The JBL Reflect Aero may look like most sports headphones on the shelves with their circular frame fringed with wing tips to help keep them in place when you’re exercising. However, there’s more to these headphones than meets the eye.
The one obvious thing that sets them apart from other workout headphones is their waterproofing. With an IP rating of IP68, these wireless earbuds aren’t just water-resistant. You can dive down 1.5 meters in salt or fresh water with them on for 30 minutes, and they’ll keep on blasting those tunes (although you do have to account for the fact that Bluetooth signals don’t travel well in water).
But wait, there’s more. JBL doesn’t stop there. It also packs the headphones with other premium features like active noise cancellation, touch controls, in-ear detection, and up to 8 hours of battery life (24 hours total with the charging case). That’s already a lot for that sub-$150 / £150 price without factoring in their great sound quality and the fact that you can actually customize their touch gestures to offer volume control.
Even though they're only a year old, the JBL Reflect Aero are still one of the best waterproof headphones sets you can get on the market right now.
JBL Reflect Aero: Price and availability
How much does it cost? $149 / £119
Where is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US and the UK
JBL Reflect Aero: SPECS
Interface: Bluetooth 5.2 Battery life: 8 hours per earbuds, 24 hours total with case Noise cancellation: Active Noise Cancellation Water resistance: IP68 Weight: 0.5 oz (13g) per earbud
The JBL Reflect Aero are surprisingly affordable for what they offer. These true wireless earbuds will set you back just $149 / £119.
Granted, that price tag isn’t in the budget range, but it still puts these earphones in the mid-range market, making them more affordable than the Sony WF-1000XM4, Apple AirPods Pro 2, and even the Beats Fit Pro. To be fair, those three models deliver superior sound and better ANC. But, none of them are submersible and have an app with a 10-band EQ so you can really customize the sound.
All things considered, the JBL Reflect Aero are definitely the best value out of all those headphones. They’re a terrific proposition not just for swimmers and active users, but also budget-minded consumers seeking some premium features.
Value: 5 / 5
(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)
JBL Reflect Aero: Design
Ear tips not the best for smaller ears
Touch controls are amazing
JBL Headphones app expands functionality
Design-wise, the JBL Reflect Aero aren’t that different from other sports earphones. In fact, they look very similar to the Beoplay E8 Sport earphones from Bang & Olufsen, except those are a little clunkier and definitely not suited for smaller ears, and the JBL Reflect Aero have that nice honeycomb pattern on the side that faces your ears.
So, we won’t get into the nitty-gritty of the design and focus instead on the details that set them apart. Their charging case, for example, comes with a strap that lets you wear it around your wrist or secure it to your backpack so they don’t pop out when you’re on the move.
Perhaps the best aspect of the JBL Reflect Aero’s design is the touch controls, which we have to commend for being responsive and customizable, with helpful sound prompts. You can even program two of those touch gestures to control the volume – something that the popular AirPods Pro line didn’t offer until the release of the second generation, months after the JBL Reflect Aero hit the streets.
To make these more inclusive of different ear sizes, these earphones come with not just silicone tips in three sizes but also three different-sized wing tip pairs. Unfortunately, those ear tips could stand to be a little smaller. Their smallest size might still be a little too big for users with small ears (or ear canal openings).
The JBL Reflect Aero come with app support, that app being the JBL Headphones (not to be confused with JBL Portable, which is for JBL speakers). You certainly do not have to download the app to use the earphones, but it’s well worth having. Not only does it expand their functionality, but also allows you to personalize their sound using the 10-band EQ, which lets you significantly customize those frequencies.
Design: 4 / 5
(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)
JBL Reflect Aero: Performance
Ambient Aware is good, ANC only ok
Very good sound quality, bass a little weird
Mic has less low-end and no background noise rejection
There’s a lot to unload in terms of the JBL Reflect Aero’s performance as they do most things well. The Ambient Aware feature (JBL’s transparency mode), for example, is great. We’ve found that it lets you hear enough of your surroundings to have a conversation with another person while music is still playing at about 50% volume.
You can also pair two devices at the same time, so you can easily switch between your phone and your laptop, for example, when you’re getting a call on your phone while watching a movie on your laptop. There’s also the very reactive in-ear detection that’s very good at detecting when you’ve taken an earbud off or put it back on. Meanwhile, the mic sounds good for making phone calls – so you can rest assured that the person on the other end is hearing you clearly.
As far as sound quality (with the in-app EQ off), the vocals come through clearly and uncolored (not filtered). The high end in general sounds very clear and detailed, if a little on the bright side.
The rest are just ok, decent at best. The active noise cancellation is nothing to write home about as it doesn’t really block out higher frequency sounds – anything that’s in the mids or highs. The only way it works well is when you’ve got music playing at a louder volume.
While you can connect to two devices at once, you can only listen from one input at a time. Plus, you also have to stop or pause one source, wait a couple of seconds then play the other one, which can be inconvenient when you’re in a rush. The mic is also limited in its frequency range so there’s less low-end, and it doesn’t have background noise rejection.
As far as the sound goes, the mids sound a little recessed. In Gemma Hayes’ “Hanging Around,” the guitars sound polite when they should be more in your face as it is a rock song. They just don't hit as hard as they should. The low end is a little weird. In Taylor Swift’s “Maroon” and Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever,” the low end comes out thick and powerful. Yet in Japanese Breakfast’s “Paprika,” the bass sounds anemic.
Our guess is that the bass frequencies are inconsistent as if there’s a valley in the frequency curve somewhere in the low end. And, because the bass in “Maroon” and “Happier Than Ever” is distorted and getting into the mid-range a little, it’s not being affected by that dip. On the other hand, because the low end in “Paprika” is pure bass, it’s losing a chunk of it due to that dip.
Be warned: if those silicone ear tips do not fit properly in your ears, these headphones will sound terrible. The overall sound isn’t going to sound full and rich, with the mid-range sounding recessed, the bass being very restrained, and the high end not delivering the same level of detail. Be sure that those ear tips completely plug your ears before playing music or watching videos.
We’re pointing out those shortcomings to make it clear that the JBL Reflect Aero don’t sit at that premium, audiophile level, which means they’re not going to have the most superior sound or the most high-end features. However, that only really matters to folks who are much more discerning or used to pricey headphones.
As they stand, the JBL Reflect Aero are great sounding, feature-rich earbuds that, despite a few quirks, make good workout companions – especially if water is involved. With their IP68 rating, these can be fully submerged for up to 30 minutes without any effect on performance. Having tested this ourselves, we can confirm that only do they survive being submerged in water, but they also continue to play music. And, so long as your phone is nearby, and you’re not doing deep dives, you can swim laps with these on. Let’s see other earbuds do that.
Performance: 4 / 5
Should I buy the JBL Reflect Aero?
(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
Also consider
JBL Reflect Aero: Report card
First reviewed November 2022
How we test
We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.
Update: February 2024. The Focal Bathys launched at a price that signalled that they're in a rarified strata of quality among the best headphones, and little has changed since then. They see occasional discounts, but even those still leave them well above even premium headphones from the likes of Bose and Sony. Which means that our feelings on them hasn't really changed either: they're a sumptuous treat for Hi-Res Audio aficionados, a remarkable achievement in wireless headphones sound, and sightly lacking in smarter features and active noise cancellation power. We still thoroughly recommend them for those interested in what they offer, but those looking for something lighter, cheaper, with better ANC (but still with impressive sound quality, even if not this good) should consider the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. The rest of this review remains as previously published.
Focal Bathys: two-minute review
Let's get it right: sonically, the Focal Bathys are more than worthy of their enviable heritage. And aside from the quality wireless listen, chuck in the USB-C cable in DAC mode and you've got hi-res up to 21bit/192kHz too. Oh, and in case it needs to be stated, they're utterly stunning to look at. So, why the four-and-a-half star review instead of a resounding five? It's not that simple at this price – and the competition is fierce.
The Focal Bathys are not the French audio specialist's first foray into beautiful cans – indeed, the company makes some of the best over-ear headphones we've ever had the pleasure of placing over our ears. But this is Focal's first foray into wireless headphones and (there's no easy way to say this) the Bathys are expensive. We understand the reasons behind the asking fee – those patented aluminium/magnesium "M”-dome speaker drivers are made in France using technologies from the finest Focal headphones don't come cheap; neither does the backlit flame emblem in the center of each beautiful earcup – but they're more expensive than the AirPods Max and the new Bowers & Wilkins PX8, which is significant and comes with it no small amount of pressure to perform.
Put them on and you feel beautiful, buoyed up by their detail, insight and clarity, but deploy ANC (you get 'silent', 'soft' and 'transparent' options) and you might find you want a little more – which you can't tweak.
None of our gripes regarding the Bathys pertain to their sound, irrespective of the noise-cancellation profile you select – and although the cheaper Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless (launched in August 2022) boast double the battery life at 60 hours versus 30 hours, the Sony WH-1000XM5 (which launched in May 2022) also come bearing 30 hours of stamina and that is more than sufficient for us.
The Bathy's companion Focal and Naim app (you swipe right for Focal or left for Naim, like some sort of audiophile dating app) is also likeable and has every necessary feature to aid your listening pleasure, including a five-band EQ tab with helpful presets.
Perhaps confusingly, our issues refer to the build – odd since we've just said how beautiful they are, but stay with us. The on-ear physical buttons feel a bit flimsy and prototype-esque, and we do find them hit-and-miss during use. Also, the headband occasionally clicks during wear which impacts the otherwise excellent sound.
Again, for this kind of sonic prowess, we're prepared to forgive most things – for us, sound is paramount. But the big selling point here is wireless listening, so we do need to point out these minor shortfalls in what is still a glorious-sounding set of over-ears.
Whether the backlit flame is illuminated or not, they're good-looking cans (Image credit: Future)
Focal Bathys review: price and release date
Released on October 4, 2022
$799 / £699 / €799 (around AU$1,210)
The Focal Bathys are available now, priced $799 / £699 / €799 (around AU$1,210).
This makes them more expensive than all of the class-leaders in this space, including the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 ($699 / £599 / AU$1,150), Sennheiser's Momentum 4 Wireless (at $349 / £300 / AU$549) and the class-leading Sony WH-1000XM5, which will set you back $399 / £380 / AU$550.
And let's not forget that the aformentioned Sennheiser over-ears boast double the stamina of the Focal Bathys (and the XM5, and the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 while we're on the subject) the pricing feels bordering on arrogance…
But it isn't – because whatever else we're about to say, the sound quality here is exceptional and worthy of the price-point.
The on-ear controls are just a little flimsy for us (Image credit: Future)
Focal Bathys review: features
USB-C wired DAC mode for glorious hi-res audio
ANC is standard rather than exceptional
On-ear controls are unreliable during testing
The big draw here is the bundled USB-C to USB-C cable, because it grants you access to decoding in up to 24bit/192kHz, depending on how good your file is. We grab our Samsung Galaxy S21 and plug in, switching the slider on the Bathys' right earcup to 'DAC' and start listening to Fontaines D.C., downloaded in High-Res Lossless on Apple Music. It is sublime – but it's interesting to note that the glorious wired performance is a major selling point given that this is billed as a Focal wireless product.
Perhaps it is best to think of Focal Bathys as premium wired over-ears that merely offer the option of wired listening, because this is Focal's inaugural set of wireless over-ears and it does show. Focal devotees won't care, but if you're used to wireless listening gear from the likes of Sony, there are things you'll miss.
The Focal Bathys' spec sheet is fine, but given the Bluetooth-only competition out there in 2022, excellent it is not. For example, the two ANC profiles and one transparency option cannot be tweaked, there's no scope for optimizing the mics or voice pickup when you're in a call (beyond Focal's implemented Clear Voice Capture tech), and there's also no wearer detection, so your music won't automatically pause when you remove them. These are small omissions, but at this premium level we would expect them – and anyone used to their music pausing when they lift an earcup will soon miss it when it doesn't happen.
There is auto-standby (which sends the cans into low power state after a period of inactivity) and a button to access your voice assistant of choice. Focal's flame symbol, illuminated with a white backlight on each earcup, can also be switched off in the slick yet enjoyable Focal and Naim companion app.
Then, there's the intuitive five-band EQ tab, which includes presets or can be tweaked manually – and which we really enjoy. Perhaps we might have wanted a little more stamina than the 'standard' 30-hour battery life, although this beats both the Bose QuietComfort 45 and Bose Noise Cancelling 700, which offer between 24 and 30 hours. Also, a quick 15 minute charge gets you five hours playback – a claim we can vouch for.
As you might expect, Focal has adopted a traditional approach here to the on-ear controls in that they are all physical buttons, with volume, playback, power and a dedicated button to access to your voice assistant of choice (Alexa, Google Assistant, Bixby and Siri are all supported) on the right ear cup, plus an ANC button on the left ear cup, which scrolls between 'silent' (the highest ANC the Bathys can muster), 'soft' (low-level noise-nixing) and 'transparent' to filter external noise in.
