SOL RepublicAMPS AIR+ In-Ear Headphones - Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Earphones, 7-Hour Playtime and 24 Hours with Charging Case, Sweatproof, IPX5 Rating - Black

The microphone is not good

I have never heard of Sol Republic before even though I later found out they are a well-known brand especially for earphones which have a lot of bass which is perfect for when I go running as it’s dance music I tend to use more often than not.Inside the box you will get the earbuds, charging case, USB to USB-C Cable (no plug), other sized buds, quick instruction guide & a warranty leaflet and Sol sticker.Now it’s worth pointing out that the Sol Republic AMPS Air+ are £179.99 at the time of review.These earphones have a water resistance rating of IPX5, can be recharged up to 2.5 times in their case and has Bluetooth 5.0 software.After looking into Sol Republics previous headphone set which got slated for being overly bassy, I am pleased to say that I was quite impressed with the sound quality although I had to turn the sound up quite a bit to get that optimum level where I have not had to do with other headphones. The touch controls work with no issues, this is one of the things that bothered me before receiving as I have had issues in the past with touch sensitive earphones. The earphones pair individually which is great for popping one in at a time so you can listen to your surroundings, If using one ear piece the controls work the same for both the same way, 3 taps to skip, two taps for siri (I have an iPhone) or 2 taps to answer a call or hang up. Having both sets in gives you the extra options to play and pause (right) and turn on/off ambient and noise cancelling (left), there is no option for volume!I did have some teething issues with pairing 2 devices (watch and phone) where one bud tried to connect to my phone and the other to my watch so nothing worked until I unpaired the one I wasn’t using.The charging case is huge! It’s great having the longer battery life but I find the case uncomfortable to carry and just too big with no option to add string to tie up. The Bluetooth connects via a button on the case (no issues here), and the case charges via USB-C (always a bonus). The battery level unfortunately can only be read from the case which has 4 lights to indicate battery power left, this is a negative as if I am out and the case is at home, I would want to know how much power I had left. This said they last 7 hours so unless you are away for a while without the case you shouldn’t have any issues.Positives+ Small sized and will not fall out+ 5-7 hours usage (+ an extra 2.5 charges with the case)*+ Running made comfortable+ Answer calls / voice command+ Auto pause when an earbud is removed+ IPX4 rated (sweat and water resistant)+ Bluetooth 5.0 great signal range+ USB-C fast charging+ Excellent touch controls+ Great sound for different types of music+ Independent working buds* It’s worth pointing out the box states 6-8 hours playtime with 2x charge with the case however Amazon and Sol state 5-7 hours with 2.5 charge.Negatives- No volume controls on buds- No phone app (unable to change music style)- Big Case- Doesn’t work well in the windRunning1 hour running and I felt very little of these earpieces in my ear, I noticed them when I first placed them into my ear and they felt a little uncomfortable which had me worried. This said I got used to them quickly and they didn’t become an issue. Paired with my Garmin Forerunner there were parts in some songs where there was a horrible disruption where I would get this loud crackling which sounds like when a cheap speaker would be turned up too loud, this didn’t seem to happen when paired with my phone but also this doesn’t happen with the other two earpieces I have used in the past. Both earbuds stayed in without me having to adjust over the full hours run.Second run had no issues whatsoever with my Garmin and the sound quality. Very comfortable in my ear and a good sound quality.CyclingWith the quicker speed the wind was clearly audible meaning that the earbuds let in the wind so much that whatever was playing was unlistenable. (not that I condone listening to music while cycling)Normal wearThe sound is impressive for something so small however there are slightly better sounding buds out there. There is an auto pause when you take one of the earbuds out however I noticed that once I placed the bud down, the sound started playing again even though it wasn’t in my ear.Phone CallsWork well, I’ve had some phone conversations and I can hear my caller and they can hear me perfectly no matter who calls who.VerdictWhile I was sceptical at the start, these buds have really grown on me. I am sad that there is no accompanied application to adjust sound and having no volume control on the buds is also a massive issue, especially when out running when you don’t want to stop to fiddle around with your watch. I have used them all day at work, the independent buds are handy when at work and you want to listen out for people calling you however, I did notice the auto pause to play again when setting the bud down onto the table on a few occasions. One side note, after a few days of use I have noticed that the rubber has come away on one of the buds revealing the metal underneath (pictured). Personally, I prefer the Jaybird Vista’s over these, I think you get more value for money and they are not only more comfortable but the app where you can adjust the music to your taste really is worth having. However! Originally, I was going to give these a 3 but the more I have used them the better I have found them so it’s a 4/5 from me.I do try and look at every aspect when reviewing products and always appreciate feedback and questions. If you found my review helpful please let me know by ticking the button under this review and if you have a question, I haven’t answered please ask me in the comments box and I will get back to you (hopefully with an answer). Thank you for taking the time to read my review and I hope it has been some help.AdditionalThe auto on off can become really annoying, If I take a bud out and place it down it can continue playing. I have also had issues where it would start playing again even when I hit pause.Additional 21/09/20Because these are added to a device separately I have had issues with only one connecting to my device and not both. Having to keep deleting and repairing them has forced me to drop a star. Shame

I have given these SOL Republic AMPS AIR+ a pretty good test over the last week or so, lots of different activities and modes of transport to try out how well the ANC worked ... the basic answer is pretty poorly. There are 2 modes, full ANC and Ambient ... both block a bit of outside noise, but to be honest, not by much, and certainly, they didn't perform well enough to justify the hefty price tag.There are some Pros, sound quality on calls is very good and the other party could hear me very clearly. They are well made and reasonably comfortable to wear. They also paired easily.The list of Cons though is much bigger ...The sound is quite thin, and there is no way to alter it apart from resorting to the EQ settings on my phone.Max volume is too low, and there is no way to override. That may have been OK if ANC worked, but in the gym this morning I could hear plenty of clanging and chat. The same goes for traffic noise in the street or engine noise in the car.They are only IP5 rated ... OK for a bit of sweat in the gym but hardly industry-leading ... My Jaybird Vista's are IP7. As for exercise, they seem secure in pretty static exercises in the gym, but I wouldn't use them for jogging for fear of losing one.I'm not a big fan of the touch controls, even after a week of use I find the controls are often more miss than hit.There is an App, but it is a community interest/fan app. I would have expected at this price point to have some control of the buds, firmware updates, where's my bud, EQ ... etc.All in all, well made, the sound is good on a call, but too quiet, fiddly controls, ANC just doesn't perform and they are way too expensive ... the performance may have been forgivable on something costing £50 ... but at £180 they are facing some seriously good opposition and they just don't match up.