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Bowers & Wilkins PX8 review
4:17 pm | October 5, 2022
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Headphones | Tags: | Comments: Off

Editor's Note

• Original review date: October 2022
• Still B&W's flagship wireless headphones
• Launch price: $699 / £599 / AU$1,150
• Official price now: $699 / £599 / AU$1,150

Update: February 2024. We still love the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 for its particular brand of headphones luxe style – nearly unmatched sound quality (even today) paired with an ultra-classy and premium design, which is now available in a new burgundy and gold finish, if you want to get really royal about it. We still recommend the B&W PX8 as the choice for design connoisseurs in our guide to the best wireless headphones, and their sound quality hasn't been beaten at this price, but they still have the same small concerns that their noise cancellation and battery life are quite average, for a non-average price. In the case of ANC, you may want to consider the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones for offering best-in-class noise stopping with sound that's closer to the PX8 than its rivals. The rest of this review remains as previously published.

Bowers & Wilkins PX8: two-minute review

Sonically, the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 are now the wireless over-ear headphones to beat. There, we said it. If that's all you need to hear, we wish you well. But if you want to know why we said "sonically" rather than "across the board", and why this is a four-and-a-half star review rather than the full five, read on. 

The B&W PX8 are a shiny new addition to our best over-ear headphones guide, no doubt. But let's get it right: the PX8 are expensive. There are good, tangible, understandable reasons for this – a new carbon cone 40mm drive unit replaces the bio-cellulose driver in the more affordable Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 and the die-cast aluminum arms, diamond-cut bright metal detailing and Nappa leather trim elevates the build to high-end territory – but for some, anything priced hotter than the AirPods Max is too rich for the blood given the current financial climate. We hear you. 

But we have also heard the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 headphones and, cost of living crisis or no, they're exceptional.

Bowers & Wilkins admits the brief was simple: achieve the best possible wireless over-ears and hang the cost. The UK-based audio specialist has fulfilled the brief beautifully. To put these headphones on is to experience a pride of ownership rarely felt, even at this level – I didn't feel it with the slightly odd-looking AirPods Max, for instance. And despite the outlay, the sound quality for the money here is sublime.

Any issues? A few. None of them pertains to sound – that is where these cans truly shine; know that now – but these are why we knocked half a star off the rating in this otherwise glowing review. The cheaper Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless (launched in August 2022) boast a whopping 60-hour battery life even with ANC deployed, and you only get 30 hours here – although, that's the same as you'll get from the Sony WH-1000XM5 (which launched in May 2022 – we like to save you the hassle of checking). Also, the ANC cannot be customized, the EQ tweaks are limited to treble and bass, and there are no big extra features. 

But that's where the negatives end. Elsewhere, the Bowers & Wilkins Music app now corrals your streaming services into one place (provided these are Tidal, Deezer, SoundCloud or Qobuz, although B&W hopes to work with Apple Music in the future) and because this one app now rules the roost, it creates a B&W ecosystem whereby whatever's coming through your cans could simply transfer to your Zeppelin, Formation Wedge or other supported B&W speakers when you walk through the door. 

As regular TechRadar readers know, in this house, sound is king. And the sonic performance here is detailed, agile, spacious, musical and nothing short of delightful. If you can afford them and you want the best-sounding wireless cans on the market, you will not be disappointed in the PX8.

Bowers & Wilkins PX8 over-ears in hand, on white background

Hang it all, the PX8 are a good-looking set of cans.  (Image credit: Future)

Bowers & Wilkins PX8 review: price and release date

  • Released on September 28, 2022
  • $699 / £599 / AU$1150

The Bowers & Wilkins PX8 are available now, for £599 / $699 / AU$1,150 / €699.

Expensive, we know, but this is top-tier B&W territory…

OK, so there's no escaping the fact that this makes the PX8 more expensive than the Apple AirPods Max, Sennheiser's Momentum 4 Wireless (at $349 / £300 / AU$549) and the class-leading Sony WH-1000XM5, which retail for $399 / £380 / AU$550. 

And considering the Sennheiser over-ears boast double the stamina of the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 (and the XM5, while we're on the subject) that pricing starts to look a little ambitious…

Only, it's not. Why? Because the sound quality makes them an exceptional buy, that's why. 

Bowers & Wilkins PX8 in case, on white background

The case also feels premium, with a compartment for the two cables included (Image credit: Future)

Bowers & Wilkins review: features

  • Excellent Music app support for full, multi-room ecosystems
  • Simple, dependable physical on-ear controls
  • ANC and transparency profiles cannot be customized

While the Bowers & Wilkins PX8's spec sheet is good rather than excellent (the ANC profiles comprise on, off, or pass-through, while the EQ tabs involve bass and treble tabs only, so anyone hoping for full five-band EQ settings is out of luck) what the PX8 do, they do very well indeed. 

There's wearer detection and auto-standby (which sends them into low power state after 15 minutes of inactivity) both of which can be turned on or off, and the left quick action button can be customized depending on whether you want to scroll through ANC profiles or access your voice assistant of choice.

A nice touch here is the ability to set the streaming quality (using your mobile data or Wi-Fi) and also the wearer sensor, the latter at low, normal, or high. If the PX8 fail to pause when you lift an ear cup to talk to a colleague, switch it to high. Find them pausing unexpectedly during use? Switch it to low. 

Perhaps we might have hoped for more than the 'standard' 30-hour battery life, although this is better than both the Bose QuietComfort 45 and Bose Noise Cancelling 700, which offer between 24 and 30 hours. Also, a quick 15 minute charge gets you seven hours playback – a claim we tested and found to be true. 

There's a traditional approach here when it comes to on-ear controls, but they work beautifully, with volume, playback and power buttons on the right ear cup and a 'quick action' button on the left, which we use to quickly switch ANC. On this, the ANC here is good, nixing all but the noisiest of buses and aeroplanes overhead as we walk into the office. 

The transparency mode is a more subtle affair entirely and seems a little reticent to actively filter in ambient sounds quite so eagerly as the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, say. That said, there is a marked difference in sound pass-through – you will hear the outside world – but we would have dialled it up a tad, if it were possible.

The big ace up B&W's sleeve is its Music app, which now greets you with "spaces" and can group your Bowers & Wilkins products accordingly for multi-room audio when you get home, similar to that offered by Apple Home or Amazon's Alexa app. 

The B&W PX8 come toting Bluetooth 5.2 plus support for aptX Adaptive (one of the best Bluetooth codecs available today) as well as aptX and aptX HD, and the six mics in total (four for ANC, two for call-handling) make for clear phone calls during our testing. 

  • Features score: 4/5

Bowers & Wilkins PX8 worn by TechRadar's Becky Scarrott, on beige background

These are over-ears you'll want to be seen in – ideally, on a yacht in the Maldives (Image credit: Future)

Bowers & Wilkins PX8 review: design

  • Beautiful metal accents (especially on the tan colorway)
  • Drivers are angled to the wearer's ear
  • Clamping force is perfect 

For flair and beauty, Bowers & Wilkins has hit a home run with the PX8. These are cans to be seen in – as we said in our hands-on review, the PX8 would look right at home around the neck of a bright young thing on a business-class flight to Milan. Adjusting the headband is a smooth, silent experience, and the soft ample ear cups rotate to lie flat around our neck on the rare occasion they're not being worn over your ears. 

Yes, the PX8 echo the current inclination towards designs with cups that rotate to lie flat but do not fold up, including the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 (over the older, foldable Sony WH-1000XM4, say). 

And also as you'd expect, these cans come with a hard-shell, fabric covered carry case, but this one is particularly nice since the supplied cables (USB-C to USB-C for charging, USB-C to 3.5mm if your device has such a port) have their own little compartment with a magnetized lid, situated in the dead space beneath the arc of the headband. 

The comfort levels are fantastic across the course of our listening too, with ample padding on the underside of the headband and a clamping force that's as perfect as we've ever felt; not too tight but reassuringly secure. 

All in all (and at the risk of overstating ourselves) we really really like the premium look and feel of these headphones.

The earcups are fairly chunky, but inside the drivers are at an angle, so that they're parallel to your ears, not to the outside of the earcups. This is designed to help with timing and precision in the sound.

  • Design score: 5/5

Bowers & Wilkins PX8 ear cup detail

The metallic physical buttons on the right ear cup are cool to the touch and they work beautifully.  (Image credit: Future)

Bowers & Wilkins PX8 review: sound quality

  • Supreme agility and musical clarity
  • Beautifully expansive and detailed
  • Weighty but lithe bass

Switching all ANC profiles off, we stream Tom Petty's Free Fallin' on Tidal and the gentle, pensive guitars sound as three-dimensional and energetic as we've heard in a wireless design. Petty's vocal is central and detailed through an agile and expansive midrange. Backing vocals that come in on "Ventura Boulevard" are distinctive, layered, and given extra room to be impactful. 

Plucked strings in Sukhwinder Singh's Haule Haule and snaking percussives have us tapping our feet and are just two of the expertly handled musical strands within the PX8's cohesive, vibrant mix. Our playlist continues to Bol Na Halke Halke by Mahalakshmi Iyer and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and if you get a chance, we urge you to listen to it. Hear how the intro snakes from behind your left ear to over near your right, scraping your cerebellum and occipital lobes en route. Note also the dynamic build from near-silence to a cacophony of flutes, drums, strings and Iyer's bell-like vocal through the sparkling treble.

They're just as expressive and weighty through the low end, too. Stream Stormzy's Mel Made Me Do It and the unusual backing track comes alive. Yelps, drum snaps, statements about "not flying economy" and jangled rhythmic sonic articles spring forth from the juicy grime riff, but it's all underpinned by a regimented, crisp performance through the bass.

How do they compare to the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless? Well, given the price gap ($350 / £300 / AU$550 versus $699 / £599 / AU$1150) it's hardly fair – the PX8 are double the price. But we do it anyway, purely because the Momentum 4 Wireless are a five-star proposition at the level. 

The extra energy, depth, emotional oomph and overall immersion in excellent-quality music place the PX8 in a different league – which is understandable and this statement is not intended to put the Sennheiser headphones down. What we're saying is, if your budget stretches to this level, the sonic gains are worth it in the sound-per-pound stakes. The sound here is exceptional – but you do have to pay for it. 

  • Sound quality score: 5/5

Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 and PX8 side by side, on beige background

The PX8 on the right, PX7 S2 on the left... for both sound and looks, the PX8 is better.  (Image credit: Future)

Bowers & Wilkins PX8 review: value

  • High-end sound and build at a high-end fee
  • ANC could be better for the level though 
  • Standard rather than excellent battery life

Look, this is not budget-friendly territory (remember, the PX8's sibling, the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 will set you back a more palatable $399 / £379 – aka $300 / £220 cheaper) and the minor omissions from the PX8's spec-sheet do impact the value here given their high-end pricing. 

Which omissions are we referring to? The lack of five-band EQ tab (you only get to customize the bass and treble), the fact that the three ANC profiles are limited to on, off and pass-through (and are not tweakable), the good rather than excellent battery life… at this level, it is our job to nitpick. 

The PX8's two strongest suits are glorious looks and exemplary sound quality. If these two features are of paramount importance to you, the PX8 represent some of the best noise cancelling headphones you can buy – but you do have to pay top dollar for the privilege of ownership. 

  • Value score: 4/5

Should you buy the Bowers & Wilkins PX8?

Buy them if…

Don't buy them if…

Also consider…

If our Bowers & Wilkins review has you considering whether to buy them or to scope out other wireless over-ear headphones, take a glance at these three competing cans at the level.

Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW review: excellent and stylish cheap earbuds
1:00 pm | September 10, 2022
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Comments: Off

Editor's Note

• Original review date: September 2022
• Launch price: $79 / £79 / AU$129
• Official price now: $59 / £49 / AU$129

Update: February 2024. We still love the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW a lot, but the world of the best budget earbuds has become way hotter since their launch. The price cut in the US and UK helps them a lot, but you've now got products like the Earfun Air Pro 3 offering pretty advanced features including next-gen Bluetooth and active noise cancellation for a dangerously similar price to this. However, these don't have the hi-fi audio prowess of the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW, nor do they have the cool, stand-out-from-the-crowd design and color options of these buds. So we will happily still recommend these to you strongly is sound is your priority in particular, but if you want other features too, you can get them elsewhere. The rest of this review remains as previously published.

Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW: two-minute review

Damn, the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW wireless earbuds are too cool for school. These cute-but-cubist buds have been stealing hearts at a fee that'll have you smitten for all the right reasons – and having heard them, we simply have to bring them to your attention.

Will the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW soon find a rightful spot among the best budget wireless earbuds we've tested? Heck yes. And actually, they're good enough to crash our best wireless earbuds guide too – because the excellent sound here warrants the recommendation regardless of price.

Audio-Technica is now 60 years old and the Tokyo-based audio specialist has been a legendary name in vinyl for well over half a century. To snap up these inexpensive earbuds is to buy into that history, in the coolest way. These earbuds don't scream about their sonic chops – they don't have to, but they are worthy of their heritage.

Let's express the sentiment in Prince lyrics shall we? In Style, His Royal Badness remarked, "Style is not lusting after someone because they're cool. Style is loving yourself until everyone else does too".

See, what we're trying to express is that the ATH-SQ1TW are clear proof that Audio-Technica is loving Audio-Technica right now. The company has not tried to emulate any other earbuds, or indeed any competing audio brand. The company has paid the cost to be the boss for over 60 years, and it shows in this little, unassuming, winning pair of earphones.

They're available in no fewer than six delicious-sounding colorways (Caramel, Popsicle, Cupcake, Blueberry, Liquorice and Popcorn – try that for size, ice-white-only AirPods) and you're getting Bluetooth 5.0, 20 hours of battery, a beautiful product that fits comfortably, on-ear controls that work well (including volume) plus a low-latency mode, a hear-through function and a sound that's more expansive, clearer and generally better than anything else you can buy for this money.

