Street By 50 Honest Review — Is the Hype Justified?

I've been using the Street By 50 headphones for the past five months — commuting, working from home, traveling, and pushing them through long listening sessions. There was a lot of buzz around this model when it launched: promises of long battery life, a punchy sound signature, and feature parity with more expensive competitors. After living with them day to day, I want to share a thorough, no-nonsense account of what I actually experienced: what surprised me, what annoyed me, and whether the hype holds up.

Why I bought the Street By 50

I was looking for a comfortable pair of wireless over-ear headphones with strong battery life and a bass-forward sound for podcasts, hip-hop, and the occasional movie. I tend to favor products that strike a balance between value and features, so the Street By 50 appealed to me on paper: long advertised battery life, active noise cancellation (ANC), and a durable build. I needed something that could survive long workdays without constant charging and that would keep up on planes and trains without sounding muddy.

Unboxing and first impressions

Out of the box, the Street By 50 feels more premium than its price tag suggests. The headband is metal-reinforced under the outer shell, and the earcups are finished in soft, slightly textured faux leather. I noticed the clamping force was a bit firm at first — enough to keep the headphones stable during walking or moving around, but after a week the padding relaxed and they fit more naturally.

The included case is a compact zippered clamshell that protects the cups without being bulky. The box contained a USB-C charging cable, a 3.5mm auxiliary cable for wired listening, and a quick-start guide. No frills, but everything I needed was there.

Design, build quality, and comfort — my long-term take

In my experience, the Street By 50 finds a good balance between durability and comfort. The exterior is primarily matte plastic, which keeps weight down. I appreciated that the joints and hinges are metal-reinforced — after months of tossing them into a backpack, I saw no wobble or loose joints. The cups swivel and fold flat enough to sit comfortably in the travel case.

Comfort-wise, I wore these for hours at a time. The ear cushions are deep and soft, and while the headband padding is not the thickest I’ve used, it distributes pressure fairly well. That said, I did notice heat build-up during long summer rides; the faux leather traps a bit more warmth than breathable fabrics. If you sweat easily or live in hot climates, expect a little extra warmth on the ears after prolonged use.

Battery life and charging — real-world results

The Street By 50 advertises an impressive battery life, and in practice I found it to be one of the model's strongest points. With ANC off and moderate volume, I routinely got multiple days of mixed use — around 40–50 hours between charges in my real-world testing. With ANC engaged, my typical endurance dropped to roughly 30–35 hours, which still outpaced many competitors I’ve used.

I also liked the quick-charge behavior. A 15–20 minute USB-C top-up yielded several hours of playback, which rescued me a few times before long flights. Charging from empty to full took a couple of hours on a standard charger; nothing revolutionary, but perfectly adequate.

Sound quality — what I heard

Sound is where the Street By 50 made a clear impression on me. They lean toward a mildly V-shaped signature: strong, well-controlled bass, slightly recessed mids, and clear, non-fatiguing treble. For the genres I listen to most — rap, electronic, and indie rock — the bass delivered the impact I wanted without overwhelming the rest of the mix. Kick drums and bass lines felt punchy and defined rather than boomy.

Vocals sit a touch behind the bass, which made some acoustic or vocal-forward tracks feel less intimate than on reference or studio-oriented headphones. That wasn’t a dealbreaker for me, but if you prioritize studio-accurate mids for mixing or vocal-critical listening, you should be aware the Street By 50 favors entertainment over strict neutrality.

Highs stayed smooth, and I didn’t find the Street By 50 to be harsh or sibilant even at higher volumes. Detail retrieval is good for the price: I could pick out instrument textures and background elements without feeling the headphones were masking layers of the recording. Soundstage is decent for closed-back cups — not a wide-open expanse, but enough space to enjoy movies and to keep instruments separated.

Active noise cancellation and passive isolation

ANC performance exceeded my expectations for this category. It does a solid job of taming consistent low-frequency hums — airplane engines and subway rumble are significantly reduced. It’s not on par with the absolute best ANC systems, which can remove more mid-frequency chatter, but it made long flights much more tolerable.

Passive isolation from the earcup seal also contributed. In noisy cafés, the combination of seal and ANC reduced distractions enough for focused work sessions. I did notice ANC sometimes introduces a very faint hiss during very quiet passages, but it’s only perceptible in near-silent rooms.

Connectivity, codecs, and latency

Bluetooth pairing was straightforward and reliable with my phone, laptop, and tablet. I used the Street By 50 with Bluetooth 5.x devices and experienced a stable connection within typical ranges (roughly 10–15 meters unobstructed). The headphones support AAC and SBC; there’s no high-resolution proprietary codec like aptX HD or LDAC, which matters if you prioritize lossless streaming. For everyday listening and streaming, AAC sounded fine on my phone.

Latency is acceptable for video streaming and casual gaming, but not ideal for competitive gaming where mouth-sound sync matters. I noticed a slight lip-sync lag when playing rhythm games on my tablet. For console gaming or fast-action competitive titles, I’d recommend a wired connection via the 3.5mm cable to eliminate delay.

