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Nothing Ear (2) review: affordable earbuds to rival Sony and Beats
11:30 am | July 5, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Nothing Ear (2): Two-minute review

The Nothing Ear (2) are the latest true wireless buds from cool tech brand Nothing, which mixes out-there design with the tech credentials of OnePlus found Carl Pei.

The Nothing Ear (2) stick with the same form factor as the Nothing Ear (1), but bring some welcome upgrades in the form of a smaller and more robust charging case, added features, slightly bumped up specs and some cool personalization options.

Since then, Nothing has also launched the Nothing Ear Stick, another set of true wireless buds which also sound much better than their sub $100 / £100 price tag would suggest.

The Nothing Ear (2) design is undeniably eye-catching, with a transparent casing and sleek black, white, and red detailing. They fit well too, I found them to be among the most comfortable and stable buds I’ve ever tested.

The ANC performed well, and overall the buds deliver a really enjoyable listen. Features-wise there’s a lot going on, including a high-res audio codec for some handsets, and multipoint pairing for all. 

The only major downside is that the battery life isn't the best – and I imagine some people won’t like the design too, but for what it’s worth I’m a big fan.

There’s a lot to love here, but the Nothing Ear (2) are entering a competitive space. While they come very close to being in our best earbuds or best noise cancelling earbuds guides – they're being edged out at the price by the five-star Sony WF-C700N, which are cheaper and are kind of mind-blowing when it comes to the sound. But they're pretty generic looking – if you want to stand out, the Nothing should be very tempting.

Close up of Nothing Ear (2) earbuds on a table, out of the case

If you’re looking for buds that are a bit different to the sea of AirPods clones on the market, you might just love the Nothing Ear (2). (Image credit: Becca Caddy)

Nothing Ear (2) review: Price & release date

  • Released in March 2023
  • Priced at $149 / £129 / AU$219

The Nothing Ear (2) are a little more expensive than the Nothing Ear (1) were when they first came out in 2022, priced at $100 / £100 / AU$150. This makes sense considering there are some solid upgrades in these latest buds, which pushes the Nothing Ear (2) just into the mid-range category. Although it is worth mentioning Nothing had since bumped up the price of the Nothing Ear (1) to $149 / £129 / AU$219 as well.

At this price, there’s fierce competition from buds like the JBL Live Pro 2 at $149.95 / £129.99 / AU$199.95 – which we highly commended for their amazing ANC and powerful audio – or the phenomenal Sony WF-C700N at $119 / £99 / AU$199.

However, the Nothing Ear (2) buds stand their ground, delivering good features and a great design that might not put them head and shoulders above their rivals, but worthy of a position next to them. 

They are obviously much cheaper thatn the AirPods Pro 2 and Sony WF-1000XM4. Do the Nothing Ear (2) perform better? No. But they do offer a range of features and outshine certain top-performing, all-rounders in some categories at half the price.

Nothing Ear (2) review: Specs

Nothing Ear (2) case open on a wooden table

The interior of the charging case is simple, with little color-coordinated dots for each bud. (Image credit: Becca Caddy)

Nothing Ear (2) review: Features

  • Personalized sound profile
  • Easy-to-use app
  • Below average battery life 

One of the biggest differences between last year’s Nothing Ear (1) and the Nothing Ear (2), is the latest buds bring you a more personalized listening experience. From within the app – which is just as stylish as the buds themselves – you can take a sound personalization test, which promises a more immersive experience while allowing listening at reduced volumes without losing detail. I certainly noticed some added clarity to music after taking it, but would say the difference is subtle. 

You’ll also find a customizable EQ with some presets, ways to change the touch controls and some other handy features you can switch on and off, including in-ear detection – pop a bud out and music pauses – as well as multipoint pairing, which allows you to listen from one device and then quickly switch to another with ease.

The Nothing Ear (2) are Android and iOS friendly. The buds paired quickly with both my iPhone 13 Pro and Nothing Phone (1). There are new Bluetooth specifications in the Nothing Ear (2) buds compared to their predecessors, too. The LHDC 5.0 codec brings high-res audio to some Huawei, Oppo and Nothing smartphones – everyone else gets the standard AAC and SBC codes. There a few extra perks if you’re using a Nothing Phone (1) too, such as automatically engaging a low-latency mode when gaming. 

The buds' accompanying charging case juices up wirelessly or via USB-C. I was disappointed by the battery life from these buds. Four hours from the buds with ANC on is absolutely rock bottom of the market, though 22.5 hours in total with the case isn't bad at all. You’ll get nearly double that battery life from similar-priced rivals such as the Earfun Air Pro 3 and JBL Live Pro 2.

  • Features score: 4/5

Close up of Nothing Ear (2) stem

The buds make the most of their stems with a cool, techy aesthetic. (Image credit: Becca Caddy)

Nothing Ear (2) review: Sound quality

  • Good noise cancellation
  • Enjoyable sound for everyday listening
  • A little tiring in mid-range vocals

The Nothing Ear (2) buds are not all style over substance. They sound great most of the time, bringing lots of energy and excitement to my favorite tracks. 

I found they had a balanced sound overall and I enjoyed listening to a range of genres with them. For this reason, I’d recommend them as a solid pair of buds for everyday listening.

Powerful and energetic tracks tended to be my favorites to listen to with the Nothing Ear (2). The electronic sound effects in Crystal Castles’ Baptism really popped, the vocals were clear and the bass was thumping without being overpowering – I hit a few new personal bests at the gym when I took these buds and it’s easy to see why. I liked pop music with a heavy bass line too, like The Weeknd’s The Hills and FKA Twigs’ Two Weeks. 

However, these buds aren’t the best in sonic performance and can’t beat the best options out there – like the Sony WF-1000XM4 – for sheer sound alone. I didn’t feel like there was much of an expansive soundstage here, the audio very much felt like it was coming from inside my head rather than delivering a more natural experience. Of course this is not unexpected from in-ear buds, but some do it better than others.

What’s more, I had issues with some vocals, and the mids more generally, sounding a little brash and tinny at times and distanced at others. This meant I felt a little fatigued by certain tracks that I’d normally love listening to, such as Miley Cyrus’ Flowers. 

The good news is you can also fine-tune the audio with the app’s EQ settings, which allowed me to smooth out some of the issues I was having. I also enjoyed cranking up the bass and power with the More Bass setting. You can also manually tweak the EQ. This is fun, and you should play around with it because it really added something to certain genres.

With a Nothing phone you’re meant to get the LHDC codec for high-res audio. I did notice a greater level of detail when I used the device, but found the difference to be marginal.

Active noise cancellation was impressive. It’s at a level I’ve come to expect from buds around this price, where it significantly dampens down ambient sound around you. When working in a coffee shop, the conversations close by were all but silent. Higher pitched sounds, like a panini-making machine alarm, were significantly muffled but audible. Commuting is a similar story. Expect to be wrapped up in a bubble of silence most of the time. However car horns and the rumble of heavy lorries on busier roads did seep through.

You can select from High, Mid, Low or Adaptive ANC. Adaptive wasn’t drastically different, but was the option I used the most. You can also select personalized ANC, which is based on your hearing sensitivity and the personalized test I mentioned earlier. Again, I’m not sure I noticed a great deal of difference before and after, but regardless, ANC worked well and it’s a kind I prefer, allowing me to stay vaguely aware of my surroundings.

You won’t get the silence of better noise-cancelling buds, such as the Apple AirPods Pro 2 or Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2, but I wouldn’t have expected that at this price. What you’re getting is ANC that’s more than good enough to make your commute and busy working space more peaceful, which is all most people want.

Like the Nothing Ear (Stick), there’s Clear Voice Technology here, which means there are three high-def mics working to filter out background noises and amplifying your voice so your calls sound clear no matter where you are. I found this to be the case for the most part, although wind did affect the clarity of my voice at the other end.

  • Sound quality score: 3.5/5

EarFun Air Pro 3 review: Design

  • Gorgeous, distinctive look
  • Lightweight (4.5g per bud) and comfortable
  • Unusual charging case design

The Nothing Ear (2) are the most comfortable buds I’ve tested this year – which is saying something considering the amount I’ve twisted into my ear canals over the past few months. 

They also stay put too, even when I took them to the gym during a particularly sweaty workout. What stands out here is that although they stay put, they didn’t give me an uncomfortable build-up of pressure feeling, which some people experience with other brands. In keeping with the customization theme here, there are S, M and L tips to choose from, and an ear tip fit test too. 

The design is the standout feature of the Nothing Ear (2) buds. They look incredibly cool with a mostly transparent outer casing, which means you can see the tech inside along with some simple black, white and red detailing. I’ve tested so many buds that I’ve become a bit desensitized to them (don’t hate me, many do look identical). But the Nothing Ear (2) buds felt special to unbox and use. Granted, other people I asked weren’t so keen, but each to their own.

We didn’t rate the charging case of the Ear (1) last year, saying that it was too big compared to rivals. It’s not been significantly redesigned here, but it’s a little smaller and lighter. Like the buds themselves, it has a transparent design. It’s also rectangular, which is a refreshing change to others on the market. Although it does mean it might not slip in your pocket quite as easily. 

Despite the plastic casing, the buds and case feel very robust and well-made. The buds also have an IP54 rating (the same as the AirPods Pro 2), which means they’re splash proof and perfect for sweaty workouts. The case also has an IP55 rating, which is handy, and not all that common amongst rival buds – it means they can take being splashed.

The Nothing Ear (2) buds have a simple, short-stemmed design. The stem is touch sensitive and this is where the Nothing Ear (2) touch controls live, which you can activate through a series of single, double and triple pinches, which I found handy and responsive. I also liked the tactile feedback and little sounds which accompanied the controls. You can also change these from within the Nothing app.

If you want buds that look different, these are the ones to buy. I loved the look of them, but would have given them a 5/5 rating even if they weren’t my cup of tea because they’re such a refreshing change. 

  • Design score: 5/5

Close up of Nothing Ear (2) buds on somone's hand

The Nothing buds started a small revival of see-through tech. (Image credit: Becca Caddy)

Nothing Ear (2) review: Value

  • A fair bit of competition at this price – but nothing looks as good
  • Good features for a mid-range pair of buds
  • ANC works well here

The Nothing Ear (2) buds don’t outshine all the competition at this price. But if you’re looking for distinctive, stylish headphones that sound good, offer quality ANC and have great features, they’re a solid choice. 

For battery life, sheer sound performance and immersive ANC you’ll need to look elsewhere. However, although some buds at a similar price offer better specs in a few of those areas, you’d have to pay almost double the price to knock the Nothing Ear (2) out of the water completely.

Even then, you’ll be getting a similar experience in terms of comfort and no one is offering a design that is quite so swoon-worthy – no, not even you, Apple.

  • Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the Nothing Ear (2)?

Buy them if...

Don't buy it if...

Nothing Ear (2) review: Also consider

How I tested the Nothing Ear (2)

Side profile of woman with Nothing Ear (2) bud in her ear

I enjoyed wearing these buds and found them to be incredibly comfy – even during workouts (Image credit: Becca Caddy)
  • Tested for two weeks
  • Used in a home office, at the gym, working in a coffee shop, on public transport and walks in the countryside
  • Tested with Spotify and Apple Music on iPhone 13 Pro, Nothing Phone (1) and MacBook Air

The Nothing Ear (2) buds went everywhere with me for two weeks. They became my new musical BFFs working in my home office and with me in the gym doing a mix of high and low-intensity training. These were perfect opportunities to test the ANC to see if it could help me focus and the fit and comfort levels to see if they’re suitable for all-day listening and can withstand some sweating at the gym. 

