Acefast isn't a brand you'd be familiar with; the Chinese accessory maker is just getting started, and its debut product was a 65W GaN charger with a built-in HDMI port that turned it into the ideal portable dock for the Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch.
Acefast is now following it up with the launch of the T8 wireless earbuds. While the dock stood out for its unique feature-set, the T8 earbuds have a strong design aesthetic that garners instant attention. For starters, they feature a lot of LEDs, and that alone makes the earbuds worthy of my attention. Then there's the futuristic styling with the see-through design that gives the T8 a lot of character. Oh, and you can choose between six gorgeous colors.
I couldn't settle on a single color, so Acefast was kind enough to send all six color options of the T8. Each model is distinctive in its own right, but I'm partial to the green one — the LED lighting combined with that gorgeous hue ticks all the right boxes. The T8 earbuds are currently retailing for as low as $62 on Amazon, and you'll find all six color options on the site: green, blue, pink, white, black, and lavender.
The T8 earbuds are encased in a stylish case that has a large LED readout at the front that shows the battery level. While most earbuds are housed within the case, the T8 sees the earbuds attach magnetically to the sides. The magnets are strong enough that the earbuds won't fall out if you leave them in a bag or pocket, and they fit securely.
What I like the most about the case is the see-through design; of course, I can't talk about the aesthetic without mentioning Nothing's Ear (2), but the effect that Acefast is going for is much more flamboyant — and I love it.
The case has a see-through plastic shell that shows off the innards, and it is lit by a large LED that does a brilliant job showing off the design while giving off a little ambient light. In fact, these earbuds are all about making a statement, and you're guaranteed to turn heads when you're out and about.
The design extends to the earbuds as well, and they look fabulous. Again, where Nothing went for subtlety and minimalism, Acefast is all about showcasing that see-through aesthetic. The entire earbud shell has a see-through design, and you get a good look at the battery and the sound tube. You can also see the antenna on the stalk, but what I like the most is that Acefast added LED lighting here as well, with each earbud housing a tiny indicator.
The overall build quality is fantastic, and thanks to a squarish design, the case is easily pocketable. There isn't wireless charging here, but that's okay considering how much these earbuds cost. You get IPX4 water resistance for the earbuds, making them a decent enough choice for workouts.
Audio codecs are limited to the standard SBC and AAC, so you don't get AptX, LDAC, or LHDC. That said, the earbuds connect over Bluetooth 5.3, and I didn't have any issues with connectivity when using these with the Galaxy S23 Ultra or the Honor Magic 5 Pro. Another omission is ANC; there is environmental noise isolation that kicks in during calls, but there's no ANC on these earbuds.
The T8 fits snugly in the ear, and while it doesn't create a tight seal, it doesn't exert any pressure on the inner cavity. They're very light, and most of the time, you won't even feel like you're wearing the earbuds.
Coming to the sound quality, the T8 actually manages to deliver a cleaner sound than what I was imagined. You get an energetic bass with a decent amount of rumble, and the 10mm driver delivers clean mids with good timbre for the vocals, and decent highs without any harshness. You'll want to move up a tier and pick up the likes of the Ear (2) or the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro if you want the best sound quality, but for around $60, these earbuds sound absolutely great.
They last a long time as well; I got just over six hours of music playback between charges, and the case has enough power for three full charges, so you'll get around 24 hours of battery life before you'll need to charge the case. Each earbud has a 45mAh battery, and there's a 485mAh unit tucked into the case. A full charge takes over an hour, but there's fast charging here that delivers 90 minutes of music playback with a 10-minute charge, and that's quite decent.
To sum it up, these earbuds are all about the design, and Acefast really did a fantastic job with the overall aesthetic. The color variants on offer combined with the see-through design makes these earbuds quite distinctive, and if you're in the market for something that stands out, the T8 is an easy recommendation. Sure, the earbuds are missing out on a few extras, but they fit well, have good battery life, and sound great. For what you're shelling out, you're ultimately getting a great value.
