QCY H3S Bluetooth ANC Headphones
YouTube video review link at end of this article!
Hardware
- 8.6 ounces (Nothing - 11.8 ounces; XM5 - 9.4 ounces) or 243.81 grams [website says 240g]
- ~5.5cm earcups with ~14.5mm depth
- 40mm and 13mm dynamic drivers
- BT 6.0 with dual connection
- Hi-Res Audio Wireless with LDAC and wired via USB-C audio
- Up to 102 hours playtime; 58 hours with ANC
- 7 microphones with AI for clarity
- 56dB noise cancellation
- Game, movie and music modes
- 360-degree spatial sound
Introduction
When I first started using the headphones, I installed the app and was able to use it with the headphones. Something has happened since then as now I'm no longer able to connect the headphones to the app. I tried with two different devices and had no luck either way. The notification indicates that the H3S is available, but it nevertheless will not connect to them. I'm not sure if an update to the app caused the issue. Fortunately, you are able to control most of the key features using the buttons on the headphones, so let's start there.
Controls
The headphones have a tiny button for pairing and for powering on and off.
Above that is a larger button that is labeled "ANC" and it does in fact control the ambient settings. You can cycle through ANC on, ANC off, and ambient sound on. Below the tiny button is a volume rocker. Between the ANC and tiny button is a LED to indicate that the headphones are turned on (or off if the light isn't flashing). Below the volume rocker is a microphone port and next to that is the USB C port, which can be used both for power and for audio. It is somewhat embarrassing that these headphones support USB audio when much more expensive headphones do not. What you miss without the app is the ability to change modes as the headphones support game, movie and music modes; the ability to alter sound using EQ presets, and the option to update the firmware when applicable.
Features - ANC
Since I can't currently adequately cover features available only in the app, I will stick to what is available with the headphones themselves. This boils down to active noise cancellation and ambient sound. The noise cancelling is solid for continuous low noise like air conditioners and heaters. With music playing, you won't hear most of your surroundings. But if no audio is playing, you can clearly hear the sound of typing and higher pitched noises. Voices will come through pretty clearly as well, but everything is muted a bit. With ANC off, you get back more of the noise of your surroundings, but it is still much more muted than the ambient sound mode, which does a pretty good job of giving you sound levels that are very similar to not having the headphones on. It doesn't sound particularly hissy in any mode, and that's really good at this price point. It's similar to what you get from earphones at twice this price. There are no special features like covering the earcups to enable ambient mode or removing the headphones to stop your audio. These are fairly basic headphones and that is to be expected in this budget price range.
Sound and Microphone
Over Bluetooth, the headphones have a bit of a bass emphasis out of the box, but I didn't find it to be problematic. I compared them against my Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Nothing Headphone 1. I've toned down the bass on the XM5 and Headphone 1 a bit for my regular wear, so the H3S are a bit bassier. If you can get the app to work and you find them to be too bassy, you can adjust that. In terms of overall sound, the XM5 and H3S are pretty similar. The mids are a bit recessed on both, so the Nothing (with the DMS/LTT preset) has more present midrange and a bit better clarity. The XM5 also has a bit better clarity and articulation, but it's the kind of better that is only noticeable when you're paying close attention. The bass on the H3S muddies things up a bit more, but it's not obnoxious. The out-of-the-box sound for H3S is very mainstream and offers good enough clarity and detail that I really can't fault it, especially at this price range. The XM5 clearly excels over the H3S in terms of noise cancellation, but its sound isn't really worlds better. And while the Nothing don't necessarily sound worlds better out of the box, they do have an excellent EQ system that allows not only for creating your own EQ presets but installing those that others have created. If you're into that kind of thing, it can be fun. But if you're the type that puts on headphones and goes on with your day, the H3S really offers most of what you need.
For a sense of what these drivers sound like without alteration, plug them in. Via USB, the bass emphasis goes away and the headphones sound much more balanced. The midrange is better represented as the bass is no longer overshadowing them. I did lose a little bit of volume as well. It reminds me a lot of the old days of plugging Bluetooth headphones into a 3.5mm audio jack. I found most of the time that the headphones would sound quite different and you'd have to turn them up a bit to get the same volume level. That is the case here. It's an option that if you prefer using your headphones wired, that you'd get a less bassy sound profile using them over USB. But if you want to tweak the sound, you'll have to use them via Bluetooth or find a good EQ solution for your music app (I love SpotEQ - free plug, they are not paying me and don't even know I exist). I was shopping for Bluetooth ANC headphones to buy as a gift, but I wanted them to have USB audio capability. I was really disappointed at how difficult this was to achieve. It's really remarkable that these headphones work over USB. Kudos to QCY on this feature.
The microphone reduces noise fairly well but also unfortunately reduces the sound of your voice in the process. It's fine for use in a quiet room or with some background noise but isn't optimal for windy conditions.
Aesthetics
The headphones aren't terribly heavy; they're lighter than the Sony WH-1000XM5 or the Nothing Headphone 1. They do have larger earcups than either of those models; so you do get more of the Princess Leia look from these. They come in black, white, and gray. I have the gray version but I must say it comes across more as greige than anything else. Nevertheless, it's a nice change of pace from all the black headphones I have in my collection. I don't have extra-large ears and didn't find the inside of the earcups to be uncomfortable, but they can get warm and since I'm noticing this in the midst of a Midwest USA winter, keep that in mind for warmer climates. Earcup depth on the Nothing Headphone 1 is a bit deeper and the depth on the XM5 is a bit shallower. I have a fairly small head (when measuring from top to bottom) and the headphones are able to fit my head without issues. The headband has decent padding and isn't uncomfortable even after a few hours of wear. The top of the headband has a semi-brushed metallic finish that resists fingerprints a bit better than a shiny finish would.
There are hinges that allow the headphones to completely collapse into themselves for easier packing. The inside of the earcups has labels 'L' and 'R' for easy identification but there are no bumps on the body for making this determination by feel nor is there a red indicator on the outside of the right earcup for quick visual clue.
You'll have to remember that the buttons are on the right side if you don't want to look inside the earcups.
Other Notes
The headphones do not come with a bag or carrying case, so if you intend to use these for travel you may want to invest in protection of some kind since they are made almost entirely of plastic and might therefore be prone to be easily damaged. I took them on my Christmas road trip and kept them in a pouch I got with another pair of headphones and they were fine, but I'd want something better for air travel.
The headphones do not offer any type of ingress protection from dust or water, so these might not be the best for outdoor use or for exercise. Bluetooth range is pretty good; I was able to use them in my basement while fetching my laundry and to go outside and check the mail. I had a little bit of breakup as I headed downstairs, but the connection remained solid once I'd gotten fully into the basement. I didn't have any connections issues while I remained on the same floor as the connected device. I'd therefore consider Bluetooth range to be just slightly above average.
Even considering the potential issues with the app, I'd say that if you are looking for an inexpensive pair of Bluetooth wireless headphones that will reduce the sound of steady state noise and have solid audio performance and you aren't fussed about customizing sound, these are worth a look/listen. Solid sound and average ANC performance plus the ability to use them over USB C puts them above many pairs of headphones with higher prices. And if the app works for you, you get the extra ability to tweak EQ and modify sound modes.
$40-50
www.qcy.com/products/qcy-h3s
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YouTube review:
