The SoundPeats QY8 are above-average, wireless in-ear headphones with a decent sound reproduction. They're stable enough to be used while doing sports. They also block noise pretty well and don't leak much so they won't be disturbing to the people around you, even at high volumes.
Our Verdict
The QY8 are above-average everyday headphones. They're fairly versatile and have a small, wireless design and a decent audio reproduction. The high passive noise isolation is also a plus.
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Very low leakage.
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Stable in-ear fit.
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Above-average noise isolation.
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The in-ear fit is uncomfortable for some.
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Cramped audio controls.
Below-average for critical listening. They have a decent bass,mid and treble response but are too closed by design to have a spacious soundstage.
Suitable for commuting. They're compact and fit into most pockets. Their passive noise isolation also considerably blocks a fair amount of noise from your environment.
The QY8 are great headphones for sports. They're wireless and small enough to carry around on your person wherever you go. They have a stable in-ear fit and their passive isolation will block the ambient noise of a gym but might be a bit too closed for runners and bikers that have to monitor their environment for cars and traffic.
Above-average for office use. They don't leak much and will isolate you from the chatter of a busy office.
- 7.5 Mixed Usage
- 6.9 Critical Listening
- 7.4 Commute/Travel
- 7.9 Sports/Fitness
- 7.6 Office
- 6.5 Home Theater
- Updated Aug 10, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated May 03, 2016: Review published.
- Updated May 01, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Apr 11, 2016: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Test Results
The QY8 are good-looking wireless in-ear headphones. They have a simple matte black color scheme. The circular ear buds that house the wireless technology and controls are relatively large for in-ear headphones. However, they do not stick out like the SoundPeats Q8's design.
The SoundPeats QY8 have a typical in-ear fit, which may be uncomfortable for some. The wireless electronics in the earbuds makes them slightly heavier than regular earbuds but doesn't reduce their comfort level significantly. However, the play button requires that you push the earbud inwards, which may cause discomfort and require adjusting after each push.
The control scheme offered and button layout is decent but feels a little cramped. Unlike the Q8, which have their buttons as inline controls on the cable. The QY8 cram the same amount of functionality on the earbuds. They provide call/music, track skipping, and volume controls which are good, but the play button requires that you push the earbud inwards. This will cause you to push the earbuds deeper into your ear canal and feels poorly positioned. Tactile feedback is also mediocre and may take some time to get used to.
The SoundPeats QY8 are very stable headphones. They can be used while doing sports and high-intensity exercises like running and jumping. They're lightweight, and the in-ear tips fit deep within the ear canal. That combined with their Bluetooth wireless design, means fewer cables that can get tangled or hooked by something and stable fit that's relatively hard to dislodge. They also include extra tips to improve stability.
The QY8, like the Q8, are also incredibly portable headphones. They easily fit into a pocket, bag or purse. They also have a wireless design, which means less space is taken up by cabling once you fold these headphones into their most compact format. However, the in-ear buds are a little larger than usual, to house the wireless technology, but it's not something to be concerned about as it doesn't reduce their portability by much.
Comes with a good soft case that will protect the QY8 from falls and scratches, while you carry them around. However, the case does add a little bit bulk to the headphones, but it's still small enough to fit into a jacket pocket or a handbag. It also has sufficient space to carry all the optional tips provided by the headphones.
Build quality is decent. The earbuds are dense and sufficiently lightweight to be able to handle a couple of drops without damage. The flat cable that links the two earbuds is rubberized and thick which makes it more durable. However, the exposed cable will be affected by regular wear and tear and will snap if pulled with enough force. This cable is not replaceable and if cut the headphones will no longer be usable.
- SoundPeats QY8 Headphones
- Earbud tips (x3 sizes)
- Stability tips (x5 sizes)
- USB charging cable
- Carrying case
- Manual
Decent isolation. Being non-noise cancelling headphones the performance is impressive, especially in the mid and bass ranges. They achieve an above average isolation of 35dB in the treble range and 20dB of isolation in the mid range.
Excellent leakage. The QY8 has one of the least amount of leakage we have measured so far. The majority of the leakage happens above 2KHz which is good and the overall level of the leakage is quite low too.
These headphones like the rest of QY line up do not have the most stable connection indoors, especially, when there are a lot of walls. They still manage to not drop audio above 30 ft, but the connection is often unstable. They perform better in direct line of sight than some more expensive headphones, which would imply that the plastic casing of the ear buds doesn't obstruct the Bluetooth transmitter much. Sady, their hold-to-pair procedure can get a little tedious when switching between devices.
The QY8 have a mediocre battery life. They provide about 5 hours of continuous play time, so they won't be ideal if you have a long road trip or a particularly lengthy flight. They charge via USB, which takes around 1.5 hours and they turn off automatically if there not connected to anything. However, they do not have an auto off timer so they will run out power if you forget to disconnect them from your Bluetooth source.