The Diesels are slim and comfortable earbuds that offer seamless pairing and decent sound. Battery life fell short of my expectations, but if you like designer labels and need a new pair of earbuds, these are an easy buy.
Advantages
- Eye-catching load case
- Quick to pair
- Very comfortable
Cons
- The battery life is short
- Bass-heavy audio
Availability
- United Kingdom RRP: 100€
Key Features
- Diesel brand charging case Features a 360-degree rotating lid
- Bluetooth 5 wireless pairing.0
- Mono and stereo modes Use one earbud or both
- 32 hours of battery 8 hours in the Earbuds and 24 in the case
Introduction
Nearly a decade has passed since Diesel teamed up with Monster to launch its VEKTR headphones. Now the brand is back in the audio game with a new partner and a new pair of earbuds.
The True Wireless Earbuds are the result of a collaboration with Telecom Lifestyle Fashion and are Diesel’s first pair of True Wireless headphones. The launch comes seven years after the lifestyle brand withdrew from the audio market due to fierce competition.
The Diesel earphones stand out from other true-wireless pairs because they exude style and, most importantly, make a statement. The eye-catching designer logo on the housing may not be missing, of course, but how do they sound?
Design
- A comfortable stem-like design
- Touch controls on top
- The case features the Diesel logo and a unique rotating lid
In terms of design, the Diesel True Wireless Earbuds adopt the tail shape popularized by Apple’s AirPods and found on countless other True Wireless pairs like the Urbanista London and EarFun Air.
The earplugs are available in two colors: a matte black or a bright red. I managed to submit the former for review, which looks pretty unremarkable aside from the shiny multifunction button with the silver letter "D".
In the box, the earbuds are accompanied by three interchangeable rubber ear tips in small, medium and large sizes, which I found offered decent passive noise cancellation and were incredibly comfortable. The earbuds are lightweight and fit snugly in the ears, and there was never any danger of them slipping out.
The aforementioned multi-function button on the earbuds offers touch controls to play / pause, skip a track, go back, adjust volume, answer calls, and activate your phone’s voice assistant, all of which are simple and intuitive to learn.
The most noticeable design feature here is not the earphones themselves, but the case.
It offers wireless charging and is available in matching colors of red or black, with a large Diesel metal logo on top to attract attention. The reflective logo makes the case look expensive, even though it’s not the slimmest of devices.
A rubberized ring surrounds the case just below the LED indicator, which Diesel says provides extra grip when you pick up the case. But I can’t say that it felt any more secure.
The most interesting feature here is the 360 degree rotating lid. When I spoke with Diesel, I was told that the brand chose the rotating lid because it wanted to create a unique offering that wasn’t simply a replica of Apple’s AirPods offering.
I also asked about durability – as the hinge definitely feels a bit precarious – and was assured that you would have to use excessive force to cause damage. While only time will confirm its durability, I can at least confirm that it stayed in one piece during the testing period. Also note that these earbuds are water resistant up to IPX4.
I did notice that the lid can occasionally get caught when pushed into tight pockets, leaving the case slightly ajar if I’m not careful – which ironically makes the Diesel earphones not so ideal for jeans.
Features
- The earbuds can be quickly connected with Bluetooth 5.0 pairing
- The battery shrunk by about 1.5 hours
- There is support for wireless charging
Pairing the Diesel True Wireless Earbuds with your phone is quick and easy. Just open the case and pair them manually for the first time. After pairing, I found that twisting the lid connected the earbuds to my iPhone immediately.
The Diesels are a very feature-light pair of earphones, but they do the basics well. Pairing the earbuds and navigating the playback controls are simple processes, but if you’re looking for noise cancellation or a transparency mode to block out background noise in your path, you won’t find it here.
However, the earbuds support both mono and stereo modes, which means you can easily switch between listening with two or one earbud if you want to be more aware of your surroundings or if your earbud battery is running low. I did find, however, that I had to put both earbuds back in the case and open the lid again when I wanted to return to stereo mode, which was a bit of a faff.
If there’s one area where the Diesel True Wireless Earbuds let you down, it’s battery life. Diesel states that these earphones have 8 hours of battery life (or 32 hours total with the case). However, in my experience streaming Spotify at a constant medium volume, I found that the battery life was closer to 6.5 hours.
That’s not a bad result by any means; 6.5 hours is about average for a pair of true wireless earbuds, and it’s more than the 6 hours offered by the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds and the 4.5 hours of the AirPods Pro. It still falls short of Diesel’s 8-hour claim, however, and is less impressive than the battery life offered on cheaper earbuds like the EarFun Free Pro, which I found could last up to 8 hours during testing.
The Diesel True Wireless Earbuds can be charged via the included USB Type-C cable or via a wireless charger (not included). There is no support for fast charging.
Sound Quality
- The earbuds are designed for bass lovers
- Bass and mids sound great
- The treble and tonal balance are lacking
When I spoke with Diesel, I was told that these devices are designed for the younger Generation Y and Gen Z, with the earbuds’ emphasis on bass complementing these generations’ love of rock and hip-hop music.
The Diesels are not perfectly balanced and do not fit every genre; but if you like a lot of bass, the sound is not bad at all.
To test them out, I put on Hysteria by Muse, a song underpinned by its rumbling bass line. The bass kicks in powerfully and maintains a commanding presence until the end. However, low-end detail isn’t as clear as I’d like, and the soundstage feels a bit cramped, especially in the busy chorus.
Stressed Out by Twenty One Pilots offers the same hard-hitting bass performance without sounding as cluttered as Hysteria. The midrange holds its own in this track, giving vocals as much attention as the lows.
The treble doesn’t have quite the same presence, but that’s somewhat intentional. The Diesel True Wireless Earbuds aren’t built for audiophiles or marketed to anyone who prefers less bassy genres. For example, while Ludovico Einaudi’s Experience sounds okay and shows a lot of detail, it misses some of the nuances of the highs.
Should you buy it?
You value style The Diesel True Wireless Earbuds are designed to make a statement. If you really want to attract attention with your earplugs, go for the bold red pair.
You are an audiophile These are by no means bad sounding earbuds, but you can get a more balanced sound for a similar – or lower – price.