I have a confession to make: I seldom have time to test affordable workout buds, which is evident when you look at T3’s best running headphones roundup, which is full of premium offerings from top brands. The guide's lack of budget options was the main reason I checked out Soundpeats GoFree 2 buds, and I must say, they have proven to be something of a hidden gem.
It would be easy to write off the GoFree 2 as a budget earbud, give it three out of five stars, tell everyone they are okay but not perfect, and move on with my life. However, that wouldn’t be a fair evaluation.
I can’t say they are on par with similar workout buds that cost two or three times as much as the GoFree 2, most notably the Cleer ARC II Sport and the Shokz OpenFit. This is probably for the best because if they were, I would seriously question the asking price of those two.
That said, if you’re looking for an inexpensive workout partner for running, the Soundpeats GoFree 2 is an excellent choice. Want to know more? Read my full review below.
Soundpeats GoFree 2 review
Price and availability
The GoFree 2 was released in late 2023 and is available to buy now at Soundpeats for a recommended price of $85 (approx. £67.97/ AU$129.92).
It’s also available via Amazon US and Amazon UK, where you can usually buy the buds for less than RRP/ MSRP. Currently, they are selling for $62.59/ £56.
The buds are available in one colour only: black.
Specifications
- Type: Bluetooth open-ear true wireless
- Weight (per bud): 0.3oz/ 8.5g
- Weather resistance: IPX5
- Battery life: up to 9 hours (buds); up to 35 hours (with charging case)
- Charging (0-100%): 90 minutes (buds); 120 minutes (charging case)
- ANC: n/a
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3
Design and build quality
The Soundpeats GoFree 2 are open-ear headphones, leaving the air canal exposed to environmental sounds. This means you’ll be more aware of traffic and other people around you; however, the lack of passive isolation compromises sound quality to a certain extent.
This isn’t the flaw of the GoFree 2 specifically—most open-ear buds have the same issue. Some companies try layering on ANC, but in my humble opinion, it defeats the purpose of open-ear buds. If I want isolation, I get buds that provide it. I chose open-ears so I could listen to ambient sound.
To counter-balance the sound leakage, Soundpeats added a large 16.2mm driver on the GoFree 2. This larger driver has a comparatively large housing, although the buds aren’t particularly heavy at 8.5g.
Speaking of physical design, the GoFree 2 isn’t half bad. The soft silicone hooks are quite flexible, and the ends are slightly thicker, which makes the buds sit well on the ears. I found them comfortable to wear, that’s for sure.
Features
The Soundpeats GoFree 2 hasn’t got ANC or wear detection. The latter would be nice, but not a deal breaker.
The buds do have touch controls, which are explained fully in the little booklet found in the box. The main functions are:
Tapping the left/right buds once will decrease/increase the volume. Double tapping either headphone will stop or start playback. Long pressing the left/right button will restart/ skip the song. Easy-peasy.
You can adjust some of the settings via the Soundpeats app. The application is a bit clunky, which I find interesting, as surely, in this day and age, it’s not hard to concoct a decent app user interface.
Using the app, you can change sound presets or create your own via the Adaptive EQ option. This feature sets up a profile based on your hearing, a nice addition to such an affordable bud, even though it’s not perfect.
You can also turn on Game Mode, disable touch controls, and initiate dual device connections via the app. I'm not sure what Game Mode is (maybe low latency?), though, as I couldn’t find any info about this either.
Performance and comfort
One of the features of the Soundpeats GoFree 2 I haven’t mentioned yet is its LDAC Audio Technology. This is said to enable the transmission of high-quality wireless audio via Bluetooth. At Amazon, the company calls this ‘almost lossless audio’.
Now, the sound isn’t terrible at all, but calling it almost lossless might be a bit of a push. There are no cracking noises, and thanks to the large drivers, the GoFree 2 produces considerably powerful sound.
However, it also feels somewhat compressed and even echoey, with the sound bouncing around in the casing and the ears. It’s not a bad audio experience, but it’s not premium, either.
This is where the GoFree 2's open-ear nature comes in handy. Ambient sound entering your ears when you wear the buds outside causes quite a lot of interference, which mutes the inconsistent sound coming from the GoFree 2.
To reiterate, the headphones don’t sound bad; they just aren’t premium, that’s all.
The GoFree 2 is comfortable, though, and sat securely on my ears during my test runs. I felt no pressure on my ear anywhere, and thanks to the lightweight design, the buds almost ‘disappeared’ after a while.
Battery life is more than long enough, too. The case holds nearly three full charges of power, so you won’t have to connect the buds to the mains too often.
Call quality isn’t mind-blowing, despite the four microphone noise reduction supposedly available on the headphones.
Verdict
The Soundpeats GoFree 2 open-ear workout headphones are a surprisingly well-rounded package. The design and the sound quality aren’t flawless, but it’s far from terrible. Thanks to the budget price and the features on offer, I can recommend the buds to every runner on who can’t justify splashing the cash on more premium headphones.
Also consider
I already mentioned in the intro the two buds I'd recommend instead of the Soundpeats GoFree 2. They are both more expensive, though, and I'm sure people who might consider getting the GoFree 2 aren't interested in them anyway. For more options, check out T3's best running headphones guide.
