A few years ago, I had the privilege of reviewing the Soundpeats Mini Pro earbuds — a low-cost, no-compromise pair that quickly became one of my favourites. So, when the opportunity arose to review the new Soundpeats Air5 Pro earbuds, I was quick to take it, eager to see whether they could build on the legacy of the earlier model and deliver an even better experience with newer technology.
The Soundpeats Air5 Pro are true wireless earbuds with adaptive active noise cancellation and Bluetooth 5.4, offering several high-resolution audio codecs to enhance your listening experience — all while maintaining a relatively low price of $79.99. While this is slightly more expensive than their predecessor, the price increase is more than justified for what you get.
Unboxing the Soundpeats Air5 Pro, you don’t get much beyond the earbuds in their case, a charging cable and additional ear tips. This is fairly standard these days, and you really don’t need much more. The charging case, while not the smallest I’ve seen, is roughly the size of my Apple AirPods Pro 2 in a rugged case. They’re easily pocketable, and I rarely found them taking up much space.
“Listening to music with the Soundpeats Air5 Pro, I was impressed by the sound quality.”
The earbuds have a similar shape to Apple’s AirPods Pro (2nd generation) and come in white or black — mine being the latter. The black earbuds look particularly striking, with a copper-coloured strip along the stem that pairs nicely with the rest of the design, giving them a more elegant appearance than many single-coloured models on the market.
Wearing the earbuds, I found the Air5 Pro to be very comfortable, even during long listening sessions. Weighing only 4.8 grams, they’re among the lightest earbuds I’ve tested, and I never experienced any fatigue or discomfort while wearing them. While I’m not one to wear earbuds in wet environments, those who do can rest assured that the IPX5 rating will keep them protected through most daily conditions, such as getting caught in the rain.
Listening to music with the Soundpeats Air5 Pro, I was impressed by the sound quality. Each earbud includes a 10-millimetre driver powered by Qualcomm’s QCC3091 Snapdragon Sound, which delivers deep, rich bass, clean highs and detailed mid-tones, ensuring your music sounds as good as possible. No matter the genre, I often found myself choosing them over my much more expensive Apple earbuds for daily use.
Using the Soundpeats Air5 Pro for phone calls, those I spoke to never reported clarity issues, and several said I even sounded better than when using my phone directly. This is thanks to a six-microphone setup with AI noise reduction, which filters background noise and helps your voice come through clearly.
“One aspect that truly surprised me was how well the active noise cancellation performed, even in noisy environments.”
One aspect that truly surprised me was how well the active noise cancellation performed, even in noisy environments. As someone who works as a truck driver and often spends time on highways or construction sites, I found the Soundpeats Air5 Pro could tune out most background noise, allowing me to enjoy my music without interruption. I even wore them at a local truck and tractor pull instead of earplugs. While they didn’t block all the sound, they significantly reduced the roar of engines and exhaust, making the show far more enjoyable. They’re not a substitute for earplugs, but they’ve become a valuable piece of tech in my work bag.
Battery life, while not class-leading, was strong for the price range and comparable to competitors. Each earbud provides up to 7.5 hours of listening time, with up to 37 additional hours available through the charging case. For moments when you need a quick boost, a 10-minute charge offers up to two extra hours of playback, meaning you’re rarely without your music.
I can say with confidence that Soundpeats has built another hit with its new Air5 Pro earbuds. They’ve quickly become a piece of tech I reach for often and are now my go-to earbuds when packing my bag for trips. At only $79.99, they’re a genuine bargain, proving you don’t need to spend heavily on big brand-name products to get great performance. I look forward to seeing how Soundpeats continues to improve its products in the future and hope the company keeps its prices as competitive as they are now.
