It’s that time of the year where delivery couriers are rushing around town trying to deliver as many new iPhones to the masses. We already received our iPhone 15 Pro Max which and even completed its review, but we also got another package containing the iPhone 15 Plus. Let’s see what this one brings to the table ahead of its full review.
We picked out the Blue version of the 15 Plus, but as you can see, the color is really washed out to the point that you might easily mistake it for white. Apple really dulled the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus color options this year making the lighter shades...
Today’s cameras are so good, and so serious, that it’s proved cathartic to review the Instax Pal, a camera that’s seriously enjoyable and no more.
This fuss-free ball of fun – it's about the size of a golf ball, to give you an idea – is suitable for all ages, and the closest a camera can be to a digital pet; it lights up and emits a happy jingle when powered on, and a sad sound when inactivity sends it to sleep, while the compatible Instax Pal app gifts you digital rewards for your activity. Tamagotchi, eat your heart out.
As a self-respecting adult I didn’t fall for such blatant manipulation to motivate me to use the app (okay, I did). And you only have to make the Pal available to the whole family – which you can, because you don’t need to be precious about this low-cost snapper – to appreciate that it speaks to all ages.
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This is an Instax camera that might actually be used day-to-day, and not stowed away in the cupboard once your film supply has run dry, as is so often my experience with analog Instax cameras.
The Pal might well have the Instax name, but it’s not an instant camera as we know it. It’s a digital-only camera that fits better in the hand, printing via one of Fujifilm’s Instax Link printers, which come in ‘Mini’, ‘Square’ or ‘Wide’ formats; directly via a Bluetooth connection; or through the new Instax Pal app.
So while you don’t get the analog-only experience of traditional Instax cameras, which can be a wonderful remedy in this digital world we live in, you're more likely to take your tiny Pal with you everywhere, and you’ll also print your candid moments with one of Fujifilm’s portable Link printers more often than you would with a desktop printer.
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To me, the Pal feels like the best of both worlds; it’s a camera that’s not weighed down by a built-in a printer, while the shoot-to-print experience – either directly, or through the app – is seamless.
You can print blind the old-school way, directly to a Link when the switch on the underside of the camera is set to ‘L’, or be selective via the convenient app, and not waste your expensive film by using the ‘F’ setting instead. That’s not the analog soul, but these days I’d rather have the control.
I’m a big fan of Fujifilm’s Instax Link portable printers – and it was the Instax Square Link printer that really completed my Pal experience. You can also use this printer to print the higher-quality photos in your phone’s gallery using the relevant Link app.
The Pal doesn’t even have a screen on which to compose and view your ultra-wide angle snaps, like the Instax Mini Evo hybrid Instax does, and nor does it produce technically excellent image quality images – this is essentially a basic 2560 x 1920 pixel stills-only camera, clothed in cuteness.
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As a camera, the Pal isn’t great. But what it does bring to the table is a fine-tuned experience with the app and printer, in colorful packaging for all to enjoy, and it has one or two surprises up its sleeve.
Selfies and group shots are made easy via the self timer on the app, with the camera supported by the included detachable ring (that you’ll need as a kind of wrist strap if you don’t want to keep dropping the ball-like camera). The Pal even has a tripod thread that's compatible with small table-top tripods.
Also, it was a real curveball to discover that the Pal is a discreet snapper; no one batted an eyelid as I took candid street photos around London with the Pal nestled into the palm of my hand (although the automatic fill-in flash caught me out a few times).
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Fujifilm has put a lot of thought into the new app, too. Automatically wiping photos from the 50-shot internal memory once they’ve been uploaded to the app is a smart move, while there’s also a micro SD card slot for those that want to double up on storing their photos.
In-app images filters, basic edits, plus output to the various Instax Link printers cover your bases and ensure that you remain active, provided you don’t run out of paper. And the beauty is that when you do run out you can keep using your digital Pal until you top up your supply again.
The Fujifilm Instax Pal is not one of the best instant cameras – it’s not even an instant camera, technically – and on paper it can’t compete with the Instax Mini Evo. However, sometimes you’ve just got to go with the feeling, and Pal gives all the feels.
Ultimately, Pal isn’t a technically great camera, but it is one that I want to use more than most others, and that says a lot.
