These $40 headphones have no business sounding this good (and they look great, too)

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The QCY H3 headphones are available on Amazon for $40 at the time of writing.
• You’d be hard-pressed to find a better-sounding pair of headphones at this price.
• The H3 headphones don’t include a 1/4″ adapter for the wired connection and the sound isn’t nearly as good with ANC off.

When I receive headphones to review from companies I’ve never heard of, my immediate response is to doubt that they can hold their own. I love it when I’m wrong, especially when a pair of cans are rock-bottom cheap.

View at Amazon

Such was the case when I received the QCY H3 headphones. 

Also: I gave these $79 headphones a second chance, and they surprised me in the best way

When I opened the box, I thought, “Okay, these don’t look, bad but how good can a pair of $40 headphones sound?” The answer to that question is “very good”.

The specs

• 40mm diaphragm drivers with a frequency range of up to 40 kHz (no indication on the bottom end)
• Sensitivity – 99 dB
• Bluetooth 5.4 with up to 50 feet of range
• Audio latency – 68 milliseconds
• Hi-Res Audio (requires a device that supports the feature)
• Hybrid Active Noise Cancelation (ANC) to reduce environmental noise by 90%
• Wired and wireless connectivity
• Multi-point connectivity for up to two devices
• Controller type – Button
• Weight – 9.2 ounces
• Battery – 60 hours of playtime with ANC off

My experience

For my usual test, I connected the H3 headphones to my Pixel 8 Pro, opened Spotify, and cranked up Rush’s album “Signals”.

My immediate reaction was, “No way.” I didn’t install the QCY app to customize the sound. My preference for reviews is to hear what the manufacturer intended. The sound these inexpensive headphones produce is rich. Although these cans aren’t studio-quality, the sound doesn’t come off as overly processed. Sure, you can tell there’s some alteration, but the overall blend is smooth and dimensional.

Also: I test dozens of headphones a year, and these might be the best ones under $100

For “Signals”, Geddy Lee’s bass was so present I felt as if I could pluck the strings of his Rickenbacker and Neil Peart’s cymbals were distinct and crisp. Alex Lifeson’s guitar sounds great (he’s my favorite guitarist). 

For soundstage (the ability to close your eyes and picture where each instrumentalist or singer is), the H3s tend toward the narrow, so most sound seems to come right in front of you. There is some separation, but it’s not nearly as pronounced as more expensive devices. That’s to be expected from a pair of headphones costing less than $50 and I can certainly forgive the H3s because the sound is still stunning. 

I decided to switch genres and listen to Sleep Token’s “Are You Really Okay?”. The sound was just mellow enough to give the song a bit of extra dimension. Just as the chorus hits, there’s a rumble you don’t get with earbuds and it’s exactly what the song needs. When the drums come in, you get the right amount of kick without the sound feeling overbearing. This song never fails to pull me in — and with the H3s, that pull is even harder.

Also: I’m an audiophile, and these $150 headphones had me fooled

Next came one of my favorite choral pieces, “The Road Home” by Stephen Paulus. Healing the unison breath of the singers between phrases makes me smile. This song is a nice way to test a pair of headphones and their ability to separate voices. The H3s did a great job.

I decided to dip into a bit of Van Halen (because I’ve always appreciated how well their albums are mastered). I opted to go with For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge’s “Poundcake” and “Spanked”. The H3s were able to handle the highs and lows of both songs spectacularly for a $43 pair of cans (and Van Halen are notorious for a specific EQ curve with their songs that includes lots of lows, not much in the mids, and plenty of highs).

As far as the ANC is concerned, I cannot imagine listening to these headphones without it. The ANC is great at blocking out sound and the Off and Passthrough modes degrade the sound quality considerably.

The only nits I can pick are that the 3.5mm cable should come with a ¼” adapter because most phones don’t even have a headphone jack and most stereo receivers are ¼”. I would have loved to plug these cans into my system and hear my turntable through them. However, I couldn’t find an adapter in my mound of audio cables and connectors. Note to self: buy one.

ZDNET’s buying advice

Seriously, if you want a pair of comfortable headphones that deliver sound way above their price, you could do a whole lot worse than the QCY H3 headphones. Even without using an app to customize the EQ, these headphones will make your music come to life with a blended balance of lows, mids, and highs. These cans might not be audiophile-grade, but you could be fooled into thinking they come from a company like Beyerdynamic, Audio Technica, Dennon, or Sennheiser — and that’s high praise. 

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