Over-Ear
Haylou S40
78Great
$62
Full review dataHaylou S40 vs QCY H3S: which should you buy?
On aggregated review scores the QCY H3S comes out ahead with a HearWiki score of 81. The full breakdown - sub-scores, specs and what reviewers actually said - is below.
Our pick: QCY H3S - Outstanding overall at around $34.
Over-Ear
QCY H3S
81Outstanding
$34
Full review dataScore breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
QCY H3S leads on 6 of 7 measures.
- Haylou S40
- QCY H3S
HearWiki score
78
81
Sound
7.3
7.5
Noise cancelling
7.2
7.4
Battery
9.7
9.8
Calls
6.8
5.4
Value
8.9
9.5
Price (USD)
$62
$34
Generation & platform
The scores rank quality. This is the other question: is the newer one actually newer technology, or the same platform in a new shell?
Half a step newer
Both shipped in 2025. The QCY H3S edges ahead on platform, but only just: ANC type Adaptive against Hybrid.
- S402025
- H3S2025
What differsS40H3S
- ANC type
- Hybrid
- Adaptive
Platform
Level on: Bluetooth, Top codec, Multipoint pairing, USB-C.
Specifications
S40H3S
- Type
- Over-Ear
- Over-Ear
- Price (USD)
- $62
- $34
- HearWiki score
- 78
- 81
- Released
- 2025
- 2025
- Availability
- Sold new
- Sold new
- Driver
- 40 mm dynamic
- 2-driver hybrid
- Driver type
- dynamic
- hybrid
- Driver size
- 40 mm
- 40 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 2
- Frequency response
- 20 Hz - 40 kHz
- 20 Hz - 40 kHz
- Impedance
- 32 Ω
- 32 Ω
- Sensitivity
- 97 dB/mW
- -
- Bluetooth
- 6.0
- 6.0
- Codecs
- LDAC
- AAC, LDAC
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- Yes
- Latency
- 80 ms
- -
- Wireless range
- 20 m
- 10 m
- Battery life
- 90 h
- 102 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 60 h
- 58 h
- Full charge time
- 150 min
- 120 min
- Quick charge
- -
- 10 min → 7 h
- Wireless charging
- No
- No
- Active noise cancelling
- Yes
- Yes
- ANC type
- hybrid
- adaptive
- Transparency mode
- Yes
- -
- Companion app
- Yes
- -
- Custom EQ
- Yes
- -
- Wear detection
- No
- -
- Controls
- buttons
- buttons
- Voice assistant
- -
- Yes
- Weight
- 280 g
- 240 g
- Water resistance
- none
- none
- Foldable
- -
- Yes
- USB-C
- Yes
- Yes
- Microphones
- 11
- 7
What reviewers said
Haylou S40
The Haylou S40 is a budget-friendly over-ear headphone that packs an impressive feature set, including hybrid active noise cancellation, LDAC support, and a massive 90-hour battery life. Its warm, smooth sound and comfortable fit make it a strong everyday option, while multipoint connectivity and a detachable mic add practical versatility for the price.
- Pro:Excellent battery life of up to 90 hours (60 with ANC)
- Pro:Effective hybrid ANC and transparency mode for the price
- Pro:Supports LDAC and Bluetooth 6.0 with multipoint
- Con:No water resistance rating
- Con:Controls are limited to physical buttons
- Con:Lacks wireless charging
QCY H3S
The QCY H3S is a budget-friendly over-ear wireless headphone that packs adaptive active noise cancellation, a hybrid dual-driver setup, and support for LDAC and Bluetooth 6.0. Its foldable design and lightweight build add to its portability and convenience.
- Pro:Effective adaptive ANC for the price
- Pro:LDAC and AAC codec support for high-quality audio
- Pro:Multipoint connectivity and Bluetooth 6.0
- Con:No water resistance rating
- Con:No wireless charging support
- Con:Controls are button-based, not touch
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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