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Fujifilm Instax Pal: Price and release date
Available in the US, bundled with the Mini Link printer only, for $199.99
Available in the UK and Australia as the camera only, from £89.99 / AU$149
The Instax Pal is available in five exotically named colorways: Milky White, Powder Pink, Pistachio Green, Lavender Blue, and Gem Black.
In the US the Instax Pal is bundled with the Instax Mini Link printer only, for $199, while in the UK and Australia you buy the camera separately, for £89.99 / AU$149 respectively (while the Gem Black version with a shiny, reflective surface costs £104.99 in the UK).
In the box you get a detachable ring that can act as a support to rest the Pal on, or slide onto the top as a 'viewfinder' (you don't need to do that), or, most helpfully, use as a kind of wrist strap.
As for the cost of paper, that depends on which format printer you're outputting to; Mini, Square, or Wide. Twin packs of 10 sheets of Instax Mini film start from $14.99 / £14.99 / AU$34.95
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Fujifilm Instax Pal: Should I buy?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
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Fujifilm Instax Pal: also consider
If our Pal review has you interested in instant cameras, here are a couple of other options to consider...
Fujifilm Instax Pal: How I tested
All the family played with our new Pal
Printing directly to portable Link printer, and via the app
I had the Instax Pal in my pocket for over a week, and in my family home with two generations getting to grips with it. Throughout this time, I've became very familiar with the accompanying Instax Pal app, through which you can access most of the Pal’s functions. The camera device itself is super-simple, and I also operated it bypassing the app altogether and making direct-to-Link prints, for a more ‘authentic’ Instax experience.
I’ve used the camera for family snaps, as a discreet street photography snapper, and for all-round every day moments. I played around with the in-app editor, and made lots of prints from the Instax Link Square printer, which is my favorite size of Instax print, collecting plenty of in-app rewards in the process.
Right after the Galaxy S24's design was revealed by SmartPrix in collaboration with @OnLeaks, it's now time for the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
The CAD-based renders reveal the full design of the phone and as reports have indicated, the Galaxy S24 Ultra looks similar to the current Galaxy S23 Ultra.
There are four cameras on the back in the same arrangement, a nearly identical rectangular shape with flat tops and bottoms and a lightly curved side frame.
The front of the phone shows a flatter screen edge, noticeably less curved than the S23 Ultra.
The report says that Samsung has reduced...
Right after the Galaxy S24's design was revealed by SmartPrix in collaboration with @OnLeaks, it's now time for the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
The CAD-based renders reveal the full design of the phone and as reports have indicated, the Galaxy S24 Ultra looks similar to the current Galaxy S23 Ultra.
There are four cameras on the back in the same arrangement, a nearly identical rectangular shape with flat tops and bottoms and a lightly curved side frame.
The front of the phone shows a flatter screen edge, noticeably less curved than the S23 Ultra.
The report says that Samsung has reduced...
While the past two weeks have been all about the iPhone 15 series, we did get a strange recent development with the three-year-old iPhone 12 in France. The National Frequency Agency (ANFR) found the vanilla iPhone 12 was emitting higher than allowed electromagnetic waves which forced the regulator to ban Apple from selling the device on the local market and required Cupertino to issue a software update.
A new report from ANFR claims that the regulator has now approved Apple’s software update (version 4.06.02) which was tested by the French agency and was found to lower the Specific...
The SweetNight Original Cooling Gel Foam Pillow is a fat pillow. Honestly, I've hugged humans that didn't seem to be this substantial. It's thick and chunky – and I love it. Admittedly, I'm a big fan of tall, soft, high-loft pillows. However, if you prefer a medium or low loft, you can zip it open and remove as much of the gel memory foam stuffing you need to until it's the perfect height for you. This makes the SweetNight Original pills suitable for back, stomach, and side sleepers, as well as various builds.
The gel memory foam and breathable cover also combine to help with temperature regulation, which is important to hot sleepers. While this pillow isn't 'cool to the touch' per se, it didn't make me hot, either, in the more than two weeks that I slept on it. In addition, the outer cover is hypoallergenic, antibacterial, and dust-mite resistant, and can be removed and washed, which is a win on the hygiene front.
Keep reading to see how the pillow matches up to the rest of the on the market. And if you're looking for ways to really boost your sleep comfort further, take a look at our guide to this year's best mattress for all budgets.