I took the Nothing Ear (2) buds to a crowded coffee shop and on many short and long distance bus and train journeys. This was when ANC was tested against loud conversations, screaming babies, and low, rumbling vehicle noises. 

I also used the buds while walking through the countryside on wet and windy days. Again, this allowed me to test the fit, the ANC, and the sound quality and see how well I could hear (and be heard) during calls. 

To check the sound quality, I listened to a wide range of playlists, including smooth jazz, shouty punk and epic movie scores, on Apple Music and Spotify using my iPhone 13 Pro and a Nothing Phone (1). I also listened to podcasts on Apple Podcasts and audiobooks on Audible. I paired the buds up with my MacBook Air and watched some TV shows on Disney Plus (The Mandalorian) and YouTube tutorials. 

I’ve been writing and testing tech for more than 10 years, focusing mainly on the tech you wear – smartwatches, heart rate monitors, fitness trackers and earbuds – which is why I’m interested in what’s comfortable to wear, easy to fit into your routine and intuitive to use day in and day out.

Read more about how we test.

  • First reviewed: June 2023
Edifier Stax Spirit S3 review: maybe the best-sound wireless headphones you can get
1:55 am | June 5, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Edifier Stax Spirit S3: Two-minute review

To gaze upon the Edifier Stax Spirit S3 is to see a pair of great-looking, chic, comfortable and portable wireless planar magnetic headphones with hi-res audio certification – and by hi-res, I mean Qualcomm's Snapdragon sound with aptX Adaptive, aptX HD and regular aptX, so they cover all of the current top-tier wireless audio coding. 

They adopt Edifier's latest proprietary planar magnetic technology using 89mm x 70mm planar magnetic driver units, which offer a frequency response of 20Hz~40KHz and I believe deliver some of the most accurate, crisp, meaningful sound reproduction of any of the best wireless headphones market at the price. 

The Stax Spirit S3 support Bluetooth 5.2 for (meaning Auracast will likely soon be on the menu) and you'll get around 80 hours of playtime. Read that again. That's more than any of the best noise-cancelling headphones currently on the market. Also, a short 10-minute charge delivers a whopping 11 hours of playtime and there's a mic for aptX Voice certified call-handling to boot.

But planar magnetic closed-back over-ears with a Bluetooth chipset must mean heavy and cumbersome, right? Not at all. At 329g they're comfortable for all-day use – but if that's just a number, consider that Apple's AirPods Max weigh 55g more at 384g, while Sony's WH-1000XM5 are a little lighter at 249g. Also, they fold up into the headband and come with a refreshingly small hard case for transport.

Confused by the name? You're not alone, so for clarity: these Edifier headphones are not to be wrongly assigned to the STAX brand (although Edifier did acquire this brand name in 2012), although they do use magnetostatic transducers in the "Spirit" of STAX. Also, they have been closely linked to Audeze's Mobius headphones, just with new branding. Got it? Good.

Whatever their heritage, they are all Edifier now – and if you read no further, know that they're a compelling and talented proposition. You even get an additional set of cooling-mesh ear cushions for season-specific on-the-go use, along with a USB-C charging cable, 3.5mm headphone cable for wired listening, a 6.35mm adapter and an 'ear cushion pick' which you'll only need to worry about if you're switching up. 

The Edifier Connect app is acceptable rather than excellent, but it functions without issue and as any audiophile will tell you, companion apps can largely be ignored if the design and sound quality is good enough to avoid fiddling – and that is emphatically the case here. 

Any flies in the ointment? One: no active noise cancellation. Whether or not you really need it when the sound quality and passive isolation is this good is up to you. If you prioritize an expansive soundfield and crisp detail with a more-than healthy bass extension though, put these headphones at the top of your list. 

Edifier Stax Spirit S3 on orange/gray sofa

Good-looking gold accents and herringbone styling on the ear cups, no?  (Image credit: Future)

Edifier Stax Spirit S3: Price & release date

  • Released on February 24, 2022
  • Priced $399 / £330 / approx. AU$640

The Stax Spirit S3 were released in early 2022, and as such there might be a little bit of wiggle room on the prices above – but not a lot.

This not insubstantial pricing puts them bang up against some of the best and most heavy-hitting over-ear headphones in the business, including the Sony WH-1000XM5 ($399 / £380 / AU$649), the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless ($349.95 / £300 / AU$549.95) and the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 ($399 / £379 / approx. AU$575). 

Tough company to keep, especially when you consider that active noise cancellation doesn't feature. But sonically, they're more than up to it. 

Edifier Stax Spirit S3 close-up, showing the multi-function button, on orange background

Check out the excellent padding – but the multi-function button is a tad unreliable. (Image credit: Future)

Edifier Stax Spirit S3: Specs

Edifier Stax Spirit S3 headphones folded, on blue sofa

How's that for portability? A great proposition for the commute. (Image credit: Future)

Edifier Stax Spirit S3: Features

  • Incredibly long battery life
  • Bluetooth multipoint
  • Somewhat limited in-app EQ presets

As stamina claims go, 80 hours is insatiable in almost any arena, but particularly concerning wireless headphones – and during my time with them I actually gleaned just over 90 hours from them before they seemed even a bit tired. It's rare that during the course of a review I need only charge a set of over-ears once, and even then only for 10 minutes or so – thus netting a further 11 hours. 

These headphones are very easy to pair, very quick on the uptake where the app is concerned and easy to use, too. Multipoint? Completed it; soon I'm happily chopping and changing between my phone and my laptop all the livelong day. 

As you might have spotted, there's no ANC or Ambient awareness here, and no auto-off functionality, but that doesn't mean Edifier sees no reason for a companion app. The Edifier Connect app is fine, but that's as far as I can go. It tries to cajole you into buying Edifier products a little too readily (with two "Discover" and "Mall" tabs at the bottom of the landing page sending you off to discover and shop Edifier exclusively), but the headphones tab gives a good battery life indicator and interestingly, asks you to confirm whether you've fitted the "Leather earmuffs" or "Ice feeling earmuffs" in order to better tailor the sound. 

There's an unusual "Soothing sounds" section tab in the top right, which offers a plethora of free soundscapes such as "summer night" (no, not the song from Grease) "lapping waves" and even a mewing cat. I mean, it adds a modicum of value, perhaps. The app also displays the music currently playing in the way your streaming service does and in the settings tab, you can customise the volume of vocal prompts and tweak the functionality of double and triple presses between pause/play, gaming mode, sound effects (more on this in a moment) or voice assistant access. Call quality? Splendid – clear and snag free. 

The EQ presets are a let-down, though. The second, swipe-left screen within the app is labelled "Sound Effects" and it lets you pick between "Classic", "Hi-Fi" and "STAX" profiles. There's no tablature for this, though, and while Classic is a hands-down favorite owing to its extra modicum of warmth and zeal, STAX feels borderline tinny and hi-fi lacks a bit of oomph but doesn't unearth any extra iotas of detail – because these are already supremely detailed cans sonically. What I'm saying is, giving users the option of five- or even three-band sliders to augment certain frequencies would be preferable. 

The third screen is purely for gaming mode on, or off, which is all well and good. In the end, though, dedicated audiophiles will doubtless try not to touch such fripperies; happily, the sound quality here is good enough that bypassing the app entirely is no bad thing. 

  • Features score: 4/5

Edifier Stax Spirit S3 case, on orange and gray sofa

This case is about half the size of the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless and I loved taking it with me. (Image credit: Future)

Edifier Stax Spirit S3: Sound quality

  • Divinely detailed and revealing
  • Snappy bass extension; depth in spades
  • An expressive and dynamically agile listen

They sound so good, these. Oh, you need more words? Right then. 

Bruce Springsteen's re-release of Darkness on the Edge of Town live with with the E-Street Band (streamed; a Tidal Master file) is brimming with emotion, revealing any minor deviations in the keys and raucousness from the excitable crowd in a gloriously detailed mix. 

Burna Boy's Anybody on Apple Music (a Lossless file) unearths emotion and textures in the vocal rarely heard at this level and there's a glorious three-dimensional quality to the drums and sax solo, even as the percussion goes low. 

Nicki Minaj's Super Bass (Tidal HiFi) bursts through with a juicy, full and cohesive mix that darts between each ear with the kind of spritely agility normally seen in wired headphones at double the price. 

Gerry Cinnamon's Belter is a lovely example of pared back rhythmic guitars and backing vocals, which are expertly layered and relayed here with ample space around each element to shine. If anything, the added stems here as the track progresses (the crack of a whip, a chanting crowd, the shake of a rattlesnake's tail) feel a little lonely – but that's certainly not a criticism where the Edifiers are concerned; quite the opposite. Because these headphones can do so much more. 

Is it the same with a wired 3.5mm connection? Not quite. The presentation lacks just a little conviction when physically wired to a Sony Xperia or an iPhone – although that's something that few of us will do, given the incredible battery life and convenience offered here. And in case it needs to be re-stated, there's no USB audio option. 

  • Sound quality score: 5/5

Edifier Stax worn by Becky Scarrott, around the neck to show that the earcups rotate out, rather than in

Thing is, it is a bit odd for earcups to rotate this way when not being worn…  (Image credit: Future)

Edifier Stax Spirit S3: Design

  • Additional pair of cooler earcups supplied
  • Foldable design
  • Multi-function button is a shade off excellent 

If you miss folding headphones (not seen in the heavy-hitter arena since the Sony WH-1000XM4), they're back here and it does make taking them on your commute – or in your hand luggage – much easier. The supplied case is only about a half to two-thirds the size of the ones supplied with products such as the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, Focal Bathys or newer Fairphone FairBuds XL. 

The design here feels light and cool, with optimal clamping force, and the lovely herringbone accents and gold branding on the black earcups make for a chic aesthetic – though vegans should note that these do include real leather. 

The ear cups angle forward just slightly and the headband is nicely padded over the crown, which makes these cans feel well weighted and good for longer listening sessions. And the sound bleed? Minimal; people on desks next to me couldn't hear my tracks at 50% volume in the office. 

There are some minor drawbacks. The ear cups rotate to lie flat around your neck when not being worn, but only outwards, which feels entirely wrong for those planar magnetic drivers. The headband is also overly clicky when adjusting for size; a pet peeve but the noise does impact your listening pleasure. Lastly, the multi-function button and volume buttons either side of it are just a bit hit and miss for this level. It's a critique I also levelled at the more-expensive Focal Bathys, but when a long press is meant to turn the headphones off and sometimes, this just doesn't seem to work, it's worth mentioning it. 

Overall though, it's important to state that these are a good-looking, comfortable set of over-ears. Furthermore, their portable design, coupled with the splendid sound quality, makes me grab them over several other sets when heading out. 

  • Design score: 4.5/5

Edifier Stax Spirit S3 on orange/gray sofa

That headband can be a bit noisy and clicky when adjusting, but it's a fairly minor gripe in an attractive set of headphones (Image credit: Future)

Edifier Stax Spirit S3: Value

  • Sound quality that's impossible to beat at the level
  • A great gateway planar magnetic design
  • No ANC impacts value for some

What you must know is that if you want ANC over-ears, your money is not well spent here. There is no active noise cancellation. 

Buying headphones almost always involves some sort of compromise (a dearth in call quality, omission of a codec, lack of water resistance), but for sound-per-pound clarity and quality in a planar magnetic wireless design, the Edifier Stax Spirit S3 are almost impossible to equal. 

The detailed, expansive and energetic sound is the star here and for me, that's just fine – plus it lasts and lasts (and lasts), for days. The case is beautifully light and compact – I have to say that I've taken these headphones on a flight and loved the experience, despite the lack of noise cancellation. 

Then again, the app is a long way from excellent and the EQ presets are somewhat eccentric, plus I do find myself wondering why the ear cups turn outwards when I take them off quickly to leave them around my neck. 

