Up for review today are the Avantree Aria Me headphones, a $150 pair of Bluetooth cans that tout active noise-cancellation, feature aptX LL and aptX HD codecs, and come with a mobile app for fine-tuning. Read on to learn more.
Design
The design of the Avantree Aria Me Headphones reminds me of a hybrid between the Bose QC 35 II and Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones. Similar to these, it uses a plastic build that feels durable while being lightweight. Plus, there is an included hard case for storage and traveling.
Similar to most other over the ear headphones, you can find buttons on either earcup providing you with controls for play/pause, volume, ANC, power, skipping tracks, and more. There is even a 3.5mm jack that allows you to use the Aria Me wired, as well as plug in the optional microphone. Just be warned, you can’t plug in both at the same time, meaning you can only use the mic when connecting via Bluetooth.
However, what makes the Aria Me truly stand out is the charging stand. This is the first pair of headphones I’ve seen with this feature and it’s a wonderful bonus to have a stand included that not only shows off your headphones but also charges them.
It almost takes the sting out of Avantree still using the micro USB port in 2020, almost. I would have loved to see the Aria Me use the USB-C port that has become more and more standard on headphones recently. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, but at least you can use the charging stand instead.
Fit & Comfort
Speaking of the charging stand, the Aria Me includes contacts on the headband for charging. Some might be worried this would affect the comfort, in my opinion, this wasn’t the case. The headband provided plenty of cushioning and the ear cups were large with enough padding to give your ears plenty of space.
Regardless, after a couple of hours, I began to feel a pressure point on the top of my head. Prolonged listening periods could be uncomfortable for some but overall the Aria Me are a pretty comfortable pair of over the ear headphones.
User Experience
Recently headphones have begun trying to enhance the listening experience with apps that provide a hearing test. Over the past couple of years, I’ve tried a few pairs that offer an app with this feature. In some cases, the hearing test helps, but not always.
I’m happy to report that Avantree did a good job here. After running the hearing test and applying my custom profile I could hear a significant difference. Tracks had more detail and it helped elevate frequencies I was missing out on.
The only downside is the app doesn’t do anything else. There is no access to ANC controls or the ability to set a custom EQ. In my opinion, that’s a big mistake and Avantree missed out on a big advantage of providing an app.
Sound Quality
The good news is that Avantree has used the aptX HD codec in the Aria Me, this is one of the higher quality Bluetooth codecs out there. Plus, the app helps bring out more detail after completing the hearing test and applying your custom profile.
However, the Aria Me only have an average sound for this price range, but that should be enough to satisfy most users. Although personally, I found them to sound a little bloated and lacking in the higher frequencies.
Regardless, the Aria Me still provides a lot of detail with strong bass. Fair warning though, if you’re looking for headphones with bright crisp highs and clarity, then these will come up a little short.
ANC
Overall, I found the active noise cancellation on the Aria Me to be disappointing. When enabling ANC the audio quality was significantly worse and it actually made hearing noise easier in my experience. With ANC disabled audio sounded much better and it blocked out outside distractions better.
Battery Life
Avantree rates the Aria Me for up to 24-hours of battery life. I was surprised to find this number to be accurate. Without a doubt, the battery life is one of the primary strengths of the Aria Me. That’s great news for all those long trips and days at work because these will get you through the day and then some.
Final Thoughts
Avantree offers a decent value with its Aria Me over the ear headphones. The audio quality is pretty average for this price range, but the app hearing test and fantastic battery life both help add value. The biggest drawback is the ANC performance, the Aria Me cannot live up to others such as Bose or Sony in this arena. In fact, I found enabling ANC was worse for noise and audio quality.
For that reason, you might want to save some money and buy a pair without ANC or go with another more expensive brand if active noise cancellation is important to you. Otherwise, the Aria Me are a mediocre pair of headphones for the price. And if you do decide to pick up a pair, Avantree has provided us with a coupon code that further sweetens the deal by dropping the price down to $134.99. Just enter J3BEE75R when checking out on Amazon.
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