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Edifier Stax Spirit S10 review: fantastic-sounding earbuds with a few issues in the feature set

4:00 pm | October 21, 2024

Edifier Stax Spirit S10: Two-minute review

Since I started testing the Edifier Stax Spirit S10, I’ve dropped the words 'planar magnetic' into conversation when describing them a few times. Given the number of blank looks I received at the phrase, I feel it’s important for me to explain it, given that it is the key selling point of these premium earbuds – and they may still enter our best earbuds buying guide as 'best planar magnetic buy' or similar.

A planar magnetic driver is a kind of flat headphone or earbud driver that's fragile, expensive and typically bigger than dynamic (cone-shaped) drivers, but it can offer a wonderfully balanced, detailed sound with less distortion – when done well. Planar earbuds are, as opposed to the homophone, definitely not plainer than dynamic ones.

The vast majority of devices touting planar magnetic drivers are headphones, including Edifier’s Spirit Stax S3 and S5, so the trick the company has pulled with the Stax Spirit S10 is using this tech for a new set of wireless noise-cancelling earbuds.

Cue earbuds lovers asking what audiophiles already know: “Do the Stax Spirit S10 sound good?” The answer is a resounding yes: they sound fantastic for true wireless earbuds, offering better audio than beloved rivals from Apple and Samsung. The dynamic range is wonderful, with pronounced bass and crisp treble, and I found them great for listening to anything from acoustic pop to synthwave and post-rock. The maximum volume could do with being a touch higher, but beyond that, it’s impossible to fault the sound of the Edifiers.

So why don’t the Edifier Stax Spirit S10 deserve a five-star review? Well, it’s hard to give a five-star review to a product with a five-star price like the Edifiers, given how high expectations are when you’re paying more for them than rival AirPods and Galaxy Buds. But that’s not the reason that the Edifier sheds a whole star.

The real reason is that the S10 have a few rough edges in the usability department that many rivals do better. My first gripe was pairing: they literally wouldn’t pair to my phone to begin with (leading me to blow the buds off for another pair I was testing initially, and it was only when I was about to hit ‘send’ on a message to my editor to tell her that the buds weren’t working that they finally decided to get their act together). Of course, this was just my personal experience – I'm unable to promise you'll have the same issues when trying to pair a set to your phone or tablet – but as someone who's tested literally scores of wireless earbuds, it's unusual and note-worthy for buds to simply refuse to pair to my trusted source devices.

All through the testing period, they were slow to connect to my phone, and the odd droppage here and there when I was out and about got in the way of my listening.

Lastly, the S10 are the first of Edifier’s Stax Spirit devices to have Active Noise Cancellation. But you might not be able to tell, because it’s incredibly light-touch. There are various modes to pick from, but even the strongest struggled to filter out moderate chatter in my office, and the adaptive mode was, there’s no other word for it, ‘janky’.

The Edifier Stax Spirit S10 in front of a sunset. — (Image credit: Future)

It’d sometimes change modes when I was sitting still, leading to a noticeable change in my audio despite not affecting the noise levels beyond it too much – and it changes dramatically. I wish there was an antonym for ‘seamless’ in a tech context; whatever it is, that’s how the adaptive noise cancellation sounds.

Edifier also triggers my pet peeve of audio companies: having multiple different pairing apps. I spent half of the testing period with Edifier Connect on my phone, thinking that the Stax Spirit S10 didn’t have an app, and it took me a while to realize that I actually needed to have downloaded EDIFIER Connex. Come on, Edifier!

Audiophiles are probably used to overlooking annoying quality-of-life issues in the quest for perfect sound, and the Stax Spirit S10 will be an enjoyable stepping stone in that journey. A comfortable fit, support for a nice range of codecs and other branded technologies, plus a distinctive look all help me overlook the strange quirks of the buds.

Edifier Stax Spirit S10 review: Price and release date

Announced in September 2024
On sale in the US
Cost $299 (roughly £230, AU$450)

Edifier announced the Stax Spirit S10 in September 2024 and released them shortly afterwards, so they’re available to buy in some regions right now.

In the US, you can buy the Spirit S10 for $299 – that price converts to roughly £230 / AU$450. I can’t find them on sale from trusted retailers in the UK or Australia but Edifier does sell gadgets in both regions, so we could see it roll out the earbuds to those places in the future.

As you can tell from this price, the Edifiers are premium earbuds aimed at discerning buyers. They match in price the Technics EAH-AZ80 which top our list of the best earbuds and cost more than the AirPods Pro 2 and Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro (individually).

Edifier Stax Spirit S10 review: Specs

Edifier Stax Spirit S10 review: Features

5-hour buds battery, 18-hour with case, when ANC is on
Noise cancellation leaves a lot to be desired
Some connection issues

The Edifier Stax Spirit S10 offer all of the features you’d expect in premium headphones… but they don’t all work perfectly.

The battery life is an example. Edifier doesn’t offer a battery estimate for the buds themselves, but says the case will offer 18 hours of playback with ANC on or 28 with it turned off. That’s not a huge number compared to competitors.

In my own testing, the Spirit S10 buds didn’t even last for five hours of playback when ANC was turned on – that’s one of the weakest battery lives I’ve tested in earbuds (it's close to that of the much cheaper AirPods Pro 4 with ANC, with noise-nixing deployed). They got to 4:55:17 until one earbud ran out, and the other was left on 6%. Based on Edifier’s case predictions, I’d estimate that the buds would last for 7 hours of listening if you don’t use ANC.

I didn’t find the battery-sapping ANC that great either; it did a fairly poor job at cancelling background noises. In my office it only succeeded in taking the edge off low-level surrounding chatter or the hum of the microwave, and alongside busy roads and railways it barely made a difference.

There are several different ANC modes: high, medium, ambient sound, wind reduction, adaptive and off. I stuck to high due to the fact that, as I said, it still didn’t feel like much, however I fiddled around with the others too. In adaptive, the modes would change for seemingly no reason, making quite dramatic and sudden shifts from time to time – this was often more than a little distracting.

The ANC is controlled by the tie-in app: EDIFIER Connex, which isn’t Edifier’s only audio app, confusingly. I tried to set it up with Edifier Connect for a while, which isn’t the right app.

Connex lets you play with an equalizer (and two presets), toggle noise cancellation, turn on a high-latency gaming mode, change the function of the on-bud buttons, turn off (or on) wear detection, change your audio codec and do a few other functions which we see in wireless earbuds. There are also a few extras which you don’t: you can change how sensitive the bud buttons are, which I appreciate, and also change the volume of low battery and connectivity prompts.

Something else I need to raise is that I had real connection problems when first setting up the buds – I could pair them once, but after that my phone just couldn’t find the buds, The way I solved the problem (admittedly after a week) was by unpairing the device and re-pairing it several times.

Also, even once the buds worked well, they’d always take a short while to connect to my phone. It wasn’t dramatic, but I’d always have to wait a few seconds before listening to music, wondering if they'd dropped out again. I even accidentally played my playlist out loud a few times, before getting wise to the fact that pairing from the case takes the Stax Spirit S10 a while longer than most earbuds I've tested.

Features score: 3/5

Edifier Stax Spirit S10 review: Design

Clamshell case which holds the buds
Thick stems give a distinctive look
Buds stay in the ear well

The Edifier Stax Spirit S10 come in a ‘clamshell’-style case, which you open up to reveal the buds within. This case weighs 56g, is just a hair bigger than a golf ball, and has a USB-C port for charging. It’s definitely not the smallest headphone case I’ve seen, but it protected its contents well.

The earbuds themselves are fairly distinctive looking due to the width of the stem; you’re not going to confuse these for AirPods any day. The large size doesn’t really add to the ‘bulk’ of the buds, so it’s not an issue – it didn’t affect their ear grip from my experience – and it screams to people “these are serious earbuds for serious audiophiles!”.

For most of my testing period, the Spirit S10 were reliable at sticking in my ears. This was even the case through most of a gym session, until I hit the treadmills, so I wouldn’t recommend them for running with. They also fell out when I was doing certain stretches on mats so, again, these aren’t work-out buds unless you’re doing slower and more upright exercises.

The stems bear touch controls which you can customize in the Edifier app, but you’re meant to ‘pinch’ to trigger the control and I could never work out the right place to squeeze to get a reliable result.

You’re getting IP54-rated protection with both of the buds – this means that they’re mostly protected against solid particles (sand or dust), but can only survive splashes of water. Don’t wear them swimming, then.

Design score: 3.5/5

Edifier Stax Spirit S10 review: Sound quality

Planar magnetic drivers provide fantastic balanced sound
Equalizer gives lots of customization over sound
Max volume could be higher

Any downsides that come from planar magnetic drivers (here 12mm ones) are easily outmatched by the positives: The Edifier Stax Spirit S10 sound really, really fantastic.

I most appreciate the balanced audio you’re getting from the S10. You can hear every line of music as though they’re spread out in Avid Pro before you, and they’re all totally equal, from the lowest rings of the bass guitar to the screechiest soprano; the whisper of the hi-hat and the sniffs of the cold-addled drummer are all even.

Such a balanced mix helps you appreciate the song as it was intended to be listened to, as Edifier isn’t blowing up the bass until it drowns out everything else, or positioning the treble as so dominant that you’d think every song is acapella.

If you like your music a certain way then there is an equalizer in the app (hidden in the ‘Sound effects’ menu) which lets you listen to the default balanced mix, Dynamic (ie bass-heavy), Electrostatic (treble-heavy) or a customized mode with an in-depth equalizer to play around with. However I found the default Original mix so great that I preferred it during testing.

Don’t worry about any distortion here, as another effect of planar magnet drivers is that it’s far less frequent. In fact, I didn’t notice any distortion during testing, however that may be partly because the Stax Spirit S10 don’t go very loud.

At the maximum volume, I found the S10 to put out music at a comfortable listening level… when I was at home in my quiet flat. Out and about, I’d often find myself struggling to make out parts of a song, especially with the lackluster ANC doing the bare minimum to cancel noise. If I had to commute into an office much more than I do, I’d probably opt for alternate earbuds. These aren’t the worst buds I’ve tested for volume issues, with the Nothing Ear still wearing that – crown? – but the Edifier really could do with being a touch louder.

True audiophiles (or technophiles) will appreciate the range of tech standards and codecs that the S10 support. These earbuds connect using Bluetooth 5.4 and support Snapdragon Sound, Google Fast Pair, aptX Audio, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, LHDC, LDAC and Hi-Res Audio Wireless. To use these better-quality protocols, you’ll need a streaming service that offers them (not Spotify), plus a source that can support them in addition to just using the Edifier buds – but if you want the highest resolution a wireless connection can bring, these earbuds will not be a barrier.

Sound quality: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review: Value

High-price earbuds with sound quality to match
Feature set needs to improve for better value

To answer simply on whether the Edifier Stax Spirit S10 offer value for money: of course they don’t. No premium earbuds do, not when great-sounding alternatives exist for under $100/£100/AU$200.

The nature of tech is that you get diminishing returns as you slide up the tower of price, and so the Stax Spirit were never going to offer you competitive value for money, and they’re not designed for shoppers on a budget.

Sure, they sound better than rivals, but they also cost more than these competitors too. Plus the feature set doesn’t work perfectly, and beyond the audio output there are no killer features here worth paying top dollar for. The Edifier Stax Spirit S10 are for audiophiles who have money to spend on their passion, don't care about ANC, and don’t need to get the most efficient value for their money.

Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Edifier Stax Spirit S10?

Buy them if...

Don’t buy them if…

Edifier Stax Spirit S10 review: Also consider

Technics EAH-AZ80
Triple device multi-point connectivity, LDAC support, supreme fit and excellent call-quality are just four reasons to buy these earbuds. The excellent sound is one more – but there's no dust ingress protection and they're just as pricey as the Edifiers, despite a May 2023 release date. See our Technics EAH-AZ80 review for the full scoop

How I tested the Edifier Stax Spirit S10

Tested for 4 weeks
Tested at home, in the office and on walks

The Edifier Stax Spirit S10 enjoyed a prolonged testing period; I used them for roughly a month to write this review, which meant I could really put them through their paces. I used them alongside an Android phone, mostly – so I could benefit from their support for LDAC.

I tested the buds at home, in the office, commuting between the two and on an international holiday; most of my listening was on Tidal or Netflix, but I tried other music and video streaming services as well as calls, podcasts and more.

My tech reviewing history for TechRadar spans more than five years now, including lots of earbuds – and a few pairs of Edifier headphones.

First reviewed in October 2024

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JLab Go Pop ANC review: some of the best ultra-cheap noise cancelling earbuds on the market

6:46 pm | October 15, 2024

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

JLab Go Pop ANC: one-minute review

The JLab Go Pop ANC have all the hallmarks of an instant budget favorite. These wireless earbuds pack in plenty of quality in the audio department, with particularly impressive bass and treble, strong active noise cancellation and a tiny, lightweight design.

By covering these core essentials, it's already hard to believe the JLab Go Pop ANC are only $29.99 / £29.99 / AU$69.99. However, JLab has gone beyond the basics by including companion app compatibility, which lets you fully customize touch controls – a great addition for the amount you expend.

Earbuds in this price range don’t often feature ANC and although you won’t get the near-silence that some of the best wireless earbuds might offer, overall quality here is good. It’s certainly enough to keep conversations muted and loud noises dulled when you’re out in public. Similarly, sound quality – although not mind-blowing due to a relatively narrow soundstage – is still up-to-standard, thanks to energetic bass and treble output.

With a great seven hours worth of battery per bud (with ANC on), high-comfort feel and IP55 waterproof rating, you’re getting more than your money’s worth from the JLab Go Pop 4, so don’t be surprised if they appear in our guide to the best budget wireless earbuds sometime soon.

JLab Go Pop ANC inside charging case being held in someone's hand — (Image credit: Future)

JLab Go Pop ANC review: price and release date

$29.99 / £29.99 / AU$69.99
Launches on October 15 in the US
Expected to launch in Q1 2025 in the UK and Australia

The JLab Go Pop ANC are set to launch on October 15 in the US and although there’s no confirmed release date for the UK and Australia, it seems likely you'll see them on sale sometime in the first quarter of 2025. We’ll keep you updated with full availability info as it comes.

I tested the Black color variant, but if you want to jazz things up a bit, you’ll also be able to grab them in either Fuchsia or Teal. But arguably the main draw of these wireless earbuds is their ultra-low price. They’ll be just $29.99 / £29.99 / AU$69.99 at launch, so you’re going to be hard pressed to find better value ANC buds.

JLab Go Pop ANC review: specs

USB-C cable on JLab Go Pop ANC charging case folded in — (Image credit: Future)

JLab Go Pop ANC review: features

Solid ANC
Companion app compatibility
Customizable touch controls

The JLab Go Pop ANC surprised me in that they offer a fairly personalized user experience.

At the core of this is the JLab app, which offers a handful of tasty options. This includes customizable touch controls for each earbud, allowing you to choose between play/pause, volume controls, skip/previous track, voice assistant and EQ controls. I personally love touch controls, but if you find them irritating, fear not – you can deactivate them entirely in the JLab app.

