Build quality and design

Let’s start with the charging case. Both the cases of the SonicGear TWS 1 and TWS 2 are made from plastic, and feature a clamshell design. The hinge of TWS 1 case feels a little flimsy and there is a slight bit of rattling from the earbuds inside. The hinge on the TWS 2 case is sturdy and the overall build is quite good. Both cases have rather slim and low profile design to them.

As for the earbuds, both TWS 2 are different kind of earbuds. The while the TWS 2 is the typical earbuds with silicon ear tips. The TWS 1 is designed very similar to the AirPods, but with a thicker stem. Both earbuds are light and have decent build quality. I do find the the TWS 2’s plastic a little slippery at times. Both earbuds are not rated for any water resistance so you might not want to gym with them.

Controls

Both SonicGear TWS 1 and TWS 2 share the same touch controls:

• Play/Pause: Double tap on either earbud
• Forward/Backward: Tap and hold for 1.5 seconds (left = back, right = forward)
• Volume up/down: Tap left to decrease, tap right to increase
• Voice Assistant: Tap three times on either earbud

For the TWS 1, it is generally easy to use to increase volume and skip tracks. But when it comes to play/pause or triggering my voice assistant, the double or triple tips are sometimes hard to get it right. TWS 2’s touch controls are as they intended to work and I have no issues triggering them. However, they are a tad too sensitive and I often find myself either bumping up the volume or skipping many tracks while adjusting the fit.

Battery life

Both earbuds provide 6 hours of music play time per full charge which is average in 2020’s standards. The TWS 1 packs 12 hours in the case, while the TWS 2 has a little more at 15 hours. Charging on the TWS 1 is unfortunately done via micro-USB but kind of expected for its price. Luckily, the TWS 2 is charged via USB-C.

Sound quality

For the SonicGear TWS 1, it sounds more bassy than the AirPods, bringing about more pump and depth to your music, but the darkness of the bass does creep into the mids. Treble is warm and supportive. If you are someone who likes the clear vocals and sparkly highs on AirPods, then the TWS 1 may sound a little too mellow for you. However, if you want more punch and kick from your music, then the TWS 1 does offer much more bass that open-fit earbuds don’t usually have.

The SonicGear TWS 2 is also bass heavy, emphasis can clearly be heard on the sub-bass and bass. You can expect rumble and thumps on your songs. The mids sounds recessed and can at times be overpowered by the bass to lack clarity. Treble is veiled and warm, but has enough presence to add dynamism to the sound tuning. If bass and warm sound are your thing, the TWS 2 can be a comfortable sound signature for long hours of listening.