Having tested plenty of other other options, I think the SweetNight Original Cooling Gel Foam Pillow is one of the very best pillows on the market right now. It's ultra-comfortable, effectively temperature regulating, and reasonably-priced. Plus, the adjustability means it can suit any type of sleeper. Read on for my full SweetNight Original Cooling Gel Foam Pillow review.
SweetNight Original Pillow review: Specs
SweetNight Original Pillow review: Price and deals
Currently the SweetNight Original Cooling Gel Foam Pillow is the only pillow in the SweetNight range, and it's available in three sizes. It's available to purchase directly from SweetNight but also might be available via Amazon – although the stuffing on that version looks different in the photos, so it might not be exactly the model I reviewed. Regular sales mean you should be able to avoid paying full price.
Here's a look at the official pricing and the discounts available on the SweetNight site at time of writing:
Standard: MSRP $75 (on sale for $60)
Queen: MSRP $80 (on sale for $64)
King: MSRP $85 (on sale for $68)
View the SweetNight Original Pillow from $75 now $60 The SweetNight Original pillow comes stuffed with cubes of cooling gel foam, which can be removed to achieve the perfect loft. It's available in three sizes (although the standard seems to be perpetually out of stock) and all are discounted at time of writing.View Deal
SweetNight Original Pillow review review: Design and materials
Gel-infused, cubed memory foam stuffing
Stuffing can be removed to adjust loft
Outer cover is waterproof and machine-washable
The SweetNight Original Cooling Gel Foam Pillow is made of gel-infused shredded memory foam filling. With all the cubes inside, this is a seriously thick pillow. However, they can be removed to adjust the loft to the sleeper's exact preferences.
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This pillow actually has two covers. The cubes of foam are encased within an inner cover, and then there's a second, outer cover, made from a rayon and polyester blended fabric. The outer cover can be removed and tossed into the washing machine, making it easy to keep this pillow clean. SweetNight recommends tossing the pillows into the dryer every two months (with the zippered covers on) to keep them from going flat.
There are three sizes to choose from. At time of writing there were no dimensions listed on the SweetNight site, but the PR provided sizes as follows:
Regular: 62cm x 45cm (out of stock at time of writing)
Queen: 70cm x 45cm
King: 91cm x 45cm
The pillows are also OEKO-TEX certified to be free of harmful chemicals, and the foam is CertiPUR-US certified, which means it meets certain environmental and health standards (all the best memory foam mattresses will have this certification for their foams).
Design score: 5/5
SweetNight Original Pillow review: Comfort and support
Gel-infused cubed foam stuffing is comfortable and supportive
Can be adjusted to suit all sleep positions and body types
When full, this pillow is very thick
The SweetNight Original Cooling Gel Foam Pillow is a thick pillow that provides a comfortable – actually huggable – experience. It's one of those pillows that encourages you to sleep face down simply so you can hug it. And let's be honest, that's actually the best position for the best sleep! (ed's note: this is actually not the best position to sleep in, as it's not good for your back in the long run – you're better lying on your side).
The SweetNight Original Cooling Gel Foam Pillow comes filled with cubed foam stuffing, designed to make the pillow supportive yet comfortable. Zips on the inner and outer covers enable you to remove as much stuffing as you want, to achieve your perfect loft. If you leave all the stuffing inside, this is a seriously thick pillow, but you could make it a medium loft or even a low loft if you prefer. All this means it can be adapted to suit pretty much anyone, of any build and sleep position, and ensure your head is at the perfect height to ensure correct spinal alignment.
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My preference is for a thick, high loft pillow that's huggable, so I never removed any of the fill. It's hard to imagine a better sleeping experience – I would liken it to sleeping on a cloud, but a supportive cloud that could be hugged.
Many memory foam pillows are made from a single block of foam, which can feel overly firm or solid. The cube-shaped memory foam filling here makes the SweetNight pillow incredibly soft and fluffy. It contoured comfortably around my head when lying on it, but there was none of the slow-moving, quicksand feel traditionally associated with memory foam – instead, the SweetNight pillow is springy and bounces back immediately when pressure is removed. It also kept its shape extremely well, and I never had to refluff it.
For me, sleeping face-down was the absolute best position with the DreamFoam pillow. Sleeping on my side was also comfortable, as was propping the pillows behind my back when sitting in bed to watch TV. When sleeping on my back, the pillow wasn't uncomfortable, but my body tended to transition into the other two positions – partially because they were more comfortable, and partially because I only sleep on my back when in testing mode.
