Get insider access
Preferred store
Your browser is not supported or outdated so some features of the site might not be available.
We've recently released our Test Bench 1.8 update for Headphones! Read the R&D Article to learn more.

Raycon The Fitness Earbuds (2021 Edition) True Wireless Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.5
Review updated Aug 02, 2023 at 10:27 am
Latest change: Writing modified Nov 13, 2023 at 02:32 pm
Raycon The Fitness Earbuds (2021 Edition) True Wireless Picture
6.0
Neutral Sound
6.7
Commute/Travel
8.3
Sports/Fitness
6.4
Office
5.2
Wireless Gaming
5.0
Wired Gaming
6.0
Phone Calls

The Raycon The Fitness Earbuds (2021 Edition) True Wireless are also known as the Raycon E45 and are sports-oriented earbuds. Unlike Raycon buds meant for more casual use, like the Raycon E55 Truly Wireless, they have detachable stability fins and come with a few different size options. These buds are also rated IPX7 for resistance against water immersion. Otherwise, they have a similar design to the E55 and share other Raycon buds' exaggerated V-shaped sound profile. However, they still have limited sound customization features with just a few presets available. While they lack noise cancelling (ANC), there's a newer edition of this model available, which have this feature.

Our Verdict

6.0 Neutral Sound

The Raycon Fitness Earbuds are mediocre for neutral sound. Out of the box, they have a very V-shaped sound profile that delivers intense thump, punch, and boom while vocals and lead instruments are bright. However, due to the overemphasis in the bass and treble ranges, they sound overly muddy and piercing. Since they're closed-back in-ears, their passive soundstage seems closed-off and as if the sound is coming from inside your head rather than from speakers placed in the room around you. These headphones have a couple of EQ presets you can cycle through if you prefer a different sound.

Pros
  • EQ presets available.
Cons
  • Bad passive soundstage.
6.7 Commute/Travel

The Raycon Fitness Earbuds are alright for commute and travel. They're lightweight, comfortable, and easily fit into pockets and bags. They also have over 10 hours of continuous battery life, so you don't need to recharge during long flights or rides. However, they don't have active noise cancelling and struggle to block out most noise, including the low rumble of bus and plane engines.

Pros
  • 10.4-hour continuous battery life.
  • Comfortable and well-built design.
Cons
  • Bad passive soundstage.
  • Poor noise isolation performance.
8.3 Sports/Fitness

The Raycon Fitness Earbuds are great for sports and fitness. They're lightweight, very portable, and have a comfortable, very stable fit. They come with four pairs of differently sized stability fins, so you can find the best fit. They're also rated IPX7 for resistance against being immersed in water, so some rain during a run isn't an issue. Their over 10 hours of continuous battery life will also last through long workouts. While they struggle to block out background noise, it's not the end of the world since it allows you to hear your surroundings a little better during outdoor workouts.

Pros
  • 10.4-hour continuous battery life.
  • Comfortable and well-built design.
  • Very stable fit.
Cons
  • Bad passive soundstage.
6.4 Office

The Raycon Fitness Earbuds are passable for office use. These buds have a lightweight, comfortable, and breathable fit. Their over 10 hours of continuous playback time will last through long shifts at the office without needing a recharge throughout your day. Unfortunately, they struggle to reduce ambient chatter, so you may hear coworkers talking around you. They also lack multi-device pairing, so you can't connect them to more than one device at a time.

Pros
  • 10.4-hour continuous battery life.
  • Comfortable and well-built design.
Cons
  • Poor noise isolation performance.
  • No multi-device pairing.
5.2 Wireless Gaming

The Raycon Fitness are Bluetooth-only earbuds and aren't suitable for wireless gaming. They can connect with Bluetooth-enabled PCs but have high latency, so you'll notice audio lag. They also aren't compatible with Xbox or PlayStation consoles.

5.0 Wired Gaming

The Raycon Fitness Earbuds are Bluetooth-only headphones; you can't use them wired.

6.0 Phone Calls

The Raycon Fitness Earbuds are mediocre for phone calls. While your voice will be understandable by whoever's on the other end of the line, it sounds muffled and lacks detail. Your voice can also be drowned out by loud noise, like cars passing on a busy street. The buds have difficulty blocking out ambient noise like engine rumbles or background speech, making it harder to hear your conversation.

Pros
  • 10.4-hour continuous battery life.
  • Comfortable and well-built design.
Cons
  • Poor noise isolation performance.
  • Mic struggles to separate voice from ambient sound.
  • 6.0 Neutral Sound
  • 6.7 Commute/Travel
  • 8.3 Sports/Fitness
  • 6.4 Office
  • 5.2 Wireless Gaming
  • 5.0 Wired Gaming
  • 6.0 Phone Calls
  1. Updated Nov 13, 2023: We've updated the name of these headphones and added information regarding the difference between this model tested and the newer one in Differences Between Sizes And Variants.
  2. Updated Aug 02, 2023: Made minor updates to the text to bring it up to date.
  3. Updated Oct 04, 2021: Review published.
  4. Updated Sep 29, 2021: Early access published.
  5. Updated Sep 21, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
  6. Updated Sep 15, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  7. Updated Aug 13, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

The Raycon Fitness Earbuds come in several color variants: 'Carbon Black', 'Electric Blue', 'Flare Red', 'Rose Gold', and 'Frost White'. We tested the 'Flare Red' variant, and you can see our model's label here.

It's important to note that the manufacturer has updated these earbuds, but kept the same name. The newer model have an ANC feature. However, our results are only valid for the original 2021 edition, which lacks ANC.

If you encounter another variant, please let us know in the forums, and we'll update our review.

Compared To Other Headphones

The Raycon Fitness Earbuds are sports and fitness-oriented headphones in this manufacturer's lineup. Although they lack ear hooks, they have a stable fit for exercising and are certified IPX7 for water resistance. Like other Raycon headphones like the Raycon E55 Truly Wireless and Raycon E25 True Wireless, they have a very intense sound profile that delivers a lot of thump and boom, which some users may find very muddy. While they lack a companion app, they have a couple of EQ presets you can cycle through in their control scheme.

Check out our recommendations for the best wireless earbuds for running and working out, the best true wireless earbuds, and the best earbuds and in-ears.

Raycon E25 True Wireless

The Raycon E25 True Wireless and the Raycon The Fitness Earbuds (2021 Edition) True Wireless have different strengths, and you may prefer either one. While both headphones are comfortable, the E25 are more so designed for casual, everyday use and have a better noise isolation performance as well as leak less audio. However, the Fitness are sports-oriented headphones with a more stable in-ear fit, a higher IP certification for water resistance, and a better overall battery life.

Beats Studio Buds True Wireless

The Beats Studio Buds True Wireless are better in-ears than the Raycon The Fitness Earbuds (2021 Edition) True Wireless. While both earbuds are comfortable and well-built, the Beats have better noise isolation performance and a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer. However, the Raycon have a more stable in-ear fit and a significantly better battery performance.

Raycon E55 Truly Wireless

The Raycon The Fitness Earbuds (2021 Edition) True Wireless are better in-ears for sports and fitness than the Raycon E55 Truly Wireless. The Fitness are more comfortable, are better built, and are rated IPX7 for water protection against immersion. They also have a better-balanced sound profile, although it's still very exaggerated, and some users may find it muddy and harsh, and their battery performance is better, too. However, the E55 can block out more ambient noise around you.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro Truly Wireless

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro Truly Wireless are better headphones for most uses than the Raycon The Fitness Earbuds (2021 Edition) True Wireless. While both headphones are comfortable and well-built, the Samsung have a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer, their companion app offers EQ presets to help you customize their sound, and they have an ANC system that helps them block out significantly more ambient noise. However, the Raycon have a more stable in-ear fit and better battery performance.

