It’s time to throw another budget-friendly pair of wireless headphones into the extremely competitive ring, but this time from an admitted favorite, Tribit. We’ve checked out a few of Tribit’s other audio gadgets lately, and have had a pretty great time with all of them.
Needless to say, we’re excited to try these out. Let’s see if they’re worth your cash.
Classic design
- Lightweight earbuds
- Clunky charging case
- Huge battery
Tribit didn’t get too crazy with the Flybuds 3 design. They’re also extremely black, so they’re sure to go with just about everything you already own.
The earbuds themselves are straightforward with wing tips that you see on other earbuds, which not only make them overall a bit more comfortable, but help the headphones stay in your ear if you’re moving around or exercising. And they’re virtually weightless, which is a plus for long-term comfort.
The case is a little less svelte, but that’s a necessary trade-off for the battery claims that Tribit has made. The case houses a massive 2600mAh battery, which is used to keep the headphones juiced up for 100 hours of playback, or to charge your phone on the go so you only need one extra thing in your pocket instead of two.
The drawback here is pretty obvious, though. It’s a clunky case that’s going to be difficult to carry around if you don’t have pockets or simply can’t spare the room, so keep that in mind.
An interesting design decision with this case is the charging ports, however. They’re placed on the front of the case instead of the rear like almost every other charging case, which doesn’t really effect usability but looks pretty different in an otherwise crowded market. Definitely down to preference, though.
Tribit sound
- Great definition
- Subdued low end
So far every Tribit speaker or pair of headphones that I’ve used has exceeded my expectations for the price point. The FlyBuds 3 keep up that trend, but it’s not quite as clear cut as some of their other speakers.
These headphones do sound very good. The midrange is full without getting overwhelming and bloating, and the treble balances everything out nearly perfectly, providing a nice, crisp experience that lets vocals and dialog cut through. The low end, however, is much more reserved compared to other Tribit products and even similar headphones in this price range.
But here’s why that’s not such a bad thing: it’s really hard to do big, booming bass in headphones of this size and price, and tons of headphones that attempt it end up sounding worse off for it. You simply can’t put a huge driver in something smaller than a quarter, and if you could you’d have so many other compromises that would raise loads of other complaints.
I think the bass response might be slightly too subdued in the FlyBuds case, but they have the right idea. They’re not big, thumping earbuds, but they also never suffer from muddled, overly woofy low end. You might miss it while you’re watching blockbuster movies or music tracks with constant double bass kicks, but anyone with a slightly more discerning approach to bass can appreciate what Tribit did here.
Battery life for (literal) days
- Insane battery life
- Doubles as a battery bank
Remember when we mentioned the case for the FlyBuds 3 was a little chunky? Well, there’s a reason for that. If you’re a heavy user that’s listening to music for, say, 8 hours a day, you’ll only need to recharge your case every couple weeks. It’s impressive.
That big 2600mAh battery doesn’t struggle whatsoever to keep charging and charging and charging the earbuds. You can throw it off a bit if you end up using it to charge a phone, and it doesn’t offer any kind of Quick Charge spec, but we appreciate the versatility either way. Get in a rhythm of charging this overnight with your phone and you’ve got a great option for replacing two gadgets in your bag in one swoop. They didn’t skip out on the USB-C charging, either, so it’s all good here.
Everything else
- IPX8 waterproof
- Bluetooth 5.0
- Simple touch controls
Tribit rounds out their FlyBuds 3 with nearly every other feature you’d need out of them. They sport Bluetooth 5.0 for fast and stable connections, and I never had issues with disconnects or earbuds coming out of sync. That slightly more efficient Bluetooth protocol probably plays into the better battery life as well.
The headphones are also IPX8 rated for water resistance, so you can comfortably exercise in these without worrying about destroying them. The secured wing tips help keep them in your ear while you’re jogging or working out too, and the simple touch controls make it easy to play and pause media, take calls, or pop up your favorite voice assistant for quick commands.
There’s a lot to like with the FlyBuds 3, especially at their $40 price point. They’re not the most bass-heavy earbuds we’ve played with, and that might be a dealbreaker for some people, but otherwise they’re definitely some of the most well-rounded options in their category. Check them out next time you’re in the market.
Tribit FlyBuds 3 | $39 | Amazon, Tribit
