Our Verdict
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.
- Stable and portable design.
- Comfortable fit.
- Very low leakage.
- Poor noise isolation.
- Exceedingly bass-heavy 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Oct 02, 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
No compatible app.