I touched on EQ options there – and these are very good. There are three presets – JLab Signature (a fairly exciting sound with more of a bass/treble focus), Balanced, and Bass Boost. You can also alter EQ to your personal taste with a Custom option. In a similar vein, there are also Music and Movie modes to choose from, depending on the sort of media you’re consuming.

The main event, though, is ANC. You can adjust the strength of this with an in-app slider or simply switch between Noise Canceling and Be Aware mode – the latter of which lets in more ambient sound. And ANC quality itself is good overall. You’re not going to get the near-silence you'd expect from some of the best noise cancelling earbuds, though. What the Go Pop ANC can do is effectively dull external noise – I was unable to clearly make out conversations when in the office and playing music at medium-high volume. You can’t ask for much better at this price-point.

Finally, you’re getting good battery life out of these buds. They can survive for approximately 24 hours with a fully juiced charging case and you’ll get seven hours out of each earbud with ANC on. When testing this over the course of an entire work-day, I found the seven-hour timeframe to be accurate after listening at medium-high volume.

Features score: 4.5/5

JLab Go Pop ANC inside charging case, against a pink background — (Image credit: Future)

JLab Go Pop ANC review: sound quality

Sparkling treble; impressive bass
Mids not so prominent
Limited tinniness and distortion

For some super-cheap wireless earbuds, the JLab Go Pop ANC fare well in the audio-quality realm. It’s worth noting upfront, you’re not getting great audio here. The soundstage is pretty narrow and details won’t be fully realized. As you’d anticipate, there’s nothing fancy on offer like ‘lossless’ audio codecs, so if you’re an audiophile, it might be worth looking elsewhere (and perhaps spending a little more too).

But for buds like this, none of that matters all that much. For the most part, I used the default JLab Signature EQ setting and found that bass was surprisingly impactful and treble was sharp enough to add some flair to the overall listening experience.

When listening to I Want You by Moloko, instrumental separation was admittedly quite limited, with the complex mix a little constrained. However, the actual punch of the bass was still satisfying, synths had a cutting, prominent edge and there was little-to-no tinniness, even at high volumes.

I also tried tuning into Black Eye by Allie X. The track’s all-action intro was replicated well; the depth of the drum machine came through nicely and the dynamism of the bouncing bass line – which connects up to the lower-mid range – was responsive. I didn’t sense incredible agility or explosiveness when listening to this track, but for some budget wireless earbuds these replicated the intended energy accurately.

If you’re really into podcasts, these earbuds might not be ideal for you, though. Mids can be pushed a little bit towards the background, so vocal-heavy media doesn’t always sound perfectly clear. Of course, you can make EQ adjustments in the JBL app to partially offset this, but these earbuds are really at their best when leaning into their strengths in the lower and higher-end frequencies.

Audio is decent for calls, however. I made a phone call, Messenger video call and Google Meet video call and the quality was decently clear across the board. The only problem here is that higher-pitched sounds have a bit of a hiss, but this is a pretty common issue, even with a lot of the more expensive wireless earbuds out there.

Sound quality score: 3.5/5

JLab Go Pop ANC outside of charging case on a stone surface — (Image credit: Future)

JLab Go Pop ANC review: design

Pleasingly lightweight
Super-small build
Admittedly a tad cheap-looking

Something that I instantly loved about the JLab Go Pop ANC was their ultra-lightweight, compact build. These factors combine to give them a truly minimalistic profile – both in terms of feel and aesthetic. I happily kept these buds in across multiple full work days without any irritation or discomfort.

Looks-wise, I have mixed feelings here. Given their price, I wasn’t expecting beautiful quality, but I still wasn’t won over by the plastic JLab logo etched on the outside of each bud. That is me nitpicking, though. Ultimately, these are a little cheap-looking across the board, from bud to charging case, but they aren’t off-putting by any means.

Another design aspect that could be better is the color options. Don’t get me wrong, the fact there are options at all is a nice touch – but both the purple/maroon Fuchsia and the Teal colors didn’t do it for me. They lack vibrancy, but don’t have a mild, classy look either, floating in an awkward middle ground. The classic Black will be perfectly fine for most, however.

Practically speaking though, these are very well designed. The charging case is tiny, perfect for carrying in your pocket. It also has a USB-C cable that's folded inside the base of the case, which is incredibly handy for charging on-the-go (although if you were hoping for a new USB-C to USB-C cable for general use, you'll be disappointed; this one's permanently attached to its product). The buds themselves are also IP55 rated, meaning they’re both sweat and splashproof – ideal for workouts or if, like me, you live in a rainy English city.

Design score: 4/5

USB-C cable on JLab Go Pop ANC charging case folded out — (Image credit: Future)

JLab Go Pop ANC review: value

Incredibly cheap wireless earbuds
Very impressive sound quality at this level
ANC at this price-point a rarity

OK, spoiler alert, these get full marks in the value department, but honestly, reader, I expect you saw that coming. ANC, app compatibility and solid audio quality all for less than $30 / £30 / AU$70 – that’s truly exceptional.

ANC especially is a massive win for wireless earbuds in this price range. It’s quite unusual to find this feature for so little – not to mention that the actual ANC quality is admirable. In the context of its cost, the sound quality is strong here too. Sure, it’s nothing mind-blowing and audiophiles will likely find a few faults – but their exciting sound signature is still very much enjoyable.

Value score: 5/5

Should I buy the JLab Go Pop ANC?

Buy them if...

You’re on a budget but want ANC
Active noise cancellation at $29.99 / £29.99 / AU$69.99? Go on then. There aren’t too many competitors offering ANC for this little and given the actual quality is good here too, these buds are an absolute steal.

You want some small, lightweight buds
These buds are absolutely tiny – even their case is as diminutive as it gets. On top of that they feel about as heavy as a feather, which combined with their high-comfort fit makes them ideal if you want to lock in for a long listening session.

Don't buy them if...

You’re an audiophile
Right, so as much as the sound quality here is great for the price, it’s still not going to be enough to impress audiophiles. There are no fancy Bluetooth codecs here like LDAC and the soundstage is a tad narrow. As a result, audiophiles, you’ll almost certainly have to splash a bit more cash to get the rich sound quality you crave.

You’re a fashionista first, listener second
For all their perks, I can’t lie, these buds haven’t won me over looks-wise. The plastic JLab logo on the buds isn’t the easiest on the eye and the color options weren’t my thing either. If you want to look a bit more stylish, it may be worth looking at another strong budget option, like the (still) amazing Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW.

JLab Go Pop ANC: Also consider

EarFun Air Pro 3
The EarFun Air Pro 3 are probably the closest competitor to the JLab Go Pop ANC when it comes to pound-for-pound value. With solid ANC and sound quality, Bluetooth LE Audio support and a lightweight design they hit all of the right notes. Their stem-like look might not be for everyone, so weigh up whether that more out-of-the-box appearance is for you before picking them over these brilliant JLab buds. Read our full EarFun Air Pro 3 review.

Sony WF-C700N
Right, these are admittedly a fair step-up over the JLab Go Pop ANC price-wise. However, I’ve seen these go on sale for as little as $98 / £67 on Amazon UK and US respectively – that’s great value. I personally own these buds and you get impressive, customizable sound, plenty of fun features and perfect comfort levels. The ANC here is very competent too, so given that these are budget earbuds, you’re not sacrificing much at all on quality. Read our full Sony WF-C700N review.

JLab Go Pop ANC review: How I tested

Tested over the course of one week
Used in the office, at home and while on walks
Predominantly tested using Spotify on Samsung Galaxy S24 FE

I tested the JLab Go Pop ANC over an intense week-long period, keeping the buds in for the majority of my work days. I used them at the office, while at home and when on walks to grasp the competency of ANC in multiple environments.

Although I predominantly tested these wireless earbuds using Spotify on the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, I did also try using them while using both Tidal and YouTube. When listening to music, I ran through the TechRadar testing playlist, which features tracks from a wide variety of genres but also tuned in to hours worth of bangers from my personal library.

Where appropriate, I compared these to my Sony WF-C700N earbuds on metrics such as comfort, audio quality, ANC capabilities and features.

JLab Go Pop ANC in-ear — (Image credit: Future)

First reviewed: October 2024
Read more about how we test

JBL Tour Pro 3 earbuds review: ‘feature-packed’ is an understatement, but JBL’s own cheaper version makes them a tough sell

11:30 am |

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

JBL Tour Pro 3: Two-minute review

Sometimes, we can become victims of our own success. Are the new JBL Tour Pro 3 some of the best noise-cancelling earbuds I've ever tested? They're emphatically the most feature-packed I've ever used, bar none, and that is wholly commendable. A quick scroll through the on-screen menu options is testament to that. These flagship earbuds do so much; to your music, to the voice of anyone you talk to during calls, to the ambient sounds around you, to your in-game experience, to broadcast audio to your friends – I could go on (I will go on, don't worry).

So why do you sense a 'but' coming? Well, since the arrival of the January 2023-issue JBL Tour Pro 2 upon which this third-gen flagship set are built, JBL has offered much of its once-flagship tech to the cheaper Live 3 earbuds (which come in three flavors: 'toothbrush-head' Beam, 'open-ear-ish' Flex and 'no-tail' Buds propositions) including that super-impressive smart case. Which is good, right?

Yes, except it means that justifying the price hike from $199.95 / £179.99 for the excellent JBL Live Beam 3 up to $299.99 / £279.99 for the Tour Pro 3 isn't easy. And making a case for buying the flagship set only becomes harder when you discover that the more budget set is now available for a bit less; a quick UK scan proved you can buy the Live Beam 3 for £149.99 – and I'd suggest that they're amazing value for that money.

JBL Tour Pro 3 earbuds on floral background — (Image credit: Future)

So what are the upgrades here? Let's not mess around, I'll tell you right now: you now get two color choices – black and a new 'latte' caramel-type finish – and the screen is 30% larger than the older Tour. Also the case a little smaller than that of the Tour Pro 2, but it's still bigger than the Live Beam 3.

The headline-grabber is that this case is now a transmitter (see the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8, Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 or LG Tone Free T90S for similar) meaning that with the included 3.5mm-to-USB-C cable, you can hook up to the in-flight movie system in your airplane seat (say) and broadcast the audio to your buds – but like B&W's option, it'll do it in high-quality audio, this time using LE Audio and the LC3 codec.

The JBL Tour Pro 3's case is also one of the first registered Auracast source devices in portable audio, which means anyone in the vicinity with Auracast-enabled headphones (there aren't too many about right now, but they're coming) could also join to hear the sound being transmitted, and you can add a password if you don't want random listeners hooking up to your broadcast.

JBL's Spatial Audio 360 is onboard too, which now includes head-tracked, device-agnostic immersive audio helped by an updated algorithm; L/R balance optimization; 12 EQ bands to tailor things sonically and JBL's new Personi-Fi 3.0 update. Personi-Fi helps to personalize the sound to your liking, creating a sound profile based on your hearing by giving you an otoacoustic test of sorts (more on this later).

Under the driver housing there's now a hybrid 10.2mm cellulose dynamic driver coupled with a 5.1mm x 2.8mm balanced armature setup, which splits the audio signal so different frequencies go to their optimized drivers. Codec support is also better: in addition to SBC and AAC, hi-res LDAC joins the party when listening wirelessly – great news for Sony Xperia or other Android phone owners.

JBL also claims its new AI algorithm means the company's True Adaptive Noise Cancellation 2.0 with 'smart calibration' is actually able to tackle what it calls 'incident noises' – think unusual, one-off sounds rather than constant jet engine cabin noise.

If that sounds like a lot for it to offer over the Live Beam 3, it is and it isn't. The difference in screen size is negligible to the eye and for me the case is a touch on the bulky side to be truly pocketable. It'll come down to whether you want that head-tracked spatial audio (which is very good indeed), the transmitter in the case, and/or an Auracast source device. If you're not worried about those last two perks, I cannot build a compelling case for paying the significant price hike over the Live Beam 3.

Add to this the fact that for me, the Tour Pro 3 earbuds themselves are on the large side (despite the addition of foam tips as well as silicone, I struggled to get them to stay put in my ears) plus the fact that, like the cheaper set, you still need to make a compromise in terms of on-ear control options and you'll see why I can't give them the full five stars – or the 4.5-star verdict their cheaper siblings get – despite the plethora of perks.

JBL Tour Pro 3 review: Price & release date

Unveiled on August 21, 2024
Priced $299.95 / £279.99 / (approx.) AU$545

OK, so the JBL Tour Pro 3 are not cheap. What to say about the asking price? Well, the aforementioned flagship Bowers & Wilkins earbuds (which coincidentally launched on the same day and also offer a case transmission feature – but no spatial audio processing) are even more expensive, at $399 / £349 / AU$699.

Elsewhere, Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds also come in at $299 / £299 / AU$449; Technics' excellent EAH-AZ80 are $299 / £259 / AU$499 as well, and the Final ZE8000 MK2 are $399 / £289 (around AU$609), where available.

It's worth noting that the older Tour Pro 2 launched in January 2023 at MSRPs of $249.95 / £220 / AU$350, so there's been a $50 / £50 price hike this time around. Given the upgraded specs listed, you could say that the new asking fee doesn't seem unreasonable. On the other hand, I really think the small matter of the splendid $199.95 / £179.99 / AU$249 JBL Live Beam 3 remains a thorn in this Pro set's side…

JBL Tour Pro 3 earbuds held in a hand, with navy floral background — (Image credit: Future)

JBL Tour Pro 3 review: Specs

JBL Tour Pro 3 review: Features

Excellent spatial audio with head-tracking
Case retransmission feature adds value
Noise cancellation is good rather than excellent

Before I launch headfirst into what the Tour Pro 3 do incredibly well, if you want Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds or AirPods Pro 2 levels of active noise cancellation, you don't quite get it from JBL Tour Pro 3. When I deploy ANC (and here you can select from a seven-step slider or pick 'Adaptive ANC' to have JBL's algorithm sort it) I do feel the noise floor drop, but that cocooned, bubble-of-silence feeling is never quite achieved.

This may be in part to the fit and seal I was personally able to get – despite the in-app 'Check my best fit' test telling me I'd got it just fine and toggling 'Auto compensation' on, in the ANC customization tab (which promises to check wearing and ear canal status to adjust ANC in real time) the Tour Pro 3 never felt incredibly secure in my ears, and this does contribute to sound leakage and passive isolation.

However fervent the claims JBL makes about its souped-up True Adaptive Noise Cancellation 2.0 with 'smart calibration' (the company says it does a good job of nixing 'incident noises' as well as regular low-level constants), I never quite feel it. Don't get me wrong: there is a marked difference to the level of extraneous noise that seeps in, but it isn't wholly cancelled, and the Tour Pro 3 never perform as well as the options listed above in this area.

Now, the really very good bits: spatial audio. Oh, it's good. When I cue up Rod Stewart's Handbags & Gladrags, the drums sit over on my right as flutes join in, somewhere behind my brainstem. Honestly, as I deploy head-tracking and turn my head slowly away from my phone, I notice when Stewart belts a little too close into the mic, or a key is miss-played in a chord – or that there's actually a conversation barely audible, during the last chorus. You don't get this head-tracked spatial audio support with the cheaper Live Beam 3. Is it worth the $100 / £100 price hike? If they only fit a little better for me, probably… but I'm getting ahead of myself (the sound and design sections come later).

