Why Everyone is Buying the Street By 50 (Full Review)

I've been using the Street By 50 for several months now, and after enough commutes, workouts, late-night mixes, and long calls I feel comfortable writing a complete, candid review. When I first heard the buzz around this model I was skeptical — it seemed like one of those "viral" audio products that gets hype but falls short in the long run. What I found was a surprisingly nuanced package: not perfect, but in many ways smarter than the competition for everyday use.

Introduction: Why I decided to buy the Street By 50

I wanted headphones that could do a little of everything: strong battery life for long travel days, a balanced sound for podcasts and music, decent active noise cancellation (ANC) for focus, and a comfortable fit for five-hour editing sessions. The Street By 50 ticked those boxes on paper, and the specs that stood out to me were the advertised 50-hour battery life, multi-device pairing, and an onboard equalizer in the companion app. I bought it with the intent to replace two separate sets of headphones I was using (a heavier over-ear for home mixes and a compact pair for travel) and to test whether one pair could really cover both roles.

Unboxing and First Impressions

Out of the box the Street By 50 felt solid and thoughtfully packaged. I appreciated that the case was compact and sturdy without feeling cheap. The headphones themselves have a matte finish with subtle metallic accents. In my experience, that finish resists fingerprints better than gloss designs, which is a small but meaningful detail when you carry something daily.

Initial pairing was straightforward: Bluetooth 5.3 connection on my laptop and phone established quickly, and the companion app detected the headphones right away. I liked that firmware updates were simple to apply through the app — the process only took a few minutes and resolved a minor connection quirk I noticed in early use.

Design & Build

Design-wise, the Street By 50 walked a good line between lightweight and durable. The earcups rotate and fold flat into the supplied case, which made them easy to slot into my backpack. The headband padding is minimal but effective — I noticed no pressure points during long sessions. The materials feel premium enough: reinforced plastic in stress areas and a metal inner headband for longevity.

One thing I appreciated was the tactile control layout. Physical buttons for volume and playback are spaced and give reassuring clicks — I rarely mispress them. A single multi-function button handles power, pairing, and ANC modes, which kept the learning curve low.

Comfort & Fit

Comfort matters more than specs for me. After testing the Street By 50 for several five-hour stretches, I can say they sit comfortably for long periods. The ear cups use a memory-foam pad wrapped in breathable synthetic leather that didn’t get clammy on longer rides. I noticed that people with particularly large ears might find the cup depth slightly shallow, but for most users the fit is secure without being tight.

In my experience, the clamp force is balanced — firm enough to stay put during jogging and commuting, but not so tight that my temples would hurt after a few hours. They also stayed put when I nodded or leaned, which I found helpful for working at cafes and on planes.

Sound Quality: What I heard

Sound is where the Street By 50 shines for everyday listeners. Out of the box the default tuning leans slightly toward warmth — a lush mid-bass presence that makes pop and electronic tracks feel punchy without muddying the mids. Vocals are forward and detailed, and I noticed a clarity in the upper mids that kept speech intelligible during podcasts and calls.

Low-end: The bass is satisfying but not overbearing. If you prefer a subwoofer-style thump, you can dial it with the app's EQ, but I liked the default for general listening because it gave tracks energy without bleeding into the midrange. For EDM and hip-hop fans the Street By 50 will likely hit the sweet spot.

Mids and highs: Instrument separation is solid for the price class. Acoustic guitars and piano had a pleasant naturalness, and cymbals shimmered without sibilance. Highs are airy enough most of the time, though on very bright or poorly mastered tracks I occasionally wished for a bit more extension.

Soundstage and imaging: These headphones deliver an above-average sense of space for closed-back cans. I use them for casual mixing and found panning decisions easier than on several competitors. They are not reference studio monitors — but for travel and content consumption they offer an immersive listening experience.

EQ and tuning options

The companion app includes a multi-band EQ and several presets. I found the app's presets useful starting points, and the parametric EQ allowed me to tailor the sound when I was using them for different tasks (boosted bass for gym sessions, flatter curve for editing voiceovers). The changes were applied in real-time and sounded natural, which is not always the case with app-based EQs.

Active Noise Cancellation & Transparency Mode

ANC on the Street By 50 is effective for mid-frequency noise — it noticeably reduced chatter in coffee shops and the rumble of buses. It isn’t the absolute best ANC I’ve heard (it doesn’t completely null low-frequency aircraft engine hum the way premium over-ear models do), but for day-to-day commuting and office noise it made a decisive difference.

I used the transparency mode frequently while walking and when I needed to hear announcements. The transparency pass-through felt natural and didn’t add mechanical artifacts. One thing that bothered me at first was a very slight hiss in maximum ANC on quiet tracks, but a firmware update and a minor EQ tweak reduced that to nearly imperceptible levels.

Battery Life & Charging

The advertised 50-hour battery life is something I tested in real conditions. With moderate volume and ANC off, I routinely hit close to 45–50 hours across multiple charge cycles, which matched my daily usage expectations. With ANC on, battery life dropped to roughly 30–35 hours, still impressive in my book.

