The Truly Wireless System Earphones market has been booming for the past few quarters. A trend that was set in place by Apple has quickly turned into a global phenomenon and later to a segment.
We have tested out numerous TWS buds here for our readers and today we bring two new buds to your attention. These buds come from a relatively new brand called Truke and carry the model names S1 and Q1.
We have been using both the Truke Buds S1 and Buds Q1 for close to a week now and while on paper these TWS buds seem decent for the price, let’s dive into our review to find out more for a more informed buying decision.
Truke Buds S1 TWS Specifications
Here are some essential specifications and features of the device.
- Bluetooth Version– 5.1
- Drivers – 10mm Dynamic Drivers
- Controls – Touch Controls
- Earbud Weight – 4.6g
- Claimed Battery Life – Up to 8-10 Hours/ Up to 100 hours with the case
- Number of Microphones – 2 (each side)
- Rating – IPX4
Package Contents
- Truke Buds S1 TWS
- Quick Start Guide
- Charging Case
- USB Type C charging cable
Design & Performance
Since we have been using both the buds parallel to each other and they have the same guts, we will keep our assessment crisp and to the point. Starting with the Truke Buds S1, they have a puck-like design with soft-touch plastic material used for the case construction. The buds have an in-ear design and carry a small stem that houses the mics and the touch controls.
There is nothing extraordinary design-wise here, and the black glossy finish on the buds is a dirt and fingerprint magnet and needs constant wiping. Another design choice, we didn’t like is the big Truke branding on the buds themselves. It is justified on the case but doing the same on the buds is overkill. The case carries the same design choices and has a slide-out lid which is slowly catching up pace in the budget TWS segment.
The case packs a relatively large battery and hence has a heft to it. One notable feature here is the digital battery display inside the case for each of the buds that needs a bit more calibration to display a bit more accurate battery stat.
Moving to the performance, pairing the buds is relatively easy. These buds follow the master-slave connectivity protocol going around with earbuds pairing themselves and showing up as a single unit in the Bluetooth panel of the smartphone making the process even easier.
The Truke Buds S1 carry 10mm dynamic drivers on each side which are slightly bass-heavy. These are not exactly well-balanced and sound muddy at times. This leads to poor sound separation. What they are good at is hearing vocals. People who enjoy listening to podcasts would definitely like these. These have dual-mics on either side which translated to better call experience in quiet places but struggle in very noisy environments.
As for the battery life, the company claimed figures are not exactly met. During our brief use, the buds lasted close to 6 hours with the volume set to 65%. The case holds a massive 500mAh battery inside it which was able to provide us additional 4 charge cycles. Both the buds and the case took a little over 1 hour for a full top-up.
Truke Buds Q1 TWS Specifications
Here are some essential specifications and features of the device.
- Bluetooth Version– 5.1
- Drivers – 10mm Dynamic Drivers
- Controls – Touch Controls
- Earbud Weight – 4.6g
- Claimed Battery Life – Up to 6-8 Hours/ Up to 30 hours with the case
- Number of Microphones – 2 (each side)
- Rating – IPX4
Package Contents
- Truke Buds Q1 TWS
- Quick Start Guide
- Charging Case
- USB Type C charging cable
Design & Performance
The Truke Buds Q1 has a more traditional pebble-like design with a common lid design. The lid is perfectly weighed and the hinge feels like it could hold for quite a while. The case has a matte finish which is appreciated but the buds on the other hand have the same glossy finish we saw on the Buds S1.
The questionable logo placement on the buds makes a comeback here as well. Unlike the Buds S1, the Buds Q1 has smaller stems on the buds and looks relatively smaller when compared to S1. The in-ear fit is decent just like the Buds S1. The difference is obviously with the case design and the smaller battery we get on these which makes the case light.
There is a digital battery display inside the case for each of the buds that shows the battery stats for the buds and like S1 these too need a bit of calibration.
Moving to the performance, pairing the buds is relatively easy. Buds Q1 to follow the master-slave protocol and carry 10mm, dynamic drivers, on each side. Our assessment for these buds is exactly the same as that of the buds S1. They are base-heavy, with a muddy sound stage, good for listening to vocal stuff. Since the stem is short here, though there are quad-microphones at play here. The call quality is not that great. If you’re buying these solely for taking calls, I would suggest shelling a few hundred bucks more and picking the Buds S1.
As for the battery life, the company claimed figures are not exactly met. During our brief use, the buds lasted a little over 5 Hours with the volume set to 65%. The case holds a smaller battery here and hence we got just 2 top-ups here.
Verdict – Worth buying?
Both the Truke Buds S1 and Buds Q1 are priced well under INR 1,600 making them good options for people on a tight budget. Don’t go with them thinking the audio is the best under INR 2k price bracket but get these for the long battery and calling experience, especially the Buds S1.
For audio needs, we would suggest getting the Realme Buds Q, Redmi Buds, or the Oppo W11 TWS which are all under INR 2,000 and offer much better design and audio experience compared to the S1 and Q1.
