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Another OneOdio product has landed in the office recently, and this time they have had a second chance at a set of ANC headphones (active noise reduction), OneOdio A10s.
Noise-canceling headphones are extremely competitive product areas, where every company under the sun tries to give the consumer some much-needed silence in these noisy and distracting times.
So, has OneOdio got what it takes to compete, or will they be OneOdio and DoneOdio?
OneOdio A10 wireless ANC headphones
Frequency response
20Hz – 20kHz
Connection
Bluetooth, USB Type-C, 3.5 mm jack
Battery life
Up to 50 hours
Unboxing and setup
The first impression was very positive as OneOdio has significantly improved their unboxing experience.
The box is thick, robust and has a first-class sense of texture. When we open it, we find the A10s placed in a surprisingly expensive carrying case.
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In the case we find the headphones themselves and associated accessories, including one of the annoying specific aircraft adapters. This is a nice detail, since noise-canceling headphones are an invaluable investment for those who fly often.
The setup was fun, since the A10s were photographed before we tested them, they automatically connected to the photographer’s phone instead and started playing music.
When we discovered that the headphones were not actually haunted and we were actually idiots, we could finally play with them.
Construction quality
Here we see OneOdio once again improve compared to previous generations of products.
Yes, the construction is almost exclusively made of plastic, but it feels good to the touch and even manages to feel solid around all the joints, which is difficult, even for the big guys like Sony and Bose.
The real stars of the show here are the earbuds. The upholstery creates a perfect balance between comfortable and robust.
This results in forgiving ear pads, which soften to create a good seal to help the ANC, but which do not immediately flatten out and become plywood against the dome.
Since these are wireless ANC headphones, they must have been designed with portability in mind, and we are pleased to report that OneOdio has done well in this regard as well.
They fold nicely and compactly together, and the hinges where most of the load is concentrated are thick blocks of aluminum, so you can count on these surviving one being launched in a bag time and time again.
Comfort
We mentioned the ear pads briefly earlier, but they deserve a little more attention since they are fantastic, with one unfortunate caveat.
The combination of excellent soft cushioning and fairly strong clamping force results in effortless wear with fantastic noise insulation.
However, there are two things that make the overall experience a bit boring. The headband and the depth, or lack thereof, of the earcups.
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The headband has very little cushioning, which results in a non-partial pressure over the top of the user’s head, which is reinforced if you usually wear a hat. And the earbuds, as good as they are, simply do not have sufficient depth.
This means that you can almost feel the ears touch the inner surface of the eardrum. This runs the spectrum from annoying to imperceptible depending on the user, so keep that in mind, but it may not be a deal breaker for you.
Sound quality
The sound quality is generally good, the bass swings higher than we want out of the box, which is an expected but unfortunate quality of cheaper headphones.
The mixture also gets muddy when you turn the volume close to max, but between worries about hearing loss and the super solid seal, you will almost never do it.
Higher frequencies may also sound a little crazy, but medium highs are good enough for most casual users.
The center, where there is most music, is the best-sounding part of the A10’s response curve. They sound sharp and accurate to the extent that we have heard poorer sound from headphones over double the price.
However, there is a quiet elephant in the room here, very quiet, in fact. Let’s talk about it.
ANC (active noise reduction)
This is the best noise reduction, active or otherwise, that we have seen from OneOdio. The seal we mentioned before, combined with the noise reduction technology they have crammed in there, works an absolute treat, especially at this price point of ~ $ 50.
There are two levels of noise reduction available on the OneODio A10s, transparent mode and full noise reduction.
The transparent mode is a good laugh, it amplifies certain sounds from your surroundings. Apparently this is for increased awareness and thus safety when you are traveling.
But during the testing, it just made us feel like daredevils and was therefore fantastic for eavesdropping on the office, something we recommend.
Full on active noise reduction is fantastic. Of course, at this price, it does not come close to the industry giants Sony and Bose, but it is actually very effective in reducing unwanted background noise.
Unfortunately, as we suggested earlier, there is an inherent problem with active noise reduction, and it is a problem that OneOdio has fallen particularly hard on this occasion.
It is a bit difficult to explain, but the ANC will always have an effect on the response to the headphones, which typically makes the mix less defined.
This is a side effect of broadcasting the opposite of the external background noise, it sort of goes over the intended music. This has a dampening effect that changes the entire sound profile.
As we said, this is an inherent ANC problem, which means that it is there no matter what product it is. But with A10s specifically, you lose a lot of fidelity.
Without the ANC these sound pretty good, with the ANC they sound far worse, but there is a silver lining here, and it comes thanks to the seal we mentioned who likes it so well.
It is such a good seal, especially for the price, that the passive noise cancellation still makes a difference enough that those of you who prioritize sound quality over quiet will still be happy if you decide to go for the OneOdio A10.
OneOdio A10 wireless ANC headphones: Last word
You have impressed us, OneOdio. The A10s have managed to find a strong balance between reasonableness and quality, which is a rarer achievement than you might think.
The comfort is great, and the overall carrying experience is fantastic, but be aware that the ANC, although effective, has a noticeably detrimental effect on sound quality, which puts a damper on the A10s.
OneOdio A10 wireless ANC headphones
Frequency response
20Hz – 20kHz
Connection
Bluetooth, USB Type-C, 3.5 mm jack
Battery life
Up to 50 hours
If you are curious, OneOdio offers 50% off the A10 right now. Just use code ONEA10 at checkout to cut the price off $ 69.99 to $ 35.99saving $ 34.
