QCY MeloBuds N20

The QCY MeloBuds N20 are shockingly good budget wireless earbuds with best-in-class noise cancelling and call quality for around $25. You get Bluetooth 6.0, multipoint, and 40 hours of total battery life, making them a perfect cheap pair for commuting and calls. Music sound is just okay, but the sheer value here is almost impossible to beat.

Let's talk numbers. In our testing, the MeloBuds N20 landed in the 97th percentile for ANC performance, which is wild for a $25 pair of earbuds. The -50dB noise reduction claim isn't just marketing fluff. It won't completely silence a subway car, but it dramatically dulls the roar of engines and the hum of an air conditioner. The adaptive part works well enough, automatically adjusting between the six modes without you having to fiddle with your phone. For calls, the six-mic array with ENC (environmental noise cancellation) also hit the 97th percentile in our database. Our testers reported that their voice came through cleanly even with moderate wind and background chatter, something that trips up earbuds costing five times as much.

Battery life is another standout, ranking in the 88th percentile. You get a real-world 7.5 hours with ANC on, and 10 hours with it off, plus another 30-plus hours in the case. The quick-charge feature is a lifesaver, giving you two hours of playback from a 10-minute top-up. Sound quality sits at the 71st percentile, which is firmly in "good for the money" territory. The 13mm drivers push out punchy, satisfying bass that buyers consistently rave about, though the midrange can get a little lost in busier tracks. The 68ms low-latency mode is a nice bonus for mobile gaming, keeping audio and video synced up without any noticeable lag.

Stacked against the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro, the QCY MeloBuds N20 are playing a different game entirely. The Samsung buds offer a more premium, detailed soundstage and a more polished transparency mode, but they also cost nearly ten times as much. The QCY actually holds its own surprisingly well on ANC and call quality, and it absolutely demolishes the Galaxy Buds on battery life. The Nothing Buds 2 offer a more unique design and slightly cleaner sound, but again, you're paying a hefty premium for that style. The real fight is with the EarFun Air Pro 4+ and the Soundcore P31i. Both of those are strong contenders with better app experiences and more refined sound profiles, but the QCY undercuts them on price while matching or beating them on ANC and connectivity. If you're trying to decide between these and the JBL Live Pro 2, get the JBLs if sound quality is your number one priority. Get the QCY if you want to save a chunk of cash and still get killer ANC and call performance.

At $25, the value proposition here is almost unfair to the competition. You're getting top-tier connectivity and noise cancellation that rivals earbuds in the $100 to $150 range. The closest alternatives like the Soundcore P31i or the EarFun Air Pro 4+ are excellent, but they typically cost significantly more. You do make a trade-off in pure music refinement, the sound is fun but not precise, and the build quality feels like what you'd expect for the price. But if your priority is a feature-packed daily driver for calls, podcasts, and drowning out background noise without breaking the bank, these are an absolute steal.

If you're hunting for budget wireless earbuds that don't feel budget, the QCY MeloBuds N20 are the kind of find that makes you double-check the price tag. At around $25, these in-ear buds pack features you'd normally expect to pay triple for. We're talking adaptive active noise cancellation rated at -50dB, Bluetooth 6.0 with multipoint, and a frankly ridiculous 40 hours of total battery life with the case. For anyone who just wants a reliable pair of earbuds for commuting, hopping on calls, or zoning out at a coffee shop, the spec sheet here is almost suspiciously good.

QCY isn't a household name like Sony or Samsung, but they've been quietly building a following among people who do their homework before buying. The MeloBuds N20 come with 13mm dynamic drivers, a six-mic setup for calls, and an IPX4 water resistance rating that means they'll survive a sweaty workout or a surprise rain shower. The design is a standard stem-style bud, available in white or black, and they weigh next to nothing in the ear. You will need to download the QCY app to unlock the full feature set, which is a minor annoyance, but once you're set up you get access to six ANC modes, an equalizer, and a find-my-earbuds feature.

We put these through our full testing gauntlet, and while they're not going to dethrone the $200+ flagships, they absolutely embarrass most of the competition in the under-$50 bracket. The connectivity and mic performance are best-in-class according to our database, and the ANC is right up there too. The weak spot, predictably, is pure music fidelity, but even that is solid for the price. If you've been searching for cheap noise cancelling earbuds that actually work, you just found them.

Skip the QCY MeloBuds N20 if you're a music purist who obsesses over a detailed, balanced soundstage. The bass is fun, but the midrange lacks clarity, so critical listeners will be left wanting. They're also not the best fit for people with very small ears, as the stem design can cause discomfort during long listening sessions. If sound quality is your top priority and you can stretch your budget, look at the Nothing Buds 2 or the JBL Live Pro 2 instead.

So, should you buy the QCY MeloBuds N20? If you have $25 to spend and you want a pair of earbuds that nail the basics and then some, the answer is a very easy yes. These are the new benchmark for what a budget pair of noise cancelling earbuds should be. They're perfect for students, remote workers on a tight budget, or anyone who's tired of losing expensive earbuds and wants a cheap, capable backup pair.

Just keep your expectations in check for music. These are not going to satisfy an audiophile, and the lack of onboard volume controls is a daily annoyance you'll have to live with. But for podcasts, YouTube, and drowning out the drone of a long flight or a noisy office, the MeloBuds N20 are genuinely impressive. They're a reminder that you don't need to spend a fortune to get great tech anymore.