Lindy BNX-60
The headphone market has grown exponentially in recent years and that competition has meant cheaper prices – and products such as the Lindy BNX-60 headphones: a pair of wireless aptx Bluetooth headphones with active noisecancelling for less than £100. The Lindy BNX-60 headphones offer a comfortable, snug fit and do a reasonable job of noise-isolation. One ear has a volume control, the on/off switch for active noisecancellation and a blue light to indicate when the ‘ANC’ feature is in use. The other has the USB input for charging, pause/play/skip track controls, a Bluetooth light and a wired headphone output. There’s a detachable headphone cable but no in-line mic or remote control.
The BNX-60 get their juice via USB – just connect to a computer or mains power. A full charge is good for 15 hours of wireless music, but less with the noise-cancelling on.
Connecting to a phone or tablet over Bluetooth is simple; press and hold the power button to make the headphones visible and then select the headphones on your device.
For a pair of noise-cancelling and Bluetooth headphones this affordable, you’d forgive us for being pessimistic about the performance. But it turns out that is misplaced – the Lindy BNX-60 headphones deliver a balanced sound that’s easy to listen to.
The bubbling bass on Midland’s Blush sounds clear and detailed, while the stuttering hi-hats are kept in control to keep the track ticking along nicely. Stepping it up a notch with Biffy Clyro’s On a Bang and the BNX-60 take the screeching vocals and driving guitars in their stride.
Vocals sound a little muffled at times, putting the focus of the presentation on the bottom end, but the headphones turn this to their advantage. Noise-cancelling tends to accentuate the treble, and turning it on brightens up the tonal balance quite satisfactorily.
We expect a slight drop-off in quality from noise-cancelling cans, but we’re pleasantly surprised that it does a solid job of blocking out external noise with little effect on the overall sound. Lose the wire and there’s not quite the punch and focus but it’s an adequate budget wireless sound performance.
The Lindy BNX-60 are probably not a set of headphones for the discerning audiophile. But as a great-value pair of noise-cancelling headphones with the added bonus of wireless Bluetooth, we can’t quibble with what’s on offer here. If you value the functionality, we don’t think you can go wrong.