For the past week I’ve been trying out the new Marshall Monitor III ANC over ear headphones. The new cans are available to buy right now in the US and UK for $349 / £299, which makes them a little pricier than their predecessors which were $30 / £30 cheaper. Even with the price rise they’re an excellent follow-up to 2020’s Monitor II ANC headphones – which we gave four stars in our review – thanks to great-sounding audio and a stupendously long battery-life.
Starting on that last point, these new Marshall headphones can go for a ridiculously long time; we’re talking a 70 hour battery life when using them to play music over Bluetooth with ANC on, 100 hours with it off.
For comparison, the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones promise only 30 hours with ANC on, and the Apple AirPods Max just 20 hours. The Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 that features in our best noise-cancelling headphones guide as the ideal long-life option hits 60 hours. Marshall’s 70-hour claim looks to hold up too; I’ve been using the Monitor III ANC headphones a lot and haven’t needed to charge them since I did straight after unboxing them – though when I do my full review I plan to properly test how long these cans can last.
But what good is lasting a long time if they don’t put on a performance? Thankfully the Marshall Monitor III ANC headphones certainly hold their own here.
The drivers give drum and bass hits like Backbone from Chase & Status and Stormzy the oomph its thumping tones necessitate, while not overpowering tracks like Remi Wolf’s Cinderella that are brimming with bouncy funk. There’s a warmth in the Marshall Monitor III’s audio too – which comes through splendidly in more emotional tracks like Jarki Monno’s Charlie.
(Image credit: Marshall)
Outside of music, these cans perform well too. Podcasts, film, TV, YouTube videos, you name it – the Marshall III ANC headphones are putting on a good show.
That said, if you do want to tweak the EQ settings, you can change them to better suit your musical needs, though I’ve found the default 'original Marshall sound' setting is really well balanced and ideal for a lot of different listening experiences.
The soundstage has also had a tune up. Marshall’s previous Monitors had a somewhat restrictive stage. They didn’t feel completely closed off, but trackers were not always given the space they needed to breathe. Out of the box the Monitor IIIs might look like they repeat this error, but with the official app you can now open up that soundstage to suit your likings.
There’s a noticeable change with this Adaptive Soundstage feature switch on, so make sure you turn it on as soon as you can. Songs feel more spacious, and it makes the Monitor III ANC headphones solid picks for watching your favorite films or shows.
Not my style – but a fantastic design
Design-wise the Monitor IIIs admittedly aren’t my preferred style. There is something to love about the undoubtable Marshall look – with the same finish as the iconic amps, the logo on each ear cup, and a kind of classic grunginess that makes these look almost like they’ve been ripped from a rock band’s studio session from decades ago. It’s just not for me.
(Image credit: Marshall)
That’s subjective though; the objective design features of these ’phones are undoubtedly positive.
I love the physical knob for the volume and playback controls – give me one of these over tap controls any day. There are also two dedicated buttons, one on each side, that manage the active noise cancellation controls (with you being able to set which modes it swaps between in the app), and a customizable M Button (which can do whatever you set it to do, again in the app).
There’s also a USB-C port on the underside of the left cup, however, you won’t find a 3.5mm aux port.
Beyond the button layout, these cans are designed to be thrown in a bag and taken on adventure. Their headband can survive fairly extreme bending and twisting without snapping, and the outer shell can take a fair few knocks. They also fold up very tight and fit into what I’ve been told is the smallest case for over ear headphones on the market – inside its lined with a red velvety material to mimic the inside of guitar cases. It’s also one of those proper protective cases that zips up, not an awkward shell that some headphones rely on nowadays.
Oh, and don’t let me forget comfort. These things are so easy to wear thanks to the super-spongy cushions; I’ve had no issue wearing them practically all-day.
Don’t forget the app
To get the most out of these over-ear headphones you need the official Marshall app. It allows you to manage the Soundstage settings, the on-device button controls, the EQ so that music meets your exact specifications (though the default Marshall profile is very good), and a few other features.
It’s fairly standard as headphones apps go at this point, with a clean intuitive interface, and it was very easy to set up.
The only issue I’ve had with any feature is that the Auto Play/Pause tool was initially too sensitive – moving my head at all would cause the Monitor IIIs to pause tracks, not just when I removed them. However, a firmware update does appear to have resolved this issue and for the past few days I’ve been able to keep Auto Play/Pause on without it frustrating me – it can be turned off in the app.
(Image credit: Future / Marshall)
Despite this minor (and seemingly now resolved) set back, the Marshall Monitor III ANC headphones have so far really impressed me. They have the comfort and battery life to keep me wearing them for days on end, and a vibrant sound that I’ll happily immerse myself in for all that time.
I need to conduct a few more tests, but so far I’d say they hold their own against the best wireless headphones, and their small size could make them a great contender to be the best travel headphones. So if you’re thinking of grabbing a new pair of cans this is looking like another model to add to your list of ones to consider.
You might also like
Sony WH-1000XM4 Even if they're a few years old the Sony WH-1000XM4s are still the best wireless headphones for most people as they boast impressive audio, ANC, and come at a great price. These aren't ones to ignore.
Sony WH-1000XM5 The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are up there with the best wireless headphones we've ever tested with top-notch audio, an elegant design, and (unfortunately) a fairly high price.
Apple AirPods Max The Apple AirPods Max are the perfect headphones for Apple devotees and best-in-class spatial audio, however you can find better cans if you're looking to pick up a pair for full-price.
Chinese audio company SoundMagic's bid to become a leader in the best budget headphones stakes is a strong one. The audio specialist retains a special place in cash-savvy audiophiles’ hearts, thanks to 2018’s SoundMagic E11C wired earbuds, which paved the way for a range of similarly affordable IEMs. And after launching its first wireless over-ear headphones in 2021 with the SoundMagic P23BT, it’s back with a pricier follow-up.
That’s how we come to the SoundMagic P58BT ANC, cans that are still distinctly affordable, but with a few upgrades over the past models. After testing, though, I’ve got to say that the upgrades don’t make these a better proposition.
It goes without saying that you have to set your expectations at a reasonable level when looking at affordable over-ear headphones (and I say it anyway to make it clear that I did lower my standards). And there is a lot to like here with that in mind, but I had two big issues with the SoundMagic that any potential buyer will have to get over first.
Firstly, I simply didn’t find them comfortable to wear. A relatively small arch means the pads are pushed right into your head, and I had to remove them every time I listened for more than an hour due to the headaches they caused. The P58BT ANC have a 60-hour battery life which is really great (though not best-in-class), but at my rate, that means 60 listening sessions followed by ample pauses.
The other issue, which is decidedly less subjective than the last, is that the SoundMagics don’t have any kind of smartphone app, marking the only audio gadget I can recall testing in recent years that doesn’t have any kind of way to control its features other than on the product itself.
This means you’re lacking some (arguably-) basic features that most rivals have, namely an equalizer to tweak the audio mix. I desperately wanted to fiddle with the sound of the cans, but was stuck with the default balance which emphases mids over bass or treble frequencies.
If you want to toggle the features the P58BTs do have, you have to use gesture controls over the large pad on each earpiece, or rely on button-pressing patterns for the sole physical button on the left ear cup. In my several-week-long testing period, I found myself completely incapable of memorizing all the various gestures and shortcuts for the modes that I’d usually enable on my smartphone, and I’d imagine all other users (who aren’t in MENSA) will have the same experience.
As I said, you always have to bear in mind the price with low-cost headphones like the SoundMagic P58BT ANC, and the detailed audio and valiant battery life will sway over some users, especially those who may be able to overlook my stated issues. Yes, SoundMagic puts out its headphones at a competitive price point, but there are many other rivals on the market at similar price-points that I found more impressive.
SoundMagic P58BT ANC review: Price and release date
(Image credit: Future)
Released in August 2024
Sell for $90 / £79 / AU$134
The SoundMagic P58BT ANC were announced, and put on sale, at the end of August 2024. That’s a lengthy three-year hiatus since the P23BT. They're also available in a pretty lengthy list of countries around the world on SoundMagic’s website.
At launch, the headphones cost $90 / £79 / AU$134, so they’re pretty affordable if not as bargain-bin as the $55 / £50 (roughly AU$100) P23BTs, and we'd expect a little more as a result.
I tend to wax lyrical in headphone review ‘features’ sections, for better or worse, but that won’t be the case for the SoundMagic P58BT ANC. And that's because there isn't a lot to cover.
Let’s start with the titular feature: active noise cancellation, something the P23BT didn’t offer. Here it’s present and accounted for, but nothing to write home about: solid enough to remove overbearing background noises but lacking nuance or power to compete with the greats. As an example, the headphones would cancel out the rumble of a bus I was riding, but not the low chatter of the people on said bus.
Bear in mind that these are over-ear headphones, so there's some natural noise cancellation from the natural fit of the cups, and this certainly helps the ANC.
(Image credit: Future)
The SoundMagics do compete in terms of battery life, with 60 hours of music in the tank. There are few headphones that last that long, even amongst over-ears, and it’s truly a blessing for people who habitually forget to charge (like me) or suffer from battery anxiety (also me). Some rivals beat the SoundMagic in this department, (see the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 for an excellent 100-hour option with ANC disabled – albeit a more expensive one) but many top-end cans fall far short of the figure.
And the rest of the feature set is… almost totally barren. You see, SoundMagic doesn’t have an app, so all the features you’d normally find when using one are notably absent. No equalizer, no ambient modes, no way of tracking the P58BT’s battery level if your phone UI doesn’t tell you.
There is actually a low-latency game mode, which does what it says on the tin, and solves an issue that I’ve never faced in all my years of mobile gaming. For the reasons you’ll read about in the design section, I found enabling this more faff than it was worth.
Features score: 2.5/5
SoundMagic P58BT ANC review: Design
(Image credit: Future)
Comfortable and light design
A few on-cup controls
Folds up into carry case but no IP rating
The SoundMagic P58BT tip the scales to the tune of 305g, so they’re not particularly heavy, but there are certainly lighter headphones out there if you’re worried about them being too weighty.
That wouldn’t be a misplaced fear either, as I found them a little uncomfortable to wear – the silicone ear pads felt very rigid, pressing down on my ears rather than settling onto them, and I had to break up listening sessions as a result. It goes without saying that this is a subjective observation but I do have to mention it, especially given that I’d use some other headphones I’m testing as a reprieve when the SoundMagics got too painful.
They come in two color options: black or silver, and don’t seem to have a waterproofing or IP rating that’s listed on SoundMagic’s website.
You can adjust the cans to quite an extent with an adjustable-length headband and cans that can rotate and fold to quite a dramatic degree. I kept accidentally flipping the cans around 180-degrees and getting confused which side was right or left.
(Image credit: Future)
The left ear pad is the one with the features: it has a USB-C port for charging, 3.5mm jack (with an audio cable included in the box) and the power button, which needs to be held for a surprisingly long amount of time to turn the P58BT on or off.
Most of the controls, however, come with the gesture controls, and this is my biggest gripe with the SoundMagics. The flat pad on each cup can be swiped in different directions or tapped for loads of different functions: changing volume, skipping tracks and so on.
Frankly, I found the amount of different gestures I needed to memorize overwhelming, which is to say I simply couldn’t remember any of them. If I wanted to pause music or change volume I’d have to rely on my phone; ANC is toggled with the power button instead of the pads and I continually forgot about this until I’d already tried all the swipes and slaps.
There’s also the issue that some controls are directional: swipe up for one command, swipe left for another. This would seem well and good but ‘up’ and ‘left’ can be very different directions depending on the angle you’re holding your head, and I’d often accidentally enact the wrong gesture due to leaning my head too far backward or forward, or at certain angles.
This gesture control was in place in the SoundMagic P23BT and our reviewer didn’t mind it there, but those headphones didn’t have those (few) extra features over the previous pair that need to be controlled with gestures too.
Design score: 3/5
SoundMagic P58BT ANC review: Sound quality
(Image credit: Future)
Well-balanced audio
Mids bloated just a little
Max volume is really, really loud
Tech-wise, the SoundMagic P58BT ANC packs 40mm drivers with support for SBC and AAC. Those are largely in line with other headphones you’ll be considering at this price.
People who’ve used other budget headphones might find the SoundMagic pretty good – music has a lot of detail and clarity, with a broader soundstage than some other similarly-priced gadgets I’ve tested and a commendable lack of peaking at reasonable volumes.
However, at least personally speaking, I wasn’t a fan of the balance of the headphones. The detail of bass and treble is provided at the expense of their energy or power – mid sounds dominate the mix and on certain genres of music, this saps some of the ‘pizazz’.
(Image credit: Future)
I particularly think that bass-heads will be disappointed as lower-frequency sounds lack power, as though you’re watching a bassist play their instrument when it isn’t plugged in. The genres I enjoyed best with these headphones were acoustic-laden folk, singer-songwriter and bluegrass songs, where thumping bass rhythms aren't as important.
I did enjoy listening to the spoken word on the headphones though, as I found the detail provided by them helped convey small nuances in tone and pitch. Podcast-listeners might find these a decent pick.
Bear in mind that the lack of an equalizer means you’re reliant on the default sound of the P58BT ANC – no bass boosting or rock modes here. Because of this, more so than on other headphones, I'd really recommend trying to source a pair to test before you buy them.
Sound quality: 3.5/5
SoundMagic P58BT ANC review: value
(Image credit: Future)
It’s hard to make a firebrand statement about the cost-value proposition of the SoundMagic P58BT ANC because you’re basically getting what you pay for here.
In terms of audio quality and design, the headphones tick the boxes you’d expect from them, and you see in similarly-priced rivals.
Dragging the value down a little is the lack of an app, which gives the impression of these being some cheap AliExpress buys, even though SoundMagic is a reputed brand. However I do think the soft carry bag for the phones does tip the scale in the right direction a little.
Value: 3.5/5
Should I buy the SoundMagic P58BT ANC?
Buy them if…
Don’t buy them if…
SoundMagic P58BT ANC review: Also consider
How I tested the SoundMagic P58BT ANC
(Image credit: Future)
Tested for two weeks
Tested at home, in the office, on public transport and on walks
The testing process for the SoundMagic P58BT ANC took place over two weeks, which includes the set-up, review writing and general usage time. This is the usual amount of time I allocate to headphone reviews.
For most of the testing, I used the headphones connected to my Android phone via Bluetooth, but I also connected them to my phone and laptop using the audio cable for some testing too. I mainly tested using Spotify and several streaming services, with some gaming done to test out that mode. Lots of the testing was done in my office, and on various walks, bus rides and train journeys to and from it, but I also used them at home and in other everyday environments.
My history of review-writing at TechRadar spans over five years, and I've been covering tech for even longer. I've tested loads of similarly-priced headphones (including one mentioned in the 'also consider' section), as well as a range of other gadgets.
I mentioned earlier that I used the SoundMagic alongside another pair of headphones; this was a pricier model and it wouldn't be fair to compare them.
The Anker Soundcore Space One Pro are the most expensive headphones Anker has ever released. Sure, they're still a lot cheaper than the likes of the Sony WH-1000XM5, but it does pile on a bit of pressure for these headphones to deliver, especially considering top-rated headphones like the Sennheiser Accentum Plus come in at nearly the same price. Happily, though, the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro are a great-sounding pair of wireless headphones that kept me listening for hours on end, day in, day out.
Thanks to LDAC codec compatibility, you’re getting hi-res audio, which helps the Soundcore Space One Pro to deliver rich, well-weighted all-round sound. If you appreciate some depth, these will likely pique your interest, thanks to the impressively weighty bass and sub-bass on offer. More generally, audio is to a high standard – it's not always as sharp as it could be or as clean-sounding as some top-of-the-range headphones, but it'll satisfy the vast majority of listeners.
Thanks to the Soundcore app, you can also find the perfect sound for you. There are classic EQ settings, which include a huge array of presets and a custom option too. But what’s really exciting is the HearID setting which assesses your personal tastes and hearing capabilities to suggest the perfect calibration – something that even some of the best headphones don’t offer. Not only that, but there’s a Dolby Audio mode available for those looking for a more expansive soundstage when watching movies or TV shows on the go.
More broadly, you’re getting a strong feature-set here. There’s Easy Chat for having conversations without needing to pause your tunes, multi-point connectivity and adjustable active noise cancellation settings. Speaking of ANC, you’re getting cancellation that’s a cut above some of the best cheap headphones. Some high-pitched sounds will still creep through, even when listening at higher volumes, but overall, you’re not going to get too distracted by the outside world when using the Space One Pro.
You’ll also be able to listen pretty much unbroken thanks to two key factors: battery life and comfort. Firstly, you’re getting plenty of playtime with the Space One Pro, which can go for 40 hours with ANC on and 60 hours with ANC off – although beware, with hi-res audio switched on, this number will be significantly cut. In terms of comfort, it really doesn’t get much better. Wearing the Space One Pro is never grating, even after listening for multiple hours consecutively – a fantastic plus given a lot of over-ear headphones fall at this hurdle.
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, though. One of the Space One Pro’s biggest flaws for me is their looks. Although when folded they’re ultra-compact, in use they appear chunky and a little bit disappointing quality-wise – especially the button controls. This might not be a deal breaker for many, but Soundcore has increased its asking price for these headphones. Don’t get me wrong, these are good quality cans, but with this amount of cash, there are some outstanding alternatives from the likes of Sony and Sennheiser available to you – are the Space One Pro better than these? I’m not too sure.
Still, they sound great and you’ll happily keep playing your favorite tracks for hours on end. The main issue is the strength of the competition. For example, in our Sennheiser Accentum Plus review, we gave these similarly priced headphones 4.5 stars, thanks to their impeccable sound quality – although their fit isn’t suited to every head. Some people may find the Soundcore more comfortable, and prefer them for that reason, but most people will probably want to go for the better sound quality.
Anker Soundcore Space One Pro review: Price & release date
$199.99 / £149.99 (about AU$300)
Launched on September 5 2024 in UK/US
Launching in Australia in October 2024
With the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro headphones, the brand has ventured into slightly more premium territory. These cans will set you back $199.99 / £149.99 (about AU$300) – that puts them in the same ballpark as the Sennheiser Accentum Plus, which retail for $179.95 / £169.99 / AU$299, and the Sony ULT Wear, which go for $199.99 / £149 / AU$348.
It’s a significant price jump on the classic Soundcore Space One, which were just $99 / £99 at launch. Of course, the newer model is more compact, has more mics and higher-quality audio, but that’s still a big jump considering the Space One still has ANC, a very similar battery life and hi-res audio capabilities.
(Image credit: Future)
Anker Soundcore Space One Pro review: Specs
(Image credit: Future)
Anker Soundcore Space One Pro review: Features
Solid active noise cancellation
Hi-res audio capability
Feature-rich companion app
Something I love about the Space One Pro is that they boast a pretty expansive feature-set. You get the classic options you’d expect from modern wireless headphones, including multi-point connectivity and EQ settings, but there’s a good amount more to uncover.
One of my favorite features was Easy Chat, which lowers the music volume playing and makes voices clearer. This was incredibly useful in an office setting, especially when I had to respond to questions or chat with colleagues briefly, making for a seamless transition from listening to talking. You can easily adjust the time it takes for music to fade back in after using Easy Chat in the Soundcore app, with 5, 10 and 15 second wait times available, although I found the default 5 was ideal. Sensitivity here was just right too; for instance, the sound of typing wouldn’t set off Easy Chat, making for a near-flawless user experience. You will have to resist singing along to the music, though…
Another neat little feature is Safe Volume. When I listen to music, I like to listen at loud volumes – maybe a bit too loud sometimes. However, the Soundcore app has a decibel reading meter that displays whether your volume level is normal, acceptable (ie, a bit on the loud side but probably okay), or too high. This is useful for keeping yourself in check, and you can set a high volume limit too, if you want to be on the cautious side, or to keep kids' hearing safe if you give the headphones to them.
As I mentioned, there are classic EQ settings here, including a bunch of neat presets for various genres and the option to make a totally custom sound. However, one of the coolest settings available is HearID Sound, which assesses your hearing capabilities at various frequencies and asks you to pick your preferred sound through a small handful of multi-choice questions to find your perfect sound. This worked fantastically well and gave me some added depth in the bass department, a little bit of additional height in the treble, with a dip in the mid-range – a calibration that suited my taste very nicely.
One more feature that enables you to customize sound is Dolby Audio. This is useful if you want a more immersive, expansive sound from your headphones, but is likely better suited towards people watching videos. I found that this did add a bit of width to the soundstage, but I rarely used it when listening to tunes. When you are blasting your favorite songs, though, you can activate the LDAC audio codec (compatible with most Android phones), which delivers richer, more detailed hi-res audio – something I kept turned on throughout most of the testing process.
(Image credit: Future)
Another part of the Space One Pro that’s decently customizable is ANC. You can toggle on Wind Noise Reduction when out and about and switch between full, normal, and transparent levels of noise cancellation. But how is the ANC itself? Pretty good actually.
In a café, I could still hear a conversation on my table with music at half volume, but at a more realistic listening level of 65-70%, I could barely hear any words at all. When listening to more mellow classical music, however, sounds like plates being placed down crept through sometimes, even at high volumes.
At around 60% with Wind Noise Reduction on, traffic was barely audible, although some higher pitched noises did seep through from time to time. Similarly, when using a hairdryer, the screech-like noise it emitted was still audible when listening to a bass-heavy track.
With the lower-frequency tones of a microwave, I heard almost nothing at 50-55% volume, although this didn’t surprise me a lot as the Space One Pro seemed to be very competent at blocking out lower-frequency sounds, as is common with the best noise cancelling headphones.
I compared this to the more budget 1More Sonoflow and Sony WH-CH720N in the same environments, and the Space One Pro were a clear upgrade over them both.
To top everything off, the Space One Pro have a very respectable battery life of 40 hours with ANC on and 60 hours with ANC off. This is, of course, reduced if you’re using hi-res audio. When testing battery life with ANC on, I found the 40-hour claim to be accurate.
Sure, there are some headphones out there, such as the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100, that can go for up to 60 hours with ANC on, but they’re about $80 / £80 more expensive. And this battery life is 10 hours longer with ANC on (and 20 hours with ANC off) than the considerably pricier Sony WH-1000XM5. So, all in all, it's fair to say the Space One Pro are a top choice if longevity matters a lot to you.
Features score: 4.5/5
(Image credit: Future)
Anker Soundcore Space One Pro review: Sound quality
Full-sounding hi-res audio
Satisfying bass
Audio isn’t perfectly sharp
Overall, we were pretty positive about the original Anker Soundcore Space One’s audio, particularly because of its ability to offer strong bass, clear vocals and LDAC support. Thankfully, all of this holds true for the Pro model, which more generally delivers great audio quality.
Let’s start with bass: if like me you’re someone that appreciates lots of depth, these are gonna hit the spot. Sub-bass in Backseat Freestyle by Kendrick Lamar was perfectly weighted, never feeling overly dominant in the mix – a lot of cheaper headphones struggle to handle this level of depth, but not the Space One Pro. When listening to Black Eye by Allie X, the dynamism of the bass connecting up to the mid-range was impressive too, although the kick of the drum machine was slightly lethargic.
Mid-range sounds come through clearly and with solid levels of detail. When comparing these to the cheaper Sony WH-CH720N, the Space One Pro achieved a fuller sound, helping to expose a few more sonic intricacies. This is, of course, helped further if you activate the LDAC codec for hi-res audio.
Like the ‘non-Pro’ edition, these produce a pleasingly wide soundstage experience, which is ideal for atmospheric tracks like Rains again by Solji. This track sounded a little bit constrained with the CH720N, but when using the Space One Pro, the intro’s rain sound effects were natural and quieter vocal segments were more controlled. The soft vocals maintained their intended levels of delicacy too and highs often sounded sweet when using these headphones. From time to time, vocals could be a little harsh at top volumes, something I discovered when listening to the opening of SICKO MODE by Travis Scott, but this wasn’t too common.
All in all, I found the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro to be very good in the audio department. They’re not going to deliver the incredible accuracy, intricate detail and flawlessly clean audio that super-premium competitors can offer, but for some headphones below the $200 / £150 / AU$300 mark they perform well. Bass is the star of the show here, but there’s excellent customizability if you’re more of an avid podcast fan looking for an emphasis on clear vocals, for example.
