Hands-on with Tribit FlyBuds C1 True Wireless Earbuds: Big features, small sound

The Tribit FlyBuds C1 True Wireless Earbuds are available for $69.99, a fair price point for a pair of wireless headphones that don’t have the best overall sound quality. While I really enjoyed some of the Tribit Flybuds’ features, my 2020 Apple AirPods still had a much richer sound quality in comparison, albeit at a $20 higher price point. Keep reading below the fold for more details.

First impression

When I unboxed the Tribit FlyBuds C1 Pro True Wireless Earbuds (from henceforth – for times’ sake! – the Tribit Flybuds), the first thing I noticed was how these earbuds resemble Apple AirPods, except with a wider case. It was also impossible to ignore how many pairs of eargels were included (there are five). I appreciate the variety of sizes to maximize comfortability; it’s a nice touch to see from any company, especially one that came out with these particular earbuds in 2021. That said, I really don’t feel a difference in my own comfort levels if I swap out the eargels – I don’t know, maybe it’s me?

There’s this button on the Tribit Flybuds case that I immediately pressed which results in letting you know how charged your Tribit Flybuds are. Additionally, you can open the charging case and be shown how charged each earbud is.

Features & specs

The Tribit FlyBuds are waterproof, sweatproof, and have an up to 32-foot range. Tribit says these headphones have 50 hours of playtime before needing a charge (my Apple AirPods could never!), but I won’t ever know if that is true or not because these will not be replacing my primary wireless headphones. That said, the battery life has proven powerful as I have not charged them once, and I have probably gotten about 8 hours of playtime out of them. According to a number of reviews, customers who purchased the Tribit FlyBuds were very impressed with the overall battery life, as well.

Something I really enjoyed about the Tribit FlyBuds was the physical buttons on each earbud, which, when pressed, are able to do a boatload of things.

With the singular button on each earbud, you can: play/pause music, adjust volume while music is playing, go to the next or previous track, answer/end a call, reject an incoming call, or activate the Voice Assistant. Admittedly it takes time to get used to all of the ways in which pressing a physical earbud button could enhance your listening experience, and I did not quite get it down, but you learn quickly enough the most important button features (pause, next, reject a call if you’re me).

Additional specs of the Tribit FlyBuds include:

• Bluetooth 5.2 technology
• 12 hours of playtime on a single charge
• 4 full recharges from charging case
• 2-hour case-charging
• Noise reduction technology

Out and about

I used the Tribit FlyBuds for about two weeks while walking my dog and going to the gym. The earbuds are very comfortable, and I got used to them right away. However, it took me about 10 seconds into my music to figure out that I really didn’t like how they sounded.. at all.

It was then that I did a quick Google search and learned that in order to properly adjust the headphones’ EQ so that it’s to your liking, you need to actually download the Tribit app (wamp, wamp). Personally, I hate downloading additional apps, but even if I didn’t mind adding more apps to my library, these headphones sounded muted and tinny.

That said, I was impressed with both the Transparency Mode and the Active Noise Canceling Mode. The former mode allowed me to hear what was going on around me while walking my dog, while the latter mode worked like a charm when I was actively trying to block out other people’s music at the gym.

Wrap-up

The Tribit FlyBuds C1 Pro True Wireless Earbuds are a no-frills, you-get-what-you-pay-for pair of headphones. The battery life is stellar, the earbuds fit comfortably, you can easily switch from music to phone calls if necessary, and the price point really can’t be beat. But if you can spend another $20-$30 for a pair of older generation Apple AirPods or Beats Studio Buds, I’d highly recommend that be your first go-to.