Wireless TWS headphones: pros and cons, instructions for dummies

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In 2016, Apple released the AirPods wireless headset, which was a real triumph due to its unusual form factor. Naturally, Chinese manufacturers, known for their love of copying Apple products, began to produce analogues of AirPods.

Specifications

The original model I9S tws wireless headphones, bluetooth 5 0 received in the second generation. The device copes with the task of playing sound and receiving incoming calls at a decent level. Of course, the TWS I9S wireless headphones are inferior in sound quality to Apple models, but significantly better than other Chinese clones of the same name. Manufacturers have equipped the device with high-quality hardware that continues to be relevant for several years.

Important. The headphones are available only in white casing. Compatible with devices running iOS, Android, Windows and Linux.

Advantages of Tws i9s wireless headphones

As already mentioned, i9 headphones cannot compete with AirPods, but in their price category they are a very good option.

Reference! The manufacturer has two more similar models, i5s and i7s, but the wireless Tws i9s surpasses them in sound and quality.

Advantages of the i9s wireless model:

• thanks to the comfortable shape, they fit well in the ears;
• connect quickly and easily;
• low cost;
• good equipment.

The manufacturer claims that the i9S Tws has a protection class of IPx5, which means protection from water jets from any direction.

Wireless i9s are perfect for people who want to try wireless sound in an Apple form factor for a small amount, but not for an iPhone.

Appearance and equipment

The design of the device is copied from Apple Airpods. At first glance, the device's appearance is not much different from the original sample. The i9s completely wireless headphones are made in the form of canonically shaped earbuds on legs. The emitter holes are protected by a mesh. On the outside of the “drops” there is a built-in microphone and a control button. At the bottom of the leg there is a charging connection.

To charge the “ears” there is a charging case, similar in design to Apple’s. The assembly of the device is at a good level, the plastic is of high quality. The headphone case is equipped with a Lightning connector for connecting to the power supply via a charging interface. The case snaps mechanically, the headphones are held inside with magnetic connectors. To turn on the charging process of the “ears” there is a button on the back of the case. The LED indicator on the front side reflects the process status in the appropriate color.

The branded cardboard box contains:

• wireless headset;
• charging case;
• charging cable;
• silicone case for carrying the device;
• carabiner for attaching the case to the belt;
• user guide.

Connection and operating features of the TWS i10 model

i10 TWS is the absolute top seller among wireless in-ear headphones in 2019.

It's no coincidence:

— sound quality - like the coolest branded models from leading American and Chinese brands;

— battery life – at least 2 hours, which is enough for 90% of users and can be charged from the case;

— the quality of the microphone allows you to be heard;

This model will be relevant for a long time , so below we have collected all our knowledge about this model. Study this article before purchasing or after - it will replace your instructions. Well, for a first look, we recommend that you first study our detailed video review of the i10 TWS headphones:

The connection procedure is the same for all phones, tablets, laptops and even TVs, regardless of the operating system.

Attention! Work with laptops and TVs may not be correct due to software incompatibility. We don’t know whether this model will work correctly with your laptop or TV and we suggest you try it. If not, we will return the money , provided that you indicate this need before purchasing.

1. Take the headphones out of the case . If they are charged, then each of the headphones will first say the phrase “Power On” in a pleasant female voice ( there is no way to correct the pronunciation in Russian

), and then each earphone will also produce a separate sound signal indicating the transition to search mode. If there is no signal, most likely they are frozen, read about this below...

2. When connecting for the first time , go Bluetooth connection settings i device . On many devices, you first need to click the “update” button.

3. Once you select a new connection, the headphones will instantly pair and be ready to use. If you put the headphones in the case, they will automatically turn off and start charging from the case.

4. For the next connections , you almost never need to go into settings. The headphones will automatically connect to your last known device . But if you alternately connected the headphones to different devices, then they will most likely automatically connect to the latter, or they may not connect at all, without understanding which device you need to do this to, and you will have to manually select “i10” in the settings of the device you need. Such nuances do not arise when you constantly use headphones with only one device.

5. You should know that only one of the headphones is physically connected to the phone . In 99% of cases this is the left, main earphone . This means that if you put the right earphone (slave) into the case, the left one will continue to work. And if you put the left one (leading, main) in the case, both will turn off. Everything works exactly the same for those rare configurations where the right earphone is the main one.