As long as a lack of companion app and active noise cancellation aren't deal-breakers, these inexpensive earbuds should be on your list.

Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW earbuds out of case, on red background

Cut a dash with these square, effortlessly chic Audio-Technica earbuds. (Image credit: Future)

Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW: price & release date

  • $79 / £79 / AU$129
  • Released: December 1, 2021

Although they started at a very affordable price anyway, you can now cut the cost further while cutting a dash in these Audio-Technica earbuds, provided you know where to look. 

We've seen the ATH-SQ1TW discounted by £20 in the UK at times, and up to AU$40 across certain Australian online retailers, meaning their price has dropped to as low as AU$89 – and they truly are a steal for that kind of money. 

But wherever you live, know that the price here is shockingly low when you feel how high quality they are when holding them in your hand – and even more so upon placing them into your ears and firing up your music. 

Perhaps you want to buy something small for the vinyl-lover in your life – something that isn't actual vinyl? Gift these little buds and watch their faces light up at the recognition of the branding. Now that is priceless…

Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW case held in hand, on red background

Such a compact, likeable little case. (Image credit: Future)

Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW: features

  • Bluetooth 5.0 and a classy build quality
  • Useful hear-through function
  • On-ear volume control 

Not content with adding unabashed style to your wallet-friendly wireless listening experience, the ATH-SQ1TW offer exclusive 5.8mm drivers plus an "IPX4-equivalent" splashproof design and plenty of user-friendly features. 

As is now the norm, the headphones automatically turn on when they are removed from the case, then power down and begin charging when you pop them back in. But place them in your ears from the case and the buds announce their battery level and connectivity status, which is a reassuringly high-end touch at this budget level. Tap an earpiece and a voice will say "play", "pause" or the like too, which keeps you in the loop. There's also dual connectivity onboard so you can connect to your laptop and phone at the same time, say. 

The touch controls on the earbuds work extremely well during our testing, enabling you to handle music playback (using the right earpiece), answer calls, and crucially adjust the volume directly from the earphones (via the left bud). Furthermore, long-pressing the left earpiece initiates and cancels the low-latency mode (to make sure the action matches the sound when playing games on your phone, or when watching with a Bluetooth-enabled TV), while long-pressing the right deploys and nixes the hear-through function, which filters in external noises but refreshingly, without bus engines and the like coming off tinny or distorting the quality of your music. 

And there's even a relatively effective Sidetone function, thanks to the mic nestled in each earpiece, which lets you tweak the volume of your own voice by tapping the left earpiece during calls – which we found to be clear and rock solid. 

Google Fast Pair is also onboard, for one-touch pairing with Android devices, and you can enjoy up to 6.5 hours of use with the headphones fully charged plus an additional 13 hours of juice from the charging case, for a total of 19.5 hours.

Charging for just 15 minutes (or thereabouts) with the USB-C charger provides around 60 minutes of continuous playback too, although the case doesn't support wireless charging. 

What you're not getting is active noise cancellation or a companion app, but at this level (and thanks to the impressive levels of passive isolation provided by the buds), we don't miss these perks. In the budget space, the feature-set here represents a sensible decision from Audio-Technica. We imagine the brief was to focus on the basics and do them well – which is exactly what has been achieved. 

Perhaps the only thing we might have hoped for which isn't here is auto-off wearer detection, but honestly, the ATH-SQ1TW are so likeable it's hardly a big deal. 

  • Features score: 4.5/5

Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW earbuds with LED illuminated on black and white background

The square earpieces are still surprizingly comfortable, and the illuminating 'L' or 'R' is a classy touch.  (Image credit: Future)

Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW: sound quality

  • Excellent separation and clarity
  • Energetic, zealous listen
  • Pleasingly musical across the frequencies 

These earbuds, though… you're not getting aptX HD, LDAC or hifalutin’ higher-res codecs, but what you are getting is an agile, zealous, musically pleasing performance across the frequencies. As with the aesthetic, the sound here is what Londoners might call 'a bit of all right'; a door to good old fashioned rock 'n' roll but in a neat true wireless package. 

Any serious comparison between these $80 in-ears and class-leading products from the likes of Sony, Apple, Bose or Sennheiser is more than a little unjust – and there simply isn't much serious competition at that price, but step up to the $100/£100 Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus and the sound is comparable for detail, clarity and neutrality – and that's huge considering these earbuds are the class-leaders at the level. 

We actually found that what the Audio-Technicas lacked in precision and timing when it came to cohesion (which was a very minor shortfall) they made up for in energy and good old fashioned fun, in direct comparison. Again, the shortfall is small, and it simply shouldn't be – not here, where a $20 surcharge typically nets you huge gains. For agility and fun, we actually find ourselves selecting the Audio-Technicas across the course of our listening. 

Stream Perfume Genius' On the Floor on Tidal and the complex intro comes through with such detail that we're noting treble elements in our right ear we never picked up before. A female backing vocal is easily perceptible and impactful – delivered with the kind of insight that lesser earbuds at this money cannot begin to dish up. The rallentando (slowing down; yes, we know big words) is also expertly handled and the strings sound three-dimensional and layered in an expansive soundstage.  

Switch to Aerosmith's Dream On, and Steven Tyler's keyed chords, conceived while lying beneath his dad's piano as a three-year-old and listening to him play classical music (completed when Steven was 14 years old) are emotive and given ample space within the mix to shine. 

What these earbuds are not is shy or reticent, in any way. If a recording is less than refined, you're getting that with no holds barred – which means they'll shine a light on your chosen streaming services, bands and vocalists in ways you may not have heard before. Give them your music and they'll celebrate it to the best of their plucky little ability – and we have to say we're big fans. 

  • Sound quality score: 5/5

Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW earbud on black and white background

In case you forget the (admittedly forgettable) name, it's printed on each earpiece…  (Image credit: Future)

Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW: design

  • Available in six mouth-watering foodie colorways
  • Beautifully cubist design 
  • Earpiece weighs just 5.2g

Let's start with the earbuds themselves. They're small and light, at 5.2g, and although JLab's $20 Go Air Pop weigh just 3.7g per earpiece (the bijou Sony LinkBuds S come in at 4.8g per bud) they will suit practically all human ears. They certainly suit our smaller ear canals, and with a total of four different-sized ear tips provided (which is one more than may offer) they almost certainly will work for you too. 

The design of these earpieces really is quite lovely, with LED Bluetooth connectivity lights illuminating little 'L' and 'R' cutouts in the top corner of each bud so you won't have to stare at them to work out which is which. Put them in, twist to lock, and you're away. 

The ATH-SQ1TW's diddy case is similarly beautiful in a minimalist but unique way. Audio-Technica hasn't given a hoot about what Apple might be doing with its toothbrush-head shaped earphones. This is Audio-Technica's solution, all squares, the triangle-within-a-circle branding, and colorful accents. Our sample is black 'Liquorice', but we particularly love the 'Popsicle' colorway. The case snaps shut reassuringly like a suitcase (rather than a backpack) and it charges via USB-C. 

A quick jolt of just 15 minutes will provide around 60 minutes of continuous playback if you're in a rush, but the whole thing will charge fully in two hours to provide a total of 20 hours of playtime – 6.5 hours from the buds and 13.5 hours of stamina in the case. 

All in all, the intrinsic beauty of this little product should not be understated. In a sea of AirPods impersonators, Audio-Technica has gone for something a bit different – and different can be good. 

  • Design score: 5/5

Audio Technica ATH-SQ1TW case, held on red backgound

The USB-C charging port we all want to see, although there's no wireless charging support here.  (Image credit: Future)

Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW: value

  • Excellent connectivity and comfort for $79
  • Easily betters anything else at this price for sound and features
  • No companion app

For $79 / £79 / AU$129, Audio-Technica's ATH-SQ1TW represent exceptionally good value. Despite the lack of a companion app or active noise cancellation, you get an impressively accurate set of features all handled by the reliable on-ear controls. And the sound is good. 

For build, battery life and feature set at this budget level, Audio-Technica's decisions here are all spot on. These earbuds are a worthy tribute to everything Audio-Technica has done to date within the music industry, which is probably the biggest compliment we could possibly pay them. 

These earbuds are not even a tiny bit unreliable (as you'd be forgiven for expecting, given their $80 asking fee) and if you want the best ice-cold sonic chops you can get for $80, you've found it. 

  • Value score: 4.5/5

Should you buy Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW?

Buy them if…

Don't buy them if…

Also consider

Think the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW might not be the true wireless earbuds for you? That's cool, here are three alternatives that could offer just the design, feature-set and sound quality you're looking for. 

Apple AirPods Max review
1:47 pm | September 8, 2022
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Headphones | Comments: Off

Editor's Note

• Original review date: January 2021
• AirPods Max 2 rumored for 2024 launch
• Launch price: $549 / £549 / AU$899
• Official price now: $549 / £499 / AU$899

Update: February 2024. AirPods Max sit a difficult place here in 2024. We still wouldn't argue with the quality of their sound overall, and they offer the best spatial audio you can get even today, when used with Apple devices (plus their other Apple-centric features), so they're definitely still among the best wireless headphones for certain buyers. However, it partly depends on what price you can get them for – we wouldn't recommend buying at full price. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones sound just as good and cost a lot less, and have far better noise cancellation (and are lighter). However, rumors also suggest that the AirPods Max 2 will arrive in 2024, with better processing, sound and features that match AirPods Pro 2. At this stage, we think it'd be wise to go with Bose or wait to see what happens with the Max 2 – but if you can find these for the right price, they can still make you very happy. The rest of this review remains as previously published.

AirPods Max: Two-minute review

The Apple AirPods Max launched in late 2020, but were the subject of rumor and speculation for years. As the Apple AirPods and the AirPods Pro have been extremely successful, expectations were high for the first ever Apple over-ear headphones.

Did they live up to the hype? Yes and no. Rumors suggested the AirPods Max would be the most advanced wireless headphones ever, with futuristic features, like air gestures. If the Apple AirPods Max had come with those game-changing specs, their $549 / £549 / AU$899 price tag may be justified—unfortunately that’s not the case.

In reality, the Apple AirPods Max are more ordinary than expected; albeit with extraordinary audio quality and brilliant quality of life features for those already devoted to the Apple ecosystem. 

The best thing about the AirPods Max is their sound, which is nothing short of outstanding. That's why they're a top pick in our definitive best headphones guide.

They also hold a prime position in our best over-ear headphones guide, our best wireless headphones guide and our best noise-cancelling headphones guide. 

They can easily compete with all of the other rivals in those guides in this regard, with a wide, immersive soundstage and carefully balanced profile, with crisp trebles, smooth mids, and powerful bass frequencies. 

Apple AirPods Max Specs

Weight: 385g
Dimensions: 187.3 mm X 168.6 mm X 83.4 mm (H X W X D)
Noise cancellation: Yes
Battery life: 20 hours
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0
Chip: Apple H1 headphone chip (each ear cup)
Controls: Digital Crown, Noise control button, Siri

The design, although divisive, is another win for Apple. With large, flat earcups crafted from hunks of stainless steel. The AirPods Max look unmistakably 'Apple' and feel premium, though the stainless steel build means they're heavy—saying that, we did find them comfortable enough during our tests.

One issue is the lack of a 3.5mm audio port; if you want to listen with a wired connection, or hook up the Apple AirPods Max to an amp or DAC, you'll have to shell out for a USB-C to 3.5mm audio port adaptor. That seems miserly when you consider the price. Another thing that will put off the audiophile crowd is the lack of support for Hi-Res Audio codecs, which is limited to Apple's own Apple Digital Masters. 

Someone holding the exterior of the Apple AirPods Max earcup against a white surface

(Image credit: TechRadar)

So despite their premium price and fantastic sound, they're not marketed towards audiophiles. But their price means the Apple AirPods Max are hardly a mass-market product—casual listeners will be unwilling to shell out so much.

We've decided the AirPods Max are aimed at Apple devotees, as there are many benefits open to Apple users and not Android users. These include immersive Spatial Audio, the ability to automatically switch between iOS devices, one-tap setup, hands-free Siri activation, and Audio Sharing. Post-launch updates include Conversation Boost, the ability to announce notifications with Siri, and integration with Apple's Find My feature.

For Android users, the AirPods Max are simply a high-performance pair of noise-cancelling headphones—and we can't see how the high price is justified. 

If you're a card-carrying member of the wider Apple ecosystem, you have a lot of money to spend on headphones, and don't care about Hi-Res Audio, you won't find headphones that sound better or are easier to use. 

If those points all apply to you but you prefer the true wireless earbuds form factor, it's also worth taking a look at the newest Apple AirPods Pro 2, a pair of buds that offer a significant upgrade in terms of performance compared to the AirPods Pro (2019) but certainly aren't cheap. If you're wedded to the over-ear design, read on for our full Apple AirPods Max review.

Someone holding the exterior of the Apple AirPods Max earcup against a white surface

(Image credit: TechRadar)

AirPods Max review: Price and release date

  • The Apple AirPods Max cost $549 / £549 / AU$899
  • Incredibly expensive compared to rivals

The Apple AirPods Max cost $549 / £549 / AU$899 and were officially released on December 15, 2020.

That price makes the Apple AirPods Max far more expensive than most of the best over-ear headphones on the market. 

Read our Sony WH-1000XM5 review for our current favorites. Although they're still pricey, they cost significantly less than the AirPods Max at  $399 / £380 / AU$649. And our pick of the best pair of budget over-ears cost $199 / £160, which you can find out more about in our Philips PH805 wireless headphones review. There's no doubt about it, the Apple AirPods Max are incredibly expensive.

There are rumors that Apple is planning to release a cheaper, sports-friendly variant of the AirPods Max, but even then you can expect those to cost a pretty penny. 

