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I tested Meze’s newest open-back headphones and their stunning depth, clarity and style make them perfect for audiophile-grade listening

1:00 pm | June 12, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Headphones | Comments: Off

Meze Audio Poet: One-minute review

The Meze Audio Poet are a posh pair of ‘phones. At this price point, you deserve nothing less than ‘posh’, and the Poet deliver in spades – from an impressive quality of build to a lagoons-deep listening experience. Smart touches like magnetically attached earpads and a nifty adjustment mechanism exemplify the thoughtfulness with which the Poet were designed, like many of the best wired headphone available.

A narrow soundstage and an eventually fatiguing listening experience serve to slightly dull these premium cans' shine to sit easily among the best over-ear headphones on the market – but only because of the increased scrutiny such premium prices invite. For those with the budget and inclination, the Poet are a hard set to turn down.

Meze Audio Poet open-back headphones on a wooden surface — (Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw)

Meze Audio Poet review: Price and release date

Released February 20, 2025
$2,000 / £1,899 / AU$3,550

Meze Audio is a relatively young headphone company – at least, young against the years held by the generational heavyweights that tend to claim column inches such as these. Yet in a relatively short period of time, this underdog has curried a not-so-relatively high level of consumer trust and goodwill, thanks to an ever-expanding range of headphones both accessible and incomparable.

These are the Meze Audio Poet, a recent entrant into their range of upper-crust audiophile headphones. They continue the tradition of posh Meze units past, coupling forward-thinking driver design with rarefied aesthetic design to make something as fun to look at as they are to listen through.

The Poet aren't the most expensive pair on Meze’s audiophile-range docket, but at $2,000 / £1,899 / AU$3,550, nor are they 'cheap". How, then, do they fare?

Meze Audio Poet open-back over-ear headphone on a stand, placed on a wooden table tray — (Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw)

Meze Audio Poet review: Features

State-of-the-art planar drivers
Smart, musical acoustic design
Earpads easy to detach

The Meze Audio Poet are a serious piece of audiophile-listening kit. This fact is borne out, in part, by the abject lack of anything that conventionally constitutes a ‘device feature’. If you, as someone new to this echelon of listening device, are looking for consumer-grade bells and whistles, such as wireless connectivity, active noise cancelling or aggressive digital EQ sculpting/bass-boosting, you’ll come up mercifully short.

The features that stand the Poet apart are those that make their listening experience worth the outlay – starting with its drivers.

The Poet have planar magnetic drivers, designed and manufactured exclusively for Meze by Rinaro. This is a partnership that goes back a way, and which has produced special fruit – both in the form of a unique diaphragm design (found here, and in other audiophile Meze-mezze like the Elite and Meze Empyrean), and in a new MZ6 driver design, which combines incomparable fidelity with incomparable compactitude. Planar drivers have their own USPs, including (among many other attributes) extensive upper-range detail and smoothness. Here, you’re getting the cream of the crop.

Meze Audio has also licensed proprietary Acoustic Metamaterial Tuning System (AMTS) tech from Dan Clark Audio – a clever system of physical frequency-damping that serves to tame fatigue-inducing high-end. Since these babies have a fidelity of up to 96kHz, you can see the appeal of such high-end control.

On the practical side of the equation, a somewhat-novel feature presents in the complete removability and replaceability of the ear pads with incontestable ease. They’re held in place magnetically, and can be plucked off for cleaning or replacement without the demented and destructive picking and tugging that the same events can often require in other headphones.

This kind of modularity is a vote of confidence in the headphones, too. Meze expects you to go the distance with the Poet, so much so that it wants you to be able to take the best possible care of them, thereby maintaining the best possible listening experience. It may be a bare-minimum expectation for something so priced as the Poet, but in the world we live in, and with the unscrupulous design decisions undertaken by other consumer brands, a win is very much a win.

Features score: 5 / 5

Earcups of the Meze Audio Poet open-back over-ear headphones, on a wooden surface — (Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw)

Meze Audio Poet review: Sound quality

Excellent depth of sound
Voices, woodwinds and transients are glorious
Soundstage a little narrow

Though the Poet are open-back headphones, they still have some interesting closed-back-y isolation created by the ear cups – with partial thanks to the snug fit they create around your ears. The ear cup cushioning is plush and deep, and docking into them feels like closing an airlock around your face. It’s pleasantly uncanny, hearing a quieter, still-clear outside world while your ears feel like they’re in a different space altogether.

Listening to my digital copy of Pile’s luminary album All Fiction is disarming for the impressive attack these cans possess; this is one of the more convincing translations of the album I’ve heard, insofar as feeling like Rick Maguire is frustratedly plucking those guitar strings in real space, close by my ears.

The soundstage isn’t the most three-dimensional I’ve heard – more on which shortly – but the depth and separation between instruments is highly commendable. For instance, in Pile’s Blood, auxiliary strings thrum through its emotional climax. I usually perceive them as a searing block; a unit. Through the Poet, though, they’re the multitudes they were recorded as – strands, vibrating apart, and catching one another’s air.

Alabaster DePlume’s work was a particular high point for me with these headphones. Not Even Sobbing, from Come With Fierce Grace, is a sparse elegy that fills in from the outside, its endless swells and dwells between saxophone, voices, violins and bass that seem to gain volume by mitosis, crowding in close around your ears like you’re the fire they’re singing round. The Poet hear them beautifully.

Carry case for Meze Audio Poet over-ear headphones on a wooden surface — (Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw)

This is the Poet’s strength. They can readily resolve disparate instruments within an arrangement, in a way that highlights the figurative space between performances, musicians, and takes. Lesser headphones have a tendency to glue, smear, and otherwise daub, often imperceptibly – which can render the background more as an oil painting than a relief.

Hearing a creak in the piano at the start of Andy Shauf’s I’m Not Falling Asleep, from The Bearer Of Bad News, sealed the deal with this line of enquiry. The rendering of a space and time with open clarity and tangibility gives you new angles from which to feel close to something special.

The Poet are dynamite with transients, too. Everything’s whip-crack sharp and responsive. This is a particularly cathartic demeanor when it comes to the dead drums and plucky electric piano of Demon Fuzz’s Afreaka!, or the delicate, tentative textures of The Books’ collage-folk The Lemon of Pink.

All this said, the Poet do tend to prefer vocals – simultaneously a strength in one sense, and a weakness in others. The prominence of that upper-mid range over the lower-mids can make for an occasionally imbalanced experience, but also gave another high point in listening to Dirty Projectors and Bjork’s When The World Comes to an End, from the phenomenal, voice-led EP Mount Wittenberg Orca.

The open-back design doesn’t bring as much width as other headphones, and many of the albums I listened to across multiple devices and formats felt ‘closer’ than I felt they ought to. That said, they do seem to do the trick with respect to low end, which feels quite bloomy, but in a plush and rich way (as opposed to the boomy, indistinct way many closed-backs ultimately provide).

I thought this, plus the tighter soundstage and V-shaped frequency response, would make heavier tracks like those of Queens of the Stone Age’s Songs For The Deaf a little lacklustre. Boy, was I wrong. The vocals are a little floaty, but that grinding muffled-guitar core is everything you’d hope for and more – and the bass a silky undercurrent enjoying newfound fidelity and focus. Ultimately, these headphones are an indulgent listen.

Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5

Close up image of earcups of the Meze Audio Poet open-back over-ear headphones, on a wooden table — (Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw)

Meze Audio Poet review: Design

Impeccably put-together
Satisfying practical design flourishes
Robust enough to assuage your worry

The Meze Audio Poet are premium kit, so it should come as no surprise that there’s some pristine design in and around them. It’s hard not to start with the case – a foam-lined ABS hard-case with an unnecessarily neat pleather-clad hinge. It’s not the most opulent outer shell in the world, but opening it does feel like unwrapping a gift every time (particularly with a well-chosen, pleasant-to-use clasp at the front).

The headphones themselves, more importantly, are a veritable work of art. Precision-milled backplates catch the light in intoxicating ways via their contemporary art-deco-ish patterning, and feel hugely solid against my hands' light compressive force.

On the connectivity front, the cables are thankfully discrete from the ear cups. Each ear cup jack receives its respective TS connector with a stiff and reassuring click. I’m confident that, in the unlikely event you comedically wrap your Poet cable around a nearby hatstand while in transit, the hatstand would follow you for the ride.

Carry case of the Meze Audio Poet over-ear open-back headphones, on a wooden surface — (Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw)

Something I absolutely love about the Poet’s design is their complete embracement of simple solutions over flashy tech. Ear cup adjustment isn’t some encapsulated, easy-to-break ratcheting system, but rather a simple friction-based push-fit system – it moves slowly and surely up and down, but freely in rotation. Exceedingly simple, and exceedingly well executed.

That lean to simplicity does create a fun potential pitfall or two in places, though. For instance, the titanium bars that host the earcups are resonant, and all too eager to transmit their gong-like overtures through to your ears with the slightest bang or brush. Meanwhile, the headband is a single length of suede leather, which promotes ease of fit to your bonce but doesn’t play as nice with headphone stands.

Minuscule gripe aside, these headphones are self-evidently designed with careful thought – and with something of a reverence for those people that’ll be spending their hard-earned on grabbing a pair. I’m a fan!

Design score: 5 / 5

Headband of the Meze Audio Poet open-back over-ear headphones, on a wooden surface — (Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw)

Meze Audio Poet review: Value

Price not to be sniffed at, even if cheaper than other audiophile headphones
Justify their price point well...
… but minor shortcomings stand out more

With a pair of headphones as, frankly, luxuriant as these, two key issues present.

For one, they will handily reveal the shortcomings of practically any sound source you put before them. For another, they will wear their own shortcomings all the more prominently, if only for the increased scrutiny that such a high asking price places on them.

It’s an easy trap to fall into with something as good, and as expensive, as the Meze Audio Poet. And bear in mind, too, that this is still the ‘budget’ end of the audiophile spectrum, one which, at the other extremity, straight-facedly asks you to spend tens of thousands. I love these things, but the threshold for unequivocal endorsement gets exponentially higher against cost, just as returns tend to diminish.

It is with this line of thinking, and these resulting caveats, that I say the Meze Audio Poet do a great job of justifying their expense, but that certain behaviors – from a narrower-than-expected soundstage to the unexpected fatigue of longer listening sessions – stand out more for that expense. Your money is paying for cutting-edge planar drivers, meticulously designed and stunningly beautiful earcups, effortless ergonomics and quality materials; it also needs to buy you an experience greater than the sum of its parts, which the Poet readily do. With some small asterisks.

Value score: 4 / 5

Cables, and leather case, for the Meze Audio Poet open-back over-ear headphones, on a wooden surface — (Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw)

Meze Audio Poet review: Should you buy them?

Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	Free from the tyranny of consumer-grade bells-and-whistles; cutting-edge drivers and acoustic design are triumphs.	5 / 5
Sound quality	Bright, clear, deep, reedy – the Poet are a rich set, friendly to vocals but incredibly adept with transients.	4.5 / 5
Design	Beautifully made, with some well-executed minimal mechanisms; a joy to behold and to wear.	5 / 5
Value	The research, design and commitment to quality justify the price, but the little things, stand out against that price all the more.	4 / 5

Buy them if...

You value your hi-fi
Audiophile headphones are the haunt of the discerning listener. The Poet are here to render your records and audio files in the clearest, deepest light – and will perform all the better when placed after quality sources.

You’re an active listener
These headphones dock over your ears like visiting spaceships. Though open-back, they create a remarkable distance between you and the world around. This, coupled with the three-dimensional rendering the Poet are capable of, make scrutinizing your faves for new discoveries all the more thrilling.

Don't buy them if...

You’re risking your credit score to do so
Impeccable as the Poet sound, they're only worth investing in if you’ve the money spare. You’ll find more bang-for-buck, and near-equivalent enjoyability, in cheaper Meze Audio cans!

You’re choosing open-backs for the soundstage
Despite their open-back nature, the Poet do not quite ‘breathe’ the same as other open-backs this writer has tried and enjoyed. I’m reminded more of closed-back headphones by the fit and feel, as well as the dimensionality of sound.

Meze Audio Poet open-back over-headphones on a wooden surface — (Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw)

Meze Audio Poet review: Also consider

	Meze Audio Poet	FiiO FT5	Edifier Stax Spirit S5
Type:	Over-ear	Over-ear	Over-ear
Open-back or closed-back:	Open-back	Open-back	Open-back
Driver:	Planar magnetic	Planar magnetic	Planar magnetic
Frequency range:	4Hz to 96kHz	7Hz to 40kHz	10Hz to 40kHz
Impedance:	55 ohms	36 ohms	18 ohms
Connector:	Dual mono TS 3.5mm to 6.3mm TRS	Dual mono TS 3.5mm to 3.5mm TRRRS	Wireless (Bluetooth, LDAC/aptX Lossless)
Weight:	405g	465g	347g
Extras:	ABS hard case, dual TS to 6.3mm stereo cable, dual TS to 3.5mm stereo cable	Carry case, Dual mono TS 3.5mm to 3.5mm TRRRS cable, x4 TRRRS adapters (3.5mm TRS; 4.4mm TRRS; 6.3mm TRS; mini XLR)	Carrying case, 3.5mm TRS cable, USB-A to USB-C cable, ear pads

FiiO FT5
FiiO’s FT5 over-ear headphones are, if anything, disruptive. FiiO has done some incredible things with its position in the hi-fi market, including bringing stunning leaps in planar magnetic driver tech to the mid-range much quicker than anyone else has dared. Do they sound better than the Poet? No. Are they four times cheaper and still Actually Very Good? Yes.
Read the full FiiO FT5 review here

Edifier Stax Spirit S5
If you actually want those high-tech gubbins I was so gleefully celebrating the absence of before, try the Edifier Stax Spirit S5 on for size. Wireless tech and app connectivity collide with planar magnetic driver design in this Actually Quite Affordable pair of quality listening ‘phones.
Read our full Edifier Stax Spirit S5 review here

Meze Audio Poet review: How I tested

Tested for five weeks
Used as listening headphones at home
Mainly tested with digital music sources, via my computer and a Universal Audio interface
Also listened to vinyl on a Victrola Stream Sapphire, via the headphone out of a Cambridge Audio amplifier

Headphones are a daily fixture for me. As a freelance writer often in need of ‘locking in’, as a music lover with an ever-expanding library of too-cool-for-school records, and as a freelance musician reliant on headphones for recording, monitoring and mixing.

My experience with headphones of all types, purposes and budgets puts me in a fun position to evaluate the Meze Audio Poet – a pair of audiophile cans which became my resident listening headphones at home, spending time between my living room and attic studio space.

In the attic, the Poet were used to listen to digital copies of records from my collection and via streaming, through a Universal Audio Volt 4 audio interface. In the living room, the headphones were plugged into my Cambridge Audio Azur 540r receiver, which received the sound of my record collection via a Victrola Stream Sapphire turntable (outfitted with an Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge).

First reviewed: June 2025
Read more about how we test

I tested the successor to my favorite cheap Earfun headphones and sadly, there’s one major problem

4:00 pm | June 10, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Headphones Wireless Headphones | Tags: ANC, RRP | Comments: Off

Earfun Tune Pro: Two minute review

Budget audio brand Earfun has continued its foray into the over-ear headphone game with the Earfun Tune Pro, an affordable pair of over-ears which unfortunately don’t live up to Earfun’s usually-impressive track record. Some of the best cheap headphones I've tested, they are not.

Earfun’s first over-ears, the Wave Pro, were some of our top-rated affordable headphones, easily earning (for a while, at least) a place on our list of the best headphones you can buy. And they were always going to be a tough act to follow. The fact that they’re still available to buy now also makes them a big (and honestly, more viable) rival to the Tune Pro.

I won’t beat around the bush: the big problem with the headphones is that they just don’t sound good. Earfun’s typical ability to punch well above its weight somehow didn’t grace the new and rather ironically-named Tune Pro. The cans lack serious bass, endure frequent peaking that ruins percussion, and don’t offer much in the way of an organised, layered soundstage to let you appreciate the separation and detail of instruments.

You can’t expect Bose- or Sony-tier audio in cans that cost under $/£100 but there are plenty of budget headphones for the same price that outstrip the Tune Pro. So as you'll see as we get into the meat of this review, it's hard to recommend the cans.

