Perth company AudioFly is known for making good in-ear headphones with excellent audio quality and a better fit for affordable prices. Its new AFT2 True Wireless headphones don’t quite live up to that reputation, but they’re still a very decent option for those wanting to get into true wireless for under $200.
AudioFly AFT2 design
The most important part of any true wireless earbud is the fit. They don’t have a headband or cable to keep them in your ear, so all that stands between you and the need for an expensive replacement is your ear canal. So it’s really odd that they only included two pairs of fairly shallow rubber tips in the box. Previous AudioFly headphones I’ve tried have had a multitude of sizes and some Comply Foam.
I found the medium tips fit well enough, and was far more secure than I’d expect from a tip this shallow. Though, the seal could have been marginally better. For $199 I would expect a variety of tips to be included in the box to cater for the majority of ears.
The Sound
The audio quality was good, but felt a little distanced. I had to turn the volume right up to get a reasonably immersive experience. At 70% volume there was a warm fuzz around the edges and the bass felt a little underpowered, but it filled the silence quite well.
On a song like January Rain by Pvris, the mid-tones sounded clear and sharp. But the higher tones on the piano in the bridge didn’t quite get the spotlight they enjoy on higher-end headphones. On Dead Weight by Pvris, it was harder to pick up the specific bass notes than I’m used to, and the bass drum got a little lost in the mix.
On a classical song like Dawn by Jean-Yves Thibaudet, there’s still that warm fuzz on the edges. But the higher notes are given more room to breathe and come across more clearly.
Chasing Twisters by Delta Rae is a great song with a lot of crisp low notes and spaces. It’s the kind of song you feel down to your toes on the right speakers. But on the AFT2 there just wasn’t that clarity in the toms in the intro, and the build to the second chorus lacked some of the drama because the fuzz filled the initial empty spaces too much.
The eq on the AFT2 is a little muted, and no range truly shines, though that’s relatively easy to customise in your chosen music app. (Though, these headphones have no app of their own, so remember to change back when moving between headphones.)
A lot of these issues are limitations with the form of true wireless: it’s really hard to get great bass into something that small without it being very expensive. But I’d place the sound quality at about 90-95% of that of the second generation AirPods. Granted, those AirPods retail for $50 more, but the earbud form of the AirPods mean they shouldn’t be able to deliver bass more clearly than in-ear headphones.
Charging and controls
What is impressive is how long the battery life is. That was clearly the focus of the AFT2, because having t10 hours on board with a further 25 hours in the charging case is insane for true wireless under $200.
The charging case is quite large – one of the largest true wireless cases I’ve seen in a while. It would be pretty uncomfortable in the pocket of a pair of women’s jeans, and is definitely more designed to be put in a bag. But that’s a reasonable trade if you prefer not to charge (via USB-C) too frequently.
There are on-ear controls, which aren’t quite as intuitive as the box suggests, but that you eventually get the hang on with trial, error and practice.
The headphones come in a range of really nice colours. I got the sunset, and love the metallic orange that really stands out from any other pair of headphones I have. The purple graphite also looks lovely.
Overall, the AudioFly AFT2 True Wireless headphones are pretty good. They’re not the best, but they’re a decent choice for under $200, and will be great for people who need a particularly long battery life and enjoy spoken word and podcasts.