The Apple AirPods Max over-ear headphones pictured on a light grey surface

(Image credit: TechRadar)

AirPods Max review: Design

  • Stylish and minimal looks
  • But the design won't appeal to everyone
  • Heavy at 385g

After the price, the next biggest controversy surrounding the Apple AirPods Max is their design; they look quite unlike any other headphones on the market right now, with large flat earcups crafted from stainless steel, and a carrying case that's instantly recognizable. 

There's an unmistakably 'Apple' quality to the earcups; some may describe them as stylishly minimal, while others might say they're rather featureless. Those that are looking for a bit more impact from their headphones may want to try the AirPods Max in one of their brighter color options, which include, silver, sky blue, green, and pink

We weren't sure about the overall design at first, but we have to say it's grown on us; they do look rather special compared to the competition, with a build quality that feels suitably premium for the price. 

Special though they may be, those stainless steel earcups mean that the AirPods Max are quite heavy, coming in at 385g—for comparison, the Sony WH-1000XM4 weigh 254g. Sure, that extra heft does make the AirPods Max feel as though they're sturdy and well-made, but it's a lot of weight to be carrying around on your head all day. 

A close up of the Apple AirPods Max earcups

(Image credit: TechRadar)

To offset that added weight, the Apple AirPods Max come with a headband made from a knitted mesh fabric that's designed to reduce on-head pressure. The look of the headband is certainly novel, but after spending time with the AirPods Max, we've come to appreciate it—they're very comfortable to wear despite their relative heaviness. 

Are they as comfortable as the Sony WH-1000XM4? We don't think they quite measure up to the best headphones you can buy today in that respect, but the AirPods Max don't come with that uncomfortable clamping feeling that some over-ear headphones cause. 

The headband frame itself is made from stainless steel, with telescoping arms that you can adjust to find a good fit – they'll stay in place once you adjust them, so you won't be constantly fiddling with the fit. The frame feels sturdy and well-made, but it's not so heavy as to put pressure on your head. 

The memory foam earcups also feel comfortable, and can pivot independently to fit your head. The earcups are easily removable, snapping in place via a magnet; you'll be able to buy replacement earcups for the AirPods Max for $69 / £75 / $99 from the Apple Store.

The Apple AirPods Max pictured on a light grey surface

(Image credit: TechRadar)

The on-ear controls on the AirPods Max are minimal; interestingly, Apple has reprised the Digital Crown dial of the Apple Watch, which it says enables precise volume control, as well as allowing you to play or pause audio, skip tracks, answer or end phone calls, and activate Siri. 

You can simply turn the dial on the top of the right earcup to adjust the volume, or press once to play / pause your music, press once to answer and end phone calls, press twice to skip to the next track, and press three times to skip backwards.

We liked the tactility a dial provides, and it definitely feels like a more precise way of adjusting the volume as opposed to a button or swipe controls. In fact, we're quite pleased that Apple hasn't opted for touch-sensitive housings; in our experience, they can be temperamental, and it's tricky to remember all those different gestures.

Someone holding one of the Apple AirPods Max earcups against a white surface

(Image credit: TechRadar)

The right earcup also houses a noise control button that allows you to switch between active noise cancellation and Transparency mode, which allows some environmental noise to pass through the headphones, while the bottom of the earcup houses an Apple Lightning port for charging. 

What isn't included is a 3.5mm audio port. So, if you want to listen with a wired connection, you'll have to fork out for a Lighting to 3.5mm audio adapter for an additional $35 / £35 (about AU$45). 

It's frustrating that this doesn't come included with the headphones when you consider how expensive they are—if you're paying $549 / £549 / AU$899 for a pair of headphones, you might (quite reasonably) expect to be able to plug them into an amplifier or DAC to squeeze out every last drop of fidelity right out of the box. 

The Apple AirPods Max pictured on a light grey surface

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Interestingly, the lack of audio port isn't the most divisive design aspect of the AirPods Max; that award goes to the unusual-looking Smart Case, which puts the headphones in an 'ultralow power state', preserving the battery while the headphones aren't in use. 

So far, the Smart Case has been compared to a bra, a sleeping mask, and a handbag by bemused Twitter users, and we can't say that we blame them. 

That design wouldn't be so egregious if the case actually did what it's supposed to do: protect your headphones. Instead, the Smart Case leaves the headband of the AirPods Max totally exposed, and while an opening at the bottom of the case does make it easy to charge the headphones without removing them, it leaves them vulnerable to debris finding its way inside. 

The rubberized material is also a magnet for smudges and scrapes, and just placing the Smart Case in a bag is enough to ruin the pristine look you get straight out of the box. Again, we'’d expect more from Apple at the price; while lightweight and compact, a hard case with a zip would provide far more protection and peace of mind.

The Apple AirPods Max pictured next to their case

(Image credit: TechRadar)

AirPods Max review: Audio performance

  • A wide, well-balanced soundstage
  • Support for Hi-Res Audio files is limited

The audio quality offered by the Apple AirPods Max is simply outstanding. They come with a wide, well-balanced soundstage that leaves plenty of room for each instrument to really sing—pair that with cool extra features like automatically pausing your music when you remove the headphones and Spatial Audio, and you've got yourself a very special pair of cans. 

Listening to Phoebe Bridgers' Garden Song, and her soft vocal sounded smooth and clear, with every detail meticulously conveyed by the AirPods Max. The glitchy picked guitar had a lovely rich quality to it, with a fantastic sense of rhythm and stereo separation. 

Moving onto Love My Way by The Psychedelic Furs, the glockenspiel sounded bright and vivid, while the tightly-controlled bass provided a solid bedrock for the guitar and vocals. As we turned up the volume, we didn't experience any issues with distortion, partly thanks to the neodymium ring magnet motor inside the headphones that powers its 40mm drivers.

A close up of the earcups of the Apple AirPods Max headphones

(Image credit: TechRadar)

The AirPods Max are great for listening to pretty much any genre of music, whether you're into sparkly pop with strong vocals or hip-hop with punchy basslines—and unlike the AirPods Pro, they can handle classical music, too. As we listened to Mozart's Jupiter, the raucous opening sounded expansive and decadent, while the quieter flute passages were handled delicately with accuracy and precision. 

Despite the high price of the AirPods Max, support for Hi-Res Audio files is limited to Apple's own Apple Digital Masters tracks, which are only available via Apple Music. Again, this makes it feel as though we're being somewhat shortchanged, as we'd expect comprehensive codec support at this price—and now that Apple Music offers Lossless Audio, the lack of lossless streaming support is unfortunate.

A close up of the earcups of the Apple AirPods Max headphones

(Image credit: TechRadar)

AirPods Max review: Spatial audio

  • Spatial Audio is great and immersive
  • Fantastic for movie watching

Like the AirPods and AirPods Pro, the AirPods Max come with the Apple H1 chip in each earcup, which features no less than 10 audio cores to allow for Adaptive EQ, active noise cancellation, Transparency mode, and Spatial Audio.

Released as part of iOS 14, the Spatial Audio feature first came to the AirPods Pro, and works for content in 5.1, 7.1 and Dolby Atmos, which positions sound all around you within a virtual sphere – this means that, for example, if you're watching a Dolby Atmos film that shows a plane flying overhead, it will sound as though the plane really is passing above you.

Something that's unique to Spatial Audio is the fact that the AirPods Max are able to track your head movement using inbuilt accelerometers and gyroscopes, as well as the position of your iOS device; that means that as you move your head, the audio will always sound as though it's coming from the screen.

To try it for yourself, you just need to find content that's available in the aforementioned surround formats—Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus and HBO Max all allow for Spatial Audio, though the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are yet to follow suit and add surround sound support for their iOS apps.

Happily, it's possible for stereo content to be converted to Spatial Audio while using the AirPods Max or AirPods Pro by opening the headphones' settings on your device.

We tested out the Spatial Audio feature on the AirPods Max with content from Apple TV Plus, and we have to say it's very effective. No, it's not as convincing as a true Dolby Atmos surround setup, but it does make movie-watching feel far more immersive—and it's a fantastic extra feature for those that watch a lot of TV shows and films on an iPhone or iPad.

A close up of the exterior of the Apple AirPods Max

(Image credit: TechRadar)

AirPods Max review: Noise cancellation

  • Excellent noise cancellation
  • The Transparency mode is useful

The noise cancellation provided by the Apple AirPods Max is very strong, and we'd say it's on par with the likes of the Sony WH-1000XM4 and the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700.

Each ear cup features three outward-facing microphones to detect environmental noise, while one microphone inside the ear cup monitors the sound reaching your ear. 

Apple says the AirPods Max use computational audio to continuously adapt their noise cancellation performance based on "the headphone fit and movement in real time". It certainly seemed effective when we tested them out in a range of situations. 

During a commute, most of the rumble from the train was blocked out, and with our music playing, we couldn't hear it at all. You truly get a sense of peace when using the AirPods Max in noisy environments, whether you're working in your kitchen with the washing machine roaring away in the background, or trying to steal a few moments of solitude on a busy journey.

The Transparency mode is useful, too; you just need to press the noise cancellation button on the right earcup to allow environmental noise to pass through the headphones, allowing you to tap into your surroundings. 

It's certainly handy if you need to have a quick conversation with someone without having to stop your music, and it worked really well in our tests, making it feel as though you're not wearing headphones at all. 

A close up of the Apple Airpods Max in their smart case

(Image credit: Techradar)

AirPods Max review: Battery life and connectivity

  • 20 hours of battery life
  • Low power mode with the Smart Case

Apple says the AirPods Max provide up to 20 hours of high-fidelity audio, talk time, or movie playback, which ordinarily wouldn't seem a huge amount; however, given that this is with Active Noise Cancellation enabled, it's a pretty respectable figure.

The best over-ear headphones will usually hit around 30 hours of battery life, although many very good models only make it to around 20—either way it's enough for a full day or two's use, depending on how wedded they'll be to your ears.

The stated battery life seems about right to us, and we like the fact that the Smart Case puts the headphones into a low power mode; however, the inability to actually turn the AirPods Max off is puzzling. Still, having left them in the Smart Case overnight several times, we didn't notice a significant drop off in battery life.

Connectivity comes courtesy of Bluetooth 5, and as such, pairing is fast and stable, and you shouldn't lose your connection as you move away from your source device (as long as you don't go further than 800 feet / 420 meters, or put several thick walls between the AirPods Max and your phone).

Apple says the AirPods Max require Apple devices running iOS 14.3 or later, iPadOS 14.3 or later, macOS Big Sur 11.1 or later, watchOS 7.2 or later, or tvOS 14.3 or later—while they'll work with both Android and Windows devices, you won't be able to use Spatial Audio or Automatic Switching without one of the aforementioned Apple devices.

Someone holding the Apple AirPods Max in their case

(Image credit: TechRadar)

The Automatic Switching feature means you can easily switch between iPhone, iPad and Mac when jumping between music listening and taking calls, while one-tap setup will mean you can get up and running with your new cans pretty swiftly. We found the setup to be incredibly easy using both an Android device and an iOS device, though iPhone users do benefit from the ability to toggle Spatial Audio and other control settings.

You can also share audio between two sets of AirPods from pretty much any Apple source device—even the Apple TV 4K or the iPod Touch—so you and a friend can listen to the same music simultaneously. 

As ever, Apple has included support for its smart assistant Siri too, meaning you can use voice commands to play music, make phone calls, adjust the volume and get directions when you're on the move, among other things. Siri can also read your incoming messages, which is useful if you don't want to dig your phone out of your pocket, bag or wherever you may have left it.

Since their release, Apple has brought a new feature to the AirPods Max: Conversation Boost. This feature dials up the volume of conversations happening in front of the user when you're in transparency mode. While anyone can benefit, it effectively allows people who are hearing impaired to better understand what people are saying in a conversation.

Again, these features are limited to iOS devices, which means many of the things that set the AirPods Max apart from the competition won't be available to Android users.

Someone holding the Apple AirPods Max by their headband

(Image credit: TechRadar)

AirPods Max review: Conclusion

The Apple AirPods Max are a truly excellent pair of over-ear headphones—and among the best-sounding headphones we've ever tested. They're incredibly easy to use—thanks as always, Apple—noise cancellation stands up to the best in the bunch and they look sleek and a little unusual.

However, they're incredibly expensive and there are limitations for Android users. There's also no 3.5mm audio port here either, which means we'd only recommend them to iOS users with a lot of money to spare—and no interest in Hi-Res Audio. 

AirPods Max review: Also consider

If our Apple AirPods Max review has you considering a new pair of over-ear headphones or noise-cancelling headphones, then here are three alternatives for you to check out. 

  • First reviewed in January 2021.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review
7:00 am | August 24, 2022
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Headphones | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Editor's Note

• Original review date: August 2022
• Still Sennheiser's flagship wireless headphones
• Launch price: $349 / £300 / AU$549
• Regular price now: $299 / £269 / AU$450

Update: February 2024. We still rate the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless as the best wireless headphones in the more premium bracket (without getting super high-end) because their sound quality and, especially, battery life and smart features haven't been beaten yet for the price. And it helps that they're now basically always available cheaper than their list price, and fell as low as $249 / £219 over Black Friday. The latest releases from Bose and Sony can beat them when it comes to noise cancellation strength, but not sound quality at the same price – these remain fantastic value. And we really can't over-emphasize how much we love the 60-hour battery life too. We've tested all the new contenders, and these remain our favorite at this price. The rest of this review remains as previously published.

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless: two-minute review

The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless are the latest over-ear wireless headphones from Sennheiser and if Sony isn't worried, it should be. These cans have an incredible battery life, a likeable app, an extensive feature set, easy on-ear controls, talented adaptive noise cancellation and a zealous sound that'll have you nodding your head happily wherever you go. 

Did the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless head straight to the top of our best over-ear headphones buying guide in August 2022? You betcha they did – and two months later in October, they subsequently became our headphones of the year for 2022 – consult the TechRadar Choice Awards hub for the full list of 2022 winners. 

