MPOW Flame Solo true wireless earbuds review
The MPOW Flame Solo are true wireless earbuds made for running. MPOW is known for quality at a reasonable price. We test these running earbuds for fit (do they stay put?), sound quality, microphone quality, and controls. Are these the best sport earbuds you can buy? Find out in this review.
In this article
Pros and cons
Here are the pros and cons of the MPOW Flame Solo, so you can quickly see whether these earbuds are right for you.
| Pros | Cons |
| ✔️Good fit ✔️Rich, full sound |
❌No app for customization |
MPOW Flame Solo specifications
- Price: €39
- Chipset: ?
- Codec: ?
- Bluetooth: 5.0
- Range: 10m
- Case battery: 500 mAh
- Earbud battery: ?
- Cable: usb C
- Waterproof: yes (splashproof)
MPOW Flame Solo sound
The MPOW Flame Solo surprise us on our first listen. The sound is much better than we expected.
Sport earbuds usually don't sound quite as good. Why? No idea. You'd think earbuds with an ear hook would have more room for the components needed for good sound. But that often isn't the case. That's why we're always looking for good earbuds with ear hooks. You'll find them in our roundup of the best running earbuds.
MPOW Flame Solo sound
The first thing we notice: good bass and mids. They give the sound a professional feel. Motivational music in particular sounds rich and full. Just what you need on a run.
The highs are there, but we'd like them to stand out a little more clearly. They seem slightly buried. You can fix that with an equalizer, but at Eardopes we always think a manufacturer should hire 1 person with a sharp ear to listen critically to the sound. The highs are certainly audible, but we'd have liked them turned up just a little.
Sound quality score: 8
The MPOW Flame Solo give you very good sound while running or working out. Or while standing still or working from home, for that matter. But they're mainly made for running, cycling, and staying active.
Microphone: are the MPOW Flame Solo good for calls?
Running earbuds usually don't get much of a microphone budget. Is that fair? Yes. For this type of earbud, we think fit, sound, and controls matter much more.
Microphone score: 7
But the microphone on these earbuds does a good job. It's better than expected. And an audio clip says more than a thousand written words, so listen for yourself:
As you can hear, your voice comes through clearly. Compared with other running earbuds, such as the QCY T6, the microphone on these earbuds is far better.
The clear advantage is that you're easy to understand. But, as mentioned in the clip, there's a slight hiss, and the earbuds' volume is slightly lower than we'd like.
Overall, these earbuds work very well for calls. If you specifically want good earbuds for working from home, though, I'd choose a different pair.
Curious which earbuds have the best microphone? We put together a comparison with all the audio clips.
How do the MPOW Flame Solo fit during exercise?
The MPOW Flame Solo have flexible, soft-feeling ear hooks that, as the name suggests, wrap around your ears. That makes them very comfortable. Just as importantly, it keeps your earbuds in place! We tested that thoroughly, because you don't want your earbuds falling out while you exercise.
So, do they fit well? Absolutely! The ear hooks are soft and don't become uncomfortable or irritating, even after a 5 km run. They also provide just enough balance to keep the earbuds snug against your ear canals. That helps the sound, too.
Fit: 8
The hooks are also nice and flexible. They bend easily around your ears, which adds to the comfort. Overall, these are among the better running earbuds for fit.
Earbud controls
These running earbuds have six buttons. Yes, six buttons in total across the two earbuds! The top buttons let you turn the volume up and down. The button on the side of each earbud lets you skip to the next track or pause your music.
The controls work the same way on both sides. That's perhaps a missed opportunity. They could have used the top buttons on the right for volume and those on the left for skipping to the next or previous track. Still, we won't be too picky about it. That could also make the controls unnecessarily complicated. There's a case for either approach.
It's also worth noting that MPOW chose buttons rather than touch controls. We're actually very happy about that. You can feel a button, but not a touch control. Especially when you're moving, you want to be able to feel the buttons clearly. That makes them easier to use. In that respect, buttons were a good choice by MPOW.
Controls: 7
Factory reset: MPOW Flame Solo
Here's how to factory reset the MPOW Flame Solo:
- Charge the charging case (make sure both the case and earbuds have enough charge)
- Take the earbuds out of the case
- Take one earbud and press and hold both volume buttons (- and +) until the light comes on. The light is right next to the volume button, so this is a little fiddly.
- Repeat this on the other earbud, holding down both volume buttons.
- If the lights turn on or change after you've held both volume buttons for 3 to 4 seconds, the factory reset has worked.
Done! You can now reconnect to your device.
Battery: how long can you use the earbuds?
Charging case
The charging case holds 500mAh, just like the QCY T6. The big advantage is that MPOW has managed to make this case much smaller. And that's welcome! The QCY T6 earbuds were huge, with an even bigger charging case. So credit to MPOW for keeping the case so compact, without reducing the mAh capacity.
The MPOW also has usb-C. That's simply better and more convenient than micro usb. We don't really understand why those Chinese manufacturers still use micro usb. Fortunately, MPOW has put usb-c in this charging case.
Conclusion: are the MPOW Flame Solo good?
| Score | |
| Sound | 8 |
| Microphone | 7 |
| Fit | 8 |
| Battery | 7 |
| Controls | 7 |
| Stability | 7 |
The MPOW Flame Solo are above-average running earbuds, better than others in their class. The sound is good and surprisingly full, with more bass and mids than we expected. The microphone is also better than those on other earbuds made for running. The fit is very good, and the earbuds don't fall out while you're wearing them. That's important on a run. The case is much smaller than those of other running earbuds, another big plus! Overall, these are very good running earbuds at a good price.
Alternatives
MPOW Flame Solo vs. QCY T6
The MPOW is better in almost every way than the QCY T6, which we also reviewed. That includes sound quality, earbud size, and the microphone.
Others also viewed:
- Browse all our wireless earbud blog posts
- These are the best earbuds under €50
- These are the earbuds with the best microphone
- Check out our in-depth blog post about QCY earbuds
- And take a look at our blog post about alternatives to AirPods
- Also check out the best running earbuds
- Also check out our hands-on look at the Eardopes B6 pro.
