Accurate AT-01 TWS Review: A budget earphone worth buying?

When I first got my hands on Accurate TWS HX-03, I was impressed by the features it provided for its price. I have been using it for around six months. The HX-03 has now been succeeded by Accurate AT-01. I got my hands on my new TWS as well. In this review, I will be sharing my experience of the Accurate AT-01 TWS. First, take a look at the specifications of Accurate AT-01.

Accurate AT-01 TWS Specifications:

• Earphone Speaker Dimension: 13mm, 32 Ohm
• Connectivity: Wireless (Bluetooth 5.0)
• Music Time: 4.5 hours
• Talk Time: 5 hours
• Response Frequency: 20Hz – 18.5kHz
• Sound to Noise Ratio: 70db
• Battery capacity: 40mAh (Each Earbud); 400mAh (Power case)
• Power Case Dimension: 51x 23.8 x 53mm
• Power Case Charger: Type-C (5V, 1A)
• Color: White, Black, Pink
• Price in Nepal: Rs. 3,499
• Buy Here

Accurate AT-01 TWS Review:

Design and Build: Power Case

• Compact, well-rounded corners
• LED indicators on the front

Let’s talk about the design of the charging case. The charging case of the Accurate AT-01 is more compact and fashionable. The HX-03 came with a rectangular box and rounded corners. Accurate has rounded the corners even more in the AT-01. I kinda dig the new design of the charging case. It is smaller, hence more portable, and sports a curvy design. The surface is a lot more glossy. As a result, it is more prone to fingerprint and smudges. On the front, there are three LEDs that indicate the battery level. However, the metallic area housing the LEDs has been greatly streamlined. Accurate has also gotten rid of the button on the front. The USB Type-C port is now at the back of the case. The "Accurate" logo has been stamped on the top of the case. Here, the hinge remains the same and it is not the sturdiest. The lid is still hollow from the inside but it feels more comfortable to open and close. Overall, the case feels more premium because of the compact size.

Earphones

• AirPods-like stemmy design

Inside, the design of the earphones has remained the same. You get an Apple AirPods-like head and tapering triangular stem. However, I feel that the unit that I received was not put up properly. There were left-over materials sticking to the roof of the lid and on the stem of one of the earbuds. A closer look at the earbuds will give you an idea of how the earbuds were put up together. From my experience of the HX-03, you will need to keep cleaning them or else dust will pile up pretty soon in the gaps.

Pairing and Control

• Bluetooth v5.0 connectivity
• Touch control for playback only

Nothing has been upgraded in the way the AT-01 TWS can be paired and controlled. After being taken out, the earphones produce a *bang* sound indicating that they are ready to be paired. If the sound is not synchronized, you can reset the earphones by touching the control for about 10 seconds. The touch control allows users to change play/pause and change the tracks. Unfortunately, users will have to take out their phone to adjust the volume. The earphone uses Bluetooth 5.0 to connect your phone. It's annoying that the connection can be interrupted by high-frequency devices such as a Wi-Fi router.

Feel and Comfort

• No rubber/silicone ear tips
• Lightweight and a comparatively loose fit

The HX-03 did not provide the best fit possible for the ears and it's the same here. I wished these earbuds came with silicone tips instead of the rigid plastic ends. The structure of the head does not allow it to go deep into the ears nor can it conceal the ear properly. Because of the loose fit, you will feel the earbuds shift slightly from its position if you are into head bangs and those kinds of stuff. Thankfully, it has not come off my ears even once. It may not be apparent in the beginning but after some months, your ears will start feeling the heat of the solid ends too. Other than that, the earbuds are light and the weight won’t be a trouble.

Sound Quality

• 13mm sound drivers
• Frequency response: 20Hz – 18.5kHz

Once I received my review unit, I did a specs-wise comparison between the HX-03 and AT-01. I was not expecting a lot of change in the AT-01 given that it had almost the same specs as its predecessor. The 13mm sound driver is capable of producing loud music. However, you have to keep the earbuds protected, or else the loudness will fade away. Accurate AT-01 now does a better job of isolating the vocals and the instruments. It was quite evident when listening to "Stray Heart" by Green Day. Similar was the case when listening to "Brain Stew" by the same band. The vocals were muffled but I liked the way it floated on top of the music. The sound does get a little muddy when a lot of instruments are being used at the same time. Listen to "Jesus of Suburbia" for an instance. Accurate still needs to work on vocal and high pitched sounds. In almost all the songs I listened to, I found the vocals a bit muffled. In the chorus of the song "Home", the vocal of Bebe Rexha almost resembles a robot in some instances. High pitched sound can get screechy. The sound gets grainy and distorted at high volumes so I suggest you use the earphones with volumes between 50 – 60%.

Call Quality and Latency

• Ambient Noise Cancellation for reducing noise during calls

The stereo effect on the AT-01 is also more immersive than on the HX-03. AT-01 does not come with Active Noise Cancellation but the Ambient Noise Cancellation does a decent job. While it does not remove the sound completely, it reduced the outside noise to a great extent. Talking about the call quality, the person on the other side of the call complained about some noises during my time with it. I did not talk about latency in detail in the review of the HX-03. If you are casually going through random online videos chances are you will hardly notice it. It is evident more evident while watching rap videos. Under gaming, the stereo effect could have been useful in figuring out the direction of incoming enemies but I would not recommend it for online gaming because of the latency. You do not want to be the last one to receive the team message or do you?

Battery and Durability

• 40mAh (each earbud), 400mAh (charging case)

Accurate has rated the batteries on the AT-01 for 4.5 hours of playback. Interestingly, with the volume set at 50% (which I assume is loud enough for most people), I was able to squeeze about 5 hours of playback on a full charge. The charging case can charge the earbuds completely in about 65 minutes. Once fully drained, the charging case takes about an hour and a half to get fully charged. It comes with a USB Type-C and Accurate has included a data cable in the box (no adapter).

I did not like the fact that Accurate removed the button on the front of the case. Without it, it is difficult to check the battery percentage of the case. It is unfortunate that AT-01 does not come with any sort of certification for protection against water and dust when rivals like the Redmi Earbuds S provide one at a much lower price. Similarly, the driver is so sensitive to environmental factors that if you do not store it properly that it will eventually degrade the performance.

Verdict

Accurate AT-01 TWS is not a bad option for budget users but after the HX-03, I had big expectations from the brand. The new charging case is looking more compact and stylish than before. Accurate has also worked to refine the audio as well. For the price, the call quality and ambient noise cancellation do a decent job. The battery life did not disappoint either. But, the company should have provided some sort of protection against environmental factors. Accurate should also look into the connectivity issue. At last, I would have liked earbuds with silicone ear tips just because they provide better fit and comfort compared to the current design. Songs referenced in the Accurate AT-01 TWS review:

• Green Day – Stray Heart
• Green Day – Brain Stew
• Machine Gun Kelly, X Ambassadors & Bebe Rexha – Home
• Green Day – Jesus of Suburbia

Accurate AT-01 TWS Review: Pros & Cons

Pros:

• The charging case is more compact and stylish
• Audio has been refined
• Ambient noise cancellation is decent for the price
• Decent battery backup
• Six months of brand warranty

Cons:

• Prone to fingerprints and smudges
• Should have gone with silicone ear tips
• The connection gets unstable at times
• Vocals sounds muffled
• No IP rating