Anyone who hears Ugreen will primarily think of charging cables and power banks. But the Chinese manufacturer has also expanded into the true wireless sector for a while and is trying to make a name for itself there.
Ugreen Hitune and equipping its TWS with the high-resolution aptX codec. For a retail price of barely more than $30, that’s an announcement. We therefore put the Ugreen HiTune T2 with Ugreen HiTune True clarified whether it has what it takes to stand out from the crowd.
Pros and Cons
| Ugreen HiTune T2 | Ugreen HiTune True |
| Surprisingly good microphones | High resolution aptX codec |
| Good wearing comfort | Differentiated, neutral sound |
| Full music control | Long battery life |
| Good price / performance | Good price / performance |
| No aptX | No volume control |
| No app connection | Low background noise |
Specification
| Ugreen HiTune T2 | Ugreen HiTune True | |
| $ | CHECK PRICE | CHECK PRICE |
| Model | HiTune T2 | HiTune True |
| Brand | Ugreen | Ugreen |
| Released | March 29, 2021 | June 29, 2020 |
| Dimension | 0.79 x 1.18 x 1.57 inches | 0.02 x 0.02 x 0.07 inches |
| Type | In Ear | In Ear |
| Foldable | No | No |
| Frequency Response | – | 20Hz-20,000 Hz |
| Audio Codec | – | Qualcomm aptX, AAC, SBC |
| Colors | White, Black, Blue, Pink | Black |
| Driver | 14mm Drivers | 5.8 mm |
| ANC | ENC Noise Canceling | Qualcomm cVc 8.0 |
| Waterproof | IPX5 | IPX5 |
| Detachable | No | No |
| Controls | Yes | No |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | HSP, HFP, AVRCP, A2DP | HSP, HFP, AVRCP, A2DP |
| Battery Life | Upto 20 hrs | Upto 27 hrs |
| Charging time | 1.5 Hours | 2 Hours |
| Charging Port | USB C | USB C |
Design
Ugreen HiTune T2- You cannot compare the two models directly with each other and it is not a successor, you can already see that in the optics. While the Ugreen HiTune T2 has a rod design for hanging, the HiTune are classic in-ear TWS.
The pricing remains pleasant. For 45$ Ugreen continues to use large drivers, but saves aptX. Like almost all manufacturers, Ugreen mainly uses plastic for the housing. The HiTune T2 are no exception. Of course, Apple comes to mind at first glance, especially when the earbuds are completely white.
But on closer inspection, several differences emerge. The Ugreen HiTune T2 has a significantly more angular shape on the outside. The rod is thicker and the earpiece is also a bit larger. In addition, useful functions such as the proximity sensor that detects whether the headphones are hanging in the ear are missing .
There are two microphones , a status LED on the top, and the possibility to operate the earbuds via touch control. By the way, the primary microphone is, as usual with these models, on the underside of the stem between the charging contacts.
The charging station is also designed more classically. This also means that the station cannot be set up, only laying is possible. But that doesn’t matter in this case, because Ugreen has at least come up with good arguments against setting the HiTune T2.
Ugreen is comparatively broad in terms of color.The standard versions in black and white , the HiTune T2, are also available in pink and a dark blue.
Ugreen HiTune True- The headphones are small and handy. Including the charging cradle, the whole product weighs only 46 grams of the scale. With dimensions of 6.2 x 3.5 x 3.6 millimeters, the case disappears in every jacket pocket without attracting any attention. The case is made entirely of plastic and has a slightly roughened surface that is relatively well protected against scratches.
The shell can be opened via a folding mechanism. The earphones are held in place with a magnet, which effectively prevents them from accidentally falling out. All seals of approval and a few technical data were printed inconspicuously on the underside of the shell. There is a contemporary USB-C port for charging on the back of the charging cradle. It is very nice that Ugreen no longer uses the outdated micro-USB for the inexpensive TWS.
Comfort
Basically, with the design of the chopsticks, the wearing comfort is good. Nothing is pushed into the ear canal, and no material wants to spread in it. You hang the earbud in the outer ear. There are only a few exceptions to this negative circumstance. Fortunately, the Ugreen T2 is not one of them.
However, the earbuds are quite large at 4.3 x 1.6 x 1.9 centimeters (L x W x D). The stick also looks relatively thick. The T2 found a good grip in my ears but did not stay in the best possible position when readjusting, which was detrimental to the sound. You’re well-positioned when it comes to weight. Each earbud weighs 5.5 grams. They feel a little heavier, but that’s still fine.
Due to its shape, the station is, of course quite flexible. Pants or jacket pockets are equally possible. Without earbuds, the station only weighs 43.4 grams.
