Incredible but true: Action sells Bluetooth headphones this week for less than 4 euros! We bought them and tested them to see what they are worth in practice. Here is our verdict.
Since its installation in France in 2012, Action has become one of the favorite French brands. And for good reason: the Dutch channel offers a host of products at very low prices for the house and leisure, with hundreds of items sold at less than 1 euro. She even established a ritual that does not escape the hunters of good deals by practicing weekly promotions with her famous week of action, during which, from a Wednesday to the following Tuesday, a few dozen products are braded at broken prices.
And for the week that starts this Wednesday, April 2, 2025, a promotion attracted our attention: Action indeed sells wireless headphones at… 3.99 euros. Yes, you read that right: Bluetooth headphones, with their charging box and a small USB-C cable at less than 4 euros! By way of comparison (purely symbolic), it is 37 times minins dear that AirPods 4 Apple (officially sold 149 euros), the market reference.
Of course, there are already many headphones of this type at much more reasonable prices (less than 50 euros), in brands like Xiaomi, Realme, Huawei or even JBL or Lidl, to name a handful. But here, we really wonder what these models (T’NB brand) can be worth, knowing that the price includes VAT. And that it is necessary to take into account the cost of electronic materials and components, in particular materials integrated into the batteries (rare earths). Especially since the case has a small light screen which indicates the level and the progress of the load: the kind of gadget that we do not even find on much more expensive models!
To have a clear heart, we bought and tried these headphones – yes, we do not retrace before any sacrifice. And the first contact is rather positive. Admittedly, TNB headphones are packed in a common blister. But, once out, the whole is not miserable. A manual in French is obviously provided, but you need very good eyes to read it. The case is light (bad sign for the battery), but pretty, with its transparent plastic shell that welcomes the two headphones in open accommodation. And, without breathing luxury, headphones are not miserable. Intra-ear, they are even rather comfortable and hold properly in the ears.
Bluetooth headphones Action: far from hi-fi
As promised, the case displays the load level well with a progressive percentage, by signaling the end of the operation by a very clear OK. And pairing with a source is very simple, without any particular manipulation. Like all wireless headphones, T’NBs have tactile controls, on their stem. And, in practice, they work properly, by fulfilling all the classic functions: reading/pause, volume control, change of song, telephone call and even piloting of a voice assistant. Nothing is missing on this side!
Unsurprisingly, the sound rendering is far from that of market references: the level is low (very low, even), and the bandwidth limited, with a lack of base and bodies in low frequencies (serious). But it is not as despicable as you might think at first. The treble is quite fine and the mediums rather correct, without aggressiveness, with a restitution of suitable voices. Clearly, it is not (at all) hi-fi, but it is acceptable to listen to podcasts. As for telephone calls, if the quality of listening is acceptable (always with a low level), the microphone gives a cavernous sound and muffled according to our interlocutors.
Finally, taking into account the duration of our micro test, we were unable to judge the autonomy: action announces 5 hours per listener and up to 15 hours with the housing, but these data seem optimistic in view of the weight and therefore of the capacity of the batteries.
In short, if they absolutely do not replace quality models, action headphones can help out in some situations. You can fully equip children without fear for their hearing given their really low sound level. And we can lose them without regret! But there is no question of advising them to demanding amateurs, and in particular audiophiles. Clearly, they are largely worth their price, without being worse than other models at very low prices.
The fact remains that this ultra low rate questions: on manufacturing and transport costs, already, but also on the margins of the brand, and, above all, on the conditions of their production and on the environmental impact of this type of high-tech “disposable” high-tech product. We really live a funny time …