I'm An Audiophile, But These $100 Headphones Surprised Me In The Best Way

3 weeks ago

Baseus Inspire XH1 Headphones

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

The Baseus XH1 headphones are disposable connected Amazon for $110.
With rich, soft bass, you'd deliberation you were listening to headphones that costs doubly nan price.
You'll want to usage nan Baseus app, but nan Custom EQ tin origin nan app to crash.

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As a large instrumentality of classical music, I understand that contempt what you whitethorn think, it doesn't sound bully successful immoderate old headphones, sloppy of price. That presumption would person Mozart rolling successful his sedate and Bach slapping himself silly.

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When you perceive classical euphony connected a bully brace of headphones, it tin beryllium transcendent, and it doesn't require shelling retired $1,000 for nan hardware. As agelong arsenic nan headphones person a coagulated debased end, crisp highs, soft mids, and a decent soundstage, you'd deliberation you were correct there, connected stage, watching an orchestra play successful beforehand of you.

That's wherever nan Baseus XH1 headphones travel into play.

My experience

When I unboxed nan Baseus XH1 headphones, I had been listening to Mozart each morning, truthful I figured I'd proceed nan trend. I wasn't successful nan temper for thing else, truthful it conscionable made sense. As soon arsenic his Oboe Concerto successful C Major, K. 314 came on, I closed my eyes and fto nan sound lavation complete my eardrums.

I've grown accustomed to Baseus headphones and earbuds punching supra their weight, truthful it came arsenic nary astonishment that nan XH1 headphones lived up to that reputation. But this was thing special. Every statement was clear; I could moreover perceive nan activity of nan oboist.

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There was a somewhat wide soundstage (not nan widest I've experienced), truthful I could spot nan instrumentalists successful their due spot and discern violins from violas from cellos.

Even better, nan sound was successful nary measurement taxing. I could perceive to these headphones each time without getting tired of it, and that's conscionable what I did, visiting each my favourite classical composers: Mozart was majestic. Beethoven was bombastic. Verdi was very, very grand. Liszt was lovely.

Okay, okay, you get it.

But what astir different genres? Begrudgingly, I jumped astir to spot really different types of euphony fared.

Electronic: The Prodigy's "Serial Thrilla" was incredible, pinch deep, agile bass that wasn't heavy-handed. The highs were a spot muted.
'80s - The Psychedelic Furs "Heartbreak Beat" was a spot muddy astatine nan debased end, but nan mids were wonderful. Again, nan highs could person utilized a boost.
Prog - Coheed And Cambria's "Here We Are Juggernaut" suffered from nan aforesaid deficiency of highs. But Tool's "Vicarious" fared considerably better.

I was starting to consciousness a shape here. Where classical euphony really soared done nan XH1 headphones, galore different genres needed a boost. To that end, I connected nan headphones to nan Baseus app and ran nan firmware update that came up. I past hopped into nan EQ conception to spot if I could springiness nan highs a spot of help. This is wherever I ran into trouble.

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First off, nan default EQ is "Sound By Bose," and it very overmuch falls into nan Bose sound camp. I tapped done nan various pre-configured EQ curves and recovered nan "Clear Treble" to beryllium nan champion option. But what I really wanted was to make my own. Every clip I tried, though, nan app would freeze, truthful I'd person to backmost retired of nan civilization EQ option. Restarting nan app led nan aforesaid results.

After that, I dropped into nan Sound Settings conception and enabled Hi-Res Audio and Bass Boost. The operation of nan Clear Treble, Hi-Res Audio, and Bass boost gave maine precisely what I needed. I had improved highs, without sacrificing nan lows.

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I'm not a instrumentality of headphones requiring an app to amended nan sound, and erstwhile said app doesn't fto maine create a civilization EQ curve, I find it to beryllium mostly useless. This clip around, I was fortunate that nan settings I adjusted resulted successful superb sound. And fixed that these headphones costs conscionable complete $100 connected Amazon, I recovered them to beryllium a bargain. If classical euphony is your jam, these sound awesome retired of nan box.

ZDNET's buying advice

If you don't want to break nan slope to get smooth, move sound from your headphones, you could do a batch worse than nan Baseus XH1 headphones. If nan institution tin lick nan app rumor pinch nan Custom EQ option, I would rank these successful my apical 5 favourite over-the-ear headphones astatine nan $100 value point.

Baseus Inspire XH1 tech specs

Adaptive ANC strategy pinch up to -48 dB sound reduction
100-hour artillery life pinch ANC disconnected and 65 hours pinch ANC on. 10-minute complaint provides 12 hours of use.
Bluetooth 6.1 pinch multipoint connectivity
Hi-Res and LDAC support, Dolby Audio, LDAC, SuperBalance 3.0, and SoundFit
Connectivity and calls
Five microphones pinch AI Clear Calls for sound clarity during calls
Maximum Transmission Range: 39.4 ft
Design: Over-ear, folding style for portability
Earcups: Soft, resilient representation foam earcups pinch a velvet-like macromolecule leather finish
Portability: Includes a carrying case