Ugreen Studio Max 2 review: ultra-budget headphones with 80 hours of battery life
By Sergey K
The Ugreen Studio Max 2 are budget-friendly over-ear Bluetooth headphones without ANC, designed with a focus on long battery life and simplicity. They’re a solid choice for daily music listening, studying, and video calls if you’re fine with basic sound quality and physical buttons instead of touch controls. You’ll find them on marketplaces priced between 2,300 and 6,500 ₽ depending on seller and discounts. For the price, they’re a reliable “workhorse,” though some competitors with active noise cancellation cost only a bit more.
These full-size wireless headphones, model HP205, feature 40mm dynamic drivers, Bluetooth 5.4, and boast up to 80 hours of playback. They’re ideal for anyone looking for a straightforward solution for music, videos, lectures, and calls, who values long battery life and stable connectivity, while not particularly needing active noise cancellation or advanced codecs.
Design and ergonomics of Ugreen Studio Max 2
The headphones come in a bulky box, but inside you only get the “cans,” a USB-A charging cable, and documentation. Nothing fancy here, which is expected.
The design is very understated with no decorative accents. The matte plastic is practical and resists fingerprints well. The headband adjusts smoothly, and the hinges don’t wobble.
The ear cups rotate and fold, making them easy to wear around your neck or stash in a backpack. The headband is stiff with a narrow cushion, which might cause some users discomfort or pressure after two to three hours of use. The ear pads are large, made from memory foam covered with synthetic leather, but they cannot be removed or swapped out. The right ear cup houses all the buttons: power/media controls, a dedicated EQ mode button, and volume controls. They’re tactile and distinct, though sometimes they require pressing twice to register.
Connectivity and interfaces on Ugreen Studio Max 2
These headphones use Bluetooth 5.4 and support profiles HFP/HSP/AVRCP/A2DP/BLE/SPP, with SBC and AAC codecs. The wireless connection is stable within a room, and outdoors it maintains range up to 10–15 meters unobstructed. Multipoint connection is supported, allowing automatic switching between smartphone and laptop when calls come in or media plays.
Charging and wired listening use the same USB-C port via the included USB-A to USB-C cable. Wired mode limits button and microphone functionality due to firmware and device compatibility constraints. The headphones auto-power off after about 10 minutes without connection, following default power-saving logic.
Ugreen app: what it offers
The HP205 is supported by UGREEN’s app for Android and iOS. The app displays battery level and connection status, letting you tweak settings. There are eight EQ presets—classic, jazz, electronic, pop, classical, rock, bass, and treble—plus a manual mode.
A long press of the EQ button on the ear cup toggles between Music and Gaming modes. Gaming mode reduces latency but can increase the risk of glitches in noisy wireless environments. The app also enables Dual Link, which manages simultaneous connections to two devices and lets you prioritize playback.
Firmware updates for the HP205 come sporadically. Apart from occasional delays in applying EQ settings, users generally report no major issues.
Sound and microphones on Ugreen Studio Max 2
Out of the box, the sound profile is quite mainstream: bass-forward, slightly recessed mids, and bright highs. This works well for pop, hip-hop, and EDM, but jazz and orchestral tracks feel a bit congested, with simplified instrument attacks. EQ presets noticeably affect the sound, but the bass-heavy profile significantly reduces detail. A more balanced sound emerges from gently boosting mids and cutting the very top frequencies. Volume headroom is ample, and distortion remains under control at everyday listening levels. In gaming, spatial awareness is decent but doesn’t compete with dedicated gaming headsets featuring virtual surround sound.
There are two microphones and basic voice noise suppression. In quiet rooms, callers hear you clearly. Outdoors or in cafes, background noise is partly filtered but voice timbre can get distorted, sometimes with a metallic edge. Loud speech near the microphone causes clipping and hissing.
Performance and battery life of Ugreen Studio Max 2
The 600mAh battery is rated for up to 80 hours of playback at 60% volume and AAC codec. Real-world usage yields about 50–60 hours with mixed use. A full charge takes around 1.5 hours. Fast charging delivers roughly 2 hours of music playback after just 5 minutes plugged in. The headphones support wired playback via USB-C, useful if the battery runs dry.
Competitors and alternatives to Ugreen Studio Max 2
For a similar price, there are options with ANC. The Edifier W820NB Plus, typically priced between 4,500 and 5,700 ₽, add active noise cancellation, a wider soundstage, and LDAC support on later revisions.
The Anker Soundcore Q20i fall in the 2,600–6,600 ₽ range and offer soft comfort and proprietary software, delivering a similarly bass-boosted, mellow midrange sound. If comfort and battery life are priorities, Ugreen still holds its ground. But if you want peace and quiet on the go along with a more balanced tone, ANC-equipped models with more flexible EQ settings might be a smarter pick.
