At last, wireless earbuds that sound great, feel comfortable, and won’t break the bank

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The Baseus MC1 earbuds are availble now on Amazon for $69
• Although the sound of the MC1 earbuds won’t blow you away, the comfort and ease of control make up for it
• You really need to use the Baseus app to get the most out of these earbuds.

The Baseus Bowie MC1 earbuds are now on sale at Amazon for $49, down 29% from the usual price of $69. 

I’ve been wooed to the dark side of clip-on earbuds. I resisted the urge for a long time, but eventually could fight it no more. I originally hesitated for fear the clip-on style would fail me for two reasons: sweat and slippage.

You see, I require a certain kind of earbud when running because I sweat profusely. I’ve destroyed earbuds, had my ear canals fill up with sweat, and even lost a bud during a long run.

Also: I tested these new Shokz clip-on earbuds, and they give Bose’s Ultra Open a run for their money

So, after realizing that clip-on earbuds wouldn’t succumb to those issues, I was willing to try them. After a few weeks of using a pair of Soundpeats PearlClip Pro earbuds, I received a pair of Baseus MC1 clip-on earbuds and took them for their maiden voyage. 

The MC1 buds sell for $69 on Amazon, $20 more than the Soundpeats. Are they worth it? Let’s find out.

My experience

I’m generally impressed with Baseus’ ability to create quality products for budget-minded people. Once the MC1 earbuds were connected to my Pixel 9 Pro, I opened Spotify and hit play on my running playlist (this test was before my first run with them). Immediately, I felt the sound lacked depth and dynamics. Everything sounded flat.

Fortunately, I already had the Baseus app installed (Android/iOS), and the MC1s automatically connected and informed me there was a firmware upgrade. I tapped the Upgrade button and waited until the process was completed.

With the firmware updated and the earbuds connected to both phone and app, I went into the EQ section of the app and added my standard custom EQ curve. I was surprised to find two things:

• When using the Custom EQ option, the volume on the earbuds is dramatically reduced (I had to crank the volume on my phone to 100%).
• The Custom EQ isn’t very effective.

Disappointed, I decided to go with one of the stock EQ options. The Rock Classic seemed best for my ears, but the low end felt too weak for the music I enjoy. To compensate, I enabled Bass Boost — and things improved.

Also: These headphones solved my biggest issue with listening to music while running

Next, I switched the Spatial Accoustics option to Music and immediately regretted the choice, as the music was way too tinny for my ears. The Cinema option suffered the same issue, so I returned to Normal. Next, I cycled through the other premade EQ settings to see if there was a better option (now that Bass Boost was enabled). To my surprise, Treble Boost (with Bass Boost on) was the best combination for most music.

Remember, however, that these earbuds are intended for active use, which means outdoor activity. Because of how I use these types of earbuds, I understand that high-resolution, audiophile-quality sound isn’t attainable (especially at this price). Clarity of sound, volume, comfort, and ease of use are more important.

The Baseus MC1 earbuds are spot on for each of the above categories. 

However, are these buds worth the $20 extra you would pay for the Soundpeats PearlClip Pro? For me, yes — and the reason is controls.

Also: Why I recommend these DJ headphones to all audio professionals – especially at their price

Although the Soundpeats offer better sound, my big complaint is interacting with them. For example, to skip to the next track, you have to place your finger on the touchpad of the right earbud and hold it for 1.5 seconds (or longer, I’ve found). It’s awkward and often raises the volume. 

The MC1 earbuds have a physical button on both earbuds that you click to control whatever you’re listening to. And, thankfully, Baseus stuck with the traditional options:

• Single click to pause
• Double-click to advance
• Triple-click to go back

While the control button is small, it’s easy to find, even when clocking a seven-and-a-half-minute mile (I’m old and slowing down).

Running with the MC1 earbuds

It was finally time to take the earbuds out on their first run, and I was pleasantly surprised at how they performed. I could hear the music clearly while receiving enough ambient noise to keep me safe. It’s important, when using clip-on style earbuds, that you don’t crank the volume too loud when running close to traffic, otherwise you won’t hear anything, and bad things could happen.

Honestly, it’s the controls that sold me. Although I do prefer the sound of the PearlClip Pro earbuds, the MC1 controls are so much easier and reliable to use. Because of that, I would opt for the MC1 earbuds over the PearlClip Pros every time.

That’s not to say the MC1 earbuds’ sound quality is significantly worse. With the changes I mentioned earlier, they are very close to the competition, so I didn’t feel like I was missing out by not using the Soundpeats.

Also: These wireless headphones transported me to audio nirvana – and are my new all-time favorite

Again, I should reiterate that you shouldn’t expect high-resolution or audiophile-quality sound from the MC1 earbuds. These are midrange at best, but the controls and comfort make up for it, especially when you’re as active as I am.

ZDNET buying advice

The Baseus MC1 earbuds are a good buy for anyone looking to migrate from the sweat issues caused by traditional earbuds and the poor sound quality produced by bone-conducting headphones. As long as you don’t expect sound quality on par with the Beyerdynamic Amiron 300 earbuds (some of the best I’ve ever tried), you’ll be quite happy with this purchase.

Just ensure you install the Baseus app to create the best sound possible for your ears and taste in music. 

The specs

• Driver: Dynamic Drivers
• Water Resistance: IP57
• Adaptive Comfort with Anti-Drop
• IP57 Waterproof & Dustproof
• Adaptive Voice Capture
• Customizable Button Control
• Bluetooth Version: V5.4
• Communication Range: 10m in open environments
• Battery Capacity: 48mAh/0.185Wh (earphones), 600mAh/2.22Wh (charging case)
• Input: 5V⎓1A
• Output: 3.8-5V⎓240mA (120mA per port)
• Frequency Response Range: 20Hz-20KHz
• Wireless Frequency Band: 2400MHz-2483.5MHz
• Charging Port: Type-C
• Compatibility: Bluetooth-enabled playback devices

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