Mobvoi Earbuds ANC test: in-ears with noise cancellation for under 60 euros

The manufacturer Mobvoi is primarily known for its smartwatches from the TicWatch series and recently delivered a convincing WearOS device with the TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra GPS (our review). Now, the Chinese company delivers affordable in-ear headphones with the Mobvoi Earbuds ANC, which want to score with strong features and a convincing battery life. Our Mobvoi Earbuds ANC test clarifies how well that works.

Technical data

Mobvoi Earbuds ANC

Mobvoi Earbuds ANC

€ 59.99

N/A

Buy now* Mobvoi

Mobvoi Earbuds ANC review: scope of delivery

The new Mobvoi Earbuds ANC are in a dark gray cardboard box, which is hardly larger than the charging case itself. The same catches the eye when you first open it and contains the two in-ear headphones. Besides that, a detailed and a quick-start guide are included, which are only available in English, at least in our review sample.

There is also an additional pair of silicone ear inserts in the scope of delivery, which is rounded off by a sheet with a total of six stickers and a USB-A to USB-C charging cable with a length of 32 centimeters.

Design and workmanship

Let’s first take a look at the charging case of the Mobvoi Earbuds ANC. This comes completely in a glossy, gray color scheme and features an imprint of the manufacturer’s name on the front. The USB-C port for charging the case is on the bottom, as well as a status LED that informs about the battery status. The charging case does not offer any buttons or other functions.

However, it looks very large and bulky at first glance, especially compared to the competition. At 55 mm x 65 mm x 20 mm (width x height x depth), it is indeed much larger than most of the competitors and thus only conditionally suitable for a pocket.

The two Earbuds fit securely inside and are automatically charged after insertion. The manufacturer positions an LED indicator between the two places for the earbuds, but it only reveals whether the in-ears are on or off.

For the Earbuds themselves, Mobvoi goes for a fairly classic design with pins that stick out of the ear. With a length of 35 mm, they also turn out to be significantly larger than the Soundpeats T3 (our review) in the same price range, for example.

Otherwise, the in-ears rely on a glossy black design and are thus quite susceptible to fingerprints. The silicone inserts are kept oval and protrude at a slightly beveled angle, which should allow for comfortable positioning. On the outside of the pens and drivers are the microphones, which are responsible for analyzing ambient noise. On the top of the pins are also the touch surfaces that are used to operate the Mobvoi Earbuds ANC.

Workmanship of the Mobvoi Earbuds ANC

The build quality of the Earbuds is absolutely fine, considering the affordable price. However, the case and earbuds do not feel as robust as more expensive premium in-ears. Especially the charging earpiece creaks a bit under light pressure. The folding mechanism for opening and closing does not really feel high-quality and has a bit too much play.

It is also annoying that the case does not stay open when you move it in your hand when it is open. It is also not possible to place it on a straight surface due to the curved shape. As for the Earbuds themselves, on the other hand, there is not much to complain about in terms of workmanship.

Mobvoi Earbuds ANC: Wearing comfort

On the other hand, we like the wearing comfort of the Mobvoi Earbuds ANC, which fit relatively comfortably in the ears. These, like most in-ear headphones, are twisted slightly into the ear after insertion to allow for a snug fit.

On the other hand, it’s a bit of a shame that the manufacturer doesn’t include different ear insert sizes here. For our ears, however, the built-in ear tips provided a secure fit. Thanks to a low weight of about 5 grams per earbud, the wearing comfort should also convince in the long term. There is nothing to complain about here.

Features and battery life

The Mobvoi Earbuds ANC communicate wirelessly via Bluetooth 5.0 with the corresponding audio source. Thereby, the in-ears come to a range of about 10 meters, over which the connection is maintained stably.

In addition to active noise cancellation (ANC), which is already included in the name, the earbuds naturally also offer a transparency mode (called “Sound-Passthrough-Mode” here), which amplifies ambient noise and voices.

The microphones for reproducing one’s own voice also rely on dual-mic noise cancellation (ENC), which is supposed to effectively filter out ambient and wind noise for better intelligibility.

There’s also a manufacturer’s own wake-up word technology: say “Hey Tico” and the Mobvoi Earbuds ANC will automatically activate the paired smartphone’s voice assistant. In combination with additional announcements, the volume can be adjusted, the next song can be played or playback can be paused. This works flawlessly in practice, but is also possible with the usual commands of Google Assistant or Apple’s Siri.

The battery life of the Mobvoi Earbuds ANC

Manufacturer Mobvoi promises a runtime of 4.5 hours for the Earbuds ANC in-ear headphones with the ANC function activated and a standby time of 7 hours. The charging unit then supplies energy for another 21 hours of use, while the Earbuds are supposed to be fully recharged after one hour.

