Thanks to Apple’s Airpods, wireless earbuds have become increasingly popular. There are a ton of new earbud brands and products flooding the market, especially on the budget end. One of those brands is Raycon. You might have seen your favorite YouTuber talking about Raycon Wireless Earbuds. Raycon is the brainchild of American singer, rapper, songwriter, and entertainer, Ray J. He launched the brand with a mission and passion to create affordable earbuds for the average consumer.
However, Google’s search results are filled with mixed reviews, and with Raycon frequently releasing updates to their line of earbuds, it can be challenging to know which are worth buying, if any. We’ll look at Raycon’s latest offerings, how they perform, and whether you should be buying them. Additionally, we’ll give you some alternative recommendations that outperform Raycon at the same price range.
Raycon Earbuds At a Glance
Before we dive deeper into how Raycon earbuds perform in their various areas, let’s look at which models are currently being offered by the company and their associated specifications.
The Everyday Earbuds
Starting at $79.99
Ideal for everyday use
Up to 8 hours of battery
32 hours of battery life with the charging case
Water and dust resistant (IP66)
The Fitness Earbuds
Starting at $119.99
Built for stability during exercise
Up to 12 hours of battery
56 hours of battery life with the charging case
Water-resistant (IPX7)
The Impact Earbuds
Starting at $149.99
Designed for outdoor adventures
Up to 12 hours of battery
90 hours of battery life with the charging case
Water and dust resistant (IP67)
The Everyday Earbuds Pro
Starting at $149.99
Premium noise-cancelation
Up to 10 hours of battery
40 hours of battery life with the charging case
Water-resistant (IPX5)
Comparing Raycon Earbuds
The design and features of earbuds define how they can be used. Earbuds with a loose fit aren’t great for exercise but tend to be more comfortable while those with tighter fits keep them in place, but may not be well-suited for extended periods of use. Here’s how Raycon earbuds compare in their design.
Raycon Everyday Earbuds
2024 Edition
Designed for the everyday listener seeking quality sound without breaking the bank, the Raycon Everyday earbuds offer a balance of performance and affordability. These true wireless earbuds are for casual, frequent use.
$55.99Sound Quality
The Raycon Everyday Earbud has changed to its sound since earlier iterations and is now slightly more balanced. They have a decent sound, but it’s still got an overpowered bass that can cause a lack of clarity in vocals.
Battery Life
The battery life of the Raycon Everyday Earbud is decent, providing close to seven hours of playtime at moderate volume, slightly short of Raycon’s claims. With the charging case, you will get around 28 hours of playtime.
Waterproofing
An IP66 water-resistance rating means these earbuds can withstand rain, but cannot be submerged in water. It also has a dust protection rating which prevents dust intrusion.
Noise Canceling
An active noise canceling feature means the everyday earbuds use algorithms to block out external noise and keep you focused on your music. The ANC performance on these earbuds is decent but falls short of competitors.
Comfort
The Everday earbud is relatively comfortable, without much pressure on the ear canal. The tightness of the fit will depend on your ear shape, but these earbuds can be worn for several hours without discomfort.
The Fitness Earbuds
Built for active lifestyles, the Raycon Fitness earbuds are designed to stay put during intense workouts. These true wireless earbuds offer a secure fit and durable construction, making them well-suited for gym sessions and active lifestyles.
$71.99Sound Quality
Despite having three separate EQ toggles to adjust the sound profile, the Fitness sounds similarly tuned across all presets. The balanced sound adds a little more vocal clarity, but it’s still mostly overpowered by the heavy bass, and some highs also sound harsh due to the uneven frequencies.
Battery Life
Rated for up to 12 hours of playtime without the charging case and 56 hours with it, on paper the Raycon Fitness is seriously impressive. In practice, the battery lasts for closer to 8 hours without the charger and around 30 hours with the charger. This is still enough playtime for most users, but turning on ANC will give a shorter playtime.
Waterproofing
IPX7 water-resistance means the Raycon Fitness can survive splashes, sprays of water, heavy rainfall, and even limited submergence in water (up to 1 meter deep for up to 30 minutes). This also protects them from sweat, so you don’t need to worry about their durability while working out.
Noise Canceling
The Fitness features active noise cancelation to help reduce ambient noise in the gym, but can also be toggled into an awareness mode for runners on the road, who need to hear traffic for safety reasons. The ANC is moderately effective but falls behind similarly priced competitors when it comes to effectiveness.
Comfort
Designed for exercise, the Fitness comes with five different-sized buds to adjust to your ear canal. They come with optional fins that can be attached to improve stability during intense workouts. The tighter fit means there is more influence on the comfort of the listener’s ear shape, but this can be compensated for by the bud attachment sizes. While they aren’t the most stable earbuds on the market, they do a better job of remaining in position when compared to the Everyday earbuds.
