The top 5 best QCY Earbuds on AliExpress
BUYING GUIDE - Looking for wireless earbuds on a tiny budget? You simply can't miss the ultra-cheap offerings from QCY, ranging from 15 to 50 dollars on AliExpress and Amazon. But which one should you get? These are the best models in June 2025.
The Top 5 Best QCY earbuds in 2025:
QCY MeloBuds Pro - best overall
QCY MeloBuds N50 - cheaper alternative
QCY HT05 MeloBuds - runner-up
QCY T20 AilyPods - best half-in-ears
QCY AilyBuds Pro+ - half-in-ears with an ‘offer’
Before we get to the comparison and reviews, let's answer some questions first:
Is QCY a trustworthy brand?
QCY is one of the worlds biggest earphone manufacturers, along with Apple, Samsung, Sony, JBL, and Soundcore. It's one of the biggest manufacturers from China, and QCY earbuds are known for their great price-to-perfomance ratio.
In 2024, QCY heavily slimmed down the lineup of earbuds you can buy from the brand, and that's a good thing. Some models in the past didn't have the best quality control. The brands first models could even be plagued by volume output variation on the left vs right earpiece, cumbersome controls, or even battery charging issues. Those problems aren't known in their more recent offerings. While not always flawless, the newer QCY earbuds in this Buying Guide should normally last at least two years after purchasing.
Who wrote this Buying Guide?
This comparison test is written by Scarbir. I've tested and reviewed 458+ wireless earbuds ranging from $15 to $100, testing them all extensively on sound quality, comfort, active noise cancelling, call quality, video playback, battery life, and more.
This is a specific Buying Guide on the best wireless earbuds by QCY. You can also check out general Buying Guides on the best wireless earbuds under $100, under $50, under $25 or other comparisons.
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These are the best earbuds from QCY, last updated June 2025:
1. Best QCY earbuds in 2025: QCY MeloBuds Pro
It's almost crazy to spend more
The QCY Melobuds Pro are comfortable to wear, have stellar battery life, great Active Noise Cancelling (ANC), clear calls and they sound fantastic. These are staggeringly good $50 earbuds.
Before you continue, it's good to know that the QCY MeloBuds Pro has two little quirks. The first is that updating the earbuds from the free QCY app requires some specific steps (see the Controls and Connectivity part in the full review).
The second quirk is that you sometimes have to turn ANC off and then on again to get the best possible Active Noise Cancellation. By doing so, it re-reads your surroundings to great effect. The MeloBuds removes or heavily reduces constant darker tones, strongly reduces middle sounds like a passing train or keyboard typing, and also softens higher sounds well. It's among the best ANC performers for the price.
Yet the QCY MeloBuds Pro offers much more. The earbuds are very comfortable to wear thanks to the oval earpiece and soft rubber ear tip, last around 7 hours on a single charge with ANC on, are IPX5 rain-proof, and their controls are very responsive. You can fully customise them via the app too, including the option to add volume controls.
You can connect two devices at the same time with the multipoint connection, they're a great choice for phone calls and video conferences as your voice sounds clear and natural, and gaming with them is easy too. The gaming mode synchronizes sound effects flawlessly with the action on your screen.
And then there's the sound.
Whereas previous QCY's over the last three years have been a bit hit-and-miss, the QCY MeloBuds Pro marks the brands return to form. These are among the best sounding wireless earbuds under 50 dollars, with juicy lows, brimming vocals and immersion on higher volumes.
The QCY doesn't reach far into the highs, making it comfortable to listen to hours on end, but at the same time, it's impressive how much detail QCY manages to pull out of its laidback treble. Both vocals and instruments combine enough clarity with a smooth, warm undertone; while the mid-bass fires thumps that can be felt and the sub-bass is capable of a deep rumble. It's a great, engaging listen.
With so many great features at this price, it's easy to overlook its quirks. The QCY MeloBuds Pro are QCY's best wireless earbuds.
Buy on Amazon US
Buy on your Amazon country
Buy on AliExpress
2. Cheaper alternative: QCY MeloBuds N50
Less battery and ANC, little money
The QCY MeloBuds N50 is a great alternative to the QCY MeloBuds Pro. It trades in battery life and Active Noise Cancelling strength for a lower price tag,
While the QCY MeloBuds N50 softens constant and higher sounds well, it's less successful in reducing middle sounds. More so than the MeloBuds Pro, you need to open the free QCY app for iPhone or Android now and then and select ‘Adaptive ANC’.
