SOUNDPEATS Air5 Pro+ Review: Strong Resolution, Imperfect Tuning
Greetings mate and Welcome aboard!
Stuart Charles here, HomeStudioBasics.com helping YOU make sound decisions, so…
In this SOUNDPEATS Air5 Pro+ Review, we’ll cover build quality, comfort, features & connectivity, sound, ease of use, and more.
By the time you’re finished reading, you’ll know if it’s a smart investment. If it isn’t, I’ll share something that is.
Packaging, Build & Aesthetic
SOUNDPEATS’ Air5 Pro+ is a Bluetooth Version 5.4 capable stem-style earbud with Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation and a 10mm dynamic driver engine.
Stem-Style isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it purportedly does improve call clarity & quality since the mic is a bit closer to your mouth.
Featuring XMEMS micro speaker, and 2nd generation amplifier chip, you can expect roughly 30 Hours of Playtime (with charging case), and a maximum working Distance of around 10m.
Without the charging case, you’re looking at about 6 hours.
The Air5 Pro+ also steps things up with several modern conveniences that round out its feature set.
You’re getting Snapdragon Sound support for improved codec efficiency and wireless stability, along with noticeably cleaner Call Quality thanks to its multi-mic array and processing.
There’s also Multi-Point Connection, allowing you to stay paired to two devices at once without interruption.
SOUNDPEATS includes a Dedicated Amplifier stage to help drive the XMEMS unit properly, and the buds come rated at IPX5, giving you protection against sweat and light splashes during everyday use.
Again we have the same gorgeous packaging found in SOUNDPEATS’ H3, including a beautiful hard shell tan box with their logo up top inside a white sleeve, the earbuds seated in a foamy grey, rounded cut out, 3 different sized sets of tips (S, M, L; one pre-installed on the earbuds), a USB Type-B to Type-C charging cable, User Guide, and 9 small stickers arranged in a grid formation. DOPE.
This time around, the buds are encased in an all-black, hard plastic shell, and upon opening, there’s no Prada-bag-ish texture, but the words “Hear the difference” still appear in cursive; this time smaller and nearly impossible to capture with my camera.
The look is arguably more elegant and subtle than the H3, and the buds are lightweight but don’t feel cheap. If the H3’s buds were DUMMY THICC, the Air5 Pro+ feels like just that; air.
They’re small, dainty, and very low profile, with a bronze-ish stripe running down the center and SOUNDPEATS’ logo appearing inside a circle partially cut off.
The back of the charging case features their text logo, again adorned in gold and contained inside a gold rectangle.
On the bottom, you’ll notice the USB-C charging port and reset button. Hold 10s until you see a flashing white/red light.
The H3 features R & L indicators on the inside of each unit, but the Air5 Pro+ doesn’t seem to have any. Not a huge deal since you’ll be pulling them out of the case 99% of the time, but it should be noted.
Features & Functionality
Pairing with my iPhone was a cinch, and I was up and running within seconds.
You’ll love the excellent ease of use, quick connection, and zero dropouts. I haven’t experienced anything squirrely, but I’ll update this article if something changes.
As with the H3, the Air5 Pro+ doesn’t really stand up on its own without some super careful finagling, so I’d like to see SOUNDPEATS improve on this in future releases. The case is a bit too rounded off, and while it looks nice, I’d rather it function a bit better.
This may have even contributed to the ever-so-slight nick/scratch I just noticed, as I haven’t dropped the case or handled it carelessly at all.
Dealbreaker? No, but again should be mentioned.
Overall, the Pro+ model is more lightweight and feels somewhat “cheaper” than the H3, but it’s not something you’ll likely lose sleep over.
The case also houses a 520mAh battery, netting you an extra 37 hours or so of playtime. Charge 10 minutes for roughly 2 hours if you’re in a pickle.
Air5 Pro+: Controls
- Left Bud: Tap 1x to lower volume
- Right Bud: Tap 1x to raise volume
- Left or Right Bud: Tap 2x to Play/Pause, Answer or Reject a Call
- Press and hold 1.5 seconds on the right bud to skip a track, and do the same on the left bud to skip ANC modes. This also accepts or rejects calls.
Note: There is no “previous track” function.
