As an air conduction headphones, the performance of QCY Crossky Link maybe not the best, but it is very cost-effective. It is a very good choice for users who don’t like the vibration of bone conduction but want open-ear headphones.
QCY Crossky Link specs and features:
- Bluetooth V5.3 with SBC/AAC codec
- 17*12mm bio-diaphragm dynamic driver
- IPX6 waterproof and sweatproof
- 10 hours playback of per charge
- 70ms low-latency game mode
- $23 – Check latest price on AliExpress (Official Store) or Banggood
Design and Comfort
The appearance of QCY Crossky Link is very similar to bone conduction headphones, but it is indeed air conduction headphones. The biggest difference between it and the bone conduction headphones is that the sound unit of the headphone does not need to conduct sound through the bone – it can be hung directly on the ear.
The outer layer of the headphones is covered with high-grade silicone material, with a skin-friendly coating, which is delicate and comfortable to the touch. The back beam is made of elastic material, which is not easy to deform and will not cause the clip ears to be too tight. The headphone adopts a lightweight design and weighs only 22g.
On the top right is the power button – by single-tap, double-tap, triple-tap, and long-press, functions such as on/off, pause/play, answer/hang up/reject calls, wake up the voice assistant, and turn on/off game mode can be realized. At the bottom are the charging contacts and the volume buttons.
The wearing method of QCY Crossky Link is the same as that of bone conduction headphones, the difference is that the sound cavity should be placed in the ear concha cavity, and the sound will be transmitted directly to the ear canal. The swan neck earhook design conforms to ergonomics, and it is actually very comfortable to wear without feeling of pressure on the ear. The center of gravity of the headphones is forward, and it will not shake greatly when the head is lowered or raised, and it is firm and stable during exercise.
Connectivity, Latency and Control
The headphone uses Bluetooth V5.3 and supports SBC and AAC codec. When connecting for the first time, just select “QCY Crossky Link” in the bluetooth device list of your mobile phone to connect quickly. The headset is connected to the mobile phone stably within 10 meters. In an environment without obstacles, the connection will be intermittent if the distance from the mobile phone is more than 10 meters.
QCY Crossky Link support low-latency game mode, which can be turned on by double-tap the power button. After turn it on, the latency is as low as 70ms, and the audio and video when watching videos and playing games can basically be completely synchronized.
In terms of control operations, in order to more accurately locate the function buttons during wobbly movements, the headphone uses the physical button design – it is easy to identify the button position. All controls of the Crossky Link are available on 3 buttons.
- Long press power button 1.5s: power on
- Long press power button 4s: power off
- Single-tap power button: play/pause music
- Single-tap power button: answer/end call
- Long press power button 1.5s: reject call
- Double-tap power button: game mode on/off
- Triple-tap power button: activate voice assistant
- Single-tap +/- button: volume+/volume-
- Long press +/- button 1.5s: next/previous
Calls, Battery Life and APP
QCY Crossky Link adopts 4-Mic ENC call noise cancellation algorithm (two microphones on one side). The internal microphone picks up the human voice, and the external microphone picks up the ambient noise, and then intelligently processes it through an algorithm to achieve the effect of improving the clarity of the call. In actual use, it can have a good call effect whether it is in a noisy subway or on the road. Therefore, I recommend that everyone use it when exercising outdoors.
The battery capacity of the headphones is 80mAh, which can play music continuously for up to 10 hours, and it only takes 1.5 hours to fully charge. Support fast charging function – charging for 10 minutes, listening to music for 3 hours. It basically meets my needs for listening to music during outdoor sports, fitness, and commuting.
Crossky Link support QCY APP to set more functions. For example, check the battery level, find headphones, schedule shutdown, game mode on/off, custom control, EQ sound effect switching, custom EQ, etc. There are 8 sound effects in the APP: Pop, BASS, Rock&Roll, Soft, Classical, Pure Original Sound, Original Sound Enhanced, Soft&Immersive.
Sound Quality and Leakage
QCY Crossky Link support AAC and SBC codec, with 17*12mm large bio-diaphragm dynamic driver and bass tube design, the overall sound quality performance is remarkable.
In terms of actual hearing, Crossky Link’s tri-frequency balance has a moderate sound thickness. The low-frequency extension is not much but has a certain strength. The mid-frequency human voice is relatively close to the ear, and the distortion is well controlled. The brightness of the high frequency is also acceptable, there is a small amount of sibilance, but it is still within the acceptable range. Although open-ear headphones are slightly weaker than wireless earbuds in terms of listening to music due to their own characteristics, the performance shown by QCY Crossky Link is also remarkable, with a good sense of hierarchy.
The headphones have undergone sound cavity structure optimization and audio tuning to avoid sound leakage at normal volumes – safe to wear and will not cause call content to leak. For outdoor sports, it can monitor the environmental conditions while listening to music or talking on the phone.
Summary
I think open-ear air conduction headphones will be a new trend of sports headphones in the future, and they have great advantages in terms of wearing comfort and sound quality. The price of QCY Crossky Link is very affordable, you can get it for less than 30 dollars. If you need it, you can choose to buy it on Aliexpress.
Check the QCY Crossky Link price:
- Check latest price on AliExpress
- Check latest price on Banggood
