MPOW X3 true wireless earbuds review: affordable earbuds with ANC
The MPOW X3 are budget earbuds with ANC. You don't often see true wireless earbuds at this price with active noise cancelling! Time to put them through their paces. How do they sound? What about the microphone? And perhaps most importantly: how well does the noise reduction work? Find out in this review!
In this article
Pros and cons
Here are the pros and cons of the MPOW X3, so you can quickly see whether these earbuds are right for you.
| Pros | Cons |
| ✔️ANC | ❌ |
MPOW X3 specifications
- Price: ~€60
- Chipset: BES2300Z
- Codec: SBC, AAC
- ANC: -28DB
- Bluetooth: 5.0
- Range: 10m
- Case battery: 500 mAh
- Earbud battery: 55 mAh
- Cable: usb C
- Waterproof: IPX8
MPOW X3 sound
The first thing you notice is the low end. The bass is there, and then some! The woofer-like sound gives it a very full feel. Normally, I'm not a fan of overemphasized bass. The risk is that the mids, and especially the highs, get completely lost. That doesn't do the overall balance any favors.
A good woofer in an earbud needs a solid midrange to go with it. So let's check that next. The mids come through nicely. In fact, they tie everything together well. What stands out is the festival-like sound. It has to be your thing. And it's definitely ours. Deep, full bass that really gets you going.
Take the SoundPEATS Truengine 3 SE or the wired Kz ASX. They focus much more on the highs. That gives you more of that "wow, I'm hearing things in songs I've never noticed before" effect.
Like an energetic sound? These earbuds are a pleasure to listen to. Prefer a more even balance between lows and highs? You're better off with one of the earbuds mentioned above.
Sound quality score: 7.5
Microphone: are the MPOW X3 good for calls?
So these earbuds have ANC, decent sound and a competitive price. Surely MPOW must have cut costs somewhere? Maybe the microphone? Let's test it the way only we do at Eardopes. A recording says more than 1000 written words.
Microphone score: 8.5
As you can hear in the recording below, the microphone is exceptionally good. Clear tones, good detail and very consistent sound.
Is it because the earbuds have stems that put the microphone a little closer to your mouth? Maybe. But the QCY T10 have roughly the same shape, with the microphone closer to your mouth. And they sound a lot worse.
By the way, you'll hear a small glitch at the start of our recording, but that's not down to the earbuds. Something went wrong when we switched the recording output we'd selected.
At the time of writing, the MPOW X3 rank number 2 on our list of earbuds with the best microphone.
Curious about the earbuds with the best microphone? We've put together a comparison with all the recordings.
How good is the MPOW X3's ANC?
We think the MPOW X3's active noise cancelling is good enough. To clarify: ANC stands for active noise cancelling, a form of noise reduction. It's an active digital system in which the microphone picks up ambient noise and plays an opposing sound in your ear to neutralize it. That means you hear less of the noise around you. Handy!
But we're increasingly seeing ANC become a gimmick. Manufacturers want to put the letters ANC on the packaging because they know it boosts sales. So it's our job to take a critical look at how well it works.
With the MPOW X3 in your ears, press the right earbud for 2 seconds to activate ANC. Like the rest of the touch controls, this function works very well!
You hear a beep, and ANC is on. As a seasoned editor, the first noise I had available to cancel out was my keyboard tapping. Yes, life as an Eardopes editor and tester is thrilling.
But what immediately stands out (and now things really get exciting!) is that I can hear much less of my keyboard tapping. So the first test is a success.
We're still surprised that earbuds in this price range have active noise cancelling. We've seen it before on the off-brand AirPods sold on AliExpress. But the ANC on those earbuds didn't work at all.
Fit: how comfortable are the MPOW X3?
The fit of the MPOW X3 is nothing special. The ear tips aren't great. Mediocre might be a better word. I'd definitely recommend fitting these earbuds with a good set of foam ear tips. That makes them much more comfortable.
These wireless earbuds have a fairly standard design, a bit like Apple's AirPods Pro. There's a long stem below each earbud, which makes them easy to put in and take out.
Fit score: 6
Overall, the fit just isn't anything special. We also really think MPOW should include a better set of ear tips with these earbuds. That's why they get the score above.
