I review a ton of audio products, and I’ve used a wide variety of audio products over the past 15 years. So when the viaim RecDot AI earbuds came across my inbox, I was interested. These earbuds are billed as having some pretty impressive AI functions that are supposed to do everything from translate languages, to transcribe conversations. So I asked the company to send me a pair to take a look at. They’re also billed as having Hi-Res Audio and excellent ANC. This, I was skeptical about.
Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
When the viaim RecDot earbuds showed up, I was eager to get into them and give them a go. I was fully expecting to run through the features and expect these to be just another set of productivity earbuds with AI to help business users. What I found, was not only those AI features. But also some of the best sound and ANC I have heard on a pair of earbuds in a long time. I am not exaggerating when I say. These rival the Apple AirPods Pro, and those have been my favorite earbuds for a long time. Let’s get into this review.
The Quick Take
It’s been awhile since I’ve reviewed something like the viaim RecDot AI earbuds. What I mean by this is, what I was expecting was 100% here, but these earbuds also surprised me in a way I was not expecting. Yes, the AI features are here and they work really well. But beyond that, the ANC and passive noise-cancelling is excellent and the sound coming out of these earbuds is stellar. The price is pretty high (though you can find them on Amazon on sale occasionally) for these earbuds, but I do think they compete with the likes of AirPods Pro and I think they command the price point. These are the perfect earbuds for those seeking this AI feature set as well as excellence in ANC and sound.
Score and Bottom Line
viaim RecDot
$249
Nailed it
- Easy to use and setup
- AI features, recording, built-in transcription and app are great
- Stellar sound quality and ANC
- Great battery life and wireless charging
- Price to value is excellent
Needs work
- Charge case design isn’t my favorite
- Price point may be too much for some
The viaim RecDot TWS AI earbuds are some of the best earbuds I’ve used in a while. There are a ton of products out there, but every so often you get one that stands out just that little bit. This is that. The main selling point of these earbuds is the AI features, and these work amazingly well. These features include the following:
- Real-time Transcription and Translation
- Flash Record
- viaim Al Meeting Assistant
Overall, these features do work and they work well. Real-time transcription is a trip and while I don’t think I’d use it very regularly, I can see it being useful for many. You can also transcribe video and record meetings at the push of a button. You can also translate several different languages, pretty nifty.
The design of the earbuds is nice, they look and feel like AirPods Pro. The case isn’t my favorite design or look, but it does have wireless charging. The battery life of the viaim RecDot is excellent and on par with the competition. But what makes these earbuds for me is the ANC and the Hi-Res audio. These earbuds surprised me in this area. I didn’t think these were going to be very good, but they are beyond good and well into excellent.
Overall, I think the asking price is justified for the ANC and the sound quality alone. I would go as far as to say, if you are looking for an AirPods Pro alternative, these would fit that bill nicely.
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viaim RecDot Specifications
- Sound and Microphone:
- Driver Unit: 11mm titanium-coated dynamic driver
- Noise Cancellation: 48dB depth active noise cancellation
- Microphones: Triple microphones + bone conduction microphone
- Audio Codecs: SBC, AAC, LHDC
- Bluetooth Version: 5.2
- Dual Device Connection: Supported
- Voice Control: Supported
- Instant Recording: Supported
- Battery and Charging:
- Earbud Battery Life: 9 hours
- Earbuds + Charging Case Battery Life: 36 hours
- Charging Methods: Wired / Wireless
- Earbud Battery Capacity: 63mAh
- Charging Case Battery Capacity: 550mAh
- Weight:
- Earbud Weight: 4.90g each
- Charging Case Weight: 52g
- Features:
- Real-time Transcription and Translation
- Flash Record
- 48dB Deep Noise Reduction
- Up to 36 Hours of Battery Life
- Hi-Res Certified
- viaim Al Meeting Assistant
- Colorways:
What’s In The Box
- viaim RecDot Earbuds
- Charging Case
- USB-C Cable
- Quick Start Guide
Design/Comfort
The viaim RecDot AI earbuds look at lot like AirPods Pro, I’m not opposed to it, but I do wish earbud makers wouldn’t copy Apple. Still, they look nice and they are two-tone and colored differently. But mostly, they look a lot like many other buds on the market, in terms of aesthetics.
The case, on the other hand, is not at all like the AirPods Pro. But, this is one area that needs improving. The case feels a bit cheap and could use some work on making it more robust. Maybe the materials used need to be changed, and I really didn’t like the shiny silver accent along the middle. I would have preferred a more minimal look.
On the upside, the charging case does have wireless charging, so kudos. There is also a special button on the inside that, when pushed, will initiate recording of whatever you’re listening to and talking at. That button is red and right inside the case.
The whole package is lightweight, though, and these can be slipped right into a purse or pocket without taking much room. The viaim RecDot AI earbuds are also super comfortable. I was surprised at how well they fit my ears and didn’t cause fatigue quickly.
Overall, the viaim RecDot AI earbuds design is nice, albeit based on another set of earbuds. The case is fine but could use some refinement and they are very comfortable.
Ease of Use
The viaim RecDot AI earbuds are simple to use, and the controls are on the stems, like AirPods. Pairing them is easy as well and once you get them paired, the app is simple to use. Here are the controls you can expect to see when you use them.
Beyond the basic features, the rest of the AI and recording features are simple to use as well. More on those features and the app in the next section. Overall, yeah, these are straightforward earbuds with some extra AI and recording tricks.
