The Amazon Echo Buds True Wireless 2019 (1st generation) are decent truly wireless in-ear headphones. Their sound profile is fairly well-balanced and should be suitable for most genres of music. They also use Bose's active noise reduction (ANR) technology to help block out the noise of engine rumbles and background chatter, though most of this is done passively and the ANR only helps marginally. Their case is a bit on the bulkier side, but it provides a total of 32 hours of battery life, which is excellent.
Our Verdict
The Echo Buds are decent for mixed usage. These truly wireless in-ears should be decently comfortable for most people and have a well-built and portable design that makes them easy to take with you everywhere. While their case is a bit larger than some other truly wireless headphones, it provides a total of 32 hours of battery life, which is impressive. The headphones have a decently well-balanced sound profile suitable for most genres of music and are even stable enough for using while working out.
- Excellent battery life.
- Excellent noise isolation performance.
- Stable fit is good for sports.
- Very high latency.
- Relies strongly on Echo app, including for pairing.
- Fairly bulky case.
The Echo Buds are alright for neutral sound listening. While their sound profile is somewhat well-balanced, drums and bass guitars may lack a bit of kick. The treble range is also fairly inaccurate with some peaks and dips which may cause harsh and piercing sibilants (S and T sounds). Like all in-ears, they also don't have an open soundstage due to their design. On the upside, the Echo app has a 3-band graphic EQ to give you a bit of customization over their sound profile.
These headphones are great for commuting or travel. Like all truly wireless headphones, they're very small and portable, though their case is a bit on the bigger side. Their noise isolation performance is excellent, thanks to their active noise reduction (ANR) technology, so you won't hear the bus engine or background chatter during your daily commutes. They're fairly comfortable for in-ears, and those who don't mind headphones going into their ear canal should have no problem wearing them for extended periods.
The Echo Buds are great for sports. Even without their included stability fins attached, they stay in the ear well. When you attach the stability fins, however, they're even more stable and should stay in your ear even during fairly strenuous workouts. The earbuds themselves are quite small and portable, and even though their case is a bit bulky, they should still fit in most pockets or bags. The headphones are also rated IPX4 for water resistance, though we don't currently test for this.
The Echo Buds are decent for office use. Most people should find them decently comfortable, though those who don't like the fit of in-ears may not be able to wear them for longer periods. Their noise isolation performance is excellent, and they will do an effective job at blocking out noisy coworkers. Unfortunately, a single charge will only get you about 5 hours of battery life, meaning you'll have to take a short break mid-day to charge your headphones.
These headphones are not recommended for wireless gaming. Since they're Bluetooth-only, they aren't compatible with Xbox One or PS4. While you can connect them to a Bluetooth-enabled PC, they have extremely high latency, which makes them a bad choice for gaming.
The Echo Buds are Bluetooth-only and cannot be used wired.
The Echo Buds are mediocre for phone calls. Like most Bluetooth headphones, the microphone produces a muffled-sounding recording which lacks detail. They also have unremarkable noise handling, and the person on the other end won't hear you well in even moderately noisy environments.
Changelog
- Updated Jun 28, 2023: We've changed the name of these headphones to be consistent with other generations in this lineup.
- Updated May 28, 2021: We've updated the codec in 'Test Settings'.
- Updated Feb 05, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
- Updated Nov 27, 2019: Review published.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Amazon Echo Buds (1st generation) are truly wireless headphones with an impressive 32-hour total battery life. They use Bose's active noise reduction (ANR) technology to do an excellent overall job of blocking out background noise. However, most of this is done passively. We suggest taking a look at our recommendations for the best truly wireless earbuds, the best wireless earbuds, and the best noise cancelling earbuds and in-ears.
The Amazon Echo Buds (1st generation) are much better headphones than the Google Pixel Buds 2017 Wireless. The Amazon are much more portable due to their truly wireless design, and they isolate ambient noises much better and have much more accurate bass and mid responses.
The Apple AirPods Pro are slightly better truly wireless in-ears than the Amazon Echo Buds (1st generation). The Apple are more comfortable, feel better built, have a much smaller case, and have a better noise isolation performance, thanks to their ANC. On the other hand, the Amazon have access to a 3-band graphic EQ and charge quicker.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds are similar to the Amazon Echo Buds (1st generation) for mixed usage. The Samsung are more comfortable, have a more accurate sound profile, and last longer off a single charge. On the other hand, the Amazon have active noise reduction technology, better controls, and more than double the total battery life, they also charge much quicker.
The Amazon Echo Buds (1st generation) and the Jabra Elite 75t Truly Wireless are both decent truly wireless in-ear headphones. The Jabra are more comfortable, feel slightly better built, have better controls, a better microphone, and a longer single-charge battery life. On the other hand, the Amazon isolate much more background noise, and their case provides more charges, giving them a longer overall battery life.
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