I also found the Earfuns pretty uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time. The pressure they exerted on my head grew noticeable after only a few hours of use. It’s not great and neither of these are concerns was something I experienced with the Wave Pro.

Why not go lower than 3 stars? Well, the Earfun magic is present in a few other areas. Take, for example, the battery life: these headphones will last a monumental 120 hours (with ANC turned off) before you’ll need to charge them. That’s five straight days of music before they need powering up and I don’t need to tell you how important a long battery life can be for certain subsets of users. There are very few headphones on the market that come even close to this score.

Earfun has also included its usual range of features on its app: multiple ANC modes (perhaps too many – more on this later), an in-depth equalizer and a feature that’s all too uncommon on headphones: a listening test to automatically create your own sound mix. This latter is a lovely little extra that lots of rivals don’t have.

While the audio quality lets things down big-time, I can see the admirable battery life and listening test drawing in some users who prefer functionality over sound quality. It’s just that those are more caveats than I usually have to add in an Earfun review – a brand I usually champion in the ‘cheap and cheerful’ stakes.

Earfun Tune Pro review: Specifications

Component	Value
Water resistant	N/A
Battery life (quoted)	120 hours (ANC off) 80 hours (ANC on)
Bluetooth type	Bluetooth 5.4
Weight	289g
Driver	40mm + 10mm

Earfun Tune Pro review: Price and availability

The Earfun Tune Pro atop a bronze table. — (Image credit: Future)

Released in May 2025
RRP of $89.99 / £79.99 (roughly AU$160)
Already available at $69.99 / £59.99 (no AU sales)

The Earfun Tune Pro were announced in May 2025 for a retail price of $89.99 / £79.99 (roughly AU$160 though they're not on sale in Australia at the time of writing, unlike many other products from the company).

Don’t tell Amazon that though, because the retailer lists in multiple regions that the cans were released in September 2024. It offers them for the discounted price of $69.99 / £59.99 (at the time of writing) despite them being new.

However much you pay for them, the Earfun Tune Pro are clearly budget headphones. They’re the middle of Earfun’s three over-ear options, sitting equally between the more expensive Wave Pro and cheaper Wave Life.

Earfun Tune Pro review: Design

The Earfun Tune Pro on a man's head. — (Image credit: Future)

Chunky cans with 3.5mm jack and physical buttons
Uncomfortable for long play sessions
No IP rating for waterproofing

As you can see from pictures, Earfun has kept things simple with the Tune Pro, playing close to the formula for over-ear headphones.

The cans weigh 289g and are made from plastic, so they don’t feel too heavy when you’re wearing them. That doesn’t mean they’re exactly comfortable though, and I could only listen for a few hours before needing to give my head a break.

The ear cups are quite thick, sticking from your head about 50% more than your average pair of over-ears (judging by the few pairs I had on hand). I don’t imagine this is to blame for the comfort issues but it does make the cans look imposing when you wear them.

Earfun has ensured that the Tune Pro have some versatility in size as the band can be extended or retracted quite a distance (if you do have a larger head, check out our roundup feature of headphones with longer extendable arms) while the cups can be rotated around 100 degrees – and they also fold up if you want to put them in a bag.

Onto the buttons. On the right cup you’ve got a volume rocker, power button and 3.5mm headphone jack – yes, the Tune Pro supports wired audio – while the left earpiece has an ANC button and the USB-C charging port.

The buttons don’t stick out that far from the casework and so, despite little knobs to make them a bit more prominent, I still found them pretty hard to locate just with my fingers. Instead, I generally relied on my phone to change volume and ANC.

Earfun’s website makes no mention of any kind of IP rating for the Tune Pro so I’d recommend keeping them high and dry.

Design score: 3.5/5

Earfun Tune Pro review: Features

Incredbly battery life
Range of ANC modes, all fine
Equalizer with listening test

Earfun headphones always out-rep the competition in the features department and things are no different for the Tune Pro. The real highlight of these cans is the battery life, which according to Earfun stretches to an incredible 120 hours with ANC turned off and a still-admirable 80 hours with it turned on.

I can count on one hand the number of sets of headphones that beat or match that battery life, and it’s a vital figure for people who rarely get time to charge up their headphones for one reason or another. I would’ve loved cans like these when I last went travelling.

Next up, ANC is… present, I’ll say that much. It’s fine, but far from best-in-class and about what you’d expect for the price. It’s useful for covering up certain annoying background noises like a dishwasher in another room or distant traffic going past your house, but it won’t make your commute near-silent or ensure you can hear your music when vacuuming at home.

A few different ANC presets are available in the Earfun app. Default, which I take to be ‘off’, is Normal but there’s Ambient Sound to allow nearby noises through, Wind noise cancellation which is just designed for the infuriating sound of wind that always baffles headphone ANC, and lastly Comfort ANC and Strong ANC. I take these latter to be ‘medium’ and ‘high’ strengths to Normal’s ‘off’, but this is based purely on the icons in the app and nothing else.

I’ve complained in past reviews about Earfun’s array of ANC modes being a bit overwhelming. Why? Because it’s hard to know which mode you should be using at any one time, and it’s also a chore to open up the Earfun app to switch if you decide you want to (the ANC button on the cans only cycles through the first three options, not the two full-blooded ANC ones).

A few more features available through the the Earfun app include the ability to toggle low-latency modes for gaming or a wide-soundstage mode for movies and TV, and a way to change what the buttons on the ear cups do. However, the major one to note is an equalizer.

As with past Earfuns, the Tune Pro offers a wide range of EQ modes based on different genres of music or increasing or decreasing bass or treble. There are plenty of options and it’s worth playing around to find your perfect preset, though a 10-band custom EQ mode lets you create your own mix too. A brief test also creates a bespoke equalizer mix for you and I was pretty happy with the mix it created for me.

For call handling, the Earfun Tune Pro feature five mics (presumably per earpiece, although Earfun doesn't express this as such. But anything else would be odd) as well as an algorithm to clear up your voice when others hear you.

Features score: 4/5

Earfun Tune Pro review: Sound performance

40mm + 10mm drivers
Distorting sound, lacking bass
Limited sound stage

Given the price you’re paying for the Tune Pro, you’re probably not expecting the most ear-pleasing audio in the world, and it’s a good thing to set your expectations low because these Earfun headphones don’t sound great, even for the money.

Specs-wise, the headphones pack both a 40mm and 10mm driver in each can which should ostensibly provide extra oomph in the bass department, but theory is a far cry from fact.

Perhaps the biggest issue, noticeable constantly, is the audio peaking through the treble, which crushes hi-hats into mere hisses and devolves powerful guitar lines into crunchy oblivion. At the other end of the frequency scale, the tuning here boosts the bass drum so much that it frequently overrides vocals. It’s hard to enjoy songs without percussion and detail through the mids to provide rhythm, and the Tune Pro don’t offer much of that.

You’re not getting much expansion or detail through the soundstage here either, with music presented as a somewhat homogenous mush instead of a collection of separate, distinct and layered instruments given enough room to be impactful. The confusing mix here also masks the detail and dynamic nuance in my music, while also sapping some of the charm and emotion from vocals. If you care about the musicality within your favorite songs, these sadly aren’t the cans for you.

If there’s anything to be said for the Earfun Tune Pro's audio quality, it’s that the max volume goes pretty loud, so you’re never going to struggle to hear songs even if you turn ANC off.

Sound performance score: 2.5/5

Earfun Tune Pro: Value

Usually when qualifying the value of cheap headphones, I simply point to the price and say “yes”, but it’s not quite as easy as that for the Tune Pro.

While the headphones are admittedly very affordable, they’re not the only cheap headphones in existence, and others will get you more bang for your buck. That’s literal, with many other low-cost options getting you better audio quality.

The only other important factor is the feature set, which admittedly is pretty competitive on the Earfun Tune Pro. So if you aren’t that bothered about the sound and care more about longevity and the presence of an equalizer, these claw back some value points.

Value score: 3.5/5

Earfun Tune Pro review: scorecard

Category	Comment	Score
Value	You get what you pay for, but you're not too far out of pocket for the Earfuns.	3.5/5
Design	The Tune Pro is a bit too big and bulky to be fully comfortable to wear, but it has 3.5mm.	3.5/5
Features	For budget cans, the feature set is solid. The battery life is laudable and the EQ (and its test) are too.	4/5
Sound	A range of issues with the audio quality makes it hard to award many points in this department.	2.5/5

Earfun Tune Pro: Should I buy?

Buy them if...

You need lots of battery power

With 120 hours in the tank, the Earfun Tune Pro are great headphones for people who can't find themselves to a charging point every day, or simply forget to do so regularly.

The EQ tuner sounds useful

A listening test is a mode we don't often see in budget headphones, so if you want a digital way of improving your music, this may be enough to sway you.

You need headphones that fold down

Not every pair of headphones on the market folds down to be easily transportable, and some are really hard to fit in a bag. Not these Earfuns!

Don't buy them if...

You care about audio quality

It's unfair to say that audio quality is the only important factor of a pair of headphones... but if you prioritise sound-per-pound value, skip these particular Earfuns.

You have a large noggin

People with small heads may not have the uncomfortable wear problem that I did, but if your cranium is medium or large sized, you'll struggle to listen to the Earfuns for a few hours.

Also consider

Component	Earfun Tune Pro	1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51	Earfun Wave Pro
Water resistant	NA	NA	NA
Battery life	120 hours (ANC off) 80 hours (ANC on)	100 hours (ANC off) 65 hours (ANC on)	80 hours (ANC off) 55 hours (ANC on)
Bluetooth type	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.3
Weight	289g	246g	268g
Driver	40mm + 10mm	40mm	40mm

Earfun Wave Pro

Everything we wanted the Tune to be: these cheap headphones cost pretty good, feel more comfortable to wear and mostly match the Tune's feature set. The battery life isn't as good though.

Read our full Earfun Wave Pro review

1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51

The cans that displaced the Wave Pro as our top-rated budget headphones. The 1More have good sound and great ANC, with a battery life that's not much shorter than the Earfun. However there are a few build concerns.

Read our full 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 review

How I tested

I used the Earfun Tune Pro for three weeks in order to write this review, and some extra time during the writing process itself.

During testing I used the Earfun alongside a few devices, most frequently my Android smartphone via Bluetooth but sometimes an iPod Classic via 3.5mm. Listening was generally music but I also listened to some some spoken-word, games and TV shows too. Testing was done at home and around my neighborhood.

I've been testing audio products for TechRadar for over 6 years and currently test several headphones or earbuds each month. This has included many past Earfun products – including the slightly older Wave Pro.

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5: two-minute review

The Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 are a modestly priced pair of stem-equipped wireless earbuds, aiming to offer “detail-rich” sound and silencing ANC. With a list price of $129 / £99 / AU$169, these buds are hardly short on competition. But they do a decent amount to stand out in what is a congested market.

One of the ways they do that is by offering a broad, rich suite of features. Whether it’s a preference EQ test, low-latency gaming mode, customizable touch controls or environment-specific ANC, there’s plenty to sink your teeth into. Of course, the adaptive ANC is a standout feature here. It’s not groundbreaking and I’ve experienced better noise-nixing capabilities from wireless earbuds, but external sounds are dulled effectively overall and there are lots of customization options.

That said, to compete with the best earbuds on the market, you need to sound good – in fact, the audio needs to be very good. And thankfully, the Liberty 5 do sound pretty solid overall. You can uncover substantial sonic detail – especially with LDAC deployed – plus booming bass and even a fair amount of breadth and separation when using Dolby Audio. Out of the box, the Liberty 5 do lack a modicum of neutrality, showing a clear preference for bass and treble (read: 'excitement' or 'zeal' over a more natural, faithful and integrated balance across the frequencies). The detail in musical passages and layering of instruments are unlikely to impress audiophiles either. However, it's all relative and for the price you pay, these buds meet the mark.

Something that’s not so impressive, though, is the Liberty 5’s design. I’m just not digging the plasticky housing and stem design. Touch controls, which are accessed via the stems, are fiddly and inconsistent too. You do, however, get a pretty cool sliding case and IP55 dust and waterproofing.

Other aspects that could be better include call quality, which is not exactly bad but not quite as “crystal-clear” as advertised. I also experienced a notable amount of sound leakage – though that’s pretty common for earbuds at this level.

Still, there’s a lot to like about the Liberty 5. My testing suggested battery life may not be as long as quoted, but you still get a decent amount of playtime. There’s a fit check option to get the best seal, a range of additional ear tips in the box and multi-point connectivity too.

All in all, I’d argue that the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 make for a decent pair of wireless earbuds, though their design flaws in particular hold them back from greatness. If you want an even cheaper option, I’d go for the similarly stemmed Earfun Air 2 NC which impressed me in the audio and noise cancelling department.

At a similar price you could instead get the Nothing Ear (a) – more on those later. And finally, if you’re willing to step it up a little bit, I absolutely love the Dolby Atmos-enabled LG Tone Free T90S, which you can grab on-sale close to the $180 / £150 mark. If the Liberty 5 see a significant price-slash at any of the upcoming sales events, I’m sure they’d be worth adding to your online shopping cart. But right now, you can do better for the money.

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 buds on circular surface — (Image credit: Future)

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 review: price and availability

$129 / £99 / AU$169
Launched in May 2025

The Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 launched in May 2025, just over two-and-a-half years after their predecessor, the Liberty 4. They have a list price of $129 / £99 / AU$169, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they were on sale in the not too distant future. Notably, you can grab the Liberty 5 in four different color options: Black; White; Blue; or Apricot. The color you select should have no bearing on price.

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 review: specs

Drivers	9.2mm dynamic
Active noise cancellation	Yes
Battery life	Buds: 12 hours (8 hours with ANC on); Total with case: 48 hours (32 hours with ANC on)
Weight	4.6g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.4
Frequency range	20Hz-20kHz
Waterproofing	IP55

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 charging case in hand — (Image credit: Future)

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 review: features

Customizable noise cancellation options…
...but actual ANC performance isn’t top-class
Top-tier companion app

I want to start off with a big plus-point: I really love the Soundcore companion app – and as someone who has countless similar audio apps on my phone, it’s rare that I really love something priced at this level. Said app is laid out in a clean, user-friendly manner, with all of the crucial settings listed on a hub page and smaller nuggets up in a separate menu. I find some companion apps to be a bit slow or buggy – not this one.

So, let’s run through all of the key features you can find on the Soundcore app. There’s the classic inclusions like multi-point connectivity, a Find Device option if a pesky bud goes amiss, and customizable touch controls – something I’ll discuss more in the Design section.

But one of the key areas I want to focus on is EQ adjustment. Soundcore has really knocked it out of the park here; there are just so many ways to tailor the Liberty 5’s sound to your tastes. Firstly, there’s all the usual suspects – think Bass Booster and Bass Reducer, as well as genre-specific choices such as Classical and Dance. There’s also a Dolby Audio option (not Atmos) with music, podcast, or movie sub-options. Mobile gamers are in luck too: there’s a low-latency Gaming Mode that enhances the sounds of footsteps and voices – though you won’t be able to use this alongside the ‘hi-res’ Bluetooth codec, LDAC, which is a great inclusion.

And there’s more! You can even take a preference test, as seen on the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro, which presents a series of sound ‘A’ and ‘B’ options, and forges a bespoke sound for you based on the selections you make. Honestly, I think Soundcore is doing this better than all of its rivals – I even like this more than the preference-based EQ function on the Sony WH-1000XM6.

Of course, the main event here is active noise cancellation, but despite the Liberty 5’s admirable report card so far, this is where things take a slight dip. Is ANC bad on the Liberty 5? No, that would be harsh. But is it the best around? Also no: it’s acceptable, but no better.

When walking near a busy road, I could still hear vehicles going by, even in the 60-70% volume range. Sure, sounds were significantly dulled, but there was a touch more extraneous noise filtering in than I would’ve liked. Similarly, while working away in the office, chatter in an adjacent room was easily phased out, but low-level discussions from my colleagues would creep in. If you don’t need silence or near-silence at all times, the Liberty 5 will do just fine. But if you’re looking for S-tier noise-crushing capabilities, you’re gonna have to look some more.

Interestingly, you can adapt noise cancelling between one – the weakest, and five – the strongest, if you want to take a more balanced approach to listening. There’s a transparency calibration too, as well as a wind noise reducer and ANC modes for traveling via plane or car. If you’d like, you can even use Fit Test, to ensure you’re getting the perfect seal for shutting out the world around you.

