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TREBLAB X5 Truly Wireless Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.3.1
Reviewed Feb 20, 2019 at 10:37 am
Latest change: Writing modified Oct 26, 2021 at 12:14 am
TREBLAB X5 Truly Wireless Picture
7.2
Mixed Usage
7.0
Neutral Sound
7.7
Commute/Travel
8.2
Sports/Fitness
7.0
Office
5.3
Wireless Gaming
5.2
Wired Gaming
6.3
Phone Call

The TREBLAB X5 Truly Wireless are decent mixed usage closed-back in-ears that are great for sports. They have an unusual design that resembles Apple AirPods Pro Truly Wireless but bulkier. They have decent sound quality that will please most casual listeners, and they have good isolation performance. These are a budget option in the truly wireless earbuds category, and it shows when it comes to their plasticky and cheap-feeling build. Also, they have a fairly short battery life that will need charging quite often. On the upside, their stability fins and breathable design will be great for active people on a budget.

Our Verdict

7.2 Mixed Usage

The TREBLAB X5 are decent for mixed usage. They don’t have the best audio reproduction due to their recessed mid-range and thumpy bass, but most casual listeners will be satisfied. On the upside, they're fairly compact and stable in the ears, which will be great for sports. They don’t isolate low-frequency noises like engine rumbles very well, so they won’t be ideal for commuting, but they block ambient chatter and will be suitable for the office. However, they have a relatively short battery life, so you’ll have to take breaks every three hours to recharge them. Like most Bluetooth headphones, their latency may be too high to watch TV or for gaming.

Pros
  • Breathable and stable for sports.
  • Minimal leakage.
  • Good controls.
Cons
  • Bulky in-ear design.
  • Cheap build quality and feel.
7.0 Neutral Sound

The TREBLAB X5 are decent for neutral sound. They have an extended, consistent, and powerful bass, a fairly even mid-range, and a great treble. However, their bass may sound overly thumpy, but some people may like it. Their mid-range is recessed, which pushes back vocals to the back of the mix. Also, their treble is fairly uneven, and some S and T sounds will be too piercing for some. Unfortunately, they don’t have an EQ to customize them to your liking, and the in-ear fit might not be ideal for long listening sessions.

7.7 Commute/Travel

The TREBLAB X5 are good for commute and travel. While they don’t isolate a lot of lower frequencies like engine rumbles, they're still compact and easy to carry around. They're fairly comfortable for short bus rides, but you might feel ear soreness during a long flight. Also, their battery life is a bit short for long trips, so you’ll need to charge them somewhat frequently during your travels or commutes.

8.2 Sports/Fitness

The TREBLAB X5 are great for sports. These sports-oriented headphones are well-designed for their use, and their fins will help for added stability during intense physical activity. They don’t trap too much heat, so you shouldn’t sweat more than usual while wearing them. Also, some may like their slightly overemphasized bass to keep you pumped during your workouts.

7.0 Office

The TREBLAB X5 are decent for the office. They isolate a good amount of ambient chatter and block out higher frequencies like A/C systems, which is great. They also barely leak, so you can raise your listening volume to block even more noise. Unfortunately, their battery life isn’t long enough to last you a whole workday, and you’ll probably need to charge them during your launch break if you use them during the morning.

5.3 Wireless Gaming

The TREBLAB X5 are disappointing for wireless gaming. Their latency is a bit too high, and their microphone performance isn’t good enough for online gaming. Even if you don’t need a microphone, these won’t be suitable for this use. They also can’t be customized like most gaming headsets.

5.2 Wired Gaming
  • 7.2 Mixed Usage
  • 7.0 Neutral Sound
  • 7.7 Commute/Travel
  • 8.2 Sports/Fitness
  • 7.0 Office
  • 5.3 Wireless Gaming
  • 5.2 Wired Gaming
  • 6.3 Phone Call
  1. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
  2. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
  3. Updated Feb 20, 2019: Review published.
  4. Updated Feb 18, 2019: Our testers have started testing this product.
  5. Updated Feb 18, 2019: Early access published.
  6. Updated Feb 16, 2019: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  7. Updated Feb 08, 2019: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Compared To Other Headphones

Comparison picture

The TREBLAB X5 are decent headphones that set themselves apart with their unconventional design for truly wireless in-ears. They don’t necessarily outperform other similar headphones, but they can be a decent budget pick. That said, their plasticky build doesn't feel as sturdy or durable as the TREBLAB Z7 Pro Wireless, which are over-ears from this manufacturer.

Check out our recommendations for the best truly wireless earbuds, the best earbuds with a mic, and the best wireless earbuds under $50.

Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless

The TREBLAB X5 Truly Wireless are more versatile headphones than the Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless due to their closed-back design, which isolates more ambient noise. The TREBLAB also have better sound quality and pack more bass. On the other hand, the Apple are more comfortable and don’t feel as cheaply made as the TREBLAB. The Apple also have a better battery life, and their case is sturdy and gives you more additional charges. However, if volume control is a must-have for you, only the TREBLAB have it.

Jabra Elite 65t Truly Wireless

The TREBLAB X5 Truly Wireless and the Jabra Elite 65t Truly Wireleslly perform quite similarly, but the Jabra might take the edge due to their durable build. The Jabra are better built than the cheap-feeling TREBLAB and they also have a nice companion app that lets you EQ their sound to your liking. They also have a better microphone for calls and have better battery life. They can also connect to two devices simultaneously, which the TREBLAB can’t do. On the other hand, the TREBLAB are more of a budget option, have better wireless range, and should still please most users.

Anker SoundCore Liberty Air Truly Wireless

The Anker SoundCore Liberty Air Truly Wireless are better truly wireless headphones than the TREBLAB X5 Truly Wireless. The Anker build is less bulky, their audio reproduction is more accurate, their fit blocks more ambient noise, and their battery life is slightly longer. However, the Anker have higher latency and don’t have volume control on the earbuds, which the TREBLAB have. The TREBLAB also come with fins for added stability during physical activities.

Skullcandy Push Truly Wireless

The TREBLAB X5 Truly Wireless are better truly wireless headphones than the Skullcandy Push Truly Wireless. They're more stable in the ear thanks to their stability fins, and they have a more accurate audio reproduction that isn't as bass-heavy as the Skullcandy. While they have lower battery life on one charge, the case of the TREBLAB can hold more charges than the single one of the Skullcandy's case. On the other hand, the Skullcandy have amazing wireless range and will be better suited for bass-heavy music. They might not feel very durable, but they feel less cheap than the TREBLAB. However, their latency is pretty high, and you will notice a delay when watching video content.

Anker SoundCore Liberty Lite Truly Wireless

The Anker SoundCore Liberty Lite Truly Wireless and the TREBLAB X5 Truly Wireless have very similar audio reproduction, and if you don’t mind the bulky design of the TREBLAB, they might be a better option than the Ankers due to their better battery life and volume control. However, while they feel more comfortable, their build quality feels flimsy and plasticky when compared to the denser Anker. The Anker headphones are also Bluetooth 5.0 compatible if you have a 5.0 source.

TREBLAB Z7 Pro Wireless

The TREBLAB Z7 Pro Wireless are better headphones than the TREBLAB X5 Truly Wireless. The Z7 Pro are over-ears that are more comfortable, better-built, and have significantly better noise isolation. Their battery performance is superior, and they support multi-device pairing, meaning you can connect them with up to two devices at a time. However, the X5 are in-ears and are a better choice if you want something more portable and stable. They also have a more neutral sound profile, which some people may prefer.

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Test Results

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

The TREBLAB X5 are truly wireless in-ears that have an unconventional style. They have a design that resembles the overall look of the Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless, with long stalks that protrude out of your ears, but they're bulky and might look a bit out-of-the-ordinary at first. They also have a sporty look due to their stability fins. These come in an all-black or all-white design.

7.0
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.03 lbs
Clamping Force
0 lbs

The TREBLAB X5 are decently comfortable since they don’t enter your ear canal as deeply as typical in-ears. They also come with a good amount of tip options. You get three differently-sized silicone tips and three differently-sized foam tips, which some may find even more comfortable. You also get three different stability fin options, but these feel somewhat bulky, and you might feel them inside your ears. While they're large for truly wireless in-ears, they still feel lightweight, and you barely notice them once they're on. However, the in-ear fit might not feel as comfortable for everyone, and some may feel ear fatigue after a while.

7.4
Design
Controls
OS Compatibility
N/A
Ease Of Use Decent
Feedback Good
Call/Music Control Yes
Volume Control Yes
Microphone Control No
Channel Mixing
N/A
Noise Cancelling Control N/A
Talk-Through
N/A
Additional Buttons No

The TREBLAB X5 have a decent control scheme, but it might take a bit of time to get used to. Each earbud has two buttons that give you access to common functionalities. You can manage your calls and music, skip tracks, or access your device’s voice assistant. You also get volume control, which isn’t available on all truly wireless headphones, so that’s good. However, this control scheme has a few flaws. It might be a bit confusing to use at first. One of the most annoying commands was unpausing. To play/pause, you need to hold the upper button of either bud for a second. However, a single tap on the left button will go the previous track, which is frustrating when you’re trying to unpause your music.

9.2
Design
Breathability
Avg.Temp.Difference 0.8 °C

Like most in-ear headphones, the TREBLAB X5 don’t trap heat under ear cups, so you won’t feel a big temperature difference when wearing them. You shouldn’t sweat more than usual, which makes them a good option for sports.