ANC mode contains 3 different settings: Passthrough (no noise cancellation), ANC On (full noise cancellation), and Normal mode (kind of a cross between the 2).
Like the H3, ANC (AI Adaptive Noise Cancellation in this case) is pretty standard for a product like this. You’ll get some noise cancellation of fans, A/C, general ambience, etc., but it’s not going to block out, say, someone causing a ruckus or being loud. So prepare your expectations accordingly.
Holding the right or left bud for 10s powers off, while holding it for 1.5s powers on.
Tap the left bud 3x for game mode, and the right bud 3x for voice commands.
Charging
Charging Indicators:
- <20%: Red
- 20%-69%: Yeller
- 70%-100%: Green
Battery Indicators
- 100% – 70%: Green light on steadily
- 69%-20%: Yellow light
- Below 20%: Red Light
Comfort & Sound
It’s about what you’d expect from an earbud, not overly snuggly, but also doesn’t make me want to rip it out of my ears or anything.
If your auricles are sensitive to things going inside them (like mine), you’ll probably “notice” them more than the average bear, but fitment is fine overall, and I can’t complain too much.
- Playlist(s): Stay Sane, Hip-Hop 101, and My Belle are what I typically use to test products. Interested in my music/beats/raps? Click Here! (Got a ton of releases coming soon!)
- Source(s): FLAC, Lossless
- Tips: Small, Medium, and Large provided. Small results in the thinnest sound and not recommended. Medium is the most neutral and truest to the actual sound of the buds, Large typically provides more bass, but as you’ll see later in the bass section, you ain’t going to need it.
Soundwise, let’s start with the good.
Mid-Range, Treble Overall Resolution, & Timbre
One of the best things about IEMs in general is that 99% of the time, they’re going to provide better resolution than headphones.
This trickles into the strength of mid-range fidelity, and thankfully, all of that is still mostly good with the Air5.
Male vocals, such as the ones from Common on “I Used to Love H.E.R.”, still come through with very nice overall clarity, contributing to a sense that you can actually observe the cadence of his voice, tonal inflections, and overall demeanor. In that sense, decay and release are also both excellent.
Though the bass needs some work (more on that later), it still doesn’t drown everything out completely. As mentioned, the mids won’t shine quite as much, but it doesn’t ruin the sound signature if that makes sense.
Again, the fact that this is an IEM and not a headphone is likely its saving grace from becoming largely unlistenable, but in no way is this a bad sound signature. It’s good, but needs work like Will Wade’s Wolfpack.
Still, the granular, resolute quality of the sound on tracks like “Keep Winning” provides a big boost like Bateman, as you can hear a sort of “ding/ring” around 2:27 that has a much harder time coming through with exceptional clarity on speakers or headphones.
The clarity and resolving power of Black Thought’s voice are also much more apparent. You get a small glimpse into his soul rather than hearing him through drivers. These are all qualities of IEMs that have good resolution, and the Air5 Pro+ is no exception.
You’ll be able to hear all of the finer details and forgotten elements that went into a song, something I often compare to the tiny grains of garlic powder you need for good blood flow down you know where. 😉
For example, in Alchemist’s “Orange Village” you can hear all sorts of background sounds/synths, bleeps and beeps, etc. in the hook that help really immerse you in the track. Expect this in nearly every song you listen to, which contributes to a greater sense of discovery in music you thought you knew like the back of your hand.
Good resolution also plays directly into timbre — the natural character and texture of a sound. When an IEM resolves micro-details cleanly, it isn’t just giving you “more information”; it’s preserving the true tonal fingerprints of each instrument and voice.
The tiny shifts in air, the subtle rasp in a vocal, the grit on a synth line, the weight of a kick drum — all of these come through with more realism when the drivers can separate, articulate, and decay sounds properly.
This is why high-resolution IEMs tend to have better timbre overall.
They don’t round off edges, smear transients, or mask overtones that make instruments sound lifelike. Instead, they reproduce the full harmonic structure of each element, leading to a presentation that feels more organic and believable.
With the Air5 Pro+, you get that sense of authenticity — the impression that you’re hearing the artist and the instruments themselves rather than a smoothed-over version filtered through mediocre drivers.
The end result is a listening experience that feels richer, more textured, and more intimate. Good resolution reveals the details; good timbre makes those details feel true to life.
