OneOdio Focus A6 ZDNET's key takeaways The OneOdio Focus A6 headphones are on sale at Amazon for $59.
You'll get smooth sound with evenly-blended bass and just the right amount of mids.
I found the highs to be somewhat lacking, but the EQ can be adjusted in the companion app. $59.99 at Amazon
I remember back in the '80s and '90s, when you bought cheap headphones, they sounded like listening to music through a pair of tin cans tied with string. Not only did they sound bad, but the build quality was poor, and those spongy, orange earpads were embarrassing.
You know the type.
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Over the past year or so, I've noticed the quality of low-end headphones has improved to the point that for well under $100, you can get a pair that delivers well-blended, smooth sound with enough low end and highs to make them sound as if they cost well above that $100 mark.
Such is the case with the OneOdio Focus A6 headphones.
My experience
Upon unboxing the A6 headphones, my first thought was, "Well, these look like every pair of midrange headphones I've tested over the last year." Yes, these headphones are nondescript, but that isn't a bad thing.
Although they don't have the popular brand recognition as, say Beats or AirPods, for roughly $100 cheaper than the low-end Beats, you'll still get equivalent sound.
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After connecting the A6 headphones to my Pixel 9 Pro and firing up Spotify, I decided to not go to my usual first test album ("Signals" by Rush), instead opting for the latest album by Leprous: "Melodies Of Atonement." The reason for this is because I wanted to see if the A6 headphones were up to the band's complicated, layered sound of the band.
The A6 headphones put Solberg's voice front and center, rendering it with the power and beauty it deserves. I could listen to the man sing all day and never get tired of it, and the A6 headphones make that possible with sound that doesn't wear on the ears and comfortable earpads that make long listens easy.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
These also happen to be one of the first Bluetooth 6 headphones I've tested. That Bluetooth protocol translated to the fastest pairing I've ever experienced. As soon as I powered them on, they appeared on my phone, and the connection was instant. Connecting the A6 via the standard method was even better than Google's Quick Connect, and that's saying something.
Although there is a companion app, I decided I wanted to test the headphones with the out-of-the-box EQ, to see how they stood up. Surprisingly, at first I didn't find the need to use the app. That's not to say the A6 headphones are studio quality -- they most certainly are not; but, given the price, they hold their own.
If I had one complaint, it's that the A6 headphones lack the detail at the top end to give cymbals the crispness I prefer. In fact, the cymbals had a tendency to blend more into the mid-highs than where they should live. That results in a deadening of sound that isn't as lively as it could be.
This led me to finally install the companion app. But even with a custom EQ, I wasn't able to get the crispness I prefer with the highs, so I decided to test the headphones with a different album (in case it was the mastering of the Leprous album).
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Yep. That was the issue. I dropped into my running playlist and "Human," by The Human League started with just the right amount of high end. "Tom Sawyer" by Rush had just enough high end to present Neil Peart's masterful work. There's one song, however, that can really highlight the highs, and that's "Walking On The Moon," by The Police. Stewart Copeland's cymbal work at the tail end of the middle of that track is unmatched.
Yeah, the A6 headphones handled it as well as any mid-range headphone I've tested.
ZDNET's buying advice
The OneOdio Focus A6 headphones produce some pretty smooth sound, whether you use the app or not. But if you're as finicky as me, you'll want to install the app and hop into the Custom EQ section.
Even without the app, these sub-$70 headphones are a steal for anyone looking to get high-quality sound at a low-end price. If you don't mind sporting a brand of headphones no one will recognize, these are a great buy.
OneOdio Focus A6 headphones tech specs
Drivers: 40mm dynamic drivers.
Audio codecs: SBC, AAC, LDAC.
Hi-Res Audio: Yes, certified.
Noise Cancellation: Hybrid ANC, reducing ambient noise by up to 48dB.
Noise Reduction Modes: ANC, Transparency, Wind Noise Reduction, Wind-Resistant Transparency, and Normal.
Wireless: Bluetooth 6.0.
Dual-Device Pairing: Yes.
Wired Connection: USB-C (for charging and wired ANC) and 3.5mm jack (for audio).
Multipoint Connectivity: Yes.
Battery Type: Polymer lithium-ion battery.
Battery Capacity: 500 mAh.
Charging Port: USB-C.
Charging Time: Approximately 1.5 hours.
Battery Life (ANC off): Up to 75 hours.
Battery Life (ANC on): Up to 40 hours.
Fast Charging: 10 minutes of charging provides 10 hours of playback.