These AirPods Max lookalikes have ANC – and incredibly cost less than Apple's USB-C audio cable

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These ANC over-ears are super-cheap. What's the catch?

Two pairs of Groov-e headphones. The left ones are beige and look like AirPods Max; the right look like Sonys and are blue. They are on a gradient grey background
(Image credit: Groov-e)
  • Groove-e's two models have identical specifications and ANC
  • Fusion comes in black or white, Rhythm in black, pink or blue
  • Incredibly, they cost £34.99 and £29.99 respectively

Affordable UK audio brand and airport duty free stalwart Groov-e has launched two new pairs of over-ear wireless headphones, and they look very familiar: squint a bit and the new Fusion headphones look awfully like Apple's AirPods Max, while the Rhythm are closer in spirit to Sony over-ears like the mighty WH-1000XM5.

They're a bit cheaper, though, and by "a bit" I mean "fourteen times". Where the AirPods Max currently retail in the UK at £499, the Groov-e Fusion are £34.99. And the Rhythm are cheaper still: just £29.99.

Clearly, you're not going to get an Apple or Sony out-of-body audio experience at this price point. But the spec is pretty impressive for the price – here's what you get...

Groov-e Fusion and Rhythm headphones: key features

AirPods Max in green on green background

The AirPods Max (above) have a more premium design and better audio experience, but Groov-e's latest have ANC and are firmly in airport impulse territory. (Image credit: Future)

Both sets of headphones feature 40mm drivers, a long battery life of up to 32 hours and, incredibly at this price, ANC. There are built-in mics for voice calls and voice assistance, and an attachable 3.5mm cable for listening when the battery is low or flat.

Where they differ is in their outside design. The Fusion model get a padded headband and that Apple-esque design, and you can choose between black or white. The Rhythm are a bit less zen-like and come in black, blue or pink.

Given the spec and the price, both sets of headphones appear to be both cheap and cheerful; I wouldn't buy them for an audiophile experience but as something to drown out engine drone on an airplane while you listen to your favourite podcast, the price makes these a very tempting pre-flight purchase.

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Carrie Marshall
Carrie Marshall

Contributor

Writer, broadcaster, musician and kitchen gadget obsessive Carrie Marshall has been writing about tech since 1998, contributing sage advice and odd opinions to all kinds of magazines and websites as well as writing more than twenty books. Her latest, a love letter to music titled Small Town Joy, is on sale now. She is the singer in spectacularly obscure Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind.

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