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Nothing Ear (a) review: mellow yellow earbuds to herald Nothing’s purple patch

1:24 pm | April 18, 2024

Nothing Ear (a): Two-minute review

When it comes to Nothing's earbuds output, it's hard to stop oneself from playing a game of Spot the Difference. That's quite a fun game here, though, since almost all of the differences are vast improvements over anything Nothing has achieved before. All these incremental gains become especially impressive when you consider that this entry-level option from Nothing comes in at $50 / £30 cheaper than the company's last effort.

For the money, these are some of the best noise-cancelling earbuds of the year thus far. Their closest rival? That would be Sony's class-leading WF-C700N. While there's no 360 Reality Audio support in the Ear (a) and a few Sony-specific features are, of course, off the menu, the Nothing earbuds look more premium and feel more foxy. Their noise cancellation is a touch more robust and the sound is every bit as energetic, detailed and zealous, and (dare we say it?) a tad more expansive to boot. Did I mention that the battery life is also impressive, although admittedly it's a lot better without the superb ANC processing deployed?

I have to admit that the Nothing Ear (a) performed far more admirably than I'd anticipated. I enjoyed them more and more as the listening tests cruised by. Gone is the fidget spinner case idea: my review sample might be a fun English mustard-yellow hue, but the Ear (a) is serious about bringing you music – proof that Carl Pei's 2020 startup finally hit its purple patch. The sound is incrementally better than the Nothing Ear (2), and it's backed up by a Nothing X app that's easier to navigate and offers plenty of scope for tweaking things to your liking, including via the newer pinch-control stems.

OK, let's get that moniker out of the way, shall we? I advise you to view Nothing's naming structure with a simple shrug and the raise of an eyebrow, but I'll try to explain it succinctly. Ear (a) is the model you're reading about now, Nothing's 2024 entry-level offering released in conjunction with the more expensive (by $50 / £30) Ear. Nothing tells me that the Ear (a) is effectively the upgrade for the Ear (Stick), while the Ear is the upgrade on the Ear (2). Good intel, but I'd say it does Nothing's newest entry-level earbuds a disservice because the Ear (a) are streets ahead of the Ear (Stick) in every regard.

Both the Ear (a) and Ear were unveiled simultaneously in April 2024. They supersede the inaugural July 2021 Nothing Ear (1), the October 2022 follow-up Nothing Ear (Stick), and the March 2023 Nothing Ear (2). So, aside from a few minor updates (including a Nothing Ear (1) Black Edition, which fared much better than the troublesome originals) the Ear (a) can also be considered the company's joint-fourth Nothing-branded release. That is, if we're not counting the super-cheap CMF by Nothing Buds, which arrived barely a month before the model we're reviewing here. Got it? Well done. (You're doing great, by the way.)

If you take nothing else away from this Nothing Ear (a) review, know that at $99 / £99 (or around AU$192) you'll not be disappointed with these lovely little yellow earbuds.

Nothing Ear (a) next to the Nothing Ear (2) earbuds — Nothing Ear (a) on the left, Ear (2) on the right. Yes, there are key differences (Image credit: Future)

Nothing Ear (a) review: Price & release date

Released on April 18, 2024 (hitting shelves on April 22, 2024)
Priced $99 / £99 / around AU$192

If the price above made you think 'Hang on, isn't that less than the older Ear (2)?' well done for paying attention. The Nothing Ear (a) are priced to sell – and sure as eggs is eggs, sell they will.

The Ear (a) earbuds come in three colorways – a warm yellow alongside the more ubiquitous shiny black or white finishes. Why go with yellow? It's a primary color, which Nothing says aligns with its stripped-back, transparent-wherever-possible design language (yes, the stems still feature see-through plastic too).

At this level, the Ear (a)'s closest competition aside from Sony's WF-C700N is perhaps the slightly more expensive Sony LinkBuds S, because remember, the class-leading Technics EAH-AZ80 come in at $299 / £259 / AU$499, and Apple's AirPods Pro 2 retail for $249 / £249 / AU$399.

Of course, that's hardly a fair comparison, since those two options offer premium perks, including triple device connectivity (Technics) and remarkably accurate head-tracked spatial audio from an iOS device (Apple).

That said, Nothing's relatively humble asking price is tempting, particularly when you consider the expressive sound quality and solid noise-nixing they can serve up.

Nothing Ear (a) held in a hand, with the case in the background — Hello, yellow! (Image credit: Future)

Nothing Ear (a) review: Specs

Three screenshots of the Nothing X App — The Nothing X App is a fuss-free, wholly positive experience (Image credit: Nothing)

Nothing Ear (a) review: Features

Bluetooth 5.3 with LDAC support
Greatly improved ANC
Pinch-to-speak ChatGPT integration coming, with Nothing Phones

The nominal price of these earbuds is listed above, so I won't keep banging on about it. But if you want listening gear that does the basics – good sound, great noise cancellation, clear calls, easy comfort, a bit of EQ wizardry, and reliable on-ear controls – and does them very well indeed, these are that gear. Also, they're a bit of a conversation starter if you want that, miles away from the black and gray pebble-like options often seen at their level.

Want something better than the basics? Well, Nothing's got an ace up its sleeve here too. Although I was unable to test it in my not-yet-public version of the Nothing X app (rollout will be gradual across Phone (2) followed by Phone (1) and Phone (2a) for the Nothing Ear and Ear (a) in the weeks after April 18, 2024) Nothing tells me it has integrated both Nothing earbuds and Nothing OS with ChatGPT, to offer users instant access to the chatbot directly from its devices. What this means is that users with the latest Nothing OS and ChatGPT installed on their Nothing phones should soon be able to pinch-to-speak to the popular consumer AI tool, directly from these entry level Ear (a) earbuds. However comfortable you feel with AI, it certainly adds value at the level.

Nothing X app screens showing AI voice integration using Nothing earbuds — Voice AI using ChatGPT is coming using Nothing Ear (a) using your Nothing smartphone… (Image credit: Nothing )

Back to the Ear (a) specifically and call handling is far better this time around, with recipients telling me my voice was unusually clear, which checks out when you see that the Clear Voice Technology has been upped from v2.0 in the Ear (2) – or 1.0 with Bass Lock software in the Ear (Stick) – to 3.0 here.

You're getting Bluetooth v5.3 and LDAC support for hi-res audio (the Sony-developed codec that lets you stream high-resolution audio up to 32-bit/96kHz over Bluetooth at up to 990kbps, if your device supports it and the file is up to scratch), which is a valuable inclusion at this level.

There's no onboard spatial audio wizardry and you don't get the Ear (2)'s splendid personalized hearing tests. However, you do get in-ear detection (to pause music when they're out and resume it when they're in), a low lag toggle for gaming, issue-free multipoint to two devices, an ear tip fit test and a Find My Earbuds feature, which issues a rattlesnake-style sound from whichever bud you're trying to locate.

Now, the noise cancellation. After deploying ANC (rather than 'Transparency' or 'Off'), you can select from High, Mid, Low, and Adaptive profiles. High is very good: the hairdryer we use in our meticulous and methodical testing was largely nixed. I can see why it drops the battery life from 9.5 hours without ANC to 5.5 with it, but when the near bubble-of-silence outcome is this good, it's a hit I'm willing to take. The quoted improvement is 45dB over 40dB of ambient noise nixing and if that's hard to quantify, let me tell you that when I sat down to do some work at home wearing Ear (a) with ANC on High, I didn't realize the oven extractor fan was on (my other half was making breakfast), but as soon as I switched to Ear (2) it became perceptible.

Heading over to the Transparency option, this is signified by a woman exhaling, which is fun. Although there's no slider to tweak the level of ambient sound you're letting in, it's perfectly acceptable and means voices can be heard without removing the Ear (a).

The Nothing X app takes the reins and it too is much improved, never faltering and always serving me what I need, without going round the houses to get there. The EQ tab is essentially a three-band offering presented in what I like to call a splodge, rather than sliders for each – think Nura True Pro's visual depictions rather than a mixing desk, with four presets for more bass, more treble, voice focus or a balanced sound – but of course, you can create your own. It's not the most fully-featured offering Nothing has in its arsenal (for that you'd have to opt for the Nothing Ear) but it certainly works.

Anything missing where it should be? Nothing. No sir.

Features score: 5/5

Nothing Ear (a) next to the Nothing Ear (2), on a brown sofa — The new Ear (a) next to the Ear (2): a fun game of Spot the Difference (Image credit: Future)

Nothing Ear (a) review: Sound quality

LDAC handled very well indeed
Fun and zealous sound
Unusually expansive for this type of in-ear

If you've read the star rating at the top of this review and come this far (thank you for sticking with me), it will come as no surprise to learn that the Ear (a) doesn't lack in the sonic department.

Those with a Sony smartphone (I used the Sony Xperia 1 IV) will find LDAC codec files are delivered with expanse and pinpoint accuracy when it comes to the placement of each sonic article. In Aerosmith's Going Down / Love In an Elevator, a shaker sits comfortably in the well of my right ear as backing vocals come in through the left. When the heavily processed "Going down" vocal bridge sweeps across the soundstage like a freight train, it grazes the back of my brain en route.

Even when I stream lossy Spotify tracks (or much better Apple Music songs) the Nothing Ear (a) buds handle them admirably, with ample texture and space around Elton John's Rocket Man vocal, in a cohesive mix that brings forward the synths and bass plucks other earbuds at this price can't reach.

