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Apple introduces the new AirPods 4 with ANC and tons of new features
9:07 pm | September 9, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

This year the regular AirPods get a lot of love from Apple. In fact, the AirPods 4 is the only pair that gets a meaningful hardware upgrade this year. They now come in two variants - standard AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 Active Noise Cancellation. As with every generation of new Apple products, the AirPods 4 are touted as the best-sounding non-Pro AirPods so far as well as the most comfortable ones. Apple has used special mapping technology to examine a large pool of users' ears and make the earpods more comfortable. The company also implemented a new acoustic design that drastically...

OnePlus Buds Pro 3 launch with dual DACs, adaptive ANC and Dynaudio tuning
6:41 pm | August 20, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

OnePlus just unveiled its next generation of Pro buds with the help of singer-songwriter Anuv Jain. The new model brings better audio quality, stronger noise cancellation and slightly better battery life. OnePlus Buds Pro 3 The OnePlus Buds Pro 3 feature a dual driver setup with 11mm woofers and 6mm tweeters. What sets these apart from the Pro 2 buds is the new dual DAC system, the first in the series. One DAC feeds the woofer, the other is hooked up to the tweeter. Also, the woofer design now uses two magnets, which is another improvement over the Pro 2 buds. Both woofer...

Earfun Air Pro 4 review: good-value cheap earbuds with just a few too many features
2:40 pm | August 14, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: | Comments: Off

Earfun Air Pro 4: Two-minute review

I never thought I’d be knocking a set of good budget earbuds having too many features, or excluding a set of earbuds from our best noise-cancelling earbuds guide for offering too many ANC profiles. But this Earfun Air Pro 4 review changes that.

If you’ve ever heard of Earfun before, you’ll know it as a brand well versed in putting out low-cost but competitive earbuds. You'll also know that its naming conventions can be quite baffling. 

The Air Pro 4 are the successors to 2023’s Air Pro 3 (which we gave a near-perfect review to), and their main difference from the same-priced Free Pro 3 from late 2023 is that they have stems, rather than being purely in-ear beans. They’re also more premium alternatives to the Earfun Air 2, released earlier in 2024, which (like all those other Earfun options) offered some great features at really low prices. But that's a lot of Frees, Airs and graces Pros to get your head around. 

Suffice to say that Earfun has a bustling product suite, perhaps an overwhelming number for people who don’t know which to opt for, and ‘too much’ is the theme of this review too.

In its quest to offer buyers on a budget a wide range of options, Earfun has gone a bit too far, and I found some elements of the experience a little too overwhelming. There are five different ANC modes (not counting ‘off’ and ‘ambient’) and I couldn’t get my head around the differences; there are a whopping 30 equalizer presets and scrolling through the list to find the right option for certain songs or genres was more work than it was worth.

So testing the Earfun Air Pro 4 was initially a bit exhausting – until I gave up, and just stuck to the same modes. I think that's what you'll do too. Do that, and you'll reveal great low-budget earbuds that offer loads of options and fairly respectable, robust audio quality for the price. It's just that wading through the extraneous options becomes a little wearying. 

They feel premium enough too, with a lightweight minimalist design that remains comfortably in the ear, and the case is lovely and small enough to slip into little pockets even though it packs a few premium features like wireless charging.

The sound quality is perfectly acceptable for the price (though if your budget breaches the $/£100 barrier, you’ll have a few more tempting options) and definitely matches the ‘cheap’ with the ‘cheerful’ for most songs.

I also appreciated how the Earfun Air Pro 4’s battery life outstrips most competitors, with 7.5 hours per bud with ANC on and 11 hours with it off. That’s a fair few songs more than you’ll get on most earbuds in this price bracket. 

So if you’re happy to ignore a few too many superfluous and potentially confusing features, or are willing to try and get your head around them, then the Earfun Air Pro 4 are good picks for people on a budget. But if not, then the company has loads more options for you – as do its competitors (more on that later).

Earfun Air Pro 4 review: Price and release date

The Earfun Air Pro 4

(Image credit: Future)
  • Unveiled in July 2024
  • Cost $89.99 / £79.99 (roughly AU$140) 

The Earfun Air Pro 4 were announced right at the end of July 2024, and became available to purchase shortly afterwards. The company sells them in certain regions but also has a global option on its website, listed in USD, which is why we don’t have an AUD price.

The buds cost $89.99 / £79.99 (roughly AU$140) which is notably a lower price than the $99.99 / £99.99 (roughly AU$160) Air Pro 3 – those earbuds got price cuts almost immediately after launch, so it's possible that the Air Pro 4 could too.

Earfun has a busy line-up of earbuds and the Air Pro 4 slot in just ahead of most of the others in terms of price; the Air Pro 3, Free Pro 3 and Air Pro SV all cost just a small amount less. The company specializes in low-cost earbuds and these new models are no different.

So yes, the Earfun Air Pro 4 definitely count as cheap earbuds; they won’t break the bank and that fact helps set expectations with the sound quality and features.

Earfun Air Pro 4 review: Specs

Earfun Air Pro 4 review: Features

The Earfun Air Pro 4

(Image credit: Future)
  • Many (many) equalizer presets
  • ANC is good but too many modes
  • Good battery life compared to rivals

One of my favorite things about Earfun’s other earbuds is that they often trump the competition in terms of battery life, and that’s certainly the case with the Air Pro 4.

With ANC turned on, the buds last for roughly seven and a half hours before you need to return them to the case to power back up; turn ANC off and that figure is even longer at 11 hours. Most same-price rivals go for about 6 and 9 hours respectively, so the Pro 4 is, ahem, Pro-4-ming well here.

Earfun has said that the case can provide up the 52 hours of music playback between all its charges; the website doesn’t state whether that’s with ANC on or off, but I’d imagine it’s with it off. At an estimate, I’d give you 35 and a half hours of listening time from the case if you only listen with ANC on.

On the topic of ANC: it has potential on the Air Pro 4, but an annoying abundance of choice makes it hard for you to make the most of it.

The standard ANC is pretty heavy-duty, cutting out annoying background noises to help you enjoy your music without the chattering of keyboards or whine of noisy trains that you’re working on (at least, those are my favorite uses of it!).

The thing is, in the app there’s no one noise cancellation mode. Instead, there are seven.

The Earfun Air Pro 4

(Image credit: Future)

These include ambient mode and no ANC (pretty self-explanatory) but five different versions of ANC: strong, balance, AI environment adaptive, AI ear adaptive, and wind noise cancellation. These five all have descriptions about how they’re different but it’s all very vague and I couldn’t hear much of a difference between them, especially the adaptive one. After a few listening sessions of confused testing, I decided just to stick to ‘strong’ and hope for the best.

Beyond this confusing ANC situation, the Earfun app offers the basic features that most companion apps do: a few toggle-able features such as wear detection and low-latency mode for gaming, the ability to customize the controls and a ‘find my headphones’ feature.

There’s an equalizer too and I really took to it: you can customize your sound yourself, or rely on a sound profile mode that tests your hearing (I didn’t find this mode quite as accurate or useful as other companies’ equivalents though, like Nothing’s in the Nothing Ear (a) and Nothing Ear). But the best part is the presets: there are 30 in all, and lots of them make marked differences on the sound profile, so it’s useful if you want to tailor your mix to what you’re listening to.

Frankly, 30 is far too many, and I didn’t want to scroll through a whole list of ‘Bass Reducer 1, 2 and 3’s in order to find specific ones. Instead I stick to a core 15 based on genres of music, and that seemed enough – in situations like this, less is definitely more. I’m just surprised that there can be 30 without any for spoken word or podcasts!

  • Features score: 3.5/5

Earfun Air Pro 4 review: Design

The Earfun Air Pro 4

(Image credit: Future)
  • AirPods-style stem earbuds
  • Fairly small charging case
  • IPX5 rating against limited showers

The Air Pro 4 aren’t the smallest earbuds I’ve ever seen, even within Earfun's lineup, but they’re still pretty slender. The buds weigh roughly 5g each (according to my kitchen scales; no official weight is listed) and consist of an eartip, a small body and an AirPods-style stem.

