OneOdio is on a hot streak at the moment. I was incredibly impressed by its Monitor 80s which proved to be an inexpensive way to enter the world of the audiophile. But, whisper it, I might have found a set that could pack even more bang for the buck.
The OneOdio A10 are over-the-ear active noise-cancelling headphones you can pick up for £69.99 on Amazon at the moment. And at that price, they're an absolute steal.
On unboxing, you're met with a wireless headset that just screams premium. Well, first off you're actually met with a very nice travelling case that very solid and swish-looking. But the headphones themselves continue the theme, looking very sharp with a glossy metal finish on the earcups.
The earpads are equipped with protein memory foam. The same foam can be found on the headband and this - coupled with the fact that you can change the size of the band - means they are super comfortable. You are in no danger of experiencing headphone earache with these. And I know, I wore them for hours and hours without one twinge.
How could I wear them for hours? That's because the battery life on these wireless wonders is an absolute epic 45 hours. And, being honest, OneOdio might have been underplaying that as I never got close to using up the juice. A full charge takes a little over two hours, although they also support quick charging which means just five minutes of being plugged in will get you another two hours of use.
Pairing them to your device is quick and easy, while the controls on each earpad are well placed and do the usual (volume up and down, skip track etc).
Now the active noise-cancelling field (ANC) is getting crowded these days, where Apple once led others have caught up and you have a host of earpods to choose from even at this price point. But with these being over-the-ear headphones I thought made a real difference. OneOdio says 95% of low and mid-range noises are completely blocked whilst the headphones are in use, and these claims were easily backed up in the real world as it squashed outside noises such as wind, noisy children's telly or even a vacuum with ease.
The A10 also has an Ambient Listening Mode that allows outside noises through, meaning you can hold a conversation without hitting the pause button on your music or podcast. I was a little curious to see how this would rate against the in-ear competition but can report it worked really well and that having your ears covered didn't offer an extra barrier.
It's worth noting they can also be used as plugged-in headphones as you get a very handy USB-C to 3.mm audio cable for extra flexibility. Audio quality remained the same no matter how you connected.
And what about audio quality? I found the sound super clear and well-balanced with a punchy bass. I'm by no means an experienced audiophile but I absolutely no complaints. They do deliver the hi-red audio you're after but you might find they are not compatible with some of the more powerful codecs, but the average user will not notice or, quite frankly, care.
The OneOdio A10 offers stupendous value of money. On unboxing if you'd told me they cost three times as much I'd still have been thinking that's not a bad deal. They're an all-around package offering great audio quality with super build quality - all for under £70. And that's a perfect match.
