Beben X8 Review True Wireless Earbuds

November 7, 2019 6:13 pm

True wireless earbuds are a dime a dozen. And recently at MajorHifi, we picked up a batch of ’em from Amazon to put to the test. These buds from Beben X8 have received high praise from 2000+ reviewers on Amazon, but have gotten no attention at all from any major audio publications! No matter… leave it to the mavericks at MajorHifi to go where no self-respecting audiophile has gone before. It’s time for the Beben X8 Review.

Beben X8 Review True Wireless Earbud

Design

The Beben X8 are marketed as sport earbuds, and as far as I can tell, they can only be found on Amazon. They’re priced just under $40, and seem to have been built with durability in mind.

The case is a tiny cheese-wheel made of black plastic and rubber. It fits easily in the palm of my hand, and even has a little loop to attach to a keychain. It looks beach-friendly, and has an impressive waterproof rating of IP68. This means they should work up to 1 meter underwater, although the manual discourages you from trying it.

For everyday workout purposes, the build quality seems more than sufficient. However, I think the fit could be more secure. Don’t get me wrong, I love the feeling of the buds themselves. They’re compact, and sit deeply and comfortably. But there’s nothing holding them in place. The Amazon reviewers didn’t seem to have an issue with this while working out, but I would’ve liked to see a wing tip or a hook.

Functionality

Pairing was initially a hassle for me, but become a little better once the buds and my phone became acquainted. You have to take the Left earbud out first or they’ll refuse to cooperate. And every once in a while one of the earbuds would cut out, requiring a reset.

Each earbud has a button on it, and thankfully these work pretty well. They’re responsive and easy to press. And battery life comes in at 5 hours (25 with the case) which is slightly above average for this price.

Sound

The sound quality is nothing special. The earbuds support only the most basic Bluetooth codecs, though they are running version 5. If there’s one thing Beben X8 does bring, it’s the bass. Typical of ‘sport’ earbuds, they make sure the bass is punchy enough to propel your workouts. Beyond that, there’s not a whole lot to mention.

The midrange is passable, but the highs really suffer from the low-resolution codec. Despite the heavy bass, the lack of clarity makes the earbuds soft-sounding. But for $40, you shouldn’t be expecting a lot of detail anyway.

Conclusion

These earbuds aren’t terrible for the price. They’ve got an above average battery life, and a level of waterproofing so high that it’s probably unnecessary unless you wear them while surfing. The fit and build quality is pretty good, but the sound unequivocally is not.

For an extra 10 bucks, you could get the surprisingly decent-sounding GeeKee True Wireless. Although not as rugged, they use an ear hook to provide a more stable fit. And better yet, for another $10 on top of that you could pick up the Strauss and Wagner TW-401. But there are better options out there for just a few extra bucks.