Could the Tribit FlyBuds C3 be the best sub-$40 earbuds you can buy? I put them to the test to find out

I think everyone should have a pair of the best cheap wireless earbuds in their audio arsenal. They’re the perfect solution when you misplace your regular drivers, or don’t want to risk losing them somewhere. The Tribit FlyBuds C3 are an interesting solution, offering a sleek design, comfort, decent ANC and good sound quality — if you make adjustments in the companion app.

Since they are so cheap, there are a few trade-offs. These include an echoey call quality and high-end tinniness at times. You can also get better battery life from other brands without spending more money, but 35 hours of listening is still impressive.

To find out more about these budget earbuds, you can keep reading this full Tribit FlyBuds C3 review.

Tribit FlyBuds C3 review: Specs

Tribit FlyBuds C3 review: Price & availability

The Tribit FlyBuds C3 earbuds are available to purchase from Amazon U.S. for $39 and from Amazon U.K. for £49. The earbuds are only available in black.

But just because they're cheap doesn't mean they're bad. We test lots of budget earbuds with sound quality rivalling the big brands like Apple and Samsung.big brands like Apple and Samsung. The JLab Go Pods ANC, for instance, cost just $36 and have a killer bass performance that doesn’t impact the rest of the sound, and don’t have any issues with tinniness (which the FlyBuds C3 do).

CMF by Nothing also makes a variety of cheap earbuds. The CMF by Nothing Buds Pro 2 cost $69 and provide Apple-level ANC along with fantastic bass performance. They perform better than the Tribit buds so the extra £30 is well spent.

Around the $100 mark, the EarFun Air Pro 4+ are $99 and will knock your socks off. With clear bass, effective treble, and a whopping 54 hours of battery life, they're still a testament to bang for your buck, despite costing $60 more.

Tribit FlyBuds C3 review: Design

If Top Gun was a pair of earbuds, it would be the Tribit FlyBuds C3. It’s in the name — they look super fly. The all-black finish is glassy, with sleek gunmetal detailing that makes them pop and look far more expensive than they actually are.

The buds feel sturdy and the case is quite small, so I can easily slip it into pockets when I’m heading out. They’re very lightweight, with the case weighing 1.32 ounces. An IP55 durability rating makes them an ideal choice for heading out and about in the rain, and means they can handle sweat from the gym too.

Comfort

I’ve found the buds very comfortable to wear for long periods, and they come with three different-sized eartips so you can get the ideal fit for you. Each bud weighs just 0.14 ounces, so even after wearing them all day, I didn’t experience any ear fatigue. In fact, I hardly noticed them.

Controls

The earbuds have a downward stem, just like the classic design of Apple AirPods 5. This stem is where the touch-sensitive controls sit, and they are very responsive and tactile to use. You can play or pause the music and answer or end calls by tapping the earbuds. You can also activate ANC by holding the right earbud.

I kept the controls as they were, as they worked well for me, but you can make changes to the controls through the Tribit App.

Connectivity

The FlyBuds C3 use Bluetooth 6.0 to connect to your devices for a stronger connection, and they have a range of 3.8 feet. They have multipoint connectivity, which makes it very easy for me to connect to my phone and laptop with the click of a button, so I can easily toggle between work calls and music. The earbuds support SBC and AAC codecs.

Tribit FlyBuds C3 review: Sound quality

The Tribit FlyBuds C3 are undeniably cheap earbuds, and for the price, I think the sound you get is impressive. With a few tweaks in the companion app, I was even able to achieve sound I’d expect from my AirPods 3.

I recommend using an EQ with enhanced bass and a lower high end, such as the BassX preset, or creating your own. This is because the high end can sometimes be tinny, so this counteracts that effect.

To test the bass performance, I listened to Backseat by Balu Brigada, which has a groovy bass line that leads into a breakdown driven by the lows. I could tell the bass was being prioritized by the buds, as it was strong and clear. The buds replicated the song really well, but the vocals were a little quieter compared to when I listen to the song through speakers and various headphones.

When judging the mid-range performance, I listened to Cross Your Mind by Shelly. This song has a funky drum beat that keeps the tempo, with a dreamy electric guitar layered with harmonizing vocals. I really enjoyed how the buds replicated the drums, as they were distinct from the other instruments.

To evaluate the treble performance, I listened to Ugly Things by Lizzie McAlpine, an acoustic track that uses delicate string instruments in the background to fill out the song. The earbuds did a great job of replicating quieter tones, ensuring nothing in the high end was lost. The whole track felt a little brighter than my usual Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones, but I enjoyed that.

Although the treble sounded good in a slower acoustic track, when listening to more upbeat songs, the high end struggled a little, such as in Overcome by Nothing But Thieves. It felt as though the vocal performance was sacrificed.

Tribit FlyBuds C3 review: App

The Tribit FlyBuds C3 are compatible with the Tribit app. This allows you to alter ANC levels, choose between 10 preset EQ modes and access three noise control modes, including Game Mode for low latency.

This app is very easy to navigate, and the presets make it very easy to figure out what sound profile works best for you. There’s also an X-3D toggle button that allows you to enable the spatial sound algorithm, and this made the sound a lot brighter but a little crackly.

The Tribit app gives you a lot of control over your music and, like the Soundcore app, is very user-friendly.

Tribit FlyBuds C3 review: ANC

The ANC on the Tribit FlyBuds C3 is very effective. Although it’s not as powerful as the CMF Buds 2 Plus. That said, FlyBuds still put up a good fight against the sound of chatting around me and low-level music.

There are five ANC levels to choose from, so if you need to let in some ambient sound, these are a great option. I love using this feature when I’m in the office so I can still hear my colleagues.

Tribit FlyBuds C3 review: Call quality

To test out the call quality of the Tribit FlyBuds C3, I used them on a team call with my colleagues. The 6 mics and AI technology didn’t do much to block out ambient sound, as they said my voice was very echoey.

If you want a cheap pair of earbuds that will be good for calls, I’d recommend the EarFun Air Pro 4+ as the noise-minimizing AI algorithm works really well here.

Tribit FlyBuds C3 review: Battery life

The battery life of the Tribit FlyBuds C3 earbuds is quite impressive, but there’s better on the market. With ANC off, these buds offer 35 hours of listening with the charging case and eight hours in the buds alone. With ANC on, you get 25 hours of listening and six hours in the buds on a single charge. This is based on testing at 50% volume, and through my testing, I found this to be an accurate representation of their capabilities.

Comparatively, the CMF by Nothing Buds Pro 2 can give you 43 hours of listening with the charging case. And the CMF Buds 2 Plus have a whopping 61 and a half hours of playtime.

The FlyBuds C3 earbuds take around an hour and a half to charge up in the case, and the case takes around two hours to charge using a Type-C charging cable.

Tribit FlyBuds C3 review: Verdict

The Tribit FlyBuds C3 are a super affordable option in the audio world for anyone who needs a new pair of wireless earbuds. They are proof that you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to get good sound quality and decent ANC. The buds have a very sleek design, which makes them appear more expensive, and they are very comfortable to wear too.

But with such a low price tag, there are a few minor trade-offs. The call quality is very echoey, so it’s not the best choice for work calls, and when listening to music, the high end is tinny unless you make EQ adjustments in the app. You can also get better battery life elsewhere.

These buds are certainly worth the money, but you can get even more bang for your buck elsewhere.