Earbud controls
The MPOW X3 have touch controls, not buttons. That doesn't tell you much on its own. Both buttons and touch controls can work well or be awful. Think of the buttons on the JBL Tune 225tws we tested: awful! Or the buttons on the Jabra 85t: a pleasure to use!
Anyway, these MPOW X3 use touch controls. The biggest problem with touch controls is that you can't quite put your finger on them. And we mean that literally. You can feel a button, but you can't feel a touch control with your finger.
That's why manufacturers should always add a ridge or a small indentation to act as a tactile guide. Okay, now I'm using complicated words for something simple. You need to be able to feel where the touch control is.
MPOW has handled that well. There's a small indentation on the earbud where your finger sits nicely. You know exactly where the touch control is.
Controls: 8
And while we're on the subject, those touch controls work really well! We hardly ever miss the touch area. The controls respond just as we expect, time after time.
We also find the choice of which taps trigger which actions very logical. It's especially handy that you can adjust the volume from the earbuds: one tap on the right turns it up, and one tap on the left turns it down.
How do the MPOW X3 touch controls work?
| Left | Right | |
| 1x | Volume down Calls: answer/hang up |
Volume up Calls: answer/hang up |
| 2x | Music: pause/play | Music: pause/play |
| 3x | Previous song/video | Next song/video |
| 2 sec. | Siri/voice assistant | ANC on/off |
Battery: how long can you use the earbuds?
The earbuds have a total capacity of 55mAh. Nothing special. That gives you about 4-5 hours of music or podcasts. That's perfectly decent, especially considering that ANC can put the chipset to work.
Battery score: 7
The charging case has a 500 mAh battery. That's about average, perhaps just above average. QCY earbuds usually have around 300mAh in the charging case. But take the Eardopes B6 Pro, for example: its charging case has 1000mAh. There's always a bigger battery out there.
MPOW X3 charging case
The MPOW X3 charging case has a nice premium look. The 500mAh battery capacity we discussed in the previous section is decent too. Inside the case, at the top, there are 4 neatly finished lights that show how much charge is left in the earbuds and the case.
It's also nice that the case can stand upright. We've always found that odd about AirPods. You can't put their case on a table in a normal way. It always has to lie on its side, which is why it always ends up scratched. The MPOW X3 don't have that problem. You just stand the case upright on a table.
The case also has a usb-c connection. That's very welcome too. Chinese manufacturers are finally starting to move away from micro usb.
MPOW X3 factory reset
A factory reset works differently from other earbuds. You need to plug the charging cable into the case and unplug it 3 times within 5 seconds. The X3 is then reset.
Conclusion: are the MPOW X3 any good?
| Score | |
| Sound | 7.5 |
| Microphone | 8.5 |
| Fit | 6 |
| Battery | 7 |
| Controls | 8 |
| Stability | 8 |
The MPOW X3 wireless earbuds with ANC are very good for the price. The sound is nicely full, though you do need to like plenty of bass. The earbuds have ANC, and it works reasonably well. The microphone genuinely surprised us in a good way. That makes them a solid choice for video calls, online meetings and phone calls. The ear tips (the silicone pieces that go into your ears) are a bit disappointing. That's why we'd recommend buying a set of foam ear tips for these earbuds. The controls are good. The touch controls work very well. The battery is average.
Alternatives
MPOW X3 vs. SoundPEATS Truengine 3 SE
The SoundPEATS Truengine 3 SE are slightly cheaper. They don't have ANC, unlike the MPOW X3. The biggest difference is the sound. The MPOW emphasize the lows more, while the SoundPEATS Truengine 3 SE offer a better balance between highs and lows. Put it this way: you can hear a drum kit's hi-hat more clearly with the SoundPEATS. But the MPOW X3 give you a more engaging listen with more power behind the sound, plus a better microphone and ANC.
Others also viewed:
- Browse all our blogs about wireless earbuds
- These are the best earbuds under €50
- These are the earbuds with the best microphone
- Explore our in-depth blog about QCY earbuds
- And check out our blog about AirPods alternatives
- Also check out the 3 best earbuds for running
- Also check out our hands-on with the Eardopes B6 pro.
