These shockingly good $55 headphones are my high Black Friday decide

A pair of high-quality over-ear headphones is fairly straightforward to seek out these days — from AirPods Max to Sony’s premium WH1000XM5, audiophiles and informal listeners alike are swimming in choices. What is not straightforward to swim in, although, is the hefty value tags hooked up to them. However even informal listeners don’t desire sound high quality that is noticeably unhealthy. If an untrained ear winces at tinny sound and deep-fried bass, it turns into tougher and tougher to even justify the purchase within the first place.

Is there a world the place ‘funds’ and ‘good sound’ land in the identical sentence, particularly with regards to over-ear headphones? I wasn’t so positive, till I donned the OneOdio Focus A6 headset. With the vacations developing, I’ve had loads of folks ask me for good tech reward suggestions on a funds, and I have been hesitant to ever name-drop a pair of headphones in that class. Nevertheless, these headphones are a powerful contender for a spot below the Christmas tree this 12 months — particularly at their lowest value ever for Black Friday.

I spent a few weeks (and airport journeys) with the OneOdio Focus A6 headphones, and here is what I believed.

3.5/5

Model

OneOdio

Battery Life

40 hours (ANC on), 75 hours (ANC off)

Bluetooth

6.0

These funds over-ear headphones provide nice sound and luxury, ANC, and each Bluetooth and wired connectivity at a surprisingly reasonably priced value level. 

Professionals & Cons

• Extremely low cost for the standard
• Fashionable and comfy
• Nice battery life

• Not very robust ANC
• Vocals take a again seat
• Might provide higher storage choices
• Annoying guide music controls

My first impression

Specs, really feel, and all that jazz

Proper out of the field, I believed these headphones had a high-quality look (and really feel). I opted for the clear Ivory Blush set, however additionally they are available a smooth Midnight Black with gold detailing. The plastic construct is silky easy and feels very premium, however I used to be shocked by how gentle they had been in my palms (240 grams). There’s detailed steel plating on the aspect of the ear cups that reveals off just a little persona, so long as you do not thoughts the shortage of a recognizable emblem, and an adjustable steel headband. Width-wise, they’re very versatile — imagine me, I stretched them fairly far to ensure.

The ear cup cushions are the identical materials that buffers the headscarf out of your head. It is a comfortable, squishy materials that has a good quantity of give and cheap bounce-back, and after sporting them for a full workday (after which some), I can confidently say they go the long-wear take a look at. The ear cups twist flat or fold in for simpler storage, although I want they got here with a carrying case (or perhaps a storage bag). Because of this, I opted to put on them round my neck by the airport as an alternative of stuffing them in my carry-on.

The headphones cost through USB-C, and a cable comes with the headphones. OneOdio guarantees a powerful 75 hours of battery life with ANC off and 40 hours with ANC on after a full cost (1.5 hours). Throughout my testing, I discovered this to be spot-on.

The precise ear cup options three buttons for energy, ANC mode, and quantity. There’s additionally the USB-C port for charging that you could additionally use to bodily join together with your telephone should you do not wish to go wi-fi. I like listening to lossless audio and have a tendency to ditch wi-fi rather a lot, so I actually favored this selection. The headphones additionally sport Transparency mode, Wind Noise Discount, and Wind-resistant Transparency mode that you could entry with the OneOdio companion app. The app features a Discover My Headphones characteristic that performs a quiet beep that will help you find them.

How do the OneOdio A6 Focus sound?

They might be funds, however they do not sound prefer it

They’re snug sufficient for all-day put on. Now, do they sound ok for all-day put on?

Beginning down low, the A6 have a powerful basis. Daft Punk’s underlying bass in Lose Your self to Dance is tight and managed, and punchier than I would count on from a pair of sub-$100 headphones, although not sufficient to rock my world. After I began swaying to Bon Iver’s Skinny Love, the vocals felt ahead, however as quickly because the tempo ramped up, they moved to sit down barely behind the combination. I discovered the identical end result with Taylor Swift’s Exile (one other Bon Iver characteristic, since they’re my favourite band to check the mids with).