Interestingly, Focal suggests that if you want maximum ANC but aren't listening to music, to "be on the DAC position", but this essentially means switching the Bluetooth off, so your headphones are no longer paired to your phone. This in turn means you lose access to the app and are limited to scrolling these profiles using the button on the Bathys' left earcup, which doesn't announce which profile you're on. For us, while there is certainly a degree of noise cancellation happening when we do this (and we think we're in 'silent' mode) , we still hear car engines outside the office window… it's not the all-encompassing bubble of silence you might be hoping for, but then again, neither is it nauseating (you may laugh, but some solutions are like a vacuum tunnel).
The Bathys' Bluetooth 5.1 codec includes support for both aptX and aptX Adaptive for the best Bluetooth (and lowest latency) wireless resolution currently available – oh, and in case you were wondering, the name Bathys comes from the word ‘bathyscaphe’, the first submarine exploration vehicle. What you won't get is support for Sony's higher-resolution LDAC codec – but that's a relatively minor issue what aptX Adaptive is on the menu.
Features score: 3.5/5
There's a dedicated button for ANC, but it doesn't announce which profile you're on (Image credit: Future)
Focal Bathys review: design
Stunning 'backlit flame' illuminating ear cups
Very comfortable
Buttons feel a little flimsy
When worn (especially with the backlit flame on each ear cup illuminated on 'high') this is a striking set of cans indeed.
Anyone familiar with the Focal Stellia will know that the St. Etienne-based audio specialist's cutaway, almost web-like ear cup accents sparkle and shimmer under the light, but although the build-quality here suggests high-ticket jewellery, the magnesium and aluminium combination feels a tad insubstantial rather than strong (dare we say plasticky?), and that real leather headband, although well-padded, does click a bit during use, which in time impacts the overall enjoyment.
Bathys' foldable design means the ear cups lie flat to fit neatly into the included carry case, but note that the Bathys echo the current move towards cans with cups that do not fold up entirely into the headband, including the Bowers & Wilkins PX8, Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 (over the older, foldable Sony WH-1000XM4, say).
Within their hard-shell, fabric covered carry case, we also find a USB-C to USB-C cable for both charging and for the USB-C DAC mode (which incidentally nets you an extra 10 hours of battery for up to 40 hours of listening), a 3.5mm to 3.5mm headphone jack cable (which gives you 35 hours of playtime – yes the mode must be in 'on' to use this, so you're not listening passively) and a USB-C to Lightning dongle.
The comfort levels are really very good, but during use we find the on-ear buttons just a little flimsy and unreliable. The skip-forward option (which should be as simple as a double-press of the central button between the volume up/down options) to move to the next rack proves particularly illusive for us – the Bathys either ignore us, or pause the music and resume it, which is a shame.
Design score: 4/5
The Focal/Naim app is slick and likeable, but there are a few omissions in the features set (Image credit: Future)
Focal Bathys review: sound quality
Stunning musical clarity, depth and space
USB-C DAC mode is a joy
Agile presentation across the frequencies
We stream Fontaines D.C.'s Big Shot in High-Res Lossless downloaded on Apple Music, and the rock guitar reverb in our left ear coupled with the rhythm in our right is energetic, agile and exciting. This is an angry track and no mistake, and the Bathys aren't afraid to get with the program. Grian Chatten's vocal is borderline mocking and brimming with emotion as it arrives in the middle of this wide and talented soundstage.
The rhythmic joy in Hootie & the Blowfish's Only Wanna Be With You is something else entirely in terms of tone – and it is celebrated just as effortlessly. The texture in the raucous intro is expertly layered, from the bass to the percussives, guitars, backing vocal and Darius Carlos Rucker's relaxed vocal stylings.
Stormzy's Vossi Bop is a stiff challenge for the bass weight of any headphones, and the Bathys pass it with flying colors. Cymbals come through each ear as the intro sinks easily down to the grimy depths, but the Bathys deliver the low end with agility and panache. Anything we throw at these can is beautifully held in check throughout, across the frequencies.
Our playlist continues to Big For Your Boots and the sense of the track quickly arriving and abruptly washing over you is beautifully handled. In what is nothing short of a war cry, Stormzy's vocal is every bit as three dimensional as it should be.
Compare them to the new class-leader at the level, the Bowers & Wilkins PX8, and we hear a marginal difference in terms of the exuberance and fun of the PX8 versus the detail, expanse and refinement of the Focal Bathys. Which you think best will largely come down to whether you prefer an integrated, detailed, expansive, refined listen (Bathys), or something boasting agility and an extra ounce of dynamic build and oomph over a fractional modicum of expanse (PX8) but again, it's a very closely run race here – both cans are a stone cold five stars for sound.
Sound quality score: 5/5
Just look at those illuminating ear cups with the Focal flame, though… (Image credit: Future)
Focal Bathys review: value
High-end sound for high-end money
ANC can be bettered at the level though
Good rather than excellent battery life
This is far from budget-friendly territory (remember, the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 are arguably their nearest competition, but even these premium cans are cheaper by $100/£100 – and the minor issues we had with the build quality coupled with the few omissions on the Bathys' spec-sheet do affect the value given their high-end pricing.
The lack of auto-off wearer detection, the fact that the three ANC profiles are limited to Silent, Soft and Transparent – and you cannot forego them completely since it's impossible to have the ANC 'off' entirely – and the buttons which have us dig out our phone rather than use them also impact the judgement.
The ace up the Focal Bathys' sleeve is that they are essentially powered, wired over-ears which just happen to offer wireless Bluetooth listening, and the sound when listened in either way is excellent. And it's hard to put a price on that – so if sound quality is paramount to you, the Focal Bathys should still be on your list.
Value score: 4/5
Should you buy the Focal Bathys?
Buy them if…
Don't buy them if…
Also consider…
If our Focal Bathys review has you considering whether to buy them or to seek out other wireless over-ear headphones, take a glance at these three competing cans at the level.
Update: February 2024. The 1More Sonoflow retains a place in our guide to the best noise-cancelling headphones even following the arrival of the affordable Sony WH-CH720N, thanks to being regularly available for an even lower price. We still rate how good they are all-round, and especially the nice long 50 hours of battery life with ANC. 1More has since released the Sonoflow SE, which we haven't had a chance to test yet, but offers you an even cheaper option. The rest of this review remains as previously published.
1MORE Sonoflow: two-minute review
The 1MORE Sonoflow are the first over-ear headphones that feature noise-cancellation from this likeable, affordable audio tech brand, and they are emphatic proof that you can get a great pair of wireless headphones capable of ticking most of the boxes for under $100/£100.
Again though, the 1MORE Sonoflow are the brand’s first pair of noise-cancelling over-ear headphones. They adopt a no-frills approach – the design of the headphones and their accompanying app is very simple. However, all of the essentials are here. They sound great, noise-cancellation is good, there’s a fantastic 70 hours of battery life (that’s 50 hours with ANC on), and we found them to be remarkably comfortable to wear all day.
Although there are no ground-breaking new features, the 1MORE Sonoflow are solid all-rounders at a price we feel makes them better value than several of the best noise-cancelling headphones and best over-ear headphones you can buy today. With this in mind, they’re bound to have wide appeal for those looking for a great-sounding pair of over-ears. Read on for our full 1MORE Sonoflow review.
The red ear cup lining makes a rather bland design pop. (Image credit: Future)
1MORE Sonoflow review: price and release date
Released in September, 2022
$99 / £89 (approx. AUD$156)
One of the big draws of 1MORE products is that they’re inexpensive, and at $99 / £89 (approx. AUD$156) the 1MORE Sonoflow over-ear headphones continue the tradition. At this price we wouldn’t call them cheap over-ear headphones, like the Sony WH-CH510, which cost $59 / £50 / AU$89, but they’re within what we’d consider the best budget headphones bracket and have a similar price tag to some of our good value favorites.
Take a look at our JBL Tune 750BTNC review, cans which cost $130 / £120 / AU$200 at launch and have a similar comfortable design and strong ANC. However, the 1MORE Sonoflow definitely beat the JBL product in terms of battery life, offering 70 hours with ANC off compared to only 22 hours. They’re also similar to the Urbanista Miami, which cost $149 / £129 / AU$269, but with the Sonoflow you’ll get better ANC and audio.
They’re obviously significantly cheaper than the best headphones you can buy today, like the Sony WH-1000XM4 over-ear headphones, which cost more than three times as much, at $350 / £349 / AU$549. These perform better than the 1MORE Sonoflow in most respects, which you’d expect. But then again this all comes down to personal preference. If you don’t have the budget for high-end headphones and don’t need audiophile-grade sound, the 1MORE Sonoflow headphones do represent better value.
The 1MORE Sonoflow come in a hard shell case, ideal if you need to transport them on the move. (Image credit: Future)
1MORE Sonoflow review: features
App a bit sparse compared to rivals
Touch controls could be more intuitive
Incredible battery life
Pairing the 1MORE Sonoflow with an iPhone is incredibly easy, as was getting the app working within seconds. We also tested them with an Oculus Quest 2 VR headset and the Bluetooth connection was stellar throughout.
The accompanying 1MORE Sonoflow app isn’t bad, but it’s bland in terms of design and sparse when it comes to features, especially compared to rivals with incredibly customizable and slick apps such as the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless – although of course, these are more expensive.
However, the basics are here. You can switch ANC on and off or select transparent mode, which works well for having conversations without taking the headphones off. There’s also an Equalizer, although you can’t fully adjust or tune the headphones with a five-band EQ tab. Instead, there are 12 custom presets to choose from, including ‘Bass Booster’ and ‘Classical’. These might provide enough customization for most listeners, but will be disappointing for those who want more control.
In the app you’ll also find a ‘Soothing Sounds’ section, but these are played on short 10 second loops, which means it’s really jarring when they end and begin again – hardly soothing. There’s also an option called ‘Experimental Features’ where you’ll find multipoint pairing, which works well (but is hardly 'experimental' in 2022, no?) and other than a few supplementary expected features, such as a firmware upgrade option and an FAQ section, that’s about it from the app.
There are button controls on the earcups, including three buttons in total on the front and rear of the right earcup. Each button does a few different things, which is confusing to remember at first. Luckily, it didn’t take long for us to learn them but the experience wasn’t as intuitive as it is with other headphones. There’s also no option to customize the functions. Then again, if you like physical buttons over capacitive on-ear touch controls, these might be more appealing.
An annoying feature that we really noticed, having tested so many pairs of headphones, is that there are no sensors onboard to detect when you take them off, to pause the music accordingly. This won’t be an issue for some people, but we’ve become used to taking out an earbud or slipping off an earcup and having the music pause, and that doesn’t happen here.
One of the main selling points of these over-ears is their impressive battery life. They boast a huge 70 hours with ANC off and a still amazing 50 hours with ANC on. We found these estimates from 1MORE to be spot on during our testing. When you do need to charge them up, you’ll find a USB-C charging cable in your carry case. We loved that a five minute charge could deliver more than 4.5 hours of extra listening and 1.5 hours of charging gets them completely full.
In terms of rivals, this makes them one of the best pairs of noise-cancelling headphones for battery life we’ve ever tested. One of our current favorite pair of over-ears, the Sony WH-1000XM4 have 30 hours of battery life with ANC on. They’re only beaten by the newer and excellent Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless headphones, which boast 60 hours of battery life, and that’s with ANC on.
Features score: 3.5/5
The earcups can be adjusted and move on hinges, which is good for those with thick hair and means your head doesn’t feel too squeezed. (Image credit: Future)
1MORE Sonoflow review: design
They look more premium than they should
Incredibly comfortable
Some might find the design boring
The 1MORE Sonoflow over-ear headphones come in a compact and premium-looking zip case with a hard shell to protect them on the move. Handily, the spots where the earcups fit are labelled, which makes folding them up in a hurry much easier.
The headphones have a simple design, quality hinges and there’s a matte-like finish to the plastic casing. The cups are made from a super soft memory foam and we love that there’s a bright red fabric lining on the inside.
The headphones are incredibly comfortable to wear for long periods of time. This is thanks to those soft earpads, the adjustable cups, the lightweight design (they’re only 250g) and a cushioned headband. Refreshingly, we find we can truly keep these cans on all day long, and that is rare.
Granted, some people might find this design a bit boring – they don’t stand out as much as higher-end over-ears, like the Bose Headphones 700 or the Apple AirPods Max– but we think the minimal aesthetic makes them look more luxe than they should at this price.
Assuming you like how they look, the only major downside here is that there’s no water resistance rating, so we’d be very wary about recommending them for fitness or outside if it looks like rain. No, this isn’t unusual for a pair of affordable noise-cancelling over-ears, but an IP rating is still a feature we’d have liked to see.
