Divacore AntiPods 2 Review: Excellent Sound Quality For A Reduced Price

Introduced earlier this year, the Divacore AntiPods 2 true wireless headphones are now available. But do these French headphones have what it takes to face the big names of the genre? This is what we will see in this full test.
Divacore AntiPods 2
Divacore is not its first attempt at wireless headphones. In the past, the French brand has already launched no less than three pairs of true wireless models the Divacore Nomad, the Divacore Nomad +, and the Divacore AntiPods. The Divacore AntiPods 2, therefore, appears to be the most successful version of the manufacturer.

Divacore AntiPods 2 Technical Sheet :

Model Divacore AntiPods 2
Format in-ear headphones
Autonomy announced 24 hours
Bluetooth Version 5.0
Weigh 14 grams
Voice Assistant Google Assistant

 

Earphones That Adapt To Your Ears :

By discovering the AntiPods 2 from Divacore, we are surprised, to say the least by the case offered by the manufacturer. At first glance, the case of the headphones could be reminiscent of that of the Google Pixel Buds with its format reminiscent of a pebble. It is, however, a bit larger and might bring back childhood memories to some, like a surprise egg.

The case of the Divacore AntiPods 2

It is especially the hinge of the case that is original. It must be said that Divacore does not offer a rigid hinge to open the charging box, but a flexible silicone hinge. In fact, the case is really made up of two separate parts that are simply connected by a flexible plastic band that keeps them together. The result is a cover that tends to pop all over the place, but because of that flexibility, you never really have to worry about the hinge breaking like you can with entry-level headphones.

READ ALSO: Huawei FreeBuds Studion Test

Especially since each part of the case is equipped with magnetic hooks to ensure a good hold of the cover once it is closed. The case is compact enough to fit in a jeans pocket but at the risk of slightly deforming it due to its thickness of almost 4 cm.

The flexible hinge of the Divacore AntiPods 2 case

On the back of the case, there is a USB-C socket for recharging, once again covered with a silicone cover to protect it from immersion. The socket is also backed by an LED which will indicate the battery status of the Divacore AntiPods 2. By opening the case, we will simply discover the two headphones, without buttons or LED, except on the headphones themselves.

In terms of headphones, the AntiPods 2 can in many ways recalls the JBL Reflect Mini NC. Like those of the American manufacturer, the Divacore headphones do not adopt a cotton-swab style, but a shape that completely fills the ear pin. They are also in-ear headphones that come with three pairs of ear tips of different sizes.

Unlike most models on the market, however, these are not silicone tips, but foam tips. This a feature that has the advantage of providing better passive insulation, but which can make these tips more complicated to clean.

Divacore AntiPods 2 fill the ear well

In addition to the in-ear tips, Divacore also offers three pairs of fins. It also adapts the headphones to the shape of your ear and ensures the best possible fixation. We will also find a tactile surface on each earpiece as well as an LED at the bottom of this surface. Unfortunately, while this is handy for indicating that the headphones are connected, it will also be clearly visible in the middle of the night, visibly blinking your head back and forth. For discretion, we will come back.

The fins and tips supplied with the Divacore AntiPods 2

Regarding the comfort of use, you will have to make sure to attach the most suitable tips and fins to your anatomy so as not to be bothered by the headphones. Overall, the in-ear format annoys the most resistant to this style of speaker, especially since the AntiPods 2 occupy the entire entrance to the ear canal. Note also that the headphones may tend to press lightly on the tragus and antitragus. Slight discomfort may be felt at first, but it subsides after one to two hours of use.

Finally, the headphones are IPX4 certified. In concrete terms, they are therefore suitable for sports use, especially since they are securely attached to the ears and do not risk falling. They can therefore resist splashing, rain, or sweat.

Easy To Use … But No Application :

On the functional side, the Divacore headphones automatically go into pairing mode the first time you open the charging case. You just need to select them from the list of Bluetooth devices on your smartphone, tablet, or PC. However, it is a challenge to pair them with a new device. Not even to mention the lack of multipoint Bluetooth, you will have to remove them from the first smartphone, press on the two headphones, put them back in the case, and take them out … in short, luckily the user guide is well designed.

The same goes for touch controls. Here too, it is towards the user guide that we must turn to fully understand the possibilities offered by the Divacore AntiPods 2. As we have seen, the headphones have a touchy surface. These are however rather narrow and I have often had to go over them several times to make the right move in the right place.

