Motorola Tech3 Headphones Review: 3-in-1 Earbuds Unlike Anything Else Around

2023-01-10 | Yvonne

Tip: Good battery life, really nice sound quality, and an affordable price are great features that makes these earbuds impressive. We tested for 24 hours.

Motorola Tech3 Headphones: A 3-in-1 Experience Unlike Any Other. These earbuds have great features, including a long battery life and a high quality sound. For 24 hours, we tested them.

Motorola Tech3 Headphones

We like this

Unique, 3-in-1 build
Amazingly high sound quality
Battery life is excellent
Really affordable

The Things We Hate

Quality of construction that is cheap-feeling
Poor mics in phone calls
Awkward design

Although the feature list is mixed, if you love the idea of wireless and wired earbuds then this may be your best chance.

Motorola sent us a unit to review for one of our writers. For the complete review, please read on.

Motorola Tech3 headphones may be the best-selling true wireless product in existence. These headphones are not truly wireless, so the term "true wireless" is misleading. Motorola offers two options for wireless connectivity. You can use them as a regular pair of Bluetooth headphones or or you can connect another wire to create a pair of plug-in earbuds. They are extremely versatile in theory.

The transition between the three modes is a bit confusing in practice. These earbuds have a few other functions, such as water resistance and good battery life. But, they are very simple. Here's what I found out about the headphones after testing them in various forms.

Design: It's not the most elegant

Motorola's modern approach to products is interesting—the brand doesn't try to fully embrace the premium, ultra-sleek design language of brands like Apple or Samsung, but instead tries to innovate. You have options such as budget-friendly phones, foldable smartphones and innovative headphones, like this Tech3 Earbuds.

The buds in true wireless mode are much larger than they would be. They have a completely circular design, and the Motorola "M" covers the whole outside. The earbuds look unbalanced when not in use because the circles taper off to a classic-style eartip. The Titanium Black model I own is my favorite, although Motorola offers Tech3s in White or a dark-brown Cocoa.

Motorola's modern approach to products is interesting—the brand doesn't try to fully embrace the premium, ultra-sleek design language of brands like Apple or Samsung, but instead tries to innovate.

It is the rest of the packaging that makes this design stand out. Two cables included with the set have a beautiful, speckled, woven design that makes them feel premium and rugged (more than if they were simply rubber). Perhaps the most notable departure from true wireless headphones is the battery case. The case is shaped almost like a hockey puck to hold the wires. The case's design is complicated because you wrap the wires around it for cable management. However, I do have concerns regarding how simple it is to wrap cables and the quality of the plastic. But I will address those in the next sections.

These earbuds won't be any different from other wireless buds if they are worn without cables. You get an extremely sporty and interesting appearance when you add all of the other stuff.

It is very comfortable and snug.

Tech3 earbuds are ideal for those who prefer their earbuds not to be too close to their ears. This allows for an extremely tight fit which can have positive consequences for sound quality. This can also feel quite limiting.

The box contains a variety of sizes for the eartips, which can be adjusted to adjust the seal. However, the portion of the earbuds that holds the tips is so far out that it's impossible to ignore the fact that they sit quite far in your ears. This is a bad feel to have for an earbud pair. I prefer something that allows my ears to breathe. This style is great if you're concerned about wireless earbuds falling out on your ears while walking or running.

Durability and build quality: Form is not the best.

Motorola is known for favoring the low-cost end of its product range, so it's not surprising that Motorola uses lower-cost materials. Although the eartips feel great, they are not as luxurious as premium silicone. Although the cables in this multi-function system feel good, they have a thin connector plug that could easily bend.

Although I would have liked a higher quality build, the unique design makes these headphones a great product.

It is here that the materials choices are most disappointing. Motorola chose to use a lighter, more affordable plastic because of the many compartments and ridges necessary for cable management. It is very thin at the top, which opens to reveal the earbuds. I wouldn't recommend applying too much pressure there.

The case has a small compartment inside that stores the end of each of the two connectors. However, the lid feels thin and ungainly. The earbuds are IPX5 waterproof, so you can use them in rain and at the gym. Overall, the headphones are well-built, although the finer points that matter most feel less expensive than they should.

Audio Quality: Surprisingly good, but with some caveats

The Motorola Tech3s sound amazing for music listening. Motorola isn’t known for its audiophile quality and their cheap build coupled with their sub-$100 pricing led me initially to think these headphones would be like budget headphones. These headphones are rich and true to life for all music, from top 40 and quiet folk to EDM or classical.

The box and website don't provide much information about the audio specifications. I cannot give you the frequency response, or the driver sizes. These headphones are great for listening to music and can be used in Bluetooth mode. They can be even more impressive if you attach the wires to a larger DAC/headphone amplifier.

The Motorola Tech3s' sound quality for listening to music is one of their most remarkable features.

Things get more complicated when you start using them for other purposes. When I first tried using the headphones for phone calls, the mics were very distorted to other callers. The headphones can't handle a large number of calls at once like during Zoom video calls. While this is not ideal in normal situations, it can be quite problematic with remote work. Although disconnecting and connecting the earbuds helped for some time, the quality of the calls remained poor. There aren't any fancy codescs here or active noise cancelling.