The default tip fit in my ear comfortably and stayed nice and secure through the entire testing process, but Earfun has packed four extra sizes into the box, which is at least one more than you normally see in earbuds – and two more at this budget level. These range from extra-small to extra-large and I commend Earfun on it.

Each bud has a small button, which is the round indentation at the top of the stem that you can see in the images. This only required a gentle touch and so I found them easy to use, although there was a noticeable delay between the press and the desired action being triggered.

The Earfun Air Pro 4

(Image credit: Future)

The buds have an IPX5 rating, making them protected from streams of water but not immersion in liquid, so you can wear them in the rain or even in the shower, but not in the bath (or pool).

Keeping the Air Pro 4 cozy and safe when you’re not using them is their charging case; from product listing images and the size of the box, you’d imagine this would be quite big, but it was a lot smaller than I expected. It weighs 56g (when the buds are in) and measures 62.4 x 46.6 x 29.2mm.

Said case, which opens in a clamshell style, has a USB-C port for charging but also supports wireless powering. Despite being a small plastic pebble that’s smaller than the average size of a field mouse, it felt sturdy enough to protect the buds well.

  • Design score: 3.5/5

Earfun Air Pro 4 review: Sound quality

The Earfun Air Pro 4

(Image credit: Future)
  • Good sound, rather than great
  • Equalizer gives you customization over sound
  • Several upgrades over predecessor

It’s good that the Earfun equalizer is so in depth in letting you customize your music, because in default mode the buds are good, but not great. For the price, they are better than lots of rivals, but you’d definitely get better audio by paying more.

Unless you boost the treble in the app, it’s a little lacking by default, falling in the mix behind the relatively meaty bass. Mid is also hiding in the back, but I found it susceptible to peaking and distortion at times, with instruments like hi-hats and acoustic guitars getting mushy.

However once you turn to the equalizer, and push the music to its limits, you can get a lot more legroom for enjoying your music. Bass, which is already pretty meaty by default, can gain even more prominence, though it’ll never turn as forceful as on something like the Nothing Buds. 

I enjoyed rescuing the treble, with certain presets pulling it further forward, and the mid to a certain extent – though this put both at higher risk of peaking in songs. And while the presets let you play around with how the different sounds interact, I rarely felt that sounds found energetic.

A few additions to the Air Pro 4 over the Pro 3 is support for a new audio codic, LDAC, allowing for 24-bit/96kbps streaming from supported files or apps, as well as Bluetooth 5.4 for a more reliable connection. This offsets what might, on paper, look like a downgrade in the driver size to 10mm from 11mm.

  • Sound quality: 3.5/5

Earfun Air Pro 4 review: Value

The Earfun Air Pro 4

(Image credit: Future)
  • Good feature set for price
  • More cash will get you better audio

If you know low-cost earbuds, you’ll know that Earfun always gives you good value for money, and that’s no different here.

The Air Pro 4 give you decent music quality, a long-lasting battery and admirable noise cancellation, and the only thing more slender than the easily-pocketable charging case is the price.

Sure, the Earfun Air Pro 4 isn’t quite as feature-packed as some of the biggest names on the market, but it also costs a third of its big Bose, Apple and Samsung alternatives. 

  • Value: 4/5

Should I buy the Earfun Air Pro 4?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Earfun Air Pro 4 review: Also consider

How I tested the Earfun Air Pro 4

The Earfun Air Pro 4

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tested for two weeks
  • Tested at home, in the office and on trips

I tested the Earfun Air Pro 4 for two weeks to write this review, which is the standard testing time for earbuds like this. I mainly used them connected to my Android phone, but also paired them to my Windows laptop and iPad during testing.

The listening for this review was done at home, in the office, at the gym, on walks around my neighborhood and also on a couple of long train journeys, so their ANC was really put to the test. I listened to music, podcasts and audio books on Spotify and also watched YouTube videos, streamed Netflix movies, caught lots of the Olympics on Discovery Plus and partook in phone and video calls, all using the buds.

I've been testing gadgets at TechRadar for over five years now, and in that time have used plenty of budget earbuds including previous Earfun options.

  • First reviewed in August 2024
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review: great earbuds that took the wrong leaf from the AirPods playbook
5:50 pm | July 25, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro: Two-minute review

People are quick to label any stem-toting wireless earbud as ‘AirPods clones’ but Samsung isn’t doing itself any favors to deflect the term with its Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. They look like what you'd get if you threw Apple’s earbuds and a Toblerone into a blender. Can we see past their oh-so-familiar design if they're the best earbuds out there? Of course. But let's not jump the gun. 

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are Samsung’s new-for-2024 top-end earbuds, launched alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 at a launch event in July of the year, and they fill a void in the company’s line-up given that the Buds 2 Pro were getting long in the tooth.

If you know anything about Samsung’s line-up, you’re probably expecting big things from a product boasting the Korean tech giant’s name, as well as the word ‘Pro’ thrown in for good measure, and you won't be left high and dry with the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro.

Frankly, these earbuds sound fantastic, with some of the best sound in any earbuds I’ve tested. The V-shaped audio means you’re getting meaty bass but also defined treble, so whether you’re listening to the highest opera or the lowest synthwave you’re going to be enjoying your music.

There’s no need to worry about background noises getting in the way either, with the powerful noise cancellation of the buds doing an amazing job at eradicating noises around you. I was really impressed with how the Buds 3 Pro didn’t just reduce the prominence of noises around me, but stopped me noticing many of them at all.

And I know I’ve been down on the AirPods’ – sorry, the Galaxy Buds’ – design, but it’s a popular shape in the wireless earbuds sector for a reason. The Buds 3 Pro are comfortable to wear, are light enough that they stay stuck in your ear and look pretty svelte too.

Some issues from our Galaxy Buds 2 Pro have been fixed too, including my personal sticking point: the low battery life. The Buds 3 Pro last a little longer in use but the case battery life has seen more noticeable increases, making the 3 Pro much better suited for longer journeys.

That’s a lot of praise, but it’s worth noting that the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro aren’t for everyone. Not only is the high price prohibitively expensive for those who aren’t die-hard audiophiles (or get the Buds as part of a purchase incentive with a Galaxy phone), but some of the really cool features are locked behind an annoying wall.

This wall is ownership of a Samsung Galaxy device – not any old Samsung blower but a recent Galaxy S, Galaxy Z or Tab S device too, as per our handy compatibility explainer. If you don’t have such a device you can’t use Samsung's new AI features such as the language interpreter, improved codec support, the voice restorer or the smart dynamic ANC. Sure, it makes sense that the translation feature would only be available using AI computation on a Galaxy phone (and the levelled-up 24-bit/96kHz streaming support over Bluetooth uses Samsung's new and proprietary SSC UHQ codec), but dynamic ANC is commonplace in earbuds at half the Buds 3 Pro’s price.

Yes, Apple is also known for its closed ecosystem, which bans Android phone users from using AirPods' best features (Find My, head-tracked Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos and so on), but did Samsung really need to take that leaf from Apple’s book?

None of these features are highlights of the buds, either, and you’d get a similar experience using the Buds 3 Pro when paired to any other mobile. Take that as you will.

One other ‘scandal’ that I should probably flag in this introduction is that many early adopters of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro found themselves breaking the eartips in a range of dramatic ways. This is because the proprietary system which connects the tips to the buds holds onto them too tightly, and the tips themselves are pretty fragile, so it’s easy to accidentally rip the tips when you’re trying to replace them with a different size. I’ve found a way to reliably replace them which you can read about below, but it’s indicative of the manufacturing issues which caused the buds’ release to be delayed.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review: Price and release date

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro against a leafy background.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Unveiled on July 10, 2024, alongside Buds 3
  • Cost $249 / £219 (roughly AU$380)
  • Price increase over 2022 Buds 2 Pro

The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro were announced on July 10, 2024 alongside other products, including the non-Pro alternatives. At the time of writing, release date delays mean you can pre-order them, but in the UK at least Samsung's checkout informs you to 'Order now to receive from 22 August'.