Working it again a number of years, I wanted to get my palms on some cymbals to check the treble. I summoned Stevie Nicks (and Fleetwood Mac) to listen to Goals, and the cymbals had been shimmery, crispy, and outlined. I ended writing right here for a second as a result of the Fleetwood Mac rabbit gap will get me each time.

Again for my favourite tune take a look at, soundstage, I hit play on Innerbloom (What So Not Remix) by RÜFÜS DU SOL. I all the time select this tune for its layers, and particularly as a result of I’ve heard it from an precise stage so many occasions. The sound spreads vast out to the edges, however the depth was restricted till the bass drop. Then, the stable bass picked up a little bit of the slack from the mids division. Nevertheless, the bass drops weren’t highly effective sufficient within the headphones to crack that ethereal, RÜFÜS DU SOL smile throughout my face.

Would I hearken to my favourite DJ’s Sundown Set on YouTube for enjoyable with these? In all probability not. Would I put on all of them day at work and hold them on for a fast grocery retailer run? Sure, completely.

Within the ANC division, the cancellation felt barely extra beauty than practical. ANC mode minimize out the sound of my dishwasher, however not the high-pitched squeak of my dryer. In a crowded airport terminal, it did a mediocre job of canceling out ambient sound — although I might nonetheless hear the conversations round me. However for the worth, I wasn’t anticipating an excessive amount of extra, and was impressed with the extent I obtained.

What the OneOdio Focus A6 might do higher

Little, for the worth

For a $70 pair of headphones, the sound and luxury you are getting are greater than price it. However, the ANC may very well be significantly better. As well as, the microphone is likely to be okay in silence, however it’s method beneath par if I am attempting to take a name from a crowded sidewalk or espresso store. I’ve had a number of family and friends inform me they could not hear me very properly in any respect any time I took a name with these headphones on. Now, if I get an incoming name, I instantly disconnect the headphones and take it like regular — considerably inconvenient.

I additionally want that the headphones got here with a carrying case, and even only a material bag to guard them from scuffs and scratches. Now, for the way low cost they’re, I am not too involved about that situation. Nevertheless, I wish to shield the lovable Ivory Blush headset so long as I can. I additionally want that I might collapse each ear cups in just a little higher. One usually has to sit down greater up as an alternative of them folding up symmetrically.

Lastly, I do have one factor I hate: the controls. The three buttons on the fitting ear cup (ANC, Energy, and Quantity) have a management capablities, however it is not the intuitive faucet as soon as to pause, twice to skip, and thrice to return scenario. As an alternative, clicking the facility button pauses and performs, holding quantity up skips to the subsequent observe, and holding quantity down goes to the final observe. To not be frank, however I hate it.

Must you purchase the OneOdio Focus A6

Sure, particularly proper now

You are getting greater than what you pay for with these headphones. The sound is superb for a $70 pair of headphones, and principally freeway theft throughout Amazon’s Black Friday sale. They have been marked right down to $55, and now could be a greater time than ever to purchase them for your self or a buddy. I am already getting them for somebody in my household this Christmas, and as a tech editor who likes balling on a funds (not on the expense of high quality), I am feeling very assured with my selection.

These headphones are an incredible deal on or off sale, however they’re presently at their lowest value ever for Black Friday at $55.

3.5/5

Model

OneOdio

Battery Life

40 hours (ANC on), 75 hours (ANC off)

Bluetooth

6.0

These funds over-ear headphones provide nice sound and luxury, ANC, and each Bluetooth and wired connectivity at a surprisingly reasonably priced value level. 

Professionals & Cons

• Extremely low cost for the standard
• Fashionable and comfy
• Nice battery life

• Not very robust ANC
• Vocals take a again seat
• Might provide higher storage choices
• Annoying guide music controls

These headphones had been offered to Pocket-lint by OneOdio.