These super cheap noise-cancelling headphones boast a 110-hour battery, but I still can’t recommend them — here’s why

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(Image credit: © Future) TechRadar Verdict The Tribit QuietPlus 81 are incredibly cheap and offer a whole lot of playtime, but they’re not quite up to scratch with some of the budget-friendly competition. In the end, unremarkable audio, underwhelming comfortability, and some unrefined features mean that these cans struggle to stand out.

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Jump To: Review Specs Price and release date Should you buy them? Also consider How we tested Tribit QuietPlus 81: reviewIf you’re looking for an ultra-cheap pair of noise cancelling headphones, the Tribit QuietPlus 81 appear to be a very tempting option indeed. With a list price of just $49.99 / £49.99 (about AU$75), they pack a lot in – ANC, a ton of playtime, and a neat, foldable design. But are they really worth checking out?

Well, in a lot of ways, these headphones are impressive. Above all, I was blown away by their ultra-long battery life. You get 70 hours with ANC on, and a whopping 110 hours with ANC off. That means you’ll barely have to charge these cans, ideal if you’re someone that’s on the go quite a bit… or are just forgetful like I am.

Like the best headphones around, these also have pretty extensive EQ options. There are a range of genre and situation-specific presets, but you can also set your own with the included 10-band equalizer. This means that you can create the sound that works best for you – an important inclusion, given that these headphones do not sound great out of the box.

Yes, I understand that these are incredibly cheap, and I didn’t have big expectations for these headphones, sonically speaking. But still, I think there are better-sounding options in the budget category – more on those in the ‘Also consider’ section. But essentially, these cans just lack the clarity, dynamism, and detail that others offer.

When listening to Black Eye by Allie X, synth beat intro lacked the razor-sharp delivery that makes it so impactful. The drum machine that follows sounds pretty deep, but also quite bloated, leaving the track devoid of its intense, energetic character. With the standard ‘Music’ tuning, instruments in the treble range are concealed, but even with a custom setup, I wasn’t able to get the expressive sound I was chasing.

Moving over to 12 O.C Riddim by M-High – a track that’s great for testing the low-end capabilities of headphones – and the picture was fairly mixed. High-pitched percussion in the build up again lacked the vibrancy and edge I was looking for, and although the headphones could reach down to the track’s dark depths, bass wasn’t agile or clean enough for a truly immersive listen.

Just generally, these headphones lack the refined sound you’d expect from a budget model like the 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51. With a custom EQ, you can get adequate sound when listening at mid-volumes, just don’t expect to get anything out of the ordinary for $50 / £50 headphones.

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Let’s get onto another crucial area and discuss ANC. So, these headphones can be used in normal mode, transparency mode (for enhanced awareness), and with noise cancelling on. I spent most of my time testing the headphones with ANC on, and in honesty, it was about as good as I’d expected.

When working in the office, I could still hear chatter and typing with volume set to 70%. On walks, traffic noise was still pretty prominent too, as was the sound of passerbys talking. Sure, these dampen surrounding sounds decently enough, but they’re unlikely to impress on the noise cancelling front.

One feature that interested me on these headphones, though, was their ability to trigger transparency mode in an instant. You can simply hold down on the right earcup, and hear your surroundings – as seen on the excellent Sony WH-1000XM6. Is this the most responsive? No – the feature doesn’t activate instantly as it would on the XM6. But still, it’s fairly effective, and a worthwhile inclusion.

More generally though, controls on the QuietPlus are pretty poor. After a firmware update, I was able to access ‘customizable touch controls’, but I couldn’t set playback control to the right ear cup… that’s limited to physical button controls. These buttons are black on black, and are slightly hard to read – and the volume controls being bound to one small-sized button is very impractical.

Touch controls themself are fairly responsive, but all they can do is activate XBass mode – which doesn’t sound good – or summon a voice assistant. I personally would’ve preferred standard touch controls to play, pause, or skip music – as seen on a model like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen).

There are a few other features to explore, like a lower-latency game mode, wired listening via a 3.5mm slot, and hearing protection. You can find just about everything you need in the Tribit app, although this is a pretty rudimentary piece of software – something I flagged in my review of the Tribit PocketGo.