It then scans your surroundings to attack the sounds you have around you at that moment, delivering instant stronger noise reduction. The MeloBuds Pro still cancels more noise, however.
The biggest complaint about the MeloBuds N50 is that it ‘only’ plays 4 hours on a single charge with ANC on.
Other than that, these do so much good for their ultra low price. The earbuds are comfortable to wear, have fully adjustable controls that respond well to your input, and boast an IPX4 splashproof rating. They can also connect to two devices at once.
Games play perfectly with the low-latency gaming mode, and your voice sounds clear in phone calls, both inside and outdoors - except for when you're in a lot of noise.
The QCY MeloBuds N50 sounds great too, with strong and lasting bass thumps. Lower tones are boosted and give the music a smooth and warm vibe, while vocals and clearer instruments are forward enough to shine. The MeloBuds Pro sounds clearer; the N50 more comfortable. There's a hole lot to enjoy here.
The QCY MeloBuds N50 offers stunning value for money.
3. Runner-up for ANC earbuds: QCY HT05 Melobuds
Comfortable, good Active Noise Cancelling, energetic sound
Six hours battery life in one go, a comfortable fit, strong Active Noise Cancelling and perhaps still the best sound quality of all the QCY models: the QCY HT05 Melobuds feels like a no-brainer for its friendly price.
It may be hard to see what special about the QCY HT05, also marketed the QCY Melobuds. Everything about it looks and feels generic, from the compact square charging case that scratches easily, to the earbuds itself that follow a traditional stem design.
But why change a winning concept? The HT05 is comfortable to wear for hours, thanks to the oval earpiece that provides an easy and snug fit.
You can also wear it for hours, as the earbuds last up to 6 hours on a single charge before needing a new charge in the case. The earbuds have convenient controls to play/pause music, change tracks and switch between ANC modes, and they're protected against rain thanks to their IPX5 waterproof rating.
Active Noise Cancelling on the HT05 is solid. It heavily softens both darker sounds and the highest peaks around you. Mid-tones and inconsistent higher noises like a nearby vacuum cleaner are also softened, while higher tones in these sounds still come through. The ANC mode even handles wind noise okay.
There is a sidenote to this, however: using the ANC without playing music may result in a very slight thumping sensation in one of the earbuds now and then. Purely for ANC purposes without music, the QCY HT07 is a better option. While we're at the downsides of this earphone: it's best to limit phone and video calls to quiet locations, as background noise can cause dips in your own voice.
Getting back to the good part: the HT05 is the best sounding QCY to date. Especially on Android phones, which shows more weight from the lows than the iPhone does. The overall sound can be described as clear, without too much emphasis on treble. Female and higher male vocals have a prominent position in music, and higher instruments like cymbals are controlled well. Acoustic instruments like guitars and piano get enough room to shine and their tonality is pleasantly natural compared to many other earphones in this price range - including QCY's own siblings. Meanwhile, the mid-bass fires gentle thumps, with deeper bass tones unlocking on higher volumes.
The QCY HT05 Melobuds is more than meets the eye. It may look simple, but it's a convincing package with solid Active Noise Cancellation, good battery life, and a balanced sound.
Buy on Amazon US
Buy on other Amazon countries
Buy on AliExpress
4. Best QCY without rubber ear tips: QCY T20
capable AirPods-like earbuds
If you rather have your earbuds without rubber ear tips, QCY has another great offering in its range. The QCY T20 Ailypods are extremely light to wear, and they're good choices for phone calls as well.
Nope, these are not AirPods 3's. The QCY T20 AilyPods mounts grey instead of black panels near the top, and the stems are more square-shaped - but these definitely look like cheap clones.
Happily, they also share what's good about this shape of earbuds: you can just ‘hang’ these in your ears and you'll keep hearing your surroundings while you listen to music - which is safer than earbuds with rubber tips. What's more, is that the Ailypods are extremely light and very comfortable, yet secure enough to not fall out.
The shape of the case is great too: the matte-white pebble is flat enough to slide in any pocket. It can be tricky to get the earbuds out, however, as the lid closes with the lightest movement.
The buds deliver up to a decent 5,5 hours of playtime on a single charge, and there's an IPX4 waterproof rating to protect them against light water splashing. Sadly, the controls right below the grey part aren't always the quickest to respond.
