Baseus Bowie 30 Max Wireless Headphones Hands-On Review

Active Noise Cancelation (ANC) in headphones is not uncommon these days, but not every pair of ANC headphones can deliver an experience comparable to high-end options. That’s where the Baseus Bowie 30 Max wireless headphones come in, taking things one step further by adding spatial audio and head tracking to its list of premium features. Baseus has a few wireless headphones and earbuds in its Bowie series, and the Bowie 30 Max is the latest and greatest, bringing excellent ANC, crisp and balanced sound, as well as a few other features that make it stand out from the crowd.

Baseus has a wide portfolio when it comes to the products it offers. These range from charging accessories and USB hubs to audio and car accessories. The headphone portfolio is a relatively small one, with two wireless earbuds and two on-ear headphones in the Bowie series. Even though the Bowie 30 Max is the most expensive wireless ANC headphone the company offers, it is still in the budget category thanks to frequent sales that keep it at or below the $100 price range.

What’s In The Box?

• 1x Baseus Bowie 30 Max wireless headphones
• 1x Short USB Type-C cable
• 1x 3.5mm cable
• 1x Quick Start guide

The unboxing experience with the Baseus Bowie 30 Max is simple and straightforward with minimal packaging drama and just the necessary accessories. There is no carrying case or pouch included with these headphones, which is to be expected at this price point, but would still have been nice to have.

Design and Build Quality

The Bowie 30 Max carries forward the design aesthetic of the older Bowie series headphones, but are bulkier looking and come in a single black color. The Bowie D05 wireless headphones are available in gray and white, while the Bowie H1i come in white, black, and green colors. Other than the lack of color options, the Bowie 30 Max sees improvements in both design and build quality.

A combination of metal and plastic has been used in the construction of these headphones. These solid elements are complemented by plush cushions on the clearly labeled earcup, as well as the headband. The fact that they are placed flat in the box is only a glimpse at the adjustability these offer. Not only do the earcups rotate 120 degrees, but they also fold inward, making the Bowie 30 Max easier to carry in a backpack. The cherry on top of this portable and adjustable experience would be a carry pouch or case, but oh well. The customization ultimately translates to a comfortable user experience, one that doesn’t sit on the head too heavily or clamp down too hard.

Most of the controls are placed on the right earcup, as is the USB Type-C charging port and the 3.5mm jack. You get three audio control buttons, with two volume buttons, and a central multi-function button that can be used for three customizable inputs with single, double, and triple presses. The power toggle is also located on the right earcup, but is separated enough that you won’t accidentally hit it while using the other buttons.

The single button on the left earcup controls the ANC and you can switch between ANC On, ANC Off, and Transparency modes easily.

Specifications and Features

Baseus continues its tradition of offering premium features at a budget-friendly price with the Bowie 30 Max. One of these features is spatial audio with head tracking. Starting with the specifications, the headphones are powered by large 50mm drivers with enhanced low-frequency, which becomes apparent when you turn on Bass Boost in the Baseus app. More on that later.

The headphones come with ANC that offers up to 96% noise cancelation or noise reduction by up to 45dB and, on paper, these specs are excellent. They support Hi-Res audio in both wired and wireless mode, along with LDAC for higher-quality audio streaming over Bluetooth. Speaking of which, the Bowie 30 Max supports Bluetooth 5.4, allowing for multipoint connections and having two devices connected simultaneously. The pairing process is as simple as any other wireless headphones, but to pair a second device, the first device must be disconnected. There is a white light on either earcup that indicates the connection and also the charging status.

The spatial audio and head tracking features are found in much more expensive headphone offerings from Apple, Sony, and Bose. Seeing such features on budget wireless headphones might raise some eyebrows, but they work quite well. What’s great is that, with the Bowie 30 Max, you can enable spatial audio and head tracking independently, which is how it should be. Often, manufacturers pair these two separate features together under spatial audio, but the app lets you turn on fixed spatial audio and spatial audio with head tracking.

What this tech does is use a built-in gyroscope and accelerometer to track your head movements and deliver directional audio. So, if the audio is originating from in front of you, it will remain there even if you move your head left or right. This is more suited to gaming and VR experiences rather than listening to music from a smartphone.

There is also a low-latency mode with an advertised 0.06s or 60ms latency, and even though that is still on the higher side, there is no perceivable lag when connected over Bluetooth or via the 3.5mm cable.

Coming to battery life, best case scenario, the Bowie 30 Max can give you 65 hours, but that number takes a significant hit with ANC and head tracking turned on. Baseus claims 50 hours with just ANC On, 34 hours with ANC + fixed spatial audio, and 31 hours with ANC + head tracking spatial audio, which is still a pretty solid experience. I mostly used the headphones in ANC On + fixed spatial audio mode, and had the battery last over a week with around 3–4 hours of daily use.

Once the battery runs out, a quick 10-minute charge can add 14 hours of playtime, and in about an hour and a half, the headphones can be charged back up to 100 percent. This was an excellent battery experience, especially considering the price point.

Comfort

At 320 grams, the Baseus Bowie 30 Max is lighter than the AirPods Max, but heavier than the Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra. They feel really comfortable on the head though, and the cushions around the earcups are quite soft. They don’t necessarily feel heavy even after hours of continuous use, but the one con is that the earcups are a bit on the small and shallow side, so they don’t feel as roomy around the ears as some other ANC headphones do. My ears touched the inside of the earcups, which, of course, will vary between users, but is something to keep in mind.

The fact that the earcups rotate allows for a more comfortable fit that can be adjusted in steps. The clamping force feels a bit on the stronger side and those who wear glasses, like me, will start to feel the pressure build up sooner than others. There is enough adjustment to fit most head sizes, and there is no creaking when making these adjustments. Plus, when not in use, they can sit flat around the neck without restricting any movement, which is always a nice touch.

Sound Quality

Out of the box, the Bowie 30 Max presents a balanced sound stage with no exaggerated low-end, which is sadly the case with a lot of headphones in the budget range. They get really loud without cracking or clipping, but in regular use, 30 percent volume was loud enough. For an out-of-the-box experience, it was impressive what Baseus delivered with the Bowie 30 Max. On top of that, the Baseus App has a fully customizable EQ along with five presets. However, none of the EQ settings can be changed if spatial audio is turned on, so it is hard to tell the difference between the presets while still using spatial audio.

When spatial audio is turned on, there is a noticeable difference in audio quality, and it feels like the sound stage has opened up. Theoretically, spatial audio offers a 360 audio listening experience that simulates how your ear would perceive audio coming from different directions. A lot of that has to do with the source of the audio and how it has been recorded, though. Regardless, fixed spatial audio is the ideal setting when using the Bowie 30 Max.

Taking calls on the Bowie 30 Max was just as effortless with a press of the multi-function button, and the call quality was crisp and clear both ways thanks to the two mic Environmental Noise Cancelation (ENC).

Overall Impressions

Baseus has managed to deliver a pretty impressive package with the Bowie 30 Max wireless headphones. They come with premium features like -45dB active noise cancelation, 65 hours of battery life, spatial audio with head tracking, and multi-point connectivity, yet at a price that’s a lot more digestible than you might expect. Additionally, the sound quality is great right out of the box, with the customizable EQ making things even more impressive.

Amazon has these listed for $150, but at the time of writing, they are going for $100, with a promotional $30 off coupon on top of that. Interestingly, the official Baseus website has them listed for $80 with an additional $10 off code, which suggests you will be able to grab the Bowie 30 Max for under $100 even after the promotion. At this price, it is an excellent offering and a great deal.