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SoundPeats Q9A Wireless Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.3.1
Reviewed Sep 26, 2016 at 11:45 am
Latest change: Test bench update Nov 21, 2019 at 11:21 am
SoundPeats Q9A Wireless Picture
6.6
Mixed Usage
6.6
Neutral Sound
6.8
Commute/Travel
7.7
Sports/Fitness
6.4
Office
5.0
Wireless Gaming
5.0
Wired Gaming
6.0
Phone Call

The SoundPeats Q9A are better built and have more convenient audio controls than the QY8 and QY9. They're wireless, stable and a bit more comfortable than typical in-ear models. Unfortunately, they don't block much noise, and their sound quality is sub-par, which could be a deal breaker for some.

Our Verdict

6.6 Mixed Usage

The Q9A are decently versatile headphones that are best used for sports thanks to their stable, compact and wireless design. Unfortunately, their mediocre-at-best sound quality and poor noise isolation, means they won't be ideal for critical listeners or to use in loud, noisy environments.

Pros
  • Stable and portable design.
  • Comfortable fit.
  • Very low leakage.
Cons
  • Poor noise isolation.
  • Exceedingly bass-heavy sound.
6.6 Neutral Sound

Subpar for neutral listening. The small closed ear buds cannot create an adequate soundstage. That combined with their exceedingly bass-heavy audio reproduction makes them sound too dark and unbalanced for most listeners.

6.8 Commute/Travel

Decent for commuting. They're easy-to-carry around and the low leakage can compensate for the poor noise isolation by playing your audio at higher volumes. However, they don't block much noise and shouldn't be your first choice for loud, noisy commutes.

7.7 Sports/Fitness

Good for sports. The stable ear-hook design and compact, portable size makes them suitable to use while running or exercising. They're also wireless and a bit more comfortable than some other in-ear headphones.

6.4 Office

Above-average for office use. They will let a bit of the office chatter seep into your audio due to their poor isolation. However, they don't leak much and won't be audible to anyone around you.

5.0 Wired Gaming
  • 6.6 Mixed Usage
  • 6.6 Neutral Sound
  • 6.8 Commute/Travel
  • 7.7 Sports/Fitness
  • 6.4 Office
  • 5.0 Wireless Gaming
  • 5.0 Wired Gaming
  • 6.0 Phone Call
  1. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
  2. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
  3. Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
  4. Updated Oct 02, 2017: The microphone has been tested with our new methodology, as explained here
  5. Updated Aug 10, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
  6. Updated Mar 01, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
  7. Updated Sep 26, 2016: Review published.
  8. Updated Sep 24, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
  9. Updated Aug 09, 2016: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Test Results

Design
Design
Style
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic

The Q9A have a sporty aesthetic with thick flexible ear hooks and a wireless design. They do not feel as premium as the Anker Soundcore Spirit X. The earbuds are not much larger than typical in-ears but have a different build and format than the QY8 and QY9 models of the same brand. They're stylish and resemble the much higher priced Powerbeats, however, the finish and button placement is not as good.

7.0
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.05 lbs
Clamping Force
0 lbs

The Q9A are above-average comfortable for an in-ear design. The tips do not fit into the ear canal as deeply as typical in-ear models. This removes a bit of the soreness and pain some listeners experience during long listening sessions. However, they're not ideal for everyone. Although stable, the rubber tips sometimes slide a bit in the ear canal, which can be slightly distracting and uncomfortable.

6.7
Design
Controls
OS Compatibility
N/A
Ease Of Use Mediocre
Feedback Mediocre
Call/Music Control Yes
Volume Control Yes
Microphone Control No
Channel Mixing
N/A
Noise Cancelling Control N/A
Talk-Through
N/A
Additional Buttons No

The Q9A have a better control scheme and button layout than the QY9 and QY8. They also deliver better tactile feedback, provide call/music, track skipping, and volume controls. However, the buttons are very small and cramped on the right ear bud which is a bit impractical for listeners with larger fingers.

8.8
Design
Breathability
Avg.Temp.Difference 1.2 °C
8.2
Design
Portability
L 2.25"
W 3.63"
H 1.13"
Volume 9.23 in³
Transmitter Required N/A

The Q9A are easy to carry around in a pocket, bag, or purse. They only take a small amount of space, and they're lightweight, making them very portable headphones. They're slightly larger than basic and straightforward in-ear designs, but they will rarely be a hassle to carry on your person.

7.0
Design
Case
Type Soft case
L 3.4"
W 3.4"
H 1.8"
Volume 21.5 in³

Comes with a decent soft case that will protect the headphones against minor damage, scratches, and falls. However, it's still a soft case, and it will bend and compress under enough force.