Design score: 4/5
Some might call the design boring, but we love the minimal styling from 1MORE here. (Image credit: Future)
1MORE Sonoflow review: sound quality
ANC is good
Sound is great (especially for the price)
The EQ presets are fun to use
The noise cancellation on offer from the 1MORE Sonoflow headphones is really impressive for the price. That’s the key here. These aren’t the best noise-cancelling headphones you can buy, but for under £100/$100 you’re getting a great experience and we think most people would be impressed by how well they perform.
During our testing we found that most ambient sounds and lots of standard low frequency noises are drowned out completely. Some high-pitched noises will still get through and we found the steady rumble of a fan in our office remained, as did a loud conversation on the bus that was close by. But there was a huge difference in how bothersome these noises were when ANC was on compared to when it was off. So even though they might not be the best at noise-cancelling, they should suit most office environments and commutes, cutting back most of the lows and mids you’ll hear throughout the day.
The same can be said for the sound quality. No, the 1MORE Sonoflow won’t compete with headphones three or four times the price, but that’s not what most people need. During our testing, we were impressed with the powerful bass and detailed, crisp highs on offer here – thanks to the Sonoflow’s dual 40mm drivers.
What’s more, the (albeit limited) EQ presets did affect music from genre to genre. For example, turning on ‘Bass booster’ during an Âme techno track was seriously impressive, providing thumping bass. Overall the bass was great with the headphones and, crucially, didn’t distort even at high volumes.
Selecting ‘Classical’ while listening to Hildur Guðnadóttir’s beautiful strings added a rich and expansive quality to the sound. In fact, classical music sounded excellent with a strong and clear sense of definition. These presets might seem basic to some people, but others will really enjoy playing around with them.
There’s support for Sony’s LDAC hi-res audio format. But you need a device that supports it as well as audio that offers a hi-res bit rate. There are also SBC and AAC codecs – good news for iOS users –which, again, is a decent range for the price. But there’s no aptX Adaptive, which some people – especially Android users – might consider a dealbreaker.
Sound quality score: 4/5
Thanks to the memory foam cups and padded headband, we wore these headphones happily for more than 6 hours straight during testing – we can’t say that often. (Image credit: Future)
1MORE Sonoflow review: value
Look and feel more premium than they are
Battery life is phenomenal at this price
Better sound is available, but for much more money
Like all 1MORE products we’ve tested, the Sonoflow over-ear headphones are excellent value for money. In many respects they feel more high-end than they should. We think this is thanks to their matte finish, sturdy case and minimal design, which doesn’t give away its budget price.
You will find a more premium experience from an app elsewhere, and although we highly rate the ANC and sound on offer here, other headphones do it better, but, crucially, not for this price.
The battery life is obviously excellent and the comfort levels are high, so these headphones will be ideal for most people who want good sound but need to know they’re dependable enough for all day wear, and these certainly are.
Value score: 5/5
Should you buy the 1MORE Sonoflow?
Buy them if…
Don't buy them if…
Also consider…
If our 1MORE Sonoflow review has you wondering whether to add them to your online shopping cart or to check out other wireless over-ear headphones, take a glance at these three competing cans at the level.
• Original review date: October 2022
• Still B&W's flagship wireless headphones
• Launch price: $699 / £599 / AU$1,150
• Official price now: $699 / £599 / AU$1,150
Update: February 2024. We still love the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 for its particular brand of headphones luxe style – nearly unmatched sound quality (even today) paired with an ultra-classy and premium design, which is now available in a new burgundy and gold finish, if you want to get really royal about it. We still recommend the B&W PX8 as the choice for design connoisseurs in our guide to the best wireless headphones, and their sound quality hasn't been beaten at this price, but they still have the same small concerns that their noise cancellation and battery life are quite average, for a non-average price. In the case of ANC, you may want to consider the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones for offering best-in-class noise stopping with sound that's closer to the PX8 than its rivals. The rest of this review remains as previously published.
Bowers & Wilkins PX8: two-minute review
Sonically, the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 are now the wireless over-ear headphones to beat. There, we said it. If that's all you need to hear, we wish you well. But if you want to know why we said "sonically" rather than "across the board", and why this is a four-and-a-half star review rather than the full five, read on.
The B&W PX8 are a shiny new addition to our best over-ear headphones guide, no doubt. But let's get it right: the PX8 are expensive. There are good, tangible, understandable reasons for this – a new carbon cone 40mm drive unit replaces the bio-cellulose driver in the more affordable Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 and the die-cast aluminum arms, diamond-cut bright metal detailing and Nappa leather trim elevates the build to high-end territory – but for some, anything priced hotter than the AirPods Max is too rich for the blood given the current financial climate. We hear you.
But we have also heard the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 headphones and, cost of living crisis or no, they're exceptional.
Bowers & Wilkins admits the brief was simple: achieve the best possible wireless over-ears and hang the cost. The UK-based audio specialist has fulfilled the brief beautifully. To put these headphones on is to experience a pride of ownership rarely felt, even at this level – I didn't feel it with the slightly odd-looking AirPods Max, for instance. And despite the outlay, the sound quality for the money here is sublime.
Any issues? A few. None of them pertains to sound – that is where these cans truly shine; know that now – but these are why we knocked half a star off the rating in this otherwise glowing review. The cheaper Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless (launched in August 2022) boast a whopping 60-hour battery life even with ANC deployed, and you only get 30 hours here – although, that's the same as you'll get from the Sony WH-1000XM5 (which launched in May 2022 – we like to save you the hassle of checking). Also, the ANC cannot be customized, the EQ tweaks are limited to treble and bass, and there are no big extra features.
But that's where the negatives end. Elsewhere, the Bowers & Wilkins Music app now corrals your streaming services into one place (provided these are Tidal, Deezer, SoundCloud or Qobuz, although B&W hopes to work with Apple Music in the future) and because this one app now rules the roost, it creates a B&W ecosystem whereby whatever's coming through your cans could simply transfer to your Zeppelin, Formation Wedge or other supported B&W speakers when you walk through the door.
As regular TechRadar readers know, in this house, sound is king. And the sonic performance here is detailed, agile, spacious, musical and nothing short of delightful. If you can afford them and you want the best-sounding wireless cans on the market, you will not be disappointed in the PX8.
Hang it all, the PX8 are a good-looking set of cans. (Image credit: Future)
Bowers & Wilkins PX8 review: price and release date
Released on September 28, 2022
$699 / £599 / AU$1150
The Bowers & Wilkins PX8 are available now, for £599 / $699 / AU$1,150 / €699.
Expensive, we know, but this is top-tier B&W territory…
OK, so there's no escaping the fact that this makes the PX8 more expensive than the Apple AirPods Max, Sennheiser's Momentum 4 Wireless (at $349 / £300 / AU$549) and the class-leading Sony WH-1000XM5, which retail for $399 / £380 / AU$550.
And considering the Sennheiser over-ears boast double the stamina of the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 (and the XM5, while we're on the subject) that pricing starts to look a little ambitious…
Only, it's not. Why? Because the sound quality makes them an exceptional buy, that's why.
The case also feels premium, with a compartment for the two cables included (Image credit: Future)
Bowers & Wilkins review: features
Excellent Music app support for full, multi-room ecosystems
Simple, dependable physical on-ear controls
ANC and transparency profiles cannot be customized
While the Bowers & Wilkins PX8's spec sheet is good rather than excellent (the ANC profiles comprise on, off, or pass-through, while the EQ tabs involve bass and treble tabs only, so anyone hoping for full five-band EQ settings is out of luck) what the PX8 do, they do very well indeed.
There's wearer detection and auto-standby (which sends them into low power state after 15 minutes of inactivity) both of which can be turned on or off, and the left quick action button can be customized depending on whether you want to scroll through ANC profiles or access your voice assistant of choice.
A nice touch here is the ability to set the streaming quality (using your mobile data or Wi-Fi) and also the wearer sensor, the latter at low, normal, or high. If the PX8 fail to pause when you lift an ear cup to talk to a colleague, switch it to high. Find them pausing unexpectedly during use? Switch it to low.
Perhaps we might have hoped for more than the 'standard' 30-hour battery life, although this is better than both the Bose QuietComfort 45 and Bose Noise Cancelling 700, which offer between 24 and 30 hours. Also, a quick 15 minute charge gets you seven hours playback – a claim we tested and found to be true.
There's a traditional approach here when it comes to on-ear controls, but they work beautifully, with volume, playback and power buttons on the right ear cup and a 'quick action' button on the left, which we use to quickly switch ANC. On this, the ANC here is good, nixing all but the noisiest of buses and aeroplanes overhead as we walk into the office.
The transparency mode is a more subtle affair entirely and seems a little reticent to actively filter in ambient sounds quite so eagerly as the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, say. That said, there is a marked difference in sound pass-through – you will hear the outside world – but we would have dialled it up a tad, if it were possible.
The big ace up B&W's sleeve is its Music app, which now greets you with "spaces" and can group your Bowers & Wilkins products accordingly for multi-room audio when you get home, similar to that offered by Apple Home or Amazon's Alexa app.
The B&W PX8 come toting Bluetooth 5.2 plus support for aptX Adaptive (one of the best Bluetooth codecs available today) as well as aptX and aptX HD, and the six mics in total (four for ANC, two for call-handling) make for clear phone calls during our testing.
Features score: 4/5
These are over-ears you'll want to be seen in – ideally, on a yacht in the Maldives (Image credit: Future)
Bowers & Wilkins PX8 review: design
Beautiful metal accents (especially on the tan colorway)
Drivers are angled to the wearer's ear
Clamping force is perfect
For flair and beauty, Bowers & Wilkins has hit a home run with the PX8. These are cans to be seen in – as we said in our hands-on review, the PX8 would look right at home around the neck of a bright young thing on a business-class flight to Milan. Adjusting the headband is a smooth, silent experience, and the soft ample ear cups rotate to lie flat around our neck on the rare occasion they're not being worn over your ears.
Yes, the PX8 echo the current inclination towards designs with cups that rotate to lie flat but do not fold up, including the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 (over the older, foldable Sony WH-1000XM4, say).
And also as you'd expect, these cans come with a hard-shell, fabric covered carry case, but this one is particularly nice since the supplied cables (USB-C to USB-C for charging, USB-C to 3.5mm if your device has such a port) have their own little compartment with a magnetized lid, situated in the dead space beneath the arc of the headband.
The comfort levels are fantastic across the course of our listening too, with ample padding on the underside of the headband and a clamping force that's as perfect as we've ever felt; not too tight but reassuringly secure.
All in all (and at the risk of overstating ourselves) we really really like the premium look and feel of these headphones.
The earcups are fairly chunky, but inside the drivers are at an angle, so that they're parallel to your ears, not to the outside of the earcups. This is designed to help with timing and precision in the sound.
Design score: 5/5
The metallic physical buttons on the right ear cup are cool to the touch and they work beautifully. (Image credit: Future)
Bowers & Wilkins PX8 review: sound quality
Supreme agility and musical clarity
Beautifully expansive and detailed
Weighty but lithe bass
Switching all ANC profiles off, we stream Tom Petty's Free Fallin' on Tidal and the gentle, pensive guitars sound as three-dimensional and energetic as we've heard in a wireless design. Petty's vocal is central and detailed through an agile and expansive midrange. Backing vocals that come in on "Ventura Boulevard" are distinctive, layered, and given extra room to be impactful.
Plucked strings in Sukhwinder Singh's Haule Haule and snaking percussives have us tapping our feet and are just two of the expertly handled musical strands within the PX8's cohesive, vibrant mix. Our playlist continues to Bol Na Halke Halke by Mahalakshmi Iyer and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and if you get a chance, we urge you to listen to it. Hear how the intro snakes from behind your left ear to over near your right, scraping your cerebellum and occipital lobes en route. Note also the dynamic build from near-silence to a cacophony of flutes, drums, strings and Iyer's bell-like vocal through the sparkling treble.
They're just as expressive and weighty through the low end, too. Stream Stormzy's Mel Made Me Do It and the unusual backing track comes alive. Yelps, drum snaps, statements about "not flying economy" and jangled rhythmic sonic articles spring forth from the juicy grime riff, but it's all underpinned by a regimented, crisp performance through the bass.
How do they compare to the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless? Well, given the price gap ($350 / £300 / AU$550 versus$699 / £599 / AU$1150) it's hardly fair – the PX8 are double the price. But we do it anyway, purely because the Momentum 4 Wireless are a five-star proposition at the level.
The extra energy, depth, emotional oomph and overall immersion in excellent-quality music place the PX8 in a different league – which is understandable and this statement is not intended to put the Sennheiser headphones down. What we're saying is, if your budget stretches to this level, the sonic gains are worth it in the sound-per-pound stakes. The sound here is exceptional – but you do have to pay for it.