Battery life: Good, but not essential in this instance

For true wireless headphones, battery is a major consideration. The battery size for this product must be very small. It is quite impressive when brands can offer great battery life for wireless headphones.

Tech3s provide 7 hours of audio playback using the headphones alone. This is a great deal. You'll only get 11 additional hours with the battery case—not the best total, but definitely not the worst. The case also has a MicroUSB port that allows you to charge your headphones in a matter of minutes. This will allow for up 3 hours of music with just 15 minutes.

The real difference is the fact that these earbuds can be plugged into a standard 3.5mm headset jack. It's not available with any Bluetooth earbuds that I have tried. These devices are so tiny that brands can't usually fit as many headphone jacks into them than you will find in over-ear Bluetooth headphones. Tech3s can be set up to connect to your computer so you don't need to worry about the battery.

You can plug in your cables to continue listening to hard-wired music even if the earbuds have run dry. This is a very limited use case, as many smartphones have eliminated the headphone jack. However, it can be used on laptops. The battery conversation is a little more difficult because of the three-mode system, which Motorola refers to as TriX.

A trio of interesting use cases for Connectivity, Codecs and Coding

Although I mentioned the connectivity and functionality offered by the TriX system in my previous post, it is worth mentioning again. It's my belief that it is the main reason these headphones are preferred to other earbuds. These headphones stream music wirelessly from your phone using Bluetooth 5.0. You get about 30 feet range and all modern headset protocols. Although it would be great to have the Qualcomm aptX of higher quality available here, this is not a major dealbreaker.

Motorola offers a wired option that allows users to skip Bluetooth, and can use any device with a headphone socket to play music.

The headphones communicate using the Bluetooth standard, however, they have an additional button that can be used to control multiple functions. This'sport' mode, as mentioned in the comfort section gives you more security when wearing these headphones during workouts. The wire can be wrapped behind your neck so that they don't fall apart.

When you attach the third part and switch these headphones to a wired mode, you can unlock their maximum sound quality. Bluetooth connectivity can result in lower sound quality as it requires that your music be compressed in order to stream quickly. Motorola offers a wired option that allows users to use any device to stream music. As long as the device has a headphone socket, you can bypass Bluetooth. You can use a higher quality music player or an external DAC to play your files. This is a huge advantage if you have an uncompressed audio library. However, it will also mean that your battery life won’t be as important.

Software, controls, and extras: This package is a bit complicated

Although there isn't much in the way of bells and whistles here, there are many tricks. Motorola instead of using active noise cancellation and sensor-controlled functions has added a large portion of their Bluetooth function to the Hubble VerveLife App. You can adjust the EQ and access all voice assistant functions. Motorola paid special attention to Alexa features. You can access Alexa's expanding library of skills through your earbuds.

While we've covered the reasons for the inclusion of all physical accessories above, I want to talk about how the package is actually used. Motorola designed the case to manage cables. Although I would normally be very pleased with this product, the way you wrap the cables is not always seamless the first time you try it.

Sometimes it is difficult to reach the earbud connectors with your fingers because they are so small and hard to find. You must wrap the wires with the correct tension to ensure they are snug in their grooves and slots. It's easy to understand, but it can be frustrating at times.

Prices: Affordable and nice

The price point that Motorola managed to achieve with the Tech3s should not be forgotten. The Tech3s' low price of $99 is refreshing when you consider that even the most expensive true wireless headphones can cost over $100. It is the ideal price to get a decent pair of wireless earbuds. Add in the long battery life and unique three-way design, this is an excellent value. Although some of the savings can lead to inferior materials, this isn't necessarily a bad thing as the packaging is lightweight and easy-to-carry. The value provided here is an attractive selling point.

Motorola Tech3 Headphones vs. Apple AirPods

The Tech3s are truly a unique product and it's difficult to compare them to other products. Apple AirPods are the closest comparable in price and sound quality to the Tech3s. Both headphones offer decent wireless performance for around $100

AirPods are much more durable and have better compatibility with Apple products. AirPods have become so popular that there is a wide range of accessories available. Some of these accessory companies offer silicone wires which will make the AirPods feel more like sports headphones. You can get close to the Tech3s' three-in-1 functionality, but it is not quite there. Motorola is the best choice if you need wired capabilities.

Final Verdict

This is a truly original pair of headphones.

As a true wireless expert, I am used to comparing headphones with a lot of other products, in order to assist buyers to weigh the pros and cons. There are many things that can be compared to the Tech3s like their 7-hour battery, IPX5 water resistance and sound quality. The three-in-1 form factor is what you need to be focusing on. You won't find this anywhere else if you need your wireless earbuds with the ability to plug them in to a music device if they go flat. Although I would have liked a higher quality build, the unique shape makes these headphones a great product.

Specifications

Product Name Tech3 Headphones
Motorola Product Brand
MPN SH055TB
Prices starting at $99.99
Release date November 2019,
Weight 0.2 oz.
Product dimensions 0.71x 0.94x 0.83in.
Color Mocha Bronze, Platinum White, Titanium Black
Battery life 7 hours with earbuds and 11 hours when using a battery case
Wired/Wireless wireless
Wireless range 30 feet
1-year warranty
Audio Codecs SBC

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