The QCY T20 can have a bit of delay in video calls, but it shines in phone calls. Your voice has telephone-like clarity and loud. The microphone picks up your voice much better than surrounding noise and even wind. Impressive!
Another impressive part is the sound, especially when they get deep in your ears. Then there's a solid, nicely thumping mid-bass and even the sub-bass can show some rumble. Lower-mids (like drums and darker electronic tones) are gently boosted, and there's a soothing, warm undertone under the center-mids (like guitars and piano) and both female and male vocals, even higher ones. Higher voices are a strong suit here - they're moderately forward, and have plenty of room for nuances. There's even an enjoyable air to the sound. Music feels around you, and instruments and effects appear from your left and right.
You need a specific fit to get the most out of the sound, but the QCY T20 Ailypods is worth taking the jump, with its extremely lightweight design and clear calls.
5. Runner-up for QCY earbuds without rubber ear tips: QCY AilyBuds Pro+
5 hours playtime and multipoint connection
The QCY AilyBuds Pro+ has a ton of features for its small 40 dollars asking price and can sound entertaining too - if you're willing to make an ‘offer’.
The QCY Ailybuds Pro+ follows the latest trend of capsule-like charging cases. The lid is about half the size of the total case, and reveals the entire earbuds when it's open. It looks great, but you may want to double-check if the stems are placed correctly. Otherwise, the earbuds won't charge.
The earbuds itself look trendy as well, with a shiny finish on the stem, and a large AirPods 3-like mound on the inside. It's comfortable to wear and feels secure enough in average-sized ears - unless you're planning to sweat a lot with them, perhaps.
The Ailybuds Pro+ ticks the boxes with 5 hours playtime on a single charge and an IPX5 rain- and sweatproof rating. It also has easy to use, extensive controls you can setup via the free QCY app on iPhone and Android phones. This way, you can add both track and volume controls to the earbuds directly - convenient.
Furthermore, the Pro+ supports multipoint connection, meaning you can connect it to two devices at the same time and switch between them when you receive a call, or when you pause on one device, and play on the other.
Speaking of calls: the microphone quality is convincing. It picks up your voice clearly and loud enough, reduces noises around you very well, and the microphones can even withstand a bit of wind. The gaming mode is great too, rapidly revealing the sounds that follow the action on your screen.
The biggest feature of the QCY Ailybuds Pro+ is the availability of ANC - but it's not what you'd expect. ANC doesn't stand for Active Noise Cancelling here, but for Adaptive Noise Cancelling. After using these earbuds extensively for two weeks, I can't help but think it's a gimmick and an annoying one at that.
See, the Ailybuds Pro+ doesn't sound good out of the case. The sound is flat, concentrates on the mid-tones alone en lacks bass. It needs you activate the ANC. Hold one of the stems for a long second, and the QCY takes two seconds to scan your ears and then activate the function. Then, suddenly, higher tones are better controlled, music gains warmth, and a second later, the bass deepens too.
Upon activating the ANC, the QCY Ailybuds Pro+ never achieves its promised 42 decibel noise reduction from your surroundings. It can dampen higher sounds like car tires on wet roads, and take the brighter edge of keyboard clicks and kids laughter, or it can reduce the volume of someone talking when you take the ANC scan at the time they're talking - that's the Adaptive part, probably. The point is that the ANC only reduces the sounds it hears during the scan. The next sound that wasn't scanned, comes through clearly again - even when the QCY app gives you the feedback you have the perfect fit after activating the ANC function.
Still, you'll be using the ANC function every time as it improves the sound quality so much. The AilyBuds Pro+ performs the best after the scan and on higher volumes (although the maximum volume could be a tad higher).
The QCY then shows a solid mid-bass with quick thumps, and a sub-bass that is capable of a round, lighter rumble. Especially for half-in-ears, it's a tight performer, with clean strikes and no bass-bleeding into other frequencies. Meanwhile, lower-mid tones are pleasantly boosted and make lower male vocals and instruments and darker electronic tones pop.
Higher up, vocals and instruments keep on having a subtle warm tonality, while the QCY offers good clarity too. Female and higher male vocals are forward, and violins, trumpets and higher electronic have plenty of presence, but they all cut off before they can become sharp or overpower other aspects of the music. Things can get a little congested in crowded musical pieces, but overall, the Ailybuds Pro+ is a great, warm, entertaining listen when you give it a bit of volume. It's a shame it loses so much of its dynamics when you reduce the volume to moderate or background volume levels.
