- Moto Buds Bass have exceptionally large 12.4mm dynamic drivers
- Up to 43 hours from the buds and case, with ANC off
- Priced at just £49.99 (so around $65 or AU$100 where sold)
May the hi-res audio gods forgive me for saying this, but as TechRadar’s audio editor, I can get a little desensitized to new earphones. There are just so many of the little things around!
So when a spec sheet passes my desk, it makes me stop and say, “Wait, how big did you say the drivers were? Twelve-point four? Are you sure?” I’ll tell you about them. And that’s before I even get to the bottom prices…
The set is called Moto Buds Bass, and apart from the really, really big 12.4mm-should-really-rest-in-my-external-ear-canal driver in each ear, you also get a seemingly powerful battery that will offer up to nine hours from the buds themselves and up to a full 43 hours, it’s important that these including the case are not switched off.
Oh yeah, there’s also “Dynamic Active Noise Cancellation”, which Moto claims can cancel up to 50dB of noise, plus a Transparency mode to keep you connected to the outside world – you might need it for transport notifications, or even (shudder) people talking to you.
Moto Bass Buds: key specs, colors and prices
As a contender for the best budget earphones I’ve seen in a while, Moto’s bid with its new Buds Bass is a strong one. The three color variants (‘Dark Shadow’, ‘Blue Jewel’ or ‘Posy Green’) all look smart, and while Moto hasn’t specified the exact supported Bluetooth codecs, it’s highly unusual to see hi-res audio inclusion mentioned for this money.
Anything else to be aware of? A few actually: triple microphones plus CrystalTalk AI and an anti-wind noise algorithm should help with voice calls when the weather won’t cooperate, but while Moto says the design is “water resistant”, you probably shouldn’t wear them in any serious flooding as no IP rating is mentioned and Moto confirms they’re “not waterproof”.
Oh, and while Moto recommends using the Moto Buds app to pair, customize controls, adjust noise cancellation settings and more, it looks like you’ll need an Android device running Android 12 and up — so iPhone owners take note.
Their price is a pleasant surprise, even for a company known for its affordable handsets, especially when you consider that the Moto Buds Loop from April (which has Bose audio tuning and even Swarovski crystals) is much more expensive.
Moto Buds Bass is available now for £49.99 in the UK and €59.99 in the rest of Europe. Global availability is unclear, but it would make them around $65 or AU$100.
How good are the high-res chops – and how gifted is the bigger driver for the money? That’s what I hope to find out. But I highly doubt at this price they can expect a Black Friday discount, although if you need them our early Black Friday deals live blog is the place to go.
The best wireless earphones for all budgets
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