Our Verdict
The Bluedio UFO are mediocre mixed usage headphones. They have a sleek design, an above-average build quality, and a decently comfortable fit. Unfortunately, their sound quality may be a deal breaker for most especially considering their price range. They also do not block a lot of noise so they won't be the ideal headphones for commuting or loud environments. They're also too bulky and unstable to be suitable for sports.
- Sturdy build quality.
- Decent wireless range and battery life.
- Efficient control scheme.
- Poor sound quality.
- Below-average Noise isolation.
- Bulky design.
Poor for neutral listening. Their sound profile overemphasizes the low-end and has a big dip in the mid-range which makes instruments and vocals feel a bit distant on most tracks. Turning on the EQ effect adds even more bass and muddiness to their audio reproduction which is a bit disappointing. Unfortunately, they also have a relatively small Soundstage due to their closed back design. Overall this results in a boomy and muddy sound quality that won't be ideal for most listeners and will most likely be a deal breaker for more neutral listeners.
Average-at-best for commuting. They do not block enough noise to be a good option in very loud environments. On the upside, they have an easy-to-use control scheme and they're decently comfortable but won't be the easiest headphone to carry around.
Average for sports. They're big and bulky headphones that aren't the most stable to run with. However, they're wireless and have a fairly simple and straightforward control scheme so that you don't have to pull out your phone or Bluetooth device to skip tracks.
Average-at-best for office use. They won't block that much ambient noise so you may still be able to hear whats going on around you in a lively office. They also leak a bit at high volumes so they may be distracting to those around you in quieter conditions.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
- Updated Sep 28, 2017: The microphone has been tested with our new methodology, as explained here
Check Price
We've upgraded our Headphones Test Bench to 2.0! This update brings several key changes to our tests and usages, making it easier than ever to interpret our sound results based on your personal preferences. You'll also find a brand-new interactive graph tool featuring multiple targets (including our own!) for you to explore and compare.
For a full breakdown, check out our changelog, which includes detailed commentary from our test designer explaining the rationale behind our update.
We'd also love to hear your thoughts: your feedback helps us keep improving, so join us in the comments!
Test Results
The Bluedio U plus have a very different look to the Bluedio Turbine line up. The hinges rotate instead of folding and do not protrude outwards which give the U-Plus a more sleek design. They look and feel like the Beats Pro and even have the same daisy chain and locking mechanism for the audio cable. They come in two color schemes; black and white, and are they're also considerably larger and stand out more than the other models in the Bluedio lineup.
The Bluedio U Plus are above-average comfortable headphones. They're well padded and have sufficiently large ear cups to fit most listeners. However, they're a bit tight on the head and relatively heavy so they may get fatiguing after a while.
The Bluedio U Plus have a much better control scheme than on previous models. The buttons are clicky and ergonomically laid out on the right ear cup. They provide the essential functions; call/Music, track-skipping and volume controls. They also have an additional feature that lets you switch between EQ effects by holding the track skipping buttons. Forward to turn on the effect and Rewind to turn off.
The Bluedio U Plus are somewhat portable thanks to their folding design. However, they're still quite large headphones compared to other mid-sized over-ear models. They're not the easiest to carry around on your person but when folded they take up less space and should easily fit in your bag.
Comes with a sturdy hard case that will protect the U Plus against scratches drops and minor water damage. However, the case does add quite a bit of bulk making the already large headphones a little less portable.
The Bluedio U are decently well-built but not as durable as the much cheaper Bluedio T4. They have a sturdy metal frame to reinforce the headband and the ear cups are decently dense. They won't break easily from a couple of drops but the enclosures of the ear cups feel a lot cheaper than that of the T4s. The revolving hinges are also potential weak points that may loosen over time.
The Bluedio UFO have a tight fit that prevents them from being too unstable. They're also wireless so they won't get yanked off your head because the audio cable got caught on something. However, they are bulky and heavy headphones so they sway a lot when running so they won't be the ideal headphones for sports.
Average Consistency performance. In the Bass Range, these headphones perform quite consistently across our multiple human subjects, except for our subject who wears glasses. It seems that glasses could break the air-tight seal that these headphones need for creating their Bass and cause more than 3dB of drop in Bass below 200Hz. In the Treble Range, their consistency is good.
Poor Bass Range performance. The response is relatively flat, but consistently over our target by more than 7dB. This makes the Bass of these headphones quite overpowering and boomy.
Poor Mid Range performance. Low-mid and mid are practically missing, due to the 15dB dip surrounding 500Hz. This significantly pushes vocals and leads to the back of the mix. On the other hand, high-mid is relatively flat and well-balanced.
Poor and inconsistent Treble Range performance. Low-treble is slightly overemphasized, adding a bit of tinny quality to the sound. The dip around 7KHz hurts some of the sibilances (S and T sounds) to the point of making the sound lispy. Conversely, the peak around 10KHz will have the opposite effect on some higher frequency sibilances, making them sharp and piercing.
Poor Isolation performance. The Bluedio U headphones don't have active noise-cancellation and isolate only passively. They achieve no isolation in the Bass Range. In the Mid Range they achieve about 9dB of reduction, which is decent. In the Treble Range they reduce the outside noise by more than 34dB which is good.
Mediocre Leakage performance. The significant portion of the leakage sits between 500Hz and 5KHz which is a relatively broad range. The overall level of the leakage is also relatively high, especially around 3KHz.
The Bluedio UFO have an above-average battery life of 20 hours but take a considerably long time to charge. They don't have an auto off feature but can charge while playing. They can also be used completely passively with the audio cable, which makes them a decent option for the office.
The Base Latency of the Bluedio U Plus is a bit better than most Bluetooth headphones. However, it's still a bit too laggy for watching movies and gaming. You may get used to it during long videos but it won't be the most pleasurable viewing experience.
