QCY T4 review: better budget earbuds
The QCY T4 wireless Bluetooth earbuds are the successor to the QCY T5. And no, that numbering doesn't make sense. But let's move on. We've thoroughly tested the QCY T4, and a few things stand out. These earbuds offer excellent value for money. Going for QCY? These are our favorite. Here's why we like the QCY T4 so much.
In this article
QCY T4 specifications
- Price: €34
- Chipset: PAU 5.0
- Codec: AAC, SBC
- Bluetooth: 5.0
- Range: 10m
- Charging case battery: 380 mAh
- Earbud battery: 43 mAh
- Cable: micro usb
- Water resistance: ipx4
- Controls: buttons
- Weight: 4.5 grams per earbud
The QCY T4 earbuds are very light. They don't have touch controls.
| Pros | Cons |
|
✔️ Great value for money ✔️ Work with the QCY app ✔️ Reliable buttons ✔️ Better mic than the competition |
❌ No extras ❌ Mids |
QCY T4 sound quality
The T4 sounds good. Holding the QCY T4 in your hand, you wouldn't expect such rich, full sound from these earbuds. At 4.5 grams, they're fairly light. But our first listen was a pleasant surprise.
The sound is fuller than other earbuds at this price. Along with the QCY T5, the QCY T4 delivers the best sound of any QCY earbuds so far.
Sound quality score: 7.5
Earbuds costing around €30 often lack mids and bass in particular. The QCY T4 brings out the bass really nicely. The mids are there too, though a discerning listener would prefer a little more power in that range. No problem: the QCY T4 is still right at the top of its price class.
Microphone: is the QCY T4 good for calls?
With cheap earbuds, it's usually the microphone that takes a hit in quality. In general, we've found that with the QCY earbuds we test too. But the T4's mic holds up reasonably well.
Microphone score: 7
You come through clearly on any normal phone call. Slightly more expensive earbuds transmit your voice in a little more detail. But with the T4, QCY manages to deliver good call quality at a low price.
As soon as conditions change a little, the microphone struggles. That needs saying too. Cycling into a light headwind? You'll be very hard to understand. Doing the dishes while calling someone with the QCY T4 earbuds? The background noise will annoy the person on the other end too.
As we mention throughout this review, the QCY T4 covers all the basics. But don't expect extra features, just as with any QCY earbuds. A noise filter for the microphone? Forget it. You get a decent microphone, but nothing special beyond that.
Curious which earbuds have the best microphone? We put together a comparison with all the audio clips.
Fit: how does the QCY T4 feel?
The earbuds are light and fairly small, so they don't weigh heavily in your ears. The QCY T4 earbuds are a little wide, though, so they stick out a bit. It feels a little like having 2 small balls in your ears. And the ergonomics seem only partly thought through.
On the other hand, the QCY T4 has the advantage of not having a stem attached to each earbud, unlike the QCY T5. So it makes sense that the earbud itself needs a little more room. Still, QCY could have shaped that space a bit more ergonomically.
All in all, the fit is good. You can wear the earbuds for longer stretches. Want to use Bluetooth earbuds for hours on end, for example at work? Then I'd definitely spend a little more.
Earbud controls
You control the QCY T4 with buttons. The T5 uses touch controls. But we're fans of the buttons on the QCY T4. They really never let you down. You can also clearly feel when you've pressed a button. That puts you in control. Perfect for the control freaks among us.
Controls: 9
The QCY T4 is also fully compatible with the QCY app. And you really should download it if you use the QCY T4. You can customize almost everything, including the controls.
Want a single press to turn up the volume instead of pausing your music? You can set that up in the app. All the controls are customizable in the app, which is truly unusual for earbuds in this price range.
Battery: how long can you use the earbuds?
The QCY T4 charging case has a battery capacity of 380 mAh. That's 120 mAh less than the Jabra 75t. But those earbuds cost €110 more. A 380 mAh battery is perfectly decent.
Battery: 7.5
QCY doesn't have any fancy technology keeping the earbud's chipset busy. There's no ANC (active noise cancelling), no in-ear sensor, and no touch controls. They're simply earbuds that play sound and have a microphone.
Wasn't this section about the QCY T4's battery? We hear you. And you're right. What we've described above directly affects the battery. Without all these features, the chipset has less work to do. The earbuds make very efficient use of every bit of battery power.
That means you can listen to music on the QCY T4 earbuds at a fairly high volume for a little over 4 hours.
Conclusion: is the QCY T4 any good?
Yes, the QCY T4 is a good choice if you don't want to spend much on earbuds but still want decent sound. You do have to accept that there are no fancy features. No active noise cancelling, which makes sense for earbuds costing well under €100, no in-ear sensor, and no touch controls. But you do get good sound, a decent microphone, and a great app that lets you customize everything.
| Score | |
| Sound | 7.5 |
| Microphone | 7 |
| Fit | 7.5 |
| Battery | 7.5 |
| Controls | 9 |
| Stability | 8 |
| Value for money | 8 |
Alternatives
Want us to compare the QCY T4 with other earbuds? Let us know which ones! We'll post the comparison here.Others also viewed:
- Browse all our wireless earbud articles
- Check out our article covering all QCY earbuds
- These are the best earbuds under €50
- Also check out our article on alternatives to AirPods
- See the top 3 earbuds for running
- Also check out our hands-on with the Eardopes B6 pro. They cost a little more, but the quality is worth it.
