I’ve spent just under three weeks with the BERIBES upgraded hybrid active noise cancelling headphones, using them across early-morning commutes, late-night Netflix marathons, and full-day editing sessions in front of a screen. Whether I was pairing them with my work laptop, phone, or the living room console, these cans got more use than I expected from a brand I had barely heard of before.
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And if you’re wondering what BERIBES even is, you’re not alone. The company doesn’t have much of a presence beyond Amazon, and their website feels more like a placeholder than a proper brand portal. Still, there’s a lot of chatter in forums and comment threads, with one Redditor describing them as:
“Better than Monoprice, worse than JBL – but for the price? Wildly decent.” – u/soldered_soul, r/BudgetAudiophile
Here’s what I found after living with the WH202A model as my daily pair.
Unboxing and First Impressions
The box is clean but generic. Inside, you get the headphones, a USB-C charging cable, a 3.5 mm aux cable, a basic cloth pouch, and a user manual that’s barely larger than a postcard. The BERIBES WH202A doesn’t scream luxury, but the matte texture on the cups and the subtle branding give it a more refined feel than many generic Bluetooth headphones in the same price range.
The folding hinges are tight and click into place with a reassuring snap. Weight distribution is even across the headband, which uses a soft synthetic leather pad to avoid pressure hotspots. Ear cups rotate flat, which made them easy to tuck into a laptop bag alongside a book and charger. They felt light in the hand, but not flimsy, which was my first surprise.
Build and Design
These are clearly designed to compete with mid-range Bluetooth headphones like the Anker Q30 or older JBL Tune models. The BERIBES wireless headphones use protein leather pads filled with medium-density foam, and after a few hours they softened up without collapsing. Clamping pressure is moderate, and I didn’t notice any discomfort even after wearing them from breakfast through an afternoon of video calls.
Physical controls are all on the right earcup: a power button, volume toggles, playback control, and a dedicated ANC button that doubles as transparency mode toggle. The EQ button cycles through six presets with a voice prompt, though it doesn’t announce which mode you’re in. Still, cycling through them gives immediate feedback bass becomes tighter, vocals jump forward, or highs get crisp depending on the preset.
Pairing and Connectivity
Pairing the BERIBES Bluetooth headphones was painless. They show up under “BERIBES WH202A” in the Bluetooth menu, and reconnect automatically to my phone and MacBook. There’s no multipoint support, but switching devices only takes a couple of seconds.
Range was solid, I got nearly ten meters through a wall and a door before the first dropout. There’s no companion app, but firmware appears stable, with no crashes or random resets during my time using them.
One user on Quora mentioned:
“Took five seconds to pair, and I’ve never had to think about it since. That’s all I want.” – Quora reply in thread “Are BERIBES headphones worth it?”
Comfort and Long Listening Sessions
I wore these during two full editing days and never needed to take them off for relief. The padding around the earcups doesn’t run hot unless you’re in direct sun, and the headband distributes weight evenly even with glasses. There’s no creaking from the hinges or cups when adjusting.
My partner, who usually taps out after thirty minutes with over-ears, wore the BERIBES while binging a three-episode true crime docuseries and said they were “way more comfortable than the ones I bought for double the price.” That’s not a scientific metric, but it lines up with my own impressions.
Battery Life and Daily Use
BERIBES claims up to 65 hours of playback on a full charge. I never expected to get anywhere close, but after five full workdays, two evening movies, and a couple of editing sessions on the weekend, they still hadn’t died. I finally ran them down by looping a lo-fi playlist overnight, just to see what would happen. They shut off quietly with a gentle beep, no aggressive low-battery nagging.
Charging is handled through USB-C. While there’s no quick-charge feature, a full recharge from flat took about two hours and ten minutes using a standard 15-watt phone brick. One morning, I realized they were dead ten minutes before a client call. I plugged them in while I made coffee, and by the time I sat down, they were alive and running with more than enough juice to last the meeting.