For dynamic build and nuance, the Nothing Ear (a) are best described as meaty and arresting. It's not that they lack refinement exactly, just that they prioritize fun and energy over that integrated hi-fi listen some might prefer. For me, there's so much here to celebrate sonically that I cannot pick fault. No, they're not better than something at nearly three times the price (such as the Technics EAH-AZ80, for example), but for the money, Nothing has tweaked its recipe to near perfection here.

Want to see what I mean? Play the intro of The Who's Substitute. Tell me those guitar strings and shaker aren't every bit as jangly and expressive as you could ever wish for at $99…

Sound quality score: 5/5

Nothing Ear (a) earbud on the left, Nothing Ear (2) on the right — See how Ear (a) is just slightly bigger than Ear (2), across the board? (Image credit: Future)

Nothing Ear (a) review: Design

Smaller and more pocketable case
Pinch stems work really well, even when wearing gloves
Nothing's design language is beautifully realized

Holding the Nothing Ear (a) earpiece next to the Nothing Ear (2) is a fresh surprise. Nothing has tried hard to keep its popular design language constant, but these two earpieces are actually very different beasts. I've placed the Ear (2) next to the new Ear (a) in the images below to prove that the earpiece is just slightly bigger across the board – 1.5mm taller, 0.2mm wider, and 0.8mm deeper, to be exact. The Ear (a) earbud is also 0.3g heavier than the Ear (2), although the case is 12.3g lighter and quite a bit shallower.

I mention these facts and figures only to highlight that it is emphatically not a case of 'same buds, different box' from Nothing. They're different. They're better. Perhaps the only potentially disappointing stat here is the size of the driver, which is now 11mm – down from 11.6mm in the Ear (2) and 12.6mm in the Ear (Stick) – and the 11mm driver in the flagship Ear is ceramic, while this one isn't. Not so fast, though, as Nothing tells me that through tweaks to the dual chamber design under the hood, which now includes two extra vents for improved airflow, it's extracted 10%-15% more from Ear (a)'s driver. However Nothing has achieved it, I certainly agree that the sound from said driver is greatly improved.

After switching out to the smaller ear tips (you get three in total), I find the Ear (a) a breeze to wear – although if you've particularly small ears you may need to try before you buy, and my guide to the best earbuds for small ears is worth consulting.

The new case makes a lot of sense. It flips open as easily as it slips into and out of my pocket, and the earbuds are some of the easiest to retrieve I've ever tested – Nothing's right-red, left-white dots also help you match the colors for charging. You don't get wireless charging support at this price, but the IPX2 rating of this charging nest (for mild water resistance) is more than you get with plenty of pricier options. The earbuds themselves boast an IP55 rating, which is the same as Nothing's new Ear earbuds, although the Ear's case has an IP55 rating – so it's essentially dust- and water-resistant.

Nothing's pinch stems also work really well. You can customize what the morse code short- and long-press combinations do for each stem – yes, including volume. These stem-squeeze controls also work with gloves on, unlike many touch-capacitive solutions.

Design score: 5/5

Nothing Ear (a) earbuds on a brown sofa, in their closed case – with transparent lid — Rarely have I had so many colleagues strike up a conversation with me over a set of earbuds (Image credit: Future)

Nothing Ear (a) review: Value

As good-looking as any earbuds can be for this money
Winning ANC at the level
LDAC for extra sound-per-pound value

I've sprinkled this liberally throughout the review, but I'll say it again, design-wise there's nothing better at the level. But don't be mistaken, these aren't style over substance: the sound quality is very good, and for noise-cancellation specifically, they're extremely hard to beat for the money.

As always, it's important to state that if you're prepared to spend $299 / £279 / AU$429 (aka three times the money) there's better noise-cancellation available in the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2, but that's hardly fair.

Prior to testing the Nothing Ear (a), for this price point, I would nudge you towards the Sony WF-C700N, but in my honest opinion, these entry-level Nothings give those a solid run for their money, across the board. And for premium looks for budget money, there's really no contest…

Value score: 5/5

Should I buy the Nothing Ear (a)?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Nothing Ear (a) review: Also consider

How I tested the Nothing Ear (a)

Nothing Ear (a) held in a hand, on brown background — USB-C for juicing up, but there's no wireless charging (Image credit: Future)

Tested for two weeks, listened against the Sony WF-C700N, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 and Technics EAH-AZ80
Listened at work (in the office, walking through Dorset, on a train) and at home
Listened to Tidal Masters, Apple Music Lossless tracks and Spotify on an iPhone 12 Pro, MacBook Pro and Sony Xperia 1 IV

The Nothing Ear (a) became my primary musical companions for five days – after a thorough 48-hour run-in period.

They accompanied me to work (walking brusquely to a train into our Paddington office or on the London Underground to various events) and on a flight to Copenhagen (I know, get me).

To better test the comfort levels (and battery life claims), I followed TechRadar's meticulous methodology testing.

To check the audio quality across the frequencies, I listened to TechRadar's reference playlist (spanning everything from pop to classical) on Apple Music and Tidal, and also my own musical selections and podcasts. I also wore them to watch YouTube tutorials (mostly about silversmithing: finessing bezel settings and working with art clay silver, since you ask) from my MacBook Pro.

I’ve been testing audio products for well over five years. As a dancer, aerialist and musical theater performer in another life, sound quality, fit, and user experience have always taken priority for me personally, but having heard how wonderful ANC can be when done well, I know what I'm listening to here also.

First reviewed: April 2024

CMF By Nothing Buds review: stylish budget earbuds with a vibrant flair

1:00 pm | April 14, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: ANC, Apple Music | Comments: Off

CMF Buds: Two-minute review

The CMF By Nothing Buds are very cheap for what they offer. At just $39 / £39, it’s predictably too good to be true to expect great Active Noise Cancellation, exceptional sound quality, and all the other things that come from much pricier earbuds. However, there’s a charm to the CMF By Nothing Buds with their minimalist yet attractive case and that extends to use.

They certainly won’t rival most of the best wireless earbuds but among budget buys, there’s a temptation here. The CMF By Nothing Buds sound reasonable if not exceptional. There’s a crispness here but bass is pretty weak and understated. Music won’t stand out here and even the soundstage is a little lackluster but they’re fine for listening on the move.

Similarly, ANC is more about dampening background noise rather than taking a proactive approach, but it’s better than nothing. You’re left being merely impressed that the CMF By Nothing Buds even attempts ANC at this price. There’s also app support, although it’s temperamental.

Dual-device connectivity and reasonable battery life all add up to make the CMF By Nothing Buds a nice pair of budget buds, even if not the pair you’ll want to live with forever. That’s not bad at all for under $50 / £50, although in an ideal world, you’ll want to invest more into the best noise-cancelling earbuds.

CMF Buds review: Price and release date

The CMF Buds on carpet — (Image credit: Future)

Released in March 2024
Officially price dat $39 / £39

The CMF By Nothing Buds was released in March 2024 for $39 in the US and £39 in the UK. The Nothing site directs you exclusively to Amazon for online purchases while UK customers can go to the Nothing store in London if they prefer.

The earbuds are available in orange, dark gray, and light gray. Orange is the most eye-catching color and it’s already proving to be the most popular. Typically, the best budget wireless earbuds are usually black or white so being able to get something more distinctive is a nice perk.

The biggest rival at this price is the JLab Go Air Pop, which is slightly cheaper but lacks ANC. Other than that, you’ll have to pay more for options like the Sony WF-C700N with the budget wireless earbuds market fairly limited when you go this low.

CMF Buds review: Specs

The CMF Buds being held — (Image credit: Future)

CMF Buds review: Features

The CMF Buds control app — (Image credit: Future)

Up to 35.5 hours of battery life with ANC disabled
Companion app
Dual-device connection

Perhaps surprisingly for the price, the CMF By Nothing Buds cover all the bases for essential features. There’s what Nothing calls dual-device connectivity so you can switch between your devices. There’s app support, ANC, and decent battery life.

The app is a little bit of a mixed bag. It’s simple to use and clearly laid out with options for adjusting the equalizer, activating Ultra Bass which makes things a bit more bossy, along with ANC controls. The issue with the app is that I found it would sometimes forget my earbuds. My phone would happily pair with the CMF By Nothing Buds and then switching over to the app would report an issue so I’d have to re-pair them. It’s not the end of the world but it can be mildly irritating if you just want to change the ANC settings briefly.

The ANC is also pretty poor. It dampens down surrounding noises but never to the point where it isn’t entirely obvious that the noise is there. That goes for whether you have the Transparency mode enabled or you go ‘full’ ANC. I’m not exactly complaining though as efforts are made and at this price, any kind of attempt of blocking out noise is a welcomed thing.

Nothing promises a battery life of up to 35.5 hours via the charging case and 6.5 hours on one 10-minute charge. That seemed about right in my time with it and I had no complaints at all. Diving into the app can always help you see what’s going on with power. As is often the way, Bluetooth 5.3 means no chance of dropouts.

Features score: 3 / 5

CMF Buds review: Sound quality

A single CMF Bud — (Image credit: Future)

Weak ANC
Little quiet
Small soundstage

The CMF By Nothing Buds’s strong point definitely isn’t audio quality. They don’t sound awful but it’s very run-of-the-mill stuff. These aren’t hidden gems to rival the best earbuds.

