OneOdio has been known for its value-for-money quality products for all kinds of uses i.e. gaming, DJing, casual use, etc. In fact, last year we reviewed the Monitor 60 headphones and they were a total bang for their buck. This year, OneOdio refreshed their OneOdio A10 Hybrid wireless ANC headphones with an all-new design and hardware. We recently got our hands on one. I took them out for a spin during my trip to the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. Read on to find out whether they’re worth the $79.99 price tag.
BTW, these are also known as the OneOdio A10 Focus wireless headphones. So, don’t get confused by other product listings on the internet.
What comes in the box
Before I proceed to share my review of the OneOdio A10 headphones, here’s a quick look at what comes in the box.
- Slim hard shell carry case
- A10 Wireless Headphones
- USB-C to USB-A charging cable
- 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable for wired listening
All this comes tucked by an elastic strap. There’s no pocket or slots for cables. You do get some extra space to add any cables or adapters, like the 3.5mm to Lighting adapter or USB-C adapter.
The case might feel a bit lightweight and flaky but at the end of the day, it gets the job done. You can carry throw it around the in a backpack and travel the world it should keep your headphones safe.
Design & Fit
A quick look at the headphones will give a tacky kind of vibe because of the glossy build.
A closer look at the overall design reveals away all the attention to detail. The overall design is sleek with none of the gaudiness present in the other budget-friendly headphones (under $100).
Even though they’re mostly made of plastic, the overall build is still elegant and durable.
The headband and hinges are made of metal. This provides a good structural build and durability. It does not creak and just bends sideways, giving it some flexibility. This is something that other budget-friendly headphones have struggled with for years. When bent, they just usually snap off. I’ve worn down (a subtle way to say they snapped) two headphones with such problems. Trust me, it’s a real game-changer for entry-level headphones.
Moreover, the metal headband is good for clamping over the head even if you’re moving. I tested it during a quick walk across the park and did not feel it slipping off. Unless you try to sprint. They’re good for basic use. The padded headband makes wearing it comfortable for long hours for all kinds of head shapes and sizes.
The padded headband and ear cups are armed with true protein memory foam. The shiny concentric circles on the sides of the headphones give a splash of glimmer to the overall design. Furthermore, the concentric circles are slightly raised which gives it a nice texture and overall feel to the earcups.
As mentioned above, the earcups are padded with leatherette and filled with true protein memory foam. Combined with the headband, there’s almost no passive isolation. For most users, this won’t be an issue but affects the ANC experience on a headphone. At the same time, you do get decent ventilation. So, no more feeling hot in the ears or over-sweating.
It weighs 295g/0.6 lbs. If you’re not used to wearing big or heavy headphones, getting used to them might take some time.
One of the most underrated features of the design of the OneOdio A10 is the big R and L written on the right and left earcups respectively. I struggle with my XM4 on a daily basis. If you’re someone who hates searching for the tiny R logo on the headphone to make sure you wear them right, you’ll love this design choice.
Battery Life
The OneOdio A10 is a beast when it comes to battery life. It sports an 800mAh battery. In simple terms, it offers 50 hours of battery life with ANC off. You get over 40 hours of playtime with ANC turned on.
It takes around two hours to charge from 0 to 100%. If you’re in a hurry, you can get over two hours of battery life with just a quick 10 minutes charge.
Connection & Bluetooth
You can use the OneOdio A10 Focus headphones by connecting via Bluetooth or the 3.5mm cable. It uses Bluetooth 5.0 to connect to laptops and smartphones. Even though it says high-res audio on the box, it only supports AAC & SBC codecs. Sadly, there is no wireless LDAC support.
To be honest, it’s not a dealbreaker. In fact, most users won’t even notice the difference and only a handful of apps support high res playback like Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Deezer.
In terms of pairing and user experience, it takes just a few seconds to pair via Bluetooth to any device. Auto-pairing works seamlessly with all devices including iPhones, Android smartphones, tablets, and laptops. The OneOdio A10 headphone also supports multi-device connect so you can use it with two devices at the same time.
