There is no audio product that I have experienced while testing audio products that I could compare against these earbuds. The screen makes for the biggest focal point of the U&i TWS-9009. I would not pick these earbuds as the best performers in this price range. The only reason why I would recommend you get your hands on these earbuds would be to try out the new trendy screen on the case and see for yourself how a screen integrated into the pair of TWS in-ear earphones would affect the overall user experience. If you are looking for a pair of great-sounding TWS in-ear earbuds around the price of the U&i TWS-9009, then I would recommend the Realme Buds Air 3 and the CMF Buds Pro 2.
The news of Apple making a pair of TWS earbuds with a screen to expand their AirPods lineup was all the rage recently when they updated their patents, adding to the list of features and inclusions. While Apple’s offering still remains a pipe dream for the brand, there are other offerings that take inspiration from their vision and are in to capture their share of the market before Apple announces their products. One such offering from a relatively unknown brand, U&i, popped on our radar recently. It is called the U&i TWS-9009, also dubbed Century series TWS.
I called for these earbuds to be tested at the Digit Test Centre and take a closer look at what Apple’s offering, whenever it becomes a reality, would look like. Another reason for calling these earbuds for a review was their price. I am fully aware that there’s a much more solid concept of a pair of TWS that exists in the form of the JBL LIVE BEAM 3. I would definitely try and get my hands on them soon; however, priced at ₹13,999 and coming from a brand like JBL, I know they will do well. I wanted to know what a relatively new player in the market, pricing their earbuds at ₹3,999, would be able to pull off. And, to be honest, when I got my hands on these earbuds, I had a mixed bag of feelings. I will not spill the beans here. Read along to find out how the U&i TWS-9009 fared in my testing –
Saying that these earbuds take inspiration from Apple’s current line of AirPods would be an understatement. As you can see in the image below, the basic case and earbud design of these earbuds is heavily borrowed from the AirPods. The small indent on the case where the branding has been screened on to the case is the only thing that would distinguish these earbuds from the AirPods. The buds are also very similarly designed when compared to the AirPods.
They have the same oblong bud, and the stem has the same silver accents as the AirPods. I compared the size of these earbuds by fitting them into the case of my Apple AirPods Pro Gen2 and found them to be slightly bigger than the AirPods. However, the overall fit and experience are very similar to those of AirPods. So, if you have a pair of AirPods Pro that fits you well, then you can stay assured about the fit of these earbuds, too. However, there are no additional ear tips in the box. You get a U&i branded lanyard with the earbuds. Something to put through the metallic lanyard loop on the case!
In terms of the build quality of the buds and the case, I was pleasantly surprised. The case is well-built and has a nice heft to it. You also get a metallic hinge, and the screen, which has a plastic face, also did not pick up many scratches during my time of use. Same is the case with the earbuds. U&i pretty much nailed the fit and finish of their 9009 TWS earbuds. For the price of ₹3,999 these earbuds do not lack quality in terms of their build and choice of materials.
Even though the overall design language of the buds is pretty much the same as that of the AirPods and would have many people question the overall quality of the buds, given the standards set by other earbuds that have taken inspiration from Apple, these earbuds deliver over and above the expectations that anyone would have from these earbuds.
The biggest, and honestly, the only standout feature of the U&i TWS-9009 is the screen that has been baked into the case of the buds. It is incredibly functional and smooth. You can control the following features from the screen itself –
The controls are very responsive, and I did not notice any bugs or glitches in the interface during my time of use. My favourite part of the screen is that it has customisable brightness, which means I have another level of control over the battery consumption of the buds. Talking about the battery, the battery life of the buds and the case is neatly displayed in one corner of the screen.
Turning the screen on an off takes a few attempts to get used to. But once you have your hands set, you will rarely encounter major operational hitches. The EQ on these earbuds, which can be controlled from the screen itself, is also pretty neat and adds a layer of customisation awesome sauce on these otherwise bland pair of TWS in-ear earbuds.
If you thought that me drawing parallels between the U&i TWS-9009 and the Apple AirPods would continue into performance, then you couldn’t be further from the truth. All the brownie points gained by the U&i TWS-9009 are consumed by these TWS in-ear earphones when it comes to performance. As you can see in the sound signature graph below, these TWS in-ear earphones have a massive dip in the mids, which translates to the vocals being subdued.
This means that if you are a fan of bands like OneRepublic, whose songs are mastered to focus on the vocals, your experience might not be the best. Same is the case with podcasts that might have a slightly louder backing track. The bass and the highs might eat into the vocal range. However, if you are someone who does not want the most crisp sound, and are looking for a decent daily listening experience, then you are in luck. While not the best, these TWS in-ear earphones are serviceable for genres like Bollywood, Hip-Hop, and Pop, where the bass frequencies take centre stage.
As for the mic, the sound is muffled and boomy, which brings down the overall quality of the calls that you would take. One of the biggest surprises for me was that these TWS in-ear earphones handled the background noise quite well. However, the suppression of background noise, took a toll on the overall quality of the test recording that I took on them. Here’s a sample that I recorded in office with a lot of background chatter going on –
Coming to the ANC, it is nothing to write home about. The great fit definitely helps the cause, but you would not be looking at flagship-level ANC performance for these earbuds. I would say that the ANC is a good fit for anyone looking to step into the world of exploring ANC tech, and this would be their first ANC TWS in-ear earphones.
The battery life of the U&i TWS-9009 as claimed by the band on the packaging, was 100 hours. In my test, with ANC on and volume set to 50 per cent, these earbuds lasted for four hours and 45 minutes, which is not terrible but could use some extra power-up. The included USB-C cable can be used to charge these TWS in-ear earphones when you run out of juice.
There is no audio product that I have experienced while testing audio products that I could compare against these earbuds. The screen makes for the biggest focal point of the U&i TWS-9009. I would not pick these earbuds as the best performers in this price range. The only reason why I would recommend you get your hands on these earbuds would be to try out the new trendy screen on the case and see for yourself how a screen integrated into the pair of TWS in-ear earphones would affect the overall user experience. If you are looking for a pair of great-sounding TWS in-ear earbuds around the price of the U&i TWS-9009, then I would recommend the Realme Buds Air 3 and the CMF Buds Pro 2.
