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Astell & Kern A&norma SR35 review: hardly an entry-level DAP, but so, so worth it
6:31 pm | January 29, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Portable Media Players | Comments: Off

Astell & Kern A&norma SR35: two-minute review

If you came here looking to buy into hi-res audio for a song, you’ve come to the wrong place. This may be Astell & Kern’s most affordable digital audio player, but the A&norma SR35 nevertheless represents a significant investment – and, what’s more, an investment that strongly suggests you should spend pretty big on headphones too.

The good news, though, is that it’s completely worth it. The A&norma SR35 is easily one of the best MP3 players on the market (and in terms of file support, even to call it such a thing is to do it a disservice). From the understatedly lavish nature of its build and finish to the in-no-way-understated nature of its specification, there seems no apparent compromise where the SR35 is concerned. 

Quite obviously, Astell & Kern set out to wipe the floor with any and all price-comparable competitors when the SR35 is considered as an overall package – and that’s what it’s done.

This player is nice to hold, simple and logical to operate, and a pleasure to listen to. Sonically, it’s very accomplished indeed, with the sort of all-court game that not only makes your smartphone sound like someone playing music in the next train carriage, but puts some quite well-regarded (but inevitably less expensive) dedicated digital audio players into sharp perspective too. 

Astell & Kern A&norma SR35 held in a hand with headphones, on green background

If the slanted screen doesn't bother you, there's so much to love (Image credit: Future)

Astell & Kern A&norma SR35: Price and release date

  • Priced $799 / £799 / AU$1,299
  • Released May 2023 

The Astell & Kern A&norma SR35 is on sale now, and in the United Kingdom it will cost you £799. It’s yours for $799 in the US, while in Australia you’ll need to part with AU$1,299.

Only in Astell & Kern-land can this be considered ‘entry-level’ – being one of the company's most affordable products in a range is not the same as being authentically ‘affordable’.

For context, the company's flagship offering, the fabulous A&ultima SP3000, will set you back an eye-watering $3,699 / £3,799 / AU$5,499. At the other end of the scale, its November 2021-issue excellent Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 MKII is now available for a little less than the newer SR35, at around $749 / £699 / AU$1,099. The difference in ticket price is negligible, especially when you factor in the age of the SR25 MKII. 

All of which is a roundabout way of saying that the SR35 had better be something pretty special to justify that price-tag…

Astell & Kern A&norma SR35 held in a hand to show the headphone ports

As with the SR25 MKII, there's a 4.4 balanced headphone jack for extra connectivity (Image credit: Future)

Astell & Kern A&norma SR35 review: Features

  • Quad Cirrus Logic CS43198 DACs
  • 64GB of internal memory
  • Three headphone sockets

Like I said, it’s only possible to describe the A&norma SR35 as ‘entry level’ when you’ve digital audio players costing the thick end of four grand in your line-up. Because make no mistake, Astell & Kern has specified this player well in excess of what you might reasonably expect of the ‘entry level’. 

Amplification, for instance, is provided by a new in-house A&K design called ‘New Generation AMP’. Digital-to-analogue conversion is handled by no fewer than four Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC chips – and if you’re trying to eke out battery life, or listening to less than fully hi-res content, the SR35 can run in ‘dual-DAC’ mode instead. This hardware is part of Astell & Kern’s ‘Teraton Alpha’ platform, designed to minimise noise, maximise performance and offer what the company casually calls ‘ultimate sound’. ‘Teraton Alpha’ has featured in Astell & Kern players before now, but only the much more expensive ones.

There are wired and wireless connectivity options here, of course. Wireless stuff runs to dual-band wi-fi (handily, the SR35 is ready to download and run numerous music streaming service apps like Apple Music, Qobuz and TIDAL – and it’s Roon Ready too) and two-way Bluetooth 5.0 (with aptX HD and LDAC codec compatibility). The USB-C socket on the bottom of the chassis can be used to transform the SR35 into a DAC (if you want to use it to deal with content stored on, for example, a laptop computer), as well as being the way to charge the internal battery.

Battery life is very dependent on how you’re using the player. Listen to 16bt/44.1kHz CD-standard content at moderate volume using wired headphones, and you should expect 20 hours or so of playback. Switch up to some properly high-resolution stuff, at big volumes, using wireless headphones, and that figure will reduce by over 50 percent. Charging from ‘flat’ to ‘full’ takes around two-and-a-half hours.   

Wired headphones can be plugged into one of the three headphones sockets on the player’s top edge. There’s an unbalanced 3.5mm output, of course, and there are 2.5mm and 4.4mm balanced alternatives – because, as I said, this device is only nominally ‘entry level’.

Internal memory is 64GB. The operating system eats into this just a little, of course – and if you’re loading in big high-resolution files, it’s not going to be long before that’s all used up. There’s a microSD card slot next to the USB-C on the device’s base, though, and it can accept cards of up to 1TB. Which should last you a little longer.

  • Features score: 5/5

Astell & Kern A&norma SR35 review: Design

  • 108 x 64 x 16mm (HxWxD)
  • 184g
  • Angular and aluminum

No, at 108 x 64 x 16mm (HxWxD) this isn’t the smallest digital audio player you’ver ever seen, and at 184g it’s far from the lightest around. But believe you me, by Astell & Kern standards the SR35 is compact and lightweight. 

Some of this is explained by everything that’s going on inside, of course. But it also doesn’t do to understate Astell & Kern’s desire to ‘design’ all their products to within an inch of their lives. The SR35 is built mostly of aluminium, and its chassis is so complicatedly angular that the device’s 3.6in touchscreen has to sit at an angle to fit between all the pointy edges. 

It’s equally true to say that A&K doesn’t compromise when it comes to build quality either, though. The A&norma SR35 is beautifully made, impeccably finished, and has genuine credentials as a ‘luxury accessory’ almost as obvious as it does as a ‘very nice digital audio player’.

  • Design score: 5/5

Astell & Kern A&norma SR35 on its side, to show the four buttons

An unmarked quartet of brutalist black buttons. But once you know, you know (Image credit: Future)

Astell & Kern A&norma SR35 review: Sound quality

  • Lovely tonal balance 
  • Scale and dynamism to spare
  • Iron fist and velvet glove in equal measure

You may own some downloaded audio files you wish to load onto the SR35’s internal memory. You may be a top-tier subscriber to a properly worthwhile streaming service like Qobuz or TIDAL (or both). You may be the owner of some similarly expensive and appropriately talented headphones. If you are, then you’re good to go. 

And with everything I’ve already said about battery life (and how to maximise it) taken into consideration, it’s nevertheless safe to say you’ll end up needing to recharge the SR35 more often than you anticipate. This is one of those audio devices that will steal your time away, making even the most perfunctory ‘quick listen’ into a long and pleasurable session.

Even though the SR35 thrives on the best standard of content, it’s more agnostic than many alternative players. So while you should ideally be loading up on stuff like a 24bit/192kHz FLAC file of David Bowie’s Word on a Wing via TIDAL, the Astell & Kern is perfectly happy to tolerate a 320kbps Spotify stream of We’re in Love by Boygenius. In both cases, the sound this player makes is deft, musical and entertaining like you wouldn’t believe.

Low frequencies are authentically deep, loaded with texture and alive with variation, and so very well controlled that rhythmic expression is as natural as can be. At the opposite end, treble sounds bite and crunch with real purpose – but they carry plenty of substance along with them, so they’re never splashy or hard even if you like to listen at big volumes. In between, the soundstage the Astell & Kern generates is such that voices in the midrange have an absolute stack of space in which to stretch out and express themselves – and detail levels are such that every facet of a vocal performance, its attitude and intention, is made completely plain. 

The tonal balance is every bit as pleasant; it’s natural and convincing, and utterly smooth in its emphases from the bottom of the frequency range to the top. Detail retrieval is little short of epic, and the SR35 is able to identify and accurately contextualise even the most minor, most transient occurrence in a recording. It has the sort of barrel-chested dynamism that means the quietest moments in a recording contrast with the loudest in the same way night contrasts with day. And it’s just as attentive to the spaces and silences in a recording as it is to the sounds themselves – and it makes sure the silences are pitch-dark, too. 

‘Musical’ may seem like a redundant term when talking about a digital audio player, but not every DAP deserves the description. This one, though, is musical and then some.  

  • Audio performance score: 5/5

Astell & Kern A&norma SR35 held in a ahnd to show off the rotary volume dial, on colorful background

The rotary volume dial: still a winner  (Image credit: Future)

Astell & Kern A&norma SR35 review: Usability and setup

  • 3.6in 720 x 1080 hi-res touchscreen
  • Adapted Android interface
  • A few physical controls too

The A&norma SR35 sees the first appearance of Astell & Kern’s new crimson-and-black user interface – and the company is right when it says it’s easier on the eye and more straightforward to understand than the rather more sudden interface it replaces. And that’s just as well, because at 3.6in this is far from the biggest touchscreen around; users with fingers like His Royal Highness will need to be very careful indeed.

Astell & Kern is to be congratulated for not just porting over the full Android interface – after all, why take up valuable memory and processing power duplicating functions your smartphone is perfectly capable of dealing with? So this interface is familiar, but far more focused on what’s actually important.

This means that as well as the nuts-and-bolts of installing your preferred music streaming services, you can adjust the player’s audio output via a 20-band equaliser. You can rearrange the layout of playback controls. You can adjust screen brightness, set a volume limit, and toggle the USB mode between ‘media player’ or ‘DAC’. You can audition four different DAC filters and a few amp settings. And you can do plenty more besides – so if you’re the sort of end user who likes to get fully involved, the SR35 has you covered.

There are a few nicely implemented physical controls here too. The top right of the chassis features Astell & Kern’s trademark jewel-like volume control – it moves with very pleasing weight and resistance. On the top left, meanwhile, four little buttons take care of ‘power on/off’, ‘play/pause’, ‘skip forwards’ and ‘skip backwards’. A&K doesn't mark these buttons, that would upset the aesthetic. But you'll be listening so often, you'll soon get the hang of it. 

  • Usability and setup score: 5/5

Astell & Kern A&norma SR35: Value

  • A&K's entry-level player – but 'entry-level' is questionable at best
  • Tech from models much higher up the food chain
  • A&K's premium players cost quadruple the price, but still 

In absolute terms, the A&norma SR35 represents, at best, questionable value for money. 

That it is well-made and sounds excellent is not up for question, and it’s hard to argue with the user experience it offers too. But there’s no doubt you’re paying a premium for the industrial design that always sets Astell & Kern products apart.

  • Value score: 4.5/5

Astell & Kern A&norma SR35: Should you buy it?

Astell & Kern A&norma SR35 held in a hand, scrolling the volume up to 120

This plucky player was driving the huge, open-back FT5 headphones at the time and – doing a marvellous job (Image credit: Future)

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Astell & Kern A&norma SR35 review: Also consider

Astell & Kern A&norma SR35: How I tested it

  • Myriad styles of music
  • Lots of different file types and sizes
  • A long listen (although not as long as I would have liked)

I plugged balanced and unbalanced headphones into the A&norma SR35, as well as wireless alternatives, and I used both in-ear and over-ear models. I listened to music from Arvo Pärt to Aretha Franklin and all points in between, and I listened to big, uncompressed FLAC files as well as indecently compressed stuff from Apple Music. 

Overall, I listened for what must have been a week or so – although it seemed much less than that when the time came to return the player to Astell & Kern… 

  • First reviewed January 2024
Final Audio UX2000 review: lacking in looks but extremely budget friendly
1:00 pm | January 28, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Headphones Wireless Headphones | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Final Audio UX2000 review: Two-minute review

At first grab, the Final Audio UX2000 feels pretty cheap and flimsy. It's when I folded them up for the first time that I started liking them. This mean they fit in your bag or on your desk well but even better? They are actually worth grabbing for more than just their portable design. 

These might not be some of the absolute best over-ear headphones but you could do a lot worse. Sound quality is the highlight here with a wide soundstage, strong bass, yet decently crisp mids too. During my testing, I listen to a lot of different genres and the Final Audio UX2000 didn’t let the side down with anything. 

However, the Final Audio UX2000 do lack some neat features. There's no wear detection, no app and the hybrid active noise cancellation (ANC) system isn't adjustable. You get used to these omissions but it’s a reminder that the Final Audio UX2000 are pretty cheap for good ANC headphones so something’s got to give.

