Tribit FlyBuds C1 Review
Cheap true wireless with good sound quality
Verdict
The Tribit FlyBuds C1 offer detailed sound, a comfortable fit and over 11 hours of battery life at an affordable price. It’s a shame their bass performance falls short.
Pros
- Detailed audio
- Very long battery life
- Comfortable fit
Cons
- Weak bass
- Subjective design
- No IP rating or wireless charging
Key Features
- Noise cancellationFour-mic ENC and Qualcomm CVC keeps calls clear
- 12 hour battery life50 hours total with the case
- Wireless connectivityBluetooth 5.2
- Audio codecsaptX, AAC and SBC support
Introduction
Tribit entered the audio scene in 2017, producing a host of headphones, speakers and wireless earbuds at affordable prices.
We were pleasantly surprised with how the rugged Stormbox Micro was but – until now – we had yet to review any of the Tribit’s earbuds.
The FlyBuds C1 are the company’s top true wireless earbud, packing Qualcomm’s QCC3040 chip and aptX technology, offering what Tribit calls a “CD-quality listening experience”. The earbuds also take advantage of 4 mic ANC and AI noise reduction for clear calls.
So, how effective are these features? And, how do the earbuds sound?
Availability
- UKRRP: £89.99
- USARRP: $89.99
- EuropeRRP: €89.99
- CanadaRRP: CA$99.99
Design
- Have a unique grey and red design
- Lightweight and comfortable
- No IP rating
The FlyBuds C1 are a unique-looking pair of earbuds. They’re a little chunky but feature the stem shape popularised by Apple’s AirPods and seen on other budget earbuds like the EarFun Air and the Enacfire A9.
The tail has a shiny gunmetal grey tint to it, while the top of the stem is enveloped in a reflective red halo. The dark body and red circle immediately had me picturing the eyes and body of a housefly. I’m not sure if this was deliberate given the earbuds’ name or just a mere coincidence, but the FlyBuds certainly have a distinctive look.
Tribit has forgone touch controls for a small physical button at the bottom of each tail. I actually quite liked the button as it meant the controls didn’t push the earbuds further into my ear the way touch controls can do.
The earbuds come with six pairs of ear-tips in varying sizes. However, the difference in size is subtle so you might struggle to get the perfect seal if your ears are particularly small or large.
Thankfully, this doesn’t stop the earbuds from feeling very lightweight and comfortable in the ear. The fit is also very secure – I wouldn’t hesitate to take these earbuds to the gym if it weren’t for the lack of IP rating to protect them from water or sweat.
The earbuds are housed in a small, oblong charging case. The case is a subtle matte black shade and feels sturdy enough to chuck into a backpack or jacket pocket on your way out the door. The case comes with a USB-C cable but does not include support for wireless charging.
Features
- Environmental Noise Cancellation isn’t adjustable
- Qualcomm cVc for call clarity but there is an echo
- Battery life falls short of Tribit’s claims
The FlyBuds C1 are powered by Qualcomm’s QCC3040 chip. The chip, which is found in mid-range and entry-level wireless earbuds, is designed to offer robust Bluetooth connectivity, all-day wear, voice assistant support and integrated noise cancellation.
The latter comes in the form of Tribit’s four-mic Environmental Noise Cancellation (ENC), which Tribit claims is capable of silencing up to 90% of noise. I found that the earbuds did a great job of cutting out the sounds of cars and reducing chatter to an indiscernible mumble.
I would have liked to see a way to adjust the ENC or a transparency mode to let sounds in when needed, but considering their price, effective noise cancellation is still a welcome addition.
The FlyBuds also take advantage of Qualcomm’s cVc (Clear Voice Capture) 8.0 technology, which suppresses noise in calls for clearer voices. While the earbuds generally performed well during calls, my friends did recall a slight echo on my end.
There’s no built-in voice assistant, but you can click either button three times to wake up your mobile device’s voice assistant. You can also use the button to play and pause, skip forwards and backwards; answer or reject a call, adjust volume and power the earbuds on and off without putting them in the case.
The FlyBuds C1 boast an impressive battery life. Tribit claims the earbuds offer 12 hours of playtime, with 50 hours total available in the charging case. When I tested the earbuds, I only managed to glean 11 hours and 14 minutes of listening out of them. While this fell a little short of Tribit’s claims, it’s longer than you’ll find on most wireless earbuds, including many of the top picks in our best wireless earbuds.
Sound quality
- Vocals are crisp and clear
- Warm and energetic sound
- The bass needs more oomph
Tribit highlights the FlyBuds C1’s “lifelike and CD-quality” sound on its website, but do they really sound as good as Tribit promises? Yes and no.
The Flybuds are – generally speaking – a great-sounding pair of earbuds. The earbuds offer a crisp and energetic sound that is packed with detail. Sound isolation is excellent too, but the bass left me wanting more.
The tonal balance in Frank Ocean’s Nights isn’t obviously off. The vocals are full and packed with detail giving Ocean’s voice plenty of character, especially in the final third of the song where his voice takes the focus. The highs sound good too, though the soundstage feels cramped at times. The low end does fall behind slightly in this track, but the lack of bass doesn’t stick out.
Moving on to a more energetic track, Should I Stay or Should I Go by The Clash is warm and thrilling. The drums and vocals in particular are crisp and clear, leaving no breath or small detail unaccounted for.
The Weeknd’s Blinding Lights highlights my biggest issue with the FlyBuds C1’s sound: the bass. While the vocals again sound great, the earbuds fail to capture the punch or rumble of the bass. The FlyBuds present a warm and crisp sound, but the lack of bass makes it feel like a weak attempt on the song.
Overall, the FlyBuds C1 are an energetic and detailed pair of earbuds – it’s just a shame there isn’t more bass to give tracks more of an impact.
Should you buy it?
You want earbuds with a long battery life At just over 11 hours, the FlyBuds may have fallen short of Tribit’s claims but they’re still well above average.
You want ground-shaking bass These earbuds sound great, but bass is one area they fall short in.
Final Thoughts
The Tribit FlyBuds C1 offer detailed sound, a comfortable fit and over 11 hours of battery life at an affordable price. It’s a shame their bass performance falls short.
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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 FlyBuds C1 feature Environmental Noise Cancellation (ENC) and Qualcomm’s cVc call technology.
No, the FlyBuds C1 case does not support wireless charging.
The FlyBuds C1 do not have an IP rating, meaning they are not certified dust or waterproof.
Specs
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.
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.