The QCY AilyBuds Pro+ is a weird offering. It rocks good comfort, clear calls, a great gaming mode, and multipoint connection - but you'll have to go through a 3-second process every time to maybe get a bit of ANC and to get its great entertaining sound - which only shows itself with enough volume. There are easier alternatives.
Quick reviews of QCY's other popular models:
QCY Crossky C30: Looks, no controls
The QCY Crossky C30 is the first pair of clip-on earbuds from the brand, and it’s one of the better budget choices you can make in this category. The C30 looks almost like jewelry, with its shiny and round finish, and it’s comfortable to wear thanks to a flexible bridge between the two clips. It sounds gentle; warm and balanced and even with some weight in the lows - although the sound is thinner than (half-)in-ears. Taking a phone call is doable too.
Unfortunately, the touch panels are a mess. They are hard to locate and even when you touch them, the C30 doesn’t respond to your input 90% of the time.
QCY HT07 ArcBuds: Hot ANC
The QCY HT07 ArcBuds is another great option if you're looking for insanely cheap earbuds, with better battery life and stronger ANC than the QCY HT05 original MeloBuds.
The earbuds play up to 7 hours on a single charge with ANC on, and come with an IPX5 waterproof rating. The Active Noise Cancelling is strong for its 20 to 40 dollars price tag, but it does give a bit of hot inner-ears when using the function for a while.
Hot is also the term used to describe the treble on the highest playing volumes - the sound loses a bit of its otherwise warm character. Other than that, there's a mid-bass with a full and long slam and boosted lower tones. These are still a great deal.
$25 - $40 on on Amazon US, your Amazon country or AliExpress
QCY T13: Big sound, little money
The QCY T13 held the crown for best wireless earbuds under 25 dollars for a year and a half on Scarbir.com, and they're still worth noting in this category. The T13 may not have the tightest or most natural musical presentation, but it entertains with its thick mid-bass and forward treble that rolls off before it becomes harsh. Music on the T13 can have an immersive, somehow even big sensation.
Other strong suits of these earbuds are the straightforward comfort and fit, 7,5 hours battery life per charge, and decent call clarity indoors and outside (without too much wind). It doesn't have the fancy features of the other models that often cost the same, however.
QCY T17: For lovers of clear sound
The QCY T17 is a bit like the QCY T13. It's a no-nonsense offering that just offers an entertaining sound for very little money. The big change is that the QCY T17 sounds brighter than its brother; there's less emphasis on bass and lower frequencies, and much more effort went into treble. The T17 sounds clear and bright, airy even, and could be great company if you're into classical pieces, J-Pop, or K-Pop.
The earbuds itself may look compact and round, but you can feel them sitting in your ears clearly if you're not yet used too them. When you are, you can enjoy them up to 7,5 hours in one go.
QCY T13 ANC: Awkward position
Why the newer QCY T13 ANC ranks lower in this Buying Guide than the regular T13? Well, that's because it's in an awkward position within the brand. The regular T13 is even cheaper, and if you're looking for earbuds with ANC, the QCY HT05 and QCY HT07 are only slightly more expensive, but deliver notably stronger Noise Cancellation. The function only reduces higher noises on the T13 ANC, although it does leave out wind noise better than the HT07.
You also need to twist the earbuds in the ears a bit to make the most out of the gentle mid-bass; most of the time, treble takes the cake on the T13 ANC, and music sounds brighter and lighter than average.
Disclaimer
On Scarbir.com, I'm devoted to find the best affordable wireless earphones. I buy 90% of the earphones myself; sometimes, a manufacturer sends them to me. I review all audio products 100% honest, always stating their strengths and their downsides. Visit the leaderboard of true wireless earphones for all my reviews and ratings.
Consider buying a pair of earphones in this list? I'd really appreciate it if you use the links in this article. It won't cost you extra, yet it will financially support me a bit in my independent quest to test great affordable audio.
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Also check out my other articles:
Guide: the best TWS under $100
Guide: the best TWS under $50
Guide: the best TWS under $25
Leaderboard: all earphones from 10-300 dollar tested
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- Scarbir
