TaoTronics SoundSurge 60 review: Wireless ANC headphones that won’t break the bank

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9.4/10 Rating

After an influx of TWS earbud reviews, it’s nice to review a pair of wireless headphones. TaoTronics might not be a company you’ve heard of before but our first outing with them showed that decent sound quality and ANC doesn’t always have to come with a huge price tag. Sure, you do get what you pay for but we’ve been finding out that there are plenty of affordable options that offer up decent sound which will be satisfactory for most people. On that note, our TaoTronics SoundSurge 60 review takes a look at a pair of wireless active noise cancelling stereo headphones that are by no means going to break the bank.

Specifications

The TaoTronics SoundSurge 60 Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Stereo Headphones (TT-BH060) have the following features and specifications:

  • Drown out the Noise: ANC blocks traffic and other noise, so you are free to fully dive into your favorite tunes.
  • Next Level Quick Charging: A mere 5 min charge now provides 2 full hours of playback; batteries last up to 30 hours on a full charge.
  • True Wireless Sound: Static-free, reliable Bluetooth 5.0 connection for stable music streaming.
  • Handy Folding Design: Easily stored away in the sleek carrying case.
  • 30 hour battery life
  • Hyper Speed Charge
  • Over-ear/foldable/rotatable design
  • Includes carrying case
  • Dimensions: 7.68 x 6.42 x 3.15 inches
  • Weight: 7.7 ounces

What’s in the box

  • TaoTronics SoundSurge 60 Wireless ANC Headphones (TT-BH060)
  • Micro-USB charging cable
  • 3.5mm Audio Cable
  • Travel case
  • User guide
What's included with the TaoTronics SoundSurge 60 Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Stereo Headphones
What’s included with the TaoTronics SoundSurge 60 Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Stereo Headphones.

Design

The TaoTronics Wireless ANC Headphones are fairly standard in design. The top of the headband is wrapped in a leatherette finish with just enough padding on top to be comfortable even after extended use.

While most headsets extend closer to the earcups, the SoundSurge 60 start to extend where the leatherette wrap ends. As a result, when extended, you’ll see the metal extensions, then another black plastic headband portion which meet up with the earcups.

The earcups are attached to this piece by way of an inverted U shaped piece of plastic which swivels a full 90° forward and about 5° for a comfortable fit. On the inside of the swivel is an L or R to indicate which ear each earcup goes on.

The TaoTronics SoundSurge 60 Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Stereo Headphones
The TaoTronics SoundSurge 60 Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Stereo Headphones.

While the front swivel seems excessive, it’s actually useful for when the headphones are around your neck, allowing the earpads to lay flat against your body. In addition to the swivel, the earcups also tilt towards and away from your ears. Combined with the swivel and headband adjustment, these should fit most head sizes comfortably.

The earcups are matte black plastic as well, with the TT logo debossed in the center of each outer oval-shaped cup. The bottom of the left earcup is where you’ll find the Micro-USB charging port and the charging indicator LED. On the bottom of the right earcup, from back to front, you’ll find the volume rocker, power button, working indicator LED, 3.5mm audio port, microphone pinhole, and ANC switch button.

The earpads are wrapped with the same leatherette material as the top of the headband. The foam the wrap is very soft and spongy. Being as malleable as it is, the earpads are very comfortable and conform nicely to the shape of your ears/head.

The headset also comes with a semi-hard shelled, oval-shaped carrying case. The TT logo is embossed in silver on the outside. The case opens and closes by way of a zipper which wraps 95% of the way around the case. Opening the case up and you’ll see an empty compartment on one side and a mesh pouch on the bottom half of the other. The earcups fold in towards the headband, allowing for the headphones to fit nicely into the case.

Our review sample came in black, but you can also get Classic Grey, Orange, and Fresh Mint.

Ease of Use

The TaoTronics SoundSurge 60 are pretty straightforward and simple to use. For starters, you’ll need to pair them with your device. Turn on the headphones and activate pairing mode by pressing the power button for about 5 seconds until the LED flashes blue and red. When the LED flashes, look for “TaoTronics TT-BH060” in the list of devices on your smartphone, select it, and you’ll be good to go.

The on-ear controls are easy to use once you remember where they are. Even if you don’t, it’s pretty easy to find them by feel. Pressing the volume up and down adjusts the volume while holding up skip to the next track and holding volume down goes back to the beginning of the current track/back to the previous track. Pressing the power button plays/pauses the current track, as well as answering and hanging up phone calls. To reject a phone call, hold the power button for 2 seconds. You can also redial the last number you called by pressing the power button twice.

The controls and ports on the bottom of the TaoTronics SoundSurge 60 Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Stereo Headphones earcups
The controls and ports on the bottom of the TaoTronics SoundSurge 60 Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Stereo Headphones earcups.

Toggling the ANC feature is easy as well, simply move the ANC switch forward to turn it on (and the LED will light up blue) or back to turn it off.

Sound Quality

While the sound is pretty loud and crisp with decent balance, the SoundSurge 60 could definitely use some more bass, or at least warmer bass. The bass it does have tends to be punchier so if you prefer that, you’ll be fine. If you prefer warmer, more filling bass like me, these are still acceptable but still a bit lacking.

That being said, the various types of music we listened to all sounded decent enough and fairly balanced.

The key feature here, of course, is the ANC functionality. While turned on, it works rather well. I tested it while my wife was driving down the road at 110km/h with the windows open. With the ANC off, it sounded like I was in an airplane. Toggle it on and the majority of the wind noise melted away, leaving me to more fully enjoy the music I was listening to.

Call Quality

Like most wireless headsets, the TaoTronics Wireless ANC Stereo Headset has a microphone for calls. While I never use this feature, we do test it for review purposes. On that note, as is usually the case, while call quality is decent, I did have to speak up a bit, but not much, for the other party to hear me.

Reception

The TaoTronics SoundSurge 60 have pretty decent reception. In a two-story house, I can leave my phone on the kitchen table and still hear music solidly though the headset almost anywhere else in the house. There were a few corners it would cut out briefly before cutting back in and resuming normal playback functionality.

Battery Life

TaoTronics claims this headset has a 30-hour playtime on a single charge. When we tested it with ANC on, we definitely hit that 30-hour mark. As stated, ANC was enabled and the volume was between 50 and 75% the entire time.

Given the great battery life, you’d expect it would take a while to recharge the headset when depleted. Fortunately, a quick 5 minute charge gives you another couple of hours of music listening while a full recharge only takes about 45 minutes. Even better? If the battery does run out, you can still use these in wired mode with the included 3.5mm audio cable, albeit without the ANC functionality.

Price/Value

With an MSRP of US$69.99 on Amazon, the TaoTronics SoundSurge 60 are definitely affordable. Oddly enough, the Classic Grey colour is about $10 cheaper while the Fresh Mint cost $10 more. Even odder, the same headset is priced at CA$69.99 across the board so, if you’re Canadian, you’re getting these on par when purchased from Amazon Canada.

At any rate, for the sound and ANC functionality, these are definitely a very reasonably priced headset.

Wrap-up

While there are obviously better sounding headphones out there, for the price, the TaoTronics SoundSurge 60 offer decent sound and equally decent active noise-cancelling for those on a budget.

*We were sent a sample of the TaoTronics SoundSurge 60 ANC Wireless Stereo Headphones (TT-BH060) for the purposes of this review. In some of our articles and especially in our reviews, you will find Amazon or other affiliate links. Running a website does take money, along with time. Any purchases you make through these links often result in a small amount being earned for the site and/or our writers.

Last Updated on February 3, 2021.

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