Any headphone settings are related to the operating system of your phone. For example, no settings provided on iOS . But on Android, be sure to go to the i10 device settings. Depending on one of the many versions of the system, you may be able to enable/disable various data transfer profiles : you need to enable everything for the headphones to work correctly with all files and applications. also almost always give any other name to this device .

For example, you will call them “Masha’s Headphones,” but you need to understand that when connected to another phone, your headphones will still be called
i 10. That is, leaving your phone number or other data for the person who found your headphones, like on Airpods , is not will come out(.
2. Is it possible to use headphones separately? Is the right one the main one?

From what was described above, it became clear that this model has only one of the headphones as the main one and can be connected separately to the phone . In 99% of cases, this is the left earphone . That is, if you take the left one out of the case separately, it will connect to the phone and work independently. But there is no way to connect the right earphone separately to the phone without the left one . It always connects to the left one and receives a signal from it.

You also need to know that there is only one microphone in a pair of headphones and it is also built into the main earphone. This means that during a conversation you hear the interlocutor in both headphones, as expected, and he hears you through the microphone of the left one. This must be kept in mind, because it happens that users put the left earphone, for example, in their pocket and listen to the right one separately, but they won’t be able to talk - you won’t be heard.

The presence of a microphone also allows you to visually distinguish the main earphone from the slave one: at the bottom of the main earphone, microphone holes are clearly visible, which are not on the second earphone.

The left earphone is made the main one by default in most headphone models from different manufacturers - an old Chinese tradition. Even when the headphones can be connected separately, the connection, as a rule, still goes through the left one. In this case, you can order a batch with the main right earphone, but this slightly increases the cost and lengthens the delivery time. Therefore, this is possible and is not a sign of a fake, but it is extremely rare.

3. What do the diodes on the case show? How to find out the charge level of the headphones and case?

The main design feature of the headphones is 4 diodes on the front of the case . These diodes tell us about the charge level of the case, but, ATTENTION, only when the case is connected to power, wired or wireless. That is, when the case is charging, we can understand its charge level, but simply by taking it out of our pocket, we will not know about it. Therefore, in practice, we simply keep in mind the “Chinese standard”: the headphones from the case can be recharged 3 times in 45 minutes . This is such a familiar rule that we never even double-check it when receiving new models.

Without connecting the case to power, we can see 4 options: all 4 diodes are on, the top two are on separately, the bottom two are on separately, none is on. It works like this: the top two diodes mean the presence of contact and the charging process from the case of the left earphone, and the two bottom diodes mean the presence of power to the right earphone.

That is, when we place the left earphone in the case after a certain minimum operating time, the two upper diodes light up and remain lit until the earphone charge is replenished to 100%. When this happens, the two upper diodes will go out. The same applies to the bottom pair of diodes and the right earphone. The picture when none of the diodes is lit tells us that the headphones were fully charged. You also need to understand that if they are fully charged, but then lie idle for some time, they will of course be partially discharged and when connected, you may find that the headphones are not fully charged.

Let us clarify once again that there is no way to find out No apps will help here either.

How can you find out about the charge level of your headphones? It depends on your device :

- on devices with iOS, the charge of the headphones (more precisely, only the left earphone, because it is the one that connects to the phone), we, firstly, see next to the phone’s charge level in the upper right corner of the screen, and, secondly, we can find out in the “Elements” widget Power" to the left of the main screen.

- on devices with Android everything is different) and depends on the firmware version: sometimes the charge is visible on the screen, sometimes a message about the charge level appears on the screen as a notification when connected. Sometimes installing the Air Battery application also . If you know about other useful applications, write to us in the comments!

In all cases, we cannot find out the charge level of the right earphone. But this is not interesting: when the left earphone is discharged, both turn off.

4. Headphone control

Both headphones have touch (invisible) buttons . They allow:

— accept and reject calls;

— control playback : pause, switch tracks forward and backward;

— activate the voice assistant on both iPhone and Android.

The design of these sensors differs in operating principle from Apple headphones: you need to knock on the headphones from California, they do not perceive touches, but blows. This is done specifically to avoid accidental clicks. And the i10 TWS headphones perceive light pressure. In this case, you need to press exactly on the point at the top of the earphone:

It is worth noting that, unlike most similar models, where the touch area is “smeared” across the top of the earphone and does not have clear boundaries, here you know exactly where to press. This results in a lower number of false positives compared to other models.