There is also officially water protection, namely IPX5, and I can justifiably say that a shortfall into the water cannot harm the headphones. This is what happened with shaving. The T2 put that away well and just kept on playing. Nevertheless, be careful around water, especially at the station, which, as is so often the case, has not received certification.
The headphones weigh 5 grams each and also have a black plastic housing. On the bottom, there are two charging pins and an L&R to mark the side. Most noticeable feature of headphones is the touch surface on the outside, on which the manufacturer has printed its logo. This points outwards when wearing the headphones and allows control by touch. In contrast to models with a physical button on the outside, you don’t have the problem here of pushing the headphones into the ear canal when using them. The headphones sit firmly in the ear canal and hold easily even when jogging.
Both the charging cradle and the headphones have a restrained design and are solidly processed. Ugreen relies on an inconspicuous appearance with the Hitune, which we welcome. In addition, the headphones and case are very compact, and the headphones are very comfortable to wear.
Audio Quality
Ugreen HiTune T2- As always the most challenging discipline, but also the most important. Ugreen sends the HiTune T2 into the race with a moderate repertoire of codecs. For you, that means there is no aptX. But at least AAC and, of course, SBC. As always, Bluetooth 5.0 is also included. You can score with the size of the driver. This amounts to 14.2 mm, so quite a buzz. Once again, the driver should have a titanium alloy, which can ensure good heights, but it doesn’t have to be. It all depends on the complete work, and I do not want to withhold the assessment of it from you.
The fit of the HiTune T2 and all of the hanging earbuds directly influences the sonic quality of what you hear. The most significant weak point is that the area between the ear and the headphones are not sealed correctly.
Therefore, the Ugreen HiTune T2 didn’t sound that great to me. I heard the music tinny and distant. Only when I had almost stuffed the HiTune T2 into my ear canal could the drivers develop their full potential, and they are good. But so many details and dynamics are lost between the loudspeaker and my eardrum that the earbuds only sound very flat without pressure.
But if you have the right ears for these earbuds, you can hear a lot of music. The bass is then vital, even if it is very imprecise and overlapping. The heights are great. The Titan driver may help to achieve a clear sound image again. Anyway, it fits. Mids also get away quite acceptable, even if there is a slight lack of precession here.
All in all, some details are missing, including when pushing into the ear canal. A little less bass, cleaner mids, and you have a pretty good earbud. The equalizer can adjust this a bit, but you can’t get the adjustment 100%.
Stereo is not a problem for the HiTune T2, but the spatial representation is also not remarkably accurate. The stereo division works well, but I can’t say whether the strings are much closer than the bass or further away.
That’s why Ugreen thought of gaming fans. Because they will be happy about the gaming mode, which lowers the latency to a low 60 ms, right? In my test, I hardly noticed a difference between the 60 ms and without gaming mode. On the other hand, the sound quality has passed into the abyss due to the gaming mode in earnest.
Ugreen HiTune True- As mentioned in the introduction, the high-resolution aptX codec is the distinguishing feature that sets the Ugreen Hitune apart from the competition. To use this codec, it must, of course, also be supported by the smartphone. In general, all reasonably up-to-date smartphones from Samsung, Xiaomi, Realme, Oppo, Vivo, and so on offer such support. However, Apple and Huawei should be mentioned as manufacturers without aptX support. Anyone who owns a smartphone from this manufacturer will play music via the AAC codec. This is also not a bad choice (Apple’s Earpods run with AAC, for example), but it is simply a downgrade to aptX.
In terms of sound quality, the Ugreen Hitune can deliver an excellent overall picture. Highs and mids are balanced and do not distort even at the highest volume. There is a decent amount of bass and enough to get you going while exercising. Even very dark basses are still reproduced without overly superimposing the rest. The overall sound image is designed for the most precise reproduction possible. So it is more about headphones for audiophile listeners on a (very) small budget than headphones for the main-bass-pops group. A specific spatiality is created when listening to a beautiful backdrop in front of the inner eye.
Only good things can, of course, not be said about the sound of the Hitune. After all, there have to be compromised, especially with such cheap headphones. The sound is designed for the highs and mids rather than the bass and therefore only develops a driving force at high volume. On the other hand, when listening quietly, one sometimes has the impression that the sound lacks ground and does not harmonize entirely. There is also a slight background noise that is not noticeable when listening to music.
Connectivity
The USB Type-C port on the underside , so you don’t have to set up the station for charging. Furthermore, an induction coil is embedded in the station’s back, so you can also charge the station wirelessly using a standard Qi charging pad, so it has to be lying down. The third point concerns the lid. This has a hard snap- in point at maximum opening. This means that the station can also be laid down when it is open, without the lid closing on its own.
