Acefast T8 Crystal (2) Bluetooth earbuds: Shining bright with decent sound

The large 3D LED panel that dominates the front of the case shows you the battery level of the case as well as the earphones. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan / Express Photo)

Acefast has certainly gone out of the box to come up with this design, again not an easy feat when you are talking of a very common product. But the risk here is how users will accept the changes, especially with a case that won’t open. For me, the idea worked, and I was happy with the compact nature of the entire setup. But be aware that there is nothing discreet about the design thanks to its large LED lights, but thankfully they light up only when you try to pull the earphones out.

The earphones are also a bit different from what we are generally used to. They felt a bit thicker than the AirPods I use daily, though they stay in place really well. The silicone tips are comfortable, and in the box, you get more size options. In the box is also a silicone protection cover for the unit with a lanyard also made of the same material. This is also very unusual for TWS units these days.

The earphones are also a bit different from what we are generally used to. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan / Express Photo)

Coming from a relatively unknown brand, I was sceptical about how good the audio profile will be. Well, this is no Sony or Sennheiser, but you get a pretty decent audio playback, though lacking a bit of the nuance you will encounter in more expensive devices. The audio profile is partial to the lows while not ending up being on constant bass boost. I could have used an equaliser to just tune this a bit more, but there is no app to control the unit — one of the issues when you get into the budget TWS range.

But listening to Thaye Yashoda from Morning Raga, I was quite impressed by how the coaxial double-moving coil inside was doing a pretty good job of keeping the sharp vocals and bassy fusion balanced. But there were times when the sound signature felt a bit loud and lost detail when I reduced the volume.

The earphones go into the side of the case using a magnetic locking mechanism. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan / Express Photo)

The audio quality on calls is better as the earphones use a noise isolation tech to ensure the conversation is channelled better. But there is no noise cancellation given the price point this sells at.

The company claims the earphones work about 30 hours on a full charge with the charging case and about seven hours of music playback with just the earphones. In the week I tested the devices, I did not have to charge it even once, despite using it for my rather long late-night walks where I would perpetually be on call or listening to a podcast.

While you can buy the T8 Crystal (2) Bluetooth earbuds in India from Acefastmall.com at about Rs 4577 (shipping extra), remember the company does not offer service in India. But if you want to up your fashion quotient, then this is certainly an option that will make you stand out.