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SOUNDPEATS TruEngine 3SE review: Great value for its price

TL:DR: The SOUNDPEATS TruEngine 3SE offers great sound and a lightweight design with an affordable price tag.

The local personal audio scene is flooded with all kinds of TWS (true wireless stereo) earbuds from different brands, big and small. One of those brands is SOUNDPEATS, who has made a good name for itself with quality TWS earbuds that offer good sound at affordable prices.

At the top of SOUNDPEATS roster of TWS earbuds is the TruEngine 3SE. It offers two dynamic drivers per bud and a total of 30 hours of battery life. Let’s see if it can deliver and stand out from the crowded TWS space.

Let’s go.

SOUNDPEATS TruEngine 3SE Review

Price

The SOUNDPEATS TruEngine 3SE has a price of Php 1,999. Among quality TWS earbuds, that’s not bad considering what you’re getting. You also get a pair of premium Comply Foam ear tips in package.

The SOUNDPEATS TruEngine 3SE is available on Lazada (link here).

Design

The SOUNDPEATS TruEngine 3SE are lightweight wireless in-ears that are smooth to the touch with a compact and ergonomic design. It is extremely comfortable to wear (for my ears, at least), offering a good fit. The earbuds and the casing are coated in a matte black paint that feels soft and slightly rubbery.

On the outside, you have a stylish bronze-colored touch multi-function button (MFB) with the SOUNDPEATS logo. While on the underside, there’s a see-through design that allows you to see the dual drivers that power the earbuds.

SOUNDPEATS TruEngine 3SE Review
SOUNDPEATS TruEngine 3SE Review

Both the earbuds and the case have LED indicators that tell you battery life status. The ones on the buds though are really bright, which are especially noticeable in dark rooms.

The TruEngine 3SE has an IPX5 splash and sweat resistance rating. This means you can exercise with these but you can’t use them in the pool or the shower.

As for the charging case, it’s pretty standard with an oval shape and rounded edges. It’s small enough to fit your pocket, and it has the same matte textured coating as the earbuds. The case has a USB-C port for charging.

The case has four LEDs to give you an idea of how much charge it is holding. For its build, I’d say it’s average. It does its job, but the flip cover is thin and looks flimsy. I guess they designed it that way to give it a lighter weight.

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The earbuds come with a plethora of touch controls including volume and virtual assistant. They are sensitive enough to easily register my touches to play or pause music, among other things.

Earphone Controls
  • Power on: Press and hold the multi-function button (MFB) for 1.5 seconds while earbuds are off
  • Power off: Press and hold the MFB for 10 seconds while earbuds are on
  • Play/pause music: Double-tap MFB
  • Previous track: Press and hold left MFB for 1.5 seconds
  • Next track: Press and hold right MFB for 1.5 seconds
  • Volume up: Tap right MFB once
  • Volume down: Tab left MFB once
  • Answer/Hang-up call: Double-tap MFB
  • Reject call: Press and hold MFB for 1.5 seconds
  • Manually enter pairing mode: Press and hold MFB for 6 seconds
  • Activate voice assistant: Triple tap MFB
How to pair the SOUNDPEATS TruEngine 3SE

Pair the SOUNDPEATS TruEngine 3SE with your phone is easy.

  1. Take the earbuds out of the charging case. The left and the right earbud will pair with each other.
  2. The LED of the left earbud will flash white, while the right flashes red and white. When this happens, it is now on pairing mode. You will also hear a voice prompt “Pairing.”
  3. Pair normally as you would with any Bluetooth device on your phone. Connect “SOUNDPEATS Truengine 3 SE” and then after that, another pairing request with “SOUNDPEATS Truengine 3 SE L” will pop up. Connect to that too.

Alternatively, you can manually enter paring mode by pressing and holding the MFB for 6 seconds.

Performance

The SOUNDPEATS TruEngine 3SE are powered by dual dynamic drivers. That means there are two small speakers on each earbud — one for bass and another for highs and mids. It connect to devices via Bluetooth 5 which offer good range and improved latency.

SOUNDPEATS TruEngine 3SE Review

The earbuds support SBC and APTX codecs. SBC is the standard codec found on all Bluetooth earphones. APTX, on the other hand, is a similar codec but offers much better sound quality.

That being said, the TruEngine 3SE has great sound quality. You get nice crisp highs with adequate mids and punchy bass. It also has good clarity and separation with a wide sound stage.

Despite all the praise, there are some negatives though. In some tracks, there are instances of sibilance, which at times are harsh. And earbuds aren’t as loud as I would have liked. I have the volume at around 60 to 70 percent for tracks to be loud enough for me.

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Isolation is also not the best, but it’s good enough for most situations. If you need more isolation, you can use the supplied Comply Foam ear tips that came with the earbuds. It will provide a much better seal. As a bonus, it can also boost the bass response.

Call quality is above average. The earbuds’ mics records clear audio, lending to good experience on both ends of a call.

Battery Life

SOUNDPEATS said you can get up to 30 hours of total battery life, together with the charging case. At around 60-percent volume, I got around a bit under 6 hours of listening time from the earbuds. The case provides an additional 23 or so hours of use.

Charging the earbuds took almost 2 hours to reach full.

Verdict

For Php 1,999, the SOUNDPEATS TruEngine 3SE offers outstanding value for its price. Among its positives, you have a lightweight build, great sound quality, a long battery life, and a comfortable design. And as a bonus, you also get premium Comply Foam ear tips.

Admittedly, its not perfect, and there are some negatives, such as the flimsy case and low volume. But its swiftly overcome by what you’re getting.

If you’re in the market for a good sounding TWS earbuds (and if it is within you’re budget), I recommend the TruEngine 3SE.

SOUNDPEATS TruEngine 3SE Review

SOUNDPEATS TruEngine 3SE specs

  • Dual Dynamic Drivers
  • APTX, SBC Codec
  • QCC3040 Bluetooth 5.0
  • Smart Touch
  • Dual Mic, IPX5 Water Resistance
  • 30 Hours Playtime, USB-C Charge Case

Bryan is a geek at heart and a tech enthusiast by choice. He has a strong background in corporate communications, marketing services, and customer relations having worked in the telecommunications and banking sectors for over two decades. In his spare time, he enjoys watching clips on YouTube and binge watching shows on Netflix.

1 Comment

  1. David Novak Reply

    The SOUNDPEATS Truengine SE are True Wireless Stereo In-Ear Earbuds that feature dual dynamic drivers on their speakers and up to 27 hours of battery life.

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