When it comes to noise canceling headphones, it's hard to beat the Sony WH-1000XM4. These Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) boxes are so good that they top many of our best lists, including the best headphones, the best noise canceling headphones, and the best wireless headphones. But as great as the XM4, at $ 348, they are not quite affordable. So we went looking for wireless ANC headphones that do most of what the XM4 can do, but for a lot less parts.
We found three great alternatives: the $ 50 Wyze Headphones, the $ 60 Tribit QuietPlus 72and the $ 80 Soundcore Life Q30.
Each is a set of black on-ear wireless headphones with active noise cancellation and Bluetooth multipoint (for connecting two devices simultaneously) and USB-C charging, but that's where the similarity ends. How do they work? Let's check them out.
Soundcore Life Q30
Let's start at the top of the price range. Soundcore may not have Sony's credibility as a brand when it comes to personal audio, but the Anker-owned division is quickly making gains. We've been very impressed with the company's true wireless offerings like the Liberty 2 Pro and Liberty Air 2 Pro, and the Life Q30 has a lot to recommend them as well.
They have a fold-down and fold-flat design which is identical to the Sony WH-1000XM4 and they come in their own zippered carrying case, complete with a charging cable and a 3.5mm analog cable.
Although all three headphones are very light, weighing less than 10 ounces, the Life Q30 is the lightest at 9.3 ounces - only 0.3 ounces more than the XM4. They have well-padded and comfortably shaped ear cushions and a sleek metal headband that offers more tuning stroke than any other model, including the Sonys.
The Life Q30s are also the leaders of the pack in terms of endurance. Their 40 hour battery will run for 60 hours if you turn ANC off - miles ahead of other models. Equally impressive is the fast charge feature which adds four hours of life for just five minutes of charging time.
The sound quality is excellent, with a warm but balanced signature. There's plenty of bass, but it's understated and never overwhelms the mids and highs. With the exception of some mud that creeps into the mids, they're beautifully clear. You can adjust their equalizer to your personal preference through the Soundcore app.
The Life Q30 is the only model (other than the XM4) that claims to be compatible with high resolution audio when used with a wired connection and when connected to a high resolution player like the Astell & Kern SR25, they sound much better than our other two suitors.
Noise cancellation isn't as good as the XM4 - it's no surprise at this price - but the Soundcore app gives a lot of control over ANC, including Indoor, Outdoor, and Transport modes - which is. similar to what you get in the Sony headphones app. The result is a very good reduction in exterior noise.
The Life Q30 also borrows Sony's trick of initiating a talk mode when you cover the right earpiece with your hand. Unlike the XM4, this mode remains active until you repeat the gesture. The talk mode and selectable transparency modes do a good job of letting you hear the world around you.
Advantages:
- Excellent battery life
- Comfortable
- Very good sound quality
- Very good ANC
- Application-based EQ and ANC adjustments
- Instant conversation mode
- Carry case included
The inconvenients:
Tribit QuietPlus 72
Like the Life Q30 and the Wyze headphones, the QuietPlus 72 uses a foldable and fold-flat design. Unlike these other models, when you wear the QuietPlus 72 around your neck, the ear cups are upside down with the ear cushions facing out. Tribit includes a zippered carrying case, charging cable and 3.5mm analog cable.
Both the headband and the ear pads are very comfortable, but those with small heads may want to choose a different model. Even at its smallest size, the headband turned out to be too big for me, positioning the bottom of the headphones well below the bottom of my ears.
The battery life is very good up to 30 hours, but there is no fast charge feature and Tribit makes no claims about how long you will get if you leave ANC off.
The sound quality of the QuietPlus 72 is good. The EQ is very balanced and the highs are surprisingly precise for headphones in this price range. The soundstage is narrower than the Life Q30 and Wyze models. Tribit doesn't offer a mobile app, so there's no way to adjust its frequency response.
Oddly enough, the QuietPlus 72's ANC mode makes a big difference in bass response. When turned off, the bass is pale and struggling to make itself felt. Turn on ANC and it's like waking up the low end; suddenly everything balances out. This is especially evident when using the wired connection.