Firmness and support score: 5 out of 5 stars
SweetNight Original Pillow review: Temperature regulation
Not cool to the touch, but the general temperature regulation is good
No issues with this pillow trapping body heat
Cubed memory foam offers better breathability
The memory foam stuffing in the SweetNight Original pillow is infused with gel (referred to as 'icy particles'), which is designed to help with temperature regulation. Gel-infused foam is used regularly in memory foam mattresses, but in reality, industry insiders will tell you that the gel is added in such small quantities that it won't make an appreciable difference to how the foam feels. Nevertheless, some foams do sleep cooler than others, and I found the SweetNight offered decent temperature regulation.
The fact that the foam is cubed will also help boost breathability compared to if it were a solid slab, because there's space for air to circulate within the pillow.
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The SweetNight Original Cooling Gel Foam Pillows weren't cool to the touch, but neither are the vast majority of 'temperature-regulating' pillows that I test. However, the pillows did provide a relatively cool sleeping experience. Since I have central heat and air, the temperature doesn't change much in my home, so I'm never hot in the summer or cold in the winter. However, during testing phases, I sometimes get hot in any season if the pillows or bedding is hot. I didn't have any issues with the SweetNight pillow trapping heat or getting warm overnight.
Temperature regulation score: 4.5 out of 5 stars
SweetNight Original Pillow review: Setup and extras
Arrive shrink-wrapped, 1-2 hours to expand
SweetNight warns there can be off-gassing
... but I didn't have an issue with this
The pair of SweetNight Original Cooling Gel Foam Pillows arrived in two branded boxes. I'm not a fan of branded boxes, since they tend to advertise what's inside. So I'm always thankful when these boxes safely reach their destination.
Admittedly, the boxes were a little beat up, but had been thoroughly taped, and the contents were in good condition. Inside each box, the pillows were individually wrapped in one layer of plastic, and shrink-wrapped in a second layer of plastic.
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SweetNight recommends allowing 1 to 2 hours for the pillows to fully inflate, so I tore open the plastic wrap, and then left them for 2 hours to expand. The brand also warns that it's normal for new pillows to have a slight odor, but by letting the pillow air out for 1-2 days, the smell would dissipate. This is know as off-gassing and it's harmless but can occasionally be unpleasant. To be on the safe side, I moved my SweetNight pillows to another location for two days, although I never smelled any off-gassing odors – and my nose is sensitive.
In terms of extras, you've got a 30-day full refund period (there aren't many details at all about what kind of returns will be accepted during this period). The pillow comes backed with a three-year warranty.
Setup and extras score: 4/5
SweetNight Original Pillow review: Customer reviews
At time of writing (Sep 2023), on Amazon, the SweetNight Original Cooling Gel Foam Pillow has 603 ratings with an average rating of 4.3 stars. Many reviewers highly recommended the pillow, said they absolutely loved it, finally found the right pillow, and were glad it relieved shoulder and neck pain and supported their neck region. Among the handful of negative reviews were comments that the pillow was too flat, hard as a rock, and produced a chemical smell.
On SweetNight, the pillow has 382 reviews with a 5.0 rating – and 100% would recommend the product. There were only 5- and 4-star reviews. Buyers found the pillow very comfortable, and noted that they had less neck pain when sleeping on it. Among the 4 star ratings, some buyers said they wanted more filling, or thought the pillow was too big, but still loved it.
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Should you buy the SweetNight Original Pillow?
The SweetNight Original Cooling Gel Foam Pillow is one of the best memory foam pillows that I've tested. It's supportive while also being soft and luxurious. The ability to remove some of the fill makes the pillow a good choice for side, back, and stomach sleepers. Also, the gel foam filling and outer cover are temperature regulating to keep the pillow cool. And since the outer cover is machine washable, it's easy to keep the pillows clean. An excellent all-rounder that will suit almost anyone.
SweetNight Original Pillow review: Also consider
How I tested the SweetNight Original Pillow
For over two weeks, I slept on a pair of SweetNight Original Cooling Gel Foam Pillows to see how they fared in performance, testing for setup, comfort, support, and temperature regulation. I also lay in side-, back-, and stomach-sleeping positions to see if the performance was the same.
Shure's Aonic 50 Gen 2 look the business. And not only that, they back up their not-here-to-mess-around aesthetic with Qualcomm's Snapdragon Sound support, so aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, regular aptX and LDAC are all here – aka all of the current top-tier wireless audio coding.
