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AI just made my favorite Skullcandy earbuds worse — and I’m not sure anyone asked for it

7:30 pm | February 18, 2026

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC: Two minute review

For all that companies try to squirrel AI chatbots into every gadget possible, I’ve yet to see many buyers who genuinely want this kind of addition. In fact more often than not, the infiltration of artificial intelligence makes the tech worse — many companies are starting to realize this and take a step back. But there’s now a new victim of the AI war: the Skullcandy Method 540.

For context, let’s look at some earbuds that would have gotten onto our list of the best cheap earbuds if not for how competitive 2025 was. I’m talking about the Skullcandy Method 360, which were some of my favorite buds of the year: they fit great, sounded fun and were fairly affordable. The 540 are the updated model of 360, with Skullcandy apparently not taking a leaf from Microsoft’s naming playbook – don’t get your hopes up for a Method One and then Method Series X, then.

New models should, ostensibly, bring upgrades over the previous iterations. However the Skullcandy Method 540 have the same design, drivers and carry case design as the previous model. They’re incredibly similar buds, yet cost about 25% more.

So what’s actually new? Well, there are a few tiny tweaks here and there, but the flagship ‘feature’ is compatibility with Skull AI. This is Skullcandy’s AI assistant, built on Bragi AI which in turn is built on Open AI. So for all intents and purposes, you’re paying more for a built-in chat-bot…

…except that you’re not, because Skull AI is available as a separate subscription, which you have to pay for either monthly, at $4.99 / £4.99, or annually (at $49.99 / £49.99). Skull AI is one of the better AI chatbot names I've heard, but I'm not including an evaluation of the chatbot itself in this review: it’s very much a separate, optional product to the Method 540.

If you use AI chatbots, perhaps the Method 540 is worth considering, but the vast majority of buyers are going to wonder if there are any other spec improvements to justify that price bump, or if this is another case of AI implementation taking precedence over actual upgrades. Spoiler alert: it’s the latter.

The specs are identical – in fact, I copied and pasted the specs table from my 360 review to save time. In some cases, keeping things similar is great: the buds are comfortable and fit incredibly well, making them great for runners or gym-goers. In some cases, an upgrade was needed: I liked the Method 360’s sound, but budget buds have come on leaps and bounds in just one year, and the Method 540 aren’t as competitive.

Since I gave last year’s Skullcandy earbuds four stars, and these are basically the same thing, some might be wondering where half a star went. That was removed because the Method 360 was good for the price, and the 540 price hike makes them a less appealing prospect.

Given the increased cost, the lack of upgrades and the shoehorned AI mode, it’s just hard to get as enthused about the Method 540. And so it’s harder to recommend them, given how many low-cost rivals there are in 2026.

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC review: Specifications

Component	Value
Water resistant	IPX4
Battery life (quoted)	11 hours (earbuds), 29 hours (total)
Bluetooth type	Bluetooth 5.3
Weight	11g / Charging case: 72g
Driver	12mm

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC review: Price and availability

The Skullcandy Method 540 buds on a table. — (Image credit: Future)

Announced in January 2026
RRP $149.99 / £129.99 (roughly AU$250)
Skull AI costs $4.99 monthly

The Skullcandy Method 540 ANC were unveiled on January 8, 2026, at the annual CES tech conference. That release falls only nine months after the release of the Method 360.

You can pick up the earbuds for $149.99 / £129.99 (roughly AU$250, though there’s no word on an Australian release just yet). That’s a notable price hike over the Method 360, which sold for $119 / £99 / AU$189, and are even cheaper now thanks to some discounts.

That retail price doesn’t even take into account the monthly cost of Skull AI. Access to this AI assistant costs $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year – regional pricing wasn’t available at the time of this review – but it’s worth noting that Skull AI is optional and starts with a 3-month free trial.

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC review: Design

The Skullcandy Method 540 carry case, closed. — Future

The Skullcandy Method 540 carry case, open and with the buds inside. — Future

Chunky carry case
Incredibly reliable in-ear fit
Only black or white options

You know how wireless earbuds makers constantly one-up each other to make svelte little carry cases? Skullcandy didn’t miss the memo – it received it, laughed at it, screwed it up into a ball and threw it away. The Method 540 buds come in a tube, and you slide out the central column to reveal them.

The 360 used the same mechanism, although it’s a little thinner this time around: it measures 3.6 x 2.9 x 10.2 cm, and weighs 72g. At the time of writing, the buds only come in black or white, but Skullcandy often releases funky colors for its products, and hopefully it’ll follow for the 540.

