QCY HT05 MeloBuds 40dB Hybrid ANC 10mm LCP driver Bluetooth 5.2 TWS
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Model: QCY HT05 MeloBuds
Price: Approx. $30 AliExpress
Website: QCY
Review Reference: RC090
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
YouTube Review:
Introduction
Welcome to the @regancipher review of the QCY HT05 MeloBuds. Confusingly, this isn't the first MeloBuds release QCY have introduced, but it is the first HT05, following on from their previous ANC offerings, the HT01 and HT03, the latter which I reviewed here at headfi in September 2021.
QCY seemed like they were on a mission to take over the world in 2021, releasing at least 12 TWS models (most of which you can see my reviews for at the end of this review), before taking a step back from that frenetic pace in 2022, only adding the T18, T20, T21 and HT05 (as well as a few re-releases) to an already established portfolio. Despite the slowdown, this didn't stop Dongguan Hele Electronics strengthening their foothold on the global market, moving up to 4th largest TWS vendor worldwide, and branching out into new areas - their Crossky GTR are their first sports bud release, and this follows lateral movements into the headphone, smartwatch and powerbank markets. The brand also received a major marketing boost, with their earbuds used in the popular HK movie Anti-Corruption Storm 5.
QCY have always tried to push the boundaries with budget TWS. They were one of the first to showcase 'Snapdragon Sound' and managed the cheapest multipoint bud yet with their T18, pushed latency to super low levels with the G1, and generally aren't afraid to mix and match chipsets depending on the requirement, using anything from Qualcomm to Jieli in their core products without compromising on value for money. This time around they were the first on the bandwagon to use the popular WUQI WQ7003AR chip SoundPEATS have just milked several releases from, so I was intrigued to test who managed to eek out the best performance, and see whether this would represent a return to form for QCY after a relatively quiet few months.
Unboxing - 6/10
One thing that definitely hasn't changed much is the unboxing experience. After rebranding around the time of the T12, they've stayed true to form every time with a very basic product packaging that leaves you under no illusions that you're buying an ultra-low budget Chinese earbud.
The buds and case are held in place with a plastic carton, the back of which is closed off and holds the user manual and USB A to C charge cable. There's no wireless charging on this model, so you'll be needing that later (unless you have hundreds of them like I do, which I'm guessing you do if you're reading this on headfi!)
The manual is very basic but it does the job, detailing the controls and other salient points with clear, relatively unambiguous English and using diagrams where relevant. The manual is in Chinese and English only. There is also a small bag of eartips - the product comes factory fitted with the medium, there's small and large too. The tips are quite poor quality - you'll be switching them out before long. They are quite flat, so double-check before buying another set of Spinfits as you may find they won't fit the case.
The Case - 6/10
The case, as with other QCY stem-based releases, has a flip-top design, with the buds slotting face-down into a square-shaped cockpit. There is a raised area on the bottom to ensure it sits without sliding around, and the QCY logo is screen-printed in grey on the top of the matte-black (or white, if you choose that variation) plastic frame.
Single-handed use is facilitated with a small lip at the front of the lid allowing your thumb to squeeze in and flip the case open quite easily, but this is where the fun ends. The hinge is very flimsy - like the T20 case, there's no friction to it other than a hard 45 degree stop - and it can slam shut in the wind if you're not careful.
There's a reset and pairing button in the centre of the two buds, and this represents another bone of contention. QCY haven't included hall-switch mode, which means when you pair the buds, you have to first hold the reset button down, wait for the LED's to flash red then white on the buds, then remove the buds from the case, then pair them. Whilst this doesn't sound like a big deal, if you're out and about and you're connected to your laptop in your bag, but want to connect to your phone instead, it becomes an issue.
Then there's the absence of a case LED. Well, there actually IS an LED, but it's hidden inside the lip you use to flip it open, and there's no 'traffic-light'-style scheme to indicate how much battery is remaining - when you plug the case in, it will glow red, when it's fully charged it will glow white - that's your lot, otherwise it lays there dormant.
The weight of the hinge, and the whole case in general, feels like a bit of a step down in quality from the robust-by-comparison T13, and it isn't really helped by the lack of indentation which you can see on the other QCY cases above. It can leave the case feeling a little flimsy and rattly. Like the T13, the USB-C charge socket is on the side, and the case uses the LP7801D power management IC from LPS to regulate charge and provide overvoltage protection. The case takes around 2 hours for a full charge, with no quick charge feature.
It weighs a little less than their other cases, although the 5.5 x 5.5 x 3cm profile isn't large, fits in the palm of your hand, and is portable enough to fit in your jacket pocket or handbag. It might even fit in your trousers OK, but it's probably not for skinny jeans or shorts. QCY supply a silicone coat for the case, which increases the protection with only a minor increase in footprint.
