Avantree Aria Review – Budget ANC Headphones

Aria are one of the cheapest noise-cancelling headphones on the market with above average performance.

Avantree Aria are one of the more attractive budget headphones with active noise cancelling. While the price around $70 puts them at a lower price range, they offer decent performance.

They’re really comfortable and offer good noise isolation. But they suffer from sound quality change when you turn on the ANC and a bit more plasticky design.

If you want solid active noise-canceling headphones for an affordable price with superb comfort, Avantree Aria is an excellent choice.

What’s in the Box?

• Avantree Aria ANC headphones
• Micro-USB charging cable
• 5mm AUX cable
• Soft but quality carrying bag with a zipper
• User manual

Comfort & Fit

4.0 Great

Avantree Aria are lightweight over-ear headphones with thicker than average earpads. You can wear them for hours without discomfort.

The best part about them is their earpads. They’re covered with faux leather, but the filling is better than what you see among the best cheap headphones. It’s similar to memory foam. It’s soft and keeps the shape for a short while when you press it in.

The earpads are also thick enough to fit more protruding ears, but the size is still on the smaller end compared to average over-ear cups.

Moreover, the headband extends to fit larger heads, it’s quite flexible as well.

Thanks to mostly plastic, the headphones are light and don’t create too much of a clamping force. You could still use them for lifting weights, but there are stronger clamping cans out there.

Noise Cancelling

3.5 Almost Great

Active noise cancelling in Aria is quite effective (for cheap headphones). It cancels more background noise than comparable headphones. Nonetheless, it can’t compare to leading ANC models from Sony and Bose.

Another thing you should know is that when you turn on the active noise cancellation, it changes the sound signature a bit.

It takes away from the bass and pushes highs forward. Generally, it makes the sound slightly worse. This is often the fault of cheaper noise canceling headphones but isn’t a deal-breaker.

Still, when you use ANC, there is an LED indicator showing it’s active. And if you want to use ANC only, you still have to turn on the headphones. Many other headphones allow you to turn on only ANC, but not Aria.

In case you’re wondering, there’s no hissing sound when ANC is on, so that’s a good thing.

Related: Best noise cancelling earbuds

Noise Isolation

4.0 Great

Passive noise isolation in Avantree Aria is better than average. The earpads and closed-back design block a considerable amount of ambient noise. It helps with noise-canceling as well, so you can enjoy your music in peace.

We’ve tested a lot of budget noise cancelling headphones any Aria are among the best when it comes to noise isolation.

While the alternatives also come with a closed back and foam earpads, they don’t seem to isolate so well.

This is useful when you want to save battery life and keep ANC off, the headphones will block a nice amount of unwanted noise.

Bluetooth

3.0 Good

Avantree Aria have a typical Bluetooth performance. Around 30ft (10m) of reliable range, it goes through 1 wall and starts disrupting after the 2^nd.

You can use NFC for quick connection. And if your settings are correct, the headphones connect to the last music device when you turn them on.

Bluetooth 4.1 isn’t the latest. But generally works fine as it isn’t that much different from the 5.0.

You connect them by sliding the power button for 3 seconds until the LED light starts blinking red and blue. This is the pairing mode. Then you find your smartphone and pair.

Also, when you have your music device close nearby, you might get the occasional short disruption of the signal. It depends on the environment you use, in saturated places, like an airport, you might experience it more.

Generally, it isn’t a deal-breaker but some headphones don’t suffer from it. Though, it is true those tend to cost more.

Is there a delay when watching video?

There’s a minimal delay just like with most Bluetooth headphones, but it’s not bothersome.

Battery

3.0 Good

The company says they last up to 35 hours but that’s without ANC. With Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation, with on and off use, you can expect over 10 hours up to 15 of play time. It’s a solid battery for the price.

You probably won’t listen to music for 10 hours straight. And ANC isn’t necessary in every situation.

Every time you turn it off, you save some battery life. But if you turn on all the features and listen at max volume, you won’t get more than 10 hours.