Beats Powerbeats Pro Truly Wireless

The Beats Powerbeats Pro Truly Wireless are better headphones than the Raycon The Fitness Earbuds (2021 Edition) True Wireless. The Beats have a more neutral default sound profile, which some users may prefer, a better overall battery performance, and have an H1 chip so that you can seamlessly pair them with your Apple devices. However, the Raycon come with more accessories like differently-sized stability wings and a lanyard, which some users may prefer.

Jaybird Vista 2 Truly Wireless

The Jaybird Vista 2 Truly Wireless are better in-ears than the Raycon The Fitness Earbuds (2021 Edition) True Wireless. While both headphones are designed with sports and fitness in mind, the Jaybird are better built, have a more neutral default sound profile, which some users may prefer, and have ANC, even though it does a sub-par overall job. They also have a companion app, which offers a parametric EQ and presets to help you adjust their sound. However, the Raycon have a better battery performance.

Jabra Elite 75t Truly Wireless

The Jabra Elite 75t Truly Wireless are better in-ears than the Raycon The Fitness Earbuds (2021 Edition) True Wireless. While both headphones are comfortable, the Jabra are better built, have a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer, and you can customize their sound profile to your liking using their companion app's graphic EQ and presets. They also support multi-device pairing, and thanks to their ANC, they can block out a superior amount of ambient noise around you. However, the Raycon have a more stable in-ear fit and have a better overall battery performance.

Jabra Elite 65t Truly Wireless

The Jabra Elite 65t Truly Wireless are better headphones for most uses than the Raycon The Fitness Earbuds (2021 Edition) True Wireless. The Jabra have a more neutral default sound profile, which some users may prefer, and you can customize their sound profile using their companion app's graphic EQ and presets. They can also significantly block out more ambient noise, they support multi-device pairing, and their mic offers better overall performance. However, the Raycon have a more comfortable and stable fit. Their battery life is better, too.

+ Show more

Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic

The Raycon The Fitness Earbuds look similar to the Raycon E55 Truly Wireless, with drop-shaped buds and a metallic, slightly shiny finish. They come in a few different colors: 'Carbon Black', 'Electric Blue', 'Flare Red', 'Rose Gold', and 'Frost White'.

7.5
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.02 lbs
Clamping Force
0 lbs

They have a comfortable fit. They're lightweight and don't enter your ear canal very deeply. Four different sizes of stability fins and five different sizes of ear tips are included. However, the stability fins could put pressure on your ears after a while.

7.3
Design
Controls
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use Good
Feedback Good
Call/Music Control Yes
Volume Control Yes
Microphone Control No
Channel Mixing
No
Noise Cancelling Control No
Talk-Through
On/Off
Additional Controls Voice Assistant

The Raycon Fitness Earbuds have decent controls. They're easy to use, but they have a small learning curve to get used to them. The controls are split between the left and right buds. There are voice prompts for when you've switched EQs and reached min or max volume. Beeps let you know when you've pressed play or pause. However, there isn't feedback for track-skipping or adjusting volume until you reach the minimum or max. If you're trying to activate voice assistant, you may accidentally adjust the volume instead because of the number of taps required.

On the left earbud:

  • One tap: Lowers the volume.
  • Triple tap: Skips the track backwards.
  • Hold for three seconds: Toggles between 'Pure Sound', 'Balanced Sound', and 'Bass Sound' EQ presets. Also rejects calls.

On the right earbud:

  • One tap: Raises the volume.
  • Triple tap: Skips the track forward.
  • Hold for three seconds: Activates awareness mode so that you can hear your surroundings. Also rejects calls.

On either bud:

  • Double tap: Plays and pauses audio. Also answers and ends calls.
  • Quadruple tap: Activates voice assistant.
  • Hold for three seconds or remove buds from carrying case: Turns on the buds.
  • Hold for 10 seconds or place buds in the carrying case: Turns off the buds.

