When we last reviewed Nu Republic’s battery bank and concluded that what they were offering wasn’t anything new, there were certain features that set them apart as a brand – especially the aesthetics. Today, we’re looking at (or rather listening to) the Cyberstud X2- a True Wireless Earbuds offering, whose case doubles as a pendant!
Priced at ₹2,499, let’s see if this is a hit or a miss.
What’s in The Box:
- The earbuds case/pendant
- The pendant chain
- A USB A to C cable
- A card with the QR code for a user manual
- No literature
- STICKERS!
The packaging is instantly recognizable as a Nu Republic product and they have little-to-no waste, except one extra little bag carrying the pendant chain.
Look, Body and Feel
The case looks like it’s made out of plastic, but it’s actually made out of metal – impressive! And that is one of the best highlights of this product, because from the looks of it – other things might not be as impressive. The earbuds themselves are made of plastic, which is fine by itself, almost all TWS earbuds are. But the quality of plastic used seems inexpensive. But I don’t expect much at this price range and neither should you.
The case is solid! To take the earbuds out you have to take the lid out, which uses magnets. The fit of the earbuds are average and what’s disappointing is that they don’t come with soft silicone ear tips. And that probably might be the biggest challenge with these. Honestly, I haven’t come across any earbuds that don’t use ear tips. Have you?
Rated for “splash resistance”, we didn’t feel confident about wearing this out in the rain. Wearing this during a run made it feel uncomfortable and we weren’t confident.
5/10
User Experience
An earbud user is aware of a familiarity in terms of the control that their buds offer, and usually tend to use these as muscle memory. This is where Nu Republic has changed things a lot. Unfortunately, you have to consult the user manual to learn how to control the earbuds and doing that is also finicky.
In the music app, two taps on either earbud isn’t the command to go to the next song. Three taps doesn’t go back to the previous song.
And there is no app which you can use to reprogram these buttons. The touch sensitivity isn’t consistent, so it’s better not to use it to begin with.
2/10
Sound Quality & Noise Cancellation
Now despite the challenges above, if these earbuds sound decent, then users would’ve been able to find good value. But the sound quality is average. The sound is hollow and lack clarity, with bass that leaves you wanting for more. Even with EQ, there is no redemption.
3/10
The earbuds offer ENC or Enhanced Noise Cancellation, which didn’t seem to work and we couldn’t find a way to turn it off or on. Other earbuds can at least passively cancel noise when you put them in your ears because of their silicone tips, which this one lacks. So, no passive or (effective) active noise cancellation.
1/10
Conclusion
At a price of ₹2499 this was an average product, especially considering there are better products in the market. In the similar price range you will get OnePlus, with their value TWS line “Nord Buds” – wherein even the last generation buds outperform the Cyberstud X2 and are way better value, in our opinion.