Boat Airdopes 131 Elite ANC Review: Decent Package That's Great For Gamers
High notes: Great ANC, compact form factor, in-ear mode is useful, Beast mode delivers what it promised, budget-friendly. Low notes: Doesn't give a great fit, battery backup and calling performance could've been better.
Homegrown wearables maker Boat recently launched its Airdopes 131 Elite ANC. This latest offering from the house of Boat gives tough competition to other brands who play in the burgeoning budget segment. Boat has made a name for itself in the Indian market by consistently offering earbuds in the budget segment. Boat Airdopes 131 Elite ANC is no different and carries on the legacy by being priced at just Rs 1,499. This pair of True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earbuds has Active Noise Cancellation up to 32db.
Boat Airdopes 131 Elite ANC Review: Quick Pointers
High notes
- Great ANC
- In-ear mode is useful
- Beast mode delivers what it promises
- Pocket-friendly
Low notes
- Poor fit and comfort
- Battery backup could've been better
- Calling experience could've been better
Boat Airdopes 131 Elite ANC Review: Design, Looks, Display And Build
Boat Airdopes 131 Elite ANC comes in four colour options, namely, Active Black, Blue Dawn, Active White, and Active Teal. These earbuds sport a glossy finish and the case itself is quite compact in size. The compactness makes it easier to slip it into your pockets and carry on with your daily life. Boat gives four pairs of rubber ear tips with Boat Airdopes 131 Elite ANC however, despite such variety, the earbuds had a tough time staying in the ear for a long period of time.
Coming to the looks of the earbuds, I reviewed the Active Black colour variant. The case features a silver-coloured curved strip that runs along with the Boat logo and the design is quintessentially Boat. The earbuds as well as the case are a smudge and fingerprint magnet. Due to the glossy finish of the earbuds and the case, both are quick to attrack smudge. The case has a pairing button, a USB-C port, and an indicator. The earbuds come with an IPX5 rating, making it sweat and water-resistant. They come with tap as well as tap and hold functionality.
Talking about the build, it is made of plastic which could have been improved but then again looking at the price range, it's probably one of the best in its price segment.
Boat Airdopes 131 Elite ANC Review: Sound Output
The ANC performance of Boat Airdopes 131 Elite ANC stands out. It blocks a significant amount of noise. So, if you are walking on a street with some bustling traffic then the majority of the noise will be blocked and you will be able to listen to your favourite music in peace. There's one thing to mention though, if you are a fan of bass then these earbuds probably are not the right ones for you as they give a well-balanced audio profile except, which is not bass-heavy.
The "Beast Mode" offers a 65ms low-latency profile which enhances your gaming experience by making you hear the sound in real time. High-action games like BGMI require as low latency as possible to give users a great gaming experience and these earbuds did justice to that. You will get to hear the bullet shots the moment you press the button on your phone's screen.
The "Ambient" mode is not very different from other modes. If you play a song in ambient mode and then play it in other modes then the sound output will feel similar for some strange reason. You might hear a low background noise which probably gives a feel of ambient sound.
One of the good things about the earbuds is that they have an in-ear detection feature so the music that you're listening to or the video that you're watching will pause the moment the earbuds fall out of your ears.
The earbuds sport quad mics with Environmental Noise Cancellation (ENx) technology. While using these earbuds, the call quality was not exactly consistent. However, I liked the "Insta Wake N Pair" feature which ensures lightning-fast connectivity of the earbuds with your device.
Boat Airdopes 131 Elite ANC Review: Battery
The battery backup of the earbuds could have been improved. The battery drained from 100 per cent to 30 per cent in the Beast Mode in just three hours of use, during my review. It went down from 100 per cent to zero per cent in around four hours and twenty minutes of usage. Ten per cent of charge drops every 30 minutes (approximately). The case can charge the earbuds from zero to 100 per cent five times and can be charged via a USB Type-C charger. Charging the earbuds for around 10 minutes gave me juice last to last for up to two and a half to three hours.
Boat Airdopes 131 Elite ANC Review: Verdict
Boat Airdopes 131 Elite ANC Is a good option to consider while keeping its price in mind. The earbuds ensure superior noise cancellation with great audio performance. On the flip side, there are two reasons that make it a bummer: The first reason is the lack of good fit. If you don't like adjusting the earbuds every now and then, these might not be the right fit for you. The second reason to not get it is the overall flat sound output. Apart from these, this pair is a good option to buy without breaking the bank.
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