9.2
Design
Breathability
Avg.Temp.Difference 0.8 °C

They're very breathable. Like all earbuds, they don't trap heat against your ears, so they won't make you sweat more or feel overheated during workouts.

9.4
Design
Portability
L 1.5" (3.7 cm)
W 1.2" (3.1 cm)
H 0.9" (2.3 cm)
Volume 1.63 in³ (26.70 cm³)
Transmitter Required No

They have fantastic portability. They're small, lightweight, and fit into most bags and pockets without a problem.

8.0
Design
Case
Type Hard case
L 2.0" (5.0 cm)
W 2.0" (5.0 cm)
H 1.2" (3.0 cm)
Volume 4.62 in³ (75.70 cm³)

The carrying case is great and is a nice improvement over the Raycon E55 Truly Wireless'. It has four LED indicator lights on the case to indicate its charge. Two extremity lights turn red to tell you when the buds are charging. If you need to reset the headphones, you can press the button located inside the case. The USB-C port has a cover, and there's a loop on the back of the case so you can attach the included wrist strap or lanyard.

7.5
Design
Build Quality

The Raycon Fitness Earbuds have good build quality. They're mostly made of plastic and feel like they'll survive accidental drops or falls without breaking. They come with a few accessories, including a lanyard and carabiner that you can attach to the case. Unlike the Raycon E55 Truly Wireless, they're also certified IPX7 for resistance against being immersed in water. However, the fins and tips seem like they could rip over time.

8.0
Design
Stability

The Raycon Fitness Earbuds have great stability. They come with four sizes of stability fins and five pairs of ear tips to help you get the best possible fit. It makes their fit more customizable than the Raycon E55 Truly Wireless, which have integrated stability fins you can't remove. They won't fall out of your ears, even during a higher-intensity workout.

Design
Headshots 1
Design
Headshots 2
Design
Top
Design
In The Box

  • Raycon Fitness Earbuds
  • Charging case
  • 5x ear tips
  • 4x stability fins
  • USB-A to USB-C charging cable
  • Lanyard
  • Wrist strap
  • Carabiner
  • Sticker
  • Manuals

Sound
Sound
Sound Profile
Bass Amount
5.57 dB
Treble Amount
2.4 dB

The Raycon Fitness Earbuds have a very exaggerated v-shaped sound profile when using their default 'Balanced Sound' EQ preset. This sound delivers intense thump, rumble, and boom, while vocals and lead instruments are bright and sparkly. Some users will find they sound muddy, harsh, and piercing due to their overemphasized bass and treble range. Luckily, they come with two other EQ presets that you can cycle through: 'Pure Sound', which advertises as producing refined and clear sound, and 'Bass Sound', which is supposed to deliver more bass.

Note: After performing our sound tests, we noticed that our unit's left driver makes a rattling noise that seems to go away and come back. We think this is due to our sound testing at 100 dB. However, the lower the volume, the more noticeable the rattling is, and you can even hear it when there's no audio playing. That said, we don't expect you to encounter this problem, as it could be related to our testing setup or be unique to our unit. If you experience this issue, please let us know in the forums, and we'll update our review.

9.2
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.17 dB

The Raycon Fitness Earbuds' frequency response consistency is fantastic. As long as you get a good seal and fit, you'll achieve consistent audio delivery each time you use the buds.

Sound
Raw Frequency Response
5.3
Sound
Bass Accuracy
Std. Err.
7.91 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
10 Hz
Low-Bass
10.43 dB
Mid-Bass
8.97 dB
High-Bass
7.03 dB

They have disappointing bass accuracy. The entire range is very overemphasized, resulting in very intense thump, rumble, and boom. If you want a lot of low bass for genres like EDM and hip-hop, they deliver, but other users will find it overwhelming and muddy. If you don't like a bass-heavy sound and want sports earbuds with a more neutral default sound profile, look at the Jabra Elite 7 Active True Wireless or the Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless.

