There are great finds to be had in the mid range category of earbuds and, one of those superb finds are the AUKEY T16S true wireless earbuds.
Like most true wireless earbuds, the AUKEY T16S come with a carry case designed to store and charge the earbuds. The charging case has a small footprint and low weight (28 grams) with a smooth pebble design, which allows the charging case to be easily inserted inside a small trouser pocket.
The charging case has two different plastic finishes to it. The top lid section has a high gloss finish, while the bottom base of the charging case has a matt finish. Despite the shiny finish on top, the lid isn't a fingerprint magnet.
There is a micro USB charging port on the back of the charging case, while the battery status leds are located on the front, just above the small groove for prying open the charging case.
The internal 3.7V 400mAh rechargeable lithium-polymer battery charges via 5-volt/0.5-amp input and, taking just 90 minutes to fully charge. The charging case provides an additional 9 hours of charge to recharge them, at least, 2.5 times over.
The AUKEY T16S charging dock area has a self-contained pod design, which is different to the open-pod design of most charging cases. Having individual pods makes the charging dock area look neater.

Each pod is also magnetized to keep the earbuds securely inside the charging case so, they won't fall out. Magnetized earbuds also come with another advantage and that is, a more secure charging connection during charging.
The AUKEY T16S earbuds have the same design-scheme as the charging case with a high gloss plastic finish trim surrounding the perimeter of the outer edge and, matt plastic for the body and front of the earbuds where the touch button is integrated.
Being touch buttons, the button area on the T16S earbuds has a flat surface with a g-sensor (accelerometer sensor) beneath it that works differently to capacitive sensing. Because the T16S use g-sensors, the buttons are triggered via taps and long presses and, they can be operated with gloves, which is extremely convenient. You cannot do this with earbuds that use capacitive touch.
In terms of functionality, the AUKEY T16S have an easy pairing process. Take both earbuds out of the charging case and pair them to a phone, tablet or computer as one single bluetooth device via Bluetooth 5.0. The T16S connect with each other automatically, creating a single bluetooth device, which makes stereo pairing easier.
The Bluetooth 5.0 connection is strong and stable within 10 meters and, it supports SBC and AAC (hi-res audio) codecs, which are both supported by iOS and Android devices. That said, AAC is tailored made for iOS devices so, it doesn't perform as good in the Android ecosystem.
Like most headphones, once paired to a device, the T16S earbuds will reconnect automatically, allowing you to put the earbuds back in and out of the charging case without having to manually re-connect.
That said, some earbuds re-connect faster than others when taken out of the charging case. The T16s have a massive re-connection delay between 8 seconds when taking both earbuds out and, an even longer delay when taking the left or right earbud for mono listening. Because of the long delay, there isn't a smooth, seamless transaction from stereo to mono listening like you get with other TWS earbuds such as the T21 earbuds.
The T16S earbuds also take over 20 seconds to power off while in the charging case. This means, when you put them back in the charging case and close the lid, you will still hear audio playing until they automatically turn off.
The status leds on the earbuds do not stay lit up during audio play but, they will flash green when battery is low. Charging the internal 55mAh lithium-polymer battery inside the earbuds is fairly quick, taking just 90 minutes, which provides enough charge to power the earbuds for up to 3 hours (on 50% volume).
The AUKEY T16S earbuds are very lightweight, weighing just 4.5 grams each so, they are comfortable and virtually unnoticeable on the ears. The nozzle body has aluminium mesh filters and a short/stocky construction, making the T16S earbuds ideal for light exercise/workouts that aren't overly vigorous.
Coupled with the IPX5 rating, low weight, volume support and loud volume, the AUKEY T16S earbuds are perfect for running, commuting to work and every day use. The integrated MEMS microphones, one located on each earbud, allows you to use each earpiece independently.
The microphones provide good sensitivity and noise cancellation so, you don't have to raise your voice to be heard on a call. That said, the call quality isn't HD crystal clear for business calls but, it provides adequate clarity for every day conversations.
Listening to audio with the T16S earbuds is very good, thanks to the loud volume (88dB/-+3) and audio sound quality produced by the 6mm drivers. There is good sound balance and no distortions at max volume. The T16S deliver a clear separation between the vocal midrange and treble and, whilst the T16S don't emphasize bass, songs with a lot of bass can sound very good if you get a proper seal on the ear canal with the right ear tip.