One Odio Focus A1 Pro review: budget headphones that sound better than you'd expect | Tech Radar

Overview

I've been using these super-cheap headphones for a month — I'm surprised to report they sound great

These headphones cost under $40 and I’ve used them non-stop all month

Details

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The One Odio Focus A1 Pro sound surprisingly good, given that they’re incredibly cheap headphones. They’re also lightweight and have a battery life that’ll last you absolutely ages. However, the build does feel cheap, the ANC isn’t great, and there’s no smartphone app.

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It’s a competitive world out there for the best cheap headphones — One Odio should know, it’s contributed a fair few options. And with its most recent pair of budget blowers, it’s offered yet another fantastic-value headset with just a few rough edges.

The One Odio Focus A1 Pro are the cheapest pair of headphones we’ve tested yet from the budget brand, and that’s really saying something. They cost just $35 or equivalent, undercutting the 4.5-star-rated One Odio Focus A6. If you’re looking for a pair of headphones that’ll last you well, and really don’t want to spend much money, they’re a hit.

Last you they will, because they offer a battery life that reaches up to 70 hours, which is fantastic for the money. They’re also lightweight and easy to tote about, and these perks will likely be big draws to buyers on a budget.

My favorite element of the Focus A1 Pro is the audio quality: these headphones sound better than anything else I’ve tested under $50. That’s obviously a low bar, but the One Odio easily clears it, with music sounding natural and bright with a decent sound stage.

When buying budget headphones, there’s always a big risk that you’re buying tat that’ll end up in landfill (or a box to take to your local recycling center) by the end of the month. I’m happy to report that the One Odio certainly aren’t that… but they have a few issues too.

Lots of the weakest elements of the A1 Pro are things I’ve seen in other One Odio headphones, such as the Focus A5 (which I only awarded three stars, in my review).

These new cans don’t have a tie-in smartphone app, and nor do they offer many of the features that an app would help open the door to. Most vitally, there’s no equalizer, which many consider an imperative feature for products such as this. The ANC performance is also weak, with the passive padding of the cups doing the lion’s share of the work in stopping surrounding sounds from distracting you. Now, we can easily argue that it would be churlish to expect these things for such a lowly fee, but it's my job to tell you what you'll be getting here if you click 'buy'.

I also found these cans a little uncomfortable to wear over longer periods of time, partly due to their rather tight clamping force, and partly because they sit somewhere between on-ears and over-ears. Your poor flappers are going to get a little crushed.

One Odio Focus A1 Pro review: Price and release date

You can pick up the Focus A1 Pro for

You think that makes them some of the cheapest headphones worth considering? Wait until you hear the actual price; within two weeks of the release date of January 23, I’d already found them discounted. Only by a couple of dollars or pounds, but it's still something, and One Odio promises continued price cuts through the year.

The headphones were announced on January 20, 2026, and released shortly afterwards.

In what might come as a shock to headphone buyers in the year 2026, the Focus A1 Pro don’t have a smartphone app. Of all the features this rules out, an equalizer is the biggest: if you don’t like One Odio’s mix, you'll have to lump it.

You do still get multipoint pairing, as well as a low-latency mode for gaming which is enabled by double-pressing the ANC button. But this department more than any other shows why the headphones are so cheap.

Talking of ANC, it’s not very good, but coupled with the natural passive noise cancellation of the ear cups, it’ll remove the top layer of annoying noise. When I was on public transport, I could still hear every screech of noisy rails or honk of nearby vehicles, but it was a little less onerous than normal.

I personally took to keeping the ANC off, though, and it was for battery reasons. With ANC off, you get 70 hours of listening time, which is solid stamina. For context, if you listened for about three hours and 20 minutes every day, you’d only have to charge every three weeks.

That figure drops substantially with ANC on; One Odio’s figures alternate between quotes of 40 or 50 hours, and the truth is likely somewhere in between. I’d rather have the longer listening time than the scant improvements this particular ANC solution brings.

I was surprised to read that the One Odio has Bluetooth 6.0; it’s rare among headphones I’ve tested recently in having this enhanced standard. Not once in testing did I have any connection issues.

The Focus A1 Pro are, by and large, your standard headphones: big, black band with an ear cup at each end, that give you music. No-one was expecting One Odio to reinvent the wheel for $35.

They weigh 200g, and while they have a few little design flourishes that differentiate them from your average budget cans (some curves and patterns in the appearance, for example), they do feel cheap. The build is plastic-heavy and some of the moving parts can wobble or creak a little bit.

You don’t get a carry case with the Focus, and I was a little scared to transport them in my bag, as they feel a tad fragile. They also have no IP rating. That said, during my testing month, they sustained no damage whatsoever.

I’ve so far refrained from classing these as over-ears or on-ears, as they sit haphazardly in the middle of both. Forget Goldilocks’ messaging, though, because it’s not ‘just right’ either. They sit a little weirdly on the head, for me.