Only the button on the back doesn’t fit into the concept. If you press this, it shows the current charge status of the station on the front via a white LED. This is hidden under the plastic in Xiaomi fashion, so it is only visible when activated. However, the same message appears when you open or close the case, so the button on the back is somehow unnecessary.
Fortunately, the pairing worked straight away and without any problems. If you connect the headphones and the smartphone, you will hear the energetic English voice that tells you exactly that. The voice output is used in several places, such as when activating or deactivating the gaming mode.
After pairing, the earbuds are controlled via touch inputs. The touch field is at the top of the handle. In principle, the Ugreen logo marks the spot. With a bit of practice, the inputs are implemented quickly and precisely.
Press L / R once: pause / play
Press L twice: decrease volume
Press L three times: previous track
Press R twice: increase volume
Press R three times: next track
Press L / R for two seconds: Voice Assistant
Press L / R once for a call: accept / end
Press L / R for two seconds for a call: reject
Since there are no attachments for the Ugreen HiTune T2, there is no need to worry about the space inside. This is sufficient to remove and does not have to accommodate any extra plugs or attachments. Again owing to the design, the earbuds are placed in the charging station. But now I prefer lying earbuds. It’s easier to get to the charging contacts. Only by the way.
To connect the headphones to the smartphone or laptop, they simply have to be removed from the case. If there is no other device in the vicinity to which the headphones are already connected, switch to pairing mode, which is indicated by the left earbud flashing alternately blue / white while the right earbud is not lit. After successful pairing, the connection will be established automatically in the future when you take the headphones out of the case. It is also possible to connect just one headphone to the smartphone while the other is housed in the shell.
The headphones are operated entirely via the touch field on the outside. The concept was successful and there were no incorrect entries due to the large area. The following commands can be registered.
1 x tap left or right: Play / PauseÂ
2 x tapping left or right: next titleÂ
3 x taps left or right: the previous titleÂ
Tap for two seconds: switch onÂ
Six seconds of tapping: switch offÂ
Two seconds of tapping when switched on:Â Activate the voice assistantÂ
In addition, calls can be accepted with a single tap or rejected with a long tap. If your smartphone no longer recognizes the headphones, they can be reset to the factory settings by inserting them into the shell and simultaneously pressing the touch fields for 10 seconds. Overall, with a little practice, the operating concept is quickly internalized and works without any faults or faults. However, it is a bit of a shame that Hitune has not integrated the ability to change the volume on the headphones. No app can be used to import firmware updates or configure operations.
Battery Life
Ugreen HiTune T2- The earbuds are each equipped with a 40 mAh battery; the charging station even received 500 mAh. The two capacities are in slight contrast because 40 mAh are more in the lower midfield, while 500 mAh are already in the upper midfield.
With the 40 mAh, you can get there for 5 hours, according to Ugreen. Which, of course, is not the truth. Still, the earbuds do surprisingly well. At 70-80% volume, I got up to 4 hours of playing time—a gratifyingly high figure. At 100 %, however, you sag to 3 hours, while 50% only bring about 30 minutes more.
In purely mathematical terms, both earbuds in the station can be charged more than 6 times. Practically the usual 4 charges were in there and a little more. On the other hand, thanks to the Quick Charge technology, charging was pleasantly quick. 15 minutes is enough for about an hour of music.
As for the station, it is in the normal environment for a full charge at 1.5 hours. Anyone who overlooked it at the beginning will be pleased that the Ugreen HiTune T2 supports inductive charging. In this case, the charging time doubles to almost 3 hours.
Ugreen HiTune True- The individual earbuds have a capacity of 60mAh, and the case in turn 300mAh. Overall, this is enough for two full charges with a bit of remaining capacity. The left and right accompanying charging process LED lights on the case, which go out the process has been completed. The manufacturer is optimistic that the runtime of the headphones is 9 hours. In practice, however, you get closer to 5 hours at 70% volume. Still, this is a good result. The charging time for a full charge is 1.5 hours. Here, too, the manufacturer’s specification of 2 hours of music after 15 minutes of loading is a bit exaggerated. One hour is achieved after 15 minutes of charging.
Conclusion!
For people looking for casual headphones, the Ugreen HiTune T2 could be just the thing. Connoisseurs tend to go for the Omthing AirFree Buds, which in turn have other small weaknesses but are in the same price range and offer the better sound. If you don’t find what you are looking for here, you might want to look at our TWS best list.
Overall, the Ugreen Hitune can leave an excellent impression on our test. The TWS headphones are well made, have good battery life, and deliver a decent sound. If you only have a small budget and are looking for neutrally mixed headphones with a high-resolution codec, you can confidently access them. However, you shouldn’t spend more than 40 $ on the Ugreen Hitune because then the savings on the 1More Stylish are no longer worthwhile, which go one better in terms of sound quality.