Depending on your priorities, the Edifier Stax Spirit S3 still represent a top and TechRadar recommended buy – it just might be that a lack of noise cancellation means they're not the right pick for you.

  • Value score: 4.5/5

Should I buy the Edifier Stax Spirit S3?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Edifier Stax Spirt S3 review: Also consider

Edifier Stax Spirit S3 worn by Becky Scarrott, in profile, on orange background

They're comfy cans and no mistake (Image credit: Future)

How I tested the Edifier Stax Spirit S3

  • Bulk of testing done using an iPhone 12, running Edifier Connect app, firmware version 1.0.2
  • Tested across two weeks, listened against the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless and Focal Bathys
  • Used at work (in the office; walking through London; on a train) on a flight and at home
  • Listened to Tidal Masters, Apple Music, Qobuz and Spotify on an iPhone 12, a Sony Xperia 1 V and MacBook Pro

As is always the case, to test headphones is to invite them into your life. These cans became my daily musical companion – after a thorough 48-hour run-in period, of course. And very welcome the Edifier Stax Spirit S3 were. 

They accompanied me to work on weekdays (walking brusquely to the station; boarding a train and the London Underground; at the office) on a flight to and from Munich and throughout a long Bank Holiday weekend at Climping Beach on the UK coastline – a great way to test any wind-interference from mics during calls.

To better test the comfort levels (and battery life claims), I wore them throughout the working day too – and they never disappointed me or let me down. 

To check the audio quality across the frequencies, I listened to various playlists (spanning everything from acid jazz to thrash metal) on Apple Music and Tidal, but also to podcasts and albums on Spotify – plus of course YouTube tutorials (mostly about calibrating a tricksy tonearm on a deck which will remain anonymous) from my MacBook Pro. 

I’ve been testing audio products for five years now. As a dancer, aerialist and musical theater performer in another life, sound quality and the user experience have always taken priority for me personally – but portability and comfort come a close second. 

Read more about how we test

  • First reviewed: June 2023
1More Aero review: budget-friendly head-tracked spatial audio on a budget
5:46 pm | March 23, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

1More Aero: Two-minute review

1More is an audio tech brand that hasn’t produced devices on a par with big names such as Sony, Bose or even JBL – at least not yet. But over the past few years it has been releasing both over-ear headphones and true wireless earbuds that have held their own in a crowded market, including the 1More Evo, 1More Sonoflow and 1More ComfoBuds Mini. So how do the 1More Aero true wireless earbuds compare? 

The good news is that the 1More Aero true wireless earbuds are the definite step up from 2022’s 1More ComfoBuds Pro that 1More claims they are. They’re solid all-rounders that offer an impressive set of features for their price. I enjoyed the good overall sound quality on offer, ANC works well and battery life is… fine. I also liked the fit and the tapered stem design that 1More first debuted with the ComfoBuds Pro – although that’s down to personal preference.

However, there are many true wireless earbuds to choose from these days, from the best true wireless earbuds your money can buy through to the best budget wireless earbuds for those who want a cheaper alternative. So what sets the 1More Aero apart from the rest? The answer is spatial audio, which makes it seem as if you’re hearing sound from all around you in a three-dimensional space – and crucially here, it even alters you turn your head from the source device.

There’s a lot to love about the 1More Aero buds, but spatial audio for around $100/£100 is the main selling point here. But although I certainly enjoyed listening to my favorite tracks with spatial audio switched on, does everyone really need spatial audio? Read on to find out more in this 1More Aero review. 

Someone holding one of the 1More Aero true wireless earbuds with the charging case in the background.

The first thing you’ll notice about the 1More Aero is those stems, which are tapered at the ends. (Image credit: Future/TechRadar/Becca Caddy)

1More Aero review: Price & release date

  • Cost $109.99/£99.99/around AU$182
  • Released in October 2022

The 1More Aero true wireless earbuds were released in October 2022 and cost $109.99/£99.99/around AU$182. Hovering around the $100/£100 mark makes the 1More Aero a similar price compared to rivals and they just qualify for TechRadar's best budget earbuds category. However, the competition is pretty fierce at this level. 

The most obvious competition comes from the Earfun Air Pro 3. TechRadar also described these buds as good all-rounders and they cost $99/£99 at launch – although you can find them a little cheaper now. The Air Pro 3 buds offer a similar sound and ANC experience, as well as a significantly longer battery life, but you won’t get spatial audio. 

To get the spatial audio feature you’ll find in the 1More Aero, instead you’d need to spend significantly more for alternatives, like the LG Tone Free T90Q ($229.99 / £199.98) and Sony WF-1000XM4s ($279.99 / £250 / AU$449.95). More on whether the 1More Aero buds perform at the levels of these higher-end options soon…

1More Aero review: Specs

The 1More Aero earbuds pictured on a wooden surface next to their charging case.

I really love the design of these buds, but appreciate they won’t be for everyone – especially if you don’t like stems. (Image credit: Future/TechRadar/Becca Caddy)

1More Aero review: Features

  • Head-tracked spatial audio is the star of the show
  • ANC works well 
  • Smart Loudness tech is handy

Before I even put the 1More Aero to the test, I was impressed with the range of features on offer here, many of which can be tweaked within the 1More app, which I found clear and easy to use. 

The first noteworthy feature is ANC. During my testing, I found noise cancelling to be generally impressive. There are four levels of ANC to choose from, but I opted for the highest level ‘Strong’ the most often. Because why put ANC on if you’re not going to put it ON, right? Although if you work in an office and need varying levels, the choice might be handy for you. 

ANC was effective, drowning out conversations in a coffee shop completely. Difficult, higher-pitched sounds, like an alarm and toddler screaming, were muffled but still audible. And deep rumbling sounds, like a train and a fan, were still detectable a little, but everything was significantly dulled. If you’re looking for buds to simply lessen the chatter at work, these will do nicely. There’s also a transparency mode, which is handy for conversations, but I found it easier to just pop one of the buds out instead of faffing with my phone. 

Something I haven’t seen before is a Smart Loudness feature, which you can switch on and off and then use a slider to amp up. This is to keep the bass, mids and trebles detectable at low volumes, but it was hit-and-miss. If you listen to music at lower volumes it’s worth turning on, especially to reintroduce bass, but it wasn’t a feature that wowed me.

You can control the buds via touch controls on the stems and you can customize what these do via the app – although there’s no option to decline a call. These controls worked well most of the time, but sometimes weren’t as responsive and sensitive as I'd have liked. I found myself getting my phone out to make adjustments instead.

Within the app (oddly, under 'Experimental Features') there’s the option to switch on multipoint pairing, allowing you to move between audio input devices. Although there was a slight lag as I switched between a phone and a laptop, it did work and it’s a feature that’s incredibly handy – especially when working on my laptop, then taking a voice call on my phone, then moving back to the laptop to listen to music or join yet another video call. 

In terms of battery life, you’ll get 7 hours from the buds with ANC off and 5 hours with ANC on. I found these estimates from 1More to be bang on during my testing. You can get 28 hours in total from the case and buds combined, with ANC off. That’s a decent amount of battery life, but can be bested by similar-priced rivals, like the EarFun Air Pro 3 that gives you 9 hours from the buds and 36 hours from the case with ANC off. Or the JBL Live Pro 2 buds, which offer 40 hours of listening time in total. And TechRadar's pick of the bunch here is the far cheaper Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus, which will bag you 35 hours in High Performance mode, or 45 in Low Power mode… 

  • Features score: 5/5

The 1More Aero true wireless earbuds in their charging case

We like the clam shell style design of the 1More Aero charging case. (Image credit: Future/TechRadar/Becca Caddy)

1More Aero review: Sound quality

  • Enjoyable sound
  • ANC isn’t great but it’s good enough
  • Spatial audio is fun – especially for TV, movies and games

Overall, I found the 1More Aero buds an enjoyable listen. I felt that way across the genres too – noting a really nice balance, with crisp highs and crystal clear vocals, underpinned by more than enough bassline rumble underneath when it was needed. 

There was a real smoothness and warmth to some of my favorite tracks, too, like Tango by Onyx Collective. When I listened to big, classical tracks, like Johann Johannsson’s score for Arrival, I occasionally yearned for a wider, more expansive listen, which I've experienced with other buds at the level (see the Honor Earbuds 3 Pro). But I was impressed with the power and bass these little buds delivered through their solid low end, handling such epic and eerie instrumental tracks well.

You can tweak the sound, too. Within the 1More app there’s an equalizer you can manually adjust, as well as a bunch of EQ presets, including Studio and Classical. I enjoyed testing some of these and recommend you do the same, although some seemed a bit heavy-handed. Case in point: Bass Booster with Latto x Mariah Carey’s Big Energy made the bassline sound, well… a bit silly, like I was listening to a boomy sample track on a keyboard. The same goes for Vocal Booster, and Pop, which was very tinny. Then again, putting Bass Booster on for the Arrival soundtrack actually added to the drama. The lesson here is, you’ll need to play around with the settings to see what suits you – and you might need to do that each time you switch genres. 

On the subject of settings, switch spatial audio on and you’re in for a 360-degree sound treat. I mostly felt as if positional audio was accurate, so sounds came from a central stage or instruments around me. There’s head tracking here too, which essentially means that as well as feeling like sound is all around you, to some extent, you’re moving around it too.

I probably enjoyed spatial audio the most when watching TV shows and movies. For example, I watched The Mandalorian with the 1More Aeros and replayed a scene when the Razor Crest landed with and without spatial audio. It was subtle, but definitely created more of a cinematic, stereo sound feel than I'm used to.

Back to music, putting on spatial audio halfway through De La Soul’s Supa Emcees and selecting the Hip-Hop EQ preset was a pleasing upgrade. The track came alive more than ever. It might sound a bit cheesy, but it genuinely felt like I’d gone from listening to a track positioned directly in front of me to hearing it performed on a stage above me – exactly what you want from spatial audio. 

I felt the same about pop music. Miley Cyrus’ Flowers was noticeably elevated with spatial audio switched on. I then chose the Deep preset for added bass and Studio for a more neutral listen. The energy of this track was simply phenomenal. The best earbuds can help you notice things about your favorite tracks you haven’t before. 

Having said that, not all music was as sparkly and elevated with spatial audio – even tracks optimized for it – and I did prefer the spatial audio experience with other buds, like the LG Tone Free T90Q, as they provided a more consistent and convincing sound. Then again, that was for almost double the price. 

I did wonder whether the wow factor of spatial audio had already faded. This might be because, other than the EQ settings, you can’t change anything else about how spatial audio or head tracking works, which it would have been nice to adjust. Then again, this is an affordable application of spatial audio, so I really am being picky. 

  • Sound quality score: 4/5

The 1More Aero earbuds pictured on a wooden surface next to their charging case.

Each 1More Aero bud weighs 4.9g, making them lightweight and therefore comfy enough to wear for hours at a time.  (Image credit: Future/TechRadar/Becca Caddy)

1More Aero review: Design

  • Teardrop design 
  • Light at 4.9g per bud
  • They stay put

Like a lot of true wireless earbuds on the market at the moment, the 1More Aero buds have a stem-like design. At first glance they may look very similar to other buds, like the Apple AirPods Pro, but they’re a little different in that they’re teardrop-shaped with tapered ends. I like this small design quirk when other brands are just copying and pasting the AirPods design, but appreciate they may not be for everyone. 

The buds are light at 4.9g each, which makes them easy to wear for long periods. In fact, I had no trouble keeping them in for most of the working day and you have S, M, L and XL tips to choose from to find the perfect fit. The silicone tips I selected created a decent seal. They came a little loose when I wore them for more than 30 minutes, and I did knock the stems a couple of times, but this experience was no different to all of the other true wireless earbuds I’ve tested. 

