TicPods Free: colorful, touch controls and good sound

Since Apple decided to remove its headphone jack, Bluetooth headphones rule the streets and the homes of those of us who listen to music with our mobile devices. And within Bluetooth headphones, the star is the "True Wireless" for the freedom and comfort they offer.

With hundreds of "cheap" copies of AirPods in all online and physical stores it is nice to see how a manufacturer wants to offer us something different, and TicPods Free from Mobvoi manage to improve the weak points of the AirPods, and they do it at a very interesting price. We have tested them and this is our analysis.

Design and Specifications

The TicPods Free were born on the IndieGogo crowdfunding platform and they quickly raised enough money to carry out the project. They offer us headphones with 4 hours of autonomy and a case that at the same time acts as a charger that gives them 14 more hours of autonomy. In my tests they have not reached four hours, but they have stayed close, and to get a full charge in the case it takes about 40 minutes, although about 15 minutes of charging gives you an hour of autonomy.

Available in three colors (white, blue and red) the headphones are very reminiscent of AirPods, but not the case that opts for another type of design. The build is good, and the case is well made with a snap-on lid thanks to a magnetic closure. Two front LEDs indicate the charge of the device, and the connector on the back allows you to recharge the case. The headphones are fixed in the case magnetically, and the fact of placing them inside makes them turn off automatically, turning on when you take them out.

In the box we also find a rubber band for the wrist, in case we want to carry the case while we practice sports, something that we can do without problems with these TicPods Free thanks to the IPX5 certification offering resistance to water and sweat. They also fit very well in the ear, and include a set of extra silicone plugs to adapt to different sizes.

These silicone earplugs make wearing them very comfortable, plus they reduce outside noise quite well, without leaving you totally isolated, something necessary if you are going to use them abroad while practicing sports. They will not fall off or move once properly placed in your ears with the correct set of earplugs.

Touch and automatic controls

Why those two AirPods-style spurs? In them we have the battery of the headphones, and also the touch controls. The right earphone is the main one, and by sliding your finger through it we will control the volumeIf we touch twice we will control the playback and if we keep touching we will use the virtual assistant that we have on our smartphone, it does not matter if it is Siri or Google Assistant. Basically everything you want to control is available without taking your smartphone out of your pocket, another important point.

Also, when you want to stop the playback, you just have to remove one earphone, and when you put it back on your ear it will resume. This is in addition to the automatic shutdown when you put them in the box, or to the on when you take them out of it. In fact, when you take them out of the box and insert them into your ears again, the last thing you heard will resume playing. There are no physical buttons or surprises to find that you left them on and they have run out of battery.

Balanced sound and stable connection

The connection of the TicPods Free is Bluetooth, using version 4.2 of this wireless connection. Once linked with your iPhone the connection is very stable, I have not noticed cuts, not even in crowded areas, and only in places with many electronic devices have I noticed cuts in playback. You will not be able to move around the house freely with them on because their range is limited, but as long as you carry your mobile you will enjoy a clean connection.

As for the sound quality, you can not fault them. They have a very balanced sound both when playing music and when making calls. I miss a little more power in the bass, but that also goes a long way in the taste of each one. If we take into account the price range in which it operates, we can say that the audio quality is good. I only find that at very high volumes (not recommended) it distorts sometimes, but I don't think anyone reaches that level in headphones of this type.

Calls are heard clearly, and the other party hears you also without problems even on the street. TicPods have a call noise reduction system so you can talk while you go through the city without problems. Calls are of course heard on both headsets, not like other cheap versions of "True Wireless" headsets.

Editor's opinion

The TicPods Free headphones did not want to limit themselves to being just another "True Wireless" headphones, and they offer us a very balanced product in quality and price with strengths that make it stand out from Apple's AirPods. Noise isolation, touch controls, compatibility with different voice assistants, water and sweat resistance, and various colors available in a product with a sound quality, autonomy and construction quality above the average in the price range in which we operate. You can get them on Amazon for about € 129 (link)