Said ANC does work well even if it’s technically hybrid rather than full. At times, you’ll have noise trickle through but for everyday use, it does the job well and easily rivals more famous competition. As for features, they have a strong battery life of up to 45 hours, which makes the Final Audio UX2000 an ideal pair of cans for your commute, whether you’re walking or resting. 

At $120 / £100 (around AU$180), the Final Audio UX2000 are tempting. Odds are you’ll still favor something more famous among the best over-ear headphones such as something from Sony or JBL, but you shouldn’t overlook the Final Audio UX2000. There are concessions to make but they’re understandable ones at the price. 

Final Audio UX2000 review: Price and release date

  • Released in December 2023
  • Officially priced at $120 / £100 

Final Audio UX2000 being held to the side

(Image credit: Future)

The Final Audio UX2000 was released in December 2023 for $120 / £100 (around AU$180). The headphones are currently available in the US and UK at popular third-party retailers like Amazon. 

Solely available in black, they aren’t a fashionista’s dream like some of the competition in this price range. Said competitors include cans like the JBL Tune 770NC in the UK and the ever popular Sony WH-CH720N, so the field is a fairly busy one. 

That’s not forgetting the Final Audio UX3000, which was released in August 2022 as the brand's first over-ear headphones. These are priced only slightly more ($30 / £20) than the Final Audio UX2000.

Final Audio UX2000 review: Specs

Final Audio UX2000 review: Features

A close up of the buttons on the Final Audio UX2000

(Image credit: Future)
  • Multipoint connection 
  • Hybrid ANC
  • No app support

The Final Audio UX2000 is a little thin on the ground when it comes to features. The standout is its multipoint support which is increasingly becoming an essential addition as we’re all juggling multiple devices these days. 

There’s also support for AAC and SBC codecs while there’s Final’s so-called hybrid ANC. It uses an stress-resistant driver to theoretically boost its ability to cancel out annoying background noise. It works fairly well, doing a great job of blocking out an ever-present dehumidifier and other environmental noise, but it’s not perfect. It’s nearer to ANC than not but I was curious about it being hybrid rather than full ANC. 

Using Bluetooth 5.3 means no need to worry about sound dropouts so all seems well... Until you remember there’s no app support. Final has a companion app but it doesn’t support the Final Audio UX2000 yet so hopefully that’s coming soon.

Features score: 3 / 5

Final Audio UX2000 review: Battery life

Final Audio UX2000 lying face down

(Image credit: Future)
  • Up to 55 hours 
  • USB-C charging 

The Final Audio UX2000 promises up to 45 hours of battery life even with hybrid ANC on, and in my time with it, that’s about right. Turn the volume down a little and you can eke out a few more hours, though.

Similarly, turn off ANC and that time extends. With mixed usage though, an average of 45 hours seems about right. USB-C charging is the order of the day here with a full charge taking just over two hours to achieve. It’s all fairly respectable if not exceptional.

Battery life score: 4 / 5

Final Audio UX2000 review: Sound quality

Final Audio UX2000 from the side

(Image credit: Future)
  • Surprisingly good hybrid ANC
  • Wide soundstage 
  • Strong bass

At $120 / £100, I’m not expecting the Final Audio UX2000 to be some of the best headphones around but these cans surprised me with how good they sounded. The instant highlight is how wide the soundstage feels. While some other headphones in this price range can leave music sounding a little distant, the UX2000 wrap sound around you well.

Alongside that, the UX2000 are pretty bassy and ideal for excitable and booming music. While the punch could be a little greater if I was going to be picky, it’s still perfectly respectable. I enjoyed the enthusiasm that came from my David Guetta playlist with the bass feeling suitably engaging.

Somehow, the UX2000 are also pretty crisp sounding when it comes to more subtle tracks like Queen’s Under Pressure. Is it as revelatory as something like the Sony WH-1000XM5? Of course not, but these cost a fraction of the cost and I still didn’t feel like I was missing out. 

Temper your expectations and you’ll be happy with how these sound. That goes for the ANC which is a hybrid system that uses two microphones on each ear cup to analyze sound to block out irritants. It’s not perfect but it mostly blocks out what you need to escape from. If only there was an app for setting up a transparency mode or tweaking the EQ.

Sound quality score: 4 / 5

Final Audio UX2000 review: Design

The Final Audio UX2000 folded up

(Image credit: Future)
  • Very plain style
  • Tactile buttons
  • Foldable design

Let’s get to the good bit – the Final Audio UX2000 fold and not enough headphones do this any more. That makes them easier to toss in your bag but also easier to find room on your desk for them. 

The UX2000 do feel a little cheap in your hands and aren’t anything exciting to show off to anyone, but it’s nice to see physical buttons over touch controls. Touch controls are cool but physical buttons tend to work more accurately and that’s the case with these.

At the bottom of one ear cup is the USB-C port while the other ear cup has room for a 3.5mm jack if you prefer to listen wired. Buttons are a simple matter of power, ANC, and volume so they take seconds to figure out.

Design score: 4 / 5

Final Audio UX2000 review: Value

The Final Audio UX2000 lying flat on a bench

(Image credit: Future)
  • Mediocre build
  • Good features

Because the UX2000 are from a lesser known brand, this likely means they don't feel like the headphones you’ll show off to your mates. Final Audio's build quality feels cheap too but inside that plasticky surface are decent drivers that ensure it sounds pretty good – and that’s ultimately where it counts with headphones. 

If you need more features, something like the Sony WH-CH520 offer app support and quick charge, but lack fantastic ANC, so it’s a trade-off of what’s most important to you.

Value score: 4 / 5 

Should I buy the Final Audio UX2000?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Final Audio UX2000 review: Also consider

How I tested the Final Audio UX2000

Final Audio UX2000 being held

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tested over 14 days in many different situations
  • Listened against the Apple AirPods Pro 2, Philips Fidelio L4 and JBL Tune 770NC
  • Listened to Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube videos and Twitch

Over Christmas and New Year, I primarily used the Final Audio UX2000 as my main headphones. They took over from my usual Apple AirPods Pro 2 and recent regular use of the Philips Fidelio L4. 

I used them on my (nearly) daily morning walks to test them out among environmental noises like busy traffic. In the evenings, I relaxed by the Christmas tree checking out how my favorite playlists sounded through them. 

Busy rush hour traffic was a good challenge for the UX2000’s hybrid ANC along with neighbours using the break to hammer holes in their walls. 

Primarily, I listened to Apple Music and Spotify with occasional dips into Twitch streams to see how they sounded when dealing with conversations. A few podcasts were listened to via my iPhone 14 Pro.

My taste is varied so there was everything from Harry Styles to Jimi Hendrix depending on my mood. YouTube and Twitch time were mostly spent watching gaming videos.

I’ve reviewed audio products for over 10 years now and I’m increasingly picky about what sounds good and can spot the difference, while appreciating that $100 cans won’t usually compete with $400 ones.

Pure Woodland review: charming, practical and hitting the right notes
1:00 pm | January 27, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers DAB Radios Gadgets Hi-Fi | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Pure Woodland: Two-minute review

The Pure Woodland Bluetooth speaker and DAB radio isn’t the cutting edge of modern technology but it knows how to be good at what it does. It has the right name, looking eco-friendly right down to its cardboard and paper only box (besides a couple of cable ties). In a fetching green, it’s just asking for you to hook it up to a tree on a hot summer’s day. 

None of this would matter if it was awful to use but some thought has been put into it. Its carry handle is soft and easy to grip onto while its 14 hours of battery life is about right for a busy day out full of music and relaxation.

This isn’t just about music though as the Pure Woodland also has a reliable DAB and FM radio component. Pull up that antenna and you’re good to go with the DAB radio automatically tuning in and the FM radio only a few steps away. It works well giving you plenty of suitable options with the LCD screen highlighting what station is playing. 

At £139.99 / €149.99, it’s not the most competitively priced radio/speaker combo but it’s reasonable. It’s going to last a while too with IP67 waterproofing and some reinforced bumpers to help it handle a few blows while you take it out and about with you.

Simple to use with its stylish yet easy to distinguish buttons, the Pure Woodland is that device that everyone will figure out making it an easy radio to provide the whole family with. Outdoors, it blends in well while on the living room bookshelf, it’s going to be just as capable with a long USB cable proving useful. 

As its closest rival, the Robert Revival RD70 might be better looking but if you need something that can travel with you, the Pure Woodland is a tempting proposition among a busy world of the best DAB radios and best Bluetooth speakers. 

Pure Woodland review: Price and release date

The Pure Woodland Bluetooth speaker with DAB radio

(Image credit: Future)
  • Released in July 2023
  • Costs £139.99 / €149.99
  • Only available in the UK and Europe

The Pure Woodland was released in the UK and Europe in July 2023. It costs £139.99 and €149.99 in respective markets, which places it squarely in the mid-range market. 

It’s a little cheaper than some popular favorites like the non-portable but stylish Robert Revival RD70, although pricier than the Sony XDR-P1, which has proved a hit among those looking for something portable.

It’s bulkier than the latter too although the Pure Woodland would certainly look better in your living room than the dated stylings of the Sony XDR-P1. You also get a rechargeable battery here rather than needing to dig out AA batteries all the time. 

Pure Woodland review: Features

The Pure Woodland Bluetooth speaker with DAB radio on the floor

(Image credit: Future)
  • IP67 waterproofing
  • Carry handle
  • DAB and FM radio as well as speaker

It’s perhaps weird to think immediately of the carry handle of the Pure Woodland but it feels like a genuine feature rather than a design component. So many portable speakers omit a useful way of carrying them  and are rarely light enough to throw in a bag. 

While at the time of this review, it’s the wrong time of year to be spending long days outside – the Pure Woodland feels like something you could take on a picnic with you alongside your bag of food. The handle is soft to hold too which is so important compared to it biting through your hand. 

Besides the handle, the Pure Woodland is also pretty robust with IP67 waterproofing and a build that’s light to carry yet feels like it could handle a few knocks. Its 14 hour battery life also means you have a day’s worth of picnicking without needing a power source. 

The Bluetooth 5.1 that's onboard is reliable and means no dropouts to speak of. You can also switch to DAB radio mode or a FM radio if you choose. The former is pretty much automatic while the latter requires some adjustments but odds are you’ll be focusing on DAB anyhow. 

Don’t count on any extra physical connections like an aux-in socket but otherwise, the Pure Woodland has it covered.

Features score: 4 / 5 

Pure Woodland review: Sound quality

The Pure Woodland Bluetooth speaker with DAB radio facing down

(Image credit: Future)
  • 10W speaker
  • Crisp audio 
  • Lacking a little oomph at times 

I’m not really counting on the Pure Woodland to be an audiophile’s dream. Instead, it’s a balanced mix of offering everything the average person needs. Listening to a talk-focused station like LBC brings out how crisp voices sound while switching over to music demonstrates that this isn’t a bass-heavy party speaker but it still does the job well for adding ambience to your picnic, working day, or general chill out moment.

When my random playlist switched to Corner Shop’s Brimful of Asha (yes, really), I was pleasantly surprised at how enthusiastic it sounded. It broke through the background noise of my dehumidifier and my mechanical keyboard well. Elsewhere, more vocal heavy tracks like Harry Styles’s Sign of the Times feels tamer and not quite as powerful as one might like. Similarly, Black Eyed Peas’ I Gotta Feeling doesn’t quite get you in the party mood. 

However, it’s all likeable and pleasant enough. As cliched as it might sound, the Pure Woodland is a reliable all-rounder. Nothing sounds poor or over processed and the soundstage is reasonable for this speaker, at least indoors. 

Sound quality: 4 / 5 

Pure Woodland review: Design

The Pure Woodland Bluetooth speaker with DAB radio

(Image credit: Future)
  • Pleasantly tactile
  • Clear preset buttons 
  • Reinforced bumpers

The Pure Woodland looks a little dated but on the other hand, it’s also really practical. It has the aforementioned carry handle which has been designed to be soft to hold onto yet sturdy. It’ll easily hook onto something too. It also has a string of tactile buttons laid out well so none of them are too close to each other. Unlike other devices, there are no long presses or double taps necessary so it’s simple enough for anyone to figure out.

Six presets are available in all with three DAB and three FM giving you some options. Pairing to Bluetooth takes mere moments. Next to the buttons is a thin LCD screen so you can see what station you’ve picked. 

