Every once in a while, a no‑name budget product lands on my desk and completely blindsides me. This time, it’s the QCY H3S. QCY isn’t a household name; they’re a value‑first brand best known for earbuds that punch well above their price. I only discovered them recently with their N70 Melobuds that I reviewed a little while ago. The H3S continues that ethos at just USD $59.99 or roughly $90 Aussie dollars, and that sticker is precisely why they shocked me: I expected “decent for the money,” not “genuinely great!” From the moment I fired them up, they felt like a cheat code for everyday listening.
There’s a moment when thick, booming bass rolls through a track and you instinctively brace for the smear—the muddy low-end that swallows everything. The QCY H3S never crosses that line. It digs deep, delivers bass you can feel in your chest, and somehow keeps vocals and treble intact. That alone would make these cans notable. At this price and from a brand most of my friends haven’t heard of, it makes them a genuine surprise.
Let’s start with sound because it’s the headline. The H3S leans warm and punchy: sub-bass presence that thumps, mid-bass that adds weight, and an overall musicality that’s just fun. The bass is thick, but it isn’t a blunt instrument—kick drums have shape, bass guitars have texture, and there’s none of that bloated resonance you get in cheaper sets. Mids sit slightly behind the low end but still carry vocals clearly, and the treble stays smooth, not splashy. You won’t get microscope-level resolution like top-tier studio cans, but for everyday listening—streaming, podcasts, workouts, a commute—these are shockingly competent and genuinely engaging. I ended up replaying my bass stress-test playlist because, well, they make it enjoyable.
Comfort is top‑notch. The H3S nails the “wear all day and forget they’re there” brief: light on the head, generous padding, and a clamp that’s firm enough for stability without creating hotspots. As someone who spends hours with headphones on, that matters more than spec sheet fireworks. That said, I have one concern: the headband’s durability. It feels fine out of the box, but there’s a flex and finish that makes me wonder how it will hold up a year in—especially if you throw them in a bag daily. So far, no issues, but I’m watching it.
Design‑wise, QCY clearly took notes from Sony’s WH‑1000XM5 playbook, and that’s not a bad thing. The minimalist shell and that slick fold‑down mechanism make the H3S easy to pack without the awkward bulges you get with older hinge designs. The yokes are ratcheted rather than fluid, which gives you precise adjustments but lacks the buttery movement of the Sonys. And yes, the overall fit and finish isn’t quite the level of polish you’ll see from Sony or Bose—materials and tolerances feel a notch down—but it’s still good enough in daily use. Toss them in a sling or carry‑on and they behave. Shame that QCY doesn’t provide a carrying case but at this price, I’d be even more shocked if they did. Still, it’s a familiar design, clean, practical—and for the price, those are all wins.
Battery life is exceptional. I didn’t baby these at all—ANC on and off, calls, music, YouTube binges—and they kept going. QCY’s claims of multi‑day listening(100 hours) aren’t marketing fluff here; you can genuinely forget the charger as I personally haven’t charged them in 2 weeks of use. For busy people who don’t want yet another device to babysit, this is low‑key one of the best features. Charge anxiety: annihilated.
Active Noise Cancellation is where the reality of a cheaper headphone checks in. The H3S sits at a solid B tier. It can’t really touch Sony or Bose in cutting low‑frequency rumble or dealing with chaotic chatter, and the adaptive adjustments aren’t as surgical. But—and this is important—at this price it’s impressive ANC is even here to begin with. It takes the edge off traffic droning, dulls office HVAC, and makes focused work or travel much more pleasant. Transparency mode, on the other hand, is excellent for the category: voices come through naturally without the tinny, amplified hiss some budget sets struggle with. For quick conversations or crossing a street, it’s genuinely useful.
Call quality surprised me too. Outside in wind and traffic, my voice stayed clear and intelligible—something I usually only expect from pricier sets. If you’re bouncing between Teams calls and playlists all day, the H3S won’t embarrass you.
Now, about QCY being relatively unknown. I get the hesitation—tech graveyards are full of bargain brands that overpromise and underdeliver. But the H3S is the opposite story: a well‑tuned sound signature, comfort‑first design, an adult approach to battery life, and ANC that’s honestly good for the money. If you’re name‑brand loyal, you might miss something great here. The brand might be unfamiliar, but the experience feels solid and thought‑through.
The trade‑offs? Purists will want more mid detail and air; the H3S is tuned for enjoyment rather than forensic listening. The ANC is competent but not class‑leading. And I want longer‑term reassurance about the build quality. None of those are deal‑breakers for the intended audience, and they’re frankly reasonable compromises considering what you get elsewhere in the package.
Verdict
I’m genuinely shocked by how good the QCY H3S are for the price and for a manufacturer that’s still building recognition. They’ve immediately become a favorite of mine for daily use—music, calls, and travel—and easily my biggest surprise of the year. The bass is bold and exciting but controlled, the comfort is outstanding, the design is thoughtful (even if the yokes ratchet and the finish doesn’t rival Sony/Bose), the battery lasts forever, and the ANC is good enough that I don’t feel I’m making a major sacrifice. If you want flagship performance, you’ll still pay flagship prices. But if you want 80% of the experience for a fraction of the cost—with a sound that puts a grin on your face—the QCY H3S belongs on your shortlist.
QCY kindly provided the H3S to PowerUp for the purpose of this review
