Reviewed on: SoundStage! Solo, September 2022
I measured the Soundcore Sport X10 earphones using laboratory-grade equipment: a GRAS Model 43AG ear/cheek simulator with KB5000/KB5001 simulated pinnae, and an Audiomatica Clio 12 QC audio analyzer. I used a Reiyin WT-HD06 Bluetooth transmitter to get signals into the earphones. I used the supplied medium silicone tips for all measurements because they fit best in the ear simulator. These are “flat” measurements; no diffuse-field or free-field compensation curve was employed. Note that I’m unable to do spectral-decay measurements on most true wireless earphones due to the latency. Due to scheduling issues I wasn’t able to do noise-canceling measurements; we’ll add those at a future date. If you’d like to learn more about what our measurements mean, click here.
This chart shows the Sport X10s’ frequency response in the default Soundcore Signature EQ mode. It’s obviously pretty bassy. If the bass was toned down by about 6dB, it’d be a lot closer to normal. There’s a little more energy in that 5.5kHz peak than we might normally see, so I suspect these earphones might have a subtly bright top end.
This chart shows how the Sport X10s’ tonal balance changes when ANC is switched on. There’s not much difference, although the sound with ANC on would be noticeably brighter.
This chart shows the Sport X10s’ right-channel response (again, in Soundcore Signature mode) compared with various earphones—including the KEF Mu3 and AKG N5005 earphones, both of which stick pretty close to the Harman curve. Again, you can see the excess bass and the extra little zip in the mid-treble, but there’s no reason a little EQ’ing couldn’t bring these earphones into the range of normal.
Even at the extremely loud level of 100dBA (measured with pink noise), the Sport X10s’ distortion is very low. Some true wireless earphones can’t even reach 100dBA, so that’s impressive.
Bottom line: The Sport X10 eaphones seem well-engineered, even if their EQ at the Soundcore Signature setting is way too bassy.
. . . Brent Butterworth
brentb@soundstagenetwork.com