Microphone and call quality

I relied on the Street By 50 for Zoom meetings and phone calls. In quiet environments, callers reported my voice as clear enough and natural. In noisier settings — trains or windy streets — the microphone struggled a bit: voices came through slightly thin and distant, and background noise reduction only partially masked my surroundings. It’s good for occasional calls, but if you take a lot of calls in noisy places, you may prefer a headset with dedicated beamforming mics.

App and features

The companion app provides a handful of useful features: EQ presets, a simple custom EQ, firmware updates, and an ANC toggle with two strength levels. I liked the ability to save an EQ profile that bumped mids slightly while keeping the bass present. The app felt functionally complete but not polished — animations are basic, and I experienced one or two small crashes on older phone models. Firmware updates were easy and occasionally improved stability.

Durability and wear over months

After five months of daily use, including travel and outdoor commuting, the Street By 50 shows only minor cosmetic wear: tiny scuffs on the matte plastic and a gentle flattening of the earcup padding. No creaks, no loose joints, and the folding mechanism still feels tight. The finish holds up well in a backpack, and I never had the headband spring or deform. Overall, durability has been very good.

What I appreciated most

• Battery endurance: Consistently long runtime, even with ANC in moderate use.
• Engaging, fun sound: Punchy bass and smooth highs that suit casual listening and movies.
• Comfort for long sessions: Deep earcups and cushioning that let me wear them for hours.
• Reliable build quality: Metal-reinforced joints and a compact travel case.

What bothered me

• Mids are slightly recessed: Vocals and acoustic instruments can feel pushed back in the mix.
• No high-res codecs: Lack of aptX/LDAC limits highest-fidelity Bluetooth streaming.
• Microphone underperforms in noise: Calls in noisy settings were thin and less clear.
• App polish: App is functional but felt buggy on older phones.

Pros & Cons

• Pros
  • Long battery life — excellent for travel and multi-day use
  • Strong, enjoyable bass without overwhelming the mix
  • Comfortable for extended listening sessions
  • Solid build and fold-flat portability
  • Effective ANC for the price
• Cons
  • Mids are not completely neutral — not ideal for critical listening
  • No high-resolution Bluetooth codecs
  • Microphone struggles in loud environments
  • App stability could be improved

How Street By 50 compares to similar options

Buying guide — who should consider the Street By 50?

After months with the Street By 50, I’ve formed a clear picture of who will be happiest with these headphones and who might want to consider alternatives. Here are the key decision points I used when evaluating them myself, and that I recommend you use too.

1. Prioritize battery life for travel and long days

If you frequently take long flights or want a “set it and forget it” headphone for multi-day trips, the Street By 50 deserves serious consideration. In my travel tests, not having to charge every night was liberating. If you value convenience over absolute sonic neutrality, that battery trade-off is a big win.

2. Think about your listening preferences

I recommend these for people who like dynamic, enjoyable sound — hip-hop, EDM, pop, and movies sound great. If you’re an audiophile who demands studio-flat reproduction for mixing or critical listening, you’ll probably prefer a more neutral model or studio headphones instead.

3. Consider environment for calls

Use Street By 50 for home and office calls, but avoid relying on them for constant mobile calls in noisy environments. If call quality in noisy spaces is a must, look for models with stronger mic arrays and beamforming tech.

4. Check codec support if you stream high-resolution audio

I noticed the lack of aptX/LDAC only when switching from lossless streaming. For most streaming services and daily listening, AAC is fine — but I recommend checking your source devices and priorities. If you stream hi-res files over Bluetooth and care deeply about that last bit of detail, the Street By 50 isn't optimized for it.

5. Try the fit — especially if you sweat

The cups are comfortable, but the faux leather retains heat. If you live somewhere hot or intend to exercise while wearing them, consider models with more breathable earpads.

Final verdict — is the hype justified?

After five months, my honest take is that the Street By 50 mostly lives up to the hype for its intended audience. Where they shine — battery life, fun and punchy sound, and solid build — they consistently deliver. I enjoyed the sound signature and appreciated not having to charge constantly. The ANC and comfort made them my go-to for flights and long work sessions.

That said, they're not perfect. The recessed mids and absence of higher-end Bluetooth codecs mean they’re not the best choice for critical listeners or audiophiles. The microphone performance in noisy environments is adequate but not class-leading, and the companion app could use polish.

In short: if you want comfortable, durable headphones with long battery life and an engaging sound for everyday listening and travel, the Street By 50 is a very compelling option. If you need studio neutrality, top-tier call performance in noise, or high-resolution Bluetooth streaming, you might want to look elsewhere.

Conclusion

I've been using the Street By 50 almost daily for months, and overall they’ve been a dependable, enjoyable companion. They struck a great balance for my needs: long battery life, a pleasing sound signature for entertainment, and a build that survived real-world wear. They have a handful of compromises — primarily around midrange neutrality, mic performance in loud environments, and codec support — but none of those were dealbreakers for how I use headphones day to day. If those trade-offs align with your priorities, the Street By 50 is worth seriously considering.