INTRODUCTION

   Whenever i have to walk long distances i usually enjoy listening to music and so I'm obviously always very interested in checking out new wireless headsets, especially compact TWS (true wireless stereo) models. Needless to say, i also use TWS models to call people but listening to music is clearly what takes up most of the time I'm on the road so audio quality is something i really pay attention at. Of course, right now where i live temperatures have risen to 43 degrees Celsius so walking long distances is hardly recommended (made the mistake to walk 7km last week under the sun and i still don't believe i made it home well) but back in late May i received yet another TWS pair to test, the Prodigy Air 2 by Aiwa.

   We've proudly resurrected the iconic Aiwa brand in the passionate pursuit of bringing people together around music. How do we do that? We create products that deliver legendary sound quality; we bring you the music you love, the way it was meant to be heard. Aiwa has a simple formula for delivering serious audio equipment without compromise - we have the best acoustic talent, we put our money into the highest quality components and we offer world-class customer service. For those that want music to be more than background noise, for those who want their music to have the power to entertain. Our company, Aiwa Corporation, was founded in 2011 and has no association with Sony Corporation or any of its subsidiaries, the previous holders of the Aiwa Trademark. Questions, support or service for any Aiwa product made prior to 2014 should be directed to Sony Corporation.

   Much like most of their current products Aiwa only makes the Prodigy Air 2 available in back color and has equipped them with IPX5 certified enclosures (water resistant) inside which they've placed two 6mm full-range precision mylar dynamic drivers (20Hz-20KHz frequency response with 3dB sensitivity), dual-microphones, 50mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery packs (up to 6 hours of play time) and a flash programmable Bluetooth v5.0 audio SoC (HFP/HSP/A2DP/AVRCP profiles are supported - unfortunately Aiwa doesn't say which chip is being used). Of course, on the exterior of each of the enclosures Aiwa has placed a single multi-function button (can be used to answer/end calls, play/pause/skip tracks, increase/decrease volume and enable the voice assistant - compatible with Google & Siri Assistant) and as for the bundle once again we find a small charging case which thanks to its 600mAh (2.22Wh) rechargeable lithium battery pack it can provide up to a total of 24 hours of extra life to the earbuds. Aiwa typically covers the Prodigy Air 2 with a 3-year limited warranty.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Aiwa has used a small white box to ship the Prodigy Air 2 inside that has a picture of the two earbuds at the front right next to their logo and above the main product features.

Both the battery life and assistant features are mentioned on the left side in 6 languages.

The product specifications are printed on the right side right over the 3-year limited warranty offered by Aiwa.

A few words about the Prodigy Air 2 can be seen at the rear of the box in 6 languages just over drawings showcasing the contents of the bundle.

The entire bundle is placed in a formed piece of black foam.

Along with the Prodigy Air 2 (earbuds and charging case) the box also contains a USB-C charging cable, 5 sets of silicon earbuds (6 including the pre-fitted one), user guide, quick start guide and a thank you note from Aiwa's CEO.

THE PRODIGY AIR 2

Shipping the Prodigy Air 2 with 5 extra pairs of silicon eartips is not something we haven't seen in the past (still not everyone does it).

The IPX5 water-resistant enclosures of the Prodigy Air 2 earbuds are made out of hard plastic.

Each earbud weighs just 4.5g and as mentioned already they both have a single multi-function button on the exterior (Aiwa logo).

Aiwa has equipped each earbud with dual-microphones each of which has its own opening on the exterior.

Left and right markings are located just next to the metal charging pins/contacts.

6mm precision mylar dynamic drivers may not be the largest ones used in a TWS model but they should be ok.

Here you can see an exposed view of one of the Prodigy Air 2 earbuds (marketing material).

The charging/storage case of the Prodigy Air 2 weighs roughly 36g and has 4 charging indicator LEDs at the front and the USB-C port at the rear.

Several certifications along with contact information for Aiwa and some specifications about the internal battery pack are printed at the base.

Inside the charging case we find left and right markings and the gaps where you can place the earbuds.

CONCLUSION

   Much like most TWS earbuds I ended up using the Prodigy Air 2 for roughly 3 weeks, mostly while on the road but also while on the treadmill. Now even though these are far from the most impressive TWS earbuds I’ve used (no ANC or hear-through feature) they did quite good in terms of audio performance. Again, I wasn’t expecting perfection in this price range but the Prodigy Air 2 slightly surpassed my expectations. Yes, you will not be blown away by the accuracy and “liveliness” of its mids and highs and bass levels could be better but overall, they performed quite well. Fit was not the best (they did fall quite a few times while running on the treadmill) but i didn’t have a problem while walking. As for battery life Aiwa states up to 6 hours with a single charge but once again this is a number you will probably never hit, not unless you use the earbuds at 50% volume (i never recorded over 4 and ½ hours).

   I mentioned price quite a few times already but for how much do the Aiwa Prodigy Air 2 TWS go for right now? Well currently you can get your hands on them for just USD59.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 49Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag which is indeed very tempting. As always if you can climb even higher in price you will be able to find many higher-spec TWS models but if not the Prodigy Air 2 by Aiwa represent a good price/performance ratio which is why I strongly recommend giving them a chance.

PROS

- Overall Audio Quality (6mm Dynamic Drivers)
- IPX5 Certified
- Size/Weight
- Battery Life (Up To 30 Hours Total)
- Bluetooth v5.0
- External Controls

CONS

- Lack Of HD Audio Codec Support
- Fit Could Be Better
- No App