The Echo Buds have given Apple’s AirPods a run for their money as some of the best true wireless earbuds on the market. Amazon’s proprietary earbuds cost a mere $130, which, given their top-tier features and resounding performance, represents an unbeatable value. With an ergonomic, comfortable fit, outstanding noise reduction, and hands-free access to Alexa, the Echo Buds provide an outstanding user experience.
The Echo Buds are Amazon’s answer to the likeminded AirPods and Galaxy Buds, both of which continue to bring true wireless earbuds to the mainstream market. There’s no need for wires because the speaker, microphone, battery, sensors, and Bluetooth chip are embedded inside each individual earbud. They come with a charging case, too, which charges the earbuds and acts as a protective casing when they’re not in use. A single charge lasts about five hours, and the case itself charges via Micro USB.
What can the Echo Buds do?
You can use Echo Buds to stream music, podcasts, live TV, and more. They sync with your phone, meaning you can answer calls when they come in or use Alexa to make calls without using your hands. The triple-mic array lets you talk to Amazon’s virtual assistant without needing to tap on an earbud so you can change the song, add events to your calendar, update your grocery list, and more by just saying, “Alexa,” followed by the command.
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The Echo Buds are also built with an active noise reduction system designed by Bose, which effectively drowns out external noise when you want to solely listen to your music. However, you can also use them on “pass-through mode,” which lets you control precisely how much ambient sound the buds allow through. You can control this feature via the Alexa app on your device.
The Echo Buds are also IPX4 water-resistant, making them more suitable for all-weather wear or workout use than some other, more delicate true wireless earbuds.
Connecting a pair of Echo Buds is similar to setting up any Alexa-enabled device. First, make sure your Alexa app is open. When you first open the Echo Buds case, you should see a prompt on your device within the Alexa app. A new section in the app will appear specifically for the Echo Buds, through which you can enable or disable noise reduction and the microphone. Here, you can also choose a device to pair the Buds with.
How do I use the Echo Buds?
Once you’ve connected your Echo Buds, using them is extremely intuitive. Unlike other true wireless earbuds, you don’t need to press anything to access the voice controls. Just say “Alexa” and a command like “turn the volume up,” “next song,” or “call Mom” to carry out the action in question.
To access more nuanced or specific features — if you want adjust the noise reduction, for example — open your Alexa app and view the Echo Buds listing.
1More’s PistonBuds Pro Q30 look like great budget buds at $50
The new PistonBuds Pro Q30 from 1More boast AirPods-like looks along with active noise cancellation (ANC) and spatial audio, but it's their rock-bottom $50 price that stands out. As part of the launch, 1More has dropped the price to $40 for a limited time, making these wireless earbuds even more attractive. The PistonBuds Pro Q30 are available in white/gold or black/gold combos.
In the past, 1More has favored a stemless design for its PistonBuds lineup, but this time the company has opted for a stem-based approach. If you've ever tried PistonBuds in the past and found them a poor fit, this new shape might be a better option.
Your next noise-canceling earbuds may use Navy sonar tech
A company that is pioneering the use of earbud speakers that are manufactured like microchips says it has developed a way to convert inaudible, high-power ultrasound into hi-fi stereo sound, using a single driver. The result is what the company — called xMEMS — says is a micro-electromechanical system (with a convenient MEMS acronym) driver that's powerful enough to deliver sound as well as active noise cancellation in a set of wireless earbuds.
According to xMEMS, these MEMS drivers possess a number of advantages for buyers and manufacturers of earbuds, like extreme ruggedness, a huge frequency-response range, ultrafast transient response (the ability to quickly shift from one sound to another), and more accurate sound reproduction.
Creative’s Aurvana Ace are the first wireless earbuds to use MEMS drivers
Creative has broken new ground in the wireless earbuds space. The company has announced that its upcoming Aurvana Ace and Aurvana Ace 2 noise-canceling wireless earbuds will use a hybrid dual-driver architecture featuring MEMS drivers from a company called xMEMS, making them the first products of their kind to employ this new audio technology. The Aurvana Ace has been prices at $130 while the Ace 2 is $150. Both will be available for preorder November 10.
What's a MEMS driver?
The xMEMS Cowell drivers, used in the Creative Aurvana Ace and Ace 2. xMEMS Labs
MEMS stands for micro-electromechanical system -- essentially a tiny device that incorporates both non-moving electronics as well as moving mechanical parts. In the case of the xMEMS-designed audio drivers used in the Aurvana Ace, the moving part is a miniscule silicon membrane that can move air (and thus create sound) when an electrical signal is passed through the flap.