Features and App
The feature set of the viaim RecDot AI earbuds is huge, so many features, and I’ve listed them here.
- Clear Chat: An additional bone conduction mic enhances the mic setup for clear audio capture.
- Voice Control: Smartly recognizes voice commands without a wake-up cue.
- IP55 Dust and Water Resistance: Great for office use and sports/exercise.
- Dustproof ear tips: Dustproof mesh keeps wax and debris out of the driver.
- Smart ANC: Reduces noise by up to 48dB
- Meeting Assistant: viaim AI helps you extract concise summaries and actionable to-do items from lengthy recordings.
- FlashRecord: Press the red dot on the earbud case to start recording instantly.
- Speaker Identification: Easily distinguish between different speakers during conversations, meetings, and podcasts with viaim RecDot’s speaker identification functionality.
- Real-time translations: While audio is being transcribed, it can be simultaneously translated into multi languages. Supports English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Russian, French, German, Italian, Arabic, Malay, Thai, Dutch, Polish and Cantonese. Future language support may expand with app updates.
- Live Transcription: Record Calls and Audio on Your Phone. Works for video too.
There is a lot here and going through and quickly testing most of these functions, these earbuds do what they say they’ll do. Though, I do think that most people will only use a handful of these features and not most of the others.
The app is also clean and easy to navigate and provides you with access to all the AI-functions and recordings. Overall, the feature set of the viaim RecDot AI earbuds is far more than I will ever use. I am just happy that the ANC and the sound quality are killer. More on that in the next section.
Sound/Call Quality
When I first encountered the viaim RecDot AI earbuds, I thought these would be a one-trick pony, with most of the focus on its recording and AI functions. Many products, such as this, tend to focus on its keystone feature and lose focus on other areas. So I was surprised, in a good way, to find that both the ANC and the sound quality were not overlooked.
The sound, when I first put them on, was a little heavy on the bass side. But this can be fixed with the built-in EQ, and it only took a few seconds to do that. Once I had the EQ customized, and I had the bass frequency where I prefer it, we were on the way. Oh, and the app does run you through the fitment of the eartips. This is a feature many others do as well, and it works well.
What really struck me about the sound of the viaim RecDot AI earbuds was how wide the soundstage was. Even with the EQ pulling back the bass frequency, the sound was wide and big. It was very immersive and engaging. The mids and highs were all balanced and in tune. I could hear the nuances of the music I was listening to. These remind me very much of the AirPods Pro.
The call quality was also spot on, though I admit that I rarely use earbuds for calls. I just prefer using the phone itself, not sure why. But the mics seem to do a good job of cancelling unwanted noise, and my callers said I sounded clear and without noise or distortion.
The ANC is also excellent, at least in terms of music. I did fell like these didn’t do as good a job in the ANC when taking voice calls or just listening to voice content. They’re still good, and I don’t think most people will notice. Transparency mode is also excellent, though I rarely use this.
Overall, the sound quality of the viaim RecDot AI earbuds is some of the best I’ve heard on earbuds. They really compete right up there with AirPods Pro and Bose, easily. ANC is spot on for music, but a little weak on voice only.
Battery Life
The battery life on the viaim RecDot AI earbuds is pretty standard for TWS earbuds. You get 9 hours of battery life on the earbuds and three more charges in the charging case for a total of 36-hours. Keep in mind, battery life may be affected if you use the AI features consistently. Battery life in general is subjective and highly dependent on the user and how the device is being utilized.
Overall, I was able to get very close to the claimed battery life out of the viaim RecDot AI earbuds, and I think they are in direct competition with other TWS earbuds of similar price and size.
Price/Value
Priced at two-hundred and forty-nine dollars, and sometimes cheaper on Amazon. I 100% believe the viaim RecDot AI earbuds are worth the price. Never mind the AI features and tricks, the ANC and the sound alone are worth it. Are there other earbuds that are just as good? Definitely there are! So at the very least, these should be on your list for consideration.
Wrap Up
It’s been awhile since I’ve reviewed something like the viaim RecDot AI earbuds. What I mean by this is, what I was expecting was 100% here, but these earbuds also surprised me in a way I was not expecting. Yes, the AI features are here and they work really well. But beyond that, the ANC and passive noise-cancelling is excellent and the sound coming out of these earbuds is stellar. The price is pretty high (though you can find them on Amazon on sale occasionally) for these earbuds, but I do think they compete with the likes of AirPods Pro and I think they command the price point. These are the perfect earbuds for those seeking this AI feature set as well as excellence in ANC and sound.
Overall, these features do work and they work well. Real-time transcription is a trip and while I don’t think I’d use it very regularly, I can see it being useful for many. You can also transcribe video and record meetings at the push of a button. You can also translate several different languages, pretty nifty.
The design of the earbuds is nice, they look and feel like AirPods Pro. The case isn’t my favorite design or look, but it does have wireless charging. The battery life of the viaim RecDot is excellent and on par with the competition. But what makes these earbuds for me is the ANC and the Hi-Res audio. These earbuds surprised me in this area. I didn’t think these were going to be very good, but they are beyond good and well into excellent.
Overall, I think the asking price is justified for the ANC and the sound quality alone. I would go as far as to say, if you are looking for an AirPods Pro alternative, these would fit that bill nicely.
