QCY H3 Pro is an upgraded version of QCY H3, with new upgrades in noise cancellation, sounding, and appearance. QCY H3 Pro supports 50dB adaptive noise cancellation, up to 55 hours of battery life, and is equipped with a 40mm titanium-plated diaphragm dynamic driver and amplifier chip.
QCY H3 Pro specs and features:
- Bluetooth 5.4 with SBC/AAC/LDAC codec
- 40 – 55 hours playback of per charge (ANC on/off)
- 50dB adaptive ANC & Transparency mode & Spatial sound
- Bluetooth connection & 3.5mm headphone cable connection
- Multipoint connection & Low-latency gaming mode
- $66 – Check latest price on Amazon US, other Amazon countries, AliExpress or QCY Store
Appearance Design – Comfortable Fit
The overall appearance design of QCY H3 Pro is similar to that of QCY H3, but H3 Pro adopts new design. For example, the leather headbeam is extended, the metal arm is supported, the 3D hinge is hidden, etc. The overall visual effect is simple and textured, and it looks more fashionable.
The headphones are oval-shaped, and the earcups are thinner than that of QCY H3. The design of the headbeam and earcups is similar to that of H3, but many changes have been made in the details, such as the connection between the headbeam and the headphones has become thinner.
The headphones is made of matte plastic. The headphones is connected to the headbeam through a “Y-shaped structure”, which can be rotated 90 degrees and folded inward. The headphones and the Y-shaped structure also support rotation, making it easier to adjust to the appropriate position.
The earcups are wrapped in skin-friendly protein leather, which is soft and comfortable to the touch and rebounds quickly. The left and right headphones are marked with L/R on the inside of the earcups for easy distinction. The top of the headbeam is also wrapped in soft protein leather, and there is a soft buffer on the inside to reduce the sense of pressure. The headbeam supports telescopic adjustment, and there is a scale on the telescopic structure to convenient for quickly locating the position that suits you. The headphone take up less space when folded and are easy to carry.
The layout of all buttons and ports are the same as QCY H3 – all on the right headphone. They are the multi-function button, volume +/-, 3.5mm headphone jack, Type-C charging port and ANC button. There is an LED indicator next to the multi-function button.
The headphone is not particularly large, and the weight of about 233g is well controlled. With the soft buffer on the inside of the headbeam, the pressure can be well dispersed, and there is no obvious pressure on the head, and the wearing comfort is quite good.
The earcups are made of memory foam earpads, and the outer side is wrapped with skin-friendly protein leather material, which is soft and comfortable to the touch. Even when wearing glasses, there is not too much pressure on both sides, and good comfort can still be maintained. Wearing headphones in an indoor air-conditioned environment will not cause a very stuffy feeling. After wearing it for an hour, I can still maintain a relatively comfortable state.
Connection – App Support – Controls
The headphones use Bluetooth 5.4 technology and support SBC, AAC and LDAC codec. When the power is off, press and hold the multi-function button for about 4 seconds to enter pairing mode. Click “QCY H3 Pro” in the bluetooth list of the phone to connect, and you can use it normally. Plus, the H3 Pro also comes with a 3.5mm AUX cable for wired connection.
Also, the H3 Pro supports dual-device connection and can connect mobile phone and computer at the same time. It should be noted that when the dual-device connection function is turned on, the LDAC must be turned off.
The QCY App allows you to see the headphone battery level, and supports adjusting the sound effects and noise cancellation mode. The app provides custom button functions, timed shutdown, low-latency game mode, headphone positioning, etc. QCY H3 Pro supports LDAC audio encoding, but it will conflict with dual device connection and spatial audio, so you can only choose one.
The headphone buttons respond quickly and are comprehensive in functions, meeting most needs. However, since the multi-function button is close to the volume button, you may press the wrong button if you operate it blindly, so you need to get familiar with it.
The default control scheme is comprehensive:
- Press and hold multi-function button for 2s: Power on
- Press and hold multi-function button for 4s: Power off
- Press and hold multi-function button for 1s: Reject call
- Single-tap multi-function button: Answer/Hang up call
- Single-tap multi-function button: Play/Pause music
- Double-tap multi-function button: Game mode on/off
- Triple-tap multi-function button: Activate voice assistant
- Single-tap VOL+/VOL-: Volume Up/Volume Down
- Press and hold VOL+/VOL- for 1s: Next/Previous track
Battery Life – Gaming Mode
The H3 Pro also has a dedicated low-latency game mode you can activate from the app or headphone with the latency as low as 60ms. This helps to synchronize the sound effects with the action on your screen. There is still a slight latency when playing games, but it is within an acceptable range.
The battery capacity of the headphones is 600mA, and the single battery life is up to 55 hours with ANC off, and up to 40 hours with ANC on. The battery life will be further reduced when LDAC is turned on. Plus, it supports fast charging, and you can listen to music for 5 hours after charging for 10 minutes.
Active Noise Cancellation – Transparency Mode
The ANC button can be used to switch between noise cancellation on/off/transparency mode/adaptive noise cancellation mode, which can basically meet daily needs. However, switching by button will interrupt the song playback. The headphone supports 50dB adaptive noise cancellation and has built-in multiple noise cancellation scene modes.
Through the QCY APP, you can select the noise reduction scene in the noise cancellation mode, including – Indoor, Commute, Crowd, Anti-Wind Noise modes. The first three noise cancellation modes support 3 levels of adjustable intensity.
When the headphone is out of power, you can still use the Active Noise Cancellation function via the 3.5mm AUX cable, and you can switch the noise cancellation mode via the ANC button. However, you cannot operate it via the volume button at this time.
Turn on the crowd noise cancellation mode and adjust it to the 3-level of intensity – the sound of the air conditioner and keyboard tapping in the living room are greatly reduced, and the sound of nearby conversations is also suppressed. Next to the road, the sound of cars driving and tire noise can be completely blocked. The sound of car horns can be greatly reduced, with only a faint sound entering the ears.
QCY H3 Pro supports transparency mode, but the actual effect is average. The headphones also have passive noise cancellation effect, so it is recommended to take off the headphones for communication. Plus, most of the wind noise can be blocked after turning on Anti-Wind Noise mode.
Acoustic Configuration – Sound Description
QCY H3 Pro uses a 40mm titanium-plated diaphragm dynamic driver and a amplifier chip. The titanium-plated diaphragm speaker effectively enhances the amplitude and strength. The stereo amplifier chip can greatly improve the low-frequency performance. The headphone has passed the Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Audio Wireless certifications and supports LDAC codec.
The vocals are clear and penetrating, and the characteristics of the singer’s voice can be felt. There is a good separation between the vocals and instruments, with a good sense of layering, and many details can be heard. The low-frequency quantity is moderate, and the bass drum beats are obvious. The high-frequency is bright and transparent. The resolution is satisfactory, and you can get a good experience listening to different types of songs.
The preset EQ of QCY H3 Pro is in balanced mode by default, with plenty of bass without being too heavy. Unfortunately, the high-frequency is not too smooth, which is also a common phenomenon in over-ear noise canceling headphones.
Overall, the vocal part and high-frequency transparency have been significantly improved compared to QCY H3.
Conclusion
Compared with QCY H3, the appearance design, noise cancellation performance and sound quality have been greatly improved. In particular, the sound part has been significantly improved, making up for the sound shortcomings of QCY H3. The sounding and noise cancellation performance of QCY H3 Pro are very cost-effective.