When it comes to listening to music on the go, the two most popular options are earbuds and over-ear headphones. It’s no secret that earbuds have the advantage of being incredibly lightweight, which makes them great for music enthusiasts that are always out and about. However, for music lovers who want a truly immersive listening experience, over-ear headphones are by far the better choice. While they’re somewhat bulkier than earbuds, over-ear headphones can offer users a superior sound quality and a much better noise isolation. That goes especially for times when you’re traveling in airplanes, buses and trains, for which some headphones models feature Active Noise Cancelling, which helps reduce the incessant noise that makes travel so tiresome. Furthermore, over-ear headphones are also significantly more comfortable to wear in comparison to earbuds, more so when wearing them for long periods of time. For those looking for a new pair of over-ear headphones that can offer a great sound quality, are comfortable to wear, and attainable at an affordable price, the QCY H3 are your go-to choice.
The QCY H3 are third-generation over-ear wireless headphones equipped with soft synthetic leather ear pads cushioned with slow spring memory foam that make them comfortable to wear for an extended time. They feature exceptional 360º cinema-grade 3D sound quality powered by a set of custom oversized 40mm complex dynamic drivers which are engineered to produce Hi-Res Audio for an immersive listening experience, Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling technology powered by advanced beamforming microphones for reducing background noises with 4 ANC modes to choose from, including lndoor, Commuting, Boosted/Outdoor and Anti-wind-noise modes, along with a Transparency mode for listening to your surroundings, Bimodal Ear Canal Adaptive technology for audio compensation, and support to voice calls with clear quality. They also integrate built-in touch controls, plus AUX connectivity via a 3.5 mm port for a wired connection to get lossless Hi-Res audio and save battery. They also boast Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity, support to Multi-point connectivity for pairing with two devices at once, a low-latency mode for gaming, an ultra-long battery life that can last up to 60 hours, support to USB-C charging, and in-app controls via the QCY APP, through which you’re offered easy device pairing and swapping, button customization for custom touch controls, a Custom EQ for fine-tuning their audio to your personal preferences, and customizable noise-cancelling level.
By combining all of these features, these third-generation over-ear wireless headphones can deliver an exceptional audio quality that noticeably surpasses CD standards, meaning you can expect to get true-to-life sound for music listening along with a crystal-clear quality for voice calls.
Below you can find our hands-on review of the QCY H3, where we discuss in detail the many cool features these over-ear wireless headphones have to offer you.
DESIGN & SPECS
Starting with the headphones’ size, know that the QCY H3 have a compact size, measuring just 6.3 inches long by 3.21 inches wide by 7.82 inches tall (160.2 x 81.7 x 198.8 mm). These headphones also feature a foldable design, for which they integrate 90° swiveling earcups, which enhances their portability and also facilitates their storage when you’re not using them. Plus, they’re also quite lightweight, weighing only 0.58 lbs. (263 g).
On top of their portability, these over-ear headphones are also designed with a user’s comfort in mind, as they come equipped with soft ear pads built of protein synthetic leather, which provides users with advanced ventilation while wearing them. Their ear pads are also cushioned with slow spring memory foam, which allows the headphones earcups to gently mold themselves around a user’s ears to ensure optimal comfort, even when worn for long periods of time.
In addition, the headphones also come equipped with a flexible adjustable headband that further helps users to achieve a comfortable and fatigue-free listening experience.
As for their aesthetic, the QCY H3 sport a sleek and modern design. They come in a single solid color that gives them a sophisticated, yet still very discreet appearance when worn. Their minimalist aesthetic also makes them easy to match with almost any outfit.
For our review unit, we received the Black color model, which is the color of choice for most clothing styles (but they’re also available in White and Royal Blue).
Moreover, these over-ear headphones also pack a high-quality construction, which gives them great durability for everyday use.
AUDIO SPECS & AUDIO QUALITY
Moving on to the headphones’ audio specifications and audio quality. For reproducing their 360º cinema-grade high-definition 3D sound quality powered, the QCY H3 come equipped with a set of custom oversized 40mm complex dynamic drivers which are engineered to produce exceptional Hi-Res Audio, which makes them capable of delivering an immersive listening experience.
Their 40mm dynamic drivers can produce a clear and bright sound that has a crystal-clear treble (high-frequency sounds), rich mids (mid-frequency sounds), and a strong, powerful bass.
The headphones’ 40mm drivers are rated to have a Frequency Response range of 40KHz, revealing an impressive sound quality beyond CD-level that helps create an atmospheric cinema audio in which every audio sound detail is noticeable.
Lastly, each earcup also comes integrated with a set of three (x3) advanced beamforming microphones (composed by a feedback, a feedforward, and a standard microphone that are used for their Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling and voice calls functions, for which those microphones leverage an intelligent VDCNN neural network algorithm, making them capable of dynamically adapting to different noise environments while simultaneously providing clear voice quality for natural conversations both indoors and outdoors.
Notable Audio Features
Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling
On top of their cinema-grade 3D sound quality, the QCY H3 also feature Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling, which effectively reduces background noises down to just 43dB without affecting the audio quality whatsoever, enabling users to listen and immerse themselves in their music while significantly lowering unwanted sounds from their surroundings (like airplane engine or car noises).