Back to Sennheiser, and while the slightly quirky anchored aluminium headband aesthetic of the third-generation Momentum Wireless cans has gone in favor of a more business-like (can we say 'boring'? I suppose we just have) black plastic and fabric aesthetic, as soon as you put them on you'll forgive it – the sound is that good, we'd wear them even if they only came in slime green and had a big shaky bug eye on each ear cup. 

The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless are an evolution of the November 2019-issue Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless – even though the familial resemblance has been scrapped. We rated the older cans, commending them for their excellent sound, feature set, built-in Tile tracking (so you needn't lose them) and active noise-cancellation (ANC) but we were disappointed by the 17-hour battery life. 

Well, that has certainly changed with the fourth-generation model – and not just because two years and nine months between iterations is an awfully long time in audio tech. The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless boast a whopping 60-hour battery life even with ANC deployed, and to save you the bother of checking, we'll tell you right now that you only get 30 hours from the Sony WH-1000XM5, which launched in May 2022. 

If you're not put off by the slightly commonplace design (and we'll be honest, we do miss the altogether more rock 'n' roll Momentum 3 Wireless aesthetic) the sound quality for the money here is unbeatable. 

On top of this, the tweakable ANC works a treat (you can actually control it by 'pinching' the right ear cup in the same way you would to pan in and out of photos on your smartphone), the app sports a clear and intuitive interface, the auto-off works consistently, calls are dramatically improved by Sennheiser's unique and delightfully-named Sidetone (which sounds as if you'll be dialling up the sarcasm, but actually helps you hear your own voice during phone calls) and the immersive detail here will last actual, whole days. 

Senior staff writer Becky Scarrott wearing the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless on white background

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless are comfortable to wear, and the sound is nothing short of exceptional  (Image credit: TechRadar)

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review: price and release date

  • Released on August 9, 2022
  • $349.95 / £300 / AU$549.95 

Sennheiser's fourth generation cans are available now, priced $349.95 / £300 / AU$549.95. They arrived on August 9, 2022. 

The keen-eyed will note that Sennheiser priced its newest over-ear wireless noise-cancelling headphones at $50 (or £80) cheaper than the class-leading Sony WH-1000XM5 cans at launch, which regularly retail for $399 / £380 / AU$550. 

And considering the Sennheiser over-ears boast double the stamina of the Sony proposition, things start to get really interesting… 

Yes, $350 is hardly cheap for a set of headphones, but the Momentum 4 Wireless actually launched at a more palatable price than their 2019-issue predecessors, which we think is quite remarkable. 

Sennheiser is clearly happy to compete against the likes of Bose (the Bose QC 45 launched September 23, 2021 and cost $329 / £329 / AU$499.95) and Sony in a price war, and it's safe to say that the gamble has paid off – and then some. Remember to check out any Sennheiser promo codes currently available to potentially save more.

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless in case on white background

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless come in a durable hardshell case – but note that they don't fold up entirely.  (Image credit: TechRadar)

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review: features

  • Excellent, fully-featured app 
  • Simple, dependable on-ear controls
  • Useful sound zones and EQ presets

Sennheiser has packed everything and the kitchen sink into the Momentum 4 Wireless’s spec sheet. Aside from that remarkable 60-hour battery life (which, before you ask, is at normal volume levels and with active noise cancellation engaged) that's twice the stamina of many rivals, including the Sony WH-1000XM4 and XM5, which both offer 30 hours, and the Bose QC 45 and Bose Noise Cancelling 700 which offer between 24 and 30 hours.

Rarely have we only had to juice up our cans once and once only during testing, but here the Sennheiser just went on and on... and on, aided by wearer-detection to pause playback if you remove them and an automatic function which powers them off if they've been inactive for 15 minutes, to be roused by another touch. But if you do find yourself low on juice, wired listening is also an option, either using the bundled 2.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable or a USB-C to USB-C one (not supplied, although you do get a flight adapter and a USB-C to USB-A charging cable in the stylish hardshell fabric case).

The Momentum 4 Wireless come bearing Bluetooth 5.2, which means they can simultaneously connect to multiple Bluetooth devices and switch between them more easily – there's a nice connection management tab in the app to see your devices. There’s also support for apt X and aptX Adaptive, aka one of the newest and best Bluetooth codecs around. 

The Sennheiser Smart Control app is your useful, clean, easy-to-use gateway to EQ tweaks and presets (Sennheiser can guide you through a 'Sound Check', which involves listening to your favorite music to create custom presets), as well as Adaptive ANC, which includes a slider to tweak how much extraneous noise you want to eliminate all the way into Transparency, which lets ambient sounds in to keep you aware of traffic, say. 

One of the most novel inclusions here is ‘Sound Zones’. You can create up to 20 profiles (think home, the office, the gym, the train station) featuring specific EQ and noise isolation levels – which will magically activate or deactivate when you enter or leave a specific 'zone' wearing the Momentum 4 Wireless. Want maximum ANC and a thumping bass to kick in as soon as you get within throwing distance of the station? Want to hear conversations in the office – but don't want to conspicuously tweak the settings as you sit at your desk? Sound Zones will make it happen.

And another likeable Sennheiser feature is back here: Sidetone. It makes call-handling much easier because you can actually choose to hear a little (or a lot) of your own voice. As such, you won't find yourself shouting (not even over even the enviable levels of passive noise isolation here) to the recipient of your calls. 

  • Features score: 5/5

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless on gray background

Lovely big ear cups and only one physical button needed.  (Image credit: TechRadar)

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review: design

  • Big oval ear cups
  • One physical button, excellent on-ear controls
  • Ear cups lie flat but do not fold into the headband

What the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless design lacks in physical flair, it atones for in functionality. For example, the fact that the ear cups are no longer anchored in the middle, to the headband, means firstly that adjusting them is a silent experience, and secondly that the entirety of the right ear cup's top surface is now a touchpad. 

This can be tapped once for playback/pause, swiped from near your cheek towards your crown or vice versa for track skipping, swiped up/down for volume adjustment or ‘pinched’ (in the same way as you might zoom in on your phone when looking at photos) for increasing or minimizing ANC. This touchpad is accurate and refreshingly dependable, to the point that we often forego our phone entirely when cueing up music on our commute. 

Physical buttons are limited to one: the combined power and pairing button, also on the right earcup, alongside a USB-C charging port and five battery LED indicators. The ear cups can swivel flat to fit in their case or sit flush around your neck, and although they echo the current trend for ear cups that rotate to lie flat but do not fold up – see the Sony WH-1000XM5, Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 and pricier Bowers & Wilkins PX8 or Focal Bathys over the older, foldable Sony WH-1000XM4 for reference – the design is well conceived. 

In terms of comfort, this new design doesn't initially look that well padded, but what cushioning there is is more than sufficient because the relatively wide headband does a great job of distributing pressure across your crown so that nothing wears heavily or pinches, even after several hours of wear. And the clamping force is good, but not aggressively so.

The only real design flourishes here are the fabric on the external aspect of the headband (available in two colorways) and Sennheiser's trademark S-in-a-rectangle branding at the base of the headband. It's demure to a fault, especially when those ear cups are devoid of any accent whatsoever – and it's the reason we removed half a star from the rating here. But if you'll only glance at the overall star-rating we awarded these excellent Sennheiser noise-cancelling over-ears, you'll see we forgave it all… 

  • Design score: 4.5/5

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless on white background

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless boast few design flourishes, but those ear cups are supremely talented when it comes to sound (Image credit: TechRadar)

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review: sound quality

  • Excellent adaptive ANC
  • Improved neutrality, crispness and detail 
  • Full-bodied, zealous, expansive sound

First off: the noise cancellation in the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless is very good indeed. Taking to the streets, we find cars, barking dogs and the general thrum of everyday life largely absent from our now unimpeded music. Occasionally, we find Sony's XM5 proposition able to nix just a tiny bit more when it comes to constant low-level noise (a bus engine as we sit on the top deck; the AC unit in the office) but it's a very closely run race and, unless you're switching quickly between each set of headphones it's impossible to call. Even now we hesitate to offer this judgement, since both sets of over-ears offer great levels of ANC – but it is our job to do so and we said what we said. 

Now, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless sound. Oh, what a sound! Cueing up Somos Nada by Christina Aguilera, we hear all of the texture and emotion in Aguilera's more mature, considered and yet still effortless belt. The keys also feel three-dimensional in an expressive and dynamically agile mix that's capable of intense and supremely musical rise and fall – the kind that creates space for us to hear musical instruments playing and intakes of breath between vocal licks. The album continues to Santo and the placement of casual diners in a cafe and a soft shaker before the track starts proper are all delicately handled and expertly relayed. 

The foreboding guttural vocal stylings alongside whispered close-up utterances throughout Mudvayne's Dig are some of the most challenging ways to test these cans' sense of timing through the low end, and the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless never shy away from the task. 

In fact, whatever genre we throw at the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, we find ourselves remarking at the open, detailed, expansive, neutral and crisp performance. Never is it overly warm; never is it congested or muddied through the bass. The intro to FKA Twigs' Two Weeks has never sounded so deep and uninhibited through the low-end, and as her bell-like vocal starts, we notice inflections within it and throughout the engaging treble other headphones simply cannot unearth. 

  • Sound quality score: 5/5

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless in two colorways on white background

Sennheiser Momentum Wireless in both available colorways.  (Image credit: Sennheiser )

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review: value

  • High-end sound for a shade under premium prices
  • ANC is bang on for the level
  • Incredible battery life adds value

Although these prices can hardly be considered budget-friendly and we appreciate that, given their talent, (remember, the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 cost $399 / £379 / approx. AU$575 – aka a $50 premium) we'd still have awarded them five stars for value at $50 more expensive. 

Why? The adaptive noise cancellation is strong, the feature set is as exhaustive as you'll find at the level, the design is minimalist but carefully considered, and the sound is supremely talented. Simply put, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless are an excellent pair of headphones – truly some of the best noise cancelling headphones you can buy.

  • Value score: 5/5

Should you buy them Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless?

Buy them if…

Don't buy them if…

Also consider…

If our Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review has you considering whether to buy them or to scope out other wireless over-ear headphones, take a glance at these three competing cans at the level.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review: the best Samsung Buds yet
7:00 am | August 18, 2022
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Editor's Note

• Original review date: August 2022
• Galaxy Buds 3 Pro rumored for August 2024 release
• Launch price: $229 / £219 / AU$349
• Target price now: $169 / £159 / $235

Updated: January 2024. There have been new releases from Sony and Bose since the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro came out, but we're still huge fans of these buds – especially for Galaxy phone owners, of course. Their hi-res audio support is still best in class, and their sound is rewarding, detailed and generally impressive. You will get better ANC power from something like the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, but the Samsung can often be found for much cheaper than basically any of these other premium earbuds, for only a small step down in effectiveness. The official price is still high, but you should aim to pay the 'target' price listed above, which was possible at the time of writing this update. We should note that the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are expected to launch in August 2024, but they will surely cost more, so don't let it put you off unless you simply must always have the cutting-edge stuff, and you're willing to wait for something as-yet unconfirmed. The rest of this review remains as previously published.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro: two-minute review

Given Samsung's formidable reputation in the smartphone and tablet arena, it has long surprised us that the company's Galaxy Buds output never quite hit the mark. A sensible (and color-coordinating) bet if you're already buying a Galaxy phone, maybe, but best avoided by everyone else as a serious sonic proposition.

The big news is that Apple, Sony, Bose, Sennheiser and in fact all of the best wireless earbuds manufacturers now need to take a good look at what Samsung has done with the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. They're good. No, really, they're good. 

The company has emphatically turned a corner. These smaller, more comfortable and less arrogant earbuds (remember the rose gold, kidney-bean shaped Galaxy Buds Live? These are nothing like those) are packed full of useful perks such as excellent ANC, voice detect, wearer detection and customizable on-ear controls – all of which work very well indeed – plus IPX7 water ingress protection. 

But the headline-grabber, if you own a Samsung Galaxy device (and thus, access to the Samsung Wearable companion app and home-screen widget) is 360 audio with optional head-tracking, thus allowing you to use your phone as the focal point to direct more of that new end-to-end 24-bit high-res audio to whichever ear you prefer. 

With a standard price of $229 / £219 / AU$349 and available in Graphite, White, and Bora Purple, these are viable and slightly cheaper rivals to the Apple AirPods Pro if you own a Samsung Galaxy device – and we mulled this judgement over at length before telling you as much.

The uptick in sound quality emphatically goes hand in hand with the improved fit and lightness here – the Buds Pro 2 are 15% smaller than Samsung's last effort and 0.8g lighter per earpiece (5.5g vs the 6.3g Buds Pro) – but more importantly, the design fits your ear simply and without the wearer having to master any overly-aggressive twist-and-lock techniques. In terms of fit, Samsung has absolutely hit a home run with the Buds 2 Pro – and the praise doesn't stop there. 

The sound quality features a punchy bass, impactful and textured mids and sparkling, easily handled highs. You can tweak the EQ for yourself if you'd like, and a useful Voice Detect feature means that when you pipe up vocally, Ambient mode and lower music volume is automatically deployed to make your conversation easier. After five, 10 or 15 seconds of no talky (you can choose in the app), the music simply returns to normal. 

The scope for noise cancellation is on, off, or ambient (so you cannot select the level you'd like on a slider, for example), but it works easily as well as anything at this price and the extra features for the level are comprehensive. It's possible to connect the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro to two devices simultaneously, and the touch controls cover every function you'll want – including volume alterations via a long press of either bud, as long as you tailor it in the app and are prepared to forego the option to scroll between noise cancellation profiles. 

The only fly in the ointment is battery life, which is a claimed five hours of continuous playtime with ANC on (or eight without it) and up to 18 hours in the cradle. This is acceptable rather than class-leading and we had hoped for a little extra stamina. 