Sound quality score: 4/5
(Image credit: Future)
Anker Soundcore Space One Pro review: Design
Ultra-compact foldable design
May be a little chunky looking for some
Super comfortable fit
When I first unboxed the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro, I got more of an earmuff than headphone vibe. Initially, I was struck by how chunky they were – even the headband is pretty thick and padded. Don’t get me wrong: the Space One Pro aren’t horrible looking, but I don’t think there’s gonna be a rush to hang them in the Louvre.
Even in terms of build quality, I wasn’t massively impressed. That’s mainly because the buttons and silver detail on the headphones look and feel a bit cheap. I did, however, quite like the Cream White color that these cans came in, though a Jet Black alternative is also available.
It’s not all about the looks, of course, and thankfully these headphones are incredibly comfortable. Every day I’ve tested the Space One Pro, I’ve used them for at least five hours and have not once felt a smidge of discomfort, so if coziness is the number one thing for you, these are absolutely perfect.
Another smart aspect of these headphones is their compact nature. Thanks to what Anker calls a FlexiCurve Structure, these can halve in size when fully folded, perfect if you’re a bit limited for space in your backpack or tote bag.
A case is available for them (added free for initial order, but that may not be the case if you buy in the future) that's also waterproof, unlike the headphones themselves, which don’t have a dust or waterproof rating.
Something these do lack is touch controls – which may be pleasing to some, but I would’ve personally appreciated them. Instead, you’re stuck with plain old button controls and unfortunately they’re a bit lacking. I already mentioned they’re not the prettiest, but I also found the volume controls to be quite unresponsive and I had to hold down the power button for quite a while to switch the headphones on or off. You can customize which button controls do a little bit in the Soundcore app, but options are pretty limited.
Overall, I don’t love the Space One Pro’s button controls and I’m not an enthusiast when it comes to their looks either. However, what I can’t deny is that they’re massively comfortable and super-compact, making them totally user-friendly. Fashionistas – you’re probably best served elsewhere I’m afraid, but otherwise I’d urge you not to rule these out on looks alone.
Design score: 3.5/5
(Image credit: Future)
Anker Soundcore Space One Pro review: Value
Anker’s most expensive headphones ever
Stack up to similarly-priced competitors on features and sound
Still a tad too costly at launch
I’ll be real, reader, I’m conflicted here. I’ve really enjoyed my time with the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro; they’re a great-sounding, ultra-comfortable pair of wireless headphones that have kept me listening for hours on end. But there’s a massive amount of competition in this price range from some of the most well-respected tech companies in the game.
For example, the aforementioned Sennheiser Accentum Plus offer confident, punchy sound, a longer battery life and a more attractive design for a similar price. And the Sony ULT Wear are also super comfortable and offer the LDAC codec – although in our Sony ULT Wear review we had a mixed response to its bass-boosting ULT button. Good options abound at this price point, making any one choice harder to justify.
And there are often bargains available on more premium options: for instance, the legendary Sony WH-1000XM4 are regularly available at a similar price to these these headphones, and they are going to offer almost everything you get here, but with even better audio and a classic design. However, it is worth noting that this only applies to when the Sonys have their price cut, and the Space One Pro will inevitably also see strong discounts, probably as soon as Black Friday, shortly after launch.
What I’m more confident in stating, though, is that these outperform the stronger budget wireless headphones, such as the Sony WH-CH720N and 1More Sonoflow, both of which we’ve spoken about highly on numerous occasions. These have considerably better ANC, audio quality and features. So, although I wouldn’t expect these to be listed at a way lower price, I think these will be extremely attractive on sale, when they’re closer to the $150 / £120 mark.
Value score: 3.5/5
(Image credit: Future)
Should I buy the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro?
Buy them if…
Comfort is a priority for you A lot of over-ear headphones tend to get uncomfortable after a while, but not these. The Anker Soundcore Space One Pro are a delight to wear, even for hours on end, thanks to their soft ear cushions and well-padded headband. Say goodbye to headphone fatigue, and hello to hours of back-to-back bangers.
You want highly customizable audio If you have specific tastes when it comes to audio, these headphones are a good pick. That’s mainly because of the HearID feature, which provides a custom EQ configuration suited to your ears. There’s also Dolby Audio for a more expansive sound and LDAC compatibility for hi-res output.
Don’t buy them if…
You’re on a budget These aren’t ultra-premium headphones or anything, but they’re not the most affordable cans out there either. If you’re on a budget there are so many fantastic cheap options out there for under $100 / £100 / AU$200, check out our guide to the best cheap headphones for some recommendations.
Style is your main concern Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, but I think many will agree with me here – the Space One Pro aren’t the most attractive cans out there. If you want some sleeker headphones, the likes of Sony and Bose have plenty of excellent options that avoid the chunky look that Anker has adopted here.
(Image credit: Future)
Anker Soundcore Space One Pro review: Also consider
Sennheiser Accentum Plus The Sennheiser Accentum Plus are a fantastic pair of mid-range over-ear headphones. They offer beautiful sound quality, a clean design, decent ANC and an epic battery life. And once you factor in their price, which is scarcely any higher than the Space One Pro, they become a very attractive option indeed – as you can see from the fact we granted them 4.5 stars in our Sennheiser Accentum Plus review.
Sony WH-CH720N I’ve owned these headphones myself for about one year and can say they’re very good if you want a cheaper option than the Space One Pro. Sure, they don’t support LDAC or produce a super-expansive audio overall, but you still get a nicely balanced sound with solid detail. Not only that, but they have awesome battery life, 360 Reality Audio support, competent ANC and a lightweight design. Given they’ve gone on sale for less than $90 / £80 in the past, they’re an incredible option if you’re working with a tighter budget. Read our full Sony WH-CH720N review.
Anker Soundcore Space One Pro review: How I tested
Tested for one week
Used in the office, in a café and while on walks
Predominantly tested using Tidal on Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
I tested the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro over the course of a week. During this time, I took to a number of environments including a café, built-up roads, the office and my apartment. I typically connected the headphones to Tidal on my Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 with the LDAC codec active in order to access the best quality audio. I also tested the headphones with the FiiO M11S hi-res music player, my Windows laptop, and an iPhone 13 Pro. When listening to music, I went through the TechRadar testing playlist, which includes tracks from a number of genres, before expanding to a wider music selection. When appropriate, I also compared the Soundcore Space One Pro directly to the Sony WH-CH720N and 1More Sonoflow.
First reviewed: September 2024 Read more about how we test
The Sonos Ace are finally here. The leaks were true, and Sonos' first headphones were finally, officially unveiled to the world. But they’ve been launched into a saturated market filled with the best headphones, made by some of the biggest names in audio – brands that have now secured themselves loyal fanbases. And at their very core, a pair of headphones is just a pair of headphones, so what does Sonos Ace bring to the table that should convince you to switch allegiances – or to invest in a pair of over-ear headphones for the very first time?
The Sonos Ace's feature-list is long: angled 40mm drivers, active noise cancellation with a transparency mode, multi-point pairing, Snapdragon Sound hi-res Bluetooth with aptX Adaptive, USB-C lossless wired audio, 3.5mm wired connectivity, Dolby Atmos spatial audio support with head tracking, the ability to play 3D audio from a Sonos Arc soundbar (with support for more Sonos soundbars to come in an update) – lots to tempt you.
In my opinion, a pair of the best over-ear headphones will lose me or secure me with their fit. Let me tell you up front that I really don’t wear over-ear headphones… until now that is. The Sonos Ace are the first pair I would wear.
Why have I gone over-ear headphone-less until now? I’ve found them to either be too uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time; they make my ears too hot and sweaty; they ruin my hair (it’s OK to be vain, right?); and I personally find the best earbuds to be superior both in terms of sound and noise isolation.
The Sonos Ace has completely changed my perception.
Having spent some time with them ahead of their launch (we're still working on our full, exhaustive final review), the Sonos Ace are some of the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever worn – thanks to a lightweight build, the use of plush memory foam and vegan leather, and a hinge mechanism that promises every user will get the perfect fit.
Let’s talk about fit, baby
(Image credit: Future)
The main cause of my epiphany is how the Sonos Ace fit on my head. Over-ear headphones are a totally different beast to their in-ear counterparts. The latter usually ship with various sizes of ear tips to help individual users find the most snug fit. Over-ear headphones don’t have this luxury, instead they have to adopt a one-size-fits-all approach, which is no easy feat.
Where the Sonos Ace headphones excel for me is the aforementioned intuitive hinge mechanism. And said mechanism is stylishly implemented – it’s chromed to provide a contrasting accent against the soft white or black color of the headphones, and is integrated inside the ear cup as opposed to being visible on the outside (which Sonos points out is preferable for people with long hair, though that's not a concern for me). It also has enough movement to ensure no matter who’s wearing them, the ear cups remain glued to the side of the head.
The internal hinge mechanism on the Sonos Ace headphones is responsible for ensuring a secure fit. (Image credit: Future)
Admittedly, the Sonos Ace headphones aren’t the only ones to provide this kind of adjustment. The Apple AirPods Max – with which the Sonos Ace have drawn a number of similarities in the looks department from onlookers – employ a similar, pivoting ear cup design. But Apple’s set of premium headphones weigh 73g more than the Sonos Ace, and while the Cupertino cans have a knitted mesh headband to help alleviate that weight, in my opinion it doesn’t quite do enough. In my brief experience wearing the AirPods Max, I found them too heavy to wear for long periods. I’m sure current owners will disagree, and that’s perfectly fine, but I haven’t encountered any such issues with Sonos’ first headphone attempt.
However, as much as I love the comfort levels here, I'll hand over to TR's Managing Editor for Entertainment, Matt Bolton, for a brief counterpoint:
"I've been finding the Sonos Ace very comfortable in terms of the headband, but as a glasses wearer, I've struggled with wearing them for long periods. They're pushing my glasses' arms in a little firmly, creating a sense of soreness over an hour or so. I noticed particularly while using them to watch a movie via my Sonos Arc, since there was no distraction at all. It's possible that adjusting how I have them on my head will improve things, but I found them less comfortable than my Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones – and my also glasses-wearing partner agreed, and she has a smaller head."
Slim pickings
(Image credit: Future)
Did I mention I could be considered vain earlier? Well, here's another picture of me.
Another facet in my disdain for over-ear cans is their (usually) large profile. I’m personally not a fan of rocking a major extension of my ears while walking down the street. The best similarity I can provide is that I feel I look like Makka Pakka from the children’s TV show In the Night Garden… gormless expression and all.
Sony, Sennheiser, and even Apple, I would argue, are all guilty of bestowing large, protruding ear cups to their headphone designs. Sonos, however, has managed to implement a much slimmer profile that I find much more attractive. It is still plainly obvious I’m wearing a pair of over-ear headphones, but their slim profile cuts a less noticeable silhouette.
To me, it screams premium, and the soft white finish of the pair I received is a smart choice by the audio maestro. Sonos could have opted for the more plain white finish of its speakers, but in the words of its director of design, it would have looked too “techie”. The soft white finish, by contrast, is less 'in ya face' and a startling reminder of how much influence a color can have on a product.
Physical touchin’
Whatever happened to physical button controls? Aside from a power button, most pair of modern over-ear headphones employ various forms of swipe gestures and taps to control playback. It’s meant to be intuitive and perhaps ‘cool’, but in my experience I’ve found it to be a bit of a gimmick. They generally require you to tap on an exact point on an ear cup but, since you can’t physically see what you’re doing, it rarely results in the desired action the first time. Swiping to adjust volume or track selection I find yield more successful results, but at the cost of looking a bit silly.
The silver Content Key can be used to carry out 7 different functions (Image credit: Future)
The Sonos Ace use physical buttons for all controls – no taps or gestures here – and the brand has cleverly created a single button to handle a ton of different actions. The Content Key on the right ear cup can play or pause a track, can be used to skip a song or go back to the previous song you were listening to, can adjust volume levels, answer or reject calls – and, finally, can instantly switch to pick up whatever's coming from your Sonos Arc soundbar.
Also on the right ear cup is a button to adjust noise cancellation settings, or summon the voice assistant of your device. On the left ear cup is a power button that also handles Bluetooth pairing.