Treble
Fortunately, the treble stays in its lane, never sounds harsh or brittle, and lacks sibilance.
All of this is good, but as with most Harman-y treble types, there’s a certain lack of zest and sparkle to the listening experience. This is a hotly debated topic, and I can see both sides, but I lean towards brighter because it does tend to provide air and improve clarity, though this too is up for debate.
The Air5 could probably use a bit of air (a bit ironic, yeah mate?), but you can always EQ it with their app if you need it. More on that later.
Soundstage, Separation & Transient Response
Soundstage is about average (maybe slightly below). This is a mostly head-width sound, with painfully average height and depth.
Per my experience, IEMs, generally speaking, don’t really give you that “out of your head sensation,” (there are exceptions), but a lot of this is dependent on the track in question and how it was recorded, mixed, and mastered.
That said, the separation within the existing Soundstage is excellent, and one of the Air5 Pro+’s best overall qualities. Each note and sound is mostly distinct from another, and despite the sonic flaws inherent in its overall tuning, every element in the song is given room to flex.
Dilla’s“Dillatronic 11” is a great example. Everything’s accounted for and sounds crisp while occupying its own space. Nothing feels cluttered or blobby, and that’s certainly good news for people who love bad news.
Fast transient response is also a product of good separation, allowing each element in the mix to start and stop cleanly without smearing into the others.
When instruments and vocals have their own clearly defined space, the drivers can reproduce quick hits, plucks, and percussive details with greater precision. This tighter control not only improves clarity but also helps complex passages feel more organized and lifelike, making it easier to follow individual layers in the music.
The Air5 Pro+ mostly does a good job here, and while transients aren’t ultra-fast like say, an HD25, they’re still solid and get the job done; especially considering we’re working with a wireless Bluetooth product.
XMEMS micro-speaker
The made-from-silicon, solid-state driver XMEMS micro-speaker likely has something to do with the Air5’s good transients and strong resolving power.
Unlike traditional dynamic drivers, XMEMS designs use micro-electromechanical actuators that move an ultra-thin silicon diaphragm with extreme precision. The result is faster transient response, lower distortion, and improved treble accuracy, giving the Air5 Pro+ a more detailed and controlled sound—especially in the upper frequencies.
SOUNDPEATS also includes a second-generation amplifier chip to properly drive the XMEMS unit, ensuring clean, stable power.
Inside each earbud is the Qualcomm QCC3091 chipset, which handles Bluetooth connectivity, low-power operation, ANC processing, and overall stability.
You also get three microphones per earbud, enabling better voice pickup and more effective noise suppression during calls and ANC use. Each bud houses a 35mAh internal battery, contributing to the rated 30-hour total with the charging case. SOUNDPEATS also adds an anti-noise nickel ring, which helps reduce mechanical vibration and contributes to clearer sound and more stable ANC performance.
As good as all that is, we need to address the elephant in the room (quite literally).
Bass
Despite the strengths outlined, the bass is… too bassy; meaning, there’s already a thin layer of mud covering the sound signature.
While the H3’s bass was overemphasized to an extent, it didn’t feel overly gooey, large and in charge like Ms. Puff, or pronounced to a fault.
Papa M’s “Krusty” is a fine example of a track we can use to pick the Air5 apart a bit, as I know it like the back of my hand. The drop that occurs around 1:15 lacks punch and is devoid of clean weight, instead sounding overly rounded (heh) and bloomy rather than taut and clean.
Like the H3, it has a needly, “showy,” balloon-y type of presentation, though the issue is certainly more problematic this time around.
While they do cut 200-300Hz again (thankfully), everything from 0-100Hz is, in my opinion, much too emphasized (to the tune of 10dB or so). This simply isn’t necessary and starts turning into a slippery slope very quickly.
- REquired REading: How To EQ Bass & Why It’s So Important
Deep Notes, as those from Emily Krueger’s “5 For Ya” sound way too “hummy” coming across as slightly cheap, masking the true fidelity of bass notes rather than enhancing them.
Even“Let The Record Show” from People Under The Stairs, a beat with an incredibly clean and impactful bass line and sweet kick, doesn’t sound quite right here.
