The first time the Funcl W1 and Funcl AI came across my desk, I was super skeptical and very wrong at the same time.
Cheap earphones are really easy to get these days. But that price level is achieved by sacrificing a lot of things, even sound quality. When the Funcl W1 and Funcl AI came across my desk with the promise of a high-end experience and a low price point, I was obviously skeptical. For me, it was all a marketing babble, nothing more.
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Boy, was I wrong.
See, starting at just $29 (for the Funcl W1) these things are cheap. In fact, so cheap that you’d think that they’re totally not worth it in the long run. But as soon as you look at the spec sheet for these, you’ll end up raising an eyebrow.
This is what the official website says regarding the Funcl W1:
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- True Wireless Stereo
- Ergonomic Design
- Touch Control
- IPX5 Sweatproof
- Bluetooth 5.0
- Stable Connection
- 18-Hour Battery Life
- Hi-Fi Sound
Things get better when you have a look at the Funcl AI, which cost $59:
- Low Latency (60ms)
- 24-Hour Battery Life
- AptX Hi-Fi Sound
- Custom AI Assistant
- Bluetooth 5.0
- Enhanced Connection
- Touch Control
- IPX5 Sweatproof
Note: Both earphones ship with a user manual, a micro USB charging cable and extra ear tips to get a comfortable fit. But these contents might change a little down the line since we were sent early manufacturing units to check out.
Obviously, the Funcl AI is where the party’s at. But, we will focus more on the W1. Why? Because, for $29, you’re getting Bluetooth 5.0, something which a lot of $100+ headphones tend to miss out. What’s even more promising is a solid 18-hour battery life using the charging case and touch controls. And thanks to that aforementioned Bluetooth 5.0, the earphones maintain a solid connection with your phone or tablet and pairing is super quick too.
Since we were sent a couple of units to check out, I have to say, the W1 work as promised. But you’re wondering: how do they sound? I will say this without any hesitation: they’re pretty darn good for the price. I’ll go as far as saying that a blind test will even make you think that you’re listening to something high end. Basically, for the casual listener, they’re simply great. But if you’re demanding too much bass, then you might want to look somewhere else. Would I, though? For me, the W1 sound ticks all the checkboxes from start to finish. But again, it’s a subjective thing.
Obviously, the Funcl W1 don’t feel premium when it comes to the physical aspects. They’re plasticky, they feel cheap, the case does not feel too high end in any way. But I will suggest dispensing all of that given how low these are priced. In fact, if you squint your eyes a little, you’ll realize that the design looks similar to the Crazybaby 1S, which is a good thing since we love those earphones a lot.
The Funcl AI is the priciest of the duo (at $59) and feature an AirPods-like design that fit comfortably in the ear. The charging case will give you a total of 24 hours of batter life along with the option to invoke Siri, Alexa or Assistant using touch controls.
Now, since these are high-end earphones, therefore you can expect ‘high-end’ stuff from it too. For example, they obviously sound better than the W1 and have a wide tone range in every way. But what’s more interesting is how they perform when connected wirelessly. It’s absolutely flawless and even has aptX support, something that’s great if you want to listen to high-end audio wirelessly. Again, for $59, I don’t have any complains for it, except that the charing case feels a little cheap in the hand.
I’ll wrap things up by saying that if the Funcl W1 and AI are the future of wireless earphones, then it’s safe to say that our future is in good hands. A top of the shelf, truly wireless experience for under $60? I still can’t believe it!
Both earphones are available in Black or White color options and you can buy them today. If you’re a reader of ours, then head over to this link to get a special buying perk.
You can learn more by heading over to: funcl.com
