Belkin SoundForm Isolate review: Noise cancelling headphones for those on a budget
9to5mac.com
At CES 2025, Belkin began shipping its new SoundForm Isolate headphones. Theyre the first wireless headphones with active noise cancellation that Belkin has developed, and they come in at just $60 making them incredibly affordable over-ear headphones.Hardware impressionsDespite the low price tag, Belkin built the SoundForm Isolates fairly well. They dont feel cheap. Obviously, theyre made out of plastic, but so are any pair of over-ear headphones that arent AirPods Max. The ear cushions feel nice, and I dont feel like Id break the headphones. The SoundForm Isolates also fold inwards, allowing you to easily toss them into a backpack or whatnot. You can also rotate the earcups to your liking, helping you achieve a more comfortable fit.In the box, you get a USB-C charging cable as well as a 3.5mm aux cable, though there isnt an included case. Thats understandable for the price tag, but worth mentioning. The included aux cable is a huge plus though, giving users a ton of connectivity options, other than just bluetooth.Software featuresOn the left ear-cup, theres a button thatll toggle between three modes: hear-through on, noise cancelling off, and noise cancelling on. The names could be a little bit better, but essentially, think of these as transparency mode, off mode, and noise cancelling mode. Despite being three distinct modes, theyre actually not too different from one another. Noise cancellation certainly does reduce some background noise (especially when walking outside), but over-ear headphones also offer a lot of passive noise cancellation from simply covering your ears. The noise cancellation does its job, but dont expect to have your mind blown. It doesnt do a particularly good job with voices for example, but theyre also only $60.Hear-through mode also does what it says on the tin, and helps pass through some external audio while youre wearing the headphones. Nothing exceptional, but it does what it says fairly well.However, there is one unique feature that these offer: isolate mode. By pressing both volume up and volume down together (on the right ear-cup), you can enter isolate mode, which plays ocean sounds while you wear the headphones. Im not sure that this personally helps me focus, but I could certainly see some people being a fan of it. Some people find it easier to fall asleep while listening to ocean noises, so theres definitely a purpose there.AudioBelkins SoundForm Isolates sound fine. I didnt expect much for $60, and they certainly didnt fail to deliver in any area. Im no audio nerd, so I wont get super in depth here, but dont go into it with the expectation of having amazing audio. They do offer a fair bit of bass, which some people are into.They can also get fairly loud, though not to the point of potentially causing hearing loss. You can also go down to the lowest volume notch and theyll still be audible, which you cant say about every pair of headphones, so thats a plus.Also, the microphones are pretty good for a quick phone call.9to5Macs TakeWhile these headphones offer nothing spectacular, theyre definitely not bad. Id say they make a lot of sense to purchase if you want to give them to a younger kid who you wouldnt want to trust with something too pricey. Theyre definitely a good pair of wireless headphones, and its impressive that Belkin was able to deliver such a product at only $60. While not for everyone, the SoundForm Isolates are certainly adequate for those on a tight budget and want over-ear wireless headphones.You can purchase Belkin SoundForm Isolate on Amazon for $59.99, if youre interested. They come in two colors: black and sand, and offer 60 hours of battery life.Follow Michael:X/Twitter,Bluesky,InstagramAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel
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