FIIL T1 Lite Review 06

FIIL T1 Lite Review | The Most Under-Rated TWS Of All Time

The Most Jaw Dropping Sound Under $50

Some gems are worthy of mentioning which sadly aren’t as much famous as the top brands. A Chinese TWS brand called FIIL is one of those gems which I stumbled upon by pure luck. And here I’m evaluating one of FIIL’s TWS earbuds in this FIIL T1 Lite review. After testing it, I only had one thing to say:

FIIL T1 Lite are the most under-rated TWS earbuds of all time.

Unique design, a dedicated app (though in Chinese but still), jaw-dropping sound, good battery life, and incredible portability. I simply don’t have words to explain how good they are especially under the $50 TWS earbuds price section. In fact, from hundreds of TWS I have tested, these have the best price/performance ratio, kicking Edifier X3, QCY T5, and other famous TWS way behind. So, let’s dive into the FIIL T1 Lite review, and let me explain to you why these are the best TWS earbuds under $50.

FIIL T1 Lite Review – An Incredible Sound Beating Even $100+ TWS Earbuds

FIIL T1 Lite Review – Specs Sheet

ModelT1 Lite
Weight

Of Earbud: 4 grams

Of Case: 29 grams

IP certificationIPX7
Bluetooth versionv5.2
Range/Distanceup to 10 meters
Audio decoding AAC, SBC
Connectivity Port / Charging CableType-C MicroUSB (included in the box)
Driver6.1mm custom composite diaphragm
Speaker frequency response15Hz~22kHz
Speaker Sensitivity95dB5 SPL@1mW
Speaker Distortion<3%@1mW
Battery Life

Earbud (on a single charge): 7 hours

With fully charged case: 24 hours

Total battery life: 32 hours

Battery Capacity

Earbud: 40mAh each

Charging case: 400mAh / 3.7V

Charging Time

Earbud: 50 minutes

Charging case: 1.5 hours

App Support

Yes, (only Chinese FIIL app)

Language: in Chinese

Controls
  • Play/Pause
  • Voice assistant
  • Next and Previous
  • Volume Control
  • Answer / Reject Call
Accessories

1 x Type-C charging cable
1 x Quick Operation Guide
1 x Instruction Manual
4 x Eartips (XS, S, M, L)

Price

$30 to $38 (Aliexpress) (cheapest price)

FIIL T1 Lite Review – The Unboxing

Starting the FIIL T1 Lite review with the unboxing, the earbuds come inside a white-colored square box. On the front, we have the earbud illustrated along with the name, slogan ‘The art of audio’, and Bluetooth 5.2 logo.

FIIL T1 Lite Review box 02

On the back, the six highlights of the earbuds are mentioned in both English and Chinese language, along with the QR code for the official Chinese app (FIIL+). On the left and right, the brand name is written along with two highlights on each side.

FIIL T1 Lite Review box 01

Opening the top lid and sliding out, we see the TWS wrapped in plastic wrapping and in another section find the accessories.

Overall, it’s a common packaging, nothing extraordinary about it since this is the cheapest TWS provided by FIIL.

FIIL T1 Lite Review – Design & Appearance

Honestly, these earbuds are the lightest TWS I have ever felt. The weight is only 4 grams of each earbud despite the 6nm driver, and 40mAh battery. They are 2 cm in length almost 2x smaller than QCY T5. These are complete in-ear earbuds which is my personal preference instead of the half in-ear / stalk type TWS earbuds. If you have read my QCY T5 review, you may know that how I struggled with the half in-ear earbuds while running. Moreover, in comparison to the QCY T5, they are almost 1.5x smaller, and slightly smaller than the Edifier X3.

Most of the budget-friendly earbuds have a similar design such as QCY T5 and Aukey EP-T21. However, FIIL T1 Lite has the most unique design of them all. As of now, I haven’t seen any earbud which copies this design.

Getting in details about the design, on the top side, it has a silver matte coloring and black coloring at the bottom (earpiece side). The silver matte coloring mimics the metal appearance and I was totally fooled as I thought it was metal before buying it. However, it turned out to be plastic which is totally fine for a TWS under $50. I haven’t seen any earbud with metal built under $50. Moreover, the silver matte side is also the touch panel of the FIIL T1 Lite. There’s also the edging done near the edges on the silver side which further improves its appearance and adds a premium effect to it.

