Crossbeats Sonic 3 Review: Superb TWS Product On A Budget
60+ hours of battery life, hybrid ANC and great build quality put the Sonic 3 among the top affordable TWS earbuds
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The TWS segment is buzzing more than ever. With new products entering the market every other day, consumers now have more options than ever. One such new entry in the TWS market is the Crossbeats Sonic 3 and here is what we thought of it.
The Crossbeats Sonic 3’s packaging is decent. Upon unboxing, users would get the earbuds nicely tucked inside the case, spare tips, a type-C to type-C charging cable and some documents.
The case is neat and seems to be well-built for its price point. One thing that is very bothersome in affordable TWS is the quality of the case, especially the hinge. In this case, however, we were impressed with the overall built quality.
The USB charging port is traditionally placed at the bottom given the oval shape of the case. The case is just the right size and isn’t a cause for concern. At first, there’s nothing that would catch your eye, that is, until you open the case. The way it opens up is different than we had expected that really caught our attention.
TWS earbuds need to be comfortable and there’s no other way to go about it. As mentioned earlier, the Sonic 3's case is well-built. It even comes with an LED light under the Crossbeats logo. However, are the earbuds equally impressive? Ergonomically speaking, yes. We’d rate them seven out of ten. They fit like a glove and do not fall off easily. It's a bit different the moment you use them in sweaty conditions. Overall, these stem-shaped earbuds are glossy and stylish to look at and have a good in-ear fit.
These TWS earbuds pack some serious hardware. With 13mm Graphene drivers (SBC and AAC codecs), the buds deliver solid audio. Sound leakage wasn’t a problem at all, which is a huge bonus for these earbuds. The overall audio output is well-balanced with no distortion even at maximum volume. Bass is not a forte for the Sonic 3. Hence, if you’re expecting great bass, these earbuds might not be the one for you.
The Gaming Mode in the Sonic 3 TWS is not too bad either. The manufacturer claims 40ms of latency which is great in paper. In reality, too, our gaming experience was smooth and didn’t have any issues as far as audio was concerned. Stereo separation is an important aspect among today’s gamers, especially given the sudden rise in the popularity of online multiplayer games. To check this, we played games such as Call of Duty: Warzone and BGMI with the Sonic 3 on and we have to say that the overall experience was satisfactory. Gunshots, footsteps, background music, everything sounded good.
This is a major element in TWS earbuds. No one has the time to wait for the phone to connect with the earbuds. In the worst-case scenario, you need to open the settings panel and manually connect the devices. The Sonic 3 buds offer Bluetooth v5.3 which provides long-lasting and secure connectivity. Crossbeats also offers features such as Hall Switch Tech, Instant Wake and Pair (IWP) technology which instantly connects the earbuds with the last paired device as soon as the user opens the lid.
This translates into a decent calling experience. The quad mic set up in the Sonic 3 is capable of delivering good-quality audio during calls. However, we did face issues on occasion to the point that we had to disconnect the earbuds and talk via the phone.
The ANC in the Sonic 3 was a bit tricky. You need to tap on the earbuds 4 times to activate it. Crossbeats might want to change that into something more convenient like a tap-and-hold. Doing this once more leads to the hear-through mode which allows ambient sound to reach your ears via the earbuds.
Regardless, the 30dB hybrid noise cancellation in the Crossbeats Sonic 3 is impressive at this price point. For professionals who need their own creative space during work, this is a great product on a budget.
With the Sonic 3 TWS earbuds, we got a run time of seven to eight when used at a stretch which is quite impressive. In the case of daily regular use, which is on and off usage while travelling to work and back, during workouts and the occasional evening walks, however, users can expect a run time of about a week on a full charge.
Well, the short answer is yes. In today’s market, there’s always a product for your budget and this is a similar story. If your pockets allow you to spend up to Rs 1,999 for TWS earbuds, this is a solid option to consider.
The audio quality in these earbuds is good and so is the build quality. After using these for the last few weeks, we have had no issue whatsoever. In all honesty, there isn’t scope for much complaining either. The Crossbeats Sonic 3 could give some of the more expensive products in the affordable TWS earbuds a run for their money.