Finally, Soundcore says that the Liberty 5 can manage eight hours of playtime with ANC on – that is if you listen at moderate volume with basically every extra option switched off. That’s a pretty solid amount, though I did realize that the battery depleted by 20% after one hour of testing. That suggests you may not quite get that full eight hours after all. Still, the case packs plenty of charge, so unless you want to lock in for a super-long session, there should be enough battery life here.

Features score: 4/5

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 charging case connected to USB-C cable — (Image credit: Future)

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 review: sound quality

Impressive bass output
Lack a bit of balance out of the box
…but there are extensive EQ options and Dolby Audio to fix it

For $129 / £99 / AU$169, it’s rare that you’ll find top-of-the-range sound quality. And the Liberty 5 aren’t going to plate up the kind of perfectly nuanced, beautifully separated sound that audiophiles are hunting down – if the Liberty 5 could do that for this money and without wires, we could all pack up and go home.

All the same, I’m pleased to report that they do sound good overall. When listening to It’s Possible by Piero Piccioni and Catherine Howe, vocals had a pleasing degree of detail, with tongue clicks on the palate and subtle breaths sounding three-dimensional and largely authentic. Audio was particularly revealing with the higher-resolution Bluetooth codec, LDAC, switched on, but even then, the vocals weren’t quite lifted out of the mix for the most expressive, layered listen.

Similarly, when tuning into Black Eye by Allie X, the vocal performance was clear, but felt as if it could be more prominent in the mix. This track did reveal, however, that the Liberty 5 pack some serious low-end punch. The pumping drum machine – though perhaps not as agile as you’d hear on more premium buds like the Technics EAH-AZ100 – offered impressive depth. And again with Breather by Christ Stussy & S. A. M., the Liberty 5 had the talents to replicate the thumping bass at the heart of this track’s energetic, almost hypnotic bounce.

When listening to Breather, I did feel that percussion in the treble range could sound overemphasized, especially at higher volume levels. That may well cause some fatigue during longer listening sessions, so if you’d like to tone things down, it’s going to be worth taking a trip to the Soundcore app. After making use of the custom eight-band equalizer, I was able to largely quash this issue, which really is a testament to the highly tunable sound of the Liberty 5.

Yes, you really can make these earbuds sound your own. There’s a Dolby Audio option, if you want slightly wider, more immersive sound. For reference, you’re not getting Dolby Atmos – something you’ll find on models like the LG xboom Buds, as an example. How does this particular Dolby side-sauce sound? Well, it does what it says on the tin. Bass in particular sounds broader… more encapsulating. But you may find that a touch of detail is lost compared to listening with Dolby Audio off.

One more performance-related element I should discuss is mic quality. Soundcore proudly states that the Liberty 5 are capable of “crystal-clear” call quality, thanks to six mics, a wind-resistant algorithm and a helping hand from AI. But I wasn’t all too impressed in this department. My voice was decently clear, but my surroundings would often get in the way. Similarly on a voice note, I could certainly hear myself, but my voice wasn’t particularly forward and external noises crept in easily.

Sound quality score: 4/5

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 review: design

Stem design won’t be for everyone
Neat sliding case
The touch controls just aren’t it

I think it’s only fair that I put my cards on the table here and say that I’m not a mega-fan of the Soundcore Liberty 5’s design. Part of that comes down to personal preference – I like the smaller, more discreet look of stemless rivals like the Sony WF-C710N.

Still, I can put that aside to a degree. But I couldn’t help feeling that the Liberty 5 look like a more plasticky and less sleek pair of AirPods. I would argue that their slightly slanted look is a plus though, that does give them a sharper, more angular edge. And unlike AirPods, you can grab these in multiple color options: Black; White; Blue; or Apricot.

Looks aside, there is one major impracticality about the Liberty 5’s design: their touch controls. Soundcore’s gone for a kind of ‘pinch’ control scheme, which frankly, I found a little awkward. The buds wouldn’t feel very secure when I was pinching at the stems to skip or go to previous tracks. And the effectiveness of my attempts varied. Sometimes I had to make multiple attempts to pause or play a song – it’s just not a massively consistent way to control playback.

So, yes, not a lot of good stuff to say so far. But one thing I do like about the Liberty 5 is their charging case. Simply, slide it open and there you are. Your earbuds, right before you! I prefer this motion to the flip-top motion cases opt for and would like to see a few more manufacturers consider it.

The buds are also fairly comfortable in-ear, so it’s unlikely you’ll feel exhausted after mere minutes of use. You can find multiple sized eartips in the box too, helping you find the most secure fit possible. Despite getting a nice seal, though, a colleague did hear some sound leakage at around 65-70% volume. There’s an adaptive sound leakage compensation toggle in the Soundcore app’s advanced settings but, still, you’re not going to get the perfect isolation that the best over-ear headphones supply.

Waterproofing is also pretty solid. The Liberty 5 are IP55 dust and waterproof rated, which means that they can withstand low pressure water jets from multiple directions. That’s better than a lot of competitors, but you can do even better. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, for instance, are IP57-rated, so they can even survive being immersed under a meter of water for a while.

Design score: 3/5

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 in open charging case — (Image credit: Future)

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 review: value

Fairly moderate list price
But still, you can do better for the money
Outperformed by a number of rivals

The Soundcore Liberty 5 are playing in a pretty competitive field, coming in at $129 / £99 / AU$169. It’s a decently modest price tag, sure, but a lot of manufacturers are producing pretty great earbuds for even less.

Now, there are a lot of rivals I could name here. I own the Sony WF-C700N and they sound great while also offering a more low-profile look than the Liberty 5. We also rate the Nothing Ear (a) highly, but I’ll discuss those a little more below. But if you want the ultimate guide to the leading cheap models, then I’d recommend checking out our guide to the best budget earbuds.

Ultimately, $100 / £100 / AU$150 is still a significant spend. And I’m not convinced these are particularly standout – aside from their excellent companion app and decently broad feature-set. In terms of sonic prowess, ANC abilities and design, it’s a more mixed picture. If these are on sale, I wouldn’t count them out, of course. But at the moment, I’d rather grab a pair of buds from Sony or Nothing.

Value score: 3.5/5

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 charging case on circular surface — (Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5?

Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	Awesome companion app, customizable but fairly average ANC, OK battery.	4/5
Sound quality	Good overall sound for the cost with impressive bass, calling could be better.	4/5
Design	Impractical touch controls, divisive stem design, IP55 waterproofing and case.	3/5
Value	Decent price but outperformed by rivals on sound and design.	3.5/5

Buy them if...

You’re looking for a cheaper alternative to AirPods
AirPods are expensive, there’s no getting around it. And there’s no doubt that the Soundcore Liberty 5 are attempting to be a more budget-friendly alternative. With a stem design and a spatial sound option, via Dolby Audio, you can expect a lot of the AirPods’ niceties on the Liberty 5.

You want highly customizable sound
I love the Soundcore app, and one of the reasons for that is its incredibly rich set of EQ options. There’s a preference test that helps you create a truly bespoke sound profile, genre-based presets and even an eight-band custom equalizer. If you want a more balanced listen, it’s definitely worth exploring the options at hand here.

Don't buy them if...

You want class-leading ANC
ANC isn’t all too bad on the Soundcore Liberty 5. External sounds will be dulled fairly effectively and there’s a tasty selection of customization options too. But even at the highest intensity, I wasn’t blown away by the Liberty 5’s noise-crushing skills. I didn’t quite get near-silence in more built up areas and a whisper of noise crept through when I was working in the office, even when blasting music at around 70%.

You’re an audiophile
And finally, these earbuds may not satiate your needs if you’re a true audiophile. Even with LDAC turned on, you won’t get the best instrument separation or perfect control right across the frequencies. With some tuning, they do sound good for the money, but yes, maybe not for the most analytical listeners out there. If that's you, I'd suggest instead checking out our list of the best noise cancelling earbuds.

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 review: also consider

	Anker Soundcore Liberty 5	Nothing Ear (a)	Apple AirPods 4
Price	$129 / £99 / AU$169	$99 / £99 (about AU$150)	$129 / £129 / AU$219
Drivers	9.2mm dynamic	11mm custom	Custom
Active noise cancellation	Yes	Yes	No
Battery life	Buds: 8 hours (12 hours without ANC on); Total with case: 32 hours (48 hours without ANC on)	Buds: 5.5hrs (9.5hrs without ANC) Total with case: 24.5hrs (42.5hrs without ANC)	Buds: 5 hours (official), 7 hours (measured); Total with case: 30 hours
Weight	4.6g (per bud)	4.8g (per bud)	4.3g (per bud)
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.3
Frequency range	20Hz-40kHz	Not stated	Not stated
Waterproofing	IP55	IP54	IP54

Nothing Ear (a)
The Nothing Ear (a) are an excellent pair of budget-friendly earbuds that we’ve talked up no end here at TechRadar. And for good reason. They serve up zealous, expansive audio, surprisingly strong ANC and a compact design. Sure, their battery life is nothing special by today’s standards, but all in all, they’re an awesome pair of buds. Read our full Nothing Ear (a) review.

Apple AirPods 4
In design alone, it does feel like the Soundcore Liberty 5 are a direct competitor to the Apple AirPods 4. And I’m comparing Soundcore’s effort here against the ANC-less version of the AirPods 4, simply due to their closeness in cost. Anyway, Apple’s earbuds are, well… OK. They offer decently fun and dynamic spatial sound as well as that classic design. But no ANC at this price-point, combined with middling levels of detail and lackluster cross-platform features, is disappointing. Read our full Apple AirPods 4 review.

How I tested the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5

Tested for two weeks
Used in the office and while out in public
Predominantly tested using Tidal

I tested the Soundcore Liberty 5 over a fortnight, listening to songs and watching videos for hours on end. I used them out at the office, while at home and when on walks to assess the fortitude of ANC across multiple environments.

Typically, I tested these buds using Tidal, but I also tried using them with both Spotify and YouTube. When listening to music, I ran through the TechRadar testing playlist, which features tracks from a wide variety of genres. Of course, I also tuned in to tons of tunes from my personal library.

Where appropriate, I compared these to the LG xboom Buds on metrics such as comfort, audio quality, ANC capabilities and features. And for reference, I’ve tested tons of audio products here at TechRadar. I’ve reviewed flagship over-ear headphones like the Sony WH-1000XM6, wired earbuds like the Sennheiser IE 600 and, of course, other wireless earbuds like the LG Tone Free T90S.

First reviewed: June 2025
Read more about how we test

I tested the solid budget IEMs that bring Astell & Kern’s audiophile talents to the masses, and they go hard in ways I didn’t expect

12:30 pm | June 7, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Comments: Off

Activo Volcano review

Astell & Kern’s lifestyle-focused sub-brand is back with a new offering, the Activo Volcano. These wired in-ear headphones aim to bring audiophile-quality sound to all, combining supposedly “vibrant, immersive sound” at an easy-to-swallow price.

Specifically, the Activo Volcano IEMs will set you back $80 / £99 (about AU$120), which is considerably – and I mean considerably – cheaper than most of the brand’s oeuvre to date. As well as carrying a modest price tag, the Activo Volcano come with a 3.5mm, 4.4mm, and a USB-C connector, meaning they’re available to a broad audience, across a broad range of devices. But is Activo’s budget offering a hit?

Well, to some degree, I’d answer that with a resounding yes. That ability to cycle through various connectivity options is something many of the best wired earbuds skip out on and to be clear, the Activo Volcano execute this fantastically well. Simply unscrew whichever connector is in use and swivel the desired alternative on – that’s all there is to it.

There’s a handy carry case included too, so you can store the out-of-use adapters when you’re on the go. On top of that, you get a nice selection of both foam and rubber eartips in a range of sizes. After you’ve found the right fit, you should get a tight seal, ensuring you hear their various drivers at their best and with commendable passive noise isolation. Activo’s decision to pack all of this in at such an uncharacteristically low price-point is certainly something to be applauded.

Where I become – let’s say, a little more picky – is in the audio department. Yes, this is a product from the Astell & Kern ecosystem, but if you’re expecting truly premium high-grade sound, you’re going to have to look elsewhere. Do the Activo Volcano sound poor, then? Absolutely not. But if you want the most intricately detailed sound around, you will need to spend more.

So, let’s really zoom in on how the Activo Volcano sound. Each earpiece boasts a triple driver design: a main 8mm unit partnered with two 6mm drivers. This configuration, says Activo, is intended to enhance the richness of lower-midrange and bass. And perhaps as the name suggests, you can hear rumbling bass erupt from the get-go.

Yep, you’re gonna sense a significant emphasis on low-end output with these in-ears – something that perhaps a lot of IEMs hesitate to go too hard on. When tuning into Breather by Chris Stussy & S. A. M., I was struck by palpable low-end output, with the Volcano easily able to replicate the track’s pounding drum machine.

Activo compares these IEM’s low frequency output to the “eruption of magma” from a Volcano. And although you’re not going to get that ultra-immersive, almost tangible boom that some of the best over-ear headphones can deliver, say, I’d argue there’s enough depth here for fans of bass-heavy bangers to sink their teeth into.

I’ll admit, I certainly do enjoy a slight emphasis towards bass registers, especially given that I predominantly listen to a mixture of funk, dance, and jazz fusion. But many looking for a flashy new pair of IEMs – whether musicians, audiophiles, or just casual listeners – may be hoping for a more neutral sound signature. And that is something you’re not going to get out of the gate here.

When listening to Flying Beagle by Himiko Kikuchi, I felt the low-end could sound a little overstated, not giving quite enough room for the flowing piano to sit forward and work its magic, while letting light percussion roll through the backdrop. And when listening to Splash Mountain by Yung Gravy, an already bassy track, I felt that both the low-end and treble were a touch aggressive, meaning vocals in the mid-range were left behind. That’s not to say that the Volcano are regularly harsh-sounding or typically deliver muddy audio, but just know that there are more well-rounded options out there.

For instance, I switched over to my Sennheiser IE 200, which are among my very favorite IEMs, and cost a very similar amount to the Volcano. As soon as I did this, I could tell a big difference in quality across all genres. The IE 200, put simply, plate up better balance and instrument separation, meaning you get a more nuanced, revealing listen.

Even still, the Volcano aren’t going to smack you with distorted or tinny sound. Generally, I found tracks were clear and there were noticeable details, such as light electronica in Black Eye by Allie X, that didn’t go amiss. And if you customize EQ in your source device or streaming app’s settings, you’ll be able to get a more neutral sound – or not – depending on what you’re into. But, all in all, I’d be lying if I said these blew me away, sonically speaking.

Activo Volcano right earbud on block — (Image credit: Future)

Unfortunately, I’m not done with my criticism of these IEMs just yet, though. If I’m honest, there’s not a ton that I love about their design. First of all, I want to talk about looks. Now, Activo says that the Volcano have a “crater-inspired” design that symbolizes the “immense power and energy” of their triple drivers.

But really, I’m getting moon crater, rather than volcanic crater from these – especially given the white and silver finish that’s been selected here. I also moaned at Tribit earlier this year after the Tribit Stormbox Lava speaker totally failed at playing to its open-goal volcanic theme. Any audio manufacturers out there fancy making a more fun volcano-inspired product? I’ll be keeping an eye out.

On top of that, I just found the Volcano earpieces a bit too bulky in my ear. Each bud felt substantially heftier than my IE 200 and I found it challenging to keep these on for much more than an hour or so before fatigue kicked in. The cable is pretty chunky too and is without playback options or a mic – something you’d get from a rival like the Shure Aonic 3.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. I have to say, the build of the Activo Volcano appears more luxurious than perhaps its price suggests. The cable, while large, looks and feels high in quality. It’s also detachable if you want to swap in an after-market alternative. For reference, though, the included wire is made up of seven-strand silver-plated copper and five-strand oxygen-free copper cables. The PC material used for the buds themselves also feels smooth and not overly plasticky, oozing a sense of durability and reliability.

So, let’s return to the all-important question. Are the Activo Volcano a hit? Well, perhaps not quite. There’s plenty to like here for sure, whether that be weighty bass output, high build quality or various connectivity options. But equally, there are a few areas that left me a touch disappointed. I personally found that the model is overly large, with a design that while secure and easy to fit, isn’t particularly comfortable or on-theme. And the audio – though still good for the price – could be more revealing and balanced.

