The main issue with reviews of inexpensive audio equipment (and not just that) in 2024 is that no one can objectively assess most of a device’s functionality relative to its price anymore. In the past, if headphones cost $30, I expected basic functionality, decent battery life, and sometimes even high sound quality. The OneOdio SuperEQ T44 has shattered that axiom.
Technical characteristics
- Type: Open Ear Earphones
- Bluetooth: 5.3
- Sensitivity: 119 dB
- Impedance: 16 Ω
- Frequency range: 20-20000 Hz
- Microphone sensitivity: -38 dB
- Battery capacity: 70 mAh (headset) / 600 mAh (charging case)
- Usage time (50% volume): 10 hours (headset) / 40 hours (charging case)
- Charging time: 2 hours
- Charging port: USB Type-C
- Charging input: 5V 1A
- Weight of one headphone: 9,3 g
- Weight of the charging case: 60,2 g
- Charging case size: 91.3×62.1×28.8 mm
Market position and price
Well, I’ve already given you the main spoiler. Officially, the OneOdio SuperEQ T44 is priced at $49 or €44. However, on AliExpress, even in the official store, the price for this model can be 25% lower. Sometimes, it can even drop to 50%—I actually found it for around $30. The only explanation for this might be that the $50 price tag is set without the typical “permanent discounts” that are common with Chinese products. After all, the T44 is a new release.
Package contents
The headphone package is standard: a case, the headphones themselves, a Type-C to Type-A cable, and a multilingual user manual that includes a complete list of the included items.
Specifically, this consists of the case, the headphones, and the cable.
External appearance
If you’re used to traditional “in-ear” TWS headphones, the OneOdio SuperEQ T44 will visually and in terms of size provide a shock that lasts a lifetime. The case is twice the size of 99% of standard headphone cases, although it’s made from fairly conventional materials—a matte black plastic on all sides.
At the top is the SuperEQ logo. In the front, there’s a notch for your fingernail and an LED indicator for operation. At the back, you’ll find a Type-C port with a wide enough opening to accommodate cables of any thickness for charging.
The case opens exactly 90 degrees and stays securely in place. The stiff hinges are both an advantage and a drawback because you won’t be able to perform any AirPods-style tests; you can’t take the OneOdio SuperEQ T44 out of the case with one hand. Inside the case, there’s a label on the lid with the specifications.
Even with the headphones inside, the case isn’t too heavy, weighing up to 80 grams. It feels nice in the hand and resembles a plastic version of a pebble. The play in the hinges is minimal, considering the size of the lid and the centered mono-hinge. The only thing missing is something like feet on the bottom, as the lower part of the case will quickly lose its appealing look.
I like the OneOdio SuperEQ T44 headphones much less. This is mainly due to the mirrored plastic that mimics metal on the main body and the back of the headband. It’s clearly glossy (as is the area that contacts the headphones inside the case) and doesn’t feel very sturdy or durable. Plus, it picks up fingerprints like a magnet, and I personally don’t enjoy looking at my distorted reflection in the headphones.
However, if you’re unfamiliar with the Open Ear Earphones format, let me introduce you. The silicone headband bends behind the ear, while the main part presses against the other side, extending slightly into the ear canal. Instructions on how to wear the headphones are available on the main page and even on YouTube.
This format isn’t exclusive to OneOdio, so if you enjoy the wearing process, gaining experience with similar designs can be beneficial. I should also note that yes, SuperEQ is a sub-brand of OneOdio, and I’m quite familiar with OneOdio itself.
The headphones feature several sets of microphones, as well as a prominent speaker and charging contacts.
Specifications
The headphones are water-resistant with an IPX4 rating, meaning they are protected against sweat and rain. This model is specifically positioned as a fitness option, and it really does stay securely in place during active workouts.
The driver inside is relatively large, measuring 12×17 mm. This means it’s not standard—it’s elongated rather than round. Ideally, this should increase the cost of the OneOdio SuperEQ T44, but I think such drivers have become sufficiently mainstream.
The same goes for the chipset. Its exact model is unknown; however, considering that the SuperEQ T44 is a model from nearly this year, it supports Bluetooth 5.3 as well as SBC and AAC codecs. Thus, OneOdio’s claims about noise cancellation in the microphones are attributable to the SoC, as it’s increasingly difficult to find a modern audio chipset without AI noise cancellation support.
OneOdio SuperEQ T44 Control
The headphones are controlled by touch-sensitive areas on the center of each earcup. The good news is that there are plenty of functions available, including volume adjustment. The bad news is that the touch sensitivity is quite high, causing the headphones to inadvertently activate while you’re sleeping.
Nonetheless, a long press on either earcup for 3 seconds will manually turn the headphones off. A single press on the left or right earcup decreases or increases the volume. A double tap plays or pauses the music. Pressing and holding the left or right earcup for 1.5 seconds skips to the previous or next track.
A triple tap activates or deactivates the voice assistant. During a call, holding for 1.5 seconds answers the call, while a double tap either rejects the call or hangs up if it was previously answered.
