Treblab X3 Pro Review
Are Treblab's affordable Powerbeats Pro rival up to scratch?
Verdict
The Treblab X3 Pro are an affordable set of true wireless earbuds designed for regular gym goers and runners on a strict budget. During testing they impressed, offering a rock solid fit, good, albeit not best in class, audio quality and reliable battery life.
Pros
- Good value for money
- Solid, gym-ready fit
- Decent battery life
Cons
- Better sound sets available for not much more money
Availability
- UKRRP: £50
- USARRP: $70
Key Features
- Clip designCome with attached clips and multiple silicon tip options
- Wireless connectivityBluetooth 5.0 connectivity with aptX codec support
- 9 hour battery lifeCase has capacity for 4 further charges, but lacks wireless or fast charge support
Introduction
The Treblab X3 Pro are one of the latest true wireless earbuds looking to take on the Powerbeats Pro.
Like many of the sets I’ve tested, they aim to do this by offering a near identical gym-focussed design, but at a lower price tag.
After a solid fortnight using the Treblab X3 Pro as my primary workout earbuds, I can confirm they are a great option for any casual listener looking for a set of true wireless that won’t break the bank.
However, a few niggling issues with their audio quality make them a poor fit for more serious music fans. Those who want the best true wireless possible will be better off investing in a more expensive set.
Design
- Very similar design to the Powerbeats Pro
- The clips and solid selection of tip sizes make it possible to get a solid seal and fit
- The charge case is a little chunky
The Treblab X3 Pro wears its Beats inspiration on its sleeve. The buds have a near identical clip design, featuring protruding hooks that loop round your ears. This is no bad thing as, coupled with the wealth of tip options included in the box, it’s quick and easy to get a solid fit and seal that won’t break, even during animated workouts.
During testing, once I’d swapped to a pair of ear-tips that suited, the buds never dislodged even when I was working a boxing bag or working my way up a climbing wall.
The only difference is that the case is huge, measuring in at 76 x 69 x 42 mm. This makes it around twice the size of most of the regular true wireless earbuds I test, like the Galaxy Buds Pro or competing gym sets such as the Jaybird Vista 2 and Edifier TWS6.
This isn’t a huge issue given their gym focus, but it meant the case was a little too large to fit into my pockets.
Thankfully, it ticks most of the right design boxes expected of a gym set. The IPX7 water resistance rating is a rarity on sets at this price and means they are certified to survive submersion in water up to one meter for 30 minutes. During testing the buds survived being cleaned under a tap after an accidental drop in the mud and proved suitably sweat resistant, used during morning workouts and sporadic runs each week.
My only minor quibble with the X3 Pro’s build quality is that the plastic case feels a little thin and brittle, which left me nervous about its chances of surviving a serious drop onto a hard floor or pavement.
Outside of this, the only design feature worth mentioning is that the X3 Pro’s buds have physical rather than capacitive controls. I’m always a big fan of physical controls on gym sets as all too often, the capacitive controls on earbuds I’ve tested, such as the Amps Air Plus, have become all but useless when met with even moderately wet, or sweaty, digits.
The X3 Pro’s controls continued this trend, with the buttons registering my commands regardless of the conditions. The controls have a fairly low and spongy actuation point, which makes them a little uncomfortable to use mid-run.
Battery life is listed as 9 hours off a single charge with the case carrying enough juice to fully charge the buds another 4 times. During testing I found the buds offered excellent stamina, but never quite got a full 9 hours of listening from them.
With the buds’ volume set to around 60% I got an average of 6-8 hours use. This entailed using the buds during my morning workouts, lunch runs and sporadically throughout the day for general listening.
Though my experience doesn’t quite match the X3 Pro’s quoted life, their stamina is still impressive, especially considering the case and bud’s lightweight design.
Passive noise isolation is also good enough for most users, though background traffic and the sound of other people exercising did creep in at the gym during testing.
Features
- Rock solid Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity
- Passive noise cancellation
The Treblab X3 Pro isn’t the most feature rich set of true wireless I’ve reviewed. They don’t have active noise cancellation (ANC) or wireless charging but for a set of earphones at this price that’s not terribly surprising.
All you get are support for the higher quality aptX streaming codec and fast pairing for iOS and Android devices.
Though the lack of features isn’t terribly surprising given the price, I was still generally impressed with how well the Treblab X3 Pro handled the basics. Though they don’t support the latest version of Bluetooth, I’m yet to have any serious connectivity issues with the Treblab X3 Pro.
Using them for my daily runs around Deptford, which includes going past busy roads and active rail lines, I’ve never had any serious dropouts. The same was true when I tested them walking through London Bridge Station, an area that knocks many cheaper wireless earbuds offline.
Sound quality
- aptX support
- Solid performers for casual listeners
For a set of sub-$100 true wireless the Treblab X3 Pro offer solid audio quality, though they aren’t best in class.
Listening to classic rock tracks, the audio’s tonal balance was reasonably good, with the hi-hat heavy drums, rumbling bass and mid-heavy guitar parts all holding a suitably distinct place in the sound.
The buds also managed to stay reasonably clean, with sibilance and distortion kept to a minimum at high volumes. Even with the volume maxed, jazz saxophone parts sounded pleasingly clean, never taking on the acidic tone they occasionally do on some of cheaper sets I’ve tested.
The only downsides are that the low end is a little flabby for my liking. Listening to blues tracks, the walking bass lines didn’t sound as precise as I’d like. In complex post-rock and neo-classical arrangements, the lower parts could drown out more subtle parts of the tracks’ layered arrangements.
Even with these issues and unless you’re willing to pay more, most casual listeners will struggle to find better audio at this price.
However, if you’re willing to pay more there are better sports sets available. The Edifier TW6 offer slightly more dynamic audio and are only £30 more expensive. If you’re willing to splurge an extra $100 / £100 then the Jaybird Vista 2 offer more detailed audio and come with the added perk of active noise cancellation.
Best Offers
Should you buy it?
You’re looking for a great value pair of true wireless for the gym: The Treblab X3 Pro are a great option for casual listeners looking to get a pair of true wireless to use in the gym or while running. The clip design makes it quick and easy to get a rock solid fit and seal and, for the money, they offer decent audio quality.
You want top-notch audio quality: The Treblab X3 Pro offer good quality for the money, but there are better sounding gym sets available if you are willing to spend a little more. The Edifier TW6 cost $30/£30 more and offer slightly more detailed audio.
Final thoughts
The Treblab X3 Pro are a very competent set of affordable true wireless earbuds that offer a Powerbeats Pro-style clip design, but cost significantly less. This makes them a great option for regular gym goers and runners that need a rock solid fit. They also manage to offer solid audio for their price, but if you are willing to spend a little more there are better sound sets available.
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How we test
We test every headphone we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
FAQs
The Treblab X3 Pro do not have active noise cancellation.
The Treblab X3 Pro do not feature wireless charging.
The Treblab X3 Pro support Qualcomm’s aptX codec, allowing for high quality streaming.
Specs
Jargon buster
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth 5.0 is the latest iteration of the standard, and allows data to be sent at twice as much as speed over previous standards, cover four times as much in terms of distance and transfer eight times as much data.IP rating
An abbreviation for ‘Ingress Protection Code’, which lets you know to what extent a device might be waterproof or dustproof.aptX
Qualcomm’s aptX codec can support higher quality audio than Bluetooth alone.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
