I Finally Found A Pair Of Live Translation Earbuds That Work (and They're Not Airpods)

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Viaim RecDot earbuds are avilable now connected Amazon for $199
• These earbuds make real-time translator acold easier than you tin imagine
• The Viaim RecDot earbuds besides hap to sound fantastic.

Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source on Google.

An earbud is an earbud… right?

Until it offers a characteristic that's earnestly impressive.

One specified brace is nan Viaim RecDot, which tin service arsenic an AI sound recorder, earbuds, AI gathering adjunct pinch transcription, construe to and from 78 Languages, flash record, make to-do lists & summaries pinch Viaim AI, and offers up to 48dB ANC for Meetings, Interviews & Lectures.

Also: The champion earbuds: Expert tested and reviewed

I had my doubts until I gave these earbuds a go. Let's discover, shall we?

My experience

Before I tested nan Viaim Recdots arsenic modular earbuds, I decided to first springiness nan typical features a try. Before I could get to that stage, I had to instal nan Viaim app connected my Android 9 Pro, motion up for an relationship (it's free), brace nan earbuds pinch nan telephone and nan app, update nan firmware, and past reconnect them.

Whew.

The Viaim RecDot earbuds are fresh to stone aliases translate.

jack Wallen/ZDNET

With that taken attraction of, I opened nan app, tapped record, selected "Live Recording" from nan types of transcription available. I past recorded a elemental sound message, tapped nan three-dot paper fastener astatine nan apical of nan show and deed Translate.

It past gives you a database of languages to construe into, and nan AI does its thing. The translator happened acold faster than I would person assumed, and erstwhile it was finished, it displayed nan translated lines beneath nan originals. 

Color maine impressed.

It gets better. 

Also: One of nan champion brace of earbuds pinch high-quality sound I've tested are conscionable $70

The adjacent trial was to usage nan unrecorded translator feature. Essentially, what this does is perceive to personification speaking successful 1 connection and automatically translates it into different successful existent time. This would beryllium outstanding for those who recreation a batch and don't person clip to really study nan language.

I've utilized devices for illustration this before, and nary person really impressed me. However, nan Viaim RedDot surely did. The 1 point you person to do is make judge to prime nan correct languages. For example, if I want to construe English to French, I would prime French for nan earbuds and English for nan phone. 

Once I deed nan mic button, nan telephone translates what was said successful English into French successful existent time.

The existent clip translator is very impressive.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

Basically, it each useful very well, and I could ideate this characteristic unsocial making these earbuds worthy nan costs ($199 connected Amazon), particularly for nan correct person.

But what astir nan sound? Can you usage nan RecDot earbuds arsenic accepted earbuds? You surely can, and they impressment successful that area, arsenic well.

The Viaim RecDot earbuds connection plentifulness of EQ presets, and location is besides a civilization action that gives you an 8-band equalizer. It took maine each of 30 seconds to make nan adjustments to nan EQ curve to amended lucifer my hearing. 

Once that was dialed in, nan RecDot earbuds came to life. That's not to opportunity nan Balanced EQ (the default) is bad -- it's not. In fact, nan RecDot Balanced EQ sounds amended than a batch of civilization curves I've added for different earbuds apps. But erstwhile I adjusted nan civilization option, I recovered nan lows to beryllium much present, nan highs much crisp, and nan mids conscionable perfect.

Also: Finally, open-ear headphones that sound awesome and fresh maine comfortably (and they conscionable sewage cheaper)

The presets activity good pinch nan genres they are assigned to. For example, nan Pop EQ action brings retired nan mids, which is wherever nan sound lives (and popular is each astir nan voice). This is 1 of nan first pairs of earbuds that I could spot myself switching EQs based connected nan genre I'm listening to. Most often, I create a civilization EQ and time off it astatine that.

The Viaim RecDot earbuds specialize successful transcribing and translating, thing they do very well. But nan added prize is that they sound fantastic. 

ZDNET buying advice

These earbuds are a spot tricky. Because of their $199 value point, it's surely imaginable to find earbuds that sound arsenic bully aliases better. The point is, you don't bargain a brace of earbuds for illustration nan Viaim RecDot earbuds unless you request nan translate/transcribe features. If you do request those options, they should beryllium your first consideration.

Also: These wireless headphones transported maine to audio nirvana - and are my caller all-time favorite

If you deliberation you mightiness someday request nan translate/transcribe features, and you besides want a brace of earbuds that sound great, nan Viaim RecDots are a awesome option. I you're definite that you'll ne'er usage nan translate/transcribe features, move connected to different brace of earbuds.

The Viaim RecDot earbuds earnestly impressed maine connected each fronts. The transcribe/translate characteristic useful brilliantly, and nan sound is rather good.

Viaim RecDot earbuds tech specs

• 11mm titanium-coated move drivers.
• Up to 9 hours of artillery life (36 hours pinch nan case).
• 48dB extent progressive sound cancellation. 
• Bluetooth 5.2, supports dual-device connections.
• LHDC audio codec.
• AI-powered real-time transcription and translation
• A triple microphone array pinch a bony conduction microphone.