Instead, you get a fairly weak aural experience that you’ll have to crank up to enjoy. That’s fine for going for a walk but if you want to hear every crisp note of your favorite songs, you’ll be a bit disappointed. I worked my way through David Guetta’s discography and nothing truly caught my attention. Bass is fairly flimsy and trebles and mids are distinctly weak. Better however was listening to podcasts. Sound is reasonably crisp so voices come through clearly.

That’s less the case when you’re walking near busy traffic as the CMF By Nothing Buds’s ANC doesn’t do much to block things out. The soundstage also feels pretty narrow so you won’t feel wrapped up in the magic of a hit through these. Even when using the ultra bass setting on the Nothing app, the likes of Muse’s Hysteria struggled to truly grip me.

Sound quality score: 3 / 5

CMF Buds review: Design

Super smooth case
Touch controls
Room for a lanyard

The CMF By Nothing Buds’s case feels like a minor work of art. It’s angular yet smooth and it looks so much cooler on your desk than regular earbud cases. It has a silver sliding circle that moves around to reveal holes for a lanyard. I received a lanyard with my earbuds but these don’t come as standard. Still, it’s easy enough to get hold of your own.

The case isn’t a wireless charging case which is hardly surprising at this price, but it means it’s lightweight and easy to store. The buds themselves are fairly standard and they fit snugly in your ears with a selection of silicone eartips included to get things how you like them.

Each earbud has a touch-sensitive area for controlling things like skipping tracks, answering calls, switching between ANC and Transparency mode. No complaints here. For a change for touch controls, it wasn’t overly easy to activate the controls.

Design score: 4 / 5

CMF Buds review: Value

The CMF Buds in their case — (Image credit: Future)

Cheap for what they offer
Not perfect but appealing

The CMF By Nothing Buds aren’t perfect at anything but they’re incredibly cheap for earbuds that offer ANC, even if it’s not great.

In an ideal world, you’d want to spend more and enjoy ANC that actually works well, of course. The likes of the Sony WF-C700N and the JLab Go Air Pop sound better but the former cost a lot more and the latter lack ANC. It all depends what’s most important to you.

Value score: 3.5 / 5

Should I buy the CMF Buds?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if..

CMF Buds review: Also consider

How I tested the CMF Buds

A CMF Bud being held — (Image credit: Future)

Tested over seven days
Compared to Soundpeats Air4 Pro and Apple AirPods (Pro 2 and 3rd Gen)
Listened to Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube videos and Twitch

Over the lasts even days, I’ve replaced my usual AirPods Pro 2 with the CMF By Nothing Buds. Of course, the price difference is huge so I also reacquainted myself with the more affordable Soundpeats Air4 Pro that I was using fairly recently.

I used the CMF By Nothing Buds on my daily morning walks. I know the route well enough that I can tell you all the worst places for traffic noises, so it was a good way of seeing how well the buds fended off distractions.

I also used them on a run to see how well they coped with wind and speedy (ish) movement. It was a good test of the Transparency mode in particular so I didn’t have to worry about missing hearing a bike ride past me.

At home, I used the CMF By Nothing Buds to watch Twitch videos and content on YouTube. That went well with my podcast listening to check out how clear voices sounded on them.

For music, I predominantly listened to Apple Music and Spotify. The iPhone 14 Pro was driving most of that with a MacBook Pro entertaining me with videos. My taste is fairly varied so there was a lot of spoken word content but also Linkin Park, David Bowie, Foo Fighters, and David Guetta.

I’ve reviewed audio products for over 10 years. I might usually use pricier earbuds as my main option but I regularly use cheaper earphones and headphones for work and so I can keep up with the biggest work-related question I’m asked by friends -- ‘do you know of any good cheap earbuds?’.

First reviewed in March 2024
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Jabra Elite 10 review: Dolby Atmos sound in first class comfort

5:24 pm | April 13, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: ANC, Apple Music, Dolby Atmos, Jabra Elite | Comments: Off

Jabra Elite 10: One-minute review

The Jabra Elite 10 is the Danish brand’s flagship premium wireless earbuds. They're its most expensive pair of headphones to date, borrowing smarts from the company's headset and hearing aid businesses to help it deliver incredibly clear call quality and effective Active Noise Cancellation.

As its most advanced pair of buds yet, the Elite 10s pack in a lot of premium features, like Dolby Atmos with head tracking and multipoint pairing, in a unique new oval design that sits on the outside of your ears, making them incredibly comfortable – even when wearing them for long periods.

But being a premium pair of buds means that the Elite 10 has a lot of competition among the best wireless earbuds. When compared to rivals like Sony's, Bose's or Apple's top earbud offerings, it falls short of being the absolute best for sound quality. That said, it's priced slightly less than its closest competitors so if you want comfortable spatial audio while on the go and are not bothered by best-in-class ANC and hi-res audio quality, the Elite 10 could be a great alternative.

Jabra Elite 10 review: Price and release date

A hand holding the Jabra Elite 10 — (Image credit: Future)

Announced on August 31, 2023
Became available to buy in September 2023
Priced at $249 / £229 / AU$379

Jabra first announced the Elite 10 back in August 2023 alongside a more fitness-focused model called the Jabra Elite 8 Active, which sells for $199 / £199 / AU$329. As its flagship earbuds, the Elite 10 costs more than its sporty offering at $249 in the US, £229 in the UK and AU$379 in Australia. This means it's also more expensive than its predecessor’s, the Elite 7 Pro, launch price of $199 / £199 / AU$299.

The jump in cost means the Elite 10s are going head-to-head with the biggest players, but they undercut the competition in the premium market on price. They’re less than both Sony’s WF-1000XM5 ($299 / £259 / AU$499) and the Technics EAH-AZ80 ($299 / £259 / AU$499) that launched at the end of 2023. And they are squarely in line with two premium releases from 2022: Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2, which cost $249 / £229 / AU$399 and $199 / £199 / AU$299, respectively, at the time of writing.

Jabra Elite 10 review: Specs

A pair of headphones on a table next to a DAP — (Image credit: Future)

Jabra Elite 10 review: Features

Three iPhone screenshots of the Jabra Sound+ app — (Image credit: Future)

Immersive Dolby Atmos with head tracking
ANC is decent but not best-in-class
Crystal clear call quality

Since launching its first pair of wireless earbuds in 2016, the Elite Sport, Jabra has released seven generations of buds, and the Elite 10 is its most advanced yet. It's the step-up from the Elite 7 Pro, which had targeted the lower to mid-range market but still had premium features like ANC, adjustable EQ settings, an IP57 rating and wireless charging. The Elite 10 builds upon all of its predecessor's features, and Jabra has a few more tricks up its sleeve to make sure it can hold its own among the market’s premium offerings.

The newest feature to be included in the buds is also a first for Jabra earbuds: support for Dolby Atmos with head tracking. This makes the buds have a wider soundstage when turned on and listening to Atmos content that's like hearing each instrument in a track as if they’re placed all around you. When head tracking is turned on, this virtual soundstage moves with you but I found this to have a slight delay when you readjusted your head to a new position. I found it worked better when watching a show or movie rather than listening to music. Conveniently, you can toggle both spatial audio and head tracking on and off in the Jabra Sound+ app as well as adjust the HearThrough mode, Advanced ANC, EQ settings and more.

Outside of the app, you can also control the Jabra Elite 10 by pressing the buttons on the buds themselves. Pressing the surface of the left bud will rotate through HearThrough and ANC, while pressing the right can pause and play a song (you can switch to different variations of this in the app). Tapping the right bud twice skips tracks, while holding down either button increases (right) and decreases (left) the volume. Holding down both at the same time also activates pairing mode.

As for other features, there's also in-ear detection, automatic muting settings, Bluetooth Multipoint pairing for listening to two devices at the same time, voice assistant support that lets you control your buds with voice commands and FindMy for when you've misplaced them. And while the Elite 10's six hours of battery life (21 hours with the case) does outlast Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, it's beat by Sony's WF-1000XM5s.

One of the biggest standout features for me is the Elite 10's exceptionally clear call quality, especially while out and about, and that’s down to the six mics inside them. Jabra says that the external mics are active all the time, while the internal mics activate when wind is detected. The extra mics make the Elite 10’s call quality far better than the AirPods Pro 2, which only has two mics. Jabra’s Advanced ANC is also on by default during calls to help cancel out unwanted background noises, which is a feature that was improved on in a March 26 software update (Jabra claims that the update helps cancel background noises twice as easily). There's also an adjustable sidetone setting so you can hear your voice more, which is not something we see a lot of.

Just like Apple’s Adaptive Noise Control, Jabra’s Advanced ANC uses scanning tech and noise leakage detection to automatically adjust the ANC to your surroundings. It’s the brand’s most advanced ANC mode, and is claimed to deliver two times more noise cancellation than its standard ANC. And it does work, cancelling out the screeching banshees along the Northern Line of the London Underground. However, compared to the Sony WF-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, it doesn't quite match up.

Features score: 4 / 5

Jabra Elite 10 review: Sound quality

The Jabra Elite 10 buds outside their case — (Image credit: Future)

A balanced listen, with some minor adjustments
No hi-res support (only AAC and SBC)
Immersive Dolby Atmos tracks

There’s a strong confidence to the Jabra Elite 10’s sound performance. If I were to summarize it in one word, I’d say it was effectively balanced. From the trebles to the mid-range and through to bass, the sound is tonally steady when streaming via Apple Music on a FiiO M11S (keep in mind there's only support for AAC and SBC).

