Linner NC50 Review: ANC Bluetooth Earbuds on a Budget

Heavy wireless headphones for outdoor use might not be everyone’s cup of tea and here is where Linner NC50 Wireless Bluetooth earbuds come in. Read our review and find out what makes them a good fit for mobile gaming, workout and daily commuting to and from work.

Average ANC, decent sound, and superb battery life at a reasonable price

Before I had put my hands on Linner NC50 headphones, I did not have any experience with the brand, and I was a bit prejudiced against budget wireless earbuds boasting an active noise canceling feature. So, I set my expectations low and gave them a try with the aim of figuring out if they are as versatile as the manufacturer claims.

More precisely, I was genuinely interested in finding out if the NC50 earbuds are suitable for mobile gaming, working out or commuting. Besides, I have always had my itch to discover the best noise cancelling earbuds, so I took the opportunity without much hesitation.

After several days of testing, I found out that the release of NC50 is Linner’s first serious ambition to become a key manufacturer of high-quality noise canceling headphones that do not cost an arm and a leg. Now, I am going to stop beating around the bush and make a deep dive into the specs, as well as the advantages and disadvantages I stumbled upon during my tests.

9.4
LINNER Active Noise Cancelling Headphones Earbuds
  • Active Noise Cancelling: The noise cancelling earbuds reduce background noise up to 28 dB for immersive sound even on the airplane, subway or in the crowded environment.
  • Secure & Comfortable: Ergonomic silicone ear tips of noise cancelling earbuds allow you to listen to the music for a long time without pain perception and keep a long sense of comfort during the wear. 
  • HD Stereo Sound and Bluetooth headphones: The stable signal noise cancelling headphones Bluetooth v4.1 can connect two Bluetooth devices at the same time. 
  • Long-Lasting Battery: Ultra long battery life of noise cancelling headphones allow playing the music up to 13 hours with Active Noise 
  • Convenient Wear: A compact and weightless design built with a magnetic clasp is simple to carry around your neck. 

NC50 Headphones Design and Button Layout

First things first. The headphones are designed in a manner that allows you to wear them for hours on end without feeling any discomfort.

The earbuds ship with a tiny user guide, a micro USB cable for charging, spare ear tips, as well as spare ear hooks. All these components fit perfectly into the elegant carry pouch you will also find inside the box.

Other than that, the NC50 have a rubberized, flexible neckband. The earbuds themselves are magnetic so you can snap them to one another around your neck and avoid losing them.

The NC50 earbuds are IPX4 rated meaning they can withstand a heavy water splash and perform well in a dusty environment. Even if you are a fitness maniac keen on pushing your body to its limits and doing squats with the heaviest possible weight, you may rest assured the sweat will not damage the headphones.

The right side of the headband houses the controls. The ANC/ monitor button is what sets the earbuds apart from the rest. The active noise canceling function is turned on by default. If you want to turn it off, you have to press the respective button until you hear a voice, informing you that the earbuds are in a “monitor mode.”

The other controls include an on/off button, a button for increasing/ decreasing the volume, as well as a micro USB charging port. You can take phone calls or pause the music by pushing the multi-function button positioned on the remote, too.

Personally, I would be glad if the headphones had a USB Type-C charging port, but I don’t think that would be a dealbreaker to anyone, willing to get a pair of budget earbuds with an good noise canceling function.

Linner NC50 Active Noise Canceling and Monitor Mode

The active noise canceling is definitely the biggest selling point of Linner NC50, so it is worth saying a few words about it. First, I tested the headphones at home. I put some music on and hit my desk really hard. All I heard was a distant noise and if I hadn’t concentrated on hearing it on purpose, I doubt I would have made any impression on me.

Then, I tested the headphones during my morning workout. They have not fallen off even when I was making exercises that require a lot of rapid movements.

After that, I took the earbuds with me on the subway. I am telling you, guys, I have never supposed a rush hour on the subway would be so quiet and peaceful. When I decreased the volume all I was able to hear were some distant whispers.

Next, I tested the NC50 in the office. I consider it pretty distracting to listen to music while working, so I was glad to find out that the active noise canceling performs admirably even if you do not load a playlist.

Now, let’s jump to the above-mentioned Monitor mode. When you press and hold the button, the noise canceling function is deactivated and you can hear external noises loud and clear without taking off your earbuds. This is a pretty useful feature, especially when you risk missing your metro station. It is important to note that there is a significant volume difference between Monitor and Noise Canceling mode. When the ANC is active, the volume is a way louder, but that’s not a bad thing, though.

The Linner NC50 headphones won me over with the balanced sound they leak. The bass is neither super weak nor super irritating with clean lows and rich highs and slight or none distortion. That being said, if you listen to songs that are rich in bass, you will notice that it is quite punchy.

Overall, the earbuds might not meet the expectations of audiophiles, but they are perfect for the average user.

Battery Life and Connectivity

If you use the ANC function all the time, the battery can get you through 9 hours of usage in a single charge, which is more than enough for listening to music on your daily commute or a long flight across the pond. If you turn the ANC off, the battery lasts approximately 12 hours. If I have to point one major setback, it would be that you cannot use the earbuds while they are charging.

A pleasant voice informs you about the battery level every time you turn on the headphones. This is a nice feature as most headphones usually have a tiny LED that starts blinking when you are almost out of juice. It takes approximately an hour and a half to have the earbuds fully charged.

As I paired the earbuds with my OnePlus, I was able to keep track of the battery level. I am not sure if that would work with other smartphones.

As for the Bluetooth range, it is about 33ft (10m) but as we have mentioned in our wireless routers guide, the range strongly depends on the obstacles (walls, floors) between the paired devices. Still, my impression is that the earbuds handle thick walls better than expected.

Most contemporary laptops support Bluetooth v4.1, so you can hook the earbuds to a laptop as well. The pairing itself is a no-brainer.

Final Verdict

The Linner NC50 are pretty good earbuds, although the ear tips felt a little harder as compared to the Razer Hammerhead. Still, the NC50 headphones are made of high-quality materials and they are designed for people who are constantly on the go. The bass is decent, so are the range and battery life.

My most honest opinion is that I did not expect the earbuds to perform so well given their price, but it turns out that Linner has taken care of every small detail that makes a big difference and unleashed a product that is worth every penny.

9.4
LINNER Active Noise Cancelling Headphones Earbuds
  • Active Noise Cancelling: The noise cancelling earbuds reduce background noise up to 28 dB for immersive sound even on the airplane, subway or in the crowded environment.
  • Secure & Comfortable: Ergonomic silicone ear tips of noise cancelling earbuds allow you to listen to the music for a long time without pain perception and keep a long sense of comfort during the wear. 
  • HD Stereo Sound and Bluetooth headphones: The stable signal noise cancelling headphones Bluetooth v4.1 can connect two Bluetooth devices at the same time. 
  • Long-Lasting Battery: Ultra long battery life of noise cancelling headphones allow playing the music up to 13 hours with Active Noise 
  • Convenient Wear: A compact and weightless design built with a magnetic clasp is simple to carry around your neck. 
Tracy has been working for RealGear since the first day it went online. She reads every e-sports related newspaper and website. She is a huge Twitch.tv fan and a gamer with a soft spot for Lineage 2, WoW, and Guild Wars 1 and 2. She says she does not suffer from PvP insanity, she enjoys every minute of it. Tracy defines herself as a person who’d spend two hours customizing a character rather than indulging in an activity that would not be as nearly rewarding as playing games and testing hardware.

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