But there's more! The Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2's bid for inclusion in our best wireless headphones guide culminates in a special USB-C port not just for charging. It means hi-res USB audio is also on the menu (look over here, iPhone 15 and Apple Music users!) thus completing a veritable banquet of connectivity options, from wireless Bluetooth audio pinged from your phone, older sources in a more traditional wired hi-fi system, right up to USB-C audio from your MacBook Pro at work. If that sounds good to you, add these headphones to your list.
However, the star feature of these hotly anticipated second-generation Shure cans (let's be clear here, the three years and five months since the originals is eons in the world of headphone iterations) is Shure’s new spatialized audio technology. The feature provides three distinct modes: Music, Cinema, and Podcast. And the good news is that these are a delight across the board, offering oodles of separation and crispness to vocals during movies and podcasts especially, but unearthing extra sonic articles in even your heavy-rotation music playlists too.
To stake a claim for the best noise-cancelling headphones currently on the market, Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 feature advanced hybrid active noise cancellation. As you'd expect, mics inside and outside the earcup allow the Aonic 50 Gen 2 scope to fine-tune your auditory environment, but you can also help it along thanks to four selectable modes: Light, Moderate, Max, and MaxAware.
For us, the performance here was just a shade under excellent. On the one hand, the clamping force is strong with this one (possibly even a little too forceful for those blessed with larger skulls) and levels of passive isolation are top-notch. But on occasion we found the more ambient-aware options (MaxAware aims to offer the best of both worlds – blocking unwanted noise and maintaining awareness of your surroundings) added warmth to our music and a marginal sweetness to the upper mids. Essentially, the overall efficacy of the noise-nixing here can be beaten by the class-leaders at the level.
Shure's ShurePlus PLAY app is one I'd go to battle for (Image credit: Future)
Picking up on the comfort, at 340g they feel just a tad heavy over longer listening sessions, despite the ample padding. For reference, the Edifier Stax Spirit S3 weigh 329g they're comfortable for all-day use. OK, Apple's AirPods Max weigh 44g more than the Shures at 384g, while Sony's WH-1000XM5 are quite a bit lighter at 249g – so depending on what you're used to, there may be an adjustment period here.
When it comes to sonic performance, Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 is a set of over-ears for the EQ curious. There is very good sound to be had here, if you're prepared to work for it just a little. Those with neither the time nor the inclination to play with those presets might find the sound out of the box a little light on lower mids, treble-heavy and even a fraction cluttered timing-wise, albeit expansive and detailed.
The ShurePlus Play app is your friend here and honestly, I'd go in to battle for this companion app – it is slick, easy to navigate and makes more sense than several offered by rival products. It'll even corral your music under one tab, for easy streaming across various services. Pairing is also a breeze and these headphones skip happily from one device to another thanks to multipoint connectivity that really works.
In summary, the Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 are solid all-rounders. If I'm nitpicking (and it is my job to do so), those who want perfect sound quality from the box may not have the patience for these headphones and the ANC is fine rather than fantastic – but those who love immersive spatial audio during movies, podcasts or playlists are well served here. And if you want USB-C hi-res headphones with the option to go wireless? They're an excellent choice.
An understated build, but a quality one, to be sure. (Image credit: Future)
Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 review: Price & release date
Released in September 2023
Priced $349 / £349 / approx. AU$540
The Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 arrived in the third week of September 2023, having been announced on August 31.
They are priced aggressively for the elite over-ear headphones sector. To explain, that MSRP is actually cheaper than the launch price of the inaugural April 2020 Shure Aonic 50, which were aimed very much at the upper end of the consumer market and evaluated accordingly at $399 / £359, around AU$580.
This clever new pricing strategy from Shure undercuts the asking fee of some of the best and most notable over-ear headphones in the business by a tidy $50 – see the Sony WH-1000XM5 ($399 / £380 / AU$649), the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 ($399 / £379 / approx. AU$575) and the Edifier Stax Spirit S3 ($399 / £330 / approx. AU$640) for starters.
The Illinois audio specialist has put the Aonic 50 Gen 2 right in the way of the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless too, which will set you back $349.95 / £300 / AU$549.95 too. Smart – if the performance is good enough.
