We recently tried the Truke BTG X1 TWS earbuds, which is tailored for mobile gamers. And now here is our hands-on experience with Truke’s latest TWS earbuds, the Buds A1. One of the major attractions of the Buds A1 is that it comes with support for Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) at an affordable price tag of Rs 1,499 (~$18). It offers other features like better clarity for voice calls, EQ modes, and long battery life.
Truke Buds A1: What’s in the box?
The retail package of the Truke Bud A1 TWS earbuds comprises the following items:
- Truke Buds A1 earbuds with charging case
- Eartips (small / medium / large)
- USB-A to USB-C cable
- User manual
Design and Comfort
Truke has used a minimalistic approach for the Buds A1’s design. It has a pebble-like look with a small textured pattern on the front, which has the company’s logo. A charging LED is available below the logo. The bottom edge of the device has a USB-C port and a physical button for Bluetooth pairing. Both earbuds have a medium-sized stem with the company’s branding and an LED.
I generally do not like to wear earbuds for longer hours. However, I tested the Truke Buds A1 for nearly a week, and I wore it for around an hour whenever I used it. I found that the earbuds fit well inside the ear canals and did not create any discomfort.
Each earbud weighs 4gm on my weighing scale, and its charging case weighs 39 grams (with earbuds inside). The flat design of the case makes it convenient to carry in a pant pocket. According to Turke, the Buds A1 offers IPX4-rated water resistance.
Connectivity and Controls
The Truke Buds A1 comes equipped with Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity and supports AAC and SBC audio codecs. It can be paired with one device at a time. However, it is compatible with Android and iOS devices. To establish connectivity, one needs to look for “truke Buds A1” in the list of available devices in Bluetooth settings and then pair it. The Buds A1 can instantly connect to the last paired device as soon as the case is opened.
Since there is no app support for the earbuds, users can rely on touch controls to access its different features. According to the brand, both earbuds are equipped with a high-quality touch panel, which ensures that it does not register accidental or incorrect touches. I found the touch-sensitive zones working fine on both earbuds. Here is a look at the list of touch gestures that are supported by the Buds A1.
| Controls | Functions |
| Single tap on right / left earbud | Play / Pause | Answer / End call |
| Double tap on right earbud | Next song |
| Double tap on left earbud | Previous song |
| Triple tap on right earbud | Gaming Mode |
| Triple tap on left earbud | Access Google Assistant / Siri |
| Long press on right earbud | Switch between ANC on / Transparency Mode / Normal Mode |
| Long press on left earbud | Switch EQ modes: Dynamic Audio, Bass Boost, and Movie |
When there is an incoming call, a single tap on any of the earbuds will receive the call. Double tap will disconnect the call. When there is an incoming call, one can long press either earbud for a second to reject it. In addition, long pressing either bud until there is a “power off” announcement will turn off both earbuds. If required, one can turn on either left or right by doing this same step.
To control volume, one needs to use the volume buttons on the paired device. The battery status can be checked through the Bluetooth settings on the paired device. For lag-free audio while gaming, the Buds A1 offers a low latency of up to 50ms.
Sound Output and Battery Life
The Truke Buds A1 feature 10mm titanium audio drivers. Each of the EQ modes, such as Dynamic Mode, Bass Boost, and Movie Mode offers a different listening experience. The Bass Boost mode pumps up the bass, while the Dynamic adds a bit of treble and slightly reduces the bass. The Movie Mode seems to enhance the vocals.
The Buds A1 offers up to 30dB ANC, claims the company. In my usage, I found the ANC mode working fine in considerably cutting down the background noise. For clear voice calls, the earbuds offer Environmental Noise Cancellation (ENC) by means of the two microphones available on each earbud.
The Buds A1 packs a 300mAh battery inside its case. Each earbud houses a 40mAh battery. It takes around two hours to achieve a full charge. I charged the earbuds only once soon after I received it for review. It has easily lasted me for over a week since I do not listen to music for longer hours. According to Truke, charging the case for 10 minutes will offer 10 hours of playback time.
While I am not sure whether the Buds A1 can offer a total playback time of 48 hours (with the case), I can certainly say that its battery life is good and does not require to be charged frequently.
Price and Availability
The Truke Buds A1 is listed on Amazon India and Truke’s official website for Rs 1,499 (~$18). Apart from the black, it also comes in a blue variant. At the time of writing t0his post, I noticed that there is a HOLI10 coupon code available on Truke’s website, which can be used to avail a discount of Rs 100 (~$1. As far as after-sales support is concerned, the company offers a 1-year warranty across its 250+ service centres across the country.
For those who don’t know, Truke has been consistently launching budget-friendly earbuds in the Indian market. Some of the previously released earbuds include the BTG X1, BTG Beta, S2 Lite, Buds Pro, BTG Alpha, Buds F1, Buds S2, Air Buds, Air Buds+, BTG 3, Air Buds Lite, BTG 2, BTG 1., Fit 1+, Buds Q1, and Buds S1.
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