TaoTronics TT-BH026: Bluetooth headset for $25.99 in review

With the removal of the 3.5 mm headphone jack on smartphones, Bluetooth headphones are becoming increasingly popular. But athletes are also interested in the almost wireless headphones. With the TaoTronics TT-BH026, TaoTronics offers headphones that appeal to both groups.

• TaoTronics TT-BH026
  • at Amazon for $25.99

Technical Specifications

Scope of delivery

The scope of delivery of the headphones includes

• one manual
• 3 silicone ear pads (S, M, L)
• 3 earhooks (S, M, L)
• one micro-USB charging cable
• one mounting clip
• one storage bag
• the headphones

Processing & Design

TaoTronics opted for a matt black color scheme. This covers the entire headphones, except for small exceptions such as the back of the headphones. The ear pads and ear hooks can be easily attached to the headphones and then sit firmly on the headphones. The two headphones are connected by a black ribbon cable. The cable is only interrupted by an in-line controller, which also contains the battery. The battery is charged via a micro-USB port into which the cable has to be plugged and unplugged. However, the general workmanship of the headphones can be described as good. Furthermore it has a IPX-6 Certification guaranteeing a splash-proof design.

Wearability

Once you have chosen the right size from the three earpads and earhooks, the headphones sit securely in the ear. Even over a longer period of time they do not press and music can be listened to over a longer period of time.

Practically, the back of the headphones is magnetic and when you take it out of your ear, you can wear it like a chain.

Sound of the TaoTronics TT-BH026

Sometimes there are worlds of sound between China headphones. However, the TaoTronics TT-BH026 makes a good impression. So you can have fun with them, no matter if you listen to pop, hip hop or electronic music like techno. The midrange and high frequencies are good for the price range. Though the muffled sound disturbs me a bit when it comes to bass. Nevertheless, the headphones have a sound image that is still fun even after several hours.

Unfortunately, TaoTronics did not support the aptX codec, which is why the normal Bluetooth codec is used.

Headset

A microphone is located in the control element of the headphones. TaoTronics promises noise suppression to improve speech quality. During one phone call, the voice quality was described as very good. So you can make good phone calls with the headphones.

Operation

To connect the headset to a Bluetooth device, press and hold the power button. When the headset is connected, the handset will emit a “Bluetooth connected” sound and you can start listening to music. This is a one-time process and does not need to be repeated the next time you listen with the same device. Three different buttons with different functions are available on the remote control.

The in-line operation is attached to the cable shortly after the right headphones. In most cases it hangs on the underside of your face, so you can’t see it and must operate it “blindly”. Due to the clear positioning of the buttons, however, they can be pressed without any problems.

Range & connection quality

Except for a few small dropouts, the transfer from the pocket to the headphones works well. The range in free space is about 5 meters. However, if there is a wall between the smartphone and headphones, the connection breaks off quickly.

Battery pack

With the battery of the headphones it is no problem to listen to 6 to 7 hours of music. If the battery slowly discharges, the headphones will issue a “Battery low” warning. The LED in the control element also lights red. It then takes about 15 minutes for the headphones to turn off with the “Power off” message. According to TaoTronics, you should be able to fully charge your headphones in 2 hours. In our test, however, the headphones were already recharged after one and a half hours. A welcome change with the often wrong manufacturer information.

Unfortunately, you cannot use the headphones while they are charging.

Conclusion

The TaoTronics TT-BH026 are quite solid in-ear headphones, which slightly weaken the quality of the bass. Its battery life is good at 6-7 hours and you don’t feel urged to charge it often. They sit comfortably in the ear and have a form of protection against water, whereby one may ask oneself here, why they have no IP protection class then. Competition is fierce and price and personal preference are ultimately taken into account in the decision. But especially in the offer one does nothing wrong with the TT-BH026.