The Mpow H5 Wireless are decent mixed usage headphones with an okay sound for their budget price tag. They're not quite as budget as the Mpow 059 Wireless, but they look and feel more premium and have better sound quality. They're also noise cancelling headphones, but unfortunately, their ANC isn't strong enough for cancelling the ambient noise of most commutes and noisy environments. They're also a bit tight on the head, but on the upside, they have decent battery life, an easy-to-use control scheme, and a unique look that will work for some.
Our Verdict
The Mpow H5 are fair for mixed usage. They have a simple and easy-to-use over-ear design that's decently well-built and feels more premium than the Mpow 059. They also sound above-average with most tracks and have decent battery life. Unfortunately, they're not the most comfortable, and their noise cancelling feature is fairly lackluster, meaning they won't be the best choice for commute and travel.
- Above-average sound quality.
- Easy to use.
- Below-average microphone.
- Subpar noise cancelling.
- Tight fit.
The Mpow H5 are okay for neutral sound. They have a decently balanced and surprisingly good sound. They lack a bit of sub-bass, and their mid-range can sound a bit boomy since the bass over-extends into the mid-range. They also have a dip that pushes instrumentals to the back of the mix, although overall, they sound decently well-balanced and should sound good enough for most listeners. They won't be the ideal choice for more neutral listeners since they don't have a very spacious soundstage and don't come with an EQ to tweak their sound, but on the upside, their default sound should be good enough for most.
The Mpow H5 are okay for commuting. They're fairly easy to use and decently portable. Unfortunately, their noise cancellation is not strong enough for the noisy environments involved in commuting. They're also a bit tight on the head which may not be as comfortable to wear for long trips.
The Mpow H5 are decent for sports. They're wireless with an easy-to-use control scheme. However, despite being fairly tight on the head, they're not the most stable headphones for more demanding exercises and workout routines.
The Mpow H5 are fair for office use. They sound decent and have an efficient and easy-to-use control scheme. However, they won't block the noise of a particularly lively office since their noise cancellation is fairly weak. They're also not the most comfortable headphones to wear for long listening sessions.
The Mpow H5 are disappointing for gaming. They have a bit too much latency, they're not compatible with consoles via Bluetooth, and can't be customized to the extent of other gaming headphones. They also have a sub-par overall integrated microphone.
Changelog
- Updated Feb 18, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Sep 19, 2018: Review published.
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Compared To Other Headphones
The Mpow H5 are okay over ears. They have a cool-looking design that feels more premium than the Mpow 059 Wireless; however, the glossy backplates may not be ideal for everyone. They also have a decent battery life, good controls, and a somewhat comfortable design, although they're a bit tight on some heads. Unfortunately, their build quality is not quite as good as some of the budget headphones compared below, and their noise cancelling is mediocre-at-best, only capable of reducing some sounds but not a lot of ambient chatter or high frequencies.
See our recommendations for the best over-ear headphones under $50, the best over-ear headphones under $100, and the best wireless headphones.
The Mpow H5 WIreless are better headphones overall when compared to the Mpow 059 Wireless. The H5 have a more premium look, a better-balanced sound quality, and a more compact form factor. They're also noise cancelling headphones, but their ANC is not very strong. On the other hand, the 059 have a more comfortable fit that's not as tight on the head. They also have a longer battery life and do not leak as much as the H5 since they create a better seal around your ears. They're also a better value for your money at their current price point.
The Mpow H5 Wireless are better budget noise cancelling headphone than the Cowin E7 Wireless. The Cowin have a better noise cancelling performance and a longer battery life. The Cowin also have a lightly clearer mic and a better isolation performance overall, since they also leak a little less. On the other hand, the Mpow look and feel a bit more premium, have better and less confusing controls, and also have a more comfortable fit even if they're a little tight on the head. The Mpow also have much better sound.
The Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016 are a much better noise canceling headphone than the Mpow H5 Wireless. The Bose have a better, more comfortable over-ear fit. They also isolate a lot better in noisy environments, with a much more efficient noise cancelling feature. They're easier to use, last longer on a single charge, and have a better-balanced sound that packs a lot of bass without sounding as boomy as the Mpow. On the other hand, the Mpow are a better value on a budget. They also have a more compact design and a unique shape for the backplates that some may prefer.
The Mpow H5 Wireless are a better headset overall compared to the Bluedio T4 Turbine Wireless. The Bluedio have a better build quality that's surprising for their price range. They also have a deeper, more powerful bass range that some may prefer, and a stronger isolation performance for commuting. On the other hand, the Mpow have a more compact design that fits better on most people even if they are a little tight. They also have a better-balanced sound and easier-to-use controls. Their latency is also much better than the Bluedio, although they will still not be the best option for watching movies and gaming.
Test Results
The Mpow H5 are simple over-ears with a unique backplate design for their ear cups. The headband is relatively wide and low profile once on your head, and the cups are fairly small and don't protrude too far outwards. The plastic used in their build quality looks well-made and decently high-end for their price. However, the unique backplate, which might work for some, is glossy and somewhat clashes with the rest of the design. It makes the headphones feel a bit cheap overall, which would have looked much more premium if it was a matte coating like the headband and hinges. Overall, they look decently well-made and feel a lot more expensive than the Mpow 059 Wireless.
The Mpow H5 are decently comfortable over-ears, but they're a bit tight on the head. They're lightweight and decently well-padded, especially the headband. The earpads are a bit stiff but not enough to be uncomfortable. Unfortunately, the cups themselves are not very spacious, and the headband is a little too tight on the head for some. The tight fit may loosen over time, with regular use, but out-of-the-box they won't be as comfortable as some of the other over-ears we've tested. The newer model Mpow H10 Wireless is slightly more comfortable.
The Mpow H5's control scheme is simple and efficient. It provides all the necessary functions for a Bluetooth headphone; track-skipping, volume control, and a multi-purpose power/Bluetooth and call/music management button. There's also an ANC switch on left ear cup to enable and disable the noise cancellation feature. The buttons all deliver decent feedback, but they're slightly cramped on the bottom of the right ear cup but don't take long to get used to.
The Mpow H5 are not very breathable headphones. They create a fairly good seal around your ears and have a closed back around the ear design that prevents a lot of airflow. They may make you sweat if you use them while working out, and your ears will get warm after a couple of hours of critical listening. They're not much worse than other closed-back over-ears with nonporous pads, but they won't be ideal for more intense exercises.
The Mpow H5 fold into a more compact format that's decently portable. They won't be the easiest headphones to carry around on your person, but they will easily fit into a gym bag or backpack.
The Mpow H5 come with a great hard case that will protect the headphone from scratches, impacts, and drops as well as minor water damage. The case is a little bulky but should be portable enough to easily carry around in a backpack.
The Mpow H5 have a decent build quality that feels more high-end and durable than the Mpow 059 Wireless. The headband is a relatively wide and well-padded plastic and metal build that should be durable enough for most uses. The ear cups are also decently dense, and even the backplates feel sturdy, although they look a bit cheap and will accumulate scratches over time which won't be ideal for long-term use. Unfortunately, the hinges and yokes are a little thin and look like the most susceptible place where the headphones would get damaged.
These headphones are decently stable thanks to their tight fit and relatively low profile. They don't move much during casual activities and are stable enough for the occasional jog and some exercises at the gym. However, they're not sports headphones, so during more intense workout sessions, they will slip off your ears from time to time, especially when tilting your head a lot or while lying down. The headband will slide, and you may have to adjust the fit, but on the upside, they're wireless, so they won't get yanked off your head because the audio cable got hooked on something.
The frequency response consistency is decent. Similar to the Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless and Bose QuietComfort 35 II/QC35 II Wireless 2018, the Mpow H5 seem to be using its noise cancelling system to check for bass consistency. Therefore, in the bass range, they perform very consistently across our five human subjects. Their treble delivery is consistent, but not as much as the bass range, showing more than 6dB of deviation below 10kHz.
