be hard to hear a phone call if there's a lot of ambient noise. The Apollo Air+ Earbuds pick up my voice even if I speak at a whisper, and they use ANC technology to cancel out ambient noise. That way, I can also hear voice calls even if I'm outside on a busy street. This is great for work calls, and conference calls especially.

These earbuds can get VERY loud. However, even at the highest volumes, the sound is clear and undistorted. Be careful, though, as they can definitely get loud enough to damage your hearing, so I suggest using Apple's headphone safety settings to ensure you're not listening at dangerous volume levels. Another thing I liked is the auto-pause feature. When you take an earbud out of your ear, they stop playing automatically, so you don't have to worry about furiously trying to pause when someone starts talking to you.

Last but not least, I like the active noise-cancellation on these earbuds. I have seen some other users complain that it's not great, but it worked fine when I used them. Obviously, I wouldn't expect the same level of ANC from earbuds as I would from over-ear headphones, but I definitely noticed less ambient noise with ANC. I think the ANC would work even better if the ear-tips fit my ears perfectly, but that's what I'll go into in the next section.

Tronsmart Apollo Air+ Earbuds: How many taps did you say?

OK, so let's explain why I don't give the amazing-sounding Apollo Air+ Earbuds an automatic five stars. The first thing is, I didn't find a pair of extra-small ear tips included in the package. There are four different sizes, but since my inner ear is shaped so strangely, I need a tiny little ear-tip for a proper fit. Some earbuds come with these, and some don't. I could try to use some ear tips from another pair of earbuds, but I have to write my review based on this product as it comes.

The other thing is that the smart touch system used to control these earbuds was hard for me to master. Two taps to start or stop playback, three taps to turn on and off ANC, and so on. The instructions are a bit confusing, and the tap functionality can be overly sensitive. Sometimes the earbud thinks I am tapping three times when I am actually tapping twice. This will still take some getting used to, but maybe I will master it eventually.

Tronsmart Apollo Air+ Earbuds: Competition

With so many brands on the market, there is definitely some heavy competition for the Tronsmart Apollo Air+ Earbuds, but there aren't any great competitors in this price range. One similar product is the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air Earbuds. Like the Tronsmart earbuds, these are truly wireless earbuds with ANC and voice-enhancing voice call technology. They also have touch controls but no auto-pause. The Anker earbuds provide similar sound quality and technology, but they are more expensive at $129. I haven't listened to these earbuds personally, so I'm not sure if the sound is quite as impressive as the Apollo Air+, but they have similar features. This choice may come down to brand preference and budget.

Tronsmart Apollo Air+ Earbuds: Should you buy it?

• You like clear sound with deep bass.
• You have to make voice calls and conference calls in loud environments.
• You want high-end sound for a mid-range price.

• You don't like complicated touch controls.
• You need tiny ear tips.

If you're like me and have a tendency to lose your earbuds, it's hard to justify shelling out several hundred dollars for a pair of high-end earphones. That's why I love the Tronsmart Apollo Air+ Earbuds; I feel like I'm getting expensive sound for a reasonable price. When I compare this sound-for-sound with other earbuds in the same price range, the difference in clarity and definition is palpable. Even more, voice calls and conference calls are perfect on these, with great voice isolation on both ends. The touch controls take some getting used to, but the learning curve is worth it when you consider the beautiful sound quality of these earbuds.