Let's not kid ourselves - case quality has never really been a defining feature for QCY (other than the excellent G1) - but there are a few minor annoyances here that might be a dealbreaker depending on how finnicky you are.
Ergonomics & Build - 7/10
The HT05 are stem-based ANC buds, with a stem length of around 34.5mm - exactly the same as the Haylou W1, which these buds remind me a lot of. This is longer than average, with most buds these days measuring somewhere between 27 and 32mm.
They are constructed from black plastic shells, that feature metal charging contacts on the inside. The buds are not IP rated, as QCY keep costs down by not putting their buds through official IPX tests, but are said to be equivalent to IPX5. Even so, I would restrict water ingress to a splash of light rain and nothing more.
The stem is a very familiar lollipop style design, separating from the bulbous area which fills the space around your concha. The six-mic array used to improve voice calls means a single MEMS voice mic sits in the base, with an additional feedback mic located at the top and a pressure release cavity also located on said bulbous section as pictured above. The finish is a little unrefined, but pretty much as you would expect at the price.
Along the outside, you've got the QCY logo again screen-printed in grey and LED strips at the top. Other than the red and white glow you get when pairing and resetting, these aren't intrusive and won't suddenly start pulsing white if no audio is playing, for example. Just to the left of the LED and off the stem, you can just about make out the cavity for the feedforward mic, protected by a dustproof net.
The design isn't really like any of QCY's previous buds. They are longer and a little more angular than the T13, lack the curvature of the T18 and don't shape as nicely as the G1 either. It appears QCY have deviated away from their own identity to become somewhat generic looking, which is a shame, because I feel like their previous releases were better-fitting and certainly better looking.
From the side profile, whilst they aren't as unwieldy as the 1More Comfobuds range, they are a little blocky, although I can't complain about the comfort. Even with the rubbish stock tips, they nestle into my ears pretty well and didn't give me any discomfort even with prolonged use. Those stick-like stems are just a little bit, well, ugly.
From the front, you can see the slightly obtrusive profile a little clearer, especially on my left ear where my ear canal is a little narrower. This makes them probably a poor choice for exercise, although I took them out on the daily commute and didn't have any major problems.
Overall it is pretty much what you would expect from a $30 earbud - the design isn't especially impressive, they look a little generic, and the build quality is moderate, but they do the job adequately. The fit is improved hugely by using the Feaulle H370 eartips.
ANC - 7/10
ANC on the HT05 is not bad - certainly not market leading or anything like that, but kudos to QCY for giving so many options to tailor the level of ANC to your preference. Switching ANC modes is done either with the bud (hold the right bud for a couple of seconds) to toggle between ANC on, off and passthrough, each of which is denoted by a voice prompt, or use the QCY app for more detailed customisation.
ANC on has three tiers - Indoor, Commuting and Noisy (high). Then, within each tier you have three levels of ANC (low, medium and high), making a total of 9 tiers of ANC. Between each of the levels I didn't notice a huge difference, but between each tier you certainly can. With 'Noisy' selected and the earbuds pushed in quite deep, it will ensure you don't hear traffic outside if you're sat near a window, and your keyboard taps are somewhat muffled, but it won't drown out noisy kids or the TV. This is in no small part down to the fit - this style of earbud will always slightly break the strongest possible seal by virtue of gravity, so my expectations are never excessively high with budget stem-based buds. Even so I think it's a pretty decent performance, especially given the price. The wind noise reduction mode is also welcome, although not as effective as the 1More Q30.
For pass-through mode you get further impressive customisations. There are a total of six levels, although activate 5 or 6 and you'll get a notification to say it is recommended to not go beyond 4, because you might get a 'howling' sound from the feedforward mic being blocked. I didn't notice such an issue, but I have previously with other buds so it's a valid point. On level 4 it is quite natural and you can hear close-up conversations without issues, on levels 5 and 6 it sounds a little unnatural but everything comes through very clearly.
You also have the option to select 'vocal enhancement'. This also makes a huge difference - with this setting you'll have no issues hearing conversations no matter how close by. It also works well if you're out on the commute and need to hear train announcements or something like that.
It's quite impressive how much QCY have put into the ANC options, but sometimes these additional modes feel a little gimmicky. By the same token, the extra control can put you in better charge of your battery life, and you don't have to use them, so by giving consumers the option I feel like it's a benefit, whichever way you look at it.
Audio Quality and Sound Signature - 9/10 (for the price), 8/10 (raw score)
QCY has mostly overachieved when it comes to audio, especially when you bear in mind the price tag. I picked the HT05 up for the equivalent of around $28 including shipping from China, and of the 100 or so different models I've tested over the last few years, the HT05 are probably the standout set, performing way above expectations.
