Noise Buds VS104 Max Review — Does the ENC Actually Work? (2026)
The Noise Buds VS104 Max earns its ₹1,199 price tag on one criterion alone: the Environmental Noise Cancellation mic genuinely works for Indian commute and WFH calls in a way that the boAt Airdopes 141 Gen 2 simply cannot match. It is the best TWS earbuds under ₹1,500 for call-heavy users — WFH professionals, students on daily online classes, anyone who commutes on the Bengaluru metro or BMTC buses with calls to take. The V-shaped sound tuning is the reason to hesitate: it flatters EDM, hip-hop and beat-heavy Bollywood but takes the life out of Carnatic, ghazals and acoustic music. The ENC is the reason to buy it. The V-shaped tuning is the reason some people should not.
- Call quality test — 4 real Indian environments, honest results
- Sound quality — V-shaped tuning for Indian listeners
- Battery life — tested at 3 volume levels
- Specifications at a glance
- Gaming and latency — VS104 Max for BGMI
- Build, fit and comfort — stem design for Indian users
- Who should buy it — and who should not
- Alternatives worth considering
- Frequently asked questions
The call quality test — 4 real Indian environments, honest results
This is where the Noise Buds VS104 Max call quality test separates this review from every other. Most earbuds write-ups tell you the mic has "Environmental Noise Cancellation" and move on. We tested it in four environments that Indian commuters and WFH workers actually face — and had a second person on the other end of the call rating what they heard.
Every call was made on WhatsApp voice or Google Meet. The listener sat in a quiet room and scored voice clarity and background bleed on a 1–10 scale without knowing which earbuds were being used. The table is the honest answer to the question no other Noise VS104 Max ENC review directly answers.
| Environment | Noise Level | What the Caller Heard | ENC Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home office — ceiling fan, AC on, street noise from open window | ~55 dB | Voice completely clean. Fan hum absent. Street traffic below fully removed. Caller said it sounded like a recording studio. | 9/10 Excellent |
| Bengaluru metro carriage — doors closing, crowd, PA announcements | ~75 dB | Voice fully intelligible. Metro rumble reduced to a faint hum. PA announcement bled through once but voice stayed dominant throughout the call. | 8/10 Very Good |
| BMTC bus — diesel engine, road surface vibration, open windows | ~78 dB | Mostly clear. Low-frequency diesel engine rumble bled through occasionally. Caller asked for one repeat across a 6-minute call. Usable for real conversations. | 7/10 Good |
| Busy traffic junction — autos, horns, construction site nearby | ~88 dB | Voice audible but street noise clearly present. Caller rated it "usable, not comfortable." ENC visibly strained — this is above the VS104 Max's effective ceiling. | 5.5/10 Marginal |
The data is clear: the Noise VS104 Max ENC works reliably up to approximately 80 dB — which covers home offices, metro carriages and most BMTC bus journeys. That is the daily reality for most Bengaluru commuters and WFH professionals. The 88 dB traffic junction test is the honest upper limit — no TWS earbuds at ₹1,199 eliminates that level of chaos, and the VS104 Max gets closer than anything else at this price.
The practical guidance for commute noise test scenarios: if you are moving through a market, metro, or office with predictable background noise, take the call confidently. If you are at a Bengaluru traffic signal with construction and constant honking, step aside, let the noise settle, then call back. The ENC earns its name in Indian conditions — just not in extreme ones.
Sound quality - V-shaped tuning, what it means for Indian listeners
The Noise VS104 Max sound quality bass test starts with understanding the tuning. V-shaped means this: imagine a V drawn across the frequency range from bass to treble. The two ends of the V — bass on the left, treble on the right — are lifted higher than flat. The middle of the V, where most vocal harmonics, guitar body and mid-range instruments live, sits lower. On first listen it sounds exciting and spacious. After an hour of acoustic music it starts to feel hollow.
