We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-05 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a do-everything pair of earbuds for work — hybrid noise cancelling, a transparency mode you'll actually use in the office, and battery life measured in days rather than hours — choose TREBLAB X9; if you need a simpler, lighter set with Hi-Res audio and a wider frequency range for music and workouts, choose RCA Wave-80. That's the short version. The longer version comes down to how you spend your day.
• TREBLAB X9 — biggest strength: Hybrid active noise cancellation that cuts background noise by up to 35dB, plus a real transparency mode and 6 AI mics for calls. Battery runs up to 10 hours per charge and up to 50 hours with the case.
• TREBLAB X9 — biggest trade-off: The 70ms audio latency is fine for music and calls but not ideal if you're a serious mobile gamer. The 1-year manufacturer warranty is also shorter than some buyers expect.
• RCA Wave-80 — biggest strength: Hi-Res audio with a frequency range up to 40kHz, a lightweight ergonomic fit, and up to 20 hours of total playtime with the case. Adaptive noise cancellation and a noise-cancelling mic cover the basics well.
• RCA Wave-80 — biggest trade-off: No transparency mode, no advertised waterproofing, and no per-charge figure — the 20 hours is with the case, so a single session is shorter than the X9's.
• Pick TREBLAB X9 if: you want the most feature-dense earbuds for work, calls, and travel, and you care about noise cancelling and transparency.
• Pick RCA Wave-80 if: you want lightweight sports earbuds for work and workouts, prioritize Hi-Res audio, and prefer a simpler control setup.
The X9 is the more ambitious product of the two. It's a true wireless in-ear bud built around hybrid noise cancellation, which means it combines feedforward and feedback microphones to reduce background sound by up to 35dB. Alongside that sits a transparency mode — the feature that lets outside sound back in without you pulling the buds out. If you've ever worn earbuds to answer a colleague's question or hear a boarding announcement, you know why that matters.
For work specifically, the spec sheet reads like it was written for a hybrid office. Six AI-powered microphones handle calls, so you're not the person everyone asks to repeat themselves on a meeting. Bluetooth 5.3 with a 33-foot range means you can leave your laptop on the desk and walk to the kitchen. Touch controls plus Google Assistant voice control keep your hands free while you're taking notes. And at 4.2g per bud, a lightweight headband-style feel isn't the point here — these are buds that disappear in your ears over a long day.
Who should skip it? If you want the widest possible frequency range for critical music listening, the X9 tops out at 20kHz. And if you're a competitive mobile gamer, that 70ms latency is worth thinking about. Everyone else — commuters, remote workers, gym-goers — is well served.
RCA Wave-80: Who It's For
The Wave-80 takes a different approach. RCA leans on its heritage brand and keeps the pitch simple: Hi-Res audio, deep bass, adaptive noise cancellation, and a noise-cancelling microphone for calls. The headline audio spec is a 20Hz–40kHz frequency range with dynamic drivers, which is genuinely wider than the X9's 20Hz–20kHz ceiling. If you listen to high-resolution audio sources or just like the sense of airiness that extended treble can give, that's a real differentiator on paper.
The design story is lightweight and ergonomic, with rounded tips and an in-ear fit. RCA positions it for workouts, runs, and travel, and the lightweight build is meant to stay secure for hours. If you want lightweight headband headphones for work but prefer buds for portability — or you just want something that won't feel like a project to put in — this is the more relaxed option.
Calls get a noise-cancelling microphone, which RCA frames for remote work, commuting, and gaming. Controls are handled remotely rather than by touch on the bud, which some people prefer because it means fewer accidental taps. Bluetooth 5.4 is the newer version here, and multi-device support plus faster charging are both part of the feature set.
The trade-offs are worth naming plainly. There's no transparency mode, so you'll be pulling a bud out to talk to someone. There's no advertised IP rating, so I wouldn't treat these as your rain-running pair. And the battery figure — up to 20 hours — is with the charging case; no separate per-charge number is given, which suggests a single session is meaningfully shorter than the X9's 10 hours. The 20-hour charge time listed is also unusually long and worth verifying before you buy.
• Best for battery life → TREBLAB X9. Up to 10 hours per charge and up to 50 hours with the case, plus wireless and USB-C fast charging.
• Best for transparency mode → TREBLAB X9. It's the only one of the two with a transparency feature at all.
• Best for noise cancelling on paper → TREBLAB X9. Hybrid ANC rated to reduce noise by up to 35dB, versus adaptive noise cancellation with no figure given for the Wave-80.
• Best for music fidelity by spec → RCA Wave-80. A 20Hz–40kHz frequency range beats the X9's 20Hz–20kHz ceiling.
• Best for calls in a noisy office → TREBLAB X9. Six AI mics plus AI noise suppression is a lot of hardware aimed at voice pickup.
• Best for workouts and sweat → TREBLAB X9. IPX6 waterproofing is a concrete advantage; the Wave-80 lists no water resistance.
• Best for a lightweight, fuss-free fit → RCA Wave-80. Ergonomic rounded tips, lightweight build, remote controls, Bluetooth 5.4, and multi-device support.
• Best bluetooth earbuds for work, in my opinion → TREBLAB X9. Transparency mode, ANC, and call hardware are the three things that actually matter in an office.
If I were buying one of these for work, I'd take the TREBLAB X9. Transparency mode alone earns it — being able to hear a coworker without removing a bud is the difference between wearing earbuds all day and wearing them in bursts. Add hybrid ANC, six mics, IPX6, and up to 50 hours with the case, and it's the more complete tool for an office, a commute, and a lunchtime run. The Wave-80 is a genuinely appealing alternative if Hi-Res audio and a lighter, simpler fit matter more to you than noise control, and its 40kHz range is the better music spec. But for the work use case, I'd go X9 and check the current price on Amazon before deciding.
FAQ
which airpods have transparency mode
how to turn airpods to transparency mode
On AirPods Pro you press and hold the force sensor on the stem until you hear a tone, or use the Control Center on your iPhone. On AirPods Max you press the noise control button. The X9 handles this differently — through touch controls on the bud itself.
do all airpods have transparency mode
No. Transparency mode arrived with AirPods Pro and is present on AirPods Max and the newer standard AirPods, but not on the earliest generations. Among the two earbuds compared here, only the TREBLAB X9 advertises a transparency feature.
how to turn on transparency mode airpods
Use the Control Center on a paired iPhone or iPad, or press and hold the stem sensor on AirPods Pro. If you're deciding between these two earbuds instead, the practical answer is that you'll want the X9 — the Wave-80 relies on adaptive noise cancellation without a transparency setting.
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