The headphone market currently has so many different brands all competing for market share. The consumer is spoilt for choice and with all the big brands having their own brand of headphone with the use of ANC for example it can be an expensive purchase. For example, the Sennheiser Momentum 3 costs £290 on Amazon.
However, the brand Mixcder which is an American brand, which is offering some of the specs you would find on the Sennheiser like ANC & quick charge but for a fraction of the price. In this review, we are looking at the Mixcder E10 that cost £89.99 but offer ANC, quick charge, aptX support, Hi-Fi Stereo sound and up to 30 hours playback. Let’s have a look and see if these are an alternative to spending near £300 on a top range pair of headphones.
Mixcder is not a new brand for us. We have reviewed a number of there products such as the E7 & E9 headphones. Mixcder continues with the well designed and packed with features E10. You are given the same quality design as you have had with previous models. However, this time you are given up to 30 hours of playtime.
When you first unpackage these it comes in a very simple box. Inside you get a faux-leather hard shell carry case. For those who read my reviews, I feel it is very important when you want to keep these headphones safe when not in use to put them in a case.
Also in the case, you get a Micro USB cable for charging, AUX cable for when you want that wired connection. You also get an aeroplane adapter and user manual for those who want a better understanding of how to use these headphones.
The design of these headphones are very simple there no big logos of anything really fancy. Mixcder has gone for a there logo at each end of the headphone band just before the earcups. The build of these headphones are a combination of aluminium and plastic. The earpads and headband have a leatherette cover and are very comfortable. The clamping pressure on my head was minimal and wearing these for hours on end I had no issues at all.
The joints on the headphones allow you to swivel and rotate allowing to get the perfect fit but also allows you to put these headphones away in your bag without taking much space. The buttons are a decent size and you have the following buttons on the Right cup:
- Power/pairing
- volume/track controls
- ANC
- + 3.5 mm jack
On the left cup you only have the Micro USB charging port. The outside of the cups have a shiny look but I expect these could be at risk of marks or scratches so be careful.
Moving on to how these to use these pairing is very simple just press the power button for a few seconds you will see the LED located under the power button flash red/blue. You will hear a voice inside the cups that say pairing. Then pair on your phone and bingo connected. The pairing process was very simple on a number of devices that I tried.
The sound of these headphones are helped by the way they are designed the cups are closed back and do an excellent job of not letting in any unwanted noise even with the ANC switched on and this is made even better when you have some music on outside noise is reduced massively. Plus these headphones do not leak any sound which I think is important as I don’t want others hearing what I am listening to. Now as you know when you’re on a busy train you need something more than passive isolation. Mixcder has come to the rescue with the use of ANC.
The ANC you are given in the E10’s is quite decent and I found it blocked most low-frequency noises on my trip into work. For example, I was on the train with a bunch of ladies all chatting pop these headphones on and turn the ANC and the noise the produced disappeared and all I could hear was Juice by Lizzo coming out of these headphones. The only issue with the ANC you only know you have it on is by the LED being on then you have activated the ANC. Other brands I have tested tells you when the ANC is activated. You also do not get different levels of noise reduction you get in more expensive headphones but this is not a deal-breaker for a pair of headphones that are less than £100 to buy.
Having this ANC is great and having a nice level of comfort but what about the sound quality is ok it’s better than previous models from Mixcder but there is not a massive difference from the E7 we reviewed last year. The E10 Headphones come with 40mm speakers and supports all the codecs you normally such as aptX & AAC. In this review, I used my iPhone X that we were given by the lovely people at Mobile Phones Direct.
The bass of these headphones delivered a solid level of bass and if you enjoy your bass these are a real contender. Details in the track you are listening to are well kept which adds to the overall experience. However, When you put on the ANC the bass is the first thing affected which is a shame.
Moving on to the Mids and Highs of the sound quality. I was impressed when it comes to the mids the sound was warm and a good amount of separation amongst instruments. Vocals are an issue but I found this only to be the case when listening to a female track like Alice Merton Funny Business the vocals could have been better they sound a little distant at times but this was not the case when the vocal was male. The highs were very good and never made the sound feel over the top. I did find the overall listening experience improved when these headphones were plugged in and wired.
Last but not least the battery life on the E10’s has to be the star of the show it kicks the ass of my Sennheiser Momentum wireless that has 17 hours the E10’s pack 30 hours of battery life.
I have been using these for about 2 weeks for my trip to the office and back and they still have a battery life which is very impressive. If you do get a chance to charge these Mixcder gives you a quick charge and in 8 minutes of charge, you have 3 hours of charge. A full charge from 0% takes about an hour.
Overall, If you’re looking for a pair of headphones that not only look great but are comfortable and if your budget does not hit the level it would take to buy a pair of Jabra Elite 85h then these headphones at £89.99 from Amazon are well worth considering. These headphones have a decent ANC, fast charging and most importantly they sound good. They are not perfect but that when you’re comparing them to more expensive alternatives but for these, on a budget, the E10’s are impressive compared to overs in that price range.
Ratings:
- Design: 5/5
- Features: 4/5
- Sound Quality: 4/5
- Value for Money: 5/5
Total score: 4.5 stars
The Mixcder E10 Overhead headphones available from Amazon for £89.99