Sound quality score: 5/5
The PX8 on the right, PX7 S2 on the left... for both sound and looks, the PX8 is better. (Image credit: Future)
Bowers & Wilkins PX8 review: value
High-end sound and build at a high-end fee
ANC could be better for the level though
Standard rather than excellent battery life
Look, this is not budget-friendly territory (remember, the PX8's sibling, the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 will set you back a more palatable $399 / £379 – aka $300 / £220 cheaper) and the minor omissions from the PX8's spec-sheet do impact the value here given their high-end pricing.
Which omissions are we referring to? The lack of five-band EQ tab (you only get to customize the bass and treble), the fact that the three ANC profiles are limited to on, off and pass-through (and are not tweakable), the good rather than excellent battery life… at this level, it is our job to nitpick.
The PX8's two strongest suits are glorious looks and exemplary sound quality. If these two features are of paramount importance to you, the PX8 represent some of the best noise cancelling headphones you can buy – but you do have to pay top dollar for the privilege of ownership.
Value score: 4/5
Should you buy the Bowers & Wilkins PX8?
Buy them if…
Don't buy them if…
Also consider…
If our Bowers & Wilkins review has you considering whether to buy them or to scope out other wireless over-ear headphones, take a glance at these three competing cans at the level.
• Original review date: September 2022
• Launch price: $79 / £79 / AU$129
• Official price now: $59 / £49 / AU$129
Update: February 2024. We still love the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW a lot, but the world of the best budget earbuds has become way hotter since their launch. The price cut in the US and UK helps them a lot, but you've now got products like the Earfun Air Pro 3 offering pretty advanced features including next-gen Bluetooth and active noise cancellation for a dangerously similar price to this. However, these don't have the hi-fi audio prowess of the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW, nor do they have the cool, stand-out-from-the-crowd design and color options of these buds. So we will happily still recommend these to you strongly is sound is your priority in particular, but if you want other features too, you can get them elsewhere. The rest of this review remains as previously published.
Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW: two-minute review
Damn, the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW wireless earbuds are too cool for school. These cute-but-cubist buds have been stealing hearts at a fee that'll have you smitten for all the right reasons – and having heard them, we simply have to bring them to your attention.
Will the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW soon find a rightful spot among the best budget wireless earbuds we've tested? Heck yes. And actually, they're good enough to crash our best wireless earbuds guide too – because the excellent sound here warrants the recommendation regardless of price.
Audio-Technica is now 60 years old and the Tokyo-based audio specialist has been a legendary name in vinyl for well over half a century. To snap up these inexpensive earbuds is to buy into that history, in the coolest way. These earbuds don't scream about their sonic chops – they don't have to, but they are worthy of their heritage.
Let's express the sentiment in Prince lyrics shall we? In Style, His Royal Badness remarked, "Style is not lusting after someone because they're cool. Style is loving yourself until everyone else does too".
See, what we're trying to express is that the ATH-SQ1TW are clear proof that Audio-Technica is loving Audio-Technica right now. The company has not tried to emulate any other earbuds, or indeed any competing audio brand. The company has paid the cost to be the boss for over 60 years, and it shows in this little, unassuming, winning pair of earphones.
They're available in no fewer than six delicious-sounding colorways (Caramel, Popsicle, Cupcake, Blueberry, Liquorice and Popcorn – try that for size, ice-white-only AirPods) and you're getting Bluetooth 5.0, 20 hours of battery, a beautiful product that fits comfortably, on-ear controls that work well (including volume) plus a low-latency mode, a hear-through function and a sound that's more expansive, clearer and generally better than anything else you can buy for this money.
As long as a lack of companion app and active noise cancellation aren't deal-breakers, these inexpensive earbuds should be on your list.
Cut a dash with these square, effortlessly chic Audio-Technica earbuds. (Image credit: Future)
Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW: price & release date
$79 / £79 / AU$129
Released: December 1, 2021
Although they started at a very affordable price anyway, you can now cut the cost further while cutting a dash in these Audio-Technica earbuds, provided you know where to look.
We've seen the ATH-SQ1TW discounted by £20 in the UK at times, and up to AU$40 across certain Australian online retailers, meaning their price has dropped to as low as AU$89 – and they truly are a steal for that kind of money.
But wherever you live, know that the price here is shockingly low when you feel how high quality they are when holding them in your hand – and even more so upon placing them into your ears and firing up your music.
Perhaps you want to buy something small for the vinyl-lover in your life – something that isn't actual vinyl? Gift these little buds and watch their faces light up at the recognition of the branding. Now that is priceless…
Such a compact, likeable little case. (Image credit: Future)
Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW: features
Bluetooth 5.0 and a classy build quality
Useful hear-through function
On-ear volume control
Not content with adding unabashed style to your wallet-friendly wireless listening experience, the ATH-SQ1TW offer exclusive 5.8mm drivers plus an "IPX4-equivalent" splashproof design and plenty of user-friendly features.
As is now the norm, the headphones automatically turn on when they are removed from the case, then power down and begin charging when you pop them back in. But place them in your ears from the case and the buds announce their battery level and connectivity status, which is a reassuringly high-end touch at this budget level. Tap an earpiece and a voice will say "play", "pause" or the like too, which keeps you in the loop. There's also dual connectivity onboard so you can connect to your laptop and phone at the same time, say.
The touch controls on the earbuds work extremely well during our testing, enabling you to handle music playback (using the right earpiece), answer calls, and crucially adjust the volume directly from the earphones (via the left bud). Furthermore, long-pressing the left earpiece initiates and cancels the low-latency mode (to make sure the action matches the sound when playing games on your phone, or when watching with a Bluetooth-enabled TV), while long-pressing the right deploys and nixes the hear-through function, which filters in external noises but refreshingly, without bus engines and the like coming off tinny or distorting the quality of your music.
And there's even a relatively effective Sidetone function, thanks to the mic nestled in each earpiece, which lets you tweak the volume of your own voice by tapping the left earpiece during calls – which we found to be clear and rock solid.
Google Fast Pair is also onboard, for one-touch pairing with Android devices, and you can enjoy up to 6.5 hours of use with the headphones fully charged plus an additional 13 hours of juice from the charging case, for a total of 19.5 hours.
Charging for just 15 minutes (or thereabouts) with the USB-C charger provides around 60 minutes of continuous playback too, although the case doesn't support wireless charging.
What you're not getting is active noise cancellation or a companion app, but at this level (and thanks to the impressive levels of passive isolation provided by the buds), we don't miss these perks. In the budget space, the feature-set here represents a sensible decision from Audio-Technica. We imagine the brief was to focus on the basics and do them well – which is exactly what has been achieved.
Perhaps the only thing we might have hoped for which isn't here is auto-off wearer detection, but honestly, the ATH-SQ1TW are so likeable it's hardly a big deal.
Features score: 4.5/5
The square earpieces are still surprizingly comfortable, and the illuminating 'L' or 'R' is a classy touch. (Image credit: Future)
Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW: sound quality
Excellent separation and clarity
Energetic, zealous listen
Pleasingly musical across the frequencies
These earbuds, though… you're not getting aptX HD, LDAC or hifalutin’ higher-res codecs, but what you are getting is an agile, zealous, musically pleasing performance across the frequencies. As with the aesthetic, the sound here is what Londoners might call 'a bit of all right'; a door to good old fashioned rock 'n' roll but in a neat true wireless package.
Any serious comparison between these $80 in-ears and class-leading products from the likes of Sony, Apple, Bose or Sennheiser is more than a little unjust – and there simply isn't much serious competition at that price, but step up to the $100/£100 Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus and the sound is comparable for detail, clarity and neutrality – and that's huge considering these earbuds are the class-leaders at the level.
We actually found that what the Audio-Technicas lacked in precision and timing when it came to cohesion (which was a very minor shortfall) they made up for in energy and good old fashioned fun, in direct comparison. Again, the shortfall is small, and it simply shouldn't be – not here, where a $20 surcharge typically nets you huge gains. For agility and fun, we actually find ourselves selecting the Audio-Technicas across the course of our listening.
Stream Perfume Genius' On the Floor on Tidal and the complex intro comes through with such detail that we're noting treble elements in our right ear we never picked up before. A female backing vocal is easily perceptible and impactful – delivered with the kind of insight that lesser earbuds at this money cannot begin to dish up. The rallentando (slowing down; yes, we know big words) is also expertly handled and the strings sound three-dimensional and layered in an expansive soundstage.
Switch to Aerosmith's Dream On, and Steven Tyler's keyed chords, conceived while lying beneath his dad's piano as a three-year-old and listening to him play classical music (completed when Steven was 14 years old) are emotive and given ample space within the mix to shine.
What these earbuds are not is shy or reticent, in any way. If a recording is less than refined, you're getting that with no holds barred – which means they'll shine a light on your chosen streaming services, bands and vocalists in ways you may not have heard before. Give them your music and they'll celebrate it to the best of their plucky little ability – and we have to say we're big fans.
Sound quality score: 5/5
In case you forget the (admittedly forgettable) name, it's printed on each earpiece… (Image credit: Future)
Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW: design
Available in six mouth-watering foodie colorways
Beautifully cubist design
Earpiece weighs just 5.2g
Let's start with the earbuds themselves. They're small and light, at 5.2g, and although JLab's $20 Go Air Pop weigh just 3.7g per earpiece (the bijou Sony LinkBuds S come in at 4.8g per bud) they will suit practically all human ears. They certainly suit our smaller ear canals, and with a total of four different-sized ear tips provided (which is one more than may offer) they almost certainly will work for you too.
The design of these earpieces really is quite lovely, with LED Bluetooth connectivity lights illuminating little 'L' and 'R' cutouts in the top corner of each bud so you won't have to stare at them to work out which is which. Put them in, twist to lock, and you're away.
The ATH-SQ1TW's diddy case is similarly beautiful in a minimalist but unique way. Audio-Technica hasn't given a hoot about what Apple might be doing with its toothbrush-head shaped earphones. This is Audio-Technica's solution, all squares, the triangle-within-a-circle branding, and colorful accents. Our sample is black 'Liquorice', but we particularly love the 'Popsicle' colorway. The case snaps shut reassuringly like a suitcase (rather than a backpack) and it charges via USB-C.
A quick jolt of just 15 minutes will provide around 60 minutes of continuous playback if you're in a rush, but the whole thing will charge fully in two hours to provide a total of 20 hours of playtime – 6.5 hours from the buds and 13.5 hours of stamina in the case.
All in all, the intrinsic beauty of this little product should not be understated. In a sea of AirPods impersonators, Audio-Technica has gone for something a bit different – and different can be good.
Design score: 5/5
The USB-C charging port we all want to see, although there's no wireless charging support here. (Image credit: Future)
Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW: value
Excellent connectivity and comfort for $79
Easily betters anything else at this price for sound and features
No companion app
For $79 / £79 / AU$129, Audio-Technica's ATH-SQ1TW represent exceptionally good value. Despite the lack of a companion app or active noise cancellation, you get an impressively accurate set of features all handled by the reliable on-ear controls. And the sound is good.
For build, battery life and feature set at this budget level, Audio-Technica's decisions here are all spot on. These earbuds are a worthy tribute to everything Audio-Technica has done to date within the music industry, which is probably the biggest compliment we could possibly pay them.
These earbuds are not even a tiny bit unreliable (as you'd be forgiven for expecting, given their $80 asking fee) and if you want the best ice-cold sonic chops you can get for $80, you've found it.
Value score: 4.5/5
Should you buy Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW?
Buy them if…
Don't buy them if…
Also consider
Think the Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW might not be the true wireless earbuds for you? That's cool, here are three alternatives that could offer just the design, feature-set and sound quality you're looking for.
• Original review date: January 2021
• AirPods Max 2 rumored for 2024 launch
• Launch price: $549 / £549 / AU$899
• Official price now: $549 / £499 / AU$899
Update: February 2024. AirPods Max sit a difficult place here in 2024. We still wouldn't argue with the quality of their sound overall, and they offer the best spatial audio you can get even today, when used with Apple devices (plus their other Apple-centric features), so they're definitely still among the best wireless headphones for certain buyers. However, it partly depends on what price you can get them for – we wouldn't recommend buying at full price. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones sound just as good and cost a lot less, and have far better noise cancellation (and are lighter). However, rumors also suggest that the AirPods Max 2 will arrive in 2024, with better processing, sound and features that match AirPods Pro 2. At this stage, we think it'd be wise to go with Bose or wait to see what happens with the Max 2 – but if you can find these for the right price, they can still make you very happy. The rest of this review remains as previously published.
