TaoTronics SoundLiberty 80 TWS Earbuds | $49 | Amazon | Clip Coupon
If you’re like me and mourning the “bean” aesthetic of Samsung’s Galaxy Bud Live, TaoTronics’ latest SoundLiberty 80 true wireless earbuds sport an arguably even more unique look for a fraction of the price. For a limited time, you can take an extra $10 off the already discounted $59 price of a pair of middle-of-the-road buds that only just released back in November.
While they may not have the primo noise-canceling features of the AirPods Pro, or even the cushier rubberized tips, the SoundLiberty 80 can do most of the same things like the $129 wire-charging standard AirPods and even one-up ‘em in some regards. Instead of binding you to Apple’s proprietary Lightning cords, you can use the same cable to charge them as you would, say, a MacBook (go figure). Behind the sound are high-fidelity “dynamic” drivers powered by Qualcomm’s aptX technology and the AAC codec. AI-controlled noise-canceling microphones, TaoTronics says, help step up your call quality while an admittedly low-rent voice assistant lets you say “Hey TT” to adjust your music and other audio settings.
If you can live with the slightly shorter battery life (4 hours versus 5 hours without the case or 20 hours versus hours with it), half the cost of the cheapest AirPods is a compelling offer for such a recent release. And hey, you get to look like me, an adult with gauged ears, like you’re going through your emo phase 20 years too late. There’s no time like a pandemic to change up your style after all.
This article was originally written by Gabe Carey on 1/16/21 and updated with more information by Ignacia Fulcher on 1/26/21.