On the back, there’s nothing to speak of. A USB-C port for charging. For a change, a long USB cable is included so you’ve got a fair bit of stretch if you need to keep it plugged in. 14 hours of battery life means this won’t be too commonplace, fortunately. Reinforced bumpers at the top and bottom of the device adds to the robustness of the Pure Woodland. 

Design score: 4 / 5

Pure Woodland review: Value

The Pure Woodland Bluetooth speaker with DAB radio

(Image credit: Future)
  • About average for what it offers
  • A little cheaper than more stylish options
  • Built to last

The Pure Woodland feels like something that will last a long time. It’s going to handle a muddy picnic in a British summer as well as it’ll handle living comfortably on your bookcase too. 

It’s not as good looking as the Robert Revival RD70 but it’s portable which is vital for some people. On the other hand, it’s far better looking than the cheaper Sony XDR-P1 and will look nice in your home during the winter months. A jack of all trades? Maybe, but it works. 

Should you buy the Pure Woodland?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if... 

Pure Woodland review: Also consider

How I tested the Pure Woodland

The Pure Woodland Bluetooth speaker with DAB radio

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tested for one week 
  • Used around the home and briefly outside (winter!)
  • 10 years of audio reviewing experience

I lived with the Pure Woodland by plonking it in the same room as I work while also moving it around the home including my living room. For a brief time, I took it outside but the weather has been awful and I feel less waterproof than the Pure Woodland. 

Around the house, it was used while I worked as background noise as well as while I cooked and cleaned. It was all very domesticated and pleasant -- just like how most people are likely to use the Pure Woodland. 

I listened to a wide variety of music. This included my faithful (and somewhat embarrassing) 1990s playlist along with more recent releases such as those of Taylor Swift and Harry Styles. I also listened to the radio a lot -- mostly a mixture of LBC, BBC Radio 5 Live, and BBC Radio 4. 

Music was streamed through Apple Music and Spotify, while I used the DAB side of things predominantly for the radio with some FM testing too.

Over the past decade, I’ve reviewed dozens of speakers, headphones, and earbuds. Covering a wide range of price ranges, these go from super cheap ‘how could they make it for so little?’ level to much more expensive options.

Sonus faber Duetto Review: incredible sound, spotty performance
6:00 pm | January 20, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Speakers | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

SONUS FABER DUETTO: ONE-MINUTE REVIEW

The best wireless speakers can be the audiophile’s soundbar, wrapping all the inputs, amplification, and streaming tech you need into a standalone, high-performance audio solution. Sonus faber’s dashingly elegant Duetto speakers check off those boxes in style, offering brilliantly clear and robust sound quality alongside convenient wireless streaming and plenty of ways to connect.

The design is cutting-edge, right down to the wireless connection between the speakers, but as is surprisingly common with audiophile brands, the execution isn’t always as intuitive or reliable as you’d expect from a luxury product. Over the course of my Duetto review, I experienced multiple tech issues, from setup hiccups to spotty HDMI ARC communication. The speakers add to those issues with some awkward design quirks and control options.

The Duetto easily rank among the most transparent, dynamic, and just plain stylish powered bookshelf speakers I’ve evaluated. If you’re willing to gamble on their tech, which may improve over time with software updates, they could be worth considering for those seeking an all-in-one best stereo speakers option that’s as beautiful as it is sonically striking. Otherwise, there are more stalwart options out there. 

sonus faber duetto closeup on stand

(Image credit: Future)

SONUS FABER DUETTO REVIEW: Price & release date

  • Released October 2023
  • Priced at $3,999 / £3,490

The Sonus faber Duetto speakers were released in October 2023 and are available in over 50 countries worldwide through authorized dealers. At the time of this review, the U.S. price for the Sonus faber Duetto was $3,999. 

SONUS FABER DUETTO REVIEW: Specs

sonus faber duetto bottom ports

Hardwired connection options include HDMI eARC, optical digital, and MM phono inputs (Image credit: Future)

SONUS FABER DUETTO REVIEW: Features

  • Powered wireless speakers connected over UWB
  • Phono, optical, and HDMI ARC/eARC inputs
  • Webpage for control; setup via AirPlay, Google Home, or Ethernet

Among their many intriguing features, maybe the most unique is how these high-resolution wireless speakers connect to one another. 

Like most powered/active speakers, the Duetto pair comprises a primary speaker that houses onboard controls and inputs and a secondary speaker that receives audio from its partner. Unlike other such wireless systems, the two speakers aren’t connected via a data cable or Wi-Fi, relying instead on a relatively new wireless protocol called UWB (Ultra wideband). UWB uses radio waves for some distinct advantages over alternatives, including much lower latency than Bluetooth LE and virtually zero signal interference when compared to Wi-Fi frequencies.

Each of the Duetto speakers is internally powered by potent custom amplifiers, including a 100 watt Class A/B amplifier for each tweeter and a Class-D amplifier claimed to produce a whopping 250 watts for each 5.25-inch woofer. You can choose which speaker is the left or right, depending on the room layout. The two-way speakers utilize internal DSP (digital signal processing) with a crossover set at 1.9 kHz. Their total frequency response is a claimed 37Hz-30kHz, and they reach deep into that low end with authority.

On the primary speaker’s supple leather topside, you’ll find lighted “Senso” touch keys that let you tap your way through playback, volume, and input control. It’s a slick design, but it takes a while to master the functions without the familiar playback symbols you’ll find on most wireless speakers. You’ll also need to memorize the different colors flashing across the speaker’s front LED display bar (seven in all) for each input – the price you pay for style.

Style also takes precedence for the Duetto’s physical input hub. Inputs include Ethernet, RCA line-in (with an available built-in phono pre for a turntable), optical digital, subwoofer out, and HDMI ARC/eARC, all stuffed into a small cubby beneath the primary speaker. This allows for clean lines across the speaker’s elegantly industrial backside., but it can be confounding for usability, requiring an awkward balancing act anytime you need to swap cables or access the Duetto’s reset or speaker pairing keys. Simply moving those keys to the back would be helpful.

Awkward is the operative word for my Duetto setup experience, starting with pairing the speakers together once you’ve powered them on. This requires digging through your tangle of wires under the main speaker’s base, finding the tiny pairing button next to the equally tiny reset button and holding it for five seconds, then dashing to the other speaker to do the same within 30 seconds. The first time I must have failed to hold the button long enough, forcing a retry.

Next, since Sonus faber (oddly) doesn’t include a dedicated app for setup or control, you’ll need to use either AirPlay setup or the Google Home app to connect to Wi-Fi. My first review sample, a previously used model, refused to connect to my network multiple times. Once I finally did get the speakers to play, they sputtered offline again and eventually got stuck in a power-cycle feedback loop as I tried to reset them.

A second review pair connected without incident via AirPlay, but I did experience some hiccups in which the speakers stopped responding to Spotify, forcing me to reset them or reconnect. On another occasion, the left speaker suddenly stopped playing, forcing another power down. Most notably, after testing them over a few weeks, the Duetto started having HDMI ARC connection issues. It seems to be a CEC communication problem, where the speakers don’t always power on and/or connect when I turn on the TV, sometimes forcing me to connect manually or, again, power cycle them. While I can usually get them working, the issue was persistent through multiple HDMI cables, multiple TV settings, and even multiple TVs.

The Duetto’s reliance on a webpage for online controls is also less convenient than speakers with a dedicated app. The webpage provides some useful features like the ability to configure HDMI switching, adapt the bass for near-wall setup and turn it down in quiet moments via the “Loudness Maximiser.” But it’s missing options like a multi-band EQ or inputs selection. You’ll need to bookmark it in your browser or rely on the physical manual’s QR code for access. A real app appears to be coming, which would be a big help for usability if and when it arrives.

  • Features score: 3/5

Sonus faber duetto speakers on stands in living room

Screenshots of the BluOS app used to control streaming and speaker setup (Image credit: Future)

SONUS FABER DUETTO REVIEW: Sound quality

  • Sensitive, transparent, and dynamic sound
  • Dimensional and precise soundstage
  • Powerful and clear bass response

Listening to the Duetto is not a passive experience, it’s an event. Their nuanced sound signature is as sensitive as it is powerful, diving deep into the core of each instrument, vocal, or effect and raising it to the surface to be exposed in the light of day. Poorer mixes and low-resolution tracks have nowhere to hide from these sonic magnifiers. Yet their smooth and sweet sound signature is remarkably forgiving, with a warm and present midrange, fluid and vividly responsive treble that’s forward but never sharp, and shockingly thunderous bass.

You’ll have no trouble enjoying compressed audio over Spotify Connect, even finding yourself distracted from other tasks by the Duetto’s knack for detail and definition. But you’ll spark more joy by using a source more worthy of their pedigree – this is a pair of $4,000 speakers after all. 

I started my evaluation in earnest pairing the Duetto with a new Technics SL1500-C turntable and a reprint of Dave Bruebeck’s classic album “Take Five” fresh out of the wrapper. And what a listen it was. I’ve heard some very good speakers in my day, and I was still taken off guard by just how fabulously the Duetto reproduced this iconic album. You know you’re onto something when your notes include phrases like “a joyous celebration of life and art.”

There’s not an instrument these speakers don’t know how to elevate. The breathy buzz of the sax in “Strange Meadow Lark” was so close I could almost feel it against my neck. The papery texture of the drums in the titular track revealed each of Joe Morello’s minute wrist adjustments in mellow-gold microtones. Even the warm gunk in the diaphragms of those ‘50s microphones seemed to glow through the tweeters as bass strings rattled and Brubeck’s creamy piano spun up and down the right side. The voluminous soundstage rises to near three-dimensionality in such moments, with instruments seeming to reach out and curve around your face.

The soundstage was similarly enveloping with TV and movies, even when dialing up seemingly basic fare like a rewatch of “Christmas Vacation” over the holidays. The Duetto built a cavern of spacious sound here, and was especially adept at reconstructing minute details like a TV in another room. The guttural roar of Eddie’s RV as he fired it up to kidnap Clark’s boss had me looking outside, while the rocket-like bombast of Santa’s plastic reindeer as they’re launched into orbit at the movie’s conclusion seemed to rumble the whole front of the room. The sound was so expansive it felt like a Dolby Atmos mix, all from a compressed stream over stereo speakers.

As I listened on, I was constantly surprised by the Duetto’s transparency, from whistling high-frequency synthesizers to the painstaking reconstruction of every mix or soundstage as if laid out before me. Still, the Duetto’s oak-like bass response is their most striking sonic trait. As noted, they’re rated down to 37Hz, and I’ll be damned if they don’t get close. Adding a sub will clear up some room in the upper register and provide more control, but it’s otherwise unnecessary given the Duetto’s powerful punch. Bass is almost too powerful in some tracks, even after being tamed in the settings, which was why I sometimes wished for better EQ.

EQ or not, I won’t raise any official complaints about the Duetto’s sound. If it weren’t for the technical mishaps I encountered, I’d likely be considering throwing down the cash to grab them myself. They offer among the most impressive sonic performances I’ve ever heard in a pair of bookshelves. Even as I write this review, I’m finding new ways to be impressed, engaged, and elated by their skills.

  • Sound quality score: 5/5

sonus faber duetto top surface

The lighted “Senso” touch keys on the speaker's leather-wrapped top surface that let you tap your way through playback, volume, and input control (Image credit: Future)

SONUS FABER DUETTO REVIEW: Design

  • Relatively compact, fully wireless bookshelf design
  • Dashingly elegant, minimalist aesthetic in black or walnut
  • Inconvenient inputs and control layout

At just over 13 inches tall and 11 inches deep, the Duetto are easy to place on most speaker stands and longer consoles. Sonus faber also offers custom Duetto stands at a lofty $749. The speakers are unflinchingly gorgeous and well-built, from their perfectly matched, lute-shaped cabinets to their leather tops and hefty metal heat sinks. They’re among the only speakers I’ve seen that look as good with their acoustic screens on as off. The lack of any visible physical connections along or between the two speakers makes for a squeaky-clean aesthetic.

As noted above, it also makes basic things like swapping in a new device or re-pairing the speakers in the event of a reset or connection issue inconvenient, with everything confined beneath the primary speaker. Even the slick remote feels overengineered, requiring a lockpick’s touch to open the battery slot via a tiny hole at the back.

At least some of these decisions feel like form over function. It all works fine if you only need to set the speakers up once and don’t plan on adding any new gear later, but it makes everything more of a hassle when something changes or goes wrong.