Now the screen: it's just as snappy as the one you'll find on the JBL Live Beam 3 and although marginally bigger, it doesn't do an awful lot more. Functional screens (ear tip sound settings; toggling between Bluetooth and transmitter mode; options within spatial sound) are here, but the chief benefit here is still the lock-screen wallpaper.

Elsewhere, JBL really has thrown everything and the kitchen sink at these earbuds. Top of the pile is Personi-Fi 3.0, but here again I find myself backtracking to the Live Beam 3 and trying to justify whether they're worth a price hike. I absolutely loved Personi-Fi 2.0, in the Live Beam 3, and I'm not 100% sure how this has been upgraded – because I once again took the test (which involves listening to various tones and lifting your finger from a button when you can no longer hear them) to create a test report and your own personal augmented profile, and once again I got the self-same result. I still love the effect of it in the Tour Pro 3, but I can get it for cheaper in the Live Beam 3…

Call-handling is again very good, thanks (again) to the numerous options you have available to enhance the experience, including Sound Level Optimiser, which balances the volume of the voice on the other end of the line; Sound Setting, to increase the bass or treble of the voice at the other end of the phone, or keep things "natural"; Voice Setting, aka same thing but for your own dulcet tones in the call; VoiceAware, which is a slider to control how much of your own voice you'd like to hear during calls; and Private Call Mode, which actually lets you remove one bud and use it as a mic – ie. to talk a little quieter and keep the conversation on the down-low. Again, it's all very good, but you can get it in the Live Beam 3 too, for less.

You get the same six EQ presets as the Live Beam 3 too, or the ability to create your own, plus Adaptive EQ for automatic adjustments in real-time with the option of toggling on "Low Volume EQ" to boost highs and lows if listening at low volumes, plus "Leakage Compensation", to help the sonics if the tips you've fitted don't offer a perfect seal.

And of course, here you also get a transmitter mode. Do you take a lot of flights? You'll love it and so will the person sitting next to you, who won't entangle themselves in any headphone cables when trying to politely nip past you and your tray table. Also, the Tour Pro 3's case is an Auracast source device, if you've got friends with (new, Bluetooth 5.2 and later) earbuds that can join the party. Will I personally use these features often? No. But they are extra perks in a set of earbuds that already offered myriad features.

The JBL Tour Pro 3 offer an admirable battery life of up to 44 hours in total – 11 hours from the buds plus three more full charges with ANC off. If you're always using ANC, it's eight hours plus three more full charges with ANC on, for a 32-hour total. During my testing I got just over eight hours and 20 minutes from them on a single charge with ANC deployed, which is very impressive. And that claim of an additional three hours of listening with a quick 10-minute speed charge? Yup, all good – and very useful.

Features score: 5/5

JBL Tour Pro 3 a trio of JBL Headphones app Personi-Fi screen-grabs — Personi-Fi 3.0 is just as good as 2.0… (Image credit: JBL)

JBL Tour Pro 3 review: Sound quality

Admirable separation and detail in head-tracked audio
A zealous mix; brims with energy
Plays nice and loud at 50% volume

I knocked the JBL Tour Pro 2's sound quality and the good news is, it's a different story with the Tour Pro 3. Your codec support here includes LDAC if you own an Android device to deploy it, which won't do much for your lowly Spotify streams but will help you get the best from Tidal Max tracks, Apple Music playlists or Qobuz albums.

The rumble at the outset of Grian Chatten's The Score is deftly handled and gives way to the detailed and textured Spanish guitar. The album continues to Last Time Every Time Forever and something I haven't felt since testing the Bose QuietComfort Ultra happens: I forget I'm wearing earbuds for a second because the head-tracked spatial audio sounds so convincingly like it's coming from below my chin. Sadly, this only lasts until I turn my head sharply (as that dislodges the right earpiece) but you can't knock the talent of the driver array here.

Switching to Free Fallin' by Tom Petty, jangly guitars, a resolute easy drum and Petty's vocal are present with ample room to shine, in a cohesive mix that never sees one instrument or musical passage vying for enough space to be impactful. When backing vocals come in to echo the words "Ventura Boulevard", there's a level of detail to the dynamics to the mix similar to the kind you get with the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8.

Also, the Tour Pro 3 play nice and loud, even at 50% volume, which means those battery claims are bang on. (Often find yourself whacking the volume up to get robust audio from your earbuds? Impacts the stamina doesn't it? Not a problem here.)

In direct comparison, the zealous and energetic presentation of the Tour Pro 3 may have one very small shortfall, and it's to do with the timing. It's not a cluttered or disorganised performance by any means, you understand, but I tap my feet more readily during what I call the 'marching band' section of this track (where Phil Jones switches up the time signature on his drums) when listening to the Bowers & Wilkins earbuds.

Again, it's only a very minor issue and only notable in direct comparison, but the JBL earbuds lose out just fractionally for regimented accuracy across the frequencies here – as if the two drivers under the hood haven't quite married up perfectly. It's a difficult concept to explain without going overboard, so know that it isn't a big issue at all. If pushed to expand on it, it's as if the B&W product keeps a wholly tight grip on every musical strand, constantly, and the JBL earbuds just very occasionally loosen one, through the treble.

Sound quality score: 4.5/5

JBL Tour Pro 3 review: Design

Driver housings feel a little thick
On-ear functions still require a compromise
Not-so pocketable case

One thing I really like about the JBL Tour Pro 3 is the rubberized section on the back of the case that offers traction when placed on most surfaces. If, like me, you tend to gesture a lot when you talk (or love a good dance al desko) often swiping your earbuds case to the floor with a flourish, this won't happen here.

The JBL Tour Pro 3's case opens like a satchel (think AirPods) rather than a suitcase (think JBL Live Beam 3) and while it feels well-made, the case is a little too bulky to slip into my pocket anonymously. Also, there isn't a lanyard hole here, as there is with the Live Beam 3, which was a fun way to showcase your lock-screen wallpaper.

My issue with the JBL Tour Pro 3's design and where they lose marks in this section is the size of the driver housings. Now, I know I've said before that actually, deeper 'concha-fit' designs – see the Technics EAH-AZ80 – often look a little big and end up feeling anything but. Sadly, that's not the case with the Tour Pro 3. Despite supplying foam tips as well as silicone, the addition of a stem and a deeper housing makes for a poor fit, for me. I still struggle to keep them in my ears.

Now, fit is obviously subjective, but I know (after compiling a list of the best earbuds for smaller ears) I'm not alone in finding certain options easier to accommodate in my bijou ears than others. This set of earbuds will not be making an appearance in the above buying guide.

A JBL Live Beam 3 earbuds and a Tour Pro 3 earbud, held in a hand, to show the relative depth — The Tour Pro 3 (right) is a deeper design and doesn't feel as ergonomic or secure as the Live Beam 3 (left). (Image credit: Future)

I do have one more minor negative though, and it's the self-same minor issue I encountered with the JBL Live Beam 3. Basically, you need to ditch a set of functions again. To explain, you can customize what tapping each bud controls, but the sums don't work. Your command options are Playback Control, Ambient Sound Control, and Volume Control – ie. three-fold. But humans typically have only two ears and thus only two earbuds to give jobs to, so one useful thing is left out of the mix.

It could be worse; earbuds that don't offer a way to tweak the volume of music without having to dig out my phone (or ask Siri) annoy me most, but while the JBL Tour Pro do offer volume control, assigning that to my left earbud and Playback Control to my right means foregoing on-ear ANC > Ambient aware > Off tweaks. The touchscreen gives you another way to quickly access the ANC, Ambient or TalkThru modes besides my phone, it's true, but at this level I think it's not unreasonable to expect a comprehensive set of on-ear controls that covers the lot simultaneously – because other options, such as the Cambridge Audio Melomania M100, do.

Design score: 3.5/5

JBL Tour Pro 3 review: Value

The most fully-featured earbuds around
…but sadly, the JBL Live Beam 3 exist
Can't offer the full suite of on-ear controls at once

As I've tried at length to explain in this review, the JBL Tour Pro 3 are a very interesting proposition and to justify their price hike over JBL's talented Live Beam 3, you do get head-tracked spatial audio, Auracast broadcasting, a slightly bigger screen, a case retransmission feature for in-flight entertainment systems, plus additional foam eartips and processing that claims to compensate for the tips you've chosen.

On paper and in the flesh, they're stuffed to the gills with features. The problem is the existence of the excellent, cheaper, also screen-enhanced earbuds the company released in January 2024, instantly making those once-flagship perks afforded by a smart screen available for much less.

Are the extras listed above enough to represent great value? I think for most people, no. Yes, the Denon PerL Pro-esque Person-Fi hearing tests are excellent, but for me, they're no different to those you'll get within the much cheaper JBL Live Beam 3. Both are very good indeed, and one can be had for significantly less money (aka, better value). And the thing is, the cheaper set fit my ears much better than the flagship Tour Pro 3's bulkier driver-housing…

Value score: 3.5/5

JBL Tour Pro 3 held in a hand — (Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the JBL Tour Pro 3?

Buy them if...

You prioritize natural head-tracked spatial audio
These earbuds don't care which streaming service you're listening to, simply toggle it on and hear the sound open out all around you – and fix itself as you turn your head to each sonic article.

You like to wear your heart on your sleeve
This is the biggest smart screen JBL's ever put on a case, so you'll get a few millimeters more of lock-screen wallpaper.

You have an Android phone
Your Sony Xperia phone (and other Androids) will let you have at LDAC quality streaming using the JBL Tour Pro 3

Don't buy them if...

You have smaller ears
The buds are on the large side, and they feel it.

…and smaller pockets
I mean physically: the case is pretty big. Then again, they're not exactly wallet-friendly either, so deep pockets are metaphorically preferable here too…

You want the best ANC on the market
Here, AirPods Pro 2, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Ultra or even the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 will serve you better.

JBL Tour Pro 3: Also consider

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8
I think these are the best-sounding buds you can get, with superior noise cancellation than the JBL as well, and they also have the audio transmission features. But they're very pricey, and there's no spatial audio, so take a read of my full Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 to see if they're right for you.

JBL Live Beam 3
I've already talked a lot about these, but the pitch is simple: most of the best features of the Tour Pro 3, for a much lower price. Definitely take a read of my JBL Live Beam 3 review to see if they're right for you.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
Want device-agnostic, head-tracked spatial audio as well as some of the best ANC in the business? It's here in the September 2023-issue earbuds from Bose. It's rare that we get to call Bose the cheaper option, and they aren't here – but they're only slightly more expensive than JBL's flagship offering. You'll have to forego multi-point connectivity, wireless charging support, and a modicum of detail sonically speaking, but maybe noise-nixing takes priority for you, and that's ok. You can read more in-depth in our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds review.

Cambridge Audio Melomania M100
The ANC is very good indeed here, too – as is the sound quality. And to top it all off, you get the option of Matt Berry on voice prompts (his "Waiting to pair!" is sublime). You don't get a case with a screen on it, mind – and the fit is good rather than exceptional, but the M100's still a viable cheaper rival, depending on your priorities. Our Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 review will help you sort through the details.

How I tested the JBL Tour Pro 3

Tested for three weeks; listened against the competition
Used at work and home
Listened to Tidal Masters, Apple Music Lossless tracks and Spotify

The JBL Tour Pro 3 became my musical companions for nearly four weeks – after a thorough 48-hour run-in period, as per our guidelines on how we test wireless earbuds.

I wore them to work on weekdays (running to the station; on the London Underground; at the office), and during a weekend on Weymouth sea-front – the best way to test blustery wind interference from mics during calls I've ever found.

To better test the comfort and security of the Tour Pro 3, I even wore them during a cycle along the promenade, and while they did ping out onto the street, they seem virtually uncrushable (since I believe another bicycle may have gone over it).

To check the audio quality across the frequencies, I listened to TR's playlist (spanning everything from acoustic mixes to electronica) on Apple Music, Qobuz and Tidal, but I also tested using podcasts and albums on Spotify, plus YouTube tutorials (mostly about how to duck-dive while surfing because I still can't do it, in case you wondered) on my MacBook Pro. I compared them directly against the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8, Cambridge Audio Melomania M100, AirPods Pro 2 and JBL Live Beam 3.

I’ve been testing audio products well for over five years now. As a dancer, aerialist and musical theater performer in a previous life, sound quality, fit and user experience always take priority for me – but having heard how effective ANC can be when done well, I have grown to love immersing myself in a cocoon of silence also.

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First reviewed: October 2024

AirPods 4 review: they’re good, but you can do better for the price

5:51 pm | October 11, 2024

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

Apple AirPods 4: Two-minute review

Apple's AirPods 4 – which are the cheaper version of AirPods 4 at $129 / £129 / AU$219, not the more expensive model with active noise cancellation and some other extra features – are the latest version of Apple's open-ear wireless earbuds. Designed for people who don't want anything inside their ear canal, the AirPods 4 sit just outside it, and they stay remarkably stable and sound nice while doing it.

But the main refrain you're going to hear throughout this AirPods 4 review is that if you don't mind in-ear tips, you can get better sound quality and a more flexible set of features for a lower price among the best budget earbuds.

There are good reasons for Apple users to stick with AirPods though, because all their best features work with Apple tech exclusively, as you'd expect. The head-tracked spatial audio is so impressive with movies, the auto-device switching between Apple tech is really useful, and it's generally a seamless experience.

The sound is fulsome and fairly dynamic, and it's easy to have a good time listening to all kinds of tracks, thanks to their superb balance between frequencies. But there's a lack of fine detail compared to the mid-range competition that means music lacks that extra realism and deep satisfaction. The open-ear design allows a lot of sound to leak in as well, which interferes with the audio fidelity.

The issue for people at large is the lack of standard Bluetooth multi-point pairing, which means you only get seamless switching if you have multiple Apple devices. Nearly all the best wireless earbuds at a similar price offer multi-point pairing, which means you can switch from an iPhone to a Chromebook or Windows laptop easily – and those earbuds also offer better sound, the option of active noise cancellation, and on-ear volume control – for a lower price than the AirPods 4.

These earbuds do the job for their intended Apple audience, with some great unique features and a good design (I really like the pinch controls) and fit. But if you want real bang for your buck, look to the $119 / £79 / AU$149 Sony WF-C700N or the $99 / £99 / AU$169 Nothing Ear (a).

AirPods 4 outside of their case on a table — (Image credit: Future)

Apple AirPods 4 review: Price & release date

$129 / £129 / AU$219
Released on September 20, 2024
The cheapest current AirPods

With an official price of $129 / £129 / AU$219, the AirPods 4 wander dangerously into 'mid-range earbuds' territory for earbuds with a feature set that's closer to those of budget buds. Apple does now offer discounts on its earbuds around sales events (which didn't use to be the case), but I doubt these will drop under $100 / £100 for quite a while.

It's not a bad price for a pair of good-sounding earbuds with excellent spatial audio, but basically all the competition at this price offer active noise cancellation – including the $99 / £99 Nothing Ear (a), for example.

Apple AirPods 4 review: Specs

Apple AirPods 4 review: Features

Good features for Apple devices
No cross-platform multi-point pairing
No on-ear volume control

As we expect from AirPods, the AirPods 4 only give you the full power of their features if all your devices are Apple-made.

