These $99 earbuds I tested give Apple’s base AirPods a run for their money

Whenever I receive a pair of earbuds to review, there are a few questions I consider, even before I unbox the product:

• How will they fit?
• Will they produce accurate, dynamic sound?
• Will the sound be over-produced?

When I unboxed the H2O Audio RIPT Lite earbuds, my first thought was they were trying to mimic AirPods with the design. It’s not often I test AirPod-like earbuds because most companies opt for a more traditional earbud/tip design. I’m certainly not against Apple ‘s take on earbuds, but I’ve always found that design doesn’t stay in the ear as well as buds with silicon tips. 

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Earbuds that stay in place is a big deal, and the seal you get with an earbud can make a big difference. With a proper fit, bass is more enhanced, and highs are more crisp. I’ve yet to find a pair of earbuds with the AirPod design to give either a good fit or a good seal.

H2O Audio might have made me a believer in the design. 

Ript Lite earbuds tech specs

• 13mm composite drivers
• Bluetooth 5.4
• Noise-canceling provides 30dB of active isolation
• Battery – 5 hours of uninterrupted playtime with an additional 30 hours with the charging case
• 100% sweatproof (not waterproof, so these H2O Audio earbuds are not meant for swimming)
• Price – $99 on the official H2O Audio site

My experience

As per my usual, I connected the RIPT Lite earbuds to my Pixel 9 Pro, opened Spotify, and tapped play on “Analog Kid” by Rush. What I was expecting and what I heard were worlds apart. Instead of experiencing a loose fit and poor seal, I felt these earbuds worked as well as any traditional earbud. They were comfortable and with a bit of care, I was able to get a good enough seal to prevent audio leaks in or out.

But what about the sound?

I’ll start off by saying the RIPT Lite earbuds do tend to overproduce the sound, but that’s not always a bad thing. Although these earbuds are far away from delivering “studio” quality sound, what they do manage to create is a sound most consumers will enjoy. There’s plenty of bass, reduced mids, and plenty of highs. 

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One thing I’ve noticed with modern sound trends in earbuds is that instead of delivering separation in the low frequencies, it tends to get muddy, so you don’t hear the subtleties. 

For most listeners, that’s not going to be a problem. For audiophiles, it’s an issue that can be a deal-breaker. As for the RIPT Lite, there’s not a whole lot of separation, and the soundstage is fairly narrow. but don’t let that turn you off, because they still deliver impressive sound, especially given how tiny they are.

What’s really impressive about these earbuds is the noise canceling. Switch it on, and most external noise will vanish. As I stand at my desk, listening to Beethoven’s Romance No. 2 in F Major (played by Midori), I can hear my keyboard keys clacking but not much else. 

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Switch to “Perfect Soul” by Spiritbox, and all external noise vanishes to be replaced by the glorious sound of Courtney LaPlant’s voice and some driving bass. 

One of the songs I like to hear to really test the limits of a pair of earbuds sound quality is “Tricycle” by Flim & The BBs. This is one of those mid-90s jazz-adjacent tunes that can really show off a pair of earbuds ability to handle the low end because the bass line is so well done and the kick drum is used to great effect. 

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I was quite surprised at how well the RIPT Lite earbuds were able to handle this song, so much so, I was willing to roll back my opinion on how muddy the low end could be. It’s only when the song really kicks in, and all instruments are going to town that the song loses a bit of clarity. 

That piqued my curiosity, so I played “The Sinister Minister,” by Bela Flek and the Flektones. Wow. Just wow. If you’ve never heard this piece of music, trust me when I tell you it will put a smile on your face and have you bopping your head. Victor Wooten’s bass is phenomenal, and the RIPT Lite earbuds do it justice.

ZDNET’s buying advice

To put it simply, if you’re looking for studio-quality sound, these are not the earbuds for you. If, on the other hand, you like a more modern, slightly produced sound, these are a great option. Although I wouldn’t recommend the H2O Audio RIPT Lite earbuds for music that depends on a wide soundstage or highly detailed lows, at $99, you’d be hard-pressed to find a pair of earbuds that could deliver such quality.

As far as sub-$100 earbuds are concerned, these might be the best I’ve tested to date. You get very good noise canceling, plenty of bass, modest mids, and highs that won’t disappoint. They may not be audiophile quality, but they’ll still blow you away.