PreambleI'v
e had a fair amount of experience with different Bluetooth headphones over the past couple of years - from full size, through Bluetooth buds which connect to each other with a cable to the true wireless headphones which have now become so popular. Although I do still have a few wired headphones still in my collection - the Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10, Sennheiser HD598 Sr and the 1More Triple Driver IEMs, I find myself listening through Bluetooth headphones most of the time these days. I love the convenience and, for most of the time, I don't feel that there's too much reduction in sound
The Dudios Tic TWS headphones follow a slightly different form factor than many of the other TWS headphones out there. These are more like the Apple Airpods in design - except they use an In-Ear style rather than the conventional Airpod/Earpod design used by Apple. This definitely helps when it comes to improved bass response and higher volume. Unfortunately due to the shape of my ears, the stalks on these headphones tend to move around a little but whilst they're in my ears so I find I have to make small adjustments from time to time.
The Tic's come with a really small charger case which uses Micro USB rather than USB Type C. Whilst this can bother some people, I'm not one of them as I always seem to have access to this type of connector lead available. The buds fit in the case in a somewhat unusual way which I personally find every counter-intuitive as you basically have to kind of rotate the earphones in your hand before inserting them in the case - likewise when removing them from the case. That's definitely going to take some getting used to. Both the buds and the case are of typical plastic construction and so are a little slippery to handle. This, coupled with the way they fit in the case, makes it almost inevitable that I'm going to drop them sooner or later. The Tic's come with a couple of extra sets of tips in different sizes and the inevitable super-short charging cable. One thing I would like the point out is that they packing on these is super minimal - I applaud this wholeheartedly and genuinely wish that all manufacturers of these products would follow suit. After all, it's just stuff that's going to end up in the bin.
The Tic's feature the latest Bluetooth 5.0 and use the AAC code so they certainly have the potential for good sound quality. Whilst not having the best wireless range for a TWS type headphone (that honour definitely goes to the Mavin Air-X and Apple Airpods) they do just about pass the upstairs bathroom test.
Clearly one of the main selling points with these headphones is their remarkably compact size. The Tic's can be carried around with you pretty much all the time without any problems. I can see headphones like these becoming very popular with younger people due to their compact size, form factor and the cheap price. These cost considerably less than the Apple Airpods but offer a similar trendy style.
Sound Quality
I feel that it's only fair to point out a couple of things before I continue. Firstly, I'm 56 years old and have come to terms with the fact that my hearing isn't as good as it was when I was in my teens. Having said that, I do feel that my hearing is pretty good all things considered. Secondly I must confess that I'm constantly surprised at just how good sounding these inexpensive bluetooth earbuds have become. It's getting increasingly difficult to justify spending more than £100 on a set when there's so many excellent ones now on the market.
The Tic's are surprisingly nice sounding earbuds. I say surprising because of their lightweight construction they don't give the impression of being particularly powerful sounding and yet they can rock with the best of them. I can confirm that these go nice and loud - far louder than I would be comfortable listening to. What's more they remain clean sounding at higher volumes. There's not much soundstage compared to say the Sony WF1000XM3's but it's not really any worse than many others earbuds of this type that's out there.
One thing that they are though is comfortable. With the right tips these definitely feel more secure than the Apple Airpods for example. They fit in your ear in much the same way as the Airpods as well so they're a little easier to use casually than earbuds that rely on deeper insertion. One problem I always have with earphones with touch controls is continually triggering playback and other functions whilst trying to adjust the fit - I personally prefer Sony's way of operating touch controls - where there's a beep and a short delay before the function is triggered.
Bass
Slightly boosted but actually surprisingly effective given the fact that their insertion depth isn't as deep as others on the market. Bass is slightly soft and lacking detail but certainly not bad - especially given their price. These headphones have a fairly shallow insertion depth due to their fundamental design so it's important that you choose your tips carefully to ensure the best possible fit and bass response.
Midrange
Slightly veiled so vocals are a little further back in the mix. This does however help stop the headphones from becoming 'shouty' in the higher mid frequencies which in turn helps to reduce listening fatigue.
Treble
The treble sounds a little 'brittle' but in all fairness I haven't run them in yet and I often find that the high end can be somewhat tamed after a little time. The detail is there but I would describe these as detail monsters.
The overall sound character is pleasantly boosted. At the same time there's clearly some cutoff at both frequency ends. This works well when listening to music at lower volumes and I can't help thinking that the form factor of these headphones make them an ideal candidate for bedtime use. It's a shame that there's no volume control via the touch panels - this would have been a really nice feature to have when you want to fall asleep listening to music. Another nice touch with the Tic's is that they don't leak sound too much - again very useful for bedtime listening.
Conclusion
The Dudios Tic is an honest pair of bluetooth earbuds. The sound quality is really very good, their wireless performance is perhaps slightly better than average and the battery life is comparable to others which follow a similar form factor. The case is nice and compact but I honestly don't like the way the headphones are stored in the case. Dudios should have copied Apple's way of storing buds and the touch controls are far too easy to accidentally trigger- but apart from that I'm really impressed with them. I'm going to knock off one star for the case design but if this doesn't bother you then you can buy with confidence - they're a really nice set of bluetooth 'cans'.