Every now and then, you come across a product that makes you pause and recheck the price tag. For me, that moment came when I saw the QCY H3 Pro, a pair of over-ear wireless headphones from the Chinese brand QCY. It boasts features like LDAC, Bluetooth 5.4, adaptive ANC, multipoint connection, 3-mic ENC, 3D spatial audio, 60ms low latency, IPX4 rating, and a claimed 55-hour battery life. All this for Rs 3,999 (launch price Rs 5,999). To put that in perspective, many of these features are what you’d find on something like Sony’s WH-1000XM6, which costs almost ten times more.
So yes, on paper, the QCY H3 Pro looks like a steal. But what’s the catch? Let’s find out. This is Digit’s review of QCY H3 Pro:
Verdict
The QCY H3 Pro offers rare features like LDAC, adaptive ANC, multipoint pairing, and long battery life at a budget price. Sound quality is adequate but not standout, and the app feels unpolished. Still, for under Rs 4,000, it’s a solid buy for users who value battery endurance, good ANC, and modern features over premium sound or brand polish.
Unboxing and design
QCY H3 Pro comes in 4 different colours, viz., Black, White, and Purple. Our review unit is the white variant, which looks different from the advertised images. It has a hint of baby pink, which is welcoming, and the champagne gold coloured yoke gives a premium feel.
On the earcups, there are some plastic buttons, which are fairly clicky and easily reachable. You get a volume rocker, a power button and an ANC button. Between these, there is a USB-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Gladly, QCY has bundled both these cables in the box.
The company hasn’t cut corners with comfort, either. The headphone chassis is made of plastic and metal and is very light at 231 grams. The metallic clamp is mild. But it wasn’t falling off with slight movements. The cushions on the headband and the ear cups are plush. The ear cup curvature could have been bigger, though, for a comfier fit.
The hinges fold, too, which makes it easier to swivel, tuck into a bag and carry it around. This is something often missed in budget headphones. QCY doesn’t bundle a case/carry bag, though.
Rest, you get markings for Left and Right sides (on the inner side of the hinge area and the earcups), subtle branding, and even IPX4 water resistance, which can offer protection against sweat, splash, and drizzle.
So, if you commute daily or wear headphones for long periods, the comfort is decent, and the fold-down design helps. But if you wear them outdoors in heavy rain or rough conditions, the build may show wear sooner due to its modest build.
Pairing and software
Pairing the QCY H3 Pro is quick and straightforward. Hold the power button for a few seconds, and the headphones enter pairing mode instantly. The Bluetooth range also feels fine. However, the QCY app takes some time to connect to the headphones.
The QCY app is functional, has plenty of features to toggle, but requires account registration to use, and the app interface is less refined. It is clearly a translated version of the Chinese interface, as you’ll spot awkward phrasing, cropped text, and inconsistent font alignment throughout.
Furthermore, some features like Bluetooth multipoint (connect to two devices simultaneously) work. But there’s a caveat: you can’t use LDAC and multipoint at the same time. It’s either better sound or multi-device convenience, not both. Also, the QCY app wasn’t working simultaneously on both devices, in this case, an Android phone and an iPhone.
It may disrupt the user experience, but given the device’s price and features, it’s more of an annoyance than a dealbreaker.
Audio performance
The first thing I noticed is that the QCY headphones’ volume is feeble. I generally listen at 60-80 percent volume in other headphones, but here, I had to amp up the volume for a decently enjoyable experience. Otherwise, everything sounds flat or thinner.
When you turn up the volume and enable the LDAC codec, you get a slight boost in clarity and detail. The sound signature leans bass-forward, with a clear thump, though the rumble and low-end depth fall short. Vocals sound slightly recessed, and both voices and instruments can get lost in complex mixes, making the overall presentation feel congested. The highs are clean but lack enough presence.
There is a 3D Spatial Audio mode in the QCY app that slightly widens the sound, which some may prefer over the default profile. In the Settings section, you’ll find a Gaming Mode also which activates 60ms low-latency transmission. It can make a perceivable difference while watching video podcasts and playing games. For zero latency, you can always plug in the bundled 3.5mm aux cable. Noice!
Besides sound, noise cancellation is a sought-after feature on modern headphones. Let’s see how QCY handles that:
Ambient noise cancellation and call quality
The ANC performance of the H3 Pro is commendable. It claims to cancel up to 50 dB of noise. I tried the headphones indoors in an office space and on a busy street, and compared them to the best in the business: Sony WH-1000XM6. The results were quite close.
On the other hand, the Transparency/Ambient Sound mode lets you hear and be aware of your surroundings. It isn’t as comfortable or natural-sounding as the XM6, but the comparison itself is unfair.
Call quality via the 3-mic ENC setup is decent. Both parties in the call could hear each other properly.
Battery and charging
The rated battery is up to 55 hours with ANC off, and around 40+ hours with ANC on. With ANC on and LDAC on, I could get close to those claims in our continuous playback test.
Charging by USB-C took about 1 hour and 30 minutes for the device to fill 100 percent. Not bad
After all, the battery life is long enough that you don’t have to bear the anxiety of charging it often. And that’s a major plus in my book.
Should you buy the QCY H3 Pro?
The QCY H3 Pro stands out for packing features like LDAC codec support, adaptive ANC up to 50 dB, Bluetooth 5.4 with multipoint connectivity, and a 55-hour battery life, all in a lightweight foldable build with IPX4 splash resistance. It delivers strong value for money, offering premium-tier functions at a budget price.
The audio quality, while decent, isn’t perfect: the volume is low by default, vocals sound slightly recessed, and the bass lacks depth. The app experience feels unpolished, too, with poor translations and the limitation of not being able to use LDAC and multipoint simultaneously.
Under Rs 4,000, you may find options like the boAt Rockerz 551 ANC Pro or Sennheiser HD 400s or HAMMER Bash Pro, but they lack the advanced codecs and features of the QCY pair. So, the QCY H3 Pro still makes sense for users who want a portable headphone with decent looks, long battery life, strong noise cancellation, and who can accept minor compromises in app design and sound refinement for the feature set it offers. If you are that person, you can check out the QCY headphones on Amazon India for Rs 3,999.
QCY-H3 Pro Key Specs, Price and Launch Date
| Release Date: | |
| Market Status: | Launched |
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G. S. Vasan
G.S. Vasan is the chief copy editor at Digit, where he leads coverage of TVs and audio. His work spans reviews, news, features, and maintaining key content pages. Before joining Digit, he worked with publications like Smartprix and 91mobiles, bringing over six years of experience in tech journalism. His articles reflect both his expertise and passion for technology. View Full Profile
