Onesonic BB-HD1 Gen 2 proves a worthy upgrade
Onesonic BB-HD1 Gen 2 ANC Bluetooth headphones. Pic: Noel Campion.
Onesonic is a Dublin based audio company that specialises in designing earphones, headphones and portable speakers. I’ve been impressed with many of their products including their BB-HD1 headphones which I reviewed in 2020. Late last year they released their second generation of the BB-HD1 and I’ve been testing them for the last month.
The BB-HD1 Gen 2 looks similar to the original, including the soft faux leather earmuffs and headband. What is different is the matte black surface that replaces the satin finish on the original. While the design hasn’t changed much, the new finish has a more premium feel to it.
There are no touch controls, which isn’t a bad thing. The buttons for power, volume up and volume down on the right earcup have a softer click. There’s good separation between each button making them easy to identify by touch. On the left earcup is the ANC button with a small green LED above it. This lights up when ANC is active.
On the original BB-HD1, you could turn ANC on even when the headphones were turned off and it would work. This feature doesn’t work on Gen 2 and now ANC will only work when the headphones are on.
The micro-USB port has been upgraded to USB-C for greater compatibility and faster charging. It’s great to see Onesonic keep the 3.5mm headphone jack. I often use a portable DAC to stream Hi-Res audio, so the ability to use these headphones wired is a welcome inclusion. Of course, the other major advantage is that if you run out of battery, you can still use them.
The BB-HD1 Gen 2 also come with a hard case and a really nice one at that. The headphones pack nice and tidy into what is a reasonably flat case. It has a handy compartment for storing the included 3.5mm cable and the USB-C charging cable.
Like the originals, there’s a noticeable change in the sound when you turn ANC on. With ANC on the soundstage feels intimate and more spacious when it’s off. Personally, I prefer the soundstage when it’s off. The difference isn’t as significant as it was on the originals but I would prefer if it didn’t alter the sound at all.
The sound quality is greatly improved over the originals. I’m not sure if the drivers are different but the EQ has been tweaked. The result is better imaging as well as improved clarity. The bass is slightly tighter and the mids are more defined for a cleaner and more balanced sound overall.
Active noise cancellation is a great feature to have, especially now that we are free to travel again. With ANC on and nothing playing, you can hear the sound of white noise but this is fairly normal even with more expensive headphones. You won’t hear this when you play music but I often use headphones with ANC on and nothing playing to help me focus without distractions.
The ANC performance is excellent and far better than you’d expect from headphones in this price bracket. While not class-leading, they perform better than many of the headphones I’ve tried sub €150.
The BB-HD1 Gen 2 are lightweight making them comfortable to wear while sitting at your desk or when out for a walk or a run. The ear cups are a little small and the padding isn’t very deep but I never found them uncomfortable to wear. However, those with larger ears may find the smaller shape and size less comfortable than me.
There’s a decent amount of adjustability in the headband and the clamping force is just right to make them feel secure without putting too much pressure on your head.
The BB-HD1 feature Bluetooth 5.0 and support for voice assistants such as Siri and Google.
The 750mAh battery takes up to two hours to fully charge and will last up to 26 hours with ANC on and up to 35 hours with it off.
The Irish designed headphones are fully compatible with Apple’s AAC audio codecs as well as AptX HD for Android devices that support it.
Unfortunately, there’s no companion app or way of upgrading the firmware.
As a general rule of thumb, you get what you pay for. However, while you’re paying a little more for the upgraded Onesonic BB-HD1 Gen 2 over the originals, the improvements in audio quality, a USB-C port, a nice case and class-leading battery life make them well worth it.
Onesonic BB-HD1 Gen 2 priced €100 at onesonic
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