UGreen Max5c: $25 NC Headphone Review

[Montezuma]

How are these compared to the UX3000? With and without EQ profile (Wavelet)?

 

[crappypanther]

How are these compared to the UX3000? With and without EQ profile (Wavelet)?

I don't have ux3000, but I own ATH m50x and msr7.
Right out of the box the Max5c sounds like crap, but it's because of the "bass" preset. it's ridiculously bassy.
With "classic" it's much better but still a bit boomy. the most pleasant of the factory presets for me was "trebles". it's like classic, but with much more high frequencies starting from 5 kHz, so it's almost comparable to my 150$+ headphones.. better in some ways, worse in others
But if use Wavelet on Android and EQ APO on PC and load the profile from this topic, slightly tweaking it for yourself (I slightly reduced the sub-bass and added ultra-highs) then these headphones become better than my other headphones (without an equalizer). it's like a studio monitor, smooth and transparent sound. for this money it's an incredible result

 

[Montezuma]

Thing is, I used Wavelet on any other BT headphone as well, as I have that option too (like with UX3000). So compared to UX3000, both with automatic Wavelet profiles, the UX3000 is still better? Furthermore, the UX3000 still sounds "fine" without EQ, which is a nice thing to have whenever I connect these to my work PC (where I can't use any EQ app).

Also the mic on the Max5c is seriously impressive. Bu that means nothing on Windows, unfortunately, as BT devices can't run with mic on Windows without it seriously degrading the quality of both mic and headphone for some reason (I've never figured a workaround for this)...

 

[crappypanther]

can't run with mic on Windows without it seriously degrading the quality of both mic and headphone for some reason (I've never figured a workaround for this)...

this is done on purpose so that there is practically no delay during a conversation. this happens with all Bluetooth devices on Windows

 

[Montezuma]

this is done on purpose so that there is practically no delay during a conversation. this happens with all Bluetooth devices on Windows

Ok, but the audio quality becomes so bad on both areas that's it's practically unusable. I can barely listen to people talking, due to how terrible it sounds, let alone any music.

This issue never exists on smartphone devices. If I connect my Sony BT headphones or some Galaxy TWS Buds Pro to an Android or iPhone device, the quality of the microphone and audio is great. And it's been like that since the dawn of smartphones. It's only when I connect these devices to Windows that it goes to shits.

How has Microsoft not figured this out in 2025?! Do we seriously need devices with dedicated 2.4 GHz dongles to have functional headsets in the work place on Windows?

 

[Sirjack]

Hi, just looking for a bit of feedback on these:-

Has anyone used the ugreen headphones for gaming with a ps5 via a compatible dongle. If so what was the delay like in game mode ?

How comfortable are they. I have big old ears and ware glasses so need something that will be comfortable for long sessions.

Many thanks in advance for any feedback.

 

[Slime]

Hello, if I set a preset EQ through the App, will it be saved on the headphone itself? I'd like to use it with my own non-android DAP through bluetooth, but wondering if it retains the settings or if it drops back to default values like when connected through cable.

 

[GGroch]

Hello, if I set a preset EQ through the App, will it be saved on the headphone itself? I'd like to use it with my own non-android DAP through bluetooth, but wondering if it retains the settings....

Yes, it retains the setting when used on other Bluetooth devices.

 

[raceskier]

In aliexpress there are 2 models in Ugreen official store:
1.Max5c Choice
2. Max5 HiTune.

It seeams that according to the pictures it is Max5c Choice.
Max5 is the new model hopefully to see it review in the future.

Thank you.

Per Google AI: The primary difference between the UGREEN HiTune Max5 and Max5c headphones lies in the Max5c's inclusion of Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and a noise-canceling microphone, while the Max5 lacks these features.

 

[raceskier]

Does anyone have a suggestion for an Android music player app compatible with Bluetooth to use with these headphones? AFAIK the normally recommended apps like UAPP, HiBy are USB connection based.

 

[crappypanther]

s BT devices can't run with mic on Windows without it seriously degrading the quality of both mic and headphone for some reason (I've never figured a workaround for this)...

Hi mate. Just try to disable "headset ugreen hitune max5c hands-free" in audio devices on windows. sorry for my russian screenshot.
control Panel - hardware & sound - sound icon - manage sound devices

I always disable it because I don't need an extra device in the system. But I don't use Windows for communication, so I don't know what result you will get.

 

[Sangthip]

Does anyone know the difference between the Max 5c and the Max 2? Because sometimes the Max 2 is more expensive than the Max 5c. Is the Max 2 better, newer model etc?

 

[Slime]

Does anyone know the difference between the Max 5c and the Max 2? Because sometimes the Max 2 is more expensive than the Max 5c. Is the Max 2 better, newer model etc?View attachment 438419

Must be a more recent model as I didn't find much about them until very recently, but I found enough to tell I'm happy I went for the Max5c: Max 2 doesn't support LDAC. I like their design more, but having LDAC is quite a treat in this price range.

 

[crappypanther]

I was just bribed by the price of the max5c. They are simply the ultimate for this price, I have not regretted it for a second yet

 

[soycarlospozo]

This is a review, detailed measurements, listening tests and EQ of the Ugreen HiTune Max5c noise cancelling wireless headphone. It is on kind loan from a member and is on sale for $25.47 (retail $57).
View attachment 407795
The Max5c feels every bit as high quality as much, much more expensive wireless headphones. The cups while a bit small for my ears, are comfortable and have a plush feel. It supports USB-C for both charging and acting as a "sound card" to the operating system. An app is provided for control/EQ but sadly, not from the official store. It is a side-load that you install on Android which I dislike. EDIT: there is an approve iOS app.