You can pick up the buds for $249 / £219 (roughly AU$380, with exact Australian pricing pending), so they’re pricey buds which also present a small price hike over their $229 / £219 / AU$349 predecessors. The Buds 3 are much cheaper at $179 / £159 / AU$229, but at a time when competition is fierce and most manufacturers are shaving extra dollars (or pounds) off new propositions, a $20 increase is a bold strategy from Samsung. 

Depending on where you live, these buds are therefore as expensive as, or slightly cheaper than, the $249 / £229 / AU$399 AirPods Pro 2 – but bear in mind that the Apple earbuds' advanced age means they're now regularly available for less than those quoted prices. 

You’ll be able to find more competitors below, but know for now that these are some of the priciest earbuds that general consumers might opt to buy. Deep-wallet audiophiles have plenty more options though. 

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review: Specs

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review: Features

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro against a leafy background.

(Image credit: Future)
  • 6-hour buds battery, 30-hour with case, longer with ANC off
  • Noise cancellation is heavy-duty and impressive
  • Galaxy-exclusive features aren't all that handy

One of our biggest gripes with the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro was their limited battery life; you’ll be glad to know that the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro improve on that staying power. It’s not a huge increase, but it’s something.

According to Samsung the buds will last for 6 hours if ANC is turned on, and an extra hour on top of that if it’s off. After my testing, I’d concur with this estimate – though when I tried to do unbroken playback tests, the buds would turn off when out of my ear for 15 minutes, even when auto-detect was turned off. The charging case rounds those totals up to 26 (ANC on) or 30 (ANC off) hours of stamina, and you can charge this case wirelessly as well as with a USB-C cable.

I can see how some people would consider 6 hours still far too short for an earbud's battery life, and I’m in the same camp. That’s why the battery life isn’t on the review’s ‘cons’ list any more, but hasn’t made it to the ‘pros’ one.

So what of that ANC, or Active Noise Cancellation? Generally, it’s really great – the buds throw a blanket over whatever background noise is going on when you’re trying to listen to music. I’ve just moved into a flat backing onto a rail line and I could rarely tell when trains were passing when using the earbuds. This was on the maximum intensity mode, of course, but the others work well if you still want some surrounding awareness.

The Samsung Wearable app does offer two further modes: Ambient and Adaptive (the latter exclusive to Samsung users, more on that later). Ostensibly the former is to allow certain background noises to penetrate a mid-level noise cancellation, while the latter changes your ANC based on your environment, but in practice these both seemed to have exactly the same result.

Wearable, the Buds’ companion app, is a little barebones compared to the wider world of earbuds tie-in software. It lets you tweak with the ANC, change on-ear controls, tweak with an equaliser and do a few other small tasks, but I didn’t find myself using it very much. In fact, of the two phones I tested the Galaxy Buds alongside, for one of them (the non-Galaxy one) I didn’t even download the app, and found the buds worked just fine.

So let’s get onto that Samsung-related issue, which you’ve already seen listed in the ‘cons’ section of the review.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro against a leafy background.

(Image credit: Future)

The Galaxy AI features, which include the adaptive ANC, a feature which restores crackling voice in poor-quality calls and a much-touted live audio translation feature, are all exclusive to people who own a top-end Samsung smartphone. Already, non-Samsung users may be closing their web page… but this ‘con’ isn’t as much of a ‘con’ as you’d think, for better or worse.

As I’ve mentioned, the adaptive ANC didn’t seem to add much, and I didn’t get to test the call quality improver since I didn’t experience any bad phone calls over testing. I tried to use the translation feature but I couldn’t see how the buds really added anything to the apps’ equation. The way it’s meant to work is that you can say something in one language and it’s translated into another, so two people who speak different languages can maintain a conversation. And that’s true without the earbuds, so you don’t need to buy them to use the feature.

This is all to say, the Galaxy AI features aren’t really that important in the overall picture of the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, so your lack of a Samsung smartphone shouldn’t put you off buying the earbuds. Some other exclusive features that don’t fall under the Galaxy AI umbrella include multipoint pairing to two Galaxy devices only, better quality audio using Samsung's 24-bit/96kHz new SSC UHQ codec, and audio casting to various devices. I only used the Buds alongside one Samsung device so couldn’t use most of these.

It’s a shame that Samsung has opted to put some of the features you’re paying for behind a pay-wall, especially when perks like adaptive ANC and multi-point pairing are commonplace in cheaper earbuds, but I don’t imagine many Samsung customers will use these either feature.

A few Galaxy Buds 3 Pro features are open to everyone, and they’re pretty handy. The 360 audio works well for immersive sound, with head tracking adding a little bit for those who don’t find it disconcerting, plus an earbud fit test helps you work out which tips to use (if you think you can handle changing them!).

The buds pack Bluetooth 5.4 which is reliable and can let you listen over relatively long distances from your phone. Through the entire testing process I didn’t have a single issue with drop-outs or connection problems.

One final thing I want to flag is that, unlike the vast majority of earbuds, wear detection doesn’t come enabled by default. For a large part of the testing I thought the buds didn’t have it; they do, you just need to toggle it on in the app. 

  • Features score: 4/5

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review: Design

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro against a leafy background.

(Image credit: Future)
  • AirPods lookalikes with Toblerone stem
  • Sit comfortably in ears, but replacing tips is a nightmare
  • 5.4g per bud and 46.5g for case, with IP57 protection

For the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, Samsung has steered away from the pebble-body design ethos of the Buds 2 Pro towards a more AirPods Pro-like design, featuring a tip, a small body and stems that point down towards the floor.

The design is close in plenty of ways to those Apple ones, with tips that point down at an angle, the clean white design of the default model and even the silver trim around the edges of the stem. The only major difference is that instead of being rounded, the stem is prismic like a Toblerone chocolate bar.

White isn’t the only color option, as there’s also a black one for sale, and each has a small hint of color in the form of red and blue dots that correlate to spaces in the charging case, so you know which bud goes where.

The stems also have what Samsung is calling a 'blade light', or a small LED strip over the ridge to act as an indicator. Of what? I couldn’t tell, and given that you can’t see the earbuds when they’re in use, it seems like a gimmicky feature to me. You can use the stems for controls too: swiping up and down to change the volume was easy but due to the prism shape of the stem, trying to pinch it to pause music was a faff.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro against a leafy background.

(Image credit: Future)

Each earbud weighs a gentle 5.4g and I found they fit quite comfortably and reliably in the ear, never falling out or causing earache from the weight. They’re IP57 rated, which means they’re protected from dust to a limited degree, and will survive immersion in water of up to 1 meter deep for a short amount of time.

A major problem with the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, that we’ve already covered extensively, pertains to replacing the eartips. Samsung uses a home-brewed clasping system to hold its tips in place, that’s similar to something Apple does but is different to the vast majority of earbuds manufacturers. 

To put it simply, the eartips are held in place incredibly firmly, and are pretty hard to remove from the buds when you want to change sizes. People have reported tearing the tips when trying to remove them, and I gouged out a chunk with my nail by accident when trying to do the same. I found that the best way to remove the tips is to pinch as near to the buds themselves as possible when pulling, but honestly if you are worried about the risk of breaking your earbuds, you may consider looking at the non-Pro options instead.

The other design aspect of the Buds 3 Pro is the case, a lightweight 46.5g plastic container that’s not too big. It has an LED charging light, USB-C charging port, reset button; the usual accoutrements. As a fan of see-through charging cases I was happy to see a little viewing port in the Buds’ case.

  • Design score: 3.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review: Sound quality

  • Bass-heavy sound
  • Treble is lacking
  • Equalizer lets you tweak sound to an extent

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro against a leafy background.

(Image credit: Future)

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are some of the best wireless earbuds I’ve tested for sound, and they’ve got a grocery list of fancy-sounding technologies to back up that statement.

