OneOdio Focus A1 Pro headphones hands-on: Relaxed vocals with punchy bass
Punchy bass.
The OneOdio Focus A1 Pro hybrid ANC over-ear headphones come with a stylish design that stays in place when jogging thanks to a strong headband and softly padded earcups. They combine satisfying noise cancellation with a more recessed presentation that delivers punchy bass and clear vocals.David Chien Published
Verdict – A punchy performer
The OneOdio Focus A1 Pro provides punchy bass with clear vocals, in a presentation that is pushed back, like sitting mid-row in a concert. This helps reduce the shrillness of high-frequency sounds to create a smoother performance.
As trade-offs, the instruments and vocals lose nuanced details, and the noise cancellation cannot match the performance of top competitors. Also, they may be too small for larger heads.
Nonetheless, the Focus A1 Pro provides a satisfying reduction in external noise from cafés to libraries for its price, and its good performance with modern music genres makes it an engaging choice.
Pros
Cons
Price and availability
The headphones are available from OneOdio for $39.99 in Midnight Black. They are also available from Amazon in Midnight Black or Black and Red.
The OneOdio Focus A1 Pro over-ear headphones provide punchy bass, satisfying noise cancelling, and a relaxed, smooth sound.
Specifications
| Drivers | 40 mm |
| Frequency Response | 20 Hz to 20 kHz |
| Noise Cancellation | Dual-microphone hybrid ANC with transparency mode |
| Call Microphone | ENC microphone on the right earcup |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 6.0 |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Latency | Low-latency mode (0.089 sec) |
| Battery | 600 mAh Li-ion battery |
| Battery Runtime | 70 hours (ANC off), 40 hours (ANC on) |
| Charge Time | Full charge: 2.5 hours |
| Quick charge: Add 5 hours after 10 minutes | |
| Dimensions | ~16 x 19 x 7 cm (6.3 x 7.5 x 2.8 in.) |
| ~18 x 13 x 4.5 cm (7.1 x 5.1 x 1.8 in.) Stowed flat | |
| Button Sizes | ANC ~9 x 3 mm (0.35 x 0.12 in.) |
| Power ~9 x 3 mm (0.35 x 0.12 in.) | |
| Volume ~20 x 3 mm (0.79 x 0.12 in.) | |
| Weight | 200 g (7.1 oz.) |
Packaging
The packaging included a manual, a regulatory pamphlet, and a USB-C charging cable.
Design
The A1 Pro feature earcup faceplates that add character and extra-soft padding for a snug, comfortable fit.
The earcups swivel on hinges that do not squeak and are marked with 19 mm (0.75 in.) R/L labels. The headband extends up to 3 cm (1.18 in.) across nine click stops. The headphones did not slip while jogging but did when headbanging.
Controls and Connections
The headphones are controlled by four buttons on the right earcup–ANC, Power, and Volume Up/Down–which can be difficult to press while wearing gloves and which produce a noticeable click louder than silent mouse buttons.
The power button must be held for three seconds to turn the headphones on and five seconds to turn them off. A single press handles pausing music or answering calls. Short presses of the volume buttons adjust the level, while long presses skip tracks.
A single press of the ANC button cycles through ANC and Transparency modes, while a double press activates Low Latency mode. Less common functions are assigned to longer presses.
The A1 Pro supports dual simultaneous Bluetooth connections. Audio latency is noticeable, but activating low-latency mode greatly reduces this.
Calls and Noise Cancellation
Call quality was good in moderately loud or quieter environments. Speech from a hatchback driven at 25 mph (40 kph) was intelligible, but occasionally unintelligible at 65 mph (105 kph).
The two-mic ANC worked fairly well when listening to music, though not on par with 12-mic top-tier competitors. During freeway commutes, music volume could be lowered by 20-25% while keeping soft vocals clear in songs like Chara’s Swallowtail Butterfly. Importantly, tire slap and road noise were reduced enough to relax and sleep at 65 mph (105 kph). Also, strong beach winds caused buffeting noise, which disappeared when ANC was turned off.
The headphones provided satisfying ANC performance for their price in cafes and libraries. The system created very minor ear pressure that was not distracting, and faint white noise that could only be heard in very quiet rooms. Both were less than what early NC headphones produced.
Transparency mode allowed surrounding speakers be heard without removing the headphones, though the highest voice frequencies were lost. Transmitted speech was similar in volume to what was heard without the headphones.
In-use
The Focus A1 has a smooth presentation, with a powerful bass that is felt, but not overwhelming. Vocals and instruments are pushed back for a more relaxed sound, and the toned‑down highs help reduce fatigue.
Bass lines are felt thanks to a moderately firm fit and tuning that emphasizes bass reproduction. Like the higher frequencies, the drums are blended with a smoothness that helps the Focus A1 Pro reproduce difficult bass lines that might unsettle other headphones, such as that in Miliyah Kato’s Bad Chasing.
But this tuning does trade away the detailed, up-close presentation of the OneOdio Focus A6 Pro and the surgical separation of instruments of the OneOdio Studio Max 1, and along with the use of SBC/AAC Bluetooth audio codecs, some songs lose subtle details. For example, Charlotte Church’s voice loses a bit of her angelic airiness in her song Pie Jesu from Requiem, and Filippa Giordano’s voice lacks nuance and sufficient vocal prowess to be fully satisfying in S'apre Per Te Il Mio Cuor.
Move away from the arias and operas to more modern music genres and the OneOdio Focus A1 Pro shines. The beat of the instruments in Billie Eilish’s Birds of a Feather is particularly engaging, with a strong bass line that moves the body. Bad Bunny x Drake’s Mía has a club-like presentation, with rich vocals and deep bass. And Rihanna’s Where Have You Been pounds away with a powerful bass that is thoroughly energetic.
Regardless of genre, the reproduction of bass, instruments, and voices stays controlled, without overloading or breaking apart. Vocals are centered and very intelligible, even during multilayered passages—a benefit for Swifties and anyone who wants to catch every lyric, since they are never buried beneath the instruments.
Conclusion
The Focus A1 Pro was enjoyable to listen to and wear thanks to its immediately comfortable padding, satisfying noise cancelling, and relaxed sound profile with intelligible vocals and moving bass.
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was given to the author by the manufacturer free of charge for the purposes of review. There was no third-party influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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