Are you looking for an affordable gaming headset for PC or PS4 that also offers Bluetooth? We have tested the A2 from OneAudio and explain what we like and what we don’t.
With the OneOdio A2 Bluetooth headphones, the manufacturer offers an affordable Bluetooth headset for beginners. The manufacturer promises “powerful bass, clear vocals, and crisp treble.”
This is the cost of the headset: The OneAudio A2 headset costs around 40 Euros. This means it is still significantly cheaper than high-end products from Sennheiser or the HyperX series from Kingston. In this low price segment, one should not expect fantastic sound and special technology.
Bluetooth and Wired: The headset comes with an additional aux cable, so it is not a Bluetooth-only device. Whether the headset can meet expectations and whether it is suitable for both music listening and gaming will be shown in our test.
In the following, we will provide an overview of what we want to address in the test:
- Equipment
- Design and Build
- Comfort
- Sound Quality
- Microphone
- Connection Type/Connectivity
- Software
- Conclusion
In the final conclusion, we want to summarize for you the pros and cons and whether and for whom the purchase could be worthwhile.
Equipment
The headset comes generously equipped. In addition to the actual headset and a German manual, the headset also includes
- a detachable microphone (3.5mm jack)
- a Micro-USB charging cable
- a 3.5mm Y-cable
- a 1.2m aux cable with volume control and mute button
- and a cloth bag.
Cables and accessories feel stable.
Design and Build
Design: The design of the headphones is very simple. The colors red and black are very restrained, and the logo is applied to the headband. Overall, the manufacturer has used a lot of plastic in its headset, but it makes a stable and high-quality impression.
Form factor: The headset is an over-ear headset: It completely surrounds the ears and does not just rest on them.
Advantageously, the design and build are very compact. The cables and microphone can be detached, and the headset can finally be folded up, so it fits comfortably in a jacket pocket.
Special buttons and additional equipment: If you touch your right ear while wearing, you will find three comfort buttons: With the buttons, you can adjust the volume up or down. The middle button pauses the music, and a long press turns off the headphones.
On the supplied cable, there are volume regulators and a mute button for the microphone.
The OneAudio headset does not offer “wired backup” support: This means that if the battery is empty, you will have to charge the headset first; listening via cable is also not possible then.
Comfort
Overall, the headset is very comfortable to wear. This is partly because the ear cups can be adjusted and do not sit firmly on the headband. In addition, they do not sit too tightly on the ears, so that as a glasses wearer, you don’t have pain on the ears even after several hours. However, due to the closed design, it does get quite warm near the ears after a while.
Sound Quality
The headset offers a lot of sound, especially in the lower range; it is very bass-heavy. The amount of sound is very dense and therefore not as broad as with expensive headsets. Especially in the higher ranges, the sound loses color and quality.
It is also important to note that this is stereo sound and not surround sound.
The headset also does not offer active noise cancellation, or ANC. Only the headset itself dampens sound through its design (over-ear).
The OneAudio A2 also does not support aptX. The aptX audio codec is used for wireless audio transmission and is primarily found in expensive headphones. The sound quality is significantly better than with regular audio codecs.
Microphone
External Microphone: The microphone of the One Audio A2 offers good transmission quality. However, it also has the problem of being very sensitive to noise, and background noise is also transmitted.
If the microphone is too close to the face, one’s breathing can be clearly heard, as can some in-game sound. Unfortunately, the One Audio A2 lacks the appropriate software to adjust sound or microphone strength through the computer. Here, one has to rely on the built-in tools of the operating system.
One major advantage is that the microphone is removable. If you are outside or just want to listen to music, you can remove the microphone and leave it at home. Thanks to the typical 3.5mm jack, you can also replace the microphone with another one if necessary.
According to the manufacturer, CVC 6.0 technology is included. CVC is a technique from Qualcomm that is supposed to reduce background noise when using the microphone.
Internal Microphone: In addition, the manufacturer has installed an internal microphone in the headphones themselves. However, the quality is significantly lower than the external microphone. Conversations are very noisy, and the internal microphone is only good for hands-free use.
Connection Type/Connectivity
The headset can be connected either via Bluetooth or with the included cable via a 3.5mm jack. When the headphones are active, a small light shines that does not disturb in the dark.
The Bluetooth connection is very stable, and you can comfortably walk several meters away from the smartphone or PC. The connection lasts well over 10 minutes and works through thin walls as well.
Connecting works flawlessly with a smartphone with Android 8 as well as with a PC with a native Bluetooth chip or Bluetooth adapter. The headset is recognized immediately, and the connection quality is more than sufficient for listening to music or making calls.
Bluetooth and Gaming: Problems only arise when trying to transmit both music and conversations over Bluetooth simultaneously. Then the headphones switch to the handsfree codec:
This codec compresses the audio and voice quality significantly to allow everything to be transmitted simultaneously. As a result, both audio and voice quality over Bluetooth while gaming is absolutely terrible. The switch to the compressed audio codec cannot be turned off either.
The only remedy is to use the included aux cable. When the headset is connected via cable, the sound quality is clear and powerful, and the microphone does its job.
How Bluetooth works and how to configure your Bluetooth devices for Windows and Linux, we explain in our article about Bluetooth.
Software
OneAudio does not provide any software for its headset. When you connect the headphones via cable or Bluetooth, the headset is ready to use immediately. Unlike expensive devices, there is also no way to adjust audio output or headset settings through software or drivers.
Conclusion
Price: around 40 Euros
Can an affordable Bluetooth headset be good? The OneAudio A2 shows that this headset can be a good entry into the world of Bluetooth – with some compromises in sound quality.
