Tom's Guide Verdict
The sub-$50 price tag of the SoundPEATS UU2 open earbuds is astonishing. They offer exceptional value, with impressive sound across genres. They remain comfortable for all-day wear and workouts, and have physical button controls that are reliable and responsive. The 42-hour battery life with the case easily lasted a week of normal use. There are a few minor drawbacks, including mediocre call quality, movement during intense workouts, and a clunky app. But overall, these open buds are a fantastic, reliable pair for anyone.
Pros
- +
+Excellent value for money
- +
Amazing sound performance
- +
Comfortable
- +
Responsive controls
- +
Impressive battery life
Cons
- -
Call quality is lacking
- -
Clunky app
- -
Movement during workouts
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I’m a firm believer that everyone needs a pair of open-ear earbuds in their audio gear rotation, and if you’re still a skeptic, the SoundPEATS UU2 earbuds are the perfect affordable way to give ambient sound with your music a try.
These earbuds are excellent value for money — at less than $50, they also boast amazing sound performance that I’m more than happy to listen to all day long. They’re comfortable to wear and have button controls which are very responsive. Not to mention the 42 hours of battery life, which is some of the best on the market.
Unfortunately, there are some things that SoundPEATS could improve on. The UU2’s call quality isn’t the best; there’s some slight movement when wearing the earbuds for high-intensity workouts; and the companion app is clunky. If you’d like to find out more about the buds, you can keep reading this full SoundPEATS UU2 review.
SoundPEATS UU2 review: Specs
SoundPEATS UU2 review: Price & availability
The first thing to note is that these headphones have undergone a name change. They were previously named the POP Clip2, but now go by SoundPEATS UU2. The earbuds are available to purchase in the U.S. directly from the SoundPEATS website for $49 and in the U.K. on Amazon for £59.
These are the cheapest open-ear earbuds I’ve tested, but, in all honesty, when I listened to my music with them before knowing the price, I thought they would cost well over $100. But if it’s affordable audio gear you’re looking for, there are a couple of options depending on the fit you want.
The UU2 are clip-style earbuds, like the EarFun Clip 2 for $99. I find this the most comfortable style, especially for working out and all-day wear. And the Clip 2 earbuds have features like live translation and impressive call quality, which you don’t get with the UU2s. You can also get the original EarFun Clip earbuds, which have a great bass performance for $69. This will be better if you like listening to more bass-driven music.
Alternatively, you could look at a hook design. My favorite budget hook buds are the JLab Epic Open Sport for $114. They work best for high-intensity workouts like running, so if you need something that stays secure, these could be the buds for you. However, the sound quality is a mixed bag, and the UU2s offer a more consistent sound.
SoundPEATS UU2 review: Design
The SoundPEATS UU2 open-earbuds feel premium despite their sub-$50 price tag. They look very similar to the EarFun Clip 2, but have a shinier finish, which I think makes them feel a little more premium.
The case is small and fits in the palm of my hand, so it’s easy to slip into my pocket when I’m using the buds. They have an IPX5 durability rating, which means they’re protected from water splashes but not dust. This makes them ideal for walking outdoors in case you get caught out in the rain, but not for jogging on the beach in case you drop them in the sand. This kind of rating is standard for earbuds, but I would like to see some dust protection, as you get with the JLab Epic Open Sport.
Comfort
SoundPEATS say that the two Us in the name stand for ‘Ultra Comfort and Ultimate Freedom’; I’d have to agree. I could wear them all day long without them hurting since the buds are so lightweight at 0.18 ounces each.
When wearing the buds during lighter movement, such as yoga and Pilates, they felt very secure, but there is some slight movement during high-intensity workouts like running or HIIT, so keep this in mind. I found the Soundcore AeroClip earbuds to be more secure, but they are more expensive at $129.
Controls
The SoundPEATS UU2 are controlled using physical buttons. These were responsive and easy to operate, and you can even customize this in the SoundPEATS app, which I’ll talk more about later. I much prefer these controls to touch-sensitive controls, as when you're moving, there’s less chance of a missed command, as it takes more intent to click a button.
