It is now a good four years since the Berlin audio professionals from Teufel released the Airy True Wireless, a convincing in-ear headphone that performed strongly in the price range up to 150 euros and also impressed across the board in our test. the successor Airy TWS followed in 2023, which is now also getting a new edition that sounds extremely exciting on paper: Better technology, strong runtime and a price below the 100 euro mark. Our Teufel Airy TWS 2 Review clarifies whether it’s worth buying.
Technical data
The product | AIRY TWS 2 |
Bluetooth version | 5.2 |
Bluetooth codecs | SBC, AAC |
Maximum operating range | 12m (without obstacle) |
Battery life |
|
Charging time | 1.5 hours (for charging case via USB-C or wireless) |
Size of charging case (H x W x D) | 49 mm x 66 mm x 27 mm |
Weight | 4.7 g per earbud; 53 g charging case & earphones |
Most important functions | ANC; Transparency mode; Multipoint |
Price | Price not available * |
Teufel Airy TWS 2 test: design and workmanship
- classic in-ear design
- good workmanship despite high plastic content
- pleasantly compact and lightweight
The Teufel Airy TWS 2 pick up on the basic design of their predecessor and look like typical in-ear headphones. Slightly wider base, elongated style. Nothing we haven’t seen before.
The new true wireless earbuds are available in five colors, because in addition to black and white, there are also slightly funkier shades such as Ruby Red, Sage Green or Space Blue.
With a length of 3.1 cm, the earbuds themselves are pleasantly compact and, at 4.7 grams per earbud, also weigh quite little. In fact, they are even 0.1 grams lighter than the Sony Linkbuds S (our test), while the Marshall Motif II ANC (our test) are slightly lighter at 4.3 grams.
In comparison, the angular charging case with dimensions of 6.6 cm x 4.9 cm x 2.7 cm (width x height x depth) is significantly larger and, at 44 grams empty or 53 grams with the in-ears inside, also heavier. Thanks to its flat underside, it also stands upright on the table.
The charging case has a USB-C port, a status LED and a Bluetooth pairing button on the underside. The Teufel Airy TWS 2 themselves do not offer any controls, but look quite chic with their matte color scheme. The most striking design accents are the Teufel logo on the outside and the gold-plated charging contacts on the underside.
Considering the price, the workmanship of the earbuds and case is absolutely fine. Of course, plastic dominates through and through, but with the exception of the somewhat wobbly folding mechanism of the charging case, there is nothing really to complain about.
Commendable: Teufel not only includes a short USB-A to USB-C charging cable in the scope of delivery, but also four additional pairs of silicone ear tips (in addition to the pre-installed ones). So everyone is guaranteed to find the best possible fit.
Wearing comfort of the Teufel Airy TWS 2
- excellent wearing comfort
- also suitable for small ears
I really liked the wearing comfort of the Teufel Airy TWS 2, where the manufacturer has done a great job. The combination of pleasant curves, low weight and soft silicone ear tips ensures that the in-ears sit comfortably in the ear and don’t slip, even after several hours of use.
Thanks to their compact dimensions, the in-ear headphones also sit very comfortably in smaller ears – this is where many earbuds, even significantly more expensive models, quickly reach their limits. Top!
Features and battery life
- ANC, transparency mode and multipoint
- Mono mode, but no wearer detection
- Volume automatically returns to medium level
The Teufel Airy TWS 2 also have an astonishingly extensive range of features, which only a few competitors in the price range up to 100 euros can offer in a similar form. The in-ears use the Bluetooth 5.2 standard and therefore achieve a convincing range and stability of the connection.
They are also capable of multipoint and can therefore be paired with two devices simultaneously. There is also IPX4 certification as splash protection, a mono mode and a fast connection in the Android ecosystem using Google Fast Pair. But don’t worry: iOS and Windows are of course also supported.
The Airy TWS 2 also have active noise cancellation and a transparency mode, both of which are said to have been improved compared to their predecessor.
What is unfortunately missing, however, is a wear detection function that pauses playback when one or both earbuds are removed. The low price is also reflected in the Bluetooth codecs: only SBC or AAC are available. High-resolution codecs such as aptX or LDAC are missing.
One negative aspect I noticed during the test was that the in-ear headphones do not remember the previously set volume. If they are connected and recognized, the volume automatically returns to the middle level. I’ve never been used to this with earphones before and I find it a little impractical and annoying.
Good battery life of the Teufel Airy TWS 2
- good runtime of up to 9h (without ANC)
- with active noise cancellation around 5h
The battery life of the Teufel Airy TWS 2 is also surprisingly long. The earbuds achieve a maximum runtime of 9 hours when we deactivate the active noise cancellation – a very good value. With ANC, however, the runtime drops significantly. Only around 5 hours of playback are then possible, which puts them in the lower third of the TWS in-ears.
