Are these the best-sounding $50 earbuds I’ve tried? My answer was clear within minutes

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You might not have heard of QCY, but the company recently sent me its newest offering, the MeloBuds N70, and there’s nothing mellow about them. These earbuds rock.

For those who don’t know, QCY is an audio company from China that focuses on performance-oriented products at budget-friendly prices. QCY was founded in 2003 and is focused on optimizing the production of its earplugs.

Those optimizations have paid off. The MeloBuds N70 are on sale for $50 on Amazon, and I can attest that they sound as good as earbuds twice the price. 

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Of course, in this modern era of so many earbuds and headphones, that claim can be applied to so many devices. However, many of those devices rely on mobile apps to fine-tune the sound to a listener’s preference. I like to judge a pair of earbuds by how they sound out of the box, without adjusting EQ, enabling ANC, or any other customizations.

Let’s see how the N70 earbuds fared.

My experience

After connecting the N70 earbuds to my Pixel 9 Pro, I opened Spotify and decided to go right to the charming (but rocking) group, Band Maid. I played the song “YOLO” and was immediately surprised at how well the N70 earbuds performed. There was plenty of bass, the highs were crisp, the mids were refined, and the soundstage was nice and wide.

Wow.

Okay, let’s try something else. I went with Cluppo (aka Miku Kubato) and her song “With You.” 

Oh, yeah, that’s some sweet music.

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I was really taken aback by how active and dynamic the sound was. Miku’s voice was crystal clear, the guitar present, the drums punchy, and the bass added a solid foundation.

Let’s keep the party going.

One of the songs I like to play that really punishes earbuds is “Ligature Marks,” by Meshuggah. A lot of times, this song can get really muddy because the guitars are tuned down so much that they almost interfere with the bass. 

The N70 earbuds didn’t bat an eye at the monstrously heavy chugging of this song. They were perfectly capable of handling the song, which is impressive, given the last few earbuds and speakers I’ve tested wound up shivering in a corner, after having to play Ligarture Marks.

Keep going.

What I consider to be one of the greatest songs ever recorded is “Tom Sawyer.” Every note of that recording is so crisp and well-mastered that it’s hard to imagine ever hearing a song to match that level of brilliance. It came as no surprise that the MeloBuds N70 earbuds had me high on Rush’s sound. 

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Speaking of which, “Analog Kid” is my go-to and, wow, it sounded glorious through the N70s. The entire time I was listening to that song, I had to keep reminding myself that these earbuds are only $50.

Okay, I realize I’m sounding as if QCY is paying me to glorify the headphones with a litany of hyperbole, but I’m being honest. Although the N70 earbuds aren’t quite audiophile quality, they will easily blow away anyone looking for a pair of earbuds that won’t break the bank.

Also: I’ve yet to find a pair of Bluetooth earbuds that nails comfort, audio, and price like this one

And I didn’t even bother using the QCY mobile app to personalize the sound; I was perfectly content with what I heard out of the box. What was even better about these earbuds is that the louder you play your music, the better they sound. At about 75% volume, the bass really becomes prominent, and the mids/highs do not ruin the balance.

ZDNET’s buying advice

Although the QCY MeloBuds N70 earbuds may not look like anything special, their sound sure is. These earbuds will please anyone on your holiday shopping list who wants their music as clear and dynamic as $50 will buy. 

As far as low-end earbuds are concerned, just skip the competition and buy these. You won’t regret it.

QCY MeloBuds N70 tech specs

• Dual Driver (Dynamic + MEMS Tweeter)
• Hi-Res Audio support, LDAC/AAC/SBC codecs.
• Up to 56dB Adaptive Hybrid ANC, Transparency Mode, Wind Noise Reduction.
• Bluetooth 6.0, 10m range, Multipoint Pairing (connect to two devices).
• Battery: ~10h earbuds (ANC off), ~7h earbuds (ANC on); ~50h total with case (ANC off).
• Charging: USB-C & Wireless Charging, 10 min fast charge for 2h play.
• Water Resistance: IPX5 (sweat/splash proof).
• Controls: Customizable Touch Controls, Auto Play/Pause (wear detection).
• Microphones: 3 mics per earbud with AI for clear calls.
• App Features: EQ, ANC modes, Game Mode, Fit Test, Find Device, LDAC toggle