Ausounds AU-stream Wireless Earphones review – Balanced Budget Option

Offering a true wireless earphone experience for less than €70/£60 is not an easy task. There are many pitfalls that budget ear-gear can fall into; build quality, battery life and, most importantly, audio quality. AU-stream is an admirable attempt at avoiding these. Depending on your priorities when looking for budget buds, Ausounds AU-stream may be amongst your best bets.

Glossy, Flossy

Our white review model impresses at first glance. The glossy plastic casing, semi-matte silver logo and beveled silver USB Type-C port surround are a classy trio and Ausounds AU-stream wears its minimalist look well.

The case is based around the iconic ‘dental floss’ design. There is a small recess under the flap to assist in opening the lid. The two buds peep out of their place inside the case – it’s a tight squeeze. The buds continue the minimalist, classic form with their rounded stalks and all-white colouring. The only adornment on the buds are AU logos to match the one on the case. It’s a nice touch to tie up the visual continuity of the package.

The case is on the large side and can feel almost cumbersome compared to other cases. It’s a whole inch thick (22mm), 2.5 inches wide and around two inches tall. The case and buds are only 38 grams but the device doesn’t feel hollow or cheap. Build quality is excellent and it mostly feels like a premium product rather than the cheaper, little brother of a premium product.

In Operation

That aforementioned tight fit may make it tricky to remove the buds from the case until you get the knack for it. The silicone tips guarantee a a good seal in the ear and also make the fit seem very secure. Ausounds AU-stream won’t be coming out unintentionally while you jog. Coming with an IPX5 rating, the buds are water-resistant so you can sweat all over them and then clean them under gently running water.

Each bud has a small touch-sensitive area. Roughly oval in shape, this touch area is easy to find while the stalks give users something to grab to adjust the fit while avoiding accidentally skipping tracks or hailing Google.

The control scheme of AU-stream fixes a problem with Ausounds’ previous models. Elder AU-stream devices had mirrored controls where each earbud had the same controls assigned to their touch areas. Now we have asymmetric control – volume up/down and rewind are both here along with play/pause, forward, answer or reject call, engage assistant.

There is no pairing button on the device. To pair, users simply open the case, remove the buds and AU-stream appears on your available devices list. It’s easy and works reliably. As the device runs Bluetooth 5.0, it can be hooked up to two devices at once.

There are four LEDs under the shell that reveal themselves when showing the charge status of the device. The appropriate LED breathes when charging to indicates it in indeed charging and how far along the process it. This lightshow is nice addition that many brands forego in order to avoid sullying their style and Ausounds have made the most of them. Another LED lives on each bud to relay their I/O state.

Highs and Lows

Ausounds AU-stream has a u-shaped voice – bass and treble are boosted slightly to give it a musical sound. The 13mm drivers deliver good clarity and definition but can struggle with higher volumes. The mid-range takes on a throaty distortion as the decibels rise. Bass, while not powerful, can take away some of the upper register’s agility on bouncier or heavier tracks. But overall, it’s a pleasant and versatile sound but you should be aware of its limits before playing it loud – a strong audio performance for the price.

The lack of compatibility with ‘HD’ Bluetooth codecs like aptX and LDAC is unfortunate. The golden eared amongst you might hear the degradation of your hi-res tracks.

Microphone quality is good. The user’s voice is full and clear most of the time. Wind resistance is poor though – a breeze in the wrong direction will blow out the mic capture.

Competitive Stamina

A total stamina of around 20 hours is competitive for the price. The claimed six-hour runtime of the buds isn’t far off and it’s an excellent figure. The buds need around 90 minutes to charge fully inside the case while the case takes less than an hour to fill via USB Type-C.

Wireless charging at 10W for this price is excellent. It’s not far shy of the wired charging speed and will take around 90 minutes to fill while sitting on a Qi-enabled charger.

Specifications

All-Round Sound for Your Pound

AU-stream is a strong entry in its market. The build quality, enjoyable audio performance and thoughtful layout show Ausounds put a lot of care into the device. There just aren’t many other wireless earphones at this price that can offer so much in terms of features and usability without compromising quality elsewhere.

The case might be a little large and the buds may not enjoy loud music but if you can overlook these, Ausounds AU-stream do the job nicely.

Review unit provided by PR