The QCY H2 Pro, a new addition from the reputable Chinese electronics manufacturer, falls squarely into the budget category of headphones. However, don’t let its price tag fool you, as this device boasts an impressive array of specifications and features that challenge the performance boundaries typically associated with budget-friendly options. Users have sung praises for its sound quality and, in particular, its noise-canceling capabilities. The QCY H2 Pro comes equipped with a trio of microphones for effective Environmental Noise Cancellation (ENC), intuitive control buttons, and a robust build complemented by comfortable memory foam ear pads and headband cushioning.
Under the hood, the QCY H2 Pro is powered by the latest BT5.3 chip, a substantial 500mAh battery that delivers up to 60 hours of continuous use, and a 40mm driver capable of Hi-Res stereo audio quality. However, the standout feature here is its 43 dB hybrid Active Noise Cancellation, a feature that promises to elevate your audio experience by effectively reducing external noise. In this comprehensive review, we will delve into all these aspects and more to ascertain whether the QCY H2 Pro lives up to the hype and proves itself as a worthwhile addition to the world of budget headphones.
Check out the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling wireless Bluetooth Headphones, for a superior audio quality
QCY H2 Pro Features
- Foldable And Convenient & Comfortable cushioning
- 40mm titanium plating & Hi-res stereo audio
- ENC for clear calls
- Bluetooth 5.3 Chip
- Multipoint connectivity
- QCY APP support
- AAC & SBC Audio Decoding
- Spatial audio support & punchy Bass
- 78 ms Low Latency Mode
- One-Step Pairing, Wireless & Wired
- 400mAh battery, 70h Long Playtime
Design and Build Quality:
The design philosophy of the H2 Pro headphones prioritizes comfort and portability, with a minimalist and aesthetically pleasing appearance that leans towards neutrality. The headphones feature a sleek exterior with the distinctive golden QCY logo on each side. Constructed primarily from ABS plastic, including the ear cups, headband, and buttons, the headphones maintain a lightweight feel despite weighing 220 grams. Their dimensions of 160.2*198.3mm places them in the medium-size category, and their foldable design enhances portability, making them convenient to carry.
Comfort is a notable aspect of the H2 Pro’s design. The ear cups are equipped with soft cushions that exert just enough pressure to ensure a secure fit without causing discomfort during movement. These cushions, likely made from faux leather, are skin-friendly and unlikely to irritate the skin. The headband also features a soft cushion, offering comfort during extended usage. Moreover, the adjustable headband length and the ear cups’ rotational freedom allow for a personalized and comfortable fit.
In terms of design features, the H2 Pro headphones fold completely and have ear cups that can sit flat on a table. They are available in two color options: black and white, providing users with a choice to match their preferences. While the hinge mechanism for folding exhibits slight wiggle, it is a minor concern, especially considering the headphones’ affordable price point and overall longevity. Despite being primarily constructed from plastic, the headphones boast a solid build quality, though they may be more prone to scratches, requiring careful handling to maintain their aesthetic appeal.
In summary, the H2 Pro headphones strike a balance between design and build quality, with a focus on performance rather than aesthetics. Their lightweight and foldable design, coupled with comfortable cushions and adjustable features, make them suitable for prolonged use. While they may not be the most luxurious in terms of materials, their solid build quality ensures durability over time, making them a practical choice for those seeking reliable audio performance.
Waterproof
QCY advertises this device as waterproof, which means that this device can be withstand light splashes of water, this allows you to use it during training without worrying about sweat damaging it, and it’s a nice plus to have at this price point, but keep in mind, never submerge it under water because that will damage it, keep it away from water sources as much as possible to preserve it for longer periods.
Buttons and Controls:
The QCY H2 Pro headphones feature a convenient array of physical buttons, all situated on the right side for easy access and control. These four buttons offer a versatile range of functionalities, enabling users to manage media playback, adjust volume, handle calls, activate voice assistance, switch to gaming mode, toggle bass mode, and manage connectivity seamlessly. This iteration introduces an expanded set of actions by cleverly combining the controls of two or more buttons, enhancing the overall user experience with intuitive and multifunctional button layout.
