Tribit QuietPlus 81 review: cheap ANC headphones with a few too many flaws
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Tribit QuietPlus 81: reviews
If you’re looking for a pair of ultra-cheap noise-cancelling headphones, the Tribit QuietPlus 81 seems like a very tempting option indeed. With a list price of just $49.99 / £49.99 (around AU$75), they pack a lot of stuff: ANC, a ton of playtime, and a neat, foldable design. But are they really worth the detour?
Well, in many ways these headphones are impressive. Above all, I was blown away by their ultra-long battery life. You get 70 hours with ANC on and 110 hours with ANC off. This means you’ll barely have to load these cans, ideal if you’re someone who’s a bit on the go…or if you’re just forgetful like me.
Like the best headphones on the market, these also have quite extensive EQ options. There’s a range of gender- and situation-specific presets, but you can also set your own with the included 10-band EQ. This means you can create the sound that suits you best – an important inclusion, considering these headphones don’t sound great out of the box.
Yes, I understand that they are incredibly cheap and I didn’t have high expectations for these headphones, sound-wise. But I still think there are better options in the budget category – more over those in the “Also Consider” section. But essentially, these cans just don’t have the clarity, vibrancy, and detail that others offer.
By listening Black eye by Allie X, the synthesized beat intro lacked the precision that made it so impactful. The drum machine that follows sounds quite low, but also quite bloated, leaving the track lacking its intense and energetic character. With the standard “Music” setting, instruments in the treble range are hidden, but even with a custom setup, I couldn’t get the expressive sound I was looking for.
Skip to 12 OC Riddim by M-High – an ideal track for testing the headphones’ low-end capabilities – and the picture was quite mixed. The high-pitched percussion in the build once again lacked the dynamism and edge I was looking for, and while the headphones could reach the dark depths of the track, the bass wasn’t nimble or clear enough for truly immersive listening.
Overall, these headphones don’t have the refined sound you’d expect from a budget model like the 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51. With a custom EQ you can get adequate sound when listening at medium volume, but don’t expect to get anything fancy for a $50/£50 headphone.
Let’s move on to another crucial area and discuss the ANC. So, these headphones can be used in normal mode, in transparency mode (for better awareness) and with noise cancellation activated. I spent most of my time testing the headphones with ANC enabled, and in all honesty, it was about as good as I expected.
When I worked in the office, I always heard chattering and typing with the volume set to 70%. When walking, the traffic noise was also quite loud, as was the sound of people talking. Sure, these attenuate surrounding sounds quite well, but they’re unlikely to impress on the noise-canceling front.
One feature that interested me on these headphones, however, was their ability to trigger transparency mode in an instant. You can simply hold down the right earbud and hear your surroundings, as demonstrated by the excellent Sony WH-1000XM6. Is it the most responsive? No, the feature doesn’t activate instantly like it would on the XM6. But it’s still quite effective and an interesting inclusion.
More generally, the QuietPlus’s controls are rather mediocre. After a firmware update, I was able to access the “customizable touch controls”, but I couldn’t adjust the playback control on the right earcup… which is limited to physical button controls. These buttons are black on black and are slightly difficult to read – and the volume controls tied to a single small button are very impractical.
The touch controls themselves are quite responsive, but all they can do is activate XBass mode – which doesn’t sound good – or summon a voice assistant. Personally, I would have preferred the standard touch controls for playing, pausing, or skipping music, as seen on a model like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones (2nd generation).
There are a few other features to explore, like a low-latency gaming mode, wired listening via a 3.5mm slot, and hearing protection. You can find pretty much everything you need in the Tribit app, although it’s pretty rudimentary software – something I pointed out in my review of the Tribit PocketGo.
In terms of design, these headphones are hit or miss. They are foldable, making them pleasantly compact, and their adjustable headband makes them easy to set up. One thing that isn’t very well designed is the packaging. The box says these headphones offer “ULTRA LONG BATT” and “SMOOTH TALKING”…that’s one way to make a first impression.
