Astrotec S70 Review
Astrotec S70 TWS Earphone Review
Introduction:
Astrotec is a Chinese Hi-Fi brand that was founded in 2002 by several members with more than ten years of experience in the audio equipment industry. “Astrotec” consists of Astro (Astronomy) and Tec (Technology), meaning that Astrotec embodies technical exploration and pursuit.
The Astrotec S70 is a True Wireless Earphone that is equipped with a 6mm diameter Dynamic Driver with LCP Diaphragm that is located inside a fancy looking plastic earphone shell, which comes with touch sensitive controls. It has some interesting features like Active Noise Cancellation, Ambient Sound Mode and fast earphone charge support.
Disclaimer:
I would like to thank Astrotec for providing me the S70 as review sample. I am not affiliated with Astrotec beyond this review and all these words are reflecting my true and unaltered opinions about the product.
Price & Availability:
The actually price of the Astrotec S70 TWS Earphone is $49.00 USD. More details can be found under the link below;
Package and Accessories:
The Astrotec S70 came in a relative small box that features the brandings, specification and illustrations of the product.
This box contains the following items;
- 1 x Astrotec S70 True Wireless Earphones
- 1 x Charging Case
- 3 x Silicone Ear Tips
- 1 x USB Type-C cable
- 1 x User Manual / Quick Star Guide
Design, Build Quality, Fit/Comfort:
The Astrotec S70 is a stylish looking TWS that is available in two (2) different color options, which is black and the purple variant like my review unit. It has a pretty familiar design language that we have seen in other products like the Apple Airpod’s or Huawei FreeBuds that do have a protruding stem.
The outer shell of is made of fancy looking semi transparent plastic material, which makes the S70 very lightweight with only 4.5grams (single earbud) and comfortable to wear for long listening periods.
On the front of each earpiece is a quite responsive multifunctional touch surface.
Here is also a small LED status light on each side that lights up in different colors depending on the actual status (pairing, charging, low battery etc.)
The inner surfaces of the stems do have L (Left) and R (Right) markings, while the outer surface features a small microphone hole for call conversations and to catch ambient sounds fro the ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) and Ambient Sound Mode.
The rear side of each earpiece features the sound nozzles that do have an oval shape with a metal mesh on the top to prevent the insertion of unwanted particles such like dust or earwax. Here is also one opening for the 6mm diameter Dynamic Driver with LCP Diaphragm.
At the bottom of the stems are the charging ports of the device.
The charging case of the Astrotec S70 is made of the same semi transparent plastic material, which has a 400 mAh built-in battery. It is pretty lightweight and fits easily in to your pockets thanks to its small form factor.
On the front of the case is the Astrotec Brand Logo in white color, which has bean printed near the top cover surface.
When you open the case you will see the seats for the earphones and a small LED charging indicator.
The seats do have magnetic surfaces that do hold the earphones pretty tight and secure.
At the bottom of the case is the USB Type-C charging port.
The charging case feels very nice in your hands while the overall build quality of both the case and the earphones is on an adequate level for a product at this price level.
Technical Specifications:
- Driver Type : 6mm diameter Dynamic Driver with LCP Diaphragm
- Frequency response : 10 Hz – 20 kHz
- Sensitivity : 110 dB
- Impedance : 32 Ohm
- Bluetooth version : BT5.0
- Bluetooth distance : 10 meters
- Audio Codec’s : AAC & SBC
- Charging Port : Type-C USB
- Battery Capacity : 400mAh Charging Case / 2*42mAh Earphone
- Battery Life : approx 4 Hours
- Charging Time : 1 Hour Earphones / 1.5 Hours Charging Case
Battery Life:
Each Astrotec S70 earpiece comes with a 42mAh capacity battery that can be charged within 1 hour.
Here some battery durations in different scenarios;
- Continuous phone call time (ANC/ON): 3.5hrs
- Continuous music playback time (60% Vol.): 4.5hrs
- Continuous music playback time (60% Vol., ANC/ON): about 4.5hrs
The charging case has a capacity of 400mAh that is able to fully charge each monitor for about 4 times.
The S70 offers fast charge supported, which means that 10 minutes of fast charge can give you up to 90 minutes of playback time. I could get about 75 minutes which is pretty good.
Active Noise Cancelation (ANC) & Ambient Sound Mode:
The Astrotec S70 comes with ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) support, which is a nice feature for a product at this price category. The active Noise Reduction is rated at 28 – 30dB, while I can classify my real life experience with the S70 as average.
The Astrotec S70 is equipped with an Ambient Sound Mode that allows you to hear the surrounding sounds while listen to your music. This mode works pretty fine, however it is not on par with those of the Sennheiser Momentum TWS2 or NUARL N10Plus.
Pairing, Navigation, Signal Strength & Call Quality:
The pairing process of the Astrotec S70 is quite easy. The earphones do automatically reconnect with your source after the first pairing.