Here is a list of all the actions and their corresponding button controls:
Multi function button:
- Power-ON : Press and hold for 3s
- Pause/Playback : Press MFB once
- Ignore call : Press and hold for 2s
- Low-latency mode : Triple press MFB
- Power-OFF: Press and hold for 5s
- Answer/end call : Press MFB once
- Voice assistant: Double Press
Volume + and – buttons:
- Volume up: press once
- Skip track forward: Press and hold for Is
- Volume down: Press Once
- Skip track backward: Press and hold for Is
- Press and hold both volume + and volume – for 10s to delete all pairing records
- Bass Button: Turn on/Off bass mode
The buttons and controls on the H2 Pro headphones are user-friendly and responsive, ensuring a seamless user experience. What sets them apart is their customization capability through the QCY App, allowing users to tailor the button layout to their specific preferences or replicate a familiar layout they are accustomed to. This flexibility not only enhances convenience but also ensures that users can fine-tune the controls to align with their unique needs, making the H2 Pro headphones a versatile and adaptable audio accessory.
Connectivity and Pairing:
The H2 Pro headphones come equipped with the latest Bluetooth 5.3 chip, ensuring rapid and stable connectivity while delivering a reliable connection to various devices. Users can expect a seamless connection experience within a range of 7 to 13 meters, depending on any obstacles that may be present between the headphones and the paired device. This range provides flexibility for users in different environments.
These headphones are highly versatile in terms of compatibility, supporting a wide range of Bluetooth-enabled devices across different operating systems, including Windows, iOS, Android, and many others. They are compatible with Bluetooth profiles like A2DP, AVRCP, and HFP, making them suitable for various applications. Moreover, the H2 Pro supports AAC and SBC codecs, with AAC being the recommended choice for Apple devices due to its superior audio quality, although it may consume slightly more power. SBC, on the other hand, is well-suited for Android devices and helps prolong battery life, the pairing steps are as listed below:
- Power on the headphones: Begin by ensuring that the headphones are turned on. You can do this by pressing and holding the power button until the LED starts blinking red and white.
- Activate Bluetooth on your device: Navigate to your device’s settings menu and locate the Bluetooth settings. If Bluetooth is not already enabled, turn it on.
- Search for available devices: Within the Bluetooth settings menu, your device will initiate a search for nearby Bluetooth devices. Please be patient as it may take a moment for the headphones to appear in the list.
- Choose the QCY H2 Pro: Once the QCY H2 Pro headphones appear among the list of available devices, tap on them to start the pairing procedure.
- Confirm successful pairing: After completing the pairing process, you should receive a notification or see an indication on your device confirming that the QCY H2 Pro headphones are successfully paired and connected.
One standout feature is the support for multi-point connection, allowing users to stay connected to both a PC and a smartphone simultaneously, enhancing productivity and multitasking capabilities. Additionally, users have the option to switch to wired mode by utilizing the 3.5mm audio jack port, offering superior audio quality without the need for battery power. In summary, the H2 Pro headphones offer a stable and versatile connectivity experience that caters to a wide range of users, whether they are gamers, students, or office workers, making them a practical choice for various applications.
QCY App Support:
The QCY App designed for QCY’s earphones and headphones is a valuable addition to their audio products, aimed at enhancing accessibility, customization, and overall user experience. The app boasts a clean user interface and operates smoothly, making it user-friendly and accessible to a wide range of users. It can be easily downloaded from both the App Store and Play Store, making it available to a broad spectrum of users with devices running Android 8 and above or iOS 13.0 and above.
The app comes with a wide range of features such as:
- Button customization: customize the button layout and the action executed with each prompt to match your preference or possibly a layout that you’re already familiar with
- Timing to power off: you can set your device to turn off after a set period of time, this feature is useful to stop the audio from playing all night long to preserve your ears and preserve the battery for the next day
- Firmware update: this feature is crucial, it allows you to update the software of the headphones and receive updates that can potentially fix bugs or bring forth improvements to the sound quality, latency, or overall user experience.
