Blaupunkt is a brand closely associated with car stereo systems. And they are one of the important players in that segment. So, when I heard about the German audio brand selling their own earbuds, or what is now fashionably called TWS, I was not sure what to expect from them.
Keeping my expectations low, I opened the package to find a black matte-finish earbuds box inside. Opening it was a bit of struggle for me as the smoothly-designed box kept slipping away from my hand. That could have been because I’m used to a true wireless stereo (TWS) that has a flat-top box.
The Blaupunkt BTW300’s smooth finish was a bit hard for me. But its lightweight build, with a total weight of about 90 grams, was perfect to carry around. The earbuds come with Bluetooth v5.3, making it connect to the devices almost instantly. And it also has an IPX5 rating, making it resist sweat and water droplets. The pair sits neatly in the ears, and gives a comfortable listening experience.
In this variant, the German audio maker does not provide Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). But it does offer a feature called Environmental Noise Cancellation (ENC). ENC CRISPR TECH can filter ambient noise when you are on a call, allowing you to pick up only the human voice. This can help cut down background noise during calls.
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This feature worked well for me. But, at the microphone’s end, it did not have the same level of filtering. So, when I was taking calls outdoors, the person at the other end would note that my voice was unclear. My background was a little loud and noisy to them. But this did not happen when I took calls indoors.
The earbuds are crafted quite well and fit well within the ears. When I was running or walking, they did not move. But Blaunpunkt’s BTW300 lacked a well-functioning audio and channel control in the earbuds.
Whenever I was out for a run or was engaged in some activity and the connected device was away from me, I could not bring down the volume by controlling the earbuds. I had to control it from my phone. The earbuds do have a volume control option, but it is unintelligently designed. For instance, to increase volume, Blaupunkt’s manual asks you to tap thrice on the left bud. And to bring it down, it wants you to tap thrice on the right one.
A simple setup on holding and tap to increase and decrease volumes would have been lot more useful. At the ₹1,499 price point, this is an option that could have been easily added. If not for the price, at least from a brand recognition perspective. Someone choosing Blaupunkt earbuds instead of another comparative TWS in that price segment might expect this feature to be part of the BTW300.
On the audio experience, Blaupunkt BTW300 gives a slightly higher bass output. And that is distinct right from the first track you play. The German brand has ensured enhanced bass does not distort audio quality. When I streamed movies on OTT, action sequences had a decent sound output sans distortions or jarring vocals. Blaupunkt has adequately balanced treble and bass in these earbuds.
Charging and battery backup were impressive. The earbuds are powered by a fast-charging technology that stores an hour of charge within 15 minutes. And in one full charge, the earbuds can go for nearly 40 hours of non-stop playtime. On the Bluetooth connectivity, the earbuds was able to stay in range with a connected device as far away as 15-20 feet and in cases where the devices were separated by two or three walls.
For a company that specialises in audio devices, Blaupunkt’s entry level TWS does a fine job of providing high-quality and distortion-free audio with a slightly enhanced bass. But including nice-to-have features like volume controls and channel switch options in the earbuds would have made this a definite go-to product in its price segment.