Nevertheless, the charging case fully charges the earbuds four times, giving the combination a total runtime of up to 42 hours. Ten minutes in the case is enough for one hour of music playback (without ANC).
Operation of the Teufel Airy TWS 2
- mostly precise touch control
- Volume control is not reliably recognized
Like most modern in-ears, the Teufel Airy TWS 2 also rely on touch control and are controlled exclusively via the touch-sensitive outer sides. The operating concept is clear and simple:
Press once to start or pause playback, tap twice to skip to the previous or next song, tap three times to activate or deactivate ANC (right) or transparency mode (left).
In practice, this all works wonderfully and reliably, only when controlling the volume (pressing and then holding down) the earbuds didn’t always want to follow my input.
Audio quality, ANC and microphones
- really good, detailed and warm sound image
- convincing bass and mids, somewhat lacking in detail treble
- comparatively low maximum volume
In terms of audio quality, the Teufel Airy TWS 2 promise a significant improvement on their predecessor. After all, with a size of 10 mm, the drivers are almost twice as large as in the first Airy TWS (5.8 mm).
In terms of sound, the TWS 2s are really impressive in their price class and produce a pleasantly detailed, warm sound. The bass and mids are particularly convincing, while the earbuds lack a little brilliance and clarity in the highs.
If you like, you can (and should) do some fine-tuning within the companion app using the equalizer and slightly reduce the bass and boost the treble, which noticeably improves the sound.
In general, however, the Teufel Airy TWS 2 perform really well in the range up to 100 euros. However, models such as the Huawei FreeBuds 5i (our test) reproduce even more details and the Airy TWS 2 are also inferior in terms of sound compared to models in the €150 range.
Personally, I also find the maximum volume a little too low. Most earbuds, whether for 80 euros or 300 euros, are significantly louder.
ANC and transparency mode
- good active noise cancellation
- usable transparency mode
- constantly perceptible background noise
The Teufel Airy TWS 2’s active noise suppression and transparency mode are good. The soft silicone ear tips already offer good passive attenuation, and when combined with the ANC function, ambient noise is actually well suppressed. However, this is accompanied by a slight, audible background noise.
The counterpart in the form of transparency mode amplifies ambient noise and voices and fulfills its purpose with an only slightly distorted sound image. Here, too, a really good result is achieved in the price range up to 100 euros.
Microphone quality
- really good microphone quality
I also really like the microphone quality, which the Airy TWS 2 also improves on. A total of three microphones per earbud, in conjunction with a digital sound processor, should ensure a convincing sound.
Although there is a lack of detail in your own voice and a slight reverberation is always audible, the microphone quality is also impressive in the range up to 100 euros and is absolutely sufficient for phone calls.
Microphone test recording of the Teufel Airy TWS 2:
App connection: Teufel Headphones
- clearly structured app
- good range of functions
- Equalizer adjustable; but lacks fine tuning
The earbuds are operated via the Teufel Headphones app, which is available to download free of charge. It scores points with a tidy interface and a good range of functions. You can set the operating mode and switch between ANC, transparency mode and normal sound directly on the start page.
The battery status of the earbuds is also displayed here, while you can call up the equalizer by pressing the EQ button. There are various presets to choose from, and you can also make your own settings by moving the blue circle.
This works quite well, but I miss the fine-tuning of a 5- or even 10-band EQ, which would allow much better adjustments to the individual frequency ranges. In the settings, you can then switch multipoint on and off, as well as adjust or completely deactivate the automatic switch-off of the earbuds.
Teufel Airy TWS 2 test: Conclusion
With the Teufel Airy TWS 2, the Berlin-based manufacturer delivers true wireless earbuds that really know how to please in the price segment up to 100 euros. Especially the round and warm sound, but also the extensive feature set are pleasing and the microphone quality is also impressive.
They are also very comfortable to wear, have good active noise suppression and a decent battery life. On the other hand, points are deducted for the touch operation, which is not always precise, the automatically resetting volume and the rather low maximum volume.
Nevertheless, the overall package is absolutely impressive in this price range. Although manufacturers such as Huawei impressively demonstrate with the FreeBuds 5i that even more is possible in the double-digit euro range.
Teufel Airy TWS 2
Workmanship
Comfort
Sound Quality
Recording Quality
Features
Value For Money
87/100
The Airy TWS 2 perform strongly in the price range up to 100 euros. They score points with their warm, detailed sound, good ANC and microphone. The wearing comfort is also pleasing, but there are deductions for operation, maximum volume and battery life.