The Mee Audio X10 is IPX5 rated for water resistance.
The Mee Audio X10 is priced at Rs. 4,999 in India
Mee Audio isn't a brand that a lot of people will have heard of, but this headphone and earphone maker has been around for a while now. A quick look at the company's website also tells us that the company's products are available across the world. We last reviewed something from Mee Audio - the M9B wireless earphones - back in 2016, and since then haven't heard much from this brand. Until now.
The company is back in India with a new distributor, and three of its affordable products are available already. One of these is what we're reviewing today: the Mee Audio X10 true wireless earphones. Priced at Rs. 4,999, this is the company's first pair of true wireless earphones, and the set looks great at first glance. We review these new earphones from Mee Audio to find out if they're worth the price.
The Mee Audio X10 looks impressive, almost like something out of a sci-fi movie
Most affordable true wireless earphones stick to the basics when it comes to design, but not the Mee Audio X10. The earphones look like something out of a science fiction movie. The earpieces have clear plastic outer shells with two LEDs on each one that light up, making them look like two creatures staring back at you. The upper part of each earpiece is opaque, with a Mee Audio logo which doubles up as a button on each one.
Interestingly, the clear portions appear glossy black when the lights aren't illuminated. The earphones are larger than competing options in the budget segment, but sat comfortably in our ears with a secure fit. Passive noise isolation wasn't ideal, but wasn't too bad either for us.
The earphones are available in two colours - black and blue. While we had the black headset for review, we feel the blue ones look a bit better. The buttons on the earphones control playback, volume, and the voice assistant on your paired smartphone. A single press on either side plays or pauses music and answers or disconnects calls; a double-press adjusts the volume; a triple-press skips to the previous or next track; and a long-press activates the default voice assistant on your smartphone. The Mee Audio X10 is IPX5-rated for water resistance, making it suitable for basic fitness use.
The charging case of the Mee Audio X10 is neither too big nor too small, and it gets the basics right. It has a magnetic lid, four indicator lights to tell you the battery level of the case, and a USB Type-C port for charging on the right side. It's pocketable and gets the job done, holding the earphones securely in place when not in use thanks to rubber padding and a magnetic clamping mechanism.
The charging case has a USB Type-C port on the side
The Mee Audio X10 uses Bluetooth 5 for connectivity, with support for the SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs. Powering the sound are 5mm HD micro dynamic drivers, and the earphones have a frequency response range of 20-20,000Hz. The sales package includes a short USB Type-C cable for charging, and three pairs of silicone ear tips.
During our time with this headset, the Mee Audio X10 ran for around four hours on a single charge, with the case offering an additional four charges for a total of 20 hours of use per charge cycle. This is in line with what we've seen on competing options in this segment.
When we started using the Mee Audio X10, we found the sound a bit dull and unexciting. A fair amount of burn-in and a bit of time with the earphones made the sound grow on us a bit. While not quite as exciting and driven as the 1More Stylish True Wireless earphones - our current favourite affordable true wireless headset - the Mee Audio X10 offered a lot of detail and character in the music we listened to.
We used a OnePlus 7T Pro (Review) as the source device with the Mee Audio X10, with Spotify, YouTube Music, and our collection of high-resolution audio tracks serving as music sources. We used the AAC codec for much of our listening, but also occasionally switched to SBC to compare the difference in sound quality.
The earphones support the AAC and SBC Bluetooth codecs
Starting out with some retro Italian electro pop, we listened to Okay Okay by Pino D'Angio. We were impressed with the level of detail on offer with the Mee Audio X10, with faint elements of this peppy dance track audible even through the synthesiser elements at its fore. The soundstage was impressive and spacious for a pair of earphones priced at under Rs. 5,000. That said, we did find the sonic signature to be a bit dull and confused.
Listening to Crazy Maybe by Feed Me, the typical aggression and raw bass attack that we'd expect was lacking on the Mee Audio X10 earphones. There's definitely some thump in the low-end, but it didn't quite feel as calculated or powerful as we've heard on other headphones in the segment. Instead, the X10 is strong in the mid-range and upper-mids, offering a sound that feels more refined, but is definitely lacking in the edge that most users in this price segment are looking for.
While the sound is very good for the price, we did feel that the AAC Bluetooth codec was holding back the excellent drivers on the Mee Audio X10. The faint details, while distinct and present, weren't quite as clear or crisp as we have experienced on the 1More Stylish True Wireless earphones. We did enjoy the level of detail produced and we definitely liked our experience with the earphones, but the sonic signature didn't quite go the distance.
For calls, the Mee Audio X10 offers an acceptable enough experience in relatively quiet environments, although background sound did tend to get picked up a bit more aggressively than on some of the slightly more expensive options in the segment.
The Mee Audio X10 is an inexpensive pair of true wireless earphones that gets most things right
The budget true wireless space in India is so vast and crowded that it's sometimes hard for individual options to really set themselves apart. The Mee Audio X10 does manage to stand out for its unique looks, attention to detail in the sound, and good battery life. However, it's far from ideal even for the price, with a sonic signature that is lacking in excitement and drive.
We did like our experience with the Mee Audio X10, and it's definitely worth looking at if you have a rigid budget of Rs. 5,000 - no more and no less. If you can stretch that spending limit a bit, the 1More Stylish True Wireless Earphones are a better option, and if you're looking to save a bit, the JVC HA-A10T offers practically the same sound quality for Rs. 1,000 less.
Price: Rs. 4,999
Pros
Cons
Ratings (out of 5)
Will OnePlus 8 series be able to take on iPhone SE (2020), Samsung Galaxy S20 in India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.
Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.