Are you searching for affordable ANC earbuds that deliver exceptional value? SoundPEATS’ latest model, the Air 5 Pro, continues to offer a combination of affordability, style, and performance that has distinguished the brand up to now. After testing the Air 5 Pro, I’m delighted with its capabilities and design.
In this review, we will examine the SoundPEATS Air 5 Pro and determine whether it’s the best budget ANC earbuds available for under $50. We will evaluate key aspects, including design, comfort, sound quality, active noise cancellation (ANC), and battery life, to provide a comprehensive analysis.
What’s in the Box
SoundPEATS consistently impresses with thoughtful packaging, and the Air 5 Pro maintains this standard without compromising.
In the box, you get:
- The earbuds and charging case
- A USB charging cable
- Additional silicon earbud tips
- A user manual
- The classic SoundPEATS stickers
- The Peats Audio app guide
Design
The SoundPEATS Air 5 Pro mirrors the familiar SoundPEATS silhouette but features a sleeker, glossy finish. Weighing just 4.2 grams per earbud, they are lightweight yet durable. The smooth feel enhances its appeal, and the ergonomic curves provide a secure and comfortable fit, making the earbuds ideal for extended use.
While I liked the transparent look of the Air 4 Pro, the Air 5 Pro has a similar shape to the Air 5, except the Air 5 is open-ear while the Air 5 Pro is in-ear. The Air 5 Pro feels more comfortable and doesn’t press on the ears as much as the Air 4 Pro, which is a significant upgrade.
While testing, I noticed the mix of premium material finishes on the SoundPEATS Air 5 Pro. SoundPEATS always creates distinctive designs, and here, the materials are durable. The skin-friendly ear tips stay put easily.
The case is made of plastic, but it feels premium and sturdy. It won’t break easily from falls. The Air 4 Pro also passed durability tests. I like how curvy the base of the case is. It looks like the Air 5, but the Air 5 Pro has a longer base.
In a nutshell, the SoundPEATS Air 5 Pro showcases meticulous engineering, featuring multiple materials and differentiating itself from typical earbuds. I have it in gloss black and recommend that color if you’re considering a purchase.
Fit and Comfort
The SoundPEATS Air 5 Pro is the most comfortable in-ear earbud I’ve tested in a while. Its improved design was unexpected after my experience with the Air 4 Pro, which fell short in comfort and fit. SoundPEATS clearly addressed this with the Air 5 Pro.
The in-ear experience of the Air 5 Pro is impeccable, particularly in terms of fit and comfort for workouts, daily use, or extended listening sessions. I specifically enjoyed this one when listening to music for more extended periods, as it does not cause unnecessary ear fatigue when I’m editing or basically writing.
The ear tips are skin-friendly, slide in easily, and provide a secure grip—something the QCY Melobuds N50 and Air 4 Pro couldn’t achieve. Whether jogging or working out, these earbuds stayed put and didn’t fall out, making them ideal for outdoor use.
The box includes extra skin-friendly silicone ear tips, available in sizes small, medium, and large, to accommodate all ear sizes.
These earbuds strike a perfect balance between style and comfort, causing no fatigue or irritation. I recommend them to anyone seeking comfortable, budget-friendly in-ear ANC earbuds.
Sound Quality
SoundPEATS consistently delivers on sound quality, and the Air 5 Pro is one of the best-sounding earbuds I’ve used. The bass, treble, and especially clear vocals all stand out without breaks.
On this, you get:
- Very crystal clear vocals
- Punchy bass
- Very detailed 360 surround sound
- Nice active noise-cancelling mode
While testing, I was impressed by the Air 5 Pro’s sound compared to the QCY Melobuds. The Air 5 Pro sounds very premium and is a clear upgrade from the Air 4.
Other earbuds, such as the QCY Melobuds, prioritize bass but often sacrifice treble. The Air 5 Pro delivers balanced sound with detailed bass, clear vocals, and matching treble.
Supported by Snapdragon Sound, which targets low latency, high resolution, and stable connections, these earbuds also have LDAC for high-resolution Bluetooth audio. Hi-Res audio certification enables immersive sound even at high volumes.
Do these codecs improve the Air 5 Pro’s sound? Absolutely—they create immersive high-resolution audio, even at louder volumes.
Noise Cancelling
One of the most impressive hybrid noise-cancelling earbuds I’ve used since the AirPods 4 Pro is the SoundPEATS Air 5 Pro. It effectively filters noise to its lowest level in noisy environments, and the transparency mode is perfect.
On the AirPods Pro, I had to remove the earbuds for conversations, but the Air 5 Pro’s transparency mode changed that completely.
The transparency mode, active noise cancelling, and standard mode on the Air 5 Pro are all outstanding—truly among the best for budget ANC in 2025.
These earbuds also come with 4 noise-cancelling modes, which are:
- Adaptive noise cancellation
- Indoor noise cancellation
- Outdoor noise cancellation
- Traffic mode
These options enhance your listening experience in any environment.