There is no LDAC and no hybrid driver array - the buds use a single 10mm LCP dynamic driver and default to the AAC codec. Even so, there is a lot to like about the default sound signature.
The HT05 has two quite distinct profiles - ANC on and off. Usually with TWS, I find myself switching ANC off and tuning from there, but on the HT05 everything sounds a little more controlled with ANC on. Lower frequencies are fuller with greater depth, and the midrange sounds more neutral, with better texture and more balance.
The ANC curve is shown above, aligning nicely to the Harman 2019 IE target. There's a shade more warmth thrown in, and to avoid sounding overly-bright, QCY have notched the upper-midrange with a dip between 3-5k. It makes for a very smooth-sounding TWS that is suitable for a variety of music styles.
Higher frequencies are reigned in slightly compared with ANC off, but the response is still very good, with more accurate texture to percussion. This is not a 'basshead' earbud as such, but the sound is really nicely balanced with no midrange bleed or bloat. On house tracks like 'Gecko' by Oliver Heldens, the bass is controlled throughout with good presence, and despite the flatter profile retains lots of energy with the sidechain coming through very clear with no distortion. Positioning is also excellent for the money, ANC on or off, with a very good sense of perspective. The HT05 are not a wide, open soundstage kind of earbud - everything is a little more controlled, but they are enjoyable for all styles of music without significant EQ customisation required.
With ANC switched off, the HT05 has a brighter sound with an elevated upper midrange that pushes vocals forward very prominently, although can at times sound a little unnatural, even harsh and metallic. Lower frequencies lack depth and texture, and don't have much weight, and this can leave tracks feeling a little too bright and thin - a little like the T18. Even with ANC off, however, there is decent linearity and instrument separation, and above average levels of detail.
There are several presets within the QCY app- Pop, Bass, Rock, Soft and Classic. Pop makes the sound a little brighter, Rock lifts the lower mids, Bass boosts the subbass, Classic notches the trebles. The EQ also has a custom section with ten bands that saves your setting to the earbud, which I very rarely see with TWS, and is another very commendable feature, especially since they are actually usable presets - they don't make the sound completely ridiculous, unlike some other vendors applications I've tested of late.
The HT05 are often compared to the Moondrop Space Travel - another very well-tuned budget TWS, which sadly falls a bit short of the HT05 in other fundamental areas like battery life and call quality. There's a shade more rumble to the MST, and treble has a little more definition, so for EDM and house music, the percussion sounds more granular. Both are very enjoyable listens for TWS.
The SoundPEATS Clear are another good budget option, with less warmth and a slightly more open sound. The technicalities of the Clear - resolution and instrument separation in particular - are a little way off the capabilities of the HT05 and MST, but they're more fun-sounding and still a good listen, especially if you aren't too critical.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 7.5/10
The HT05 uses six mics and environmental ENC to try to help lift your voice over those ambient sounds which infiltrate your calls and voice notes. Indoors, in silence, your voice comes through clearly and coherently with decent weight and tonality.
Introduce some simulated background noise and whilst the HT05 doesn't eradicate them from your call altogether, they are reduced to an inconsistent hum. Your voice still sounds elevated with decent weight. It's certainly possible to make and take calls, but it's not optimal - even so, with a very noisy indoor scene fluctuating between 65-85dBA, every word I uttered was discernible.
Outdoors, they seem to cope with wind and background noise a little better than some of the other buds I've tested lately. Wind, traffic and other voices will certainly impact upon the clarity of your call, and periodically that will result in you having to repeat yourself, but again, for the price it is hard to expect anything better than this.
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7/10
The QCY app has been done to death in my other QCY reviews, but it's been a while so let's go over some of the pros and cons again.
Firstly, you have to register with QCY to be able to use the app. This will no doubt annoy people, and believe me it annoys me as well, especially when I use my profile on another phone and none of my devices are there, which seemingly devalues the purpose of having a login altogether.
The app has historically felt buggy. Once registered, getting the HT05 to be recognised (even though they were connected to my phone) took 3-4 attempts of resetting, re-pairing, etc. Eventually, they connected but nothing would save to them. Now, thankfully, they are working properly, but stuff like this seems par for the course with the QCY app unfortunately - do not expect Soundcore levels of polish, it's very 'beta' feeling at best, even if the kinks have been ironed out and very welcome features (such as channel re-balance and customisable controls) added.
The front page just gives you the battery estimates for the buds, again without an estimate for the case. With the absence of LED's you are basically in the dark over how much battery your case actually has. We've talked through the sound and ANC sections already - these are great, and saving the settings to the bud is a great feature.
