We have another budget true wireless to check out. It’s the Naenka Lite Pro, a pair of Bluetooth earbuds that cost a generous price of $59.90 You may not think it, but there’s some considerable competition in this price range. I’ve seen many true wireless earphones for less than a hundred dollars, and some I would consider worth it over some pricier models. When you have such big releases such as the recent Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 and PI7, some of these unfamiliar brands get swept under the rug. Sometimes they can have something great to offer but is the Naenka one of those earphones?
What You Get
- Naenka Lite Pro TWS Earphones
- Charging case
- USB Type C Cable
- User Manual
Look and Feel
Naenka takes the classic AirPod approach to the Lite Pro, but the build quality isn’t as sleek no matter which color you choose. Even in the black color, the earphones have a bland design where nothing about it sticks out significantly. The visible seams on the edges are what get me the most, as they make the earbuds look like lower-grade plastic. That’s also what they feel like not only when holding the earphones but also wearing them.
That doesn’t mean the Lite Pro is uncomfortable, in fact, the lightness of them makes the fit rather invisible. I wasn’t even thinking about them most of the time they were in my ear, only when I was trying to use the touch controls. Aside from the sub-par presentation of the earbuds, the charging case is actually quite nice. It’s completely round and has a nice sheen to it, fitting in your pocket comfortably.Â
Design and Functionality
Surprisingly, the Lite Pro sports a 13mm dynamic speaker driver. This is considered substantial for this price range, and I would have never thought that this type of earbud would ever feature a driver like this. Naenka aims to deliver a more open sound field with this design, along with a detailed frequency response.
Each earphone is equipped with a front mic and a back mic. The front mic picks up your voice for phone calls, and the back mic filters out environmental noise. This isn’t ANC, there’s no noise-canceling function on this true wireless. Instead, the “ENC’ activates strictly to make phone calls more clear. To pick up a call, all you need to do is tap twice on the left or right stem. All the other actions are enabled in the same way, and they all respond smoothly, with little to no delay.
Bluetooth
Inside each earphone is a Qualcomm 3040 chipset, supporting Bluetooth 5.2 for a strong connection. I never experienced any dropouts when listening to the Lite Pro, so the connection was stable for the majority of my listening. AAC and aptXHD CODECS are featured here for a greater resolution and high-speed transmission.
Battery Life
You get a good amount of playtime considering the price. Expect the LIte Pro to last you around 7 hours off one charge, and a total of 28 hours with the charging case.Â
Soundstage
The Lite Pro has an average width, which not a lot of affordable true wireless earbuds have so the level of extension here is admirable. Separation is also surprisingly strong, but the issue here more than anything is the imaging. Spatiality is communicated very well, leaving a very flat stereo field that appears hollow. The layering of sound elements is far from articulate and settles on reducing their power altogether. This results in a muddled image resolution that isn’t very clear.
Low End
There are some elements of the lows that I found smooth and presented a nice bed of frequencies that helped give the timbre a bit of character. The bass has some good punch, but other than that they don’t offer much else in the way of texture or depth. It’s a very surface-level timbre that shows its most dominance in the low-mids.Â
Mids
Here is where a lot of the frequency response gets muddy. My biggest problem with the mids is fidelity. The resolution just comes across as fuzzy and not exactly clear. I’m not expecting the most detail-oriented response, but the mids here still appear like the 240p equivalent of sound resolution. The vocal response is a saving grace here, as they’re pushed forward significantly more than the rest of the range. Listening to a podcast or audiobook is the most ideal use for these earbuds.
Highs
The sound signature shows a little bit of character here but isn’t quite enough to salvage the muddied frequency response. Certain bands of frequency take dominance over others, giving them a touch of brightness and texture. However, their tone here isn’t the most pleasant in the world, as some elements come off as peaky. I found some enjoyment in this, as I thought this is where the timbre had the most clarity to offer, but most will not be a fan.
Summary
If you’re looking for an affordable set of earbuds that are easy to use, can make a phone call, and have a good battery life, then these are for you. However, if you want to listen to anything that isn’t a podcast or audiobook, you’re going to be dissatisfied with the level of clarity on display.Â
Pros and Cons
Pros: Price, Battery Life, Functionality
Cons: Low-resolution sound signature, Bland design
The Naenka Lite Pro is available from Amazon.
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