The Mixx StreamQ C4 offer an easy way in to wireless listening

REVIEW: Mixx StreamQ C4 noise cancelling headphones

Paul JonesNovember 18, 20240 Comment0

IN recent years, I’ve developed a new-found affinity for my mother and her complete bewilderment at the progression of technology.

As a child, I can remember laughing at her lack of understanding of even the most basic of tech – probably focussed on her not understanding why I wanted to play on my Spectrum 24 hours a day.

But now, as I enter middle age myself, I’ve found myself displaying many of the same traits, as people describe the benefits of being able to tell your lights to come on, or of having a video camera on your doorbell…

However, while happy to acknowledge my ignorance, I do retain some of the curiosity so rampant in my youth.
I want to explore these things.

And so I agreed to review some wireless headphones with some enthusiasm, as this is a development I totally accept would have many benefits.

As a child who grew up in the 80s, headphones were a constant in my younger years. Be it for my Walkman, or listening to the TV and not disturbing others, a wire was always stretched across some space of the home to enable me to hear something in the privacy of my own head, if you like.

I’m a music lover too, so being able to take my tunes with me has always been attractive. But the wires. It’s always such a faff.

So I was attracted to wireless, Bluetooth headphones, though reluctant to spend a lot of money on something I may end up not understanding, or not using.

Enter the Mixx StreamQ C4 noise cancelling headphones.

The latest in the StreamQ line (hence C4), these are an affordable option for anyone – like me – curious about this new-fangled tech but wary of making a major investment.

You can pick them up for around £50, and for that you get a raft of features, some of which even a tech philistine like me may understand!

Active noise cancelling (which blocks out outside noise), transparent mode (allowing outside noise, like traffic), integrated control buttons, hands-free phone calls, etc, are all part of the C4 offering.

But what about the wireless part? This is where many, like my mum and me, might feel a bit intimidated, technologically speaking.

However, I charged the headphones up, using a phone-charger USB connection, and when I switched them on, the headphones and my phone basically talked me through the rest – connecting via Bluetooth and helpfully telling me when they were ready to go.

The Mixx StreamQ C4 noise cancelling headphones

Alas, when I hit play on the latest podcast I wanted to listen to, I heard it through the headphones! Success!

And the quality is great too. I can happily lose myself in a playlist above the sound of the taps and the clinks of plates as I do the washing up, or still hear oncoming cars as I make my way to the shop on my lunch break.

I’ve even become semi-competent in using the buttons on the headphones themselves to pause playback, increase or decrease volume, and switch them on or off. Yes, it’s so simple, even I can do it.

No longer do my children laugh at my attempts to utilise the latest technology – I feel like the Steve Jobs of our household as I vacuum the children’s bedrooms while listening to the latest boring political podcast of my choosing.

Even the physical design of the headphones – these are not intrusive, in-the-ear pods you may struggle to get used to, they are over-the-ear, almost retro-looking pads that sit snuggly on top of your ears. Perfect for an 80s child like me.

I could almost be at my mother’s massive hi-fi, listening to a record, were it not for the vastly superior sound quality and the ability to move around and flick tracks at the touch of a button!

And there is no ongoing battle with the tech either. When I turn them on, they automatically connect. When they need charging, I plug them in, just as I do with my phone.

They charge quickly too, with about eight hours of listening from a 15-minute boost, so it’s not a chore each day to make sure they have power.

However, should the urge for that 80s experience become overwhelming, you can also plug them in!

Overall, the Mixx StreamQ C4 noise cancelling headphones are a brilliant option for someone looking to dip their toe in the modern world of flexible listening.

They are affordable, the sound quality is more-than passable, and they are easy to use.

I might even get my mum a pair…

PAUL JONES

MIXX STREAMQ C4 NOISE CANCELLING HEADPHONES

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