This is not a convenient way to carry earbuds – the monolith doesn’t fit well in trouser pockets. But honestly, I don’t mind – I ended up just putting it in my jacket or bag instead. Perhaps I’ve grown used to these chunky cases from testing other such buds, or maybe petite carry cases are overrated. Plus, a magnetic mechanism makes sure it stays shut tight when not in use, a carry hook means you can attach them to your keys or bag, and unlike in the 360 the charging port is out in the open.

The Skullcandy Method 540 earbud, incorrectly placed in the carry case. — Evidence of how easily-bendable the hook is. (Image credit: Future)

My biggest annoyance with the old model remains, though: putting the buds in the case isn’t convenient, as you have to put them in, in a very particular fashion. It takes quite a bit of maneuvering and flipping to make sure they’re in right, and quite often I’d only realise I’d bungled the job when the case wouldn’t shut properly.

Skullcandy has trimmed the fat of its carry case, but it hasn’t touched the earbuds from the last-gen models – and it didn’t need to. Like the 360, the buds fit snugly and reliably, thanks in part to the grippy eartip material, but mostly due to the fins which wedge the buds into your ear. I went for runs with the buds and took them to the gym, and they never threatened to fall out.

They’re not that light, at 11g, or protected, with IPX4 (no protection against dust, only protected against splashes). But they’re not going to fall out into a puddle thanks to the lovely fit, so it doesn’t really matter.

Each bud has touch controls if you tap on their body, which generally felt okay to use, once I got used to tapping the right spot.

Design score: 3.5/5

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC review: Features

The Skullcandy Method 540 earbud, showing the back. — (Image credit: Future)

ANC is solid, not best-in-class
Battery life is above average: 11 hours from the buds/29 including the case
App misses some basic features

Technically, these buds are sold as the Skullcandy Method 540 ANC, and so naturally these buds have Active Noise Cancellation. It’s no more advanced than on the 360: pretty solid, but not best-in-class. Loud noises will cut above the silence, though the background hum of city life will get stripped away.

Stay-Aware falls into the trap that many transparency or surround-hearing modes do, in that it seemingly amplifies more than it strips. Thankfully, Skullcandy has included an Intensity slider in the app, so you can turn down its effects.

According to Skullcandy, the Method 540 lasts for 9 hours with ANC on, or 11 hours with it off, and I’d concur with those estimates. That goes up to 23 or 29 hours when factoring in the extra power offered by the case. And that's good, honestly – any earbuds capable of lasting over 7 hours with ANC on represent above-average stamina.

The Skullcandy Method 540's buds, in a man's hand. — (Image credit: Future)

You’re required to download and use the Skull-iQ app in order to use the 540’s extra features – not the standard Skullcandy one, something I only discovered after downloading the wrong one. I made the exact same error with the 360, but if I say it now, hopefully I save a few of you from making the same mistake.

The app lets you toggle ANC modes, play with a 5-band equalizer, turn on low-latency mode, use the earbuds as a remote phone camera trigger, enable Spotify Tap or set up multipoint pairing. Oh, and the main menu has two separate options for Skull AI. Notably missing perks include the ability to customize touch controls, any kind of fit or listening tests or a find-my-earbuds feature. Any one of these would be a more useful addition than an AI chatbot, as would a more advanced equalizer, or extra presets beyond the three available.

During testing, I had a few temporary Bluetooth drop-outs, but they all resolved themselves quickly.

Features score: 3.5/5

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC review: Sound performance

The Skullcandy Method 540 buds, in a man's ear. — (Image credit: Future)

12mm drivers and Bose tuning
Less bassy than Skullcandy norm
EQ tweaking is mandatory

On paper, the Skullcandy Method 540 match their predecessors in terms of audio specs: 12mm drivers, tuning by Bose, and a total lack of support for any Bluetooth or high-res streaming codecs.

It’s fair to say I was complimentary of the 360’s sound, but I can’t quite say the same about the 540. Partly, it could be because my ears have been spoiled by some fantastic budget rivals in the last year. But there also seem to be tuning differences too.

Skullcandy has a reputation for offering bass-heavy products, something that’s levelled either as a criticism or high praise, depending on the listener. People who sit in the former camp probably haven’t read this far into the review. The Method 540, however, seem to buck this trend. Simply put, they're not all about that bass.

These buds are relatively and surprisingly neutral for Skullcandy products. Treble is more powerful, the low end is sensibly is pared-back, mids are… well, we can’t hope for miracles. This new face would be an interesting twist, except that it reveals that there’s not much else going on under the surface.

The Skullcandy Method 540 carry case with an earbud inside. — (Image credit: Future)

Songs sound a little flat, with nothing to replace the lost bass injection, to add a little energy into proceedings. And it sounds like the top was lopped off to the detriment of some treble frequencies and musical passages; hi-hats, guitar stings and vocal flourishes do sound compressed.

