True wireless earbuds come with a sense of sophistication and boastful attitude that shows people that you’re hip to the latest in audio electronics. There’s a lot of options when it comes to true wireless earbuds, but as you scroll through the list of varieties, you’ll notice that they all tend to look the same. Enter the Optoma NuForce BE Free8, a pair of earbuds that serves up a bit of style from the usual mundane.
DESIGN
When it comes to looks, the one thing that stands out about the BE Free8 is the design. Swaying away from the conventional circular design, the BE Free8 lends its shape after the human ear. This irregular triangular shape made the BE Free8 easy to place inside my ear, providing a comfortable and secure fit, and created a nice seal to keep any outside noise to a minimum.
The earbuds have a glossy finish that adds to their elegant style, but unfortunately, the finish is a magnet for fingerprints. There are a few lines that run down the earbuds to give them some more panache, while a singular LED light will tell you if your earbuds are on/off or connected. To finish off the BE Free8’s minimal design, the earbuds have a singular multifunction button on both left and right channel.
The carrying and charging case is also as elegant as the earbuds are. It’s a pocket-friendly design that’s similar to the charging case of the apple airpods. It has the same glossy finish as the earbuds and has a satisfying clasp to the lid. This gives you a sense of security that your carrying case won’t accidentally open by itself while in your pocket or bag. There are two small LED lights in the front that will let you know if the earbuds are properly placed inside the case and charging, as well as three LED lights at the bottom that will let you know how much battery is left within the case itself.
PERFORMANCE
Sound quality on the BE Free8 was unexpectedly wonderful for its size. With 6mm dynamic drivers, the BE Free8 did a great job of producing satisfactory highs, mids, and lows. When listening to soundtracks such as The Greatest Showman, I could get a good distinction between the lows of the drums and the mids and highs of the string instruments, all without sounding muddled. Hip-Hop and EDM came in with that great pulsating bump from 808 drums that everybody loves. Sound quality was also heightened with the BE Free8 support of both AAC and aptX for high fidelity audio.
The single button on the earbuds lets you operate some functions, but I found it somewhat odd that only the left channel’s button would let me control those functions. With a single press of the left ears button, you can play or pause your music, two quick presses will skip tracks, while a two-second hold can let you access Google Assistant or Siri. There’s no control function to easily control the volume, which I think, could have been added to the right ears button.
On a full battery, the earbuds will give you about four hours of listening time, while the charging case can extend that battery life with another 12 hours. With moderate use, which is using the headphones for about two hours a day, I was recharging the case about once a week. Connection wise, the earbuds keep a pretty clean and consistent connection. That’s due to the BE Free8 using a combination of Bluetooth 4.1 and Near-Field Magnetic Induction. I did experience a quick audio drop-out once in a blue moon, but it was nothing that really sparked my concern.
FINAL REACTION
The Optoma NuForce BE Free8 is a pair of true wireless earbuds that can really make a statement wherever you go. It has a really sleek and minimal design that provides a lot of comfort when wearing them, with a glossy finish that really makes them pop. Sound quality is superb with really pleasing and balanced tones, and with the support of AAC and aptX, your music will sound even better. I did find that the earbuds would not automatically turn off or disconnect from my phone if I placed them inside the charging case, which I found to be inconvenient at times. The battery life is great, giving you around 16 hours of total usage time. And with a rating of IPX5, these earbuds are perfect for those who like to work out while listening to music. For a price of around $120, the Optoma NuForce BE Free8 is a pair of true wireless earbuds that will really maximize your investment.
Final Score 4/5 Atoms
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