In terms of design, these headphones are hit and miss. They’re foldable, which makes them pleasingly compact, and their adjustable headband makes them easy to fit. One thing that’s not too well-designed is the packaging. The box says these headphones offer “ULTRA LONG BATT” and “SMOOTH TALKING”… that’s one way to make a first impression.

Anyway, in spite of their use of ‘protein leather cushioning and memory foam’, I found the QuietPlus 81 to be a little uncomfortable for extended use. To me, they’re a little tight-feeling, and padding on the headband feels a little thin. Looks-wise, however, these headphones are solid. They don’t look ultra plasticky, and the earcups have a rounded look, which is fairly appealing.

In the end, then, would I recommend the Tribit QuietPlus 81 headphones? Unfortunately, the answer is no. There are certainly some commendable qualities on offer here, like that brilliant battery life and ten-band equalizer. But sonically, these fail to beat out rivals in their price category. Combine that with some unremarkable ANC and features, and I’d say you’re better off putting that $50 / £50 towards a pair of the best cheap headphones instead.

The Tribit QuietPlus 81 headphones were released in December 2025, and are available via Tribit’s website directly, or over on Amazon. They have a list price of $49.99 / £49.99 (about AU$75), which plants them firmly in the budget category.

Excellent battery life, but unremarkable ANC and clunky app.

Can get pretty deep, but audio is pretty muddy and lacks dynamism.

Not particularly comfortable, poor controls, but decent looking.

Cheap, but quality doesn’t match up to other budget rivals.

You want ANC for lessThe Tribit QuietPlus 81 provide active noise cancelling capabilities for less than $50 / £50. Sure, it’s not the most amazing ANC around, but these headphones will still dampen noise from your surroundings decently.

You want headphones with a whole lot of battery lifeWith 110 hours of battery life with ANC off and 70 hours with it on, the Tribit QuietPlus 81 supply a whole lot of playtime. That’s more than the majority of budget rivals, and makes them ideal for those who don’t want to charge their headphones all too often.

You want some comfy cansIn my experience, the QuietPlus 81 weren’t very comfortable. There’s not much padding on the adjustable headband, and they were a slightly tight fit, meaning they’re not ideal for longer listening sessions. If you want some seriously comfortable headphones, my top recommendation would be the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro.

You’re looking for good sound qualityThe underwhelming audio of the Tribit QuietPlus 81 is one of their key flaws, and sees them lag behind some of the budget-friendly competition. If you want better audio at a still-low price, I’d recommend one of the options down below.

Header Cell – Column 0 Tribit QuietPlus 81

1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51The 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 remain as the top budget pick in our guide to the best noise-cancelling headphones, and for good reason. With genuinely good ANC, seriously impressive audio, and plenty of playtime, they feel like the ultimate cheap pair of headphones. They’re often on sale for less than their already phenomenally low list price, and I’d certainly recommend them over these Tribit cans. Read our full 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 review.

OneOdio Focus A6These ultra-cheap headphones really impressed us with their comfy fit and quality build, their exhaustive suite of features, and their genuinely good sound quality. You really can’t do much better than this for cans sitting around the $50 / £50 mark, so these are well-worth checking out. Read our full OneOdio Focus A6 review.

I spent one week testing the Tribit QuietPlus 81, during which time I took them just about everywhere I went. Whether I was on a walk, working in the office, or doing chores at home, I made sure to have the headphones at hand – allowing me to test the quality of their ANC in a wide range of settings.

When listening to music, I predominantly made use of Tidal, but I did dip into Spotify from time to time as well. As always, I commenced my testing by running through the TechRadar testing playlist, which features songs from a wide range of genres, but I also tuned into a heap of tracks from my personal music library.

On top of that, I made use of the various features on the QuietPlus 81, messing around with the customizable controls, ANC modes, and custom equalizer. More generally, I’ve been a Reviews Writer here at TechRadar for almost two years, during which time I’ve tested a whole lot of headphones, including premium releases like the Sennheiser HDB 630 and budget alternatives like the Baseus Bowie 30 Max.

Harry Padoan Senior Writer, Reviews Harry is a Senior Reviews Writer for TechRadar. He reviews everything from party speakers to wall chargers and has a particular interest in the worlds of audio and gaming. Harry has a background in business tech journalism, particularly around the telecoms industry.

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