Further, as shipped, it defaults to "Bass" enhancement so using the EQ is a must. The app is straightforward but sadly doesn't work when you plug in the USB-C cable, forcing me to use Bluetooth for testing.

I did not test the microphone but in the one and only video review of it, the quality was impressively good! I subjectively tested the noise cancelling feature and it seemed effective although not as good as higher end headphones (this is from memory).

Voice feedback for setting changes is done nicely and controls are easy to learn and use.

I turned on "High-res" mode but no matter what I did with my Samsung phone, it would insist on using AAC instead of LDAC. Maybe there is a way to make it work but I ran out of patience to get there.

Ugreen HiTune Max5c Measurements
I selected "Classic" for EQ profile as there is no "off" setting. This the frequency response:
View attachment 407803

There is some deep bass roll off. Not sure the reason for that.

We see ringing in bass frequencies going up to midrange. Compliance after that is decent. In relative terms, we are looking at this deviation:
View attachment 407804

The shape of the deviations lends itself to PEQ correction which is nice.

Not happy about the distortion in lower treble:
View attachment 407807

View attachment 407808
No impedance or sensitivity measurements as this is an "active" headphone.

Ugreen HiTune Max5c Headphone Listening Tests
I was pleasantly surprised that out of box sound was pleasant. Those peaks in bass magnified low frequency notes at times which was not annoying and some people may like. Indeed, if I did not have EQ ability, I would have thought this was very good fidelity. But we do have EQ and this is what I came up with:
View attachment 407812
With these filters, the bass tightened up and spatial qualities/details improved. Track after track in my library sounded excellent.

The only miss was sub-bass where the presence was subdued with a bit of distortion. Mind you, it delivers more sub-bass than anything other than large tower speakers.

Conclusions
If you didn't tell me otherwise, or force me to side-load an app into my phone, I would have said this is a $300 headphone, not a $25 one from a company that normally makes USB cables and such! As long as you can defeat the default bass EQ, the sound is more than good enough without EQ. With EQ, it wears the "high fidelity" label with pride and almost delivers there. Noise cancelling works good enough with the microphone delivering fidelity that is hard to believe.

I wish the company would finish the job by defaulting to EQ off and getting an approved App for both Android and iPhone. It would be a killer than at this price.

As is, I am still going to recommend the Ugreen HiTune Max5c assuming you are comfortable side loading an app into your android phone.
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As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

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Excellent review. Regarding your issue with enabling LDAC, it took me a while to research, but it's easy to fix.

Go to Settings / Connections / Bluetooth and look for the name of your headphones. Next to the name, there's a gear. Click on it, and another menu will open where you'll need to enable LDAC. The headphones will automatically unpair and repair with the device, and you'll be able to use LDAC without any issues.

 

[Linards]

These are great ANC headphones for the money - a fantastic value!

I bought them for something like 36 EUR at the time (with shipping to Latvia). They come without case, so it will be some 4...5 EUR more.
Have been using them daily for 3 month or so and I have no complaints.

That being said - ANC is not even close to Sony WH-1000XM5 (I was using for couple of years). So don't expect miracles.
If comfort is most of importance for you, XM5 would also be a clear winner in IMHO.

But hey - Max5C are very good headphones, battery time is unbelievably long, and they cost fraction of XM5. So I am very happy with this purchase. ^_^

 

[Deckard01]

These are great ANC headphones for the money - a fantastic value!

I bought them for something like 36 EUR at the time (with shipping to Latvia). They come without case, so it will be some 4...5 EUR more.
Have been using them daily for 3 month or so and I have no complaints.

That being said - ANC is not even close to Sony WH-1000XM5 (I was using for couple of years). So don't expect miracles.
If comfort is most of importance for you, XM5 would also be a clear winner in IMHO.

But hey - Max5C are very good headphones, battery time is unbelievably long, and they cost fraction of XM5. So I am very happy with this purchase. ^_^

And what about sound quality? Do not know if you have checked of course Max5c with EQ and not app bass option. Thanks

 

[Slime]

These are great ANC headphones for the money - a fantastic value!

I bought them for something like 36 EUR at the time (with shipping to Latvia). They come without case, so it will be some 4...5 EUR more.
Have been using them daily for 3 month or so and I have no complaints.

That being said - ANC is not even close to Sony WH-1000XM5 (I was using for couple of years). So don't expect miracles.
If comfort is most of importance for you, XM5 would also be a clear winner in IMHO.

But hey - Max5C are very good headphones, battery time is unbelievably long, and they cost fraction of XM5. So I am very happy with this purchase. ^_^

Indeed, I have them since approx. 20 days (paid 25€ for them) and I cannot be happier. I cannot say a lot about ANC as I use them in quiet places, but about comfort I have small ears and I find them very comfy even for long sessions.
With Jazz EQ they sound the best for me, paired them with my Shanling M1 Plus with LDAC HQ they sound surprisingly clear, detailed and balanced (for the price), I alternate them with more expensive iems and they hold their own well, these guys definitely punch above their price tag, would suggest them easily again any big brand product with twice the price.

 

[Sangthip]

My blue max 5c just arrived, picked blue cos there was no pink...... I have only tried them with bt to my hisense tv, sounds great and fits me perfect. Got the app but have only changed settings to jazz, i think, in the app. Payed only 15 usd / 512 baht inc shipping, so didnt expect much, but they feels lot more expensive.