There’s the Samsung Seamless Codec, which compresses and decodes music of up to 24-bit/96kHz when used with Samsung Galaxy S23 or later, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 / Z Flip 5 or later, or Tab S9 series. The company calls this Ultra High Quality Sound (note the caps!) and it cetainly is that. Then, there's the two-way speaker which includes both a woofer and tweeter, plus Adaptive EQ which uses AI to detect your listening and tweak the equalizer as a result (another Galaxy-locked device which curiously I couldn’t find on my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra).

Whatever jargon Samsung throws at you, and however much you understand it, there’s one thing to say for sure: the Buds 3 Pro sound great. 

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro against a leafy background.

(Image credit: Future)

The Buds have a V-shaped sound, which means that both the bass and treble are elevated and distinct, while the mids are just a little stepped back. Some could consider this the optimal type of sound signature as it caters to both bass-heads and treble fans. Listening to a song, you can appreciate the bassline and drum kicks just as much as the vocal melody or guitar solo, and music is dynamic and full of energy as a result. It creates a wide sound stage and you feel that different instruments are really around you.

If I were being pedantic, I’d say the that the treble sounds just a little more elevated than the bass, and you can ‘feel’ the bass a bit more than you can ‘hear’ it, but this is nit-picking for sure.

As is the natural effect of V-shaped audio, mid sounds are a little further back in the mix. I’m personally a fan of the mids (a mid fan? Or does that sound like I’m only half a fan?) so this was a shame, but I found the equalizer was handy and let me bring them up in the mix. The presets will also be useful here. 

I was impressed by the maximum volume of the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro: too many earbuds think an audible level of output is optional, but Samsung clearly disagrees. You can get a nice meaty output if you want, and I didn’t linger too long in the higher-volume areas for fear of harming my hearing.

  • Sound quality: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review: Value

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro against a leafy background.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Top-tier earbuds that come with a fittingly high price
  • More affordable options exist

It’s hard to keep a straight face when considering the value proposition of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, given that they’re some of the most expensive earbuds designed for general consumers.

There’s no doubt that these are top-end earbuds, especially in the audio quality and noise cancellation departments, and if money is no concern then you’re looking in the right place for your new set of buds.

But if you want to make sure your cash goes as far as it possibly can, there are a plethora of more affordable options that offer competitive sound, a bigger range of features and a longer-lasting battery life. Plus, most let you change the eartips without shredding them…

  • Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro?

Buy them if...

You have a diverse music taste
I found the Buds 3 Pro's sound profile was just as appropriate for rock as it is for jazz, hip-hop, folk, classical, spoken word and so on. 

Don’t buy them if…

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review: Also consider

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro against a leafy background.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tested for 2 weeks
  • Tested at home, in the office and on walks

I used the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro for over two weeks to test them, and together we enjoyed a wide range of trials and tribulations.

Paired alongside (varyingly) a Xiaomi Mi Note 10 or Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, I used them in the office, on walks around neighbourhoods of varying noise levels, on trains, on a run once and also while in my new flat (that backs onto a railway and is also under a flight path. I know). 

They got to cancel a lot of noise, and I generally relied on the top-tier form of ANC on the Buds 3 Pro as a result. In terms of EQ, I generally relied on the default option but did play around a little bit for testing purposes.

I mostly listened using Tidal, Spotify, Netflix or YouTube, mainly relying on the former for testing with music and audio books. 

My tech reviewing history for TechRadar spans more than five years now, including countless earbuds and other Samsung products; in fact the first ever launch event I attended was for the original Samsung Galaxy Buds (and the Galaxy S10). So I've got a wealth of experience with gadgets such as this.

  • First reviewed in July 2024
Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless earbuds review: big on features, light on sound
11:00 am | June 9, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless: Two-minute review

The Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless form part of what appears an increasingly important trend for true wireless in-ear headphone manufacturers to have a range of products that cover a fairly wide spread of prices – that is, at least, where the more established and high-profile manufacturers are concerned. Sennheiser has enjoyed a reasonable amount of success with its midrange(ish) ‘Accentum’ range, so this variant seems a logical move.

Initial impressions are, it’s fair to say, mixed. On the page, the Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless look specified to compete with the best noise-cancelling earbuds in the business (even if the most up-to-the-minute codec they’re compatible with is plain-vanilla aptX). In the hand, they don’t look or feel anything special at all. Once you’re wearing the earbuds, though, you’ll appreciate the carefully ergonomic shape and the long-term comfort provided.

But while there’s plenty to enjoy about the sound the Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless make, performance is just as mixed as the first impressions. The presentation is spacious, confidently organized and tonally balanced, with smoothly realized frequency response, too. A lack of animation and energy undermines this good work, though, and noise-cancellation that doesn’t do all that thorough a job seals the Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless’ fate…    

Gray Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless earbuds on a wooden table

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless review: Price & release date

  • Released in May 2024
  • List price: $179 / £169 / AU$349

The Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless are on sale now – they officially launched on 21 May 2024. They’re priced at $179 in the United States, £169 in the United Kingdom, and AU$349 in Australia. Which, let’s not pretend otherwise, puts them up against some pretty stiff competition…

Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless review: Specs

Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless review: Features

  • Up to 28 hours of battery life (earbuds plus charging case)
  • 7mm ‘TrueResponse’ dynamic drivers
  • Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC, AAC, aptX and LC3 codec compatibility

As far as wireless connectivity is concerned, the Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless have plenty going on. They use Bluetooth 5.3 as a base, and there’s compatibility with aptX and LC3 codecs as well as the more common SBC and AAC alternatives. Meanwhile, a firmware update is promised that will bring Bluetooth LE and Auracast to the party, too. 

No matter the specifics of how you get your digital audio information on board, though, it’s delivered by a couple of Sennheiser’s TrueResponse dynamic drivers. They’re 7mm each in this application, and they’re good for a frequency response of 5Hz to 21kHz – at least according to the manufacturer.

As long as you don’t get carried away where volume levels are concerned, you should be able to eke as much as eight hours' performance from the earbuds before they need recharging. That’s with noise-cancellation switched off, of course – switch it on and you’re looking at more like six hours. The palm-sized little charging case holds more than two further full charges, which means you’re looking at a best-case scenario of, Sennheiser says, 28 hours before you have to visit any mains power. Recharging is available via the USB-C slot on the case, and the Accentum True Wireless are also compatible with Qi-certified charging pads.

Gray Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless earbuds case on a wooden table

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

The active noise-cancellation that’s available here is a hybrid system that can be set to ‘off’, ‘on’ or ‘anti-wind’ – there are three ‘transparency’ positions, too (‘low’, ‘mid’ and ‘high’).

Control of the ANC, and plenty more besides, is available in Sennheiser’s exemplary Smart Control app that’s free for iOS and Android. It may not be much to look at, Smart Control, but it’s stable, logical and reliable – which puts it ahead of any number of nominal rivals. Here’s where you can manage your connections (the earbuds can connect to two devices at the same time), create custom EQ settings using a five-band equaliser (with presets for ‘podcast’, which forces the midrange forward, and ‘bass boost’, which does exactly what you’d expect), and rearrange the layout of your touch controls.

Each earbud has a capacitive touch surface, and different numbers and/or lengths of presses can put you in charge of play/pause, skip forwards/backwards, volume up/down, answer/end/reject call, summoning your voice assistant and cycling through your ANC options.

  • Features score: 4.5/5

Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless review: Sound quality

  • Controlled, open sound
  • Nicely even frequency response
  • Rather flat and undemonstrative

In quite a few ways, the Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless are an engaging and enjoyable listen. But there are some areas in which they lag behind the best of their rivals somewhat.

They’re certainly an open, spacious listen – even when playing something as dense and multi-layered as Paul’s Boutique by Beastie Boys. The soundstage they create is large and easy to understand, and there’s just as much attention paid to spaces and silences as to the actual occurrences in the recording. The Accentum True Wireless are properly organised and take charge of recordings – their authority and control is never in question. If you need a complex recording opened up and made easy to comprehend, you won’t go far wrong here.