There’s an IPX5 rating here, which means these buds are not fully waterproof but are certainly sweat-proof and rain-proof, which makes them a good option if you’re looking for a pair of workout buds. Although they did budge enough for me to keep securing them during a jog and when I was trying to perfect my downward-facing dog, although not enough to fall out.

The buds come with a charging case that’s small enough to slide into a pocket and weighs 45.2g. It has a clamshell-style design which I personally prefer to the pill-shaped box that seems to have become standard from rival brands. My only criticism of the case is the magnets that keep the buds in place could have been a bit stronger, they felt weak compared to similar devices I've tested.

  • Design score: 4/5

The 1More Aero true wireless earbuds pictured in the palm of someone's hand.

The design of the 1More Aero buds is similar to the Apple AirPods, but with a more tear-shaped tip. (Image credit: Future/TechRadar/Becca caddy)

1More Aero review: Value

  • Cheaper buds offer improvements in some areas
  • You’d have to pay much more for spatial audio

As a whole package, the 1More Aero buds are good value. They offer everything most people need from a pair of buds, including good audio and ANC, decent battery life and a comfortable fit. However, in some areas other buds shine. For example, if you want a longer battery life or a bump in ANC, there are better alternatives at a similar price – look to the Honor Earbuds 3 Pro or JBL Live Pro 2 for starters. 

That said, if you want that top-tier spatial audio feature, you’d have to pay significantly more. So in that respect, they’re great value. The question you need to ask yourself is: do you really need head-tracked spatial audio? It’s fun at first, and certainly improves the experience of TV shows and movies, but I'm not convinced it’s a must-have for everyone. 

So are the 1More Aero good value? That entirely depends on what you’re looking for. 

  • Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the 1More Aero?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

1More Aero review: Also consider

How I tested the 1More Aero

Becca with the 1More Aero earbuds in her ears

I spent a week testing the 1More Aero true wireless earbuds, taking them with me everywhere I went – on a bus, to the gym, running along the beach.  (Image credit: Future/TechRadar/Becca Caddy)
  • Tested for 7 days
  • Used working at a coffee shop, while working out at home and on a few bus and train journeys
  • Mostly tested with Apple Music and iPhone 13 Pro

To test the 1More Aero buds, I took them with them everywhere over the course of a week. They came with me while working at a coffee shop, on long walks through a town, on the bus and train to meetings and kept me occupied during workouts, too. 

I’m always keen to see how true wireless buds fare over long periods, so I can really test their comfort levels and make sure the battery claims are accurate. So I kept them in for hours on end, while going from working to walking to working out. 

I mostly used the buds to listen to a range of playlists on Apple Music, but also used them to listen to audiobooks, stream podcasts and watch a few TV shows – a good chance to see how spatial audio compares with different types of sound.

I’ve been testing audio products and wearable devices for around ten years now. I like to focus on how comfortable tech is and how easy it is to use.

  • First reviewed: March 2023
EarFun Air Pro 3 review: the best cheap noise-cancelling earbuds you can get
6:55 pm | February 28, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , | Comments: Off

EarFun Air Pro 3: Two-minute review

The EarFun Air Pro 3 are the latest affordable noise-cancelling buds from a company that makes some of the best budget wireless earbuds around. EarFun has released several pairs of earbuds that we rated highly, including the original EarFun Air Pro and EarFun Air S, all delivering decent sound and fantastic value.

The EarFun Air Pro 3 build on this further, all for under $100 / £100. In terms of design, they're more elegant-looking than their predecessors, and although they feel a little cheap, that means a light and comfortable fit that stayed put throughout the day when I tested them… with one notable exception that I'll come to. 

The EarFun Air Pro 3's ANC (active noise cancellation) isn't on par with the best noise-cancelling earbuds available today, but they cost less than half as much as most, and the decent level of quiet offered here should be good enough to focus at work or keep most sounds dampened down when you’re travelling. It's impressive for the price. 

The same goes for audio. If you’re after detailed and audiophile-grade sound, look to rivals instead. The EarFun Air Pro 3 won’t beat the top-performing buds in our best wireless earbuds guide, but I liked their punchy sound and found them fun to listen to. 

There’s a great battery life on offer here – nine hours from the buds and an additional 36 from the case – as well as multipoint pairing. There are also some next-gen features available that we couldn’t test yet, but may soon make these buds even more special, including support for the highly-anticipated Bluetooth LE Audio tech. 

No one feature stood out when I was testing the EarFun Air Pro 3. Instead, these buds are brilliant all-rounders, delivering everything most people would need from a pair of true wireless earbuds today all for well under $100/£100. But there are other options that may tempt you: the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus are better sounding, but with no ANC; the JBL Live Pro 2 feature better noise cancellation, but cost a little more.

Earfun Air Pro 3 buds held in a hand above a wooden table

There's a lot of tech packed into the affordable EarFun Air Pro 3. (Image credit: Future)

EarFun Air Pro 3 review: Price & release date

  • Released in January 2023
  • Costs $99 / £99 at launch but discounted already
  • No Australian availability at time of writing

The EarFun Air Pro 3 true wireless earbuds were launched in January 2023. They originally cost $99 / £99, but they’ve been reduced to $79 /£79 on the Earfun website and other third party retailers at the time of writing, so that's clearly a price to expect them to hit regularly. As we publish, there’s no news on Australian availability.

Their sub-$100/£100 price tag puts the EarFun Air Pro 3 at a similar price as some of our favorite budget earbuds, like the ​​Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW. But although we rated the sound of the Audio-Technica buds, there are more features on offer from the EarFun Air Pro 3, most notably ANC. 

Having spent a few weeks testing them, I'd say that the EarFun Air Pro 3 are similar in terms of sound, ANC, specs and even design as the JBL Live Pro 2, but at $149 / £129 / AU$199, the JBL are significantly more expensive.

EarFun Air Pro 3 review: Specs

Earfun Air Pro 3 case closed on wooden table

The EarFun Air Pro 3 case isn't as small as some, but is reasonably compact. (Image credit: Future)

EarFun Air Pro 3 review: Features

  • Great battery life 
  • Multipoint pairing and active noise cancellation
  • Bluetooth LE Audio support could be a game-changer

For the price, there are a lot of features on offer here. I like that the EarFun Air Pro 3 have multipoint pairing, allowing you to listen to music on your laptop and then easily switch to say taking a call on your phone. During testing, this worked well and was seamless most of the time. 

In terms of controls and customization, the EarFun Air Pro 3 buds come with an app that’s minimal but has everything you need. There are also controls at the top of the stems. At times, these touch controls required a slower, more deliberate press to work. That’s fine, but not ideal given they’re there to be used intuitively. I did like that you can customize their actions from within the app. 

It’s a shame there are no sensors that know when you take out the buds and pause the audio. That feature isn’t a dealbreaker, but it is one you don’t realize is incredibly handy until it’s not there.

The battery life of the EarFun Air Pro 3 is among the best you’ll find from a pair of true wireless buds. EarFun promises nine hours from the buds and a further 36 from the charging case. That’s a mega-impressive 45 hours in total. Of course, that’s with ANC off. With it on, we’re talking seven hours in the buds and 37 hours in total. I got 6.5 hours with ANC on at a high volume, which I still found impressive.

This is a similar battery life to some of our favorite buds, like the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus, although they don’t have ANC. It’s also just a little less than our current mid-range favorites, the JBL Live Pro 2, which offer up 40 hours of battery life in total. So considering the EarFun Air Pro 3 are budget buds with ANC, they outperform much of the competition. 

The EarFun Air Pro 3 feel like a truly modern pair of buds in terms of specs, and one feature is so cutting edge I couldn’t even test it: next-gen Bluetooth LE Audio technology. This is a new Bluetooth standard that promises to upgrade the way we listen to music, including improved sound quality and battery life. The problem? No smartphones are compatible yet. 

There’s also support for a feature called Auracast. This allows you to jump between audio playing from different devices, so you can seamlessly listen to what your friends are listening to or what’s playing in a public space – again, though, there's no support in the wild yet.

That’s not all. The buds also support Qualcomm’s apt-X Adaptive audio codec, which is capable of delivering CD-quality 16-bit.44.1kHz audio over Bluetooth. This also provides low-latency performance when streaming from devices that support the Qualcomm standard.

  • Features score: 4.5/5

Earfun Air Pro 3 close up in case on wooden table

With aptX and Bluetooth LC3 support, the EarFun Air Pro 3 are all set for Hi-Res audio. (Image credit: Future)

EarFun Air Pro 3 review: Sound quality

  • Fun but not fantastic sound
  • Adjustable EQ
  • ANC is good

The EarFun Air Pro 3 buds were powerful and punchy right out of the gate. I listened to Stevie Nicks' Edge of Seventeen and For What It’s Worth, and the signature sound was spot on, perfectly suited to these iconic tracks with big, booming vocals. 

I found this to be the case across any genre that was all about the power and the bass, these buds handle the lower end well most of the time. Other tracks felt a little muddied or just didn’t suit the boom and the energy these buds excel in. Don’t get me wrong, they were still an enjoyable listen, but I couldn’t pick out the details or hear the precision of certain vocals or instruments as much as I can with higher-performing rivals. 

I felt this acutely with Hildur Guðnadóttir and Jóhann Jóhannsson’s Good Night, Day. This beautiful strings piece builds power and energy throughout, but I didn’t hear that instrumental distinction with the Air Pro 3 quite as much as I'd really like. 

At times there’s also a noticeable boom and even a rattle on the bass when you push to high volumes which, after listening for more than an hour straight, can be a bit too much. I found this to be particularly the case with ANC on.

If you want powerful sound, you’ll love them. If you like to appreciate the details of a mix, you might find them lacking. There is an equalizer on offer here that you can customize to a degree. There are also some presets, like bass boost. But I didn’t notice much of a difference when I tried them and preferred the signature profile for the most part. 

You won’t get that silent cocoon of sound type of ANC that’s typical of more expensive earbuds from these EarFun buds. But you get a sufficient level of ANC. The buds block a decent amount of bass range sounds, like the rumble of traffic. I tested them in a busy coffee shop and although all chatter wasn’t silenced, a noisy conversation next to me was significantly dampened down so as not to be annoying. You’d need to bump up in price to get noticeably better ANC.

  • Sound quality score: 4/5

Earfun Air Pro 3 buds on wooden table

The shiny stem on the EarFun Air Pro 3 helps them look more premium. (Image credit: Future)

EarFun Air Pro 3 review: Design

  • Long stem design
  • Look fancier than they are
  • Very light

When you first pick up these buds you’ll notice they feel plasticky – by which I mean: cheap – but that’s kind of good news as they’re also incredibly light at 52g for both buds and case. This is subjective, but I find the lighter the bud, the more comfy the fit. 

I achieved a good seal from the tips that came with the buds and chose the smallest size. They stayed secure and in place most of the time, but I did experience a bit of slipping when I wore them for a long time and when I took them on a run. To be fair, that’s pretty decent considering these aren’t workout buds. I only had to adjust them a few times and they do have an IPX5 rating, which makes them sweatproof and worth considering if you’re looking for a spare pair of buds for the gym.   

They have a shiny black plastic design on the back, which I didn’t like, but that’s the bit that sits against your ear. What sticks out is a long, mirrored stem with gesture controls at the top end and the EarFun logo at the button. This shiny finish is subtle and makes the buds look much more premium than their price tag suggests. 

