TWS true wireless earphones - under $50
4.5 STARS - Costing only 30 dollars, the QCY T13 ANC is among the cheapest pair of wireless earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation you can get. How good is it?
QCY T13 ANC specs and features:
Bluetooth 5.3 with AAC codec
IPX5 waterproof rating (rain and sweat proof)
5 - 7 hours listening on a single charge (ANC on/off)
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 4 times
Comes with 3 sets of ear tips, USB-C cable, English manual
$30 - Buy on AliExpress, Amazon Germany or other Amazon countries
Below this QCY T13 ANC review, you will find comparisons of the QCY T13 ANC vs QCY HT05, QCY T13, and Redmi Buds 4.
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Design, comfort and battery life
The QCY T13 ANC is the direct successor to one Scarbir.com's most-praised wireless earbuds under $25: the QCY T13. Priced just under 30 dollars, the successor now adds Active Noise Cancelling, and it's a great and still unique feature to have at this price. That's extra interesting, considering QCY also offers the QCY HT05 at a tenner more - another pair with the much-desired function. More on that later.
In the looks department, the T13 ANC looks and feels like the QCY T13, but things have changed a little. The charging case is still square with rounded corners, but now has a slightly different shape and a matte finish rather than a shiny one. The case lid is a bit wobbly, and the case is bigger than what's needed for the earbuds, but it's nothing unbearable at this price.
The earbuds still have an oval earpiece that fits diagonally in your ears, with an oval rubber ear tip seen before on the Apple AirPods Pro and many earbuds after it. That is perhaps the biggest design difference with the original T13, which had a round ear tip. It means you have to twist the T13 ANC a bit for the best fit (and thus noise cancellation and sound). You can definitely feel you're wearing earbuds, but they're still comfortable to wear for a few hours in a row.
From left to right: the QCY T13, QCY T13 ANC, and QCY HT05
Battery life is solid, with the earbuds lasting a bit more than 5 hours on a single charge with ANC turned on, and up to 7 hours off. The case can recharge the earbuds four times before needing new power via USB-C, and the earbuds itself are IPX5 waterproof and protected against rain and sweat.
Controls and connectivity
The controls of the QCY T13 ANC are the same as its predecessor from last year, the QCY HT03, and the same as the previously released QCY HT05:
Double-tap L or R to play/pause music
Hold R to cycle between ANC, Transparency mode, ANC off
Hold L to (de)activate low-latency gaming mode
Triple-tap R to skip to the next track
Triple-tap L to activate the voice assistant
Happily, you can change the controls to your liking with the app and also add single-touch controls, for instance for quickly changing the volume.
The ANC switches with normal English voice commands, while you still have to recognise the Gaming Mode by the amount of beeps (2 = on, 3 = off). Overall connectivity is good, with the Bluetooth connection holding up over 10 meters away from your device. Sadly, music doesn't pause automatically when you take an earbud out.
Phone and video calls with QCY T13 ANC
Taking a phone or video call with the QCY T13 ANC is doable, as long as you avoid picking up a call outside. Any amount of wind noise is enough to drown your voice, just like on many other earbuds around this price point.
With indoor calls, the microphones need a little time to focus on your voice and give it clarity. It takes a few seconds - but your voice then sounds clear, natural, and loud enough. Regular sound effects like a radio playing in the background or distant chatter, are filtered out nicely. Sudden sound effects like claps or door slams are a whole different story, and can be painfully loud and harsh for the other end of the line.
Yes - you can take a phone or video call with these, but it's best to do it in quiet areas.
Video and games playback
The QCY T13 ANC has no trouble playing videos on either Android or iPhone.
The Gaming mode you can activate via the app or the earbuds helps to synchronize the sounds well with the action on your screen in games like Call of Duty mobile. It's not the best earphone for competitive gaming, however, as you don't get a great sense of action around you. It's hard to locate where footsteps and shots come from. If you're looking for that on a budget, you're better off with the Realme Buds Air 3S.