It’s a similar story where tonality and frequency response are concerned. There’s very little coloration to the tonality of the Accentum True Wireless – they’re basically neutral, and don’t really stick their oar into the sound of a recording all that much. And while claims for a frequency response down to 5Hz are predictably optimistic, there’s no arguing with the depth or substance of the bottom end the Sennheiser are capable of generating. The fairly iron-fisted control of bass sounds means rhythms get decent expression, too.

Gray Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless earbuds on a wooden table

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

And the good news continues from higher up the frequency range. The midrange takes advantage of the Sennheiser's open nature, allowing voices plenty of space in which to operate, and at the top end there’s a fair amount of substance if not quite as much bite and shine as is ideal. The Accentum True Wireless are even-handed and unified, so no area of the frequency range is underplayed or overstated. Detail levels are reasonably high at every stage, too.

Where these earbuds come up noticeably short, though, is where the demands of both the broad and fine dynamics are concerned. There’s a rather one-level, undemonstrative quality to the way the Sennheiser present recordings that robs them of a lot of animation – so even if you’re listening to something as energetic and upbeat as King of the Jungle by Ezra Collective, there’s a fixed level of intensity at which the recording operates. The Sennheiser are reluctant in the extreme to deviate from this, aren’t all that interested in making an especially big leap from ‘quiet’ to ‘loud’ and, in the crudest terms, drain much of the entertainment from what really ought to be a spirited and upfront listen. This matter-of-fact presentation doesn’t suit the material in the slightest.

The noise-cancellation that’s on offer here is a little less than inspiring, too. On the plus side, there’s no alteration to the actual sound the Accentum True Wireless make when ANC is switched on, but the downside is that the Sennheiser do only a partial job on external sounds. High frequencies, in particular, seem able to evade the noise-cancellation algorithms with ease.

  • Sound quality score: 3.5/5

Gray Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless earbuds on a wooden table

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless review: Design

  • 5.5g per earbud, 41g charging case
  • Available in three finishes
  • IP54 rating

It’s possible for true wireless earbuds to be perfectly well constructed and flawlessly finished, and yet look and feel not remotely special – and that’s what’s happened here. The Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless are built and finished to the manufacturer's long-established standard, and quite obviously will stand up to all sorts of careless treatment. And yet they don’t look or feel in any way premium. The plastics from which they’re constructed are hard, unyielding and slippery. In all honesty, the Sennheiser present as less expensive than they are. 

That’s not to say they’ve been thoughtlessly designed, you understand. They’re gratifyingly compact, for starters: the charging case is just 29 x 49 x 52mm (HxWxD), and the slender earbuds are just 5.5g each. In combination with a choice of four sizes of silicone ear tip, the design of the earbuds means they fit snugly and comfortably and will stay that way for hours on end.

An IP54 rating means they can safely be used in pretty much any realistic circumstance, and a choice of three finishes (white, black or blue) helps their desirability quotient, too. Just a little, mind you.

  • Design score: 4/5

Gray Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless earbuds on a wooden table

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless review: Value

  • Thorough specification and stamina for the money
  • Solid (if uninspiring) build quality
  • Against tough rivals, they don't win for sound or ANC

There’s value to be had here in the thoroughness of specification, quality of build and finish, battery life and cachet that comes from owning a product from a brand with a big reputation. 

You’re not exactly short of choice where true wireless in-ear headphones at this sort of money are concerned, though, and when held up against the best of their rivals the Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless don’t represent great value – the sound they make is compromized, the noise-cancellation they offer isn’t amazing, and the look and feel is nothing special either. 

  • Value score: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless review: Also consider

How I tested the Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless

  • With iOS and Android devices
  • Using a variety of codec standards
  • With all sorts of music

During a good week or so of constant use, my Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless were connected to a MacBook Pro, an iPhone 14 Pro and a Samsung Galaxy S23 in order to investigate different codecs and sources of music. The music itself was of many different file types and sizes, and many different styles. And I made sure to take the Sennheiser with me while I was out and about, in order to check out comfort and ANC as well as claims for battery life.  

Read more about how we test

  • First reviewed: June 2024
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 review: excellent noise cancellation, shame about the lacklustre sound
2:37 pm | May 22, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3: Two-minute review

The FreeBuds Pro 3 are the newest addition to Huawei’s top-tier line of true wireless earbuds, vying for entry to our best noise-cancelling earbuds roundup by replacing last year’s FreeBuds Pro 2 and acting as a more premium alternative to the jelly-bean-looking FreeBuds 5. 

I can’t get over how good the noise cancellation in these headphones is At the press of a button I could tune out the noisy clacking of keyboards in an office, the angry rumbling of a busy road near my house, even my own annoying habit of drumming on my desk as I listen to music. 

You’d be hard-pressed to find better noise cancellation in an audio product that isn’t an over-ear alternative, especially at the price – it’s really something.

This doesn't surprise me, because when you pick up a Huawei gadget, you can almost guarantee that it’s going to have one absolutely fantastic feature – something that’s best-in-class, truly game-changing, absolutely phenomenal to use. However, you can also put good money on the fact that most of the rest of said device won’t come anywhere close to that standard.

For the best Huawei phones, their incredible cameras are undone by the sticky app situation; for the smartwatches, you can rely on a great list of health features but funky designs. 

And the same remains true for the new Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3: the noise cancellation is stellar, but unfortunately, it feels like the rest of the package is held together with duct tape and paper clips – not literally, as the build quality is another premium element, but many other elements of the device threaten to ruin the positive experience that the ANC offers.

Take, for example, the tie-in AI Life app that you use to control the buds: on Android this isn’t on the app store, and you have to side-load it or download it through Huawei’s AppGallery, which is itself a side-loaded app. 

The battery life is another disappointing area as, with the ANC on, you won’t even get five hours of listening without needing to power up the buds. That’s about half a day of work, and then you have to remove the buds to let them charge, making you face all those noisy clacking keyboards you’re trying to avoid.

I also found the music quality surprisingly poor for the price, with frequent peaking in songs, no soundstage to speak of and an overall lack of energy in music. I love listening to music, but I didn’t feel I was doing my favorite songs justice by listening to them on the FreeBuds.

Credit where credit’s due, Huawei has nailed a few other areas that other earbuds-makers struggle with. The fit is comfortable, with four in-box tips and a fit-check function in the app to ensure that you’re wearing the right tips. Plus, the on-bud controls are easy to use, with a simple pinch gesture toggling different functions.

Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 review: Price and release date

The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 being held in a hand above a grassy field.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Costs $245 / £179.99 / AU$277 
  • Released in late 2024
  • Uncommon Huawei tech in that it's available in the US

You can pick up the FreeBuds Pro 3 for $245 / £179.99 / AU$277, so they’re straddling the mid-range and top-end earbud market. That price roughly matches that for last year’s FreeBuds Pro 2.

One thing stands out right away – because unlike some other Huawei gadgets, these are available in the US. Good luck finding a Huawei phone to pair them with, though!

The buds were released in the latter months of 2023, and at the time of writing in mid-2024, you can find them on offer pretty easily. It’ll save you about 10%, or maybe more during sales times.

That price puts Huawei in a swimming pool full of hungry sharks – and by that I mean, many close rivals. Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 are only a little pricier (especially in the US, with only a $4 difference) while Sony’s WF-1000XM5 are cheaper during sales (and only cost a little more outside of them). Audio-Technica’s ATH-TWX7 are also circling, with a price that’s lower in the US and only a little more in the UK.

Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 review: Specs

Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 review: Features

The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 being held in a hand above a grassy field.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tie-in app has to be side-loaded on Android
  • Noise cancellation is top-tier
  • Battery life is limited

If there’s something to be said about the FreeBuds Pro 3, it’s that their noise cancellation is great – possibly the best of any headphones I’ve tested at this price. As soon as you put in the buds, surrounding sound almost vanishes – a building site will sound like a Lego build site once you’ve set these things up. It’s surprising how empty a busy office floor can feel when you’re listening to these things!

The app offers loads of different modes. There’s Off (no prizes for guessing what this does), Awareness (which is an ambient option with a Voice Mode you can toggle on or off, which specifically doesn’t cancel voices) and then standard Noise Cancelling mode. This has a range of intensities ranging from ‘Cozy’ to ‘Ultra’ depending on how noisy your area is, but I generally tested in Dynamic, which changes depending on where you are.

