I just tested this budget headset from Belkin — and I’ve never wanted to take off a set of cans quicker

Why did the chicken cross the road? To get away from the Belkin SoundForm Adapt headphones. These cans are very cheap, retailing for less than $50. They feature wired and wireless listening modes and boast up to 65 hours of battery life.

But that’s about it. Unfortunately, the SoundForm Adapts aren’t comfortable and sit too tightly around your ears. As for sound quality, vocals sound muffled, bass sounds underwhelming, and instruments in electronic tracks sound blended together. While the headset comes with a flip-to-mute boom mic, the mic itself sounds scratchy.

Sometimes it’s worth spending just a little more money (say, $10) for better sound quality and more comfort.

Are these the best cheap wireless headphones for you? No, not by a long shot. Read my full Belkin SoundForm Adapt review to find out.

Belkin SoundForm Adapt review: Specs

Belkin SoundForm Adapt review: Price & availability

The Belkin SoundForm Adapt is an extremely cheap headset, retailing for just $49 / £39 at Amazon. They’re available in one colorway only: black. This helps them fit into an office setting.

You know that saying, “Cheap and cheerful”? While the SoundForm Adapts are cheap, I wouldn’t exactly call them cheerful because they are just… not good. But that doesn’t mean cheap headphones are always bad. I’d recommend spending a little more on the likes of the 1More SonoFlow SE ($54) or the Sony WH-CH520 ($59). They won’t break the bank and they offer far better sound quality than the SoundForm Adapts.

Belkin SoundForm Adapt review: Design & comfort

• Folding design for easy transport
• Can feel drivers through mesh casing
• Cups don’t sit snugly on ears

Like I mentioned up top, the Belkin SoundForm Adapts sport a minimalist, non-conspicuous all-black design with low-key branding. They’re made entirely of plastic so they don’t feel premium and are nowhere near as sturdy or durable as the Sony WH-CH520s.

I’ve tested a lot of headphones and earbuds as part of my job as a reviews writer at Tom’s Guide, and it isn’t often that I come across a set of cans that I immediately want to take off and pack away. If the JLab Epic Lux Lab Editions ($199) are one of the most comfy pair of headphones I’ve ever used, the SoundForm Adapt are the exact opposite.

The earcups are made of a synthetic fabric that moves around quite a bit, and the earcups don’t sit snugly around your ears. At first, I thought my ears were too big, so I asked four of my colleagues to try the SoundForm Adapts — and all of them faced the same issue. Weirdly, despite the fabric feeling loose, the headphones simultaneously managed to feel too tight, and it almost felt like my ears were suffocating.

Also, like the EarFun Wave Lifes ($59), I could feel the drivers through each earcup’s mesh casing. While I didn’t notice this while listening to music, it does make me question the durability of the SoundForm Adapts — you won’t face this issue with the Sony WH-CH520s.

There’s a fabric padding in the centre of the headband too which, thankfully, makes the SoundForm Adapts sit comfortably on the top of your head — and that feels like it’s only saving grace in the comfort department. It’s a lightweight headset too, weighing 7.58oz. In comparison, the 1More SonoFlow SEs weigh 8.4oz, but I’d still recommend them over the SoundForm Adapts.

The headband is also adjustable but regardless of the height, it still felt like my ears were burning up. I could only wear it for an hour continuously, which is not a good sign. I have worn headphones like the Epic Lux Lab Editions and the Marshall Monitor IIIs for up to six hours continuously and never had this issue. Even the similarly priced WH-CH520s are comfortable for long periods of time.

Their earcups, however, cannot be swiveled, which means you’re stuck with the default (and uncomfortable) angling. It’s a shame, as even the Wave Lifes have 90° rotating earcups. The SoundForm Adapts do have a foldable design, though, so you can slide them into your coat’s pocket or a small bag.

Belkin SoundForm Adapt review: Connectivity

• Bluetooth 5.2 with multipoint connectivity
• SBC and AAC codec support
• No app for customization

The Belkin SoundForm Adapts utilize Bluetooth 5.2 to connect to devices within a 9.14m / 30ft range. Connectivity seems stable as the connection didn’t drop and the audio didn’t cut until I was out of that range.

They support AAC and SBC codecs, which is similar to both the 1More SonoFlow SEs and the Sony WH-CH520s. The SoundForm Adapts can simultaneously connect to two devices, so I kept them paired with my Google Pixel 7 Pro and my MacBook Air M2. You can also use the included 3.5mm cable to use the headphones in wired mode.

If you want to customize the SoundForm Adapts’ equalizer, you’re out of luck as the headphones don’t have a companion app, which both the SonoFlow SEs and the WH-CH520s do. Even the (very poorly rated) EarFun Wave Lifes have an app. It feels like a missed opportunity as I would have really liked the ability to finetune the sound… especially because, by default, the sound quality is not great.

Belkin SoundForm Adapt review: Controls

• Only three physical buttons
• No touch controls

There’s not much to say about the Belkin SoundForm Adapts’ control scheme. It’s straightforward and doesn’t take long to get used to. The three physical buttons are located on the right earcup: power, volume up and volume down. Using a combination of holding and/or pressing lets you end calls, toggle Bluetooth pairing, etc.