  • Design score: 3/5

SONUS FABER DUETTO REVIEW: Value

  • Audiophile sound performance with a price to match
  • Loads of inputs and connection options
  • Reliability and convenience take a backseat to aesthetics

The Sonus faber Duetto are among the priciest wireless bookshelf speakers I’ve encountered, with the sound to back it up. Their design is as stunning as it is unassuming, matching elegance with minimalism to striking effect. The inclusion of multiple inputs, including a built-in pre-amp for vinyl playback and HDMI ARC/eARC makes them a versatile and comprehensive sound solution.

However, you can find similar models, including hi-fi options like KEF’s LS50 Wireless II, for thousands less. In my experience, KEF’s design and tech are also more reliable and intuitive. The Duetto’s sound performance sets them apart nearly as distinctly as their price point, but their reliability issues and sometimes awkward design elements keep them from being as attractive as more affordable competitors.

  • Value score: 2.5/5

sonus faber duetto in living room with TV

(Image credit: Future)

Should you buy the SONUS FABER DUETTO?

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

SONUS FABER DUETTO REVIEW: Also consider

sonus faber duetto in living room with TV

(Image credit: Future)

SONUS FABER DUETTO REVIEW: How I tested

  • Tested with both compressed lossy and hi-res lossless streaming services, including Spotify Connect and Amazon Music
  • Tested with high-resolution analog and TV sound sources across a wide range of content, from jazz and hip-hop to sitcoms, dramas, and action films
  • Tested two pairs over several weeks with dozens of hours of listening time

I used the Sonus faber Duetto as my primary sound source over multiple weeks of testing and across a wide variety of source material, from compressed audio tracks over Wi-Fi to high-quality vinyl albums and a wide array of TV shows and films. Source devices included Technics SL1500-C direct drive turntable and Ortofon Red cartridge, as well as multiple TV models from TCL, Samsung, and LG.

I compared the speakers to several alternatives, including my reference KEF LSX wireless speakers, and traditional wired speakers from Focal, Bowers & Wilkins, and others connected to a Naim Uniti network amplifier.

You can read TechRadar's review guarantee here.

  • First reviewed: January 2024
Fiio FT5 review: Fiio’s first ever planar magnetic headphones are frankly fantastic
4:00 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Headphones | Comments: Off

Fiio FT5: Two-minute review

Having established itself where desktop and digital audio in particular is concerned, Fiio fancies a bit of the burgeoning headphones market. And with its new FT5, it’s delivered a pair of big, boldly designed and aggressively priced planar magnetic over-ears that will cruise into our best wired headphones buying guide with ease.

This may not be the most congested area of the headphones market, but it’s strongly contested by some well-regarded specialists such as Audeze, Grado and HiFiMan. So Fiio has given the FT5 the best possible chance by specifying upmarket materials and expensive components, by giving them plenty of connectivity options, and by voicing them to sound energetic and revealing.

All of which has worked a treat. The FT5 may not be the last word in out-and-out fidelity, but they’re a detailed and revealing listen nevertheless – and they are, in the least pejorative sense possible, fun to listen to. The sound they make is entertaining, yes, but it’s far from juvenile.

So if you want to check out what ‘audiophile’ might mean without a) getting all po-faced about it, and b) spending an arm and a leg, there’s another pair of open-backed over-ear planar magnetic headphones to add to your shortlist.  

A closeup of the Fiio FT5 3.5mm connector on the earcup

A resoundingly classy build and finish from Fiio  (Image credit: Future)

Fiio FT5 review: Price & release date

  • Released on December 1, 2023
  • Priced $449 / £429 / AU$799

The Fiio FT5 open-backed planar magnetic over-ear headphones have been on sale since the start of last December, and they’ll typically set you back $449, £429 or AU$799 depending on where you’re shopping.

There are plenty of open-backed over-ear headphones available at this sort of money, of course (including Fiio's own open-backed Fiio FT3 headphones, which arrived in May 2023, priced $299 / £289 / AU$449) – but when you take into account the planar magnetic drivers the FT5 deploy, your choice suddenly becomes quite a lot less numerous. 

That doesn’t mean the FiiO are without competition, though… 

Fiio FT5 review: Specs

The Fiio FT5's 4.4mm, 6.3mm and 4-pin XLR adapters, on a white background

As we've come to expect from Fiio, several different connectivity options come with the FT5 headphones. (Image credit: Future)

Fiio FT5 review: Features

  • 90mm planar magnetic drivers
  • Multiple connectivity options
  • Choice of earpad materials

The headline here, of course, are the big (90mm) planar magnetic drivers the FT5 use to deliver sound to your ears. While the more pragmatic dynamic driver alternative is far more prevalent at this sort of money, planar magnetic technology is not unheard of – and Fiio has decided it’s the best way to achieve its ambition of “intense energy like a thunderstorm”.

So each earcup features a large, extraordinarily thin (6µm) planar magnetic driver, backed by 11 neodymium magnets on one side and nine on the other). Fiio reckons this arrangement is good for a frequency response of 7Hz - 40kHz, but has an easy-to-drive (and most un-planar-like) sensitivity of 96dB/mW @1kHz. 

The FT5 are supplied with 1.5m of braided silver-plated monocrystalline copper. One end splits into a pair of 3.5mm terminations, one to attach to each earcup. The other end features a number of easily swappable connections: 3.5mm, 4.4mm and 6.3mm jacks, and a 4-pin XLR. So you’ve both balanced and unbalanced options, and should be able to connect to your preferred source equipment without any trouble.   

To offer further adaptability, the Fiio are supplied with a couple of pairs of earpads – one pair is made of suede, the other of protein leather. Swapping between the two is simple, and Fiio's claims for the sonic differences between the two are quite something: suede earpads are supposedly “magnificently vigorous” while the protein leather alternative is “highly detailed”. Both of which sound pretty enticing, I’m sure you’ll agree.

  • Features score: 5/5

Fiio FT5 headphones case, on a beige table

It's a big case that'll make you look as if you're serious about headphones (Image credit: Future)

Fiio FT5 review: Sound quality

  • Open and spacious in every circumstance
  • Detailed, positive and (mostly) naturalistic sound 
  • Entertaining and analytical in equal measure

Some headphones reveal their talent expertise over time, giving you a bigger taste of their character with each listen. The Fiio FT5 aren’t like that – they give you everything they’ve got immediately, in full, and with no apparent filter.

No matter if it’s a big 24bit/192kHz FLAC file of David Bowie’s Sound and Vision via an expensive headphone amp, a 320kbps MP3 of Sprinter by Torres via a laptop’s 3.5mm output or a vinyl copy of the record by boygenius coming from the headphone socket of the amplifier the turntable’s connected to, the FT5 are an open, revealing and nicely balanced listen. They’re able to extract and contextualise the finest details, but they manage to be engaged and entertaining at the same time. They’re always on the front foot, are always able to give rhythms and tempos decent expression, and they always let a vocalist sound positive, characterful and direct.

Tonally, the Fiio are on the ‘fractionally warm’ side of ‘neutral’, but it’s such a mild hint of heat that it’s more of a trait than a flaw. Their frequency response is not absolutely flat – there’s a little bulge around the midrange that pushes singers (and all other midrange information) forwards just a little – but, again, this is a characteristic rather than a shortcoming. 

Fiio FT5 headphones, closeup of the planar magnetic, open-backed driver housing

The pattern is decorative, sure, but it also fulfils a specific function – to control and accelerate the airflow generated when that big planar magnetic driver is moving (Image credit: Future)

Treble sounds are bright and textured, but substantial at the same time. At the opposite end of the frequency range, there’s similar richness to bass sounds – but, again, more than enough detail and variation. Control of the bottom end is confident, so there’s momentum and well as substantial underpinnings to recordings. Dynamic headroom for the big shifts in volume and/or intensity is more than adequate, and the Fiio handle the more fleeting dynamics of harmonic variation in the same assured manner.

The soundstage the FT5 create is big, organised and properly defined, with both the front/back and left/right planes properly represented. There’s plenty of elbow-room available even in quite congested or complex recordings, and the Fiio don’t deviate from this even if you decide to listen at big levels – there’s no crowding or flattening, just more volume.

Naturally, the better-recorded the music in the first place, the higher the resolution of the storage format and the better the source electronics, the happier the FT5 are. But even if they’re playing compressed digital audio files directly from the (inevitably hopeless) headphone socket of a computer, the Fiio are prepared to make the best of it. And above all, they’re a musical, energetic and enjoyable listen.   

  • Sound quality score: 4.5/5

Fiio FT5 closeup of the right earcup connector, outside on a nice day

The FT5 are supplied with 1.5m of braided silver-plated monocrystalline copper, one end of which splits into a pair of 3.5mm terminations (Image credit: Future)

Fiio FT5 review: Design

  • Magnesium aluminium alloy construction
  • Leather carry-case
  • Dual-band hangar 

At 456g (without cables) the FT5 are far from the lightest headphones around. But it could be worse – the magnesium aluminium allow from which they’re almost entirely constructed is around two-thirds as dense as aluminium alloy - and the dual-band hangar arrangement, which features a slim leather headband inside some alloy suspension, distributes that weight so efficiently that the FT5 feel like no kind of burden to wear.

The pattern on the rear of the earcups is decorative, sure, but it also fulfils a specific function. It’s designed to control and accelerate the airflow generated when the big planar magnetic driver is moving, which has no end of acoustic benefits where soundstaging and high-frequency response is concerned. And the earcups themselves move through three axes, which means that all but the most unusual head-shapes should have no problem getting comfortable inside a pair of FT5.

To keep the headphones’ finish looking clean and tidy, Fiio provides a rigid, luxurious-in-a-tan-leather-kind-of-way, really quite large carry case which will take up a big chunk of your hand-luggage allowance. It’s got a space for all the different connections, and a retractable carry-handle. Like the headphones themselves, the case is rather more up-market in look and feel than seems likely at the asking price. 

A cloeup of Fiio FT5's headband construction, on a beige table outside, on a sunny day

The dual-band hangar arrangement features a slim leather headband inside some alloy suspension to distribute weight – and they never feel a burden (Image credit: Future)
  • Design score: 5/5

Fiio FT5 review: Value

  • Balanced, convincing sound
  • Great standard of build and finish
  • Impressive specification

If you’ve read this far, you know the Fiio FT5 hold a nap hand. They sound great, they’re built to last from tactile and hard-wearing materials, and they have an audiophile specification at a mainstream price. All of which means they represent very acceptable value indeed. 

  • Value score: 5/5

Should I buy the Fiio FT5?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Fiio FT5 review: Also consider

How I tested the Fiio FT5

  • Attached to various sources
  • Tested for well over a week
  • Many different types of music listened to

Over the course of my listening to the Fiio FT5 they were wired to an Apple MacBook Pro (2021), a Plenue D2 digital audio player, an iFi iDSD Diablo 2 headphone amplifier, and a Naim Uniti Star. 

And these open-backed, planar magnetic headphones rotated between these sources for six or seven working days. During that time, I had a good long listen to many different types and sizes of digital audio files, and music that ranged from Arvo Pärt’s Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten performed by the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra to When Something is Wrong with My Baby by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas, via all the other stuff mentioned in the ‘sound quality’ section for the main review.

  • First reviewed: January 2024
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review: simply the best (apart from the battery)
1:06 am | January 16, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Headphones Wireless Headphones | Comments: Off

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones: Two-minute review

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are my favorite cans released in the past year, and are an absolutely thrilling listen that also set a new standard when it comes to active noise cancellation. See, maybe I didn't even need two minutes to help you make your decision about them.

Of course, you've probably already noticed that the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones achieve this by being more expensive than most of the best noise-cancelling headphones, so that complicates things – though I think they more than earn this price tag.

Things are also complicated by their short battery life, which is really noticeable compared to the 30 hours minimum we expect from the best wireless headphones these days. 24 hours doesn't sound terrible, but the difference has really jumped out to me compared to Sony headphones with 30 hours of battery.

It's also a bit of a shame they don't match some of the other more elite options by including USB-C audio support or next-gen Bluetooth (at the time of writing), though they do have aptX for higher-quality wireless streaming.

But that doesn't matter. It's only the battery life that's pulled them down from a full five-star rating, because they sound so full, and exciting, and rich – while simultaneously clamping down on outside sound. When you throw in the bonus of effective spatial audio modes among other useful smart features, it feels like a package that's well worth the price.