They offer fast pairing with Apple tech, and will auto-switch between any bit of Apple tech you're signed into with your Apple ID, which means they're effectively 'paired' with all your devices at once, whether that's an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or Apple Watch. Just start playing something on a new device while wearing them and you can automatically switch, or choose to switch in some cases. It works extremely well, and is a slick benefit of buying into Apple's cosy ecosystem.

While they can be paired with non-Apple devices, you won't get access to most of the features mentioned here, and they don't support Bluetooth's standard multi-point pairing, meaning that if you have an iPhone and a Windows laptop, you'll only get the good features when you’re using the AirPods with your iPhone, and there's no easy switching to your laptop.

They offer head-tracked spatial audio when used with Apple devices, which is a highlight. This means that when listening to anything in surround sound or Dolby Atmos, it'll seem like the sound is coming from a set of static speakers around you that don't move even when you move your head, like a home theater system. I've never been a big fan of this with music because I just tend to move around too much while listening for it to make sense (though I enjoy spatial audio without head-tracking for music, where it just creates a kind of bubble of expanded sound around your head), but spatial audio with movies is just fantastic.

You get a convincing feeling of surround sound, with your device as the 'center' of the home theater effect, and the feeling of speakers all around you. When you're watching movies on a long journey, it really helps you to feel like you're less trapped in a space, and makes the experience more engaging and immersive. I love it.

Speaking of journeys, one nice touch with AirPods (and many of the best Beats headphones) is that you can share audio between them, so two people can watch the same show on an iPad together while traveling.

There's limited support for Apple's Find My service here: the app can tell you where you last had them, and the AirPods can 'call home' via the Find My network of other people's iPhones to tell you roughly where they are. But these don't have the precision finding of the AirPods Pro 2 (where your iPhone can literally point you towards them), or the ability of the AirPods 4 with ANC to play a sound to help you find them.

AirPods 4 case held in a man's hand — (Image credit: Future)

They support 'Hey Siri' so you can ask Apple's assistant for things, though frankly I don't find Siri useful enough to want this turned on. Similarly, the AirPods 4 support Apple's 'Announce Notifications' feature, where Siri's voice will read you out notifications that have arrived on your iPhone or Apple Watch, which I also have turned off. It certainly can be a useful feature in a clutch, but as an Apple Watch user I already have quick access to my notifications on my wrist, and that route doesn't interrupt my podcast.

Still, if you use Announce Notifications (you'll be given the option when you first pair), you can also use the AirPods' new gesture controls to respond to certain notifications by nodding or shaking your head. For example, when my Apple Watch asks if I'm doing an outdoor walk, I can nod to confirm and start the tracking.

These gestures are smartly implemented, with a blip of audio feedback when the AirPods detect that you're moving your head. You'll need to move your head fairly definitively to confirm, so perhaps left, right and left again to reject a notification with a shake of the head, but it's very clear if and when the AirPods are picking up the gestures, though I felt like the head motions I made were a little too exaggerated to be subtle – while waiting with other people to cross a road, I can only assume that people thought I was vehemently agreeing with a radio call-in show or something.

Also for controls, you've got pinchable stems on the earbuds, basically borrowed from the original AirPods Pro. You can pinch to play/pause, double-pinch to skip tracks, triple to skip back, hold to trigger Siri. I really like this control system, because it's comfortable (you don't push the buds into your ears while pressing a button) and works if you're wearing gloves (unlike touch-only systems). However, you can't pinch for on-ear volume control, which seems very miserly.

Apple's claim of five-hour battery life was, frankly, extremely disappointing, but the good news is that in my battery testing at 50% volume the AirPods 4 took seven hours and five minutes to run down from 100% to nothing. Apple says you should get another 25 hours from the case (though that could be as much as 34 hours based on my testing), and that five minutes of charging in the case provides the buds with around an hour of listening time.

Five hours is way behind the curve on battery life, and while seven hours is acceptable for such lightweight buds, it's still not amazing considering there's no ANC here. We measured 9.5 hours from the Nothing Ear (a) with ANC turned off.

There's no wireless charging here, unlike the more expensive models – just USB-C charging.

The microphone quality is very good, as is common for Apple's earbuds. The voice is a little quiet (common for earbuds in general) and there's a little bit of digital artefacting to the sound, presumably coming from the clean-up and processing Apple is applying, but speech is clear and represents your voice well, and that's all we need.

Features score: 3.5/5

AirPods 4 bud held in a hand, showing the speaker section — (Image credit: Future)

Apple AirPods 4 review: Sound quality

Very well balanced
Good bass and energy
Loss of fine detail

Compared to Apple's previous cheapest AirPods, the AirPods 4 are in another world of sound quality, even without considering spatial audio. They're a bigger, more natural, and more dynamic listen, and I enjoyed music with them.

The bass feels well presented and full, and while it's not super-deep, it underpins things exactly as it's supposed to. It may not hit unctuous levels of sub-bass, but it's really well controlled, so something like the bassline of Allie X's Black Eye bounces along as it should – some cheaper headphones will lack the range for a full bounce, or each beat will hit with a thud. The AirPods are nimble enough to handle this kind of thing.

The mid-range is clear and well resolved, capable of letting individual instruments stand out even among more crammed songs, such as when Moloko's I Want You gets super-busy with lots of overlapping sounds – the AirPods are capable of holding onto each strand, and making sure it doesn’t just turn into a mess of noise. Vocals of all types are lifted out of the mix well.

The treble is similarly well represented, and there's plenty of sparkle in high-frequency details so they shimmer among the rest of the mix. In terms of being a good representation of the bones of music tracks, the AirPods 4 work great, especially since they're reasonably dynamic as well, shifting up a gear in good time when songs pop off.

The problem is that they're soft on fine detail, and it means they're limited to being a fun listen rather than a truly satisfying one, or one that lets you engage with your music at a high level.

The open-ear design that lets in more outside sound doesn't help with this – fine detail is exactly what you lose most from being able to hear chatter or traffic – but I listened in multiple environments and the issue is still there.

When the fine resolution is lost, the realism of the track is lost. That doesn't matter in every track (I wasn't exactly missing it in Eric Prydz' Call On Me, I was just bopping along), but there's a clear difference in a few tracks. Sonny Rollins' St. Thomas is a track that should really put you among the instruments, because it's built around the slight scrape of a drumstick or the click of a tongue on a reed – but that's basically lost when listening on the AirPods 4. The track sounds like a recording, a diminished facsimile, not the close-to-real audio that it can do.

Rains Again by Solji is another clear example – it opens with a heavy rainfall sound that becomes static on headphones that can't deal with the complex detail, but stays as distinct drops on headphones that can deal with it… and on the AirPods 4, it's more in the static column.

With movies, spatial audio works excellently, providing convincing sound that moves around you, doing a great impression of a home theater. There's also a great sense of impact to bassier sounds and a good elevation of treble details – it's exciting to watch action movies this way, and the AirPods' ability to be dynamic is effective here too.

However, dialogue isn't represented as well as effects in the mix, so feels quieter and more unclear, relatively speaking – and with sound leaking in through the open-ear design (and no ANC), it's the first thing to get muddied by outside noises. I compared the AirPods 4 to my AirPods Pro 2, and while the dialogue is a similar level in the Pro 2, the other sounds are closer to that level, so you can just crank the volume up and get a good experience. With the AirPods 4, turning the volume up means effects become a bit much when dialogue gets to the right level.

The lack of fine detail also hits here – for example, during The Matrix's helicopter rescue scene, the cascade of water from the sprinklers becomes a hiss of sound in the background, but again other headphones can pick out the drops. I don't mind this as much here as with the music, though – it's better to have it, but it isn't essential.

I don't think the AirPods 4 are bad for sound at all, but when the competition is as hot for music fidelity as the Sony WF-C700N and the Nothing Ear (a), they pale.

Sound quality score: 3.5/5

AirPods 4 being placed back into their case — (Image credit: Future)

Apple AirPods 4 review: Design

Secure open-ear fit
Smallest case yet is great
IP54 rating for buds and case is good

I've never been a fan of this kind of earbuds design, where they're held in place by the areas of skin around your ear canal – I much prefer the fit of an in-ear tip. However, the AirPods 4 are the best and most comfortable version of this design so far, and I can happily wear then for an extended period without feeling like they're sore or applying pressure, which hasn't always been the case for me. However, when taking them out after a long time, I can slightly feel where they were sitting, so they won't convert me from in-ears just yet.

They're very secure, and didn't shift in any meaningful way during my general use – i.e., mostly while walking or working. They stayed secure while I was jogging too, though I can't promise that this will also be the case for long-distance runs or other workouts.

They're extremely light at 4.3g per bud, which helps with comfort, and they stick out of your ears less far than the AirPods Pro 2 do, which might please some people. And while not everyone likes the stick design, I think it works well for balancing the weight, and this is arguably the most subtle and perhaps preferable version of the design so far.

The case is Apple's smallest AirPods case to date, and I really appreciate that as well – some buds makers perhaps forget that people often just want to slip this stuff into a pocket and not feel it pressing against them. There no reason not to carry these buds with you everywhere, and that's useful.

A nice touch is that the charging light is now totally hidden behind the white of the case – when it's illuminated it appears out of nowhere. A less-nice touch is that the pairing/reset button is now a touch element on the back with no indicator, rather than a physical button, and given that this will mostly be used when people are in a pinch, I think the clarity of a real button was better.

I found that the AirPods 4 are a little harder to grab out of their case than previous models – you'll develop a technique for getting a grip to overcome the magnets, but I suspect that, like me, many people will take a couple of days to get in the groove.

The IP54 waterproof rating for both the earbuds and the case is impressive – not too many mid-range or budget earbuds offer both. This means they should keep dust out, and be fine against water splashes, including rain if you get caught outdoors for a short time.

Incidentally, if you're wondering if it's possible to tell the difference between these AirPods 4 and the ANC model: not from the buds. They are truly identical apart from a tiny printing of the model number. The ANC case has telltale speaker holes on the bottom, though.

Design score: 4/5

AirPods 4 case showing the charging port — (Image credit: Future)

Apple AirPods 4 review: Value

Cheaper headphones offer better sound
…and better cross-platform features
But for Apple-only users, they have big advantages

The AirPods 4 are aimed at people who are big on Apple tech, so I'm taking that into account when scoring their value. But as you've likely already picked up in this review, for sound quality, or if you have an iPhone and a Windows laptop (for example), they don't excel for bang-per-buck.

You'll get the extra realism and detail pop in music that these AirPods lack from the likes of the Sony WF-C700N and the Nothing Ear (a), as well as active noise cancellation to make sure you can really hear it. You'll get Bluetooth multi-point with both those devices as well – and even hi-res audio from the Nothing. They both have on-ear volume control as well (and the Nothing even pinch the great pinchable gestures from the AirPods).

However, if you are all-in on Apple, the auto-switching between all your devices without pairing, the (admittedly limited) Find My support, and the excellent spatial audio all help boost the value here. It is frustrating that the AirPods 4 with ANC offer lots more features, though, including wireless charging, and improved Find My support in the case, in addition to the ANC itself.

Let's not forget the design: some people really don't want ear tips, and my recommended alternatives have them. So if your preference is not to have tips, there's added value to these because of their shape. But still, on balance, I don't think they offer any better value than average.

Value score: 3/5

AirPods 4 next to their open case on a table — (Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the AirPods 4?

Buy them if...

You want Apple's cheapest earbuds
If you really want Apple's unique tech that works with all your Apple devices, and you want to spend the minimum, these tick the key boxes, and sound fun while doing it.

You hate in-ear tips on earbuds
The options that really beat the AirPods 4 tend to use in-ear tips, so if you don't want that style, these become a much better option.

Don't buy them if...

You don't own Apple gadgets exclusively
The lack of standard Bluetooth multi-point means no quick switching between, say, an iPhone and a Windows machine. So why not buy something that has that, and has better sound and ANC?

You travel a lot
AirPods 4's small size is great for travel, but they let in so much sound from outside that you won't hear your music very well. Get something with active noise cancellation.

Apple AirPods 4 review: Also consider

Sony WF-C700N
Sony's superb buds offer fantastic fidelity in music, solid noise cancellation, control via the Sony app, and Bluetooth multi-point. We've championed them since their launch, and you can read why in our full Sony WF-C700N review.

Nothing Ear (a)
If you like the stick design and pinch control of AirPods, these offer that, along with even better sound and ANC than the Sony option above, for just a little more cash than the Sony. These are the mid-range buds to beat right now, as our Nothing Ear (a) review explains.

How I tested the AirPods 4

AirPods 4 worn in a man's ears — (Image credit: Future)

Tested over three weeks
Connected to an iPhone, iPad Pro and MacBook Air
Tested alongside AirPods 4 with ANC and AirPods Pro 2

I reviewed the AirPods 4 as part of my typical daily routine, using them at home, at the office, and while commuting. I have an iPhone 13 Pro, MacBook Air M1, iPad Pro, and an Apple TV 4K, so they were used just as Tim Cook intended.

For testing sound quality and battery life, I followed the procedures laid out in our explainer on how we test earbuds.

I had the AirPods 4 with ANC and AirPods Pro 2 available for any direct comparisons that were useful, across Apple's current earbuds lineup.

FiiO FT1: Two-minute review

The FiiO FT1 are the company's very first pair of closed-back over-ear headphones and, given FiiO's extensive catalogue, it's strange to think there could be any kind of gap in the FiiO product line-up. But, in the established FiiO manner, the company has done its utmost to provide value for money.

A pretty modest outlay buys you balanced and unbalanced connections, a quantity of acoustically optimised black walnut wood for the earcups, a pair of oversized (60mm) dynamic drivers with a very promising claimed frequency response, an impressive degree of passive noise isolation, and Hi-Res Audio certification from two very credible audio organisations.

Comfort is good, and the FiiO FT1 are as pleasing where tactility is concerned as they are visually. The only false note (at least until you fire them up and start listening) is the relative bulk of their travel case – the headphones don’t fold anything like flat.

But while there’s lots to like in the FiiO sound – detail levels and nicely judged tonality in particular – it’s hard to get beyond the fact that the FT1 are a rather two-dimensional and unyieldingly energetic listen. There’s a forcefulness to the way they present music that’s not always appropriate, and as a result they’re far from the no-brainer best-in-class wired headphones FiiO was undoubtedly aiming for.

FiiO FT1 over-ear hedphones on a white table — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Fiio FT1 review: Price & release date

Released on August 21, 2024
Priced $159 / £139 / AU$239

The FiiO FT1 have been on sale since mid-August, and they will set you back $159/£139 – pricing is yet to be confirmed for Australia, but you’re looking at AU$239 or something quite like it.

That's an aggressive price for headphones as eye-catchingly specified, both inside and out, as this – and exactly the sort of thing we’ve all come to expect from FiiO. That doesn’t mean the FT1 are without competition, though – hard-wired, closed-back over-ear headphones from the likes of Austrian Audio, Beyerdynamic and HiFiMan (to name but three) are all ready to serve as an alternative.