I never stopped being impressed with just how great the FreeBuds were at removing background sound. Two thumbs up for this one feature.

Now on to the app: I’ve never spent so much time – and lost so much hair – as I did trying to get the FreeBuds’ tie-in app to work. It’s called AI Life and it should be pre-installed on Huawei phones; on Androids, like I have, you have to side-load it and install it from Chrome. No, you can’t just download it on the Play Store, which was the source of my consternation, and it was only through some online trawling that I found the answers (luckily for iPhone users, the App Store does list the app).

The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 being held in a hand above a grassy field.

(Image credit: Future)

You don’t need AI Life, but most of the features of the FreeBuds Pro 3 are either locked to the app, or really challenging to use without it.

As well as toggling noise cancellation there’s an equailizer, a battery indicator and the ability to change the buds’ gestures. The Buds Pro 3 also let you connect to multiple devices at once, and the AI Life app lets you easily switch between them.

On the topic of the battery indicator, don’t expect to see it at 100% much, because the buds don’t have a very good battery life. With ANC turned on, they’ll last 6.5 hours between charges, but if you utilize this key feature of the buds that’ll drop below 5 hours (depending on the ANC mode and your volume). Using the charging case will kick that lasting time up to 31 hours (with ANC off, 22 with it on), and none of those figures are that competitive.

Charging is done via the USB-C port, but there’s also slow wireless charging if you prefer that, though it’ll more than double charging times. You’ll need roughly an hour to get the case charged to full with a wire, or 2.5 hours with wireless powering.

  • Features score: 3.5/5

Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 review: Design

The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 being held in a hand above a grassy field.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Small well-fitted buds, fairly large case
  • Touch controls work well
  • IP54 certification for buds

The design of the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 barely differs from that of their predecessor. The main highlight is that there’s a new color option: Green joins Silver Frost, Silver Blue and Ceramic White.

The case is a pebble-shaped plastic disc measuring 4.7 x 6.6 x 2.5 cm, and weighing 46g – it’s lighter than you might think given its size. It’s pretty barebones, save for the LED light indicator and the USB-C charging port. 

The buds themselves are nice and light. They weigh 5.8g each, slightly down from their predecessors, and have a similar design in being a tip connected to a short stem. You might notice that the stem is shorter than those on rival devices, giving the buds a compact appearance.

To enable a good fit, the FreeBuds come with four different-sized tips in the box; I found the medium tips provided a comfortable and reliable fit, but it’s good to have the options. The AI Life app has a tips fit test that checks to see if you’re using the right tips for you, which is a pretty cool addition.

I can see the FreeBuds’ on-stem buttons being divisive, but I found them a lot easier to use than most. You see, the buds don’t have physical press buttons but rather haptic-like areas which are best pressed by pinching the stems. You don’t have to press a physical button on the bud – an action that always seems simply to jam the bud into your ear – but instead just pinch the stem, in a really easy motion.

The buds have an IP54 protection against small particles and sweat or small splashes of water; they’ll survive a light rain shower or some running-to-bus sweat, but you shouldn’t really be using these for exercise. The charging case has no IP protection.

  • Design score: 4/5

Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 review: Sound quality

  • Bass-heavy sound
  • Treble is lacking
  • Equalizer lets you tweak sound to an extent

The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 being held in a hand above a grassy field.

(Image credit: Future)

The best thing I can say about the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3’s sound quality is that it’s mostly balanced. You’re not getting an awkward skew that favors bass or treble too much; it’s right there in the middle.

That’s also the only good thing I can say about the Buds’ sound, because I was disappointed by the quality overall, bearing in mind the roll call of high-end features present within them.

I’m talking dual drivers led by a chunky 11mm dynamic driver joined by a planar diaphragm driver; LDAC codec support; Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification… the list goes on. But it’s all for nothing, as the sound quality just isn't good.

Music had a startling amount of peaking, with drum hi-hats, acoustic guitars and sibilance in vocals becoming noticeably tinny. This wasn’t so extreme as to suggest that the buds were defective, just enough that the FreeBuds performed more like cheap buds than triple-figure ones.

The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 being held in a hand above a grassy field.

(Image credit: Future)

There was also a real lack of soundstage, as though an entire orchestra was inhabiting the exact same chair right at the center of the stage. Instruments were blended together like a fruit smoothie, sapping the energy or pizazz from music.

The buds were fine for spoken word and the like, but I missed the energy that many other earbuds serve. I know that if Waterloo doesn’t spark joy, the earbuds are doing something wrong.

Another disappointing area is AI Life’s equalizer, which comes with six presets though you can create your own, too. I tried all six of these on multiple songs, plus some of my creations where the sliders were moved to the extreme, and I couldn’t hear any audible difference in music.

App issue? Hardware issue? My hearing issue? I can’t say, but it makes Huawei’s website’s talk of a “triple adaptive EQ” seem like meaningless noise. Maybe the buds should cancel that, too.

  • Sound quality: 3/5

Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 review: Value

The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 being held in a hand above a grassy field.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Great if you're buying for ANC...
  • ...fall behind rivals for audio chops

The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 come with a fairly lofty price tag, but it’s hard to see how they justify that price beyond their wonderful noise cancellation.

The FreeBuds’ feature set is identical to that of almost every other wireless earbud from here to the moon, with little to justify its price over most of its rivals. That is, except for the noise cancellation. Those plentiful affordable rivals also have better sound quality, or at least play music with more personality. 

So if all you care about is noise cancellation – you literally don’t mind anything else – these will justify their price. Otherwise, it’s hard to recommend them for their full retail price.

  • Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 review: Also consider

How I tested the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3

The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 being held in a hand above a grassy field.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tested for 2 weeks
  • Tested at home, in the office and on walks in quiet and busy areas

I tested the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 for two weeks, which included using the buds in my office, at home, and on walks in different parts of a busy city. The buds were tested with my Xiaomi Mi Note 10 smartphone for testing, on to which I side-loaded the app.

Testing was mainly done on music streaming apps over a range of genres, though I also used the buds for playing video games, watching Netflix and listening to podcasts.

I have over five years of gadget-testing experience at TechRadar, which includes reviews of many Huawei products like watches, smartphones and tablets. I've also tested plenty of earbuds, including some of the competitors mentioned above.

  • First reviewed in May 2024
Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 review: the best earbuds prompts in the business with excellent ANC too
11:00 am | May 18, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Cambridge Audio Melomania M100: Two-minute review

The Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 are what the fans were waiting for. Prior to their release, Cambridge Audio's excellent earbuds couldn't join the ranks of the best noise-cancelling earbuds for one simple reason: the UK audio specialist's true wireless buds sounded fantastic, but they didn't have the necessary antiphase noise-nixing tech onboard to offer active noise cancellation. And that is because Cambridge Audio prefers to focus on excellent audio quality (and long may that last by the way). 

But times have changed. While Melomania will never cease to mean 'crazy about music', the British company has conceded that the people are also crazy about active noise cancellation. And if Cambridge is going to offer ANC, it's going to do it right. Although you can't tweak its splendid noise cancelling profile any further than 'On', 'Off' or 'Transparency', when it's on, the ANC here is as effective at cancelling low-level noise as you could wish for, cocooning me in a bubble of near-silence and keeping the footsteps around my desk (plus my own tap-tap-tapping of the laptop keys upon which I bring you this review) barred from that bubble. 

The transparency profile is less useful, with a bit too much audible feedback and a near-constant quiet hiss, even in quiet environments, to be a wholly pleasant experience. But a less-than-perfect transparency mode is a minor shortfall I'm prepared to accept when the noise nixing is this good. 

Multi-point connectivity is baked in here, as is aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive for higher-resolution audio (if you've got a decent, paid-for music streaming subscription and files up to 24bit/96kHz to serve them), and the battery life, at up to 10 hours from the buds and a total of 23 with ANC on, or 16 hours from the buds and 36 with ANC off, is exceptional. The build quality is also bang-on, with a far more ergonomic driver housing than the bullet-shaped Melomania 1 Plus. 