AirPods Max: Two-minute review
The Apple AirPods Max launched in late 2020, but were the subject of rumor and speculation for years. As the Apple AirPods and the AirPods Pro have been extremely successful, expectations were high for the first ever Apple over-ear headphones.
Did they live up to the hype? Yes and no. Rumors suggested the AirPods Max would be the most advanced wireless headphones ever, with futuristic features, like air gestures. If the Apple AirPods Max had come with those game-changing specs, their $549 / £549 / AU$899 price tag may be justified—unfortunately that’s not the case.
In reality, the Apple AirPods Max are more ordinary than expected; albeit with extraordinary audio quality and brilliant quality of life features for those already devoted to the Apple ecosystem.
The best thing about the AirPods Max is their sound, which is nothing short of outstanding. That's why they're a top pick in our definitive best headphones guide.
They can easily compete with all of the other rivals in those guides in this regard, with a wide, immersive soundstage and carefully balanced profile, with crisp trebles, smooth mids, and powerful bass frequencies.
Apple AirPods Max Specs
Weight: 385g Dimensions: 187.3 mm X 168.6 mm X 83.4 mm (H X W X D) Noise cancellation: Yes Battery life: 20 hours Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 Chip: Apple H1 headphone chip (each ear cup) Controls: Digital Crown, Noise control button, Siri
The design, although divisive, is another win for Apple. With large, flat earcups crafted from hunks of stainless steel. The AirPods Max look unmistakably 'Apple' and feel premium, though the stainless steel build means they're heavy—saying that, we did find them comfortable enough during our tests.
One issue is the lack of a 3.5mm audio port; if you want to listen with a wired connection, or hook up the Apple AirPods Max to an amp or DAC, you'll have to shell out for a USB-C to 3.5mm audio port adaptor. That seems miserly when you consider the price. Another thing that will put off the audiophile crowd is the lack of support for Hi-Res Audio codecs, which is limited to Apple's own Apple Digital Masters.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
So despite their premium price and fantastic sound, they're not marketed towards audiophiles. But their price means the Apple AirPods Max are hardly a mass-market product—casual listeners will be unwilling to shell out so much.
We've decided the AirPods Max are aimed at Apple devotees, as there are many benefits open to Apple users and not Android users. These include immersive Spatial Audio, the ability to automatically switch between iOS devices, one-tap setup, hands-free Siri activation, and Audio Sharing. Post-launch updates include Conversation Boost, the ability to announce notifications with Siri, and integration with Apple's Find My feature.
For Android users, the AirPods Max are simply a high-performance pair of noise-cancelling headphones—and we can't see how the high price is justified.
If you're a card-carrying member of the wider Apple ecosystem, you have a lot of money to spend on headphones, and don't care about Hi-Res Audio, you won't find headphones that sound better or are easier to use.
If those points all apply to you but you prefer the true wireless earbuds form factor, it's also worth taking a look at the newest Apple AirPods Pro 2, a pair of buds that offer a significant upgrade in terms of performance compared to the AirPods Pro (2019) but certainly aren't cheap. If you're wedded to the over-ear design, read on for our full Apple AirPods Max review.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
AirPods Max review: Price and release date
The Apple AirPods Max cost $549 / £549 / AU$899
Incredibly expensive compared to rivals
The Apple AirPods Max cost $549 / £549 / AU$899 and were officially released on December 15, 2020.
That price makes the Apple AirPods Max far more expensive than most of the best over-ear headphones on the market.
Read our Sony WH-1000XM5 review for our current favorites. Although they're still pricey, they cost significantly less than the AirPods Max at $399 / £380 / AU$649. And our pick of the best pair of budget over-ears cost $199 / £160, which you can find out more about in our Philips PH805 wireless headphones review. There's no doubt about it, the Apple AirPods Max are incredibly expensive.
There are rumors that Apple is planning to release a cheaper, sports-friendly variant of the AirPods Max, but even then you can expect those to cost a pretty penny.
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AirPods Max review: Design
Stylish and minimal looks
But the design won't appeal to everyone
Heavy at 385g
After the price, the next biggest controversy surrounding the Apple AirPods Max is their design; they look quite unlike any other headphones on the market right now, with large flat earcups crafted from stainless steel, and a carrying case that's instantly recognizable.
There's an unmistakably 'Apple' quality to the earcups; some may describe them as stylishly minimal, while others might say they're rather featureless. Those that are looking for a bit more impact from their headphones may want to try the AirPods Max in one of their brighter color options, which include, silver, sky blue, green, and pink
We weren't sure about the overall design at first, but we have to say it's grown on us; they do look rather special compared to the competition, with a build quality that feels suitably premium for the price.
Special though they may be, those stainless steel earcups mean that the AirPods Max are quite heavy, coming in at 385g—for comparison, the Sony WH-1000XM4 weigh 254g. Sure, that extra heft does make the AirPods Max feel as though they're sturdy and well-made, but it's a lot of weight to be carrying around on your head all day.
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To offset that added weight, the Apple AirPods Max come with a headband made from a knitted mesh fabric that's designed to reduce on-head pressure. The look of the headband is certainly novel, but after spending time with the AirPods Max, we've come to appreciate it—they're very comfortable to wear despite their relative heaviness.
Are they as comfortable as the Sony WH-1000XM4? We don't think they quite measure up to the best headphones you can buy today in that respect, but the AirPods Max don't come with that uncomfortable clamping feeling that some over-ear headphones cause.
The headband frame itself is made from stainless steel, with telescoping arms that you can adjust to find a good fit – they'll stay in place once you adjust them, so you won't be constantly fiddling with the fit. The frame feels sturdy and well-made, but it's not so heavy as to put pressure on your head.
The memory foam earcups also feel comfortable, and can pivot independently to fit your head. The earcups are easily removable, snapping in place via a magnet; you'll be able to buy replacement earcups for the AirPods Max for $69 / £75 / $99 from the Apple Store.
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The on-ear controls on the AirPods Max are minimal; interestingly, Apple has reprised the Digital Crown dial of the Apple Watch, which it says enables precise volume control, as well as allowing you to play or pause audio, skip tracks, answer or end phone calls, and activate Siri.
You can simply turn the dial on the top of the right earcup to adjust the volume, or press once to play / pause your music, press once to answer and end phone calls, press twice to skip to the next track, and press three times to skip backwards.
We liked the tactility a dial provides, and it definitely feels like a more precise way of adjusting the volume as opposed to a button or swipe controls. In fact, we're quite pleased that Apple hasn't opted for touch-sensitive housings; in our experience, they can be temperamental, and it's tricky to remember all those different gestures.
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The right earcup also houses a noise control button that allows you to switch between active noise cancellation and Transparency mode, which allows some environmental noise to pass through the headphones, while the bottom of the earcup houses an Apple Lightning port for charging.
What isn't included is a 3.5mm audio port. So, if you want to listen with a wired connection, you'll have to fork out for a Lighting to 3.5mm audio adapter for an additional $35 / £35 (about AU$45).
It's frustrating that this doesn't come included with the headphones when you consider how expensive they are—if you're paying $549 / £549 / AU$899 for a pair of headphones, you might (quite reasonably) expect to be able to plug them into an amplifier or DAC to squeeze out every last drop of fidelity right out of the box.
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Interestingly, the lack of audio port isn't the most divisive design aspect of the AirPods Max; that award goes to the unusual-looking Smart Case, which puts the headphones in an 'ultralow power state', preserving the battery while the headphones aren't in use.
So far, the Smart Case has been compared to a bra, a sleeping mask, and a handbag by bemused Twitter users, and we can't say that we blame them.
That design wouldn't be so egregious if the case actually did what it's supposed to do: protect your headphones. Instead, the Smart Case leaves the headband of the AirPods Max totally exposed, and while an opening at the bottom of the case does make it easy to charge the headphones without removing them, it leaves them vulnerable to debris finding its way inside.
The rubberized material is also a magnet for smudges and scrapes, and just placing the Smart Case in a bag is enough to ruin the pristine look you get straight out of the box. Again, we'’d expect more from Apple at the price; while lightweight and compact, a hard case with a zip would provide far more protection and peace of mind.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
AirPods Max review: Audio performance
A wide, well-balanced soundstage
Support for Hi-Res Audio files is limited
The audio quality offered by the Apple AirPods Max is simply outstanding. They come with a wide, well-balanced soundstage that leaves plenty of room for each instrument to really sing—pair that with cool extra features like automatically pausing your music when you remove the headphones and Spatial Audio, and you've got yourself a very special pair of cans.
Listening to Phoebe Bridgers' Garden Song, and her soft vocal sounded smooth and clear, with every detail meticulously conveyed by the AirPods Max. The glitchy picked guitar had a lovely rich quality to it, with a fantastic sense of rhythm and stereo separation.
Moving onto Love My Way by The Psychedelic Furs, the glockenspiel sounded bright and vivid, while the tightly-controlled bass provided a solid bedrock for the guitar and vocals. As we turned up the volume, we didn't experience any issues with distortion, partly thanks to the neodymium ring magnet motor inside the headphones that powers its 40mm drivers.
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The AirPods Max are great for listening to pretty much any genre of music, whether you're into sparkly pop with strong vocals or hip-hop with punchy basslines—and unlike the AirPods Pro, they can handle classical music, too. As we listened to Mozart's Jupiter, the raucous opening sounded expansive and decadent, while the quieter flute passages were handled delicately with accuracy and precision.
Despite the high price of the AirPods Max, support for Hi-Res Audio files is limited to Apple's own Apple Digital Masters tracks, which are only available via Apple Music. Again, this makes it feel as though we're being somewhat shortchanged, as we'd expect comprehensive codec support at this price—and now that Apple Music offers Lossless Audio, the lack of lossless streaming support is unfortunate.
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AirPods Max review: Spatial audio
Spatial Audio is great and immersive
Fantastic for movie watching
Like the AirPods and AirPods Pro, the AirPods Max come with the Apple H1 chip in each earcup, which features no less than 10 audio cores to allow for Adaptive EQ, active noise cancellation, Transparency mode, and Spatial Audio.
Released as part of iOS 14, the Spatial Audio feature first came to the AirPods Pro, and works for content in 5.1, 7.1 and Dolby Atmos, which positions sound all around you within a virtual sphere – this means that, for example, if you're watching a Dolby Atmos film that shows a plane flying overhead, it will sound as though the plane really is passing above you.
Something that's unique to Spatial Audio is the fact that the AirPods Max are able to track your head movement using inbuilt accelerometers and gyroscopes, as well as the position of your iOS device; that means that as you move your head, the audio will always sound as though it's coming from the screen.
To try it for yourself, you just need to find content that's available in the aforementioned surround formats—Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus and HBO Max all allow for Spatial Audio, though the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are yet to follow suit and add surround sound support for their iOS apps.
Happily, it's possible for stereo content to be converted to Spatial Audio while using the AirPods Max or AirPods Pro by opening the headphones' settings on your device.
We tested out the Spatial Audio feature on the AirPods Max with content from Apple TV Plus, and we have to say it's very effective. No, it's not as convincing as a true Dolby Atmos surround setup, but it does make movie-watching feel far more immersive—and it's a fantastic extra feature for those that watch a lot of TV shows and films on an iPhone or iPad.
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AirPods Max review: Noise cancellation
Excellent noise cancellation
The Transparency mode is useful
The noise cancellation provided by the Apple AirPods Max is very strong, and we'd say it's on par with the likes of the Sony WH-1000XM4 and the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700.
Each ear cup features three outward-facing microphones to detect environmental noise, while one microphone inside the ear cup monitors the sound reaching your ear.
Apple says the AirPods Max use computational audio to continuously adapt their noise cancellation performance based on "the headphone fit and movement in real time". It certainly seemed effective when we tested them out in a range of situations.
During a commute, most of the rumble from the train was blocked out, and with our music playing, we couldn't hear it at all. You truly get a sense of peace when using the AirPods Max in noisy environments, whether you're working in your kitchen with the washing machine roaring away in the background, or trying to steal a few moments of solitude on a busy journey.
The Transparency mode is useful, too; you just need to press the noise cancellation button on the right earcup to allow environmental noise to pass through the headphones, allowing you to tap into your surroundings.
It's certainly handy if you need to have a quick conversation with someone without having to stop your music, and it worked really well in our tests, making it feel as though you're not wearing headphones at all.
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AirPods Max review: Battery life and connectivity
20 hours of battery life
Low power mode with the Smart Case
Apple says the AirPods Max provide up to 20 hours of high-fidelity audio, talk time, or movie playback, which ordinarily wouldn't seem a huge amount; however, given that this is with Active Noise Cancellation enabled, it's a pretty respectable figure.
The best over-ear headphones will usually hit around 30 hours of battery life, although many very good models only make it to around 20—either way it's enough for a full day or two's use, depending on how wedded they'll be to your ears.