Fiio FT1 review: Specs

FiiO FT1 over-ear hedphones on a white surface — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Fiio FT1 review: Features

60mm dynamic drivers
3.5mm- and 4.4mm-terminated cables
‘Hi-Res Audio’ certification

As a pair of passive headphones, the Fiio FT1 are predictably short on features. Those features they do have, though, seem to be rather more upmarket than the asking price might suggest.

For instance, the FT1 are supplied with two 1.5m lengths of silver-plated oxygen-free copper cable. One is terminated in the usual 3.5mm unbalanced connection, the other in a rather more esoteric 4.4mm balanced alternative. Each cable splits at the other end – each earcup must be hard-wired – and ends in a 3.5mm connection, which means it should be pretty straightforward to upgrade the cables if you think it necessary.

The audio information travelling up the cable is delivered to your ears by a couple of 60mm dynamic drivers that are mostly built from wood-fibre. Each one is backed by a W-shaped suspension gasket and features an oversized (25mm) voice coil. FiiO reckons this arrangement offers wide frequency response – 10Hz to 40kHz, so it says – and minimal driver break-up. It also results in a fairly low impedance of 32ohms, which means the FT1 should be no trouble to drive efficiently. A conical baffle plate in front of each driver is designed to allow the drivers to be positioned parallel to the wearer’s ears, which theoretically will reduce standing waves.

There’s nothing theoretical about the FT1’s hi-res audio capability, though. Both the Japan Audio Society and the Consumer Electronics Association have certified these headphones to be Hi-Res Audio capable.

Features score: 5/5

FiiO FT1 over-ear hedphones, with cables, on a white surface — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Fiio FT1 review: Sound quality

Upfront and vigorous sound
Punchy and detailed
Cramped and relentless presentation

In some ways, the FT1 sound just as enjoyable as many other products in the FiiO catalogue. There are areas of sonic performance in which they are easily a match for the best of their price-comparable rivals.

Certainly they don’t lack where drive and attack are concerned. No matter if it’s a 320kbps file of Caribou’s Odessa, a 16bit/44.1kHz WAV copy of Wet Leg’s I Don’t Wanna Go Out or a 24bit/88.2kHz FLAC file of Giorgio by Moroder from Daft Punk, the FiiO sink their teeth in. They’re a vigorous, upfront listen and can summon the sort of levels of attack that make even quite laid-back recordings sound lively. This forward, up-and-at-’em attitude generates a fair amount of sonic excitement, no two ways about it.

Low frequencies are deep, nicely shaped and reasonably well controlled, so there are few issues where rhythmic expression or simple bass thump are concerned. Above there, the midrange is detailed and quite insightful, especially where vocalists are concerned, and share a nicely consistent tonality with everything that’s going on above and below. At the top end, the FT1 press on gamely, but give treble sounds just enough substance to balance out the bite and crunch that’s their primary characteristic.

FiiO FT1 over-ear hedphones playing music from from a portable music player — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

The frequency range hangs together well, with no area given particular prominence and no area underplayed. Overall tonality is well judged, and fairly neutral to the point that it’s your source player, rather than these headphones, that will have the biggest influence here. And the eye for detail the FiiO demonstrate, even down to the small harmonic variations apparent in a solo instrument or in transient events, makes for an information-rich presentation.

But where soundstaging is concerned, the FT1 begin to struggle a little. Closed-back headphones, almost by definition, present a sound that’s more confined than the open-backed alternative – but these FiiO headphones struggle to create a meaningful sense of three-dimensionality. Their presentation is narrow and flat, with no real ‘front/back’ definition available to complement the ‘left/right’. Consequently, their stage is small-scale and quite cramped, and with every element of a recording involved in a scrap for elbow room at the front of the stage, once it involves more than a couple of elements it inevitably sounds congested and confined.

When you combine this lack of breathing space with the remorselessly upfront attitude, there’s a sort of relentlessness to the FT1 sound that, in the worst circumstances, can actually be quite oppressive. There’s a crowded, invasive sensation that’s not unlike someone reading over your shoulder or otherwise invading your personal space. There’s just no relief in the way the FiiO FT1 present music, and it can be quite a tiring overall experience as a result.

Sound quality score: 3/5

FiiO FT1 over-ear hedphones earcup — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Fiio FT1 review: Design

Black walnut earcups
-26dB sound insulation
12-step headband adjustment

While there’s nothing at all unusual about the overall design of the FT1, there is one element that immediately makes these headphones stand out at their price point: the earcups are backed by a decorative, and expensive-looking, quantity of black walnut wood.

The acoustic properties of wood have been established for a number of centuries now, so there’s no need to explain FiiO’s thinking here. But as well as the inherent benefits of the material, there’s no denying it makes the FT1 look distinctive, distinguished and a fair bit more costly than they actually are.

Moving forward from the back of the earcups, the FT1 are fitted with quite generously padded earpads that are covered in a comfy breathable plastic. The headband, meanwhile, is equally judiciously padded, and covered with pleather on the outer surface and a suede-like material on the inner.

The headband connects to the earcups via slender length of metal, and the same material is used for the exposed headband adjustment mechanism. There are 12 steps of adjustment available which along with some nicely considered clamping force, means the FT1 wear their 340g weight quite lightly. The yoke arrangement allows the earcups to rotate horizontally and for pitch – but they don’t fold, which means the supplied travel case is on the bulky side.

FiiO reckons the FT1 provide class-leading sound insulation for a product of this type of -26dB. It’s achieved this by including sound-absorbing cotton, an acoustic damping tube and spiral-shaped ‘resonance dissipation’ chamber between the inner part of the wooden earcup and the driver itself. So as well as the inherent advantage of a closed-back design where sound leakage is concerned, the FT1 allow less sound in than the average.

FiiO FT1 over-ear hedphones displaying walnut earcups — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Design score: 4.5/5

Fiio FT1 review: Value

Premium materials
Impressive specification
Rather hit-and-miss sound

You’ve read this far, so you know what’s coming. Where the standard of build and finish is concerned, where the quality of the materials is concerned, where comfort is concerned, the FT1 really hit the mark. Their specification, all-extended frequency response, class-leading passive noise-isolation and your choice of silver-plated balanced and unbalanced connecting cables, are impressive too.

The value proposition is quite fundamentally undermined by the headphones’ forceful and confined audio characteristics, though. There’s precious little space in the sound, and a rather invasive and in-your-face quality that’s far from helpful in the medium-to-long term.

Value score: 3/5

Should I buy the Fiio FT1?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Fiio FT1 review: Also consider

They may look incoherent where the FiiO FT1 look quite glamorous, but there are a couple of Austrian Audio models (the Hi-X15 and Hi-X50) that bracket the FiiO in price and offer a fair bit of the balance and composure the FT1 are missing.

Or, if you think the FiiO are on the small side, there’s always the excellent (and frankly massive) Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro – they have the sonic insight and poise the FT1 are crying out for.

How I tested the Fiio FT1

Wired to a laptop, a headphone amp and a digital audio player
Connected using both balanced and unbalanced cables
Using a variety of music of various file types and sizes

Though they’re obviously designed for at-home use, it’s important to get as complete a perspective as possible, so as well as connecting the FT1 to my Apple MacBook Pro (both directly and via an iFi iDSD Diablo 2 headphone amp/DAC) I joined them to a FiiO M15S digital audio player via the 4.4mm balanced cable. I even used them on an aeroplane, which got me looks that were not all admiring.

I listened to a variety of music, of course, of various file types and from 320kbps to 24bit/192kHz resolution. And I did all of this, on and off, for the best part of a working week.

First reviewed: October 2024

Dali IO-8 review: great-sounding noise-cancelling headphones, but ‘entry-level’ this is not

11:00 am | October 8, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Headphones | Tags: AAC | Comments: Off

Dali IO-8: Two-minute review

The Dali IO-8 are the wireless over-ear noise-cancelling result of the company's attempts to cater for more mainstream customers. A brand like Dali should have more than one pair of wireless over-ear noise-cancelling headphones in its line-up, of course, especially when the one pre-existing pair it does have costs pennies less than £1,000 in the UK. Yet, even at a price of £599, the aforementioned word ‘mainstream’ is perhaps not the first that should spring to mind for the new Dali IO-8.

With one fairly notable exception, the IO-8 are specified to compete at this fiercely contested price point for the best noise-cancelling headphones crown. They’re very acceptably built and finished, from high-quality materials (although the real leather isn’t going to excite vegan customers). Bluetooth 5.2 with aptX Adaptive compatibility, 30 hours of battery life with ANC engaged, 24bit/96kHz support, 50mm full-range drivers with 10Hz-43kHz frequency response… these are all welcome features. The ability to work passively, with no requirement for power, when wired via an analogue connection, is a very nice touch too.

Only the lack of a control app sounds a slightly bum note, no matter how Dali might seek to spin it as a virtue.

Dali IO-8 over-ear headphones, in their carry case, on a wood surface — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Dali IO-8 review: Price & release date

Released on October 8, 2024
Priced $899 / £599 / AU$TBC

The Dali IO-8 wireless over-ear noise-cancelling headphones launched on October 8, 2024, and in the United Kingdom they currently sell for £599. In the United States they’ll cost you $899, while in Australia the going rate has not officially been confirmed, at the time of publishing (but it'll be around AU$1,165 or thereabouts).

These are affordable wireless headphones by Dali standards, true, but everything’s relative, isn’t it? This sort of money can buy you some extremely well-regarded alternatives from brands that don’t necessarily consider $899 to be ‘entry-level’...

Close-up of Dali IO-8 over-ear headphone outer earcup — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Dali IO-8 review: Specs

Inner earcups of the Dali IO-8 over-ear headphones on a wood surface — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Dali IO-8 review: Features

50mm free edge full-range dynamic drivers
Bluetooth 5.2 with SBC, AAC, aptX HD and aptX Adaptive compatibility
35 hours of battery life

As far as the ‘wireless’ part of ‘wireless over-ear noise-cancelling headphones’ goes, the Dali IO-8 use Bluetooth 5.2 for connectivity, and have compatibility with SBC, AAC, aptX HD and aptX Adaptive codecs. But it’s also possible to use them via a wired connection – the USB-C socket on the right earcup can be used for data transfer as well as for charging the battery, and connected this way they’re able to deal with digital audio files of up to 24bit/96kHz resolution. Obviously you can give them even larger files to deal with, but these will be downscaled before the digital-to-analogue conversion takes place.

Dali provides a USB-C / USB-A cable in a reasonably compact travel case, and also includes a 3.5mm / 3.5mm analogue alternative. There’s a 3.5mm input on the left earcup, and if you make an analogue connection to a source player the Dali don’t even need to be powered on. Flat battery? No problem: the IO-8 can be used passively, which is a definite bonus.

Mind you, letting the battery run flat will smack of negligence. The Dali will run for 35 hours from a single charge with active noise-cancelling switched off, and if you switch it on that figure drops to a still-competitive 30 hours. The ANC itself (or ‘audiophile active noise-cancelling’, as Dali rather self-importantly has it) has ‘on’, ‘off’ and ‘transparency’ settings, and the company has tuned it for maximum sound quality rather than maximum noise-cancellation.

Dali IO-8 over-ear headphones earcup with on/off switch, battery life and USB-C socket — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

No matter how you get your audio information on board, it’s delivered to your ears by a couple of 50mm free edge full-range dynamic drivers that are good, suggests Dali, for a frequency response of 10Hz-43kHz. Just as it does with its full-size speakers, Dali has built these drivers from a paper fibre material with randomly aligned fibres of varying lengths to create a light-yet-stiff diaphragm with optimal damping.

As far as control is concerned, there are a couple of options here. Each earcup features a couple of mic openings – Dali has used cVc technology for telephony, and these mics also allow communication with your source player’s native voice assistant. In addition to its USB-C input, the right earcup features a combination of push- and touch-controls covering ‘play/pause’, ‘volume up/down’, ‘skip forwards/backwards’, ‘answer/end call’ and ‘power on/off/Bluetooth pairing’ as well as cycling through your ANC options or choosing between two EQ settings (‘hi-fi’ or ‘bass’).

What’s conspicuous by its absence, though, is a control app. Dali wants to make a virtue of this – it’s tuned the IO-8 to sound as good as they can, goes the rationale, and the last thing the sound quality needs is the end user sticking their oar in. Whether or not you think an outlay as significant as this ought to buy a swanky control app a la Bowers & Wilkins, Bose and all the rest of them is a question of personal preference.

Features score: 4.5/5

Dali IO-8 review: Sound quality

Detailed and expansive sound
Positive, dynamic presentation
Great low-end expression and agility

If you’ve heard any of Dali’s more expensive loudspeaker designs lately, the combination of talents the IO-8 demonstrate when playing music, of any type, won’t come as any kind of surprise. If you haven’t, though, well… it’s like this…

The IO-8 are remarkably insightful, detailed headphones. No element of a recording is too fleeting to elude them, and they have the happy knack of being able to put even the most transient events in a singular recording like Children Crying by The Congos into convincing context. Their remarkable facility for detail retrieval and expression is not at the expense of the bigger picture, either. The Dali create a large overall image, and it’s only when you peer closely at it that you realise just how alive with detail it is.

There’s a sensation of directness and of positivity to the way these headphones deliver music, a sensation of engagement that some similarly priced alternatives forgo in an effort to sound somehow more ‘accurate’. There’s no lack of precision to the IO-8, no lack of apparent fidelity – but they’re no dry tool of analysis. The idea of music as entertainment does not escape them, not even for a moment.

They have ample bite and shine at the top of the frequency range, but it’s controlled to the point that there’s never any glint of hardness, even in a Lee Perry production that is constantly on edge where treble sounds are concerned. The transition into the midrange is seamless, and once there the Dali communicate with absolute assurance and no little articulacy. They can relay a vocal performance's minutiae with the sort of effortlessness that makes for a direct and unequivocal listen.

Dali IO-8 over-ear headphones 3.5mm cable socket — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

At the bottom of the frequency range there’s a great combination of weight, texture and momentum. Listening with the ‘hi-fi’ EQ setting selected, the Dali offer straight-edged attack, rhythmic certainty, a decent amount of punch and an absolute stack of tonal and textural variation. Switch to ‘bass’ and while the amount of low-end presence increases noticeably, it’s not at the expense of any of the other work the Dali do with bass information. For my money it’s a slightly less naturalistic setting, but those who crave a bit of wallop won’t be disappointed.

Tonality is carefully neutral, and the frequency response is delightfully even from the very bottom of the frequency range to the very top. The broad dynamic shifts in intensity apparent in a 24bit/96kHz FLAC file of Stay Lit by Holy F*** are described in full – the IO-8 have no problem putting considerable distance between ‘loud’ and ‘quiet’. And the harmonic variations that are apparent in every instrument in this recording are given plenty of expression, too.

The Dali summon a large and persuasive soundstage, organizes it with utter authority and makes specific elements of even very complex recordings easy to identify and individualize. But at the same time it offers a very persuasive sensation of togetherness and singularity to recordings – there’s always an impression of ‘performance’ to the way it presents music.

Noise-cancelling, predictably, falls squarely into the ‘very good’ category rather than the very brief list headed ‘as good as Bose’ (single occupant: Bose). The IO-8 can do a reasonably thorough job on external sounds and keep those external distractions at bay, sure, but just as importantly, it does so without affecting the sonic characteristics in the slightest.

