The new OneOdio Focus A6 noise-canceling wireless headphones are a surprise package, delivering many features on par with sets that cost three times as much and outperforming its competitors in its budget price range. While you won't be able to go into a store and test them out, the US$$69.99 price tag is hard to beat for what they offer.
If you don't know much about OneOdio, that's because the Chinese audio company has bypassed the stores for a purely online sales model. Which is one of the reasons why it has, for more than a decade, been able to produce consistently decent over-ear wired and wireless headphones that deliver much more than their price would suggest.
Because we're generally used to associating audio quality with cost, it's no surprise that OneOdio has its skeptics in the comments sections of positive reviews. But I can honestly say that after a month with the Focus A6 cups around my ears while on multiple planes, out running and tuning out my mother's too-loud soap operas, I was more than pleasantly surprised.
Available in Midnight Black and Ivory Blush, the design is simple but solid. The ear and headband pads feature vegan-leather memory cushions that sit comfortably, and at just 240 g (8.5 oz), the headphones are easy to wear all day or slip around your neck for carry. The band is fully adjustable, but only a few inches, suiting small to medium head sizes best. They do fold inwards for storage, however, you'll need to BYO bag as they don't come with their own. While distinctly plastic – albeit nicely matted – they don't look "cheap," and the ear cup faceplates feature grooved aviation-grade aluminum, which gives the set a sleek finish (in the case of my review unit, black with subtle gold highlights).
Given their weight, I was impressed with how well the Focus A6 stayed in place when on the move; there was no slippage when moving your head forward or back, and when put to the run test they passed with flying colors – light enough to not feel like you're jogging in a helmet, and tight enough to not bounce around. I also found the ear cups comfortable enough to rest against train windows or even in a side-sleeping position.
As for sound, the Focus A6 do a pretty good job. While some have criticized playback of classical music, they certainly outperformed my expectations listening to modern rock and pop, as well as streaming TV series and podcasts. I prefer my in-ear noise-canceling buds for podcasts, but the headphones provide superior sound for everything I have in high rotation (about 80% Taylor Swift, 20% fuzzy, noisy dream pop – which can be fickle with playback). Generally speaking, there's a good range, ample bass and no distortion that wasn't meant to be there.
OneOdio’s companion app is full-featured, letting you customize the EQ, set listening timers, cap maximum volume and enable modes like LDAC for high-res streaming, Game Mode, or Dual Device connection.
One of the Focus A6's big selling points is its promise of multifaceted noise-canceling. And the 48-dB Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) system has some really strong points. The standard noise-canceling effectively turns a busy road into a hushed space. On the plane, it dramatically cut engine noise and silenced any nearby chatter – so much so I missed the snack cart on my last flight. There are five different settings all up, with Transparency mode to let you still hear your surroundings and two that work to minimize wind interference (Wind Noise Reduction, Wind-Resistant Transparency). To be honest, I couldn't see much benefit of using either. Fortunately, the standard noise-canceling mode is excellent and performs well above its budget pricing point.
Call quality was adequate, but not the set's strong point. Fortunately, I am not one who enjoys talking on the phone, let alone in public, so it depends what your needs are here.
Another standout is the battery life – and the charging. As someone who will put their headphones or earbuds in and forget about them all day, listening to nothing but enjoying the noise-canceled world around me, I need a good charge. In the month I have been regularly using the Focus A6, I may have charged them fully three times. In fact, just a quick 10-minute charge from the USB-C port will give you up to 10 hours more playback. This is so valuable when on the run or using a public charge port.
Overall, you can expect up to 75 hours of playback with ANC off, or 40 hours with ANC on, which is seriously impressive and outperforms products offered by many more expensive brands.
The physical controls – volume, ANC, power – are lined up around the bottom of the right earcup, however, they are quite fiddly and it's easy to knock the ANC setting when adjusting the headphones or powering down. There's also Bluetooth 6.0 connectivity and USB-C wired mode.
The Focus A6 supports LDAC, so if you're using a compatible device (most Android phones), you can enjoy studio-quality sound wirelessly – closer to what you'd get with wired headphones.
So while the Focus A6 headphones are hardly going to take down Bose or Sony's high-end ANC units, they're a surprisingly solid choice that should please casual music listeners, commuters and travelers. The comfort, long battery life, well-rounded ANC and crisp vocal delivery were far better than expected. And you'd be hard-pressed to find a better set of cans in this price range.
The OneOdio Focus A6 are $69.99, available online at OneOdio, and with code "NewAtlas" you can currently get 15% off at checkout. They are also currently available for $55.99 on Amazon for a limited time.
Source: OneOdio
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