The ANC on the QuietPlus 72 is not adjustable - it's on or off and you engage with a dedicated switch on the right earbud. The advantage of this arrangement is that you can enjoy ANC without activating Bluetooth, giving you the calm you are looking for even when you are not playing music. Engaging ANC certainly helps reduce outside sounds, but it's not as effective as the Life Q30. A major drawback, however, is the lack of a transparency mode.
Advantages:
- Good autonomy
- Comfortable
- Good sound quality
- ANC can be used alone
- Carry case included
The inconvenients:
- Low bass without ANC mode
- No transparency mode
- Too big for small heads
- No automatic pause
- No app for EQ settings
Wyze Headphones
The Wyze headphones are the first audio product from a company that is best known for its wireless security cameras. Their price tag of $ 50 is insanely low, but what's more surprising is how good they are considering Wyze's affordable price.
The design and build is just as good as Sony's and I think the unilateral, elegantly curved headphone pivots look gorgeous. They fold and fold flat, and the hinges articulate smoothly. They look and operate like they cost $ 200, not $ 50.
The ear pads are bigger and better padded than the Soundcore or Tribit, and I've found them more comfortable for long sessions.
But Wyze had to find a way to save in other areas, so these headphones come with a protective pouch, not a carrying case. A USB charging cable and a 3.5mm analog cable are also included. Battery life, at 20 hours, is also the lowest of our three contenders, but it's worth keeping in mind that the $ 380 Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 and Apple's AirPods Max at $ 549 doesn't offer more than that. A quick charge gives you four hours of use after 10 minutes of charging.
The sound quality of the Wyze headphones is great for $ 50, but it's not quite in the same league as the Life Q30. Bass is good, but doesn't deliver that ultra meaty low end you expect when going up slopes like the Black Eyed Peas Boom Boom Pow. It is not that precise. You should also be aware that these cans like to be played relatively loud. At 50% volume or less, things are muffled. Run them higher and they work a lot better.
But, again, for the price, I think they're superb. Wyze even provides its own smartphone app so you can change EQ, perform firmware updates, and customize certain features such as voice assistant access. Speaking of which, they are the only model among the three compatible with Amazon Alexa besides your phone's native assistant.
ANC works well, with two different levels to choose from, plus a transparency mode. You can toggle between maximum ANC and transparency using the dedicated button on the left ear cup, but strangely, you can only access average ANC mode from within the Wyze app.
Like the XM4 and Life Q30, you can initiate a talk mode by holding the earpiece upright with your hand. It instantly mutes your music and switches to transparency. Let go and you are back to normal in the blink of an eye.
That's a feature I wouldn't normally expect on headphones at this price point, but then again, auto-pause isn't either and yet the Wyze headphones have it too. That's insane when you consider that Sony just added this feature to the XM4 - the XM3, which sold for the same price, didn't have it.
Finally, I must point out that the Wyze instantly turns on or off when you press the power button. Virtually every other wireless headset I've tried requires long presses of two to three seconds to perform either function.
Advantages:
- Incredible price
- Superb design and construction
- Very comfortable
- Auto-pause wear sensors
- Good ANC and transparency
- Good sound quality
- Instant conversation mode
- App for equalization and control settings
The inconvenients:
- No carrying case
- Shorter battery life
Verdict
Although none of these ANC headphones reproduce the Sony WH-1000XM4 the whole experience, depending on the features that matter most to you, it is possible to get really close and save a lot of money.
- Is a carrying case important? the Soundcore Life Q30 and Tribit QuietPlus 72 both come with sturdy zippered cases.
- Is sound quality your biggest concern? the Soundcore Life Q30 has a wider frequency response and the best bass of the bunch.
- Need a lot of autonomy? Once again, the Soundcore Life Q30 is the winner.
- Are you looking for the best value for money? the Wyze Headphones are amazing value with more features than the rest.
- Those who like the idea of using their ANC headphones just for peace and quiet will appreciate the Tribit QuietPlus 72independent ANC switch, and their sound quality is also very good.
Editor's recommendations
https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/sony-wh-1000xm4-alternatives-under-100-dollars/
