Many of us spend a great deal of our precious time and money in what seems to be a never-ending search for great tech. And for some of us, the one thing that is always high on the list are headphones and earbuds. Even after we find a set that we love, we continue searching for an even better pair. Part of the reason for this is that different headphones serve different purposes. A fantastic option for the audiophile may not be a practical option for commuters to use on a crowded train or bus. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the TCL MOVEAUDIO S150 earbuds and see how they perform.
Specifications
- Speaker: Dynamic unit
- Bluetooth: BT5.0+EDR+BLE
- Sensor: Touch
- Voice Control: Native Voice Assistant
- Ports: 2 Pin Pongo Pin for Earbuds, USB Type C for Charging Case
- Battery: Earbuds 30 mAh, Charging Case 500 mAh
- Battery Life: Up to 3.5 hours for earbuds music play, 2.5 hours for audio calls, more than 20 hours for music play with charging Case.
- Water/Dustproof: IPX4
What’s In The Box
- TCL MOVEAUDIO S150
- Charging Case
- USB-C charging cable
- Manuals and Documentation
Design
The TCL MOVEAUDIO S150 earbuds design somewhat reminds me of a pair of Apple AirPods. They are white plastic with a round bud that houses the speaker and a stem that hangs down from the ear, just like many other earbuds on the market today. The stems house the touch controls that allow you to answer calls and play music. They are marked left and right, but the markings are relatively small, and if your vision isn’t perfect, it will be difficult to see. The S150s have a loose fit, at least for my ears, they did. They just did not fit as snuggly inside my ear as I would have liked. I thought this would be a problem, but after a quick jog on my treadmill, I realized that my fears of the earbuds flying loose were unfounded. They stayed put, and the loose fit actually made them comfortable to wear.
The charging case is also designed to look much like an AirPods case. In fact, if you like the look of the AirPods but don’t want to spend that much on a pair of earbuds, the S150s will fool most casual observers into thinking you spend big on your tech. The only real design difference is a slightly different shape, and the S150’s case opens from the front rather than from the top. Like the earbuds themselves, the case is constructed of white plastic, with the TCL logo on the front. The plastic used on both the earbuds and the case is lightweight, but it does have a decent quality feel about it. Putting the S150s back into the case is very easy. Just place the earbud near the charging cradle, and magnets pull and position the earbuds exactly where they should be. There is no need to worry about the charging points being misaligned and the earbuds not charging when they are put away in the case.
Ease of Use/Setup
The TCL MOVEAUDIO S150 setup is simple, when you first pull the earbuds out of their case, the LED will flash, and the earbuds will be in pairing mode. Go to your phone and pair it with the S150s in the settings/Bluetooth menu. This was a straightforward process and worked perfectly on the first try.
Sound
The sound of the TCL MOVEAUDIO S150 is a bit of a mixed bag. Let’s start with the positive aspects of these earbuds. I used the S150s for many phone calls and in several situations, and they performed better than any earbud I’ve ever tried as far as calls go. The sound and clarity of the voices were excellent on both sides of the call. There was no hollow sound, and the voice came through loud and clear on my end. The person I called commented that they did not notice any difference between my calling with the earbuds or without. That’s outstanding performance as far as I’m concerned.
The mids and highs of the S150s sound good, vocals come through loud and clear. But the S150s are advertised as having “Big Sound – Clear Calls.” As we saw in my previous comments, the calls indeed are clear. No problems there, what was promised was delivered. Music reproduction is another thing altogether. While highs and mids do sound good, I cannot call the sound that these earbuds produce “big.” The lack of bass here is quite evident from the first time you put them on, and without that bass, I don’t think the sound is big. I wouldn’t say I like heavy bass when I listen to music, but the TCL MOVEAUDIO S150 earbuds left even me wishing for more bass.
Part of the reason for this lack of bass is the aforementioned loose fit. To have a big sound, earbuds rely on a tight fit that blocks ambient sound from intruding and channels the sound produced directly into the eardrum. When you have a loose-fitting earbud, music is not directed to the eardrum, and there is a lot of noise intrusion from all around. These two factors are what contribute to the lack of big sound on the S150s. You can remedy the loose fit by pressing the earbuds into your ear. This allows the buds to sound better, but nobody will walk around with their hands up to their ears. It is possible to get better sound and more bass by turning the volume up to about 80%. While this does make the sound much better, I found having the volume up that high very uncomfortable after just a few minutes.
With all this being said about the lack of bass on the S150s, there is a positive aspect. These earbuds allow you to listen to music while still being very aware of your surroundings. There is something to be said about that, especially if you are out in public listening to music. It’s one thing to be in the comfort of your own home, wrapped in your own little sonic cocoon. Quite another to be out in public blissfully unaware of what is going on around you.
Battery Life
The TCL MOVEAUDIO S150 TWS earbuds have a claimed battery life of 3.5 hours and 20 hours with the charging case. I was able to get just over 3.5 hours with fully charged earbuds and almost 21 hours with the charging case. 3.5 hours isn’t that long for listening to music, so make sure you always have your charging case with you.
Price/Value
The TCL MOVEAUDIO S150 earbuds are priced at $39.99USD. For that price, you get a nice set of earbuds that may they lack bass but make up for it in comfort and style. As of this review, Amazon does also include a US$12 coupon, which means you’ll pay US$27.99; that offer may be gone depending on when you’re reading this review.
Wrap Up
The TCL MOVEAUDIO S150 is a comfortable set of earbuds that are great for making phone calls. They come at a bargain price, have great looks and good sound. But to get the most out of them musically, you must have the volume almost all the way up. Although they lack in bass, I believe that there is still a market for them. Commuters and anyone who works out in public would benefit from the fact that you can listen to your music and still be aware of what is going on around you.
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Last Updated on February 3, 2021.