6.5
Design
Build Quality

The build quality of these headphones is above-average. The Q9A have a flat and rubberized cable and sufficiently dense ear buds to handle few drops without damage. The ear-hooks are also thick and relatively sturdy making them better built than some cheaper sports-oriented headphones we've reviewed. However, the manufacturing tolerance is not the best. Some listeners have experienced weak cables that break relatively quickly. This does not occur on every unit, but should be taken into consideration when purchasing these headphones.

8.0
Design
Stability

These headphones have a stable ear-hook design that's great for sports. They won't easily fall off your ears even during intense workout sessions. Unfortunately, the ear bud tips are a bit slippery, so while the headphones won't fall off your ears, the ear buds may slide out of your ear canal when running, which is slightly frustrating.

Design
Headshots 1
Design
Headshots 2
Design
Top
Design
In The Box

  • SoundPeats Q9A Headphones
  • Earbud tips (x3 sizes)
  • USB charging cable
  • Carrying case
  • Manual

Sound
Sound
Sound Profile
Bass Amount
3.42 dB
Treble Amount
-5.46 dB
9.7
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.06 dB
Sound
Raw Frequency Response
6.8
Sound
Bass Accuracy
Std. Err.
4.53 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
10 Hz
Low-Bass
3.61 dB
Mid-Bass
4.22 dB
High-Bass
6.57 dB
7.7
Sound
Mid Accuracy
Std. Err.
3.08 dB
Low-Mid
3.51 dB
Mid-Mid
-2.23 dB
High-Mid
-0.23 dB
6.7
Sound
Treble Accuracy
Std. Err.
4.56 dB
Low-Treble
-3.32 dB
Mid-Treble
-2.27 dB
High-Treble
-11.22 dB
7.0
Sound
Peaks/Dips
Peaks
1.9 dB
Dips
1.54 dB
8.6
Sound
Imaging
Weighted Group Delay
0.1
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
1.44
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
1.47
Weighted Phase Mismatch
2.31
1.0
Sound
Soundstage
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
N/A
PRTF Size (Avg.)
N/A
PRTF Distance
N/A
Openness
4.2
Acoustic Space Excitation
0.6
7.7
Sound
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.350
WHD @ 100
0.122
Isolation
5.6
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-14.03 dB
Noise Cancelling No
Bass
-1.9 dB
Mid
-11.59 dB
Treble
-29.43 dB

Poor isolation. Similar to the QY9. there is little to no isolation present in the Bass Range, and the isolation provided in the Mid Range is just above average. However, there is more than 30dB of isolation provided in the Treble Range which is good.

9.5
Isolation
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
24.07 dB

Excellent Leakage performance. The overall level of leakage is quite low, which is excepted of closed-back in-ear headphones. The significant portion of the leakage is quite narrow too, limited between 3KHz-7KHz.

Microphone
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
Yes
In-line
No
Boom
No
Detachable Boom
N/A
Mic Yes
5.9
Microphone
Recording Quality
Recorded Speech
LFE
289.23 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
3.5 dB
HFE
2,313.87 Hz
Weighted THD
3.491
Gain
44.09 dB
5.9
Microphone
Noise Handling
Speech + Pink Noise
Speech + Subway Noise
SpNR
10.26 dB
Active Features
4.9
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
5.3 hrs
Additional Charges
0
Total Battery Life
5.3 hrs
Charge Time
1.6 hrs
Power Saving Feature
No
Audio While Charging
No
Passive Playback
No
Charging Port micro-USB

The Q9A have a subpar battery life of only 5.3 hours. They don't take too long to charge when connected to a power outlet but won't be the ideal headphones to take on long road trips or particularly lengthy flights. They also don't have any battery saving features, like an auto-off timer, so they will quickly run out of power if you forget to disconnect them from your device.

0
Active Features
App Support
App Name N/A
iOS N/A
Android N/A
macOS N/A
Windows N/A
Equalizer
N/A
ANC Control
N/A
Mic Control N/A
Room effects
N/A
Playback Control
N/A
Button Mapping N/A
Surround Sound N/A

No compatible app.

Connectivity
6.9
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version
4.1
Multi-Device Pairing
No
NFC Pairing
No
Line of Sight Range
60 ft
Default Latency
145 ms
aptX Latency
112 ms
aptX(LL) Latency
N/A
0
Connectivity
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
Non-BT Line of Sight Range
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A
0
Connectivity
Wired
Analog Audio
N/A
USB Audio
N/A
Detachable No
Length N/A
Connection N/A
Wired Latency
N/A
Connectivity
PC / PS4 Compatibility
PC / PS4 Analog
No
PC / PS4 Wired USB
No
PC / PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
Xbox One Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
No
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Xbox One Wireless
No
0
Connectivity
Base/Dock
Type
N/A
USB Input
N/A
Line In
N/A
Line Out
N/A
Optical Input
N/A
RCA Input
N/A
Dock Charging
N/A
Power Supply
N/A