After the success of Apple’s AirPods, manufacturers are rolling over each other to come up with their alternatives. This is also the case with the German audio manufacturer Teufel. Does Teufel know how to offer a high-quality alternative with the Airy True Wireless, or do they, like many other manufacturers, lapse into inferior copying work?
Teufel Airy True Wireless
price € 149, –
Color white, blue, black
Link Bluetooth 5.0
Battery 60 mAh (earpiece), 500 mAh (charging case)
Weight 5 grams (earpiece), 49 grams (charging box)
Features Microphone, touch control, IPX5
Connection Micro USB
Website https://teufelaudio.nl
7 Score 70 
- Pros
- Weight
- Wearing comfort
- Sound quality
- Negatives
- Very outdated charging method
- Vulnerable charging case
- No noise canceling
Teufel arrives a bit late with the Airy True Wireless. Although the wireless in-ear earbuds were already announced last year, the manufacturer suffered some delay. It is good that Teufel is taking the time to ensure that the product is actually ready before it comes on the market and does not try to add it via updates. That said, Teufel could have used that time to polish away a very bad choice: the micro-USB connection that charges the charging box of the Teufel Airy True Wireless. This connection has been phased out since 2015 and is really no longer possible in 2020. It means that you still have to dust and exchange old cables to charge the earphones (at least, the charging box).
You are also really dependent on the outdated connection, because wireless charging is not an option.
Airypods
The Teufel Airy True Wireless is clearly the answer to the success of Apple’s AirPods. Just like the Apple version, the Teufel earphones come in a charging box and a Bluetooth connection is conveniently made automatically when you open the box to take out the earphones. The design is also very similar to the AirPods, but fortunately there is no one-to-one copy. Although the design is also a round cup with a rod-shaped attachment, I no longer feel like walking the cup of an electric toothbrush in my ear. The Airy earbuds are also suitable for almost any ear, because unlike the regular AirPods, the Airy has interchangeable rubber caps, so you can use a cap that fits in your ear and sound is better closed. Speaking of shutdown, the Airy doesn’t have noise cancellation.
Thanks to the rubber caps you always have in-ears that fit well in your ear, which is great for the wearing comfort and sound experience. The earplugs also weigh remarkably little, which is an extra plus for comfort, you hardly notice that there is something in your ear and the earplugs stay in place easily. Even when you have them in for sports, although at the end of my exercises I noticed that the Airy started to slip out of my ears. Incidentally, you can safely wear the caps outside in the rain, thanks to an IPX5 splash-proof class.
The ears last about five hours on a charged battery. The box has enough battery capacity to charge the earphones more than four times. The box indicates with three small LEDs how much voltage is still present. Be careful where you keep the box, as it feels very fragile, especially when opening.
It is of course the sound experience that Teufel has a reputation to uphold.
Sound quality
It is of course the sound experience with which Teufel has a reputation to uphold, but also a big challenge because bluetooth does not offer the best sound quality. Compared to other manufacturers, Teufel has the sound experience well organized. The sound is clear and detailed, making the earpieces perfect for classical, jazz, podcasts or audiobooks, for example. When you listen to more intense music with heavy bass or beats, the Airy’s may sound just a bit too flat.
There is no app available to even sit on the buttons to get the sound adjustment to your liking. It makes the Airy no-nonsense. Pairing is easy by putting in the caps and tapping them by putting them in pairing mode. By tapping the caps you can also take calls and control the music. For example, by tapping once you can pause the music and the next song is started by tapping twice.
Alternatives to the Teufel Airy True Wireless
With a price tag of 149 euros, Teufel does take a risk. This makes them more expensive than Apple’s AirPods 2. Although the AirPods 2 feel a bit more luxurious and can charge wirelessly, the sound quality of the Airy True Wireless is better and the caps are more suitable for each ear thanks to the rubber caps.
There are many other competitors for Teufel. For example, another alternative in approximately the same price range is the Sony WF-1000XM3 caps. These caps from Sony offer better sound quality and impressive noise reduction, but due to their weight, they do not always sit well. Samsung’s Galaxy Buds + come close in terms of wearing comfort and offer a fantastic battery life. Finally, there are the Huawei Freebuds 3i and the Honor Magic Earbuds counterpart, AirPods with a much lower price, limited noise cancellation and excellent sound quality.
Because there are so many good alternatives, the Teufel Airy seems a bit inconspicuous compared to the competition. For us as a consumer, it is a luxury problem of only making good choices.
Conclusion: Buy Teufel Airy True Wireless?
The Teufel Airy True Wireless stands out for its wearing comfort: the caps are lightweight and stay in place very well. The sound quality is also impressively detailed, but not for all music styles. Although you make a good choice with Teufel ears, there are a few disadvantages. For example, the charging box is a bit fragile, the charging connection is outdated and the in-ears are somewhat lost compared to competitors such as Apple, Samsung and Sony.
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