Usage – Buttons
It’s got three buttons on the right earcup. The “+” and “-“ buttons let you adjust the volume and can also skip tracks. Between the volume up and down buttons, is the power button that also doubles as a play pause button with a tiny LED. The LED is super useful in letting you know whether the headphones are powered on or not. This is a very practical move when it comes to improving user experience. It ensures you don’t accidentally drain the headphone’s batteries by keeping them turned on. There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack on the right earcup.
On the left cup, you’ll find the ANC switch with its own LED indicator and a USB-C port.
Since none of the controls are capacitive touch buttons, they are easy to locate and very tactile. Do note that there’s no dedicated button for smart assistants.
Similarly, there’s no dedicated smartphone app to help you tinker with the equalizer or update the firmware of the A10 ANC headphones. Although, you can use some third party apps to customize your EQ preferences.
Sound quality
Here’s how I’d sum up the sound quality review of the OneOdio A10 wireless headphones. They’re surprisingly good for the price.
Starting with the good part, the bass is hefty, dominant, and overall good. If you’re a bass enthusiast, you’ll appreciate the response.
The 40mm Dynamic drivers ensure the thumping bass do not become overwhelming and overshadow the mids, in most cases. There are some instances but we’ll get to that later.
Talking about the mids, the A10 has a fairly good response to mid frequencies. The vocals are rich with good resolution, making them suitable for most common genres such as hip-hop, pop, rock, and with the thumping bass, even dance music. It gets pretty loud without much distortion.
Talking about the highs, this is where things get somewhat interesting. Even though it’s got a frequency response of up to 40Khz, the OneOdio A10 is good in terms of clarity and resolution. But when it comes to high-pitch instruments or sound effects, the A10 delivers a frequency response that I’d call shimmering or overcooking.
This is where those specific cases come into play. If you’re listening to an orchestra or jazz and there’s a particular part where the high-pitched instruments take over, you’ll feel the treble being pushed a bit too far or the bass overshadowing the lower mids.
To be honest, that’s a very specific scenario, and a lot of times, even mid or premium headphones struggle to deal with such challenges.
Talking about the soundstage and imaging, the OneOdio A10 headphone offers a decent soundstage and average imaging across a variety of music genres respectively.
Also, if you’re watching a YouTube video or binging on Netflix, the vocals are admirable with really good mids. It certainly offers an affordable listening experience to other mid-range or premium options.
ANC
With up to -35db reduction and decent noise dampening, the OneOdio A10 Focus headphones deliver a good overall active noise cancellation experience. There’s no passive isolation i.e. the headphones clamp somewhat softly on your head. Since the headphone’s cups are not filtering enough noises, the mid and highs noises make their way to your ears.
In simple terms, the lows are handled respectably well, so traveling on public transport like a bus (humming of a bus engine) is a lot easier on the ears as compared to walking on a sidewalk across a road with honking cars (high-pitched sound of horns). Overall, it’s the ANC mode is good enough for daily use for most users.
The ambient mode is surprisingly good at this price tag. It feels somewhat natural with muffling only in the upper and lower mids. There’s also a slight amplification of highs and less hiss in overall sounds. Unlike the ANC mode, it does not block the low frequencies that well. I won’t nitpick here as even the premium headphones in the $300 range have issues with ambient modes.
Conclusion
To conclude my review, I’d say the OneOdio A10 focus headphones are one of the best wireless headphones with ANC under $100. It ticks all the right boxes in the entry-level headphones department. It’s ergonomic, durable, looks elegant, and most of all comfortable while delivering a well-tuned frequency response with a 50-hour battery life. It’s suitable for all kinds of users be it sitting through a dozen Zoom calls or binging on The Witcher during the weekend. The A10 will get you through all that without breaking a sweat.
So, should you buy the OneOdio A10 hybrid wireless headphones? If you’re looking for reliable active noise-canceling headphones on a budget, the A10 makes perfect sense. Yes, there are some caveats but at a price tag of less than $80, it is a steal.