But when listening with a keener ear to a more bass-heavy track like Black Eye by Allie X, there was a lack of oomph that I'm used to hearing. This was easily improved upon by adjusting the EQ settings but for an out of box listen, the Elite 10 wasn't completely ready to go. I found this again when testing the bud's treble. Again, tracks like Rains Again by Solji benefited from a slight EQ adjustment to really come alive for me personally.

As a whole, I'd say the earbud's audio quality is still generally great, it's just not exceptional, especially when compared to the likes of the AirPods Pro 2, which offers a more dynamic listen. Even with smaller drivers, the Sony WF-1000XM5 can deliver an "agile, meaty and fun listen" that's packed with enthusiasm. If you're an audiophile looking for flawless hi-res sound quality, I'd recommend looking to its rivals for a more detailed listen.

Sound quality score: 3.5 / 5

Jabra Elite 10 review: Design

Proprietary ‘ComfortFit’ technology
Ergonomic, uniquely designed earpieces

Jabra found during the research and development of its latest earbuds range – the Elite 10 and Elite 8 Active – that comfort was the most valued feature by most people. A survey conducted by the company saw 47% of participants valued comfort over all else, with sound quality and battery life coming next. For this reason, Jabra has developed what it calls ‘ComfortFit’ technology, which is a new type of unique oval-shaped design.

Jabra calls it "EarGels" and the best way I can describe the semi-open fit is that instead of sitting completely inside your ear canals – like the in-ear monitors in our best wired headphones guide – the buds sit in the outside of your ear, snugged up inside the middle part of your ear. Jabra says it scanned 62,000 ears to get the unique shape and the results are effective, as they're some of the comfiest earbuds I've worn to date (the silicon is softer than the plastic used in the AirPods Pro 2).

The design of the buds' earpieces is similar to that of the Sony WF-1000XM5, which we’ve found to fit most people – and the same is true for the Elite 10s. The only time I briefly had trouble with the fit was while out, when I could feel them coming loose from walking around and moving my head, but a quick readjust made them feel secure again.

Aside from the unique oval shaped buds, the Elite 10s have a simple design that you can personalize by choosing from one of five different colors, including cocoa, cream, black, matte black and titanium black. The case is slightly bulkier than the likes of the AirPods Pro 2 but this is quickly outweighed by the softer materials used for the buds. The Elite 10s also don't have poky stems that dig into the bottom of your ear, making them a lot more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time.

Design score: 5 / 5

Jabra Elite 10 review: Value

Cheaper than premium rivals
ANC and sound quality can be beaten

There are trade-offs when it comes to earbuds. If you want ANC, don't expect flawless sound quality. If you want a portable earbud design, then they're not going to be as comfortable as a pair of over-ear headphones. And so it goes without the Elite 10.

The ANC is by no means the best in the business (instead we’d recommend looking at the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds) but the comfort is the best I’ve experienced in a while and the call quality was far better than the AirPods Pro 2 I tested them against. The sound performance is also not going to beat the Technics EAH-AZ80 but if you value other features like spatial audio and a good control app more highly, the Jabra Elite 10 offers a great middle ground.

Value score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Jabra Elite 10?

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if...

Jabra Elite 10 review: Also consider

How I tested the Jabra Elite 10

The Jabra Elite 10s on a Mac next to an iPhone and DAP — (Image credit: Future)

Tested for more than two weeks and compared to AirPods Pro 2
Streamed music from Apple Music, Spotify and Deezer
iPhone 13, MacBook Pro and FiiO M11S as source players

I tested the Jabra Elite 10s for more than two weeks, during which time I alternated between connecting them to my phone, laptop and a digital audio player. I used them mostly at home to listen to music, make phone calls and watch the odd show, but also took them out with me while commuting to test the ANC.

To test the sound quality, I listened to a playlist that we test earbuds with at TechRadar. I did this with both the ANC on and off. In addition to music, I also listened to podcasts and watched a YouTube video to see how the audio quality compared between sources.

To keep my overall judgement of the earbuds fair, I also conducted a blind listening test, comparing them to the AirPods Pro 2 while streaming music via two iPhones on Apple Music and Spotify simultaneously.

First reviewed in March 2024
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Jabra Elite 10 review: Dolby Atmos sound in first class comfort

5:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: ANC, Apple Music, Dolby Atmos, Jabra Elite | Comments: Off

Jabra Elite 10: Two-minute review

Jabra Elite 10 review: Price and release date

Announced on August 31, 2023
Became available to buy in September 2023
Priced at $249 / £229 / AU$379

Jabra Elite 10 review: Specs

Jabra Elite 10 review: Features

Immersive Dolby Atmos with head tracking
ANC is decent but not best-in-class
Crystal clear call quality

Features score: 4 / 5

Jabra Elite 10 review: Sound quality

A balanced listen, with some minor adjustments
No hi-res support (only AAC and SBC)
Immersive Dolby Atmos tracks

Sound quality score: 3.5 / 5

Jabra Elite 10 review: Design

Proprietary ‘ComfortFit’ technology
Ergonomic, uniquely designed earpieces

Design score: 5 / 5

Jabra Elite 10 review: Value

Cheaper than premium rivals
ANC and sound quality can be beaten

Value score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Jabra Elite 10?

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if...

Jabra Elite 10 review: Also consider

How I tested the Jabra Elite 10

Tested for more than two weeks and compared to AirPods Pro 2
Streamed music from Apple Music, Spotify and Deezer
iPhone 13, MacBook Pro and FiiO M11S as source players

First reviewed in March 2024
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JLab Epic Lab Edition review:

12:00 pm | March 23, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: ANC | Comments: Off

JLab Epic Lab Edition: Three-minute review

The JLab Epic Lab Edition isn't the cheapest of earbuds and when you pay a premium price for some headphones, you expect a base level of music quality – but it manages to buck that expectation. JLab charges you a princely sum for these top-end headphones, but I’ve heard better audio quality on cheap buds that cost a quarter of the price.

JLab’s earbud range almost entirely falls within the ‘best budget wireless earbuds’ bracket, with our ranking of the best earbuds flagging some of its offerings as worthy low-cost alternatives to premium options. Of its current selection, the Epic Lab Edition costs twice as much as its nearest siblings, the JLab Epic Air. If you didn’t tell me the price, though, I’d believe that the Epic Lab Edition was just another member of this busy market bracket, and it’s startling that JLab would sell these for more than the Apple AirPods.

The main problem with the Epic Lab Edition is the sound quality – something you’d hope expensive earbuds would crack. Sound has more peaks than a platter of meringues, with vocals, drums, guitars, all getting lost in a tinny buzzy haze that’ll have you wondering if you’re listening to a B-side or just a swarm of angry bees.

By default, the bass totally overpowers the mid and treble too. You’ll have to jump into the JLab app’s equalizer to try and regain some semblance of balance, though many of its presents are somehow even more off-kilter. Thankfully, a custom option exists.

The JLab Epic Lab Edition case, open, with the buds inside. — The JLab Epic Lab Edition don't look as premium as their price suggests. (Image credit: Future)

The buds fumble with their noise control modes, which fall under ‘Noise Cancelling’ or ‘Be Aware’ (or 'off'), with the latter intended as an ambient noise awareness mode. You won’t need it, though, because the noise cancellation is so light-touch that you’ll be all-too-aware of surrounding sounds anyway. With this in mind, you might be querying our three-star verdict. That's because JLab really picks up the ball in its design and features department.

The buds are nice and lightweight, despite packing a meaty battery life, and they feel comfortable when worn as a result. The case isn't too big either, despite the fact it holds an extra USB-C dongle for quick and temporary connectivity to new devices. This is a really handy tool in theory, though in practice I found that it didn't work all the time.

The JLab app is one of the more useful I've tried as it lets you get a lot more out of your buds, like letting you switch between modes for streaming music or videos, custom EQ or volume limiters to protect your hearing.

These useful features mean that this JLab Epic Lab Edition review can't be wholly negative, but they're still only appropriate for people who don't mind spending $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$249.99 on buds solely for the feature set.

JLab Epic Lab Edition review: Price and release date

The JLab Epic Lab Edition earbuds. — JLab says the Epic Lab Edition are its "most premium true wireless” earbuds. (Image credit: Future)

Went on sale November 2023
Premium price of $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$249.99

You can pick up the JLab Epic Lab Edition for $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$249.99, so these are distinctively premium earbuds from a brand that usually stays away from this market segment. The JLab Epic Air, some of its other ‘premium’ buds, are only half that cost.

At that price, these cost even more than Apple AirPods, which go for $179 / £169 / AU$279. However most of the best earbuds overall do outprice the JLabs with the Sony WF-1000XM4, Apple AirPods Pro and Technics EAH-AZ80 all launching for more than $200 / £200 / AU$250.

The buds were announced in November 2023 and went on sale straight away.

JLab Epic Lab Edition review: Specs

JLab Epic Lab Edition review: Features

The JLab Epic Lab Edition's USB-C dongle. — A USB-C dongle allows you to access Bluetooth LE Audio but only on compatible devices. (Image credit: Future)

Total battery life of up to 56 hours, though lower with ANC
App offers lots of extra features
USB-C connectivity dongle is great in theory, iffy in practice

The JLab Epic Lab Edition has, to its credit, a feature set that’s pretty decent for its price.

The battery life of the buds clocks in at 13 hours (or 9 hours with ANC turned on), and when you factor in the charging case, that total life span rockets up to a whopping 56 hours (or 36 with ANC on). That’s a fantastic amount of power, which means you’ll barely need to power up the device.

