Although the packaging and build materials may be wanting for a little more razzle-dazzle, if I were to only experience these buds for their performance in sound, battery life, comfort and fit, I would be very much happy paying double. Even when testing at my desk here at the office I was able to wander off for a coffee in the kitchen downstairs without losing any connection, and in the gym I was able to perform sprints with my phone sitting at the starting line without worrying about any patchy tracks when I needed motivation the most. If untethered audio is your priority, it may be worth it, but keep in mind you’re not getting the audio quality you would for wired earphones for the same cost. Finally, and not to forget one very important factor, I have not experienced a single loss of battery power thanks to this hardy case packing plenty of recharge value as it juices up the headphones in transit.

I have worn these headphones for multiple runs of up to 3+ hours without the need to take them off every now and again to ease the pain, which is so common from other budget brands. The design of the earbuds themselves is straightforward, with a matte black casing small LED ring that flashes every few seconds when in use. It’s a nightmare trying to maintain your music through a wired connection nowadays, with your very expensive phone regularly falling out of your pocket and yanking out a headphone before it clatters to the ground while you precariously balance a couple of *cough cough* 50kg dumbbells over your head…. The headphones themselves are robust and surrounded in a textured rubber construction which, unlike many other budget earbuds, beautifully fits the contours of the ear for a great fit.I can’t comment on durability having only used them for a few weeks, but from what I’ve seen so far these are a real bargain. The soft ear pads are sweat-resistant to help you stay fresh when the going gets tough and give a clear crisp sound with powerful bass. It’s the same rating the Apple AirPods have, and I’ve used them for years of running in all weather with no problems. The Groove Sport Buds come with a portable charging case power bank, ensuring that you never run out of battery while on the go.

When the music is playing, however, the Groov-E SoundBuds generally have a balanced and clear sound.The clever charging case also features a 1800mAh power bank for you to charge other mobile devices, as well as charging your earphones. This is done in two ways: firstly, we ask our five member expert listening panel to note how much sound they can hear while the headphones are playing next to them. The SoundBuds are more comfortable with mid-range frequencies that don’t push their drivers particularly hard. With an IPX4 rating the SportBuds are only water- and sweat-resistant, not fully waterproof, but I wouldn’t let that concern you.

The ear hook is very soft and pliable, which means it’s comfortable if not quite as secure as the firmer hooks on something like the Beats Powerbeats. Having worked in this industry many years and having been involved in my own line of production before, I got the fear from the generic packaging and messaging on the box that this would be yet more of the same as I have experienced in the past, especially when I delved inside to find a solid black box to charge and transport the headphones. As a relatively cheap pair of true wireless earbuds, the SoundBuds connect to your source device through the right earbud, with the left and right earbuds then connecting to each other. which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 311908) for consumer credit and general insurance and a member of the Finance and Leasing Association.Each of the five members of our professional listening panel, who have a range of ages and ear sizes, gives a rating for how comfortable they find the headphones to wear, and we take an average.