FIIL T1 Lite Review 01

The FIIL logo on the top of each earbud also has a two-color (silver and grey) illusion effect which is the most notable aspect I noticed.

FIIL T1 Lite Review 02

There’s a small LED light on the earbuds indicating any status. Here’s what FIIL T1 Lite LED status indicate:

  • Red light blinking — Battery low
  • Blue light blinking — Paired
  • Red and Blue light blinking — Pairing mode
FIIL T1 Lite Review 07

In short, the design is unique, lightweight, and way better than any other earbuds under $50, the silver matte color surely fools you into thinking that it’s metal but also adds a metal-like effect despite being plastic.

★★★★

FIIL T1 Lite Review – Comfort & Wearing Experience

Since these earbuds weigh only 4 grams each and are even smaller than Edifier X3, they are highly comfortable especially for people with small ears. In-ear TWS earbuds are more comfortable in comparison to the half in-ear ones because they are completed inserted in the ears.

FIIL T1 Lite comes with 4 eartips sizes (XS, S, M, and L) which further provides customization and makes sure that it fits every ear. 

FIIL T1 Lite Review 10

I tried running while wearing these. It was by far the best experience in comparison to all the other $50 earbuds including Edifier X3, QCY T5, and QCY TWS1 Pro. It was almost close to the comfort provided by Samsung Galaxy Buds +. 

The most notable aspect about these earbuds is that they are IPX7 certified which makes FIIL T1 Lite completely waterproof (in a depth of 1 meter for 30 minutes). It’s too rare to see IPX7 certification in an earbud under $50, mostly we see either IPX4 or IPX5 which are dust and splash-proof. So, you can use FIIL T1 Lite in the shower, sauna, gym, and even a pool. However, these are not recommended for diving since the waterproof limit is only 1 meter.

We only miss the sports ear wings which are fine since these aren’t sports earbuds but all-purpose earbuds.

In short, these are lightweight, have a perfect fit, are in-ear, waterproof, and the smallest in size in the $50 earbuds category.

★★★★★

FIIL T1 Lite Review – Charing Case

FIIL T1 Lite has a much compact plastic charging case weighing around 29 grams. It incorporates a 400mAh battery which provides a 24 hours backup apart from the 7 hours provided by the earbuds themselves.

FIIL T1 Lite Review 08
FIIL T1 Lite Review 09

The case is slightly taller than the case of QCY T5 and much compact in terms of thickness. It’s also slightly lighter than the QCY T5 case. The design is a bit minimalistic and somewhat unique. There’s the FIIL logo on the top of the case. The case lid is smooth and can be easily opened with one hand. Furthermore, we have a white-colored LED on the front mid which tells the case status.

FIIL T1 Lite Review 04

FIIL T1 Lite LED status:

  • White light is seen for a short time when you open the case lid
  • White light is seen constantly as long as the case is charging and turns off when the case is completely charged
  • White light blinks when the case battery is low

My QCY T5 and Edifier X3 charging cases have become prone to scratches over time. However, this charging case, I don’t know, is because of the material or the less glossy paint, is way less vulnerable to scratches in comparison to the two TWS mentioned. I don’t recommend buying a case cover for this because firstly, they are hard to find for this earbud, and secondly, the scratches are minimum over time. Just for you guys to get my point, I don’t have a single scratch on the case in my 2 months of use.

Summarizing this section of the FIIL T1 Lite review, the charging case similar to the design of the earbuds is unique with an LED to check charging status, is much thinner making it perfectly stored in pockets.

★★★★★

FIIL T1 Lite Review – Hardware & Connectivity

FIIL T1 Lite doesn’t have a Qualcomm chip inside it. FIIL makes custom chips and polished antennas for their TWS products. They do not publicize the chips used. So, I guess the only way we are left with is to test the performance.

Starting with the connectivity, as soon as I open the lid of the charging case, while the FIIL+ app is running in the background, the earbuds take around 3 to 4 seconds to connect to my Xiaomi Mi 10T. They name this auto-connect function as Flash link 2.0. So the connectivity speed is average.

It’s almost equal to my QCY T5 earbuds and Edifier X3, way better than Mi Airdots, Tozo T12, and Mpow Mbit S, and slower than Edifier TWS1 Pro, UGreen HiTune, and Tronsmart Onyx Ace. If you are looking for the fastest connecting TWS earbud, read my Edifier TWS1 Pro review. I understand the average connectivity time because we also have the FIIL app running and it takes time for App to connect to the earbuds instead of directly connecting them to the system Bluetooth module.

