H2O Audio RIPT-LITE review: A compact earbud with a smart display
H2O Audio RIPT LITE
Pros
- Solid build with a premium feel
- Informative charging case
- Decent sound quality with clear mids and highs
- Effective Noise Cancelling
- Works well for casual listening and workouts
Cons
- Only five hours of playtime per charge
- Voice notifications can get annoying
H2O Audio RIPT-LITE: One minute review
The H2O Audio RIPT Lite earbuds get a lot right. They’re small, lightweight, and comfortable enough to wear for long periods. The design is clean and stylish, with a solid build that doesn’t feel cheap. The shorter stem gives them a more subtle look, and they fit securely without being bulky.
One of the standout features is the LED display on the charging case. Instead of relying on blinking lights, you get a clear battery percentage for the case and indicators for each earbud, which is genuinely useful. The battery life itself is just okay—about five hours per charge. But the case extends it to 30 hours, so you won’t be charging them constantly.
Sound quality is solid for the price, with clear mids and highs and a decent amount of bass. Active noise cancellation is included, but it’s more about reducing background noise than fully blocking it out. The touch controls work well once you learn them, though the voice notifications announcing every action might get old after a while.
Overall, these are well-designed earbuds that offer a good mix of features for their $99 price-tag. They won’t blow you away with sound quality or ANC, and the battery life could be better, but they’re comfortable, easy to use, and great for everyday listening.
Check RIPT-LITE price and availability on Amazon, H2O Audio.
H2O Audio RIPT-LITE review: Design, hardware
The H2O Audio RIPT Lite earbuds are small and lightweight, making them easy to wear for long periods and convenient to carry around. They have a classic true wireless design, but what stands out is their compact size. The stem is shorter than on many other earbuds, which gives them a more subtle look.
Everything has a clean, stylish appearance with a mix of matte and glossy finishes that give it a premium feel. The build quality is solid, with no cheap plastic feel like you get with some budget earbuds. The earpieces have a contoured shape that fit comfortably in my ears. And since they only weigh 3.7 grams each, they’re so light that I hardly notice them when wearing them.
It’s also worth mentioning that the earbuds have multifunction touch controls, letting you manage different features. I’ll get into those details a bit later.
The charging case is equally well-designed, featuring a compact, rounded form that easily fits in a pocket or gym bag. It has a subtle LED display on the front, which shows the battery level of both the case and each of the earbuds. This is a handy feature, and not something you see often on such products. I would say, this is a big selling point and a bit of a novelty.
The case itself has a smooth texture that provides a good grip, reducing the risk of accidental drops, and the lid has a secure snap closure that feels firm rather than flimsy. The hinge mechanism is solid, and the earbuds magnetically snap into place when stored, ensuring they remain secure during transport.
As for durability, the RIPT Lite earbuds are IPX5-rated for water resistance. This means they can withstand sweat and light rain but shouldn’t be submerged in water. So you are okay, for example, to exercise with them during rain. The coating on the earbuds helps repel moisture, and they are designed to hold up well under prolonged exposure to damp conditions.
All in all I would say these are well designed earbuds. The combination of a sturdy build, lightweight feel, and LED display makes them a solid option for users looking for durable, everyday earbuds.
Battery life
As far as battery life, the H2O Audio RIPT Lite are good for around 4-5 hours of playback per charge. This is enough for workouts, commutes, or just chilling with music or podcasts. But it’s not really that great. For example, it won’t get you through a full night if you have a habit of listening to podcasts while you sleep. Which is what I tend to do.
The case gives you an extra 30 hours, so you’re looking at around 35 hours in total before needing to plug in. That’s enough to get through a few days of use without scrambling for a charger. It’s nice that they use USB-C, so if you’ve got a modern phone or laptop, chances are you already have the right cable lying around. No annoying proprietary cable or micro-USB nonsense.
As mentioned, one thing that stands out is the LED display on the case. Instead of those vague blinking lights that leave you guessing how much battery is left, this one actually shows you the percentage for the case and there are indicators for each earbud. At a glance you’ll know how much charging needs to be done. This makes life a lot easier.
From zero to full, the earbuds charge up in about an hour, and the case takes a bit longer. Overall, I would say the battery life is solid – but nothing mind-blowing. Many earbuds these days can go for much longer.
H2O Audio RIPT-LITE review: How to use
With Bluetooth 5.4 multi-point connectivity support, pairing works just like it does with most other earbuds. Open the charging case, and the earbuds automatically power on and enter pairing mode if they haven’t been connected before. Go to your phone’s Bluetooth settings, find “RIPT Lite” in the list, and tap to connect. Once paired, they’ll automatically reconnect to the last device when taken out of the case.
One thing that sets these apart from other earbuds is the built-in voice notifications. A voice announces when the earbuds power on, connect, pause playback, or toggle noise cancellation. While some might find this helpful, I think it feels a bit unnecessary and could get a bit annoying after a while.
The touch controls take a little time to get used to, but they’re fairly straightforward. Pressing the right earbud plays or pauses music, while a double press increases the volume, and a long press skips to the next track. On the left earbud, a single press turns noise cancellation on or off, a double press lowers the volume, and a long press goes back to the previous track. A triple press activates Siri. There’s also a satisfying click when you press the controls, which gives nice feedback.
It does take some time to memorize all the functions, so there’s a bit of a learning curve. Another useful feature is voice calling, thanks to the built-in microphones. A tap answers or ends a call, while holding the touch control declines it. This works well.
H2O Audio RIPT-LITE review: Sound quality & noise protection
As far as sound quality, the H2O Audio RIPT Lite earbuds deliver a pretty well-balanced profile. The 13mm drivers provide clear mids and highs with a decent amount of bass—not overwhelming, but punchy enough for most genres. If you’re looking for deep, thumping bass, these might not be the best pick, but for general use, they do a good job of keeping music energetic and engaging. Vocals come through clearly, and the earbuds handle podcasts and phone calls well without sounding tinny. Compared to premium earbuds like AirPods Pro, they won’t blow you away, but they hold their own against similarly priced options.
Noise protection is decent, thanks to the active noise cancellation (ANC) feature. It’s not the most powerful ANC out there, but it does help cut down on background noise a fair bit, making them useful in gyms, cafes, or during commutes. The passive noise isolation from the earbud design also helps block out external sound, especially if you get a good fit.
Worth noting is that there’s no transparency mode. So if you need to hear your surroundings, you’ll have to take out an earbud or lower the volume. Call quality is serviceable—nothing spectacular, but clear enough for conversations. The six built-in microphones reduce background noise slightly, but in windy or noisy environments, voices can still get a bit muffled.
Check RIPT-LITE price and availability on Amazon, H2O Audio.
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