Ultimately though, we find ourselves shaking our heads at the improved sound quality. The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro support Bluetooth 5.3 – and LE Audio "will be eventually supported" by the end of the year, according to Samsung. All of this bodes well for the future, because it means Auracast audio sharing might soon be on the cards.

We're willing to wager that the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro's sound and design will suit practically every ear. The sound quality also now falls in line with Samsung's great reputation in other arenas. Bravo Sammers!

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro on white background

Samsung's clearly worked hard on this shape – and it has paid dividends (Image credit: TechRadar)

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review: price and release date

  • $229 / £219 / AU$349 
  • Announced August 10, available in stores from August 26

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro on August 10, as part of its Unpacked event where the tech giant also announced the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, its Galaxy Watch 5, and Watch 5 Pro.

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro cost $229 / £219 / AU$349 and are available in three colorways: Graphite, White, and Bora Purple. 

To put that pricing into perspective, it's a middle ground between the Apple AirPods Pro, which came with a launch price of $249 / £249 / AU$399, and the AirPods 3, which cost $179 / £169 / AU$279 – but remember, those cheaper 'Pods don't feature any active noise cancellation. 

You can bag the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro on pre-order now, and the Buds 2 Pro will land in stores on August 26.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro showing USB-C port on colorful background

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro sport a USB-C charger, but there's also wireless charging support (Image credit: TechRadar)

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review: design and features

  • Small, comfortable earphones
  • IPX7 waterproof earbuds
  • 5 hours of playtime with ANC on; up to 18 hrs in the case

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are refreshingly smaller and lighter than most competing options – and Samsung was right to shave a little off the design. The result is a stylish, minimalist, secure and ergonomic fit that almost feels as if you're not wearing earbuds. 

Across the course of our listening, we experienced zero fall-out anxiety, even with our small ears and without switching from the pre-fitted medium eartips (although you also get small and large tip sets in the box). We found the earpieces never budged, even when breaking into a sprint for the train en route to work, which is unusual. 

The rounded top surface of the earbuds had us a little worried that the touch controls might be somewhat hit-and-miss. We were wrong to doubt them – the Buds 2 Pro's on-ear touch capacitive controls are very good indeed. They're easy to tap, registering your touch with little reassuring beeps, to the point that we found ourselves rarely needing to dig out our phone during our commute thanks to their efficacy. 

USB-C and wireless charging is supported here as expected. The earbuds themselves boast an unusual IPX7 waterproof rating however, which will keep them safe even if submerged in freshwater up to a depth of one meter for up to 30 minutes, but take note – the case is not water resistant at all. 

Wearer detection works, voice detect works, dual connectivity works, the Find My Earbuds feature works and ANC nixes noise without adversely coloring your music – everything does as claimed without fuss or dropouts. And if it sounds de riguer for a product's claimed features to come good under intense review, know that it isn't always the case. 

On the subject of cases, this one is small and easily pocketable, with strong magnets to keep it shut, a solo LED light on the front and a finish that resolutely refuses to collect fingerprint smudges. 

Until you come to that slightly underwhelming battery life of five hours from the buds with ANC on, we've got nothing but good things to say about the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro's design and feature set. 

  • Design and features score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and a phone showing the Samsung Wearable app

Simply toggle on 360 Audio with head-tracking in the app on your Samsung device and you're away (Image credit: TechRadar)

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review: sound quality

  • 2-way speaker design (woofer and tweeter) 
  • Impressive and detailed 24-bit audio 
  • ANC is seriously good for the level 

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro sport a two-way driver design, with a 10mm woofer and 5.4mm tweeter in each earbud. It's a formidable improvement on Samsung's previous earbud releases too, with YoDogg and Cardo's NIP (streamed in 360 reality audio, on Tidal) sounding atmospheric and foreboding while snaking from one ear to the other in a talented display of immersive audio. 

On the subject of head-tracked Dolby Atmos content, it's a subtler performance than LG's Tone Free T90 when it comes to serving up audio betwixt each ear as you turn your head, but it is fun and effective nevertheless – and make no mistake, the sound is expansive and realistic throughout. 

Sheryl Crow's Soak Up the Sun has us nodding our heads happily as we seek out backing vocals other earbuds can't deliver as cleanly or with as much space around each singer. Here, they are showcased pleasingly against a backdrop of keys in our right ear and guitars in our left. 

DJ Snake's reggaeton romp Taki Taki is nothing short of zealous as whirring synths jump across the soundstage and drums crash in centrally and unapologetically. The soundstage is wide for a set of in-ear headphones and, as our playlist continues to Daddy Yankee and Snow's Con Calma, we realize it's the most energetic and agile performance of the track we've heard in some time through the grippy bassline. 

Samsung's Galaxy Buds 2 Pro include Bluetooth 5.3 and high-quality 24-bit music support, when used with compatible Samsung devices, thanks to the new 'Samsung Seamless Codec'. Although we still don't have full details on exactly what this codec can do, Samsung's slightly older (but still very talented) Scalable Codec is capable of handling 24-bit/96kHz audio streaming, with bitrates of up to 512kbps, so that's the likely minimum support we're talking about here – and regardless of the numbers, the resulting performance is impressive, with high-frequency treble instruments coming through with clarity and nuance, alongside a rock-solid midrange and expressive, impactful low end. 

When it comes to noise cancellation, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro delivered the goods and then some. When using the Buds 2 Pro for the first time with ANC on, we had to check that the AC unit we were sitting next to was still in fact working. With 3 high SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio) microphones, Samsung claims the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro can track and eliminate more outside sound than any Galaxy Buds that have gone before it – even soft sounds like wind – and we'd agree with the claim. 

The Sony WF-1000XM4 are beaten initially for ANC by the Galaxy product, but these and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds can still lay claim to the being the best noise-cancelling earbuds on the market owing to their more tailored experience – although now, it's a far more closely run race. 

  • Sound quality and noise cancellation score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro on white background

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are a bijou and retiring proposition (Image credit: TechRadar)

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review: value

  • Cheaper than AirPods Pro, dearer than AirPods 3
  • Recommended for Samsung Galaxy device owners

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro squeeze an incredible amount into their bijou design for mid-range money. OK, you might still wish for ANC you can tweak in increments on a slider in the app, but forgive this and it's hard to quibble with the sound-per-pound value. 

The sound quality is unexpectedly good given Samsung's middling track record, and although we had hoped for a little more stamina for those longer listening sessions, there's an awful lot to like here. 

  • Value score: 4.5/5

Should I buy the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro?

Buy them if…

Don't buy them if…

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review: Also consider

Think the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro might not be the true wireless earbuds for you? That's no biggie. Here are three alternatives that could offer just the design, feature-set and sound quality you're looking for. 

Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 review
6:23 pm | July 25, 2022
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Wireless & Bluetooth Speakers | Comments: Off

Editor's Note

• Original review date: July 2022
• Launch price: $60 / £60 (approx. AU$86)
• Target price now: $60 / £50

Update: February 2024. We still rate the Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 as the best Bluetooth speaker for cheap bang-for-buck – delivering loud volume that resists distortion, and impressive bass that helps the sound to feel full, without overwhelming the well-detailed treble. The official price has risen in some regions since launch, but you can regularly find it for the target price listed above, or with even bigger discounts in sale events such as Black Friday. We haven't tested anything that's beaten it at this price so far. The rest of this review remains as previously published.

Tribit Stormbox Micro 2: two-minute review

The Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 is the latest proof that 'Tribit' and 'value' are two words that skip happily hand-in-hand down this road we call life. The Chinese audio specialist doesn't yet have the big-brand clout of heavy-hitters such as JBL, Sony, Ultimate Ears and Bose in the best Bluetooth speaker realm – and we almost don't want to shout out the virtues of Tribit's latest offering for fear that it'll join them and prices will go sky high. 

But we're duty bound, so know that Tribit's Stormbox Micro 2 cheap Bluetooth speaker takes everything that was good about the original and betters it – and that little speaker was a high-level contender to begin with.  

With a standard price of $60 or £60 (around AU$86), but already seeing a 10% discount on Tribit's own website, you simply can't do better for design, durability, features and sound quality in a cheap Bluetooth wireless speaker at this wallet-friendly level. 

As with the original 2020 Stormbox Micro, the StormBox Micro 2 is about the size of a stack of drinks coasters, and it has a handy strap on the underside so you can lash it onto a table leg, bag strap or your bike's handlebars – we even managed to strap it onto a hire car's cup holder. 

Now though, the Stormbox Micro 2 is just a little bit larger and weighs 35g more (315g rather than 280g). Like its older brother, the Micro 2 is IP67 dust- and waterproof, but its battery life is now a claimed 12 hours at moderate volumes, which is up from eight hours for the original – and remember, you'll only get five from similarly-sized options such as the JBL Go 3.

The power rating is also improved, from 9W to 10W, which means that the Stormbox Micro 2's loudness is increased. You're also getting Bluetooth 5.3, (up from Bluetooth 5.0) the chief perk here being a new Bluetooth range of 120 feet, according to Tribit. Personally, I was able to stray up to 60ft (18m) from the speaker before it lost connection to my phone – which is seriously impressive when walls and doors were involved. 

Perhaps the biggest improvement is that you can use the Stormbox Micro 2's two-way USB-C port to charge out (ie. to juice up your mobile device) as well as to charge the speaker itself, although it's standard 5W charging rather than fast charging. You get a USB-C to USB-C cable in the box, although no plug, and do note that if you own an iPhone you'll need a USB-C to Lightning cable to use the feature. 

You can also pair two Stormbox Micro 2 speakers together to get either 'Party' (read: mono) sound or create a stereo pair. Although it's a little disappointing to see you must have two Micro 2s to pair them up at all, so you can't daisy-chain other original Stormbox Micros as you can with JBL's PartyBoost tech or the UE WonderBoom 2 and original Wonderboom, say, it's a relatively small gripe at this level. 

And the sound is now beefier, crisper, more exciting and will bring even more fun to your picnic, hike or campfire. The Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 offers features you'd never expect at this price, and it's hard to imagine anyone balking at the minimalist, refined design. 

All things considered, the cheap Bluetooth speaker category has a new front-runner – and because of the Micro 2, Tribit is about to get a lot more famous. 

Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 held at an angle over a yellow table

That Bluetooth light is slightly bigger: all the better to see it with, my dear… (Image credit: TechRadar)

Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 review: price and release date

  • $60 / £60 (around AU$86)
  • Released in Spring 2022

The Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 was unveiled in April 2022 and right now it is available in black only (the first-gen model occasionally came in a fresh and limited-edition orange colorway but this was an exception rather than a rule), and although regularly priced at $60/£60, it is already discounted by 10% when buying direct from Tribit – which means it'll cost just $54/£54. 

Price cuts and Tribit are fairly common too (and we're very grateful for them) across big online retailers such as Amazon – so keep your eyes open because even at the original price, this is a supremely talented Bluetooth speaker. 

Tribit Stormbox Micro and Micro 2 side-by-side on yellow table

The first gen Stormbox Micro is on the left, the Micro 2 is on the right: note the extra height.  (Image credit: TechRadar)

Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 review: design and features

  • Compact, pocketable design with built-in bike-friendly strap
  • Cushion-shape means a large driver
  • Up to 12 hours paytime – ie. four more than the first-gen model

Every design tweak Tribit has made here for the second-generation Stormbox Micro is both welcome and adds value – irrefutable proof that a little more can always be squeezed out of even the best-value portable wireless speaker designs. 

As mentioned, it now doubles as a useful power bank (although it's a 5W charger so don't expect super-fast charging of your phone) and it's just a tad bigger and more rotund. If you think of the Tribit Stormbox Micro as a stack of drinks coasters, Tribit has simply added another coaster to the pile for the Micro 2 – and it has paid dividends when the thing is playing music. 

Visually, there's a little more flair too; the plus, minus and multi-function buttons are now white so as to show up better in low-light situations, and the blue Bluetooth light on the front edge is a little wider and easier to see, although the useful five-strong LED volume indicators are still there. On the underside, the excellent rubberized and slightly stretchy strap remains, but the rubber feet are slightly more substantial. 

And if you thought there were no microphones for speakerphone duties here, you'd be wrong – there's an integrated mic on the front corner, next to the power button, which works just fine as long as you stay relatively close to the speaker on calls. Start strolling up and down the room dictating an email and your caller may tell you to come closer a little closer and speak up. 

It's important to note that the JBL Flip 6 has none of those speakerphone/power bank features and still costs significantly more, so Tribit is performing well before it has even relayed a note. And things don't go downhill there either – but we'll get to the sound later. 

Perhaps our only gripe (and emphatically the only reason we removed half a mark) is the lack of backwards compatibility. Because the first and second-gen models look so similar (and because other firms such as JBL offer it) it would be good if you could beef up the sound by pairing old and new-gen Micros in mono – but this is not possible. 

That said, for newcomers to Tribit, at this money it is well-worth buying two Micro 2s to create an affordable wireless desktop speaker setup – we watch Carrie Underwood's Ghost Story on Apple Music Sessions on our MacBook Pro and found pleasing levels of separation and minimal lag between the music video and its sonic accompaniment. 

  • Design and features score: 4.5/5

Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 showing the strap, on yellow background

Strap this around your belt, over your bike's handlebars or even on a camping table leg. (Image credit: TechRadar)

Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 review: sound quality

  • Meaty, zealous, remarkably talented sound
  • Impressive bass performance given its size
  • Only starts to distort at 80% volume

Tribit has remained tight-lipped about the driver under the grille here, but whatever is going on inside the Stormbox Micro 2, we like – and it'll certainly go loud enough to fuel your picnic, barbecue, campfire or beach day with tunes, even at 60% volume. 

