Tribit QuietPlus ANC review

Investing in a pair of active noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones would typically set you back at least a couple of hundred pounds, which is quite a large investment. However, Tribit has burst onto the market with a pair that gets the job done for a fraction of the price of rivals.

There’s nothing flashy or quirky about the design or features, but for the price you still get good-quality audio, effective noise-cancelling, a long battery life and a comfortable fit – even for long durations of time.

Price & Availability

Currently, the Tribit QuietPlus ANC headphones retail for £89.99/US$89.99. You can buy them either from Amazon UK/ Amazon US, or from Tribit’s website. Currently they’re not available from any other high-street retailers, but if this changes at any point we’ll update this article.

In comparison, some of the top-end noise-cancelling headphones such as the Sony WH-1000XM3 and Bose QC35 II will set you back around £250, so this is quite a difference. 

Take a look at what other options there are in our best noise-cancelling headphones chart, as well as the best headphones charts overall.

Build Quality

These headphones are over-the-ear in style, so they’ve got a relatively chunky build. Though they’re weighty, these headphones are still pretty comfortable, even when wearing for long periods of time. The only thing that makes them slightly uncomfortable is wearing glasses with them – though this is pretty typical for headphones in general.

The exterior is a black plastic finish, with cushioned cups for the ears. It’s not the most high-end feel out there, but they still look pretty sleek and minimalist overall, and not particularly cheap or tacky. 

These headphones come with a USB-C port, as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack (both wires come included with the headphones). On the edge of the right earcup, you get the power button and volume controls, along with the ANC switch (which lights up once it’s active). As they’re raised, they’re all easy to locate when you’re wearing the headphones.

Tribit has gone for a foldable design, meaning you can pop them in your bag when you’re not listening to tunes. The firm also throws in a case for you to store the headphones in and keep them safe from any knocks and drops.

Features

The battery life is relatively generous. Tribit claims 30 hours from a full charge, which is accurate when testing and actually on par with flagship ANC headphones.

My only niggle with this is that once the battery goes low, every few minutes a little voice constantly reminds you ‘battery low’. It’s a little too much and rather annoying – and personally this reminder should only happen perhaps three times at most.

As the battery capacity is quite large, the charging time is quite lengthy. To go from flat to full, this takes around three hours. They don’t come with fast-charging either. 

Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity is pretty reliable, with a range of up to 33 feet – meaning I could wear these around the house and go to various rooms without needing my phone nearby. As they also come with CVC 8.0 for noise reduction, I had no problems taking a call on these headphones, with others saying that my voice was clear on the built-in microphone.

Sound Quality

Whilst the ANC is nowhere near as powerful as what you’d hear on a £300+ pair of headphones, they still manage to shut out excess noise from the outside whilst you’re out and about. There isn’t a dramatic change when turning on the ANC, as the cup design already provides pretty effective noise isolation, but you can still hear how everything becomes just a little more muffled without it being too isolating.

With 40mm drivers and aptX HD audio, bass and treble are balanced really well to give a real high-quality crisp and clear quality, even when the ANC isn’t turned on. The headphones handle dynamic sound on movies and TV reasonably well. Unfortunately there are no customisation options on either bass or treble, but this is to be expected on a lower-priced pair of headphones.

My biggest gripe with the sound quality is that during Bluetooth mode, when you have your volume on the lowest few bars, you cannot hear anything at all. So if you like to keep your music on a quiet setting, these headphones may be a bit limited for you.

Using a wired connection does solve this problem, and gives a more powerful sound overall. However, it’s annoying that there’s such a disparity between these modes. 

Verdict

Considering the price of the Tribit QuietPlus ANC headphones, you get a lot for your money. In day-to-day use, they’re simple to operate, comfortable to wear and have a long enough battery life to last you from two days to several weeks, depending on your usage.

If you’re looking for more customisable options or much stronger noise-cancelling, then it’s worth looking at a more expensive pair like the Sony WH-1000XM3 or the Bose QC35 II. However, the Tribit QuietPlus ANC headphones will block out enough day-to-day background noise to make you feel immersed in your audio.

The sound is also balanced extremely well – offering levels that you’d expect to see on a much more expensive set. All in all, if you’re searching for a pair of noise-cancelling headphones that are sub-£100, then these are a compelling option.