The XFYRO xS2 Truly Wireless are decent mixed usage truly wireless in-ears with a few flaws. They're decently comfortable, but the in-ear fit might not be for everyone. They’re very portable and have a good isolation performance, making them versatile for commute and everyday casual use. They also have a nice case that feels premium, but unfortunately, it doesn’t protect the headphones and acts more as a power bank. Their sound quality is uneven, and our unit had a frequency response mismatch. ALso, you have to connect the right earbud first, or you’ll have inverted audio channels, which is frustrating. On the upside, they have great wireless range and are stable enough for running if you can find a good fit with the provided tip options.
Our Verdict
The XFYRO xS2 are decent mixed usage headphones. They won’t have a great audio reproduction necessary for critical listening. However, their portable design and good isolation performance make them a good choice for commuting and use at the office. They're also stable enough for light sports activities, and their in-ear design won’t trap heat. However, they have very high Bluetooth latency and won't be suitable for gaming and watching TV.
- Good isolation performance.
- Minimal leakage.
- Sub-par battery life.
- Mediocre audio reproduction.
- Hard to set up.
The XFYRO xS2 are fair for neutral sound. These headphones have an uneven sound quality with a lack of low bass and overemphasized high-bass and low-mid. Resulting in a boomy and cluttered mix, especially on vocals and lead instruments. Their treble range is also uneven, and some leads lack detail while some sibilances are overemphasized. Our unit also had a frequency response mismatch between the two drivers.
The XFYRO xS2 are good for commuting and traveling. They have good isolation performance, and they practically don’t leak, so you can raise your listening volume at high levels without bothering people surrounding you. They might be comfortable enough for short bus trips, but the in-ear fit might not be ideal for long flights.
The XFYRO xS2 are very good for sports. Their small and portable design makes them suitable for this use. They're truly wireless, which gets rid of the risk to have a cable in your way or getting stuck on something. Like most in-ears, they're breathable and are stable enough for light physical activity. Those training in crowded gyms will appreciate their decent seal and isolation performance.
The XFYRO xS2 are okay for office use. They isolate a good amount of noise and block ambient chatter well. They also barely leak, so you can enjoy your music at high volumes without disturbing surrounding colleagues. On the downside, the in-ear fit might not be comfortable enough for a full work day, and their short battery life will require you to charge them during the day.
The XFYRO xS2 are disappointing for gaming. They have mediocre sound quality and have a sub-par microphone for online gaming. Also, their latency is too high to be suitable for gaming. They're not compatible with consoles, and their battery life will be too short for long gaming sessions.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Jan 16, 2019: Review published.
- Updated Jan 14, 2019: Our testers have started testing this product.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The XFYRO xS2 are decent mixed usage closed-back in-ears with a few flaws. While they're decently comfortable for in-ears and look good, these headphones are disappointing compared to other headphones in a similar price range. Their sound quality is mediocre, and their battery life is short. On the upside, they have good isolation performance and amazing wireless range.
See our recommendations for the best earbuds, the best earbuds with a mic, and the best wireless earbuds.
The Jaybird Run Truly Wireless are better headphones than the XFYRO xS2 Truly Wireless. The Jaybird have a more comfortable and better-built design. They also have a sound profile that follows our neutral target curve better, and they also have a companion app that lets you EQ them to your preference. Their stability fins are also very useful for more intense sports, and the headphones won’t come out of your ears. However, the XFYRO have better wireless range and better isolation performance, which make them a decent option for commuting.
The XFYRO xS2 Truly Wireless are more versatile headphones than the Apple AirPods (1st generation). They have better isolation due to their closed-back design, making them a better choice for commuting and use at the office. They also barely leak, have great wireless range, and aren't exclusive to Apple products. On the other hand, the AirPods have significantly better build quality and have one of the best cases we've tested so far. They also have better battery life, but they lack a lot of bass.