Principles of operation when making calls:

— the controls on both headphones are the same;

— one click on an incoming call – answer the call;

- long press on an incoming call - reject the call;

— single press during a conversation – end the conversation;

— it will not be possible to receive a second call (on the second line) from the headphones; it can only be reset by a long press;

— making an outgoing call from headphones is only possible by activating the voice assistant and the desired voice command;

Attention! To accept a call on most phone models, you need to press the headphone buttons. Otherwise, if you accept a call on the phone screen, the microphone and speaker on the device itself will be automatically activated and you will have to manually activate the headphones to continue the conversation using the headset.

Music control principles:

— single press – pause/play;

— double click – turn on the next track;

— triple click – turn on the previous track;

Attention! In previous versions of headphone firmware, double-clicking the left earphone switched tracks backward, and double-clicking the right earphone switched tracks forward. As a result, both options can be found on sale.

It is also important to know that the correctness of switching tracks depends on the application and operating system. In our practice, we have encountered quite a few exceptions on Android: on the same phone in different applications, tracks sometimes switch, sometimes not. Take this into account when testing. You need to understand that the buttons either always work or are broken forever: if track management works in one application, but not in another, the problem is not with the headphones).

The principle of activating the voice assistant is simple: a long (3-4 seconds) press in any mode except talk will activate the voice assistant. Another press will turn it off if not needed.

You won’t be able to turn the headphones on and off using the buttons , and this is one of the differences between the i10 TWS model and the others: we don’t know of another model like it. This has a plus: you won’t experience random shutdowns due to awkward presses, which often happens on other models. But there is also a minus: there is no way to do a hard reset, which is traditionally tied to the control buttons on headphones and is needed in the situations described below.

5. How to distinguish i 10 TWS from a fake?

fake i 10 TWS ! There are only unscrupulous and illiterate sellers! I'll try to explain:

If we were talking about a branded model of wireless headphones , then on the packaging you would read about the production address and mail for sending claims. The product from any other address would be counterfeit. And the external differences between the box and the product itself would be striking. Here is another case .

i10 TWS is a combination of a box of a specific design, headphones and a case of a specific appearance with certain components in the form of speakers, microphone, Bluetooth module, etc. The “recipe” for this product is well known to a number of Chinese manufacturers of various levels . And the only one who knows about the contents of the box is the wholesaler who places orders at the factory , discussing parameters that kind manufacturers can reduce for “greedy” customers .

What we end up with is a situation where most retailers don't even know the actual contents of their boxes. And even if they know, they cannot adequately compare due to their limited experience with this product.

Working directly with the manufacturers of most headphones, the AksMir store participates in creating options in terms of price and quality .

To be fair, I note that the practice of communicating with other sellers and numerous reviews from others, not our customers, indicate that the quality of the TWS i10 model is very stable and rarely differs. Therefore, the main thing you need to pay attention to when purchasing is the appearance of the box and the headphones themselves .

Both on Ali Express and from “professionals” on Avito you can buy this model, which is called i10 TWS Max :

The description will be standard, like any other headphones from these sellers: powerful bass, perfect design and 3-4 hours of battery life.

In addition, especially on Chinese sites, you can buy a kit with a box from the “original” i10 TWS, inside which there will be any other model. But don’t get me wrong, if you put a 6S or even a Xiaomi Mi9 in a box from an Iphone X, these two wonderful models will not become a fake. This will only speak about the level of the seller.

The advice is simple - when choosing a product, do not forget to pay attention to the level and reputation of the seller and be suspicious of the lowest prices. Special attention should be paid to the so-called “one-page sites”: due to the peculiarities of their promotion, they are simply not able to offer you an adequate price-quality ratio.

6. What to do if they break? Diagnosis and problem solving. Nuances of work.

i10 TWS headphones , unfortunately, cannot be repaired and below is more psychological help based on our experience of communicating with users of this model over the 7 months since it went on sale, and only one life hack that helps in 90% of cases.

Good news: i10 TWS is one of the most reliable models of wireless headphones in this format and price category, and the Chinese have finally learned in 2022 to produce fairly stable quality even with more economical options.

Bad news: completely wireless headphones are perhaps the most “fragile and capricious” gadget available today. Our assortment includes branded models from Apple, Huawei and Xiaomi and, believe me, defects are not uncommon for them either.

The most common complaint: the sound is interrupted in the right earphone.

