Not long ago, there has been a tectonic shift from wired to wireless to true wireless in the headphones business and a recent couple of years shows just how quickly wireless headphones have taken over. That being said, the audio options have come a long way since the early days of sound.
Keeping up with this ever-changing trend, prominent brands are hitting the market accordingly, while improving the sound game in the process. The buzzword “True Wireless” is on the trend ever since the launch of Apple’s Airpods. For the uninitiated, there are few factors that distinguish wireless from True wireless.
To make it more simple, the “true wireless” headphones completely lack a cable or connector between the earpieces, while the wireless is still connected in some way but no longer need access to the audio jack.
Having said that, we have reviewed the Shots X3 Bass, a recently-launched true wireless headphones from Noise.
Box Contents
- Noise Shots X3 Bass in Icy White color
- Charging case
- Micro USB Cable
- User manual and warranty information
Design
The Shots X3 Bass is the second outing from Noise, after the Shots X5. Talking about the design, the build quality of charging case and the earbuds are equally good. In this case, the charging case is a bit big, glossy and bears a look of a lighter in a pleasant way. Materially, the case is made out of smooth plastic, which according to me feels solid and slightly delicate at the same time. Opening the box needs a bit of force since it is tightly sealed. Due to its size, it fits comfortably in pockets and bags without occupying much space. In addition to Icy White, it also comes in Racing Red, Midnight Gold, Cool White and Candy White colors.
While the transition towards USB Type-C looks obvious as we speak, the X3 Bass’ case comes with a Micro USB port. Notably, during my travel, I need to make sure to carry a cable separately just to charge this device. The opening cap on top is transparent through which battery level indicator can be seen. Just below it, we also have a charge indicator as well.
The Shots X3 Bass comes equipped with a button that enables you to play/pause on a single click, Next/back when you hold the button for a minimum of 2 seconds. Apart from directing the music, it allows you to answer/reject calls with a simple click. The button feedback is good, and the area is a bit generous if you have medium-sized fingers. The earbuds also have a charging touch point on the inner side for charging when placed inside.
Pairing Shots X3 Bass
Just like any other Bluetooth headset, pairing this with my phone is not much of a task. I was testing it out with my OnePlus 6T and Asus Zenfone Max M2. You can track the battery level on your device, provided your smartphone runs Android 8.1 or later and iPhones, but you get it on older Android versions via third-party apps like BatON.
Performance
First off, the Shots X3 Bass offers a reliable wireless connection without any dropouts, which isn’t the case with most of the true wireless today. In our experience, the sound isolation is more than average and the fit is very secure as well. The sound quality is relatively good, works well and efficiently for a variety of music. It is one of the most comfortable earbuds we have tested so far, making it satisfactory for long listening endeavours in the real world. Notably, this earbud lacks high-quality aptX codec support which is a trend these days.
Battery
In our usage, a single charge yielded us around three and half hours of music playback, but the case can charge the earbuds several times, giving a total of around 20+ hours of playback before the case need charging. Once the earbud batteries are drained, you can insert them into the case to automatically recharge. Having said that, it’s critical to keep an eye on case’s battery level as well.
Conclusion
Noise Shots X3 Bass is all about the combination of sound quality, battery life, and wireless reliability. For price tag of Rs. 3,999, the Shots X3 Bass is an excellent value in the truly wireless headphone segment. Since it does the basics well, Shots X3 is easy to recommend for those who want to get started with truly wireless earbuds. You can get it from Gonoise website, as well as online retailers.