The Impact Earbuds
Designed for those who demand the best, the Raycon Impact earbuds are built to endure. With a focus on durability and performance, these earbuds are ideal for outdoor enthusiasts, athletes, and anyone facing tough conditions.
$112.49Sound Quality
The Raycon Impact aren’t the bass-heavy monsters that many expect from Raycon products. They’re a little more balanced than some of their other models and have a relatively decent sound. Are they the best sound you can get for what they cost? No. But they do a decent job. A lack of dynamic range means they don’t always accurately portray the details in each song, but they can still outperform some other budget manufacturers.
Battery Life
Like Raycon’s other earbuds, there is a difference between the advertised battery life and the battery life of those who have tested them. They are rated for up to 12 hours of playtime, or a whopping 90 hours with the charging case because the charging case has a large battery capacity. While the charging case can provide multiple full charges, you can expect closer to 7 hours of playtime from the earbuds and an additional 50 to 55 hours of playtime from the charging station.
Waterproofing
As the name suggests, the Raycon Impact is intended for outdoor lifestyles and durability is a key focus point for these earbuds. An IP67 rating ensures they are protected from both dust and water, offering protection from sweat, rain, and even limited submergence in water (1 meter for up to 30 minutes). If you’re after durability, this is the best choice out of Raycon’s lineup.
Noise Canceling
Active noise cancellation is a feature of the Raycon Impact, and it also comes with an awareness mode that stops blocking ambient noise so you can hear your surroundings. This is useful when in dangerous situations where you need to remain aware, or for use when talking with someone nearby.
Comfort
With five ear attachment pieces, the Impact gives you some versatility, allowing you to pick what works best for your ear shape. With the right attachment, these earbuds can provide hours of continuous listening without any ear pain to go with it. Unfortunately, they are prone to stability issues for many ear shapes.
The Everyday Pro
Designed for those seeking a premium everyday listening experience, the Raycon Everyday Pro earbuds feature advanced features like noise cancellation and enhanced sound quality, these earbuds are for those unwilling to compromise on quality.
$149.99
Sound Quality
The Everyday Pro has better sound than other earbuds in Raycon’s lineup but still falls short of the competition. The addition of 3 EQ presets is nice in its concept, but these presets all lack good tuning. The bass preset throws in so much low-end emphasis that it degrades the clarity across all other frequencies. The Pure Sound preset drops the bass, but lacks depth, which is noticeable with the mediocre dynamics. The balanced EQ preset is the best sounding of the bunch, with a more neutral sound – with sufficient low-end thump while retaining clarity in the vocals and strings.
Battery Life
Rated for up to 10 hours of playtime, the Raycon Everyday Pro only provides around 6.5 hours of battery life. Using the charging station will get you another 22 to 28 hours, but this falls short of the advertised 40 hours of battery.
Waterproofing
An IPX5 water-resistance rating means the Raycon Everyday Pro is protected from sweat, rain, and splashes of water, but shouldn’t be submerged in water. This is understandable, as the Everyday Pro is more about performance than it is protection.
Noise Canceling
The active noise canceling is good on the Everyday Pro. Not outstanding, and not without flaws in how they impact sound quality, but you will get effective noise canceling against most frequencies, which makes them well-suited for office use and commuting.
Comfort
The Everyday Pro comes with 3 sets of memory foam tips and 5 gel tips, allowing you to customize them to your ear shape. These options expand the range of listeners who will find them comfortable, and the customization options can be appreciated. Still, the design of the earbud is inherently going to cause issues with some ear shapes and while the Everday Pro fits well for some, others find they come loose fairly easily.
Should You Buy Raycon Earbuds?
The short answer is – probably not. It’s not that Raycon earbuds are always terrible products, but for the price, there are better earbuds on the market. Raycon also suffers from a lack of quality control that frequently leaves customers seeking refunds.
Instead, spend your money on a high-quality pair of earbuds that outperform Raycon’s offerings. Here are some excellent earbuds that perform better than Raycon and that we feel comfortable recommending instead.
Buy These Earbuds Instead
Because comparing apples with apples is essential, all our recommendations retail for under $100, making them affordable alternatives to similarly priced Raycon earbuds.
The Constant Evolution of Raycon Earbuds
Raycon was founded in 2017, and since has become a dominant brand, owed mostly to its marketing efforts. However, that’s not to say that they haven’t improved their earbuds over the years. Raycon frequently refreshes its products with new models and improvements to existing models. This makes it hard for customers to know exactly what they are getting at the end of the day.
On the other hand, there is something to be said about companies who take the feedback from customers and reviewers and amend their designs accordingly. Despite Raycon’s frequent changes to their products, when it comes down to sound quality, only minor improvements have been made and most models lag behind the competition when put in a head-to-head comparison.
