Treblab E3 Review

I recently reviewed Treblab’s true wireless in-ear model, the XFit. And I was impressed with the sound and design quality, especially given the cheap price. So, I was curious about what Treblab could deliver with it’s very affordable over-ear noise-cancelling headphones, the E3. At around 80 bucks (or cheaper, depending where you buy), is the E3 another great bargain? Or would it be wiser to invest in something pricier? Let’s find out in this Treblab E3 Review.

Review of Treblab E3

IN the BOX

FIT

No problems here. The headphones are relatively light, and the earpads are soft and pudgy. And though the fit is snug enough to provide some decent sound isolation, the clamping force avoids being too tight. My balding friends will also appreciate the padded leatherette headband.  

DESIGN

Controls and Functionality

Three buttons on the right earcup allow you to control the standard functions – play/pause, track skipping, volume control and call answering/ending. Also, the buttons also allow you to activate a couple of additional features, including voice assistant, call redial. 

On the left earcup, you’ll find the active noise-cancellation button. It allows you to switch between ANC mode and environment mode, which lets in sound from the surrounding environment. You’ll also have the option of turning off these features altogether. All of the buttons were responsive, and I was able to easily navigate through them without any hiccups. 

Active Noise Cancellation Effectiveness

Given the price, it’s unsurprising that the Active Noise Cancellation is less than powerful. But to be honest, I’ve never heard a Bose or Sony-like level of ANC effectiveness in any headphone under $300. So, for the price, it’s decent. And if all you need is to kill the hum of an air conditioner or reduce the noise on an airplane, it should be sufficient. 

Battery Life and Charging

The Treblab E3 is impressive in this department. Offering a whopping 50 hours of battery life, these can also charge very quickly. Using the speedy USB-C connection, 5 minutes of charging will yield 10 hours of battery life. 

Call Clarity

The call clarity is nothing to write home about. The caller sounded a bit muffled and the microphone wasn’t too clean either. So, I wouldn’t discuss Shakespeare with my Ukranian mother on these cans. But the E3 should be fine for quick conversations.

Supported Hi-Res Codecs

The Treblab E3 supports AAC for iPhone and Android, giving you the option of higher resolution sound. Impressive and unusual for a headphone at this price point. 

Portability

While these headphones don’t fold, they do swivel flat. And for this price, it’s kind of a treat to see a hard carrying case included in the box.

SOUND

Low Frequencies

Fat and punchy, this bass gives plenty of oomph to pop tracks. The low-end also offers tons of warmth and richness to rock and pop-rock tunes. But you should note that if you like your bass to be particularly tight and clean, these cans might not be for you. It’s more of a thick sound that adds ample body to modern genres especially. And if you’re a hip-hop fan, you should be pleased with the generous sub-bass response as well. Still, my friends with bass-anxiety shouldn’t be too concerned. The low-end avoids overkill, and only gets down and dirty when called upon.

Middle Frequencies

Nicely balanced in this range. The relatively even low and high-mids lend fullness and expansion to the music, especially to rock and pop-rock tracks with lots of instrumentation. The level of clarity is pretty solid too for a pair of wireless cans at this price point. The sound is clean, and acoustic instruments and vocals reveal sufficient texture and substance to make for a realistic listening experience.

High Frequencies

Though the highs don’t feel blunted, you won’t get too much sparkle in this range. The E3 presents a very forgiving sound signature. So, if you’re sensitive to sharpness in the high frequencies, this sound profile will work well for you. 

Soundstage

Though not a particularly expansive soundstage, you can’t call the soundscape flat; you will get a sense of depth, height and width with respect to instrument placement. 

PROS and CONS

Pros: Clean, enjoyable and easy listening sound signature.

Cons: Call clarity less than fantastic. 

SUMMARY

I have to say, in terms of sound quality for the price, this is the second time Treblab has impressed me. Full bodied and easy on the ears, the sound profile is also clean and well-balanced. And I actually prefer the E3’s sound signature to some higher priced models from major brands (though I won’t name names). Furthermore, few headphones offer ANC at this price. That being said, call clarity could be better. But all in all, for around $80 ($60 on Amazon), the Treblab E3 is a solid bang for your buck.

You can find the Treblab E3 for the best price here:

Treblab E3 on Amazon

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