The TWS supports the latest Bluetooth 5.2 module which further improves the transmission of the signals. But remember that in order to take advantage of v5.2, one’s playback device should also have Bluetooth 5.2, otherwise the earbuds will automatically decrease the Bluetooth module of the device.

As for the driver, we have a 6nm custom composite diaphragm tuned by FIIL. We will talk about how good sound it produces in another section.

Each earbud has a master switch function allowing them to be used as solo and stereo. It doesn’t matter which one you connect with first, you can easily switch to mono and stereo and control with any of the earbuds.

★★★★

FIIL T1 Lite Review – Connectivity & Latency

FIIL T1 Lite with the Bluetooth 5.2 module has a maximum range of 10 meters similar to most of the budget-friendly TWS earbuds. I was able to listen to songs with my phone in one room and me sitting in another room with both rooms’ doors closed.

Speaking about the latency of the FIIL T1 Lite, by default, without turning the low latency mode from the app, I found no delay while watching movies and songs on YouTube Vanced, and Spotify. However, there was a huge delay while gaming (PUGB Mobile) of around 300 ms. That is when I moved to low latency mode. Interestingly, the earbuds app gives three options (movie, music, and game) when selecting low latency mode, and game one has the lowest latency.

However, since I mostly play PUBG mobile with wired headphones, I do feel a slight delay with the low latency mode turned on. It’s around 80 to 100ms delay, which does make me uncomfortable especially in a game like PUBG Mobile. However, I did get used to it.

Comparing the latency with other TWS earbuds, FIIL T1 Lite overshadows the latency of Apple AirPods Pro, Samsung Galaxy Buds, and QCY T5. However, it has a higher latency compared to any Qualcomm QC3020 or QC3040 earbud. According to my experience, Edifier TWS1 Pro has the lowest latency which is around 60ms by default, and recommended for games like PUBG Mobile.

I have tried connecting them to my laptop as well (Windows 10, Bluetooth 5.0) and they paired successfully.

★★★★

FIIL T1 Lite Review – Sound Quality

The sound quality is the greatest highlight of this FIIL T1 Lite review. I mean, WOW, these earbuds are something else, and honestly, they sound like $200+ TWS earbuds and even better! As I said, I haven’t tested other expensive FIIL earbuds, so I will compare the sound to what I already have tested.

There’s phenomenal detail, incredible instrumental separation, controlled yet strong and thumping bass and slight sub-bass to hear that ratling, and incredible vocals of both male and female.

As said the bass is strong yet controlled. It isn’t too much which would distort the music, and it isn’t too low that it will provide a flat experience. Instead, it’s automatically optimized to the song, providing sufficient bass where needed. The sub-bass provides deepness and darkness to it. There’s also the bass mode in the equalizer found in the FIIL+ app if you want to increase the bass and sub-bass further.

These earbuds focus mostly on the lower and mid frequencies including the drums having an impact, instruments like guitars especially the electronics ones have a liking to it. In comparison to the  Samsung Galaxy Buds+, T1 Lite beats it in low and mid frequency, and the Buds+ leads in high-frequency response.

The treble is slightly low allowing some airiness in the vocals. However, this does come at a cost. As a result, the high-frequency response especially the claps, the ringing, and the bells, do pierce through the ears sometimes and this could be uncomfortable. However, to fix this, we do have a treble mode in the equalizer.

  • Clarity: 9 out of 10
  • Bass: 10 out of 10
  • Details: 9.5 out of 10
  • High-Frequency Response: 6 out of 10
  • Mid-Frequency Response: 8 out of 10
  • Low-Frequency Response: 9.5 out of 10
  • Soundstage: 9 out of 10
  • Treble: 8 out of 10
★★★★★

FIIL T1 Lite Review – Talking & Calling Experience

Moving to the call experience of the FIIL T1 Lite review, the microphone of the FIIL T1 Lite is just average. Honestly, I won’t recommend it if you are looking for earbuds with good background noise cancellation. Better options are Edifier X3 or even the higher variants of FIIL like T1 Pro etc.

Indoor calling is good, the voice is clear and crispy, however, outdoor calling during windy weather or in traffic is a disaster. You will hear background noise with a minimum reduction.