When you do power it up, the JLab benefits from dual charging: you can power it up using a USB-C cable or wirelessly on a charging pad (though you can’t use both at the same time). It takes two hours to charge the case from full to empty, and that’s also how long it takes to power up the buds when they’re in the case. JLab estimates that 10 minutes of charging will give you an hour and 45 minutes of listening time.

The buds can use Bluetooth Multipoint, which basically lets them connect to multiple oft-used devices and automatically pair with whichever you’re using. This worked well in testing, with the Epic Lab jumping between the various phones I’d paired it with as soon as I unlocked them.

You can pair the JLabs to your phone without needing to use any kind of app, but if you want you can download the JLab app to get some extra tools. This includes the ability to tweak the noise cancellation (off, standard and Be Aware), an optional volume limit to protect your hearing, an equalizer with some presets and also a custom control mode, and a few other small tools.

The app is a handy way to get the most out of the earbuds and also to keep tabs on their battery power. When you’re listening to music, the app displays the remaining power of each bud and the case, though on my phone this was bugged and cut off half-way through, over the actual battery percentages.

The JLab Epic Lab Edition has one extra neat feature that’d easily score it an extra star in this review… if it worked properly. Included in the case is a little USB-C dongle and, if you plug this into another device, it’ll override the buds’ Bluetooth connection to instead pair to this new device, thereby saving you having to go through the entire pairing process for a device you’ll only use temporarily.

This sounds really handy, but in practice, it didn’t always work. When I plugged the dongle into my custom-build PC it just didn’t register them, and when I plugged the dongle into my iPad Pro, I could listen to music, but it’d repeatedly drop individual earbuds before re-pairing them several seconds later – not a great listening experience.

Features score: 4 / 5

JLab Epic Lab Edition review: Design

The JLab Epic Lab Edition's in-box extra bud tips. — Out of the six ear tips provided in the box, three are foam and three are silicone. (Image credit: Future)

Lightweight and comfortable buds
Touch controls work well
IP55 rating and six pairs of in-box tips

The JLab Epic Lab Edition don’t exactly re-invent the wheel when it comes to wireless earbud design: they consist of two small earbuds and a charging case (and the aforementioned dongle which is housed in the buds).

The case weighs in at 63.5g (when the dongle and buds are removed), with dimensions of 6.9 x 2.7 x 4.1 cm – it’s pretty much average size for an earbud charging case, with the dongle not adding that much heft.

On the front are three LED lights, a simple but effective indicator of how much charge is left in the case. The rear has a USB-C port for charging, as described already. One small but handy design feature is that the underside of the case has a rubbery layer, unlike the metal of the rest of the body, and this small amount of added traction means the case stays still on tables and uneven surfaces instead of wobbling about.

The buds themselves measure 2.3 x 2.7 x 1.9 cm and measure 5.35g each – very lightweight as far as buds go. The main discerning feature of the buds is a large JLab logo on each, which doubles as the button for touch controls – these were responsive to the touch and easy to use. So is the wear detection, which was incredibly quick to recognize when I’d removed the buds or replaced them in my ear.

In the box you get six total sets of earbud tips, three of foam and three silicone, which I found handy as the default tips caused the buds to keep falling out. You also get a USB-C to USB-C charging cable.

The buds have an IP55 rating which means they’re protected form dust and also against jets of water (like rain) but they won’t survive submersion in water. Some earbud tips struggle to stick in your ear in rainy conditions though, so keep them dry.

Design score: 3.5 / 5

JLab Epic Lab Edition review: Sound quality

The JLab Epic Lab Edition earbuds in an ear. — (Image credit: Future)

Oft-distorted audio
Very limited sound stage
Noise cancellation doesn't do much

I was disappointed by the JLab Epic Lab Edition’s sound quality, which should be no surprise if you read the first 500 words of this review. JLab touts features like hi-res audio, "hybrid dual drivers", spatial audio and an LDAC, but at the end of the day, they still don’t sound great.

The main issue is that music sounds tinny, owing to how distorted sounds could be on a regular basis. In certain songs, drum tracks sounded like they were drilling into my head, and rhythm guitars and vocal lines could have the same effect too.

Music also suffered from a lack of sound stage, with mid, treble and bass all blended into one mush of noise. Bass also overwhelmed other sounds, even in non-bassy songs; while treble could occasionally hold its own, mid parts were often completely lost in the mix. Rock music became 60% bass guitar, 30% vocals and 10% ‘everything else’.

I tested the EQ function of the JLab app but the other presets somehow emphasized the bass even more, making the custom mode the only way I could try to balance the music. It’s hard to recommend earbuds if you need to turn sound engineer to make them sound good.

Another problem is the ANC, or ambient noise cancellation. When switched on, it doesn’t ‘cancel’ sound, as much as put it through a filter to make it sound as tinny as the music. You can still hear background audio, it just sounds even more annoying than usual.

Sound quality: 2 / 5

Should I buy the JLab Epic Lab Edition?

The JLab Epic Lab Edition's case from the rear. — (Image credit: Future)

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

JLab Epic Lab Edition review: Also consider

How I tested the JLab Epic Lab Edition

A JLab Epic Lab Edition earbud — (Image credit: Future)

Tested for 10 days
Tested at home, in the office and on walks

I tested the JLab Epic Lab Edition for a week and a half to write this review, which doesn't include testing done during the writing process of the review.

The majority of the testing was done with the earbuds connected to my Xiaomi Mi Note 10 smartphone, as well as an Vivo X100 Pro which I was testing concurrently. To trial the connectivity dongle I plugged it into my PC, an iPad Pro and a Windows laptop, but the majority of the bud testing was not done with the dongle.

I've been testing tech gadgets for TechRadar for over five years now, for various sections of the site. This is currently done on a freelance basis however I spent several years as part of the full team.

First reviewed in March 2024

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Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review: sound reigns supreme for these excellent wireless earbuds

2:01 am | March 1, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: ANC | Comments: Off

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review: Two minute review

Sennheiser continues its Momentum True Wireless series with its latest incarnation, the Momentum True Wireless 4 (TW4). At its $299 / £259 / AU$479 price, the Momentum True Wireless 4 faces a lot of competition but brings a lot to the table to put up against some of the best noise-canceling earbuds on the market.

Features are one of the Momentum TW4's strong showings, with future-proof Bluetooth support including the latest Bluetooth 5.4 version, aptX Lossless, LE audio and Auracast. Its battery life is long-lasting, with up to 30 hours total playtime, and there are ways to prolong and save power for times without chargers available. These features place it amongst the best earbuds around.

The Momentum TW4’s call quality is good, with mics handling tougher weather conditions well. There were no options to tailor ANC or transparency to calls during my test, such as the Sidetone feature on Sennheiser’s Momentum 4 Wireless headphones, but they will be coming in a future firmware update.

The Sennheiser Smart Control app is a functional companion to the Momentum TW4 that offers plenty of customization options and features, but can sometimes be a little confusing to navigate and doesn’t beat Sony’s Control App.

Sound quality is where the Momentum TW4 shines. Its neutral profile may not excite people who like the bass of the Sony WF-1000XM5 or the trebles of the Technics EAH-AZ80, though the Momentum TW4 will nonetheless reproduce any genre thrown at it beautifully - no instrument goes unnoticed or is left behind.

ANC on the Momentum TW4 is effective. Busy streets and office environments are drowned out when you have music pumping, though the Adaptive Noise Canceling feature can be a little hit-and-miss. With music off or at a low volume, the Momentum TW4 does a good job of muffling, but not totally wiping out, external noise, so if ANC is your top priority, you’ll instead want to look at the Bose QuietComfort II.

The Momentum TW4’s design is copied from the previous Momentum True Wireless 3, with the finish here taking on a more appealing metallic sheen. The buds may be bulky for some, but with different fitting options and a Fit Test in the app to help, the Momentum TW4 buds nonetheless felt comfortable enough during long periods of use. Customizable, intuitive touch controls and a stylish and practical charging case round out a good overall design.

In a competitive, even cluttered market, the Sennheiser Momentum TW4 is a great deal and what it does, it does well. I did have gripes about call control and the Smart Control app, and the sound may not be to everyone’s taste, but the Momentum TW4 gives the best wireless earbuds a serious challenge.

sennheiser momentum true wireless 4 earbuds on white desk — The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 (pictured) are in a fiercely competitive price bracket, but still do an excellent job of standing out. (Image credit: Future)

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review: Price & release date

$299.95 / £259.95 / AU$479.95
Released March 2024

The Momentum TW4 costs slightly more than its predecessor, Momentum True Wireless 3, which was released at $249 / £219 / AU$399 Even so, the Momentum TW4 is priced in the same region as many of its competitors (of which there are many) at $299.95 / £259.95 / AU$479.95.

The Momentum TW4’s closest rivals include the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, which launched at $299 / £279 / AU$429, the Technics EAH-AZ80 ($299 / £259 / AU$499), the Sony WF-XM1005 ($299.99 / £259 / AU$499) and the Airpods Pro 2 ($249 / £249 / AU$399). While those prices are all very similar, the other buds have seen major discounts, which puts the new Momentum TW4 on the backfoot. But, based purely on features and sound, the Momentum TW4 is released at the right price.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review: Specs

Sennhesier smart control app side by side — The Sennheiser Smart Control app (pictured) is functional and offers customization options for sound and more. (Image credit: Future)

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review: Features

Extensive Bluetooth support
Solid battery life
Functional Smart Control app

Sennheiser clearly wanted to future-proof the Momentum TW4. It’s equipped with Snapdragon sound built on Qualcomm’s S5 Sound Gen 2 platform, which will stream not only at 16-bit/44kHz but also 24-bit/48kHz pending a future firmware update, and is compatible with LE audio and Auracast, (both also coming in a future update).