However, the stem is long, and although the seal of the tips was great ,the stems affected it several times. This was particularly the case with long hair. When I wore my hair down around the buds, then pushed my hair out of the way, it got caught on the stems and the buds came loose. Not everyone will have this problem and I learned to be careful, especially outside. But I've tested a lot of true wireless earbuds at this point and never had this problem in the past. 

  • Design score: 4/5

Earfun Air Pro 3 buds close up on wooden table

As all-rounders, the EarFun Air Pro 3 are hard to beat. (Image credit: Future)

EarFun Air Pro 3 review: Value

  • Possibly the best sub-$100/£100 buds I’ve tried
  • You have to pay at least $50/£50 more for comparable features
  • You’d need to be sure about the design

The EarFun Air Pro 3 buds perform well in every respect, but in terms of value they’re fantastic. Although their inner shiny plastic finish may give away that they’re cheap, as does their weight, the simple mirror design of the stems makes them look much more premium than they should when you wear them. 

The ANC might not be the best, but I think it’ll suit most everyday scenarios and it’s often rare to get solid ANC with a sub-$100/£100 price tag. Just look at two of our current budget favorites, the ​​Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW and Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus, which excel in some areas more than the Air Pro 3, but don’t have ANC. 

Battery life is fantastic, multipoint pairing is handy and the Bluetooth LE Audio support will hopefully make these buds even more of a no-brainer proposition as the tech rolls out more widely. 

All in all, these buds won’t beat higher-end buds and sound is only fine, but in terms of what you get for what you pay in total, they're pretty much unmatched.

  • Value score: 5/5

Should I buy the EarFun Air Pro 3?

Buy them if...

Don't buy it if...

EarFun Air Pro 3 review: Also consider

How I tested the EarFun Air Pro 3

Earfun Air Pro 3 worn in the ears of a woman outdoors on wooden table

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tested for 10 days
  • Used in home office, working at a coffee shop, the gym, countryside walk, public transport in a busy town
  • Mostly tested with Apple Music and iPhone 13 Pro

In order to put the EarFun Air Pro 3 buds through their paces, I used them in a range of different environments as I went about my daily routine over the course of 10 days. I took them to the gym when I worked out, on a walk through the countryside, while travelling by both train and bus, and out on lots of walks around suburban areas at all times of day.

These are true wireless earbuds designed to be worn for long periods, so I kept them on when transitioning from a walk outside to working back at my desk again. This was a good opportunity to try out multipoint pairing, moving from listening to a podcast and taking calls on my phone to watching videos on my laptop. 

I mostly listened to Apple Music, but also streamed podcasts, audiobooks and watched videos too – I also used them as I caught up on the latest episode of The Last of Us.

I’ve been testing audio products and wearable tech for around a decade, particularly focusing on the devices that can accompany you on walks and workouts, as well as general ease of use and comfort.

Read more about how we test

  • First reviewed: February 2023
Sony WH-CH520 review: some of the best cheap headphones you can buy
7:00 pm | February 21, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: | Comments: Off

The Sony WH-CH520 are the new super-affordable headphones in Sony's wireless lineup, coming in at $60 / £60. They're on-ear Bluetooth headphones, and while, as you might expect at this price, you're not getting active noise cancellation or Hi-Res Audio support, their focus on sound (and a few useful tricks) means they're still fantastic value.

I don't mind at all when the manufacturers of the best cheap headphones put everything into audio quality, and though the sound here obviously isn't going to blow minds for the price, I could happily listen to it all day. After activating DSEE (more on that shortly), I can't fault the balance between bass, mids and treble; all are equally represented and clear, and the Sony WH-CH520 deliver a nice dose of detail.

The bass underpins things well, adding depth while staying controlled, and letting you have some fun with electronic or dance music. The mids are capable of letting vocals stretch their legs, and giving dense instrument mixes a chance to stand out, although obviously more detail is lost here than in higher-end models. And trebles elevate out of the mid-range well, feeling like they have enough room to breathe.

More expensive options in our list of the best wireless headphones don't just add extra clarity; they'll also feel more natural and offer more dynamic range, with deeper bass and brighter highs. When it comes down to it, the sound here is more constrained and compressed than it is from better headphones – but I'm very happy with the audio you get here for the price. And even better is the fact that you can use Sony's Headphones app to tweak the EQ if you want, and this is actually more effective than in most headphones I've used, cheap or expensive. 

It feels like your adjustments are changing the balance optimally, not just bluntly stamping down on the bass or cranking up the treble (or whatever change you choose to make). It has presets, or you can create your own – in the end I chose to just boost the bass a little to suit my tastes using the Clear Bass option, but almost all of my testing was done at the standard settings.

One thing I will note about the sound, though, is that it really opens up once you're listening at about 40% volume; lower than that and it sounds a little more compressed.

Also in the Headphones app, you've got the option to turn on DSEE, and I recommend doing this. This is basically an 'upscaler' for music, with Sony claiming that it can add detail back into Bluetooth-quality streaming. I didn't really feel any difference with detail in the music I listened to, but it did immediately add some warmth to the mid-range that was a small but clear improvement.

Sony WH-CH520 headphones on a wooden table

(Image credit: Future)

Compared to the Sony CH510 that the Sony CH520 replace, there's more cushioning, which is always appreciated in the best on-ear headphones as their design means their earpads sit directly on your ears, which not everyone loves. In fact, I personally avoid them, because I find them less comfortable than the best over-ear headphones – however, I was able to wear the CH520 more happily than most I've tested. There's a fairly notable clamping from the headband on the sides of the head, so people with larger-than-average heads might not love them, but I think they'll go down great with people with smaller skulls.

Despite the cushioning, they're not very noise-blocking (and there's no active noise cancellation), so keep that in mind if you're looking for something for your commute.

The shell is a textured plastic, and feels really well made. It doesn't feel super-premium, but it doesn't feel cheap by any measure either. There are buttons on the bottom of the right-hand earcup for play/pause, volume control and track skipping, and a double-press of the Play button triggers your phone's voice assistant.

The CH520 support Bluetooth multi-point pairing, which is always useful – it means you can rapidly switch between your phone and your laptop for a video call, for example. I had no problems with reliability here, or with their connectivity in general.

Sony's claim of a 50-hour battery life is the icing on the cake, and in my experience that seems about right – though with the caveat that they don't auto-pause when you remove them, and they stay on for a long time when not in use, so if you're not careful you could accidentally run them down.

They charge over USB-C, and come with a short USB-C to USB-A cable in the box. There's no 3.5mm jack option here, sadly, so keep that mind if you want something for a flight or similar, but I doubt it will bother most people looking at these cans.

There is a mic on the Sony WH-CH520 – literally one microphone, and it's best described as "functional" – it's quiet, and not especially clear.

Sony WH-CH520 headphones on a wooden table

(Image credit: Future)

Sony WH-CH520 review: Price & release date

  • $60 / £60
  • Launched on Feb 21st 2023

At a highly affordable $60 / £60, the CH520 are firmly aimed at those on a budget. Rivals at this price include the Anker Life Q30 or JBL Tune 710BT, if we're talking about stuff from known brands. Obviously, Amazon is full of cheaper options from names you just saw for the first time.

None of these products is full of bells and whistles given the price, and neither are the Sony CH520, but the app still provides some nice control and additions.

Sony WH-CH520 review: Specs

Should you buy the Sony WH-CH520?

Buy them if...

You want balanced sound for less
There's none of the bass overload you get on some cheaper headphones in an effort to make them sound more exciting – these are made to handle all kinds of music well.

You need long, long battery life
50 hours! You won't need to charge these very often, so if you're the forgetful type, that's a bonus.

You want to switch between devices
Bluetooth multi-point pairing makes these ideal for anyone who switches between listening to their phone and their laptop/tablet a lot.

Don't buy them if...

You need noise-blocking power
With no ANC and not especially noise-isolating earpads, you will hear outside sounds – especially loud vehicles.

You don't find on-ear headphones comfortable
Despite the extra padding, if you usually prefer over-ear headphones, these won't change your mind.

You're want to go audiophile for less
I like the sound here a lot for the price, but if you're an audiophile on a budget,you should look at going wired – you'll get better sound for the same price.

Sony WH-CH520: Also consider

How I tested the Sony WH-CH520

Sony WH-CH520 headphones worn by a man in front of a window

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tested for one week
  • Used in an office, while walking in the city, and on public transport
  • Mainly tested with Apple Music and iPhone 13 Pro

To test the Sony WH-CH520N, I used them as part of my normal routine – listening to music over Bluetooth from my phone while working, while walking around the city, and while traveling on buses and trains.

These are lightweight headphones for commuting and home use, so that's where I focused my testing. I also paired them with a laptop to test multi-point pairing, and aside from streaming tracks from Apple Music, I also listened to podcasts, watched downloaded videos, watched videos and listened to music on YouTube, and tried other sources.

I've been testing headphones and audio equipment for around a decade, ranging from affordable options to high-end sets.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed February 2023

Apple HomePod 2 review: rich sound, but doesn’t fix the original’s problems
5:00 pm | January 31, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Apple HomePod 2: Two-minute review

The HomePod 2 is a surprising relaunch for Apple's smart speaker, because at first glance, it doesn't appear to offer much that’s different to the original model. And after taking a much deeper glance (and listen), I can report that it does not, in fact, offer much that’s different to the original.

The HomePod 2 is a fairly compact speaker (smaller than most of the best wireless speakers, though obviously larger than the dinky HomePod mini) with a lot of speaker power built in – and you can hear it. It's energetic, bursting with detail, dynamic, and underlined with natural and resonant bass. For its price, no single speaker sounds quite as good – and combining two in a stereo system makes for even bigger and bolder sound.

But access to this power is frustratingly limited. The only ways to play audio are through the Siri voice assistant, or Apple AirPlay 2 system via Wi-Fi. There's no Bluetooth, no Chromecast, no Spotify Connect, and no aux-in. The only way to send audio to the speaker is from Apple devices, so if anyone in your house doesn't have one, you'll have to decide if you’re okay with excluding them from being able to use the speaker in the same way that others can.

Siri can work with multiple music services now, and can connect to your Apple account to do things like add calendar entries; but it's not as smart as Alexa or Google Assistant for generally interpreting your questions well, so if you're looking for one of the best smart speakers, it may not be top of your list.

However, if you sit in the sweet-spot demographic for the HomePod – an all-Apple house, with Apple Music to take advantage of its upgraded Dolby Atmos skills – the HomePod 2 is perhaps the best-value speaker out there. It’s cheaper than what you get from the hardcore hi-fi brands (such as the Naim Mu-so Qb 2), and with a more full sound than the Sonos One can deliver.

And its new smart-home skills are welcome too, though we'd flag them as 'nice bonuses' rather than 'reasons to buy in the first place'.

Apple HomePod 2 review: Price & release date

The HomePod 2 is released on Friday February 3, 2022.

It costs $299 / £299 / AU$479, which is pretty much what the previous model cost by the time it was discontinued. It's the same price in the US, while it's slightly more expensive in the UK, but that's no surprise given recent currency exchange rates; it's AU$10 more expensive in Australia.

The price is high compared to most of the best smart speakers – even the Amazon Echo Studio, the most expensive Alexa speaker, is nearly half the price. The Sonos One is also much cheaper.

However, there are plenty of much more expensive wireless speakers, including the likes of the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin (2021) or the mighty Naim Mu-So Qb 2nd Gen. 

So the HomePod is in the middle of the market overall – it's just definitely beyond the high end of what most people will pay for something like this. But then, the HomePod mini covers the more affordable end.