★★★

FIIL T1 Lite Review – Controls

FIIL T1 Lite controls are somewhat hard to operate and get used to. We have two modes:

Easy mode (default): 

  • Double click on any earbud to play and pause
  • Double click on any earbud to call and hang up (only operatable during an incoming call)
  • Long press for 2 seconds to activate voice assistant

All-around control mode / Full control mode (has to be activated via APP):

  • Volume controls: Click once on the left earbud to increase volume. Click three times on the same earbud (left) to decrease volume. That’s weird.
  • For play/pause or answer/hang call: Same as on Easy mode which is double click on any earbud
  • Voice assistant activation: Long press for 2 seconds on any earbud (same as on easy mode)
  • Next/Previous: Click once on the right earbud to play the next video/music. Click three times on the right earbud to play the previous song.

Moreover, the touch sensitivity of the earbuds touch panel is high and the chances of accidental touches are too high especially when you are in your bed. 

Anyways, it’s good to see that every operation that an earbud must have is found on FIIL T1 Lite. The only downside is that these controls are not available by default and the all-around mode is really hard to get used to especially that volume up and down instruction and next and previous song instruction.

★★★

FIIL T1 Lite Review – APP Guide / Instructions

As said, FIIL T1 Lite has a dedicated app known as FIIL+. There are two versions of this app: Global and Chinese. The FIIL T1 Lite only supports the Chinese version. So, you have to download this app from FIIL’s official website. Here’s the link to it. Moreover, there’s also a modded FIIL+ App (v1 and v2), a translated version of the original Chinese app (credit goes to @kjaneczek at XDA Developers).

Note: These two apps are installed outside the Playstore and don’t have play protect, so you will get a warning. You can ignore it.

  1. When opening the app after installation, you will have to tick the terms and conditions and click on ‘start using’.
  2. Search for FIIL T1 Lite in the list provided.
  3. The app will request you to connect it with FIIL T1 Lite. If you haven’t turned on the Bluetooth, you can click on the big white button. The app will automatically turn on the Bluetooth module and you will have to pair the earbuds for the first time. Make sure that either the lid of the case is open or the earbuds are out of the case.
  4. Go back and you will be connected to the phone and the app
  • The first page: Shows the battery status of both the earbuds and case.
  • Second page: This Shows the equalizer and volume adjustment. The equalizer doesn’t have detailed settings but has three modes (Bass, Default, and Treble). As for volume adjustment, you can control the volume of media as well as the microphone (call volume) which is quite rare. Moreover, by default, the volume of both is set to 70%.
  • Third page: Has the full control mode, low latency mode (three options: Game, Music, and Video), Firmware version, and Advanced Settings (reset settings).

In short, I would have given the app a 3 out of 5 ratings because of the Chinese language. However, I am now giving it a 4.5 out of 5 ratings because of the new modded app which is in English and is quite easy to use. So far I haven’t experienced any bugs. The only 0.5 I have reduced is because I didn’t see an advanced equalizer for the earbuds in the app. Fair enough, right?

★★★★★

FIIL T1 Lite Review – Battery Life

FIIL T1 Lite is advertised as an earbud with a playtime of up to 32 hours (7 hours from the earbuds on single charge and 24 hours additional backup from the case battery). And they are correct about the battery life as long as you have used them with the default settings (no low latency mode, no full control mode, and 70% of the volume in the app).

With everything turned on (low latency, full control mode, and 100% of volume…too loud). The battery life decreased to 6.5 hours on a single charge which is still impressive since most of the earbuds give half of the advertised battery life in low latency mode and these earbuds only dropped to half an hour. I don’t use earbuds for continues 7 hours, but with breaks and here are the details of my usage:

  • 2 hours PUBG mobile (low latency game mode, 90% volume and full control mode) = 100% to 65%
  • 2 and 40 minutes movie watched on Youtube Vanced (low latency video mode, 70% volume, and full control mode) = 65% to 41%
  • Podcast for 1 hour (same settings as in above) = 41% to 30%
  • Next day 1-hour PUGB mobile (same mode as when I played last time) = 30% to 5% in between the second game, ‘please charge’ prompt in Chinese started hearing.

As for the FIIL T1 Lite charging time, the earbuds take around 50 minutes from 0% to 100% to charge from the charging case. Moreover, the case charging takes around 1.5 hours to reach 100%. The best part is that the charging interface is Type-C. I use a standard charger (not fast charge) and even my Mi USB power cord sometimes to charge the case.