Bluetooth support is stacked, with the latest Bluetooth 5.4 version, aptX Lossless, LC3, and other usual Bluetooth suspects. But unlike with the Sony WF-XM1005, there is no support for spatial audio.

Call quality gives a strong showing on the Momentum TW4. There are 6 mics in total, the same as the Momentum TW3, but also a new feature that Sennheiser calls “AI improved voice pickup and call virtualization”. While on a call with the Momentum TW4, I was told I was coming through loud and clear, even on a wet and blustery day.

I wanted to be able to control what the call sounded like at my end, as ANC was set to maximum. Although this was effective, it was also a little off-putting as I couldn’t hear traffic and my busy surroundings. I’ve been told that customizable features such as transparency will soon be added in an update, but it would’ve been nice to have this feature available as I found the quality of the caller’s voice a bit lacking.

The battery life of the Momentum TW4 is touted as 7.5 hours of charge in the earbuds with up to 30 hours total playtime including the case. Generally, this was accurate. Even when playing with ‘Lossless’ Audio Resolution, the battery life was impressive, and when I combined this with ANC at full I only lost 30% charge over roughly 2.5 hours of playtime.

Wireless charging is also available, though it takes longer than the standard USB-C charging, which does offer up to an hour of playback off a quick 8-minute charge if you’re in a hurry. That’s not quite Sony XM5 level (which is a staggering 3 minutes) but it’s still decent. There’s also a Battery Protection Mode option within the Smart Control app aimed at prolonging battery life by slowing charging and never charging to 100%.

Sennheiser Smart Control may not be the most exciting app, but it’s functional. There’s plenty of customization via a 5-band EQ and sound personalization option, a Fit Test to get your buds sitting right, and customizable Touch Controls. I sometimes found its responses to be a bit laggy or unclear (adjusting transparency while listening to music had no obvious effect) but the app generally serves its purpose.

There’s also a Smart Pause option that pauses music when it detects an earbud has been removed which was generally effective, especially at restarting when you put the earbud back in. If that’s a feature you’re bothered about, you can also turn it off in the app.

Features score: 4.5 / 5

sennheiser momentum true wireless 4 with buds and case on display — The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 (pictured) has outstanding sound quality. (Image credit: Future)

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review: Sound quality

Balanced, wide soundstage
Extensive sound customization options in app
ANC is effective, but can be beaten

The Sennheiser Momentum TW4’s sound quality is superb. A balanced and neutral profile means no aspect of the sound is overwhelming, and no instrument goes missing. For some looking for serious bass or enhanced trebles that may not be the best news, but there’s still much to like about the Momentum TW4’s sound.

Whether listening with lossy Spotify or the superior lossless quality Tidal, the Momentum TW4 sounded great. Naturally, Tidal gets the most out of these buds, and it’s worth using to get that little more out of them.

Streaming Confidence Man’s ‘Holiday’, a big and bold dance-pop number, the Momentum TW4 showcased its weighty bass and euphoric synths, which soared without drowning out the vocals, and the wide soundstage enabled every aspect of the song to sing.

Moving on to Dir En Grey’s ‘Rinkaku’, a powerful, driving metal song, the crushing guitars and thunderous drums plowed through the track, and lead singer Kyo’s falsetto vocals also pushed through, with the Momentum TW4 enabling every instrument to breathe.

Listening to A Tribe Called Quest’s ‘Award Tour’, a chill hip-hop classic, the bass wasn’t as powerful as I’d like, but it was tightly controlled and refined. Once again, the Momentum TW4’s balance showed itself, with the vocals, twinkling keyboards, and bass and drums all combining beautifully.

These were just some highlights. Most genres were brilliantly handled by the Momentum TW4, whether it be the sweeping strings of various Final Fantasy soundtracks, the shimmering acoustic guitar stylings of Cat Stevens or the chaotic jazz opening ‘Tank’ of anime Cowboy Bebop! (which features a particularly sharp saxophone solo).

One thing seems apparent - these earbuds were designed with ANC in mind, as I found music to sound better the higher the ANC level. When transparency was set to 'High', I did find the music lost some of its punch compared to the Low transparency setting, but the quality was still there.

Speaking of Active Noise Canceling (ANC), the Momentum TW4 is effective, offering several ANC options through the Sennheiser Smart Control app. The Transparency is adjusted from Low (higher ANC levels) to High (lower ANC levels) via a slider. In a busy office with ANC on maximum, nearby voices were muffled but audible with no music playing. With music on, however, I found it difficult to hear the sound of my keyboard while working.

The Adaptive Noise Canceling feature, which dynamically adapts ANC to the world around you, was also effective on my walk through busy streets to my office, though it was not mind-blowing. ANC on the Momentum TW4 is very good, though Sennheiser won't dethrone the Bose QuietComfort Buds II anytime soon.

One thing worth noting is there is no way to turn noise canceling completely off, but merely to a low transparency level. I didn’t find this to be much of an issue, but it is something worth bearing in mind.

Sound customization options are available within the Smart Control app, including a 5-band EQ and a Sound Personalization option that compiles your ideal sound profile by going through an A/B test with sliders. I found the out-of-the-box sound (after a couple of days run-in) to be perfectly fine, but it was also nice to have these features. When I experimented with Sound Personalization to get my EQ profile, it was surprising how different the sound was.

While the Sony WF-1000XM5 may offer bass and the Technics EAH-AZ80 more treble, the Momentum TW4’s sound profile sits nicely in the middle in a way that suits my listening style. So if you want a more neutral sound, you will also like the Momentum TW4.

Sound quality score: 4.5/5

sennheiser momentum true wireless 4 case — The case of the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 (pictured) has a premium feel with its felt material. (Image credit: Future)

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review: Design

Customizable touch controls
Comfortable with plenty of fit options
Practical, if uninspiring design

The Momentum TW4 is almost identical to the earlier Momentum TW3, keeping the same shape and arm design. As for colors, Sennheiser offers three options: Black Graphite (the option I tested), White Silver and Black Copper. The metallic sheen is an improvement over last year’s design but still feels a little plain. That copper color is certainly tempting, however…

In terms of fit, the Momentum TW4s sit within the ear canal. There are 4 bud sizes (XS, S, M, L) and 3 ear fin sizes (S, M, L) in the box, and I found the M size of both the bud and fin (which were the already fitted size) to suit me fine. After several hours of continuous use, the Momentum TW4 buds were still comfortable enough to keep wearing.

To aid with fitting, a Fit Test within the Smart Control app uses different music clips at various volume levels to establish optimum fit, which I found helpful. This is not a unique feature to Sennheiser (many rivals have it), but it is worth checking out.

I found touch controls on the Momentum TW4 responsive, with the left earbud controlling transparency and ANC and the right controlling playback. These controls are customizable within the app, so if you use one function more than others, you can make it a one-tap option. You can also, of course, turn the touch controls off altogether if you wish.

The Momentum TW4’s overall build quality is solid and weighty, although some may find its bulkier 6.2g weight and larger size cumbersome compared to the Sony WF-1000XM5, which weighs in at 4.2g.

The charging case that comes with the Momentum TW4 is a particular highlight, with a similar weighty, solid design as the earbuds. It may not suit everyone, but the felt material does give it a more premium and comfortable feel.

Design score: 4 / 5

sennheiser momentum true wireless 4 buds in person's hand — The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 buds (pictured) have a weighty but solid design. (Image credit: Future)

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review: Value

Feature-packed for the money
Premium feel
Extremely competitive area

The Sennheiser Momentum TW4 is packed with future-proof features, including LE audio and Auracast compatibility, and offers great sound quality. But with a retail price of $299 / £259 / AU$479, it has a lot of competition in its price range.

Compared to rivals, the Momentum TW4 is bested in certain areas (Bose QuietComfort II for ANC, Sony WF-1000XM5 for apps and spatial audio), though it does offer a jack-of-all-trades approach that covers every area well. But even at a price currently higher than its rivals, the Momentum TW4 is a good value, just not quite a perfect one.

Value score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review: also consider

sennheiser momentum true wireless 4 with accessories and box — The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 (pictured) with box and charging cable. Other bud and fin fittings come inside the box. (Image credit: Future)

How I tested

Extensive playtime over a week
Tested at home, in office and in public
Pixel 6A used as source player, streaming Spotify, Tidal, Netflix and more

After a 48-hour run-in time, I tested the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 4 with both Spotify and Tidal streamed through my Google Pixel 6A (which supports aptX HD audio), listening to various genres from metal to pop and beyond. I also watched content with streaming sites such as Netflix and BBC iPlayer to test voice quality, and used podcasts to test this as well.

To test battery life, comfort, and noise-canceling, I wore the Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds throughout my working day in the office, and during my commute to and from work through busy streets and often wet and windy conditions. I also listened at home when it was quietest and tested call quality outside in different weather conditions.

Soundpeats Air4 Pro review: Two-minute review

The Soundpeats Air4 Pro are the definition of fine without ever quite being remarkable. Granted, they’re good value for what they offer but they’re not up there with the very best noise cancelling earbuds and there’s nothing about them that make you rush to tell your mates about something cool it does.