All physical buttons, all on the right earcup – and it works. (Image credit: Future)
Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2: Specs
Note the 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable for optional wired listening and USB-A to USB-C, for both charging and audio. (Image credit: Future)
Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 review: Features
Excellent spatial audio processing options
Very useful EQ presets
USB Audio supports up to 32-bit/384kHz
Firstly, stamina: 45 hours is very good (although not as good as the 80-hour staying power of the Edifier Stax Spirit S3, granted, but the comparison is skewed since the Edifier headphones are devoid of ANC) and I can confirm that this battery claim holds true.
Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 headphones are a walk in the park to pair, too. Multipoint? Easy – and once you get used to that fact that the physical buttons are all on the right earcup, altering volume, playback and ANC profiles works a charm.
One lovely little perk here is PausePlus. Imagine you're listening to death metal at the office with Max ANC deployed and your boss approaches (just a random example, no reason). If PausePlus is toggled to on, simply pressing the multi-function button to pause the music also deploys ambient sound, so you can hold a polite conversation with your superior and pretend you were only listening to the latest episode of Revisionist History podcast.
Next up, Shure's Spatializer – no, nothing to do with turning vegetables into edible ribbons. In the app, under the device tab (see? It makes sense, it's a feature on the device) you can select spatial audio processing optimized for music, movies or a podcast. I found they brought all of these sources to life, adding depth, value and enjoyment to the whole testing process.
The EQ presets are a similar story – in fact I suggest using both EQ and spatial audio liberally. There's a dedicated Equalizer tab, and although you can go manual if you want, Shure has sensibly opted to call its presets names such as Bass Cut, Bass Boost, Treble Cut and Vocal Boost. My particular favorite is Treble Cut for music, since I do find these headphones a little heavy-handed through the higher frequenciess, but the point is that Shure has bucked the trend of creating profiles for specific music genres (how often have you wondered whether 'jazz' is the correct preset for the acoustic mix you're listening to, or whether soft-rock is really the same as 'rock'?) and it's an excellent move.
Now, ANC. It's acceptable. It isn't a complete bubble of silence. You deploy it by moving a physical slider all the way up on the right ear cup for ambient, or all the way down for ANC. But you can also open the app to select either the Environment Mode Level on a slider, or Light, Moderate, Max, or MaxAware ANC options. I was unable to perceive a lot of difference in the ANC options during the course of my testing save for MaxAware, which also filters in ambient noise. For softening the extraneous sounds of the office, they do a job – but the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 or Sony WH-1000XM5 still do that job a fair bit better.
Call quality is aided by a "Hear myself on calls" toggle and it does exactly what it says on the tin, making calls feel a lot less like your head's stuck in a bucket as you speak.
Features score: 4.5/5
A svelte but durable hard-shell case with a useful strap. (Image credit: Future)
Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 review: Sound quality
Expansive and revealing separation and clarity
Can come off treble-centric on occasion
Not the most musically cohesive listen
Kicking off with Ritchie Sacramento by Mogwai on Tidal (a FLAC file) with a wired USB-C connection to my Mac, the twinkling chimes and expansive ambient soundscape is pensive and more detailed than I remember it through lesser headphones. The driving beat underpins everything and as sonic articles jangle and dart between each ear, a rare talent for clarity through the mids is revealed.
Paolo Nutini's Loving You is a delight, with Nutini's textured voice held centrally among agile guitars and easy drums.
Switching to an Apple Music file on iPhone, Jamie T's Sticks 'n' Stones is energetic and immersive to the point that I feel Jamie and friends all congregating around me at Hampton Wick Station. It's here I notice the Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2's tendency to over-celebrate the treble though – and as a result, the mix can sound a touch disorganized and jumbled on occasion; the placement of each musical strand seems as if it relies on the frequency being played. Here, female backing vocal "ah"s come forward a little too readily when T's lyrics should be the star of the show, for example.
It's a relatively minor issue and one only noticeable in direct comparison against the likes of the Focal Bathys and Edifier Stax Spirit S3, but it's our job to notice. Otherwise, we're treated to a detailed mix with plenty of dynamic rise and fall through the mids and a decent serving of snappy bass weight.
Deploying the Treble Cut EQ option is the panacea for the upper registers, but it really is worth switching out these profiles depending on your music. If you're someone who believes headphones should just sound good without having to lift a finger, you may not like this solution – and it's a fair point.