Listening to You Should See Me in a Crown by Billie Eilish is among the toughest test for a bijou speaker's bass chops we can think of, and the Tribit doesn't disappoint. Treble elements (what sounds like the dragging of a knife over a jar) and a synth scream ahead of the low-level beat are impactful, but when the bass drops it really sinks low in the best possible way, delivering a gifted, snappy, agile performance. 

Provided you don't go too loud (anything beyond 80% starts to upset the mix and bloat the bass – but that's hardly surprising given this speaker fits comfortably in your palm) you'll find yourself digging out different tracks to see what the Tribit makes of your more niche music. 

We stream The Waterboys' The Whole of the Moon and cymbal crashes, backing vocals, violins and even the cannon are given ample space to shine in a cohesive and well-handled mix that has us tapping our feet happily. For this money, it's head-scratchingly good. 

The Chemical Brothers' In Dust We Trust is a similar story: sounds fly in with ease and energy, but smaller musical articles which we might have expected would be lost in the mix given this speaker's dimensions are still layered here within its commendable tuning. 

And seeing as it's a five-star review, of course we have to put it to the ultimate classical test, don't we? Richard Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries features all of the three-dimensional strings and soaring trumpets we could possibly hope for at this level, all held firmly in check and with a perceptible, rumbling and exciting dynamic build.

  • Sound quality score: 5/5

Tribit Stormbox Micro 2's USB-C port, on yellow background

USB-C charging port: we love to see it – only this time, you can use this to charge your phone too.  (Image credit: TechRadar)

Tribit Strombox Micro 2 review: value

  • Incredibly competitive pricing
  • A recommended alternative to bigger brands

We hope we're not over-egging the pudding by saying the Stormbox Micro 2 is incredibly good for its nominal pricing – and as such is incredibly good value. 

It's important to balance this glowing praise by saying it is not the best Bluetooth speaker ever – this tiny design cannot compete with the bigger JBL Charge 5 and its brethren, because aside from their relative size, these designs feature more power, a dual-driver design and a more significant asking fee. 

What you need to know is that for this size and price, nothing on the market comes close, across the board – and by that we mean in terms of design, durability, feature-set and sound quality. Tribit's Stormbox Micro 2 has set a new benchmark. 

It is worth noting that although Tribit does have an app (which works for the splendid Stormbox Blast and two of Tribit's earbud options), the Micro 2 doesn't get app support, so there's no scope for EQ alterations or a numerical volume indicator – but at this level, we think it would be churlish to expect such a thing. 

  • Value score: 5/5

Tribit Stormbox Micro and Stormbox Micro 2 side by side on a yellow table

The one on the right is the Stormbox Micro 2, the left is the original: shame you can't pair the two, but those accents make for easier use in low-light scenarios.  (Image credit: TechRadar)

Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 review: should you buy it?

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

Also consider…

Think the Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 might not be the Bluetooth speaker for you? That's cool, here are three alternatives that could offer just the design, feature-set and sound quality you're looking for. 

Naenka Runner Diver
8:28 pm | July 8, 2022
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Headphones | Comments: Off
Naenka Runner Diver key specs

Waterproof standard: IPX8

Battery life: 10 hours

Storage: 16GB

Audio formats: MP3 and FLAC

Weight: 33g

Editor's note

  • Original review date: July 2022
  • Original price $169.99 / £135/ AU$238
  • Price now $73.99 / £58.57 / AU$127.99

Update: February 2024. The Naenka Runner Diver headphones are better value than ever thanks to a significant drop in price, but they're no longer the monarchs of underwater music storage. The Shokz Openswim Pro and Runner Diver 2, both on the docket to be tested at time of writing, boast 32GB capacity storage, able to fit far more music into their headsets than the original Runner Diver. However, the reduced prices make it an excellent thrifty buy. The rest of the review is as originally published. 

Two-minute review

The Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones are unique among the best waterproof headphones and best bone conduction headphones.  Like most underwater audio gadgets they can store a bunch of MP3 files (remember them?) so you can listen to music, podcasts or audiobooks while you swim. 

However, they have something most rivals don’t in the shape of a Bluetooth module. It doesn’t work underwater, so you can’t stream to them using a smartphone on your sun bed, but you can switch to it when on dry land. In an instant, it turns these waterproof headphones from a one-trick gadget into a lifestyle accessory good for using in the pool, the gym, while out on a run, and even around an office. 

Based on bone conduction technology that sends vibrations directly to your inner ear, however, means bass-heavy audio that’s low on treble detailing. That makes music a largely narrow affair, though that’s probably not a deal-breaker for swimming when any kind of distraction will do. 

Able to store an impressive 16GB of MP3s, the Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones is an ambitious product whose minimalist design means a few long presses of buttons must be learned to switch between modes and tracks. Learn them well and the Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones will allow you to go to great lengths. 

Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones review: Price and release date

  • $169.99/£135/AU$238
  • Launched in April 2022

Naenka is a challenger brand in the bone conduction headphones space, with this unique product selling for $169.99/£135/AU$238. It’s manufactured by Shenzhen Mengqu Life Technology Co. in Shenzhen, China and sold on Naenka’s website.   

Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones

(Image credit: Jamie Carter)

Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones: Design 

  • Minimalist design
  • Proprietary charging cable
  • Teardrop-shaped transducers

Design score: 4/5

You can get the Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones in whatever color you want. As long as it’s gray. It’s a smart, minimalist design that weighs just 34g and uses the same silicon plastic finish found on almost all bone conduction headsets. It’s there because it’s both smooth and it doesn’t move around when placed against wet skin. 

It also uses an ear-hook design to keep the transducers in place. That’s important because they rest against the tops of cheekbones to send sound vibrations directly to the inner ear. Here they’re shaped like teardrops.

Like all new bone conduction headphones, the Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones use a proprietary charging cable that magnetically attaches to the battery via four gold connector points. 

Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones: Performance 

  • Works well in and out of water
  • Lacks ultimate treble detailing
  • Ear plugs improve sound quality in water

Performance score: 4/5

The Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones are the last word in versatility. They’re actually at their best when being used in either ‘music mode’ (i.e. playback of MP3 or FLAC files on its flash storage) or ‘Bluetooth mode’ out of the water. Used outdoors or around the office and you obviously get the trademark ‘open ear’ design that lets you hear what’s going on around you. In practice that can be as handy around a home office (depending on whether you work alone or not) as when out on a run, but the design has obvious safety advantages for the latter. 

Sound quality when used out of water is good, though the maximum volume is a little too low. At no point did we experience any bassy ‘tickle’ in our cheekbones, but it got close. At all times the sound quality is good, but not excellent. There’s a lot of bass, but not much in the way of treble detail. If you listen mainly to podcasts or audiobooks it’s not going to make any difference. 

However, for its headline act the Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones needs a little help. They ship with no bag, but they do come with a small box of earplugs. That’s because by blocking your ear canals while swimming the transducers can do their bone conducting work in auditory silence. The results are much better than if you don’t use the earplugs, but only in water. Sound quality underwater is a little different to above it, with more bass – aided by those ear plugs – though here the low volume is an issue.

Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones

(Image credit: Jamie Carter)

Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones: Features 

  • IPX8 waterproof to 5m
  • Bluetooth 5.2 mode
  • 180mAh battery

The Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones are rated IPX8 waterproof down to 5m, but that rating also means they’re sweat proof and dust-proof. Inside is a 180mAh battery (which fully charges in 1.5 hours and is good for about 10 hours, though only if they’re used at 60% volume, which is unlikely) and a flash drive capable of storing up to 16GB of MP3 and FLAC files. 

The latter is a lossless high resolution format, so tends to produce very large files. However, considering the rather basic sound quality of the Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones we’re not sure why FLAC compatibility is necessary. Either way it’s obviously a pain to have to drag and drop files onto the flash drive, and you do need a computer to do so. 

The main other feature here is its Bluetooth module, which uses the new 5.2 specification. The upshot is that in practice the Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones always stay connected to a smartphone. 

Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones: Value for money 

  • High-range choice 
  • Challenger brand in bone conduction headphones

Value for money score: 3/5

 The Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones are more expensive than the market leader, whose Shokz OpenSwim sells for $149.95/£139.95/AU$219.95. However, they’re more affordable than the Zygo Solo, a premium package of waterproof headphones and a coaching app, which sells for $299/£218/AU$400. 

Buy it if...

 Don’t buy it if… 

Also consider

First reviewed July 2022

Tribit Stormbox Blast review
2:26 pm | July 5, 2022
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Wireless & Bluetooth Speakers | Comments: Off

Editor's Note

• Original review date: July 2022
• Launch price: $199 / £199 / AU$319
• Target price: $160 / £160

Update: February 2024. The Tribit Stormbox Blast is still our pick among the best Bluetooth speakers if you want something big and powerful for a great-value price. It costs about half the price of the likes of the Ultimate Ears Hyperboom, but delivers the kind of massive, weighty sound you want for a party. There have been several party speakers released since the Stormbox Blast from the likes of LG and Sony and more, but when it comes to value for money, we don't think you can do better even now. Especially if you can get it for a great sales price – we've seen it go for under $140 / £150, but if you aim for our target price above in a smaller discount, that's still absolutely worth getting. The rest of this review remains as previously published.

Tribit Stormbox Blast: Two-minute review

Let's address the elephant in the room: the Tribit Stormbox Blast looks about as unsubtle as a brick wrapped in Christmas tree lights coming through your (closed) window. It's a big black plastic cuboid, and to say that the branding, RGB lighting panels and flashing LEDs around the drivers are a little too much for our liking is an understatement. But that's where the harsh criticism ends.

The Stormbox Blast is the biggest and most powerful Bluetooth speaker in Tribit's ever-growing arsenal of portable speakers and it sounds every inch as detailed – even at higher volumes – as models from better-known audio specialists at three times the price. If it's a room-rockin' speaker you're after, this is one of the best party speakers we've tested. 

It's heavier than most of the best Bluetooth speakers out there (5.45kg, to be precise), but, unlike some of the best wireless speakers we've tested, Tribit is unconcerned with multi-room support, voice assistance or accessing your Wi-Fi for higher-quality streaming – although you can pair two of them in stereo, and there is a companion app.

Oh how we wish Tribit's talented audio engineers had run the finished article past a design team a few more times, to ask if all 32 LED lights should really flash at every beat (or were even necessary at all), but close your eyes and its 90W output, handled via two 4.2-inch 30W woofers and two 1.2-inch 15W tweeters, is not far off the performance you'd expect from a set of decent entry-level bookshelf stereo speakers.

It shouldn't sound this good for this money. It shouldn't sound this good given its appearance. It shouldn't have made us smile, nod our heads in time to James Brown's The Boss before looking up and exclaiming, "Wait, that's the Sonos Five playing… right? Right?!" But, what can we tell you? It did. And it wasn't the Sonos. 

If you can bear the idea of bringing it into your home (although, with an IPX7 water-proof rating and a 30 hour battery, you'll rarely need to charge it. It could live in the shed…) and you want a good dollop of fuss-free music, you need to know about the gifted room-filling sonic capabilities of the Stormbox Blast. 

Tribit Stormbox Blast on a blue table outside

The Tribit Stormbox Blast, with a total of 32 LED lights, certainly isn't a shy, retiring product. (Image credit: TechRadar)

Tribit Stormbox Blast review: Price & release date

  • Costs $199 / (around £163, U$290) 
  • Available from July 6, 2022

The Tribit Stormbox Blast is available to buy now (although, only just), costing one dollar less than $200. Other available regions include Germany (€230), Canada ($260 CAD) and India (₹16,999). 

In the UK however, it doesn't seem to be immediately available and indeed, our sample came with an EU two-pin charging cable, so it remains unclear whether we can expect it to launch in Britain. And that would be a shame. 

If you want something cheaper and more portable, the JBL Flip 6 or JBL Charge 5 are excellent shouts, and the Bose Home Speaker 500 or Amazon Echo Show 15 also boast voice assistant smarts. 

The Sonos Five is considerably pricier (and a Wi-Fi only home speaker) but the JBL Boombox, probably the closest product in this list for design and feature-set, would set you back $450 / £400 (around AU$650) upon its release in April 2020.

What we're saying, however you look at it, this Bluetooth 5.3, 90W beast is an awful lot of speaker for the money. 

Tribit Stormbox Blast top-plate detail

The Tribit Stormbox Blast's top-plate. Are those buttons a little big? Maybe. Or maybe they're perfect.  (Image credit: TechRadar)

Tribit Stormbox Blast review: Features

  • Bluetooth 5.3 for dual device connection
  • USB-C external charging port for your phone
  • XBass boost button

Let's begin with physical connections, because you'll find three ports on the back of the Tribit, shielded by a rubber cap: power cable (the Stormbox Blast does not need to plugged in to function, but 3.5 hours is the time it'll take to fully charge if fully drained of its impressive 30-hour battery) a USB-C out for charging your device, and a 3.5mm aux in for wired listening. 

Elsewhere, Bluetooth 5.3 is onboard for dual-device pairing and a wireless range of 40m (which is helpful if two of you are organising the playlist from the dancefloor, say) but sadly you're not getting aptX or AAC codec support; according to the spec sheet your protocols here are A2DP and AVRCP, aka the more basic Bluetooth streaming standard.

Surprisingly for today's market, the Stormbox Blast might not be the best candidate for beach listening either, since it's IPX7 rated – ie. waterproof only, rather than water- and dust-proof (you need to look for IP67 if you want both). Good for a pool party, maybe not if dirt is involved. And there are no mics and no built-in voice assistance either, unlike the Sonos Move, for example. 

What you do get, whether you want it or not, is 32 LED lights – 15 either side of the metallic grille and two behind the dual woofers, which are flanked by the two tweeters, placed in the top corners of the baffle as you look at the speaker. There are three ambient light profiles in total; one scrolls through colors for both the speaker LEDs and the volume-effect side panels, another keeps the speaker LEDs white and gives a rainbow effect to the side panels, and a third turns off all beat-driven light effects, but still fires up those side panels every time you alter the volume. It's not possible to turn all lights off, all the time, even via the Tribit app – more on this in a minute. 

