Transparency is so good, I’m really bummed that it doesn’t work when on a call. If it did, these cans would be great for long calls and meetings. The mics are remarkably adept at keeping background noise invisible to callers. When those noises were particularly loud, my voice faded somewhat, but only the high-pitched wail of a siren managed to pierce through. When my environment was quieter, the XH1 kept my voice more stable and clear than the Soundcore Space One Pro ($200).

Daily Drivers

I’m not sure there’s any consensus on how much battery life is “enough” for a set of wireless headphones, but I’m willing to bet no one has ever said, “My headphones last too long between charges.” So I’m going to go way out on a limb and say most folks will be thrilled with Baseus’ claim of up to 100 hours for the Inspire XH1.

Photograph: Simon Cohen

To get that level of stamina, you’ll need to keep volume no higher than 50 percent, turn off both ANC and transparency, avoid using Dolby Audio, and only connect via AAC (as opposed to LDAC). Still, even with ANC on, the company says you’ll get up to 65 hours—more than any flagship wireless headphones from Bose, Sony, Apple, or Sennheiser. Should a few weeks go by and you forget to charge them, a fast-charge of 10 minutes provides an additional 12 hours of play time.

It’s tempting to bring up the Inspire XH1’s lack of USB Audio and Bluetooth Auracast support as negatives, but at some point, you have to be realistic: These headphones may not be perfect, but when you consider what they get right (and what Baseus charges for them), they’re undoubtedly an exceptional value. If you’re after a pair of headphones that deliver great sound, good noise canceling, and top-tier transparency on a budget, every Baseus model deserves a look.