Riversong Air X5+ Wireless Earphones Review: Replicates AirPods Design, Not Audio

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Riversong, a digital accessories brand known for its budget audio products, has unveiled its third True wireless headphones called the Air X5+. The popularity of smartphones in the last decade has been one of the major factors spiking the demand for audio accessories such as earphones and speakers. And if we talk about the recent times, it's the wireless technology that's the new hype.

 

Rating:
3.0/5

Riversong Air X5+ Wireless Earphones Review

It's the market of Bluetooth supported audio products that have seen exponential growth in the past few years. The True wireless earphones are amongst the latest trending audio accessories which come in a variety of shapes and sizes. While Apple was first to come up with its Airpods, several other brands followed the lead and introduced their iteration of truly wireless earphones.

Speaking of which, the Riversong Air X5+ is one of the cheapest wireless earbuds which you can buy in the Indian market. Announced at a price tag of Rs. 2,999, the earphones come in a single white color option and can be purchased from online as well as offline stores. I have been using this pair for a while now and in this article, I will be sharing if it is worth the asking price.

Looks Can Be Deceptive

Looks Can Be Deceptive

The Riversong Air X5+ adorns a whole lot of similarities in terms of design with the Apple AirPods. It has a stem-like design and even the case looks similar to the AirPods. You get a silicon travel pouch inside the retail box along with a carabineer clip, a charging case housing the earbuds, and a charging cable which is also a replica of Apple's lightning port.

The charging case is small in size and can be easily snuggled inside a pocket or a bag. It is no doubt an extremely portable case that you can carry around all day long. There is a small LED on the front hidden beneath the surface. It glows when you connect a charger.

The charging case, as well as the earbuds, has minimum design elements. You do get touch-sensitive earbuds, but the functionality is limited to picking up calls or play/pause music. The fit is decent and it doesn't feel uncomfortable with long sessions.

Also, there is a blue LED on the earbuds itself that glows when they are in pairing mode. The overall feel and form factor is quite similar to the Apple AirPods, sans the flashy LEDs. The charging port is placed at the bottom and you can use any standard power brick to charge the unit.

Stereophonic Earphones; Shrill Output
 

Stereophonic Earphones; Shrill Output

The Riversong Air X5+ is marketed as stereo headphones and the output isn't satisfactory. A 10mm driver is what delivers the output and the speakers have 20Hz- 20KHz frequency range. While these numbers seem standard, the audio delivered is shrill.

Upon turning up the volume to maximum, the audio starts leaking and is clearly audible to the person sitting next to you. This is not the case when the media volume is at 50- 60 percent. Also, these are not the clearest sounding true wireless earphones in the sub Rs. 5,000 segment.

The audio muffling and distortion are what you have to bear with at the maximum levels. The bass is also not as punchy as other wireless earbuds in this price range. I want to add that this pair is not comfortable for prolonged usage if the audio is being played above 70 percent.

It's not the wearing comfort that will restrict the usage for a longer duration, but the audio. While it doesn't sound like a premium wireless earphones, it takes care of day-to-day usage. Its performance with streaming platforms like YouTube, Amazon Prime Videos, and Netflix is decent. Overall, the output is what you expect from stereo headphones; nothing fancy.

Battery And Connectivity; No MicroUSB Support

Battery And Connectivity; No MicroUSB Support

The Riversong Air X5+ is packed with a 30 mAh battery which the company claims to last over 3 hours with a single charge. But, it lasted for around 2 hours when played continuously. This is when the audio levels are between 50- 70 percent. Beyond that, the backup reduces slightly.

The charging case is equipped with a 320 mAh battery; almost 10 times the actual battery size of the earbuds. So, expect it to refuel the earphones up to 10 times. It takes around an hour and a half or so for the case to charge from zero to 100 percent.

It's the case that saves the day in the end. A slightly more backup is what we would have appreciated from the earbuds solely. Also, Android users will not be able to use a microUSB cable to charge the unit. This is a bit let down.

For pairing, all you need to do is take out the pair from the case. It goes in the pairing mode straightaway. You will notice the blue/red LED's on the stem (right below the earbuds) when it goes in the connection mode. Now, you just need to head to the Bluetooth settings and look for the Riversong Air X5+.

The pairing process is nothing different from what you have been doing with other wireless headphones or speakers. The earphones feature Bluetooth V5.0 which allows for a lag-free connection.

I didn't notice any drops in the audio or connection throughout. But, I would like to highlight that the one of the earbuds kind of stops playback when not worn for a while. So, you will have to put it back in the charging case and take it out to start functioning again.

Verdict:  Pay For Looks Not Audio

Verdict: Pay For Looks Not Audio

The Riversong Air X5+ is just a new face in the already crowded True wireless earbuds segment. While the company has tried to replicate the popular AirPods, it couldn't match the audio.

But then, it would be criminal to expect such kind of output at Rs. 2,999. I am not saying this is the worst sounding audio product, but is average and does a perfect job of being a decent pair.

What you will like here are its looks. For once, you might mistake it for the Apple AirPods until you give it a closer look.

Moreover, the accessories such as the silicon charging case cover with a carabineer and a charging cable shipping with the retail box save on additional add ons. You can buy this pair if you want to flaunt an AirPods like pair, but at the same time can compromise a bit on the audio.

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