Some of my favourite earphones are SoundPeats ones. They are all about quality at a very reasonable price. Today, we look at the SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro+, which I thought sounded like a pair I already own, and I was correct – I do own the Capsule3 Pro’s. I scored those pretty high and I was assured that the Pro+ is a significant step up, which gives off the impression it’s slightly more than a refinement of an already good earbud range.
How much of a step up are they, though? Well, that’s the key question.
Design & Comfort
Let’s start with the case since that’s the first thing you hold in your hands. It feels delightful. My only personal preference would be not to have the SoundPEATS slogan, “Hear Your Imagination,” in tiny cursive writing in gold, but I understand why it’s there. Just doesn’t look as clean as it could otherwise. I can forgive that, though, because of how it feels, and it has an incredible clacky sound when you close the lid. It may be the most clacky sound of any earphone case I have, which might drive the people around me mad, but I love it.
The actual earphones don’t look much different from some other SoundPEATS ones, particularly the Capsule3 Pros, which isn’t a surprise. There is a slight refinement, but there’s not really much they can do with how they look without making them a different range. And they are comfortable. They are lightweight but with enough weight that you don’t forget they’re there, and you also never get an earache.
They come with a nice gold-coloured accent piece that features the SoundPEATS logo. I thought I’d dislike it because I’m not a fan of gold-coloured things, but honestly, it looks incredible.
The rubber tips also deserve a mention. They’re clear and quite flimsy feeling. Despite that flimsiness, they hold their shape really well and provide a nicer fit than some others I have tried. It allows them to mould to your inner ear a bit better, creating a good seal. You know, some thought has gone into this, too, because, on first look, you might question the quality of an earbud with a Pro+ name. Then you put them in your ears, and you know you pre-judged them way too harshly because they were a good choice.
For a comparison of those tips, I looked at my Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro earbuds. They’re slightly thicker on the Samsung ones. I like those, too, but you’d be amazed at the difference the SoundPEATS ones make.
SoundPeats App
The SoundPEATS app has been one of my bugbears for a while, mainly due to what it lacked. So when I opened the app to turn on ANC for SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro+, I did not expect much. I was even a little apprehensive when it told me that there was a completely new app that was better to install.
The new app – PeatsAudio – is very different. I look at everything I’ve complained about previously, and I can no longer complain about them.
I quite liked the simplicity of the original app. PeatsAudio is also simple but has had a facelift. It looks modern and stylish. And the improvements don’t stop there! You can now view manuals for your earphones. Any SoundPEATS earphones, which also gives you a nice little look at what else they have to offer. But it’s something I thought the old app really lacked. In 2024, if I can’t remember what a touch control does, I shouldn’t have to wait till I get home to find the little paper manual.
Granted, one of the first things I do is turn the touch controls off. Just a fan, personally. But I get why they’re useful to a lot of people. And you can now customise what those touch controls do. If I used touch controls, I’d be super excited about this. In fact, I am super excited about it because it’s a quality addition. It shows that SoundPEATS is constantly improving and taking the devices to another level.
You still have your usual EQ options, and Game Mode, which we’ll get into in a bit.
Sound Playback
The SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro+ earphones come packed with features like AI ANC, pass-through, Multi-point connection, and game mode, all of which perform exceptionally well. The difference between these and other SoundPEATS earphones is more noticeable than I thought it would be. The sound quality is truly exceptional. They feature a hybrid driver setup with a 12mm dynamic driver and an advanced xMEMS Speaker for a wide soundstage.
The sound quality is impressive for true wireless earphones. Without any EQ adjustments, the Capsule3 Pro+ delivers a sound that is well-balanced with clean audio, and great transparency. The bass is punchy and reaches relatively deep, while the midrange is dynamic, detailed, and highly resolving without being overly recessed. The treble has a good bite, is well-emphasized, and offers a decent balance with clean note delivery, good extension, and even some nice crunch and treble punch.
If the default sound profile doesn’t match your preferences, you can easily adjust it using the 19-band graphic EQ, Adaptive EQ, or one of the nine presets available in the app.
One thing that has really impressed me, also, is the improvement of the ANC. I live by the sea, where it can get rather windy. One of my problems with previous SoundPEATS earphones has been with the wind. Even with ANC on, I can have times when I end up hearing nothing but the wind hitting the microphones. I’m yet to experience that with the Capsule3 Pro+. It’s just a slight wind on microphone sound, but it sounds like they compensate for that. If I lose some slight hearing in one, the other is clear. I can listen to podcasts on the way to and from work without having to rewind or give up constantly. Whatever they’ve done has worked. Do we need AI with ANC? Apparently so.
The SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro+ also offers impressive battery life. The earphones themselves provide up to 6 hours of playback on a single charge. Combined with the charging case, the total battery life extends to 43 hours. This makes them a reliable choice for extended use without frequent recharging. However, like usual, your choices have consequences. ANC naturally will affect battery life, which is expected.
Game Mode
The SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro Plus are well-suited for gaming, thanks to its Game Mode, which reduces latency to 70ms. This low latency ensures that audio and visuals stay in sync, providing a more immersive gaming experience. Mixed with the ANC, you can block out external noise, allowing you to focus on your game.
If you think 70ms isn’t that impressive, then consider that most I’ve seen offer 90ms. It doesn’t sound like much of a difference, but this is milliseconds. It’s super fast, so any improvement on that is impressive – it’s 0.07 seconds of latency. Barely noticeable. What is noticeable, though, is the battery drain. Game Mode takes a lot out of them. Pair that with ANC for an even better experience, and your battery life will cut again. There’s no way around this, unfortunately, given the size of the earphones. So, no super long gaming sessions with these.
Worth noting as well, that Game Mode is good for video – YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, etc. Everything is kept as close to “in sync” as possible via Bluetooth, which, with some earbuds, has been ever so slight problem. But not here!
Conclusion
So, how much of a step up are the Capsule3 Pro+ to the Capsule3 Pros? Surprisingly, it’s quite a significant step up. If I was given these as a Capsule4 Pro, I don’t think I’d be complaining that there’s not enough of a difference. It’s a stunning difference in everything. And I’m incredibly happy with the changes that they’ve been making. The AI ANC is one of those things that you’d think is really unnecessary, but it really does make a difference. Especially with where I live. This is the kind of thing AI should be used for.
The battery life is still impressive considering the changes and the quality the earphones provide. 6 hours might not seem long, but they’re doing a lot of work to provide that level of quality. And the case charges those small batteries quite fast which is super handy.
These are worth every penny. SoundPEATS regularly offer money off, but even at full price these are worth it. I’ve used them exclusively for nearly 2 weeks, and I’ve not even picked up any of my other earphones. And I don’t think I will be for quite a while. These are my new daily drivers.
I can only score the SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro+ a 10/10. Wonderful improvements to make wonderful earphones. And in the sub-£100 category? Stunning behaviour.
You can purchase these from the US Amazon store for $89.99, but you can apply a voucher for an additional 20% off. Alternatively, you can purchase them from the UK Amazon store for £85.99, and can apply a voucher for an additional 15% off.
In fact – if you’re ordering from Amazon US, you can enjoy this exclusive discount code for even more savings! It’d be rude not to, really.
Amazon Discount Code: PRSPCAPPLUS
Discount: 35% OFF
Start Date: 09/15/2024, 12:01 AM PDT
End Date: 10/31/2024, 11:59 PM PDT
The code can only be used once per customer and cannot be combined with the current 20% OFF coupon available on Amazon.