Sounding out
The Sonos Ace headphones also come in black, matching the black coloring of its speakers (Image credit: Future)
Okay, I've talked about comfort enough, let's talk about sound quality. As I said, our full Sonos Ace review is still being worked on, but I can say already that they deliver a well-balanced, detailed presentation.
Bass control and impact are good, as is detail. The equalizer settings within the recently updated (and somewhat controversial) app – which wasn't without its issues it must be said – enable you to adjust bass and treble, and to good effect. I'm normally a bit of a bass fanatic, but I've not yet felt compelled to turn the Ace's bass level up to the maximum of 5.
Here's more from Managing Ed Matt Bolton, from his experience: "As is usually the case with Sonos, mids are really well-represented, and they feel a bit more forward than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. At this stage, I wouldn't say that's a good or bad thing, it just feels like a different sound profile. Out of the box, the Sonos are a little warmer and more excited, the Bose offer a little more bass extension and more expansiveness in a slightly more neutral-feeling balance.
"I've also tried them with my Sonos Arc, and they do a fantastic job with dialog especially, and the head tracking works excellently for keeping the center channel right on your TV. I haven't been blown away by the 'spatial audio' feeling so far – but I need to spend more time with them to make a full judgment on that. But the system of switching from phone to TV and back works seamlessly for me, and setting it up in the app gave me no issues either.
"It did, however, highlight the reason that Sonos probably hasn't enabled using them with the Sonos Wi-Fi system at this time: it massively cuts battery life to use them this way. I dropped 10% of the remaining battery life per hour, which would make about 10 hours in total – compared to 30 hours claimed by Sonos for Bluetooth listening. And one thing I noticed is that, while they auto-pause when you take them off, they don't automatically turn off if you don't play anything for a while, so you might find that they've run down their battery if you're not careful.
"The noise cancellation is a step behind the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. It's still very good, and will stand tall among the best noise cancelling headphones, but when using them in the exact same environment, the Bose cut out noticeably more outside noise."
(Image credit: Future)
Should you buy the Sonos Ace?
From my time wearing the Sonos Ace, I haven’t felt inclined to take them off. Not just because of the sound, but because of how they fit.
They're clearly very accomplished headphones, and while the lack of support for Sonos system in general will disappoint serious fans, their connectivity with the Sonos Arc (and more of Sonos' soundbars in the future) is a really nice addition that works seamlessly.
Their high price feels generally justified – the performance and general feel of them is good enough to battle with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and AirPods Max – and the Sonos Ace beat them both when it comes to pure features when you add it all up. But noise cancellation is definitely behind the Bose, so we'll reserve final judgment until we finish our full Sonos Ace review.
But I think that if you want a very premium, very stylish, very nice sound pair of headphones, you won't be disappointed.
The Beats Solo 4 are long-awaited on-ear wireless headphones that aim to improve on the company's 2016 Solo 3 with an increased battery life and additional features, including a USB-C port for simultaneous charging and lossless hi-res audio playback, and Spatial Audio – as well as some new color options.
When wearing the Beats Solo 4, I was pleasantly surprised at how well isolated I was from my immediate environment, despite the lack of active noise cancellation (ANC). The claimed 50-hour battery appeared to hold true during my tests too, which is great for such comparatively small and light headphones.
As with most of the best Beats headphones, style is at the forefront, and the Slate Blue variant I tested certainly makes a statement (they are also available in Matte Black and Cloud Pink). Some parts of the plastic build and headband padding feel cheap, though, and certain aspects of its engineering, such as the folding mechanism, don’t inspire much confidence.
They offer a secure fit that’s impressively solid for on-ear headphones, withstanding the rigors of physical activity without shifting, which is important considering that Beats is promoting these headphones for exercise. However, on-ear headphones don’t really work for my ear comfort, and these did nothing to change that – and long-term comfort is made worse by the lack of adequate padding on the headband; I couldn’t use them for more than an hour at a time.
The controls also provide issues: the main 'b' button is easy to accidentally press when hanging Solo 4 around the neck, and I found the volume buttons hard to locate while wearing. Pressing them also puts undue pressure onto the ears, which, as you can imagine, is an uncomfortable sensation.
The sound is perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the Solo 4. The bass response can be impactful at times but wooly at others, while the mids sound muddy and lack punch compared to more of the best wireless headphones at the same price. These problems aren’t solved if you listen via any of the higher-quality wired options. The upper mids are where the Solo 4 sound their best, but the highest frequencies don’t have enough sparkle and clarity in comparison to the competition.
The Sony ULT Wear WH-ULT900N, for example, are the same price in the US (and cheaper in the UK), and beat the Solo 4 on pretty much all fronts: they have much better sound, comfort levels, and come with ANC. The Sennheiser Accentum Plus is another superb option for those who want something more audiophile-friendly, with impressive ANC and wireless hi-res support.
(Image credit: Future)
Beats Solo 4 review: Price & release date
Priced $199 / £199 / AU$329
Launched in May 2024
Available in Matte Black, Slate Blue and Cloud Pink
The Beats Solo 4 are priced at $199 / £199 / AU$329 officially, and were available to buy from May 2nd, 2024.
This is lower than today's flagship headphones – the Beats Studio Pro are $349 / £349, while the Sony WH-1000XM5 officially cost $349 / £299. Both of these are larger, over-ear models with ANC.
For basically the same price as the Solo 4, you could also get the Sony ULT Wear WH-ULT900N or the Sennheiser Accentum Plus. Both of these are over-ear rather than on-ear, which usually improves low-end frequency response, and feature ANC and some other features lacking here. The Sennheiser headphones also match the Solo 4’s 50-hour battery, even with ANC on.
Beats Solo 4 review: Specs
(Image credit: Future)
Beats Solo 4 review: Features
Apple and Android smart features
Lossless wired playback via 3.5mm and USB-C
No active noise cancellation
The feature set for the Beats Solo 4 is what you would expect from a modern pair of wireless headphones. One-touch Bluetooth connectivity made it easy for me to connect to Android, iPhone and Windows PCs, and lossless audio playback is supported via a wired USB-C connection. This means you can listen to sources that provide superior quality to MP3 or AAC file formats, imparting more detail across the entire frequency range, theoretically. Simultaneous charging is also possible when connected to devices that provide power.
However, there is no high-resolution audio support when connected via Bluetooth, as the Beats Solo 4 only support AAC and SBC wirelessly, which are both compressed formats; there’s no aptX or LDAC.
There is also a 3.5mm analog input and included cable so you can use them just like a traditional pair of wired headphones, meaning you can enjoy unlimited playback without using any battery power. Again, this can offer higher-quality audio than Bluetooth, and is useful on planes.
The Beats app is responsive, easy to use, and offers options to easily manage privacy controls, such as location permission, notifications and analytics, and battery optimization settings. It also provides the battery level as a percentage that actually updates for all 100 numbers, which is very useful (and not something all headphones provide – some just note when they've dropped by 20%, for example).
There's fast pairing and auto-switching between compatible devices for both iOS and Android ecosystems – and the Find My system for both platforms in supported. However, Apple users get a few extra features, such as hands-free 'Hey Siri' access and Audio Sharing, which lets users share playback with multiple pairs of AirPods or Beats headphones at a time. Better than these, though, is that Apple users get Personalized Spatial Audio for movies or Dolby Atmos music. There’s no support for this on Android.
I mentioned auto-switching between devices above, but be warned that this only worth within the Apple or Android systems. So, it auto-switches between iPhone and Mac; or it switches between Android and Chromebook. There's no standard multi-point pairing, so you can't switch between, say, an Android phone and Windows laptop seamlessly.
True to their minimalist aesthetic, the Beat Solo 4 headphones only have four buttons, and all of them are pretty well hidden. The main 'b' button is on the left hand side and integrated with the company logo, and controls main functions, such as play/pause and skip track, depending on the number of times it is pressed. The button is tactile and operates smoothly, although I did find it easy to press accidentally, especially when they’re hung around the neck.
The volume controls are located on the ring around the 'b' button, with the top half increasing volume and the bottom decreasing. Again, these function well, but they require too much force to register, which meant I was pressing the entire left driver into the side of my head, which isn't comfortable.
The power button is perhaps the most hidden of all, being a tiny little dot finished in the same color as the rest of the headphones. Locating this blindly when wearing the Solo 4 isn’t easy. It also has to be held down for a few seconds, but hold for too long, and you enter pairing mode. Getting the timing right is tricky, and the only audio prompt you get is when the Bluetooth connection is established. The only indication that the Solo 4 are turned on is a small LED on the outside. Basically, make sure you turn them on before they're on your head.
The microphone is also high quality, although perhaps too eager to pick up extraneous noises. When making a test call with the Solo 4, my interlocutor commented that, although I was coming through clearly and loudly despite the considerable amount of wind outside, other background noises also came through prominently, such as people talking around me in the street.
Beats quotes the battery life as being a generous 50 hours of playback. And during my test, this figure seemed to live up to reality.
I tracked them as generally losing around 5% battery per 2.5 hours (without Spatial Audio turned on), which puts them right in line for the 50-hour claims from Beats. I also observed them drop around 10% after a 6.5 hours of playback too, so you may get a little over 50 hours – but as usual with headphones, it can depend on volume and other factors.
Features score: 4/5
(Image credit: Future)
Beats Solo 4 review: Sound quality
Bass is hit-and-miss
Boxy lower mids, clear upper mids
Great passive noise isolation
Despite Beats having a reputation for bass-heavy headphones, the Solo 4 are pretty controlled on this front. The low frequencies are deep without being overbearing, although they don’t have the precision and control I would hope for. There are times when the bass is too boomy and wooly, especially noticeable in songs with sustained low notes.
The lower mids are also disappointingly muddy, but the upper mids are pleasantly crisp without being harsh. Songs with detailed percussive arrangements, for instance, come across well in the Solo 4. But the highest frequencies don’t sparkle as much as they could, lacking the finer details at the top end of the spectrum.
When connected via USB-C rather than Bluetooth, you get access to lossless audio, which, in theory at least, should provide a listening experience fit for audiophiles. During my audio test via USB-C with our special TechRadar playlist on Tidal – which provides lossless music streaming – the results weren’t radically different to Bluetooth. The bass was still amiss, and while the mids were more punchy, they still weren’t as clear as I would have liked. Using the 3.5mm analog input seemed to marginally improve the quality of these frequencies, but not by much.
In comparison to the Sony ULT Wear headphones and Sennheiser Accentum Wireless that I've already mentioned in this review, there's no competition really – these both offer more detail, a better balance across the frequencies, and a clearly richer experience overall.
Where the Solo 4 shine, though, is the noise isolation. Despite not having any active noise cancellation profiles, external sounds are blocked out well. This helps songs with heavy reverb and a strong sense of space to be comprehensively conveyed. Spatial Audio experiences are also improved by the isolation, making the illusion of the surround sound theater experience more compelling. The dynamic head tracking meant that whichever way I turned my head, even slightly, the audio panned to always match the direction of the source.
At this price, it’s hard to get a better movie sound experience on headphones than Apple's Spatial Audio tech provides. This is a nice bonus if you'll watch a lot of movies, but really still has limited appeal for those who will only listen to music with them.
Sound quality score: 3/5
(Image credit: Future)
Beats Solo 4 review: Design
Snug and secure fit
Uncomfortable for sustained periods
Nice colors, but limited selection
The case that comes with the Beats Solo 4 is made from a soft fabric material, which makes for a lighter carrying weight. However, it does make me more concerned about their safety when buried at the bottom of a backpack or stuffed in a suitcase than if they had a hard case.
The opening for the case is also quite small, so using it isn’t exactly a seamless experience: it’s near-impossible to take them out without sliding the headband adjustments, and putting back the included 3.5mm analog and USB-C cables in their own pouches within the case is also quite the chore, since the openings for those are very small as well.
And despite being smaller than over-ear headphones, the depth of the case means that they aren't that much smaller to carry around, if at all. The Sony ULT Wear WH-ULT900N over-ear wireless headphones, for instance – which are bigger than the Solo 4 – have a case which is longer and wider, but thinner, which is something I personally prefer, as I find such cases easier to pack away.