There’s a lack of a meaningful soundstage, so instruments are tripping over each other to be head. When you listen to songs like Wake Up by Arcade Fire, or All My Friends by The Revivalists, what should be an encompassing cacophony of noise sounds more like a music track being played from a phone. I checked out Atmosphere by Joy Division after it was featured in The History of Sound, and even in the remastered version, it sounded like Ian Curtis was playing every single instrument. What about some noughties rock, right in Skullcandy’s core demographic? The guitar riffs of Yellowcard’s Ocean Avenue sounded heavy and dull – even if the wall of sound of the chorus picked up the energy a little.

Saving the Method 540 is the app. I always listened on Bass Boost, which went some way in restoring the Skullcandy sound – these things have the capability for decent bass if you can coax it out. I also dabbled with the equalizer. Though it only has five bands, it lets you add a bit of needed chutzpah to music. And the max volume is still high, so you can rock out at max power.

Sound performance score: 3.5/5

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC review: Value

If you’ve been paying close attention, you’ll have noticed that the Skullcandy Method 540 earbuds don’t offer that many upgrades over the 360… well, other than the higher price, and optional chatbot.

Given that it’s basically the same product, but for about 25% more, the Method 540 don't feel like they offer great value for money. That’s doubly true given that the older buds have seen price cuts of around 30% off, depending on where you live.

Value score: 3/5

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC review: scorecard

Category	Comment	Score
Value	Their feature set and sound quality aren't quite justified by the price tag, especially with the 360 on the market.	3/5
Design	The tip and fin make the Skullcandy incredibly sturdy in the ear, though the case is pretty chunky.	3.5/5
Features	Above-average battery life and okay ANC are good, but there are a few missing features.	3.5/5
Sound	The sound lacks a little luster that was present in previous Method buds.	3.5/5

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC: Should I buy?

The Skullcandy Method 540 earbud, with another bud and the case in the background. — (Image credit: Future)

Buy them if...

You need a reliable in-ear fit
These things won't fall out. Which makes them perfect for doing sit-ups in a gym, or running up hills.

You need solid battery life
Battery life is always an important feature, and the Method 540 last longer than most others at this price, especially with ANC off.

You want an AI chatbot in your ear
I didn't test Skull AI, but it's likely as reliable as other chatbots. Prepare for mounting costs, though.

Don't buy them if...

You can still find the Method 360 available
Even if not on sale, the Method 360 are preferable. They're basically the same, but cost less.

You want a tiny carry case
These aren't your easily-pocketable buds. They're not designed for trouser pockets.

Also consider

Component	Skullcandy Method 540 ANC	Skullcandy Method 360	Cambridge Audio Melomania A100
Water resistant	IPX4	IPX4	IPX5
Battery life (ANC off)	11 hours (earbuds), 29 hours (total)	11 hours (earbuds), 29 hours (total)	11 hours (buds); 39 hours (case)
Bluetooth type	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.4
Weight	11g (buds) 72g (case)	11g (buds) 77g (case)	4.7g (buds) 38.7g (case)
Driver	12mm	12mm	10mm

Skullcandy Method 360
I've talked about them in this review almost as much as the 540. They're incredibly similar in terms of specs and design; a slightly different-shaped case, lack of AI, range of color options and lower price make this an even more tempting prospect.
Read our full Skullcandy Method 360 review

Cambridge Audio Melomania A100
For the same price as the Method 540, you can get these five-star earbuds. They sound fantastic, have great ANC and last ages on a single charge. You don't mind that they look a little boring, do you?
Read our full Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 review

How I tested

I used the Skullcandy Method 540 ANC for three weeks before writing this review.

The headphones were paired to a OnePlus phone for the entirety of the testing process. I listened to music from Spotify and Qobuz, played various games, conducted several video and voice calls, watched Netflix and listened to voice notes using them. Testing took place at home, while on runs, during cycling (Stay Aware mode, of course), at the gym, on various public transports, and on walks around different areas of my city.

I've been reviewing gadgets for TechRadar since 2019, including countless low-cost and mid-range headphones. That includes, of course, the Method 360 earbuds, as well as the Crusher 540 Active over-ears from Skullcandy.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed: February 2026

I tested the earbuds that morph from workout headphones to open ‘buds and it works — but that’s only half the story

2:30 pm | February 1, 2026

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

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro: Two minute review

Usually, when I review a product with a brand-new feature, I use that function for about a week before the novelty wears off. The Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro may not be the best earbuds I’ve ever tested, but I’ve been using its key selling point constantly over the testing period, and that at least says something.

Are they a pair of open earbuds? Or are they a pair of standard workout headphones? Yes and yes – these new hearables from Anker’s audio-visual sub-brand Soundcore do both. The bud’s body is adjustable in relation to its loop: you can have them as standard sports buds, or raise the bud somewhat so it’s further out of your ear. Ta-da, you have open earbuds.