App Support of QCY T13 ANC
The free QCY app for Android and iPhone isn't the most polished app in the market, but it's functionality is still very welcome at its friendly $30 price point. In fact, it has the same features as its more expensive ANC sibling, the QCY HT05:
You can add single tap-controls to the earbuds, making it possible to also change the volume
Check the battery status of the left and right earbud
Switch between ANC on/ Transparency mode/ ANC off
Adjust a slider to setup the ANC mode strength (see ANC part of this review)
Change the sound balance to the left of the right earbud, compensating for hearing loss
(De)activate Game mode
Customize the controls + add single-touch controls
(De)activate Sleep mode that deactivates the controls
Read the tutorial
Update the firmware
Choose from 6 equalizers presets or create your own
Once again, the equalizer presets QCY throws in are rubbish. They completely overhaul the sound of the earbuds, and not in a good way. The Bass preset increases the mid-bass slap, but boost the darker tones so much it creates a hollow effect in the music, and the same applies to the Pop preset. Surprisingly, the Soft preset has the best balance between bass and clarity, with more engaging lows than the Default setting - which could use a little more oomph there.
Sadly, on Android, the app does want to have many permissions (like constant pop-ups and overruling the battery management) to make the app perform optimal.
ANC Noise cancelling on QCY T13 ANC
The QCY T13 ANC is the cheaper sibling to the recently released QCY HT05, which has some of the strongest Active Noise Cancelling on earbuds under 50 dollars. So how good is it on the cheaper model?
Sliding the ANC strength to 100% is a farce. Best to leave it at the default score.
Most of all, you have to twist the earbuds in a bit to get the most out of the noise cancellation. In the best circumstances, the T13 reduces higher notes fiercely, with constant higher-pitched sounds like distant tire sounds or wind noise strongly softened. Darker sounds can still come through, just like nearby sounds like chatter, laughter and door slams or finger snapping. Yes, they sound dampened, but you'll still hear them.
That is the case when you're not playing music, however. Tap to play music, and the ANC will help you filter out your surroundings strongly while listening to it. This even applies for when you're running or cycling: the T13's ANC leaves out wind noise on the move - that's impressive for this budget.
On top of that, you can adjust the ANC in the QCY app. But it's best to leave the ANC strength-slider alone - or at least, don't turn it up to 100 percent. It will make you lose the bass in the music, and increase pressure on your ears a lot, making the earbuds uncomfortable quickly - while not giving you much stronger noise cancelling. It's best to leave it at the standard somewhere-in-the-middle score.
If you want Active Noise Cancelling that's also capable of silencing your surroundings with music off, it's worth spending $10 more for the QCY HT05, which reduces dark and sudden sounds better, and puts less pressure on your ears.
Transparency mode on QCY T13 ANC
The Transparency mode on the QCY T13 ANC, called Passthrough here, passes through brighter noises like traffic, keyboard clicking, and some laughter and lighter chatting. It's less successful in letting you follow a nearby conversation - play music on moderate volume, and the effect is pretty much useless for this purpose.
Also read: The best wireless ANC earbuds
Sound quality of QCY T13 ANC: Mind the fit
The QCY T13 ANC sees the return of an issue found on the first wireless earbuds from the brand four years ago, like the QCY QS1 and QCY T3. It sounds good, but it could take a little more effort than usual.
The most important thing is you push and twist the earbuds in your ears a little so you hear the bass. If I just ‘hang’ them in my ears without pushing the bottom of the stems a little bit forward, the sound lacks lows. Another important aspect is to leave the ANC strength slider in the app somewhere in the middle. Push it towards 100% and the noise cancelling pushes the bass away.
After applying these steps, the QCY T13 ANC treats you with an entertaining sound. Mid-bass thumps last longer than they have to, yet are still rather tight in comparison with many other earbuds in this price category. There's enough pumping power to enjoy for dance and modern electro genres.
