True Wireless Earbuds are a dime a dozen. At some point, they are going to start to look pretty much the same. What if you could have a pair that stands out from the crowd and yet sounds just as good as it looks? Well, the GravaStar Sirius Pro is one such earbuds.
To say the GravaStar Sirius Pro looks good is a real understatement. It looks good on pictures, but even better in hand. I find myself fortunate enough to receive a pair to put it through its paces. While this may be a review unit provided by Gravastar, rest assure the opinions are entirely my own.
After experiencing the Gravastar Venus in person, I am confident in the audio quality. But will it live up to my expectations in reality? Well, we are about to find out!
As always, before we get to the main event, here’s a rundown of the specifications:
Driver: 7.2 mm dynamic driver with Knowles balanced armature
Bluetooth: 5.2
Playtime (Earbuds): 6 hours
Playtime (Total): 24 hours
Charging: Wired (via USB-C)
Features: 65 ms ultra-low latency, environmental noise cancellation (for calls), unique bottle opener design charging case, built-in RGB lights (charging case), three modes (gaming, music, movies), in-ear detection, touch control, and an IPX5 rating for sweat and water resistance.
The Design
Well, what can I say? The GravaStar Sirius Pro is just about the coolest TWS earbuds and charging case we have seen thus far. I kid you not. It looks crazy cool in person.
Alright. Maybe the case is a tad cooler than the earbuds. You can’t blame the earbuds for not taking the trophy here because it has limited real estate for anyone to unleash their creativity.
However, notwithstanding that fact, Gravastar did not save on the designs. Each earbud received quite a few details. From the brand name to the logo to the machinery detailing and color accent, it has it all. This definitely not your run-of-the-mill earbuds.
The charging case that I have is the “war-damaged grey” which, together with the zinc alloy construction and futuristic aesthetic, looks straight out of Mass Effect or Fallout. It is through-and-through futuristic and very cyberpunk.
With the Pro model, the case has a hollow center which also doubles as a bottle opener. Yup. Believe it. While I may not have a use for it (my drinks are all cans), I am sure it sure comes in handy when there is a party.
That said, given it has a gaping hole in the middle, Gravastar still managed to pack a 400 mAh battery in it for up 24 hours of playtime. That’s pretty impressive.
Finally, the case has a unique open design with the case cover sporting an opening, cage-like design. The cover is hinged on the short side and it is spring-loaded. A wristwatch crown-like button serves as a release mechanism that, when depressed, the cover springs open. Even the simple act of opening the case feels futuristic. Lovely.
The Fit
As far as the earbuds fit goes, the GravaStar Sirius Pro earbuds come with three silicone tips (S, M, L). I have small soundholes, but I have no problem fitting it on without any discomfort with the ‘S’ tips.
The Build
Like its speakers, the GravaStar Sirius Pro is very well built. There is nothing loose with the case when shaking violently by yours truly (who is totally obsessed with detecting rattling, btw). Meanwhile, the earbuds’ plastic does NOT feel like cheap plastic and the seams are well-sealed together. No unevenness like I had seen in some earbuds.
The Connection
The connection is pretty strong. I managed over 30 feet from the source device (Galaxy S21) before I started experiencing drop-offs. And mind you, that’s through a set of closed glass panel folding doors and at least a concrete wall. Thumbs up for that. Though I doubt anyone will be walking that far from the source.
Since we are on the topic of connection, it is worthy to mention that in-ear detection works. Well, 90% of the time. When you remove an earbud, it will automatically turn into monaural and if take out both, music and movies will pause, until you place them back into the ears.
The thing is, it failed a couple of times. But that’s no deal-breaker considering how I have enjoyed the sound for a few hours now.
The Sound
Gravastar did not claim supreme sound, but I think the company is just being modest. Let’s just say that Knowles balanced armature did movies and gaming a huge favor.
It has punchy bass and clear mids and highs. Everything sounds more, how do you say, crisp? In other words, nothing gets muddled here.
As always, I put it through its paces with Steven Jablonsky’s Transformers soundtrack, enjoyed several genres of music (euro-dance (oh, yeah!) included), watched the highway chase scene of Dark of the Moon (damn, Shia Labeouf’s chattering while being chased can be quite annoying!), and played a game of Transformers: Forged to Fight, had a few battles in Infinity Ops, and PUBG.
As far as gaming goes, I am quite surprised how far TWS earbuds have come for gaming. Leveraging on the gaming mode, I actually can hear all that was happening in the game, and even determine the directions of footsteps and gunshots.
In this (gaming) mode, you will feel like you are in a space other than where you are. I guess that’s what they call ‘immersion’? Unfortunately, I am so rusty with these games that I almost always get terminated too soon too early. But we are not here to review my gaming skills.
I am no pro gamer, but surely, I cannot detect any lack. In the 30 minutes so of gaming between the three mobile titles, all was good. As for movies, well, it is cinematic, alright. So if you are watching movies, be sure to turn on the movie mode.
Not going to lie, I thought it was all but gimmick, but it actually works.
The Omission
As always, water resistance was not tested. I am not prepared to sweat it out with it. Neither am I going to dunk it into water. It is rated IPX5 which means it should survive sweat and light rain. The rule of thumb with electronics is, they should stay away from the water even though they have an IP rating – unless they are built specifically for underwater use.
As for battery. I am left with 60% after 2 hours of use. So give and take, it should make the promised 6 hours? Maybe?
The Verdict
Two words: Love it. The GravaStar Sirius Pro TWS Earbuds is giving many similarly priced earbuds a run of their money. As far as sound quality goes, it is very much up there. I’d say it is on par with Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, if not better, and you know the general views of Buds Live.
It is certainly music to my ears. The overall aesthetic is fabulously cool and that, for those who care, is a huge boon. However, I do have little issue with the in-ear detection as mentioned earlier. In any case, it isn’t a deal-breaker to me. But the lack of wing-tip makes it less suitable for vigorous activities.
Overall, I would put my money on it for the build quality, the awesome sound, and of course, the sci-fi cool look. Seriously, this thing looks straight out of the future!
The GravaStar Sirius Pro will sell for US$129 when it hits the shelves. However, if you are down, you can pre-order it on Indiegogo where you can secure a unit for a discounted price of US$79-US$89. But hurry cos’ the presale campaign will end in around 10 days.
All images by Mikeshouts.com.