Should you buy the Activo Volcano? Well, if you don’t need fantastic evenness across the frequencies and don’t mind it’s slightly larger feel, then perhaps. But for a similar price, I’d say you’ll be better off with the Sennheiser IE 200 – did I mention I like those?

3.5mm connector attached to the Activo Volcano — (Image credit: Future)

Activo Volcano review: Price and release date

$80 / £99 (about AU$120)
Launched in March 2025

The Activo Volcano IEMs came to market in March 2025. Activo is still fairly fresh and was created by parent Astell & Kern as a lifestyle brand. And the Volcano are its cheapest offering to date, with a list price of $80 / £99 (about AU$120). That’s a massive chunk less than Activo’s previous effort, the Activo Q1 IEMs, which we rated four-and-a-half stars, lauding their excellent clarity and superb separation.

Activo Volcano review: Specs

Drivers	1x 8mm, 2x 6mm dynamic triple-driver
Weight	5g (per bud)
Frequency range	20Hz-20kHz
Waterproof rating	Not stated
Connectivity	3.5mm; 4.4mm; USB-C

Activo Volcano right earbud balanced on block — (Image credit: Future)

Should you buy the Activo Volcano?

Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	Detachable cable, interchangeable connectors, no controller.	4/5
Sound quality	Good audio for the price, big bass, but rivals offer more balance and detail.	4/5
Design	Unremarkable looks, bulky, not massively comfortable, but premium feel.	2.5/5
Value	Cheap given overall quality, but similar-priced competitors are stronger.	4/5

Buy them if...

You're on a tight budget
The Volcano stray from much of their parent’s audio tech in that they're very much an affordable model. For $80 / £99, you're getting a solid set of IEMs, ideal for those that value the details, yet don’t want to spend an arm and a leg.

You want multiple connectivity options
A lot of IEMs use a 3.5mm connector and don’t leave space for anything else. That can be pretty limiting if you want to use them with a modern smartphone, say, that's ditched the good ol' headphone port. So, in come the Activo Volcano with not only a 3.5mm option, but also a USB-C and 4.4mm option. Simply screw on whatever connector you want and you're good to go, no matter what device you're using.

Don't buy them if...

If you’re an audiophile seeking top-tier sound quality
The Activo Volcano never had to wow me with absolutely top of the range audio, given their price tag. And I want to echo that here – you’re not going to get the ultimate mixture of effortlessly balanced and stunningly separated audio from the Activo Volcano. Yes, they’re more than up to the task of dishing out an enjoyable listen that leans into warm bass tones, but if you want the most analytical IEMs on the market, it’s worth looking elsewhere.

You're looking for a lightweight option
What's likely to be the most divisive aspect of the Activo Volcano is their chunky build. Both the IEMs themselves and the braided cable are pretty weighty, meaning they're not the most discreet looking or feeling. So, if you want a featherweight, understated way to listen to your tunes, it may be best to avoid these in-ears.

Activo Volcano review: Also consider

	Activo Volcano	Sennheiser IE 200	Master & Dynamic ME05
Price	$80 / £99 (about AU$120)	$149.95 / £129.99 / AU$239.95	$199 / £169 (about AU$320)
Drivers	1x 8mm, 2x 6mm dynamic triple-driver	7mm dynamic	8mm high-excursion
Weight	5g (per bud)	4g (per bud)	23g
Frequency range	20Hz-20kHz	6Hz-20kHz	20Hz-20kHz
Waterproof rating	Not stated	Not stated	Not stated
Connectivity	3.5mm; 4.4mm; USB-C	3.5mm	3.5mm; USB-C

Sennheiser IE 200
If I’m ever asked to recommend some IEMs, I almost always find myself suggesting the Sennheiser IE 200. Why? Because in this price range, they’re simply the best sounding IEMs that I’ve heard so far. You get open, articulate audio with sublime instrument separation, a straight up sexy design and dual-tuneable sound. There’s no USB-C adapter and you’ll have to buy a cable with playback controls separately, but if you’re all about sound, these are an amazing pair of in-ears. They’re also regularly on sale for a solid amount less than their list price. Read our full Sennheiser IE 200 review.

Master & Dynamic ME05
If you’re in the market for great-sounding wired in-ears, but don’t need IEMs specifically, the Master & Dynamic ME05 are a fantastic choice. These remastered classics supply balanced, detailed audio, a premium build, and dual 3.5mm/USB-C connectivity. Pretty neat. Oh, and you’ll get a mic and playback controller too. Read our full Master & Dynamic ME05 review.

How I tested the Activo Volcano

Activo Volcano connector — (Image credit: Future)

Tested for multiple weeks
Used in the office and while on a flight
Predominantly tested using Tidal

I used the Activo Volcano over the course of multiple weeks. I predominantly tested them while working at home, but also used them at the office and while on a flight. When listening to tunes, I mainly turned to Tidal, but I also spent some time blasting songs on Spotify.

When testing, I ran through the entirety of the TechRadar testing playlist, which contains tracks from a variety of genres. I also compared the Volcano against the Sennheiser IE 200 and re-released version of the Master & Dynamic ME05.

First reviewed: June 2025
Read more about how we test

I discovered these JBL noise-cancelling over-ear headphones’ neat party piece, but it’ll cost you…

12:30 pm | May 31, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Headphones | Tags: JBL, LDAC, USP | Comments: Off

JBL Tour One M3: two-minute review

JBL has pitched its new Tour One M3 wireless over-ear noise-cancellers right into the heart of the action. They’re priced to compete with hitters as big as Bose and Sony, but the company hasn’t just slapped a premium price-tag on and hoped for the best. These headphones are specified to compete, and even have an optional extra that elevates their functionality beyond that of any price-comparable rival.

Wireless connectivity, frequency response and battery life are all well up to standard. Control options are numerous and well implemented. And with the optional Smart Tx transmitter, JBL is able to turn the Tour One M3 into a wireless receiver of non-wireless sources, as well as facilitating group listening for as many people who have Auracast-compatible headphones would like to participate.

There’s no arguing with the standard of build and finish that’s on display here, either, though the majority of the plastics used in the construction don’t feel as expensive as you might expect in a product as pricey as this. Still, at least the comfort quotient is high, thanks to some judicious padding and a low overall weight.

And if you like your sound punchy, upfront and animated, there’s plenty to enjoy here and the JBL don’t scrimp on the details, either. Their spatial audio effect is subtle and effective, and the noise cancellation puts them up there among the best noise cancelling headphones mix with anything that hasn’t got the word ‘Bose’ on it.

Don’t venture into bigger (higher) volume levels, though, because no good can come of it. The treble response, which is assertive at the best of times, can become unruly and the overall sound becomes two-dimensional and rather shouty.

JBL Tour One M3 over-ear noise-cancelling headphones, with the optional Smart Tx transmitter, on a white surface — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

JBL Tour One M3 review: Price and release date

Release date: April 15th, 2025
Price: $349 ($399 with Smart Tx transmitter); £329 (£379); AU$479 (AU$549)

You don’t need me to tell you this is serious money for a pair of wireless over-ear noise-cancellers, even before you add in the cost of the Smart Tx transmitter – $349 ($399 with the transmitter); £329 (£379); AU$479 (AU$549).

JBL has picked a fight with brands as credible as Bose, Bowers & Wilkins, Sennheiser and Sony (to name just four) by pricing the Tour ONE M3 this way, which can mean one of only two things. Either JBL is completely confident or JBL is utterly rash.

Whichever your preference, it's probably not enough to put the JBL Tour One M3 among the contenders in the best wireless headphones market.

JBL Tour One M3 review: Specs

Weight:	278g
Drivers:	40mm mica dome dynamic
Battery life:	40 hours (ANC on); up to 70 hours (ANC off)
Control:	app; physical/touch; voice
Bluetooth:	5.3 (SBC, AAC, LC3, LDAC)

JBL Tour One M3 over-ear noise-cancelling headphones on a white surface — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

JBL Tour One M3 review: Features

Bluetooth 5.3 with LDAC codec compatibility
Up to 70 hours of battery life
Optional Smart Tx transmitter

There are boxes to be ticked when you’re charging this sort of money for a pair of wireless noise-cancelling over-ears, most of which are marked ‘the best version of X’, and the JBL Tour One M3 ticks all of them.

For instance, they use Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless connectivity, and feature multipoint connectivity as well as compatibility with LC3 and LDAC codecs as well as SBC and AAC. They will run for as much as 70 hours (at moderate volume and with noise-cancellation switched off) between charges, and you can expect 40 hours even if you listen at high volume and with ANC switched on.

The ANC itself is a three-stage system: choose between ‘ambient aware’ (an in-app slider controls how much of the outside world is allowed in), ‘talk-thru’ (which pauses music while significantly boosting external sounds, voices in particular) and ‘noise-cancelling’. There’s another slider here, to adjust ANC intensity - or you can switch on ‘adaptive ANC’ to automatically adjust the level based on ambient conditions. ‘Auto compensation’, meanwhile, assesses the headphones’ position on your ear relative to your ear canal in order to adjust ANC on the fly.

JBL suggests the Tour ONE M3 have a frequency response of 10Hz to 40kHz, which, if it’s anything like accurate, should be ample. Sound is served via a couple of 40mm mica dome dynamic drivers.

Trio of screenshots showing the JBL Headphones app: a hearing test, noise-cancellation options and equalizer settings — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

The control app itself has plenty of functionality beyond fiddling with active noise-cancellation, of course – ‘JBL Headphones’ is free for iOS and Android and is one of the most comprehensive apps around.

For instance, it allows you to select a ‘spatial audio’ setting (‘fixed’, ‘head-tracking’ or ‘off’) and investigate your EQ options (there are six presets and the ability to specify some custom settings using a 10-band equalizer). You can take a hearing test to help the headphones adapt to your specific hearing profile, exert some influence of the physical methods of control, set a volume limiter and plenty more besides. These include checking on firmware updates and remaining battery life, plus adjusting the length of time without an incoming signal required before the headphones power down – basically, this app is a model of usefulness and stability.

Then there's the Smart Tx transmitter (a cost option, let’s not forget), through which JBL has an authentic Point of Difference. If you’re familiar with the ‘retransmission case’ that the top-end Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 true wireless in-ears have been supplied with for the past few years, you’ll know one of the things the Smart Tx can do – attach it to a non-wireless source of music, such as the in-flight entertainment system, via one of its USB-C slots and it will wirelessly stream to the headphones.

But there’s more to this little brick than that. It also uses Auracast to allow multiple devices to listen to whatever is playing into it (as long as all headphones are Auracast-compatible, of course). Its full-colour touch-screen duplicates quite a lot of the app’s functions, too, so to make changes you don’t have to fish your phone out of the pocket on the back of the seat in front of you. Yes, it needs charging (via its second USB-C) and, also yes, it’s another thing to disappear down the back of the sofa or something, but for those who fancy its functionality, it’s a very useful little device indeed.

Features score: 5 / 5

Optional ‘Smart Tx’ transmitter for the JBL Tour One M3 headphones, both on a white surface — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

JBL Tour One M3 review: Sound quality

Punch, drive and detail in fairly equal measure
Effective and quite nuanced spatial audio effect
Easily spooked by bigger volumes

Some headphones don’t really mind the sort of stuff you listen to, or how you choose to listen to it – they just get on with the job, regardless. The JBL Tour One M3, I think I can safely say, are not those headphones.

As far as music styles are concerned, they’re not especially fussy, but where quality of recording is concerned, they have definite preferences. It’s mostly due to their treble response – the top end as reproduced by the Tour One M3 is absolutely as bright and bitey as is acceptable. So if you provoke it with a recording that shares that same high-end edginess – Nick Lowe’s You Got the Look I Like is a good example – things can get compounded into something very close to hardness.

There’s no shortage of detail revealed at the top of the frequency range, though, and that’s the case throughout. At every point the JBL are an observant and insightful listen, able to identify even the most fleeting episodes in a recording. Midrange resolution is impressive, and at the bottom end they punch with the sort of weight and determination we’ve all come to expect from JBL equipment. There’s a slight bias towards the bottom of the frequency range when EQ settings are left alone, but this can be mitigated a little in the app. What EQ adjustment can’t do, though, is affect tonality that’s nicely naturalistic right until the top end gets involved.

Three screenshots of the JBL Heaphones app, compatible with the JBL Tour One M3, and showing the possible gesture functions, spatial audio capability and sound detail. — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Dynamic impetus is considerable, especially where the biggest shifts in volume or intensity are concerned, and the upheavals in Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters are described in full. The smaller, but no less significant, harmonic variations get appropriate weighting, too. Soundstaging, when listening in straight stereo, is organized and reasonably expansive, but there’s a pleasant unity to the stage, an idea of performance, that makes for a confident and convincing presentation.

Switch on spatial audio and the effect is much less showy than some rival designs shoot for, and it’s all to the good as far as I’m concerned. The stage opens up in every direction without losing too much of its definition, and the sensation of space doesn’t feel in any way artificial.

No, the major issue here concerns volume, and the Tour One M3's inability to cope with it. Turn up the volume and the sound becomes two-dimensional and rather too assertive – every part of a recording seems to rush to the front of the stage, and the top-end tonality (which is problematic all the time) becomes quite abrasive and almost glassy. ‘Composure’ is the word I’m after, and it deserts the JBL the moment you decide to listen at big levels.

The active noise-cancellation, by way of contrast, needs no excuses making for it. Does it cloak you in an eerie blanket of silence like the equivalent Bose headphones can manage? No, it doesn't. Does it bear comparison to the very best alternatives out there that aren’t by Bose? Most definitely. Without altering their sonic characteristics or introducing a suggestion of counter-signal, the Tour One M3 deal with the vast majority of external distractions and leave you free to get on with listening.

Not too loud, though, obviously.

Sound quality score: 3 / 5

Earcups of the JBL Tour One M3 over-ear headphones on a white surface — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

JBL Tour One M3 review: Design

Fold flat and inwards, so have quite a small carry-case
Choice of three finishes
Perceived value is not all it might be

Don’t get me wrong, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the way the JBL Tour One M3 are built and finished. Despite having so much articulation in the frame that they can fold up into a winningly compact carry-case, they give every impression of being carefully constructed and ready to last. But when it comes to perceived value, the embodiment of the word ‘premium’ that comes from the look, the feel and, let’s face it, the smell of a pair of headphones, the Tour One M3 don’t have it in anything like the quantities of their price-comparable rivals.

In terms of the look, that might be down to the fact that my review sample is in an insipid finish called ‘mocha’ – perhaps the appearance is a bit classier in the black or blue alternatives. But the color has nothing to do with the way the Tour One M3 feel and the plastics which make up a lot of the frame are hard and feel inexpensive. All of which is unfortunate, given how expensive these headphones actually are.

JBL Tour One M3 over-ear headphones earcup showing touch buttons — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

The practicalities of the design are absolutely fine, though. The contact points are pleather-covered memory foam, and they’re softly pliant. The headband adjusts with a very positive action, and the clamping force it exerts is nicely judged. These 278g headphones are easy to wear and it’s simple to get and remain comfortable inside them. JBL isn’t quoting an IP rating, though, so it’s worth making sure you don’t get too comfortable in inappropriate environments.

On the left earcup there’s a slender ‘volume up/down’ rocker switch. On the right, meanwhile, a ‘power on/off/Bluetooth pairing’ slider is positioned above an ‘action’ button that cycles through ‘noise-cancelling’, ‘ambient aware’ and ‘talk-thru’. The surface of this earcup also has a touch surface that allows control over ‘play/pause’, ‘skip forwards’, ‘skip backwards’ and ‘summon voice assistant’, and this is where telephony functions are accessed, too. It’s possible to unintentionally trigger touch controls when feeling for that ‘action’ button, but broadly speaking these are effective, well-implemented user interfaces.

The USB-C slot can be used both for charging the battery and for data transfer - which means the Tour One M3 are genuinely high-resolution headphones if hard-wired to an appropriate source. And there are eight mics spread over the two earcups taking care of voice-assistant interaction, telephony and noise-cancellation.

Design score: 4 / 5

JBL Tour One M3 over-ear wireless headphones folded away in their carry-case, on a white surface — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

JBL Tour One M3 review: Value

Variable sound
So-so perceived value
Excellent control options, including the Smart Tx transmitter

Ultimately, the JBL Tour ONE M3 can’t be said to offer cast-iron value for money. They have a lot going for them where comfort is concerned, their noise-cancelling is very good, their control options are all very well realized and, in some ways, they sound very enjoyable and entertaining, too.

But the hard, quite cheap-feeling plastics that make up a lot of the frame, the tendency to lose a little self-control at volume, and the sheer strength of the products they’re competing against all conspire to make the JBL a diverting alternative rather than a nailed-on candidate for your ‘value for money’ shortlist.

Value score: 3.5 / 5

Carry-case for the JBL Tour One M3 over-ear wireless ANC headphones, on a white surface — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Should I buy the JBL Tour One M3?

Section	Notes	Score
Features	Bluetooth 5.3 with LDAC codec compatibility; optional Smart Tx transmitter a potential game-changer	5 / 5
Sound quality	Excellent ANC; dynamic impetus; nuanced spatial audio; but too easily spooked at high volumes	3 / 5
Design	Fold flat into neat carry-case; comfortable; hard plastic don't lend premium finish	4 / 5
Value	Very good control options; so-so perceived value	3.5 / 5

Buy them if…

You like quite forceful sound
There’s no denying the upfront and vigorous nature of the JBL sound in general, and that goes double for the Tour One M3.

You enjoy a USP
The Smart Tx transmitter brings a lot of additional functionality to the headphones (as long as you remember to keep it charged).

Comfort is important
These headphones are relatively light, the fit is nicely judged, and the contact points are all nice and soft.

Don't buy them if…

You’re especially sensitive to treble sounds
At best, the JBL are lively at the top end; at worst, they’re quite hard and unyielding.

You’re big on perceived value
It’s not about the build or the finish, they’re both fine. It’s just that the JBL don’t look or feel anything special.

You like to listen at bigger volumes
The Tour One M3 are prone to over-excitement at high volume, and lose some of what makes them an enjoyable listen in the first place.

JBL Tour One M3 review: Also consider

Sony WH-1000XM5
Sony’s ubiquitous-for-a-reason WH-1000XM5 are now routinely available at around $299 / £249 (they launched at $399 / £299) and, on a pound-for-pound basis, wireless over-ear noise-cancelling cans don’t get any more rounded or across-the-board excellent than this.
Read our full Sony WH-1000XM5 review

Bose QuietComfort Ultra
You may prioritize noise-cancelling, of course, and if that’s the case then don’t look any further than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra. Where ANC is concerned, everyone else is playing catch-up.
Read the full Bose QuietComfort Ultra review

Edifier Stax Spirit S5
If you prefer the road less traveled, though, and you can live without active noise-cancellation, the Stax Spirit 5 from Edifier uses their planar magnetic driver technology to deliver the sweetest of sounds.
Read our full Edifier Stax Spirit S5 review

How I tested JBL Tour One M3

Connected to iOS and Android music players, wired and wirelessly
Connected using the Smart Tx transmitter to a laptop
Lots of different music, lots of different file types and sizes

I listened at my desk, connecting the Smart Tx transmitter to a laptop, I listened while out and about and I listened on public transport, to lots of music of many different file types and sizes. I spent over a week critically to get the best feel possible for the JBL.

AKG N5: One minute review

When I’m testing new earbuds, and considering if they deserve a shoutout for our list of the best earbuds, the first thing I do is look at the price to set expectations – but for this AKG N5 review, I found two.

There’s the official list price, which sets you up for these buds to be powerful premium players, but I was also tripping over discounted prices, with the N5 seeing some hefty discounts since launch. So while I’ll test these as top-end earbuds, I’d be remiss not to point out that you can buy them for less – and you should, as they present fantastic value for money with a reduction.

The AKG N5 are the latest pair of wireless earbuds from originally-Austrian audio company AKG (which is owned by Harman, which itself is owned by Samsung). AKG puts out wireless headphones only sparingly, with its website populated almost entirely with professional wired headsets and microphones.

And it’s clear that some of that ‘professional’ DNA is present in the AKG N5 because there are loads of features which are helpful in such a setting: a USB-C dongle included in the case lets you easily (and temporarily) connect to any laptop, tablet or similar device, while call tone settings basically act like an EQ but for incoming voice calls. There are also loads of ANC settings for people who work in busy offices.

Suffice it to say I was impressed by the feature suite of the AKG N5, but not just as someone who himself tries to drown out the infuriatingly-loud team seated next to him – they’re all features that will be handy to regular buyers, not just office-locked ones.

Another strength of the AKG N5 is their audio chops, because the buds offer expressive and clear audio with plenty of detail and texture. A few more in-app modes (sorry to mention features again) let you carry out a sound test or tweak the sonic offering to your pleasure.

Some people may be put off by the AKG N5’s design. It’s true the case is pretty huge, the build quality feels iffy, and the earbud controls are hard to activate when you want to and easy to activate when you don’t. The battery life that won't last a full day of work might also put some people off.

But it’s easy to overlook these issues if, like I said, you’re able to find a good deal on these buds. And that shouldn’t be hard given I found it more of a chore to find their actual original price rather than the current one. The N5 are fine value at their official price – but discounted, they’re a steal.

AKG N5 review: Specifications

Component	Value
Water resistant	IP54
Battery life (quoted)	6 hours (earbuds), 24 hours (total)
Bluetooth type	Bluetooth 5.3
Weight	6g / Charging case: 48.4g
Driver	10mm

The AKG N5 on a stone wall — (Image credit: Future)

AKG N5 review: Price and availability

Announced in September 2024
Priced at $299 / £249 / AU$309
Readily available for under $250 / £199 / AU$250

The AKG N5 were announced in September 2024, at IFA 2024, as the latest entry into the brand’s line-up of earbuds. At the time of writing they're the company’s only competitor for the best wireless earbuds.

At launch, the AKG N5 cost $299.95 / £249 / AU$309, which makes them a premium audio offering. However it’s worth pointing out that I could easily find it sold online for a discount of $60 / £50 / AU$65, so you’ll easily save money if you shop around.

Lowered price or not, these are still premium earbuds and we’ll treat them as such. Included in the box you get the buds, case and dongle as well as a USB-C to USB connector and some bud tips of varying sizes.

The AKG N5 in a man's hand. — (Image credit: Future)

AKG N5 review: Features

Poor real-world battery life
Range of ANC options
Useful dongle connector

The AKG N5 connects to your phone via Bluetooth 5.3; initial pairing for me was quick and easy, and during testing there were barely any drop-outs or stutters.

You can also easily connect to new devices via a dongle included in the charging case; plug this into any device, and the N5 will stream audio from that.

The dongle is a USB-C one, though an adapter included in the box lets you plug it into standard USB ports. This is a really handy extra for people who own multiple devices and can’t pair to all of them, or who use unfamiliar devices on occasion. As someone who owns (and tests) too many gadgets, I found it incredibly handy.

9 times out of ten, this dongle worked well, however now and then I’d find the headphones would re-pair with my phone even if the dongle was connected to another device. One thing to note is that it did sap the battery of the device it was connected to: fine for gadgets plugged into an outlet, frustrating for my iPad.

Battery life is a weak spot for the buds. AKG predicts a 10-hour battery life… if you listen to music with ANC turned off, and that drops down to six hours with ANC on, or even lower if you’re talking or using the dongle.

However, in my testing I was lucky to get anywhere near six hours of listening time, and I’d usually have to charge after four and a half or five hours. That's not just below what's promised, it's way below average.

The case itself contains four full charges for the buds, however long you make that.

So should you turn off ANC to preserve battery life? Well you can, but it’d be a shame, because the AKG N5 have fantastic noise cancellation – my usual ANC test is how well it drowns out the trains that commonly pass my house, and when testing the N5, I have no idea if it passed because I could never tell if trains had passed.

ANC is complicated here, though. There are three modes: standard, Ambient Aware and TalkThru (as well as off, obviously). TalkThru boosts nearby voices so you can hear people and Ambient Aware does a similar thing for background voices, with a slider letting you fiddle with the intensity of the effect.

In standard ANC mode you can toggle Adaptive ANC, which adjusts the level of noise cancellation based on your surroundings, and turning it off presents you with a slider to change the intensity yourself. There’s also Auto Compensation mode which tweaks with ANC depending on your ‘wearing and ear canal status’, whatever that means.

Suffice it to say that every time I was presented with the ANC part of the AKG Headphones app I was scratching my head at all the options presented to me – and that’s really the theme of this companion app which bombards you with options. This’ll be pleasing news to tech-heads, but horrifying for technophobes.

Let’s fire through some of the features and settings: SilentNow turns off music and ramps up ANC to help you focus or study; Smart Audio & Video adjusts sound stage based on whether you’re listening to music or watching a video; the equalizer has a load of presets or lets you customize your sound on a 10-band EQ; various call settings let you change how you or a caller sound on the phone; and Right/Left Sound Balance does what it says on the tin.

These are as well as all the standard app modes: gesture control customization, a find-my-buds feature, and a fit test.

The app also gives you the option to toggle Hi-Res Audio, but turning this on precludes you from several other features, including Spatial Sound and Personi-Fi. This latter is a lengthy audio test that presents you with a bespoke equalization fit for your music, and I don’t know any audiophiles who don’t appreciate this kind of feature.

If you’ve skimmed that list you may have noticed something I want to explicitly commend: there are loads of options with small or large accessibility use cases here, which is always great to see.

Features score: 4/5

AKG N5 review: Sound performance

The AKG N5 in a man's ear. — (Image credit: Future)

10mm drivers
Balanced sound profile
Textured audio in high-res mode

Whether you’re listening via Bluetooth or dongle, with Hi-Res Audio on or instead Personi-Fi enabled, there’s one thing that’s hard to deny: the AKG N5 sounds great.

The sound profile is lovely and balanced, with well-defined bass sitting comfortably alongside clear treble and distinct mids. I didn’t feel the need to touch the equalizer as I liked the default mix, and wasn’t losing any instruments to overbearing bass or treble.

It’s easy to hear the texture in each instrument with the N5: I could make out the ripples of reverb on vocal lines to the flick of a bass guitar string being strum, and the audio lines were all spread out enough to make them distinct and clear (although I have tested buds with a better soundstage).

If I have to say one bad thing about the buds, it’s that audio sounds precision-tuned but not very energetic – they helped me really appreciate great songs sonically, but didn’t always make me feel like rocking out to them.

Sound performance score: 4/5

AKG N5 review: Design

Chunky and cheap charging case
Lightweight and comfortable buds
Annoying touch controls

Perhaps because it contains a dongle, the case of the AKG N5 is a little on the larger size, and I’ve seen some people online criticize its bulk. Honestly, it’s not that big, and doesn’t allay the space-saving advantages of earbuds like this over full-on headphones or open earbuds with a a wraparound design – plus they're light at 48.4g.

But I did notice the thing in my pocket when I was walking – it's on the larger end of the scale.

What’s arguably worse about the case is its build: the plastic feels cheap, groans under slight pressure and picks up fingerprints readily. However AKG has it certified at IP52, which protects it from limited fine particles and sprays of water at certain angles. I can’t remember the last time I saw a charging case with an IP rating, so it’s a welcome spec.

Now onto the earbuds: these are buds with stems, but with a bigger bud and shorter, flatter stem than on your generic AirPod doppelgänger. They have an IP54 rating so they’re a little better protected against water than the case.

Due to the tips material being quite smooth, when I first started testing the N5, it constantly felt like they were on the verge of falling out of my ear. Two weeks on and that hasn’t happened yet, but I’ve still been too apprehensive to take them on a run, cycle or any kind of activity which might actually cause them to fall to the floor.

At least the buds are lightweight, so when I was sitting still, they were comfortable to wear for long periods of time. They weigh 6g each which is comparable to rivals.

Each bud has a touch-sensitive area over the ‘A’ of the AKG logo, which lets you control music playback; by default the left side toggles ANC and Ambient Aware, while the right one is for play and pause.

It took some time getting used to tapping the right spot when I was wearing the buds, and there’s a noticeable delay in the gesture being picked up – more than once I got caught in a loop playing or pausing a tune, thinking that my touch hadn’t been picked up, and constantly flicking between the two.

An even more annoying issue was that it’s very easy to accidentally press the button when you’re trying to readjust loose buds.

You can pick the AKG N5 up in white or black, and your choice affects both the buds and the case. As you can see from images, I tested the black pair.

Design score: 3.5/5

AKG N5 review: Value

While it's not easy to make reasonable argument for $299 / £249 / AU$309 earbuds being good value propositions, it does bear repeating that these things have been seeing increasing discounts over their first year of existence.

The AKG N5 aren’t bad value for money by any means, with their top-notch audio and range of useful features justifying the price, but they’re far from bargains either (except in Australia, where they’re much cheaper than elsewhere).

That certainly isn’t the case if you can find them for below about $200 / £180 / AU$300, which would make them a really tempting alternative to earbuds that are usually priced in that area.

Value score: 3.5/5

Should I buy the AKG N5?

Category	Comment	Score
Features	There are so many features that it's hard to get your head around them all. Battery life isn't amazing though.	4/5
Sound	The N5 offered a lovely balanced sound that lets you hear the texture and sound stage of your music.	4/5
Value	By default they're not especially competitively-priced, but discounts help.	3.5/5
Design	A few small design problems affect the user experience, but they're still great to wear.	3.5/5

Buy them if...

You find them discounted

I've yammered on about this enough, but this will be the last time: the AKG N5 are a terrific value proposition if you find them notably below their list price.

The dongle sounds useful

Love the idea of being able to listen to audio from any USB-C or USB-port-toting device without pairing Bluetooth? The AKGs' dongle is a real game-changer.

You need solid noise cancellation

While they're not quite a Bose, the AKG's noise cancellation is fantastic, with a range of features and modes letting you customize it to a surprising extent.

Don't buy them if...

You need a long-lasting battery

I didn't love how quickly the N5's battery life plummeted, and real-world use is well below the promised level.

You need a svelte charging case

I took to carrying the AKG N5's case in my bag because it just didn't fit comfortably in my pockets. You can easily find buds with more convenient-to-carry cases than these.

Also consider

Component	AKG N5	Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro	Apple AirPods Pro 2
Water resistant	IP54	IP57	IP54
Battery life	6 hours (earbuds), 32 hours (total)	7 hours (earbuds), 30 hours (total)	6 hours (buds); 30 hours (case)
Bluetooth type	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.3
Weight	6g (buds)	5.4g (buds)	5.3g (buds)
Driver	10mm	10mm dynamic driver + planar tweeter	11mm

Apple AirPods Pro 2

The obvious competitor: these Apple buds only fully work on Apple products, but they're cheaper than the AKG (even discounted) and offer some top-tier features and noise cancellation. They also have a very svelte case.

Read our full Apple AirPods Pro 2 review

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro

Another cheaper alternative, Samsung's wireless buds are mostly built for owners of Samsung phones, but work for others too. They sound great and have a lightweight and comfortable design.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review

How I tested the AKG N5

My testing process before writing this AKG N5 review took two weeks. I tested them alongside their contemporary siblings, the AKG N9 Hybrid over-ear headphones, and I've tested a huge number of earbuds recently to compare them against.

I connected the AKG N5 to a range of devices including my smartphone (via Bluetooth), my desktop PC (via dongle) and my work laptop (again via dongle) with a roughly 50/50 split between Bluetooth and dongle listening.

I also split my Bluetooth listening time roughly equally between Hi-res Audio and Personi-Fi (and other feature) modes, bearing in mind that you can't have both enabled at the same time.

My listening was done in a range of environments including at home, on public transport, in my office and on walks around my borough – and following TechRadar's testing guidelines for earbuds.

First reviewed: May 2025
Read more about how we test

I tested AKG’s N5 Hybrid earbuds, and I was so impressed by their noise cancellation and extra features, as long as you find them at the right price

12:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: ANC, Samsung Galaxy Buds | Comments: Off

AKG N5: One minute review

AKG N5 review: Specifications

Component	Value
Water resistant	IP54
Battery life (quoted)	6 hours (earbuds), 24 hours (total)
Bluetooth type	Bluetooth 5.3
Weight	6g / Charging case: 48.4g
Driver	10mm

AKG N5 review: Price and availability

Announced in September 2024
Priced at $299 / £249 / AU$309
Readily available for under $250 / £199 / AU$250

AKG N5 review: Features

Poor real-world battery life
Range of ANC options
Useful dongle connector

The AKG N5 connects to your phone via Bluetooth 5.3; initial pairing for me was quick and easy, and during testing there were barely any drop-outs or stutters.