Apple HomePod 2 review: Specs

HomePod 2 on shelf in a home

(Image credit: Future)

Apple HomePod 2 review: Features

  • Use Siri and AirPlay 2 to provide music
  • Dolby Atmos support, including from Apple TV 4K
  • Matter smart home support, with temperature and humidity sensors built in

The features of the new HomePod are very close to the original. It's a Wi-Fi-connected smart speaker based on Apple's Siri assistant, with the ability to also send music to it over Apple's AirPlay 2.

That means it's geared towards music in the Apple ecosystem very heavily. You can use Siri to request songs from Apple Music, though Siri now works with some other music services too. And while you can send music (or any other audio) to it over AirPlay 2 from Apple devices, though there's no Bluetooth, or aux-in, or other way to get audio into it – that means Android devices are left in the cold with the HomePod, as is your turntable.

If you're in an all-Apple house and have no plans to change this in the future, then that's okay. But if one of your two kids uses Android when everyone else uses iPhones, it makes the HomePod 2 a poor investment. There are lots of other speakers that support AirPlay and have options for Android – from the likes of Sonos, Audio Pro, Bowers & Wilkins, and Naim – see our guide to the best AirPlay speakers. If you're in a mixed-device house, you should think very hard whether HomePods are the best option for you, especially at this price.

The HomePod 2 works as part of AirPlay multi-room systems, naturally, and you can use one HomePod on its own, or two in a pair.

The new HomePod is geared up for Dolby Atmos music support from Apple Music, including Spatial Audio – it will bounce sounds off your walls to try to create the feeling of the music being separated into different angles, elements and layers.

And these Dolby Atmos skills will come in useful if you own an Apple TV, because you can use two new HomePods as an alternative to one of the best soundbars – the Apple TV can send all of its sound to the HomePod, including Dolby Atmos 3D audio.

The HomePod 2 also supports lossless audio from Apple Music, for higher-quality audio overall, if you're signed up that service. This is the only way it support Hi-Res music, though – Apple AirPlay 2 tech doesn't currently transmit it, so it's no good for playing stored FLAC files or anything.

The HomePod 2 has an ultra-wideband chip in, which means it can detect when an iPhone 11 or later is close to it, making it easy to beam music from your phone to the HomePod (or vice versa) by just bringing it close. 

This also makes setup very easy – turn on the HomePod 2, and bring your iPhone nearby. A pop-up will appear, asking you to bring the top of the HomePod into view of your phone's camera. Then the HomePod will play a sound to identify itself to the iPhone, and that'll be it. It'll be connected to your iCloud account, gaining access to your Apple Music subscriptions.

HomePod 2 on shelf in a home

(Image credit: Future)

For smart home lovers, the HomePod 2 is even better now. It supports Thread and Matter, which are the next-gen protocols that work with more accessories than ever – as well as Apple HomeKit – and it can trigger automations in your smart home when you're not there. 

It also has built-in temperature and humidity sensors, which are useful for climate-control smart home gear, or just for checking on your home's status. Open Apple's Home app and you can see this info in the 'Climate' option at the top, though during our time with the HomePod, the temperature always showed as being within a range (for example, 17-19°C) which is a bit odd. Sometimes the range is as low as 1.5°C, sometimes it was 3°C. It's not a huge deal, but it's unusual to see imprecision in temperature reporting. The humidity also tends to be in a range, but it was of just two percent in my experience (ie, 63-64%), which is close enough to not bother me.

It's easy to build these into an automation – you could trigger one of the best smart plugs connected to a dehumidifier to turn on if the humidity passes a certain point, for example – from the Automation tab in the Home app.

As for Siri – it works well technically here, being very quick and accurate to pick up commands, and answers from the internet come rapidly. But it still gives some strange responses to even pretty basic music queries, and that's supposed to be its raison d'être here. I asked it to "play Blue Monday". "Playing Blue Monday," Siri responded instantly. I was expecting New Order, but figured I'd maybe get a cover. Instead, I got a song called Here By the Grace of God by Greg Hester, from an album called American Story. This segued into a Bob Dylan song. I'm guessing it found me a playlist called 'Blue Monday'? But there's no way of knowing that for sure – I can see on my iPhone what is playing, but not why.

I asked Siri what the weather will be tomorrow, and it said that Location Services hadn't been activated yet (they had, but only a few minutes earlier, so we'll forgive that to a syncing issue), so it asked me where I wanted to hear the weather for. I told it my home city's name. It read me some facts about my home city and then asked me if I wanted to hear more. Yes! The weather!

Siri is good at taking very clear commands within certain structures. It can take requests to send messages you can ask it to add basic calendar entries (and it can differentiate voices, if you choose to set that feature up), and you can ask it for basic factual information. But it's alarming just how often it stumbles. It simply hasn't made the same progress that other smart assistants have, and should be thought of as a simple voice remote control for your speaker rather than a smart voice interface. And I'm fine with that personally, because audio quality is the draw here for me – if it's the smart part of smart speakers that interests you, look elsewhere.

  • Features score: 3/5

HomePod 2 on shelf in a home

(Image credit: Future)

Apple HomePod 2 review: Sound quality

  • Better suited to acoustic/classical than the original thanks to greater upper-mid clarity
  • Very full and well-balanced sound overall (but slightly slimmer bass than original)
  • Dolby Atmos is much more pronounced and effective, especially in a pair

Let's get something out of the way for people who used the original HomePod: the new version is not as loud as the original. I tested it directly against the original model, and the HomePod 2 at about 50% of maximum volume was equivalent to the original being at roughly 33%. Now, that's not really a problem, because it's still capable of going far beyond filling the average room in a house even with just one HomePod, let alone a pair – but still.

I've already mentioned several times that the audio quality is fantastic for the price. The high-end pops and hits with great clarity, the mid-range is fulsome and expressive, and bass is weighty yet controlled.

So to dig deeper into it, I'm going to compare it to the original HomePod directly. The first thing I noticed was that the top-end feels brighter, which is driven most by more pronounced upper-mids than the original. This is especially clear in higher-pitched vocals in song's like Foxes Gentleman and Haim's Don't Save Me, and in trumpets in Holst's The Planets. The vocals are lifted clearer of the rest of the mix, and it's also easier for denser collections of instruments at the top end to show you every detail.

At the other end, the bass is a little more resonant, but slightly less punchy. In M83's Midnight City, each synth bass beat rolls off slightly slower and feels more dispersed, which is great, but it also doesn't feel like it's hitting as hard – just a little less deep and guttural. Of note, though, is that when I tried it on one of my shelves, the new HomePods produced fewer vibrations into other objects on the shelf.

In South's Paint the Silence, which starts with strummed guitars and a bass line, the guitar pops out more and feels more natural in the new HomePod; but the bass line drops deeper and has more definition from the old HomePod. I would say the elevation of the guitar is more prominent, but I definitely noticed the difference in the bass.

In the mid-range, individual instruments get a little more room to breathe during especially dense moments. Not every song benefits from this, but it was fairly clear when one did – there's definitely more to chew on from the new model.

The sound is a little more forward and aggressive than from the original, which is energising, but also makes it feel more like it's coming from a small point. The original disperses stereo sound a little more, so it feels like it's coming from a corner of the room; the new one feels more like it's being delivered to you from a single unit. I found this clear listening to Dancing in the Dark – the original gave me a whole gritty wall of Bruce's voice hanging out at the back of the room, and the new one felt like the singing was directed right towards me.

This all comes together in The Prodigy's Firestarter in interesting ways. The piercing sounds at the start explode from the new HomePod 2 to grab your attention by the… ears far more than they do from the original HomePod. But then the new version's bass is relatively tame, and it's the original that can bang its head that little bit harder. And the heavily twisted and distorted guitars spread out more in a way that's interesting and enveloping from the original – again, it sounds more dispersed. They lash out excitingly from the new model, but I'm more into the what the original does with them.

I go back and forth on which I prefer when it's one single speaker against the other, basically on a song-by-song basis, and sometimes within the same song. Which is obviously not a problem in itself, but I had hoped for an AirPods Pro 2-style leap forward in audio quality.

However, that's all with stereo music (in Lossless or Hi-Res Lossless, from Apple Music). Switching to Dolby Atmos music allows the new HomePod 2 to reveal its real sound dispersal skills… depending on your positioning.

A single original HomePod doesn't do a ton with Atmos – but the new one is clearly positioning sounds in the mix. In Sweet Child O' Mine, the iconic guitar riff comes from the center, but when Axel Rose's voice is layered over itself, it's clearly coming from more than one angle. Lady Gaga's Chromatica album is a Dolby Atmos playground, and it's the same thing here – the HomePod 2 is able to steer sounds around in the mix in a way that's totally different to what you get from a stereo setup, and more than the original can.

However, Dolby Atmos music doesn't sound as natural as regular music from the HomePod 2. Ironically, adding more spreadable sound makes the sound feel boxier – a little more clipped, a little harder.

HomePod 2 on shelf in a home

(Image credit: Future)

Stepping up to a pair of HomePod 2 units combined into a stereo set gives the system an extra boost with all kinds of music. The forward-ness of the sound doesn't matter, because things are spread between the two anyway. And it feels like the bass gets to go a bit harder – I can't tell if that's just my perception or a freeing up of the system because one unit isn't trying to handle everything at once. Either way, I'm loving them as a pair even more than I liked using the originals in a pair.

And in Dolby Atmos, it's a totally different thing with two HomePod 2s. With them positioned in stereo in front of you, and in a room that's conducive towards sound being bounced around (ie, with walls not too far to the side of you), they can do some pretty incredible things with audio positioning. Instruments come from the side or even slightly behind you, which is a feat that even some of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars can't manage convincingly without actual rear speakers. It's a little spooky, and quite convincing. The joy of Dolby Atmos music is that it makes your favorite tracks a surprise again, and you can really get that with a pair of HomePod 2 speakers.

This largely follows through to using a pair with an Apple TV 4K as Dolby Atmos speakers for movies – an alternative to a soundbar. The HomePods are great at adding height in terms of positioning sounds to match the action on the screen (even a 65-inch screen), though can't quite manage the exact 'above you' Dolby Atmos height that the best soundbars can produce. There's not a lot of precision to it – just sort of generically high. It's the same with a lot of side or rear effects – they don't sound very precise from movies. Yes, it's clear there's width and that you're being roughly 'surrounded', but without the precision that would make it totally convincing. 

Where it can't get behind you, though, it often does a great job with layering the sound instead. In BlacKkKlansman, responses to Brother Kwame's speech echo around, clearly coming from a different source to his words – without real rear speakers, this is as good as you can do, and it works well.

The problem is that the HomePods are so damn tall. Unless you have space to place them past each end of your TV (which I don't, personally), or on a bench under a wall-mounted TV, they will absolutely block part of the screen.

I tried a direct comparison with a Sonos Beam 2nd Gen, which costs around 75% of the price of two HomePod 2s. I would say that the HomePods were marginally superior – the width of their sound expanded further past the edges of the screen, they had more pronounced height, and they're a little more dynamic – but when it came to the core positioning of sounds to the screen, vocal clarity and general sound balance, I think the Sonos delivered 90% of the HomePod 2s' performance… for movies. For music, the HomePods were the winner, especially with Dolby Atmos music.

Going back to looking at the HomePod as just a single standalone unit, and speaking of Sonos… compared to the Sonos One – our other favorite small wireless speaker that goes in an easy multi-room setup – the HomePod 2 remains a clear step up in vibrancy, dynamic range, richness around the mid, and especially in bass. But then, you can get two Sonos One SL units for a little more than one HomePod 2, and (as with the Beam) as an individual speaker you're definitely getting more than half the performance.

And compared to the HomePod mini, it's obviously a big step-up here, too, in every conceivable way. More volume, more clarity, more range… the HomePod Mini is really good for a smaller room, but for anything larger, the HomePod 2 really comes into its own. 

