Truke Buds A1 Review: Affordable ANC That Won't Break the Bank!

Looking for some new earbuds with ANC to elevate your daily listening experience without breaking the bank? Look no further since the Truke TWS A1 earbuds are here to the rescue.

You might think that earbuds with ANC under ₹1,500 sound too good to be true, so we tested out the newly launched Truke A1 to see if they are worth the price. Read on to find out.

PROS

• Affordable ANC under ₹1500
• Lightweight

CONS

• Average Build Quality
• No App Support
• Distorted Bass

Truke TWS A1: Design & Build Quality

The Truke TWS A1 earbuds come in a sleek and compact design with a matte finish and a loud branding of Truke on the front. I'm not a huge fan of loud branding and would've preferred a cleaner look. However, I like the addition of the thumb rest, which makes the case a tad bit grippier. The lid, on the other hand, is a touch fussy; there's a bit of resistance while trying to open/close the lid. Although it's not bothersome, I wish it had a satisfying click sound. Yet, the case is easily pocketable.

Truke TWS A1: Comfort & Fit

I tried to use all three tips in the package with the Truke TWS A1. As I was jogging this morning, two of the smaller tips fell off my ears. So I went with the largest ones, which fit the best. Overall, the earphones were very lightweight, allowing me to complete an extended training session comfortably.

Truke TWS A1: Active Noise Cancellation a.k.a ANC

Let's get straight to ANC since the Truke A1 boasts of being the only TWS to come with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) under ₹1,500. Honestly, I am surprised that the ANC worked well to block out external noise, and its quality for the price is justified. I tested out the ANC, both indoors and outdoors. The Truke A1 has a decent amount of isolation in a controlled environment (indoors), while on my walk to the grocery shop (noisy environments), the ANC was optimal. It's not top-notch, but considering the price of the Truke A1, it works well. If you're wondering how to turn on ANC on your Truke A1, just long press on the right stem (earbuds) twice, and you are good to go. Repeating the same gesture will allow you to switch between the three modes: Normal, Transparent, and ANC.

Truke TWS A1: Sound Quality and EQ Modes

The earbuds come with 3 EQ modes: Dynamic Audio Mode, Movie Mode, and Bass Boast mode (yes, that's boast, not boost).

• Being a bass head, the first thing I always do is check how hard the bass hits. In my experience, the bass Boast mode distorts the audio spectrum, and the bass cracks are evident at maximum volume.
• For testing the modes comprehensively, I listened to two albums, "Fever" by Bullet For My Valentine and "Astroworld" by Travis Scott, and discovered that the earphones are mid and treble-heavy.
• Of all the pre-loaded EQ modes, the Dynamic Audio Mode was my favorite but without the shrill tones (sibilance) in the vocals and mid-range instruments.

Truke TWS A1: The Voice Assistant

The voice of the assistant needs to be enhanced; it sounds almost robotic and dissuades the user from experiencing the music even before it is played. Also, when I switched from one mode to another while listening to a song, there was a sloppy transition sound.

Truke TWS A1: Call Quality

The call-receiving experience is buttery smooth, but the lack of an option to switch ON/OFF ANC was a bummer. The microphone quality is on par with any affordable TWS, and it also offers background noise cancellation during calls. I tested it with a TV playing in the background, and the buds A1 did a good job of eliminating background noise throughout the conversation.

Truke TWS A1: Charging and Battery

I'm a heavy user and usually listen at louder/max volumes, which I highly don't recommend to anyone. But in my use case scenario of listening to music, podcasts, streaming YouTube, and playing a bit of Call of Duty with a mix of ANC and transparent mode on, the earbuds delivered 3.5 hours of playback.

Verdict

To sum it up, the Truke TWS A1 earbuds offer decent value for their price range. The Truke A1 earbuds are among the most affordable TWS earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC). However, there's no application support to delve deeper to customize the listening experience. With that being said, these earbuds are suitable for daily users who prioritize ANC over sound quality, and if you're super tight on the budget, the Truke A1 could be the right fit for you.