The settings section allows you to tailor your controls. Single tap setting is left empty - I immediately added volume control - and double-tap and triple-tap are also available to change, although they are pre-set to play/pause and voice assistant/skip track forward. Holding the right button will toggle ANC, but you can change double and triple tap to do the same, and you can change them to pretty much anything. You have full control over right and left - it's far better in that respect than something like the 1More app, which gives you very limited levels of customisation. Generally the controls are pretty responsive on this model - it's certainly a step back in the right direction after the awkward-to-use T20. However, QCY have cut a corner too much here by failing to use capacitative touch-sensitive controls, and as a result wearing a hood or hat can trigger the ANC, volume and even pause what you're listening to, which is a real shame.
Also within the app, you can toggle gaming mode, initiate sleep mode (which toggles touch functions) and 'find your headset'. This requires you to allow location sharing with the QCY app, something I wasn't prepared to test! You can also update the firmware - mine was set on v3.0.1, which is the latest version. You can also access the QCY shop, and pay nearly double the prices AliExpress charge from QCY's shop.
Connectivity is good - the buds use Bluetooth 5.2, and stayed connected without any hiccups to my Xiaomi 11T Pro and Google Pixel 6A in separate crowded area tests.
Latency is also good- videos are very close to lipsync, and with gaming mode toggled, even gaming is pretty close to suitable synchronisation, although hardcore gamers will undoubtedly disagree - it's still not bad.
Battery Life - 8/10
The HT05 advertise up to 7.5 hours battery life and up to 33 with the case. The buds are quite loud - 70% volume was fine for me - and taking a few calls and mostly listening to Tidal, I got just over 7 hours from the first use, and between 6 hours 40 and 7 hours 20 minutes on additional uses. This is actually much better than most vendors estimates, although granted it is a little easier to predict without the complication of high resolution codecs.
With ANC on, the figure dropped to on average around 5 hours 35 minutes. This was mostly using ANC on 'Noisy' with the strength setting at maximum. Whilst this is a substantial drop the maximum advertised value, for me anything above 5 hours is a good result, and with 3-4 additional case recharges, represents good battery value from a full charge.
There is no quick charge feature and no wireless charging, sadly.
Summary
With QCY slowing down their recent releases, focus has been more on incremental improvements rather than radical revolutions, but the HT05 are a marked improvement over the HT03, which had decent ANC but very little else. Calls are better, functionality is better, and the most important thing here - the audio quality - is light years ahead, eclipsing all of their previous releases with a mature, enjoyable sound that with ANC on can go on and on without a sense of fatigue ever setting in.
The customisable controls and EQ, which save to the buds, are a standout feature from QCY, and will sell them a few extra units for sure, but QCY always leave you wanting more sadly - the design is unimaginative, the case a little flimsy and the app buggy to the point it tests your patience to stay with it. Even so, the price of around $30 is the real kicker here - if you can look beyond the minor quibbles then you have a very capable sounding budget TWS that won't let you down in any scenario.
The HT05 remain my pick at $30, for their great sound (for the price), capable grasp of the basics (ANC, call quality and battery life) and stable fit (especially with the recommended Feaulle tips). They aren't perfect - the touch controls could have been upgraded and they lack more premium features like in-ear detection and quick charge - but if you're on a budget and looking for something that will tick most of the boxes and perform across the board - look no further.
QCY Review Inventory:
HT07 Arcbuds
HT05 Melobuds ANC
T20 Ailypods
T18
G1
T17
T16
T13
HT03
T12
T11
About QCY:
Whilst not quite a household name outside of China yet, QCY are well-renowned in the budget TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that, whilst perhaps lacking some of the bells and whistles of the more expensive brands, deliver to the segment of the market where 'good enough is good enough', with solid reliability and tremendous value for money.
Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5), with three of their major customers being brands you will certainly recognise and in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019. In 2020, market research indicated they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor worldwide - no mean feat.
Despite a close relationship with SoC manufactuer Zhuhai Jieli, QCY are not afraid to mix and match components to suit their target market. This often sees a number of releases in quick succession - their T17S are an example of this, released subsequent to the T17, and differentiating with the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 SoC, to support customers who require the added lower latency enabled by the aptX codecs that the Qualcomm chips support. They did a similar thing with the very popular T5, T8 and T9 - nice to see a vendor using an easy to follow naming convention! The G1 use the newest Pixart chip in order to reduce latency - horses for courses!
The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses at a very affordable price - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value from a brand they can trust.