  • Sound quality score: 4.5/5

HomePod 2 on shelf in a home

(Image credit: Future)

Apple HomePod 2 review: Design

  • Lovely fabric exterior in Midnight (black) or white
  • Swirling lights on top are fun
  • Short cable (five feet), but you can swap it

The new HomePod 2 looks almost the same as the original HomePod, with its round shape and fabric-covered exterior. I like this design a lot – it looks nice when you focus on it, but it's also great at just blending into the background when you're not, because it feels very neutral. The fabric looks nicer than plastic or a similar finish, and doesn't reflect light. The black (sorry, 'Midnight') and white finishes are lovely and neutral, though I would've liked to see some funky colors like the HomePod mini has.

On top, there's a swirling colored 'screen' (it doesn't show info, it just shows when Siri or music is active). On the original HomePod, this was just a small dot in the center, but now it's the whole top, just like on the HomePod mini. The top is also sunken slightly 'into' the fabric.

The new model is the same diameter as the original at 5.6 inches / 142mm, and is nearly the same height – it's imperceptibly shorter at 6.6 inches / 168mm rather than 6.8 inches / 173mm.

One useful change is that the power cable isn't permanently attached any more – you can just pull it out the back, which can help with installing it on a set of shelves or something. Even more usefully, it means you could swap the annoying short included five-foot cable out for a longer one, because it's a standard figure-eight connector (though you'd need to made sure that one you buy will fit in Apple's hole).

The inside of the HomePod 2 is very different, even though a lot of the principles are the same. For example, there's still a big four-inch high-excursion woofer at the top to handle mid-range and bass. Being 'high-excursion' means the driver moves especially far forward and back (20mm, in this case), so it can displace more air and produce a bigger, deeper sound.

And there's still a ring of higher-frequency tweeters underneath the woofer, but now there are five tweeters instead of the seven in the original HomePod, and they're placed at the bottom of the unit and angle upwards, to help avoid audio reflections from the surface the HomePod is placed on.

  • Design score: 4/5

HomePod 2 on shelf in a home

(Image credit: Future)

Apple HomePod 2 review: Value

  • Sound quality for the price is excellent
  • Limited inputs harm overall value
  • It'll depend partly on how Apple-mad you are

I am the perfect target for the HomePod 2. I use Apple Music as my main music source. I use Apple TV 4K for movies. Everyone in my household has an iPhone. I don't need a single set of speakers to be able to connect to a turntable or other more traditional music source. And I don't have a lot of spare space – for me, their mix of big sound from a small package is ideal. I think they're great value in my situation, even if I think Siri is practically a bit vestigial at this point (I do use it to request music, but that's pretty much it, and I've been using HomePods since 2018).

However, despite offering me a huge amount of options and nice features, the HomePod 2's inflexibility outside of that can't be ignored. I think of the Apple TV 4K (2022), which is really popular with people who have no other Apple products, because it's simply the best streaming device on the planet, and doesn't require other Apple devices to function. With Bluetooth and/or an aux-in, the HomePod 2 could be the same for music – the best-sounding speaker for those who want more than they can get from the best Bluetooth speakers, but without spending serious hi-fi money.

As it is, its value is a bit all-or-nothing. It's either a great buy for all-in Apple users, or a poor buy for everyone else. So the score below for the people who actually should consider buying it – it's great value, but it'd be even better with some extra options.

  • Value score: 4/5

Should you buy the HomePod 2?

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

Apple HomePod 2 review: Also consider

How I tested the HomePod 2

  • I listened to the HomePod 2 for about 12 hours overall
  • I listened mainly to music from Apple Music, and movies from Apple TV 4K
  • I tested and reviewed it as a single unit mainly, but also tested it in a stereo pair

I tested the HomePod 2 at home, where I've used other wireless speakers including the original HomePod, HomePod mini and Sonos One. To prepare my HomePod 2 units for testing and allow them to run in, I allowed them to play music for about 12 hours before I listened with any judgment.

While testing, I switched between multiple genres of music, and primary listened through Apple Music, because it provides lossless audio as well as Dolby Atmos support (and, y'know, it's what the HomePod 2 is built to work with).

I compared it directly with the original HomePod for some forensic level analysis, placing both speakers next to each other, and playing the same track on both, switching between them. For most of my listening time, the HomePods were placed on a wood-fibre shelving unit, to avoid vibrations.

For testing their movie skills, I used them with an Apple TV 4K (2021), playing movies from Apple's own store that included Dolby Atmos soundtracks. To compare with the Sonos Beam, I connected the Sonos Beam to my TV over HDMI eARC, and played the exact same movies via the Apple TV.

Apple Music review
2:10 pm | February 11, 2022
Author: admin | Category: Audio Audio Streaming Computers Gadgets | Tags: | Comments: Off

Apple Music: Two-minute review

Apple Music is the tech giant's music streaming service and our top choice if you love Apple products. Since its debut in 2015, Apple Music has rapidly expanded its catalogue to boast over 100 million tracks, aligning its library size with that of Spotify. Despite a smaller subscriber base than its streaming rival, Apple Music is a worthy competitor, brimming with features catering to music lovers.

Apple Music is geared toward helping you discover new tracks and artists, whether that’s through recommendations, curated playlists, music videos or its 24/7 digital radio stations. Granted, its playlists and social features aren't as fun to use as Spotify's, but suggested tracks and artists always hit the spot. Apple Music's advantage is its ability to integrate locally owned music with its streaming content, providing a unified listening experience.

Apple Music's offering includes Spatial Audio with support for Dolby Atmos. Its catalogue is now also available to subscribers in Lossless Audio at no extra cost, and it sounds great as long as you have the right kit to listen to it. This commitment to high-quality sound positions Apple Music as a strong competitor against other services like Deezer, Amazon Music Unlimited, and Tidal, giving it a leg up over Spotify.

These days, many of the best music streaming services increasingly resemble each other. However, Apple Music still carves out its niche with unique features that affirm its status as an excellent Spotify alternative, especially for those deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem. While you can use Apple Music on most devices, it's optimized for a seamless experience across all Apple devices and further enhanced by Siri’s compatibility, offering convenience and ease for Apple users.

Apple Music review: Pricing and subscription

(Image credit: TechRadar)
  • $10.99 / £10.99 / AU$12.99 a month
  • One-month free trial 
  • No free ad-based tier

There's no free ad-based tier for Apple Music like there is with Spotify. Instead, a subscription costs $10.99 / £10.99 / AU$12.99 per month for a standard user. However, this does come with a one month free trial to determine if it's right for you. This makes Apple Music the same price as Spotify Premium with access to the same amount of tracks.

Apple also offers a reduced student subscription for $5.99 / £5.99 / AU$6.99 and a family subscription for $16.99 / £16.99 / AU$19.99, which gives up to six people unlimited access and their own personalized music library and music recommendations. 

Whichever type of subscription you choose, you'll also get free access to Apple Music Classical, a separate app dedicated solely to classical music.

Apple Music review: Specs

Two iPhones on a red background showing the Apple Music Classical app

(Image credit: Future)

Apple Music review: Music library and content

An Apple Music promo image of the app on a smartphone and Mac showing lyrics.

(Image credit: Apple)
  • 100 million tracks
  • Integrated with iTunes purchases
  • Separate app for podcasts

There are more than 100 million tracks available to stream on Apple Music at the time of writing. This is the same amount as most major rivals, including Spotify and Tidal. You’ll also find three radio stations with actual DJs playing music, Apple Music 1, Apple Music Hits, and Apple Music Country. 

There are no podcasts on offer within Apple Music – you’ll need the separate Apple Podcasts app for those – but there are thousands of music videos. There’s also a 24/7 music video channel called Apple Music TV. It’s ad-free and mostly plays videos along with some interviews and live performances, think of it as MTV in your pocket.

One thing I didn’t know you could get on Apple Music until I was digging around in my most recent testing was standup comedy. You won’t find an exhaustive selection of comedians here, but some well-known ones have audio-only standup work on the platform, my favorite being Maria Bamford.

What sets the streaming service apart from some rivals is that Apple Music combines the music you already have locally and in iTunes, whether that's what you've bought or ripped from a CD. This is great for bringing all your music together in one place. There's similar functionality on offer from rivals, but it doesn’t work as seamlessly and some require a third-party app.

In 2023 Apple launched Apple Music Classical. This is a separate app, but it’s worth mentioning here considering it’s free for all Apple Music subscribers. Apple says that Apple Music Classical has more than five million tracks, making it “the world’s largest classical music catalog”. I like that search functionality is detailed, catering to different versions and recordings, but there are plenty of ways in for classical beginners, like playlists, guides and even biographies of composers.

Apple Music review: Apps and compatibility

Apple HomePod 2 with iPhone held nearby

(Image credit: Apple)
  • Great integration with Apple devices
  • Siri support
  • Minimal app design

I enjoy using the Apple Music app, especially on my iPhone, it looks good and much less cluttered than Spotify’s with a clean and simple UI. Album artwork is big and takes center stage and I also like that you can choose between light and dark modes. 

The Mac app is similar and looks nice with that extra screen real estate to make the artwork shine. You can use it on non-Apple devices, like a PC or Android phone. As you might expect, the experience feels a little less intuitive, but still works well.

Apple is constantly updating the app to make it more user-friendly. For example, you can now favorite tracks, which are added to a new Favorite Songs playlist in your Library. 

There are also several features that you won’t find in competing music streaming apps, like Apple Music Sing, which is more commonly known as Apple Music’s karaoke feature. This allows you to see lyrics for songs and adjust the volume of the vocals, meaning you can sing along while watching the lyrics as they’re highlighted. 

You can use Siri to operate the Apple Music app. This is why it’s a no-brainer for those who like Apple products and Apple’s smart assistant. You can ask Siri to play anything on Apple Music, which is great if you’re already used to using voice commands in your home.

A Listen Now section on the app – which works pretty much the same across all devices – is like a personalized dashboard filled with recommendations based on your tastes and listening history.

Browse is where you can find updated playlists, new releases, radio stations and trending songs. This feels somewhat personalized, but is more of a hub for all the fresh, new content you might miss if you only follow recommendations. Within Browse the service highlights its Spatial Audio tracks that also support Dolby Atmos, this is good news if you’re listening with headphones or speakers that’ll make the most of it, like the Airpods Pro. 

There’s also a tab dedicated Radio, which is where you’ll find the Apple Music 1, Apple Music Hits, and Apple Music Country stations. 

Next, you’ll find your Library. This is where all of the music you’ve downloaded and saved to your device is kept, as well as everything you’ve saved, added to a playlist and played. It’s all divided up by Playlists, Artists, Albums, Songs, Music Videos, Genres, Compilations, Composers and what you have Downloaded. 

The search bar works well for locating everything on Apple Music, as well as your own tracks. You can even type lyrics in here if that's all you remember.

Apple Music review: Playlists and recommendations

Apple Music Replay on a MacBook and iPhone

(Image credit: Apple)
  • Big focus on curation and recommendations
  • You can download tracks for offline listening
  • Spotify has the edge with discovery playlists

When you first sign up, Apple Music encourages you to select your favorite genres so it can better recommend music, and it gets started straight away. There’s a big focus on curation and recommendations. According to Apple, although an algorithm powers these recommendations, playlists are sometimes curated by a team of experts.

