As I mentioned in the comments on Zeos’s mPow H12 review, I purchased a small boatload of cheap Bluetooth ANC headphones just to be able to compare side by side, as I had a need for a pair and didn’t want to break the bank.
Caveat: I have not owned bluetooth ANC headphones, and have never heard the high-end Sony or Bose models, so the comparison is limited to this group.
I did fark up slightly, as Amazon’s WONDERFUL search algorithm put several non ANC models in my results for “bluetooth noise canceling headphones” and I didn’t pay close enough attention before ordering. So the number of headphones compared is 7 rather than 9.
I rated the headphones from 0 to 10 on various criteria:
- Packaging
- Build quality
- Comfort
- Isolation - ANC off. No music playing, just how well does it diminish ambient noise.
- Isolation - ANC on. Ditto.
- Sound quality - ANC off
- Sound quality - ANC on
Note that the highest point total doesn’t necessarily win out, in my opinion, as not all factors are equal, and also cost must be taken into consideration.
Some general comments:
Perhaps I had unrealistic expectations, not having used ANC headphones before, as the noise canceling aspect really only worked against certain frequencies or types of noise. They did a good job against low-frequency noise or hum, which I guess is expected as these have been marketed for drowning out engine and road noise, etc. But they really don’t do a good job canceling out ambient music, talking, or other sounds across the higher frequencies or that are very variable in frequency range.
Perhaps the results are different with high-end ANC headphones, but we’re talking about a completely different cost tier. The most expensive headphones in my group was $129.99, less than half of what the premier ANC headphones cost, and most were well below $100.
For most of the headphones, listening to music with vs. without ANC was a dramatic difference in quality, timbre, etc. Huge. In some cases it seemed like the frequency response was better with the ANC off, especially bass… but then there was a tendency to become boomy/bloated.
None of these are going to be even remotely “endgame”. For in-office/home listing I still greatly prefer my Takstar HF-580, Monolith m570, and Sennheiser 58X. No, these are intended to be a portable, isolating compromise used on the go, not for critical listening.
In alphabetical order:
Boltune.
Cost: $39.99
Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PJK73L8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Packaging: 6
Build quality: 7
Comfort: 8
Isolation (ANC off): 5
Isolation (ANC on): 6
Sound quality (ANC off): 3
Sound quality (ANC on): 5
Total: 40
Comments: Probably the worst sound quality of the bunch, or close to it. Boomy bass and rolled off highs. Did not enjoy at all.
Cowin E7 Pro
Cost: $69.99
Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077YG22Y9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Packaging: 6
Build quality: 6
Comfort: 6
Isolation (ANC off): 4
Isolation (ANC on): 5
Sound quality (ANC off): 4
Sound quality (ANC on): 5
Total: 36
Comments: The Cowin and Meidong are clones, presumably from the same Chinese OEM, even down to the boxes colors and inks. The only difference is the text on the boxes. The structure of the headphones as well as the control layouts are identical, only surface textures, colors, and trim being the same.
They both suffer from the same horrific controls and layout, which I loathed, and the same V-shaped sound signature: harsh treble and loud bass. If you’re going thinking about buying Cowin, just buy Meidong, as it’s the same thing (in general) just $20 cheaper. Also, no voice prompts when you power on or off, or are pairing, just beeps.
Cowin E8
Cost: $129.99
Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C6CC7TJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Packaging: 8
Build quality: 8
Comfort: 6
Isolation (ANC off): 6
Isolation (ANC on): 7
Sound quality (ANC off): 6
Sound quality (ANC on): 8
Total: 49
Comments: These had the highest point total of the group, which you would expect, as they were almost double the cost of the next highest cost headphones. The best manufacturing quality and appearance of the group, and didn’t share the same control layout as the lower Cowin models, and it does have voice prompts. Second-highest sound quality of the group. Comfort was good, but penalized by the fact they were so darned heavy. Too heavy for a portable set of headphones IMO. Also, per specs, the shortest battery life of the group. So while the point total was the highest, given the cost premium, they wouldn’t be my pick of the bunch.
Meidong E7
Cost: $38.75
Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FTFK7QC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Packaging: 4
Build quality: 5
Comfort: 5
Isolation (ANC off): 4
Isolation (ANC on): 5
Sound quality (ANC off): 4
Sound quality (ANC on): 4
Total: 31
Comments: Worst of the bunch with respect to manufacture and comfort. All the comments of the Cowin E7 Pro apply, just worse. If you’re budget-inclined, skip these and pay the $9 more for the Meidong E7 Pro… but you shouldn’t buy those either.
Meidong E7 Pro
Cost: $47.20
Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QKYB915/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Packaging: 6
Build quality: 6
Comfort: 6
Isolation (ANC off): 4
Isolation (ANC on): 5
Sound quality (ANC off): 4
Sound quality (ANC on): 5
Total: 36
Comments: See exact same as Cowin E7 Pro, just cheaper.
mPow H12
Cost: $43.99 (currently… bounces around in price a LOT)
Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RXXJ8YD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Packaging: 4
Build quality: 6
Comfort: 8
Isolation (ANC off): 6
Isolation (ANC on): 8
Sound quality (ANC off): 6
Sound quality (ANC on): 9
Total: 47
Comments: Cutting to the chase: these were the best overall compromise of the group. Decent isolation, light, comfortable, and most detailed sound in the group. Treble was strong without being harsh. I penalized them in the build quality score because I HATE the rubberized texture. That is going to be a fingerprint oil magnet over time.
While the Cowin E8 and Utaxo had better manufacturing quality and appearance, their sound scores let them down.
Utaxo
Cost: $49.99
Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VL21V9M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Packaging: 8
Build quality: 9
Comfort: 7
Isolation (ANC off): 7
Isolation (ANC on): 7
Sound quality (ANC off): 3
Sound quality (ANC on): 6
Total: 46
Comments: When I took these out of the box, I really had high hopes for these. Sturdiest manufacture of the bunch, great looks, excellent comfort… but MAN, was I disappointed in the sound. Boomy, bloated bass, with hardly any detail. Epic FAIL.
So that’s my take on this group. I’ll be curious to hear Zeos’s take on the H21 to see whether that brings anything to the table compared to the H12.