Hello and welcome to another blog. This is the YouPin QCY M18, and they have a boost mode for low latency and they automatically detect if you’re wearing them or not. But are they any good? Let’s find out! If you don’t know the YouPin brand, shortly explained it’s a commerce department under the Xiaomi brand. Anyway, the box is pretty standard with some specifications on the back, but let’s open it and see what’s inside.
The content is what we usually get with QCY Bluetooth wireless earbuds, so we get the charging case, a user manual, and a charging cable. The manual shows us how to set it up, how to use the touch controls, and so on, so if you need any help, it’s in here. For charging we have a USB type C cable, so no need to bring any extra cables if you already have a phone with type C. The charging case is very compact at only 4.7 by 5.1 cm, and 2.5 cm thick. On the front is a button, and clicking it will give us an indication of the battery level of the case by using the light above it.
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Let’s Talk About Features & Specification
It looks quite nice in this white color, and it’s a matte finish that feels nice to touch. And under we have the charging port. It’s got a magnetic lid, which feels sturdy enough, and opening it activates the pairing process. If you have the QCY app installed on your phone, it will show a popup with the battery levels for both earphones and the case. The earbuds themselves have a glossy finish, but they look good, and they have a design we have seen a few times before. They’re of the semi in-ear type, so if you don’t like pushing earbuds into the ear canals, this type may be a better option for you. Like I mentioned earlier they do have sensors for detecting when they are in the ears, so they will automatically pause when you take them out and resume when you put them back in. If you don’t want this function, it is possible to deactivate it in the app.
The microphone is located under the stem, and they do support stereo calling. The call quality isn’t’ the best I’ve heard, but it’s good enough. Here are a couple of samples so you can hear for yourself. Regarding water resistance, they are ratedIPX4, which means they can take some splashes from all directions, but they’re not made for wearing in the shower.
There are two ways to pair the QCY M18, so if you don’t want to use the QCY App at all, they can be paired the usual way. It’s not necessary to take them out of the case, so just open the lid and find them in the phone’s Bluetooth menu. If you have installed the QCY app, just open the lid and wait for it to pop up on the screen. The nice thing about the app is that we can see the remaining battery for both earphones and the case. But one thing to note here is that we can only see the remaining battery for the case when both earphones are in it.
After taking them out, the indicator for the box will disappear. Another thing is that this popup is only available on Android devices. But, there are a few other things in the app as well. We can change the touch functions, so if you for example need volume control, it can be set here. Sadly we only have a double and triple tap, so you’ll have to sacrifice one function to get a new one. Here’s an equalizer so we can add more bass or change it in other ways if we want to, or we can use one of the presets. Below the eq, is the Find Headset function, which will show us a map of where we were the last time we used them. If they’re still connected to the phone, we can click the button to play a loud alarm through the earphones, and hopefully, we can hear them nearby.
Options for switching on or off ear detection and updating the firmware are also here. The QCY M18 comes with a Bluetooth 5.1 chip for a faster connection, but it still takes a little while for it to connect with the earphones and the case. It’s nice to be able to see the remaining battery in the case though. The media controls work well and I haven’t had any problems with accidental touches. To play or pause, we can double-tap either of the earbuds. To skip songs withhold for a couple of seconds.
On the right one to skip forward, or the left one to go back. Triple tapping the left one will open the assistant, and triple tapping the right one will activate the boost mode or also called gaming mode. If you don’t use the boosting mode and the assistant, I would recommend going into the app and change the triple tap functions to adjust the volume. Regarding latency, they work well with videos and have no problem with YouTube, Netflix, and so on.
This latency test is played from YouTube, and as you can see and hear, there’s not much delay at all. But for games, it may be a bit too much delay for some, even with the boosting mode switched on, which reduces the delay to 110 ms. I think the boosting mode is more aimed at live streaming and video, but it also helps in games. As you can see here, it’s playable, but it’s definitely noticeable. YouPin even recommends gamers to buy the QCYT5 instead of the QCY M18, and I agree with them.
If you don’t like in-ear earphones, the semi-in ear is a good choice. They sit well in the ears, without going deep, and they don’t fall easily out. They don’t create a perfect seal though, so sounds from the surroundings will not be blocked out as well as with in-ears. Regarding battery life, I was a bit surprised. In the specifications it’s written they should give us 4 hours playback at 50% volume, and 3.5 hours talk time, but I’m getting a lot more. Even at a loud volume, I’m getting around 7hours on one charge. I did many tests, and I got about the same result every time.
It’s a bit strange, but that’s the result I’m getting. Maybe I should add these together, and get4 hours of music + 3.5 hours talk time, which together is 7.5 hours? With fully charged earphones and a full case, I got a total of 30 hours. Just be aware that the official numbers are20 hours, so what I’m getting may not be normal. Anyway, the sound quality is quite good, and the Bluetooth 5.1 chip comes with AAC and SBC codecs.
Out of the box, the sound is a bit flat, soI do recommend using the equalizer for tweaking the sound. They have 13 mm, dynamic drivers, that sound good and spacious enough. The highs are comfortable, and the mids are nice. The separation between different instruments and vocals is also good, as long as there’s not too much going on. If there’s a lot of instruments or vocals, they tend to blend a bit together at loud volume.
Conclusion:
Regarding bass, they are a bit flat, even after adjusting it in the equalizer, so these earbuds are not going to give us a rumbling powerful bass. It’s got a bit of punch to it, but that about it. Overall I like the compact case with the matte finish, the earbuds are comfortable to wear and the battery gave me more than I expected! I also like being able to see the remaining battery of the case on the phone. I do wish they had better bass though, but it is what it is. At this price point, I still think they’re a good deal, but not for people who like deep bass. And that’s it for my review. Please comment, follow my website, and follow social media, Have a nice day and see you in the next blog. Bye Bye.