The top plate is where you will probably alter this most of the time, (volume and playback can also be handled from your phone) where the seven buttons for power, Bluetooth pairing, volume, playback, ambient light show profiles and XBass are fairly self-explanatory, but we feel the need to say something about that last one. Although XBass can be deployed by pressing the button on the top plate, we would not recommend it – you can do better in the app. This button is supposed to pump up the bass, but for us it simply draws a slightly tinny veil over the otherwise talented sound. And you can do so much more! 

In the Tribit app, which feels a little sparse initially but adds value nonetheless, you can also choose from jazz, audiobook, party, classical or music EQ presets and tweak them using a five-band EQ tab – or you can customize your own from scratch. We like the jazz and music presets a lot, and although the bulk of this review is written using the pre-existing music profile, there's a lot of scope for tailoring things to your liking here. 

Tribit hasn't shouted much about its app, and perhaps it should. Although a relatively simple affair, it allows you to see the remaining battery in the speaker, which is a huge help if you're planning a shindig. 

  • Features score: 4.5/5

Tribit Stormbox Blast back, showing the three connection options, outside

Tribit Stormbox Blast's three ports are covered by a nice rubber cap and, unless you're using it to charge your phone, its 30-hour battery means you'll rarely need to pop this open.  (Image credit: TechRadar)

Tribit Stormbox Blast review: Sound quality

  • Meaty, zealous and musical sound
  • Regimented and impressive bass floor
  • Vocals textured and resonant

Want a shy, retiring sound for personal listening so as not to irritate your neighbor? You will have to tread carefully here, and it's important to note that during our tests, we found the difference of two to three volume increments was enough to go from too quiet to too loud indoors. But Tribit has made no secret of wanting to bring the party to both your ears and your body, and it has delivered. This thing can go loud. If you're worried whether one speaker will be enough for the garden party, it will here. 

Compare it to one of Ultimate Ears' bigger options such as the Boom 3 and there's no contest in terms of bass weight: we stream Snoop Dogg's Lay Low and the stop-start hip-hop riff is full, regimented and snappy through the Tribit and actually makes the UE sound lightweight and treble-centric in direct comparison – and although we realise that's not a fair comparison for size, for price, there's only about $50 in it. For our money, the smart money goes on the Tribit here. 

Our playlist continues to Poison by Bel Biv DeVoe, and vocals are textured and celebrated within a wide soundfield, where everything from the percussive riff to the walking bass is given enough space to be impactful. At this level, it's a lot – in a good way. 

Kristin Chenoweth's Taylor, The Latte Boy proves that the Stormbox Blast isn't just a one-trick pony and a bit of kit for avid for bassheads, though. Keys are three-dimensional as Chenoweth's stunning mixed belt comes through with oodles of fun and emotion. She sits a little close to the microphone here, and the fact that you can tell is a huge compliment to Tribit. 

Ghetts' Know My Ting is one of the most challenging tests of timing we could suggest for a speaker intended for Bluetooth streaming at a party, and the Stormbox Blast doesn't disappoint. Leading edges of notes are crisp and held resolutely in check. Juicy bass registers leave as quickly as they arrive, too, never muddying the layered and often intense dance mix. 

  • Sound quality score: 5/5

Tribit Stormbox Blast on a blue table outside

Those passive radiators on the side are a lovely touch, despite our reservations about the overall aesthetic. (Image credit: TechRadar)

Tribit Stormbox Blast review: Design

  • A heavy black plastic design
  • Actual speaker configuration is inspired though
  • Lights and branding may not be to your taste

This speaker is heavy – it's a brave soul that takes it on public transport because if you drop it en route, someone's foot is going to be sore for days.

Look, as we've said, we're not big fans of the light-up feature and general aesthetic here, plus it's only available in black and the branding and buttons are a little big. The big chunky plastic handle seems to lack a bit of finesse, too. 

Then again, this is a speaker built for a party, it's not intended to merge into your lounge like the plethora of demure fabric-covered spheres, cushions and oblongs currently on the market. 

And if you've got younger family members who want a house party, it may well appeal. Does the return of the original boombox sound novel and interesting to you? Well, you'll certainly be able to feel the weight of one here, and the passive rubberized radiators on the side of the unit are actually a nice feature. They don't move as much as those on the JBL Flip 6, but they're fun and they certainly seem to aid the sound dispersion and accuracy. 

What you need to know is that its innards are spot on; the four-driver configuration provides a nice wide soundstage and we wish that those drivers had taken a little more of the limelight rather than the LEDs – but each to their own. 

  • Design score: 3.5/5

Tribit Stormbox Blast on a beige coffee table, in a lounge

Tribit Stormbox Blast in your lounge? It doesn't exactly blend in… (Image credit: TechRadar)

Tribit Stormbox Blast review: Value

  • A huge dose of good quality music and bass for the money
  • No voice assistance or mics 
  • For solid, room-filling sound though, it's a no-brainer

Sonically, the Tribit Stormbox Blast isn't just good value, it's simply unbeatable value. But this is no shy and retiring speaker you can slip into the water bottle holder on your bike. When you listen to it, people will not just hear it, they'll see those lights too. 

In terms of feature set, there are a few holes on the spec sheet (no mics, no scope for multi-room integration) and the app is standard rather than exhaustive – but then again, those detailed, customizable EQ presets are something few propositions boast at the level. 

And we hope we have truly impressed upon you how good it sounds – for a cheap one-box speaker design it's truly surprising. We thought we might hate it and what we actually feel is light years away from hate. In fact we love the sound. 

We might hide it when not listening to it, you understand, but it can always be a guilty pleasure, for those nights when you're hosting a party of one – ie. you, and no guests. 

  • Value score: 5/5

Should I buy the Tribit Stormbox Blast?

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

Tribit Stormbox Blast review: Also consider

JLab Go Air Pop review: ridiculously good wireless earbuds for under $25/£25
5:08 pm | June 23, 2022
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: | Comments: Off

Editor's Note

• Original review date: June 2022
• Launch price: $20 / £20 / AU$49
• Official price now: $25 / £25 / AU$49

Updated: January 2024. As you can see, the JLab Go Air Pop have actually risen in their official price over time, and there are more cheap earbuds than ever – but the these remain a favorite with us because their mix of price, sound, reliability and build quality hasn't been clearly beaten. Their use of an integrated USB Type-A charger (ie, the old style of USB) has become more of an issue in a USB-C world, but JLab will have new earbuds that include USB-C in the future if you can wait. But not everyone will mind this anyway – especially because we've seen these drop by another 25% or more around sales season (over Black Friday, they fell to $9 in the US, £18 in the UK), so you can find them even cheaper. The rest of this review remains as previously published.

JLab Go Air Pop: one-minute review

Let's cut to the chase of what's thrilling about the JLab Go Air Pop: since February of this year it has been possible to buy a pair of known-brand true wireless earbuds for $20 / $20, a fee that even three years ago was unimaginable. And, they're not from someone down a dark back alley, and they're not knock-off AirPods.

The known brand is JLab, and its raison d'etre is providing durable listening gear at rock-bottom prices; staples on our list of the best budget wireless earbuds guide, with the outgoing JLab Go Air as a prime example. They're also our top budget pick in our best wireless earbuds guide.

Regular readers will know that TechRadar penned initial thoughts about the remarkably affordable new JLab Go Air Pop soon after their release, but – even though this is a very wallet-friendly product – we want you to know about them in a fully-fledged review. Isn't your curiosity piqued? Can earbuds this budget-conscious actually do a job?

We've all been burned by buying cheap – buy cheap, buy twice, right? Not here. If you're thinking that one bud would cease to pair after a week, or the case lid would snap off within a day, or a glancing blow from a wet jacket sleeve would kill them, or a speck of dust would put paid to the case registering anything inside it worth charging… well, you're wrong. 

What you need to know is that JLab Go Air Pop (try to see past the name, in the same way we're able to see past Sony's collection of capital letters, dashes and numbers to find a class-leading product) are actually pretty good generally – and emphatically unbeatable for this money, although it's important to note that there's little out there to challenge them at the level. If this is where your budget maxes out for non-essentials such as true wireless earbuds, you will find a reliable product here.

These earbuds belie their lowly price-point. They are not junk. They sound far better than is reasonable. And wouldn’t life be better if more of us could afford portable wireless music, rather than no music at all? 

JLab Go Air Pop in a hand with green background

JLab's earbuds and charging case will absolutely survive your commute unscathed. (Image credit: TechRadar)

JLab Go Air Pop review: Price & release date

  • $20 / £20 / AU$49.95
  • Released: February 2022

At $20, £20 or five cents under $50 in Australia, saying JLab's latest true wireless earbuds are aggressively priced is quite the understatement. Remember, JLab is a known audio brand, founded in 2005 and respected among the audio press. 

Competition and profit margins at JLab’s ultra-affordable end of the market are brutal. The race to shrink reliable connectivity, decent stamina and on-device controls into ever-more amenable price-points, while still somehow turning a profit, never ends. 

The truth is that JLab has fashioned a unique pair of new earbuds that do this for $20 (£20) and I'm still not sure how. Did someone on JLab’s payroll sell their soul to the devil in a Faustian, Robert Johnson-style pact? Hope not. But one can’t be sure…

JLab Go Air Pop underneath of the box revealing charging cable

Go Air Pop's charging cable actually snaps into the underside of the box (Image credit: TechRadar)

JLab Go Air Pop: features

JLab Go Air Pop review: Features

  • Bluetooth 5.1 and wearer-detection
  • Three effective EQ profiles
  • On-ear volume control 

First off, these Bluetooth 5.1 earbuds connected to my phone at the first time of asking, and as basic a statement as it may seem, the fact that a product powers up simply, shows up in the Bluetooth menu of my phone and pairs – without the 15 minutes of head scratching, a third read of the Quick Start Guide and a full factory reset – already puts them streets ahead of certain buds we’ve tested at up to 10 times the price.

The earbuds are also sweat-resistant but even more importantly, you’re getting eight hours from the earbuds and a whopping 32 hours from the entire proposition when you include the case – and having spent a week with them, I can confirm that the claim is genuine.

Upon placing the buds back into your ears following charging, they pair instantly to their last-known device too, calmly announcing “Bluetooth connected, battery full”. These are small and incremental checks in favor of the JLabs, but they do add up. Functioning without issue might seem the bare minimum, but JLab is beating competition much higher up the food chain just by passing these rudimentary tests. 

Oh, and on-device volume control? Big check. I have knocked several premium pairs of earbuds for not offering what is such a natural thing to want from your headphones (AirPods Pro, I'm looking at you), but here, a simple tap of either earpiece sends the volume up (right) or down (left) a notch. It’s almost too easy. Double tap the left one for Siri or Google, double tap the right to play or pause your music. Hold your finger on either earpiece for over a second and it’ll skip forward or back a track. Cake.

There's a mic in each earbud for call-handling, and don’t for a second think that no app means no EQ profiles – triple tap either earpiece and you’ll hear the soothing voice say “balanced’, “bass boost” or “JLab signature”. Across the course of my time with these little units, they never misunderstand my index finger’s morse code once, either.

  • Features score: 5/5

JLab Go Air Pop detail of charging cable

The JLab Go Air Pop's charging cable is slightly strange. But since it's attached, you'll never forget it!  (Image credit: TechRadar)

JLab Go Air Pop review: Sound quality

  • Good bass weight and textured vocals
  • Treble crackles at higher volumes

These earbuds are very capable of playing music and really, it is churlish to expect too much more. If you were hoping JLab just nailed sonic brilliance for the princely sum of $20, you will have to think again – you’re getting SBC vanilla Bluetooth delivered at rock-bottom prices, not aptX HD, LDAC or hifalutin higher-res codecs. 

The name hardly screams audio excellence anyway – ‘air’ and ‘pop’ are not words we’d recommend using in the same sentence as 6mm drivers and Bluetooth connectivity – but remember, Sony once released a limited-edition ‘silent white’ colourway for the WH-1000XM4 and silence doesn't suggest great-sounding cans either. Which firm had the bigger budget to perhaps run that name by a focus group? Correct. 

Any meaningful sound comparison between these $20 in-ears and class-leading products from the likes of Sony, Apple or Sennheiser is more than a little unfair – and there are no current class-leaders at $20 because there simply isn't much serious competition at that price. 

What you should know is that JLab’s solution beats anything in its price range for sound, hands down. It can even stand toe to toe with the more expensive Sony WF-C500 – which it actually beats for battery life and design, if not audio quality. 

Okay, the treble needs refinement and dynamically they're a little flat (stream Tinie Tempah's Frisky and the foreboding intro is ever-present, rather than building and brooding), but I maintain that JLab’s Go Air Pop are a pleasant listen overall, especially for this money. Vocals are relatively well handled through the mids, and the bass weight is sensibly handled, although I admit that the timing here lacks a modicum of cohesion. 

Stream Hootie & the Blowfish's Let Her Cry and the different guitars present themselves to each ear in a relatively expansive, open soundstage too. Listen to Prince's Kiss and while you'll get all of the bass funk in the intro, the artist's inimitable vocal comes off a little harsh. Sonically, it is difficult to rave about the sound quality, chiefly because of this treble, which does distort even in relatively easy passages, but that's not really the point here. 

The point is budget-conscious, solid sound. And you get that here – for up to 32 hours. 

  • Sound quality score: 3.5/5

JLab Go Air Pop packaging on black background

It's hard to believe the earbuds, case, charger, extra eartips and quick-start guide are all in here. But they are you know… (Image credit: TechRadar)

JLab Go Air Pop review: Design

  • Available in five glorious colorways
  • Just 3.7g per earbud 
  • Odd tadpole-like charging cable

Refreshingly, JLab Go Air Pop arrive in a plastic-free, 100% recycled paper box roughly the size of a deck of cards. It’s hard to imagine a set of headphones, their charging case, a quick-start guide and extra gel cushion tips can actually fit inside it, honestly, but they're certainly there – and they're worth shouting about. 

