SYNC-ANC Bluetooth Headphones Provided by Monoprice
Headphones are always a tough financial decision. As a gamer who goes through headsets fairly frequently, I typically prefer earbuds for using my phone and on calls. The price for a quality pair of headphones is equal to a similar pair of earbuds, and most headphones squeeze my head, making the choice easy. The argument of sound quality is minor when I would be spending over $150 for quality audio devices and would prefer to simply use earbuds. However, my mind has been opened after testing the Monoprice SYNC-ANC Bluetooth Headphones and enjoying a quality sound with a price tag much lower than other headphones of similar quality. Read on to see my thoughts.
What’s In The Box
The SYNC-ANC headphones come simply with a 3.5mm cable to utilize a corded connection and a USB to USB-micro B cable for charging. Along with simple instructions, it makes for a very consolidated setup. I’ve found little difference between the corded connection and the Bluetooth quality, but it is important to note that the headphones must be charged to be used either way.
Aesthetics and Build Quality
Simple with black materials and silver connectors, the headphones feel surprisingly sturdy based on the price point. The simple look means it won’t look out of place on a commute or in an office, and users won’t need to worry about how their sense of fashion will clash with the looks of their SYNC-ANC Headphones.
Simple buttons and switches are quick to understand and utilize, and allow the user to quickly pause, change volume, navigate playlists, and turn it on/activate the active noise canceling. As someone who was worried about being able to utilize these features well due to lack of practice, it was quite simple to pick up the functions and use them throughout my day.
On a note for durability, I always run headphones and earbuds through a gauntlet of a heavy workout and day out to test how they hold up. While the SYNC-ANC Headphones are not marketed as workout headphones, they held up well during multiple days of use and as of now (after multiple days of use) still seem as in great shape as when I received them. There is no waterproofing mentioned, but I haven’t noticed any sweat-induced electronic issues.
Specs and Audio Quality
As a former DJ, sound quality is very important. A pair of headphones that can equalize the different audio tones well is a huge relief, and I was blown away by the quality of sound I got from the SYNC-ANC Headphones. There were no issues with “tinny” sound, and all music and calls were quite clear and had distinctive parts to the audio. Bass kept up with the volume, the trebles came through well, and no part of the audio blend drowned out the others. The active noise canceling worked well, though not as perfectly as some higher-priced audio equipment.
Some features I really liked were the multipoint pairing, which allowed the headphones to be linked to two different items via Bluetooth. Having my laptop connected and having it automatically switch to my phone when a call came through was very cool, and something I’ve never had before in headphones. The advertised 20 hours of audio playback/talk time was also very accurate, and I wore the SYNC-ANC Headphones for 3 days pretty consistently without needing to recharge the batteries.
What It Could Have Done Better
For the price, these headphones definitely beat out a lot of other earbuds/headphones in many departments. Great quality sound, great build quality, and a very consistent battery life was very cool for a set of headphones retailing at $60. My only complaints are that I felt the headset itself had slightly smaller earpads than others I’ve used in the past, which caused some sore ears after a long use session, and that the input for calls was not the best. While passable, there were some issues with background noise and people not hearing me correctly. However, depending on usage and head size (which mine is a bit on the large size), this won’t be a problem for other users.
Verdict
The Monoprice SYNC-ANC Bluetooth Headphones were a breath of fresh air in an audio market filled with overpriced gadgets, over-specialized headphones, and gimmicks. The only gimmicks here are the dual channel Bluetooth (which worked well) and the active noise canceling (which is a must for a lot of people). For the low price of $60, I would put these headphones against anything under $100, and it would give the items between $100 and $200 a real run for its price. For casual music fans, I would definitely recommend these headphones.