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Model: QCY HT05 MeloBuds
Price: Approx. $30 AliExpress
Website: QCY
Review Reference: RC090
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: QCY
- Model: HT05 MeloBuds
- Driver: 10mm LCP Dynamic Driver
- Chipset: WUQI WQ7033AR
- Mic: 6 mics with ENC
- ANC: Yes, up to 40dB
- Codecs: AAC, SBC
- App Support: Yes
- Volume Control: Yes
- Gaming Mode: Yes
- Earbud Weight: 4.76g
- Earbud Dimensions: 34.7mm stem length, depth including nozzle approx. 23.5mm
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 47.77g
- Case Dimensions: 54.7mm (width) x 54.7mm (height) x 29.1mm (depth)
- Case Charge Capacity: 400mAh
- Quick Charge: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 7.5 hours (ANC off), Up to 6 hours (ANC on)
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 30 hours
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: IPX5 (not stated on box)
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User Manual: English, Chinese
3 x Pairs Eartips
YouTube Review:
Introduction
Welcome to the @regancipher review of the QCY HT05 MeloBuds. Confusingly, this isn't the first MeloBuds release QCY have introduced, but it is the first HT05, following on from their previous ANC offerings, the HT01 and HT03, the latter which I reviewed here at headfi in September 2021.
QCY seemed like they were on a mission to take over the world in 2021, releasing at least 12 TWS models (most of which you can see my reviews for at the end of this review), before taking a step back from that frenetic pace in 2022, only adding the T18, T20, T21 and HT05 (as well as a few re-releases) to an already established portfolio. Despite the slowdown, this didn't stop Dongguan Hele Electronics strengthening their foothold on the global market, moving up to 4th largest TWS vendor worldwide, and branching out into new areas - their Crossky GTR are their first sports bud release, and this follows lateral movements into the headphone, smartwatch and powerbank markets. The brand also received a major marketing boost, with their earbuds used in the popular HK movie Anti-Corruption Storm 5.
QCY have always tried to push the boundaries with budget TWS. They were one of the first to showcase 'Snapdragon Sound' and managed the cheapest multipoint bud yet with their T18, pushed latency to super low levels with the G1, and generally aren't afraid to mix and match chipsets depending on the requirement, using anything from Qualcomm to Jieli in their core products without compromising on value for money. This time around they were the first on the bandwagon to use the popular WUQI WQ7003AR chip SoundPEATS have just milked several releases from, so I was intrigued to test who managed to eek out the best performance, and see whether this would represent a return to form for QCY after a relatively quiet few months.
Unboxing - 6/10
One thing that definitely hasn't changed much is the unboxing experience. After rebranding around the time of the T12, they've stayed true to form every time with a very basic product packaging that leaves you under no illusions that you're buying an ultra-low budget Chinese earbud.
The buds and case are held in place with a plastic carton, the back of which is closed off and holds the user manual and USB A to C charge cable. There's no wireless charging on this model, so you'll be needing that later (unless you have hundreds of them like I do, which I'm guessing you do if you're reading this on headfi!)
The manual is very basic but it does the job, detailing the controls and other salient points with clear, relatively unambiguous English and using diagrams where relevant. The manual is in Chinese and English only. There is also a small bag of eartips - the product comes factory fitted with the medium, there's small and large too. The tips are quite poor quality - you'll be switching them out before long. They are quite flat, so double-check before buying another set of Spinfits as you may find they won't fit the case.
The Case - 6/10
The case, as with other QCY stem-based releases, has a flip-top design, with the buds slotting face-down into a square-shaped cockpit. There is a raised area on the bottom to ensure it sits without sliding around, and the QCY logo is screen-printed in grey on the top of the matte-black (or white, if you choose that variation) plastic frame.
Single-handed use is facilitated with a small lip at the front of the lid allowing your thumb to squeeze in and flip the case open quite easily, but this is where the fun ends. The hinge is very flimsy - like the T20 case, there's no friction to it other than a hard 45 degree stop - and it can slam shut in the wind if you're not careful.
There's a reset and pairing button in the centre of the two buds, and this represents another bone of contention. QCY haven't included hall-switch mode, which means when you pair the buds, you have to first hold the reset button down, wait for the LED's to flash red then white on the buds, then remove the buds from the case, then pair them. Whilst this doesn't sound like a big deal, if you're out and about and you're connected to your laptop in your bag, but want to connect to your phone instead, it becomes an issue.
Then there's the absence of a case LED. Well, there actually IS an LED, but it's hidden inside the lip you use to flip it open, and there's no 'traffic-light'-style scheme to indicate how much battery is remaining - when you plug the case in, it will glow red, when it's fully charged it will glow white - that's your lot, otherwise it lays there dormant.
The weight of the hinge, and the whole case in general, feels like a bit of a step down in quality from the robust-by-comparison T13, and it isn't really helped by the lack of indentation which you can see on the other QCY cases above. It can leave the case feeling a little flimsy and rattly. Like the T13, the USB-C charge socket is on the side, and the case uses the LP7801D power management IC from LPS to regulate charge and provide overvoltage protection. The case takes around 2 hours for a full charge, with no quick charge feature.