You can also easily connect to new devices via a dongle included in the charging case; plug this into any device, and the N5 will stream audio from that.

The case itself contains four full charges for the buds, however long you make that.

These are as well as all the standard app modes: gesture control customization, a find-my-buds feature, and a fit test.

If you’ve skimmed that list you may have noticed something I want to explicitly commend: there are loads of options with small or large accessibility use cases here, which is always great to see.

Features score: 4/5

AKG N5 review: Sound performance

10mm drivers
Balanced sound profile
Textured audio in high-res mode

Whether you’re listening via Bluetooth or dongle, with Hi-Res Audio on or instead Personi-Fi enabled, there’s one thing that’s hard to deny: the AKG N5 sounds great.

Sound performance score: 4/5

AKG N5 review: Design

Chunky and cheap charging case
Lightweight and comfortable buds
Annoying touch controls

But I did notice the thing in my pocket when I was walking – it's on the larger end of the scale.

At least the buds are lightweight, so when I was sitting still, they were comfortable to wear for long periods of time. They weigh 6g each which is comparable to rivals.

An even more annoying issue was that it’s very easy to accidentally press the button when you’re trying to readjust loose buds.

You can pick the AKG N5 up in white or black, and your choice affects both the buds and the case. As you can see from images, I tested the black pair.

Design score: 3.5/5

AKG N5 review: Value

That certainly isn’t the case if you can find them for below about $200 / £180 / AU$300, which would make them a really tempting alternative to earbuds that are usually priced in that area.

Value score: 3.5/5

Should I buy the AKG N5?

Category	Comment	Score
Features	There are so many features that it's hard to get your head around them all. Battery life isn't amazing though.	4/5
Sound	The N5 offered a lovely balanced sound that lets you hear the texture and sound stage of your music.	4/5
Value	By default they're not especially competitively-priced, but discounts help.	3.5/5
Design	A few small design problems affect the user experience, but they're still great to wear.	3.5/5

Buy them if...

You find them discounted

I've yammered on about this enough, but this will be the last time: the AKG N5 are a terrific value proposition if you find them notably below their list price.

The dongle sounds useful

Love the idea of being able to listen to audio from any USB-C or USB-port-toting device without pairing Bluetooth? The AKGs' dongle is a real game-changer.

You need solid noise cancellation

While they're not quite a Bose, the AKG's noise cancellation is fantastic, with a range of features and modes letting you customize it to a surprising extent.

Don't buy them if...

You need a long-lasting battery

I didn't love how quickly the N5's battery life plummeted, and real-world use is well below the promised level.

You need a svelte charging case

I took to carrying the AKG N5's case in my bag because it just didn't fit comfortably in my pockets. You can easily find buds with more convenient-to-carry cases than these.

Also consider

Component	AKG N5	Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro	Apple AirPods Pro 2
Water resistant	IP54	IP57	IP54
Battery life	6 hours (earbuds), 32 hours (total)	7 hours (earbuds), 30 hours (total)	6 hours (buds); 30 hours (case)
Bluetooth type	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.3
Weight	6g (buds)	5.4g (buds)	5.3g (buds)
Driver	10mm	10mm dynamic driver + planar tweeter	11mm

Apple AirPods Pro 2

Read our full Apple AirPods Pro 2 review

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro

Another cheaper alternative, Samsung's wireless buds are mostly built for owners of Samsung phones, but work for others too. They sound great and have a lightweight and comfortable design.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review

How I tested the AKG N5

I also split my Bluetooth listening time roughly equally between Hi-res Audio and Personi-Fi (and other feature) modes, bearing in mind that you can't have both enabled at the same time.

My listening was done in a range of environments including at home, on public transport, in my office and on walks around my borough – and following TechRadar's testing guidelines for earbuds.

First reviewed: May 2025
Read more about how we test

I reviewed the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones, and they’re a glorious fusion of the best parts of their predecessors

7:00 pm | May 15, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Headphones Wireless Headphones | Tags: EQ, LDAC | Comments: Off

Sony WH-1000XM6: two-minute review

The Sony WH-1000XM6 are here to try to cement Sony's status as the go-to brand for headphones, three years after the release of its previous flagship model.

Sony says that the WH-1000XM6 are “the best noise cancelling product on the market” as well as being “improved in every single way” over previous models – talk about setting a high bar. But thankfully, they manage to jump that bar on almost every metric.

As you may expect, the Sony WH-1000XM6 offer expressive and clean audio from a new 30mm driver alongside a new QN3 processor, featuring a ‘noise shaper’ that levels up digital to analogue conversion and pre-empts sudden sound changes, resulting in a more controlled listening experience. There’s also a more balanced sound signature out of the gate, which doesn’t compromise on punchy bass, rich mids or energetic treble.

The new QN3 processor also harnesses the power of 12 microphones – four more than last time – to serve up truly incredible noise cancelling capabilities. These supply better ANC than the majority of the best noise cancelling headphones out there. Yes, they even stand up to the critically acclaimed Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, which have ruled the noise cancelling roost since their launch. When on public transport, walking near traffic or working away in the office, I had either near-silence or total silence, enabling me to indulge in beautifully isolated listening sessions.

But that’s not all. There are a ton more features to get your teeth sunk into via Sony’s Sound Connect app. There’s adaptive sound control, LDAC and DSEE Extreme, extensive EQ options, Cinema mode for immersive audio, and Auracast – among others. Almost everything you could want from a premium pair of cans is here, all in one place.

On top of that, there’s an updated design, which compiles the best of what the Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Sony WH-1000XM4 had to offer. See, foldability is back from the XM4 era, and I think the majority of people will be grateful for that.

There are new, more durable hinges (the XM5 had a hinge issue) and a slightly smaller magnetic carry case as well. But the sleeker look of the XM5 has still been largely maintained.

There’s an evolution of what came before too, with a wider headband for increased comfort and a more snug fit around the neck when the headphones are out of use. Overall, you’re getting a fantastic combination of style and comfort, though some may still feel that the earcups are a tad chunky.

Person holding up the Sony WH-1000XM6 — (Image credit: Future)

Other incremental improvements include the ability to charge while streaming over Bluetooth, refined touch controls and better call quality. And when all the little adjustments come together, it’s clear – these are the best Sony headphones produced to date.

Still, there are a few areas in which the WH-1000XM6 fall just short of their rivals. You get 30 hours of battery life with ANC, which is by no means bad, but lots of rivals (even much cheaper ones) beat that, and some can double it.

On top of that, they are quite expensive. At $449 / £399 / AU$699, these are $50 / £20 / AU$50 pricier than their predecessors were at launch. And given the WH-1000XM5 are now widely available for around $300 / £250, some may be a little tentative at taking the plunge on Sony’s newest flagship headphones.

Finally, the newly released Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 are the same price in the UK (US release and pricing tbc), but sound even better than these Sony over-ears. Sure, they don’t quite match the XM6 on ANC or features overall, but they're clearly better sound for the price.

All in all, though, the Sony WH-1000XM6 still have a strong claim to be some of the best headphones around, with their noise-crushing ANC being the real highlight. Their treasure trove of features and talented audio performance also help them to stand tall in a convoluted market, and the design tweaks meld all the highlights from their ancestral lineage. Sure, they’re pricey, but if you’re willing to splash the cash, you’ll almost certainly love Sony’s latest release.

Man turning on the Sony WH-1000XM6 — (Image credit: Future)

Sony WH-1000XM6 review: price & release date

$449 / £400 / AU$699
Launched on May 15th, 2025

The Sony WH-1000XM6 launched in May 2025, three years after the preceeding WH-1000XM5 model. Sony is unclear on the exact release date at the time of publishing, stating just that they'll be available "from May" in the UK/US, while Sony Australia says you can get them "from June 2025. Pre-order available from May 16th, 2025."

At launch, they’re available in three colorways: Black; Silver; and Midnight Blue. However, there could be scope for more color variants in the future – we saw the XM5 adopt a new Smoky Pink only back in September 2024.

At the point of release, the Sony WH-1000XM6 cost $449 / £399 / AU$699. That’s $50 / £20 more than their predecessors launched at. This price puts Sony’s flagship cans up against the likes of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra and Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 – more on those later, but basically they're very much in the premium range.

Despite the slight price bump over their predecessors, these are still notably cheaper than the Apple AirPods Max – which have a huge list price of $549 / £549 / AU$899.

Sony WH-1000XM6 earcups — (Image credit: Future)

Sony WH-1000XM6 review: Specs

Drivers	30mm dynamic
Active noise cancellation	Yes
Battery life	30 hours (ANC on)
Weight	254g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm
Frequency range	Not listed
Waterproofing	None

Sony WH-1000XM6 review: features

Super-impressive active noise cancellation
The best touch controls I’ve used
Battery life may not wow, but in-use charging is now here

When I attended the launch of the Sony WH-1000XM6, Sony described its new flagship headphones as “the best noise-cancelling product on the market”. And the ANC is far and away the standout feature these headphones have in their arsenal.

You’re getting some of the best noise cancellation that any headphones can offer with the XM6. ANC has been improved over the XM5 thanks to Sony’s new QN3 noise cancelling processor, which harnesses twelve microphones to shut out the world around you.

Even when compared to the awesome Bose QuietComfort Ultra, the XM6 perform exceptionally well. I tried both pairs of headphones while vacuuming my home and walking in high-traffic areas, among other tasks, and each dealt with external noise fantastically.

But in my experience, the XM6 performed ever so slightly better, producing a minimum of near-silence from the outside at 60-70% volume in each test. Rest assured – these really are the real deal as far as ANC is concerned.

I also tested the XM6’s noise cancelling capabilities at Sony’s 5020 studio in Madrid, before doing real-world testing. While there, I played a song at about 50% volume with a bunch of people chatting around me and the outside world was totally shut out – it was just me and my music. At one stage, a super-harsh static sound was blasted at the studio and that slightly crept through. It was dampened severely, though, and I was barely disturbed.

If you want to be more aware of your surroundings – fear not – there’s a very fleshed-out Ambient Sound mode. This includes a slider that ranges from 1 to 20 and lets more exterior noise seep through the higher you go. On top of that, there’s a voice passthrough checkbox, which filters through speech while still suppressing other noises.

Ambient mode worked very nicely for me; I could easily hear the sound of typing in my office, murmurs from a nearby conversation and doors opening. Also, it’s worth noting Auto Ambient Sound mode, which adjusts volume of ambient sounds depending on noise levels around you.

But another one of my favorite features on the Sony WH-1000XM6 is their excellent touch controls. Something that may seem gimmicky, but is actually incredibly helpful, is that you can cup your hand over the right earcup to smoothly, yet drastically reduce media volume and dampen noise cancelling effects.

This isn't new to the XM6, but it's really worth highlighting. I found it incredibly useful in an office environment when a colleague wanted to talk with me, or if I was in a story and didn’t want to rip the cans off. In fact, I didn’t even bother turning on the Speak-to-Chat function, because this option is so responsive.

Generally, the XM6 have the most consistent, intuitive touch controls I’ve ever used on a pair of headphones. On the right earcup, you can slide your finger up or down and hold it in position to continually raise or lower volume respectively. That’s an improvement over the XM5, which required you to constantly flick up or down to amend loudness.

You can also double tap to pause music and flick forwards or backwards to skip or return to the previous track. Touch controls are locked to the right earcup only, much like the WH-1000XM5 model.

And there are plenty of returning features from the previous model to enjoy. Of course, you’ve got the likes of multi-point connectivity, wear detection and a good app in Sony Sound Connect.

But there’s more: adaptive sound control, which adjusts audio output depending on your environment and movement; head gesture monitoring for taking or rejecting calls; and voice assistant compatibility.

There are a few new nuggets to uncover as far as features go, however. Perhaps one of the biggest inclusions is Auracast. This is a type of Bluetooth technology that enables you to tune into an audio broadcast transmitted from a phone, TV or similar device without any pairing.

Furthermore, you can now mute the mic on the XM6 by simply double pressing the noise cancelling button. You’ll need to enable this in settings, but it’s ultra useful when on a Microsoft Teams or Slack call, for instance.

There’s only one real area where the Sony WH-1000XM6 failed to impress me as far as features: its battery life. You’re getting 30 hours of playtime from this model, which is by no means bad – it’s the same you’ll get on the XM5 and a whole host of rivals. But there are some cans that are capable of more. The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, for example, can go 60 hours with ANC on – now that’s impressive.

Still, you can charge the XM6 while using them now, and even get three hours of playtime from just three minutes of charging – that is if you have a USB PD charger around.

If you’re looking for over-ears with highly astute call quality, you can trust the XM6 to deliver. The strongest example of this was a demo at Sony’s 5020 Studio in Madrid, in which someone make a call in an artificially noisy environment – and after placing the XM6 on, their voice was totally separated from clamoring and noise littering their surroundings.

In my real-world use, my own speech came through cleanly when making phone calls to family and friends, with vocals sounding crisp. That’s in part thanks to the additional beamforming mics used on the XM6 – there are six this time and they help to shift focus towards the mouth – while AI also enters the fray to scoop out external sounds.

Features score: 5/5

Person plugging USB-C charging cable into the Sony WH-1000XM6 — (Image credit: Future)

Sony WH-1000XM6 review: sound quality

Beautifully rounded and immersive audio
DSEE extreme and LDAC for improved Bluetooth streaming
Default tuning is great, but great EQ options also available

Like their predecessors, the Sony WH-1000XM6 use a 30mm driver, rather than the larger 40mm one used for the legendary XM4 model. But the driver itself is new and improved, designed to offer more balanced audio across all frequencies.

That QN3 processor I mentioned earlier also includes a ‘noise shaper’, which refines digital to analogue conversion and enables the cans to anticipate sudden sound changes, intended to reduce distortion and produce a more controlled listening experience.

So, yes, there’s plenty of flashy new tech in the XM6 headphones, but do they actually deliver a premium audio performance? Short answer: yes. You’ll get a rhythmic, detailed, and well-balanced listen with the Sony WH-1000XM6 that still doesn’t skimp on punchy bass and exciting treble output. And that’s regardless of whether you’re listening with ANC turned on or off.

For instance, I tuned into Fluffy by Himiko Kikuchi – a laid-back jazzy track – and expressive piano sounded pleasantly forward, while full-sounding smooth bass and tightly controlled percussion accompanied subtle strings dancing through the track.

The balanced output across all frequencies is really pleasing, and there does seem to be a bit less emphasis on the low-end compared to Sony’s previous pair of flagship cans – at least out of the box.

The default EQ calibration is certainly even enough to ensure you can hear those finer details across the frequency range. No need to worry about overbearing bass, harsh treble or overly recessed mids.

When tuning into I Want You by Moloko, I was struck by the breathy vocals, impactful and response cymbal hits and pumping, yet disciplined bass output. This song adds instrument after instrument as it unfolds, resulting in a densely layered climax. Yet the XM6 had the capability to keep things in check, maintaining clear, distortion-free audio throughout.

There’s some incredibly stiff competition for Sony’s new headphones. I tested out a number of rivals, including the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3.

Vocals and some finer details sounded slightly clearer on the XM6 compared to Bose’s effort, though the latter did still sound great considering you can now regularly scoop them up for closer to $350 / £350.

The Px7 S3 launched mere weeks before the XM6 at essentially the same price-point (at least in the UK) and I found they had a slightly more luxury sound. They could lift vocals out of the mix and push them forwards a little more precisely than the XM6, and their open, spatial-sounding audio output was truly hypnotizing.

You get slightly better ANC from the Sony XM6, plus I found the Sony cans to be more comfortable – but if we’re talking pure sound, you could do a little better for the same price.

But still, there are plenty of ways to get a sound that matches your style with the XM6. To truly adapt them to your palate, head over to Sony’s Sound Connect app and get playing with EQ adjustment.

You have a few options here: Find Your Equalizer, which lets you pick the sound signature that suits your tastes best; presets, including Heavy, Clear and Game; or custom EQ, which lets you manually create your own calibration with a 10-band equalizer.