They've replaced the AirPods Max as my high-end headphones of choice, though if you want something that offers a lot of the same features as these for a lower price (and with a 60-hour battery life), look to the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless. But if you want the ultimate balance of sound quality and noise cancellation, pay for these.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review: Price & release date

  • $429 / £449 / AU$649
  • Released in early October 2023
  • Priced higher than Sony and Sennheiser's best

The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are the most expensive option in Bose's range, adding a significant premium over the $349 / £350 / AU$549 for the non-Ultra Bose QuietComfort Headphones released at roughly the same time – and which are already available for a significant discount compared to that MSRP.

The price pulls them more into line with the AirPods Max or Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay HX, and a clear level beyond the likes of the Sony WH-1000XM5, which are obviously a major competitor.

However, I should note that in the UK, the price has consistently been £399 since November, and in Australia we've seen them as low for as low as AU$550 outside of sales season, so that now seems to be the standard kind of price in those countries, which helps.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones held in a man's hand

(Image credit: Future)

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review: Specs

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones showing the ports and buttons

(Image credit: Future)

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review: Features

  • Immersive Audio creates spatial sound from any source
  • Bose Music app provides lots of control option
  • Great connectivity options overall, including multi-point Bluetooth

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are the most feature-packed cans from Bose yet, bringing two of the hottest bits of tech in headphones at the moment: multi-point Bluetooth and spatial audio.

Multi-point Bluetooth isn't a surprise given how many of the best wireless headphones feature this ability to connect to two devices simultaneously and switch seamless between them, but it's a first for Bose, and it's something we consider a must-have for premium headphones these days (it's notable and frustrating that the cheaper Bose QuietComfort Headphones lack this). You may have to turn this on in the Bose Music app, in the Source screen.

Spatial audio is handled by Bose's own special sauce, and is called Immersive Audio. Much like on AirPods Max, you can turn it off, you can set it so that sound is coming from a bubble around you that moves with your head, or you can have it so that the orientation of sound is locked and when you turn your head it's like you're doing so in a room full of speakers. If you'll use it, we recommend the first Immersive option for music, and the second for movies, since the latter is more like a home theater setup.

Bose also adds tech called CustomTune here, which adapts to both the shape of your ears as well as the environment to make sure you're always hearing the sound accurately, in theory.

And speaking of adjusting to the environment, there's active noise cancellation that's Bose's most advanced so far, and it's pleasingly customizable. It comes with Quiet Mode (normal noise cancelling), Aware Mode (that lets in outside sounds) and Immersion Mode (which puts ANC on full and activates Spatial Audio). But you can also create your own modes – go to the Modes screen in the Bose Music app and tap the + to do this. You can choose a use-case, and then adjust the noise cancellation level in 10 increments, choose the Wind Block feature to reduce wind noise (which also turns ANC to full if you activate it), and choose whether to active Immersive Audio or not, and if so with what kind of head tracking. When you've made custom modes, you can switch between them using a button on the headphones, so it's easy to move from your custom commute mode with full ANC and no Immersive Audio to your office mode with 60% ANC power and Immersive turned on.

Elsewhere in the app, you can adjust a three-band EQ, disconnect from paired devices in the Source screen, and decide a use for the secret Shortcut button on the headphones. There's a touch strip on the right earcup for adjusting volume, and if you turn Shortcut on, pressing and holding this will act as a third button. You can use it to switch the type of Immersive Audio, activate a voice assistant, tell you the battery level, or use it to activate Spotify and resume where you left of, or switch straight to your Discover station. I hope Bose will add more options in the future, but these are a good start.

In terms of wireless connectivity, you've got Bluetooth 5.3 – with support for SBC and AAC codecs, though not Bluetooth LE Audio and the LC3 codec yet, though Bose says it will come at some point – and Snapdragon Sound. This is a form of aptX Adaptive that works with phones with Snapdragon Sound in, but not with most aptX devices, which is frustrating. But if you've got the right kind of phone, at least it's there for you. Everyone else will have to hope for higher-quality streaming from LE Audio in the future.

You've got a 2.5mm jack for a wired connection, and it comes with a 2.5mm-to-3.5mm cable in the box (along with a nice protective case). There's also a USB-C connection, but unlike the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless or Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2, this can't be used for wired Hi-Res Audio from a phone or laptop – it's just for charging. A shame, considering the price of these headphones, but not a dealbreaker.

Bose says that these have a "revolutionary mic system" for clarity on calls, and while it's definitely good for a pair of cans without a boom mic, I would not call it revolutionary. Using them, you sound generally clear if a tad quiet, and occasionally a little digitally enhanced. It was good enough, but a real mic close to the mouth is still way, way better. They have a 'Self Voice' feature to hear yourself on calls, and overcome the weird 'I sound like I'm locked in a box' feeling of talking on the phone with headphones on. You can turn this off if you prefer.

The battery life is perhaps the biggest flaw here: 24 hours with ANC on, and 18 hours with Immersive Audio on, is meager. You get a middle-of-the-road 30 hours from the Sony WH-1000XM5 and an excellent 60 hours from the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless. And compared to using a pair of Sony cans regularly, I really noticed how quickly these were running down in comparison; Bose's estimate appears to be accurate, and it makes a difference. It's the single thing that held them back from a full five stars, to be blunt about it.

There a few things to mitigate this, though. They have a prompt auto-pause feature when you remove them from your ears, and an auto-off feature if left turned on but unused, though this was set to 24 hours by default, and that eats a ton of battery over that 24 hours. In the Bose Music app, I switched this to 20 minutes, and that's working great for me, especially since they turn on and connect very promptly. They also charge quickly, including a 15-minute juice-up for two hours of use.

  • Features score: 4/5

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

(Image credit: Future)

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review: Sound quality

  • Stunning detailed and powerful sound balanced perfectly
  • The ANC is the best-in-class, no question
  • Immersive Audio does its job, but adds some effects

Bose doesn't really mention this in the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones' specs, but they use a pair of angled drivers in the earcups. We've seen this concept before on the Bowers & Wilkins Px8, and the idea is that, while most headphones have drivers installed flat inside the earcups, this isn't ideal for perfect audio. Your head is not square (er, probably), and earcups don't sit directly flat on your skull, which means in most headphones, the drivers aren't parallel to your ear canals. One side of the driver is closer, which means its sound reaches you marginally faster. So the speakers in the Ultra (and the Px8) are angled in the earcup, so when they're on the head they're parallel to your ears (or as close to it as possible). This should mean improved timing, and the best possible detail, because all the air is reaching you in a balanced manner.

I mention all this for some context, because these things absolutely freaking rule. They deliver some of the most alive, exciting, textured, finely resolved, deeply engaging music I've ever heard from a pair of wireless headphones. It's the kind of sound I would expect to pay 50% or even twice as much for – and I'd begrudgingly accept that it's worth it. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones may not be cheap, but on the music quality alone, I think they're a great deal.

You will probably notice the bass first. Put on anything with some low-end chops, and you'll notice yourself sinking into its depths immediately, but with a firm and controlled floor. It can punch deep down and pull straight back up with precision, and never feel like it's overplayed its hand.

It's helped by just how rich and layered the mids are. Bass is free to go for a walk because it doesn't drag the mid-range with it – voices hover comfortably and naturally, instruments stay separated but part of a whole, fine detail is clear from everywhere. And the treble is shimmering and lofty without ever getting harsh or detached.

The dynamism within the Ultra Headphones' range is just astounding. They can go from nothing to rocketing through sounds like a firework that's just sparked up. Their timing is so strong and they're so responsive that this aspect alone can really spoil other headphones, making them feel like they're moving with weights attached in comparison.

And they sound like this with active noise cancellation on, over AAC on Bluetooth! Several companies (including Apple) say that most headphones don't even reveal the detail possible in standard wireless sound and that hi-res isn't really necessary for a lot of people. We've always championed that people should have the higher-quality option available to them, at least… but I can certainly feel some truth of this argument when I'm using these headphones.

Like the sound, the active noise cancellation is mind blowing. It's absolutely best in class, there's no question. I've never heard busy cities become as quiet as when I'm walking with these on, it's truly next-level stuff.

I have found them to have an odd processing issue with some extremely loud sounds – during a plane take-off, an especially loud bus struggling to get up a hill, and on an extremely windy day, for instance. In these cases, when the noise reached its apex, the headphones' sound became blocky and loud, too. It was brief, so I don't find it to be a dealbreaker, but the fact remains. Bose may be able to fix this with an update, who knows.

The Immersive Audio option does well at its fundamental job of making it feel more like the sound is coming from speakers around you, rather than being pumped straight into your ears. The head tracking works very well, and never felt lagged or detached from my head movements, either. But while it's pleasant for both music and movies, ultimately, I didn't find it very additive, partly because it turns out to be a trade-off.

The immersion and positioning of sounds is done based on processing stereo sound, which is a bit different to the spatial audio you get from Apple's AirPods, where it's based on Dolby Atmos 3D sound systems (when possible). And, as someone who's used AirPods Max and AirPods Pro 2 a lot, it didn't have the same convincing recreation of a theater system as you get from those headphones. Again, this isn't really a problem, and I still liked having it on for watching a movie on a plane because it did still create the feeling of the sound coming from outside of the earcups.

But it also adds some effects, including a sense of reverb for some upper-mid or treble sounds. It makes the sound feel less sweet, so for music I never got on with it. I'll still use it for watching movies on flights, however.

  • Sound quality score: 5/5

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

(Image credit: Future)

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review: Design

  • Very premium plastic and faux leather finish
  • Folding design is great for travel
  • Physical and touch-based controls

The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are as comfortable and premium-feeling as you'd expect for the money. The plastic earcups and headband top have a great soft-touch matte finish, and are connected to the headband by solid aluminum hinges. Protein- and plastic-based faux leather are used for the headband's underside and the earpads, and they're very comfortable and soft to wear.

The earcups fold into the headphones, so they can get smaller for journeying, and they come with a nice hard case, which has a USB-C-to-A charging cable and the audio jack cable inside the box. They're definitely some of the best headphones for travel, thanks to this combined with their active noise cancellation might.

On the right earcup are the controls, which include one button that turns them on and off, and controls pairing mode, and does play/pause/skip tracks. A second button switches between different listening modes – it cycles through whatever you have set in the Modes screen, so if you've added custom ones, it includes that. Next to these buttons is a touch-sensitive strip that controls volume, and holding on it is the 'Shortcut' button. These all work well.

On the left earcup is the USB-C port and the 2.5mm jack, plus a charging light.

I can only find one minor gripe with the fit, and that's the fact that if you put them around your neck and rotate the earcups to lie flat, they rotate so the open side is up, rather than facing down towards your body. I prefer the other way around. Hardly a major issue.

  • Design score: 5/5

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones on a white table, with their case

(Image credit: Future)

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review: Value

  • Expensive, but easily worth it overall
  • A clear step from the non-Ultra QuietComfort Headphones
  • Lack of other hi-res support is a shame

While any pair of headphones that costs this much is going to be hard to describe as the bargain of the century, I still think the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are actively good value considering just how strong their active noise cancellation and audio quality is. They're not a little better than the likes of the Sony WH-1000XM5; they're clearly and obviously better. They're slightly better than the AirPods Max, and those are much more expensive than the Bose.

And they tick almost all the feature boxes, too, so they feel like a great investment from the smart side of things – though they are beaten in smarts by the location-based cleverness of the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless or Sony headphones.

Where they obviously fall short is a lack of full aptX or LDAC support for wider wireless CD-quality sound, or USB-C audio support for hi-res digital wired audio. Other premium options have this, it should really be here – but not everyone will mind. I don't, really.

The battery is the clear lacking element, since less expensive headphones with the same kind of features are able to not just beat these, but to absolutely embarrass them in the case of the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless.

But I'm living with that. It's a small frustration, it's not a dealbreaker. I still think they're well worth the price tag.

  • Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review: Also consider

How I tested the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tested over three months
  • Used mainly with an iPhone and MacBook Air
  • Tested in real-world office, city and travel situations

I've been using the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones since their launch, taking the time to test them in as many different situations as possible. I've used them in the TechRadar offices, at home, and travelling on buses, trains and planes, to really get a sense of their real-world performance. They've been my primary over-ear headphones during that time.

I've been compared them directly to headphones including the Bose QuietComfort Headphones, Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, Apple AirPods Max, Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, and Sennheiser HD600.