It weighs a little less than their other cases, although the 5.5 x 5.5 x 3cm profile isn't large, fits in the palm of your hand, and is portable enough to fit in your jacket pocket or handbag. It might even fit in your trousers OK, but it's probably not for skinny jeans or shorts. QCY supply a silicone coat for the case, which increases the protection with only a minor increase in footprint.
Let's not kid ourselves - case quality has never really been a defining feature for QCY (other than the excellent G1) - but there are a few minor annoyances here that might be a dealbreaker depending on how finnicky you are.
Ergonomics & Build - 7/10
The HT05 are stem-based ANC buds, with a stem length of around 34.5mm - exactly the same as the Haylou W1, which these buds remind me a lot of. This is longer than average, with most buds these days measuring somewhere between 27 and 32mm.
They are constructed from black plastic shells, that feature metal charging contacts on the inside. The buds are not IP rated, as QCY keep costs down by not putting their buds through official IPX tests, but are said to be equivalent to IPX5. Even so, I would restrict water ingress to a splash of light rain and nothing more.
The stem is a very familiar lollipop style design, separating from the bulbous area which fills the space around your concha. The six-mic array used to improve voice calls means a single MEMS voice mic sits in the base, with an additional feedback mic located at the top and a pressure release cavity also located on said bulbous section as pictured above. The finish is a little unrefined, but pretty much as you would expect at the price.
Along the outside, you've got the QCY logo again screen-printed in grey and LED strips at the top. Other than the red and white glow you get when pairing and resetting, these aren't intrusive and won't suddenly start pulsing white if no audio is playing, for example. Just to the left of the LED and off the stem, you can just about make out the cavity for the feedforward mic, protected by a dustproof net.
The design isn't really like any of QCY's previous buds. They are longer and a little more angular than the T13, lack the curvature of the T18 and don't shape as nicely as the G1 either. It appears QCY have deviated away from their own identity to become somewhat generic looking, which is a shame, because I feel like their previous releases were better-fitting and certainly better looking.
From the side profile, whilst they aren't as unwieldy as the 1More Comfobuds range, they are a little blocky, although I can't complain about the comfort. Even with the rubbish stock tips, they nestle into my ears pretty well and didn't give me any discomfort even with prolonged use. Those stick-like stems are just a little bit, well, ugly.
From the front, you can see the slightly obtrusive profile a little clearer, especially on my left ear where my ear canal is a little narrower. This makes them probably a poor choice for exercise, although I took them out on the daily commute and didn't have any major problems.
Overall it is pretty much what you would expect from a $30 earbud - the design isn't especially impressive, they look a little generic, and the build quality is moderate, but they do the job adequately. The fit is improved hugely by using the Feaulle H370 eartips.
ANC - 7/10
ANC on the HT05 is not bad - certainly not market leading or anything like that, but kudos to QCY for giving so many options to tailor the level of ANC to your preference. Switching ANC modes is done either with the bud (hold the right bud for a couple of seconds) to toggle between ANC on, off and passthrough, each of which is denoted by a voice prompt, or use the QCY app for more detailed customisation.
ANC on has three tiers - Indoor, Commuting and Noisy (high). Then, within each tier you have three levels of ANC (low, medium and high), making a total of 9 tiers of ANC. Between each of the levels I didn't notice a huge difference, but between each tier you certainly can. With 'Noisy' selected and the earbuds pushed in quite deep, it will ensure you don't hear traffic outside if you're sat near a window, and your keyboard taps are somewhat muffled, but it won't drown out noisy kids or the TV. This is in no small part down to the fit - this style of earbud will always slightly break the strongest possible seal by virtue of gravity, so my expectations are never excessively high with budget stem-based buds. Even so I think it's a pretty decent performance, especially given the price. The wind noise reduction mode is also welcome, although not as effective as the 1More Q30.
For pass-through mode you get further impressive customisations. There are a total of six levels, although activate 5 or 6 and you'll get a notification to say it is recommended to not go beyond 4, because you might get a 'howling' sound from the feedforward mic being blocked. I didn't notice such an issue, but I have previously with other buds so it's a valid point. On level 4 it is quite natural and you can hear close-up conversations without issues, on levels 5 and 6 it sounds a little unnatural but everything comes through very clearly.
You also have the option to select 'vocal enhancement'. This also makes a huge difference - with this setting you'll have no issues hearing conversations no matter how close by. It also works well if you're out on the commute and need to hear train announcements or something like that.
It's quite impressive how much QCY have put into the ANC options, but sometimes these additional modes feel a little gimmicky. By the same token, the extra control can put you in better charge of your battery life, and you don't have to use them, so by giving consumers the option I feel like it's a benefit, whichever way you look at it.
