Budget Cans with Big Battery Ambitions
Even though they are a brand that goes very much under the radar, we’re extremely familiar with TRIBIT, having reviewed a few of their portable speakers over the years – the XSound Plus 2, StormBox 2 and the teeny, tiny, uber powerful StormBox Mini+.
Each of those have managed to worm their way into our life, utilised mostly for the odd gathering of friends, capable of delivering pretty powerful audio to a party scene.
But what of the need to sit in isolation, kicking back in the evening, with tunes and solitary gaming thrown into the equation? That’s where TRIBIT sees a place for their QuietPlus 81 headset.
Understated Aesthetics
Much like the portable speakers before it, the QuietPlus 81 is a fairly understated bit of kit. All black in colour with just some subtle TRIBIT logo-ing, this is a headset that looks, and feels, like any other generic headset. For less than £50, you’d probably expect such a thing, and they are a far cry from some of the more well-known cans that dominate the market – Apple AirPods Max, Sonos Ace and the like.
The QuietPlus 81 can’t hold a candle to those brands either, but if you come to what TRIBIT brings to market with little expectation in mind, you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised. Some impressive active noise cancellation features and a super comfortable, relatively lightweight nature mean these are more than decent on head.
Lightweight Comfort
TRIBIT play on the feel and at 286g (by our calculations, and ever-so-slightly higher than the official TRIBIT weight) the QuietPlus 81 are light enough to wear for extended sessions. We’ve had these sat on our head for a good few hours at a time, and whilst we’d not ditch our Sonos Ace for them, they are comfortable enough to wear without fuss.
The earcups are generously padded, memory foam packed, oval in shape, and the headband has just enough give and squish. With the usual pull-to-fit that the majority of cans run with – notable exception being the RIG brand – and some notching along the headband, getting the fit you need is an absolute cinch. For some evening gaming or long music sessions, connected to a phone or laptop, that comfort matters.
The QuietPlus 81 are also foldable, packing down to a reasonably small size, happily chucked into a rucksack or backpack for travel needs. We’d have loved to have had some kind of bag or pouch included in the box, allowing for safe stashing of the 81’s, but for such a low price, perhaps that is not to be expected.
Exceptional Battery Life
What is in the box though is a USB-A to USB-C charging cable (really should be USB-C all round if you ask me) and a 3.5mm audio cable in the box. That wired option is welcome, giving you a fallback should the battery ever run dry or on some rare occasion when the stable Bluetooth 6.0 gives up the ghost. Not that it will run dry – TRIBIT sell this on some 110 hours of play, knocked down to 70 hours if you chuck the ANC on. Those are strong numbers and so charging is a rare affair.
Fast charging support is included too, delivering up to five hours of playback from just ten minutes on charge. If you are constantly on the move, that’s a genuinely useful safety net.
Silencing the World on a Budget
The QuietPlus 81 comes with hybrid ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) that is powered by five microphones and AI-driven noise reduction. We aren’t big on numbers so will take TRIBIT’s word for it, but that promises up to 45dB of ambient noise reduction. Again, it doesn’t rival the ANC found in headsets that are three, four, or seven times the price point, but it’s impressively effective. We’ve sat in the corner of a room, with a movie playing on the TV and have not heard a peep through the ANC. A Transparency/Ambient mode opens the world up should you be looking for it.
It’s all easy to control too. Everything you need is found on the right cup, from power/multi-function to volume control, 3.5mm audio jack, USB-C port and ANC functionality. And each of the buttons are raised just enough to ensure that – once you know which button does what – it’s easy enough to action whatever is needed. And alongside those buttons, the right cup doubles up as a touch sensitive button; a press-hold to switch on a temporary transparency mode is neat. It’s just we’ve found tapping and double/triple tapping that cup to be slightly awkward and inconsistent.
Audio Quality and the App
Under the hood sit a couple of 40mm dynamic drivers, and they deliver exactly what you’d hope for at this level. The sound profile is fine, and there’s enough punch to ensure it fits your audio needs. It gets nice and loud too. We’d suspect that audiophiles will fail to be blown away, but for everyday listening, streaming and gaming, the QuietPlus 81 are more than capable.
And then you’ve got the TRIBIT mobile app. Fairly simple in design, and pretty limited compared to other more in-depth apps, it’s here where you can switch between various set EQ presets, including a dedicated Game Mode designed to reduce latency. In use, Game Mode does help tighten things up slightly, in particular for us via Game Pass play.
Punching Above Its Weight
Of course, at the sub-£50 price point, TRIBIT and the QuietPlus 81 are not trying to compete with higher-end, more premium noise-cancelling headphones. They’re not built to dethrone Apple, Sony or Sonos, but that’s not to say they don’t have anything to offer. They deliver a comfortable audio experience, one all wrapped up in an impressive wireless headset.
The ANC is quality, the battery life is exceptional, and the sound performance can hold its own for casual listening and gaming. Don’t come to it chasing anything near audiophile perfection, but for under £50, there’s very little to complain about.
Much like their portable speakers, TRIBIT have punched above their weight with the QuietPlus 81.
Huge thanks go out to TRIBIT for providing the QuietPlus 81 for review. Head over to TRIBIT direct, or find the QuietPlus 81 on the likes of Amazon. Remember, sub-£50…
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