OneOdio A10 Review

Specs of the OneOdio A10

• Driver Diameter: 40mm
• Headphone Type: Closed-Back Over-Ear
• Impedance: 32 Q
• Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
• Headphone Weight: 248g/8.7oz
• Bluetooth Version: 5.0
• Bluetooth Range: 10m/33ft
• Battery Capacity: 750mAh
• Use Time: 54 hours (BT only, ANC off)

What’s in the Box?

• OneOdio A10 ANC headphones
• Hard shell carrying case
• USB Type-C to 3.5mm aux cable (3.2ft long)
• USB-C to USB-A charging cables
• Airplane adapter
• User guide and warranty documentation

Design and Build Quality of these Wireless Headphones

So when considering the looks, at a glance, these OneOdio A10 headphones are a pair of over-ear noise canceling headphones with closed-backs and a ratcheted headband. The headphones are mostly made out of plastic with metal reinforcement around the hinges, headband, and swivel mechanism.

Weighing in at 8.7 ounces (248g), these are relatively lightweight, and although they won’t weigh you down, you’ll definitely feel them sitting on your ears.

The headband has an air pocket on the underside covered by a silicone-like material, and the ear cups have memory foam cushioning with a protein/synthetic leather lining. The outer ends of the ear pads are built out of hard plastic with a shiny chrome finish.

Although the chrome ear pads are a nice touch, they catch a lot of fingerprints and tend to show off scratches and dust.

The ear pads can swivel, rotate and even fold down smoothly. The hinges are sturdy, but I’m not sure whether they will hold up for another 3-5 years.

The carrying case is well-designed and does a satisfying job protecting the headphones. It’s a hard shell case with a zipper running around the case — you’re supposed to open it up like a book.

There’s only one elastic strap to keep the headphones in place, and there are no dedicated pockets or compartments for storing accessories; hence, trying to fit the aux cord, charging cable, and airplane adapter might prove difficult.

Comfort

In terms of overall comfort, I’d say these over-ear closed backs does an “okay” job; not great, nor terrible.

The clamping force is just right, it’s not too tight or loose, and the ratcheted headband is flexible and has enough adjustable levels to fit small and large heads. That said, I wouldn’t recommend these for the outdoors and working out because of the lack of an official IP rating and a secure fit.

Although I’ve had no issues with the headband, many users have complained that the padding on the headband is not enough. They claim that the hard plastic (at the top) manages to get through the air bubble and silicone sheath. (Mostly because there’s not enough padding.)

The ear cups are comfortable, but since these are closed-backs, your ears will get hot and sweaty after a couple of hours of wearing them. Unfortunately, this is unavoidable since closed-backs are an essential component of ANC headphones (for better noise isolation).

Also, the ear cups are relatively small, and although they could envelop your ears, they will take some time to get used to because, at first, it feels like you’re wearing on-ear headphones.

Controls and I/O

I have some reservations about the controls. For starters, the volume buttons are inverted, whereas the bottom button increases volume and vice versa.

Also, you have an ANC button that always goes into a passive mode (off) whenever coming from ANC or transparency mode; hence, you cannot switch between these two extremes with a single button press; you require two.

On a more positive note: the volume controls double as the track skip buttons, and the power button manages play/pause and phone calls. Most controls are located on the right ear cup, while the ANC button is isolated on the left.

Bluetooth Connection

Thankfully, these wireless ANC headphones support Bluetooth 5.0, and you can expect to use these headphones for a maximum distance of 39 feet (12m) without any dropouts or latency issues.

On the flip side, there’s no mention of multi-point connection, so you can’t expect these to be connected to multiple devices such as a phone or laptop.

Battery Life

These OneOdio A10 headphones include a 750mAh battery, which is a significant step up from the OneOdio A30‘s 500mAh. With a wired connection and ANC switched on, you can get around 80 hours of playback time, while on both ANC turned on at Bluetooth mode, you can look forward to 25 hours.

Personally, I prefer to use these in wired mode while working on my laptop.

The charging interface is USB-C, and the headphones can attain a full charge in just two hours. Also, by charging for five minutes, you can wear these and listen to music for an extra couple of hours.

Sound Quality

In terms of sound quality, I have to say it’s pretty decent — you get what you pay for. However, specifically, I would say that the headphones lack a lot of depth in the treble range. Therefore, these won’t do justice to the music heavier in the high-frequency ranges, such as classical and jazz.

Also, considering the overall frequency response of these headphones, I’ve found out that the mids are (somewhat) clear and neutral while the bass is fully overexaggerated. Don’t get me wrong, there’s powerful bass to drive most pop songs and EDMs, but it’s unnatural and needs more nuance.

Sadly, another aspect I found lacking was the volume. The drivers are not powerful enough, and you will always have to crank it up to the 60-80% range, even with ANC turned on.

Microphone Quality

Thanks to CVC 8.0, the recording quality during phone calls is pretty good. That said, the microphone does make you sound robotic and distant, but in various scenes with little to no background noise, your voice won’t be garbled, and your listener will understand what you are saying.

Active Noise Canceling

These over-ear headphones create a good seal around your ears which can muffle most noises, and while they do half the work, the difference made by the ANC is staggering.

I wouldn’t say these headphones have ANC quality like Bose and Sony, but they can certainly take the edge off low-frequency noises such as trains, airplanes, case fans, and conversations.

Also, the ANC mode won’t cause unusual pressure differences or white noises, but you’ll get better isolation when you play music on it (without letting it sit with ANC turned on).

What We Like

• Transparency Mode to be aware of your surroundings
• Almost 25 hours of battery life with Bluetooth and ANC
• USB-C interface
• Satisfying noise isolation and ANC

What You Should Know Before Buying

• Inverted volume controls
• ANC button that needs you to double press to switch between ANC and transparency
• A bass-heavy sound profile that’s weaker in the mids and highs
• Lacking an IP rating

Final Thoughts

The OneOdio A10 might not be exciting for audiophiles, but these wireless ANC headphones will perform wonders for a budget-conscious student or commuter.

So if you are a casual user who wants to listen to a podcast or cut out some low-frequency noise (such as the hum of an airplane engine, AC machine, or PC case fans), I can wholeheartedly recommend these headphones. They offer good value for money along with a much-needed transparency mode.

OneOdio has recently released an upgraded version of the OneOdio A10, known as the OneOdio Focus A10. Feel free to read our review about it.