[packaging]
Basic packaging. When you open the box, you are immediately presented with the case and manual.
[inside content]
Comes with a nice round-shaped case. The headphones and cables are inside of the case. They give you a pouch for putting in the charging and aux cable. I would have preferred if there was a dedicated compartment for putting in the cables. Also, it's a bit awkward to put the headphones into the case, because you have to have the right earphone on the left side and the left earphone on the right side while the left earphone is folded, and both earphones have to be faced side down. You'll just have to memorize the orientation when putting them inside the case every time.
[material/build]
Headphones is mostly plastic material. Don't expect too much from sub-100 dollar headphones. The size adjustment is metallic. I think they are very comfortable to wear. I've heard about issues on build quality where the plastic hinges near the size adjustments would crack. But I've only had mine for less than two months so I can't comment on that yet.
[buttons/controls]
On/off, volume, and play/pause buttons are physical buttons. But I think ANC mode switching is touch control.
[wired mode]
As for wired/aux mode, I'm unsure if EQ and ANC will work with wired mode since I haven't tested it, so I can't comment on it. As far as I'm concerned, I will never be using these headphones in wired mode unless I absolutely have to.
[Soundcore app and custom EQ]
The Soundcore app makes it super easy to adjust EQ. EQ adjusting is responsive and doesn't lag for a long time like some other apps. Your EQ is saved in your headphones (tested with two separate devices; these headphones can pair with older Android from 2016). But you can also make a Soundcore account to save your EQ settings online. One downside of the app is that you can't adjust EQ while your headphones aren't connected, nor can you see your EQ settings. This becomes a nuisance for when you want to take a screenshot of your EQ settings to share with people who have the same headphones. There are also no horizontal line markings in the EQ setting, not even for 0 dB.
Sound quality massively improves with EQ adjustment (I will update review later with a picture of the EQ, if possible). In the default setting, it doesn't sound so good. There are also EQ presets for you to try, but I prefer to use custom EQ. After adjusting EQ, I think the sound quality is great and will probably beat many popular BT headphones that cost more than this (I got it on sale for 74.99 CAD not including tax).
The app also has a feature for playing various ambient sounds to potentially help you relax or sleep, or just set a certain mood for whatever takes your fancy. It's similar to the old iOS apps from the early 2010s that does the same sort of thing.
[battery life]
Battery life seems pretty good. But I tend to not use them for too long in one session.
[sound issue (fixed)]
I did encounter an issue where there would be a crackle sound (not too serious) in the left ear cup when I shake my head during ANC mode. It sounds like it's coming from the plastic, but I only hear it when ANC is on. This problem is fixed when I sent it back to Amazon and bought another one. The first one I bought was 89.99 CAD. When it went on sale for 74.99 CAD about 2-3 weeks later, I figured I'd just return my old pair, buy a new pair, and see if the problem would go away.
[ANC (active noise cancellation)]
ANC is good enough for me. I don't have a second pair of BT headphones to compare ANC performance to.
With ANC turned off, the ambient sound becomes a bit annoying like a hollowed out sound. I always have the ANC on for that reason. I might have returned these headphones if I intended to use the headphones often with ANC off.
[conclusion]
Overall I'm very satisfied with these headphones. They sound great for music and movies. I would recommend them, as long as you plan on using custom EQ and ANC.
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