The stated battery life seems about right to us, and we like the fact that the Smart Case puts the headphones into a low power mode; however, the inability to actually turn the AirPods Max off is puzzling. Still, having left them in the Smart Case overnight several times, we didn't notice a significant drop off in battery life.
Connectivity comes courtesy of Bluetooth 5, and as such, pairing is fast and stable, and you shouldn't lose your connection as you move away from your source device (as long as you don't go further than 800 feet / 420 meters, or put several thick walls between the AirPods Max and your phone).
Apple says the AirPods Max require Apple devices running iOS 14.3 or later, iPadOS 14.3 or later, macOS Big Sur 11.1 or later, watchOS 7.2 or later, or tvOS 14.3 or later—while they'll work with both Android and Windows devices, you won't be able to use Spatial Audio or Automatic Switching without one of the aforementioned Apple devices.
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The Automatic Switching feature means you can easily switch between iPhone, iPad and Mac when jumping between music listening and taking calls, while one-tap setup will mean you can get up and running with your new cans pretty swiftly. We found the setup to be incredibly easy using both an Android device and an iOS device, though iPhone users do benefit from the ability to toggle Spatial Audio and other control settings.
You can also share audio between two sets of AirPods from pretty much any Apple source device—even the Apple TV 4K or the iPod Touch—so you and a friend can listen to the same music simultaneously.
As ever, Apple has included support for its smart assistant Siri too, meaning you can use voice commands to play music, make phone calls, adjust the volume and get directions when you're on the move, among other things. Siri can also read your incoming messages, which is useful if you don't want to dig your phone out of your pocket, bag or wherever you may have left it.
Since their release, Apple has brought a new feature to the AirPods Max: Conversation Boost. This feature dials up the volume of conversations happening in front of the user when you're in transparency mode. While anyone can benefit, it effectively allows people who are hearing impaired to better understand what people are saying in a conversation.
Again, these features are limited to iOS devices, which means many of the things that set the AirPods Max apart from the competition won't be available to Android users.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
AirPods Max review: Conclusion
The Apple AirPods Max are a truly excellent pair of over-ear headphones—and among the best-sounding headphones we've ever tested. They're incredibly easy to use—thanks as always, Apple—noise cancellation stands up to the best in the bunch and they look sleek and a little unusual.
However, they're incredibly expensive and there are limitations for Android users. There's also no 3.5mm audio port here either, which means we'd only recommend them to iOS users with a lot of money to spare—and no interest in Hi-Res Audio.
AirPods Max review: Also consider
If our Apple AirPods Max review has you considering a new pair of over-ear headphones or noise-cancelling headphones, then here are three alternatives for you to check out.
• Original review date: August 2022
• Still Sennheiser's flagship wireless headphones
• Launch price: $349 / £300 / AU$549
• Regular price now: $299 / £269 / AU$450
Update: February 2024. We still rate the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless as the best wireless headphones in the more premium bracket (without getting super high-end) because their sound quality and, especially, battery life and smart features haven't been beaten yet for the price. And it helps that they're now basically always available cheaper than their list price, and fell as low as $249 / £219 over Black Friday. The latest releases from Bose and Sony can beat them when it comes to noise cancellation strength, but not sound quality at the same price – these remain fantastic value. And we really can't over-emphasize how much we love the 60-hour battery life too. We've tested all the new contenders, and these remain our favorite at this price. The rest of this review remains as previously published.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless: two-minute review
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless are the latest over-ear wireless headphones from Sennheiser and if Sony isn't worried, it should be. These cans have an incredible battery life, a likeable app, an extensive feature set, easy on-ear controls, talented adaptive noise cancellation and a zealous sound that'll have you nodding your head happily wherever you go.
Did the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless head straight to the top of our best over-ear headphones buying guide in August 2022? You betcha they did – and two months later in October, they subsequently became our headphones of the year for 2022 – consult the TechRadar Choice Awards hub for the full list of 2022 winners.
Back to Sennheiser, and while the slightly quirky anchored aluminium headband aesthetic of the third-generation Momentum Wireless cans has gone in favor of a more business-like (can we say 'boring'? I suppose we just have) black plastic and fabric aesthetic, as soon as you put them on you'll forgive it – the sound is that good, we'd wear them even if they only came in slime green and had a big shaky bug eye on each ear cup.
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless are an evolution of the November 2019-issue Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless – even though the familial resemblance has been scrapped. We rated the older cans, commending them for their excellent sound, feature set, built-in Tile tracking (so you needn't lose them) and active noise-cancellation (ANC) but we were disappointed by the 17-hour battery life.
Well, that has certainly changed with the fourth-generation model – and not just because two years and nine months between iterations is an awfully long time in audio tech. The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless boast a whopping 60-hour battery life even with ANC deployed, and to save you the bother of checking, we'll tell you right now that you only get 30 hours from the Sony WH-1000XM5, which launched in May 2022.
If you're not put off by the slightly commonplace design (and we'll be honest, we do miss the altogether more rock 'n' roll Momentum 3 Wireless aesthetic) the sound quality for the money here is unbeatable.
On top of this, the tweakable ANC works a treat (you can actually control it by 'pinching' the right ear cup in the same way you would to pan in and out of photos on your smartphone), the app sports a clear and intuitive interface, the auto-off works consistently, calls are dramatically improved by Sennheiser's unique and delightfully-named Sidetone (which sounds as if you'll be dialling up the sarcasm, but actually helps you hear your own voice during phone calls) and the immersive detail here will last actual, whole days.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless are comfortable to wear, and the sound is nothing short of exceptional (Image credit: TechRadar)
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review: price and release date
Released on August 9, 2022
$349.95 / £300 / AU$549.95
Sennheiser's fourth generation cans are available now, priced $349.95 / £300 / AU$549.95. They arrived on August 9, 2022.
The keen-eyed will note that Sennheiser priced its newest over-ear wireless noise-cancelling headphones at $50 (or £80) cheaper than the class-leading Sony WH-1000XM5 cans at launch, which regularly retail for $399 / £380 / AU$550.
And considering the Sennheiser over-ears boast double the stamina of the Sony proposition, things start to get really interesting…
Yes, $350 is hardly cheap for a set of headphones, but the Momentum 4 Wireless actually launched at a more palatable price than their 2019-issue predecessors, which we think is quite remarkable.
Sennheiser is clearly happy to compete against the likes of Bose (the Bose QC 45 launched September 23, 2021 and cost $329 / £329 / AU$499.95) and Sony in a price war, and it's safe to say that the gamble has paid off – and then some. Remember to check out any Sennheiser promo codes currently available to potentially save more.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless come in a durable hardshell case – but note that they don't fold up entirely. (Image credit: TechRadar)
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review: features
Excellent, fully-featured app
Simple, dependable on-ear controls
Useful sound zones and EQ presets
Sennheiser has packed everything and the kitchen sink into the Momentum 4 Wireless’s spec sheet. Aside from that remarkable 60-hour battery life (which, before you ask, is at normal volume levels and with active noise cancellation engaged) that's twice the stamina of many rivals, including the Sony WH-1000XM4 and XM5, which both offer 30 hours, and the Bose QC 45 and Bose Noise Cancelling 700 which offer between 24 and 30 hours.
Rarely have we only had to juice up our cans once and once only during testing, but here the Sennheiser just went on and on... and on, aided by wearer-detection to pause playback if you remove them and an automatic function which powers them off if they've been inactive for 15 minutes, to be roused by another touch. But if you do find yourself low on juice, wired listening is also an option, either using the bundled 2.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable or a USB-C to USB-C one (not supplied, although you do get a flight adapter and a USB-C to USB-A charging cable in the stylish hardshell fabric case).
The Momentum 4 Wireless come bearing Bluetooth 5.2, which means they can simultaneously connect to multiple Bluetooth devices and switch between them more easily – there's a nice connection management tab in the app to see your devices. There’s also support for apt X and aptX Adaptive, aka one of the newest and best Bluetooth codecs around.
The Sennheiser Smart Control app is your useful, clean, easy-to-use gateway to EQ tweaks and presets (Sennheiser can guide you through a 'Sound Check', which involves listening to your favorite music to create custom presets), as well as Adaptive ANC, which includes a slider to tweak how much extraneous noise you want to eliminate all the way into Transparency, which lets ambient sounds in to keep you aware of traffic, say.
One of the most novel inclusions here is ‘Sound Zones’. You can create up to 20 profiles (think home, the office, the gym, the train station) featuring specific EQ and noise isolation levels – which will magically activate or deactivate when you enter or leave a specific 'zone' wearing the Momentum 4 Wireless. Want maximum ANC and a thumping bass to kick in as soon as you get within throwing distance of the station? Want to hear conversations in the office – but don't want to conspicuously tweak the settings as you sit at your desk? Sound Zones will make it happen.
And another likeable Sennheiser feature is back here: Sidetone. It makes call-handling much easier because you can actually choose to hear a little (or a lot) of your own voice. As such, you won't find yourself shouting (not even over even the enviable levels of passive noise isolation here) to the recipient of your calls.
Features score: 5/5
Lovely big ear cups and only one physical button needed. (Image credit: TechRadar)
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review: design
Big oval ear cups
One physical button, excellent on-ear controls
Ear cups lie flat but do not fold into the headband
What the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless design lacks in physical flair, it atones for in functionality. For example, the fact that the ear cups are no longer anchored in the middle, to the headband, means firstly that adjusting them is a silent experience, and secondly that the entirety of the right ear cup's top surface is now a touchpad.
This can be tapped once for playback/pause, swiped from near your cheek towards your crown or vice versa for track skipping, swiped up/down for volume adjustment or ‘pinched’ (in the same way as you might zoom in on your phone when looking at photos) for increasing or minimizing ANC. This touchpad is accurate and refreshingly dependable, to the point that we often forego our phone entirely when cueing up music on our commute.
Physical buttons are limited to one: the combined power and pairing button, also on the right earcup, alongside a USB-C charging port and five battery LED indicators. The ear cups can swivel flat to fit in their case or sit flush around your neck, and although they echo the current trend for ear cups that rotate to lie flat but do not fold up – see the Sony WH-1000XM5, Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 and pricier Bowers & Wilkins PX8 or Focal Bathys over the older, foldable Sony WH-1000XM4 for reference – the design is well conceived.
In terms of comfort, this new design doesn't initially look that well padded, but what cushioning there is is more than sufficient because the relatively wide headband does a great job of distributing pressure across your crown so that nothing wears heavily or pinches, even after several hours of wear. And the clamping force is good, but not aggressively so.
The only real design flourishes here are the fabric on the external aspect of the headband (available in two colorways) and Sennheiser's trademark S-in-a-rectangle branding at the base of the headband. It's demure to a fault, especially when those ear cups are devoid of any accent whatsoever – and it's the reason we removed half a star from the rating here. But if you'll only glance at the overall star-rating we awarded these excellent Sennheiser noise-cancelling over-ears, you'll see we forgave it all…
Design score: 4.5/5
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless boast few design flourishes, but those ear cups are supremely talented when it comes to sound (Image credit: TechRadar)
First off: the noise cancellation in the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless is very good indeed. Taking to the streets, we find cars, barking dogs and the general thrum of everyday life largely absent from our now unimpeded music. Occasionally, we find Sony's XM5 proposition able to nix just a tiny bit more when it comes to constant low-level noise (a bus engine as we sit on the top deck; the AC unit in the office) but it's a very closely run race and, unless you're switching quickly between each set of headphones it's impossible to call. Even now we hesitate to offer this judgement, since both sets of over-ears offer great levels of ANC – but it is our job to do so and we said what we said.
Now, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless sound. Oh, what a sound! Cueing up Somos Nadaby Christina Aguilera, we hear all of the texture and emotion in Aguilera's more mature, considered and yet still effortless belt. The keys also feel three-dimensional in an expressive and dynamically agile mix that's capable of intense and supremely musical rise and fall – the kind that creates space for us to hear musical instruments playing and intakes of breath between vocal licks. The album continues to Santo and the placement of casual diners in a cafe and a soft shaker before the track starts proper are all delicately handled and expertly relayed.
The foreboding guttural vocal stylings alongside whispered close-up utterances throughout Mudvayne's Dig are some of the most challenging ways to test these cans' sense of timing through the low end, and the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless never shy away from the task.
In fact, whatever genre we throw at the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, we find ourselves remarking at the open, detailed, expansive, neutral and crisp performance. Never is it overly warm; never is it congested or muddied through the bass. The intro to FKA Twigs' Two Weeks has never sounded so deep and uninhibited through the low-end, and as her bell-like vocal starts, we notice inflections within it and throughout the engaging treble other headphones simply cannot unearth.