For Indian listeners specifically, the split is genre-dependent. The 10mm driver hits bass kicks hard — EDM drops are satisfying, Bollywood production with heavy beats sounds vivid and punchy. Arijit Singh on an EDM-produced track sounds fine. Arijit Singh on a spare acoustic ballad sounds recessed — his voice lacks the warmth and presence it should have. The distinction is the production, not the singer.
- EDM — drops and kick drums hit hard
- Hip-hop — 808s have satisfying rumble
- Bollywood item songs and action scores
- Tamil / Telugu commercial film music
- Workout playlists — high energy, high bass
- Carnatic classical — vocals lose presence
- Ghazals — the emotion lives in the mids
- Acoustic and folk — instruments sound thin
- Podcasts — male voices sound hollow
- Hindustani classical — mid-range recessed
One direct comparison with the boAt Airdopes 141 Gen 2: the boAt has a warmer tuning — bass is boosted but the mids are less recessed, giving it a rounder, more natural sound on Indian film music and vocals. If you split your day between music and calls, the VS104 Max's sharper V is a trade-off worth making for the ENC. If music is all you care about and calls are occasional, the boAt's warmer signature is simply more satisfying.
Battery life — tested at 3 volume levels, not just the one brands use
Every earbud review you have read tested battery at 50% volume. That is the level at which most brands measure to hit their claimed figure — and it is not the volume at which most people in India actually listen, especially on a noisy commute. We tested Noise VS104 Max actual battery hours at three realistic levels to give you the number that actually applies to your use.
| Volume Level | Claimed | Tested (earbuds only) | Real-World Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50% — the brand's test condition | 10 hrs | 9.8 hrs | Essentially matches claim |
| 65% — realistic daily use | 10 hrs | 7.1 hrs | Best in class at this price |
| 80% — metro / outdoor use | 10 hrs | 5.4 hrs | Significant drop at high volume |
| 10-min fast charge → playback at 65% | — | 68 min | Reliable morning rescue charge |
The 7.1 hours at 65% volume is the number that matters for the Noise VS104 Max battery life India real-world experience — and it is the best tested earbud battery in its price class. For context, the boAt Airdopes 141 Gen 2 also tested at 7.1 hours at 65% volume, making battery a dead heat between these two at their respective prices.
The 10-minute fast charge result of 68 minutes is genuinely useful. If you forgot to charge overnight and have a 9 AM Google Meet, 10 minutes in the case while you make tea covers the call comfortably. The Noise VS104 Max charging time from completely flat to full is approximately 90 minutes — measured across two full charge cycles.
Specifications at a glance
| Driver | 10mm dynamic driver |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Claimed battery | 10 hrs earbuds + 30 hrs case = 40 hrs total |
| Tested battery (65% vol) | 7.1 hrs earbuds · ~35 hrs total with case |
| ENC mic | Environmental Noise Cancellation — effective to ~80 dB |
| Game mode latency | ~105ms tested · usable for casual BGMI |
| IPX rating | IPX5 — sweat and splash resistant |
| Multipoint | ✗ Not supported |
| App support | Noise app — basic EQ, device battery, find earbuds |
| Price | ₹1,199 — Amazon India / Flipkart India |
Gaming and latency — the VS104 Max as a secondary gaming option
The Noise VS104 Max latency BGMI gaming test result: approximately 105ms in Game Mode. That is a usable number for casual BGMI — gunshot audio and footstep cues do not feel completely disconnected from the visual. But it is noticeably slower than the boAt Airdopes 141 Gen 2 at 55ms, where Game Mode delivers a genuinely competitive gaming experience. At 105ms, the VS104 Max sits at the acceptable end of the usable range — you will notice the delay occasionally in rapid firefights but it does not break casual sessions.
The direct recommendation: if gaming is your primary reason for buying TWS earbuds, do not buy the VS104 Max. The OnePlus Nord Buds 2 at ₹1,799 tested at approximately 94ms in game mode and has the better build and connection stability for extended gaming sessions. The VS104 Max makes sense for someone who primarily uses it for calls and occasional BGMI — not someone whose first question is latency.
Build, fit and comfort — does the stem design work for Indian users?
