Amazon Echo Buds with Active Noise Cancellation (newest model), Wired charging case, Glacier White

Good things come in small packages
So I just got the wired case version today so I can’t speak to the durability or longetivity but so far I am a fan. Here’s my main points of things I’ve noticed after about a half day of use:1) So from the initial unboxing, I really liked the packaging. It’s nothing fancy but I liked the cardboard accents on the inside of the box and I liked the charger placement. I also like the case. It’s nice and sleek and I like the way it opens/closes. I still think the airpod case is the best in this regard for how thin it is but this is not a bad contender.2) I don’t love the fact that I have to download a whole app for my one single Amazon device but I understand why I guess. I found these slightly annoying to sync to the phone as the set up has to be done in a specific order (I might’ve missed if there was directions on the box)3) THE SOUND – This obviously has very good sound for a wireless pair of earbuds. I haven’t looked at the sound profile but it sounds fairly balanced. There are boosted highs so you get a nice sparkly sound Bass is good, not overpowering like Raycons but it’s certainly present. Mids are nice and clean as well. These aren’t sennheisers or anything but if you want a good pair of true wireless at half the price of rivals absolutely go with these.4) ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLING – I haven’t tried the first gens to gauge how much of an improvement the ANC is but I find it good. These obviously aren’t going to block out all noise especially when you’re not listening to anything. However, when I am listening to music at a moderately high volume with the ANC on I can’t hear any noise around me. I haven’t tried these around a construction site or anything but the ANC is awesome for immersion.5) COMFORT – These are extremely comfortable. Because they’re so small your ears will not get tired before the battery runs out so far in my experience. I also like the rubber tips they gave, I think the color coding was a nice touch.6) BATTERY – The battery is nothing exceptional. These are very small so you have to make some concessions somewhere. I haven’t timed exactly how long these last but with the ANC on I’d say around 6 or 7 hours. On the plus, they charge very fast, so when they run out I just treat it as a break for my ears. Charging for 15 minutes in the case should last you at least a couple of more hours so it’s not a big concern.Overall I like these a lot. I totally recommend, especially for this price. Good balanced sound and high comfort for half the price of the competition.

Punches above its cost, with two flaws (battery and touch volume)
There are many concerns in the reviews with this earbud which I want to address. My guess is most of these comments would apply to the version of the Echo buds with the wireless charging case (i.e., the buds are the same)First, be sure you are running the most current version of firmware. It is January 20th, 2025 and my current firmware is 625287404. At least two updates where applied from when I obtained the buds in the first week of January (this is automatic after you connect to the Alexa app). Why this is important is the initial firmware didn’t have updated ANC and tap options. On the current firmware, ANC is actually working. It is not as signficant as my Bose Ultras, but is definitely acceptable. Additionally, I now have the ability to adjust the volume via the tap 3 times or hold controls. This was not available first firmware.In regards to the battery, it doesn’t last the stated 5 hours. With ANC and Alexa on, I used up 45% of the right side ear in 77 minutes (the left ear used up 26%). At this rate, the buds would last only 2.75 to 3:00 hours. With ANC on and Alexa off, I used 63% of the left side ear (the right ear used up 60%). At this rate, the buds would last only 4 hours.In regards to the charging case, I have seen no significant loss in charge overnight (less than 1%) as indicated in some of the reviews. I have used the case for recharging the earbuds 3 times, all with more than 37% remaining. There is only 15% charge left in the case. It is unlikely that the case would charge the buds 15 hours based on ear buds discharge rates. I have not tested the rapid charge assertion of 2 hours with 15 minutes in the case.In regards to the ear buds falling out, I have not had that issue. I use the largest wing with the smallest ear plug. It is one of the more comfortable fitting ear buds that I have used (Bose Ultra, Jaybird Vista, Pixel Bud). The Jaybird was the worst fitting since it linked the ear plug to the wing size. This likely will not stay in your ear without the wings. I did find that the placement of the wing onto the bud was not well engineered like the Bose Ultra. It is missing an indent that directly identifies the position of the wing on the bud. I had to “guess” as to the exact position based on the orientation of the opening for the plug placement (somewhat oval shaped).Yes, you need to use the Alexa app. I have had to use an app with every wireless ear bud I own. I also have Alexa products in the home, so this wasn’t much of an issue for me. Post the initialization of the buds, I don’t need to use the app. This is stated in the description, so I am not sure why people would down vote based on this. It was a bit unintutive the first time, but the buds come up immediately now when I have the Alexa app opened and the case open.Yes, these buds are not extremely small. They weigh 7g each. My Bose Ultra’s weigh the same and somewhat large too. The Pixel Buds weigh 5g.So, the key “con” is the battery. For me, this isn’t too much of an issue as I don’t need Alexa for my primary usecase of running. Additionally, my runs don’t normally last 4 hours (unless I am having a bad race). The touch control issue is managed with the additional tap/hold options, though it would be nice to be able to adjust the one and two tap options.For the low price around the holidays of < $40, I would recommend this ear bud. The Bose Ultra, on sale, was over $225 when I purchased them in Sept of 2024. During the holidays, I saw it under $200. It definately has better ANC and overall sound was fuller. I would say I wouldn't pay $150 more for the improvement. Additionally, I have already had to get a replacement unit since my first pair developed a pairing/connection issue (fortunately, this only took 1 hour of my time with CS and the replacement was a new unit).