4 ANC Modes
The headphones’ Hybrid ANC function also features four (x4) different ANC modes, allowing users to adapt the headphones’ noise cancellation capabilities to different environments and ultimately deliver a balance between noise isolation and sound quality, depending on their surrounding environment.
Those modes include an lndoor mode (for offices, libraries and cafes), a Commuting mode (for buses, subways, trains, and airplanes), a Boosted/Outdoor mode (for shopping malls and outdoors environments), and an Anti-wind-noise mode (for outdoors activities where you’re expecting to face wind-resistance such as bike riding, running, etc.).
Transparency Mode
Additionally, there’s also a Transparency mode that can be enabled for listening to your surroundings, allowing users to listen to conversations without
Bimodal Ear Canal Adaptive Technology
What’s more is that these over-ear headphones also leverage up-to-date Bimodal Ear Canal Adaptive Technology for audio compensation and audio enhancements. This technology specifically enables the headphones to detect a user’s ear-canal structure and the way each person wears them, consequently allowing the headphones to create exclusive noise canceling parameters to revise audio curve and ultimately deliver same premium listening experience to different users.
INTERFACE / BUILT-IN CONTROLS
For controlling the headphones’ different functionalities, the QCY H3 come equipped with built-in touch controls that are integrated on the back side of each earcup, providing users with a straightforward operation.
Located at the front side of the headphones’ right earcup, there’s an ANC button, followed by their dedicated USB-C charging port, which is then followed by a 3.5 mm port (which can be used for a wired connection to get lossless Hi-Res audio and also save battery).
Then, integrated at back side of the right ear cup, there’s an MFB (mulfi-functional) button and a Volume Increase/Decrease switch.
Pressing the ANC button once allows users to turn their ANC On and cycle between the different ANC modes, as well as turning their ANC Off, and also enabling their Transparency Mode, while double pressing that same button allows users to turn On their adaptive ANC function.
Pressing and holding their MFB button for 2-4 seconds turns on the headphones’ power, while pressing once allows users to Play/Pause the current soundtrack. Pressing their MFB button twice lets users turn on the headphones’ low-latency mode for mobile gaming at a low latency, while pressing it three times enables your smartphones’ Voice Assistant.
For the headphones’ call controls, pressing their Multi-function button once allows users to Answer/End an incoming call, while pressing and holding it for 1 second lets users Ignore a call.
Pressing the headphones’ Volume Increase/Decrease switch up or down allows users to respectively increase or decrease the volume level, while pressing and holding the Increase or Decrease buttons for 1 second lets users respectively skip to the Next or Previous Track.
Finally, pressing and holding both Volume buttons at the same time for a total of 10 seconds allows users to reset the headphones back to their factory settings.
Note that to have the headphones reproducing a Hi-Res Audio, a wired connection via their 3.5mm AUX port is required.
CONNECTIVITY
For their wireless connectivity, these over-ear headphones utilize Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity, featuring support for A2DP, AVRCP and HFP Bluetooth profiles.
In addition, the headphones also feature support to Multi-point connectivity, which allows users to pair them with two Bluetooth-enabled devices simultaneously, enabling you to listen to content playing on your PC, laptop or smart TV, while also letting you answer calls on your smartphone without having to switch between devices.
Best of all, these headphones also boast a low-latency mode for gaming, for which their Bluetooth connectivity operates at a very small latency of just 0.068s.
BATTERY & BATTERY LIFE
For their power, the QCY H3 come equipped with a 500mAh Lithium-Ion battery that offers users up to 60 hours of battery life (when having the headphones’ ANC turned Off), or an average of 35 hours of battery (when having their ANC On). The headphones’ battery is rated to have around 300 to 350 hours of standby time on a full charge.
To recharge their battery, the headphones support USB-C charging, meaning you simply have to connect their USB-C charging cable to their USB-C charging ports. It takes approximately 2 hours for the headphones’ battery to recharge from 0% back to 100% power.
THE SMARTPHONE COMPANION APP – The QCY App
Users can also install the QCY App on their smartphones (available to download for free for iOS and Android devices) to configure the headphones’ sound and control settings.
Via the QCY APP, users are provided with an easy way for pairing the headphones with other Bluetooth-enabled devices and swapping between them, and also a remote way to enable and disable the headphones’ ANC and Transparency modes.
Moreover, the QCY APP also offers users button customization for the headphones’ custom touch controls, along with a Custom EQ for fine-tuning the headphones’ audio profile to your personal preferences, and a customizable noise-cancelling level to perform in-depth adjustments for their ANC function.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
Inside their package, users will find: their QCY H3 Headphones, along with the headphones’ USB-C charging cable, plus an AUX cable, and also a User Manual.
FINAL THOUGHTS
All in all, these over-ear wireless headphones are great for listening to music on the go. They’re comfortable to wear and also deliver a very high-quality audio, allowing you to have a truly immersive listening experience at any time, no matter if you’re commuting, traveling, relaxing, at work, or even working out.
The QCY H3 Over-Ear Wireless Headphones are currently available in three stylish color options: Black, White and Royal Blue.
If you’re interested in purchasing them, know that each pair is priced at just $49.99. You can order them online either directly from QCY’s official shopping page, or you can order them from Amazon instead.