ANC and Transparency Mode
Let’s set expectations. The noise cancelling here isn’t going to rival Sony or Bose, but it does a solid job dulling the constant drone of fans, traffic, or chatter in a café. I tried them on a city bus during rush hour and didn’t have to crank the volume just to hear the podcast.
The transparency mode is activated with the same button, and it’s surprisingly usable. Voices around me sounded a bit thinner than real life, but still clear. I could hold a conversation at the register or hear my name across the room without pulling the cups off. As one Redditor put it:
“It’s not like AirPods Pro-level awareness, but it’s miles ahead of the usual budget ANC gimmicks.”
– u/ampersandcoma, r/HeadphoneAdvice
Sound Quality and EQ Modes
Out of the box, the WH202A has a warm tuning. Slightly boosted bass, smoothed-out mids, and treble that adds shimmer without fatigue. It reminded me of older JBL models, but without that overbearing bass thump some people complain about. For casual listening, it’s pleasant and easy on the ears.
Where it gets more interesting is the EQ button. BERIBES doesn’t offer an app, but the built-in EQ cycles through six presets, each clearly voiced. The “Vocal” mode brings podcasts to life. “Bass” adds punch without turning the mix to mush. One preset in particular, probably designed for classical or acoustic, pulls vocals and strings forward in a way that reminded me of higher-end sets.
During one FLAC playback test, I queued up a live Oscar Peterson trio recording. The upright bass had good texture, cymbals stayed crisp, and the piano didn’t vanish when things got busy. These are not reference cans, but for Bluetooth over-ears in this price range, the tuning surprised me.
BERIBES vs JBL Headphones
This is the comparison I saw most often in comment threads. On paper, JBL tends to win when it comes to brand recognition, build reputation, and tighter tuning. But in real-world use, I kept coming back to the BERIBES for longer sessions. The padding felt softer, the weight distribution better, and having both ANC and multiple EQ modes made them far more versatile.
A user in one Quora thread summed it up perfectly:
“JBL sounds cleaner, sure. But for working from home or switching between music and meetings, BERIBES just feels more flexible.”
– Quora thread, “Are BERIBES headphones better than JBL?”
KVIDIO vs BERIBES
I had a set of KVIDIO on hand and ran a back-to-back test. BERIBES pulled ahead in build, sound, and features. The ANC is not even close. KVIDIO doesn’t really attempt it. The ear padding on the WH202A is thicker and less prone to heat buildup, and the soundstage is noticeably wider when listening to layered tracks.
If you want the absolute cheapest working Bluetooth headphones, KVIDIO still makes sense. But for anything beyond that, BERIBES gives you more tools to shape your sound and more comfort to keep them on for hours.
Gaming Experience
I have used plenty of budget wireless headphones over the years, and most of them have one or two compromises that keep them in the “good enough” category for gaming. The BERIBES Wireless Headphones are different. I like how they have a mostly neutral audio tune with an emphasis on mids and lower high end that makes the audio sound bright and clear. I found the bass to be punchy without being overwhelming, which allowed the mids and treble to shine through in games like Counter-Strike and Apex Legends.
Footsteps and gunfire came through clearly, which made it easier to pick out directional cues. It is refreshing to use a headset that does not drown everything in bass, letting you hear the small details that matter in competitive games. There is a minor tendency for the sound to get muddied when a lot is going on, but compared to other headsets in this price range, performance is above average. Overall, I think BERIBES has done a good job for gaming, and if you play a lot of shooters, you will appreciate the clear and bright tuning during your sessions.
Final Thoughts
After nearly three weeks, I didn’t expect to still be reaching for the BERIBES every morning. They’ve become part of my desk setup. Not because they’re perfect, but because they just slot into daily life without fuss. The Bluetooth connection never dropped, the battery never caught me off guard, and the sound never made me want to swap them out halfway through a playlist.
They’re not trying to be flagship killers or fashion statements. But for under $50, they strike a balance most budget headphones miss. If your needs are simple, like wireless comfort, real ANC, and tuning that doesn’t need fixing, the WH202A absolutely earns a spot on the shortlist.
The BERIBES is available on Amazon.