Sound quality score: 5/5
Sennheiser Momentum Wireless in both available colorways. (Image credit: Sennheiser )
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review: value
High-end sound for a shade under premium prices
ANC is bang on for the level
Incredible battery life adds value
Although these prices can hardly be considered budget-friendly and we appreciate that, given their talent, (remember, the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 cost $399 / £379 / approx. AU$575 – aka a $50 premium) we'd still have awarded them five stars for value at $50 more expensive.
Why? The adaptive noise cancellation is strong, the feature set is as exhaustive as you'll find at the level, the design is minimalist but carefully considered, and the sound is supremely talented. Simply put, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless are an excellent pair of headphones – truly some of the best noise cancelling headphones you can buy.
Value score: 5/5
Should you buy them Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless?
Buy them if…
Don't buy them if…
Also consider…
If our Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review has you considering whether to buy them or to scope out other wireless over-ear headphones, take a glance at these three competing cans at the level.
• Original review date: August 2022
• Galaxy Buds 3 Pro rumored for August 2024 release
• Launch price: $229 / £219 / AU$349
• Target price now: $169 / £159 / $235
Updated: January 2024. There have been new releases from Sony and Bose since the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro came out, but we're still huge fans of these buds – especially for Galaxy phone owners, of course. Their hi-res audio support is still best in class, and their sound is rewarding, detailed and generally impressive. You will get better ANC power from something like the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, but the Samsung can often be found for much cheaper than basically any of these other premium earbuds, for only a small step down in effectiveness. The official price is still high, but you should aim to pay the 'target' price listed above, which was possible at the time of writing this update. We should note that the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are expected to launch in August 2024, but they will surely cost more, so don't let it put you off unless you simply must always have the cutting-edge stuff, and you're willing to wait for something as-yet unconfirmed. The rest of this review remains as previously published.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro: two-minute review
Given Samsung's formidable reputation in the smartphone and tablet arena, it has long surprised us that the company's Galaxy Buds output never quite hit the mark. A sensible (and color-coordinating) bet if you're already buying a Galaxy phone, maybe, but best avoided by everyone else as a serious sonic proposition.
The big news is that Apple, Sony, Bose, Sennheiser and in fact all of the best wireless earbuds manufacturers now need to take a good look at what Samsung has done with the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. They're good. No, really, they're good.
The company has emphatically turned a corner. These smaller, more comfortable and less arrogant earbuds (remember the rose gold, kidney-bean shaped Galaxy Buds Live? These are nothing like those) are packed full of useful perks such as excellent ANC, voice detect, wearer detection and customizable on-ear controls – all of which work very well indeed – plus IPX7 water ingress protection.
But the headline-grabber, if you own a Samsung Galaxy device (and thus, access to the Samsung Wearable companion app and home-screen widget) is 360 audio with optional head-tracking, thus allowing you to use your phone as the focal point to direct more of that new end-to-end 24-bit high-res audio to whichever ear you prefer.
With a standard price of $229 / £219 / AU$349 and available in Graphite, White, and Bora Purple, these are viable and slightly cheaper rivals to the Apple AirPods Pro if you own a Samsung Galaxy device – and we mulled this judgement over at length before telling you as much.
The uptick in sound quality emphatically goes hand in hand with the improved fit and lightness here – the Buds Pro 2 are 15% smaller than Samsung's last effort and 0.8g lighter per earpiece (5.5g vs the 6.3g Buds Pro) – but more importantly, the design fits your ear simply and without the wearer having to master any overly-aggressive twist-and-lock techniques. In terms of fit, Samsung has absolutely hit a home run with the Buds 2 Pro – and the praise doesn't stop there.
The sound quality features a punchy bass, impactful and textured mids and sparkling, easily handled highs. You can tweak the EQ for yourself if you'd like, and a useful Voice Detect feature means that when you pipe up vocally, Ambient mode and lower music volume is automatically deployed to make your conversation easier. After five, 10 or 15 seconds of no talky (you can choose in the app), the music simply returns to normal.
The scope for noise cancellation is on, off, or ambient (so you cannot select the level you'd like on a slider, for example), but it works easily as well as anything at this price and the extra features for the level are comprehensive. It's possible to connect the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro to two devices simultaneously, and the touch controls cover every function you'll want – including volume alterations via a long press of either bud, as long as you tailor it in the app and are prepared to forego the option to scroll between noise cancellation profiles.
The only fly in the ointment is battery life, which is a claimed five hours of continuous playtime with ANC on (or eight without it) and up to 18 hours in the cradle. This is acceptable rather than class-leading and we had hoped for a little extra stamina.
Ultimately though, we find ourselves shaking our heads at the improved sound quality. The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro support Bluetooth 5.3 – and LE Audio "will be eventually supported" by the end of the year, according to Samsung. All of this bodes well for the future, because it means Auracast audio sharing might soon be on the cards.
We're willing to wager that the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro's sound and design will suit practically every ear. The sound quality also now falls in line with Samsung's great reputation in other arenas. Bravo Sammers!
Samsung's clearly worked hard on this shape – and it has paid dividends (Image credit: TechRadar)
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review: price and release date
$229 / £219 / AU$349
Announced August 10, available in stores from August 26
The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro cost $229 / £219 / AU$349 and are available in three colorways: Graphite, White, and Bora Purple.
To put that pricing into perspective, it's a middle ground between the Apple AirPods Pro, which came with a launch price of $249 / £249 / AU$399, and the AirPods 3, which cost $179 / £169 / AU$279 – but remember, those cheaper 'Pods don't feature any active noise cancellation.
You can bag the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro on pre-order now, and the Buds 2 Pro will land in stores on August 26.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro sport a USB-C charger, but there's also wireless charging support (Image credit: TechRadar)
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review: design and features
Small, comfortable earphones
IPX7 waterproof earbuds
5 hours of playtime with ANC on; up to 18 hrs in the case
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are refreshingly smaller and lighter than most competing options – and Samsung was right to shave a little off the design. The result is a stylish, minimalist, secure and ergonomic fit that almost feels as if you're not wearing earbuds.
Across the course of our listening, we experienced zero fall-out anxiety, even with our small ears and without switching from the pre-fitted medium eartips (although you also get small and large tip sets in the box). We found the earpieces never budged, even when breaking into a sprint for the train en route to work, which is unusual.
The rounded top surface of the earbuds had us a little worried that the touch controls might be somewhat hit-and-miss. We were wrong to doubt them – the Buds 2 Pro's on-ear touch capacitive controls are very good indeed. They're easy to tap, registering your touch with little reassuring beeps, to the point that we found ourselves rarely needing to dig out our phone during our commute thanks to their efficacy.
USB-C and wireless charging is supported here as expected. The earbuds themselves boast an unusual IPX7 waterproof rating however, which will keep them safe even if submerged in freshwater up to a depth of one meter for up to 30 minutes, but take note – the case is not water resistant at all.
Wearer detection works, voice detect works, dual connectivity works, the Find My Earbuds feature works and ANC nixes noise without adversely coloring your music – everything does as claimed without fuss or dropouts. And if it sounds de riguer for a product's claimed features to come good under intense review, know that it isn't always the case.
On the subject of cases, this one is small and easily pocketable, with strong magnets to keep it shut, a solo LED light on the front and a finish that resolutely refuses to collect fingerprint smudges.
Until you come to that slightly underwhelming battery life of five hours from the buds with ANC on, we've got nothing but good things to say about the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro's design and feature set.
Design and features score: 4.5/5
Simply toggle on 360 Audio with head-tracking in the app on your Samsung device and you're away (Image credit: TechRadar)
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review: sound quality
2-way speaker design (woofer and tweeter)
Impressive and detailed 24-bit audio
ANC is seriously good for the level
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro sport a two-way driver design, with a 10mm woofer and 5.4mm tweeter in each earbud. It's a formidable improvement on Samsung's previous earbud releases too, with YoDogg and Cardo's NIP (streamed in 360 reality audio, on Tidal) sounding atmospheric and foreboding while snaking from one ear to the other in a talented display of immersive audio.
On the subject of head-tracked Dolby Atmos content, it's a subtler performance than LG's Tone Free T90 when it comes to serving up audio betwixt each ear as you turn your head, but it is fun and effective nevertheless – and make no mistake, the sound is expansive and realistic throughout.
Sheryl Crow's Soak Up the Sun has us nodding our heads happily as we seek out backing vocals other earbuds can't deliver as cleanly or with as much space around each singer. Here, they are showcased pleasingly against a backdrop of keys in our right ear and guitars in our left.
DJ Snake's reggaeton romp Taki Taki is nothing short of zealous as whirring synths jump across the soundstage and drums crash in centrally and unapologetically. The soundstage is wide for a set of in-ear headphones and, as our playlist continues to Daddy Yankee and Snow's Con Calma, we realize it's the most energetic and agile performance of the track we've heard in some time through the grippy bassline.
Samsung's Galaxy Buds 2 Pro include Bluetooth 5.3 and high-quality 24-bit music support, when used with compatible Samsung devices, thanks to the new 'Samsung Seamless Codec'. Although we still don't have full details on exactly what this codec can do, Samsung's slightly older (but still very talented) Scalable Codec is capable of handling 24-bit/96kHz audio streaming, with bitrates of up to 512kbps, so that's the likely minimum support we're talking about here – and regardless of the numbers, the resulting performance is impressive, with high-frequency treble instruments coming through with clarity and nuance, alongside a rock-solid midrange and expressive, impactful low end.
When it comes to noise cancellation, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro delivered the goods and then some. When using the Buds 2 Pro for the first time with ANC on, we had to check that the AC unit we were sitting next to was still in fact working. With 3 high SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio) microphones, Samsung claims the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro can track and eliminate more outside sound than any Galaxy Buds that have gone before it – even soft sounds like wind – and we'd agree with the claim.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 are beaten initially for ANC by the Galaxy product, but these and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds can still lay claim to the being the best noise-cancelling earbuds on the market owing to their more tailored experience – although now, it's a far more closely run race.
Sound quality and noise cancellation score: 4.5/5
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are a bijou and retiring proposition (Image credit: TechRadar)
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review: value
Cheaper than AirPods Pro, dearer than AirPods 3
Recommended for Samsung Galaxy device owners
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro squeeze an incredible amount into their bijou design for mid-range money. OK, you might still wish for ANC you can tweak in increments on a slider in the app, but forgive this and it's hard to quibble with the sound-per-pound value.
The sound quality is unexpectedly good given Samsung's middling track record, and although we had hoped for a little more stamina for those longer listening sessions, there's an awful lot to like here.
Value score: 4.5/5
Should I buy the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro?
Buy them if…
Don't buy them if…
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review: Also consider
Think the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro might not be the true wireless earbuds for you? That's no biggie. Here are three alternatives that could offer just the design, feature-set and sound quality you're looking for.
Update: February 2024. The Naenka Runner Diver headphones are better value than ever thanks to a significant drop in price, but they're no longer the monarchs of underwater music storage. The Shokz Openswim Pro and Runner Diver 2, both on the docket to be tested at time of writing, boast 32GB capacity storage, able to fit far more music into their headsets than the original Runner Diver. However, the reduced prices make it an excellent thrifty buy. The rest of the review is as originally published.
Two-minute review
The Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones are unique among the best waterproof headphones and best bone conduction headphones. Like most underwater audio gadgets they can store a bunch of MP3 files (remember them?) so you can listen to music, podcasts or audiobooks while you swim.
However, they have something most rivals don’t in the shape of a Bluetooth module. It doesn’t work underwater, so you can’t stream to them using a smartphone on your sun bed, but you can switch to it when on dry land. In an instant, it turns these waterproof headphones from a one-trick gadget into a lifestyle accessory good for using in the pool, the gym, while out on a run, and even around an office.
Based on bone conduction technology that sends vibrations directly to your inner ear, however, means bass-heavy audio that’s low on treble detailing. That makes music a largely narrow affair, though that’s probably not a deal-breaker for swimming when any kind of distraction will do.
Able to store an impressive 16GB of MP3s, the Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones is an ambitious product whose minimalist design means a few long presses of buttons must be learned to switch between modes and tracks. Learn them well and the Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones will allow you to go to great lengths.
Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones review: Price and release date
$169.99/£135/AU$238
Launched in April 2022
Naenka is a challenger brand in the bone conduction headphones space, with this unique product selling for $169.99/£135/AU$238. It’s manufactured by Shenzhen Mengqu Life Technology Co. in Shenzhen, China and sold on Naenka’s website.
(Image credit: Jamie Carter)
Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones: Design
Minimalist design
Proprietary charging cable
Teardrop-shaped transducers
Design score: 4/5
You can get the Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones in whatever color you want. As long as it’s gray. It’s a smart, minimalist design that weighs just 34g and uses the same silicon plastic finish found on almost all bone conduction headsets. It’s there because it’s both smooth and it doesn’t move around when placed against wet skin.