Charging is USB-C and supports a fast-charge mode: a 15-minute top-up gives several hours of listening — very handy before a flight. The case is compact, and the headphones charge quickly when docked. One minor gripe: the case’s internal hinge feels sturdy but sometimes requires an extra nudge to latch securely after a while.

Connectivity & Latency

Bluetooth 5.3 provided reliable connections across my phone, tablet, and laptop. Multi-point pairing worked and I appreciated the seamless switching when I accepted a call on my phone while watching a video on my laptop. For gamers and streamers, the low-latency mode reduces sync delay significantly, though if you're a competitive gamer expecting sub-30ms latency you may still prefer a wired solution.

Supported codecs include aptX Adaptive and AAC, which I found beneficial for streaming high-quality audio from a phone. I noticed a tasteful improvement in clarity when switching to aptX Adaptive-compatible devices.

Microphone and Call Quality

Call quality was consistently clear in quiet environments. The street noise reduction did a good job of filtering wind and passing traffic for short calls. On longer calls in noisy environments I sometimes heard my caller say I sounded slightly muted — not bad, but not exceptional. If you take many hands-free calls in windy outdoor settings, this is an area to test personally.

Durability & Long-Term Use

After months of daily use, the materials are holding up well. The synthetic leather on the ear cushions shows only minor creasing. The hinge and folding mechanism remain stable, and the buttons still click crisply. I did notice slight rub marks on the outer earcup finish after tossing them in my bag with keys — nothing structural, but it reminded me to keep them in the case when transporting.

Who is the Street By 50 best for?

In my experience, these headphones are ideal for someone who wants a single, versatile pair for commuting, casual listening, and occasional content creation. They strike a good balance between sound quality, battery life, and ANC performance without the high premium of flagship models.

Pros & Cons

• Pros:
  • Excellent battery life (real-world ~45–50 hours with ANC off)
  • Warm, engaging sound with a pleasing low-end that doesn't overwhelm mids
  • Comfortable for long listening sessions
  • Reliable Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity and multi-point pairing
  • Fast-charging USB-C support for quick top-ups
  • Useful companion app with responsive EQ and meaningful presets
• Cons:
  • ANC is good but not class-leading for low-frequency noise
  • Microphone performance is solid but can sound slightly muted in very noisy settings
  • Outer finish can scuff if stored loosely in a bag
  • Ear cup depth might feel shallow for very large ears

Comparison — Street By 50 vs. Two Popular Alternatives

I compared the Street By 50 to two other models I’ve owned: the UrbanBeat 45 (a similarly priced model) and the SkyTune Pro (a higher-end pair). The table below summarizes key differences I noticed in daily use.

Buying Guide: How to decide if the Street By 50 is right for you

When I shop for headphones, I focus on use cases first. Here are the practical points I applied when evaluating whether the Street By 50 was a fit — and that I suggest you consider too.

• Identify your primary use: If you need something for commuting, long listening sessions, and casual mixing, the Street By 50 is a great all-rounder. If your priority is studio reference accuracy or pro-level ANC, consider higher-end alternatives.
• Battery expectation: Think about how often you want to charge. I rarely wanted to charge the Street By 50 multiple times a week — that convenience matters on business trips and long weekends.
• ANC importance: The ANC is capable for everyday noise but not the absolute best for continuous low-frequency hum. If you fly frequently and need the quietest cabin experience, test ANC in-store or compare with flagship models.
• Comfort & fit: If you have very large ears or prefer extremely plush earcups, try them on if possible. For me the fit was comfortable for long stretches, but everyone’s head shape is different.
• Codec support: If you stream high-resolution audio from a phone or tablet, confirm the device supports aptX Adaptive or LDAC to get the most from these headphones.
• App ecosystem: The app adds a lot of value with a real EQ and useful presets. If you prefer hardware-only controls, note that some tuning requires the app.
• Durability needs: If you toss gear into backpacks frequently, use the included case to protect the finish and hinges.

Tips from my experience

• Update the firmware as soon as you pair them — it fixed a small connectivity quirk for me.
• Try the “Podcast” EQ preset if you listen to spoken-word content a lot; it brings vocals forward without over-brightening.
• Use the fast-charge feature before short outings. A 15-minute charge reliably gave me a few hours of playback in a pinch.
• Store them in the case to avoid scuffs from zippers and keys — I learned this after a couple of small marks appeared.

Conclusion

After months with the Street By 50, I can honestly say they earned a permanent spot in my bag. They aren’t perfect — ANC and mic performance could be stronger for certain use-cases, and the exterior finish shows minor wear if you’re careless — but the blend of long battery life, comfortable fit, engaging sound, and a useful app makes them one of the most practical, versatile pairs I’ve used at this price point.

In my experience, the Street By 50 is a rare product that delivers meaningful features without forcing compromises in the everyday user experience. If you want headphones that do nearly everything well — reliable connection, satisfying audio, and long runtime — these are worth a close look. For my daily life, they hit the sweet spot and have replaced two other pairs I used to rotate through. I was surprised by how often I reached for them first, and that’s the best kind of endorsement I can give after several months of real use.