The Divacore AntiPods 2 can be controlled by touch

For the controls managed by the Divacore AntiPods 2, they are numerous but quite complete. A simple press on the right or on the left will play or pause the music. A double press will return to the previous track on the left and go to the next track on the right. A long press on the left will decrease the volume and increase it on the right. Finally, a triple press will launch the voice assistant, whether on the right or on the left.

Overall, we, therefore, have fairly comprehensive and fairly intuitive controls. Fortunately, they cannot be changed within a companion app. Logical… since Divacore does not provide any application allowing more fine-tuning of its AntiPods 2. No choice, it will therefore necessarily use the controls provided by the brand, but it will also be impossible to deactivate certain features such as automatic pause when you remove the headphones.

Check ALSO: iPhone 12 Pro Max Vs Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

These are indeed equipped with proximity sensors to know when they are in your ears and automatically restart the music. Note also that the headphones do not have active noise reduction, although passive isolation is quite effective. In the absence of an application, it is also impossible to precisely know the battery level of the headphones other than through the Bluetooth settings of your smartphone.

The proximity sensors on the Divacore AntiPods 2

On the Bluetooth side, the Divacore AntiPods 2 are compatible with Bluetooth 5.0. Enough to allow a range of 10 meters. Above all, the headphones offer good connection stability, without being bothered when the smartphone is stored in the pocket. The hand placed over the smartphone can however cause some connection cuts.

Note also that each of the two headphones can be used individually, with the other headphones stored in the case. The stereo stream then becomes a mono stream with both channels sent back to the earpiece still in your ear. This configuration has the advantage of using the two AntiPods 2 on an equal footing, without the primary or secondary earphones.

Very Good Quality Basses :

Divacore headphones have transducers – the speakers that emit the sound-6mm in diameter. On the Bluetooth side, they are compatible with the most basic codecs, namely AAC and SBC. The French manufacturer has decided to ignore the aptX and LDAC.

The transducers of the Divacore AntiPods 2

To test the headphones, I used an Oppo Find X2 Pro smartphone and listened to my songs on Spotify in “very high quality”, approaching a 320 kbps MP3 file.

With this configuration, the first thing that surprises me about the AntiPods 2 is the presence – and the quality – of bass, especially at high volume. This is clearly noticeable from the first notes of Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy with the mesmerizing lows that are both punchy and round. The mediums are also present, and rather well-detailed. This first impression is confirmed with Come Away With Me by Norah Jones, where the singer’s voice stands out very well, just like the treble in the background.

However, here too the bass tends to take the lead over the rest of the sound spectrum, while the song is not cut out for that. In Michael Jackson’s Thriller, the highs are also present, but, again, it’s the bass loop that will put its mark on the signature sound of the headphones.

The AntiPods 2 are not bassy headphones, far from it. On the contrary, the bass is of very good quality, especially given the small size of the transducer. However, it is clear these frequencies that will take precedence over the rest.

Divacore Antipods 2

Autonomy Of More Than Eight Hours :

Regarding autonomy, Divacore announces headphones that can work for six consecutive hours, and up to 24 hours thanks to the charging box. In my case, however, I was able to use them for much longer.

Starting with 100% charged headphones, it will indeed have taken me 7:57 hours before the first earbud – the left one – runs out of battery. Five minutes later, after 8:02 am, it was the right earbud’s turn to fail. In total, I was, therefore, able to measure an autonomy of eight hours with a volume set at 85%.

TAKE A LOOK: New Samsung Galaxy S21 

For charging, once in the case, the earbuds are displayed with a red LED when they are not yet fully filled. Another way to make sure charging is still in progress is to check the battery level in your smartphone’s Bluetooth settings, simply by opening the case. In my case, it took around 1.5 hours to fully charge the Divacore AntiPods 2. A rather long charging time compared to the rest of the market, but far from unreasonable.

The USB-C socket for recharging the Divacore AntiPods 2

Finally, note that the box itself can be recharged using a USB-C cable provided, but that the manufacturer does not offer a power adapter and that it is not compatible with charging without thread.

Price And Availability Of Divacore AntiPods 2 :

The Divacore AntiPods 2 headphones were launched at a price of 149 euros(about 181 $), but are now available at 119 euros(about 144 $), with two colors to choose from black or white.
We will be happy to hear your thoughts

Leave a reply

Hug Techs
Logo
Compare items
  • Total (0)
Compare
0
Shopping cart