TWS true wireless earphones - under $25
THREE STARS - With a compact case, comfortable buds, and a free app with different equalizers, the QCY T10 seems like a great deal. It is a hassle to get the most out of them, however.
QCY T10 specs:
Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC codec
3,5 - 4 hours listening on a full charge
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 5 times
Comes with 3 sizes ear tips and USB-C cable
$25 on AliExpress (possibly cheaper here)
Below this QCY T10 review you will find comparisons between the QCY T10 vs QCY T5, Edifier X3, Haylou GT3, and Fiil T1 Lite.
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Design, comfort and battery life
At around 25 dollars, it's safe to expect a cheap-looking charging case - but even with those expectations, the QCY T10 isn't a fancy package. The case is as compact as the Edifier X3, but it's made from extremely cheap plastic, prone to fingerprints and scratches easily. Worse, the T10 also comes with a little rattle right out of the box - it seems there's a loose component inside it.
While that doesn't bode well for the product quality in the long run, the case is, at least, pretty powerful. It can fully recharge the earbuds five times before needing new power via USB-C itself. Three LED-lights on the front indicate the current charging status. It takes about 1,5 hours to charge the earbuds and case fully.
Unfortunately, the battery life from the earbuds themselves is less stellar. The earphones have around 3,5 to 4 hours playtime on a single charge (on active listening volume levels), around the minimum performance even at a low price point.
The QCY T10 is comfortable to wear for longer amounts of time. The short stem of the earbuds doesn't brush against your cheeks, and the insides of the earbuds are made from a soft rubbery plastic that rests easily yet tight enough in your ears.
However, great comfort doesn't mean the fit is great. QCY installs smaller-than-average rubber ear-tips on the T10. It's necessary to try the different sizes, to see which fits best for you. Then again, the ear-tips are so thin that they have a problem keeping the bass in your ears. A little smile causes enough movement in your ears to push the earbuds out a bit, resulting in a loss of bass in the music—more on this in the sound part of this review.
Connectivity and controls
As we've come to expect from QCY, the controls of the QCY T10 out of the box are minimal:
Double-tap L or R to play/ pause
Triple-tap L or R to activate the voice assistant on your phone
With the app (more on that later), you can assign other controls to these taps. While you can't add more functions, you can change the double-tap and triple-tap on both earphones separately to change them for volume or track controls. It's weird that this is limited, as a long-press on the earbuds activates the same function as the triple-tap. So why can't you change both?
The QCY T10 has solid connectivity. The Bluetooth signal holds up to ten meters away from your device and holds up well in areas crowded with wireless signals, both when walking and cycling.
It's also possible to switch seamlessly between listening to one and two earbuds. That means you can charge one bud while listening to the other, pick the charged bud up and immediately listen in stereo again. The earbuds don't automatically pause music when you take an earbud out.
Calling and watching movies
The QCY T10 call quality is convenient for both indoors and outside use. Your voice has telephone-like clarity and is loud enough. Surrounding noises are reduced well, like people chatting nearby or passing traffic. Even light wind noise doesn't ruin your phone call: your voice will remain clear. However, there can be some crackle and beeps on the line when lots is going on around you.
Unfortunately, watching videos isn't a great experience. The audio synchronizes with video fine on video services like Netflix and Amazon Prime on Android and iPhone, but the YouTube-app is an exception. On iPhone especially, the lipsync is just off.
Unfortunately, the QCY T10 doesn't have a low-latency mode like the popular QCY T5. There's no control option that makes videos synchronize better. There's also a noticeable delay in sound effects when playing games.
QCY T10 app support: useful, but…
Like other QCY wireless earbuds released in 2020, the QCY T10 is supported by the free QCY app you can download for Android or iPhone. You only have to find the T10 in the list of devices to activate the functionality.
Sometimes, you need to put the earpieces in the case and then take them out again to activate the app functions; other times they work straight away. All the settings you change are saved on the earbuds, even when you switch to other devices. You don't need to have the app activated all the time.
The QCY T10 app lets you update the firmware if an update becomes available, you can see the earbuds' battery status and it's possible to change the commands for the double-tap and triple-tap controls.
The QCY app also comes with six EQ presets and the option to create your own equalizer. The Bass and Pop equalizer can be useful - see the sound part of this review.
While the app is a solid addition to the QCY T10, more extensive controls or a more balanced sound out of the box could make it unnecessary.
Also read: The best earbuds under $25!
Sound quality of QCY T10: Saved by equalizers?
With the ideal fit, the QCY T10 has quite an appealing sound. It treats you with extended upper-mids and highs without sounding too harsh. Female and higher-pitched male vocals appear prominent and clear, and instruments like guitars, brighter piano strokes, and violins sound vivid. There's quite a bit of space surrounding the higher tones as well: the QCY T10 has a sweet airiness, with music all around you, although it can be hard to place instruments precisely. The tone is on the colder side.
Underneath it, there's a slim bass that delivers just enough punch to provide music with energy. The mid-bass strikes quick enough and is rather tight too. The sub-bass is a bit shy, however, seemingly apart from the mid-bass. The deepest darkest bass tones are only audible in rare occasions, and the sub barely shows a rumble. Lower-mids, like darker electronic tones and drums, get comparable treatment. They're there, but only somewhere in the background.