Regardless, despite using “protein leather and memory foam padding,” I found the QuietPlus 81 a little uncomfortable for prolonged use. For me, they are a little tight and the headband padding seems a little thin. On the other hand, from an aesthetic point of view, these headphones are solid. They don’t look super plasticky and the earcups have a rounded look to them, which is quite attractive.
Ultimately, would I recommend the Tribit QuietPlus 81 headphones? Unfortunately, the answer is no. There are certainly some commendable qualities on offer here, like that brilliant battery life and ten-band EQ. But sonically, they fail to beat their competitors in their price category. Combine that with mundane features and ANC, and I’d say you’re better off spending that $50/£50 on a pair of the best cheap headphones.
Tribit QuietPlus 81 review: specifications
|
Drivers |
40mm dynamic |
|
Active noise cancellation |
Yes |
|
Battery life |
70 hours ANC on; 110 hours ANC reduction |
|
Weight |
283g |
|
Connectivity |
Bluetooth 6.0, 3.5mm |
|
Frequency range |
20Hz-20kHz |
Tribit QuietPlus 81 review: price and release date
- $49.99 / £49.99 (around AU$75)
- Launched in December 2025
The Tribit QuietPlus 81 headphones were released in December 2025 and are available directly through the Tribit website or on Amazon. They have a list price of $49.99/£49.99 (around AU$75), which puts them firmly in the budget category.
Should I buy the Tribit QuietPlus 81?
|
Attributes |
Remarks |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Features |
Excellent battery life, but unremarkable ANC and clunky app. |
3/5 |
|
Sound quality |
Can get quite deep, but the sound is quite muddy and lacks dynamism. |
2.5/5 |
|
Design |
Not particularly comfortable, poor controls, but decent looking. |
2/5 |
|
Value |
Cheap, but the quality isn’t up to par with other budget competitors. |
3/5 |
Buy them if…
Don’t buy them if…
Tribit QuietPlus 81 test: also think
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Tribit QuietPlus 81 |
1More from Sonoflow Pro HQ51 |
OneOdio Focus A6 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Price |
$49.99 / £49.99 (around AU$75) |
$89 / £99 / AU$130 |
$55 / £55 (around AU$110) |
|
Drivers |
40mm dynamic |
40mm dynamic |
40mm composite |
|
Active noise cancellation |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Battery life |
70 hours ANC on; 110 hours ANC reduction |
65 hours of ANC activated; 100 hours ANC discount |
75 hours ANC reduction; 40 hours of ANC activated |
|
Weight |
283g |
246g |
240g |
|
Connectivity |
Bluetooth 6.0, 3.5mm |
Bluetooth 5.4, 3.5mm |
Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C audio passthrough |
|
Frequency range |
20Hz-20kHz |
20Hz-40kHz |
20Hz-40kHz |
How I tested the Tribit QuietPlus 81
- Tested for a week
- Used in the office and on walks
- Tested primarily with Tidal
I spent a week testing the Tribit QuietPlus 81, during which time I took it almost everywhere I went. Whether I was out for a walk, working in the office, or doing household chores, I made sure to have the earbuds on hand, allowing me to test the quality of their ANC in a wide range of settings.
When listening to music, I primarily used Tidal, but I also turned to Spotify from time to time. As always, I started my testing by browsing the TechRadar test playlist, which features songs from a wide range of genres, but I also listened to a bunch of tracks from my personal music library.
On top of that, I used the QuietPlus 81’s various features, playing with the customizable controls, ANC modes, and custom EQ. More generally, I’ve been a reviews editor here at TechRadar for almost two years, during which time I’ve tested numerous headphones, including premium versions like the Sennheiser HDB 630 and budget alternatives like the Baseus Bowie 30 Max.
- First revision: January 2026
- Learn more about how we test
