The Mpow CH1 are on-ear headphones designed for kids. These brightly-colored on-ears have a 3.5mm port on the right ear cup so you can connect them to another pair of headphones and listen to the same audio. They don't have the most versatile performance, as they don't have a microphone and struggle to isolate against background noises. Their unbalanced sound profile may not be ideal for all listeners, either. However, thanks to their wired-only design, listeners don't have to worry about latency or running out of battery, which is nice.
Our Verdict
The Mpow CH1 are poor for mixed usage. These kids' headphones have an unbalanced sound profile that's lacking a bit of low-bass, so they aren't suitable for listening to bass-heavy music genres. They also struggle to block out background noise, so they may not be ideal to wear while traveling or working in an office. They aren't stable enough to wear to the gym, and they don't have a microphone for making phone calls. Fortunately, their wired design offers negligible latency for wired gaming.
- Brightly-colored design for kids.
- Negligible latency.
- No microphone.
- No sound customization options.
- Not stable enough for exercise.
- Terrible noise isolation performance.
The Mpow CH1 are inadequate for neutral sound. Their sound profile is pretty unbalanced, and while vocals and lead instruments sound clear and present in the mix, they're also a bit honky and harsh. These headphones are lacking a lot of low-bass, too, so audio doesn't have a thumpy, punchy quality. Unfortunately, there aren't any sound customization features.
- Brightly-colored design for kids.
- No sound customization options.
- Inconsistent audio delivery.
The Mpow CH1 are bad for commute and travel. They struggle to block out background noises, so listeners may hear bus and plane engines and the sounds of fellow passengers talking. Their bulky design isn't very portable, and they may not be comfortable enough to wear for long bus rides.
- Brightly-colored design for kids.
- Not comfortable for all listeners.
- Terrible noise isolation performance.
The Mpow CH1 are poor for sports and fitness. They aren't designed for this use, and they aren't stable enough to stay on listeners' heads during workouts. Their bulky on-ear design isn't very portable, either. Listeners with larger heads may also find these headphones uncomfortable.
- Brightly-colored design for kids.
- Not comfortable for all listeners.
- Not stable enough for exercise.
The Mpow CH1 are poor for office use, though they likely won't be used in this context since they're designed for kids. They don't isolate against a lot of background noises, and they leak a bit of sound, which may be distracting for people working nearby. They're passably comfortable, but listeners with large heads may feel fatigued after long listening sessions.
- Brightly-colored design for kids.
- Not comfortable for all listeners.
- Terrible noise isolation performance.
The Mpow CH1 are wired-only headphones, so they aren't suitable for wireless gaming.
The Mpow CH1 are disappointing for wired gaming. Listeners can plug them into their PC or PS4 and Xbox One controllers, and thanks to their wired connection, they have negligible latency. However, they don't have a microphone, so you can't communicate with your teammates. They also don't have a very comfortable fit for listeners with large heads.
- Negligible latency.
- No microphone.
- Not comfortable for all listeners.
The Mpow CH1 don't have a microphone, so they aren't suitable for making phone calls.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Mpow CH1 come in several different color variants: Blue and Yellow, Pink, Blue and Green, and Cherry Pink. We tested the Blue and Yellow variant, and you can see the label for the model we tested here. We expect the other color variants to perform similarly. If you come across another variant, let us know in the discussions.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Mpow CH1 are on-ear headphones that come in lots of bright colors for young listeners. Like many kids' headphones, the manufacturer claims that they have an 85db volume limit, however, they can reach volumes of up to 100db. Their sound profile isn't very balanced, and they don't come with a microphone. If you're looking for more headphones, check out our recommendations for the best on-ear headphones, and the best wireless Bluetooth headphones.
The JBL JR300BT Wireless are better headphones for kids than the Mpow CH1. The JBL are more comfortable, more stable, and better-built. Their sound profile is more balanced, and they leak less noise. They also have a microphone, which the Mpow lack. However, the JBL are wireless-only headphones, while the Mpow are wired-only.
The Mpow CH9 Wireless are better headphones for kids than the Mpow CH1. The CH9 are better-built, and they have a more stable fit. They also delivery audio more consistently. Unlike the CH1, you can use them wirelessly, and they come with a microphone.
The Puro JuniorJams Wireless are better headphones for kids than the Mpow CH1. The Puro are better-built, and they can be used wirelessly, unlike the Mpow. They also come with a microphone and they leak less noise. While their sound profile is bass-heavy, it's ultimately more balanced than the Mpow.