So - the ideal sound of the QCY T10 has lots of crispness and brightness and just enough lows to give the music some weight. It's well-suited for classical music and more traditional and acoustic genres.
But this is the scenario with the ideal fit.
You only have to smile a bit to make the earbuds lose their snug position in your ears and drop the lows; in the worst-case reducing the mid-bass reduced to a barebone slap and removing the weight in the lower-mids entirely. If you're not pushing the buds back in your ears often enough, the sound of the T10 can become overly bright and shallow. But don't push them too far in either, as it will accentuate the highs too much. It's the QCY QS1/ T1c all over again - there's brilliant in its core, but it's a hassle to get it out of it. There are dozens of user-reviews on AliExpress stating the T10 has too little bass, and it's easy to understand why.
So happily then, the T10 comes with the free QCY app with different equalizers. Unlike previous models released halfway 2020, the T10 actually handles these well.
For everyone craving for a bit of bass, the Bass equalizer will be what they're looking for - even though it overhauls the sound. The bass doesn't become too boomy, the sub-bass doesn't suddenly live-up, but still this equalizer gives the mid-bass and the lower-mids much more presence. Dance, hip-hop, and electronic music sound more energetic, although it comes at the cost of the vocals and highs, which suddenly are so recessed less-modern songs can get dull and muddied because of it.
Another equalizer of note is Pop, which pushes both the bass and vocals forward. It's a livelier sound than the default setting, and even mid-tones remain rich. Unfortunately, the sound's naturality takes a huge hit - with sometimes thin, flatted-oud vocals and an echo-y effect.
These equalizers aren't all bad. The QCY T10 with the Default, Pop, and Bass equalizer sound better or more engaging than many cheaper, generic wireless earphones. The question is if you want to keep switching between these settings over and over to get the best sound - and you know the answer.
It's great that this QCY has a free app with working equalizers, but the T10 requires you to keep adjusting the earbuds in your ears and switch between different equalizers to get the most out of them. There are more convenient alternatives.
QCY T10 comparisons
QCY T10 vs QCY T5
The QCY T5 (not the T5 Pro or T5S, just the regular T5!), which can now be had for an incredibly low $15, sounds better than the QCY T10, no matter which equalizer you activate on the newer model. The T5 has a mid-bass with a nice controlled thump and puts plenty of weight in the lower-mids. It emphasizes the upper-mids and highs, giving vocals and higher-pitched instruments lots of room, yet it never sounds harsh or sharp. Highs on the T5 are in control and even have warm underlining, giving the T5 an open and friendly character. The T10 can reach further into the highs, and its bass is a tad tighter, but the T5 has a more balanced approach - more weight in the mids and a pleasantly warmer tone.
QCY T10 vs Edifier X3
The Edifier X3 stole the show on Scarbir.com last year with its lovely compact charging case, compact earbuds, 6 hours battery life, good call quality, and musical score. It turns out, the QCY T10 case is almost as small - although it doesn't feel as well-built. The QCY T10 has a tighter bass when you get the ideal fit, but on the Edifier X3, the bass is always more present. The mid-bass thump sounds a little deeper and added weight to the lower-mids, make the Edifier X3 sound fuller and more engaging. The T10 has more extended highs and more air in the sound but sounds a little sharper as a result. Highs on the X3 are also more controlled. The Edifier may lack app support, but it is a more convenient TWS.
QCY T10 vs Haylou GT3
QCY's sister-brand Haylou also has brand-new cheap earphones in its line-up with stem-designs. The shape is the same, but the GT3 earbuds are a bit longer than the QCY's, and the Haylou comes in a bigger, more robust case. The QCY has a slight advantage in phone calls making your voice clearer; the Haylou uses a different kind of plastic on the inside and a rounder rubber ear-tip, which improves the fit of the Haylou. Sound-wise, this is clearly family. Both models have extended highs that bear a little coldness with them, but the Haylou has more emphasis on bass and lower-mids, making the sound warmer and more energetic. If you only care for the bass amount, go for the T10 with the Bass equalizer, but the Haylou has less hassle.
Haylou GT3 review (new!)
QCY T10 vs Fiil T1 Lite
If you can go from $25 for the QCY T10 to $35 for the Fiil T1 Lite, the upgrade is a no-brainer. The Fiil T1 Lite offers comparable call quality, yet a better fit, a higher build quality of the case and earbuds, and 6 instead of 4 hours playtime. Most importantly - it sounds better. The Fiil mid-bass and lower mids are more powerful, it has more refinement in the sub-bass, and the Fiil retrieves more detail in the mid-tones, with more natural sounding instruments. The QCY 10 sound is a bit airier, but its highs result in sharpness earlier than on the Fiil, while the Fiil also offers more precise instrument placement in its soundstage.
Verdict
With a compact case, comfortable buds, and a free app with different equalizers, the QCY T10 seems like a great deal. However, as it's hard to acquire the best fit, there are more user-friendly and better-sounding alternatives.
Three stars - worth considering
Buy QCY T10/ check price:
Buy QCY T10 on AliExpress (possibly cheaper here)
I bought the QCY T10 to test and review myself. My reviews are 100% independent and non-commercial. I test and review all audio products equally honest - read about it here.
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