SoundPEATS H3

Sonic Compass does not grade gear. We plot gear and listeners on the same seven axes, so a review tells you where a product sits and you can see how far that is from where you sit.

I'm a wired listener and I'm wary of true wireless. Too often it means compressed codecs and Bluetooth gremlins. SoundPEATS sent me the H3 after I contacted them, following a viewer comment on one of my earlier reviews. Thanks to Susie for sending them out. SoundPEATS did not see this review or have any say in it before it was published.

All listening was on a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 over LDAC, on the default Classic EQ unless I say otherwise. I expected another forgettable pair of buds. I didn't get one.

Where the H3 sits — The shape leans out toward Emotional Engagement, Dynamics & Jump and Comfort, and sits warm on Tone Colour. It gives up a small amount of resolution against much dearer sets. Its stage is bigger than I expected from true wireless.

Bass — Deep with and without EQ, and controlled rather than muddy. Even on the neutral setting it has more bass weight and power than the much dearer set I compared it with.

Mids and vocals — The bass doesn't come at the expense of the midrange. Vocals aren't recessed at all; they're forward and powerful.

Treble and detail — Very clear and very detailed, with no sibilance or fatigue even played loud. In a straight comparison the U-XUE resolves a little more, but you need to listen side by side to hear it.

Stage and imaging — Vast, with wide instrument separation and imaging that is very good for the price. Hendrix was thrown around and well outside my head.

H3 vs Unique Melody U-XUE — The U-XUE costs about three times as much. It has a touch more treble detail and resolution, so technically it is slightly superior, but the H3 isn't far behind. The H3's bass is beefier and more powerful, even on the neutral EQ. Staging and separation are similar, and both place images all around and outside my head. The H3 is warmer, with a little less treble energy, but it's still exciting, and it fits better inside my ears, which is my preference. The U-XUE gets the medal for technical detail. Overall I'd choose the H3 for fit, style, price and sheer excitement, and it costs a third as much.

Read this against your own profile — I sit toward the bright, detail-first end of the compass. The H3 is warm out of the box, and that is the biggest gap between us. It's easy to close: I made two presets, one with extra bass and one with extra treble, and used both a lot. Detail and stage are my top priorities, and the H3 comes close on both. If you like a warm, dynamic sound it is close to a bullseye on Classic. If you like it bright and detail-first, budget ten minutes in the EQ for a treble lift. Even then a dearer set will resolve a little more, and whether that is worth three times the price is your call.

App and daily use — The PeatsAudio app is smart looking and shows everything I need. The ANC options (Adaptive, Indoor, Outdoor and Traffic, plus Normal and two transparency modes) are a real plus for commuters. There are twelve EQ presets, including Rock, Bass, Electronic, Classical and Folk, and each makes a significant difference. I stuck with the default, Classic. Touch controls can be switched off, and I did. Game mode cuts latency to 60ms. Calls were perfectly clear.

What didn't work — My Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 didn't suit the app. It wouldn't run in split screen or on the unfolded screen, so I had to use the single cover screen. The adaptive EQ hearing test never ran: the animation kept flashing the buds in and out of the head and no test tones played. I found others reporting the same, reinstalled the app and tried every workaround, and nothing worked. I'm following it up with SoundPEATS and will report back. Connecting two devices at once drops LDAC, which the U-XUE also does. My phone offers LDAC but not aptX Adaptive or aptX Lossless, so I haven't heard either.

Honest limits — ANC was barely tested. I live on a very quiet street and it was calm on the day, so I couldn't test the claimed 55dB. It worked in every mode around the house and shut out my three demonic dogs for a while. SoundPEATS's own battery table gives 5 hours per charge on LDAC (the 7 hours is for SBC and AAC); after four hours on LDAC the app showed about half charge, but I didn't run it down, so neither that nor the 37-hour case figure is checked. Most listening was on Classic, with some on my own presets that I didn't always record. The U-XUE comparison was by ear and wasn't level-matched. I took no measurements.