9.4
Design
Portability
L 2"
W 1.1"
H 0.8"
Volume 1.8 in³
Transmitter Required N/A

Like most truly wireless headphones, the TREBLAB X5 can easily fit in your pockets or bag if you want to bring them to the gym. They will be easy to carry around, and they also come with a hard case that doesn’t add too much bulk. They will easily fit in your pockets as well.

7.0
Design
Case
Type Hard case
L 2.7"
W 2"
H 0.9"
Volume 4.9 in³

The TREBLAB X5's charging case is decent. It feels a bit cheaply made with thin plastic that could break. The case still fully protects the headphones against minor water exposure and scratches. It might also absorb a bit of damage from falls; however, unlike similarly designed headphone cases, the right earbud goes on the left side of the case and vice versa.

6.5
Design
Build Quality

The TREBLAB X5 don’t have the best build quality and feel fairly cheap. They're made out of thin plastic and feel like they would break if you were to sit or step on them accidentally. Their case also feels thin, lightweight, and doesn’t feel like it’s protecting the headphones that well. On the upside, they're rated IPX4 for water resistance. For better-built truly wireless headphones, take a look at the Anker SoundCore Liberty Air Truly Wireless, which have a similar design, or the Anker SoundCore Liberty Lite Truly Wireless for a denser and more solid overall build.

8.0
Design
Stability

The TREBLAB X5 are very stable headphones and are a great option for physical activity. Their stability fins are great for more intense workouts, and their overall fit feels tight. The earbuds don’t move around when exercising, even if the headphones are a bit bulkier than typical truly wireless in-ears. Also, the fit doesn’t change much when using their control scheme, which is good. Their wireless design removes the risk of a cable getting stuck on something and yanking the headphones out of your ears.

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

  • TREBLAB X5 headphones
  • 3x stability fins
  • 3x silicone tips
  • 3x foam tips
  • Charging case
  • Micro-USB charging cable
  • Manuals

Sound
Sound
Sound Profile
Bass Amount
3.19 dB
Treble Amount
0.23 dB
8.9
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.22 dB

The frequency response consistency is excellent. If the user can achieve a proper fit and an air-tight seal using the assortment of tips that come with them, they should get consistent bass and treble delivery every time they use the headphones.

Sound
Raw Frequency Response
8.7
Sound
Bass Accuracy
Std. Err.
1.86 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
10 Hz
Low-Bass
2.75 dB
Mid-Bass
1.08 dB
High-Bass
2.18 dB

The TREBLAB X5's bass performance is excellent. LFE (low-frequency extension) is at 10Hz, excellent for bass-heavy genres like EDM and hip-hop. The whole range is flat and even, and the slight overemphasis should barely be noticeable. Low-bass is slightly overemphasized by about 3 dB. This will add a bit of excess thump to the bass, which some people may like. Mid-bass is well balanced, and the slight overemphasis in high-bass will be barely noticeable.

7.9
Sound
Mid Accuracy
Std. Err.
2.83 dB
Low-Mid
-0.3 dB
Mid-Mid
-4.08 dB
High-Mid
-2.06 dB

The TREBLAB X5's mid-range is very good. The range is fairly close to our target curve, but there's a 4dB dip in the mid-mid, which pushes back the vocals and lead instruments to the back of the mix.

8.3
Sound
Treble Accuracy
Std. Err.
3.09 dB
Low-Treble
-1.6 dB
Mid-Treble
-0.34 dB
High-Treble
1.17 dB

The treble performance is great. The range before 5kHz is fairly flat and even but gets a bit uneven in higher frequencies. The bumps around 7kHz and 10kHz will make these frequencies sound sharp and piercing. However, not everyone will hear this as sibilant.

7.4
Sound
Peaks/Dips
Peaks
1.63 dB
Dips
1.29 dB
9.0
Sound
Imaging
Weighted Group Delay
0.1
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.78
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
1.35
Weighted Phase Mismatch
2.05

The TREBLAB X5 have outstanding imaging. Their weighted group delay is at 0.1, which is very good. This suggests that they have a tight bass and a transparent treble reproduction. Also, the L/R drivers of our unit are exceptionally well-matched in amplitude, frequency, and phase response, which ensures an accurate placement and localization of objects (voices, instruments, video game effects) in the stereo image. However, these results are only valid for our unit, and yours may perform differently.

0.5
Sound
Soundstage
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
N/A
PRTF Size (Avg.)
N/A
PRTF Distance
N/A
Openness
2.4
Acoustic Space Excitation
0.3

The soundstage of the TREBLAB X5 is bad. This is because creating an out-of-head and speaker-like soundstage is largely dependent on activating the resonances of the pinna. The design of in-ears and earbuds is in such a way that fully bypasses the pinna and doesn't interact with it. Also, because they have a closed-back design, their soundstage won't be perceived to be as open as that of open-back earbuds like the Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless or the Bose SoundSport Free Truly Wireless.