Sound quality score: 5/5

Dali IO-8 review: Design

‘Iron’ black, or ‘caramel’ white finishes
Real leather contact points
Weighs 325g

It comes to something, doesn’t it, when ‘round’ counts as a design flourish? But the fundamental design of over-ear headphones is so established that the perfectly circular earcups and earpads of the IO-8 is about the only part of their appearance that’s even remotely unusual.

They’re expertly built and finished, mind you, and from very upmarket and tactile materials. The round plate that covers the outside of each round earcup is of brushed and anodised metal, while the contact points of the inside of the headband and the earpads themselves are of memory foam covered in genuine leather (so long, vegans, it was nice knowing you). An outer section of the earpads and the entirety of the outside of the headband are covered in hard-wearing textile.

The headband adjustment mechanism is mostly concealed inside the headband itself, and it moves with nicely judged resistance. At 325g the IO-8 are far from the heaviest wireless over-ears around, and both the hanger arrangement and clamping force are so judicious that they remain comfortable for hours at a time. And unlike quite a lot of rival products, the Dali are not so big that they exclude the smaller-headed among us.

Design score: 4.5/5

Dali IO-8 over-ear headphones' headband and hanger arrangement on a wooden surface — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Dali IO-8 review: Value

High-quality sound at a crowded price point
Comfortable, look good, excellent battery life
No control app, plus non-vegan

You buy expensive headphones in order to enjoy high-quality sound, right? If so, then there’s no arguing with the value on offer here – the Dali IO-8 are by no means your only choice at the price, but they have nothing to apologize for when it comes to the way they sound.

And if you’re able to overlook the lack of a vegan option, the standard of build and finish is well up to standard, too. The IO-8 look and feel good and they’re comfortable for hours on end, with the battery life to prove it.

If you think this sort of money should buy a control app, you’ll certainly get no argument from me. But I have to wonder what it would be for – after all, the way Dali has voiced these headphones is unlikely to be improved by my fiddling with EQ settings, and the company has already indicated that the ANC is implemented to the maximum level it’s happy with. It would be nice to be able to integrate all my favorite music streaming services into one hub, of course, but I’ve seen enough ropey control apps to know that ‘no app’ is better than ‘annoying app’.

Value score: 4.5/5

Should I buy Dali IO-8?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Dali IO-8 over-ear headphones carry case on a wood surface — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Dali IO-8 review: Also consider

Apple AirPods Max
I’m contractually obliged to mention the Apple AirPods Max here. They’re a great option for iPhone and iPad users, to be fair, with a nicely realized sensation of spatial audio when connected to a sibling device, but I’ve yet to see anyone good-looking enough to wear them without looking like a bit of a ‘nana.
See our in-depth Apple AirPods Max review for more info.

How I tested the Dali IO-8

Connected wirelessly, via USB-C and via 3.5mm analogue
Powered and passively
Indoors and out

They’re adaptable by the standards of wireless headphones, the Dali IO-8, and so I listened to them when wireless connected to an iPhone 14 Pro and a FiiO M15S digital audio player. I also listened to them via a USB-C connection to an Apple MacBook Pro (loaded with Colibri software in order to play authentically high-resolution content).

I also listened to them with the battery switched off and a hard analogue connection made to both the FiiO and the MacBook Pro, too. I listened to them at my desk and on public transport, I listened to lots of different styles of music, delivered via lots of different digital audio file types and sizes. And I did all of this, on and off, for well over a week.

First reviewed: October 2024
Read more about how we test

Xiaomi Buds 5 review: great-sounding cheap earbuds but sadly, there are issues

4:30 pm | October 2, 2024

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

Xiaomi Buds 5: Two-minute review

Like most Chinese tech companies, Xiaomi's product portfolio runs the gamut from smartphones and fitness trackers to tablets, air fryers, electric scooters and massage guns, and while you may know the company for a few of those gadgets, headphones may not be one of them. And it's true that the company has yet to feature in our roundup of the best earbuds we've tested, although we keep checking with reviews just like these.

So while the likes of the Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Ultra smartphones may be stealing headlines and winning hearts (we gave both 4.5/5), the Xiaomi Buds 5 have more of an uphill battle in order to win listeners over. And as you'll soon find out, the buds' favorite direction is actually 'down'.

The Xiaomi Buds 5 are new headphones that are some of Xiaomi's higher-end audio offerings, but still certainly fall into the 'best cheap headphones' category, bumping up against many options from rival audio brands as well as from market stalwarts.

There's a lot to like with the Xiaomi Buds 5, but enough to dislike that you may not want to put up with the good parts.

My main issue, which plagued testing from the day I started until the day I finished, was the fit of these earbuds. Without any silicone tip, or much of an arch in the design to hook them into your ear, the Buds 5 just refuse to stay in place. They'll start to slip if you so much as walk, and a head shake or jump will see them tumble from place. I found myself repeatedly pushing them back into my ear if I had to go on walks with them in.

I thought the issue was down to my ear shape but (after heavy sanitization) I made a few other people test them out too. They all commented, unprovoked, that the buds felt very loose. A decent fit in a design that doesn't use ear tips to achieve a seal something Apple's worked on extensively for its AirPods 4 rollout, and Xiaomi could learn a little for the Cupertino giant here.

So you're only going to be able to enjoy your music if you're sitting still, or doing gentle activities like chopping veg for dinner or vacuuming your apartment. But then you're going to have to contend with an app that I found to be quite buggy.

Many times during testing, I'd pop the buds in my ears only to find that some key features weren't working. I found that the buds needed to be manually reconnected in the app for these features to work, with ANC and my custom equalizer only enabled after this. I can't imagine that this is an intentional feature, so I can only presume that it's a bug (hopefully, one that an update will fix).

These are two major issues but there are a few things that I'd consider significant 'cons' on better earbuds: the noise cancellation, battery life and call quality are all middling to poor.

So with that all in mind, why have I given the Xiaomi Buds 5 a fairly reasonable score? Well, it's largely down to the sound quality: they have a really distinctive and appealing audio balance that leans heavily on bass without losing trebles and mids. It's zealous, it's punchy and it's oh-so likeable! Music is high-quality, thanks to support for a few big codecs, and Harman Kardon tuning helps you appreciate your songs in a roaring and bordering on warm balance. That's if you can enjoy your music before the buds fall from your ears!

A few more features win the Xiaomi Buds 5 points too, including an audio-recording feature that you can enable straight from your ears, really convenient gesture controls, and a svelte and lightweight carry case. Honestly, the poor app and irritating fit let these otherwise promising earbuds down.

Xiaomi Buds 5 review: Price and release date

The Xiaomi Buds 5 on a bookshelf. — (Image credit: Future)

Unveiled in September 2024
Sells for £69.99 (roughly $90, AU$140)
On sale in Europe for now

The Xiaomi Buds 5 were announced in late September 2024, alongside the Mi Smart Band 9 and a range of smart-home products.

You can pick up the buds for £69.99 (roughly $90, AU$140) which makes these contenders for our round-up of the best cheap earbuds. Based on precedent, Xiaomi could release a pricier Pro version down the line, and its full audio range extends from pricier open-ear sports buds to some staggeringly cheap buds under its Redmi sub-brand.

At that price you’d be comparing these to a few rivals from other mobile brands including the CMF Buds Pro 2 and OnePlus Buds Nord 3 Pro, as well as the fantastic Sony WF-C510 and Earfun Air Pro 4.

There's no news on a release outside Europe just yet and Xiaomi doesn't release much of its tech in the US, but in Australia we could well see it go on sale based on precedent.

Xiaomi Buds 5 review: Specs

Xiaomi Buds 5 review: Features

Middling battery life and ANC performance
Offers novel audio recording feature
App has some bugs

The Buds 5 do offer active noise cancellation, but it’s nothing to write home about. There are two modes: Balanced and Deep, with an adaptive mode that’ll toggle between the two depending on your environment, but neither are particularly hardcore. They’ll take the edge off of annoying background noises but not muffle them in any significant way, and the lack of passive noise isolation from the buds’ design doesn’t help either.

The battery life of the buds isn’t fantastic, clocking in at 6.5 hours with ANC turned off according to Xiaomi. The company doesn’t provide a figure for listening time with it turned on, but I got the buds to last a touch over 5 hours with ANC deployed. The case will keeping ticking for a lot longer though, with 39 hours of playback when ANC is off according to Xiaomi. Based on my aforementioned figures, I’d estimate that you’d get 30 hours with ANC on.

For the rest of the features we need to jump into the app, but there’s a problem here. The Xiaomi Earbuds app had a big issue which affected the use of many of the Buds 5 features, and I can’t tell if it’s an intentional one or a bug.

Every time I put the earbuds in my ears, the app wouldn’t automatically realize that they were connected – I’d have to load it up and press ‘connect’. Before I did this, features including ANC control and the ability to tweak settings wouldn’t work, and it was an irritating extra step every time I wanted to listen to music. Other options don't do it; I can't imagine why it would be desirable.

Some of the features offered by the buds are standard ones that we’ve come to expect in wireless earbuds (not that all rivals offer them, so their presence in the Xiaomi Buds are welcome). These include changing the gesture controls, toggling wear detection, setting up dual-device connectivity, checking the buds’ battery life, changing ANC modes and finding the buds if you’ve misplaced them.

The Xiaomi Earbuds app offers an equalizer, albeit one hidden away in the Audio Effects menu, as well as a few simple presets like Enhance Voice or Decrease Bass. I found myself using the Harman AudioEFX preset mostly, which I’ll explore in more detail later on.

You can also use Audio Effects to turn on ‘Dimensional Audio’, which is presumably Xiaomi’s answer to Spatial Audio, a feature that plenty of earbuds offer in order to make music sound like it’s surrounding you. However, this feature in the Buds 5 transports you to one space in particular: the cellar underneath a nightclub bar. It seems to simply slather on oceans of artificial reverb, as though you’re hearing tunes through several layers of brick, making music sound awful. Avoid!

One novel feature the Xiaomi Buds 5 offer is an audio-recording feature. While most earbuds will do this, as they’ll replace the audio input of your phone while connected, Xiaomi bakes this feature into the app, and also lets you enable it as a gesture control for the buds.

It’s not a feature that everyone will find hugely useful, but I can see some finding it handy in certain situations. I found it convenient as a way to leave myself voice memos without having to find a pen and paper or my smartphone, and I see it being handy for anyone who likes hands-free note-taking like this. Just bear in mind the laws where you live regarding recording people without their consent, something the app does remind you about.

Features score: 3.5/5

Xiaomi Buds 5 review: Design

Earbuds keep slipping out
Touch controls on the bud
Lightweight carry case

Unlike many of its rivals and contemporaries, Xiaomi hasn’t put a silicon tip of the Buds 5. It didn’t for its predecessors, saving that for the Pro equivalents. It’s a shame because my biggest gripe with the earbuds is that they had trouble staying in my ears, a problem eartips would likely fix.

This problem didn’t occur if I was seated or keeping my head relatively static, but when walking (or doing any other kind of movement) the Buds 5 would quickly start to slip – I’d have to constantly be re-adjusting the fit and pushing the buds back into my ears.

Not only was this indescribably irritating, but buds that are half out the ear aren’t delivering on their full sonic potential, and also fall foul of sensitive wear detection too. This issue ruled me out form using the buds in the gym, and I stopped using them when cooking too as I didn’t want to push them back into my ears with messy hands – or have them fall into the pot.

Each bud has a small button on the stem that you can squeeze for various controls: single, double, triple and long presses for different functions. It takes quite a hearty press to trigger the function but a light ‘click’ lets you know that your action was successful.

The buds are relatively light, weighing 4.2g each. They have an IP54 protection which means they’re safe from splashes of water and ingress of dust, but immersion in water will wreck them.

The Buds 5 come in a shiny plastic chrome-looking case, which I think is pretty neat-looking even though the reflections make taking review pictures an absolute nightmare!

Opening this clam-shell case reveals the entirety of the buds, unlike many other cases which hide the stems in the body – because of this I found it really easy to remove the buds when I wasn’t paying attention, as the process was less fiddly than almost all rivals on the market.

The case weighs 36.6g and comes with a USB-C port for charging, and not a lot else. You can pick up the buds in silver, white and black, and your choice affects the case and the buds.

Design score: 3.5/5

Xiaomi Buds 5 review: Sound quality

Great audio for price
Tuning from Harman Kardon
Support for good list of codices

The Xiaomi Buds 5 have 11mm drivers and tick quite a few audiophile boxes. These include support for a range of codecs including AAC, SBC, LC3, aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive, connectivity using Bluetooth 5.4, and support for Bluetooth Low Energy. They also have an audio balance tuned by Harman Kardon, continuing a partnership between Xiaomi and the audio specialists which has also extended to its smartphones and speakers.

When I first started listening to the Xiaomi Buds 5, I was surprised just how much bass they offered for in-ear buds, and of all the buds I’ve tested recently they’re second only to Nothing’s recent audio offerings in terms of sheer thump-power (that’s the technical term).

In the default audio balance, the Harman AudioEFX, here’s a distinctive focus on lower-focus instruments and pitches, making for a balance so warm that you’d think Xiaomi had used some tech from one of its kitchen gadgets. I can see some people loving the mix, and others really not getting on with it, but the other presets can balance the sound a little better.

Whether you like the balance or don’t, it’s hard to deny that the quality is great for the price; I don’t notice significant peaking or distortion, and the treble and mid were still palpable in the mix even if they weren’t the priority. Music had a level of energy that I’ve longed for in other similarly-priced rivals that I’ve tested.

Marring the otherwise-great audio quality is the bud fit issue that I mentioned before – music sounds great when the buds are sitting comfortably in your ears, but as soon as they begin to slip out you’ll be losing that music magic.

As mentioned earlier there’s an equalizer mode and I see most people relying on the presets due to the way they’re laid out in the app. These largely deliver on the promise in the title: increased bass, focus on voice and so on, with the default mode delivering the most nuanced mix.

Sound quality: 4/5

Xiaomi Buds 5 review: Value

Better audio than you'd expect for the price
Perhaps hold out for a Pro model

When I first started testing the Xiaomi Buds 5 I didn’t know the exact price they’d launch for, and the cost that I guessed they’d retail for ended up being a slight amount more than the actual price. That is to say, I thought the earbuds would cost more than they do.

That’s mainly down to the audio chops: between the sound quality, specs list and Harman Kardon tuning, Xiaomi seems to have hit exactly what it aimed at, whether or not it’ll be to everyone’s specific tastes. You’re also getting all the features you’d expect for earbuds at this price and they mostly seem to work well.

The one thing I should flag though is the prospect of Pro buds: in the past Xiaomi’s Pro options have had silicon tips, unlike the standard models, and these would fit my ear fit issues. I can’t wholeheartedly recommend the Buds 5 if a reasonably-priced Buds 5 Pro could be around the corner.

Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Xiaomi Buds 5?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Xiaomi Buds 5 review: Also consider

How I tested the Xiaomi Buds 5

Tested for two weeks
Tested at home, in the office and on trips

The Xiaomi Buds 5 enjoyed a testing period of two weeks, though I used the buds for longer than that while I was writing the review itself. They were mainly connected to my Android phone though I paired them to a few other devices, including an iPad and Windows laptop.