The Mpow CH6 are better headphones than the Mpow CH1. The CH6 are better-built, and they have a more stable fit. Their sound profile is much more balanced, too. They leak less noise, and they come with a microphone and a volume limit switch, which the CH1 lack.
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 Mpow CH1 are colorful headphones designed for young children. They have small ear cups with a panda design on the side, and they come with lots of different stickers so young listeners can decorate them. They come in blue, pink, blue and green, and cherry pink variants.
These headphones are passably comfortable. They're lightweight, and they have plush padding. However, the headband and the ear cups don't have a wide range of motion, so listeners with larger heads may not find them very comfortable.
These headphones don't have any physical controls.
These headphones are passably portable. They're a bit bulky, and they don't fold down into a more compact format.
The Mpow CH1 have a sub-par build quality. They're mostly made of soft, matte plastic, and there's faux leather padding on the ear cups and the headband. The cable is made of silicone. However, the hinges seem like a potential weak point.
These headphones have middling stability. They don't clamp very tightly on the head, so they move around a lot. Their audio cable could also snag on something. They aren't suitable for use during workouts.
The Mpow CH1 have an unbalanced sound profile. They're lacking a lot of low bass, which may be disappointing for fans of bass-heavy genres like hip-hop. Vocals and lead instruments are clear and present, making these headphones suitable for vocal-heavy content. However, these instruments may sound a bit honky or harsh.
These headphones have a mediocre frequency response consistency. They have inconsistent delivery across the range, especially if the listener has long hair or wears glasses.
These headphones have terrible bass accuracy. The entire range is underemphasized, so audio lacks thump and punch. However, their audio delivery is dependent on fit and positioning, so your experience may vary.
These headphones have middling mid accuracy. Vocals and lead instruments are clear and present, but the overemphasis in the mid-mids and high-mids make these instruments sound honky, harsh, and boxy. There's also a bit of a mismatch between the L/R drivers. However, their audio delivery is dependent on fit and positioning, so your experience may vary.
These headphones have decent treble accuracy. Instruments are present and detailed, but the overemphasis in the mid-treble makes sibilants like cymbals piercing and painful. However, their audio delivery is dependent on fit and positioning, so your experience may vary.
The Mpow CH1 have sub-par peaks and dips performance. There's a bit of a mismatch between the left and right drivers throughout the range, so objects may not be accurately placed within the stereo image. The peak in the high bass adds a boomy, muddy quality to the mix. The dip in the low mid thins out vocals and lead instruments, while the peak in the mid and high-mid makes those same instruments honky, harsh, and boxy. The dip in the low treble hurts the comprehensibility of vocals and lead instruments, and the peak in the mid-treble makes sibilants piercing and painful.
These headphones have a disappointing imaging performance. Weighted group delay falls mostly below the audibility threshold, resulting in tight bass and transparent treble. However, the L/R drivers are mismatched in amplitude, frequency, and phase, so objects like footsteps and voices may not be accurately placed in the stereo image. These results are only valid for our test unit, and your experience may vary.
These headphones have poor passive soundstage. Like most closed-back headphones, their soundstage doesn't seem very large or natural. Audio seems like it's coming from inside the listener's head rather than all around them.
These headphones don't have any virtual soundstage features.
These headphones have a decent weighted harmonic distortion performance. Aside from a small peak in the high treble, most of the frequency spectrum falls within good limits, resulting in clean and pure audio reproduction.
While the manufacturer advertises that they have a volume limiter at 85db, we were able to reach 100db in our tests.
These are the settings we used to test these headphones. Our results are only valid with this configuration. While these headphones are advertised as restricting the volume level to 85db, we were able to reach 100db in our tests.
These headphones have a terrible noise isolation performance. They don't block out any sounds in the bass or mid ranges, so listeners can hear noises like voices and bus or plane engines. They perform a bit better with higher-frequency noises like AC units, but they still struggle to fully block out these sounds.
The Mpow CH1 have a sub-par leakage performance. Audio may be noticeable to people nearby, especially if the user is listening at higher volumes.
The Mpow CH1 don't have a microphone.
These headphones don't have a microphone.
These headphones don't have a microphone.
The Mpow CH1 are wired-only headphones with no battery.
These headphones don't have a companion app.
These headphones are wired-only.
These headphones are wired-only.
The Mpow CH1 come with a flat, silicone 1/8" TRS cable.
These headphones receive audio support when you plug them into your PC or PS4 controller.