 So, this is impressive battery life from an earbud. It might not beat Edifier TWS1 Pro or Samsung Galaxy Buds+ which provides 11 to 12 hours in a single charge, but around 7 hours is enough since it’s hard to use these 7 hours unless you don’t have a job. 😀 Moreover, the charging of the earbuds is quick (less than an hour) and as for the case, you can charge it once a week. I’m giving complete 5 stars to this section of the FIIL T1 Lite review because of these reasons as well asType-C option to charge which is the most used interface these days. 

★★★★★

Our Verdict

Ending this FIIL T1 Lite review, these earbuds are definitely an underdog with the best sound I haven’t ever heard from a TWS in this $50 price range and even the $100 price range. Incredible details, the best low and mid-frequency response, clear vocals with airiness, and most of all the strong yet controlled bass and deepest and darkest sub-bass. Moreover, a unique design, dedicated app, 7 hours single charge battery life and IPX7 further adds icing to the cake.

There are some downsides like piercing high frequency sometimes and slightly high latency in game mode. However, in short, if you care about getting the best sound under $50 and even under $100 from a TWS, FIIL T1 Lite is the first choice I recommend. Because of this, I’m willing to try more from the FIIL brand and explore other lesser unknown Chinese TWS brands.

FIIL T1 Lite Comparison With Other Earbuds

FIIL T1 Lite ($31) vs T1 Pro ($58)

FIIL T1 Lite has:

  • Better tuned sound (especially the highs, and the sub-bass)
  • IPX7 Waterproof rating
  • Cheaper (Almost half the price)
  • Pre-set Equalizer (three options to select from)
  • Slightly better latency in Game, Video, and music

FIIL T1 Pro has:

  • Active Noise-canceling (not up to the mark)
  • Better premium feel and design
  • Sports Wings Added
  • More in-App options (ANC, Customizable Equalizer)
  • Way better call quality

FIIL T1 Lite ($31) vs FIIL T1XS ($40)

  • Better sound in almost all directions (brighter sound, good bass, and sub-bass, more instrumental spacing)
  • Almost the same battery as FIIL T1XS
  • Chinese App (already translated and modded)

FIIL T1XS has:

  • Sports-wings
  • Slightly uncomfortable in small ears (larger size)
  • Way better microphone quality
  • Global FIIL App support

FIIL T1 Lite ($31) vs Edifier TWS1 Pro ($40)

FIIL T1 Lite has:

  • Better bass and sub-bass (excellently controlled and darker)
  • Better waterproof rating (IPX7)
  • Cheaper
  • Better color option (in terms of black)
  • Better design (my personal opinion)

Edifier TWS1 Pro has:

  • Much brighter sound (vocals are super clear along with better instrumental separation)
  • Better feel and built quality (despite the bad color option)
  • Way better latency and control (the best in the $50 and even $100 category)
  • Almost 1.8x the battery life (on a single charge)
  • Slightly better microphone

Edifier TWS1 Pro is the best all-rounder earbud from $25 to $50 and even under $100. However, if you are only concerned with the music quality, FIIL T1 Lite is the best option. Read my Edifier TWS1 Pro review.

FIIL T1 Lite Review – Price & Availability

I was able to find the best price of FIIL T1 Lite at Aliexpress which is around $31.5 to $35. Here’s the link to the stores with the best price and ratings:

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FIIL T1 Lite Review 06
FIIL T1 Lite Review | The Most Under-Rated TWS Of All Time
Summary
FIIL T1 Lite is the best sounding earbud under $50 and even under $100. It's the most under rated TWS of all time.
Design & Appearance
8
Comfort & Wearing Experience
9
Charging Case
10
Hardware & Connectivity
8
Connectivity & Latency
7.5
Sound Quality
10
Talking & Calling Experience
5
Controls
7
App
9
Battery
8.5
Price
10
Reader Rating10 Votes
8.2
Pros
Unique design
Super compact charging case
6 hours + 24 hours + Type-C + Quick charge
The best sounding earbuds under $50 and even $100
Three modes to select (gaming mode included)
APP support
Cons
Average microphone
Chinese app support (MODDED in english)
No detailed equalizer option (a third party equalizer can do the trick)
Gaming mode still has a delay (negligible)
Somewhat weird controls (on all rounder mode)
8.4
Total Rating