Monoprice has really been rocking it lately with their audio products. Between the Monolith M-TWE Earbuds and the SB-300 Virtual Dolby Atmos Soundbar, I’ve really enjoyed my time checking out their products.

And while earbuds and soundbars are all fine and dandy, I’ve really wanted to see how their BT-600ANC Bluetooth Headphones did when stacked up against those previous products. Having had the chance to test them out for a bit now, I feel that they’re a good pair of headphones that have a couple of setbacks that can be overlooked when compared to the pros.

What’s in the box

Opening up the clean white box that the headphones are placed in you’ll find the headphones, a soft-shell carrying case, a USB-Type C charging cable, and a 3.5mm audio cable. Monoprice really includes the essentials needed to get everything you can out of the BT-600s and for the $99 price point, it’s pretty cool to see all of the features they actually offer.

Aesthetics and Build Quality

My only real critiques about this pair of headphones come down to their look and build quality. I’m really not a big fan of the color palette as it really does look like something that my grandparents would own. I think that this pair of headphones would have a hard time appealing to people that want really nice-looking headphones as they really don’t have a sleek look or even a crazy design choice to make them stand out.

The graphite color just really seems to miss the mark. Had they been a bit darker or perhaps lighter, I’d feel different but as they are now, the color just seems off for some reason. To add insult to injury, the leather-looking details on the sides of the headphones don’t help to make them look any more fashion-forward.

Though the visual design choices fare better than the actual build quality critiques I have for these headphones. Right out of the box you’ll be keen to find that these are headphones that are meant for travel. There’s the soft-shell case and the headphones even fold up into themselves for easy storage.

But even with travel in mind, these headphones don’t seem to have enough durability built into them for those on the go. The BT-600s just feel like after a fall or two that they’ll be out for the count. Their plastic construction is really soft and feels like it won’t take much for them to just crack and fall apart. The adjustable headband feels very cheap too and has a gummy feel to it as you pull it towards its largest setting.

I also had an issue where one of the earphones actually had a buzzing in it. I know that because the headphones fold up the cables do become pinned down which could be the culprit there. Luckily, Monoprice was nice enough to swap them out for me and so far, they haven’t had the same issue.

Specs and Audio Quality

• Bluetooth 5

• Supports the Qualcomm aptX HD Audio, SBC, and AAC audio codecs

• Hybrid noise canceling

• 40mm drivers

• 40 hours of playback time

• Touch control

• Ambient sound mode

• Foldable design

I gotta say, for where the design drops the ball, the sound and features really pick up that ball and run with it. Now I wouldn’t say that these headphones sound revolutionary, but they really are quite good with audio fidelity that you really can’t get from many others at this price, especially with all the additional features.

Connecting with Bluetooth 5 is incredibly smooth, lag isn’t noticeable, and the battery rocks for a while. I would say that my favorite feature though is the ANC features. The ambient especially is fantastic. It really does feel like you have music playing in your ears without beaing blocked out from the world.

Wearing these headphones for long periods of time really is enjoyable and the traveler-friendly approach to them really shines through during use. The ear cups are super soft and comfortable and while there is a slight amount of pressure, it’s only enough to keep them on your head without them feeling noticeable.

On the right ear, you have the power button, Bluetooth button, and ANC button that changes between noise-canceling, ambient, and off. You also have quite a few touch controls via the right ear’s leather touchpad. Though I’m not a huge fan of how it looks, the leather touchpad really is smooth to use overall.

What It Could Have Done Better

Honestly, had the build quality been better these headphones would almost seem too good to be true. Unfortunately, Monoprice cut a couple of corners which makes the headphones feel like a stumble in some cases.

The visual design aspects leave much to be desired as these look like something you’d pick up in a CVS during the holidays. I really wish they looked cooler. Even just a change in their shade would’ve done wonders.

Verdict

Monoprice did a fantastic job at creating a pair of headphones with some pretty great features for an affordable price-point but they shoot themselves in the foot with underwhelming design choices that backtrack what good ideas they had within this product.

I really do think that trying out the BT-600s yourself would really give you a better idea of the versatility and awesomeness that these headphones are. Though they aren’t easy on the eyes and don’t seem too sturdy, they definitely can perform better than you’d think.