
JLab JBuds Studio ANC 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.
Score breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
QCY H3S leads on 5 of 7 measures.
- JLab JBuds Studio ANC
- QCY H3S
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?
QCY H3S (2025) against JLab JBuds Studio ANC (2020). The QCY H3S is the newer platform here: Bluetooth 6.0 against 5.0, Top codec LDAC against AAC and ANC type Adaptive against Hybrid. It also adds Multipoint pairing and USB-C.
- JBuds Studio ANC2020
- H3S20255 yr newer
- Bluetooth
- 5.0
- 6.0
- Top codec
- AAC
- LDAC
- ANC type
- Hybrid
- Adaptive
- Multipoint pairing
- No
- Yes
- USB-C
- No
- Yes
Platform
Everyday features
Specifications
- Type
- Over-Ear
- Over-Ear
- Price (USD)
- $28
- $34
- HearWiki score
- 62
- 81
- Released
- 2020
- 2025
- Availability
- Still 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 - 20 kHz
- 20 Hz - 40 kHz
- Impedance
- 32 Ω
- 32 Ω
- Sensitivity
- 110 dB/mW
- -
- Bluetooth
- 5.0
- 6.0
- Codecs
- SBC, AAC
- AAC, LDAC
- Multipoint pairing
- No
- Yes
- Latency
- 200 ms
- -
- Wireless range
- 9 m
- 10 m
- Battery life
- 34 h
- 102 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 28 h
- 58 h
- Full charge time
- 180 min
- 120 min
- Quick charge
- 10 min → 6 h
- 10 min → 7 h
- Wireless charging
- No
- No
- Active noise cancelling
- Yes
- Yes
- ANC type
- hybrid
- adaptive
- Transparency mode
- Yes
- -
- Companion app
- No
- -
- Custom EQ
- Yes
- -
- Wear detection
- No
- -
- Controls
- buttons
- buttons
- Voice assistant
- Yes
- Yes
- Weight
- 141 g
- 240 g
- Water resistance
- none
- none
- Foldable
- -
- Yes
- USB-C
- No
- Yes
- Microphones
- 5
- 7
- Call noise reduction
- Yes
- -
- Call NR technology
- 2-mic ENC
- -
What reviewers said
JLab JBuds Studio ANC
The JLab JBuds Studio ANC is a budget-friendly over-ear headphone that focuses on delivering solid active noise cancellation and very long battery life for the price. It offers a comfortable fit, adjustable EQ, and transparency mode, making it a practical choice for everyday listening and travel despite its basic build and feature set.
- Pro:Effective hybrid ANC for the price
- Pro:Excellent battery life, up to 28 hours with ANC on
- Pro:Lightweight design at 141 grams
- Con:Only supports SBC and AAC codecs
- Con:No multipoint connection
- Con:Uses micro-USB instead of USB-C
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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