Tronsmart Onyx Apex True WirelessTM Stereo ANC Earbuds Review

The Tronsmart Onyx Apex True WirelessTM Stereo ANC Earbuds are the latest in a line of wireless earbuds, and once again, as with my previous experience with this brand, they are pretty darned good. Being able to wirelessly listen to your tunes without threading a cable through your clothes like a police informant working undercover is a big plus, but it sure helps if they sound good. This is the second time I’ve reviewed a pair of buds by Tronsmart, and having mostly enjoyed the previous versions, expectations were high.

What Are the Tronsmart Onyx Apex Earbuds?

The Tronsmart Onyx Apex True WirelessTM Stereo ANC Earbuds are a pair of Bluetooth-enabled active noise cancelling earbuds. In other words, they have the technology in them that “listens” to the ambient sound around you and reverses the phase – effectively cancelling it out so that you can’t hear it. Using this technology while listening to the sounds and music in noisy environments becomes not only possible but enjoyable.

Of course, the Tronsmart Onyx Apex Earbuds also have microphones included for use with your phone so that you can take calls while wearing them. Also, when they are in the neat case included in the kit, they are actually being charged, as you can see from the flashing lights. You also get three pairs of silicone tips in the kit to help fit the buds into your ears and a charging cable for charging the case.

Inside the buds is the popular Qualcomm QCC3040 chip, which delivers aptX audio decoding and the wireless audio and noise cancelling, as well as Bluetooth 5.2 for a “more reliable connection,” lower power and lower “latency,” otherwise known as delay. On paper they should sound very nice; let’s see if we can say the same after trying them out.

Also read: Tronsmart Mega Pro Portable Speaker Review

Using the Tronsmart Onyx Apex Earbuds

While I’m not sure where these earbuds fit in the Tronsmart range, I can tell you with some certainty that they are really nice earbuds. Being slightly larger and more bulbous in their body than some other buds means they fit much more positively in the ear hole, between the literal hollow in the ear called the concha and the flap called the tragus.

Fitting so snugly, the sound is really good, and in noise cancelling mode, it’s even better – much more full and devoid of all extraneous noise. There are two active noise cancelling or ANC modes: ambient and noise cancelling. Ambient mode is good for walking about because it mixes a bit of outside sound into your ear, improving your grasp of what’s going on around you. This means you won’t get run over by a cyclist when you’re crossing a road in the early morning and looking the wrong way.

Also read: Tronsmart Apollo Q10 Hybrid Active Noise-Cancelling Headset Review

I actually like just wearing the Tronsmart Onyx Apex Earbuds with the noise cancelling turned on and no music going into them because it makes an oasis of silence in a noisy place, good for meditation or when you just need time to think for a bit.

The controls are the same as the other buds in the Tronsmart line: tap twice on either bud to play, tap twice again to stop. Toggling between the noise cancelling modes is three taps. Volume is one tap, once on the left to go down and once on the right to go up. Easy to do and easy to remember.

The Tronsmart Onyx Apex Earbuds charging case has a USB-C cable and four indicator lights for charge levels. The case is sturdy but smooth yo easily fit into your pocket and has a lid with a magnetic catch.

There are very few downsides to the Tronsmart Onyx Apex Earbuds. I had some problems initially with stuttering, whereby the connection was interrupted repeatedly, but this went away after a while, so either it was a charge problem or something on my body was blocking the signal. Mostly they pair flawlessly, but occasionally I got the same stuttering, and I can’t account for it.

Also, I found the controls on these buds had a bit of a hair trigger, even when compared to the company’s other buds. It’s not awful, but you do have to be very clear how many taps you are doing. Frequently, I was attempting to start or stop the sound, and it toggled the next noise cancelling mode instead. Or, I tried to raise the volume and it stopped. It could be that my big sausage fingers are the main problem, but that was my experience.

Final Verdict

Taking all of that as read, I think the Tronsmart Onyx Apex True WirelessTM Stereo ANC Earbuds are a terrific pair of earbuds, firm fitting in the ear and good sounding. I’m a big fan and use them all the time despite a silly phobia of wireless earbuds – they are that good. They’re being offered right now for just $49.69 at the link provided. Also check out our review of the Tronsmart Apollo Bold Earbuds.