The Swift Summary
Pros
Cons
- 7 hours playback
- Clear call microphone
- Touch Controls
- Super-fast Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity
- Fully waterproof
- Slim profile
- The enhanced bass may need adjusting
Features list for the Tiksounds X15 Wireless Earphones
- Up to 7 hours playback time
- Up to 35 hours playback time with recharges from the case
- Battery level indication screen on case
- Touch controls (play / pause / skip / take calls / connect to voice assistant)
- Large 13mm diaphragm graphene drivers
- Built-in CVC 8.0 microphone (for calls)
- ENC Environmental Noise Cancelling
- Supports AAC decoding (higher quality)
- Enhanced Bass
- IPX7 Waterproof (airtight design – rainproof, sweatproof)
- 3 eartip sizes
- Bluetooth 5.1 wireless connectivity (2 x transmission speeds of 5.0)
- Auto connect feature
- Ultra lightweight (4g)
- Ergonomic design
Swift Thoughts
Design
The Tiksounds X15 earphones are a popular product and I can see why. The metallic graphite grey body and slim svelte profile is a seductive combination.
In your hands they feel really well made and I particularly like the large battery level indicator on the case. You can easily see at a glance how much “juice” you have left, without squinting or reaching for it at the bottom of your bag.
Audio Performance
The X15 in-ear headphones have large 13mm composite diaphragm drivers which produces super high-quality audio, an immersive soundstage and, according to Tiksounds, 43% more bass. The bass is great but perhaps a little too punchy for some ears. Luckily you can dial the bass back a bit with EQ controls for less “thud” in the lower frequencies.
Build Quality
When it comes to build quality the Tiksounds X15 earbuds really excel. They are ideal for fitness or travelling. They have a high waterproof rating of IPX7, which basically means they are airtight, sweatproof, splashproof, rainproof and can withstand some water submersion. So whether you’re out in the sweaty jungles of Borneo or braving snowstorms in Canada these little earphones will hold up to the worst of weathers even if your poor body may not.
Comfort
The X15 earphones are lighter than their predecessor and come with 3 different ear tip shapes/sizes. This helps enormously with comfort and finding the right fit. With a good fitting they wont fall out and the overall sound performance will improve dramatically.
Functionality
For their price point, I was really surprised with the amount of functionality built into these wonderful earphones. From the clear voice capture mic, auto connect feature, intuitive touch controls and impressive water resistance they have more than enough for most audiophiles needs. The Tiksounds X15’s come highly recommended.
Did I mention the whopping 7 hour battery life? OK, I guess now I have.
Swift Scores
Design
Audio Performance
Comfort
Build Quality
Functionality
Battery Life
FAQs
Q: Are they compatible with Android phones?
A: Yes.
Q: Are they compatible with Apple products?
A: They connect to all devices that have Bluetooth.
Q: Will they connect to Alexa or Siri?
A: Yes.
Q: Can you use the earbuds independently (just one)?
A: Yes.
Q: Can the Tiksounds earphones connect to a fitbit watch?
A: Yes.
Q: Are they compatible with my smart TV?
A: A: Yes. If your TV has Bluetooth, then you just need to find the TV settings page that allows you to pair devices. If your TV does not have Bluetooth you can buy inexpensive Bluetooth transmitters/receivers to upgrade your TV.
Q: Are they suitable for running in or at the gym?
A: Yes.
Q: Is the mic good when taking calls?
A: Yes, it worked perfectly well for me. The clear voice capture together with ENC really helps isolate voices at both ends of the call.
What’s in the box?
- Tiksounds X15 Wireless Earphones
- Magnetic charging case
- USB charging cable
- 3 pairs of eartips (small, medium, large)
- User manual
You want it? We’ve found it.
Tiksounds X15 Wireless Earphones are available in 1 colour: black.
Tech Talk
Bluetooth 5.0 and beyond – what does it do?
Bluetooth is a type of wireless technology that helps one device pair with another in order for data (usually audio) to be transferred wirelessly.
You may have noticed a lot of products boast that they have Bluetooth version 5.0 (or higher) built-in. What’s so special about version 5.0? There have been many improvements within the technology over the years, but in brief Bluetooth 5.0 has these improvements over its predecessors:
- Improved reliability
- Extended range
- Faster data transfer speeds
Improved reliability means that a wireless connection is less likely to suddenly fail for no obvious reason.
Extended range means that a device will stay connected with its paired device across longer distances.
Faster data transfer speeds offers both higher quality audio as well as greatly reduced audio lag when watching video content.
ENC – what does it mean?
ENC stands for Environmental Noise Cancelling and should not be confused with ANC (Active Noise Cancelling). Both systems use a combination of mics and special firmware to minimise unwanted ambient noises but are quite different in their purpose. ANC cancels the audio you can hear, conversely ENC cancels the audio your listener hears (eg. the person at the other end of the call).
So when you make a call or are chatting with friends when gaming, the audio heard at the other end is clearer and (hopefully) distraction free.
CVC mics – what do they do?
CVC is a type of noise cancellation. It stands for Clear Voice Capture. So if you are taking calls in a noisy environment, the technology helps minimises loud and distracting external sounds in order to provide a quieter environment for communication.
This is achieved is a couple of ways.
External sounds are combatted with mirrored internal frequencies to cancel them out. In this regard CVC is much like regular ANC (active noise cancellation).
What’s special about CVC technology is that it also uses a range of algorithms to process your voice audio captured through the mic. By using a range of advanced processing techniques, a device with CVC essentially creates a profile of your voice and isolates it from other ambient noises. It performs this magic trick with:
- Automatic gain controls
- Send/Receive equalizers
- Comfort noise
- Howling control
- Nonlinear processing
- Adaptive equalizers
- Power savings techniques
- Auxiliary stream mixing
- Frequency enhanced speech intelligibility
The result offers CVC users nearly a 30 decibel reduction in external noise when making a call.
IPX7 Waterproof – what does it mean?
IPX7 is a protection standard code, also called an IP code. The IP part stands for Ingress Protection, eg. protection from things getting “inside”. The third and fourth letter/digit of the code determines the level of protection a product has surpassed.
The third digit specifically refers to solid particle protection. 0 means there is no protection, and the numbers can go up to 6, which means a product is completely dust-tight. An X here means there is insufficient data in this regard, in other words, there has been no test for this.
The fourth digit refers to liquid protection. 0 means no protection, 7 means the product is water tight when submerged underwater up to 1 metre depth for 30 minutes.
So what does this mean in the real world?
- Rain is unlikely to cause damage to the product
- Spilling liquids onto the product is unlikely to cause damage
- Swimming with the product is unlikely to cause damage
- Spraying water with high powered jets onto the product might cause damage