Testing was mostly done at home or in my office but I also used the earbuds on a few walks and on public transport. I mostly listened to music using Spotify but also listened to spoken word, played games and watched TV shows on Netflix.

I've tested tech for TechRadar for over 5 years now and that includes countless Xiaomi devices and rival budget earbuds. I tested all of the Buds 5's close contemporary rivals.

First reviewed in September 2024

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Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review: tiny earphones that are drowned out by the competition

7:07 am | September 26, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: Samsung Galaxy Buds | Comments: Off

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2: One-minute review

As a long-time user of Google’s incredible first generation Pixel Buds Pro earbuds, I was very excited to stuff the Pixel Buds Pro 2 earbuds into my ears. Having received them at the same time as Samsung’s also brilliant Galaxy Buds 3 Pros has, however, muted my opinion of the smaller Google earphones.

Google has gone back to the drawing board for the aesthetic of the Pixel Buds Pro 2, with a much smaller design while retaining the egg-shaped case. This new design sits more firmly in the user’s ear with the same brilliant touch controls on the sides, though a new ‘twist-to-adjust stabilizer’, taking the form of a physical plastic fin, may lead to some discomfort in your ears (in fairness with this criticism, a colleague of mine also using the headphones said he didn’t mind).

Battery life is better than ever with the second generation, boasting up to eight hours with noise cancellation on or 12 with it off (30 and 48 hours respectively with case recharging factored in).

Noise cancellation has been improved with a redesigned seal and the transparency mode is just as effective as with the previous model. I’ve certainly noticed a difference between the new noise cancellation and Google’s old noise cancellation in the previous generation when walking beside a busy road, though ultimately I don't expect all sounds to be blocked out entirely. In fact, with the earbuds placed in some positions at different adjustments, you may notice an odd windy or whistling sound. Adjust your buds the best you can to mitigate this odd noise, but ultimately it makes quick ease-of-use a step more difficult.

Though perhaps the most unfortunate thing about the Pixel Buds Pro 2 earbuds is that they’re priced far too confidently. At $229/£219/AU$379, the buds fall within range of the better Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pros, at $249/£219/AU$399. Were you shopping at these price points, I would usher you in the direction of Samsung’s new Pro earbuds.

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review: Price and release date

The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 on a table — (Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / Techradar)

Unveiled on August 14
Priced at $229/£219/AU$379
Price increase over the Google Pixel Buds Pro ($199/£179/$AU299)

We can immediately applaud Google for the bold colorways it’s offering the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 in, which are far more interesting than the finishes you'll find when shopping for either the Samsung Galaxy Buds or Apple AirPods.

The standard black (Hazel) and white (Porcelain) are here, but also a gorgeous candy pink called Peony is available, along with a brilliant mint green called Wintergreen.

While I won’t admonish anyone for shopping based on color (I have friends who tend to buy a lot of pink tech) I would encourage you to think of the better quality on offer with similarly priced headphones, and to maybe consider the original Pixel Buds Pro if you want a splash of color without spending too much.

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review: Specs

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review: Features

The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 in their case — (Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / Techradar)

Exceptional battery life
Strong noise cancellation and transparency modes
Twist-to-adjust stabilizers may feel awkward in-ear

The feature set on offer with the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 puts it in direct competition with any other Pro earbuds on the market, but you may find some things are a bit off.

These earbuds are more good than bad, so let’s start with the good stuff. The battery life is not only brilliant, but it also bests the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pros ever so slightly (8 hours versus 7 hours for the Samsung pair). The original Pixel Buds Pro earbuds had great battery life, so it’s great to see Google keep it up.

Noise cancellation has seen a noticeable improvement with the introduction of what Google calls ‘SilentSeal 2.0’. I tend to walk beside a lot of busy roads in Sydney quite often, and switching between the previous generation and current generation Pixel Buds Pro earbuds, I can certainly hear the difference when a bus rolls past. The Pro 2s are able to block out much more noise, not that the first-generation buds did a bad job. If the transparency mode received any upgrades, for which I can’t find any evidence, it’s not noticeable between the earbuds.

A major point of conflict I have for the earbuds is the in-ear comfort, and truth be told I can’t make heads or tails of it. Google has not just subtly redesigned how the earbuds sit in your ear, but has also introduced a new feature called ‘twist-to-adjust’. We’ll talk about this in greater depth in the design section below, but it’s essentially a plastic fin that sits neatly within your ear for greater support. Twist the earbud up and the bud will sit more strongly in your ear, making it ideal for physical exercise.

This is a great feature and I’ve certainly been using it regularly when going for walks (though it is more intended for cyclists and runners). One of my major problems with the original Pixel Buds Pro earbuds was that they can fall out of your ear all too easily, so it’s nice to see an improvement made on this front.

Finally, the buds also come with Google Gemini support for hands-free use, activated with the simple saying of ‘hey Google’ (or have a free-flowing conversation with the assistant by saying ‘hey Google, let’s talk live’). It’s neat for if you want a quick action performed without using your hands, but it might make you look a bit strange on the train. I didn’t use this feature much as I’m still yet to find a use for a large language model AI assistant.

Features score: 4/5

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review: Design

The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 in-ear — (Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / Techradar)

Much smaller design than original generation
Difficult to make comfortable in your ears
Egg-shaped case returns with Google Find My Device

The main drawcard of the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 earbuds is that they’re smaller than the first generation buds – and it’s quite a noticeable size down. Where in the past a much less careful grip could have firmly inserted, removed, or adjusted the buds in your ears, a deliberate pinch is now required to tweak the buds in and out. The great haptic buttons on the sides of the buds are the same, though obviously with the smaller form factor it may be more difficult for those with larger hands to make adjustments.

As you may have assumed, this smaller size is both a blessing and a boon. They look much more premium and unique, sure, but the smaller fit forces the user to make their interactions with the buds much more deliberate to make any adjustments. I for one prefer the size and shape of the original Pixel Buds Pro earbuds.

The more egregious matter at hand with the design changes comes down to comfort. I just can’t get consistently comfortable with these earbuds. I feel like I’m constantly adjusting them, as I move from the office, to the train, to my home, to walking through the street. The twist-to-adjust stabilizer fins and the surrounding plastic add quite a bit of discomfort to the experience that didn’t exist with the previous generation or the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pros, for which I’m constantly tweaking the earbuds in an attempt to counteract. This leads to complications with the sound quality, which I’ll touch on below.

Finally, the cute egg-shaped design for the charging case has returned with a subtle improvement – support for Google Find My Device. This includes an integrated speaker that plays a chime when you enter pairing mode or a persistent noise when you’re using the Find My Device app. It’s a great addition if you’re the type to constantly lose your earbuds.

Design score: 3/5

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review: Sound quality

Great sound, if a bit wooly and quiet
Decent equalizer customization
Complications with comfort can bleed into sound issues

I can’t fault the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 earphones on sound all too much, though when constantly switching between these earbuds and the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pros, you’ll quickly learn that there’s better sound depth with Samsung’s alternative, despite smaller audio drivers on paper.

That’s not to say the sound produced by the Pixel Buds Pro 2 earbuds is bad – it’s just flatter and more wooly. This can be mitigated significantly by using the Pixel Buds app to adjust the equalizer. There are quite a few presets to choose from and the ability to set and save your own custom levels.

The only real problem I had with sound stemmed from the trouble I had with the design. When constantly adjusting these buds, pulling them in and out of my ears and tweaking them around, the buds would start to produce an awkward whistling or windy noise.

This would be much more pronounced when outside and blocking out an abundance of noise with ANC on or absorbing said noise with transparency enabled. I could hear the seal coming unstuck with each step and the flow of wind past my ear being dulled.

With the smaller design, it’s obvious that you need to find the ‘Goldilocks’ zone in your ears for the buds to sit, lest you succumb to sound issues like me.

Sound quality score: 4/5

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review: Value

Much more expensive than the first-gen Pros
Difficult to compete with the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro

The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 earbuds are priced to directly compete with the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pros, and that’s a problem because the Galaxy Buds 3 Pros are better in every way. This is a problem that is becoming more pronounced across the Pixel product range as Google is starting to price its tech at more premium price points.

The sounds produced by the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are a bit flatter and quieter, and the noise cancellation is a bit less impressive when compared to Samsung’s top-end option. With Samsung’s shift to a stem design, the buds also sit more confidently in the user’s ear, and because the buds are naturally larger, it’s easier for more clumsy fingers to make playback adjustments.

It’s not a night-and-day difference between these buds, but it is noticeable.

Value score: 2/5

Should I buy the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review: Also consider

How I tested the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2

From the moment I received the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 earbuds, I got to work reviewing them. I’ve been using the buds for about two weeks, switching between them and the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pros as I’ve gone along.

In my testing, I used Spotify as my music app, switching both pairs of earbuds between the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 and the Google Pixel Pro Fold 9. Both pairs of earbuds were tested in the same environments, including walks beside busy roads, in-office use, home use, walks through the park and when sleeping.

Noise cancellation was used a lot with the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2. In terms of EQ, I mostly used the default option, though I did enable the heavy bass option now and again.

To justify the direct comparisons in this review, I found myself constantly listening to the same songs and albums back to back between the Pixel Buds Pro 2 and the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro.

First reviewed in September 2024

Marshall Monitor III ANC review: big sound and even bigger battery life from comfy wireless headphones

5:05 pm | September 24, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Headphones Wireless Headphones | Comments: Off

For the past week I’ve been trying out the new Marshall Monitor III ANC over ear headphones. The new cans are available to buy right now in the US and UK for $349 / £299, which makes them a little pricier than their predecessors which were $30 / £30 cheaper. Even with the price rise they’re an excellent follow-up to 2020’s Monitor II ANC headphones – which we gave four stars in our review – thanks to great-sounding audio and a stupendously long battery-life.

Starting on that last point, these new Marshall headphones can go for a ridiculously long time; we’re talking a 70 hour battery life when using them to play music over Bluetooth with ANC on, 100 hours with it off.

For comparison, the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones promise only 30 hours with ANC on, and the Apple AirPods Max just 20 hours. The Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 that features in our best noise-cancelling headphones guide as the ideal long-life option hits 60 hours. Marshall’s 70-hour claim looks to hold up too; I’ve been using the Monitor III ANC headphones a lot and haven’t needed to charge them since I did straight after unboxing them – though when I do my full review I plan to properly test how long these cans can last.

But what good is lasting a long time if they don’t put on a performance? Thankfully the Marshall Monitor III ANC headphones certainly hold their own here.

The drivers give drum and bass hits like Backbone from Chase & Status and Stormzy the oomph its thumping tones necessitate, while not overpowering tracks like Remi Wolf’s Cinderella that are brimming with bouncy funk. There’s a warmth in the Marshall Monitor III’s audio too – which comes through splendidly in more emotional tracks like Jarki Monno’s Charlie.

The Marshall Monitor III Headphones from the side, being worn by a rockstar with a leather jacket — (Image credit: Marshall)

Outside of music, these cans perform well too. Podcasts, film, TV, YouTube videos, you name it – the Marshall III ANC headphones are putting on a good show.

That said, if you do want to tweak the EQ settings, you can change them to better suit your musical needs, though I’ve found the default 'original Marshall sound' setting is really well balanced and ideal for a lot of different listening experiences.

The soundstage has also had a tune up. Marshall’s previous Monitors had a somewhat restrictive stage. They didn’t feel completely closed off, but trackers were not always given the space they needed to breathe. Out of the box the Monitor IIIs might look like they repeat this error, but with the official app you can now open up that soundstage to suit your likings.

There’s a noticeable change with this Adaptive Soundstage feature switch on, so make sure you turn it on as soon as you can. Songs feel more spacious, and it makes the Monitor III ANC headphones solid picks for watching your favorite films or shows.

Not my style – but a fantastic design

Design-wise the Monitor IIIs admittedly aren’t my preferred style. There is something to love about the undoubtable Marshall look – with the same finish as the iconic amps, the logo on each ear cup, and a kind of classic grunginess that makes these look almost like they’ve been ripped from a rock band’s studio session from decades ago. It’s just not for me.

The Marshall Monitor III ANC headphones folded up tightly and packed in their case lines with red velvet. — (Image credit: Marshall)

That’s subjective though; the objective design features of these ’phones are undoubtedly positive.

I love the physical knob for the volume and playback controls – give me one of these over tap controls any day. There are also two dedicated buttons, one on each side, that manage the active noise cancellation controls (with you being able to set which modes it swaps between in the app), and a customizable M Button (which can do whatever you set it to do, again in the app).

There’s also a USB-C port on the underside of the left cup, however, you won’t find a 3.5mm aux port.

Beyond the button layout, these cans are designed to be thrown in a bag and taken on adventure. Their headband can survive fairly extreme bending and twisting without snapping, and the outer shell can take a fair few knocks. They also fold up very tight and fit into what I’ve been told is the smallest case for over ear headphones on the market – inside its lined with a red velvety material to mimic the inside of guitar cases. It’s also one of those proper protective cases that zips up, not an awkward shell that some headphones rely on nowadays.

Oh, and don’t let me forget comfort. These things are so easy to wear thanks to the super-spongy cushions; I’ve had no issue wearing them practically all-day.

Don’t forget the app

To get the most out of these over-ear headphones you need the official Marshall app. It allows you to manage the Soundstage settings, the on-device button controls, the EQ so that music meets your exact specifications (though the default Marshall profile is very good), and a few other features.

It’s fairly standard as headphones apps go at this point, with a clean intuitive interface, and it was very easy to set up.

The only issue I’ve had with any feature is that the Auto Play/Pause tool was initially too sensitive – moving my head at all would cause the Monitor IIIs to pause tracks, not just when I removed them. However, a firmware update does appear to have resolved this issue and for the past few days I’ve been able to keep Auto Play/Pause on without it frustrating me – it can be turned off in the app.

The Marshall app showing off the Monitor III ANC headphones, the EQ settings and the Soundstage settings. — (Image credit: Future / Marshall)

Despite this minor (and seemingly now resolved) set back, the Marshall Monitor III ANC headphones have so far really impressed me. They have the comfort and battery life to keep me wearing them for days on end, and a vibrant sound that I’ll happily immerse myself in for all that time.

I need to conduct a few more tests, but so far I’d say they hold their own against the best wireless headphones, and their small size could make them a great contender to be the best travel headphones. So if you’re thinking of grabbing a new pair of cans this is looking like another model to add to your list of ones to consider.

Sony WH-1000XM4
Even if they're a few years old the Sony WH-1000XM4s are still the best wireless headphones for most people as they boast impressive audio, ANC, and come at a great price. These aren't ones to ignore.

Read our full reviewView Deal

Sony WH-1000XM5
The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are up there with the best wireless headphones we've ever tested with top-notch audio, an elegant design, and (unfortunately) a fairly high price.

Read our full reviewView Deal

Apple AirPods Max
The Apple AirPods Max are the perfect headphones for Apple devotees and best-in-class spatial audio, however you can find better cans if you're looking to pick up a pair for full-price.

