At ZDNET, we believe that purchasing a pair of headphones is a very personal choice, and that your specific listening needs should dictate your purchasing decisions.
So our goal is to show you what other options are available to you, as there are plenty out there outside of the big names like Sony, Bose, and Apple. If you’re short on cash for your next headset and want to know what a hundred dollars can get you in the world of consumer headsets, let me introduce you to the Monoprice BT-600ANC.
And here’s an important fact about Monoprice: The company sells generic brand products, which means its devices are free of all the flashy marketing hoopla and celebrity ad campaigns. It’s like buying Ibuprofen instead of Advil.
The three takeaways from the Monoprice BT-600ANC headphones
- These are excellent headphones at a low price, with everything a casual listener could need for a hundred bucks. It is possible, at the time of this writing, to order it online from the United States at the price of 76 euros, excluding shipping costs of 33 euros).
- Touch controls, attractive design, access to aptX Bluetooth codecs, Bluetooth multipoint and impressive noise reduction (ANC) make this headset a real steal.
- However, since there’s no companion app, you have to make do with the out-of-the-box audio.
Performance comparable to more expensive headsets
Now let’s talk about what you’re looking for: The BT-600 delivers as good sound as you can get for a hundred bucks. Its 40mm dynamic drivers handle powerful, punchy low frequencies incredibly well, putting you in the groove with ease. However, its affordability starts to show when you inspect the mids.
When I listened Got Me Started by Troye Sivan, I found the vocals weren’t as clear or full-bodied as I would have liked. If you have a discerning ear, you won’t be obsessed with the sound quality of the BT-600, but these headphones are certainly suitable for casual listeners, and that’s not bad enough, right?
In fact, songs that are less vocally demanding and more instrumental, like Satellite by Harry Styles, look fantastic. The sound of the BT-600 is transparent, warm and very pleasant. It’s common for headphones to sound better or worse depending on the kind of music you listen to, and this one is no different in that regard.
Deep, soft pads
The BT-600’s deep, plush ear cushions and comfortable headband add to its build quality. You don’t often find this treatment in this price range. I found this headset very comfortable to wear, as Monoprice did not skimp on the ear cushions, while ensuring that they remained light and breathable.
Design-wise, the headset resembles Sony’s WH-1000XM4, and Monoprice has equipped the right shell with touch controls for manipulating volume, accepting or declining calls, and playing or pausing your music.
I was pleasantly surprised that Monoprice covers the flat edge of the earcups, where the touch controls are, with polyurethane leather. The PU leather absorbs the noise your fingers make when tapping the earpiece.
Image: Jada Jones/ZDNET.
BT-600 performance is comparable to Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Sony WH-1000XM5 and Apple AirPods Max
The BT-600 is able to effectively reduce noise as I would have hoped from the term ANC included in its name. The work is so well done that you will feel like you didn’t pay enough for this headset.
The performance of the BT-600, dare I say it, is comparable to the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Sony WH-1000XM5, and Apple AirPods Max, all of which are much more expensive and our top picks for noise-canceling headphones. I also didn’t expect these headphones to stand on par with the others, but I was pleasantly surprised.
When ANC is turned on, conversation sounds are muted and you have near-total protection from ambient noise, such as keyboard and mouse clicks or the engine of a plane or car.
Image: Jada Jones/ZDNET.
40 hours playback time
The Monoprice BT-600ANC’s Ambient Sound mode is equally impressive for a headset at this price point. Cheaper headphones tend to reproduce ambient noise at lower quality, resulting in a noticeable static hum, even when music is playing. I found that this headset let conversations and surrounding noises pass through with a more natural sound, which is ideal.
You’ll also get 40 hours of playback time and 25 hours with ANC enabled, which is more than the latest flagship headphones from Bose, Apple, and Beats can give you.
As a bonus, Monoprice gives you some useful accessories that other manufacturers of headphones in the $100-$150 range don’t ship in order to keep costs down, including a hard carrying case with a mesh pocket inside for storing the cable. USB-A to USB-C charging and 3.5mm headphone adapter.
If you don’t like the default sound of this headset, you’ll have to live with it.
My only real complaint about the Monoprice BT-600ANC headphones is that they don’t have a companion app.
To be clear, I hate having to download third-party apps in order to have “a better user experience,” but headphone companion apps often offer plenty of ways to customize them, especially with EQ settings.
So if you don’t like the default sound of these Monoprice headphones, you’re out of luck: you’ll have to live with it.
ZDNET’s buying advice for the Monoprice BT-600ANC headphones
These Monoprice BT-600ANC headphones are perfect for casual listeners looking for headphones with strong noise reduction, all-day comfort, and a very reasonable price.
Compared to other headphones I’ve tried in this price range, like the Sony WH-CH720N and Soundcore Space One, the Monoprice BT-600ANC offers the best build quality and the best ANC.
Sony’s affordable headphones offer better sound, and Soundcore’s companion app has updated software features, but if noise cancellation is what you’re looking for, opt for these headphones from Monoprice.
Source: ZDNet.com