The signal strength of the S70 is quite ok which works stable in a distance around 6.5 – 7 meters indoors and up to 10meters outdoors.
The touch interface of the S70 is sensitive and very responsive, however you need to get used at the very beginning, but works pretty well after you get used.
When it comes to the call quality I can say that the voice transmission quality paired with my Samsung Galaxy Note10 Plus is on an average level, neither too muddy nor crystal clear.
Equipment’s used for this review:
- TWS Earphone : Astrotec S70
- Source’s : Samsung Galaxy Note10 Plus, Apple iPad Air2
Albums & tracks used for this review:
- Lorde – Royal
- Massive Attack – Angel
- Bro Safari, UFO! – Drama “Party Favor Remix”
- Really Slow Motion – Deadwood
- Massive Attack – Angel
- Muse – The Handler
- Twerl – Lishu
- Lunatic Soul – The Passage
- Metallica – Sad but True
- Megadeth – Sweating Bullets
- Rush’s – Leave That Thing Alone
- Slayer – Angel of Death
- Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Acid Rain
- U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday
- Edith Piaf – Non Je Ne Regrette Rien
- Diana Krall – So Wonderful
- Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer
- Hayley Westenra – Odyssey Album
- Dionne Warwick – Walk On By
- Sarah McLachlan – Angel
- Sting – Englishman in New York
- Barry White – Just The Way You Are
- Isaac Hayes – Walk On
- Elton John – Rocket Man
- Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight
- Sting – Englishman in New York
- Casey Abrams – Robot Lovers
- Fazıl Say – Nazım Oratoryosu (Live)
- Chopin – Nocturn No. 20 In C-Sharp Minor
- Vivaldi – Le QuarttroStagioni “The Four Seasons”
- Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – The River
- Gogo Penguin – Raven
The Sound:
The Astrotec S70 is the entry level TWS earphone of the company that comes with a regular consumer oriented sound tuning rather than audiophile type of sound character. It has not the most versatile presentation, but sounds well for its price and features if you mainly listen to genres like Pop, Rock or Electronic music.
Bass / Midrange / Treble / Soundstage:
The general sound presentation of the Astrotec S70 can be described as relative warm, dense and bit veiled due to the fairly dominant lower frequency region. The focal point of the lows is the mibdass region that shows more depth and intensity compared to the subbass area.
The Astrotec S70 offers an average sense of depth, rumble and decay in the subbass region when I do listen to songs like Bro Safari, UFO’s “Drama“, Massive Attack’s “Angel” or Lorde’s “Royals”. The midbass region on the other hand adds the overall presentation a good level of body and depth. It is punchy but sounds also slightly boomy, which overshadows the midrange from time to time.
The bass speed and control fulfills my expectations from a True Wireless Earphone product at this price range, while the general bass tuning of the S70 adds fun if you listen to genres like Pop, Rock or Electronic music.
The midrange of the Astrotec S70 shows a warm tonality and is fairly recessed due to the dominance of the lower frequency region in the general presentation. The sense of transparency and airiness is on an average level.
The lower midrange shows a moderate amount body and depth when I do listen to male vocals and instruments such like an acoustic guitar or viola. The upper midrange is missing some dynamism and brightness, which is audible when I do listen to female vocals or instruments such like a clarinet or piano. This region is free from sibilance and harshness which makes the presentation fatigue free and ideal for longer listening periods.
The lower treble region of the Astrotec S70 shows more energy compared to the upper midrange region. A slightly peak around the 6 kHz region adds the overall presentation an adequate sense of clarity and presence, while the extension is quite short.
The upper treble region on the other hand is moderately pronounced and limited to a mildly peak around the 7-8 kHz region. The extension in this area is relative short even in TWS standards, while it surprises quite positively with the relative good level of control.
When it comes to the soundstage performance of the Astrotec S70, I can say that it is not the most expansive on I have heard from a TWS earphone. Don’t get me wrong, it is not claustrophobic, but I would wish a tad more space and air between the vocals and instruments. The soundstage of the S70 has an average level of depth and wideness in TWS standards.
Conclusion:
The S70 is the entry level TWS earphone of the company that has some interesting features such like its pretty stylish semi transparent design, Active Noise Cancellation, Ambient Sound Mode and fast earphone charge ability. The sound profile is more consumer oriented that may won’t satisfy audiophiles, while it is quite enjoyable with genres like Pop or Rock Music, which makes it to an interesting option below the 50 USD price tag.
Pros & Cons:
- + Entertaining Bass Response for Pop, Rock & Electronic Music
- + Features like ANC & Ambient Mode
- + Fancy Look
- + Fairly Responsive Touch Interface
- – Not Enough Midrange Presence
- – Remarkable Roll-Off in the Treble Region
- – Limited Codec Support
Thank you for the Read!