Despite that though, the Soundpeats Air4 Pro mostly sound pretty good. Bass is meaty and while there’s no nice technical detail in the mids or trebles, these are the kind of earbuds that are fine for putting in your ears before a walk, run, or workout session. For most people, that will be just fine.

Notice the word fine featuring a lot? It’s the best word for the Soundpeats Air4 Pro. It does have key essentials like wear detection, which works flawlessly, and there’s a control app. The app isn’t the best or easiest to use but it does offer some core functionality like being able to switch between ANC and Transparency mode.

The latter isn’t great but full ANC does a good job of blocking out irritants although occasionally lets some errant sounds in. Still, not bad at all for the price and Multipoint functionality will please many.

Via the charging case, you get up to 26 hours of battery life, which is pretty good going. The 6.5 hours of charge at a time works out as more than good enough for most situations and the USB-C connection recharges quickly.

At $90 / £80, the Soundpeats Air4 Pro are worth considering. They’re not as exciting as the best noise cancelling earbuds but they’re dependable at this price and I can only see them getting cheaper over time.

Soundpeats Air4 Pro review: Price and release date

The Soundpeats Air4 Pro held in a hand — (Image credit: Future)

Released in September 2023
Officially priced at $90 / £80 / AU$94

The Soundpeats Air4 Pro was released in September 2023 for $90 in the US, £80 in the UK and AU$94 in Australia. The earphones are available in the US and UK directly from Soundpeats as well as through third-party retailers like Amazon for those in Australia.

The earbuds are available in white and black, which are functional colors but not exactly exciting. The best budget wireless earbuds world is a packed field, with the Sony WF-C700N being a little more expensive than the Air4 Pro but not prohibitively so. Instead, the EarFun Air Pro 3 are more closely matched in more than just name.

In terms of other close competitors at the Soundpeats Air4 Pro's price range, there’s always the earlier SoundPeats Air 3 Deluxe, which should see some discounts now it’s been overtaken.

Soundpeats Air4 Pro review: Specs

Soundpeats Air4 Pro review: Features

Up to 26 hours of battery life with ANC disabled
Companion app
aptX lossless sound

The Soundpeats Air4 Pro has most of the core essentials you could want from a pair of earbuds. There’s Multipoint connectivity for when you want to connect two devices and switch between them like your laptop and your phone, which is increasingly vital for most people.

Additionally, there’s SBC and aptX lossless sound – although don’t count on any other codecs to be supported here. Granted, as we’ll see shortly, sound quality isn’t exceptional but it’s solidly reliable at this price. Adding to the aural experience, there’s ANC.

ANC is a slightly mixed bag here. With full ANC on enabled, the Soundpeats Air4 Pro block out surrounding sound well whether we’re talking traffic outside or a noisy dehumidifier in the room. However, it’s not quite as crisp as much pricier earbuds so don’t count on it being high-end. It feels almost rough and ready in how it blocks sound leaving you feeling like you can hear the inner workings. It sounds odd but you won’t complain.

Where complaints arise is with Transparency mode. It’s pretty ropey. I tried using Transparency mode while listening to a podcast on a windy day and could barely hear a thing. That’s quite the test for any pair of earbuds but it led to me checking it was even enabled. During quieter moments, Transparency mode switches to a lot of hissing although you can hear someone speak to you easily enough.

Battery life promises about 26 hours of total playtime with 6.5 hours per single charge. That feels about right with the Soundpeats Air4 Pro lasting long enough that you won’t notice any discrepancies with this figure. There’s no wireless charging but at least there’s USB-C charging which is fairly speedy at a couple of hours for a full charge – something that you’ll likely top up rather than go all or nothing with.

Bluetooth 5.3 continues to ensure good things with the Soundpeats Air4 Pro never seeing any dropouts and nice, efficient running times.

There’s also companion app support but it’s pretty ugly. The actual features are just fine with a simple toggle between noise cancellation modes and disabling wear detection, but don’t count on it looking stylish while you do it. Setting up adaptive EQ is a bit of hassle too.

Features score: 4 / 5

Soundpeats Air4 Pro review: Sound quality

Good ANC
Weak Transparency mode
Strong bass

Temper your expectations based on the price and you’ll be delighted by the Soundpeats Air4 Pro’s sound quality compared to the best earbuds that cost many times more.

Bass is the Soundpeats Air4 Pro’s strong point with a fairly smooth punch that was noticeable while I listened to Foo Fighters’ All My Life and Angel by Massive Attack. At louder volumes, things get distorted but I doubt it’s wise for your ears anyhow.

Trebles and mids are weaker so don’t count on these earbuds for anything more technical or with more subtlety, but it’s unlikely you’re buying a pair of earbuds for less than $/£/AU$ 100 to kick back and relax at home with. Instead, these work well for walks, cleaning, running and your general busy lifestyle.

Sound quality: 4 / 5

Soundpeats Air4 Pro review: Design

Straightforward cycle
Chunky case
Touch controls

I’m no fan of the Soundpeats Air4 Pro’s case. Its lightweight plasticky build feels cheap and it awkwardly manages to feel both smooth yet angular in places. More importantly, while it keeps your earbuds safe, said earbuds are at an unusual angle so you’ll never quite grab them as smoothly as you might like.

Sure, these are relatively small things but if you’re pulling the Soundpeats Air4 Pro out multiple times a day, you’ll notice it. The case also has no IP rating but the earbuds themselves are IPX4 so they can handle some sweat.

The fit of the buds are pretty snug. There are different tip sizes included but I found the standard ones out of the box are just fine. Even when running, these won’t fall out which is always good news. They look a lot like AirPods Pro so at a glance, you can look like you’ve bought something pricier.

There are also touch-sensitive areas on the earbuds with the option to increase or decrease volume, as well as adjust playback. It’s incredibly easy to activate these by mistake so head over to the app and disable them for your sanity’s sake.

Design score: 3 / 5

Soundpeats Air4 Pro review: Value

Useful features
About right for the price

The only truly standout part about the Soundpeats Air4 Pro is its sound quality. It’s pretty good for the price and makes up for a temperamental ANC/Transparency combo. Other than that, there’s a cheapness here that reflects the price accurately.

Against the Sony WF-C700N, this feels like dubious value but if you check out the EarFun Air Pro 3, the battle is a little fairer and more balanced.

Value score: 3.5 / 5

Should I buy the Soundpeats Air4 Pro?

The Soundpeats Air4 Pro on top of a table — (Image credit: Future)

Buy it if...

Don’t buy it if...

Soundpeats Air4 Pro review: Also consider

How I tested the Soundpeats Air4 Pro

Tested over 10 days
Compared to Apple AirPods (Pro 2 and 3rd Gen) and Final Audio UX2000
Listened to Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube videos and Twitch

Over the last 10 days, I’ve replaced my usual AirPods Pro 2 with the Soundpeats Air4 Pro. I previously used the AirPods 3rd Gen so I checked those out a few times to more adequately compare the quality of the Soundpeats Air4 Pro.

I used them on my daily morning walks to see how they coped with the noise of the school run and commute. I also used them a few times on runs to see how good the fit was when I moved quickly (at least, quickly for me) and checked out how they handled running alongside a windy coastline. It was all a good test for the Soundpeats Air4 Pro’s ANC and Transparency modes, as well as adaptive EQ.

For the most part, I listened to Apple Music and Spotify. Spotify was the home of all my podcasts while Apple Music was predominantly for listening to music. At home, I’d spend some time checking out YouTube videos of satire and Let’s Play videos before checking out live streams on Twitch. The iPhone 14 Pro provided everything to the Soundpeats Air4 Pro.

As always, my music taste is a bit all over the place. Some Harry Styles, John Legend, Holst’s The Planets, Linkin Park, and Sting all featured at various points here.

I’ve reviewed audio products for over 10 years. While my main drivers are on the pricier end of the scale these days, I regularly use cheap earphones and headphones for work purposes and am seemingly always asked for recommendations in this price range by friends.

First reviewed in February 2024

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Earfun Air 2 review: some of the best budget earbuds around

3:00 pm | February 10, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Comments: Off

Earfun Air 2: Three-minute review

The Earfun Air 2 are a shining example of how you don’t need to spend a lot to get great earbuds. Of course, there was a time when buying budget tech meant settling for low-quality products that lacked features, durability or overall quality, but that’s no longer the case.

With how many affordable headphones it sells, it’s no wonder that Earfun has worked out how to make really cracking earbuds on a budget. These sound better than any other audio product I’ve tested from Earfun, with distinct treble and bass, and more of a soundstage than you’d expect for the price.

The design is fantastic too, with both the buds and the charging case being slender and lightweight. The latter will remain in your ears through thick and thin, and the latter are easy to fit into small pockets.

Feature-wise, there are some basics here like an app EQ system to let you tweak your music a little, but one surprising stand-out is the presence of wireless charging, which you certainly can’t guarantee on products at this price. You won’t need to use it too much, thanks to the impressive battery life of the Air 2, but it’s great that you have the option available.

Some missing or hard-to-use features may put some buyers off the Earfun Air 2, though. One such example is the lack of any noise cancellation – some may consider a feature to remove background noises necessary in earbuds in this day and age, though if you don’t really care about ANC, you won’t mind.