The Solo 4 stay true to the Beats aesthetic, looking almost identical to the Solo 3. The look is minimal and the Beats logo is displayed prominently on the sides of each can, so everyone knows what you’re wearing. The Slate Blue finish I had is vibrant without being garish, although Matte Black and Cloud Pink are other color options you can choose from. It's a little disappointing there are only three options, since the Solo 3 came in five colors, but I'm sure more will become available over time.
The adjustments on the headband are smooth and relatively easy to make – although this was trickier while wearing them, as they were fairly tight on me. The hinge mechanisms for folding the earcups feels quite loose, and so doesn’t hold them in folded position with much support. The plastic used for the overall construction doesn’t especially premium either when compared to the likes of Sony and Bose headphones.
The fit is very snug and secure, despite being an on-ear design, and so having less surface area on the pads to grip your head. Having used them for exercise, I can say that they stay on without the slightest deviation. Beats has mentioned exercise as a key use case for the Solo 4, and even in a world of fitness-focused earbuds, they do this job very well.
The price I paid for this secureness, however, was a lack of comfort overall. Despite the particularly plush ear pads, the Solo 4 felt the same as any other pair of on-ear headphones I have tried – which is to say, painful after long sessions. Not everyone feels the same but, if you’re someone with sensitive ears to pressure, like me, then these aren’t going to be the on-ear headphones that change your mind. Glasses wearers will also be in even more potential pain – but again, I will concede this is something I am personally quite sensitive to.
But with the Beats Solo 4, the more universal issue is the feeble headband padding, which meant that the top of my head felt the strain as well. The rubber coating also feels cheap and offers too much grip if anything, often sticking to my hair, causing issues when sliding them on and off.
The upshot is that I couldn’t wear the Solo 4 for more than an hour at a time before I had to give my cranium a break. But when you do take them off and hang them around your neck, I encountered another problem: since the earcups don’t swivel, the edges can rest uncomfortably between the chin and collarbone. It may seem like a small point, but other headphones at this price point do have rotating cups to rectify this problem and make life more comfortable.
Design score: 3/5
(Image credit: Future)
Beats Solo 4 review: Value
Rivals offer better sound for the same price
No ANC is disappointing
Smart features for both Android and iOS is rare
The Beats Solo 4 are priced at $199 / £199 / AU$329, and the competition at this point is quite stiff. The Sony ULT Wear WH-ULT900N, for instance, are currently available for the same price, if not cheaper, and best the Solo 4 in virtually every aspect. I tested them directly against the Solo 4, since we had both in for review at the same time.
The Sony headphones have superior sound and comfort levels, as well as having more features, including ANC. The Beats Solo 4 almost get away with this omission thanks to their frankly excellent natural noise isolating capabilities, but it’s still far perfect, and other headphones at this price point feature ANC too.
In no small part, you'll be paying for the specific styling and the unique mix of Android- and iOS-friendly features. A lot of people will feel that's worth it, but I'm not sure it's quite enough. These features, plus Apple's top-tier Spatial Audio, good battery life and USB-C audio mean they're reasonable for the price overall – but you can spend your money better.
Value score: 2.5/5
Should I buy the Beats Solo 4?
Buy them if...
Don't buy them if...
Beats Solo 4 review: Also consider
How I tested the Beats Solo 4
Tested on Android, iPhone and PC
Streamed music from Tidal and used stored MP3 tracks
Tested over 10 days
I tested the Beats Solo 4 over the course of a week, in various scenarios. I tried them with an Android phone and an iPhone, as well as a laptop and a Fiio M11S high resolution music player. I made use of all their supported features, including wireless playback via Bluetooth, and wired via 3.5mm analog and USB-C.
I listened to music directly from lowly MP3 files in 320kbps quality, as well as via hi-res streaming service Tidal. I tested them with a variety of genres, including rock, pop, electronic, classical and jazz. I listened both in quiet indoor environments and noisy outdoor ones. I also tried exercising with them to test how secure the fit was.
I also made phone calls and recorded voice memos with the Solo 4 to test the microphone quality too.
I also tested the battery life by leaving the headphones connected to a mobile device via Bluetooth to play through a playlist at a typical listening volume.
The JLab JBuds Lux ANC's sound is more bass-heavy than most over-ear headphones. It's something I've come to expect with most JLab products and means your mileage will depend on how bassy you want your music to be.
JLab is mostly known for its budget headphones and earbuds, but with the JBuds Lux ANC it’s making inroads into the ‘luxury’ headphone market – that descriptor is a word JLab chose, and not my verdict, for reasons we’ll get into later. That’s not to say that the JBuds Lux ANC are premium devices – they cost less than $100 / £100. The brand's just trying to give buyers on a budget something to buy that feels like a top-end rival.
In some ways, it’s a successful venture. As with most other JLab audio devices, these headphones pack a bassy punch, with the 40mm drivers treating your ears if you’re a fan of thumping tunes.
The JBuds Lux ANC also pack lots of features you’d expect from premium alternatives. As the name suggests, they have active noise cancellation (that’s the ANC) which works very well in its standard setting (although the ambient mode leaves something to be desired). They also have Bluetooth Multipoint so you can jump between different devices, spatial audio for improved movie or TV show watching and Google Fast Pair so you don’t have to spend ages setting up the device.
That’s not to mention the 70-hour battery life (when ANC is off, it’s reduced to 40 hours when it’s on), handy on-cup button controls and the ability for you to fold them down. These are all handy quality-of-life features that we like to see.
There are a few rough edges though. As previously stated the sound is bass-heavy, but this is at the deficit of other aspects of the sound – treble and especially the mid-range felt a little bit lacking. Your music preference will dictate whether these are great for you, or a poor choice, and in the interest of fairness it’s worth mentioning that I’m not a huge fan of this bass-heavy approach to sound.
Something which is less dependent on taste, and more on the shape of your head, is the fit and comfort of the JBuds Lux ANC. I personally found them rather uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time, and also a little less grippy than many of their close rivals – they were fine when sitting still or even walking, but they wobbled on the many occasions I found myself running for a bus. As I write this, I’m having to have a little break from the JBuds Lux due to my ears aching from wearing them. Like I said, ‘luxury’ is JLab’s description, not mine.
Overall, these are decent for their price, undercutting even our top budget pick for the best over-ear headphones, but your taste is a more important factor when it comes to buying them. That’s unless you like to judge a product based on its name: the JLab JBuds Lux ANC aren’t buds and aren’t luxury, so they only score 2/4 for that metric!
JLab JBuds Lux ANC review: Price and release date
The signature JLab logo is very prominent on the JBuds Lux ANC. (Image credit: Future)
Released in February 2024
Priced at $79.99 / £79.99 (roughly AU$120)
The JLab JBuds Lux ANC were announced in January 2024, and went on sale during the month afterwards. You might have trouble buying them though. At the time of writing, two months after their release, they’re already sold out in some regions.
The JBuds Lux ANC sell for $79.99 /£79.99 (roughly AU$120). That’s pricier than almost every other pair of headphones sold by JLab and is in line with the Studio Pro ANC, which will set you back $80 /£80 / AU$99 at the time of writing. The brand sells plenty of wireless headphones for less, though.
The sub-$100 / £100 / AU$130 headphone market is a fiercely competitive one, with many other brands trying to convince you that you don’t need to pay top dollar for great headphones. At the bottom of this review you’ll find some of our favorite similarly-priced headphones that you should consider alongside the JLab JBuds Lux ANC.
JLab JBuds Lux ANC review: Specs
JLab JBuds Lux ANC review: Features
On the side of the JBuds Lux ANC, there's a USB-C port, as well as buttons for power, volume and noise cancellation. (Image credit: Future)
Battery life reaches 70 hours, 44 with ANC
Three ANC modes, standard works but ambient doesn't
App brings some handy extra features
As the name suggests, a key feature of the JLab JBuds Lux ANC is the active noise cancellation, which blocks out surrounding sounds while you’re listening to music. This isn’t a given in the best cheap headphones, so it’s welcome here, but even more welcome is the fact that it’s actually good!
The standard noise cancellation mode is great at isolating and removing background sound, great for if you’re sick of the inane chatter of nearby teams in the office or the rumble of the bus every day on your commute. You can turn it off if you want to hear these sounds, plus there’s a third option called Be Aware.
Be Aware is effectively an ambient mode, so that annoying noises (babies crying) are removed while important ones (large vehicles bearing down on you) remain audible. Unfortunately this didn’t work too well: I found that sounds Be Aware let in were given a tinny make-over, so they were even more annoying to hear than if I’d just turned ANC off. I didn’t use this for long.
The JLabs have a fantastic battery life, you love to see it. With ANC turned off, they’ll last for up to 70 hours without needing to be charged, though with ANC or Be Aware turned on that drops to a still-impressive 44 hours. You can charge them via USB-C cable.
You can completely customize the sound performance of the JBuds Lux ANC via the JLab control app. (Image credit: Future)
Downloading the JLab app onto your smartphone offers a few extra features. You can control the noise cancellation and change what the buttons do, but you can also set a volume limit, changing between ‘movie’ and ‘music’ modes and also fiddle around with an equalizer.
This latter lets you jump between three presets: ‘JLab Signature’, ‘balanced’ and ‘Bass Boost’, but there’s also a custom mode for if you feel comfortable messing around with sliders to personalise the tone.
Most headphone smartphone apps tell you the battery percentage, so you can accurately gauge how long they’ll last for before needing a charge. Curiously, the JLabs one doesn’t, beyond showing you a vague battery icon, which is an annoying omission.
Features score: 4/5
JLab JBuds Lux ANC review: Design
You can pick up the headphones in four colors: Graphite (black), Cloud (white), Sage (green) or Mauve (uh… mauve). (Image credit: Future)
Handy on-cup controls
Uncomfortable to wear for long periods
Folds up but no IP rating
The JLab JBuds Lux ANC are supposedly comfier to wear than most budget headphones, hence the ‘lux’ in its name. This adjective is exhibited by the use of soft fabric at the arch of the headband, and soft foam ear cups to settle on your ears.
Several people who’ve used the JBuds Lux and reported back online have called them comfortable to wear, but I don’t concur – no matter how much I extended or retracted the band to adjust its size, I found that they pinched a little too much. It wasn’t too noticeable in the moment, but wearing them for more than an hour in one sitting brought about mild earaches. The fact that not everyone has found this issue suggests that it depends on your head size, though I must point out that it’s not something I often find with headphones.
The headphones didn’t sit totally still either. When I was relatively inactive – say, relaxing on the grass in the warm sun, or sitting at a desk to write this review – there were no issues, but vigorous movement caused them to wobble and sometimes resulted in a cup falling off my ear. By ‘vigorous movement’ I mean running for a bus or jumping down stairs, and I daren’t not even attempt to use them for runs or workouts. Again, I can see this as being a head size issue, but I’d be remiss not to point it out.
The JBuds Lux ANC fold up, making them ultra portable and perfect for travel. (Image credit: Future)
Weighing 235g, these aren’t too heavy, though they’re not among the lightest headphones we’ve seen either. Like the best travel headphones, at least you can rotate the cups, extend the band and fold in the cups to make the JLabs more portable, which is a little more versatility than we see in all pairs of wireless headphones. There's no IP rating though.
On the right cup you’ve got the USB-C port for charging as well as a power button, a volume rocker and a noise cancellation toggle (between off, on and Be Aware mode). Each of these was easy to locate and press when wearing the headphones, though when I first started testing the headphones, I did mix up the power and noise cancellation buttons a few times.
As mentioned, there are four color options, and our review unit was mauve. All four options are fairly subdued, so you’re not getting anything too lurid whatever you pick.
Design score: 2.5/5
JLab JBuds Lux ANC review: Sound quality
Unfortunately, for me, the fit was a little too tight. (Image credit: Future)
Bass-heavy sound
Treble lost in the mix
Lots of peaking at high volumes
When going into the sound section, it bears repeating that the JLab JBuds Lux ANC are low-end headphones, and as such the best they can aim for is ‘decent’ or another similar synonym. And that target is basically hit, although more so than for most headphones, taste will be the most important judge.
Headphone or earbud fans probably know JLab’s reputation for creating bass-heavy audio devices, which is either draw you or put you off depending on what you like in your music.
If you want as much bass as possible to enhance your music, you’ll get on well with the JBuds Lux; it’s clearly the focus of the sound mix of the headphones and it pounds through in all the songs it can. It can provide a nice warm sounds if you listen to the right type of music.
(Image credit: Future)
This all comes at the cost of balanced audio, though, with treble lost in the mix, even when you try to eke out as much as possible from the app equalizer. I frequently struggled to hear, say, rhythm guitars, piano countermelodies or vocal harmonies that are usually fairly audible.
Like an unsuccessful mountaineer, the JLabs often felt close to peaking, especially when you turn the volume high. However at medium and low volumes I didn’t often hear noises get outright distorted.
I did miss the soundstage and bright audio of some of the JLab’s rivals when testing these, but then again I’m not one who prefers a bass-heavy sound. Your mileage will vary.
Sound quality: 3.5/5
JLab JBuds Lux ANC review: Value
Affordable over-ear headphones
The ANC is competitive
(Image credit: Future)
You’re getting what you pay for in the JLab JBuds Lux ANC. These are some affordable headphones that deliver the kind of sound quality and feature set that we often see in similarly-priced products.
The noise cancellation does compete with higher-end headphones, so if that’s your metric for value, you’re getting it here. But in most other categories, the JBuds Lux basically match the price.
Value: 3.5/5
Should I buy the JLab JBuds Lux ANC?
(Image credit: Future)
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
JLab JBuds Lux ANC review: Also consider
How I tested the JLab JBuds Lux ANC
(Image credit: Future)
Tested for two weeks
Tested at home, in the office and on walks
I used the JLab JBuds Lux ANC for roughly two weeks prior to writing this review. They were the latest in a string of budget headphone reviews I've done for TechRadar, so I compared them directly to a few close rivals.
Testing was largely done at home or in the office, with some listening done while on walks in both busy and quiet areas. These all provided different tests for the ANC as well as the quality-of-life features for the headphones. To give the JLabs a fair shake, I tried to listen to a diverse range of music on them including rock, pop, classical, country, jazz and streamed TV shows from Prime Video.
I've been writing about tech for six years now including five for TechRadar, so I'm well versed in the headphone and tech space. As stated I've reviewed other similarly-priced headphones and I've also tested other JLab products.
The more I test Earfun earbuds, the more the name makes sense: while these music machines won’t quite impress audiophiles, they provide enough handy functionality and useful features – at lovely low prices – to make the listening experience fun. The ear part of the name probably doesn’t require justification.
You may have noticed that the new Earfun Wave Pro are not actually, earbuds; they are, in fact, the first pair of over-ear headphones that this relatively new audio company has made. Yes, it made a ‘Pro’ product before the regular bog-standard one.
Thankfully, not only has Earfun avoided dropping the ball with this new form factor, but it’s managed to make perhaps its best product yet. It carries over what made Earfun’s earbuds great, and turns it up to 11.
We should start at the price: these are lovely and cheap compared to many other over-ear headphones, cheap enough that your grandma might pick them up from a big-box electronics store to buy as a Christmas gift for an unruly teen. They undercut several other Earfun earbuds as well as some fairly big names in the budget headphone market.
Don’t set your expectations low just because of the cost though: these sound surprisingly great for the price. Both bass and treble are pronounced, and while some mid sounds are lost between the two, the overall soundstage is a lot more audible than on many equivalent-price rivals I’ve tested.
I particularly like how Earfun has avoided the classic budget headphone bass trap (either having barely any, or way too much). If the Goldilocks tale had covered budget headphone bass power as well as beds and porridge heat, the flaxen-haired trespasser would certainly pick the Wave Pro.
The headphones feel great to wear too. They’re not heavy and have soft cup padding, plus they’re easily foldable to tote around and have a great build quality. My favorite part of the Earfun Wave Pro is the incredible battery life (80 hours, down to 55 if you have ANC on), which all but eliminates the need to charge these cans on your next road trip. Seriously, unless you’re constantly listening to music, you’ll probably only find yourself charging these things two or three times per month.
Any gripes I had with the Earfun are pretty minor: they take a weirdly long time to turn off, the five different ANC modes risk confusing people who only recently learned what that stands for (active noise cancellation), and there’s only one color option, which might dismay fashionistas.
I called them minor, alright! And it was hard to find even these, because the Earfun Wave Pro really knock it out of the park when you consider competitors at their price point.
Earfun Wave Pro review: Price and release date
(Image credit: Future)
Released in January 2024
Priced at $79.99 / £79.99 (roughly AUD$120)
You can pick up the Earfun Wave Pro for the very reasonable price of £79.99 / $79.99 (roughly AU$120).
Being Earfun’s first over-ear headphones, we can’t compare them to any predecessors, but it’s worth noting that the brand has loads of earbuds ranging from $50 to $120 (or equivalent) so these fit roughly in the middle of the brand’s line-up.
Given that you’re spending roughly $400 / £400 / AU$600 for the best headphones on the market, the Earfun Wave Pro definitely reside in the ‘budget headphone’ camp.
Rivals in that sub-$/£100 area include the Sony WH-CH520, which retail for a touch less, and the JBL Tune 670NC (which retail for a tiny bit more, as do the Sony WH-CH720) – but sales can fold minor price differences like that with ease. Both predate it on our list of the best cheap headphones.
Earfun Wave Pro review: Specs
Earfun Wave Pro review: Features
(Image credit: Future)
Total battery life of up to 80 hours
App brings a few useful extra features
Multipoint connection to multiple devices
I’ve gushed about it enough in the opening of this review, so it’s worth starting with one of the best bits of the Earfun Wave Pro: it has an amazing 80-hour battery life. That’s over three days of non-stop music, if you’re so inclined, though switching on AMC drops that to 55 hours.
While you do see the odd headphone here and there with eighty-plus-hour battery lives, it’s rare, and most budget rivals on the market will give you half that (or less). I was staggered to see the Earfun Wave Pro last longer between charges than my nerdy endurance workout headphones designed for long expeditions, but here we are.
Charging is done via the USB-C port on the headphones, with Earfun stating that 10 minutes of charging gets you 10 hours of (ANC off) listening.
You don’t need to download the Earfun Audio mobile app to use the Wave Pro, but it brings a few extra features that enhance the experience.
(Image credit: Future)
You can use the app to toggle between five different types of noise cancellation, boot up an equalizer to customize your sound experience, turn on a game mode for improved latency, and also change the on-can controls in case you want the volume up button to do something other than turn the volume up. You can also assign long press commands to the buttons which is a bit more useful. I found the default EQ of the headphones fine too, though you can tweak them to fit any preference.
As mentioned, the app lets you select between several ANC modes: Normal, Ambient, Wind Noise, Comfort ANC and Strong ANC. Five modes is a lot (even if one, Normal, is actually ‘off’), and I can see some users being confused by all this choice. Roughly I’d call the modes a sliding scale of strength, but it’s worth playing around until you find one you like and sticking with it.
For calling, the headphones have five microphones which pair with an algorithm that’s designed to isolate your voice from background sounds when you’re talking. By all accounts, I sounded clear when talking to people on the phone.
The Wave Pro also have multipoint connectivity, which lets you pair to two separate devices and jump between them based on what you’re doing. It’s situationally a really useful feature so you can connect to, say, your laptop for streaming a movie and also your phone in case a call pops up.
Features score: 4/5
Earfun Wave Pro review: Design
(Image credit: Future)
Comfortable and light design
A few on-cup controls
Folds up into carry case but no IP rating
You’ve seen headphones, right? Yeah – the Earfun Wave Pro looks exactly like you'd expect: two cans connected by a headband. This band can be adjusted and the cans can be rotated and tilted a little, so it’s easy to fit onto heads of different sizes.
Unlike some budget headphones, you can fold the Earfuns up to reduce their space, and this way they’ll also fit into the surprisingly premium-feeling carry case you get in the box.
The cups are fairly wide and are clad in soft memory foam caps. Honestly, these are some of the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever worn. The weight certainly doesn’t hurt either – weighing 268g in all, these aren’t the lightest headphones by a fair margin, but they still feel easy-breezy to wear. You’re not going to get earache from wearing these for too long.
(Image credit: Future)
Unlike many other low-cost headphones I’ve used, I was pleasantly surprised by the build quality of the Wave Pro. Many of its rivals have cheap plastic which results in the occasional ‘creak’ or ‘squeak’ when you move your head, but the Earfun had none of that.
You’ve got several buttons on the right ear cup: a noise cancellation toggle (which switches between ‘normal’, ‘ambient sound’ and ‘noise cancellation’, not the full range available on the app), a volume up and down rocker, and the power button. The power button is easy to use to turn on the headphones, but you have to hold it down for a full six seconds to turn them off, which feels far too long to be convenient. Plus there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack, for if you prefer wired audio, but plugging a jack into it turns off the headphones, and I couldn’t find a way to turn it back on (and thus use noise cancellation) while the jack was still connected.
There’s only one color option: bog-standard black. It’s an inoffensive hue, but I’m always a fan of funky color choices.
Design score: 4/5
Earfun Wave Pro review: Sound quality
(Image credit: Future)
Well-balanced audio
Mid lost a little
Max volume is really, really loud
The usual stumbling block where low-cost headphones are concerned is sound quality, but compared to their rivals the Earfun Wave Pro are really impressive… though they obviously won’t compete against super-pricey audiophile-pleasing premium options.
The bass is decent – yes, decent is a good word for it. It’s there, it’s solid and audible, but it’s not exactly going to shatter your teeth, if that’s what you want. I read comments from buyers who found the initial bass levels lacking – thankfully the EQ mode in the app lets you fix this, if you like your music to make your head (and boots) shake.
At least the bass is matched really well with the treble. By default I found both mixed well together, to the point that I didn’t actually deploy any EQ tweaks – beyond my testing to conform these worked. Rarely did low-end or high-end frequencies impair or overshadow each other, though on occasion some parts felt lacking – I’m listening to Toto’s Hold the Line as I write this and the piano accompaniment is a little harder to hear in the mix than I'm used to.
(Image credit: Future)
If anything is missing in the soundstage, though, it’s the mid sounds between bass and treble. Instruments and lines could sometimes get lost between the low- and high-frequency titans, or smushed together to create ‘noise’ instead of ‘music’.
But it's important to remember that these are truly budget conscious over-ears and the Wave Pro never sounded tinny across the course of my listening, a death sentence for low-cost cans. Even at high volumes, I never heard songs exhibit that horrid hiss through the treble.
Perhaps some of my praise for the Earfun's audio is down to these headphones' long list of tech specs: there are 40mm drivers, a High-Res Audio certification (both for wireless and wired music) and a Lossless Digial Audio Codec (LDAC) for improved Bluetooth streaming.
The Earfun Wave Pro’s max volume is wincingly loud, loud enough that I wouldn’t recommend listening for very long. But it’ll definitely appease people who like to get their blood pumping with deafening bangers.
The ANC on the headphones is good, not great, but most people will find it fit for purpose. I mainly listened on the strongest mode which still let in some sounds, but it’s a lot better than nothing.
Sound quality: 4/5
Earfun Wave Pro review: value
The Earfun Wave Pro offer you considerable value for money, when you consider the range of features and admirable sound quality for the price.
These are certainly budget headphones, yet you wouldn't be going amiss by opting for them over pricier alternatives and pocketing the cash, if you don't need the real premium trappings of rivals.
I say that all without mentioning that the Earfun comes with a carry case, so you won't need to spend extra on one of those.
Value: 5/5
Should I buy the Earfun Wave Pro?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Earfun Wave Pro review: Also consider
How I tested the Earfun Wave Pro
(Image credit: Future)
Tested for over two weeks
Tested at home, in the office, on public transport and on walks
I used the Earfun Wave Pro for about two weeks for the testing of this review, plus a few days before the official testing period when I wanted to get my bearings with them a little.
I mostly tested the phone while it was connected to my Android phone, though I also tested it on various gadgets like other phones, an iPad and my work laptop. I used it for music, podcasts, TV streaming and some games too.
I've been reviewing gadgets for TechRadar for a little over five years as of writing this review; originally for the phones team as a writer then editor, but I currently write reviews for various sections of the site. I've tested various Earfun earbuds as well as other low-end headphones to rival the Wave Pro.