The Jabra Elite 65t Truly Wireless are better headphones than the XFYRO xS2 Truly Wireless. The Jabra are better-built and also have a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer, longer battery life, and also have a companion app with customization options. They also have a better control scheme and can connect to two devices simultaneously. On the other hand, the XFYRO have an amazing wireless range and their case acts as a power bank for other devices as well. They're also slightly more comfortable.
The JBL Free Truly Wireless 2018 are better headphones than the XFYRO xS2 Truly Wireless. They outperform the XFYRO in pretty much every category. They're more comfortable, are better built, and have great audio reproduction. Both headphones have short battery life, but the XFYRO have better wireless range and you can also use their case to charge up other devices, which can be useful.
The XFYRO xS2 Truly Wireless are better truly wireless headphones than the Altec Lansing True Evo. The XFYRO are a bit more versatile thanks to their better isolation performance, which can be useful while commuting and at the office. The XFYRO also have a better wireless range and, for about the same battery life, take less time to charge. On the other hand, the Altec feel better-built, and some may prefer a design with stability fins for sports.
We've upgraded our Headphones Test Bench to 2.0! This update brings several key changes to our tests and usages, making it easier than ever to interpret our sound results based on your personal preferences. You'll also find a brand-new interactive graph tool featuring multiple targets (including our own!) for you to explore and compare.
For a full breakdown, check out our changelog, which includes detailed commentary from our test designer explaining the rationale behind our update.
We'd also love to hear your thoughts: your feedback helps us keep improving, so join us in the comments!
Test Results
The XFYRO xS2 are truly wireless in-ears with a low-profile look but a slightly bulky earbud design. They protrude quite a bit out of the ear while wearing them. They have a decent finish and don’t feel too cheap. Their included aluminum case also has a nice style and high-end finish. These headphones come in three different color variants: black, blue, and red.
The XFYRO xS2 feel like typical in-ears, and the fit might not be as comfortable for everyone. They enter your ear canal deeply, which may be bothersome for some, but come with three different ear tip options to help you find the most comfortable fit. They're very lightweight headphones, and you don’t feel them too much when plugged into your ears. However, their control scheme forces you to push the earbud even further in your ear to register an action, which is uncomfortable.
The XFYRO xS2's control scheme is disappointing. While the buttons on both earbuds are clicky and offer good feedback, they aren’t easy to use. Every functionality needs you to push the earbud further inside your ear, which hurts. They also don’t have any volume control and only offer call/music management and track skipping (forward and backward).
Like most in-ears, the XFYRO xS2 are very breathable since they don’t trap heat under an ear cup. You shouldn’t notice the temperature difference and shouldn’t sweat more while using them during physical activity, which is nice.
Like most in-ears, the XFYRO xS2 are very portable due to their very small design. They can easily fit in a pocket or bag and are easy to keep on you at all times. They come with a case, which adds slight bulk, but it still fits in most pockets.
The XFYRO xS2 come with a decently solid case. However, the casing doesn’t protect the headphones as the top of the buds is exposed. Also, only magnetic force holds the headphones in place, meaning that quick motion or impacts will make the headphones fall out of their receptacle. On the upside, the case also acts as an 850mAh rechargeable power bank, in which you can plug a USB cable to charge other devices.
The XFYRO xS2 are decently-built headphones. The buds are made out of dense plastic and feel solid enough to survive a few impacts. The aluminum case is also very well-made and feels heavy and solid. They're also rated IP67 for dust and water resistance. They can technically be submerged by water for 30 minutes at a depth of 3 feet but note that Bluetooth may not work as well underwater. They can be used in the shower or if it’s raining, according to the manufacturer.
The XFYRO xS2 are decently stable if you can find the right tip size for you. You can jog with them or wear them at the gym, but they won’t be ideal for more intense physical activity. They're very lightweight, and their truly wireless design eliminates the risk of a cable getting stuck on something and yanking the headphones out of your ears. However, they don't have stability fins to help them stay in place for more intense sports.