Top Picks For You sit at the top of your Listen Now homepage. This is a good recommendation source, featuring your Station, think of this as your own radio show based on artists you love, a Discovery Station, for only new music you haven’t listened to but Apple Music assumes you’ll like, and a Heavy Rotation Mix. There are also new releases here that the streaming service things you might like. You’ll find these mixes and stations will feature tracks from an artist, as well as similar artists and tracks you might not have listened to before. 

apple music review

Sign up for Apple Music via the desktop app and you’ll be asked to choose your favorite genres to get started. (Image credit: TechRadar / Apple)

Spotify might still have the edge with its super popular customized playlists – we love Daylist and Spotify Wrapped – but there’s a lot to love about Apple Music’s recommendations too. There’s also a Favorites Mix, which is always guaranteed to be packed with artists I love, as well as a Get Up! Mix, which I put on whenever I head to the gym. 

You can download tracks and playlists for offline listening. According to Apple Music you can download up to 10,000 songs, but obviously that will depend on how much storage space you have left on your device too. 

Apple Music review: Sound quality

An image of Apple Music being controlled with Siri

(Image credit: Apple)
  • Spatial Audio and Lossless Audio
  • Crisp and clear sound

Apple Music added lossless streaming and Spatial Audio a few years ago, as well as support for Dolby Atmos. Apple Music’s lossless music streams will top out at 24-bit/48KHz. The hi-res, lossless streams on offer top out at 24-bit/192KHz. It says that it streams at the highest quality by default and reduces it if you’re streaming on the move.

Apple didn't charge for this uplift in quality and now matches rivals like Amazon Music Unlimited, Qobuz, and Tidal with their hi-res audio offerings. So it enters the space of Spotify alternative streaming services for those who are sick of waiting around for Spotify to launch its HiFi service, which has been promised for years.

We've always been impressed with the sound quality on offer at Apple Music. More recent tests show that to still be true with crisp, clear and reliable audio. 

Without a good set of headphones or speakers it can be hard to tell the difference between Apple Music and a rival like Spotify, especially when you're listening via Bluetooth. But with wired and lossless, Apple Music is noticeably better – this highlights the importance of high-end equipment. You have to have a wired connection (for headphones or speakers) or be streaming over Wi-Fi for lossless, and the hi-res lossless tracks require an external DAC than can support 24-bit/192 kHz.

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Deezer review
1:03 pm | June 17, 2021
Author: admin | Category: Audio Audio Streaming Computers Gadgets | Tags: | Comments: Off

Deezer: Two-minute review

Deezer may not be the most popular music streaming service, but it’s been around since 2007 and even though the space has become more and more competitive over the years, it’s still well worth checking out today. It’s a solid option if you don’t need all of the social features and constant recommendations that Spotify offers but would like a boost in audio quality without having to pay for Tidal’s HiFi Plus.

With more than 120 million tracks, Deezer has a bigger music library than many of its rivals and a bunch of added features, too, including a selection of podcasts, quizzes and a Shazam-like clone called Songcatcher. What sets it apart from rival Spotify is it offers a bump up in audio quality at 1411kbps, which makes it similar to Tidal’s HiFi tier and Apple Music.

It doesn’t feel like Deezer knows your music personality inside out in the same way Spotify does, but there are some good curated suggestions and a constantly-updated playlist of recommendations called Flow. There are several premium options to choose from that come with a one-month free trial. But there’s also a completely free tier with ads and some restrictions – although rumors online suggest this might be coming to an end in several regions.

In terms of design, Deezer’s user interface doesn’t feel quite as ‘put together’ as its rivals, it’s much more minimal. But at the same time, there’s something refreshing about how simple it is. That’s the big appeal of Deezer in my opinion, it may not have the bells and whistles of Spotify, but if you own one of the best wired headphones and want good quality music – and you’re not as interested in social features or a broad selection of fun playlists – it might be well worth your time.

Deezer review: Pricing and subscription

The Deezer apps on a laptop, phone and tablet

(Image credit: Deezer)
  • Free version with ads
  • Premium is $11.99 / £11.99 / AU$13.99 per month
  • One month free trial

There’s a free version of Deezer that has ads and a couple of restrictions – you can only shuffle songs rather than play whatever you like. It’s great there’s a free version as it’s likely to convert a lot of non-paying users into premium subscribers. However, according to several online reports, Deezer has emailed users in some countries recently saying this free tier will be coming to an end in 2024. We’ll update this review when we get official confirmation, but for now it still seems to be available in most regions.

The Premium Deezer tier removes any restrictions and costs $11.99 /£11.99 / AU$13.99 per month. Like Spotify, there’s also a Duo option available for $15.99 /£15.99 / AU$17.99 that’s aimed at couples, bringing you two individual accounts that can be used across up to 5 devices. If a few people in your household use Deezer, the service’s Family subscription plan ($17.99 / £19.99 / AU$21.99) allows for up to six individual accounts across up to 13 devices, offering optional kids’ profiles that let you keep an eye on what your children are listening to.

In an earlier version of this review, we said Deezer was a good value option but it’s upped its prices over the years. Rather than being cheaper than its rivals, it’s now a little more expensive than Spotify and Tidal’s HiFi option, which are both only $10.99 / £10.99 AU$12.99. 

Deezer review: Specs

Deezer review: Music library and content

The Deezer features as seen in the app

(Image credit: Deezer)
  • 120 million tracks
  • 160,000 podcasts
  • Infinite recommended music with Flow

Like most music streaming services, Deezer has added more and more tracks over the years. Right now it says it has more than 120 million, which is more than rivals Spotify and Tidal, which say they currently have 100 million. 

Like Spotify, Deezer has added podcasts to its offering. There are more than 160,000 available to listen to at the time of writing and there’s a good selection. During testing, I could find all of my favorites, but it’s worth checking if your top ones are available. If they’re not, head on over to Spotify where there are currently more than 5 million podcast titles.

There were no audiobooks available when I was testing Deezer in the UK, they could be found via the search bar but couldn’t be played. This is likely because Deezer does offer a limited audiobook library, but only to users in certain regions, including Germany and The Netherlands. 

Thanks to a tie-in with Tune My Music, a third-party app, you can easily import your entire music collection from other streaming services, including your playlists and favorites. You can also bring MP3s from other sources to Deezer via the web version and listen to all of your music in one place. With a Premium subscription you can also download any tracks, albums, playlists and podcasts for offline listening, which is ideal for travel. 

There are a couple of cool extras available alongside Deezer’s music library, including a selection of live radio stations, music quizzes – with themes like 90s Rap, Disney and TikTok Hits – as well as a feature called Songcatcher, which is Deezer’s answer to Shazam. These are all ultimately nice additions, but definitely not enough to pull you away from a rival music streaming service.

Deezer review: Apps and compatibility

The Deeezer app on several devices

(Image credit: Deezer )
  • Desktop, mobile, or web player
  • Chromecast and AirPlay support
  • Available in 185 countries

Deezer is available to use via a desktop app, mobile app, and a flash-based web player. You can download the mobile app for Android, iOS devices, and Windows 10 mobiles and tablets. Deezer is also compatible with a range of smart watches, smart TV platforms, wireless speaker systems such as Sonos, car interfaces, and the Xbox. There’s also support for Chromecast and AirPlay, which means you can send your music to even more devices. 

While I preferred using the app, the Deezer web player works well, offering a stripped-back version of the platform in your browser. Deezer’s user interface looks similar to the likes of Spotify and Apple Music with a dark background and grids of tracks and album artwork, but the design here is a little more minimal and somehow less elegant – which might be due to some of the font choices. However, I like that there are bright pops of color accents throughout, as well as when you play a track. Deezer seems to select a shade from the album artwork – or at least it looks that way – and uses it as the background color while you play the track.

The experience is a little different depending on how you’re listening, but for the most part you’ll find a menu along the bottom of the screen and the first option is Home, which is populated with a wide selection of content. Including your favorite artists at the top, followed by a section called “Mixes inspired by…” which consists of new tracks similar to your favorites. While I was testing out the Deezer app, there was always a solid recommendation here for me. 

Promo images of the Deezer app on Apple TVs

(Image credit: Deezer)

You’ll also find “Made for you”, which is filled with curated playlists and it’s where you’ll find Flow, as well as a bunch of Daily playlists to accommodate different moods. Deezer also serves up general playlist recommendations, like Electronic Soundtracks, and fresh new releases. In a section called “Go beyond streaming” you’ll find everything that isn’t music, like podcasts and other extras. 

Along from Home, you’ll find Explore which feels a little repetitive to me. Suggestions are divided by  genres, but also moods, which are helpful, like “Feeling Sad”. The next option in the menu bar is Favorites, which is where tracks you’ve favorited and your playlists live, as well as albums, artists, podcasts, shaker groups, and any downloaded music. Search is where you’ll find a search bar, allowing you to search across track titles, artists, albums, playlists, lyrics, podcasts and podcast episodes. The Songcatcher feature lives here, too, which works well whenever you’re out and about and want to know what a track is – I like using this when I’m watching a move or TV show, too.

Deezer review: Playlists and recommendations

The new Deezer app's Shaker feature

(Image credit: Future)
  • Flow is good, not great
  • Not as fun as Spotify
  • Keeps things simple

Like Spotify, Deezer uses its recommendation algorithm to suggest music you might enjoy, which results in a number of specially curated playlists and different suggestions for different moods and activities, like Girl Power, Chill and Workout. 

One of Deezer’s standout features is Flow, which serves up an automated mix based on your tastes. It combines your favorite tracks with new recommendations and other songs you might have forgotten about. You’ll need to ‘favorite’ at least 15 tracks before the Flow playlist appears on your home screen, but when it does it’ll fast become a staple and probably the first playlist you tap when you open the app.

I found Flow to be a really fun listen. No, it didn’t get my tastes right with every track, but most were the kind of songs I’d want to listen to throughout the day, especially as I’m working. This suited me as, unlike Spotify’s playlists, Flow is played in an “infinite” stream of music, meaning you’ll have an easy way to listen to music with very little thought required on your part. 

Deezer has some good social features and you can share what you’re listening to straight to Instagram and Facebook stories. However, as it doesn’t have as many users as Spotify, you might feel like you’re missing out when a new and fun update hits, like Spotify Wrapped, or the way everyone is still sharing their unhinged Spotify Daylist playlist titles. These points are all a testament to Deezer being a more simple option. This means a less sociable and fun experience, which is bound to be a red flag for some and exactly what others are looking for.

Deezer review: Audio quality

Promo shots of the Deezer app

(Image credit: Deezer)
  • Ranges from 128kbps to 1,411kbps
  • CD quality music
  • The same as Tidal HiFi and Apple Music

There are three different streaming quality options for Deezer listeners. Standard streams at 128 kpbs, High Quality at 320 kbps and High Fidelity at 1411 kbps (FLAC), which Deezer says requires a high-speed connection. You have the ability to adjust the audio quality settings and set presets for when you’re listening over Wi-Fi as opposed to using your phone’s mobile data – handy, if you’re keeping an eye on your data usage. 

This High Fidelity option is lossless, which means you get CD-quality streaming and FLAC music across any device that you’re listening on, including Deezer’s desktop app, web player, iOS, Android, and Xbox. 

How does this compare to other streaming services? Deezer's High Fidelity setting is the same as what’s on offer from Tidal HiFi, also delivering a similar listening experience to Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited. However, it’s better than Spotify’s 320kbps. You'll only get better than that by opting for Tidal's HiFi Plus offering, which brings you 9,216kbps or 24-bit/192kHz.

During testing, I was using wired high-quality headphones with an iPhone 14 Pro and Deezer’s music certainly sounded more immersive, offering a clearer and more detailed listen when I was comparing the quality options, as well as when I was comparing tracks to their equivalent on Spotify. However, the key thing to remember here is that if you’re not using higher-end audio equipment, then you may not notice a significant difference between the audio on offer from Spotify and Deezer. This is probably one of the reasons why Spotify is still such a popular option, even though services like Deezer and Tidal offer a bump up in audio quality. 

Should I subscribe to Deezer?

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