(Review) SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro vs Mini Pro HS vs Air3 Deluxe HS

Today we’re going to look at 3 new products from Soundpeats. The Capsule3 Pro, the Mini Pro HS and the Air3 Deluxe HS. I’m not going to go into so much detail about the specs and features of each product, but we are going to focus more on what are the differences between, and also their performance in terms of sound, noise cancelling and call quality.

Having used these earbuds in the real world, the first thing I’ve noticed is that Soundpeats has pretty much fixed the signal dropout issues that were a problem with previous models. The problem was usually with the left earbud dropping out. But this time, I’ve tested them in a crowded environment, and there were no signal dropouts.

All of them have tap controls with onboard controls for volume. They are Hi-Res certified, so yes, they do support streaming over LDAC.

SoundPEATS App

And they all are supported by the Soundpeats app which allows you to customize their sound with EQ presets and a graphic EQ, and also activate game mode which cuts down on latency when gaming. The Capsule3 Pro is the newest, and probably the one that offers the biggest advantage over the others. It has a fat, juicy battery, with a total rated endurance of up to 52 hours of battery with ANC with its charging case. That is when it is streaming over its default SBC codec. But when streaming over LDAC which is known to be far more power hungry, you can expect up to 22 hours in total, which is not bad at all.

The drawback is that it’s got a bigger case, but some of you might be willing to make that trade-off. These are AirPods style with a stem, but they are physically larger than the AirPods Pro so they fit more snugly in my ears, and they do feel a bit more stable than the actual AirPods.

Air3 Deluxe HS Overview and Sound

The Air3 Deluxe HS is also AirPods style like the Capsule, but it’s open-fit, which means no noise isolating earplugs or active noise cancelling. The benefit of an open fit is being able to hear your surroundings at all times. But the drawback is that in noisy places, you’ll have to almost max out the volume to hear your music. Which means more audio leakage so people sitting next to you can hear your audio as well. And typically, it also means less bass, as you’ll be finding out later when we talk about sound quality. In terms of battery, it has up to 5 hours of endurance in the earbuds, and up to 20 hours with case, which isn’t much, to be honest, when you factor in LDAC streaming.

Mini Pro HS Sound Quality

The Mini Pro HS has the smallest form factor without sacrificing too much in terms of specs or features. It’s a more traditional earplug design which locks out the noise and locks in all the bass.

In terms of sound, I do prefer it over the others. It’s got more or less the same tuning as the Capsule 3 Pro, with similar response in the bass and mid-range. But it does have more sizzle in the treble which means more airy-ness in the soundstage. In this sound quality comparison, I want you guys to listen for the crispiness of the singer’s vocals, the richness of the bass, and the air in the soundstage.

Capsule3 Pro Sound Quality

I think the Capsule3 Pro sounds pretty good too, a very forward sounding mid-range with good clarity and track separation. It also has the bass well under control, so it doesn't bleed into the mids. As for the Air3 Deluxe HS, I don’t really like its sound because it lacks bass and highs. So it sounded much thinner and more dry than I prefer. I was able to bring back a bit of bass and highs by tweaking the EQ, but to limited effect. By the way guys, if you want to compare their sound quality to other earbuds from other brands, visit loudnwireless.com’s sound samples page, link in the description.

Call Quality

Testing their microphone pickup in both quiet and noisy conditions under simulated cafe noise and wind noise from a fan, the Capsule3 Pro seems to have the best call quality, it sounds cleaner in quiet conditions, and in noisy conditions, it rejects background noise and wind noise better than the other SoundPEATS earbuds. Listen and compare their call quality here.

Active Noise Cancelling

In terms of active noise cancelling under the same noisy conditions as the above, the Mini Pro HS cancels more low frequencies, but at the same time it was letting in a lot more mid-range noises, so it sort of negated that benefit. Overall the Capsule3 Pro was quieter. It didn’t cancel as much low frequencies but there was more of a muffling effect because it does cancel more mid-range noise. Listen to their noise cancelling samples here.

Wearing the Mini Pro HS

By the way guys, if you want to compare their ANC and call quality to other earbuds, become a member for one dollar per month or more. That gives you some perks and access to my personal comparison tool, in other words, my secret weapon, which has got both call quality and noise cancelling samples that you can compare A-B at your own leisure. Click here to find out more.

Transparency Mode

In terms of transparency mode, they were both okay. There is still some muffling but their transparency overall is quite usable. The Capsule 3 has clearer passthrough but that is partly because its ear tips don’t plug in as deep as the Mini Pro HS, so it lets in a bit more ambient noise.

Conclusion

In my opinion, the Capsule3 Pro is the most compelling option. It sounds about as good as the Mini Pro HS, but it’s got better call quality and all the same features. Plus, they do fit better than the Mini Pros. The Mini Pro HS are shaped a bit too deep, so for me they don’t feel very ergonomic, and they do fit as snug as the Capsule3 Pro. But I do like them because it’s very compact, and full featured, if that’s what you need, it’s a decent choice indeed.

Wearing the Capsule3 Pro

For me, the Air3 Deluxe HS doesn't make the cut because I’m not a fan of open-fit earbuds, and I’m not a fan of its sound quality either. Either way, it used to be that I avoided any recommendation of Soundpeats earbuds because of those signal drops I experienced with previous iterations. But that seems to be resolved with the latest batch. And now they come with LDAC streaming. So, yes, these are worth a look if you’re looking out for some decent quality budget earbuds. But what do you think? Leave your comments below.