We can also almost confirm these values in the test. We achieved 4 hours with and around 6 hours without ANC, respectively 19-20 hours for the charging case – all values are of course affected by the volume and the activated functions. Nevertheless, the battery life is on a good, if not outstanding level.

Operating the Earbuds ANC

The Mobvoi Earbuds ANC are operated via the touch surfaces on the outer sides of both earphones. Here are, for both sides separately, different commands to choose from. Depending on whether you touch the surfaces twice, three times or keep them pressed, you can control the music playback or calls, switch between the sound modes (ANC, transparency or ANC off) or activate the respective voice assistant.

The operation is precise in most cases, but the range of functions is very limited. Adjusting the volume, for example, is not possible – unlike the Teufel Real Blue TWS (our review), for example.

A different material for the touch surfaces would also have been desirable. Because while they stand out visually from the rest of the earbuds, they are difficult to feel – sitting in the ear – which is why you miss from time to time.

Audio Quality and ANC of the Mobvoi Earbuds ANC

Up to this point, the Mobvoi Earbuds ANC hardly made any notable slip-ups. Now it’s up to the in-ear headphones to hold their own in the most important discipline. How do the Earbuds sound? After all, the 13 mm drivers promise a quite rich sound.

So we start our test playlist with the cover of “Always on my mind” by Emigrate and Till Lindemann, which gives a good impression of the mix. It quickly becomes clear that the Earbuds are aimed at listening fun.

Accordingly, the bass is relatively strong in the foreground and strides powerfully to work and surprisingly, without distorting noticeably. However, it becomes obvious relatively quickly that the woofers mainly overpower the trebles, which hardly come into their own sonically. The Soundpeats T3 already revealed a similar problem. The reproduction of both in-ears noticeably lacks dynamics.

At least the mids, like Lindemann’s characteristic voice, are reproduced clearly and in detail. However, the instrumentation in the form of guitars is noticeably in the background, while the Mobvoi Earbuds swallow up many tonal details in direct comparison to higher-priced in-ear headphones.

This impression also continues with other titles. Thus, the Earbuds can only convince to a limited extent in terms of sound and are therefore mainly suitable for bass-heavy electronic music. Audiophile users who want to experience every nuance of a song as much as possible will definitely not be happy with the inexpensive in-ears.

The ANC and transparency function

You also have to accept cutbacks in the ANC and transparency mode, which is mainly due to the low price. Both options are quite acceptable, but cannot keep up with the more expensive competition.

As usual, the in-ears filter out monotonous, deep noises very well, while voices, typing on the keyboard or mouse clicks and fans are let through almost undiminished. The passive sealing could also be better.

The transparency mode amplifies voices and ambient noises satisfactorily, but distorts relatively clearly, resulting in an unnatural voice reproduction. This is not really tragic since our counterpart is still clearly understandable. At least it is positive to note that the background noise is almost imperceptible across all modes.

Microphone quality

The quality of the built-in microphones is also okay. In fact, the ENC does a good job of filtering out ambient noise and wind noise satisfactorily. Thus, we can be understood well even on the road.

However, our own voice noticeably lacks dynamics, while the recording is much too muffled. However, this hardly detracts from the good intelligibility, although other in-ear headphones in the same price range do a much better job here.

Software: Mobvoi App

The Mobvoi Earbuds ANC, just like the Ticwatch smartwatches, use the eponymous Mobvoi app, which also recognizes the in-ear headphones immediately. However, it is annoying that registration with a user account is mandatory for use.

The software’s range of functions is also very limited. It informs us about the battery status and lets us deactivate the “Hey Tico” function, as well as the shortcuts if desired. In addition, the application only informs about the different touch commands. Unfortunately, we do not find an equalizer or other functions, so you can easily do without the app.

Summary on the Mobvoi Earbuds ANC

The Mobvoi Earbuds ANC mark quite successful in-ear headphones at a fair price, but they can’t really shine in any area. The design only offers standard fare, while the build quality is not completely convincing.

We like the wearing comfort much better, thanks to which the Earbuds fit comfortably in the ears even in the long run. The controls also work well and precisely, but they are not as extensive as those of other manufacturers.

The Earbuds are also not completely convincing in terms of sound. Rich bass and precise voices are on the plus side, but the trebles are unfortunately too much in the background. ANC and transparency mode, as well as the microphones, are not completely convincing. However, the overall package of the Mobvoi Earbuds ANC is okay for the called price of around 60 Euros.

Mobvoi Earbuds ANC

Mobvoi Earbuds ANC

€ 59.99

N/A

Buy now* Mobvoi