As an audiophile, these $100 headphones get my seal of approval – here’s why

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.

---

As a big fan of classical music, I understand that despite what you may think, it doesn’t sound good in any old headphones, regardless of price. That assumption would have Mozart rolling in his grave and Bach slapping himself silly.

Also: How I turned these $60 headphones into an audiophile’s dream (without spending a penny)

When you hear classical music on a good pair of headphones, it can be transcendent, and it doesn’t require shelling out $1,000 for the hardware. As long as the headphones have a solid low end, crisp highs, smooth mids, and a decent soundstage, you’d think you were right there, on stage, watching an orchestra play in front of you. 

That’s where the Baseus XH1 headphones come into play.

My experience

When I unboxed the Baseus XH1 headphones, I had been listening to Mozart all morning, so I figured I’d continue the trend. I wasn’t in the mood for anything else, so it just made sense. As soon as his Oboe Concerto in C Major, K. 314 came on, I closed my eyes and let the sound wash over my eardrums.

I’ve grown accustomed to Baseus headphones and earbuds punching above their weight, so it came as no surprise that the XH1 headphones lived up to that reputation. But this was something special. Every note was clear; I could even hear the breath of the oboist. 

Also: These wireless headphones transported me to audio nirvana – and are my new all-time favorite

There was a somewhat wide soundstage (not the widest I’ve experienced), so I could place the instrumentalists in their proper place and discern violins from violas from cellos. 

Even better, the sound was in no way taxing. I could listen to these headphones all day without getting tired of it, and that’s just what I did, visiting all my favorite classical composers: Mozart was majestic. Beethoven was bombastic. Verdi was very, very grand. Liszt was lovely.

Okay, okay, you get it. 

But what about other genres? Begrudgingly, I jumped around to see how other types of music fared. 

• Electronic: The Prodigy’s “Serial Thrilla” was incredible, with deep, agile bass that wasn’t heavy-handed. The highs were a bit muted.
• ’80s – The Psychedelic Furs “Heartbreak Beat” was a bit muddy at the low end, but the mids were wonderful. Again, the highs could have used a boost.
• Prog – Coheed And Cambria’s “Here We Are Juggernaut” suffered from the same lack of highs. But Tool’s “Vicarious” fared considerably better.

I was starting to sense a pattern here. Where classical music really soared through the XH1 headphones, many other genres needed a boost. To that end, I connected the headphones to the Baseus app and ran the firmware update that came up. I then hopped into the EQ section to see if I could give the highs a bit of help. This is where I ran into trouble. 

Also: The best over-ear headphones: Expert tested and reviewed

First off, the default EQ is “Sound By Bose,” and it very much falls into the Bose sound camp. I tapped through the various pre-configured EQ curves and found the “Clear Treble” to be the best option. But what I really wanted was to make my own. Every time I tried, though, the app would freeze, so I’d have to back out of the custom EQ option. Restarting the app led the same results.

After that, I dropped into the Sound Settings section and enabled Hi-Res Audio and Bass Boost. The combination of the Clear Treble, Hi-Res Audio, and Bass boost gave me exactly what I needed. I had improved highs, without sacrificing the lows.

Also: I replaced my AirPods for an unlikely alternative at work – here’s why it’s my new favorite

I’m not a fan of headphones requiring an app to improve the sound, and when said app doesn’t let me create a custom EQ curve, I find it to be mostly useless. This time around, I was fortunate that the settings I adjusted resulted in brilliant sound. And given that these headphones cost just over $100 on Amazon, I found them to be a bargain. If classical music is your jam, these sound wonderful out of the box.

ZDNET’s buying advice

If you don’t want to break the bank to get smooth, dynamic sound from your headphones, you could do a lot worse than the Baseus XH1 headphones. If the company can solve the app issue with the Custom EQ option, I would rank these in my top five favorite over-the-ear headphones at the $100 price point.

Baseus Inspire XH1 tech specs

• Adaptive ANC system with up to -48 dB noise reduction
• 100-hour battery life with ANC off and 65 hours with ANC on. 10-minute charge provides 12 hours of use.
• Bluetooth 6.1 with multipoint connectivity
• Hi-Res and LDAC support, Dolby Audio, LDAC, SuperBalance 3.0, and SoundFit 
• Connectivity and calls
• Five microphones with AI Clear Calls for voice clarity during calls 
• Maximum Transmission Range: 39.4 ft 
• Design: Over-ear, folding style for portability
• Earcups: Soft, resilient memory foam earcups with a velvet-like protein leather finish
• Portability: Includes a carrying case 

READ MORE HERE