This is the most common problem with completely wireless headphones and we cannot explain it to you. But experience of use says that if this happens sometimes and not often, then you just have to put up with it - this is normal for this headphone format. Just because it happened a couple of times doesn’t mean it will happen again in the future. Therefore, we advise our customers who receive a guarantee from our store and encounter possible sound interruptions during operation to first test the headphones for a slightly longer period of time to understand whether these problems recur or appear only extremely rarely under certain conditions. If interruptions are repeated continuously within two weeks from the date of purchase, the headphones will certainly be subject to replacement under warranty.

Separately, it is worth pointing out a small feature: when adjusting the volume level on the phone screen, sharply changing the values, you will notice an interruption in the sound in the headphones, which is due to the fact that they do not have time to quickly adjust. This is normal for many Bluetooth models and is not a defect. This does not happen when you smoothly change the volume using the buttons on the side of the phone.

Lifehack about the refrigerator

Another common complaint is that the headphones turn on, but the phone does not see them . This is also evidenced by the fact that when turned on after the phrase “Power On” there is no separate sound signal indicating that the headphones have entered search mode. This means that the headphones are frozen and require a reboot. Since the buttons on the headphones do not allow you to reboot, the only way to do this is to completely discharge the headphones. And to do this, they need to be placed outside the case for several days. This is where a life hack comes to the rescue, which we have heard about more than once from users and tested several times with our customers: the headphones can be placed in the refrigerator, where they will discharge in a few hours , and you can get a revived set on the same day after recharging.

It should be noted that we can talk about freezing of the headphones provided that all the diodes on the case are lit, as described at the beginning of this article. If we see that some of the diodes never light up, i.e. If one of the headphones does not charge, then this most likely indicates a breakdown of the headphones.

A breakdown is also indicated by the situation when there is no sound in the earphone, while the control on the earphone is active. In both of these cases, no refrigerator will help.

Hence, people often ask: is it possible to buy one earphone separately? Unfortunately no . Since the i10 headphones are not compatible with each other, that is, taking two headphones from different sets and creating a working pair will not work .

But if the case is lost or has any obvious damage, it can be replaced without any problems . You can always buy a case from i10 TWS from us).

7. I don’t want diodes on the case and Type-C, I want it to look 1in1, what do you recommend?

The easiest option is to order a cover! If you are confused by this difference from expensive branded headphones or you just want to preserve the appearance and give individuality to your Bluetooth headphones, the entire range of cases for Airpods is available to you.

The dimensions of the case are completely the same and any case fits just perfectly, except for one thing: often at the bottom of the case there are plugs for the lightning power connector. Since the i 10 has a Type C , the plug most often does not fit and sticks out, so you have to carefully remove it. Usually this does not spoil the appearance of the case at all, but you need to keep it in mind.

The second option is to order the A++ headphone model, which is exactly the same i 10 headphones, but in a different charging case : without diodes and a lightning connector. All this beauty is also packaged in a branded box, which is why the price increases compared to regular i10s.

ATTENTION! Due to the absence of any markings on the box of the A++ model, it is very easy to run into a low-quality copy in beautiful packaging. What is the A++ model (or i10 with a different case) and how it differs from other similar ones, we will describe in detail in the next article, but for now you can study a short video on this topic:

We will be grateful for any comments, stories about your experience using this model and suggestions for new articles or additions to this one.

Yulian Kulikov

How to connect and use

Connecting headphones to a sound source is quite simple. For the I9S model, visual instructions are included in the package. When using the gadget for the first time, you need to connect the headphones to the phone via Bluetooth.

The instructions in Russian describe the process of pairing devices, which is performed when using the headset for the first time through the application. In the future, the connection of “ ears” to the Android or iOS device will be established automatically.

According to the manual for the headphones, to turn on and synchronize the headphones with each other, just hold down the buttons on both earbuds for 3-5 seconds. By the blinking of the indicators, first red and then blue, it will become clear that the gadget is ready to synchronize with the sound source and can be used. To turn off the device, hold the button on the earbud for 5 seconds.

How to charge a wireless headset via cable

This method will work for your wireless device if you have a special cable with two dedicated headphone jacks on one end and a USB connector on the other.

To charge i9s TWS using cable, follow these steps:

1. Connect both connectors of one end of the charging cable to your headphones;

2. Insert the USB connector of the other cable into the charger with which you plan to charge. This could be a laptop, desktop computer, Power Bank or any other handy analogue;
3. After connection, the red headphone indicator will light up, indicating the device is charging;
4. Unplug the headset from the cord when the color of the indicators changes from red to blue.