Audio Quality and Sound Signature - 9/10 (for the price), 8/10 (raw score)
QCY has mostly overachieved when it comes to audio, especially when you bear in mind the price tag. I picked the HT05 up for the equivalent of around $28 including shipping from China, and of the 100 or so different models I've tested over the last few years, the HT05 are probably the standout set, performing way above expectations.
There is no LDAC and no hybrid driver array - the buds use a single 10mm LCP dynamic driver and default to the AAC codec. Even so, there is a lot to like about the default sound signature.
The HT05 has two quite distinct profiles - ANC on and off. Usually with TWS, I find myself switching ANC off and tuning from there, but on the HT05 everything sounds a little more controlled with ANC on. Lower frequencies are fuller with greater depth, and the midrange sounds more neutral, with better texture and more balance.
The ANC curve is shown above, aligning nicely to the Harman 2019 IE target. There's a shade more warmth thrown in, and to avoid sounding overly-bright, QCY have notched the upper-midrange with a dip between 3-5k. It makes for a very smooth-sounding TWS that is suitable for a variety of music styles.
Higher frequencies are reigned in slightly compared with ANC off, but the response is still very good, with more accurate texture to percussion. This is not a 'basshead' earbud as such, but the sound is really nicely balanced with no midrange bleed or bloat. On house tracks like 'Gecko' by Oliver Heldens, the bass is controlled throughout with good presence, and despite the flatter profile retains lots of energy with the sidechain coming through very clear with no distortion. Positioning is also excellent for the money, ANC on or off, with a very good sense of perspective. The HT05 are not a wide, open soundstage kind of earbud - everything is a little more controlled, but they are enjoyable for all styles of music without significant EQ customisation required.
With ANC switched off, the HT05 has a brighter sound with an elevated upper midrange that pushes vocals forward very prominently, although can at times sound a little unnatural, even harsh and metallic. Lower frequencies lack depth and texture, and don't have much weight, and this can leave tracks feeling a little too bright and thin - a little like the T18. Even with ANC off, however, there is decent linearity and instrument separation, and above average levels of detail.
There are several presets within the QCY app- Pop, Bass, Rock, Soft and Classic. Pop makes the sound a little brighter, Rock lifts the lower mids, Bass boosts the subbass, Classic notches the trebles. The EQ also has a custom section with ten bands that saves your setting to the earbud, which I very rarely see with TWS, and is another very commendable feature, especially since they are actually usable presets - they don't make the sound completely ridiculous, unlike some other vendors applications I've tested of late.
The HT05 are often compared to the Moondrop Space Travel - another very well-tuned budget TWS, which sadly falls a bit short of the HT05 in other fundamental areas like battery life and call quality. There's a shade more rumble to the MST, and treble has a little more definition, so for EDM and house music, the percussion sounds more granular. Both are very enjoyable listens for TWS.
The SoundPEATS Clear are another good budget option, with less warmth and a slightly more open sound. The technicalities of the Clear - resolution and instrument separation in particular - are a little way off the capabilities of the HT05 and MST, but they're more fun-sounding and still a good listen, especially if you aren't too critical.
Call Quality - Indoors - 8/10, Outdoors - 7.5/10
The HT05 uses six mics and environmental ENC to try to help lift your voice over those ambient sounds which infiltrate your calls and voice notes. Indoors, in silence, your voice comes through clearly and coherently with decent weight and tonality.
Introduce some simulated background noise and whilst the HT05 doesn't eradicate them from your call altogether, they are reduced to an inconsistent hum. Your voice still sounds elevated with decent weight. It's certainly possible to make and take calls, but it's not optimal - even so, with a very noisy indoor scene fluctuating between 65-85dBA, every word I uttered was discernible.
Outdoors, they seem to cope with wind and background noise a little better than some of the other buds I've tested lately. Wind, traffic and other voices will certainly impact upon the clarity of your call, and periodically that will result in you having to repeat yourself, but again, for the price it is hard to expect anything better than this.
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7/10
The QCY app has been done to death in my other QCY reviews, but it's been a while so let's go over some of the pros and cons again.
Firstly, you have to register with QCY to be able to use the app. This will no doubt annoy people, and believe me it annoys me as well, especially when I use my profile on another phone and none of my devices are there, which seemingly devalues the purpose of having a login altogether.
The app has historically felt buggy. Once registered, getting the HT05 to be recognised (even though they were connected to my phone) took 3-4 attempts of resetting, re-pairing, etc. Eventually, they connected but nothing would save to them. Now, thankfully, they are working properly, but stuff like this seems par for the course with the QCY app unfortunately - do not expect Soundcore levels of polish, it's very 'beta' feeling at best, even if the kinks have been ironed out and very welcome features (such as channel re-balance and customisable controls) added.