The VS104 Max uses a stem-style design — earbud in the ear canal, narrow plastic stem hanging downward at an angle. It is conceptually similar to AirPods in shape, distinct from the boAt Airdopes 141's shorter and rounder in-ear body. For Indian ear profiles, which tend to average slightly smaller than the Western sizing assumptions built into many earbuds, the stem length matters — it determines how much the earbuds protrude below the earlobe and how the weight sits across the outer ear.
Each earbud weighs approximately 5g — lighter than it looks in product photos. Over three weeks of 3–4 hour daily use, including commute and desk sessions, there was no persistent discomfort or pressure at the ear canal. The default M tips fit most users who tried them. Switching to S tips improved the acoustic seal noticeably for two out of three testers — if the bass sounds thin on first listen, try the smaller tips before concluding the earbuds are the problem.
The case hinge has a satisfying resistance — noticeably tighter than the boAt 141's case. One specific durability note from extended use: the glossy inner surface of the charging case collects visible micro-scratches from daily pocket carry alongside any other object by week two. Cosmetic only, but consistent enough to mention. The stem-style earbuds caught on a gym towel twice during overhead pull exercises — the earbuds stayed in, but the tug was noticeable. For heavy lifting with towels constantly involved, shorter in-ear designs are marginally more convenient.
Who should buy it — and who should not
The is Noise Buds VS104 Max worth buying 2025 question has a binary answer depending entirely on how you use earbuds.
- ✓ You make frequent calls from outdoor or noisy locations — metro, BMTC bus, open offices, busy streets up to ~80 dB. The ENC works in these conditions and earns the ₹200 premium over the boAt 141.
- ✓ You are a WFH worker on daily Google Meet calls or WhatsApp calls where background noise — ceiling fan, street noise, AC — currently bleeds into your mic.
- ✓ Battery life is a top priority — 7.1 hours tested at 65% volume is best-in-class at this price. The full case gives approximately 35 hours at that same volume.
- ✓ You want IPX5 for regular gym use without worrying about sweat damage to the earbuds or the case contacts.
- ✗ You listen primarily to acoustic, Carnatic, ghazals or vocal-heavy music. The V-shaped tuning pulls the mids back and these genres lose the very presence and warmth that makes them emotional.
- ✗ Gaming is your primary use case. The 105ms tested game mode latency is usable but the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 at ₹1,799 tests at 94ms — meaningfully better for competitive BGMI sessions.
- ✗ You need granular app-based EQ customisation to tune sound across genres. The Noise app at this tier is basic — the Noise Connect 2 at ₹1,499 has a more capable EQ system.
- ✗ You are comparing this to the boAt Airdopes 141 purely on sound quality for music. The boAt's warmer tuning wins that specific comparison. The VS104 Max only wins if calls and ENC are in the equation.
Alternatives worth considering
If the VS104 Max is not the right fit for your specific use case, these three alternatives cover the adjacent needs without you having to search elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
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Does the ENC on Noise Buds VS104 Max actually work in Indian conditions? ▾Final verdict — Noise Buds VS104 Max review score: 8.4/10
The Noise Buds VS104 Max is a focused product that solves one problem well. If your daily life involves commuting on the Bengaluru metro, attending online classes in a noisy home, or working from a flat where ceiling fans, street noise and family conversations bleed into every call — this earbuds solves that problem for ₹1,199. The ENC is not a spec sheet label here; it tested at 9/10 in a home office environment and 8/10 in a metro carriage.
The V-shaped tuning is the honest trade-off. It was a deliberate design choice to boost bass and treble for the majority of Indian listeners who want energetic sound on EDM and Bollywood. If you listen to Carnatic, ghazals or acoustic folk for more than half your music time, the recessed mids will bother you. That is not a defect — it is the wrong earbuds for your specific taste.
Compare it with the boAt Airdopes 141 Gen 2 before deciding. Or read the full TWS under ₹1000 comparison if budget is the first filter. Both the VS104 Max and Airdopes 141 are available at mobile-accessories.in with same-day delivery in Bengaluru and fast delivery across India.