In day-to-day use, I mainly used them with my iPhone to listen to Apple Music tracks, but I used them with an iPad Pro for watching videos from various streaming services, and to test the multi-point connectivity. I've also used them with audio from various other sources, including Spotify, podcasts and YouTube. For wired use, I connected them to my MacBook Air.

Read more about how we test

  • First reviewed: January 2024
Astell & Kern AK UW100MKII review – lots of promise, squandered
2:30 pm | January 14, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Comments: Off

AK UW100MKII Two-minute review

The new AK UW100MKII are a hair’s breadth from being some of the best wireless earbuds on the market right now, but one major issue – and another problem that’d be a major one if the other didn’t exist – stop the right in their tracks.

The latest buds from South Korean premium audio company Astell & Kern, the buds sit alongside other audiophile-friendly products from the company, including DAPs, big-budget speakers and four-figure-price wired headphones. That should give you an impression of where A&K's latest proposition is targeted: these are top-end wireless earbuds.

You can tell when you listen to the AK UW100MKII – they sound absolutely fantastic. Audio is incredibly high-quality, detailed and balanced, enough to automatically place the AK amongst the best. So why only 2.5 out of 5? 

The main issue (and it's a big one) comes from the UW100MKII’s design, as the bulky buds simply refuse to stay in the ear for long periods. That’s true even when you’re sitting still in a seat, but it can be dangerous when you’re out and about, with one ill-timed head turn or jump over a puddle causing these premium buds to fall into the drink or down a street grate, out of view.

I can’t overstate how annoying it was to have the buds constantly plummeting to the ground when I was trying to enjoy music; A&K offers five different silicon tips of different sizes in the box, yet none fixes the issue that these giant earbuds provide.

Even when the earbuds aren’t escaping and sliding to earth, they seem to think that they are. The errant wearer detection would constantly pause music, thinking that the earbuds were no longer in my ear, even when I hadn’t even touched them. The AK UW100MKII really don’t want you to listen to music, apparently!

It’s a great shame, because without those two issues, the AK UW100MKII could be best-in-class contenders. The feature set is rounded out by a fantastic EQ app that lets you fiddle with audio to your pleasure, incredibly responsive touch controls that’ll have your AirPod- or Samsung-bud-toting friends jealous, and an impressive battery life that beats many rivals.

That could all bring the score up to 3 stars, but what stops the AK UW100MKII from getting that round figure is the price of the buds. They’re priced at a level that’d be justifiable for the audio quality you’re getting, but that just seems galling if you can’t listen to music for more than 15 minutes at a time.

I can begrudgingly recommend the UW100MKII if you’re only going to listen at home, and have the money to spend on this pricey home-only pair. But if that’s not you, there are countless preferable rivals.

AK UW100MKII review: Price and release date

The Astell & Kern AK UW100MKII's charging case held in the palm of a hand.

The case isn't the smallest, but we've seen far bigger  (Image credit: Future)
  • Released in October 2023
  • Officially priced at $280 / £269 (roughly AU$340)

The AK UW100MKII are certainly not cheap earbuds. They cost $280 / £269 (roughly AU$340) when they were released in October 2023, and while you can find small discounts from third-party retailers occasionally, that’s generally the price you’ll pay for them.

At that price, the AK buds cost more than the Apple AirPods Pro 2, Sony WF-1000XM4 and, in the UK at least, the Technics EAH-AZ80, which we call the best premium earbuds in our round-up of the best wireless headphones.

AK UW100MKII review: Specs

AK UW100MKII review: Features

The Astell & Kern AK UW100MKII's bud, being held up to the camera.

It's a unique design, but it doesn't lend itself to comfort or security (Image credit: Future)
  • Useful tie-in app
  • Responsive touch controls
  • Inaccurate wearer detection feature

The AK UW100MKII use Bluetooth 5.2, which isn’t quite the top standard, with 5.3 offering slightly reduced power consumption and lower latency, but the honestly the difference is largely negligible. Not once in our testing period with the AK did they lose connection or drop without reason. Initially the pairing process was a little fiddly, with my phone not recognizing the buds until I restarted both it and them, but afterwards it all worked peachy.

Of course, you can choose to set up the A&K app to gain a few extra features. Using this means you get to change what the touch controls do, play with EQ including creating your own custom set-up, and change the strength of ‘ambient mode’, a transparency mode letting you hear your surroundings.

There’s no active noise cancellation (ANC) here, with Astell & Kern instead opting for traditional passive noise isolation (PNI), which is arguably better at removing high-frequency noises but therefore struggles at the low end and with the constant thrum of everyday life.

The UW100MKII have a feature common in true wireless earbuds: automatic wearer detection, so they can pause music when you remove them and resume it when you put the buds back in your ear. 

Screenshots from the Astell & Kern control app.

The Astell & Kern app opens up a lot of features (Image credit: Future)

That’s how the feature works in theory, but in practice it often erroneously thought I’d removed the buds when I hadn’t. I had to keep manually restarting my music; it only happened every hour or so, but it was still annoying enough that it’s imposible not to flag or to not affect the overall star-rating. I’d suggest it was only an issue with my review unit, however other reviewers have also raised the problem. Thankfully, you can toggle wearer detection off in the app – and I’d strongly advise you do so straight away.

Another common feature in buds is touch controls, but far from it not working well here, these could actually be some of the best-in-class headphones for on-ear touch functionality. You can tap on most parts of the earbuds to pause or resume your music, and not once in testing did they fail to recognize a press. The command is carried out quickly, with a gentle chime to let you know that it’s happening and you don’t need to press so hard that you shove the bud further into your ear. I often avoid earbud touch controls but these had me gleefully using them.

A&K cites a battery life for the buds of 9.5 hours, and in our testing this seemed roughly right. Using the charging case you can boost this up to 29 hours, and overall that figure matches or exceeds quite a few premium rivals in the market. For context, the AirPods Pro 2 have a 6-hour bud life and 30-hour case life. 

The USB-C port in the charging case lets you power up the buds quickly, but you can also use wireless charging to power up these buds too. That can be especially useful if you have a smartphone with reverse wireless powering, which means you can turn the phone into a powering pad to boost other tech.

  • Features score: 3/5

AK UW100MKII review: Design

  • Large buds are prone to falling out
  • Unique appearance for buds and case
  • Fairly large charging case

The Astell & Kern AK UW100MKII's two earbuds.

A futuristic aesthetic for sure (Image credit: Future)

The UW100MKII just look a little different from other earbuds on the market (well, except the inaugural Astell & Kern AK UW100 buds).

This starts with the case: it has a hexagonal body that makes it resemble a futuristic-looking treasure chest more than somewhere you’re meant to store headphones. That’s doubly the case when you lift up the lid, which turns on the cyan LED strip. Weighing in at 65g, it’s a little on the large side, but we’ve seen cases that are a lot bigger too.

The earbuds themselves continue this unique design: they’re large and pentagonal, with a tapered, pointed end that continues the sci-fi theme. If you want earbuds that make it look like you’re living in a cyberpunk future, these fit the brief. However, this large housing contributes to the UW100MKII’s deal-breaking issue. 

The Astell & Kern AK UW100MKII bud in an ear.

They're just a little too big to stay in (Image credit: Future)

In my testing time with the A&K buds, they would frequently fall out of my ears. Most frequently this was when I was walking, bobbing up and down, but they’d even tumble out if I was sitting still or simply moving my head. In an attempt to remedy the issue, I tested each of the five differently-sized replaceable tips that come with the headphones, but none fixed the matter.

If I were to speculate on why the UW100MKII were so keen to test the pull of gravity, I’d say that it’s the fault of the giant earbuds. Despite only weighing 7g, the large size drags the buds down and makes a secure fit impossible.  

Given the tech packed into these second-gen. A&S earbuds, their large size is perhaps justifiable, but it’s hard to enjoy top-quality audio when they are constantly falling out.

  • Design score: 2.5/5

AK UW100MKII review: Sound quality

The Astell & Kern AK UW100MKII's charging case, with the buds inside.

As a home-only set of earbuds, they may yet work for you (Image credit: Future)
  • Fantastic audio quality
  • Customization options
  • Max volume could be higher

 

Finally, we can move into ‘praise’ territory for the AK UW100MKII – and it’s well-deserved praise because they sound absolutely great.

The spec sheet is a veritable who’s who of audio-improving features and tools. There’s A&K’s home-brewed AK4332ECB DAC for improved conversion of digital information into music; multiple Bluetooth codecs including AptX Adaptive and AAC, a Qualcomm-made Bluetoooth chipset, a driver made by Knowles and more.

You don’t need to know what any of these individual entries mean, other than the fact that many different companies have contributed their expertise to the buds. And it shows.

The UW100MKII have a surprising level of sound quality for wire-free earbuds. You can hear the squeaks of guitars as players move their hands, individual notes in chords, different parts of harmonies, instruments as they fade instead of just dropping out. It’s really easy to enjoy music when you can hear all of the components separated and celebrated like this.

The bass sounds crisp and impactful, even when you haven’t boosted it using the app's EQ tab, but it never overpowers the treble in music.  The soundstage is also impeccable – if you close your eyes, you can almost imagine a live band performing the music in front of you.

The ability to fiddle with, and customize, the EQ may appeal to particular audiophiles. I didn’t use it to augment my testing other than to test the efficacy of the feature itself, but was impressed by what I heard – some headphone EQs barely affect the music, but there was a palpable change when I fiddled with the bass or treble.

If I’ve one note – and it’s a fairly minor one – it’s that the maximum volume could have been a little higher. It’s fine for when you’re listening in a quiet room – I generally listened one tier below maximum in this setting – but if you’re out in public or somewhere noisy, it’d be nice to be able to bump up the volume a little more, especially with the lack of ANC. 

  • Sound quality: 4.5/5

Should you buy the AK UW100MKII?

The Astell & Kern AK UW100MKII's empty charging case.

A thing of beauty, but sadly not good for the commute (Image credit: Future)

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

AK UW100MKII review: Also consider

How I tested the AK UW100MKII

  • Tested for two weeks
  • Largely tested at home, though with some excursions

The overall testing period for the AK UW100MKII was two weeks, not including writing time for the review itself.

After first setting up the earbuds, it quickly became apparent that they wouldn't reliably stay in my ear, even after I tried every single one of the other sized silicon tips included with them. For this reason I conducted most of the testing from home, for fear of the buds falling out somewhere – and me not being able to retrieve them. I did take the AK UW100MKII on a few trips around my neighborhood, just to be able to test the passive isolation out in the wild though.

I mainly tested the buds by streaming music from Spotify, but also watched TV shows on Netflix, played a few mobile games and conducted calls through the buds, in order to test them in a variety of circumstances.

I've been testing tech for TechRadar for nearly five years now including earbuds, headphones, smartphones, tablets, ereaders, speakers, smartwatches, even electric scooters; I've got plenty of experience reviewing and comparing products.

  • First reviewed in January 2024
Montblanc MTB 03 review: divine looking wireless earbuds, marred only by OK ANC
1:00 pm | December 27, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: | Comments: Off

Aren't they beautiful? Don't you want to produce them from your Aspinal Mini Paris bag, as you sit down to a Café Allongé in Montmartre, where you'll write your memoirs (in German, for now) in a leather-bound notebook using your also Montblanc Meisterstück fountain pen? 

Even next to the very best noise cancelling earbuds in the business, the luxury goods purveyor's inaugural earbuds are easily the prettiest of the lot (for clarity: they supersede the firm's debut Montblanc MB 01 Smart Headphones, an over-ear proposition released in 2020). The new MTB 03 are also gloriously small and comfortable to wear. You get aptX Adaptive support for higher-resolution audio, IPX4 water resistance, plus an app that – while relatively basic (compared to the Sony Headphones Connect app, for example) – still offers a five band EQ tab, interesting noise cancellation and ambient features, auto-off wearer detection and a lovely visual representation of the remaining battery life in each bud.

If you're happy to pay a premium for the quality build, finish and iconic snowcap emblem within earbuds that sound good, I support you – yes, sonically they are very good for depth and neutrality when listening to higher-resolution music files. Even layered, multi-faceted songs within Apple Music's Lossless oeuvre such as Nine Inch Nails' Head Like a Hole are celebrated with energy and alacrity by the MTB 03.

The complicated time signatures, dynamic shifts and delicate acoustic-guitar-meets-in-your-face-yelling within System of a Down's Chop Suey! are also handled with relative ease across the frequencies in a sensibly-refined mix.