7.8
Sound
Mid Accuracy
Std. Err.
2.9 dB
Low-Mid
1.63 dB
Mid-Mid
-3.42 dB
High-Mid
1.79 dB

The Raycon Fitness Earbuds' mid accuracy is good. Some overemphasis extends from the bass range into the low-mid, which muddies and clutters mixes. A dip in the mid-mid pushes vocals and lead instruments to the back of the mix, so in songs like Such Great Heights by the Postal Service, punchy synth lines overwhelm the vocals.

4.5
Sound
Treble Accuracy
Std. Err.
7.65 dB
Low-Treble
8.8 dB
Mid-Treble
5.63 dB
High-Treble
4.16 dB

They have bad treble accuracy. Like the bass response, the treble response is very overemphasized across the range. As a result, vocals and lead instruments are harsh and painful, while sibilants like cymbals are piercing.

6.9
Sound
Peaks/Dips
Peaks
1.89 dB
Dips
2.09 dB

Their peaks and dips performance is alright. A peak in the high-bass adds a bit of boom to mixes. A deep dip in the mid-mid pushes vocals and lead instruments to the back of the mix, while another peak in the low-treble makes their upper harmonics harsh. An uneven mid-treble turns sibilants like S and T alternatingly dull and piercing.

8.9
Sound
Imaging
Weighted Group Delay
0.19
Weighted Phase Mismatch
1.58
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.73
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
1.65

Like most Raycon products we've tested, they have excellent imaging performance, indicating the brand's quality control and ergonomics. The group delay falls below the audibility threshold, resulting in tight bass and transparent treble. Our unit's L/R drivers match in amplitude, frequency, and phase response, so objects like footsteps are accurately placed in the stereo image. Although there's a very small peak in the phase response's mid-mid range, it isn't easy to notice with normal use. However, imaging varies between units.

1.9
Sound
Passive Soundstage
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
N/A
PRTF Size (Avg.)
N/A
PRTF Distance
N/A
Openness
6.6
Acoustic Space Excitation
1.9

Their passive soundstage performance is bad, but that's common with in-ear headphones. Due to their design, their sound bypasses your outer ear, which needs to be activated by sound resonances to produce an out-of-head audio experience. You'll perceive sound as coming from inside your head, and the soundstage doesn't sound as open or spacious as that produced by open-back headphones.

0
Sound
Virtual Soundstage
Head Modeling
No
Speaker Modeling
No
Room Ambience
No
Head Tracking
No
Virtual Surround
No App
8.2
Sound
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.160
WHD @ 100
0.093

Their weighted harmonic distortion performance is great. Although there's some distortion in the high-mid range, particularly at high volumes, it's hard to hear with real-life content. Otherwise, all frequencies fall within good limits, producing clean and pure audio.

Note: A rattling sound appeared after our sound testing, and we expect that it may be related to our testing process, as we test headphones at 100dB. However, we can't confirm this. For the sake of consistency for any possible future retests, we ordered a new pair to ensure they perform the same as this model.

Sound
Test Settings
Firmware
Unknown
Power
On
Connection
Bluetooth 5.0
Codec
SBC, 16-bit, 44.1kHz
EQ
Balanced Sound (Default)
ANC
No ANC
Tip/Pad
Silicone (small)
Microphone
Integrated

These are the settings used to test the Raycon Fitness Earbuds. Our results are only valid when used in this configuration.

Isolation
3.5
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-8.5 dB
Noise Cancelling No
Bass
-4.83 dB
Mid
-5.3 dB
Treble
-15.26 dB

Their noise isolation performance is bad. They lack active noise cancelling (ANC) and don't do much to block out low-frequency noise like rumbling engines. However, they also have difficulty blocking out high-pitched noise like the hum of an AC unit and ambient chatter. You might prefer this design as it allows you to hear more of your surroundings if you like to run or work out outdoors, but if you want earbuds with better passive noise isolation, try the Jabra Elite Active 65t Truly Wireless or the Anker SoundCore Liberty Air 2 Truly Wireless.

