QCY Ailybuds Pro+ (QCY HT10) is one of the lowest price of semi-in-ear TWS earbuds you can buy with Adaptive ANC, LDAC codec, game mode and multipoint connection. They are only 40 dollars with a lot of features and can sound very interesting.
- $40 – Check latest price on AliExpress, Amazon US, other Amazon countries or QCY Store
Appearance Design & Comfortable Fit
The size of the charging case is relatively small, like a round cobblestone and the surface is very smooth. From external observation, the size of lid and case seems to be consistent. You can easily switch the lid with one hand, and reveals the entire earbuds when it’s open. The magnetic suction strength of the earbuds is also sufficient without shaking. The USB-C port and pairing button are located at the bottom of the case.
QCY Ailybuds Pro+ earbuds are made of frosted plastic, with a metallic high-gloss reflective strip on the outside of the earbud stem – combining the texture of metal with the beauty of technology. The earbud cavity is roughly the same as AirPods 3, but the thickness of the cavity is slightly reduced.
The weight of a single earbud is only 4.3g, and there is no sense of fall-ear after wearing it. The stability is about the same as AirPods 3, and they are relatively stable for me. There are multiple microphone holes on the surface of the earbuds, and the call microphone is located at the bottom. Unfortunately, they do not supports in-ear detection. Plus, Ailybuds Pro+ supports IPX5 water resistance.
Connection & App Support
The Pro+ earbuds use Bluetooth 5.3 technology and supports SBC, AAC and LDAC codecs. When using for the first time, just select “QCY Ailybuds Pro+” in the bluetooth device list of your phone to quickly connect. When using again, open the lid to automatically connect to the last successfully paired bluetooth device.
Also, the Ailybuds Pro+ supports multipoint connection, which can connect two bluetooth devices at the same time, you can activate from the Android and iPhone app. However, you need to close LDAC.
The Ailybuds Pro+ supports the QCY App for Android and iOS – after installing and opening the app, it will automatically connect to the earbuds. The app has a wealth of features, including: ANC switch, LDAC switch, multipoint connection, control customization, preset EQ, customize EQ, anti-wind noise, timing power-off, find headset, and more.
Gaming Mode & Battery Life & Controls
The Ailybuds Pro+ also has a dedicated low-latency game mode you can activate from the Android and iPhone app or earbuds. This helps to synchronize the sound effects with the action on your screen. When the game mode is turned on, there is no conflict with LDAC – the latency will be better controlled at this time.
The single battery life with ANC off is up to 5 hours, and the total battery life is up to 28 hours. The battery life with ANC on is up to 4 hours. Activat the LDAC will further reduce the battery life.
The operation is based on the touch control recognition on the upper area of the earbud-stem, which supports single-tap, double-tap, triple-tap and long press. The default double-tap is play/pause, long press the left earbud is game mode on/off, and on the right earbud is ANC on/off. Plus, the control can be turned off via sleep mode in app.
- Double-tap L or R earbud: play/pause music
- Double-tap L or R earbud: answer/hang up call
- Triple-tap R earbud: next track
- Triple-tap L earbud: activate voice assistant
- Long press L earbud: game mode on/off
- Long press R earbud: ANC mode on/off
- Long press L or R earbud for 1.5s: reject call
Note: The single-tap, volume+/-, and previous track can all be customized in the app.
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) & Calls
The QCY Ailybuds Pro+ has a very simple noise cancelling mode – Adaptive ANC mode and Normal mode (ANC OFF). When it is turned on, an adaptive calculation process will be performed, which seems to detect the wearer through sensors and microphones. This calculation process will have a certain sense of lag, and it takes about 3 seconds to react after switching and hearing the “Adaptive ANC” voice prompt – this process can be reflected in the app.
Interestingly, regardless of whether they are worn properly or not, they will provide different noise cancelling effects based on the current wearing status.
When ANC is activated, it can attenuate tire noise and remove keyboard tapping and air conditioning noise, or reduce the volume of someone’s voice when ANC is scanning while they are talking. The key is that ANC only reduces the sounds heard during scanning, and the sounds not scanned will be heard clearly again.
It also has an anti-wind noise function, but there is no particularly obvious change before and after turning it on. The earbuds itself has good wind noise resistance, so there is no need to turn it on.
Overall, the biggest feature of the QCY Ailybuds Pro+ is the availability of ANC – but it’s maybe not what you’d expect. Due to its semi-in-ear design, the passive noise cancelling effect is poor – when the adaptive ANC is turned on and the music is turned off, the others’ voices can still be heard.
The Ailybuds Pro+ is equipped with 6 microphones (3 per earbud), and the pickup microphone is located at the bottom of the earbud stem, which can have better sound pickup ability. The call quality is convincing. They can pick up your voice clearly and loudly, reduces noises around you very well, and the microphone can even withstand a bit of wind. The traces of noise cancelling are quite obvious. In a noisy environment, the strength of the noise cancelling algorithm will appropriately affect your voice clarity.
Sound Description: Turn on LDAC, Adaptive ANC and Adaptive Audio
The low frequency quantity is moderate, unlike the lack of bass in the default mode. The compensation effect is very obvious, and the thickness and fullness are sufficient. The low frequency extension and elasticity are good.
The midrange vocals are relatively close, the mouth shape is quite refined, and the size is controlled. The texture of the vocals is slightly prioritized over the line depiction, and the adaptability between male and female voices is basically the same. However, in the default mode, the overall transparency will be better, but the texture will be worse.
The brightness of highs is moderate, and it does not become dim after compensation – a bit sharp protrusions to increase resolution. The harmonics of instruments are average. The presence of percussion instruments is obvious, but the stimulation is not strong. String instruments are generally thick and details enough.
Overall, after activate the ANC and Adaptive Audio mode, the higher tones are constrolled, music gains warmth, and the bass deepens too.
Conclusion & Specs
The QCY AilyBuds Pro+ (QCY HT10) is one of the few semi-in-ear TWS earbuds that focuses on mids and bass performance. In many aspects, they maintain the basic qualities that semi-in-ear earbuds should have. The addition of LDAC has brought a substantial improvement to its product strength.
QCY Ailybuds Pro+/QCY HT10 Specs and Features:
- Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC/AAC/LDAC codec
- 4 – 5 hours playtime of per charge (ANC on/off)
- Charging case can charge earbuds fully 4 times
- IPX5 waterproof rating (rain and sweat resistant)
- Adaptive ANC & Game mode & Multipoint connection
- $40 – Check latest price on AliExpress, Amazon US, other Amazon countries or QCY Store