And there’s even more to experiment with in the Sound Connect app that can elevate your listening to the next level. Specifically, you get access to DSEE Extreme, a technology that up-mixes lower quality audio files to bring out the most detailed, quality-sounding audio possible. This works really well on music platforms such as Spotify, which is yet to offer higher-resolution streaming.

There’s also LDAC, which enables you to access ‘hi-res’ Bluetooth listening. And if you want to keep it old-school, there’s also a 3.5mm port on the headphones, as well as a cable in the box so you can engage in wired listening.

The Sony WH-1000XM6 are designed for more than just music listening, though. There’s improved width to the XM6’s soundstage, which is useful if you’re watching movies or TV series on your phone, for instance. And on top of that, there’s a cinema listening mode, which harnesses Sony’s 360 Reality Audio Upmix and can convert a stereo signal into an immersive, wraparound sonic experience.

I tried watching The Boy and the Heron on Netflix in Cinema mode and was impressed by the expansiveness and directionality of audio. Voices, for instance, may not have been as crystal clear as Standard mode, but if immersion is what you’re chasing, it’s well worth checking out.

There’s also a Background Music option, which can make your music sound as if it’s playing in a café or living room. Spatial audio and head tracking are included too – but will only work on certain devices that support Android's built-in head tracking, and this doesn't include Samsung phones (and obviously rules out Apple devices).

Sound quality score: 4.5/5

Man using the Sony WH-1000XM6 — (Image credit: Future)

Sony WH-1000XM6 review: design

Foldability is back and better than before
Ultra-comfortable headband
Some may find them to be a little bulky
New magnetic case is much more convenient

The WH-1000XM6 may not look drastically different to their predecessor, but Sony’s made a handful of small tweaks that I really appreciate.

Stitching on the front of the headband is gone in favor of a smoother, more premium look, and the headband itself is a little wider for improved comfort.

The earcups also fit more seamlessly around the neck in a downward facing position, which is super useful if you’re on the go or just need to stop for a chat.

There’s one major difference between the XM6 and the XM5, though, and that’s the reintroduction of a folding headband. Controversially, the XM5 ditched this in favor of a single-hinge, slimmer look – but XM4 fans, it’s your lucky day.

There are new, more durable hinges on the XM6 that enable them to neatly fold into a new magnetically closed carry case – this isn’t the smallest or the most flashy, but is still assembled to a high standard.

They also don’t fold up as compactly as headphones like the Marshall Monitor III ANC or Anker Soundcore Space One Pro, say, so are not quite pocketable – but it's nice to packing in a bag.

But how do the headphones look and feel in-use? Pretty good all round! They’ve been designed in a way that makes them appear more straight on your head, rather than curved inward. That wider headband I mentioned also goes a long way in improving comfort for multi-hour listening sessions. Pair that with beautifully padded earcups and easily accessible buttons and there’s not much more I could ask for.

There are a few minor things I don’t love about the design of the XM6, though. First of all, the earcups look quite bulky, meaning you’re not getting the most sleek, stylish look compared to something like the Sonos Ace.

The color options, while classy, also feel a little bit safe. I would’ve liked to see a more vibrant option thrown in there, or even the Smoky Pink variant – which was released as a late addition to the XM5 lineup – available from the get-go.

Finally, there’s still no waterproofing on this new model. That’s usually the case for over-ear headphones, but it would’ve been nice to see Sony lead the way with some kind of water resistance rating.

All in all, though, there’s still so much to love about the XM6 design-wise. They have a premium-looking, almost paper-like matte consistency to the casing’s finish. And they’re nice and light once again, weighing in at just 254g.

There are two physical buttons – one to turn the headphones off and on or pair via Bluetooth and one to toggle between noise cancelling modes or mute the mic during calls.

Design score: 4.5/5

Sony WH-1000XM6 folded inside magnetic case — (Image credit: Future)

Sony WH-1000XM6 review: value

A very premium price, no question
Truly awesome noise cancelling and great audio quality
Best of both worlds from previous two gens

Let’s address the elephant in the room. The Sony WH-1000XM6 are a pricey pair of headphones. And they’re also more expensive than their predecessor at launch. Yep, these come in at $449 / £400 / AU$699, which is $50 / £20 / AU$50 more than the XM5 at the point of release.

Of course, there have been economic issues for Sony and co to deal with, and there are a number of significant improvements on this model. But nonetheless, it’s a lot to pay for some over-ears considering there are so many excellent competitors floating around for considerably less.

For example, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra – which offer incredible noise cancelling capabilities, adept audio and a nice selection of smart features – are now more than a year-old, so you can find them on sale for under $350 / £350 pretty regularly. That's a great deal less than the new XM6.

Even the WH-1000XM5 are now widely sold for around $300 / £250. And spending that extra $150 / £150 to get the newest instalment, won't be a clear-cut decision for everyone, though I think the XM6 make the case for themselves.

But let’s give the XM6 their flowers. In terms of ANC, it really doesn’t get much better than this. You get top-tier isolation as well as fantastic sound quality, a boat-load of features and a design that marries the best of the XM4 and XM5 together. Sure, you may prefer the Bowers & Wilkins Px& S3 for sound, but the WH-1000XM6 are still, undoubtedly, among 2025’s very best over-ear headphones.

Value score: 4/5

Sony WH-1000XM6 and Sony WH-1000XM5 leaning against pole — Sony WH-1000XM6 next to their predecessor, the Sony WH-1000XM5 (Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Sony WH-1000XM6?

Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	In-use charging is neat, but incredible ANC and smart features steal the show.	5/5
Sound quality	Expressive, impactful audio that is more tuneable than ever.	4.5/5
Design	A touch chunky, but pleasingly foldable and highly comfortable.	4.5/5
Value	A little more than the XM5 and there's hot competition, but hard to beat as all-rounders.	4/5

Buy them if…

You want incredible noise cancellation
The Sony WH-1000XM6 plate up seriously impressive noise cancellation capabilities. Seriously, I could barely hear anything other than my favorite tunes when using these cans, even when walking in areas with heavy traffic or while vacuuming. If you’re sick of hearing the clicking and clacking of the train on your daily commute – or maybe your neighbor’s non-stop DIY projects, it might be time to snap these cans up.

You want top-tier features
These Sony cans supply no end of features to mess around with. You get adaptive noise cancelling, cinema upmixing, ‘hi-res’ music streaming options, Find Your Equalizer… need I say more? Pretty much everything you could ever want from some headphones is at your fingertips with the XM6. Just download the Sound Connect app and you’re off.

Don’t buy them if…

You’re on a budget
At $450 / £400, these over-ears are hardly wallet-friendly. You can get a lot of the features from the XM5 for far less, and there are some awesome affordable options out there such as the 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51, which pack ANC, solid sound and wonderful battery life for less than $100 / £100.

You want bundles of playtime
Now don’t get me wrong, 30 hours of playtime with ANC on isn’t too bad. It’s just not anything special either. The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless deliver an astonishingly high 60-hour battery life. And that’s with ANC on!

Person plugging 3.5mm cable into Sony WH-1000XM6 — (Image credit: Future)

Sony WH-1000XM6 review: also consider

	Sony WH-1000XM6	Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3	Bose QuietComfort Ultra
Price	$449 / £399 / AU$699	$TBC / £399 / AU$699	$429 / £449 / AU$649
Drivers	30mm dynamic	40mm dynamic	35mm dynamic
Active noise cancellation	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery life	30 hours (ANC on)	30 hours (ANC on)	24 hours (ANC on)
Weight	254g	300g	250g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm	Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm	Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm
Frequency range	Not listed	10Hz-20kHz	20Hz-20kHz
Waterproofing	None	None	None

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
I tested the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 during the course of this review, and they blew me away. Their ability to lift vocal performances to the forefront while still delivering pounding bass and tight treble is something that you have to hear to believe. ANC isn’t quite as good as the XM6 and some features, like spatial audio, are only coming via update. But for £400 – US release and pricing is TNC – you really are looking at top-tier sound. Read our full Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 review.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Even though it’s been more than a year since the Bose QuietComfort Ultra came to market, they’re still among the best over-ear headphones money can buy. Why? Well, it’s really all about ANC. You’re getting phenomenal isolation from the outside world here and with their price now slashed a fair amount, they’re a seriously strong candidate to be your next audio companion. Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review.

Sony WH-1000XM6 review: How I tested

Tested for a week
Used while travelling, in the office, and at home
Predominantly tested using Tidal streaming

I tested the Sony WH-1000XM6 over the course of a week. I used the over-ears in a variety of environments, including Sony’s 5020 Studio in Madrid, on walks near built-up roads and on public transport. I mainly connected the headphones to Tidal with the LDAC codec enabled for the best quality audio. But I also tried Cinema mode on Netflix and used DSEE Extreme on Spotify music files.

When listening to tunes, I went through the TechRadar testing playlist, which includes tracks from a number of genres, before expanding to a wider music selection. I also tested the headphones with my Windows laptop to trial quality using a wired connection. On top of that, I compared the WH-1000XM6 to a number of competitors we recommend, including Sony’s own WH-1000XM5, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3.

First reviewed: May 2025
Read more about how we test

I tested these clip-on open ear headphones with 3D audio – here’s how I rated them

9:00 pm | May 13, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: ANC | Comments: Off

Anker Soundcore C40i: review

Enter the Anker Soundcore C40i, another competitor in the ever-growing field of open ear headphones. Thanks to their lack of a seal, these clip-on headphones are ideal for those who want to be aware of their surroundings – such as runners or gym-goers. At the same time, the Anker Soundcore C40i still aim to deliver a strong sonic experience – something that a lot of open ear models have struggled to accomplish. So how do they fare?

Well, as you may expect, you’re not going to get stunning audio from the Anker Soundcore C40i. Like all open ear headphones, the loose design means that sound is less concentrated and there’s ambient noise to compete with from your surroundings. Yet these still perform decently in the audio department. Well, that is, after a bit of tinkering.

You see, out of the gate, I wasn’t sure if me and the Anker Soundcore C40i would be best pals. The default Soundcore Signature tuning is a little convoluted and bass packs a pretty feeble punch… well, more of a tap really. But I had no need to fear, because like many of the best open ear headphones, the C40i have custom EQ settings. I simply wandered over to the Soundcore app and refined audio by selecting 3D Surround Sound.

I was actually quite surprised that the 3D audio mode was a hit – I’ve seen no end of headphones fail on this, including rival clip-on buds like the Edifier LolliClip. Bass response is improved and you get a decently immersive listening experience – I stuck with 3D mode for much of my testing. There’s also a Bass, Volume Booster and an eight-band custom option for those who aren’t digging the 3D effects.

After getting all set up, I got straight into A Seagull & Clouds by Himiko Kikuchi, a beautiful funk-infused jazz track. The C40i performed very well for a pair of open ear headphones, with subtle percussive elements including tambourines coming through clearly, yet subtly enough to give the expressive trumpet, dancing keys and smooth bass plenty of limelight.

Moving over to Black Eye by Allie X and the pounding drum machine didn’t have the razor sharp speed that I’ve heard from more premium headphones, but its depth was replicated nicely, especially given the C40i’s open build. Higher pitched vocal segments sounded perfectly clear at medium volumes but could sound a little harsh at top levels.

Overall, I’d argue that the C40i sound above-average for a pair of open ear headphones. There’s no LDAC for ‘hi-res’ listening and you’re unlikely to be wowed by massive sub-bass, for example. But these do still offer up surprisingly good separation and impressively immersive overall sound, which is to be applauded.

There’s no noise cancelling here, as seen with some open ear headphones like the Honor Earbuds Open. And if you pair that with the C40i’s inherently leaky open design, you can expect listening sessions to be significantly interrupted if you’re in busy areas.

That could be a big win if you’re concerned about the risks of using ANC-enabled buds in traffic-heavy areas for your morning run. But if you’re instead looking to shut out the world around you, don’t worry – you can check out our guide to the best noise cancelling earbuds instead!

Someone picking Anker Soundcore C40i out of charging case — (Image credit: Future)

In general, there really aren’t a ton of features to play around with on the Soundcore C40i. Again, you can adjust EQ in the super easy-to-use app, which also shows devices connected with multi-point and battery life remaining for each bud and the charging case. The only other major inclusion is customizable button controls. You can assign a different function to tapping once, twice, or three times on the buds’ buttons. Options include playback control, voice assistant activation and volume adjustment.

The decision to use traditional button controls was also one that I had no issue with whatsoever. Sure, it’s not the most modern approach, but it removes the frustration I’ve experienced when accidentally triggering touch commands on rivals like the Happy Plugs Clip. These buttons also let you take or reject calls, which brings me onto mic quality. I found the C40i performed nicely, with clear speech on both calls and a voice recording. Background static was very limited and I wasn’t subjected to harsh sibilance either – no complaints here!

Outside of their button controls, I didn’t quite fall in love with the C40i’s design, though. Firstly, they’re not particularly pretty, with the Midnight model I tested having an almost muddy shade to it. The case also feels a little chunky and positioning the sync button on the underside of the case is a little odd – not that I really needed it thanks to the C40i automatically pairing to my phone via Bluetooth 5.4.

I also didn’t find these open ear headphones to be particularly comfortable. They were a little tight for me, so I rarely found myself keeping them on for longer than a couple of hours at a time. That’s something that the slightly newer, more expensive model, the Anker Soundcore AeroClip corrected with a more flexible build.

A couple more things before I stop moaning – both the C40i’s waterproofing and battery life are markedly average, with a number of competitors outperforming them. They’re just IPX4-rated, meaning they can handle some water splashes and sweat, but might not be the best with water jets or submersion. That’s not the case for a model like the IP57-rated Huawei FreeArc, which have plenty of protection against the elements. And you’re getting a moderate eight hours of playtime from the buds and maximum 21 hours with the case – again, nothing special.

The C40i still plate up impressive audio in 3D sound mode and I’m a big fan of the Soundcore companion app, so their list price of $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$149.99 is hardly outrageous. But you can do better. Specifically, the newer Anker Soundcore AeroClip are a more rounded, comfortable pick and only cost a touch more. And if you’re on a tighter budget, you can grab an excellent budget alternative like the Huawei FreeArc, which I’ve spotted on sale for less than £80 fairly regularly – but more on these below.

Anker Soundcore C40i review: specs

Waterproof rating	IPX4
Battery life	7 hours (earbuds); 21 hours (with charging case)
Bluetooth type	Bluetooth 5.4
Weight	5.8g (per bud); 40g (charging case)
Frequency range	20Hz-20kHz

Anker Soundcore C40i with one of the earbuds outside of the charging case — (Image credit: Future)

Anker Soundcore C40i review: price and availability

$99.99 / £99.99 / AU$149.99
Launched in October 2024

The clip-styled Anker Soundcore C40i released in October 2024 alongside a more traditional open ear model, the Anker Soundcore Aerofit 2. You can grab this model in three colorways: Desert Bronze; Midnight (black); or my personal favorite, Champagne Mist, which is a see-through variant, similar to the Sony WF-C710.

The C40i launched with a list price of $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$149.99, which is in the budget-to-midrange category. It’s worth noting that this model is significantly pricier than its predecessor, the Anker Soundcore C30i, which are typically $69.99 / £59.99 / AU$99.99. On the other hand, you’ll have to shell out $129.99 / £129.99 (about AU$210) for the more recent (and superior) Anker Soundcore AeroClip.

Anker Soundcore C40i against block — (Image credit: Future)

Should you buy the Anker Soundcore C40i?

Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	Solid mic quality, effective 3D sound mode, battery life just OK, no ANC.	3.5/5
Sound quality	Need some tuning, but offer solid bass output and clear audio for open ears.	4/5
Design	Not the most comfortable, average waterproofing, nice button controls.	3/5
Value	Fairly priced but you can do better in a similar price range.	3.5/5

Buy them if...

You’re on a budget
With a sub-$100 / £100 list price, the Anker Soundcore C40i are far from the most expensive open ear headphones on the market. They’re a bit less than the newer AeroClip model, making them a solid budget alternative.

You’re not into touch controls
If you don’t want fiddly touch controls then you’re in luck, because the C40i stick with good ‘ol buttons. You can customize the button controls in the Soundcore app too, allowing you to assign a different function to one, two, or three button presses.

Don't buy them if...

You’re an audiophile
These sound above average for a pair of open ear headphones, but still, you’re not going to get that rich, detailed and separated sound that a pair of the best wired earbuds can offer, for example.

