Thanks to the slow demise of the headphone jack and the rise of bluetooth earphones, truly wireless earbuds market has now become a hot commodity. Some of the most popular brands including Sony, Skullcandy, Xiaomi (with the AirDots Pro) and even Honor have already joined the race. However, it’s one thing to make a truly wireless earphone and make a good one. That’s where Noise, a budding brand from India, comes into the picture.

As we already saw with the Noise Shots X5, the company doesn’t make compromises in packaging and the Shots X3 are no exception. They come in a large sturdy cardboard box, which you can slide out to see the earbuds and charging case sitting neatly on the top. All of the accessories are buried underneath. Here’s everything you get in the Noise Shots X3 box:

  • A pair of earbuds
  • 1x charging case
  • 1x microUSB charging cable
  • 2x extra ear tips
  • User manuals

Before delving into my experience, here’s a quick look at the specs table of the Noise Shots X3:

Design and Build

Noise has steadily been improving on its offerings from the design perspective, if you ask me. I really liked the cute and handy charging case of the Shots X5, along with the matte finish and the handy bonus of it also being a power bank. However, the Noise Shots X3 has shed some of the bulk and extras for a simpler look.

The case of the Shots X3 has been made out of a cheaper plastic in comparison to the X5 and I’m not really a fan of it. While the body is quite sturdy, the lid feels quite flimsy and difficult to pop open. There’s no magnetic lid here and I had my fears opening the lid here because it gives you the feeling that the hinge will break anytime.

The case also smudges and scratches quite easily. If you take a close look, our unit has a myriad of scratches already but what’s surprising is that the branding and text printed at the bottom of the case has already started to wear. And that’s really disappointing to see.

Hardware Buttons and Controls

The earbuds have a hardware button on the outside and like I’ve already said in my Shots X5 review, you need to really press down hard on them and it pushes the earbuds further into your ear. It can be a painful experience and again I would suggest the company moves to touch controls for the next-gen models.

One of the reasons I truly love the Noise Shots X5 is the ease of pairing the earbuds to your smartphone or laptop. It was hassle free and Noise Shots X3 too brings that simplicity to the table.

When you open the case (which you have to remember to be really careful with) and pull out the earbuds, you will see the LEDs on top glow white indicating the two earbuds have been paired with one another. You’ll then see the right earbud alternate between orange and white, which means the Shots X3 is ready to be paired to your smartphone.

This doesn’t necessarily hinder the audio experience, which we are going to discuss next, however, it could be irritating in the long run.

I absolutely loved the sound signature of the Noise Shots X5, it was warm and easy on the ears, so I had high hopes for its affordable sibling too.The Noise Shots X3 has passed the test with flying colors and a ton of thump.

Summing up the audio experience, I would say that I never had so much fun using a pair of truly wireless earbuds. The sound signature is pretty satisfying, a bit loud for someone like me, with noticeable audio tearing at high pitches – a problem we also saw with the Mi AirDots Pro.

Noise Shots X3 are advertised to offer stereo calling experience, which means you’ll be able to hear the caller through both the earbuds. And though it is true and I did attend a number of calls using these earbuds, they don’t offer an experience similar to the more expensive model. Instead, it is a complete contrast.

I had to pull out the earbud and place it near my mouth to be able to communicate with them, which isn’t the experience anyone expects. And no, I’m not talking about noisy spaces, where I would have given the Shots X3 a pass, but it was true even inside our office. The audio quality of the call, however, was perfectly crisp and loud. I didn’t notice any hiccup there and it’s where the stereo experience kicked in and worked well.

Apart from the audio quality, the battery life of truly wireless earbuds is one of the most important aspects and the Noise Shots X3 shine brightly here. While the company touts that the earbuds will offer you 3 hours of playback time, the outcome has been better than promised. I was regularly able to get around 3.5 hours of playback using the Shots X3 earbuds, after which you have to put it in the case to recharge.

I wouldn’t say that the battery life here is the greatest but it’s definitely good enough for the price.

Before I explain myself, the answer to your question is yes. Yes, it’s a good decision to buy the Noise Shots X3 because it’s certainly one of the best truly wireless earbuds, which you could pick up for under Rs 5,000. And I’m not ignoring the Noise Shots X5 that is also equally good and has its own perks.

  • Satisfactory build
  • Smart translucent lid
  • Snug and comfortable
  • Bass lover’s dream
  • Superb battery life
  • Quite affordable

CONS:

If someone were to ask me to recommend a suitable pair of budget truly wireless earphones, then Noise is the name I would drop instantly. It certainly is amazing how the brand has gained a strong foothold in the audio segment in India and the Shots X3 is no exception. It’s a great pair of affordable earbuds that you’ll truly love and not regret buying.