In any case, the battery has plenty of capacity, and you can probably get away with charging it once per week.

You can charge it with Micro-USB, and it generally takes around 3 hours to get to 100%.

Durability

3.0 Good

They are fully plastic, which makes them prone to scratches. And when you take them in your hands, they feel a bit cheap. Otherwise, they’re quite sturdy for daily use.

The headphones feel pretty light which makes them more comfortable, but they don’t have a premium feel.

Nonetheless, you can easily use them as portable headphones without worrying about it. They hold up fine.

The ear padding is faux leather with memory-foam filling. It’s easy on the ears and feels premium.

Generally, the earpads like that survive the wear and tear of a couple of years, after which they often start flaking. And you can’t replace them when that happens.

For the price, you pay you can be happy.

Features

3.0 Good

One of the rare headphones that come with a microphone mute, together with built-in controls, mic, NFC, and LED indicators.

You get the standard features of Bluetooth headphones. The built-in controls feel a bit flimsy and plasticky but are generally easy to use.

You’ve probably seen better-built buttons, but since these fall in the affordable category, you can forgive them.

What the Arias have that others don’t is a dedicated microphone mute and phone call buttons.

During a call you can mute yourself, a voice prompt tells you you’re muted. Plus, when you want to answer/reject call or call the last number, you can do it with a separate button.

It makes controlling the features simpler.

Plus, if you make a lot of phone calls you can get a detachable boom mic that attaches to the headphones. You don’t get it in the package so you have to buy it separately.

Another thing we like about the voice prompt is it’s slightly different wording. When you turn off most headphones, you get a beep or “power off” message.

But Arias say “Goodbye!” in a positive female voice. We like the difference.

Now for the microphone, it’s okay.

The other person will probably still know you’re not using your phone, and it doesn’t work that well in a loud place.

Limit your talks to calm rooms without loud ambient noises.

Among other features is the NFC that makes it even easier to connect to a new device. Even though connecting wireless headphones without it is easy enough already.

The 2 LED lights are for ANC on/off and Bluetooth mode indication.

Accessories

The only accessories you get is a soft carrying bag with a zipper and an additional zipper pocket. Plus, a 3.5mm audio cable for when you want to use the wired headphones.

Sound

3.0 Good

The ANC headphones largely sound good for an average user. They’re slightly bass emphasized and cater to fit into the popular audio taste.

A more demanding user will know you can’t expect high fidelity from budget noise cancelling headphones. And you don’t get it.

That doesn’t mean the sound is bad. It’s about average for the category.

The bass is a bit boosted, with nice punchiness and power. Though, when you turn on the ANC some of the bass gets “eaten away”.

Clarity is okay, you won’t get the most vibrant vocals or treble. They’re a bit muffled, especially with ANC turned off. But it gets slightly better when you turn it on.

If I got them as a present, as the owner of a couple of audiophile headphones, I’d make them my secondary or tertiary pair.

I would take them to the airport, on my trips, and wouldn’t worry much if I lost them.  They’re good for the price, but nothing amazing.

And, if you aren’t too demanding about headphones and don’t spend hundreds of dollars every year, then you’ll like these just fine.

Why Buy Avantree Aria?

While these ANC headphones aren’t perfect or best in any category, they cater to less demanding users who want something solid for a lower price.

They’re comfortable, have a reliable wireless connection, decent build quality, and moderately effective noise cancellation. All of that for an affordable price under $70 (at the time of writing this).

In this price category, the Avantree Aria are among the best choices while not necessarily the single top choice.

If you like the offer and possibly get them cheaper, you won’t make a horrible decision.

Specifications

Matija Ferjan

Matija Ferjan is a seasoned audio enthusiast reviewing headphones since 2015. He has personally tested hundreds of headphones and earbuds. He’s an active member of the Headphone Audio community and a true nitpicker, always looking for the “best-value-for-money” headphones.