There's no device-agnostic spatial audio special side-sauce or fit tests and I'm not surprised. I can hear Cambridge Audio's engineers reaffirm the choice to offer "as few opportunities as possible to muck around with your music – we like a clean sound", as they did at the launch of the excellent CXN100 Network Player in January 2024. And you know what? I really don't mind, because the sound in these earbuds is expansive, detailed, nuanced, clean, neutral and immersive enough all by itself. That said, Cambridge will let you select one of six EQ presets, or create a custom one of your own – with a seven-point EQ parametric tab. 

Call handling is also very good, thanks to the Qualcomm's three mic cVc (or Clear Voice Capture) solution, designed to separate your voice from environmental noise, which works very well indeed. 

I should mention that the case is a little big – again, I'm OK with this more substantial box given the excellent stamina, sound quality and ANC. Also, they're perhaps $50 or £40 pricier than the direct competition. Are they worth it? It all comes down to whether you prioritise sound quality above all else in a true wireless design. For me, the Melomania M100 represent sound-per-pound value – but if you want fit tests, tailored otoacoustic hearing profiles and other whistles and bells, you won't want these. 

Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 review: Price and release date

Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 one earbud, held in a hand

The ergonomic earpieces are a hit (Image credit: Future)
  • Released on March 27, 2024
  • Priced at $219 / £169 / AU$299

The Cambridge Audio M100 aren't as cheap as the Melomania 1 Plus earbuds they succeed, which had a launch price of $139.95 / £119.95 / about AU$185 – although their price has dropped significantly since that.

At £169 (about $219 / AU$326) they're still considerably more affordable than AirPods Pro 2, which typical sell for $249 / £249 / AU$399. While you could argue that Apple sets a pretty high bar and most brands undercut that pricing, that's not necessarily true in 2024. Consider Bose's $299 / £299 / AU$449 Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Sennheiser's March 2024 $299 / £259 / AU$479 Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 or Technics' EAH-AZ80, also at $299 / £259 / AU$499. See? For the level, Cambridge Audio has actually priced these earbuds competitively.

What you need to know is that while there's plenty of flagship talent here, they actually come in slightly under flagship money. The Melomania M100 are not as affordable as the excellent Nothing Ear (a), for example, but the Nothing buds are an entry-level proposition – a great proposition, but missing just one or two of the flagship features you'll find in their top-tier Nothing Ear counterparts. 

Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 review: Specs

Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 review: Features

Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 case, held in a hand

The case is a little large, but it's perfectly pocketable and honestly, I don't mind its dimensions one bit (Image credit: Future)
  • Great active noise cancellation and app support
  • Excellent battery life
  • Use the 'Southwark' Audible Feedback profile

The fact that Cambridge Audio has included active noise-cancellation (ANC) plus a Transparency mode is big news, because it's a first for the UK audio outfit's Melomania lineup – but the even bigger news is, the noise nixing works really well. At my desk, I'm living in a bubble of near-silence akin to that afforded by the AirPods Pro 2, and that's not a statement I make lightly. 

You're also getting Bluetooth 5.3 with LE Audio, aptX Lossless for CD-like audio quality, Auracast (for when broadcast audio-sharing comes to our airports and waiting rooms), plus the more efficient LC3 codec. 

Call handling is a breeze using the Melomania M100's three mics per earpiece (kitted out with cVc echo-cancelling and noise suppression tech from Qualcomm) and the battery life here is very impressive, with a possible 52 hours from the buds and charging case combined – because you get 16 hours from the buds alone if you keep ANC turned off. For clarity, the AirPods Pro 2 last 'just' nine hours with ANC off (I know this because I tested it myself). 

Melomania Connect is the M100's capable (and newly updated) companion app, which opens the door to additional features such as the ability to customise the on-ear controls to your liking, six EQ presets plus a seven-band graphic equaliser so you can create your own, wearer detect to pause audio when you remove one, mono audio (if you've given one bud to a friend), a sleep mode (which disables all touch controls and voice prompts until you put them back in their case) a gaming mode to reduce latency when watching videos and my favorite, the chance to select what Cambridge calls 'Audible feedback'. This, it turns out, means the person talking to you in your headphones about pairing status, noise cancellation and so on. Scroll down to 'Southwark' in this tab and you hear none other than the actual Matt Berry (What We do in the Shadows; Toast of London; The IT Crowd). And that, truly, is an ace up Cambridge Audio's sleeve. If you don't believe me, just spend a few moments setting up multipoint.

There’s no special spatial audio processing (which doesn't surprise me given Cambridge Audio's thoughts on keeping music authentic and as the artist intended), but some users may miss the fit tests and even tailored profiles based on your hearing offered by the Denon PerL Pro and Nothing's new Ear (a), to name just two products that offer it – because you won't find these in the M100. 

  • Features score: 4/5

Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 review: Sound quality

Cambridge Audio M100 in their case, held in a hand

It's all about black with more black here, unless you get a limited edition set…  (Image credit: Future)
  • Expansive, detailed presentation
  • Sublime clarity across the frequencies 
  • Just a shade off excellent for dynamic nuance

You can of course listen to lossy Spotify tracks using the Melomania M100, but Cambridge Audio's focus has long been sound quality and as such, you might want to treat these buds to some higher-resolution Apple Music, Qobuz or Tidal streams. Also when you do, there's so much to love. 

When streaming The Bangles' Eternal Flame, Susanna Hoffs' stunningly understated vocal is given a few inches more space to shine than I'm used to at this level, and backing vocals arrive in each ear with surprising texture and clarity through the lower mids. Travis Scott's FE!N is immersive as synths dart between each ear, proving that the M100 aren't afraid to drop low and get grimy either. 

Belle and Sebastian's She's Losing It is another sonic delight for neutrality and detail in each musical passage; you'll feel as if you learned a bit about this Glaswegian indie band's use of strings and additional voices after a session with the Melomania M100. 

Sam Smith's Unholy reveals a minor shortfall in terms of dynamic nuance though. The M100s still serve up a detailed and cohesive mix, but I'm missing an extra ounce of the spirited rise and fall that typifies the track. This is a song that grabs you from the get-go, with a full choral recital of the main theme followed by a moment of silence before the bass-riff drops. It's just not quite as ear-grabbing, zealous or petulant as I've heard prior to now. 

Again, it's a long way from an actual issue – and many listeners will prefer the expansive, integrated, detailed, thoughtful presentation of the Cambridge Audio Melomania M100. I adore listening to Melissa Etheridge's I Want to Come Over with these earbuds, since I can hear her particular method of approaching guitar strings in ballads and the beautiful, imperfect textures in her vocal at times, but if you tend to listen to  hip-hop and grime tracks on the commute, you may just yearn for a little extra oomph. 

  • Sound quality score: 4.5/5

Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 review: Design

Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 held in a hand

(Image credit: Future)
  • Ergonomic, secure and comfortable earpieces
  • On-ear controls work well
  • Case is a little big

These are easily the most comfortable Melomania earbuds ever made. The buds slip easily into my shell-likes with none of the tiresome twist-and-lock screwing them in some earbuds require. At 6.65g per bud, they're not particularly light given the competition (Sony's LinkBuds S weigh just 4.8g, for example), but they're beautifully well-weighted and the design feels like it wants to hug your ear and stay put, which is always helpful.

OK, the case is on the large side, plastic, and other options look a little more premium for the price, but it is perfectly durable and pocketable. Unless you're lucky enough to bag a limited edition How High pair (which comes in a bright yellow and black color scheme – a nod to the music video for The Charlatans' hit How High, in which singer Tim Burgess wore a bright yellow jacket) the M100 is available in black with more black only, so if you wanted something in white or silver, you won't find it here. 

That's not to say I don't like the design; I do. The central touch-capacitive 'button' (you don't actually have to depress it) on the top plate of each driver housing is easy to find has a nice tactile edge to it and is a chic nod to Cambridge Audio's circle-within-a-circle logo. The controls also work very well indeed and each function can be toggled on or off if you won't use it. I like that I can have Matt Berry announcing the ANC profiles when I tap the left earbud, while play-and-pause is a single tap of the right, and the on-ear volume control is handled by a long press of either bud (left to decrease; right to increase) which is always the best solution I find – because perfecting three or four taps so that your earbuds actually understand and respond accordingly is a big ask. 

  • Design score: 4.5/5

Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 review: Voice prompts

Cambridge Audio Melomania M100

'Southwark' is the only English audible feedback you want (apologies to the other, perfectly lovely English voice prompt artist, but Matt Berry is unsuprassed)  (Image credit: Future)
  • Select 'Southwark' and you get Matt Berry 
  • No really, it's actually Matt Berry 

In case it hasn't been mentioned enough (and I feel it can never be overstated, so sub editor, please leave this in), by heading to the 'Audible feedback' tab in the app, scrolling all the way to the bottom and selecting the unassuming 'Southwark' option, the dulcet tones of Matt Berry will greet your ear. He'll serve up delectable vocal morsels such as "Device one, connected" or "Waiting to pair" depending on how you're using them, in addition to the standard "Noise cancelling", "Normal" or "Transparency" and if you're a fan of Matt Berry's sizeable oeuvre, it's priceless. It's almost like having Steven Toast at your beck and call. ("Hello Steven, can you hear me? It's Clem Fandango…")

  • Voice prompts score: 6/5

Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 review: Value

  • As feature-packed as any earbuds has any business being for the money
  • A no-brainer for Tidal members
  • Unbeatable for comfort and sound-quality at the level

For features, noise cancellation and sound quality, these are a compelling set of earbuds – but them and you will not be disappointed with the levels of detail in your music and the near-silence they'll add as a backdrop if you want it.

The AirPods Pro 2 will give you a little more dynamic zeal, and Denon's PerL Pro will offer hearing tests and tailored sonic profiles. That said, both rivals will charge you a little more for it. 

Cambridge Audio's focus here has been on detail, clarity and effective ANC. If those requirements are top of your list, these may well be the buds for you. 

  • Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the Cambridge Audio Melomania M100?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Cambridge Audio M100 review: Also consider

How I tested the Cambridge Audio Melomania M100

  • Tested for two weeks, listened against the Technics EAH-AZ80, AirPods Pro 2 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
  • Used at work (in the office; walking through London; on a train) and at home
  • Listened to Tidal, Apple Music Lossless, Qobuz tracks and Spotify on an iPhone 12 Pro, a Samsung Galaxy S22 and a MacBook Pro

It will come as no surprise to learn that the Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 became my musical companions for two weeks – after a thorough 48-hour run-in period. How else am I to test them? 

They accompanied me to work on weekdays walking (and on more than one occasion, running) to the station; boarding a train and on the London Underground; at the office. They also stayed in my ears during long walks on the UK's Jurassic Coast, in Dorset – a great way to test any wind-interference from mics during calls.

To better test the battery life and comfort levels of the Cambridge Audio Melomania M100, I wore them throughout the working day and into a yoga class in the evening – and they outlasted my working day by some distance. 

To test the audio quality across the frequencies, I listened to our reference playlist but also my own music (spanning everything from country to classical) on Apple Music, Qobuz and Tidal, but also to podcasts and albums on Spotify – and YouTube tutorials (mostly about silversmithing, if you're curious) from my MacBook Pro. 

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

Read more on how we test earbuds at TechRadar

  • First reviewed: May 2024
JLab JBuds Lux ANC review: budget headphones that are all about that bass
3:00 pm | April 21, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Headphones Wireless Headphones | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Jlab JBuds Lux ANC: Three-minute review

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 JLab JBuds Lux ANC close-up on the JLab logo

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

The JLab JBuds Lux ANC's port and buttons.

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.

The JLab JBuds Lux ANC with a phone running the JLab app.

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

The JLab JBuds Lux ANC laying on a textured surface

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 JLab JBuds Lux ANC held above on a textured surface

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

The JLab JBuds Lux ANC on someone's head.

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.

The JLab JBuds Lux ANC laying on a textured surface

(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 

The JLab JBuds Lux ANC close up on the JLab branding.

(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?

The JLab JBuds Lux ANC's side buttons.

(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

The JLab JBuds Lux ANC laying on a textured surface

(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.

  • First reviewed in April 2024
Nothing Ear (a) review: mellow yellow earbuds to herald Nothing’s purple patch
1:24 pm | April 18, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Nothing Ear (a): Two-minute review

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nothing Ear (a) next to the Nothing Ear (2) earbuds

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

Nothing Ear (a) review: Price & release date

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nothing Ear (a) held in a hand, with the case in the background

Hello, yellow!  (Image credit: Future)

Nothing Ear (a) review: Specs

Three screenshots of the Nothing X App

The Nothing X App is a fuss-free, wholly positive experience  (Image credit: Nothing)

Nothing Ear (a) review: Features

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

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

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

Nothing X app screens showing AI voice integration using Nothing earbuds

Voice AI using ChatGPT is coming using Nothing Ear (a) using your Nothing smartphone…  (Image credit: Nothing )

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Features score: 5/5

Nothing Ear (a) next to the Nothing Ear (2), on a brown sofa

The new Ear (a) next to the Ear (2): a fun game of Spot the Difference  (Image credit: Future)

Nothing Ear (a) review: Sound quality

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Sound quality score: 5/5

Nothing Ear (a) earbud on the left, Nothing Ear (2) on the right

See how Ear (a) is just slightly bigger than Ear (2), across the board?  (Image credit: Future)

Nothing Ear (a) review: Design

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Design score: 5/5

Nothing Ear (a) earbuds on a brown sofa, in their closed case – with transparent lid

Rarely have I had so many colleagues strike up a conversation with me over a set of earbuds  (Image credit: Future)

Nothing Ear (a) review: Value

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

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

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

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

  • Value score: 5/5

Should I buy the Nothing Ear (a)?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Nothing Ear (a) review: Also consider

How I tested the Nothing Ear (a)

Nothing Ear (a) held in a hand, on brown background

USB-C for juicing up, but there's no wireless charging (Image credit: Future)
  • Tested for two weeks, listened against the Sony WF-C700N, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 and Technics EAH-AZ80
  • Listened at work (in the office, walking through Dorset, on a train) and at home
  • Listened to Tidal Masters, Apple Music Lossless tracks and Spotify on an iPhone 12 Pro, MacBook Pro and Sony Xperia 1 IV

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

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

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

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

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

Read more about how we test earbuds at TechRadar

  • First reviewed: April 2024
CMF By Nothing Buds review: stylish budget earbuds with a vibrant flair
1:00 pm | April 14, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: , | Comments: Off

CMF Buds: Two-minute review

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

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

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

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

CMF Buds review: Price and release date

The CMF Buds on carpet

(Image credit: Future)
  • Released in March 2024
  • Officially price dat $39 / £39

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

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

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

CMF Buds review: Specs

The CMF Buds being held

(Image credit: Future)

CMF Buds review: Features

The CMF Buds control app

(Image credit: Future)
  • Up to 35.5 hours of battery life with ANC disabled
  • Companion app
  • Dual-device connection 

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

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

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

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

Features score: 3 / 5

CMF Buds review: Sound quality

A single CMF Bud

(Image credit: Future)
  • Weak ANC 
  • Little quiet 
  • Small soundstage

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

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

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

Sound quality score: 3 / 5

CMF Buds review: Design

The CMF Buds on carpet

(Image credit: Future)
  • Super smooth case
  • Touch controls 
  • Room for a lanyard 

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

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

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

Design score: 4 / 5 

CMF Buds review: Value

The CMF Buds in their case

(Image credit: Future)
  • Cheap for what they offer 
  • Not perfect but appealing 

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

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

Value score: 3.5 / 5

Should I buy the CMF Buds?

Buy it if... 

Don't buy it if.. 

CMF Buds review: Also consider

How I tested the CMF Buds

A CMF Bud being held

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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