The Bluetooth connection is very stable, and with around 30 hours of active use, the battery lasts more than enough for you to be on the go for a longer time.
Thanks to the removable microphone, the headset can also be quickly transformed into a pure headphone. The internal microphone is hardly usable due to strong noise.
The wearing comfort is very high, and even after several hours, there are no problems with pressure on the ears; the OneAudio A2 is also comfortable for glasses wearers. In winter, the ears also stay nice and warm.
To game, you will necessarily have to use the included cable, as otherwise the audio and voice output suffers under the compressed audio codec. Unfortunately, the codec switch cannot be turned off.
Who would benefit from the headset?
The promised “powerful bass” can almost always be fulfilled by the headset, while the “crisp treble” is only rarely delivered.
If you enjoy gaming and are frequently on the go, the OneAudio A2 might be worth checking out: The design is small and compact, and the microphone can be detached. The Bluetooth connection is stable, and the battery lasts around 30 hours. The external microphone is good enough for calls or for Teamspeak or Discord and could fundamentally be replaced with a better microphone.
If you primarily listen to music or watch movies, meaning you are purely an entertainment user, there are better alternatives. Pure headphones without a microphone would be recommended instead, as they offer better sound quality. Additionally, more expensive headphones also provide true noise cancelling and often surround sound.
Currently, the headset is available on Amazon at a reduced price. For around 40 Euros, the OneAudio A2 headset is worth a recommendation if you want to enter the world of Bluetooth.
- Abnehmbar Mikrofon und natürliches, sprechendes Audio: Dank der fortschrittlichen CVC 6.0-Technologie mit ungerichteter Rauschunterdrückung und der schnellen, stabilen Bluetooth V4.1-Übertragung erhalten Sie die Hör- und Hörvorteile eines aktualisierten Bluetooth Kopfhörers Das eingebaute Mikrofon und das abnehmbare Mikrofon können Ihre verschiedenen Anforderungen erfüllen.
- Bis zu 30 Stunden Wiedergabezeit und klare Gespräche: Der weltweit erste Bluetooth-Kopfhörer für Langzeitgespräche mit japanischer Schwingspule und japanischer Treibermembran bietet professionellen Klang für hochwertige und klare Gespräche.
- Detaillierter und ausgewogener Klangqualität: Genießen Sie mit den drahtlosen OneOdio-Bluetooth-Kopfhörern hervorragenden, ausgewogenen Klang und höchsten Komfort. Große 50-Millimeter-Lautsprechertreiber in Kombination mit Neodym-Magneten sorgen für Stereo-HiFi-Sound, kräftige Bässe, klare Vocals und gestochen scharfe Hochtöne für einen perfekt ausbalancierten Klang.
- Maximaler Komfort und Platzersparnis - Ergonomisch geformte Memory-Protein-Memory-Ohrenschützer simulieren die Textur der menschlichen Haut und sorgen für dauerhaften Komfort.
- Wired for Gaming, Wireless for Life: Kompatibel mit PS4, Xbox One, iPad, iPod, iPhone, Android und vielen anderen Audiogeräten. Hochwertiger Klang, höchste Haltbarkeit und maximaler Komfort. Dies sind die Kopfhörer, nach denen Sie gesucht haben.
*Affiliate-Links. Wir erhalten bei einem Kauf eine kleine Provision von Amazon. Vielen Dank für Eure Unterstützung!
Alternatively, you could opt for headphones and a microphone instead of a headset. Here we explain exactly what the differences are and what you should pay attention to when buying in this article: Here we show you what digital surround means for gamers. We also explain what terms like impedance and sound pressure mean.
We will briefly introduce you to an alternative Bluetooth headphone:
Alternative Headphones to the OneAudio A2?
The August EP650 is a Bluetooth headphone that offers wireless stereo sound. 3,622 customers rate the headphone with 4.1 stars. Most praise the wearing comfort and high sound quality. Some customers criticize the short battery life, and sporadically a background noise during Bluetooth operation is reported.
- PERFEKTE DRAHTLOSE KLANGQUALITÄT - Verbinden Sie den EP650 mit kompatiblen Bluetooth-Mobilgeräten wie Computer, Laptops, Handys oder Smartphones und genießen Sie im Haus oder im Freien bis zu 10 Meter kabellose Freiheit bei der Audiowiedergabe
- INTEGRIERTER AKKU - Bis zu 15 Stunden Musikgenuss
- VERZÖGERUNGSFREIES FERNSEHEN - Dank Bluetooth v4.2 Low Latency ist der EP650 einer der wenigen kabellosen Kopfhörer, die wirklich aptX Low Latency unterstützen und die Verzögerungszeit auf ca. 30 bis 40 ms reduzieren. Damit genießen Sie Fernsehen ohne Tonverzögerung
- INDIVIDUALISIERBARER SOUND MIT AUGUST AUDIO APP - Die eigens für den EP650 entwickelte App für Android und iOS ermöglicht es, die Kopfhörer ganz auf deine Klangbedürfnisse einzustellen. Viel Bass für Elektro, Höhen für Klassik oder doch eher Mitten für das Audiobuch? Mit der August Audio App können Sie das in Sekunden einstellen
- 3,5mm AUDIO EINGANG - Klassische Wiedergabe über Kabel möglich, wenn kein Bluetooth verfügbar sein sollte oder der Akku des Kopfhörers leer ist
*Affiliate-Links. Wir erhalten bei einem Kauf eine kleine Provision von Amazon. Vielen Dank für Eure Unterstützung!
Are you looking for a good headset for under 100 Euros? We have compiled the most interesting models for you:
