Wicked Audio is a company I know of because I saw them at CES the years I’ve gone. They’re like that hole in the wall restaurant. Meaning, they’re good and will keep going back more and more. That’s how I feel about the company’s Cron True Wireless Earbuds. The sound, the battery life, the fact that the cradle is a charging case for other devices makes it a must-have item.
Specifications
- Driver: 6mm
- Sensitivity: 108dB
- Frequency: 20-20,00Hz
- Impedance: 16 OHMS
- Bluetooth Version: 5.0
- Earbud Play Time: Up to 6 hours
- Additional Play Time: Up to 60 hours
- Range: 32ft
- Earbud Charge Time: 2 hours
- Power Bank Charge Time: 5 hours
- Power Bank: 2200mAh
- IPX5
- Compatible with Qi charging
What’s in the box
- Cron true wireless earbuds
- Power bank charging case
- Charging Cable
- Eartips (S, M, L)
- Manuel
Design
True wireless earbuds like the Cron have a small form factor like other true wireless earbuds I’ve reviewed in the past such as Tribit’s X1 True Wireless Earbuds or Cleer’s Ally True Wireless In-Ear Headphones. Thanks to that small design, the earbuds don’t seem overbearing when it comes to offering some type of flashiness or wrap around your ears and stick out of your ear.
The backplates of the Cron have a small button with an indent letting you know that that’s the button to press when it comes to controlling the earbuds. On that same button, Wicked Audio has their logo. Just under the button is an LED that will show up when the earbuds are charging. There is also a microphone hole on the back for those that may be making some phone calls here and there.
Turning the earbuds around, you’ll see a “wingtip” that will secure the earbuds in your ear if you do plan on taking them out on a jog or working out at the gym. There’s also an “L/R” on each earbud letting you know which ear to place it in. You’ll also see two gold plates that are used for charging the earbuds. The last thing on the earbuds is the gel ear tip that can be changed out to better fit your ear.
The problem I did have with the design is that after about an hour of having either both or just one earbud in my ear there was some discomfort. Over time of using the earbuds, they started to hurt less but it may also cause some discomfort to others at first.
Ease of Use
Like other true wireless earbuds or any Bluetooth device at that, you’ll need to first pair it up with the device you plan on using. Getting started is pretty simple as all you’ll need to do is place the Cron’s in the cradle to get them ready to pair. Next up is to head over to your device Bluetooth settings and choose “Wicked Cron” and let the two units pair.
After both devices have been paired together, using them won’t take too long to understand. When listening to music or watching videos, pressing the button on the earbuds once on either side will pause or play playback. A long press on the right earbud will skip to the next song while the left earbud will replay the same song you were listening to but if you long-press it again, it’ll go back to the previous song.
One drawback that I did notice was that when you’re trying to press the button on the earbuds to either play/pause or answer a call if causes the units to dig further into your ears. I did try different ways like putting a finger behind my ear and then press the button but still resulted in having to hard press to do something with the earbuds.
Sound
Since this was the first time using and hearing audio come from Wicked Audio products, I do have to say they sound good. If you’re one for bass, there’s plenty of it thanks to the bass being enhanced and noise isolation. This doesn’t mean the bass was overpowering the mids and highs but it mixes in really well with the songs you’ll be listening too.
Another great thing about the sound quality is that when you have the volume turned up to 100% or as close to it, you don’t lose the quality of what you’re listening to. It’s great that playback doesn’t get distorted or muffled.
Reception
As most true wireless headphones come out these days, they’re going to have Bluetooth 5.0 or at least Bluetooth 4.2 to keep the connectivity strong between the headsets and the paired device. The Cron’s come with Bluetooth 5.0 and have a range to about 32 feet as stated on the box. Testing out the range, with some obstacles in the way such as walls and other electronics, that distance is about right. Now, if you’re in a place where there are minimal obstacles or a straight line, you’re able to get just a little passed the 32-foot marker.
Included in the reception portion of this review, I did notice a little bit of latency when it came to watching videos on Hulu, Netflix or YouTube. It was off by a second and takes away from watching whatever was playing.
Call Quality
Most true wireless earbuds I use tend to be on the ok side as far as call quality goes. What I mean by that is, I can hear everyone that’s on the other end of the call as clear as day but that same person talking to me tends to tell me that they can hear just about everything that’s going on around me. Wicked Audio’s Cron does exactly that. People can hear other people’s conversations if I’m walking past them or say a child screams on the opposite side of a store it can be heard over the phone.
It’s a bummer that there is no noise cancellation during phone calls, so be wary of talking on the phone with someone if you are going to be somewhere where there are a bunch of people.
Battery Life
When it comes to battery life on the Cron earbuds, playback is up to 6 hours depending on the environment you’re in. From long phone calls to audio playback from music streaming services to video streaming services and the volume being tailored to each one, I was able to get just shy of 6 hours. Of course, this wasn’t all in one sitting but it was over the course of a few days.
When the earbuds are fully depleted, it does take up to 2 hours for them to recharge. As for additional playtime, you’ll get up to 60 hours thanks to the big battery the charging case has.
Speaking of the charging case, it does take up to 5 hours to get a full charge and that didn’t matter if it was charging via the included Micro-USB cable or if it was charging wirelessly. Another perk to the charging case is that it can be used as a battery pack to the device you’re carrying with you such as a phone or tablet. It’s a 2200mAh battery and may not fully charge your phone but any extra juice is better than nothing.
Price
Wicked Audio is selling the Cron True Wireless Earbuds for US$99.99 and while this is the most expensive audio device they sell, it’s actually not a bad price. Think about it… it’s more affordable than Airpods, Jabra’s Elite 65t, and other brands but those also don’t come with the ability to charge one of your devices up thanks to the 2,200mAh battery. That’s a real selling point here.
Wrap Up
All in all, the Wicked Audio Cron True Wireless Earbuds are pretty good and are worth paying US$99.99 for. As I’ve mentioned before, aside from great sound and decent battery life, the fact that you can recharge whatever device you have on you if it’s running out of battery is a big plus.
*We were sent a sample of the Wicked Audio Cron True Wireless earbuds for the purpose of this review.
Last Updated on February 3, 2021.