The touch controls are also, in true Earfun fashion, a little hard to use, and quickly into testing the Air 2 I resorted to simply using my smartphone in order to control volume and songs. Again, this isn’t a deal-breaker, but it’s worth pointing out the issue to paint a full picture.

Despite this, these beasts easily win their place on our round-up of the best budget wireless earbuds, costing just $49.99 / £49.99 (roughly AU$75) yet swinging for the fences with impressive audio, a lightweight design and some handy features that let you customize your audio experience. Overall, the Air 2 are another pair of seriously impressive low-budget earbuds from Earfun, and you likely won’t be disappointed by what they offer for the price.

Earfun Air 2 review: Price and release date

Yet to be released
Priced at $49.99 / £49.99 (roughly AU$75)

The Earfun Air 2 are cheap even compared to other products from this company, which specializes in affordable audio. In fact, disregarding discounted products, they’re actually the cheapest earbuds Earfun offers at the time of writing this review.

To buy them at full price, you’ll be paying $49.99 / £49.99 (roughly AU$75), a lovely low cost that makes them some of the cheapest headphones you can buy right now. Most Earfun products hover between $50 and $100, or equivalent.

Earfun’s latest earbuds are some of the most affordable we've seen for a long time, costing less than competitors like the Earfun Free Pro 3, Air Pro 3 and Air S (and many more, but doing so would risk me complaining about how confusingly-named Earfun’s portfolio is!).

That price makes them cheaper than all but one of the entries in our round-up of the best cheap earbuds. That means they're undercut only by 2022’s Jlab Go Air Pop, which launched for $20 / £20 / AU$49.95 and are available for less in sales.

At the time of writing this review, the Earfun Air 2 don’t have a set release date, and you can’t even pre-order them yet, but that’ll hopefully change soon.

Earfun Air 2 review: Specs

Earfun Air 2 review: Features

Total battery life of up to 40 hours
Simple to set up and use
App brings handy, though not necessary, extra features

Earfun offers a few of the basic features you’d expect on wireless earbuds with its Air 2, and then a lovely extra one.

You can use the Earfun Audio app to fiddle with the EQ of your earbuds, which is a handy too for people who know their audio preferences. You can jump between presets, like rock or pop, or create your own custom EQ using a fairly easy-to-use tool.

The app is also used to toggle a gaming mode, which improves latency for audio, but other than retooling the touch controls (more on that later), that’s all the app does. You don’t need to download it to use the Air 2, which is a big plus.

One feature missing that may put off some audio fans is the lack of any kind of noise cancellation, which is perhaps a sign of the buds’ low price. There’s actually noise cancellation tech in the microphones, making a call sound a bit clearer, but not for your music. Another conspicuously absent tool is wear detection, so you’ll have to manually stop your music from playing, instead of relying on any wear detection to turn it off when you remove the buds.

Setting up the Earfun Air 2 was incredibly easy, both on its first use and then every subsequent time I wanted to listen to music – simplicity really is the name of the game here. You can even connect the Air 2 to multiple devices, so you can easily switch between your phone and, say, your PC or tablet.

The stated battery life for the Earfun Air 2 buds are 9 hours of music listening, with the case rounding that up to 40 hours, and testing suggests that these figures are accurate. That’s a really competitive battery life – not all buds offer a full working day of lasting power!

It takes roughly 90 minutes for the earbuds to charge from full to empty when in the case, and the case itself takes a little longer than that when charged using a cable. However Earfun offers something here that’s almost unheard of for budget earbuds: you can power up the case using wireless charging too. So if you like powering up your phone or smartwatch on a powering mat or pad, the Earfun can join them.

Features score: 3/5

Earfun Air 2 review: Design

Svelte charging case
Buds have AirPods-like look
Lightweight and protected

The charging case for the Earfun Air 2 is lovely and petite, weighing just 45g and measuring 62 x 47.5 x 25mm – you can easily slip it into pockets with no issue. It houses a USB-C port for charging the case, a rather well-hidden pairing button, and not a lot else.

The earbuds themselves have an AirPods-esque design with a stalk that dangles down from the buds. Each weighs 4.5g and they fit comfortably in the ear – I never had any fit issues during testing, unlike with certain other Earfun buds I’ve tested. The box contains several different eartip sizes too, so you can change them if you find the buds slipping out.

One of the few design features the Earfuns boast is touch controls, but after having wrangled with this feature, I’d recommend avoiding it. In the Earfun app you can assign functions for single, double, triple and held presses for each individual earbud, but I found that the buds were reticent to acknowledge taps. This was particularly annoying when trying to enable the triple-tap function; the odds of the Air 2 recognizing all three taps is incredibly low!

The Earfun Air 2 have an IPX7 certification. In practice, that means they’re technically protected against immersion of up to a meter for 30 minutes. We wouldn’t recommend testing it, just to be safe, but rest assured they’re safe to wear in rainy conditions.

Design score: 3.5/5

Earfun Air 2 review: Sound quality

Surprisingly good for price
Max volume could be higher

For the price, the Earfun Air 2 are really impressive when it comes to audio fidelity – in fact, they might convince some people who were going to spend more, that you really don’t need to.

The strongest suit of the Air 2 is the treble, as it’s clear and crisp, though some peaking occurs when you’re listening at max volume. You might find yourself hitting max volume frequently too, as it’s not actually that loud, so be warned.

Bass is impressive here too, as it’s all-too-often lost in budget earbuds. You can easily hear basslines and lower instruments against the treble ones, and if there’s any gripes we can level against the buds, it’s that mid audio can be lost in some songs.

Perhaps to thank for the great sound quality is the use of a Sony audio codac that allows for more audio information to be sent from your music-playing device to the buds. The Earfun also support Bluetooth 5.3 for better connection reliability, and the Air 2’s maximum working range is roughly 15 meters as a result.

Sound quality: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Earfun Air 2?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Earfun Air 2 review: Also consider

How I tested the Earfun Air 2

Tested for 10 days
Tested at home, in the office and on walks

The Earfun Air 2 were subjected to 19 days of testing for this review, and by 'testing' I mean 'lots of audio streaming'. This was done in the office, at home and on walks through my neighborhood.

I connected the Air 2 to my Xiaomi Mi Note 10 phone and used it for a variety of tasks including streaming music from Spotify, watching Netflix videos, playing Call of Duty: Mobile and conducting phone calls with my mum.

I've been testing tech gadgets for TechRadar for over five years now; currently, I write freelance for several sections (and have tested other EarFun headphones for the audio section) but previously I worked as a staff writer and section editor for the phones section.

First reviewed in February 2024

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Astell & Kern AK UW100MKII review – lots of promise, squandered

2:30 pm | January 14, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Comments: Off

AK UW100MKII Two-minute review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AK UW100MKII review: Price and release date

The Astell & Kern AK UW100MKII's charging case held in the palm of a hand. — The case isn't the smallest, but we've seen far bigger (Image credit: Future)

Released in October 2023
Officially priced at $280 / £269 (roughly AU$340)

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

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

AK UW100MKII review: Specs

AK UW100MKII review: Features

The Astell & Kern AK UW100MKII's bud, being held up to the camera. — It's a unique design, but it doesn't lend itself to comfort or security (Image credit: Future)

Useful tie-in app
Responsive touch controls
Inaccurate wearer detection feature

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

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

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

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

Screenshots from the Astell & Kern control app. — The Astell & Kern app opens up a lot of features (Image credit: Future)

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

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

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

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

Features score: 3/5

AK UW100MKII review: Design

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

The Astell & Kern AK UW100MKII's two earbuds. — A futuristic aesthetic for sure (Image credit: Future)

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

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

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

The Astell & Kern AK UW100MKII bud in an ear. — They're just a little too big to stay in (Image credit: Future)

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

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

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

Design score: 2.5/5

AK UW100MKII review: Sound quality

The Astell & Kern AK UW100MKII's charging case, with the buds inside. — As a home-only set of earbuds, they may yet work for you (Image credit: Future)

Fantastic audio quality
Customization options
Max volume could be higher

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sound quality: 4.5/5

Should you buy the AK UW100MKII?

The Astell & Kern AK UW100MKII's empty charging case. — A thing of beauty, but sadly not good for the commute (Image credit: Future)

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

AK UW100MKII review: Also consider

How I tested the AK UW100MKII

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

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

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

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

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

First reviewed in January 2024

Montblanc MTB 03 review: divine looking wireless earbuds, marred only by OK ANC

1:00 pm | December 27, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: Sony Xperia | Comments: Off

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

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

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

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

Montblanc MTB 03 earbuds in their case, held in a hand on white background — It's not the smallest case on the market, but it's pocketable (Image credit: Future)

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

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

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

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

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

Montblanc MTB 03 companion app, three screens showing the ANC and Live profiles — The immersive audio and modes are great fun to experiment with, but note that not all can't be used at the same time, in some Modes (Image credit: Future)

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

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

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

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

Montblanc MTB 03 review: Price & release date

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

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

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

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

Montblanc MTB 03 earbud held in a hand — (Image credit: Future)

Montblanc MTB 03 review: Specs

Should you buy the Montblanc MTB 03?

Buy them if...

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

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

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

Don't buy them if...

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

You love multipoint connectivity
No dice here, friend

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

Montblanc MTB 03 on white background, held in a hand — (Image credit: Future)

Montblanc MTB 03 review: Also consider

Montblanc MTB 03 earbuds worn by TechRadar's Becky Scarrott — (Image credit: Future)

How I tested the Montblanc MTB 03

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

First reviewed December 2023
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