The bass line on “I Used to Love H.E.R.” by Common echoes this sentiment, sounding bloated and attempting to take center stage instead of letting other frequencies shine. As mentioned earlier, it’s not going to ruin the experience, but remains noticeable.
Despite the overly boosted sentiment, it’s not all bad. The low end on “Keep Winning” from Jake One, Freeway, and Black Thought sounds mostly fine, containing weight like a gyme without destroying the signature. You can thank a superior mixdown for that.
And this brings me to my main point: much of the way the bass comes off will, unfortunately, come down to how the track was recorded. This is because, generally speaking, elevating it beyond a certain threshold nearly always results in inconsistencies across an array of genres, production styles, albums, and individual tracks. It’s why I’m always such a heel about it and have a zero tolerance policy for poor low end reproduction.
For example, 9th Wonder is one of my favorite producers, but he tends to boost his kicks and bass lines way too much in many of his beats; oftentimes in the wrong areas.
That bloat, coupled with an already boosted shelf to the tune of 10+ dB, results in a complete mess of epic proportions. This manifests even worse in awfully tuned products like the 99 Neo and can be downright horrific with certain tracks. I understand a company’s urge to boost a lot, but it simply isn’t necessary. 3-5dB at most works just fine and ensures that the majority of tracks will sound great and have impact without getting sloppy.
Thankfully, though the Air5 is boosted in the subbass, they again opt for a mid/high bass cut in the mud regions. This makes them infinitely more listenable and satisfactory vs. products like neo which completely obliterate everything in favor of more slop.
Genre Pairing
You know the drill: V/U-shaped products like this are going to excel with harder genres, but the general shape of the curve, in addition to its good resolution, works pretty well for most genres, including but not limited to: Jazz, Classical, Ambient, Folk, Indie, Pop, EDM, Hip-Hop, Metal, etc.
Do keep in mind that the overall tuning still needs work, but thankfully, since the bloat regions are cut, we have a much better palette to work with.
EQ Customization Feature
As with the H3, you can also use SOUNDPEATS’ own app. Just head over to your phone’s app store, type in “PeatsAudio” and register.
Available for your disposal in the app are the stanard noise reduction, normal, and transparency modes accessible on the buds themselves, but also a few other features like game mode, dual device connection, a diable all touch controls switch, a customize touch controls feature, and an EQ app that allows for a layer of customization that’s straightforward and engaging to use.
Here’s a profile I used on the H3:
Game mode literally sounded almost identical to normal mode, but there are 12 presets to try, including Default, Bass Boost, Bass Reduction, Treble Enhancement, Electronic, Pop, Classical, Rock, Folk, Book Whisper, HIFI, and ACG.
Both the H3 and Air5 Pro+ need some sort of fix, so try a 5-7dB cut across 0-100Hz for the latter, and you should be much better off like Smokey Robinson & The Miracles.
Final Verdict
SOUNDPEATS’ Air5 Pro+ is a decent to good IEM, showcasing excellent resolution, timbre, and overall separation, while also suffering from a sound signature that needs a bit of a tune-up (no pun intended).
Overall, I think it’s a solid product with an EQ tweak. If the H3 got a B+, I think the Air5 is probably closer to a B- as is. With EQ, it gets a similar grade as the H3.
SOUND DECISION? YES
TIER: B-
Pricing/Discounts
(Use Code SPHSBA5PP on Amazon for 30% OFF. Valid 12/19/25 – 12/31/25)
In The Box
SOUNDPEATS Air5 Pro+ Earbuds
3 sets of tips (one set pre-installed)
App Instruction Card
USB-A to USB-C Charging Cable
9 Stickers
Specifications
- Model: SOUNDPEATS Air5 Pro+
- Bluetooth Version: V5.4
- Frequency Response: 20Hz-40kHz
- Maximum Working Distance: 10m
- Play Time: About 6 Hours (Up to 30 Hours with Charging Case)
- Battery Capacity: 35mAh (Earbuds) / 520mAh (Charging Case)
Well, that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this SOUNDPEATS Air5 Pro+ Review and came away with some valuable insight.
Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Please leave them down below or Contact me!!
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Does the Air5 sound like a worthwhile investment? I would love to hear from you. Until next time…
All the best and God bless,
-Stu