It also uses an ear-hook design to keep the transducers in place. That’s important because they rest against the tops of cheekbones to send sound vibrations directly to the inner ear. Here they’re shaped like teardrops.
Like all new bone conduction headphones, the Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones use a proprietary charging cable that magnetically attaches to the battery via four gold connector points.
The Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones are the last word in versatility. They’re actually at their best when being used in either ‘music mode’ (i.e. playback of MP3 or FLAC files on its flash storage) or ‘Bluetooth mode’ out of the water. Used outdoors or around the office and you obviously get the trademark ‘open ear’ design that lets you hear what’s going on around you. In practice that can be as handy around a home office (depending on whether you work alone or not) as when out on a run, but the design has obvious safety advantages for the latter.
Sound quality when used out of water is good, though the maximum volume is a little too low. At no point did we experience any bassy ‘tickle’ in our cheekbones, but it got close. At all times the sound quality is good, but not excellent. There’s a lot of bass, but not much in the way of treble detail. If you listen mainly to podcasts or audiobooks it’s not going to make any difference.
However, for its headline act the Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones needs a little help. They ship with no bag, but they do come with a small box of earplugs. That’s because by blocking your ear canals while swimming the transducers can do their bone conducting work in auditory silence. The results are much better than if you don’t use the earplugs, but only in water. Sound quality underwater is a little different to above it, with more bass – aided by those ear plugs – though here the low volume is an issue.
(Image credit: Jamie Carter)
Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones: Features
IPX8 waterproof to 5m
Bluetooth 5.2 mode
180mAh battery
The Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones are rated IPX8 waterproof down to 5m, but that rating also means they’re sweat proof and dust-proof. Inside is a 180mAh battery (which fully charges in 1.5 hours and is good for about 10 hours, though only if they’re used at 60% volume, which is unlikely) and a flash drive capable of storing up to 16GB of MP3 and FLAC files.
The latter is a lossless high resolution format, so tends to produce very large files. However, considering the rather basic sound quality of the Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones we’re not sure why FLAC compatibility is necessary. Either way it’s obviously a pain to have to drag and drop files onto the flash drive, and you do need a computer to do so.
The main other feature here is its Bluetooth module, which uses the new 5.2 specification. The upshot is that in practice the Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones always stay connected to a smartphone.
Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones: Value for money
High-range choice
Challenger brand in bone conduction headphones
Value for money score: 3/5
The Naenka Runner Diver waterproof headphones are more expensive than the market leader, whose Shokz OpenSwim sells for $149.95/£139.95/AU$219.95. However, they’re more affordable than the Zygo Solo, a premium package of waterproof headphones and a coaching app, which sells for $299/£218/AU$400.
• Original review date: June 2022
• Launch price: $20 / £20 / AU$49
• Official price now: $25 / £25 / AU$49
Updated: January 2024. As you can see, the JLab Go Air Pop have actually risen in their official price over time, and there are more cheap earbuds than ever – but the these remain a favorite with us because their mix of price, sound, reliability and build quality hasn't been clearly beaten. Their use of an integrated USB Type-A charger (ie, the old style of USB) has become more of an issue in a USB-C world, but JLab will have new earbuds that include USB-C in the future if you can wait. But not everyone will mind this anyway – especially because we've seen these drop by another 25% or more around sales season (over Black Friday, they fell to $9 in the US, £18 in the UK), so you can find them even cheaper. The rest of this review remains as previously published.
JLab Go Air Pop: one-minute review
Let's cut to the chase of what's thrilling about the JLab Go Air Pop: since February of this year it has been possible to buy a pair of known-brand true wireless earbuds for $20 / $20, a fee that even three years ago was unimaginable. And, they're not from someone down a dark back alley, and they're not knock-off AirPods.
The known brand is JLab, and its raison d'etre is providing durable listening gear at rock-bottom prices; staples on our list of the best budget wireless earbuds guide, with the outgoing JLab Go Air as a prime example. They're also our top budget pick in our best wireless earbuds guide.
Regular readers will know that TechRadar penned initial thoughts about the remarkably affordable new JLab Go Air Pop soon after their release, but – even though this is a very wallet-friendly product – we want you to know about them in a fully-fledged review. Isn't your curiosity piqued? Can earbuds this budget-conscious actually do a job?
We've all been burned by buying cheap – buy cheap, buy twice, right? Not here. If you're thinking that one bud would cease to pair after a week, or the case lid would snap off within a day, or a glancing blow from a wet jacket sleeve would kill them, or a speck of dust would put paid to the case registering anything inside it worth charging… well, you're wrong.
What you need to know is that JLab Go Air Pop (try to see past the name, in the same way we're able to see past Sony's collection of capital letters, dashes and numbers to find a class-leading product) are actually pretty good generally – and emphatically unbeatable for this money, although it's important to note that there's little out there to challenge them at the level. If this is where your budget maxes out for non-essentials such as true wireless earbuds, you will find a reliable product here.
These earbuds belie their lowly price-point. They are not junk. They sound far better than is reasonable. And wouldn’t life be better if more of us could afford portable wireless music, rather than no music at all?
JLab's earbuds and charging case will absolutely survive your commute unscathed. (Image credit: TechRadar)
JLab Go Air Pop review: Price & release date
$20 / £20 / AU$49.95
Released: February 2022
At $20, £20 or five cents under $50 in Australia, saying JLab's latest true wireless earbuds are aggressively priced is quite the understatement. Remember, JLab is a known audio brand, founded in 2005 and respected among the audio press.
Competition and profit margins at JLab’s ultra-affordable end of the market are brutal. The race to shrink reliable connectivity, decent stamina and on-device controls into ever-more amenable price-points, while still somehow turning a profit, never ends.
The truth is that JLab has fashioned a unique pair of new earbuds that do this for $20 (£20) and I'm still not sure how. Did someone on JLab’s payroll sell their soul to the devil in a Faustian, Robert Johnson-style pact? Hope not. But one can’t be sure…
Go Air Pop's charging cable actually snaps into the underside of the box (Image credit: TechRadar)
JLab Go Air Pop: features
JLab Go Air Pop review: Features
Bluetooth 5.1 and wearer-detection
Three effective EQ profiles
On-ear volume control
First off, these Bluetooth 5.1 earbuds connected to my phone at the first time of asking, and as basic a statement as it may seem, the fact that a product powers up simply, shows up in the Bluetooth menu of my phone and pairs – without the 15 minutes of head scratching, a third read of the Quick Start Guide and a full factory reset – already puts them streets ahead of certain buds we’ve tested at up to 10 times the price.
The earbuds are also sweat-resistant but even more importantly, you’re getting eight hours from the earbuds and a whopping 32 hours from the entire proposition when you include the case – and having spent a week with them, I can confirm that the claim is genuine.
Upon placing the buds back into your ears following charging, they pair instantly to their last-known device too, calmly announcing “Bluetooth connected, battery full”. These are small and incremental checks in favor of the JLabs, but they do add up. Functioning without issue might seem the bare minimum, but JLab is beating competition much higher up the food chain just by passing these rudimentary tests.
Oh, and on-device volume control? Big check. I have knocked several premium pairs of earbuds for not offering what is such a natural thing to want from your headphones (AirPods Pro, I'm looking at you), but here, a simple tap of either earpiece sends the volume up (right) or down (left) a notch. It’s almost too easy. Double tap the left one for Siri or Google, double tap the right to play or pause your music. Hold your finger on either earpiece for over a second and it’ll skip forward or back a track. Cake.
There's a mic in each earbud for call-handling, and don’t for a second think that no app means no EQ profiles – triple tap either earpiece and you’ll hear the soothing voice say “balanced’, “bass boost” or “JLab signature”. Across the course of my time with these little units, they never misunderstand my index finger’s morse code once, either.
Features score: 5/5
The JLab Go Air Pop's charging cable is slightly strange. But since it's attached, you'll never forget it! (Image credit: TechRadar)
JLab Go Air Pop review: Sound quality
Good bass weight and textured vocals
Treble crackles at higher volumes
These earbuds are very capable of playing music and really, it is churlish to expect too much more. If you were hoping JLab just nailed sonic brilliance for the princely sum of $20, you will have to think again – you’re getting SBC vanilla Bluetooth delivered at rock-bottom prices, not aptX HD, LDAC or hifalutin higher-res codecs.
The name hardly screams audio excellence anyway – ‘air’ and ‘pop’ are not words we’d recommend using in the same sentence as 6mm drivers and Bluetooth connectivity – but remember, Sony once released a limited-edition ‘silent white’ colourway for the WH-1000XM4 and silence doesn't suggest great-sounding cans either. Which firm had the bigger budget to perhaps run that name by a focus group? Correct.
Any meaningful sound comparison between these $20 in-ears and class-leading products from the likes of Sony, Apple or Sennheiser is more than a little unfair – and there are no current class-leaders at $20 because there simply isn't much serious competition at that price.
What you should know is that JLab’s solution beats anything in its price range for sound, hands down. It can even stand toe to toe with the more expensive Sony WF-C500 – which it actually beats for battery life and design, if not audio quality.
Okay, the treble needs refinement and dynamically they're a little flat (stream Tinie Tempah's Frisky and the foreboding intro is ever-present, rather than building and brooding), but I maintain that JLab’s Go Air Pop are a pleasant listen overall, especially for this money. Vocals are relatively well handled through the mids, and the bass weight is sensibly handled, although I admit that the timing here lacks a modicum of cohesion.
Stream Hootie & the Blowfish's Let Her Cry and the different guitars present themselves to each ear in a relatively expansive, open soundstage too. Listen to Prince's Kiss and while you'll get all of the bass funk in the intro, the artist's inimitable vocal comes off a little harsh. Sonically, it is difficult to rave about the sound quality, chiefly because of this treble, which does distort even in relatively easy passages, but that's not really the point here.
The point is budget-conscious, solid sound. And you get that here – for up to 32 hours.
Sound quality score: 3.5/5
It's hard to believe the earbuds, case, charger, extra eartips and quick-start guide are all in here. But they are you know… (Image credit: TechRadar)
JLab Go Air Pop review: Design
Available in five glorious colorways
Just 3.7g per earbud
Odd tadpole-like charging cable
Refreshingly, JLab Go Air Pop arrive in a plastic-free, 100% recycled paper box roughly the size of a deck of cards. It’s hard to imagine a set of headphones, their charging case, a quick-start guide and extra gel cushion tips can actually fit inside it, honestly, but they're certainly there – and they're worth shouting about.
Let's start with the teardrop-shaped ergonomic earbuds. The marketing spiel is that they’re 15 per cent smaller than JLabs’ previous offerings. The point is, they weigh just 3.7g per earpiece (which is over a gram lighter than the bijou Sony LinkBuds S, which come in at 4.8g per bud) and will suit practically all human ears. When it comes to true wireless earbuds, small is beautiful and JLab's Go Air Pop truly are beautifully small.
You get three sets of eartips in the same color as everything else for a sleek aesthetic (our sample is turquoise) and the case is easily as small and light as a box of dental floss, despite the fact that its USB charging plug and short cable snaps out from a recess in the base.
This diddy case is able to stand on its base (why can’t more brands do this?) so that you can flip open the magnetised lid with one hand to access the headphones. I spent a week slinging this case into my bag, near my keys. There are no metallic embellishments to be scratched off on the design and no discernible weak points in the hinge. This thing wants to survive a commute unscathed.
Okay, the strange little charging cable is physically attached to the JLab Go Air Pop’s case (can it still be called a wireless charger if there’s always a wire?) and when charging it does look embryonic or juvenile compared to more premium cases, as tadpole is to fully-grown frog perhaps. That said, it does charge the earbuds and means you’ll never have to search in the semi-darkness for your USB-C charger – or get caught short because you forgot to pack one.
Design score: 4.5/5
JLab Go Air Pop's case really is as light as a box of dental floss – so much so, we often had to check our pocket to make sure it was still there. (Image credit: TechRadar)
JLab Go Air Pop review: Value
Reliable battery, connectivity and supreme comfort for $20
Easily betters anything else at this price for sound and features
No app
Did we mention that these earbuds are just $20? All things considered, the JLab Go Air Pop represent exceptionally good value, and, despite the lack of a companion app, you get an impressive set of features all handled by the reliable on-ear controls.
In terms of build, battery life and feature set, JLab is irrefutably top of the class for value – but remember, it is a very small class.
These earbuds are not the flaky-breaky kit one might expect for $20, and if it's a question of no music on the commute or JLab's Go Air Pop earbuds, I'll bite your hand off for these every day of the week.
Value score: 5/5
Should I buy the JLab Go Air Pop?
Buy it if…
Don't buy it if…
JLab Go Air Pop review: Also consider
Think the Go Air Pop might not be the true wireless earbuds for you? That's cool, here are three alternatives that could offer just the design, feature-set and sound quality you're looking for.