The SoundForm Adapts’ product page confused me, though. Belkin lists “intuitive touch controls” under the cans’ specs, which is not true. I spent 15 minutes trying to figure out why the supposed touch controls weren’t working, by swiping the earcups’ surface, only to then realize that those touch controls didn’t exist.

Belkin SoundForm Adapt review: Sound quality

• Awful sound quality
• Mostly muffled, unclear vocals
• Bass is existent only at high volumes

It isn’t often that you’ll find me at a loss for words. More often than not, I tend to waffle or wax poetic about a product I really like. Listening to music through the Belkin SoundForm Adapts made me say three words: “Wow. Just wow.” And no, I did not mean it in a positive way.

The SoundForm Adapts are fitted with 40mm dynamic drivers. I tested the SoundForm Adapts over a Bluetooth connection and wired, and both connectivity modes sounded the same. I listened to a few different genres — indie rock, dance/electronic, metal, etc. — on Qobuz, one of the best music streaming services for hi-res audio.

I started by listening to ‘Overcompensate’ and ‘Car Radio’ by Twenty One Pilots. I love these songs so much that I know them like the back of my hand, and it speaks volumes that the SoundForm Adapts made me not want to listen to them again. In ‘Car Radio,’ Tyler Joseph’s voice sounds distant, especially when the instruments kick in near the halfway point. And his scream doesn’t sound as impactful either, and it sounds muffled.

Meanwhile, I couldn’t hear the bassline in ‘Overcompensate’ until I cranked up the volume to around 75%. Even then, the bass didn’t sound powerful enough for me to appreciate it. I couldn’t make out the individual notes plucked either, which I usually can on most other headphones I’ve tested.

In an electronic track like ‘Come Around’ by 070 Shake, all the instruments blended together, resulting in a muddy sound. Usually, the bass in this track sounds powerful with a warmth to it, and Shake’s distorted voice sounds clear, but not through the SoundForm Adapts. However, Charli XCX’s ‘Von Dutch’ did not sound as bad. The instrument separation was slightly better and listening to it was enjoyable enough.

The SoundForm Adapts don’t handle percussion instruments well either. In Four Tet’s ‘Three Drums,’ the drums sounded muddy, almost like the kick drum and cymbals were fighting for the same space — and neither succeeded. It was also difficult to distinguish the synth from the flute-like tune.

At the beginning of this section, I noted that vocals were “mostly muffled.” That’s because Paris Paloma’s vocals in ‘Labour’ sounded surprisingly clear. I understood every word clearly, and I could also hear the backing vocals in the bridge.

Sound quality is, therefore, very hit-or-miss, and I would recommend spending a little more on the 1More SonoFlow SE or the Sony WH-CH520 if you really want to enjoy and appreciate music.

Belkin SoundForm Adapt review: Mic quality

• Flip-to-mute boom mic
• Environmental noise cancelation works well
• Sounds scratchy

The Belkin SoundForm Adapts are equipped with a flip-up mic that automatically mutes itself when flipped into its resting position — and it works as intended. Belkin says that the mic features environmental noise cancelation, which works well too. In the clip below, you can’t hear my coworkers speaking in the background.

However, the mic itself sounds scratchy and not what you’d want from a headset designed for office use. You can hear it in the clip above. My voice also sounded muffled. In comparison, we were far more impressed by the 1More SonoFlow SE’s mic.

Belkin SoundForm Adapt review: Battery life

• Up to 65 hours
• Better than some rivals

One of the Belkin SoundForm Adapts’ saving graces is that the headphones have good, long battery life. Belkin claims the headphones can last up to 65 hours on a single charge, which is longer than the Sony WH-CH520s’ 50-hour and the EarFun Wave Lifes’ 60-hour batteries. The 1More SonoFlow SE, though, takes the cake as, with ANC off, a single charge yields 70 hours of battery life.

I used the SoundForm Adapts for a few hours at work and then left them playing overnight at 50% volume. After 24 hours, the battery had dipped to 60% which isn’t too bad. A USB-C charging cable is included in the box but you can use any USB-C cable to charge the SoundForm Adapts.

Belkin SoundForm Adapt review: Verdict

I can’t think of anyone to recommend the Belkin SoundForm Adapt headphones to. Maybe if you’re really short on cash and need a set of cans for very, very casual listening, sure. But even then, I’d much rather recommend the 1More SonoFlow SE or the Sony WH-CH520, both of which offer fantastic sound quality and great levels of comfort for similar money.

While the SoundForm Adapts boast up to 65 hours of battery life, I don’t think I’d even like to wear them for the entirety of those 65 hours. They’re very uncomfortable, with their earcups sitting way too tightly on your ears. The sound quality is… subpar, and that’s being generous. Everyone in the office who tried the headphones promptly took them off after two minutes of listening to the song of their choice.

My advice? Save yourself the grief and spend the extra $5-10 on either the SonoFlow SEs or the WH-CH520s, both of which are better in nearly every aspect. Once I was done testing the SoundForm Adapts, I swapped back to my trusty Marshall Monitor IIIs, and while I know there’s a massive price difference between the two, I could feel my ears breathe a sigh of relief.