While for a long time I preferred headphones to in-ear headphones, for some time now I have started using the latter a lot. Space-saving and with generally quite impressive battery life, they are the ideal companion for mobility.
In this article, I invite you to discover with me the Real Blue TWS In-Ear Headphones from the Teufel brand.
I have been using these headphones provided by Teufel for a few weeks now. So here are my impressions.
Unpacking
Not knowing the Teufel brand well (yet), I was a little surprised by the packaging of the Real Blue TWS. Indeed, the earphones arrive in a cardboard box with only black patterns and writing around its edge.
The result, although very "raw", is rather nice and modern. It's not bling-bling for a penny and we can imagine that it's a desire of the brand to improve its environmental footprint! Inside, the earphone charging case is held in a cardboard case that is also raw and the few accessories and instructions for use are stuck here and there. No frills on the packaging side... but in the end we don't care!
Inside the package we find the two earphones stored in their case and next to that, a USB to USB-C cable for charging and 3 additional pairs of tips (L, S and XS) to adapt according to your ear canal. The M tips are mounted on the earphones.
On paper, there is also a quick start guide and a user manual. Otherwise, the complete manual in French is available online on the Teufel website.
Design, ergonomics and comfort
From the first contact, when you take the Real Blue TWS out of their charging case, you notice the somewhat massive size of this pair of in-ear headphones. And for good reason, they each measure 2,24 x 2,21 x 2,75 cm. Beautiful babies! But rest assured, despite their size, they have a featherweight of only 5.5 g per earphone!
Their appearance is neither elegant nor ugly, it is just a little massive. On the other hand, I like their matte black coating which gives them a real sobriety.
Both earbuds are relatively simple. They each have two microphones, an indicator light (to know the status of the earbud) and a multi-function touch button on which is affixed the T of the Teufel brand.
Once in the hollow of the ear, these earphones are really comfortable. Their very reasonable weight allows you to forget about them. In addition, the range of silicone tips available (4 sizes in total) should suit all ears.
Ultimately, despite their size and massive shape, the Real Blue TWS are very comfortable to wear even for long sessions. On the other hand, they protrude a little from the earpiece... you either like it or you don't.
Controls, Mic & Features
Connectivity
As they are in-ear headphones, the connectivity of the Real Blue TWS is via Bluetooth 5.2. Nothing to say about getting started, it is simple and efficient.
When you open the case for the first time, the earphones automatically go into pairing mode. All you have to do is detect them with the device you want to connect them to. They are named "Teufel REAL BLUE TWS" which makes them very easy to find (I don't know about you, but I've already had Bluetooth devices with complicated names or absurd codes).
If the earbuds have already been paired with another device, simply press and hold the Left and Right buttons for 1.5 seconds to return to pairing mode.
Afterwards, when you open the charging case cover, the earbuds will turn on and immediately attempt to reconnect to the last connected Bluetooth device.
To turn them off, simply place them in the box and close it.
Autonomy
The battery life of these headphones is undeniably one of its strong points. Indeed, the headphones have a battery life of 8 hours (6 hours with active noise reduction). But that's not all because when the charging case is 100% full, you will be able to recharge your headphones about 3 times.
This allows for an additional 25 hours of autonomy (18 hours with noise reduction), very practical in nomadic conditions!
It takes about 2 hours to fully charge the case or headphones.
Controls and buttons
While the Teufel Real Blue TWS earphones don't have any real physical buttons, they do each have a multi-function touch button located on the outside of the device at the T in Tefeul.
I'm not a big fan of tactile buttons. I like to feel the pressure of the button allowing me to physically know that I pressed it and that I did it in the right place. So by default, I prefer physical buttons.
That said, the advantage of the touch button on these Real Blue TWS is that it takes up the entire external surface of the earphones and is therefore difficult to miss!
Overall the system is effective even if I definitely prefer physical buttons.
List of main commands for Teufel Real Blue TWS
Music/Video Playback
| Play / Pause | Double-tap the Left or Right button |
| Next track | Press the Right button three times |
| Previous track | Press the Left button three times |
| Volume + | Press the Right button once (in play) |
| Volume - | Press the Left button once (play) |
Phone
| Reply | Press the Left or Right button once |
| Reject a call | Press the Left or Right button for 1,5 seconds |
| To hang up | Press the Left or Right button once |
Other orders
| Voice Assistant | Press the Right button for 1,5 seconds |
| Noise reduction | Press the Left button for 1,5 seconds to cycle through the different options: -> Noise reduction enabled -> Ambient sound activated -> Noise reduction disabled |
| Reset Headphones | With the earphones in the charging case, press the Left or Right earphone 5 times |
| Pairing mode | Press the Left and Right button for 1,5 seconds |
Charging box
Elegant and rounded, the charging case is a real asset of the Real Blue TWS. Not only does it allow you to store the two earphones, but it is also used to charge them and keep them charged! This has become the norm for this type of device, but it is really practical.