The frequency response consistency is fantastic. If the user can achieve a proper fit and an air-tight seal using the assortment of tips that come with the headphones, they should get consistent bass and treble delivery every time they use the headphones.
The XFYRO xS2 have decent bass range performance. LFE is at 63Hz, which is below sub-par. Low-bass, which is responsible for low-end thump and rumble, is lacking by about 3dB. While mid-bass is close to our target curve, high-bass is overemphasized by over 5dB, making the bass sound muddy and boomy.
The XFYRO xS2’s mid-range performance is good. The range is fairly even and flat, but there’s a 4dB tilt favoring lower frequencies, making vocals and lead instruments sound thick and cluttered.
The treble performance is decent. The range is slightly uneven, resulting in lead instruments lacking detail and brightness. Sibilants like S and T sounds are also a bit piercing.
The stereo imaging is great. Their weighted group delay is at 0.14, which is very low. The group delay graph also shows that the entire response is well below the audibility threshold. This ensures a tight bass and a transparent treble reproduction. Also, the L/R drivers of our test unit were well-matched in amplitude and phase response, but they were not in frequency response. This won't hurt the accurate placement and localization of objects (voices, instruments, video game effects) in the stereo image, but it will create unevenness and holes in the stereo field. These results are only valid for our unit, and yours may differ.
The soundstage is bad. This is because creating an out-of-head and speaker-like soundstage is largely dependent on activating the resonances of the pinna (outer ear). 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 these headphones have a closed-back enclosure, their soundstage won't be perceived to be as open as that of open-back earbuds.
Their isolation performance is great. Despite lacking active noise cancelation, they passively isolate a good amount of ambient noise. They achieve about 13dB of isolation in the bass range, where engine rumbles sit, which is sub-par. In the mid and treble ranges, they reduce the outside noise by 20dB and 41dB, respectively, both values being outstanding.
The leakage performance is outstanding. The XFYRO xS2 don't leak, so there's no need to worry about disturbing people around with your music, even if you listen at very loud volumes. With the music at 100dB SPL, the leakage at 1 foot away averages at 21dB SPL and peaks at 33dB SPL, roughly as loud as a very calm room.
The integrated microphone has a sub-par quality. In quiet environments, speech recorded or transmitted with this mic will sound noticeably thin, quite muffled, and lacking in detail. However, it's still understandable. In noisy environments, the mic struggles to separate speech from background noise even in moderately loud situations, like a busy street.
The XFYRO xS2’s microphone has a sub-par recording quality. The LFE (low-frequency extension) of 273Hz means speech recorded or transmitted sounds noticeably thin. The HFE (high-frequency extension) of 2.4KHz is poor and results in speech that's muffled and lacking in detail. It also negatively affects the understandability of speech, but it's still understandable in very quiet environments.
The integrated mic is sub-par at noise handling. In our SpNR test, they achieved a speech-to-noise ratio of 10dB, indicating they're best suited for quiet environments and struggle to separate speech from ambient noise in moderate and loud situations.
The XFYRO xS2 offer just above three hours of continuous playback on one charge. It's disappointing compared to the five hours advertised by XFYRO, especially since they take an hour and a half to charge fully. However, the case acts as a power bank for the headphones, and you can also charge other devices with it. You can expect a total of 30 hours of battery life according to the specs sheet. They're advertised to have a quick charge feature that gives you 75% of battery life in only 30 minutes of charging. Also, they go in a standby mode after being idle for a few minutes and can last up to 300 hours, according to XFYRO.
These headphones don't have a companion app with customizable options.
These headphones don't have multi-device pairing or NFC support. Their pairing procedure is also a bit complicated as you always need to power up the right earbud first, which connects to your device and then connect the left earbud to the right one. If you connect the left one first, the channels will be inverted. However, you can connect each earbud to two different devices but can’t connect them as a pair to two devices.
Like most Bluetooth headphones without a low latency codec, these headphones have too much latency to be used for watching video content or gaming as your audio and visuals may be out of sync.