Sound quality score: 4/5
The Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2's cups glide silently to lie flat – but headband adjustments are a bit clicky. (Image credit: Future)
Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 review: Design
USB port on the right earcup, 3.5mm jack on the left
Design lies flat, but doesn't fold
Longer hair can get caught in the hinge points when fitting them
Do you miss foldable headphones – the kind that concertina up for easier portability? Well, you won't get them here. The large Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2's earpieces here lie flat in the same way that the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, Focal Bathys or newer Fairphone FairBuds XL do, and the hard-shell case is a little more svelte than the Focal's, but it'll still take up a bit of room in your bag – unless you want to use the strap to latch it to a carabiner on the outside of your backpack, perhaps.
The build here is classy and the hinges rotate silently and at a glacial pace (be careful; the anchor point is towards the back of the headband and I caught my hair a few times) which is why it's a little strange that the headband itself is a little noisy if you need to alter the sizing.
The padding on both the earcups and headband is ample and personally, I love that the physical buttons are all one earcup, since I'm right-handed, although those with larger fingers (or lefties) may find this a little fiddly.
What is a little strange is the location of the cable ports, with one on each earpiece – but this is a relatively small issue.
There's hardly any sound bleed; people on desks next to me couldn't hear my tracks at 50% volume in the office unless I lifted an earcup away from my head. On this, the clamping force is relatively strong; if you're running for a train you'll be glad of it, if you're relaxing in a comfy chair, perhaps not so much. There's no IP rating for water resistance here, so try not to wear them to the shower.
In summary, the Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 are a handsome, sleek – if marginally heavy, at 340g – set of over-ears. They're not winning any design awards for originality, but the branding on each earcup is classy and if you prefer physical controls and sliders over touch capacitive functions (I do) you'll enjoy them.
Design score: 4.5/5
In case you're wondering whether the Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2's headband is nicely padded, yes it is. (Image credit: Future)
Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 review: Value
Spatial audio is a high-end option
USB-C audio connection adds flexibility
The merely acceptable ANC may not be what you want
First off, these headphones are not particularly expensive given their features and the price of competitors. That said, if you want the best ANC over-ears money can buy, spend it elsewhere, on the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless or the Sony WH-1000XM5. There is active noise cancellation here, and the presets are fine, but it isn't a class-leading experience.
Buying headphones almost always involves a compromise somewhere (omission of a particular hi-res codec, poor call quality but great sound, lack of water resistance), but for the wealth of connectivity supported both with wires and without, the spatial audio profiles and the outstanding EQ tweaks, Shure's Aonic 50 Gen 2 are almost impossible to equal.
The battery level is more than sufficient at 45 hours, the build is classy, the companion app is excellent and the multipoint pairing experience has never let me down.
The flies in the ointment? Occasionally the treble is a little forward in the mix and the ANC is a shade off excellent. Depending on your priorities, this either doesn't matter or is a deal-breaker. It's up to you.
Value score: 4.5/5
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Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 review: Also consider
How I tested the Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2
Wear headphones while the sun shines. (Image credit: Future)
Bulk of testing done using an iPhone 12, running ShurePlus PLAY app, firmware version 2.3.1.0
Tested over two weeks, listened against the Edifier Stax Spirit S3, Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless and Focal Bathys
Used on long walks on public streets, at work in a busy office, on a train, and at home
Listened to Tidal Masters, Apple Music, Qobuz and Spotify on an iPhone 12, a Sony Xperia 1 V, and via USB-C connection on MacBook Pro
To test headphones is to invite them into your life – how the case fits in your bag is just as important as how they slip onto your head. These cans became my daily musical companion – after a thorough run-in period. And just as Shure is a trusted name in audio, I now trust these headphones to work every day, regardless of how you're connecting to your music source, without fail.
The Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 accompanied me to work on busy weekdays (walking brusquely to the station; boarding a train and the London Underground; at the office) and walking along the blustery seafront on the UK coastline – a great way to test any wind-interference from mics during calls.
To check the audio quality across the frequencies, I listened to various playlists across various music genres (spanning everything from grime to classical) on Apple Music and Tidal, but also to podcasts and albums on Spotify – plus of course YouTube tutorials (on how to change my car's brake light, mostly) from my MacBook Pro.
I’ve been testing audio products for over five years now. As a dancer, aerialist and musical theater performer in another life, sound quality and the user experience have always taken priority for me personally – but portability, security and comfort come a close second.
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