Truke may be a new player in the audio tech market but it has already established itself as a ‘value for money’ brand that promises the biggest bang for your buck. Its expansive catalogue of affordable TWS products is a testament to that. From powerhouse gaming earbuds to fine-tuned TWS for music enthusiasts, Truke’s portfolio has something in it for everyone. Its most recent addition, the Buds Freedom Open-ear Wireless Stereo (OWS) caters to a very niche audience. If you’re not a fan of the traditional in-ear design, these earbuds may just be what you’re looking for. Here is our in-depth review of the Truke Buds Freedom OWS.
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In This Article
Truke Buds Freedom OWS Review: Design
Here’s what you get inside the Truke Buds Freedom retail box:
- Charging case with earbuds inside
- Type-A to Type-C USB cable
- Quick start guide
- Warranty guide
Buds Freedom’s charging case is not compact by any means. While it can tuck inside deep pockets with ease, it doesn’t leave room for much else. The upside to having a large case is that it can pack a bigger battery (more on that later). There are two colour variants on offer – Black and Green. The black variant has an orange inlay, which peeks through the exterior in the form of a sleek line separating the lid from the rest of the body.
The plastic charging case has a glossy finish and is a bit of a fingerprint magnet. When placed in pockets with keys or loose change, it is prone to scuffs and scratches. However, it can take a good knock without getting damaged. The hinge feels strong and is unlikely to loosen over time.
The wireless earbuds are crafted in a way that they hover over the ear rather than push inside it. There is a small grille on the earbuds that covers the dynamic driver and passes the audio output. There are no ear tips on this TWS as it is supposed to rest gently over the ears. The thick, circular shape of the earbuds is more suited for larger ears. The fish hook goes around the ear and fits nicely, even if you’re wearing glasses.
We would have preferred if the earbuds were designed keeping the shape of the ear canal in mind. While the purpose of this device is to rest on the ears, the overall fit feels a bit loose and unreliable. We went on a jog while wearing the Buds Freedom and constantly felt the need to adjust the hooks and the buds. On the bright side, these earbuds let the surrounding noises pass through entirely which means you’re always aware of the environment around you. If you’re averse to in-ear TWS due to hygienic reasons, you will certainly like the Buds Freedom.
The Truke Buds Freedom OWS is rated IPX5 for dust and water resistance. We used the earbuds while working out and they did not present any issues even when things got sweaty.
Truke Buds Freedom OWS Review: Performance
Delivering the audio output on the Truke Buds Freedom OWS are 16mm Beryllium speaker drivers. Pairing the TWS is a seamless process with Bluetooth 5.4 support onboard. The Buds Freedom also support Siri and Google Assistant.
If you’re tired of bass-heavy earbuds dominating the budget TWS segment, the Truke Buds Freedom will offer a nice respite. Its soundstage is closer to neutral rather than being heavy on the low end. The only downside is that the output sounds a bit muffled, but that may have something to do with the loose fit of the earbuds. As you turn up the volume, the output gets shriller.
In the 40-70% sweet spot, the Truke Buds Freedom offer a decent listening experience. We played a bunch of genres on this device, including heavy metal, grunge, funk, and trip-hop. The TWS remained consistent and delivered a solid audio output devoid of any distortion. One thing we really like about these earbuds is that they do not leak audio to the surroundings despite their open-ear design.
The larger size of the earbuds allows for seamless touch controls. A simple tap on either earbud pauses the media playback. The playback resumes with another tap. A double tap on the left earbud plays the previous song while the same gesture on the right earbud plays the next song in the queue. There is also a low-latency gaming mode on offer, which can be triggered by tapping the left earbud thrice. Three taps on the right earbud trigger the voice assistant.
While the touch controls on the earbuds are very smooth, there is no way to customise them. Truke does not have a companion app for its TWS products yet, and it is about time it got one. Not only will it allow users to remap the controls, but also let them customise the equaliser according to their tastes.
Moving on, the calling experience offered by Buds Freedom is quite impressive. In an indoor setting, the TWS did a good job of extracting the voice of the caller from the surrounding noise and relaying it perfectly to the listener. The call quality takes a slight drop in outdoor conditions, but not to the point where you would want to disconnect the earbuds entirely.
The charging packs a 500mAh battery pack while either earbud is equipped with a 50mAh unit. On a full charge, the earbuds can offer a playtime of up to 10 hours, depending on the usage. The charging case adds up to 50 more hours of playtime. During the week-long review period, we used the Truke Buds Freedom OWS for 5-6 hours a day. We ended the week with a 20% charge still left on the case. It takes up to 2 hours to fully charge the case.
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Verdict
The Truke Buds Freedom OWS cater to a specific niche. If you’re not a fan of the traditional in-ear design, you will enjoy this pair of earbuds. The only downside to this is that the Freedom OWS may not be a perfect fit for smaller ears. The relatively neutral-sounding output produced by these earbuds is certainly welcome, but it falls just short of being ‘full’. However, at the price of Rs 2,000, you would be hard-pressed to find better-sounding earbuds with an open-ear design.
Truke Buds Freedom OWS: Pros
- Open-ear design
- Good call quality
- Affordable
- Great battery life
Truke Buds Freedom OWS: Cons
- May not suit smaller ears
- Slightly muffled audio output
- Does not have a companion app