Spec Sheet
- Active noise cancelling: These earbuds support hybrid noise cancelling, which helps you filter background noise for a better listening experience when you are in loud environments, and also support up to 4 noise-cancelling modes, which we will look into later
- IPX5 water resistance: These earbuds have IPX5 water resistance, which implies that they are protected from sweat, water splashes, and rain but not fully waterproof, so it’s strongly advised not to swim with these
- LDAC codec: This is a high-resolution Bluetooth codec that enables the transmission of high bitrates via Bluetooth, and on the Air 5, it is a great add-on. This precedes smaller codecs found on the Pearl Clip Pro, which helps it reduce distortion around sound frequencies.
- Snapdragon Sound: These focus on low latency and high-resolution audio for music, gaming, and calling
- Bluetooth 5.4: Now standard on most TWS earbuds today, the SoundPEATS Air 5 comes equipped with Bluetooth 5.4, ensuring better low latency, Snapdragon Sound, and a very impressive range of up to 10m
Battery Life
The SoundPEATS Air 5 Pro’s battery life was average in testing. I managed to get around 6 hours (versus the advertised 7 hours) without the case, and about 32 hours (versus the advertised 36 hours) with the case. Still, this is quite good for ANC earbuds.
Battery life depends on ANC usage—expect faster drain when it’s on, which is typical for ANC earbuds. I managed about 5 hours with ANC enabled, which is one hour less than without.
The battery holds 35 mAh in the earbuds and 520 mAh in the case, allowing you to recharge up to four times and extend use to approximately four days.
Bluetooth and Range
The Bluetooth connection on the SoundPEATS Air 5 Pro is among the smoothest I’ve experienced—unlike the tricky initial connection of the Pearl Clip Pro. I was skeptical until my first attempt proved it worked perfectly.
The SoundPEATS Air 5 Pro features Bluetooth v5.4, a standard found in most TWS earbuds today. Newer models, such as the Baseus Bass BC1, utilize Bluetooth 6.0. It also supports multipoint connectivity, which is excellent for people with multiple devices.
Bluetooth 5.4 offers low latency for seamless listening and gaming experiences. It supports LDAC transmission speeds of 330, 660, and up to 990 kbps.
During testing, I didn’t experience audio breaks on music or calls.
The range was excellent. The 10m advertised range proved accurate in real-world use, with only walls and obstacles occasionally limiting it. Even with my phone in another room, I had a seamless connection.
Call and Media Playback
Calls on the SoundPEATS Air 5 Pro impressed me. The other person could always hear me well, showing the strength of the AI ENC microphones. This means the SoundPEATS Air 5 Pro supports Environmental Noise Cancelling.
While testing, I noticed that the Air 5 Pro could filter a decent amount of background noise, even in noisy environments, which is perfect for outgoing individuals and outdoor workouts.
Media playback was seamless, whether watching long movies or using social media for hours. With low-latency mode and Bluetooth 5.4, the experience was excellent.
Touch Controls and App Support
I’ve always preferred SoundPEATS’ responsive touch controls, especially since Air 4 Pro, and the Air 5 Pro still impresses. Customization through the app is now easy and standard on most earbuds.
The Peats app is seamless and user-friendly. It allows you to switch between noise-cancelling modes, disable multi-device connectivity, customize touch controls, and adjust the EQ if needed (though the default sound is excellent).
Default Touch Controls:
- Click the left ear: Volume up.
- Click the right ear: Volume down.
- Double click left ear: Play and pause
- Double click right ear: Play and pause
- Triple click left ear: Voice assistant.
- Triple click right ear: Voice assistant
- Long-press the left ear for 1.5 seconds: Noise cancelling.
- Long-press the right ear for 1.5 seconds: Next track.
Pros
- Very comfortable in-ear fit — no ear fatigue, even on prolonged use
- Premium glossy finish with durable multi-material build
- Stable fit with extra silicon ear tips for all ear sizes
- Crystal-clear vocals, punchy bass, and well-balanced sound profile
- Supports LDAC, Snapdragon Sound, and Hi-Res audio
- Effective hybrid ANC with 4 modes (Adaptive, Indoor, Outdoor, Traffic)
- Superb transparency mode that actually works in conversations
- Excellent call quality with AI ENC microphones
- Responsive touch controls with full app customization
- Multipoint Bluetooth 5.4 connection with low latency
- Battery life solid enough (6 hrs + 32 hrs with case)
- IPX5 water resistance for sweat and rain
- Price under $60 feels like a steal for the features.
Cons
- Case is still plastic (premium feel but not top-tier)
- Battery drains faster with ANC on (common but noticeable)
- Doesn’t yet have Bluetooth 6.0 like some newer rivals
- Playtime falls slightly short of the advertised hours.
Price
The SoundPEATS Air 5 Pro retails for around $56 on both AliExpress and Amazon, offering excellent value for its price.
Finally, should you buy the SoundPEATS Air 5 Pro? Here’s my verdict.
The SoundPEATS Air 5 Pro is among the best ANC earbuds under $100, offering impressive features and a significant upgrade from the Air 5 and Air 4 Pro. It stands out above typical budget ANC options, with a perfect sound profile, strong ANC, solid battery life, excellent app support, and a great fit—all for under $60.
For under $60, this is a great deal. I love the SoundPEATS Air 5 Pro more than any other SoundPEATS product I’ve reviewed. It’s a definite yes—you should get it.