You’re looking for ANC
Like a lot of open ear headphones, you won’t get ANC out of the Anker Soundcore C40i. Combine that with their open design and you’re going to find that a lot of ambient noise will flow in.

Anker Soundcore C40i review: also consider

	Anker Soundcore C40i	Edifier LolliClip	Huawei FreeArc
Price	$99.99 / £99.99 / AU$149.99	$129.99 (about £100 / AU$210)	£99.99 (about $130 / AU$200)
Waterproof rating	IPX4	IP56	IP57
Battery life	7 hours (earbuds); 21 hours (with charging case)	9 hours (earbuds); 39 hours (with charging case)	7 hours (earbuds), 28 hours (with charging case)
Bluetooth type	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.2
Weight	5.8g (per bud); 40g (charging case)	7g (per bud); 46g (charging case)	8.9g (per bud); 67g (charging case)
Frequency range	20Hz-20kHz	20Hz-40kHz	Not stated

Edifier LolliClip
OK, so at the time of writing, this model is only available to those of you in the US, although I got to test them out myself on the other side of the pond. These are a great pair of open ear headphones that have plenty of features – including ANC, heart rate monitoring and blood oxygen tracking. They also supply strong sound quality, a neat design and high comfortability. Sure, their companion app isn’t as sleek as the Soundcore one and EQ options are a bit limited, but they’re still an option that’s well-worth your consideration. Read our full Edifier LolliClip review.

Huawei FreeArc
Conversely, the Huawei FreeArc are an alternate option for UK customers who want a truly excellent open ear experience. We love these buds for their “top-tier sound”, natural fit and competitive price. That’s right, these can also be yours for less than £100 (about $130 / AU$200). Like the C40i, there’s no ANC and battery life won’t blow you away. But still, these are a great value option in a red-hot market. Read our full Huawei FreeArc review.

Anker Soundcore C40i review: How I tested

Anker Soundcore C40i plugged into USB-C charger — (Image credit: Future)

Tested during a one-week period
Used in the office and while out in public
Predominantly tested using Tidal

I tested the Anker Soundcore C40i across the course of a week, predominantly when working at Future Labs, but also when out and about. I played around with their full set of features, tuned in for casual and critical listening and assessed their quality across all EQ presets.

When listening to music, I made use of Tidal on my Samsung Galaxy S24 FE. As always, I ran through the TechRadar testing playlist, which includes tracks from a variety of genres and is optimized for assessing sound quality across the frequencies. I also blasted a ton of tunes from my personal music library and compared audio capabilities against the Soundcore AeroClip on ear headphones.

First reviewed: May 2025
Read more about how we test

Viaim’s AI recording and transcription earbuds will blow your mind, if you’ll accept ANC that’s just a shade off excellent

1:00 pm | May 10, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: AI, ANC, Apple Music | Comments: Off

RecDot Earbuds: Two-minute review

Boy, have I enjoyed my experience with the Viaim RecDot earbuds. Beginning with the AI recording and transcription functionality and ending with the sound quality, there’s very little not to love about Viaim’s latest offering.

The positives begin with the ability to record and transcribe calls, audio/video clips and meetings. This covers all situations and scenarios that you could ever find yourself wanting this type of functionality. I tried all of these features and thankfully found them to be reliable and accurate; otherwise, I would have been left seriously frustrated. My only gripe was that if a speaker (as in, the person speaking) paused for too long, Viaim would insert a full stop. Not very helpful, but perhaps a nice reminder that AI doesn't have consciousness, creativity or actual emotion.

Transcription is extended further by translation tools, the creation of to-do lists and summaries, and sharing audio or transcriptions to other devices. It really is a one-stop shop for managing your professional life. I found that these buds fit seamlessly into all aspects of my life, but especially at work.

I’ve already mentioned how impressed I was with the sound quality, but my brief comment deserves expansion. Having listened to music and carried out calls with friends and colleagues, I think Viaim has hit the mark across the board for detail across the frequencies. Remarkably, I found that I could just as easily discern a caller’s words while in a busy location as I could enjoy soulful tunes having sunk into my favorite chair for the night.

In short, far from being AI earbuds with average sound quality that you have to put up with, these are buds that are as good as much of the competition out there at the moment. The fact that they also transcribe recordings like a pro is ever more impressive.

From a design point of view, the RecDot are slightly chunkier than I would have liked, although they look pretty good for it. They’re not the snuggest fit and therefore aren’t really suitable for intense exercise, but they’re fine for when you’re sat at a computer, commuting or in a meeting.

Each bud comes with a long stem which houses a sensor for picking up presses and swipes. I would love to have had a recognition tone or perhaps haptic feedback integration, as it can at times be difficult to tell if your touches have been picked up. The buds sit cosily in the charging case, which offers a total of 36 hours of life, with each bud able to hold a maximum of 9 hours of power. All of this is more than enough to keep you going even through the busiest of days.

At $249.99 / £185 / AU$375, they’re not the cheapest buds around, but I wouldn’t compare them like-for-like against any other alternative on the market right now. These are excellent-sounding buds that deliver game-changing transcription. If you’re looking to save time in (and after) work meetings, there’s no easier way than with Viaim’s RecDot.

Any flies in the ointment? One or two; the case lid feels a tad flimsy and the ANC is fine rather than fantastic. OK, so they're unlikely to ever make it into our guide to the best noise cancelling earbuds, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they popped up in our broader best earbuds guide. I also think that if ever we created a ‘best earbuds for AI’ category (can't be long, surely?) the RecDot would be a front-runner.

Viaim RecDot Earbuds review: Price & release date

Released January 2025
Priced $249.99 / £185 / AU$375

As Viaim’s flagship product, the RecDot earbuds attract a premium price tag. Early AI adopters might be able to stomach the price, but if you only have a passing interest in how AI can streamline your workflows, you might not be convinced.

It’s difficult to bring a direct price comparison given there are so few AI earbuds on the market that can do everything these earbuds can. One example would be the Aidio X1 AI Earbuds for $149, but we’ve not yet tested those – oh, and Samsung's Galaxy Buds can do the real-time translation trick (and have been able to for a little while now) provided you've got a Samsung phone.

A helpful comparison is always Apple's AirPods Pro 2, which usually cost under $199 / £199 / AU$349. Let's not mince words – the design correlation between Apple's buds and Viaim's newer effort is striking. If you go for the RecDot earbuds, you’ll be sacrificing ANC quality, but for the extra money, you’ll get an abundance of useful hearing health features that are well worth the money (especially if you own an iPhone).

Viaim RecDot Earbuds review: Specifications

Viaim RecDot Earbuds review: Features

Excellent AI recording
Live transcription
Smart ANC leaves a little to be desired

When you buy a pair of the best wireless earbuds, you’ll be looking for great audio, excellent ANC and a snug fit. What most people are not looking for is an extensive set of recording and transcription services. But just because you might not have been looking for them, doesn’t mean you don’t need 'em.

With that introduction out of the way, are you ready for some seriously good features? Let’s begin with recording. There are three primary ways your set of RecDot Earbuds can do this, including call recording, audio/video recording, or live recording. The first will transcribe in real-time during a system or VoIP call. The second transcribes speeches in an audio or video clip, again in real time. The last transcribes live when you are in face-to-face dialog or in a small meeting room.

No matter how you access these recordings and transcriptions, you’ll find them to be reliable, comprehensive and useful for everyday purposes. I used it to make written notes from my own voice, to access a transcription of a conversation with a friend, and in a meeting with colleagues.

The Viaim software was able to pick up what was being said with very few issues or errors. The only snafu I experienced was that if I or someone else spoke too slowly or paused, Viaim would think it needed to begin a new sentence even if that wasn’t the speaker’s intention. So, you'll need to sub-edit your notes afterwards, but I find that's true of all note-taking software. I’d definitely like to see some post-AI tools that can sweep through the text and bring corrections, but it's still a neat perk.

What is maybe even more impressive than real-time transcription is that Viaim is able to distinguish between different speakers and mark them accordingly. I found this feature to be surprisingly reliable, making it a good fit for creating extensive meeting notes about who said what.

Transcriptions can also be simultaneously translated into up to 14 languages. With support for English, Chinese, French, German, and others, Viaim has covered a very high percentage of the world’s languages. I wasn’t involved in any bilingual meetings during my time of testing, but I can imagine how helpful this would be to non-native speakers.

The final AI feature to mention is the meeting assistant, which extracts concise summaries and actionable to-do items from lengthy recordings. If my mind hadn’t already been blown, then it most certainly was when I tested this feature. I couldn’t believe how accurately it was able to determine who needed to do what. It also did it remarkably quickly. My experience of this particular feature rings true through all the AI tools: impressive, reliable, and accurate.

Let’s finish by talking ANC. The 'Smart ANC' in the RecDot claims to reduce ambient noise by up to 48 dB, which would make it more than capable of drowning out most ambient noise. They don’t nix noise to the level of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, but they’re still capable enough for general everyday use. Given that they’ll be used primarily in office settings, you’re unlikely to need the highest-performing ANC buds – although for long-haul flights their minor shortcomings when it comes to jet engine noise cancellation could be more noticeable.

Features score: 4.5/5

RecDot Earbuds review: Sound quality

Vibrant, detailed, and crisp
Only one profile works for those with broad music tastes
ANC can be hit and miss, but auto option is best

I began by firing up Azizam by Ed Sheeran. The RecDot are able to deliver high levels of vibrancy with the strong dance beat punching through, without fighting against the vocals. While I was in an Ed Sheeran mood, I jumped into Galway Girl and sat back to enjoy the surprisingly wide soundstage. I would have taken a little more detail across the listening experience, but in general, it was all very pleasant.

Transitioning to a more sombre mood, I hit play on The Curse by Agnes Obel. Obel’s voice rises above the beautifully defined plucking of strings, delivering a near-perfect blend of instruments and notes. Alongside numerous other tracks, I was keen to play something layered, complex and gentle. I turned to the theme from Jurassic Park, by John Williams. Given this track's multiple instruments, I was pleased to hear the distinction between the flutes, piano and in fact all other sections of the orchestra. Well done, Viaim.

Most of my testing was carried out using the 'balanced' sound setting, although I did have a play around with other options, including pop, bass boost, and electronic. These other profiles were fantastic for specific tracks, but given my broad music tastes, I found them unreliable across multiple genres. I would therefore recommend sticking with the default unless you have reason to change it.

It was a similar story when it came to ANC. There’s the option to set it to low, middle, or high, but I found these weren’t reliable enough across a wide range of environments. I opted instead for the auto option and let the RecDot do the work. It’s fair to say that this did affect the sound, negatively at times, but it was better than choosing one of the three predefined options.

All that being said, I wouldn’t buy these buds purely for their sound quality. As good as they are, audiophile purists will want a dedicated pair of earbuds or headphones – probably with wires to their source device. The RecDot are for audio lovers who want more from their buds, namely a meeting companion that gets the job done.

Sound quality score: 4/5

RecDot Earbuds review: Design

Accessible recording controls
Well-designed case that’s easy to use
Plenty of eartip options

The RecDot earbuds look pretty similar to almost all other long-stemmed earbuds, although they feel a little bulkier in the hand than something like the AirPods Pro. The additional size is no doubt due to the extra recording features that make the RecDot stand out from the competition.

The sensor strip is located on the stem and provides all on-board controls. The sensor supports five types of interaction with a simple slide increasing and decreasing the volume. I don’t mind sensors instead of buttons, but only if they work well. I found the RecDot earbuds a little fiddly to operate, especially the triple press to go to the previous track. Part of this will be personal preference, but I feel there’s some fine-tuning required.

The also buds ship in black, although I was sent the silver colorway. Both look smart, but I think the black offers a slightly more premium appearance. To help with fitting, Viaim supplies five different sizes of dustproof eartips. They’re a little bit fiddly to swap out, although I’ve never experienced a problem-free eartip change on any earbuds I’ve used to date. Finding the correct size of eartip took a little time, but I was glad to have an abundance to choose from.

With an IP55 rating, the RecDot earbuds are resistant to dust and water. That means you’ll be fine if sweat and rain are your only concerns, but if you’re looking to do anything more adventurous, then they’ll come up lacking. Given their recording and translation talents, these aren’t designed for extreme sports anyway.

Before moving onto the case, the only other thing to mention is that the 11mm dynamic drivers are coated in titanium, which provides the highest possible strength-to-weight ratio. This makes sure they are as light and strong as possible.

No pair of wireless earbuds would be complete without a charging case. Aside from the slightly flimsy sliding top, I only have positive things to say about it. The buds magnetically slot in with a seriously satisfying click, with zero chance of them falling out despite serious shaking. And yes, I did try!

The case supports USB-C charging, which delivers a total of 36 hours of battery life. Each charge will only give the buds a maximum of 9 hours, although this is more than enough for a full day of listening to your favorite music – and quite competitive.

The final element of the charging case is the physical record button. Offering one-click recording during meetings, all you have to do is place an earbud in the charging case, hit record, and wait for either the left or right indicator to flash. I love this feature and have used it regularly. My only bugbear is that I think this record button should double up as a ‘now recording’ light. In my opinion this would be far more satisfying and demonstrative than a dim blinking indicator on a bud.

Design score: 4/5

RecDot Earbuds review: Value

AI features to die for
Admirable sound considering the extra perks
Competitive battery life

At $249.99 / £185 the Viaim RedCot are far from cheap. You’re paying a premium price for a fully featured set of innovative earbuds. Whether they’re worth the money will hang solely on whether you will utilize their AI features. If you’re only concerned about design and sound then I’d perhaps nudge you towards the much more affordable AirPods 4 with ANC instead.

The AI recording tools are far above the biggest strength of Viaim’s latest buds. Record calls on your phone or at on-site meetings and view translations in realtime. With a capture distance of up to 7 metres you’ll be covered no matter where you’re sitting. I appreciate that you could download software to do this but to have all this tech alongside very capable sound performers makes the recording and listening workflow beautifully seamless.

Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the RecDot Earbuds review:

Buy them if...

You want on-board recording capabilities
Not only do the RecDot buds sound fantastic, but they also record audio and transcribe it.

You need a meeting assistant
Extract concise summaries and create actionable to-do lists from lengthy recordings.

You want a great all-rounder
With fantastic sound, decent ANC, good battery life and AI smarts, these are the buds that do it all.

Don't buy them if...

You’re on a budget
At $249.99 / £185, there are much more affordable alternatives.

You must have tight fitting earbuds
They fit fairly well, but I wouldn’t call them a super secure or sports-optimised fit.

Sound is your only priority
The Viaim RecDot do sound good, but there are superior alternatives on the market if detailed, nuanced, neutral audio is your chief concern.

RecDot Earbuds review: Also consider

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
Prefer device-agnostic head-tracked spatial audio plus some of the best ANC in the business? These September 2023-issue earbuds from Bose are a great shout – and the in-ear security is nearly as good as the Powerbeats Pro 2. You'll have to forego a bit of stamina (it's only 6 hours here) and transcription/translation, but the noise-cancellation is superior.
Read more in our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds review

Cambridge Audio Melomania M100
The ANC-off and transparency profiles are much more enjoyable here – as is the sound quality generally. You also get a similar battery life and the option of Matt Berry on voice prompts (his "Waiting to pair!" is a delight). The overall aesthetic isn't as striking though, and they aren't as secure in your ears – also you can forget about meeting transcription…
Read our full Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 review

How I tested the RecDot Earbuds

Tested for three weeks at work, home, while exercising
Listened to Spotify, Apple Music and Deezer on a MacBook Pro, and iPhone

I began by getting them fitted correctly. This was helped by the numerous ear tips provided and the in-app test that covered both sound quality and noise reduction. With that out of the way and my app fully configured, I was ready to test them out in earnest.

Given their AI recording smarts, I was keen to focus my attention on that in the first instance. This mean utilizing them in meetings, conversations, and when I'm on my own. I tested all the different workflows for recording and transcription alongside all the finer elements of functionality. The only part I wasn’t able to test accurately was the translation feature.

Once I was happy with that, I turned my attention to sound quality and ANC. With Ed Sheeran, Agnes Obel and John Williams all lined up alongside TechRadar's trusted track list, I sat back and let my ears do the work.

First reviewed: May 2025
Read more on how we test earbuds at TechRadar