We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-17 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
If you want smart touchscreen controls on the charging case plus a fit built specifically for small ear canals, choose Xmenha Active Noise Cancelling; if you need a travel kit that also turns any airplane seat or gym machine into a Bluetooth source, choose Avantree Relay & Clan.
• Xmenha Active Noise Cancelling – biggest strength: A smart screen charging case that lets you change sound modes, volume, alarms and battery readouts without pulling out your phone, plus an ear-clip style fit aimed at small ears.
• Xmenha Active Noise Cancelling – biggest trade-off: The battery specs in the sheet are inconsistent (a 400mAh case listed with both 5 hours and up to 30 hours of play time), so plan around shorter sessions rather than all-day listening.
• Avantree Relay & Clan – biggest strength: It's a two-part kit. The Relay adapter sends audio from any AUX output — plane seats, TVs, gym consoles — to whatever Bluetooth headphones you already own, while the bundled Clan earbuds add hybrid ANC and an ambient mode.
• Avantree Relay & Clan – biggest trade-off: The ANC rating (up to 24dB) is a real, modest number, and the whole package is built around travel and commuting rather than gym-proof toughness or a custom small-ear fit.
• Who each pick is for: Xmenha suits people with small or sensitive ears who want on-case control; Avantree suits frequent flyers and commuters who want their existing headphones to work anywhere.
The Xmenha set stands out for one reason: the charging case has a touchscreen. You can adjust volume, switch sound-effect modes, check battery for each earbud and the case itself, see the time, and even set alarms — all from the case, without unlocking your phone. If you're the kind of person who hates digging a phone out mid-workout or mid-commute, that's a genuinely useful shortcut. It's Bluetooth 5.3 with roughly 10 metres of range, USB-C charging, and a 400mAh case battery.
The fit is the other headline. Xmenha describes these as smaller and lighter than typical TWS buds, with a soft silicone ear-clip design and an ergonomic sinking shape that doesn't require jamming a tip into the canal. For anyone whose ears ache after an hour with standard in-ears, or who has genuinely small ear canals, that design choice is the whole point. Add active noise cancellation, a transparency mode for staying aware of traffic or surroundings, and a sweatproof build, and you've got a pair aimed at running, gym sessions and outdoor movement.
Who should skip it? If you need marathon battery life, the sheet's own numbers are murky — one line says about 5 hours of playback and another claims up to 30 hours, with a "battery average life" of 15 hours listed separately. So don't buy these expecting a week between charges. Skip them too if you want a travel adapter or a premium over-ear feel; this is a lightweight in-ear product, nothing more.
Avantree's package is really two products in one box. The Relay is a Bluetooth 5.3 transmitter that plugs into anything with an AUX output — airplane entertainment systems, TVs, gym cardio machines — and beams that audio to whatever Bluetooth headphones or earbuds you already own. That's the trick most people don't realise they need: it makes your own earbuds work on a plane seat that only offers a headphone jack. A dual 3.5mm adapter is included so it fits different connector types, and aptX-Adaptive support means high-quality, low-latency audio when paired with a compatible listening device.
The Clan earbuds cover the other half of the trip. They use hybrid ANC rated to block up to 24dB of environmental noise — enough to take the edge off engine drone and carriage rumble, though not a match for the deepest noise-cancelling over-ears. Ambient Mode flips the built-in mics on so you can hear announcements or traffic without removing the buds. The case has a battery display so you can see charge status at a glance rather than guessing.
This is a commuter and traveller's kit. Buy it if you fly, take trains, or use gym machines with shared screens, and you want one small pouch that handles both "my headphones won't connect to this seat" and "I want some quiet on the way." Skip it if you mainly work out in the rain, need a small-ear-specific fit, or already own a Bluetooth transmitter — in that case you're paying for hardware you won't use.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for controlling music without your phone → Xmenha Active Noise Cancelling. The touchscreen case handles volume, modes, battery and alarms on its own.
• Best for air travel → Avantree Relay & Clan. The Relay transmitter plus the dual 3.5mm adapter covers plane seat audio regardless of connector type.
• Best for using your existing headphones anywhere → Avantree Relay & Clan. The Relay works with any Bluetooth headphones, not just the included Clan buds.
• Best for specifiable noise reduction → Avantree Relay & Clan. Avantree gives a concrete figure — up to 24dB — while Xmenha doesn't publish an ANC depth rating.
• Best for workouts and sweat → Xmenha Active Noise Cancelling. The sheet calls out a sweatproof build and a stable clip fit for running and jumping.
• Best for low-latency, high-quality wireless audio → Avantree Relay & Clan. aptX-Adaptive support is the differentiator here.
• Best for battery clarity → Avantree Relay & Clan. The case shows a battery display; Xmenha's sheet lists conflicting play-time numbers.
In my opinion, the right buy depends entirely on which problem you're actually solving. If comfort in small ears and phone-free control matter most, I'd take the Xmenha Active Noise Cancelling — the touchscreen case and ear-clip fit are things you use every single day. But if you travel or commute and want one kit that fixes airplane audio and gives you ANC earbuds, I'd buy the Avantree Relay & Clan, because the Relay adapter does something the Xmenha simply can't. For most frequent travellers, that versatility wins.
Avantree publishes a figure — hybrid ANC blocking up to 24dB — while Xmenha's sheet doesn't state an ANC depth rating. On paper, Avantree is the one you can actually quantify.
That's their design focus. The sheet describes a smaller, lighter build with soft silicone and an ear-clip shape that avoids deep insertion into the canal, which is exactly what people with small or sensitive ears tend to need.
Yes. The Relay is a transmitter that connects to any Bluetooth headphones or earbuds, and it plugs into any device with an AUX output, so you're not locked into the included Clan buds.
Prices change, so check the current price on Amazon using the button on this page before deciding. Value-wise, Xmenha gives you touchscreen controls and a small-ear fit, while Avantree gives you a travel adapter plus earbuds — pick based on which of those you'd actually use.
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