Tribit FlyBuds C1 Review: An Affordable Alternative to AirPods 

Price When Reviewed

$74.99

Best Prices Today: Tribit FlyBuds C1

$59.99

Since 2017, Tribit has made a habit of creating innovative, high-performance audio devices at prices that challenge competitors.

With its FlyBuds C1, the Chinese company is offering a very similar product to Apple’s AirPods for half the price. According to Tribit, they also have better transmission capacity than other earphones in the same range, with stable connectivity and balanced sound.

But is this the real deal? I was lucky enough to be able to try them out, and have all the answers you need.

Design

• Ultra comfortable
• Modern design
• Physical controls

The design of the FlyBuds C1 gives an impression of solidity and durability, which is reassuring for mid-range headphones. The model tested is a black wireless pair, with small flashes of red in the outer areas, which I appreciate for their discretion. Their shape, and that of the casing, is similar to that of the well-known AirPods, although the latter are much thinner.

Mathilde Vicente / Foundry

They are housed in a slightly textured oval case that prevents them from slipping out of your hands. What’s more, the earphones are secured by a magnet placed in each hole, so they stay in place without fear of being lost or dropped once the case is opened.

For comfort, Tribit includes different sizes of ear tips to attach to the earphones, so that they can be adapted to the ears of the wearer. Thanks to the silicone material, they are very comfortable to wear and, once the right angle has been found, rarely fall out.

Each earpiece is fitted with physical micro-buttons with direct haptic feedback that allow you to manage music playback and calls, or activate the voice assistant (which unfortunately didn’t work for us) and adjust the volume. These are located on the stems, and are practical in situations that require more frequent adjustment of the headphones, such as during sports sessions.

Mathilde Vicente / Foundry

Tribit has fitted these buds with IPX5 protection for resistance to splashes and perspiration.

Connection

• Stable Bluetooth
• Simple configuration

As you can see, the Tribit FlyBud C1 are wireless headphones that connect to your smartphone or computer via Bluetooth 5.0 technology, and support AAC, AptX and SBC codecs.

Pairing is simple and straightforward. All you have to do is place the earphones in their case, then hold down the button for a few seconds before searching for them in your phone’s Bluetooth settings.

The connection was very stable during our tests, with a range of up to eight metres. After pairing with your smartphone once, they’ll do so automatically the next few times, without needing to go through the settings.

Audio performance

• Good active noise reduction, except during calls
• Balanced, clear sound

After testing them listening to different styles of music (afropop, rock and jazz), I was more than pleasantly surprised by the experience.

They use 4-microphone ENC and CVC 8.0 technology to reduce background noise by 90%, according to the brand. Personally, I can’t confirm or deny such information, but I did find it very effective when waiting at the station, strolling through the city centre or working in an office.

I found the sound to be very balanced, immersive and optimised, a surprising result for such a small price. The mids sound soft and warm, the highs are clear despite a slight lack of brilliance, and the bass is powerful and well-tuned.

To put the microphones to the test, I made several calls during which voices were distinct and well reproduced. It was during these calls, however, that the active noise reduction system showed its weaknesses, letting some of the surrounding sounds through.

Mathilde Vicente / Foundry

This performance is made possible by the integration of the Qualcomm QCC3040 aptX chip, which offers even better transmission, with a 75% increase in connectivity. What’s more, it supports 16-bit audio with a sampling frequency of 48 kHz, which translates into CD quality, with surprisingly high precision in all directions – as if they were incorporating surround technology.

To round things off, I’d have liked to be able to adjust and customise the audio using a companion app. However, at this price it’s not surprising that there isn’t one. If that’s not enough for you, then you might want to consider the FlyBuds C1 Pro model, available for £79.99 from Amazon.

Battery life and charging

• 50 hour battery life with case
• Quicker or slower recharging

Energy consumption has been reduced by 30% thanks to the advanced technology of the Qualcomm QCC340 chip, giving you 60 hours of autonomy with the Flybuds C1 case, which can be recharged in two hours using the USB-C cable supplied.

Without the cable, and on a single charge, you can expect to be listening for around ten hours. This battery life is far superior to similar or even top-of-the-range earphones.

On the front of the case, there are 4 small LED indicators to let you know the battery status and that of the earphones.

Mathilde Vicente / Foundry

Price and availability

At just $74.99/£59.99 (and discounted even further at the time of writing), the Tribit FlyBuds C1 are very affordable and formidable contenders among the best cheap 100% wireless headphones. In the US, you can get them from Tribit and Amazon – UK readers can just get them from Amazon.

And if you want to spend less, bear in mind that wireless headphones with ANC for around this price are very rare. Here, you’ll have a pair of earphones that offer exceptional value for money, with surprisingly high-end features.

You can see further options in our list of the best cheap headphones and the best true wireless earbuds.

Verdict

The FlyBuds C1 offer active noise reduction for a competitive price, superb audio quality thanks to advanced technologies like ANC mode and impressive battery life.

What’s more, they have a pleasing AirPod inspired design, and are very comfortable, especially over time. The absence of a companion app is a shame, as is the lack of wireless charging.

That said, if you choose to buy the FlyBuds C1, you won’t be disappointed. They’re perfectly capable of holding their own – all for a tempting price tag.

This review is a translated and localised piece – you can find the original article by Mathilde Vicente over on Tech Advisor France.

Specifications

• IPX5
• Bluetooth 5.2
• Range up to 8 metres
• Up to 50 hours with charging case
• 12 hours of listening time on a single charge
• Audio Codec laptX™, AAC, SBC