I also tested these immediately after the same-price Edifier W820NB Plus, which was a useful counterpoint.
The Edifier W820NB Plus is a prime example of a cheap pair of wireless headphones that is more focused on keeping its low price than offering the most up-to-date features and a strong performance all round. As the flagship product from the Chinese audio company, the W820NB Plus give you great value for money… as long as you don’t mind seeing some corners cut in the sound department.
This entry in Edifier’s 2023 portfolio of headphones offers a great range of customization over your listening experience: there are three levels of noise cancellation, four different EQ modes and an optional gaming latency toggle to let you tweak the way the cans sound. The touch controls are some of the most convenient I’ve used on a pair of headphones too, letting you change volume and toggle ANC with an easy touch of the right pad.
Unfortunately, the ability to modify your listening experience in-app or using touch controls doesn’t matter as much as it could as the W820NB Plus simply doesn’t sound too great – the mid is seriously lacking and music sounds tinny when the volume is turned up too high. That may seem like a huge issue with the headphones but it’s not – music quality isn’t the only important factor when considering cans and sometimes, features, price and battery life are even more important than sound quality.
The W820NB Plus does have a few other issues, and the main one is in the setup process. Edifier has four different smartphone apps for some reason, and even when you’ve worked out the right one (Edifier Connect), you will need to do some volume tweaking before you can make the most of the cans. Oh, and with no carry case or ability to be folded down, the Edifier W820NB Plus certainly isn’t the most portable headphones on the market either.
Unless you’re looking to spend hundreds on the best over-ear headphones on the market, then you’ll have to contend with the nuanced budget headphone market. As far as sub-$100/£100 headphones go, the Edifier W820NB Plus are par for the course, offering a solid feature set but at the expense of audio quality. But if you’d rather have customization, affordability and easy touch controls over top-tier sound, the Edifier W820NB Plus is worth considering.
Edifier W820NB Plus review: Price and release date
(Image credit: Future)
Released in May 2023
Priced at $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$80.99
The Edifier were made available to buy in mid-May 2023, as one of the brand’s bustling line of over- or on-ear headphones. They cost $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$80.99, so these certainly count as cheap wireless headphones, designed for people who aren’t audiophiles but don’t want to opt for random tat online.
Edifier’s full headphone line runs from options half that price, to ones four times that cost, so it’s on the lower end but not right at the bottom.
At that price, the competition includes the $130 / £90 / AU$189 JBL Tune 670NC and the $60 / £60 / AU$77 Sony WH-CH520, the latter of which ranks in our list of the best cheap headphones as the premier budget on-ear headphones.
Edifier W802NB Plus review: Specs
Edifier W820NB Plus review: Features
(Image credit: Future)
Total battery life of up to 49 hours
A little fiddly to set up
App offers range of handy extra features
You can get quite a bit of extra mileage out of the Edifier W820NB Plus using the app… if you can set it up correctly. You see, Edifier offers four different apps on the Play Store or App Store, and there’s no clear indication on which is the correct one, so you’ve got a 25% chance of picking correctly the first time (let me turn that to 100%: it’s Edifier Connect).
Once you’ve installed the app, it’s incredibly easy to pair the headphones to it, so it’s only the set-up process that’s a pain (which, I must add, isn’t mandatory, as you can use the headphones without it. But the extra functions are handy).
Using the app, you can flick between three noise cancellation modes: off, on, and Ambient. The first two are self explanatory, while Ambient sits somewhere in between, allowing in background noises like vehicles or loud shouts without letting the drone of everyday life get in the way. For the most part, the Edifier’s noise cancellation works well, though it sometimes struggles outdoors with wind or other such forces.
Another feature of the app is a gaming mode, which boosts latency at the slight expense of sound quality. It’s handy for prolific mobile gamers, and can help in competitive games when hearing the direction of footsteps and combat can mean the difference between success and failure.
The other primary feature is that you can use Edifier Connect to move between four EQ modes: Classic, Pop, Classical and Rock. Changing modes has an annoying pause as the assistant voice tells you the new mode, and this gap may be why I struggled to hear a big difference between the modes.
(Image credit: Future)
A few other features of Edifier Connect are worth flagging. It has its own on-board volume control that’s independent of your phone’s, so if you’re not aware, the W820NB Plus can sound a little too quiet when you start using them. I’d recommend you crank this to full straight away, and then fully rely on your phone’s volume rocker going forward to change volume.
The other noteworthy feature is fun: Soothing sounds is a library of ambient noises like ‘Twilight resonance’, ‘Relaxing piano with white noise’ or ‘Waves and seagulls’. You could use these to help lull you to sleep, get into a meditative state or, as I found when writing this review, focus your mind to get more productive and write more headphone reviews. Just note that most of these tracks are about a minute long, so you need to turn on the looping function or re-play them every minute.
In terms of battery life, you’re looking at 49 hours, which drops to just 33 when you turn on ambient noise cancellation. That’s over a day of listening whichever mode you have on, which is certainly nothing to turn the nose up at, though it’s not quite the 70 hours of the JBL Tune 670NC or other super-long-lasting low-cost rivals.
The lack of wear detection means that, to save battery, you need to remember to turn off the headphones when you finish listening with them. Thankfully, as described, the buttons are easy to use.
You charge the W820NB Plus using a USB-C cable, and it’ll take roughly an hour and a half for you to get the headphones all the way from empty to full. Fast charging means you can get 7 hours of use from just 10 minutes of charging though, if you’re in a hurry.
Features score: 4/5
Edifier W820NB Plus review: Design
(Image credit: Future)
Standard-looking headphones with five color options
Easy-to-use control buttons
Doesn't fold; no IP rating
The Edifier W820NB Plus don’t exactly shake things up in the world of headphone design, but there’s nothing wrong with that. There are five different color options available: black, gray, green blue and ivory. We tested the latter.
They’re fairly comfy to wear although, as with all headphones, too much continuous wear can lead to some aching. Tactically-placed pads offset this to an extent. The size of the band can be extended some ways, although not as much as on some rival headphones.
On the right can you have the W820NB Plus’ controls: there’s a button that toggles between ambient noise and noise cancellation, a power button and volume up and down buttons. They’re all fairly easy to find and use, though as the buttons don’t protrude much, it can be a case of trial and error on your first few attempts at using the headphones. You’ll quickly get used to the positioning though.
You’re not getting a 3.5mm headphone jack on the cans – sorry, people who like to have wired connectivity as an option, but you won’t be able to do so here. You’re also not getting an official IP rating, so handle with care.
Another thing sadly absent from the Edifier is any form of portability consideration. You can’t fold the headphones down into a smaller form factor, there’s no included carry case, and the structure and build of the cans don’t feel suited to being shoved in a backpack. If you’re not planning to wear these on your head or around your neck, you can’t really take them anywhere!
Design score: 3.5/5
Edifier 820NB Plus review: Sound quality
(Image credit: Future)
Limited sound stage
Initially a little quiet
After a few sections of praises, the Edifier W820NB Plus delivers in the audio section a result a bit more in keeping with its price. By no means does music played over the headphones sound bad, but it doesn’t really sound good enough – it’s much more middle-of-the-road.
The main issue is that the headphones lack a palpable sound stage, so the bass doesn’t sound low and the treble doesn’t sit above the mid – music sounds like one unidentified mush of sound and mid sounds are a little lost in the melee.
Once you’ve gotten past the app volume problems mentioned earlier, the W820NB Plus can get nice and loud, but at higher volumes the music sounds quite tinny, especially those mid sounds that are struggling to cut into the mix as is.
To be clear, the Edifier W820NB Plus still sound decent – I used them for lots of movie watching and music streaming beyond what’s required for review testing – it’s just decent ‘for the price’. They’re a far cry from cheapie Amazon headphones or the kind your grandma might buy you for Christmas, but they won’t compare to $150 / £150 / AU$200 plus rivals from the major brands.
Sound quality: 2.5/5
Should I buy the Edifier 820NB Plus?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Edifier 820NB Plus review: Also consider
How I tested the Edifier 820NB Plus
(Image credit: Future)
Tested for over 20 days
Tested at home, in the office, on public transport and on walks
I tested the Edifier 820NB Plus for over three weeks before starting to write this review, so they were subjected to quite a bit of use.
Testing was done while in quiet rooms like my home and the office, while on walks around my local area and also on public transport like coaches, tubes and buses. I mostly used it while connected to my Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Android phone for music streaming, calls and gaming, but also paired it sometimes to my iPad Pro to watch movies or TV shows.
I've been testing tech gadgets for TechRadar for over five years now. Currently, I write freelance for several sections including audio, but previously I worked as a staff writer and section editor for the phones section.
Sennheiser Accentum Plus review: One-minute review
The Sennheiser Accentum Plus was created by taking everything that was enjoyable about the more entry-level Accentum wireless over-ear headphones and adding touch-controls, aptX Adaptive capability and (perhaps most significantly) a carry-case. They prove that sometimes a gap in the market is so small that you don’t even notice it, but Sennheiser certainly did.
There’s plenty to like here, from the neat and tidy design and excellent standard of fit and finish to the robustly informative sound the headphones make. Active noise cancellation is decent, control options are very nicely implemented, and battery life is approaching ‘epic’.
Nothing’s perfect, though, and the wider-headed among us are likely to find the Accentum Plus a non-starter – the fit is about as snug as these things ever get. And the richly bassy sonic signature won’t suit everyone either – although it can be mitigated, just a little, using the five-band EQ embedded in the control app.
Fundamentally, the Accentum Plus are the same as the Accentum – but more so. They also come with a carry-case, something that a lot of the best wireless headphones offer as standard.
Sennheiser Accentum Plus review: Price and release date
(Image credit: Future)
Released on February, 22, 2024
Price: $229 / £199 / AU$399
The Sennheiser Accentum Plus went on sale on 20th February this year for $229 in the US and £199 in the UK. Meanwhile in Australia, they’ll set you back AU$399.
At this money they sit nicely between the more affordable Sennheiser Accentum and the pricier Sennheiser Momentum 4 – but, of course, there are more brands than just Sennheiser ready to part you from this sort of money for a pair of wireless over-ear noise-cancellers…
Sennheiser Accentum Plus review: Specs
Sennheiser Accentum Plus review: Features
(Image credit: Future)
Bluetooth 5.2 with aptX Adaptive compatibility
50 hours of battery life
37mm full-range dynamic drivers
Obviously it’s a bit of a theme of this review – but in quite a few ways, the Accentum Plus are very, very similar to their more affordable Sennheiser Accentum stablemates.
Certainly there’s nothing broken about the 50-hour battery life and ‘ten minutes charge equals five hours playback time” of the original Accentum, and the Plus hasn’t bothered to fix it. These are both very competitive numbers, after all. And the Plus also utilise the same 37mm full-range dynamic drivers in order to do the audio business, which, again, seems only sensible.
The changes that have been made all seem like upgrades, though. Bluetooth 5.2 wireless connectivity with aptX Adaptive codec compatibility is very promising where sound quality is concerned, and the appearance of a 3.5mm socket on the right earcup means hard-wired listening is available this way as well as through the USB-C socket positioned alongside it.
The right earcup also has a single physical control, which covers ‘power on/off’ and Bluetooth pairing. Otherwise, control is available either via the capacitive area of the right earcup (‘play/pause’, ‘volume up/down’, ‘skip forwards/backwards’ and ‘answer/end/reject call’ are all available) or the exemplary ‘Smart Control’ app that’s free for iOS and Android.
The app features a five-band adjuster, with a number of presets and the facility to store one user-defined setting. The wind noise reduction feature of the newly adaptive active noise-cancellation system can be switched on or off. The multi-point wireless connectivity can be managed from here, and it’s also where you can check for firmware updates, adjust the volume of your own voice that’s audible during calls, and rearrange the various ‘tiles’ that control the different app functions to best suit your purposes. And if you fancy registering with Sennheiser and forking over some personal info, you can use the app’s ‘sound check’ and ‘sound zones’ features to tailor the sound to specific circumstances and environments – and switch between them automatically.
Otherwise, the most obvious upgrade the Plus enjoy over the standard Accentum is their carry-case. It’s soft but protective, has handy storage for your cables, and generally helps no end in keeping the finish of your headphones nice and tidy.