The sub-bass [the darkest bass segment you can feel as much as hear] is rather shy, but can still provide a gentle background rumble. It's present enough to take its role in James Blake's brilliant test track Limit to Your Love, but keeps itself in the distance in more crowded musical compositions. The same goes for lower mid-tones; darker electronic tones, cello's, and bass guitars could have used a bit more presence.
It's treble on the T13 ANC that takes the spotlight. Female and higher male vocals are prominent and clear, positioned more forward than brighter instruments. That doesn't mean these are ruled out. Violins, cymbals, and brighter electronic tones appear crisp as well, while typical mid-instruments like guitars and lighter piano play have a certain lightness, while still sounding natural. The treble can feel a bit artificially boosted and it does have some harsh moments, but it doesn't feel too metallic.
What's more, is that the treble has a bit of air around it. Turn the volume up, and music feels somewhat around you.
That does comes with a sidenote, though. Most people won't have any problems and certainly not when you prefer listening on background on moderate volume, but the QCY T13 ANC may not go loud enough for everyone.
Overall, the QCY T13 ANC sounds engaging with its decent mid-bass and energizing and airy treble.
QCY T13 ANC comparisons
QCY T13 ANC vs Redmi Buds 4
The Redmi Buds 4 is one of the most popular reviews of affordable ANC earbuds on Scarbir.com, so it makes sense to compare it to the brand new QCY T13 ANC. The Redmi costs 10 dollars more and provides a more comfortable fit, with earbuds that are more comfortable and small enough for side-sleeping. In short sessions, that is, as the Redmi runs out of battery in around 4 hours instead of QCY's 5 hours. With some fiddling, the QCY cancels noise better (especially darker sounds), and its sound is more balanced as well, with tighter bass and more cleaned-up treble. The QCY also has more control options; the Redmi Buds 4 gives you clearer phone calls.
$40 on AliExpress, Amazon US or other Amazon countries
QCY T13 ANC vs QCY T13: What's different?
The QCY T13 ANC has Active Noise Cancelling, which the original QCY T13 does not - but that's not the only difference. The original T13 is five to ten dollars cheaper, it has a slightly sturdier charging case, and its battery lasts two hours longer on a single charge: up to 7,5 hours instead of the T13 ANC's 5 hours. Both earbuds provide around the same level of comfort, and enjoy QCY's app support that lets you tweak the controls and sound. They also have comparable call quality; with the T13 ANC making your voice clearer and louder, while the original T13 reduces sudden sounds better.
The T13 ANC wins from the original T13 in the sound department. The newer model has a tighter bass, more openness around the (upper) mids and more clarity, even though that may cause some occasional harshness. The original T13 sounds less precise. It can go louder however, and some people may prefer the thicker and thumpier bass over the slimmer T13ANC offering.
$25 on AliExpress, Amazon US, Amazon Germany, other Amazon countries
QCY T13 ANC vs QCY HT05: Which is better?
Finally, let's answer the question on the start of this review. Is the QCY T13 ANC a better deal than the previously released QCY HT05, which only costs 10 dollars more? The easy answer is: no. The HT05 has stronger Active Noise Cancelling that rules out more sounds, and especially softens darker and sudden sounds more successfully. But that's not all. The HT05 also sounds better, with a stronger and tighter bass, a warmer undertone provided by more elevated lower-mids, less harshness in the treble, and higher maximum volume.
Verdict
The QCY T13 ANC is a great addition to QCY's impressive lineup of highly affordable wireless earbuds. It sounds better than the cheaper original, throws in usable Active Noise Cancelling, and has extensive app support - which is great for its low price.
It can be worth it to save op some money to the QCY HT05 though, which gives you stronger ANC and slightly crisper call quality for a bit more.
Buy QCY T13 ANC/ check lowest price:
Buy on AliExpress
Buy on Amazon Germany
Buy on other Amazon countries
I bought the QCY T13 ANC myself to test and review. My reviews are 100% independent and non-commercial - read about it here.
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