Defunc True LITE II Wireless Earbuds Review

The Defunc True LITE II is an open-fit, semi in-ear earbud that does not seal the ear canal, so you hear music and your surroundings at once. It suits commuters, runners and anyone who wants awareness, and pairs a 13mm driver, Bluetooth 6.0, ENC calls, IPX4 water resistance and up to 20 hours total playtime. Most wireless earbuds try to seal you off from the world. For a lot of people that is exactly wrong. If you commute, work in a shared space, run near traffic or just like to stay aware, an earbud that plugs your ears can feel unsafe or isolating. This one takes the opposite approach.

How should you judge an open-fit earbud like this? Look at comfort, how it sounds given the open design, how it handles calls and connection, how it holds up to sweat and rain, how long it lasts, and who it suits. The open semi in-ear fit and light Scandinavian design handle comfort and awareness. The 13mm driver and ENC handle sound and calls. IPX4 with 20 hours handles daily durability. It is a comfortable, aware, easy-to-live-with everyday earbud, as long as you understand that awareness is the whole point and it is not built for deep isolation, covered below.

The defining choice is the open-fit, semi in-ear shape, and everything follows from it. Rather than pushing a tip into your ear canal and sealing it, the True LITE II rests in the ear with a lightweight, ergonomic semi in-ear form that leaves the canal open. Practically, you enjoy your music while naturally staying aware of conversations, traffic and other important ambient sounds. That makes it well suited to commuting, working, travelling and everyday listening, where being cut off is a drawback or a hazard. Because nothing is jammed into the canal, it is designed for all-day comfort and effortless wear, the kind of earbud you leave in for hours. Styling follows a clean Scandinavian minimalism, with several colour options so you can pick a pair that suits you.

The internals and everyday features aim squarely at accessible, practical performance. Each bud carries a 13mm dynamic driver, relatively large for an earbud, meant to deliver rich bass, clear vocals and balanced stereo across music, podcasts, movies and calls. Connectivity runs on Bluetooth 6.0 with low latency for better audio-to-video sync. Calls use ENC, environmental noise cancellation, to reduce background noise for the person you are speaking to so your voice comes through clearly. It is rated IPX4, resisting splashes and sweat from any direction, which covers workouts and rain. The maker quotes up to 20 hours of total playtime, meaning the buds plus their charging case rather than a single charge. Companion app support lets you adjust and personalize the earbuds. What is this design, and what is it not? Being open-fit by intent, it does not seal the ear or provide the deep passive isolation or active noise cancellation of a sealed earbud. That openness is a deliberate feature for awareness, not a shortcoming to be judged as if it were trying to block sound.

The True LITE II delivers exactly the experience its open design promises, and for the right person that beats a sealed earbud. Comfort and awareness are the standout. Because nothing is wedged into your ear canal, the buds wear for hours without the pressure or fatigue sealed tips can cause, and you stay naturally aware of your surroundings. You hear traffic while walking or running, a colleague or announcement while working or commuting, or your surroundings while travelling, all without taking an earbud out. For many people that awareness is not a compromise but the entire reason to choose this style, both for safety outdoors and for staying present in shared spaces. On sound, the 13mm driver gives a fuller, more balanced result than the open format might suggest, with decent bass, clear vocals and enjoyable stereo for music, podcasts and video. The Bluetooth 6.0 connection with low latency keeps audio in sync with what you are watching. Calls benefit from ENC, which cleans up background noise on your end so you come through clearly. IPX4 means sweat and rain are not a worry for workouts or bad weather. Up to 20 hours of total playtime with the case comfortably covers a week of typical use between charges, and the companion app adds a layer of personalization. As an easy, comfortable, stay-aware everyday earbud, it does its job well.

Matching the open design to your needs is the whole story here. The single most important thing to understand is that an open-fit, semi in-ear earbud does not seal your ear. So it does not deliver the deep bass isolation, the passive noise blocking or the active noise cancellation of a sealed in-ear or over-ear model. In genuinely loud environments, a plane cabin, a noisy train, a busy gym, more of the outside world comes through and the bass feels lighter than a sealed bud. That is the flip side of the awareness that is its main appeal. If your goal is to block out the world and be immersed, this is the wrong style, and you want a sealed noise-cancelling earbud instead. IPX4 covers splashes and sweat but is not a rating for submersion, so it is fine for workouts and rain but not for swimming. The quoted 20 hours is total playtime including the charging case, so a single charge lasts a portion of that, which is normal for earbuds but worth knowing. As with most open-fit earbuds, sound can leak a little at high volume in very quiet rooms. None of that is a fault, just the nature of an open-fit design: it trades isolation for comfort and awareness on purpose. On its own terms, as a comfortable, stay-connected-to-your-surroundings everyday earbud with solid features, it is a likeable and sensible choice.