Pros:
– Punchy and loud sound output
– Lightweight and comfortable fit
– Good overall battery backup
– Decent call quality
– IPX4 sweat resistance
– Bluetooth 5.3 compliant with support for AAC codec
– Affordable
Cons:
– Controls can be dodgy at times
– Sounds a bit harsh at high volume
– No sound or control tweaks
We have been reviewing a lot of midrange earphones lately that are packed with features like active noise cancellation (ANC), a companion app for customisable sound, multipoint connectivity and the works. Today, we look at something simple and affordable that doesn’t flaunt anything fancy and focuses on the basics. The Probuds 22, from the popular phone manufacturer Lava, are entry-level true wireless (TWS) earphones that promise good sound and solid battery backup. Let’s see if they can deliver.
Lava Probuds 22: Design and Comfort (7.5/10)
The earbuds sport a standard golf club design with not-too-long stems. There is nothing bad about it though. The buds largely have a glossy finish, but fingerprints and smudge marks weren’t too conspicuous on the white variant we received; not sure I can say the same about its black variant. The squarish case with rounded edges looks neat and has a smooth matte finish.
While the case is compact, it isn’t slim enough to be slipped in a pocket without a noticeable bulge. The exact weight is not stated, but neither the buds nor the case are on the heavier side, despite the latter hosting a sizable 500 mAh battery. A charge indicator LED is located at the front of the case, while a USB-C charging port can be spotted at the back. Though a tad plasticky, the build quality of the product is pretty good enough for the segment.
The buds are comfortable to wear for a few hours at a stretch and the fit is snug enough to not pop out of the ear even during a workout or a jog. The right-sized silicon tips offer decent passive noise isolation. Two extra pairs are bundled in the package along with a USB charging cable. The touch zones are present at the back of the buds and the area is marked to give you an idea of where to tap. They accept single and double tap gestures, along with ‘touch and hold’.
Lava Probuds 22: Features and Specifications (6/10)
These Lava earbuds are IPX4-rated splash-resistant, so you can wear them to the gym or for a jog without worrying about sweat damage. The charging case does not have any ingress protection, so be careful with that. Each earbud is fitted with a 12 mm dynamic driver and two microphones for calling and Environmental Noise Cancellation (ENC) during calls. You do not get active noise cancellation or wear detection sensors here, which is on expected lines in this budget.
The Probuds 22 are Bluetooth 5.3 compliant and support SBC and AAC codecs; the latter is good to see in TWS buds priced under Rs 1,500. Lava has kept things simple and does not include a companion app to tweak the sound or controls or anything. That is fine in this budget, but the default gestures could have been smarter. Single tap is assigned for play/pause and double tap to jump to the previous or next track (left and right bud respectively).
At times, when you try adjusting the buds, you end up pausing the audio; something I can live with. But single tap also lets you answer or end calls, and I often ended up cutting calls with an accidental touch in the middle of the conversation, which was quite annoying. Like most decent earbuds these days, the end call function should have been assigned to double tap ideally. Also, the touch sensitivity can be a little dodgy at times, and the input doesn’t get registered if you tap too fast or too slow.
Lava Probuds 22: Performance (7/10)
Typically, wireless earphones in this price bracket target the bass heads with an abundance of bass. Surprisingly and thankfully, Lava hasn’t taken that route with the Probuds 22. No, it isn’t bass-deficient by any means, and if you feel otherwise, try adjusting the buds in the ear or using different-sized ear tips. There is enough thump in the lows to enjoy the beats without going over the top. As a result the mids, and especially vocals, sound crisp and clear, which is great.
The highs have a decent presence too which lends a good balance to the sound. The overall detail in sound is average at best and the soundstage is on the narrower side, but given the price of this product, it is acceptable. The loudness is pretty good though and the Probuds 22 are perfectly audible around 50% volume in quieter areas. Even outdoors, I rarely had to push it beyond 60%. Speaking of volume level, these earbuds sound best in the 50% to 70% loudness band. Beyond that, they sound a little shrill and harsh on the ear.
As I mentioned earlier, there is no companion app or hardware preset to alter the sound profile. You will have to make do with the default tuning, which is actually pretty good unless you are a bass-head. We faced no latency issues when watching videos, with no noticeable lag between the video and audio. The wireless range is as promised with a strong connection up to 10 metres with a clear line of sight.
Lava Probuds 22: Call quality (7/10)
The call quality on these earphones is more than decent, especially thanks to the four microphones. The caller can be clearly heard indoors as well as outdoors, but the voice sounds slightly tinny. However, your voice is transmitted with much better clarity and the ENC works reasonably well to suppress a big chunk of the ambient noise even when outdoors. So yes, the Lava Probuds 22 is a good budget option if your daily usage involves a lot of calls.
Lava Probuds 22: Battery life (8/10)
The battery backup here is quite impressive. The company claims 7 hours for the buds and a whopping 50 hours overall with the charging case. Hold your horses! While the Probuds 22 cannot achieve the advertised numbers, the battery life is still pretty good. With loudness close to 60% during testing, the earbuds managed to go on for close to five and a half hours on a full charge, and for about 34 hours with the charging case.
They also support fast charging, with a 10-minutes charge promising two hours of playtime, which is more than handy, if not spectacular. The case and the buds can be fully charged in a little over an hour, using a standard 10W USB-C charger. The overall battery level of the earbuds is visible in the Bluetooth settings of the synced device but not that in the individual buds or the charging case. One has to rely on the colour of the LED indicator on the case to know when it needs a recharge.
Lava Probuds 22: Price and verdict
The Lava Probuds 22 is priced at Rs 1,399 with a one-year warranty. If the price tag is higher on popular e-commerce platforms, simply buy it from Lava’s online store on their website. For its asking price, you get a simple, no-nonsense pair of TWS earphones with a lively sound output without excess bass, decent call quality and impressive battery backup. In other words, it does get the basics right and offers good value for money. It is a very good option if you do not like overly bassy sounds.
I cannot think of too many TWS earphones under Rs 1,500 that sound better than this Lava pair. Most of the better ones are priced closer to Rs 2,000. But the generally pricier Oppo Enco Buds2 is often spotted selling for Rs 1,499 in the ongoing online festive sales. For that price, it is a great alternative. Not only does it sound a little better than the Probuds 22, but also offers customisable controls and three sound presets, which makes it a better all-round product for a hundred bucks more.
