RHA TrueConnect Evaluation | Sleeker, Higher AirPods
“There are only a few true wi-fi headphones that carry out almost in addition to RHA’s TrueConnect.”
5-hour battery life
Punchy, dynamic sound
Very secure Bluetooth connectivity
Speedy charging
Sweatproof
Single-button controls will be complicated
No aptX assist
After two years reviewing lots of the prime fashions available on the market, I’ve seen three main elements that differentiate the overwhelming majority of true wi-fi earbuds: Connectivity, battery life, and water/sweat-proofing. Sound, whereas essential, is commonly fairly related throughout fashions, although there are a number of manufacturers that make significantly great-sounding true wi-fi headphones — often for vital value bump.
The TrueConnect rank amongst our favourite true wi-fi headphones, interval.
Apple’s AirPods had been among the many first to attain nice connectivity and battery life, however they provide no water resistance. Frankly, that’s a disgrace, as a result of one of many largest causes to get a pair of true wi-fi earbuds is to make use of them outside or within the gymnasium, the place cumbersome (if better-sounding) over-ear headphones are ill-suited.
Enter the RHA TrueConnect, which marry the AirPods’ “golf tee” design and 5-hour runtime with a matte black end, an IPX5 waterproof score, and the newest Bluetooth connection. It’s a profitable mixture that’s definitely worth the slight premium you’ll pay over Apple’s ‘telephones, inserting the TrueConnect amongst my favourite true wi-fi headphones, simply behind the Jabra Elite Lively 65t.
Out of the field
Like many true wi-fi earbuds, the TrueConnect include little or no other than a u-shaped charging case, USB-C charging cable, and eartips.
Riley Younger/Digital Developments
The charging case is among the many most solidly constructed and distinctive we’ve hung out with, bearing a hinged-metal cowl that slides over the case’s flat portion to disclose the headphones inside. It’s such a cool mechanism, we discovered ourselves feeling oddly glad each time we reached for the headphones.
Options and design
When you slide open the highest of the case, you’ll see two earbuds with shiny LEDs on prime. There’s additionally a small crimson dot on the within of the case and on the inside part of the precise earbud to indicate which is which — a clear design cue that does its job very effectively.
The headphones match snugly into their magnetic cost ports like swords in a sheath, slowly rising from the case to disclose that “golf tee” design made stylish by the AirPods and copied by a number of others. It could have befuddled us all at first, however this design has a goal, permitting firms to cover useful bits in a small space exterior your ears to make the earphones much less cumbersome inside.
Riley Younger/Digital Developments
The TrueConnect’s matte-black coating makes the earphones appear to be Darth Vader’s AirPods, with tender silicone ideas that seat them snugly in your ears and supply a shocking quantity of passive noise isolation. Should you want a bit extra isolation, the headphones additionally include comply foam eartips, which work wonders in noisy environments like busses or planes.
They appear to be AirPods that Darth Vader would use.
The match is remarkably snug, particularly with the froth ideas which mildew to the form of your ears for excellent long-term consolation. I did typically really feel a little bit of an ache approaching after lengthy listening periods (learn: many hours), however that tends to occur with nearly all in-ears.
Whenever you first get them into your ears and paired along with your telephone (the headphones are in pairing mode proper out of the gate), two giant round buttons on the skin of every earphone permit for management.
This brings me to my solely actual gripe with the TrueConnect: Until you wish to merely play or pause music (achieved by a single press on the left or proper earbud), you might end up referring to the consumer handbook for the primary few days. Two or three pushes on the precise earbud raises or lowers music, respectively, with the identical presses on the left earbud skipping songs forwards and again.
Riley Younger/Digital Developments
The controls aren’t unusable by any stretch when you get the dangle of them, however it will have been simpler had the corporate employed a split-button system just like the Jabra Elite Lively 65t. In spite of everything, urgent a button thrice to decrease quantity is considerably annoying.
A number of the most secure connectivity we’ve encountered.
Nonetheless, it’s straightforward to know why the corporate bailed on AirPod-like contact controls. As an aspiring marathoner, I’ve seen firsthand what occurs to the touch controls if you break a sweat: They go haywire, particularly if it’s essential to modify the headphones throughout a vigorous exercise.
Battery life is across the present (and soon-to-be rising) high-end commonplace of 5 hours per cost, with 20 hours of reserve juice within the case. Even higher, the TrueConnect characteristic a USB-C charging port and a fast charging characteristic that enables for 50 p.c battery life in simply fifteen minutes. That fast charging characteristic is definitely fairly exceptional, permitting you to take heed to all of them morning, then shortly energy them up for the remainder of the workday by merely placing them again within the case.
Audio high quality
When it comes to sound, RHA’s TrueConnect constantly impressed me with their bass response. The TrueConnect have daring, authoritative bass that enhances their crisp and pleasurable highs, by no means overtaking music with an annoying growth.
Total, the TrueConnect are very enjoyable to take heed to. I significantly cherished their bass response when listening to trendy classics like Alicia Keys’ If I Ain’t Acquired You, the place hip-hop type kick drum is joined by shiny grand piano. When listening to guitar music like Ryan Adams’ newest report, I discovered myself impressed by the nice and cozy midrange, the place Adams’ vocals and electrical guitar labored collectively with out changing into dense and muddy.
Riley Younger/Digital Developments
The TrueConnect don’t supply the identical gleaming readability of headphones like Sennheiser’s $300 Momentum (and likewise lack aptX connectivity for greater streaming high quality), however as an on a regular basis pair of in-ears, I didn’t discover the TrueConnect to be lackluster by any stretch. They performed my favourite music with gusto, and simply stored me entertained throughout boring bouts on the treadmill.
Plus, the Bluetooth 5.zero connectivity means they’re extremely secure and supply very lengthy vary: I used to be capable of stroll the 30+ ft from my desk to the Digital Developments kitchen with out a lot as a short connectivity glitch — one thing I can’t say about many different true wi-fi buds.
Guarantee data
The RHA TrueConnect include a 36-month guarantee that covers defects in supplies or manufacturing.
The RHA TrueConnect are a well-sorted AirPod various that provide a extra snug match, strong connection, and higher efficiency on the gymnasium.
Is there a greater various?
Within the $150-200 value vary, there are only a few true wi-fi headphones that carry out almost in addition to the RHA TrueConnect. That stated, we do nonetheless choose the Jabra Elite Lively 65t’s sleeker design, which even have barely higher sound and higher microphones for calls. Nonetheless, each pairs supply 5 hours of battery life, nice connectivity, and sweat-proofing. Should you’re AirPods, the one purpose to not purchase the RHA TrueConnect is their lack of prompt iPhone integration.
How lengthy will it final?
The headphones really feel extraordinarily solidly constructed and we had no efficiency or recharge points throughout our testing interval. We count on them to final for a number of years of use earlier than they want alternative.
Must you purchase it?
That relies upon: Should you just like the “golf tee” seems to be of AirPods however need greater general efficiency (and a good nicer charging case), then the RHA TrueConnect are simply the ticket. We nonetheless barely choose the Jabra Elite Lively 65t general, however we wouldn’t level our noses up at anybody who chooses to spring for the TrueConnect as a substitute. Because it stands, they’re simply our second favourite pair of true wi-fi earbuds.