- Integrated Equalizer: the equalizer allows you to change the sound profile which changes the way music sounds, you can either choose one of the preset profiles or create your own.
- Battery display: accurate displaying of the battery level of the headphones in real time
- Turn Gaming mode on: toggle gaming mode on and off to get low latency during gaming.
One standout feature of the QCY App is its equalizer functionality, which allows users to modify the sound profile according to their personal preferences. While it may appear subtle initially, over time, this feature has become indispensable for users seeking to fine-tune their audio experience. The app offers multiple sound profiles, enabling users to choose from options like bass enhancement, jazz, or any other profile that suits their specific audio preferences, ensuring a customized and immersive listening experience.
Overall, the QCY App serves as a valuable bonus for users of QCY earphones and headphones. Beyond basic audio playback, it opens up new possibilities for accessing and customizing their audio devices. The app also plays a crucial role in keeping the devices up to date, addressing issues promptly, and providing additional features that enhance the overall user experience. In essence, it adds a layer of convenience and personalization that elevates the value of QCY’s audio products.
Audio Quality of the H2 pro:
The audio quality of the QCY H2 Pro headphones is a standout feature and a significant selling point for these headphones. QCY has placed a strong emphasis on delivering a high-quality sound experience to cater to music enthusiasts and general users alike. These headphones are equipped with a 40mm dynamic driver capable of reproducing a wide range of frequencies, spanning from 20Hz to 20KHz, resulting in a spacious and immersive soundstage.
One of the notable aspects of the H2 Pro’s audio quality is its balanced and punchy bass response. The headphones deliver deep bass that is both impactful and detailed, allowing users to feel the low-frequency rumble without encountering noticeable distortion. Where the H2 Pro truly shines compared to many other affordable headphones is in its high-frequency tuning. The mids are clear, and the treble is crisp, offering high levels of detail and precision in sound reproduction. This well-rounded sound profile ensures that users can enjoy a wide range of music genres with clarity and without the issues of distortion or harshness.
Furthermore, the H2 Pro offers sound customization through the QCY App’s built-in equalizer. Users have the option to choose from preset sound profiles or create their own, tailoring the audio output to match their individual preferences. This flexibility acknowledges the subjective nature of sound perception and ensures that each user can find their preferred sound signature. In addition, the earcup cushions provide passive noise isolation, effectively reducing external noise without compromising sound quality or introducing any undesirable buzzing effects, unlike some active noise-canceling (ANC) headphones. In wired mode, the H2 Pro takes its audio quality even further, delivering a Hi-Res certified experience that minimizes any loss and optimizes sound quality. Considering its affordable price point and comparison to similar options, the QCY H2 Pro headphones offer above-average sound quality, making them an attractive choice for those seeking a budget-friendly yet impressive audio experience.
Call Quality & Microphones:
The QCY H2 Pro headphones feature an integrated microphone designed for handling calls, activating voice assistants, and recording vocal messages. Notably, these headphones employ ENC (Environmental Noise Cancellation) technology, which is an algorithm that intelligently analyzes the surrounding environment and works to eliminate background noise, ensuring that your voice is transmitted clearly and without interference from external sounds. In quieter settings, the microphones of the H2 Pro perform admirably, offering sound quality that surpasses many competitors.
However, it’s important to note that these headphones, primarily designed for audio playback, may not excel in call quality in more complex acoustic environments. While the microphones function effectively in relatively quiet surroundings, their performance can deteriorate in noisier conditions, such as areas with background noise from sources like fans, traffic, or conversations. As a result, the H2 Pro headphones are better suited for calls in tranquil settings, such as at home or in quiet locations, and may not deliver the same level of call clarity and noise cancellation effectiveness as dedicated headsets in more challenging, noisy environments. In summary, while the microphones of the QCY H2 Pro are adequate for calls in quieter spaces, they may not meet expectations in more bustling and noisy surroundings, earning them a rating of 5/10 for microphone quality.