Read our full reviewView Deal

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 review: excellence across the board from B&W’s much-changed flagship noise-cancelling earbuds

4:30 pm | September 22, 2024

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

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: Two-minute review

I was once told that only a poor writer starts with a quote. So forgive me, because this one (from author and leadership mentor John C. Maxwell) explains my thoughts on Bowers & Wilkins' Pi8 far better than I could: A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.

A lot has been corrected here, and it takes a big man (or woman, or person) to do it. TechRadar reviews typically begin with the bold claims made by a product's marketing team, and end with whether or not we felt the performance lived up to the hype. But B&W has approached this iteration with such humility, honesty and determination (rather than nonchalance and bravado) that I cannot do that. What I can tell you – and with some joy – is that the Pi8 are some of the best noise-cancelling earbuds I've ever tested.

They are, as you'll probably have guessed, completely unlike their older siblings. Gone are the Swiss watch-style embellishments and metallic circular top plates of the Pi7 and Pi5 (and the Pi5 S2 and Pi7 S2), which looked beautiful in my hand but didn't work in my ear canal. Bowers & Wilkins has effectively started from scratch this time around, deploying the services of the same in-house team that created its PX7 S2 and sublime PX8 over-ear headphones – a set of cans I said "look stunning and sound even better" under intense review.

Has the gamble worked? While I'd love to stretch this two-minute verdict out, let's face it, the star rating at the top of this review is kind of a giveaway. Yes, it has. The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 are now as physically comfortable and secure as they are sonically detailed and dynamically agile.

Also, you now get on-ear volume control. I've been knocking B&W's decision to leave this off the spec sheet since 2021, which meant that even with the company's most elite earbuds, I had to rifle through my bag to alter the volume, while propositions at a fifth of the price could do it. And now that's fixed. Okay, you have to choose whether you want the tap-and-hold gesture of either earbud to tweak volume (left down; right up) or scroll between ANC and passthrough in the left bud, and voice assistant activation in the right, but I don't care – at least, not enough to knock a half-star off.

The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 are a five-star set of earbuds all day long, even at their considerable price point.

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 held in a hand, with floral background — (Image credit: Future)

A quick bit about their corresponding Pi6 siblings, which were unveiled (as is B&W's tradition) on the same day: aptX Lossless support is reserved for the flagship Pi8. Also, while the slightly cheaper Pi6 feature new 12mm bio-cellulose drivers (based on tech used in the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e, B&W's 2023 update to the aforementioned PX7 S2 over-ears), the Pi8 get an upgraded DAC, DSP and amplifier components from ADI, meaning they effectively bypass Qualcomm's digital-to-analog converter. You also get the carbon cone drive unit technology first used in the excellent top-tier PX8 over-ear headphones in the Pi8 – see the design language carried over from that in-house team?

The Pi8 also offer the case retransmission function first seen in the Pi7 and January 2023-issue Pi7 S2. This lets you ping audio to the earbuds wirelessly but without Bluetooth, from connected analog or digital sources, (in-flight entertainment systems, gym equipment, newer USB-C-enabled iPhones, and so on). It's not the first case capable of doing the retransmission dance – see the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 or LG Tone Free T90S for more examples – but B&W's case goes a step beyond, by retransmitting in aptX Adaptive (ie. up to 24-bit/96kHz quality). It's quite the upgrade if you care about streaming quality – and with earbuds as capable (and aspirational) as the Pi8, you really should.

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 review: Price & release date

Unveiled on August 21, 2024
Priced $399 / £349 / AU$599

Admittedly, the Pi8 are not cheap. The best one can say about the asking price is that the 2021 Pi7 launched at the same $399 / £349 / AU$699, so it's refreshing to see that Bowers & Wilkins hasn't hiked the price – although that's still top-end in today's money, to be sure.

The cheaper Pi6 became available on September 15, priced at $249 / £219 / AU$449, which is more palatable, but remember that you don't get the flagship features or hardware, as detailed above.

What else can this kind of money buy? Why, competition is rife up here, friend! Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds come in at $299 / £299 / AU$449; Technics' excellent EAH-AZ80 are also in the same ballpark, at $299 / £259 / AU$499 and the Final ZE8000 MK2 (our pick for the best-sounding buds we've ever tested) are $399 / £289 (around AU$609), where available.

Suffice to say, it's tough at the top. But that's where B&W now finds itself – and the Pi8 are sitting rather prettily up there, it must be said.

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 review: Specs

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 review: Features

Excellent case retransmission feature
Effective ANC
Very good call-quality; Music App is a joy to use

Do the Pi8 nix noise as deftly as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds or the AirPods Pro 2? For me, yes. As I understand it, the Pi8 have received quite the overhaul here – using tech from their PX8 over-ear siblings – and however B&W has implemented this, it works. That cocooned feeling of leaving the outside world behind kicked straight in but without any sense of wind-tunnel nausea or my eardrums being unceremoniously sucked into a vacuum. It's probably also thanks to the hugely improved fit and the seal it creates betwixt those talented drivers and my ear canals (more on this later), but you should know that here, the noise-cancelling is very good.

There’s also a useful 'Pass Through' mode, that lets me hear my colleague talking next to me. You can switch these profiles off entirely, but there’s no capacity to tweak the levels of ANC any further, and no 'adaptive' ANC option. I don't care. When the full-fat version is this good, why get granular and try to tweak things? If you just want something that kicks extraneous noise to the curb so you can revel uninterrupted in your sonic selections, the Pi8 are it.

Now, the case: aside from its no-nonsense, pocketable appeal, you can plug that USB-C port (USB-C to 3.5mm and USB-C cables are in the box) into a non-Bluetooth source, such as an in-flight entertainment system, and it'll double as a wireless audio re-transmitter but in aptX Adaptive transmission up to 24-bit/96kHz quality. Imagine the scene: you're in the middle seat on a long-haul flight, and the window-seat passenger wants to get out. It's fine! Your earbuds are safe in your ears, still sending audio, and your fellow passenger won't trip over long tangling cables – not on your watch!

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 earbuds, held in a hand on grassy background — (Image credit: Future)

What about call quality? I liked it a lot, despite the lack of sidetone-type tech to either boost or minimize my own or the caller's voice manually. The Pi8 have three mics per earbud and B&W says the setup's been upgraded using PX8-flavor tech. For me, even during an off-shore windy day in Woolacombe (never been? It's on the UK's North Devon coastline, surfer hotspot, you should check it out), my caller told me I came through loud and clear.

It's worth noting that there are no ear-tip fit tests, hearing tests for creating personalized sound profiles, or proprietary spatial audio processing here. If you want those things, you'll need to look at options from Bose, JBL, or even Nothing. What you'll find instead is a very good five-band EQ tab and the talented Bowers & Wilkins Music app. This companion app will quickly become the way you access your music since it corrals all of your paid-for music streaming services (so I never need to go to Qobuz or Tidal specifically – it's all here!) and even serves up various "curated by Bowers & Wilkins" playlist selections for your new listening gear.

For better or worse, B&W wants the star of the show to be the untouched and unadulterated sound quality, rather than giving you ways to mess with it. The inclusion of Qualcomm’s latest and greatest Bluetooth 5.4 chipset is a testament to that. But remember, a separate high-performance dedicated DAC/DSP amp has also been thrown in, to swerve that within even the Qualcomm chip. That's the extent to which B&W has taken matters into its own hands regarding the sound quality. While it might not be an ideal proposition for those who know they need to augment certain frequencies right from the box (and would rather have B&W do it for them), those who don't need specific sonic recipes cannot fail to be wowed by the separation, neutrality and sonic clarity here.

If you've got an aptX-compatible source, you'll get much better wireless audio support too, including aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive support at up to 24-bit/96kHz. And as you'll read below, the sound quality here is unparalleled from a wireless earbuds design.

Features score: 4.5/5

Three screengrabs of the B&W Music app, using the Pi8 earbuds — Yes, I still love 2003 Laith Al-Deen… (Image credit: Bowers & Wilkins)

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 review: Sound quality

Separation, detail and clarity in spades
Bass is resolute; mids textured
Noise-cancellation doesn't mar the experience

Rarely will you read a TechRadar section entitled 'Sound' so wholly positive, so prepare yourself: no matter what genre of music I threw at them (and no matter the streaming source) it felt as if the B&W Pi8 had unpacked, weighed, opened out, examined, layered and finally presented my music with the skilled hand of a French pâtissier. The Pi8 buds also didn't seem to care whether they were working with lowly compressed Spotify streams, Tidal Max tracks, Apple Music offerings or Qobuz albums. Everything was served up with a flourish.

In Lupe Fiasco's Cake, bass frequencies in the vocals sink easily as low as Fiasco is able (which is considerable), revealing a bass floor few earbuds can take you to. During the title track, Samurai, I'm struck by the pin-point accuracy of each voice's placement in the mix. Hype men jump out from my ear lobes, my temples and beneath my chin in a raucous and zealous mix.

Switching to Stranger by Hinds and Grian Chatten, jangly guitars and Hinds' ethereal vocal stylings are present and have ample room to shine, joining each other in a cohesive mix but never competing for space. Chatten's voice joins centrally and I'm living inside my head as if at a gig, with the Fontaines D.C. front-man, well, literally in front of me…

Refreshingly, deploying ANC or pass-through doesn't make anything go sonically awry either. Bass is just as resolute in Gunna's collage with pass-through on, a profile that can so often throw a slightly tinny, sweet veil over the audio.

Any downsides? I'm struggling – and we pride ourselves on being tough critics here at TechRadar. For attack, drive, musicality, dynamic nuance, balance across the frequencies, placement, timing, and all the other things I usually talk about where sound is concerned, Bowers & Wilkins' considerable work and back-to-the-drawing-board approach has paid off. Oh, do these earbuds sound good…

Sound quality score: 5/5

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 review: Design

Totally reworked driver housings – and it works
On-ear functions require a compromise
Pocketable case

While they might not look as resoundingly premium as the Swiss watch-esque Pi5 or Pi7, the redesign here was necessary. The top surface of each nicely-branded bud is a shiny touch-capacitive button that works very well.

The buds are available in Anthracite Black with silvery accents (the sample pictured here), Dove White, Midnight Blue and Jade Green. It's a plastic build, but of premium matte plastic that seems to murmur 'I'm expensive' when you pluck them from their small, pebble-shaped case.

Bowers & Wilkins came clean to me and admitted it needed to fix some issues in the older iterations: the mic and sensors on the older Pi7 models weren’t in the best position, meaning they could get blocked by the wearer. Remember my quote at the very top of this review? It takes a big company to admit to its mistakes, and it has all been fixed for Pi8.

There's now a little indentation containing a sliver of grille, running the entire circumference of each earpiece and directly under that touch capacitive top plate. Under it are those mics and sensors – as far away from your head and ear folds as it's possible to put them. Neat.

As noted previously, a brand new "trickled down from the PX8" carbon cone driver is at the helm here, and you get four silicone ear tip options in the box: extra small, small, medium and large. I switched to the small set, but since the neck of the earbud isn't long and the design has been so carefully conceived, I don't think the tip size is paramount here. Honestly? I truly feel that B&W has taken a long, hard, humble look at Technics' EAH-AZ80 with 'concha-fit' design for the Pi8. Why do I think this? Because, as with the Technics earbuds, they look a little bulky (and they do weigh 7g each, which isn't light) but they fit just as naturally and unobtrusively. The weight is distributed as evenly as possible so they feel as if they hug your outer ear, once in situ. Simply put: they fit beautifully, and you don't need to keep screwing them further down your delicate ear canal.

The Pi8 offer more battery life than their older siblings – but not much more. The maximum playtime is 6.5 hours from the earbuds and a further 13.5 hours from the case, for 20 hours of total use – but the good news is that those tests are with ANC on. Without it, I got closer to 8.5 hours from a single charge in my testing. For clarity, the Pi7 S2's stamina was 5 hours for the earbuds (ANC off) and an additional 16 hours from the charging case, for a 21-hour total.

I do have one minor negative though, and it's similar to the minor issue I encountered with the JBL Live Beam 3. Basically, you need to ditch a set of functions again. To clarify, you can now get on-ear volume control by long-pressing either Pi8 earbud, but to have it you need to forego scrolling through ANC profiles and access to your voice assistant. On the one hand, I love that I now get on-ear volume support. On the other, I'd also like to have the option to deploy ANC by touching the earbuds as well. And I know it's not too much to ask at this level because the Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 can do it.

That's where the complaints end though because when you add in that case retransmission feature, this is a very likeable, comfortable design from Bowers & Wilkins – and a complete rewrite of the playbook that I'm sure did not come easy.

Design score: 4.5/5

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 review: Value

Acceptable battery life given the excellent sound
Sound-per-pound, they're winning
If you want hearing tests, you'll be disappointed

The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 are not cheap. They are earbuds for the listener who wants excellent, unchanged, high-quality audio in a comfortable build. If that's you, the sound here is the best I've heard in a wireless design to date. And if you've got a decent hi-res music service subscription, the B&W Music app will have at it and make your life very easy. Essentially, if you value sound quality above all else, here's where the smart money goes.

However, for battery life, the Pi8 can be beaten by recent options from JBL and Cambridge Audio, and if you want spatial audio mixed in with the ANC, you'll need to look to the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds.

Hearing tests (and the personalized sound profiles they can facilitate, from the Nothing Ear, for example) and ear-tip fit tests are also absent in the Pi8, so if those extras are high on your list of priorities, the value-for-money option lies elsewhere – possibly with Nothing; maybe even with the Denon PerL Pro.

Value score: 4.5/5

Should I buy the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: Also consider

Cambridge Audio Melomania M100
The ANC is very good indeed here, too – as is the sound quality. And to top it all off, you get the option of Matt Berry on voice prompts (his "Waiting to pair!" is the best you've ever heard). The overall aesthetic isn't as polished (the case is a little bigger) and the fit is good but not exceptional, but the M100's still a viable rival, depending on your priorities.
Make your choice by reading our Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 review

How I tested the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8

Tested for three weeks; listened against the Cambridge Audio Melomania M100, AirPods Pro 2, JBL Live Beam 3 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra
Used at work, at home and on a long weekend away (in the office, walking along Woolacombe beach, on a train)
Listened to Tidal Masters, Apple Music Lossless tracks and Spotify on an iPhone 12 Pro, a Sony Xperia 1 V and a MacBook Pro

The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 became my musical companions for over three weeks – after a thorough 48-hour run-in period.

They accompanied me to work on weekdays (walking brusquely to the station; on the London Underground network; at the office), and throughout a long weekend in Woolacombe, with regular trips along the seafront after surfing – which is a great way to test any wind interference from mics during calls.

To better test the fit and security of the Pi8, I even wore them during an aerial silks training session, and they did not budge.

To check the audio quality across the frequencies, I listened to various playlists (spanning everything from grime to classical) on Apple Music, Qobuz and Tidal, but also podcasts and albums on Spotify, and YouTube tutorials (mostly about checking the tire pressure on my car, and how to reset the system so the warning light goes off, in case you wondered) on my MacBook Pro.

I’ve been testing audio products well for over five years now. As a dancer, aerialist and musical theater performer in a previous life, sound quality, fit and user experience have always taken priority for me – but having heard how wonderful ANC can be when done well, I have grown to love immersing myself in a bubble of silence too.