The pads, while soft, crush your ears a little over time; this was noticeable when listening for longer sessions, as my ears would get a bit achey. The rather tight grip of the cans doesn’t help here either. I also never quite figured out exactly how to wear them, due to this over/on dilemma.

On the right cup, there are some touch controls (volume up and down, power, ANC; the basics) as well as the USB-C port. These don’t stick out too much, so finding them by touch can be tricky. It took a little while for pressing these to become easy and natural. There’s no 3.5mm jack for wired audio; these are wireless or nada.

I’ve been positive about the Focus A1 Pro and that’s not going to stop now, but let’s get one thing straight: these are budget cans, and when I say they’re ‘good’, I mean ‘for the price'.

One Odio has kitted out the headphones with 40mm dynamic drivers using PET diaphragms; so far, so budget.

Unlike many other budget headphones, the brand hasn’t fallen into the ‘more bass is more gooder’ trap — there’s a fairly natural-sounding V shape with distinct trebles in vocals, and bass that’s as rounded as you can hope for at this price point. I was surprised when songs like Starlight by Slash and Miles Kennedy offered layered instrumentation and palpable timbre, as it’s not something I’d expect for the cost.

Naturally, the mids can fall through the cracks, so you can’t expect the whole band to show up. And when you get songs with lots going on, instruments blur together; Clarity by Vance Joy doesn’t quite live up to its title.

I’ve been constantly mentioning the price in this scene, and it’s to cover my back. Audiophiles won’t like these cans, as the mixing is messier than it would be on pricier options. But if you compare these to other offerings at the price, they’re nothing short of wonderful.

I would’ve liked to see the Focus A1 Pro manage a higher max volume, though. At full blast, the audio could mostly compete with a busy-ish road I was walking down, but Nigel Tufnel would malign the lack of any 11 to turn your music up to for that harder hit. Even when at home, anything below 50% volume was hard to hear.

The One Odio Focus A1 Pro are fantastic for the price. They sound far better than you’d expect from budget cans, and I’ve tested rivals for twice the price which don’t hold a candle.

That’s not even touching on the solid battery life, the hardy connection or the useful-for-gamers latency mode.

If you look hard enough, you can probably find rival cans with better ANC, a comfier fit or an equalizer, and I’d like the One Odio even more if it offered these. But for the price, it’s hard to knock the Focus for its absences.

There’s no app and ANC isn’t great, though the battery life and connection are solid.

There’s no app and ANC isn’t great, though the battery life and connection are solid.

For cheap earbuds, they look better than most, but have a few rough edges (literally).

For cheap earbuds, they look better than most, but have a few rough edges (literally).

These cans sound great for the price, with clearer audio and neater sound spacing than you’d expect.

These cans sound great for the price, with clearer audio and neater sound spacing than you’d expect.

You're on a tight budget These headphones have been designed for people who don't want to pay for premium, or even mid-range, options.

Battery life is an important factor The 70-hour battery life is going to be handy for all kinds of use cases.

You need lightweight headphones Don't like a big helmet on your head? These are lighter than some alternatives I've tested.

You need something durable The One Odio feels a little fragile, and I don't imagine they'll stand up to some rough-and-tumble use.

You need heavy-duty noise cancellation The ANC on these guys isn't fantastic, though it's better than nothing.

One Odio Focus A6 These high-rated budget cans cost a touch more than the A1 Pro, but app access is the headline improvement. Read our full One Odio Focus A6 review

Soundpeats Cove Pro These slightly pricier alternatives have a solid build and impressive feature set, though they don't sound as good. (Our review on the Cove Pro is currently in the pipeline; when we publish it, you'll be the first to know!)

Tested at home, on walks, on public transport and the gym

I used the One Odio Focus A1 Pro for the best part of a month before writing this review, so they got a lot of use.

For most of the test period, the headphones were paired with my Android smartphone, though I also used them alongside an Android tablets at several points.

Testing was done streaming music, watching TV shows and playing games. I tested the headphones in various interior settings, while out and about, and during gym sessions.

I've been tested audio gadgets for Tech Radar for years, including several previous One Odio headphones and earbuds.

Tom Bedford is a freelance contributor covering tech, entertainment and gaming. Beyond Tech Radar, he has bylines on sites including Games Radar, Digital Trends, Whatto Watch and BGR. From 2019 to 2022 he was on the Tech Radar team as the staff writer and then deputy editor for the mobile team.

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Key Takeaways

• I've been using these super-cheap headphones for a month — I'm surprised to report they sound great

• These headphones cost under $40 and I’ve used them non-stop all month

• When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission

• The One Odio Focus A1 Pro sound surprisingly good, given that they’re incredibly cheap headphones

• The best cheap headphones, all tested by our reviewers