HBUDS H1 Bluetooth Sport Headphone Review – Budget Powerbeats King!

Hbuds H1 Bluetooth Headphones

The Hbuds H1’s are pretty amazing, and have quickly become my new favorite pair of budget Bluetooth headphones. Don’t let the off brand name scare you; these are a great budget Powerbeats alternative.

What You Get 

The unboxing is pretty impressive, featuring premium cardboard with professional graphics, and a well thought out presentation that screams fitness. It definitely reminded me of the Jaybird X3 unboxing. Inside you’ll find three pairs of silicone tips (with the medium tips already installed), two pairs of foam tips, a short micro USB cable, a cord management clip, a manual, storage pouch, and of course the headphones. The manual is worded in clear English, and though a bit overkill…even comes in it’s own cardboard sleeve.

Sound

I’ve been consistently impressed by the sound coming from the Hbuds. They are definitely among the best sounding in this price category, and sound better than the Powerbeats in my opinion. These headphones excel when it comes to clarity and overall balance of the sound. Bass is strong without overwhelming the music, mids are balanced, and they can reach a high range and volume without distortion. Listening to video on the Hbuds was a pleasure. YouTube videos had realistic and clear sound.

Calls sounded clear as well. There was some echo, as is typical in this type of headphone due to the distance from the face. I needed to talk a little louder, but overall neither party had any problem hearing the other.

Features

The Hbuds feature Bluetooth 4.1+ EDR with aptX technology. AptX improves the transmission of sound via Bluetooth and it shows. They also feature CVC 6.0 passive noise cancellation, a 9 hour battery life off of a 1.5-2 hour charge, and a 12 month warranty. In my tests I consistently got at least 8 hours of battery life. They come in 4 colors (black, white, orange, and blue).

IPX7 You Say?: The Hbuds are IPX7 rated; this means that can stand submersion in up to 1 meter of water (3.28 feet) for up to 30 minutes. I never had the guts to actually put this to the test, but Hbuds sounded pretty confident and told me to give it a go. First I doused then with water from a water bottle – no problems there. Then I submerged the Hbuds fully in a cup of water for 1 minute 30 seconds. Afterward the music was still playing, and they have been fine to this day. Yes, I didn’t submerge them fully for 30 minutes. However, unless you plan on scuba diving I think they should meet your waterproofing needs.

Bluetooth range is standard; 33 feet on average, or up to 50 feet with no obstructions. The Bluetooth signal is strong, and the headphones connected quickly to my phone. Fit was overall really good, though the ear hooks were a tad on the floppy side. Still, I had no problems with the moving around or coming out of my ears. The cord management clip is pretty useless, but can take up some slack in a pinch.

What about Senso Activbuds?

The Hbuds kill the Senso’s in almost every area. While the Senso’s do have strong bass, the sound overall is muffled, and of generally poor quality. The Hbuds still have solid bass, while doing a much better job in the mids and highs. They also look better in my opinion, and work awesome with Siri and Google Assistant.

Conclusion

It’s going to be hard to beat the Hbuds in this price point. You’re getting sound quality at or near the Jaybird X3 and Powerbeats 3 level. They look good, come in awesome packaging, and lived up to their waterproof claims. That’s why they’re my top recommendation for budget Bluetooth headphones at this time. Click the Amazon link to see user reviews and find out more.