Note: We expected these headphones to do a better job of blocking out mid and treble-range noise. However, the buds don't sit properly in our test rig's ears. The stability fins create an opening when you place them in the ears. This could be why they don't isolate against mid and treble-range noise well.

8.3
Isolation
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
31.42 dB

They have a great leakage performance. It's mostly concentrated in the treble range, and escaping sound seems thin. If you like to listen to your audio at high volumes in a moderately noisy environment like an office, people nearby can hear some of it, but it's not too disruptive.

Microphone
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
Yes
In-Line
No
Boom
No
Detachable Boom
No
Mic Yes
6.2
Microphone
Recording Quality
Recorded Speech
LFE
169.51 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
5 dB
HFE
4,695.06 Hz
Weighted THD
13.445
Gain
-18.21 dB

The integrated mic's recording quality is mediocre. Your voice sounds muffled, a bit unnatural, and lacks detail. However, whoever's on the other end can still understand you.

6.7
Microphone
Noise Handling
SpNR
12.09 dB
Noise Gate
Always On
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
7.5
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
5.5
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample

The mic has an okay noise handling performance. It does a good job of separating your voice from moderate ambient noise, like an office or shared space at home. However, it struggles with louder noise, so if you're in a subway station or on a busy street, your voice can be very difficult to understand or drowned out completely.

Active Features
7.1
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
10.4 hrs
Additional Charges
5.0
Total Battery Life
62.4 hrs
Charge Time
1.3 hrs
Power-Saving Feature
No
Audio While Charging
Yes
Passive Playback
No
Charging Port USB-C

Their battery performance is decent. The manufacturer advertises an eight-hour continuous battery life, but we measured over 10 hours. Their carrying case also holds roughly five additional charges for top-ups. They don't have power-saving features like an auto-off timer, but you can use one bud while the other charges. Also, keep in mind that battery performance varies with real-life use.

0
Active Features
App Support
App Name No App
iOS No
Android No
macOS No
Windows No
Equalizer
No
ANC Control
No
Mic Control No
Room Effects
No
Playback Control
No
Button Mapping No
Surround Support
No
Connectivity
6.7
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version
5.0
Multi-Device Pairing
No
NFC Pairing
No
Line Of Sight Range
154.20 ft (47.00 m)
PC Latency (SBC)
241 ms
PC Latency (aptX)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX HD)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX-LL)
N/A
iOS Latency
155 ms
Android Latency
106 ms

They have alright Bluetooth connectivity. Unfortunately, they don't support multi-device or NFC pairing. Their latency with PC and iOS devices is also a bit high, which can cause audio syncing issues when you're streaming video. However, latency is a bit lower with Android, so lag is less of an issue on those devices. However, some apps and devices compensate for latency differently.

0
Connectivity
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
Non-BT Line Of Sight Range
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A
0
Connectivity
Wired
Analog Audio
No
USB Audio
No
Detachable No
Length N/A
Connection
No Wired Option
Analog/USB Audio Latency
N/A

You can't use these headphones wired. However, they come with a USB-A to USB-C cable to charge their carrying case.

Connectivity
PC Compatibility
Analog
No
Wired USB
No
Non-BT Wireless
No

They're fully compatible with Bluetooth-enabled PCs. However, you can't connect the buds to PCs in any other way.

Connectivity
PlayStation Compatibility
PS4 Analog
No
PS4 Wired USB
No
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
PS5 Analog
No
PS5 Wired USB
No
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
Xbox Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
No
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
No
Xbox Series X|S Analog
No
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
No
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
No
2.2
Connectivity
Base/Dock
Type
Charging Case
USB Input
No
Line In
No
Line Out
No
Optical Input
No
RCA Input
No
Dock Charging
Yes
Power Supply
USB-C

They come with a small charging case. It provides roughly five additional charges, and you can charge the headphones via Qi wireless. It only has a USB-C input to charge the case.