Montblanc MTB 03 earbuds in their case, held in a hand on white background

It's not the smallest case on the market, but it's pocketable (Image credit: Future)

Will you need to make compromises to get the Montblanc look? Yes: the active noise cancellation (ANC) can be beaten for efficacy, you don't get multipoint connectivity (if there's also an iPad mini in that Aspinal bag for instance, you won't be able to chop and change between the two source devices with ease), there's no spatial audio processing or fit-fest whistles and bells, and the on-ear controls are not for tailoring – you get what you get. For the most part that's OK because I like what you get here, but it's my job to nitpick and crunch the numbers. 

The thing is, this truly is aspirational territory. At this price, the iconic Hamburg institution (and Axel Grell, the revered audio engineer who put his name to the sound) invites my pickiest criticism and given the premium cost of these high-end earbuds, I have three issues. 

First off, while the sound times very well indeed and is musically cohesive, it can lack the extra im Kopf expanse you'll find in the presentation of the Technics EAH-AZ80 –the kind of super-spacious mix that might allow the leading edges of notes within my reference tracks to reveal themselves anew. 

Don't get me wrong, I like the MTB 03's sound; the presentation is perfectly pleasing when you give them something good to work with. Lossy files will be divulged as such, (Spotify Free or MP3 listener? You won't like these – I found Ogg Vorbis tracks at 256kbps a little tinny) but this is Montblanc, if you're on the market for the opulent brand's earbuds, you'll probably also be able to spring for a paid-for music subscription.

Secondly, regular readers may remember that the aforementioned Technics May 2023 flagship earbuds offer multipoint connectivity to three devices. How many sources can the inaugural Montblanc earbuds connect to simultaneously? Just the one. 

Montblanc MTB 03 companion app, three screens showing the ANC and Live profiles

The immersive audio and modes are great fun to experiment with, but note that not all can't be used at the same time, in some Modes (Image credit: Future)

Finally, the noise cancellation profiles are fine rather than fantastic. Deploy ANC within the Sound Mode tab and you can pick from Sports, Office or Travel profiles. In the office (here, I select Office – well, you would), I find the audio playback is amplified somewhat, but the low-level background chat behind me still creeps in more so than with my reference Technics earbuds or the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (although admittedly those are best-in-class, where noise-nixing is concerned). 

The 'Live Mode' tab below it offers Environment, Voice Focus or Attention options, all of which Montblanc suggests are useful in situations such as airports or listening for train announcements. My favourite of these is Voice Focus, which uses the MTB 03's three mics per bud to do what the profile promises without coloring or sweetening your music. Call quality is also good and the case can charge wirelessly as well as via USB-C. 

The true wireless earbuds market is full to bursting and the Montblanc MTB 03's USP is bijou beauty, rather than spatial audio wizardry, supremely tailored audio or bubble-of-silence noise cancellation. That said, to assume it's a case of style over substance would be wrong; the sound is better than that. 

What makes most sense to you when selecting a set of earbuds is of course a deeply personal matter. Yet Montblanc's proposition is at the very top end of the market and it would be wrong of me not to mention that for similar money you can buy extra features and marginally better sound, if you want that. 

Montblanc MTB 03 review: Price & release date

  • Officially priced $395 / £345 / AU$640
  • Launched July 1, 2023

At the risk of stating the blindingly obvious, by pricing them at $395 / £345 / AU$640, Montblanc expects you to pay a $95 / £45 premium over most of the MTB 03's direct rivals. 

Want to compare by way of a quick rundown of top-tier options from the heavy-hitters? Of course: Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds will set you back $299 / £299 / AU$449, Sony's 2023 flagship WF-1000XM5 are around $299.99 / £259 / AU$499 and the excellent Technics EAH-AZ80 (which boast triple-device connectivity and some of the best call quality I've ever experienced), also come in at $299 / £259 / AU$499). 

See what I mean? Then again, it has ever been thus in the designer fashion industry. Want the label? You have to pay for it. But hold on! That's not all you're paying for here. The build quality – simply cradle the small metallic case in your palm to feel it – does feel that little bit, well… more expensive. 

Montblanc MTB 03 earbud held in a hand

(Image credit: Future)

Montblanc MTB 03 review: Specs

Should you buy the Montblanc MTB 03?

Buy them if...

You want the look – and the feel
I mean, just look at them. Also that case is metal, not plastic, and the feel is cool and oh-so expensive. 

Your ears are on the delicately small side
The Montblanc MTB 03 are some of the smallest and most comfortable earbuds I've worn – and the little depression on each bud to show you where to tap is a lovely touch.

You pay for a top-tier music subscription
With aptX Adaptive onboard, you're going to want to make use of it with a Tidal, Qobuz or Apple Music subscription. The Montblanc MTB 03 don't take kindly to your lowlier Ogg Vorbis 256kbps files. 

Don't buy them if...

You like fit tests and otoacoustic listening profiles
There's a lovely five-band EQ tab and options for ANC, but if you want to undergo the pips and pops of hearing-test software, you need to look to something like the Denon PerL Pro or even the Nothing Ear (2). 

You love multipoint connectivity
No dice here, friend

You need buubble-of-silence ANC
Montblanc's noise-nixing profiles do help to quash extraneous noise, but for this money you can do better –look to the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. 

Montblanc MTB 03 on white background, held in a hand

(Image credit: Future)

Montblanc MTB 03 review: Also consider

Montblanc MTB 03 earbuds worn by TechRadar's Becky Scarrott

(Image credit: Future)

How I tested the Montblanc MTB 03

  • Tested for 10 days, listened against the Technics EAH-AZ80, Sony WF-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
  • Used at work (train commute; in the office; walking through London) and on the wild Dorset coast
  • Listened to Tidal Masters, Apple Music Lossless tracks and Spotify on an iPhone 12 Pro, Sony Xperia 1 IV and a MacBook Pro

When testing earbuds or headphones, time and attention is key – as is switching off and letting them surprize you. The Montblanc MTB 03 have been my musical companions for nine days solid – after a thorough 48-hour run-in period. 

And I've certainly felt pride of ownership during this time. To wear a designer earbud is to receive compliments and nods of approval, but it is made all the easier when they're as comfortable and easy to fit as these. 

To better test those comfort levels (and battery life claims), I wore them throughout the working day in a busy office and on the noisy London Underground network. I also wore them while pole training, to check the fit and security. They fared well.

The Montblanc MTB 03 accompanied me to work on weekdays (walking brusquely to the station; boarding a train and the London Underground; at the office) and on a particularly stormy day stomping on a secret Dorset beach – a great way to test any wind-interference from mics during calls. 

When testing the audio quality across the frequencies, I listen to myriad playlists (spanning everything from traditional Celtic songs to thrash metal and on to shoegaze) on Apple Music and Tidal, but also to podcasts and albums on Spotify – and TikTok videos on my MacBook Pro. 

I’ve been testing audio products for five years now. As a classical dancer, aerialist, and musical theater performer in another life, sound quality, fit, and user experience have always taken priority for me personally – and having heard how wonderful ANC can sound when done well, I know where the bar is there.

Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000 review: a high-end hi-res digital audio player
6:00 pm | December 24, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Portable Media Players | Tags: | Comments: Off

Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000: One-minute review

The Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000 is the most expensive digital audio player in a product portfolio full of expensive digital audio players. It’s specified without compromise (full independent balanced and unbalanced audio circuits? Half a dozen DACs taking care of business? These are just a couple of highlights) and it’s finished to the sort of standard that wouldn’t shame any of the world’s leading couture jewellery companies.

Best of all, though, is the way it sounds. It’s remarkably agnostic about the stuff you like to listen to, the sort of standard of digital file in which it’s contained, and the headphones you use too – and when you give it the best stuff to work with, the sound it’s capable of producing is almost humbling in its fidelity. Be in no doubt, this is the best digital audio player – aka best MP3 player – when it comes to sound quality you can currently buy. Which, when you look again at how much it costs, is about the least it needs to be. 

Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000 review: Price and release date

Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000

(Image credit: Future)
  • Priced at $3,699 / £3,799 / AU$5,499

The Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000 (which I think we should agree to call ‘SP3000’ from here on out) is on sale now, and in the United Kingdom it costs a not-inconsiderable £3799. In the United States, it’s a barely-more-acceptable $3699, and in Australia you’ll have to part with AU$5499.

Need I say with undue emphasis that this is quite a lot of money for a digital audio player? I’ve reviewed very decent digital audio players (DAP) from the likes of Sony for TechRadar that cost about 10% of this asking price – so why on Earth would you spend ‘Holiday of a Lifetime’ money on something that doesn’t do anything your smartphone can’t do? 

Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000 review: Features

Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000

(Image credit: Future)
  • Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX HD and LDAC
  • Native 32bit/784kHz and DSD512 playback
  • Discrete balanced and unbalanced audio circuits

Admittedly, when Astell & Kern says the SP3000 is “the pinnacle of audio players”, that seems a rather subjective statement. When it says this is “the world’s first DAP with independent audio circuitry”, that’s simply a statement of fact.

That independent audio circuitry keeps the signal path for the balanced and unbalanced outputs entirely separated, and it also includes independent digital and analogue signal processing. Astell & Kern calls the overall arrangement ‘HEXA-Audio’ – and it includes four of the new, top-of-the-shop AKM AK4499EX DAC chipsets along with a couple of the very-nearly-top-of-the-shop AK4191EQ DACs from the same company. When you add in a single system-on-chip to take care of CPU, memory and wireless connectivity, it becomes apparent Astell & Kern has chosen not to compromise where technical specification is concerned. And that’s before we get to ‘Teraton X’... this is a bespoke A&K-designed processor that minimises noise derived from both the power supply and the numerous DACs, and provides amplification that’s as clean and efficient as any digital audio player has ever enjoyed. 

The upshot is a player that supports every worthwhile digital audio format, can handle sample rates of up to 32bit/784kHz and DSD512 natively, and has Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connectivity with SBC, AAC, aptX HD and LDAC codec compatibility. A player that features half-a-dozen DAC filters for you to investigate, and that can upsample the rate of any given digital audio file in an effort to deliver optimal sound quality. And if you want to enjoy the sound as if it originates from a pair of loudspeakers rather than headphones, the SP3000 has a ‘Crossfeed’ feature that mixes part of the signal from one channel into the other (with time-adjustment to centre the audio image) in an effort to do just that.

Features score: 5 / 5

Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000 review: Sound quality

Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000

(Image credit: Future)
  • Insightful, engaging and convincing sound
  • Not too fussy about file sizes
  • Only slightly fussy about headphones

Some digital audio players are quite picky about what goes into them and how it comes out again - but happily, the SP3000 is not among them. Obviously it performs to its fullest when given big, information-rich digital audio files to work with and is connected to appropriately talented headphones – but it’s not about to have a hissy fit if that’s not the case.

So no matter if you listen to a big 24bit/192kHz FLAC file of Old Man by Neil Young or a bog-standard 320kbps MP3 file of Cool About It by boygenius, the SP3000 is unflappable. It doesn’t matter if you connect £50-worth of Final Audio E3000 via the 3.5mm socket or a pair of £1299 Sennheiser IE900 into the 4.4mm socket, the Astell & Kern will make the best of the situation.

In each and every circumstance, the SP3000 is an uncomplicated pleasure to listen to. Its overall presentation is almost instinctively correct, positive without being pushy, and utterly convincing. 10 hours of battery life looks perfectly adequate when written down, but in practice it’s nothing like long enough. I could listen to this Astell & Kern almost indefinitely.

Detail levels are high in the same way that The Shard is tall. No element of a recording is too minor, too peripheral or too transient to elude the SP3000 - it extracts every scrap of information from a digital audio file and organises it confidently. There’s nothing uptight or fussy about the way this player puts you in the picture, though – everything is contextualised and serves only to ensure you’re fully informed. 

Control, from the top of the frequency range to the bottom, is unarguable. The attack and decay of bass sounds, in particular, is so well-managed that rhythmic expression is completely natural and momentum is maintained in all circumstances, despite the considerable weight and substance of the low end. There’s similarly well-supervised attack at the top of the frequency range, and in between the Astell & Kern communicates eloquently through the midrange.

