When buying noise-canceling headphones, people often have to compromise on their budget. It’s like both features do not overlap in the Venn diagram; you have to select one. So, when a new pair was introduced in the market with ‘affordable’ written all over it, some believed the headphones were too good to be true. It turns out that Monoprice 110010 are great noise-canceling headphones that do not come with a hefty price tag.
If you’re picking up your jaw from the floor after hearing this, you’re not alone. That’s why we donned our Sherlock Holmes-like Deerstalker cap and decided to get to the bottom of the mysterious case of Monoprice 110010. And boy, do we have things to say about the pair.
So, without further ado, let’s go over the pair’s features in detail.
| Brand | Monoprice |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth |
| Noise Control | Yes |
| Transducer | Dynamic |
| Headphone Jack | Yes, 3.5 mm |
| Dimensions | 32.51 x 36.32 x 8.64 cm |
| Weight | 1.2 kg |
| Colors | One, Jet Black |
| Battery | AAA |
| Model | 110010 |
| Padding Material | Synthetic Leather |
| Type | Over-Ear |
| Enclosure | Closed-Back |
| Microphone | Yes |
| Sound Isolation | Yes, 35 dB |
| Price | $50 – $100 |
Sound Quality
Sound quality is one of, if not the most, important feature in headphones. In fact, some people base their decision solely on this factor. If you’re also one of them, rest assured. You’d be making a wise choice by investing in Monoprice 110010. Although the pair provides crystal clear sound in the high and low range, it’s mid-range where the headphones really shine. The spacious soundstage of Monoprice 110010 is another feature that deserves a shout-out; while wearing the pair and listening to Rihanna’s multi-award-winning ‘Lift Me Up,’ it would appear as if you’re recording the song with the Barbadian singer herself.
Even if you’re playing the song at a high volume, the sound will not distort, providing an exceptional experience to audiophiles. It’s impossible to talk about Monoprice 110010’s sound quality and not mention the integrated microphone. Gamers would especially appreciate this, considering they often struggle with finding a pair of headphones they can wear while playing a friendly match of Apex Legends. Since the microphone delivers crisp audio, online communication shouldn’t be a problem.
All in all, judging from Monoprice 110010’s sound quality, it gives us great pleasure to say that the headphones are ideal for gamers and music lovers alike.
Battery Life
After reading the last sentence, you might wonder whether Monoprice 110010’s exceptional sound quality is supported by a long-lasting battery. Well, y’all should count your lucky stars because the pair delivers on that front as well – kind of. The thing is, Monoprice claims that this pair of headphones can last up to 14 hours on a single battery charge. But when we took them for a test drive, they lasted around 8 hours.
However, we can’t say we were disappointed with the results.
On the contrary, we blasted music and played games until the battery drained completely. One thing we noticed was that Monoprice 110010 didn’t perform up to the mark while playing games where even the tiniest sound mattered.
For instance, Far Cry 3 is set in a jungle. For us to truly enjoy the game, we tried to listen to every sound made by the wildlife but were ultimately unsuccessful because of the headphones’ lack of ability to grasp background sounds. Luckily, Monoprice 110010 more than makes up for this weakness with plenty of other features. Topping that list is a charging cable you can insert into any USB port.
Moreover, it takes the pair of headphones just 2 hours to charge completely. Considering these plus points, we’re willing to overlook their lacking areas.
Build Quality
Those familiar with Monoprice know about the brand’s products’ build quality; they’re made from premium materials, which contribute to the items looking high-end and luxurious. The same is the case with Monoprice 110010. One of the first things you’ll notice about the pair of headphones is that they’re lightweight. Though that may force you to judge the quality of materials, you can rest easy knowing that Monoprice 110010 are made from metal and features a rubberized headband.
The earcups, however, are not the strongest suite of the headphones. Considering they’re made of plastic, they feel – and look – below average. But that’s not to say that the headphones will feel heavy or irritating when worn for a long period of time. Monoprice specifically designed this unit keeping the listeners’ comfort in mind.
A significant factor that makes the headphones comfortable is their padding. Since it’s adjustable, people with different ear sizes would be able to find a position they feel the most relaxed in.
In addition, Monoprice 110010 can be folded to fit your suitcase or bag; this feature comes especially handy for those who travel frequently. With other headphones, it can be a bit challenging to do so, considering you can break them if you forcefully try to fit them into your backpack. Fortunately, that’s not the case with Monoprice 110010.
Noise Canceling
If you’re looking for a short answer, Monoprice 110010 are noise-canceling headphones. The pair even lets you adjust the noise cancel level, depending on how cut off you want to be from the rest of the world. Unfortunately, you’ll not be able to block the outside noise entirely. Due to this, some even object to the use of the term ‘noise-canceling’ for the headphones; instead, they prefer ‘noise-isolating.’
The noise-isolating feature is divided into three parts:
It’s important that we give credit where it’s due.
Unlike other companies, Monoprice does not wrongly highlight the feature. In the headphones’ description, they haven’t mentioned anywhere that they completely cut off the outside sound.
Instead, they’ve used the words ‘92% linear reduction in noise pressure,’ which is English for ‘the headphones’ noise-isolation feature won’t work very well in loud surroundings.’
So, if you don’t mind listening to outside noise to some extent, Monoprice 110010 would be a good fit.
Water Resistance
Calling all gym bros! You can listen to Ava Max’s ‘Blood, Sweat & Tears’ on Monoprice 110010 while shredding fat at the gym. In other words, the headphones are water resistant; you can wear them during intense workout sessions without worrying about damaging them permanently.
