We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-17 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a no-fuss pair of game-day earbuds with an old-school radio trick up their sleeve, choose SOAR NCAA; if you need serious battery life, a secure ear-hook fit and waterproofing for hard training, choose Matast Earbuds.
• SOAR NCAA — biggest strength: 32 hours of total battery, Bluetooth 5.0 with auto-pairing, and genuinely unusual input options (FM radio, USB and AUX) alongside the silicone in-ear fit. A team-colored set built around stadium days and casual listening.
• SOAR NCAA — biggest trade-off: No noise control at all, older Bluetooth, and no water-resistance rating anywhere in its spec sheet. Remote-based controls, not touch.
• Matast Earbuds — biggest strength: 75 hours of total playtime (10 hours per charge), Bluetooth 5.4 with a 15-meter range, 13 mm drivers, 4 ENC mics for calls, IP7 waterproofing and secure ear hooks.
• Matast Earbuds — biggest trade-off: No wired inputs whatsoever — no 3.5 mm jack, no FM — so it lives and dies by Bluetooth. Touch controls can also be fussier than physical buttons for some people.
• Who SOAR NCAA is for: Fans who want a comfortable, brightly team-branded set for the couch, the commute and the stadium, and who like the idea of tuning into FM commentary.
• Who Matast Earbuds is for: Runners, gym-goers and anyone who sweats hard, takes long calls, or hates charging earbuds every couple of days.
The SOAR NCAA set is a straightforward true-wireless earbud with one clear personality: it's built for sports fans. The headline figure is 32 hours of total battery life, which is the kind of number that covers a full week of workouts plus a game or two without you thinking about the charging case. Pairing is handled by Bluetooth 5.0 with auto-pairing, so the first connection is as simple as opening the case and picking the device — nothing to fiddle with.
What actually separates it from most earbuds in this class is the input flexibility. Alongside wireless playback, SOAR lists FM radio, USB and AUX as audio options, and there's a 3.5 mm jack on the hardware. In practice that means you're not locked into Bluetooth-only listening: you can plug into a wired source or tune into FM commentary when you want it. The earbuds themselves use silicone in-ear gels for a comfortable, secure fit, and the included charging case keeps them topped up on the move. The enclosure is plastic with a dynamic driver, the color is team-themed, and there's a one-year manufacturer warranty.
Who should buy it? In my opinion, this is for the fan who wants earbuds that match their jersey, sit comfortably for long stretches, and offer listening options most wireless earbuds simply don't have. It's also a sensible pick if you still own devices with a headphone jack and want the option to go wired.
Who should skip it? Anyone who trains hard and sweats heavily, because there is no water-resistance rating in the specs. Anyone who takes a lot of calls in noisy places, because noise control is listed as none. And anyone who wants modern Bluetooth efficiency — 5.0 is a generation or two behind what Matast offers.
The Matast B02 is the opposite kind of product: a workout-first earbud that stacks features. Battery is the standout. You get up to 10 hours of music on a single charge and up to 75 hours total with the charging case, and a 1.5-hour Type-C fast charge refills the whole thing. A dual LED display shows the remaining power in the case and the charging progress of the buds, which is a small thing that makes a real difference when you're heading out the door and don't want to guess.
On the audio side, Matast uses a 13 mm dynamic driver with a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz frequency range and 10-ohm impedance, which the brand frames around deep bass and clear treble for workouts. For calls, there are 4 ENC noise-cancelling mics that the spec sheet says passively cancel around 80% of background noise, plus support for HFP, HSP, A2DP and AVRCP profiles. Bluetooth 5.4 is the newer standard here, with the brand claiming twice the data speed and 30% lower power consumption versus 5.3, and a connection range up to 15 meters.
The fit is the other big differentiator. Matast uses flexible ear hooks plus three sizes of ear caps, so the buds stay put during running, jumping and gym work. They're rated IP7 for waterproofing, which covers sweat, rain and splashes. Controls are touch-based — play/pause, track skipping, calls and voice assistant — and after the first pairing the buds reconnect automatically when you open the case.
Who should buy it? Runners, cyclists, lifters and anyone whose earbuds regularly get soaked. Also anyone who takes calls on the move in loud environments, or who simply refuses to charge earbuds more than once a week.
Who should skip it? If you want a wired fallback or FM radio, this isn't it — there's no jack and no radio. If you prefer physical buttons over touch, the touch panel may annoy you. And if you want a compact, low-profile bud rather than an ear-hook design, the hook shape is a different feel entirely.
• Best for battery life → Matast Earbuds. 75 hours total versus 32 hours on the SOAR NCAA.
• Best for workouts and sweat → Matast Earbuds. IP7 waterproofing plus ear hooks and three ear-cap sizes beat an unrated, gel-only fit.
• Best for calls in noisy places → Matast Earbuds. 4 ENC mics and passive noise reduction versus no noise control on the SOAR.
• Best for modern connectivity → Matast Earbuds. Bluetooth 5.4 with a 15-meter range versus Bluetooth 5.0.
• Best for wired or radio listening → SOAR NCAA. FM radio, USB, AUX and a 3.5 mm jack are options Matast doesn't offer at all.
• Best for team branding and casual comfort → SOAR NCAA. A team-colored, silicone-gel in-ear bud aimed at fans rather than athletes.
• Best for touch controls → Matast Earbuds. Touch control versus the SOAR's remote-based control method.
• Best for stadium days and the couch → SOAR NCAA. That's exactly the use case its feature list is built around.
If I were buying for myself, I'd take the Matast Earbuds. The 75-hour battery, IP7 waterproofing, ear-hook fit and 4-mic call setup cover the situations where earbuds actually let people down — dying mid-run, slipping out, or sounding bad on a call. The SOAR NCAA has real charm with its FM radio and wired options, and if you want team colors and a comfortable bud for game days, it's a perfectly reasonable choice. But as an all-rounder for 2026, the Matast spec sheet simply does more. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since pricing shifts and it's the one thing that could tip this either way.
For running, yes — in my opinion. Matast has IP7 waterproofing, secure ear hooks and three ear-cap sizes, while the SOAR NCAA has no water-resistance rating and relies on silicone gels alone.
Yes. The SOAR NCAA lists FM radio, USB and AUX as audio options and includes a 3.5 mm jack, so you can listen from a wired source. The Matast Earbuds are Bluetooth-only with no jack.
Matast. It offers up to 10 hours per charge and up to 75 hours total with the case, versus 32 hours total on the SOAR NCAA. Matast also fast-charges in about 1.5 hours over Type-C.
Both are wireless earbuds with microphones, but only Matast specifies 4 ENC noise-cancelling mics and passive background-noise reduction. The SOAR NCAA lists noise control as none, so calls in loud places will be harder.
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