These super cheap noise-cancelling headphones boast a 110-hour battery, but I still can't recommend them here's why

Date:
Tue, 13 Jan 2026 01:00:00 +0000

Description:
I tested these ultra-cheap noise cancelling headphones from Tribit, and they prove that a low price doesnt mean youre getting high value for money.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Tribit QuietPlus 81: review

If youre looking for an ultra-cheap pair of noise cancelling headphones, the Tribit QuietPlus 81 appear to be a very tempting option indeed. With a list price of just $49.99 / 49.99 (about AU$75), they pack a lot in ANC, a ton of playtime, and a neat, foldable design. But are they really worth checking
out?

Well, in a lot of ways, these headphones are impressive. Above all, I was blown away by their ultra-long battery life. You get 70 hours with ANC on,
and a whopping 110 hours with ANC off. That means youll barely have to charge these cans, ideal if youre someone thats on the go quite a bit or are just forgetful like I am.

Like the best headphones around, these also have pretty extensive EQ options. There are a range of genre and situation-specific presets, but you can also set your own with the included 10-band equalizer. This means that you can create the sound that works best for you an important inclusion, given that these headphones do not sound great out of the box.

Yes, I understand that these are incredibly cheap, and I didnt have big expectations for these headphones, sonically speaking. But still, I think there are better-sounding options in the budget category more on those in
the Also consider section. But essentially, these cans just lack the clarity, dynamism, and detail that others offer.

When listening to Black Eye by Allie X, synth beat intro lacked the razor-sharp delivery that makes it so impactful. The drum machine that
follows sounds pretty deep, but also quite bloated, leaving the track devoid of its intense, energetic character. With the standard Music tuning, instruments in the treble range are concealed, but even with a custom setup,
I wasnt able to get the expressive sound I was chasing.

Moving over to 12 O.C Riddim by M-High a track thats great for testing the low-end capabilities of headphones and the picture was fairly mixed. High-pitched percussion in the build up again lacked the vibrancy and edge I was looking for, and although the headphones could reach down to the tracks dark depths, bass wasnt agile or clean enough for a truly immersive listen.

Just generally, these headphones lack the refined sound youd expect from a budget model like the 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 . With a custom EQ, you can get adequate sound when listening at mid-volumes, just dont expect to get
anything out of the ordinary for $50 / 50 headphones. (Image credit: Future)

Lets get onto another crucial area and discuss ANC. So, these headphones can be used in normal mode, transparency mode (for enhanced awareness), and with noise cancelling on. I spent most of my time testing the headphones with ANC on, and in honesty, it was about as good as Id expected.

When working in the office, I could still hear chatter and typing with volume set to 70%. On walks, traffic noise was still pretty prominent too, as was
the sound of passerbys talking. Sure, these dampen surrounding sounds
decently enough, but theyre unlikely to impress on the noise cancelling
front.

One feature that interested me on these headphones, though, was their ability to trigger transparency mode in an instant. You can simply hold down on the right earcup, and hear your surroundings as seen on the excellent Sony WH-1000XM6 . Is this the most responsive? No the feature doesnt activate instantly as it would on the XM6. But still, its fairly effective, and a worthwhile inclusion.

More generally though, controls on the QuietPlus are pretty poor. After a firmware update, I was able to access customizable touch controls, but I couldnt set playback control to the right ear cup thats limited to physical button controls. These buttons are black on black, and are slightly hard to read and the volume controls being bound to one small-sized button is very impractical.

Touch controls themself are fairly responsive, but all they can do is
activate XBass mode which doesnt sound good or summon a voice assistant. I personally wouldve preferred standard touch controls to play, pause, or skip music as seen on a model like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) .

There are a few other features to explore, like a lower-latency game mode, wired listening via a 3.5mm slot, and hearing protection. You can find just about everything you need in the Tribit app, although this is a pretty rudimentary piece of software something I flagged in my review of the Tribit PocketGo .

In terms of design, these headphones are hit and miss. Theyre foldable, which makes them pleasingly compact, and their adjustable headband makes them easy to fit. One thing that's not too well-designed is the packaging. The box says these headphones offer "ULTRA LONG BATT" and "SMOOTH TALKING"... that's one way to make a first impression.

Anyway, in spite of their use of protein leather cushioning and memory foam,
I found the QuietPlus 81 to be a little uncomfortable for extended use. To
me, theyre a little tight-feeling, and padding on the headband feels a little thin. Looks-wise, however, these headphones are solid. They dont look ultra plasticky, and the earcups have a rounded look, which is fairly appealing.