The front page just gives you the battery estimates for the buds, again without an estimate for the case. With the absence of LED's you are basically in the dark over how much battery your case actually has. We've talked through the sound and ANC sections already - these are great, and saving the settings to the bud is a great feature.
The settings section allows you to tailor your controls. Single tap setting is left empty - I immediately added volume control - and double-tap and triple-tap are also available to change, although they are pre-set to play/pause and voice assistant/skip track forward. Holding the right button will toggle ANC, but you can change double and triple tap to do the same, and you can change them to pretty much anything. You have full control over right and left - it's far better in that respect than something like the 1More app, which gives you very limited levels of customisation. Generally the controls are pretty responsive on this model - it's certainly a step back in the right direction after the awkward-to-use T20. However, QCY have cut a corner too much here by failing to use capacitative touch-sensitive controls, and as a result wearing a hood or hat can trigger the ANC, volume and even pause what you're listening to, which is a real shame.
Also within the app, you can toggle gaming mode, initiate sleep mode (which toggles touch functions) and 'find your headset'. This requires you to allow location sharing with the QCY app, something I wasn't prepared to test! You can also update the firmware - mine was set on v3.0.1, which is the latest version. You can also access the QCY shop, and pay nearly double the prices AliExpress charge from QCY's shop.
Connectivity is good - the buds use Bluetooth 5.2, and stayed connected without any hiccups to my Xiaomi 11T Pro and Google Pixel 6A in separate crowded area tests.
Latency is also good- videos are very close to lipsync, and with gaming mode toggled, even gaming is pretty close to suitable synchronisation, although hardcore gamers will undoubtedly disagree - it's still not bad.
Battery Life - 8/10
The HT05 advertise up to 7.5 hours battery life and up to 33 with the case. The buds are quite loud - 70% volume was fine for me - and taking a few calls and mostly listening to Tidal, I got just over 7 hours from the first use, and between 6 hours 40 and 7 hours 20 minutes on additional uses. This is actually much better than most vendors estimates, although granted it is a little easier to predict without the complication of high resolution codecs.
With ANC on, the figure dropped to on average around 5 hours 35 minutes. This was mostly using ANC on 'Noisy' with the strength setting at maximum. Whilst this is a substantial drop the maximum advertised value, for me anything above 5 hours is a good result, and with 3-4 additional case recharges, represents good battery value from a full charge.
There is no quick charge feature and no wireless charging, sadly.
Summary
With QCY slowing down their recent releases, focus has been more on incremental improvements rather than radical revolutions, but the HT05 are a marked improvement over the HT03, which had decent ANC but very little else. Calls are better, functionality is better, and the most important thing here - the audio quality - is light years ahead, eclipsing all of their previous releases with a mature, enjoyable sound that with ANC on can go on and on without a sense of fatigue ever setting in.
The customisable controls and EQ, which save to the buds, are a standout feature from QCY, and will sell them a few extra units for sure, but QCY always leave you wanting more sadly - the design is unimaginative, the case a little flimsy and the app buggy to the point it tests your patience to stay with it. Even so, the price of around $30 is the real kicker here - if you can look beyond the minor quibbles then you have a very capable sounding budget TWS that won't let you down in any scenario.
The HT05 remain my pick at $30, for their great sound (for the price), capable grasp of the basics (ANC, call quality and battery life) and stable fit (especially with the recommended Feaulle tips). They aren't perfect - the touch controls could have been upgraded and they lack more premium features like in-ear detection and quick charge - but if you're on a budget and looking for something that will tick most of the boxes and perform across the board - look no further.
QCY Review Inventory:
HT07 Arcbuds
HT05 Melobuds ANC
T20 Ailypods
T18
G1
T17
T16
T13
HT03
T12
T11
About QCY:
Whilst not quite a household name outside of China yet, QCY are well-renowned in the budget TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that, whilst perhaps lacking some of the bells and whistles of the more expensive brands, deliver to the segment of the market where 'good enough is good enough', with solid reliability and tremendous value for money.
Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5), with three of their major customers being brands you will certainly recognise and in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019. In 2020, market research indicated they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor worldwide - no mean feat.
Despite a close relationship with SoC manufactuer Zhuhai Jieli, QCY are not afraid to mix and match components to suit their target market. This often sees a number of releases in quick succession - their T17S are an example of this, released subsequent to the T17, and differentiating with the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 SoC, to support customers who require the added lower latency enabled by the aptX codecs that the Qualcomm chips support. They did a similar thing with the very popular T5, T8 and T9 - nice to see a vendor using an easy to follow naming convention! The G1 use the newest Pixart chip in order to reduce latency - horses for courses!
The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses at a very affordable price - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value from a brand they can trust.
