The Noise Buds Venus: Affordable True Wireless Earphones With a Big Feature
Looking for true wireless earphones with active noise cancellation (ANC) but on a budget? It’s a tough ask, but the Noise Buds Venus, priced at just Rs. 1,899, attempts to solve this dilemma. This latest offering from Indian audio brand Noise promises a lot for its price tag, placing it among the most affordable ANC-equipped earphones in the market. But does it deliver on its promise of premium features at an accessible price? Let’s dive in and see if the Noise Buds Venus is a true winner in the competitive sub-Rs. 2,000 true wireless earphone market.
Noise Buds Venus: Design, Features, and Specifications
The Noise Buds Venus breaks away from the generic look of many budget true wireless earphones, adopting a distinct and modern aesthetic. The earpieces boast a unique blend of glossy and dull finishes, mirroring the charging case’s design. This unique touch sets them apart from most competitors in this price segment, which often appear to be solely focused on affordability.
The earpieces themselves have touch-sensitive controls for managing playback, volume, and even ANC functionality. They offer an in-canal fit, providing excellent noise isolation and enhancing the ANC experience. While they do stick out slightly, the lightweight 3.5g earpieces remain comfortable to wear, even for extended periods. The package includes additional ear tip sizes (medium, large, and small), allowing for a personalized fit. The box also contains a USB Type-A to Type-C charging cable and an instruction leaflet, which is crucial for navigating the control scheme.
Despite their budget-friendly price, the Noise Buds Venus boasts typically more premium features like active noise cancellation and low-latency gaming mode. However, there’s a surprising omission – no companion app. This lack of app support means customization options are limited, and control settings are fixed.
The quad-microphone system enables environmental noise cancellation (ENC), further enhancing the calling experience. You can manage all functions, including ANC, gaming mode, and playback, directly through the touch-sensitive controls on the earpieces. While it might take some time to master the combination of taps required for each command, these controls are intuitive and user-friendly.
The charging case, neither too small nor too large, houses a USB Type-C port for charging and a LED indicator below the brand logo. It fits comfortably in your pocket and supports fast charging, providing additional charge to the earpieces. The case offers enough capacity to provide multiple charges before needing a recharge itself. The Noise Buds Venus is available in four appealing color options: black, brown, green, and ivory.
Here’s a summary of the Noise Buds Venus’ key specifications:
- Drivers: 10mm dynamic
- Bluetooth: 5.3 with support for SBC and AAC codecs
- Water Resistance: IPX5 rating
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3
- Battery Life: Up to 5 hours playtime with ANC on (up to 25 hours total with the charging case)
- Features: Active Noise Cancellation, Environmental Noise Cancellation, Low-Latency Gaming Mode, Touch Controls
Noise Buds Venus: Performance and Battery Life
The Noise Buds Venus, despite its budget-friendly price, delivers impressive performance for its feature set. The inclusion of AAC Bluetooth codec support and Bluetooth 5.3 contributes significantly to the overall sonic experience. However, the brand has also done a commendable job in tuning the audio for this price point.
In general, budget true wireless earphones tend to struggle with audio quality, but the Noise Buds Venus defies this trend. The sound profile is clean and straightforward, offering a well-balanced sonic signature while retaining a good level of detail.
Listening to Paris (Aeroplane Remix) by Friendly Fires at moderate volume, the sound exhibited the right amount of low-end attack, accompanied by subtle hints of high-end sparkle throughout the lively track. The result is an engaging listening experience that allows you to fully focus on the music without any irritating sonic hiccups.
Volume changes have minimal impact on the quality of the audio, and there isn’t a specific "sweet spot" where the Noise Buds Venus delivers its best performance. This versatility is a plus, allowing you to adjust the volume according to your mood or the surrounding noise level. Typically, a volume level around 60% proves sufficient for indoor listening, while around 70% is ideal for outdoor listening.
The Noise Buds Venus can achieve impressive loudness when needed, though I noticed some roughness in the sound beyond the 90% volume mark. This should rarely be a concern for typical usage scenarios. The Noise Buds Venus generally keeps pace with modern music genres, even at moderate volumes.
Call quality is acceptable for most situations, but the Noise Buds Venus struggled slightly in loud environments. The built-in microphone handled voice calls properly, but the performance could be better in noisy areas.
While the Noise Buds Venus boasts active noise cancellation, it’s expectedly basic at this price point. It offers a mild reduction in ambient noise, not quite achieving complete cancellation. Basic indoor sounds, like a whirring ceiling fan, can still be heard even with ANC activated. Outdoor sounds are affected even less.
Despite its limitations, the Noise Buds Venus’ ANC feature adds a bit of value, making music more enjoyable even at moderate volume levels. In reality, ANC on the Noise Buds Venus is more of a bonus than a defining selling point, falling short of the performance you’d get from more expensive models like the Oppo Enco Air 3 Pro.
Battery life on the Noise Buds Venus is commendable for its price. It consistently achieved about 5 hours of continuous playtime with ANC activated and volume set around 60%. The charging case, equipped with fast charging, provides an additional four charges for the earpieces, resulting in approximately 25 hours of total listening time per charge cycle. Even with varied usage, you’re likely to come close to the figures I achieved during testing.
The charging case features rapid charging capabilities, delivering around 2 hours of playtime with just a 10-minute charge.
Verdict: The Noise Buds Venus
The Noise Buds Venus showcases the remarkable progress made in budget true wireless earphones. It offers a basic but functional ANC system, which, while not a game-changer, adds a touch of premium value at this price point.
The absence of a dedicated app may be a deal-breaker for some. However, the overall experience of the Noise Buds Venus is highly positive. The sound quality is good, the battery life is impressive, and the straightforward design minimizes potential drawbacks.
Given its price and unusual inclusion of ANC, the Noise Buds Venus is the best option in this category. If you’re seeking a set of budget-friendly true wireless earphones with decent sound and a touch of advanced features, the Noise Buds Venus is definitely worth considering.