Dynamic headroom is extensive, so big shifts in intensity and/or volume are made plain. Lower-key dynamic variations in voices or harmonics are made absolutely plain, too. Tonality is never anything but balanced and naturalistic, and the SP3000 knits the whole frequency range together smoothly. The soundstage it’s capable of generating is well-defined and expansive – even dense or complex recordings have more than enough elbow-room to let every element express itself without hindrance. And the SP3000 achieves this without losing sight of the fact that it’s presenting a performance – the unity and togetherness of its presentation is direct and unequivocal.    

You can fiddle around the edges of the way the Astell & Kern performs by investigating your DAC filter options, sure - but in broad terms, its methodology doesn’t really change. It’s precise and meticulous, but it's no dry tool of analysis. It hits very hard through the low frequencies, but it never gets bogged down under its own weight. It’s spacious and open, but it’s seamlessly unified. 

Sound quality score: 5 / 5

Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000 review: Design

Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000

(Image credit: Future)
  • 904L stainless steel chassis 
  • 493g; 139 x 82 x 18mm (HxWxD)
  • 1080 x 1920 touchscreen

‘Portable’, of course, is a relative term. The SP3000 is not the most portable product of its type around – it weighs very nearly half a kilo and is 139 x 82 x 18mm (HxWxD) – but if you can slip it into a bag then I guess it must count as ‘portable’. Its pointy corners count against it too, though – and while it comes with a protective case sourced from French tanners ALRA, the fact it’s made of goatskin is not going to appeal to everyone. 

To be fair, the body of the SP3000 isn’t as aggressively angular as some A&K designs. And the fact that it’s built from 904L stainless steel goes a long way to establishing the SP3000’s credentials as a luxury ‘accessory’ (in the manner of a watch or some other jewellery) as well as a functional device. 904L stainless steel resists corrosion like nobody’s business, and it can also accept a very high polish - which is why the likes of Rolex make use of it. I’m confident you’ve never seen such a shiny digital audio player.

The front and rear faces of the SP3000 are glass - and on the front it makes up a 5.4in 1080 x 1920 touch-screen. The Snapdragon octa-core CPU that’s in charge means it’s an extremely responsive touch-screen, too.  

On the top right edge of the chassis there’s the familiar ‘crown’ control wheel - which is another design feature that ups the SP3000’s desirability. It feels as good as it looks, and the circular light that sits behind it glows in one of a number of different colours to indicate the size of the digital audio file that’s playing. The opposite edge has three small, much less exciting, control buttons that work perfectly well but have none of the control wheel’s visual drama or tactile appeal.

The top of the SP3000 is home to three headphone sockets. There’s a 3.5mm unbalanced output, and two balanced alternatives – 2.5mm (which works with four-pole connections) and 4.4mm (which supports five-pole connections). On the bottom edge, meanwhile, there’s a USB-C socket for charging the internal battery - battery life is around 10 hours in normal circumstances, and a full charge from ‘flat’ takes around three hours. There’s also a micro-SD card slot down here, which can be used to boost the player’s 256GB of memory by up to 1TB. 

Design score: 5 / 5 

Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000 review: Value

Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000

(Image credit: Future)

In absolute terms, of course, $3,699 / £3,799 / AU$5,499 for a digital audio player is nonsense. The law of diminishing returns is at work here as surely as it is anywhere else - and you can get a big serving of the SP3000’s talents by spending less than half of its asking price (mostly, but not exclusively, by spending it with Astell & Kern itself). But if you want absolutely, positively the best-sounding DAP around, and you are fortunate enough to be able to justify the cost to yourself, well, this player is currently number one in a field of one.

Should I buy the Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000?

Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000

(Image credit: Future)

Buy it if... 

Don't buy it if... 

Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000 review: Also consider

How I tested the Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000

Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tested for over a week
  • Tested indoors and out
  • Tested with wired and wireless headphones

I loaded the internal memory of the Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000 with quite a lot of high-resolution digital audio files, and I also installed the Tidal app – so ultimately I was able to lot of different types of music via a lot of different audio file types and sizes. 

I listened to the player in my home and while out and about (listening outdoors made me quite anxious at first, I don’t mind admitting – it’s an expensive device, after all). And I listened to it using a selection of wired and wireless headphones – generally, headphones able to do some justice to the SP3000’s unarguable quality. I mostly used the Sennheiser IE900 via the 4.4mm balanced input and the Bowers & Wilkins’ Px8 via Bluetooth. 

  • First reviewed in December 2023
Philips Fidelio L4 review: rich and crisp audio quality with some strange bugs
1:00 pm | December 23, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Headphones | Tags: | Comments: Off

Philips Fidelio L4 review: Two-minute review

I absolutely want to love the Philips Fidelio L4. In many ways, they undercut the Sony WH-1000XM5 perfectly ensuring you get something for less while still benefiting from all the features you’d want from one of the best headphones.

The problem lies in the execution. The Philips Fidelio L4 suffers from a few too many disconnection issues. When playing, it sounds fantastic. Audio is rich, vibrant, and with just the right amount of bass to ensure you don’t miss out on crisp mids and trebles. The problem is that sometimes it simply drops out and I can’t figure out why. Instinctively, it seems like wear detection could be a problem but even when disabled, the Philips Fidelio L4 would sometimes just switch off, acting like it was doing you a favor. 

It’s frustrating because the Philips Fidelio L4 are good enough that they still deserve a high rating. Besides the exceptional sound quality, there’s also up to 50 hours of battery life which easily beats the competition. A 15 minute charge gives back 14 hours which is ridiculously good going. 

For $349 / £300, the Philips Fidelio L4 are well-priced among strong competition even if they’re not the most exciting looking. You’ll love how great it sounds until it cuts out and you’re left wondering just what you did while you restart the headphones. Still, weirdly, they sound so good, it’s a little easier to forgive than maybe it should be.

Philips Fidelio L4 review: Price and release date

Philips Fidelio L4 earcup

(Image credit: Future)
  • Released in December 2023
  • Officially priced at $349 / £300

The Philips Fidelio L4 was released in December 2023 for £300. Currently available in the UK, the Philips Fidelio L4 is also set for release in the US for $349 although, at the time of writing, isn’t currently available to buy.  

The headphones are available solely in black – a fairly traditional color for headphones – so don’t go looking for fancy colorways. 

At this price point, the Philips Fidelio L4’s biggest rivals are the Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Bose QuietComfort 45, which offer very similar features but more brand recognition and as we’ll see later – more reliability too. There’s always the Apple AirPods Max if you want to spend more too.

Philips Fidelio L4 review: Specs

Philips Fidelio L4 review: Features

Philips Fidelio L4 button features

(Image credit: Future)
  • Wear detection
  • Simple to use app
  • Adjustable EQ

The Philips Fidelio L4 packs all the key features you could need. At least when they’re working nicely. The Philips headphones app guides you through the essentials. There’s wear detection, auto on/off and an adjustable EQ. The latter comes with four presets but it’s always good to be able to adjust things for yourself too. 

Other useful features include LDAC support, voice assistant functionality, spatial audio (although no head tracking), and touch controls too. Multipoint support means it’s easy to hook the cans up to multiple devices at once too – a feature that’s fast becoming an essential given how many devices I switch between on a daily basis. There’s also Bluetooth 5.3 support and a 3.5mm jack for listening to music more crisply. 

Sounds perfect, right? Yes and no. While using the Philips Fidelio L4, I found it very prone to random disconnections. I could be idly listening to a song and then suddenly, the headphones would make a couple of shutting down style sounds and do exactly that. At first, it seemed like a battery issue but I found turning off wear detection and touch controls seemed to help matters. It’s a weird one to pin down as it doesn’t seem to be entirely down to wear detection but it’s an irritant on what we’ll soon see is an otherwise exceptional pair of cans and definitely a dealbreaker. 

Features score: 3/5

Philips Fidelio L4 review: Battery life

Philips Fidelio L4 earcup close up

(Image credit: Future)
  • Up to 50 hours
  • Great quick charge function

The Philips Fidelio L4 blows the competition out of the water with up to 50 hours with ANC off promised or 40 hours with it enabled. In real world use, that dips a tiny bit but not by much making these cans one of the longer lasting headphones around. 

Full recharging takes about two hours but 15 minutes worth returns 14 hours. You read that right. It’s quite remarkable. 

Battery life score: 5/5

Philips Fidelio L4 review: Sound quality

Philips Fidelio L4 app screen

(Image credit: Future)
  • Strong ANC
  • Super crisp and rich audio
  • Adjustable EQ

If I were to point out one stand out feature about the Philips Fidelio L4, it’s how great it sounds. We’re talking best over-ear headphones level with them sounding on a par with the Sony WH-1000XM5 and all those that compete with it.

Out of the box, I was impressed by how vibrant everything sounded. My random playlist came out with Black Eyed Peas’ I Gotta Feeling and it instantly feels punchy and ridiculously enthusiastic. Switch over to something calmer like The Beach Boys’ God Only Knows and the mids sound beautifully smooth and detailed with the treble offering a hint of sparkly magic. It’s all just a bit delightful.

Something like Erasure’s A Little Respect demonstrates how well the bass mixes in with the mids so that it never overwhelms the sound, right before diving into something far punchier like Muse’s You Make Me Feel Like Halloween. 

Out of the box, the Philips Fidelio L4 sound good but dipping into the app means the chance to tweak the EQ or choose one of the four presets. Bass ended up my favorite but that differed depending on the song with Treble also standing out nicely for vibrancy. Crucially, unlike some inferior headphones, you can genuinely hear the differences here. 

Add on some solidly dependable ANC and the Philips Fidelio L4 are the headphones to wear on your walk or in a busy office to guarantee you won’t be distracted by environmental noises while you take in your favorites.

Sound quality score: 5/5

Philips Fidelio L4 review: Design

Philips Fidelio L4 design

(Image credit: Future)
  • Comfy
  • Doesn’t fold
  • Touch controls

In your hands, the Philips Fidelio L4 feel a little cheaper than their actual price tag. They don’t feel as high-end as the competition for instance, but they are fairly light on your head. The foam ear cups feel comfy while fully covering your ears aiding the ANC. The headband adjusts in a fairly sleek fashion so there’s no risk of that perilous crunch you can get with others. 

However, the Philips Fidelio L4 doesn’t fold which instantly makes it feel less portable than others. You’re tossing them into your bag as they are on your head which feels a little unsafe. On the other hand, they do feel reasonably robust in your hands so hopefully I’m just being overly anxious.

On the left ear cup is the power button and USB-C port, while the right hand side has the 3.5mm port, along with controls for the mic and ANC. The bulk of the controls come from the touch sensitive surface on the right ear cup. Gestures work well here with accidental taps rarely an issue. 

Design score: 4/5

Philips Fidelio L4 review: Value

Philips Fidelio L4

(Image credit: Future)
  • Premium features
  • Middling build

The Philips Fidelio L4 don’t feel as high-end in your hands as the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Bose 700s but they are slightly cheaper. For features, the Philips Fidelio L4 are definitely on a par providing they work reliably.

If those temperamental issues are sorted, the Philips Fidelio L4 will be a bit of a bargain undercutting its main rivals but as it stands, it’s a more uncertain proposition.

Value score: 3/5

Should I buy the Philips Fidelio L4?

Buy them if... 

Don’t buy them if...

Philips Fidelio L4 review: Also consider

How I tested the Philips Fidelio L4

Philips Fidelio L4

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tested over 10 days in a variety of situations
  • Listened against the Sony WH-1000XM4, Apple AirPods Pro 2, and Beats Studio Pro
  • Listened to Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube videos, and Twitch

The Philips Fidelio L4 replaced my usual daily combo of headphones – the Apple AirPods Pro 2 and Sony WH-1000XM4 – over a period of just over a week. 

They were with me during my morning daily walks as the perfect test of how comfy they are on the move. I also wore them during more chilled listening sessions in the evenings to see how well they worked when relaxed in a living room environment. 

I gave the ANC a good challenge by walking alongside busy rush hour traffic, along with wearing them during loud housework and my neighbours’ never-ending construction work. In typical Welsh fashion, they also had to face up against some very loud stormy weather too. 

During the day, I’d wear them in my home office while working. For the most part, I’d listen to Spotify or Twitch streams. In the evenings, I’d listen to YouTube videos while any walks were handled by Apple Music. 

Genres were pretty varied from classical to rock, cheesy recent pop, and some jazz too. Twitch streams and YouTube videos were predominantly gaming related. 

I’ve been reviewing audio products for about 10 years and know what sounds good and what doesn’t. I also appreciate there’s not much point in having great sounding headphones that feel awful on your head.

  • First reviewed in December 2023
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