The SW-TW401 are Strauss & Wagner’s entrance into the true wireless battle royale. They go for a pretty interesting price of 59.95, where we don’t see a lot of competition. I’ve got them here with me today, and I’m eager to give 'em a shot. Let’s see how these wireless buds measure up.

Unboxing

The packaging is plain and its contents are simple. The buds come in their pill shaped charging case, which sports the Strauss & Wagner logo on it. A USB Type-C charging cable is included. You are allotted three sets of tips: small, medium and large. They’ve packed the necessities, nothing more; I’m fine with that.

Fit

Here’s what I find most interesting about the Strauss & Wagner TW401. For only $59.95 USD they do some things better than most true wireless I’ve tried. Their fit is incredibly comfortable and secure. They have a nice ergonomic shape that really sits perfectly in my ear. The nozzle isn’t too invasive, but the fit doesn’t feel shallow either. 

Connecting to the Strauss & Wagner SW-TW401

Getting them to pair with my phone was unbelievably simple. I just pulled the right one out of the case, and it went straight into pairing mode. My phone connected to it quickly, and the left one paired up once taken out of the case. I can’t understate how frustrated I am with true wireless headphones for making this process so often a nightmare. The SW-TW401 embarrasses a lot more expensive earphones by making setup easy.

Holy functionality. I left my phone at my desk and had to walk 40 ft before my connection started skipping out. It’s astonishing because no Bluetooth devices ever make it that far in this store. There are tons of other Bluetooth devices being used in Audio46, and the potential for signal interference is way above average. I didn’t hear any degradation in audio quality before it cut (aptX?). 

Mic and Controls

The on-board mic has no issues with quality. It isn’t perfect, however. I found that I had to speak a little bit louder than average to get my voice heard. There’s a trade-off here. The mic’s lack of sensitivity may make you have to speak up a bit to be heard, but the person on the other end is going to hear less background noise from your environment.

The controls aren’t totally intuitive. I had to refer to the manual to figure out that triple-tapping the touch controls on either side is the way to push the volume up or down. Also, double tapping the left ear is how you skip forward a track, and right goes back. That feels backwards to me, however, it was easy to adapt to.

The Sound of the Strauss and Wagner SW-TW401

Bass

This is what the Strauss & Wagner SW-TW401 True Wireless Earphones are all about. Potentially polarizing, the bass response is far from shy. The sub bass is loud and proud, and regular bass frequencies are a little elevated as well

Mids

The middle frequencies are still pretty present despite the emphasis on bass for these earphones. Vocals are still visible, and piano comes in nice and clear. I could ask for a little more upper mid range.

Highs

The highs are not bright and shining on these earphones. For those who are sensitive to treble, I’d definitely take a look at the SW-TW401. As a whole, this contributes to an overall smooth sound signature. There are enough highs present to get the job done, but you'll never find them fatiguing or harsh.

Final Thoughts on the Strauss & Wagner SW-TW401

Weighted at the bottom, the Strauss & Wagner SW-TW401 have a tuning not often coveted by audiophiles. For the average listener these should be a hit. They are fun to listen to, with impressive bass extension. They are all-comfort between their easy connection, cozy fit, and smooth sound signature. As a true wireless earbuds for $59.95, they are absolutely worth it. You can get these True Wireless Earbuds at Strauss & Wagner.