Connectivity
The SoundPEATS UU2 earbuds use the latest (at the time of writing) Bluetooth 6.0, which delivers better power consumption and connection stability. Codec-wise, they support SBC, AAC and LDAC audio codecs, the latter allowing hi-res wireless playback. They also support multipoint connection with up to two devices, which is ideal for when I’m working and need to switch between my phone and laptop for calls. It’s easy to connect multiple devices by using the SoundPEATS app.
SoundPEATS UU2 review: Sound quality
The SoundPEATS UU2 earbuds don’t provide ultimate high-end sound quality — we’re not talking Beyerdynamic AMIRON Zero ($179) performance here — but for the price tag, I really can’t ask for any more. They’ve blown me away. I tried out the EQ adjustment settings in the app, but ended up sticking with the default tuning as it was the best for me.
Firstly, I wanted to listen to the bass performance of the buds, because open-earbuds can often struggle with bass replication since the drivers are outside of your ear. However, I was impressed. I listened to Heads Will Roll by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the A-Trak remix, which relies on bass for a heavy club sound, with the vocals adding more structure. The bass was mostly clear, with some very slight distortion when increasing the volume. The synth also sounded great — exactly what I want from this song to feel motivated while working out.
Next, I listened to Favourite by Fontaines D.C. to test out the mid-range, because of its catchy guitar track and prominent drums. The track was bright and well balanced. I could hear the guitar in detail, and it was punchy and strong. The guitar and drums weren’t overpowering though, and the vocals still shone through.
To test the high-frequency performance, I listened to My Tears Ricochet by Taylor Swift. This song uses orchestral elements such as violin and choral harmonies. All of these elements were clear and balanced, leaving space for soft vocals to shine before the song builds into something more powerful. And even then, the earbuds held their own impressively.
SoundPEATS UU2 review: App
I usually love using an app with earbuds as it adds a layer of customization that makes the listening experience times better. However, I found the SoundPEATS app clunky, especially during the initial setup. With use, it became easier to navigate, but I much prefer apps like the one from Soundcore that are instantly usable.
That said, the app has some useful features. You can enable Spatial audio or make EQ and control adjustments. There’s also a drainage function, which helps expel moisture from inside the earbuds by playing low-frequency tones, effectively shaking out the water. I’m not sure how much this will actually help if you drop your earbuds into a pool for argument's sake, but it’s an interesting feature nonetheless.
SoundPEATS UU2 review: Call quality
To evaluate the call quality of the SoundPEATS UU2 earbuds, I carried out my usual test and called my mom. She let me know that I didn’t sound as clear as usual. This was disappointing, as these buds are very impressive in pretty much every other area.
If you want a pair of open buds for work calls that are still budget-friendly, I’d recommend the Soundcore Aeroclip, as they provide excellent microphone clarity without breaking the bank.
SoundPEATS UU2 review: Battery life
The SoundPEATS UU2 earbuds have very impressive battery life. They have a total playtime of 42 hours, which is two hours more than the EarFun Clip2. Again, I can’t believe the SoundPEATS buds are so cheap! This puts more expensive models, like the Beyerdynamic ZEROs, to shame, as they only have up to 20 hours of battery life!
The UU2s take an hour and 36 minutes to charge up, and the buds take 45 minutes to charge in the case. You can use the included USB-C cable to charge the case.
SoundPEATS UU2 review: Verdict
After testing using the SoundPEATS UU2 earbuds for two weeks, I’m still so shocked by the sub-$50 price tag. They are seriously excellent value for money. The sound performance blew me away, and apart from some slight bass distortion at higher volumes, they performed very well across a variety of genres. They’re comfortable to wear all day long, have responsive button controls and 42 hours of battery life with the charging case.
They have a few issues, but these are fairly minor — not to mention forgivable for $49. The call quality isn’t the best, and there’s some slight movement of the buds during high-intensity workouts. The app is also clunky to use. With that said, I really don’t think you can go wrong with these earbuds at this price point. They’re a solid addition to anyone’s audio gear rotation.