The case is recharged using a USB-C cable and it takes about two hours for a full charge. For wireless fans, this charging case does not have a Qi charging system. Too bad, but not essential! Likewise, you will have to wait 2 hours to get a full charge of the headphones in the case. This is a bit long, especially since the device does not offer fast charging.
Three LEDs located on the front of the case allow you to monitor the charge of the case and the headphones (I have put a table a little further down which summarizes the meaning of the LEDs).
However, we regret the slightly noisy flap when closing. It would have been nice if it had been dampened a little to avoid a potentially annoying "clack".
Meaning of the LEDs on the Real Blue TWS case
| 3 white LEDs | full battery, can charge the earphones 3 times |
| 2 white LEDs | can charge the earphones 2 times |
| 1 white LED | can charge the earphones 1 times |
Charging the case
| 1st LED flashes | case charge less than 1/3 |
| 1st LED fixed and 2nd flashing | case charge greater than 1/3 |
| First 2 LEDs fixed and 3rd flashing | case charge greater than 2/3 |
| 3 fixed LEDs | full charge |
Charging the headphones
| Left LED flashes blue | Left earphone charging |
| Right LED flashes blue | Right earphone charging |
| White LEDs (see above) | Full charge – display of the charge level of the case |
An app to manage Real Blue TWS? No, sorry!
One of my biggest disappointments with these headphones is the lack of a dedicated Teufel app to manage different settings of the headphones. The brand has not provided an app for this model and it's a real shame!
So, it is not possible to adjust the Real Blue TWS equalizer or to activate/deactivate the Active Noise Reduction mode. And when I say that, it is because I would have needed it to know whether or not the noise reduction mode was activated or not. Which brings us to our next point: active noise reduction… or not.
Active noise reduction… or not!
It is indeed difficult to test active noise reduction, because I have gone through the various options without being able to convince myself of any particularly notable change: -> Noise reduction activated -> Ambient sound activated -> Noise reduction deactivated… to tell the truth the difference is quite small.
However, this does not mean that the noise reduction is bad. The observation I can make is that these headphones have a fairly good quality of sound isolation from the outside world. When the headphones are in place, you can hear very little ambient noise and that is rather a good thing. But the active noise reduction is not that active. If you are looking to completely isolate yourself from the world around you, move on.
So of course I have tested devices in higher ranges with much more pronounced active noise reduction and allowing total isolation. Here it is not the case. But the ambient noise is still seriously reduced.
We will really regret the lack of an application to know which mode we are switching to by clicking 1,5 seconds on the right earpiece a simple beep indicates the change of mode. It would have been interesting as on other models to have a message indicating the chosen mode… Like a nice robotic voice indicating: “Active noise reduction”.
In short, Teufel could really have done better on the ANC side!
Sound performance
Now let's come to the sound performance of these Real Blue TWS. Well I have to say that I was a little disappointed by the rendering of these headphones. But I have the feeling that the problem comes above all from the lack of possibility to customize the sound of these headphones using an application.
But if we stop a little on the characteristics of the sound of these Teufel headphones, what marks above all is a beautiful depth of bass and a slightly fat warmth. The treble also stands out well and the sound is generally of a good clarity!
Finally, I sometimes noticed some slight crackles. Software or physical problem? I don't know, but I sometimes had the impression of listening to old vinyls where you can hear both the crackles and the warm sound.
On the other hand, and this is a really good point, I did not notice any lag between the sound and the image in watching videos or movies on my iPhone. The latency is therefore very low and allows real comfort for watching videos or playing games.
Features of the Teufel Real Blue TWS
| Compatibility: | Android, iOS, Microsoft | |
| Dimensions: | 2,24 x 2,21 x 2,75 cm | |
| Weight: | about 5,5g per earbud | |
| Battery: | Lithium-ion, 60 mAh | |
| Noise reduction: | Yes – ANC | |
| Autonomy: | 8h (average sound volume) for headphones +25h thanks to the charging box | |
| Battery life with ANC : | 6h (average sound volume) for headphones +18h thanks to the charging box | |
| Login: | Bluetooth 5.2, AAC codec | |
| Waterproofing: | IPX3 – Protection against rain water | |
| Charging case : | Dimensions : 6,48 x 4,17 x 2,89 cm Weight: g 36.2 Battery: lithium polymer, 370 mAh USB C connection | |
| Price observed : | € 89.99 |
Conclusion
With the Real Blue TWS headphones, Teufel offers a good quality product that should please the greatest number. These headphones are perfect for nomads thanks to a battery life greatly increased by the charging case.
However, these headphones do give rise to some frustrations. Frustrations in terms of functionality, particularly through an application that would have allowed better management and customization of these headphones. In addition, without being incredible, the sound offered by these headphones is of good quality, but we have the feeling that with adjustment possibilities we could get something even better out of them.
Highlights
- Good fit of the earphones in the ear despite their size
- Very easy to use
- Battery life guaranteed thanks to the charging case
- Good quality sound
Weak points
- No app to manage settings
- Active noise reduction a little weak
- No fast charging of headphones