QCY H2 Pro – Low Latency Mode and Gaming:
Latency is a crucial factor when it comes to wireless headphones, and it can significantly impact both gaming and media consumption experiences. The QCY H2 Pro headphones, thanks to their Bluetooth 5.3 chip, excel in delivering remarkably low latency, ensuring that audio and video remain in sync when watching content on various streaming platforms. This is particularly important for an immersive and enjoyable media consumption experience where audio lag can be distracting.
In the realm of gaming, low latency is paramount for a competitive edge. The H2 Pro headphones offer a dedicated low latency mode in wireless mode, which focuses on reducing latency, even though it may come at the expense of some sound quality. This mode can reduce latency to as low as 78ms, a level that can provide a significant advantage in gaming. However, for those seeking to completely eliminate latency, the option of using the headphones in wired mode is available, ensuring an absolutely lag-free gaming experience on platforms like PC or smartphones. The use of the latest Bluetooth 5.3 chip in these headphones contributes to the establishment of a stable connection, preventing interruptions in both media consumption and gaming, making them an attractive choice for users who demand low latency performance without breaking the bank. Overall, the QCY H2 Pro headphones offer above-average latency performance, delivering an impressive level of performance given their price point.
If you are looking for the lowest latency possible on a wireless headphone for a better gaming experience check out the Baseus AeQur GH02, with 20 ms low latency mode with the 2.4GHz dongle.
Battery And Charging Time:
The QCY H2 Pro headphones boast an impressive battery life, making them stand out in the market of budget-friendly headphones. With a 400mAh battery, these headphones offer substantial autonomy, alleviating concerns about them running out of power during extended use. The H2 Pro promises remarkable battery performance, including up to 300 hours of standby time, 70 hours of total music playback at 70% volume with ANC turned off, and approximately 40 hours with ANC enabled. These figures demonstrate that the H2 Pro headphones can easily last through several days of regular use, making them an ideal companion for travel and daily activities.
Charging the H2 Pro headphones is a straightforward process. Users simply need to plug the charging cable into the USB-C port located on the headphones. An LED indicator illuminates in red to indicate charging, and a full charge is typically achieved in around 2 hours when using an authentic power brick. Additionally, the QCY App offers the convenience of setting the headphones to automatically power off after a specified period, helping to conserve battery life. The app’s home screen also provides real-time battery level monitoring, ensuring that users are always aware of the remaining battery charge and can recharge the headphones as needed to keep them readily available for use. Notably, even when the device runs out of battery, it can still function in wired mode by plugging into the 3.5mm audio jack port, delivering an even higher audio quality experience. Overall, the QCY H2 Pro headphones offer excellent battery life and versatility, making them a dependable choice for users on the go.
Closing Thoughts on the QCY H2 Pro:
The QCY H2 Pro headphones deliver exceptional audio quality with deep bass and Hi-Res support, ensuring a high-fidelity listening experience. The inclusion of firmware updates enhances their longevity and performance over time, making them a wise investment. With their comfortable design and long-wear comfort, these headphones are suitable for extended use. Moreover, their affordable price, especially during promotional events like the spend and save offer on AliExpress where they are available for only $24.5, provides excellent value for the money. Overall, the QCY H2 Pro headphones offer a compelling combination of audio quality, durability, comfort, and affordability, making them a recommended choice for users seeking an outstanding audio experience without breaking the bank.
What’s in the Box?
- QCY H2 Pro Headphones
- User Manual
- Charging Cable
QCY H2 Pro Specifications
Specifications | |
Product Name | QCY H2 Pro |
weight | 220g |
Driver Size | 40mm |
Materials | ABS,metal |
style | Over Ear |
Earcups | Sealed |
Bluetooth Version | Bluetooth 5.3 |
Transmission Distance | 10-20m |
Frequency Response | 20Hz – 20kHz |
Charging Interface | Type-C |
Microphone Sensitivity | 96dB |
Harmonic Distortion | 3% |
Speaker Impedance | 32 Ω |
Battery Capacity | 400mAh |
Total Playback Time | Up to 70 hours |
Charging Time | 2 hours |
Game Mode | Yes (78ms low latency) |
Voice Assistant Support | Yes |
Compatibility | iOS and Android devices |