7.1
Sound
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.553
WHD @ 100
0.187
Isolation
7.6
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-25.22 dB
Noise Cancelling No
Bass
-6.84 dB
Mid
-21.68 dB
Treble
-48.41 dB

The TREBLAB X5's isolation performance is good. In the bass range, where the rumble of airplane and bus engines sits, they isolate by about 7dB, which is poor. In the mid-range, important for blocking out speech, they reduce outside noise by 22dB, which is outstanding. In the treble range, occupied by sharp sounds like S and Ts and fan noises like A/C systems, they achieve more than 48dB of isolation, which is exceptional.

9.8
Isolation
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
22.39 dB

The TREBLAB X5's leakage performance is fantastic. A significant portion of the leakage is concentrated in a narrow band in the treble range. This results in a leakage that is very thin sounding. The overall level of the leakage is very quiet. With the music at 100dB SPL, the leakage at one foot away averages at around 22dB SPL and peaks at 27dB SPL, which is way below the noise floor of most offices.

Microphone
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
Yes
In-line
No
Boom
No
Detachable Boom
N/A
Mic Yes

The TREBLAB X5's integrated microphone is sub-par. In quiet environments, speech recorded or transmitted with this mic will sound noticeably thin and muffled. It will do decently in moderately noisy situations but will struggle to fully separate speech from background noise in loud places, like a subway station.

5.3
Microphone
Recording Quality
Recorded Speech
LFE
223.03 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
6.29 dB
HFE
2,712.23 Hz
Weighted THD
4.683
Gain
0.39 dB

The integrated microphone's recording quality is disappointing. The LFE (low-frequency extension) of 223Hz indicates that speech recorded/transmitted with this mic will sound noticeably thin. The HFE (high-frequency extension) is at 2.7kHz, which results in speech that is noticeably lacking in detail and muffled. This is expected from most Bluetooth microphones.

6.2
Microphone
Noise Handling
Speech + Pink Noise
Speech + Subway Noise
SpNR
14.75 dB

This integrated microphone is mediocre at noise handling. In our SpNR test, it achieved a speech-to-noise ratio of 15dB. This means that it can separate speech from ambient noise in moderately noisy environments to a decent degree but will struggle in loud situations.

Active Features
6.6
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
3.4 hrs
Additional Charges
4
Total Battery Life
17 hrs
Charge Time
1.5 hrs
Power Saving Feature
Auto-Off Timer
Audio While Charging
N/A
Passive Playback
N/A
Charging Port micro-USB

We measured just over three hours of continuous playback on one charge, which is very disappointing considering TREBLAB advertises six hours of battery life. However, you can also get up to four additional charges from their charging case, which would bring the estimated total listening time to about 15 hours, taking some breaks here and there to charge the headphones. They also have an auto-off timer to save some battery, but it's set at only three minutes, which is fairly quick and might get frustrating. According to the specs sheet, the case automatically turns off after being idle for eight hours, after taking the earbuds out from the case, or when the buds get fully charged.

0
Active Features
App Support
App Name N/A
iOS N/A
Android N/A
macOS N/A
Windows N/A
Equalizer
N/A
ANC Control
N/A
Mic Control N/A
Room effects
N/A
Playback Control
N/A
Button Mapping N/A
Surround Sound N/A

The TREBLAB X5 don’t have a companion app that would let you customize their sound to your liking.

Connectivity
7.0
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version
4.2
Multi-Device Pairing
No
NFC Pairing
No
Line of Sight Range
132 ft
Default Latency
224 ms
aptX Latency
N/A
aptX(LL) Latency
N/A

The TREBLAB X5 are pretty straightforward Bluetooth headphones. Unfortunately, they only connect to one device at a time and don’t support NFC for easy pairing with mobile phones and NFC-enabled devices. However, you can connect each earbud to two different devices.

Like most Bluetooth headphones, their latency may be a bit high for watching video content or gaming. However, some devices or apps seem to offer some compensation, so you might not notice the delay as much.

0
Connectivity
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
Non-BT Line of Sight Range
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A
0
Connectivity
Wired
Analog Audio
N/A
USB Audio
N/A
Detachable N/A
Length N/A
Connection N/A
Wired Latency
N/A

These truly wireless headphones don’t have a wired connection.

Connectivity
PC / PS4 Compatibility
PC / PS4 Analog
No
PC / PS4 Wired USB
No
PC / PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
Xbox One Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
No
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Xbox One 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

The TREBLAB X5 come with a case that acts like a charging dock. It doesn’t have any inputs, but on the upside, it gives you four extra charges for the headphones. This brings their total battery life up to 30 hours, according to their specs sheet, but we measured about half of this advertised battery life.