Features score: 5 / 5
Sennheiser Accentum Plus review: Design
(Image credit: Future)
Clean, basically anonymous looks
Fine standard of build and finish
Quite a snug, narrow fit
‘Less is more’, so they say, and there’s even less here in terms of design than there is of the more affordable Sennheiser Accentum. Because most of the interface is now touch controls, there’s just one physical control button here – it’s on the edge of the right earcup.
Otherwise, the Accentum Plus are basically featureless – whether or not that’s a good thing will depend on your feelings regarding ‘discretion’ where design is concerned. At a glance, the only thing that separates them from their Accentum sibling is the silver, rather than matte black, ‘Sennheiser’ logo at each end of the headband.
So you get a clean, minimal look and a quality of build and finish that’s well up to the established Sennheiser standard. The articulation in the yokes allow the headphones to fold flat, and there’s enough articulation to allow the to fit snugly over even the more eccentrically shaped ears and heads that might wish to wear them. The concealed headband adjustment works smoothly, the pleather covering the memory foam-filled earpads is comfortable – and it doesn’t get too hot too quickly, unlike some alternative designs.
Really, the only conceivable shortcoming where the design of the Accentum Plus is concerned is the relative narrowness of the fit. I know I spend a lot of time complaining about the massive, head-swamping nature of a lot of over-ear headphones – but it’s possible to go too far the other way. These Sennheiser are a snug fit, and it’s perfectly possible that the larger-headed among us might find them quite tight.
Design score: 4.5 / 5
Sennheiser Accentum Plus review: Sound quality
(Image credit: Sennheiser)
Weighty, punchy sound
Dynamic up to a point
Good noise-cancellation
Obviously there’s more to the sound a pair of headphones makes than the physical characteristics of the drivers that are delivering it. But nevertheless it’s notable that despite being so closely related to the more affordable Accentum model in terms of specification, these Accentum Plus differ in terms of sonic balance. Not dramatically, but noticeably nevertheless.
With a 44.1kHz file of Cranes in the Sky by Solange playing via Qobuz, the Accentum Plus are an assertive, big-boned listen with impressively solid, nicely controlled low-frequency presence. The bass hits hard here, but with the kind of straight-edged precision that allows the rhythm proper expression and keeps momentum high. That the overall frequency balance is skewed towards the bottom end is undeniable, but there are any number of listeners for whom this will be just the ticket.
And besides, it’s not as if this emphasis puts undue pressure on the midrange. Voices enjoy more than enough room in which to express themselves, and the Accentum Plus retain and reveal plenty of fine detail regarding tone, texture, technique and all the rest of it. The soundstage they create is spacious and convincing where layout is concerned, too, and while the midrange in general and vocalists in particular are hundred towards the front they never sound estranged or separated. The Sennheiser are adept of unifying a recording, no matter how complex, into a coherent and convincing whole – no element of it is left behind.
At the top of the frequency range there’s a polite level of attack – it’s not enough to let treble response get out of hand, even at volume (good) but it’s not quite sufficient to claim the Accentum Plus are giving you the complete high-frequency picture (not quite so good).
Dynamics – especially the big dynamic shifts in volume and intensity apparent in a TIDAL stream of James Brown’s Give It Up or Turnit a Loose, for example – are given a reasonable amount of emphasis. The Sennheiser Accentum Plus either aren’t deep-breathing enough or aren’t impolite enough to go to town on big dynamic shifts, but they’re certainly more than alluded to.
The always-on active noise cancellation proves just as effective here as in the original Accentum. Which means that almost all external distractions are dealt with confidently, and without any disruption to the sound you’re enjoying. Other headphones (mostly those that say ‘Bose’ on them somewhere) can do a more complete job, but it seems unlikely anyone will reject the Accentum Plus on the basis of their ANC.
Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5
Sennheiser Accentum Plus review: Value
(Image credit: Future)
Good build quality and standard finish
Very descent specification
Slightly colored audio performance
It should go without saying by now that you could do a lot worse than decide on a pair of Sennheiser Accentum Plus. The company’s reputation for sterling build quality and finish wasn’t attained by accident, the headphones are very competitively specified at this price.
The Accentum Plus also have a particularly attention-grabbing battery life and the control app is one of the more useful around. Those who enjoy the balance of the sound will be pleased, too, although in absolute terms it’s not as neutral as some listeners might prefer.
Value score: 4.5 / 5
Should I buy the Sennheiser Accentum Plus?
Buy them if…
Don’t buy them if…
Sennheiser Accentum Plus review: Also consider
(Image credit: Future)
How I tested Sennheiser Accentum Plus
(Image credit: Future)
At home and in transit
Wired and wireless
With iOS and Android devices
My custody of the Sennheiser Accentum Plus coincided with a very disrupted flight to Germany – and so as well as using them at my desk, I was able to test them while in the back of taxis, on trains and on aeroplanes.
Used them with Apple and Samsung smartphones ares sources, as well as an Apple laptop, and I used them connected both wirelessly and using their analogue connection. And naturally, I listened to a lot of different styles of music, derived from lots of different sizes of digital audio files.
At first grab, the Final Audio UX2000 feels pretty cheap and flimsy. It's when I folded them up for the first time that I started liking them. This mean they fit in your bag or on your desk well but even better? They are actually worth grabbing for more than just their portable design.
These might not be some of the absolute best over-ear headphones but you could do a lot worse. Sound quality is the highlight here with a wide soundstage, strong bass, yet decently crisp mids too. During my testing, I listen to a lot of different genres and the Final Audio UX2000 didn’t let the side down with anything.
However, the Final Audio UX2000 do lack some neat features. There's no wear detection, no app and the hybrid active noise cancellation (ANC) system isn't adjustable. You get used to these omissions but it’s a reminder that the Final Audio UX2000 are pretty cheap for good ANC headphones so something’s got to give.
Said ANC does work well even if it’s technically hybrid rather than full. At times, you’ll have noise trickle through but for everyday use, it does the job well and easily rivals more famous competition. As for features, they have a strong battery life of up to 45 hours, which makes the Final Audio UX2000 an ideal pair of cans for your commute, whether you’re walking or resting.
At $120 / £100 (around AU$180), the Final Audio UX2000 are tempting. Odds are you’ll still favor something more famous among the best over-ear headphones such as something from Sony or JBL, but you shouldn’t overlook the Final Audio UX2000. There are concessions to make but they’re understandable ones at the price.
Final Audio UX2000 review: Price and release date
Released in December 2023
Officially priced at $120 / £100
(Image credit: Future)
The Final Audio UX2000 was released in December 2023 for $120 / £100 (around AU$180). The headphones are currently available in the US and UK at popular third-party retailers like Amazon.
Solely available in black, they aren’t a fashionista’s dream like some of the competition in this price range. Said competitors include cans like the JBL Tune 770NC in the UK and the ever popular Sony WH-CH720N, so the field is a fairly busy one.
That’s not forgetting the Final Audio UX3000, which was released in August 2022 as the brand's first over-ear headphones. These are priced only slightly more ($30 / £20) than the Final Audio UX2000.
Final Audio UX2000 review: Specs
Final Audio UX2000 review: Features
(Image credit: Future)
Multipoint connection
Hybrid ANC
No app support
The Final Audio UX2000 is a little thin on the ground when it comes to features. The standout is its multipoint support which is increasingly becoming an essential addition as we’re all juggling multiple devices these days.
There’s also support for AAC and SBC codecs while there’s Final’s so-called hybrid ANC. It uses an stress-resistant driver to theoretically boost its ability to cancel out annoying background noise. It works fairly well, doing a great job of blocking out an ever-present dehumidifier and other environmental noise, but it’s not perfect. It’s nearer to ANC than not but I was curious about it being hybrid rather than full ANC.
Using Bluetooth 5.3 means no need to worry about sound dropouts so all seems well... Until you remember there’s no app support. Final has a companion app but it doesn’t support the Final Audio UX2000 yet so hopefully that’s coming soon.
Features score: 3 / 5
Final Audio UX2000 review: Battery life
(Image credit: Future)
Up to 55 hours
USB-C charging
The Final Audio UX2000 promises up to 45 hours of battery life even with hybrid ANC on, and in my time with it, that’s about right. Turn the volume down a little and you can eke out a few more hours, though.
Similarly, turn off ANC and that time extends. With mixed usage though, an average of 45 hours seems about right. USB-C charging is the order of the day here with a full charge taking just over two hours to achieve. It’s all fairly respectable if not exceptional.
Battery life score: 4 / 5
Final Audio UX2000 review: Sound quality
(Image credit: Future)
Surprisingly good hybrid ANC
Wide soundstage
Strong bass
At $120 / £100, I’m not expecting the Final Audio UX2000 to be some of the best headphones around but these cans surprised me with how good they sounded. The instant highlight is how wide the soundstage feels. While some other headphones in this price range can leave music sounding a little distant, the UX2000 wrap sound around you well.
Alongside that, the UX2000 are pretty bassy and ideal for excitable and booming music. While the punch could be a little greater if I was going to be picky, it’s still perfectly respectable. I enjoyed the enthusiasm that came from my David Guetta playlist with the bass feeling suitably engaging.
Somehow, the UX2000 are also pretty crisp sounding when it comes to more subtle tracks like Queen’s Under Pressure. Is it as revelatory as something like the Sony WH-1000XM5? Of course not, but these cost a fraction of the cost and I still didn’t feel like I was missing out.
Temper your expectations and you’ll be happy with how these sound. That goes for the ANC which is a hybrid system that uses two microphones on each ear cup to analyze sound to block out irritants. It’s not perfect but it mostly blocks out what you need to escape from. If only there was an app for setting up a transparency mode or tweaking the EQ.
Sound quality score: 4 / 5
Final Audio UX2000 review: Design
(Image credit: Future)
Very plain style
Tactile buttons
Foldable design
Let’s get to the good bit – the Final Audio UX2000 fold and not enough headphones do this any more. That makes them easier to toss in your bag but also easier to find room on your desk for them.
The UX2000 do feel a little cheap in your hands and aren’t anything exciting to show off to anyone, but it’s nice to see physical buttons over touch controls. Touch controls are cool but physical buttons tend to work more accurately and that’s the case with these.
At the bottom of one ear cup is the USB-C port while the other ear cup has room for a 3.5mm jack if you prefer to listen wired. Buttons are a simple matter of power, ANC, and volume so they take seconds to figure out.
Design score: 4 / 5
Final Audio UX2000 review: Value
(Image credit: Future)
Mediocre build
Good features
Because the UX2000 are from a lesser known brand, this likely means they don't feel like the headphones you’ll show off to your mates. Final Audio's build quality feels cheap too but inside that plasticky surface are decent drivers that ensure it sounds pretty good – and that’s ultimately where it counts with headphones.
If you need more features, something like the Sony WH-CH520 offer app support and quick charge, but lack fantastic ANC, so it’s a trade-off of what’s most important to you.
Value score: 4 / 5
Should I buy the Final Audio UX2000?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
Final Audio UX2000 review: Also consider
How I tested the Final Audio UX2000
(Image credit: Future)
Tested over 14 days in many different situations
Listened against the Apple AirPods Pro 2, Philips Fidelio L4 and JBL Tune 770NC
Listened to Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube videos and Twitch
Over Christmas and New Year, I primarily used the Final Audio UX2000 as my main headphones. They took over from my usual Apple AirPods Pro 2 and recent regular use of the Philips Fidelio L4.
I used them on my (nearly) daily morning walks to test them out among environmental noises like busy traffic. In the evenings, I relaxed by the Christmas tree checking out how my favorite playlists sounded through them.
Busy rush hour traffic was a good challenge for the UX2000’s hybrid ANC along with neighbours using the break to hammer holes in their walls.
Primarily, I listened to Apple Music and Spotify with occasional dips into Twitch streams to see how they sounded when dealing with conversations. A few podcasts were listened to via my iPhone 14 Pro.
My taste is varied so there was everything from Harry Styles to Jimi Hendrix depending on my mood. YouTube and Twitch time were mostly spent watching gaming videos.
I’ve reviewed audio products for over 10 years now and I’m increasingly picky about what sounds good and can spot the difference, while appreciating that $100 cans won’t usually compete with $400 ones.