Let's start with the teardrop-shaped ergonomic earbuds. The marketing spiel is that they’re 15 per cent smaller than JLabs’ previous offerings. The point is, they weigh just 3.7g per earpiece (which is over a gram lighter than the bijou Sony LinkBuds S, which come in at 4.8g per bud) and will suit practically all human ears. When it comes to true wireless earbuds, small is beautiful and JLab's Go Air Pop truly are beautifully small. 

You get three sets of eartips in the same color as everything else for a sleek aesthetic (our sample is turquoise) and the case is easily as small and light as a box of dental floss, despite the fact that its USB charging plug and short cable snaps out from a recess in the base. 

This diddy case is able to stand on its base (why can’t more brands do this?) so that you can flip open the magnetised lid with one hand to access the headphones. I spent a week slinging this case into my bag, near my keys. There are no metallic embellishments to be scratched off on the design and no discernible weak points in the hinge. This thing wants to survive a commute unscathed. 

Okay, the strange little charging cable is physically attached to the JLab Go Air Pop’s case (can it still be called a wireless charger if there’s always a wire?) and when charging it does look embryonic or juvenile compared to more premium cases, as tadpole is to fully-grown frog perhaps. That said, it does charge the earbuds and means you’ll never have to search in the semi-darkness for your USB-C charger – or get caught short because you forgot to pack one. 

  • Design score: 4.5/5

JLab Go Air Pop earbuds and case in a hand

JLab Go Air Pop's case really is as light as a box of dental floss – so much so, we often had to check our pocket to make sure it was still there. (Image credit: TechRadar)

JLab Go Air Pop review: Value

  • Reliable battery, connectivity and supreme comfort for $20
  • Easily betters anything else at this price for sound and features
  • No app

Did we mention that these earbuds are just $20? All things considered, the JLab Go Air Pop represent exceptionally good value, and, despite the lack of a companion app, you get an impressive set of features all handled by the reliable on-ear controls. 

In terms of build, battery life and feature set, JLab is irrefutably top of the class for value – but remember, it is a very small class. 

These earbuds are not the flaky-breaky kit one might expect for $20, and if it's a question of no music on the commute or JLab's Go Air Pop earbuds, I'll bite your hand off for these every day of the week. 

  • Value score: 5/5

Should I buy the JLab Go Air Pop?

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

JLab Go Air Pop review: Also consider

Think the Go Air Pop might not be the true wireless earbuds for you? That's cool, here are three alternatives that could offer just the design, feature-set and sound quality you're looking for. 

Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 MKII review
7:47 pm | June 16, 2022
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Portable Media Players | Tags: | Comments: Off

Editor's Note

• Original review date: June 2022
• Launch price: $749 / £699 / AU$1,099
• Target price: still $749 / £699 / AU$1,099

Update: February 2024. The Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 MKII is still the revered hi-res audio specialist's most entry-level player – and emphatically still one of the best MP3 players in existence – but it's important to note that in November 2023 it was superseded by A&K's newer (and slightly more expensive) Astell & Kern A&norma SR35. The nitty gritty of it is this: the SR35 is now billed as A&K's entry-level option and under intense review the newer player edges it (just), but you'll need to pay a $50 / £100 / AU$200 surcharge for that newness. Now, one could argue that if you're prepared to shell out $700 for a dedicated hi-res audio player, you may as well throw another $50 or so down, but I'm not so sure. Honestly, if this is where your budget maxes out, A&K's second-generation November 2021-issue SR25 remains an excellent option. Deals owing to its relative age? Unlikely, this is Astell & Kern, not Amazon. That said, it's not unheard of… 
The rest of this review remains as previously published.

Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 MKII: two-minute review

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and one man's trash is another's treasure. Anyone invested in portable hi-res audio, for instance, will surely view the Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 MKII as a thing of beauty both sonically and visually; the very sight of an A&K player emerging from its owner's pocket signifies their ascension to a very select group of music lovers. 

To others, the off-kilter screen may seem a hindrance, the name long-winded, the edges a little sharp, the unmarked buttons somewhat unhelpful and the pricing prohibitive – even though for Astell & Kern, this is budget territory. 

Whatever your opinion on the above, the level of features, connectivity, file support and sound quality incorporated here is, as the dynamic '80s cartoon heroin Jem once said, truly truly truly outrageous.

What you need to know is that the music you've been playing from your phone or laptop is going to sound constricted, muddied, compressed and altogether beige after you've heard music on this. And even if the original (and very talented) SR25 is well-known to you, this model sounds that little bit better – and as such, it just became one of the best MP3 players on the market. 

The A&K A&norma SR25 MKII digital audio player takes and celebrates virtually any digital audio file size or type, and it will now happily accept balanced headphones with 4.4 or 2.5mm headphone jacks as well as 'regular' 3.5mm unbalanced models.

Elsewhere, the touch-screen is bright and responsive and the battery life, at 20 hours, walks all over the company's A&ultima SP2000T at only 9 hours. And did we mention how expressive, detailed, regimented and faithfully neutral it sounds? 

The A&norma SR25 MKII is a gifted digital audio player and it will reignite your love of music. And unlike many of the company's more pricey players, this one is small enough to put in a pocket and will keep you streaming, pinging or downloading once-treasured songs to it, just to see what it makes of them. 

If the current financial climate still facilitates your consideration of such a purchase, you won't be disappointed with this talented little player. 

Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 MKII on black background

The A&K's rotary volume dial is a thing of beauty (Image credit: TechRadar)

Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 MKII review: Price and release date

  • Released in November 2021
  • $749 / £699 / AU$1,099

The Astell & Kern A&norma SR 25 MKII comes with asking price that may have some moving swiftly on given the current cost of living challenges. Others may still pause to hear more though – because unlike the majority of Astell & Kern's ouevre, it doesn't actually cost thousands. 

In the United Kingdom it sells for a pound short of £700. American customers hoping to snag one will need to put seven hundred-dollar bills and one fifty aside, while in Australia you’re looking at over a grand. 

Can such a product make a case for itself outside of the niche audiophile world when good-quality music streaming and downloading capabilities are so readily available on contract smartphones? If you ask us, yes. 

Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 MKII detail of headphone ports on black background

A&K has added a 4.4 balanced headphone jack for extra connectivity (Image credit: TechRadar)

Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 MKII review: Features

  • Supports both 24-bit Bluetooth wireless codecs LDAC and aptXHD
  • Comprehensive wired hi-res chops to DSD256 and 32-bit/384KHz PCM 
  • Replay Gain automatically adjusts volume playback from sound sources up to 24-bit/192kHz

The features we need to get through here give even the best MP3 players a run for their money, so strap in. 

Astell & Kern states that every aspect its customers admired in the original SR25 is retained here, but that this new model improves on the audio performance even further. How? With its latest audio architecture, that's how, which promises more detail, clearly defined upper and lower ranges, and a deeper, more rounded sound. (More on this later.) 

What is not new is the implementation of two Cirrus Logic CS43198 DACs, because it is the same dual DAC chip setup as the previous SR15, which is a few years old now. Then again, that player was excellent sonically and if it ain't broke, etc…

As well as a new 4.4mm headphone jack, the MKII unit also boasts a new Replay Gain function to uniformly adjust volume playback from sound sources up to 24-bit/192 kHz. You're also getting AK File Drop (first introduced in the pricier A&futura SE180 player) for easier wireless file transfers; BT Sink function for simpler connection of the SR25 MKII to an external Bluetooth device (essentially, music from an external device such as a smartphone can be played back in high-quality on the SR25 MKII using it) and extra internal silver-plated shielding to protect from electromagnetic interference, first seen in the thrice-the-price A&ultima SP2000T.

Although it hasn't been shouted about, upon going through the settings of the SR25 MKII, four new, interesting and quite different-sounding DAC filters also present themselves, which will work if listening in 24-bit/192kHz or less PCM (although they won't work in MQA and DSD formats) and they certainly add value and scope for customization at the level. 

As with the first-generation model, the SR25 MKII easily handles a huge array of high-resolution music formats and sample rates, including support for native playback of DSD256 and 32-bit/384KHz PCM high-resolution audio. 

And should you want to listen to your favourite hi-res music over a wireless connection (and why shouldn't you, given the excellent wireless headphones available in this day and age?), the SR25 MKII features the high-quality LDAC and aptX HD Bluetooth wireless codecs too, plus wi-fi for access to streaming services including Tidal, which is happily waiting to be discovered in the 'services' tab. 

I tried the SR25 MKII using several true wireless price-compatible earbuds, including the NuraTrue and Cambridge Audio's Melomania 1+ (both of which support aptX) and found the Bluetooth connection rock-solid.

In terms of wired connections, the power output here is standard rather than exceptional, although the SR25 MKII drove my hefty Austrian Audio Hi-X55 over-ears over a (regular 3.5mm) unbalanced connection admirably. 

  • Features score: 5/5

Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 MKII review: Design

  • Bright and responsive touch-screen 
  • Angular but nicely pocketable
  • Glorious trademark A&K rotary volume dial

Astell & Kern is known for its trademark brutalist aesthetic and it’s not about to switch tack any time soon. So the A&norma SR 25 MKII is all angles and pointy bits – some of them glassy. Look at it and you know it's made by A&K. 

The slanted screen may be slightly jarring for some (yes, if the display simply fit the measurements, it could've been bigger) but it does allow for the inclusion of a lovely clicking rotary volume dial in the top right corner, for which all Astell & Kern players are now known. This one is bigger than that sported by its predecessor and it looks even more like a blown up Swiss chronograph watch dial – but we mean that in the best possible way.

There are four unmarked pill-shaped buttons along the top left edge of the player as you look at the screen, which handle (from top to bottom) power, track skips backwards, play/pausing and forwarding to the next track. While unmarked, they are intuitive and once you know, you know – again, if you don't like it, A&K does not care. 

In terms of dimensions it's a fair bit deeper than your smartphone but thinner and shorter and, at 178g it actually weighs 26g less than the iPhone 13 Pro (and 62g less than the iPhone 13 Pro Max). 

The touch-screen may be a tad fiddly for those with larger fingers – it may take a few goes to key in your Tidal password, for example – but it's more than worth persisting because the trade off is a nippy, happy and talented little player that you can actually put in your pocket without feeling like you're listing to one side. 

The slightly moodier new 'Mercury Dark Silver' colorway is another improvement on the older model, which is lighter in terms of finish. Our only slight gripe with the build is the glass panel on the back of the unit; even though it's supposed to resist fingerprints, we find it collects ours. 

  • Design score: 4.5/5

Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 MKII playback button detail

Unmarked, brutalist buttons. But once you know, you know (Image credit: TechRadar)

Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 MKII review: Audio performance

  • Open, spacious soundstage
  • Assured timing and oodles of detail
  • Zealous, fun presentation

Give the A&K your music, sit back and relax. It takes only a cursory listen to Radiohead's OK Computer (in 24-bit FLAC) to understand that this is a gifted little belter of a DAP. Throughout Airbag, the SR25 MKII seems to separate and celebrate each sonic article and inflection, but never to the detriment of the track as a whole. Bass passages other players cannot reach are offered like musical treats on a shelf to be enjoyed in passing, while synths and jingles soar through the upper registers. 

Switching to Tidal, Coheed and Cambria's Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness brims with detail thanks to an incredibly open and three-dimensional soundstage, from the initial strings coming in all around us to the child playing quietly over by our right earlobe as the guitar joins centrally.  

Lower frequencies are deep, snappy and held resolutely in a cohesive and controlled mix. Mids come alive as we listen to Melissa Etheridge's No Souvenirs, realizing as we do so that rarely has her textured, emotive, belted vocal sounded so expressive and present.  

Timing and dynamic build here are both poised and secure; the SR25 MKII takes every recording you give it, relays it faithfully, dutifully and with an extra ounce of detail both rhythmically and across the frequencies but – and this part is where other such players often fall down – it manages to keep the overall sonic experience zealous, energetic and fun rather than analytical to a fault. 

Any negatives? Really, no – although if you scale up to A&K's A&futura line you'll see a step up in terms of power and detail yet again. But for this money, the A&norma SR25 MKII cannot be beaten sonically. 

  • Audio performance score: 5/5

Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 MKII with Radiohead playing, on white background

The angled screen may not suit larger fingers (Image credit: TechRadar)

Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 MKII: Value

  • A&K's entry-level player – if $749/£699 is 'entry-level' to you
  • Tech from models thrice the price 
  • For a premium player, this is the least you'll pay

This is a tricky one, because you can pick up a portable audio player made by Sony for a tenth of the price of this hi-res player. That said, this is upper echelon territory; Astell & Kern's top-tier Ultima model sells for $2,399 / £1,999 / AU$3,599. 

Astell & Kern actually calls the SR 25 MKII a "true mass premium product", which just about sums it up. To clarify, for this money you're still getting A&K's core (and frankly, 'cor!) values: exceptional audio performance for a diverse range of musical tastes and that trademark brutalist build, plus tech such as AK File Drop, access to streaming platforms, DAC filters and the BT Sink function trickled down from the company's flagship players, but without the four-figure price tag. 

Will most of us still need to pass on "mass premium" players given the cost of living crisis? Perhaps. But that is a shame, since this one really does represent value for money – if you have it, and expressly want to spend it on a dedicated, talented, hi-res digital audio player. 

  • Value: 4.5/5

Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 MKII: Should you buy it?

Astell & Kern A&Norma SR25 MKII USB-C port and SD-card slot detail

It's all angles and edges, but with its SD card slot (and supplied cover) you can level up the storage, too (Image credit: TechRadar)

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 MKII: Also consider

  • First reviewed June 2022
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