The Tribit QuietPlus 81 are inexpensive and offer stellar battery life, solid noise cancellation, and practical everyday usability.
The QuietPlus 81 are lightweight at 283g thanks to its plastic construction. In terms of design, there’s no denying the resemblance to Sony’s WH-1000XM series, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The ear cups rotate and fold inwards, so they slip easily into a backpack without fuss. There’s a subtle tilt to the cups that helps them sit more naturally on your head, which makes a difference over longer sessions.
All the controls are on the right ear cup, including ANC, volume, power, USB-C charging and the 3.5mm audio jack. The volume control works via a press-and-hold system rather than a traditional rocker.
One practical touch I like is the wired option. You can plug in the included 3.5mm-to-3.5mm cable and use the headphones without even turning them on. The cable supports calls in wired mode too, which isn’t always a given at this price.
These are comfortable headphones. There’s no excessive clamping force, and my medium-sized ears sat neatly inside the padded ear cups. The cushioning has a good balance between softness and support.
Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation uses five microphones and claims to reduce noise by up to 45dB. In real-world use, the ANC is decent for the price. It tones down traffic, office hum and general background noise. It won’t completely block out all sounds, or match the flagship models from Sony or Bose, but it does make busy environments far more manageable. You also get a transparency mode, though it isn’t particularly impressive. Voices and external sounds come across as slightly robotic rather than natural.
Tribit claims up to 110 hours with ANC off and around 70 hours with ANC on at moderate volume. In my testing, battery anxiety simply wasn’t an issue. I went days without needing to recharge. Fast charging is useful too, delivering several hours of playback from a short top-up.
Bluetooth 6.0 keeps the connection stable and supports multipoint pairing, so you can stay connected to two devices at once.
The companion app is simple and clear, offering preset EQ modes and manual adjustments. There’s also a Game mode to reduce latency, and a Quick Attention feature that lowers the volume when you cover the right ear cup so you can hear what’s happening around you. I didn’t expect to use that much, but it’s surprisingly handy.
The 40mm drivers deliver punchy bass, clear vocals and enough detail for everyday listening, with plenty of volume on tap when you want it. Overall, the sound quality is decent for the price and even rivals many headphones twice its price.
The Tribit QuietPlus 81 offers an impressive set of features, getting the essentials right without overcomplicating things, all while delivering excellent value.
€50 Tribit