The bass is sub-par. The low-bass is fairly neutral, so your mixes have the right amount of thump and rumble. However, mid and high-bass are overemphasized, adding intense punch and boom. This can muddy the rest of your mixes, though.
The mid-range is fair. There's overemphasis coming from the high-bass into the low-mid, which clutters and muddies vocals and lead instruments. The mid-mid is fairly neutral, so these same sounds are present in your mix, while a bump in the high-mid ensures their intensity and clarity. However, it may also sound a bit harsh.
The Mpow H5 have an okay treble response. It's overemphasized across the range, resulting in harsh vocals and lead instruments. Sibilants like S and T sounds are also piercing.
The Mpow H5 have great imaging. Their weighted group delay is 0.4, which is very good. The graph also shows that except for the sub-bass region, the group delay is below our audibility threshold. This makes their bass a little slow but won't be very noticeable, but their treble will be transparent. Additionally, the L/R drivers of our unit were well-matched in amplitude, frequency, and phase response, which is important for the accurate placement and localization of objects (voices, instruments, video games effects) in the stereo image.
The Mpow H5's soundstage is sub-par. The PRTF graph shows some degree of pinna interaction and activation, but the response isn't very accurate. Also, there's not a notch present at the 10KHz region. This, and their closed-back design, results in a soundstage that may be perceived as unnatural and located inside the listener's head.
The active noise cancellation performance is passable, unlike some other headsets within the same price range like the Anker SoundCore Space NC Wireless or the Cowin E7 Pro Wireless. You can also look at the newer model Mpow H10 Wireless or the TaoTronics TT-BH060 Wireless for better noise isolation performance. With their ANC enabled, they achieve about 10dB of isolation in the bass range. This means they will do a poor job in reducing the rumble of airplane and bus engines. In the mid-range, important for cancelling out speech, they provide 10dB of isolation, which is mediocre. In the treble range, occupied by sharp sounds like S and Ts, they reduce outside noise by more than 28dB, which is great.
The leakage performance is okay. A significant portion of the leakage is spread between 400Hz and 4kHz, which is a relatively broad range. However, the overall level of the leakage is not very loud. With the music at 100db SPL, the leakage at 1 foot away averages at 42dB SPL and peaks at 60dB SPL, which is noticeably above the noise floor of an average office.
The recording quality of the Mpow H5's integrated microphone is sub-par. With our test signal, this mic captures excessive amounts of bass and mid-range, making the sound muddy and prone to pops and rumbling noises. The HFE (high-frequency extension) of 2.6KHz results in a recorded/transmitted speech that is noticeably muffled and lacking in detail.
The Mpow H5's microphone is mediocre at noise handling. In our SpNR test, it achieved a speech-to-noise ratio of 11dB SPL, indicating that this mic is best suited for quiet environments as it may struggle to fully separate speech from ambient noise even in moderately loud places.
The Mpow H5 have decent battery life. We measured up to 12 hours of continuous playtime with ANC and Bluetooth enabled, although they were marketed as nine hours of battery life (when ANC and BT enabled) and 15 when used wired with ANC. It's within the ballpark, and your performance will vary depending on the volume at which you listen. They have a fast charge time of 2.3, which is pretty decent for an over-ear but don't have any power-saving features, which is slightly disappointing. On the upside, you can use them completely passively when the battery dies.
These headphones don't come with an app for added customization options.
These Bluetooth headphones support multi-device pairing but not NFC.
These headphones don't support any additional codecs. This means their base SBC latency is 130ms which is fine for streaming music but maybe become an issue when watching videos or gaming. The slight sync issues are even more prominent on high frame rate content.
The Mpow H5 come with an audio cable with no in-line microphone or USB adapter. This means they don't have mic support on consoles and PCs.
These headphones don't have a base/dock. If you want a versatile headset with a base that you can also use wired, check out the SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017.