How to charge

Before turning it on for the first time, it is recommended to check the battery charge level of the case. It must be fully charged the first time you use it. If necessary, connect the case via the charging interface to a power source.

To charge wireless headphones, place them in the appropriate cells of the box and close it. At the beginning of the earbuds charging process, the case indicator will light red. The indicator will indicate that the earbuds are charged with a blue light. The headphones in the case do not charge when the charger is turned off using the button on the rear panel.

Sound quality

It is impossible to describe sound quality subjectively, because each person has a different perception. In terms of quality, it is much inferior to the original AirPods. The sound quality drops significantly from a wireless connection, but this problem also occurs with manufacturers of well-known brands.

As for the i9S, the sound is absolutely worth the money. These headphones are quite suitable for listening to audiobooks and music. They have mid and high frequencies, and scene detail is present at an average level.

You should not ignore the fact that Tws headphones have a sufficient volume level. When using headphones as a headset, speech is clearly intelligible. In addition, the i9S is equipped with noise reduction, which can help you out when talking on the street or on a busy highway.

Attention! The downside is the lack of low frequencies, but they can be adjusted using the equalizer on the smartphone itself. A more significant drawback is the desynchronization of video and audio. If you want to watch the video, your sound will be delayed for a few seconds.

From all of the above, we can say that wireless headphones are well worth their price. But music lovers shouldn’t buy such headphones; you can’t expect a miracle with the i9S.

How to distinguish an original from a fake

I9S TWS headphones are considered a high-quality copy of the original Airpods. An affordable price, coupled with good build quality and good sound, keep the device on the wave of popularity among buyers.

Important. The demand for the headset has contributed to the emergence of counterfeits with the same name, which differ from the original in far from the best consumer qualities:

• significantly lower cost;
• The packaging of the device differs in design and quality;
• poor quality assembly and materials;
• unsatisfactory sound.

User opinions

If you look at customer forums, you can find positive and negative reviews about the device, for example,

“An acceptable option for the price. The sound of iFans i9s is decent, I like it. But this nasty blue flashing when music is playing is very annoying”;

“It’s a beautiful thing, but for a long time we could not find a decent instruction manual on video. My wife appreciated this gift”;

“ The i9s tws bluetooth headphones connect and work fine if you follow the instructions. The price corresponds to the sound quality, if this is important to you, don’t buy it”;

“i9s tws is a completely worthy cheap analogue of airpots. The only thing I didn’t like was that they were delivered dirty and already opened. I spent a long time figuring out synchronization until I read a review from one customer. Charging lasts for a maximum of 2 hours”;

“I regret buying the i9s tws. They quickly connected to the android, but do not function together. Only separately, they do not interface.”

Price and reviews

Ratings of I9S wireless headphones left by buyers on online platforms are polar. Negative options are often associated with the fact that users get fakes, which break down after 1-2 months of use. Options for delivery of defective devices are not excluded.

I bought a stylish I9S TWS headset . Externally very similar to apple earbuds. The Bluetooth connection is stable, synchronized with the iPhone without problems. They sound good. Satisfied with the quality and affordable price.

I bought inexpensive TWS earbuds for I9S. They look flawless in appearance and are packaged well. But a week later, something happened to the charging case - it turned off and won’t turn on again. The earbuds are discharged and do not work. Looks like it's defective, I'm filing a refund.

Instructions in Russian for connecting the I9S-TWS headset to the phone

To connect the i9s TWS headset to your mobile phone, follow these steps:

1. Turn on the earbuds as described in the instructions above;
2. Quickly press the multi-function button on one of the headphones. The headphones will enter pairing mode;

3. Next, one of the I9S earbuds will flash alternately red and blue, and the other will slowly flash blue. This will mean that the headphones have entered pairing mode;
4. Take your phone and open the Bluetooth settings;

5. Activate the device search option (in the Russian menu it may look like “Find”);
6. Among the found list, the “I9S-TWS” device (or equivalent) will be displayed. Tap on it, after which the procedure for connecting the wireless headset to your phone will be carried out;
7. All you have to do is turn on your favorite melody and enjoy its sound.

This will also come in handy: how to connect bluetooth headphones to your phone.

Music playback control (i12 TWS)

Play/Pause: Click on any earphone to play or pause music.

Decrease the volume - two clicks on the left earphone.

Increase volume - double click on the right earbud.

Switching the track - three clicks on the earphone.

The following figure shows how many clicks you need to make on the i12 TWS headphones to take advantage of certain functions.