Total-Shop Mini F9 Earbuds

That makes it a different animal from the slim Volt Plus Tech F9 Mini. That one drops the power bank to save pocket space. This one keeps the big battery and pairs it with low-profile buds.

• 2,000mAh case: refills the buds for a long stretch and doubles as emergency phone power.
• 10mm drivers: large for a small bud, with a graphene bass diaphragm.
• IPX5: rated against sweat and water jets, fine for a hard gym session.
• Bluetooth 5.0: about 10 metres of range on the standard HFP, HSP, A2DP and AVRCP profiles.
• Voice prompts: the buds announce power and pairing, so you know where you stand without a screen.

Total-Shop quotes about 150 hours of music and about 150 hours of call time with the case. Read those as best-case totals using every drop of the 2,000mAh. Volume, call length and how often the case lends power to the phone all pull the figure down.

Low-profile buds have a real advantage on the gym floor. They sit closer to the ear, so a hoodie, a headband or a bench pad is less likely to knock them. They also look discreet on a video call.

The buds come in black, with a black plastic case. Plain and practical, made for a kit bag.

Single-bud mode is the one cyclists and walkers love. You keep music or a podcast going in one ear and hear traffic, bells and your riding partner with the other. Swap to both buds when you step onto the gym floor.

Pairing is automatic. Take the buds out and they power on and find each other; then tap their name under Bluetooth. On an iPhone, the bud battery level shows up on the phone itself, a small bonus that Total-Shop calls iOS power display.

1. Fill the case on the cable first.
2. Lift both buds out together for stereo, or one for mono.
3. Select the F9 in your Bluetooth menu.
4. Listen for the voice prompt that confirms the link.

For the phone-by-phone walkthrough, see pairing F9 earbuds. If the two buds stop linking to each other after a switch between modes, the F9 reset steps put them back in sync.

Mono mode also stretches the battery. One bud plays while its twin refills in the case, so you can swap sides halfway through a long shift.

Calls get a built-in noise-reduction IC for the mic. It helps on a busy street; on a windy descent, pull over for anything important.

Both jobs come in handy on the same day. Lunch break, phone standing on the case, a video playing, the buds in. Then a long ride home with the phone low and the case sharing some of its 2,000mAh.

• Phone stand: watch a show on a table or a gym bench without holding the phone.
• Emergency power: plug the phone into the case and top it up.
• Bud refills: drop the buds in between sessions.

Keep expectations sensible on the phone top-up. Some of any 2,000mAh cell disappears as heat during the handover. What reaches the phone is a useful boost, not a refill.

Total-Shop also markets the buds for games without delay on Bluetooth 5.0. Casual games and videos should feel in sync. Fast competitive shooters may still show a small lag, which is normal for Bluetooth buds.

• Recharge the case over the included data cable.
• Charge the case before a trip so both the buds and the phone have a reserve.
• Keep hot water away: Total-Shop warns against it.

Charging habits for any F9 case, including how to read the LED digits, are in the F9 charging walkthrough. Every tap for play, pause and calls is listed in the F9 touch-control manual.

The whole box is simple: the buds in their case, a data cable and a manual. Nothing to install, no app, no account.

The Total-Shop is the battery pick: a big case, 10mm drivers and single-bud mode. The Volt Mini is the pocket pick: thin case, IPX7 buds and a newer radio. The Avalanche Market F9-5 shares the Total-Shop's driver and case recipe with a stronger IPX7 rating.

Sound is where the Total-Shop earns its keep. Total-Shop pairs the 10mm unit with what it calls HiFi high-frequency tuning, aiming for deep bass without dull highs. A tight tip seal matters: the bass lives or dies on it.

Carry is the cost. A 2,000mAh case rides in a kit bag or a jacket, and it is the bag that decides whether this pair fits your day.

• Before you buy: IPX5 handles sweat and splashes, not a dunk.
• Mono riders: one-bud mode is what makes it the bike pick.
• Radio: 5.0 is an older generation, still fine for music and calls.

Choose the Total-Shop Mini F9 for the gym, the bike and long weeks. Choose something rated IPX7 for rain runs. The F9 version comparison puts every family next to each other.