Additionally, the manufacturer promised that the OneOdio SuperEQ T44 supports dual connectivity, and it truly does. You connect to “Device 1,” then turn off Bluetooth on “Device 1.” Next, connect to “Device 2.” Without turning off Bluetooth on “Device 2,” turn Bluetooth back on for “Device 1.” The OneOdio SuperEQ T44 will then work simultaneously with both devices.
In practice, there is no automatic source switching. I mean this not only when two sources are playing, such as a smartphone and a laptop, but also in general. I tested it various ways, and sometimes the headphones only remember the last connected source, playing audio from that one. The previous source, even if actively connected, doesn’t stop the current playback, and as long as the current source is connected, no sound will play from the other.
At one point, the headphones started pausing one source when another was activated, but they still only played sound from one. Overall, every time I tried to enable dual connectivity, I encountered a new problem.
I should also note that the OneOdio SuperEQ T44 lacks a reset function. At least, there’s no mention of it in the manual, and the standard method of holding the touch button for 10 seconds didn’t work, either during power-off or power-on.
Operating experience and sound quality
I’ll start with the positives. Because this format distributes pressure across the entire ear rather than concentrating it in one spot, you almost immediately stop registering in your mind that you’re wearing headphones. Plus, you’ll hear everything around you, as the SuperEQ T44 don’t block the ear canal. Given that the headphones sit securely on the ears, you can change clothes without any issues; personally, they never slipped off for me.
The bad news is that you’ll need to get used to the feeling that you might have positioned the headphones incorrectly in your ears. Even by following the instructions, no one can truly explain whether you’re wearing the SuperEQ T44 and similar models correctly. You might feel tempted to push them deeper into your ears, especially if you’re accustomed to the sound of TWS earbuds. Subconsciously, you may want a similar sound experience, but you won’t achieve it.
Overall, the sound quality of any TWS earbuds, including the OneOdio SuperEQ T44, is roughly the same—especially when tested in Earth’s atmosphere. Essentially, it feels like a decent pair of stereo speakers have been suspended above us, delivering a generally good range of frequencies. However, the bass always tends to be weaker than expected. It’s like an exponential curve that approaches the “finally satisfactory” mark but never quite reaches it.
Why? Because open headphones do not have vacuum insulation, which makes it impossible to reach the expected heights in terms of bass sound that users of traditional IEMs, or In-Ear Monitors, are used to. However, over time, models like OneOdio SuperEQ T44 have an advantage – the minimal bass is felt as an integral part of the “stereo sound”. You get used to it, and you dissolve in it.
Indeed, this is the main advantage of open-type headphones. The sound becomes part of the surrounding environment rather than being isolated within your head. Sometimes, it’s impossible to overcome the surrounding noise, and it’s often easier to conquer it with the rhythm of music. Given the need to hear alarms or even explosions, open-type TWS earbuds are much more appealing in certain contexts than they are in others. Yes, I also have the “Alarm” app from Ajax installed. However, neither it nor any other app functions with 100% reliability.
Regarding the SuperEQ T44 specifically, I would say the mid-range frequencies are delivered luxuriously and deeply. The bass is somewhat lacking—feel free to say hello if you find any! However, the high frequencies are surprisingly good, and the quality of the three-dimensional soundstage is better than I expected.
The signal stability of the OneOdio SuperEQ T44 is excellent for a model utilizing the relatively “outdated” Bluetooth 5.3 standard. The earbuds perform reasonably well even at a distance of 20 meters with several walls in between; however, the signal does occasionally drop. When it does, the desynchronization between the earbuds can be quite unpleasant, lasting up to half a second. This issue can persist for as long as 10 seconds until the signal is reestablished.
I also encountered a situation where, even after returning the earbuds to the case, they did not disconnect from the sources or turn off on their own. This required me to take them out of the case and place them back in to reset the connection.
The latency with Bluetooth 5.3 is indeed noticeable. Watching movies is manageable, and playing games on a smartphone is fine too, but editing video and engaging in multiplayer gaming on a PC can be quite unpleasant due to the delay. As someone who owns one of the first pairs of TWS earbuds with Bluetooth 5.4, I can attest that the difference in latency is astronomical. During experiments with dual connectivity, the delays even for video playback reached up to one second.
This is why I’m particularly interested in updating the TWS lineup from OneOdio to the most current standards. Technically, the company already has the S10 model utilizing Bluetooth 5.4, but it suffers from minimal battery life.
Battery life
The battery capacity of the OneOdio SuperEQ T44 case is 600 mAh, while each earbud has a capacity of 70 mAh. This is significantly more than what traditional TWS models offer, resulting in a pleasant autonomy of up to 10 hours of use at 50% volume. It’s worth noting that 50% volume for open-type earbuds is quite a lot, as they are designed to blend with the surrounding noise rather than block it out.
The charging of the OneOdio SuperEQ T44 case is done via Type-C and takes up to 2 hours to fully charge. The case can be charged from both low-power and high-power sources, providing flexibility in charging options.
Conclusions
To summarize, the OneOdio SuperEQ T44 can be viewed as a decent sports model, but its appeal largely depends on the price at which you acquire it. If you can get it for around $30, it would be an excellent choice despite its shortcomings. This balance between performance and price is what makes the SuperEQ T44 a standout option in the market.
Where to buy
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