In the end, then, would I recommend the Tribit QuietPlus 81 headphones? Unfortunately, the answer is no. There are certainly some commendable qualities on offer here, like that brilliant battery life and ten-band equalizer. But sonically, these fail to beat out rivals in their price category. Combine that with some unremarkable ANC and features, and Id say youre better off putting that $50 / 50 towards a pair of the best cheap headphones instead. (Image credit: Future) Tribit QuietPlus 81 review: specs

Drivers

40mm dynamic

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life

70 hours ANC on; 110 hours ANC off

Weight

283g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0, 3.5mm

Frequency range

20Hz-20kHz (Image credit: Future) Tribit QuietPlus 81 review: price and release date $49.99 / 49.99 (about AU$75) Launched in December 2025

The Tribit QuietPlus 81 headphones were released in December 2025, and are available via Tribits website directly, or over on Amazon. They have a list price of $49.99 / 49.99 (about AU$75), which plants them firmly in the budget category. (Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Tribit QuietPlus 81?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Excellent battery life, but unremarkable ANC and clunky app.

3/5

Sound quality

Can get pretty deep, but audio is pretty muddy and lacks dynamism.

2.5/5

Design

Not particularly comfortable, poor controls, but decent looking.

2/5

Value

Cheap, but quality doesnt match up to other budget rivals.

3/5 Buy them if...

You want ANC for less
The Tribit QuietPlus 81 provide active noise cancelling capabilities for less than $50 / 50. Sure, its not the most amazing ANC around, but these
headphones will still dampen noise from your surroundings decently.

You want headphones with a whole lot of battery life
With 110 hours of battery life with ANC off and 70 hours with it on, the Tribit QuietPlus 81 supply a whole lot of playtime. Thats more than the majority of budget rivals, and makes them ideal for those who dont want to charge their headphones all too often. Don't buy them if...

You want some comfy cans
In my experience, the QuietPlus 81 werent very comfortable. Theres not much padding on the adjustable headband, and they were a slightly tight fit, meaning theyre not ideal for longer listening sessions. If you want some seriously comfortable headphones, my top recommendation would be the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro .

Youre looking for good sound quality
The underwhelming audio of the Tribit QuietPlus 81 is one of their key flaws, and sees them lag behind some of the budget-friendly competition. If you want better audio at a still-low price, Id recommend one of the options down
below. Tribit QuietPlus 81 review: also consider

Tribit QuietPlus 81

1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51

OneOdio Focus A6

Price

$49.99 / 49.99 (about AU$75)

$89 / 99 / AU$130

$55 / 55 (about AU$110)

Drivers

40mm dynamic

40mm dynamic

40mm composite

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Battery life

70 hours ANC on; 110 hours ANC off

65 hours ANC on; 100 hours ANC off

75 hours ANC off; 40 hours ANC on

Weight

283g

246g

240g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0, 3.5mm

Bluetooth 5.4, 3.5mm

Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C audio passthrough

Frequency range

20Hz-20kHz

20Hz-40kHz

20Hz-40kHz

1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51
The 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 remain as the top budget pick in our guide to the best noise-cancelling headphones, and for good reason. With genuinely good ANC, seriously impressive audio, and plenty of playtime, they feel like the ultimate cheap pair of headphones. Theyre often on sale for less than their already phenomenally low list price, and Id certainly recommend them over these Tribit cans. Read our full 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 review .

OneOdio Focus A6
These ultra-cheap headphones really impressed us with their comfy fit and quality build, their exhaustive suite of features, and their genuinely good sound quality. You really cant do much better than this for cans sitting around the $50 / 50 mark, so these are well-worth checking out. Read our full OneOdio Focus A6 review . How I tested the Tribit QuietPlus 81 (Image credit: Future) Tested for one week Used in the office and while on walks Predominantly tested using Tidal

I spent one week testing the Tribit QuietPlus 81, during which time I took them just about everywhere I went. Whether I was on a walk, working in the office, or doing chores at home, I made sure to have the headphones at hand allowing me to test the quality of their ANC in a wide range of settings.

When listening to music, I predominantly made use of Tidal, but I did dip
into Spotify from time to time as well. As always, I commenced my testing by running through the TechRadar testing playlist , which features songs from a wide range of genres, but I also tuned into a heap of tracks from my personal music library .

On top of that, I made use of the various features on the QuietPlus 81, messing around with the customizable controls, ANC modes, and custom equalizer. More generally, Ive been a Reviews Writer here at TechRadar for almost two years, during which time Ive tested a whole lot of headphones, including premium releases like the Sennheiser HDB 630 and budget
alternatives like the Baseus Bowie 30 Max . First reviewed: January 2026 Read more about how we test



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/audio/wireless-headphones/tribit-quietplus-81-review


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)