However, Monoprice 110010 are not water-proof.
So, if you were to, say, submerge the headphones in water, they’ll stop working. If you want 100% waterproof headphones, check whether they have an IPx7 rating. If they do, you can soak the unit in water without worrying about damaging it.
Connectivity
Whether you want to connect Monoprice 110010 with a tablet, laptop, or mobile phone, you can do so without anything blocking your remarkable listening experience.
The headphones offer the best of both worlds; they can be connected with a wire or without one, whichever method you prefer.
Plus, one of the earcups has buttons that let you answer or reject calls, play music, and more.
If you choose to connect Monoprice 110010 using Bluetooth with a device, keep it close to the pair. Moving 32+ meters away from the smartphone or tablet will cause the headphones to malfunction, and you may not be able to hear the audio clearly.
Are you still skeptical about Monoprice 110010? If so, there’s nothing wrong with admitting it. After all, you’re spending your hard-earned money and must ensure it checks all the boxes. That’s precisely why we’ve listed the pros and cons of the headphones. This way, it’ll be easier for you to make a decision.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Great sound quality | Uncomfortable headband |
| Excellent build quality | Small ear cups |
| Water-resistant | Noise-isolating feature doesn’t work well in loud surroundings |
| Noise-isolating | No battery-saving features, like auto-shut |
| Comfortable | |
| Lightweight | |
| Affordable price | |
| Adjustable padding | |
| Built-in microphone | |
| Premium-like finish | |
| Long-lasting battery |
While shopping for headphones, you’ll come across many options. However, these three are the most common: in-ear, over-ear, and on-ear.
In-Ear Headphones: Also called hands-free and earphones, in-ear headphones are the cheapest option in the market. Typically, when you purchase a new phone, it’s accompanied by in-ear headphones (though more and more companies only pack the phone and charger as of late).
Since in-ear headphones are barely noticeable – especially if they are black – you can wear them without drawing attention, which is not the case with over-ear or on-ear headphones. However, one of the biggest cons of earphones is that they prove bothersome while traveling.
For instance, let’s assume you purchase a pair to listen to songs while you commute daily to college or work via the metro. That means you’d have to keep your smartphone – or whichever device you’ve connected the in-ear headphones with – in your pocket, briefcase, or bag.
And that’ll be difficult, considering there’s a high chance the wires of the hands-free will get tangled. Not to forget, the wires could get stuck somewhere, causing the device to fall on the ground. For these reasons, we won’t recommend in-ear headphones.
On-Ear Headphones: Evident from the name, on-ear headphones sit on the ears. Think of them as a cross between in-ear and over-ear headphones. This feature can make or break the situation. For example, on the one hand, they do not entirely close the ear, which means they have poor noise cancellation.
And on the other hand, on-ear headphones offer the perfect mix of style, comfort, and good sound quality. So, who precisely would benefit from on-ear headphones? Well, those with a limited budget would find these headphones worth their penny. And if you travel a lot and need a pair that can easily fit in your bag, on-ear would be suitable.
However, on-ear headphones aren’t recommended for gaming sessions. As we’ve established earlier, they sit on the ears. That means, after some point, you’ll start feeling strained and will want to take them off immediately. So, as long as you don’t intend to use them for an extended period, you can go ahead with on-ear headphones.
Over-Ear Headphones: Unlike the previous two types, over-ear headphones neither go inside nor on the ears; instead, the cups completely encompass the ears. The outside noise is cut off, delivering pitch-perfect sound quality. Over-ear headphones are especially recommended for those who wouldn’t want to get distracted while working on something important.
But due to the bulky size of over-ear headphones, we won’t recommend them for traveling. And since most can’t be folded to fit into luggage, you put the pair at risk of being damaged. However, if that’s not a problem and you have an extra bag just for the over-ear headphones, feel free to take them with you. A lot of people do so because the pair can also help lessen the impact of airplane pressure when you’re flying.
All these qualities mean you should expect to spend a lot more on over-ear headphones than the other types. Though if you take proper care of them, the headphones will last long, and spending on them would be more of an investment than an expense.
If you’re a gamer and like to stream your matches, you’d want a pair of headphones with long-lasting battery life – around 8-10 hours, to be precise. Though some brands claim their headphones can run up to 20+ hours, take the news with a pinch of salt. Multiple factors affect headphones' battery life, such as the volume level, noise-canceling and other features, and how long you let them charge.
Comfortability won’t be at the top of your list, but it should be. This is especially true if you intend to use the headphones continuously. The thing is, all types of headphones – in-ear, on-ear, or over-ear – start to feel bothersome after some time, regardless of their price or build quality. If you don’t want this to happen, pay attention to the headphones' earcups and, more importantly, the material from which they’re built.
Some of the most common materials include synthetic leather, real leather, and memory foam. Of these three, synthetic leather is the most comfortable; it feels pleasant to touch and does an excellent job at isolating noise.
Earcups made of memory foam are also comfortable, but they accumulate dust and dirt, which makes them difficult to maintain. And finally, earcups made of real leather are usually associated with high-end headphones. They deliver pitch-perfect sound quality and are incredibly durable, but they can cause the ears to feel hot.
Monoprice 110010 are great noise-isolating headphones that come with an affordable price tag. Though they’re not without cons, you should be willing to overlook the lacking areas simply because the pair has so much to offer.
And if you think Monoprice 110010 are not fit for you, don’t worry. You can use our detailed buying guide to purchase headphones that meet your criteria perfectly.
Micheal - Writer at DealZoneOne.com 
No Spam. Just the 'Real' Deal.
