Tribit QuietPlus: Are These The Best Wireless ANC Headphones Under $100?

I recently took a look at Tribit’s StormBox portable speaker, so I was excited to see what its QuietPlus wireless over-ear headphones were like. Safe to say, I was suitably impressed, particularly as the QuietPlus are only the brand’s second wireless over-ear headphones.Given that these are relatively inexpensive for a set of over-ear wireless cans, the Quietplus excel in sound and design. Let’s see what the fuss is about, eh?

Oh So Soft

These QuietPlus are HELLA comfortable. I can’t stress that enough. I’m generally a little wary of over-ear headphones, particularly with around-ear cups, as they can crush parts your outer ear cartilage to the point of physical pain. So, it was a nice surprise to discover that the ear cups are big enough to house my ears. This, in addition to the urethane foam ear pads, make for very comfortable wear around the ear.

The urethane foam appears again around the inside of the headband, protecting your dome from any friction caused by movement. All of the urethane foam elements are covered with sumptuous cowhide leather, making them even softer and more pleasant to wear.

The cups can even be rotated around their connection to the headband. This 30-degree range allows you to maneuver both the headband and cups into a more comfortable position, should you need to. The headphones also fold in on themselves ready for storage.

The outside rims of the cups and the headband are matte black plastic, which has a pleasantly soft finish. The cup rims each house a branded, textured, aluminum plate. The Tribit logo is nestled confidently at the center; an embossed design with a ridged face that contrasts the rest of the plate.

The right ear cup houses all of the controls and the indication buttons (we’ll come to these in more detail). This means everything is within reach of one hand, and you don’t have to remember what gesture you need to perform on each ear to, say, turn the volume up or down.

The headphones carry an IPX5 water-resistance rating. This means they’re good for withstanding the rain if you’re caught in a pinch, but don’t drop them in the bath or forget you’re wearing them as you plunge yourself into the pool.

You get the headphones in a robust clamshell case, coated in the same leather as the ear cushions. This opens with a zip around the center circumference of the clamshell, which then flips open to reveal the headphones in their folded position.

Responsive Controls

As mentioned, you’ll find all of the controls on the right ear cup. The power button is nestled between volume + and – at the center of the cup’s rim. Next to that is the status indicator light, which will alert you when you’re powering the headphones on and off.

The power button actually has multiple functions. Play and pause are both activated by a quick depression of the power button (when the headphones are switched on). A double click skips the track forwards, while three clicks in quick succession skip back.

Calls are also answered by the power button. When a call comes through, you answer with one click of the power button. Another click will end the call once the conversation is over. If you don’t want to answer the call, then reject it by pressing and holding the power button.

Following the perimeter of the rim, toward the bottom, you have the ANC button, which toggles noise cancellation. There is an indicator light that tells you whether ANC is active or not. This is great, as ANC uses more battery than listening without it. You’ll just have to toss up whether listening to music or someone else’s child on the bus is your priority.

If battery power is tight, then there is an auxiliary plug at the bottom for a 3.5mm headphone cable, which is included in the box. This means your music will last longer as the headphones aren’t transmitting a constant Bluetooth signal. Plugging a jack into the port will automatically switch between BT and AUX modes. It is worth noting that the Tribit QuietPlus can be used in wired mode without even being turned on. Great for saving battery.

Incredible Sound at This Budget Range

I really have to hand it to Tribit here. It has delivered some excellent-sounding headphones at one cent shy of $80. I’d place these up with some of the more expensive brands. Even the Beats Solo 3s are going to set you back an additional 90 bucks. The same goes for Jabra’s Elite 85h model at $120 more.

Even with these headphones at maximum volume (with my phone pumped up to max output, too), there is no noticeable distortion. The bass has sublime depth and remains rich throughout volumes. At no point did I notice it becoming muddy, nor was it too overwhelming for the higher ranges.

Lyrics, which operate around the midrange of a song, are clear and well-defined. I never feel like I’m losing any of the vocals, even when listening to the metal track in my testing playlist. The QuietPlus project the midrange forward, so it stays clear among other elements.

The top end, too, is nice to listen to. It is never shrill, nor does it become a tinny mess with the volume reaching the upper echelons. Not even the roughly- recorded 90s techno in my playlist suffered from any treble distortion. All in all, the sound from the QuietPlus is of a high standard.

My only sound gripe is the lack of a dedicated app (which I also mentioned in the StormBox review). It would be nice to be able to play with the settings and tailor the sound to my ears. Hopefully, this is something Tribit is working on.

Being wireless, the headphones receive sound transmitted via Bluetooth. They incorporate the latest Bluetooth 5.0 tech, so you can feel rest assured that dropouts will be minimal. I tested the Bluetooth under two conditions and was happy with the results of both.

First, I tested the outdoor range, setting my phone on a fence post, and hitting play. I actually walked further from the sound source than Tribit’s stated 33 feet before dropout occurred. Bonus! Second, I tested them indoors. I set my phone on my desk upstairs and was able to walk around my entire house without any dropout at all.

The ANC, too, is most effective. During my outdoor test, I was totally unaware of the neighbor’s dog hurtling towards my cat, which was at my feet as I tinkered with music. The dog’s barking was totally drowned out, as were my neighbor’s cries of “stop”. I was honestly only aware of its existence as it ran through the cloud of dust my trusty feline friend left behind!

Tribit claims that the headphones cancel out background noise up to 35dB. Combine this with the volume of the music you are listening to (even with volume dialed lower) and the passive noise canceling from the ear cushions, you can listen uninterrupted. You can easily wear these in a busy cafe and not have to listen to ANYONE else at all.

The call functions worked well. Thanks to Qualcomm’s Clear Voice Capture tech, the recipient of my call could hear me perfectly well, as I could them. I didn’t test these in a busy environment, in terms of call clarity, but they did a good job of blocking out ambient sounds outdoors (i.e., people chattering, children playing) during the call to the point were the noise wasn’t a distraction.

Plenty of Gas in the Tank

The battery gives you 30 hours of playback (with ANC switched off), which is possibly a bit more than what you’d expect at this price point, given that the Beats Solo Pro headphones have 40 hours of playback under the same conditions.

You charge the QuietPlus via the USB-C port on the right ear cup, but these headphones don’t have fast charging capabilities, unfortunately. This is the only downside to the headphones, as it takes around three hours to charge fully from a flat battery.

Overall, with ANC turned on and playing at a medium-high volume, I managed to suck just under 18 hours out of the headphones. With this in mind, it is likely you will get the stated 30 hours out of them if you turn ANC off and don’t listen on full blast.

A Superb Set of Budget Headphones

If you’re looking for great sound quality without your credit card spontaneously combusting to avoid a big fat spend, then the Tribit QuietPlus headphones are a great choice and I’d venture to say they’re among the best in this budget range.

For just under $80, you’re getting a pair of comfortable headphones with great noise-canceling capabilities and excellent sound. There’s very little not to like, aside from the lack of an app. Recommended at this price.

If you’re looking to spend a bit more on some wireless over-ears, or you’d like to shop around, then check out the best wireless on-ear headphones to suit any budget.