In theory, you get the best of both worlds. Put them in open-ear mode and you enjoy your listening while still hearing what’s going on around you. Flick them into standard mode and you can hear your music with no distractions from outside, thanks in part to ANC turning on.

When I first reported on the buds, I guessed that they could be the best fitness earbuds of the year – it’s safe to say I was cautiously optimistic about them. The function is useful: I’d run along a busy road in open mode and close it when I reached a quieter park, or keep it open when cycling to the gym and close it when I got there.

A home-run, then? Not quite – these are the first earbuds I’ve ever seen trying out a form factor like this, and myriad teething problems plague the buds. I don’t think they are the best fitness headphones of the year any more, but it’s still a valiant effort.

Take, for example, the design. The buds aren’t that far from your ear when in open mode, so don’t let in nearly as much sound as rivals. But due to having AirPods-style tip-less ends, the Aerofits aren’t fully in your ear when in ANC mode, and so don’t actually cancel that much sound.

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The Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro in a man's hand, in open mode. — (Image credit: Future)

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The Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro in a man's hand, in ANC mode. — (Image credit: Future)

The loop material is also quite flimsy, so the buds wobble a lot, and the buttons are hard to press when in ANC mode (but, admittedly, very easy in open mode).

You need to play around in the settings to get the best of the Aerofit 2 Pro too. The default EQ preset, Soundcore Signature, goes for a misshapen V-shaped sound profile which sounds pretty wonky; go into the equalization menu straight away. The Intelligent Noise Cancellation feature also gets in the way, by messing with your sound constantly; turn this off too.

You probably wouldn’t be buying adjustable buds like this if you weren’t okay with some tweaking, though; just know that you’ll have to be doing it quite a bit.

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: Specifications

Component	Value
Water resistant	IP55
Battery life	7 hours (earbuds), 34 hours (total)
Bluetooth type	Bluetooth 6.1
Weight	11g / Charging case: 109g
Driver	11.8mm

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: Price and availability

The Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro case. — (Image credit: Future)

Released on January 6, 2026
Priced at $179.99 / £179.99 (roughly AU$350)
Paying a premium for the novelty

Anker unveiled the Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro at CES 2026 in the first week of the year, and put them on sale immediately after. Perfect for your new year’s fitness resolution.

The earbuds cost $179.99 / £179.99 (roughly AU$350, but they don’t seem to have joined Soundcore’s line-up in Australia). That’s the official price, but mere weeks after release, I’ve seen them discounted by $30 in the US and £10 in the UK.

As open earbuds go, that price is on the higher side of things, but you’re paying to be the first to test this novel kind of tech.

It’s a little higher than the launch price of the first Aerofit Pro, but that device plummeted in price over two years, and we could see the new model drop to similar lows over time.

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: Design

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The Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro in a man's ear, in open mode. — (Image credit: Future)

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The Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro in a man's ear, in ANC mode. — (Image credit: Future)

Easy to switch between open- and closed-ear fit
Weak loop and heavy earpiece affect wear
IP55 protection, comes in black, white or purple

I’ve already described the Aerofit 2 Pro’s transforming gimmick; but how does it work? Basically, the sports loop connects to the driver housing via a connector that can be moved around five different settings; each one results in a different angle for the earpiece to sit at, relative to your ear. At the furthest extent, said headshell sits right in your ear, and at the opposite extent it’s hovering high above it. The first two are ANC (in-ear) mode, the latter two open mode, and the middle one is something in between.

I was skeptical about this, but functionally it works really well. Quickly I became adept at opening or closing the buds while they were in my ear, and in no time I was doing so without breaking my stride while on a run. Unfortunately, basically everything about this design (other than the ease of switching) poses problems.

The key one problem is the loop, made out of a thin silicone which just isn’t rigid enough to hold the earbuds in place. When I was running or working out with the buds, I often found that the battery-bearing counterweights would wobble. It was especially noticeable when in ANC mode. They never fell out, but it was an annoying sensation.

This is exacerbated by the buds’ weight. At 11g each, they’re the heaviest than any other open earbuds I remember testing.

The Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro on a ledge. — (Image credit: Future)

The tip-less design brings with it another problem: the sound leakage on these things, especially in open mode, is significant. Your gym peers will definitely hear what you’re listening to.

Each bud has a button. No, not a sensor or an area you tap and pray something happened: an honest-to-God area that you press in and hear a satisfying ‘click’. Lovely. It’s really easy and simple to use when the bud is in open mode, however when in ANC mode, I found that the pressure needed to press the button instead just pushed it into my ear.

Now that I’m complaining about things: the material used for the end of the bud is a dirt magnet. When it’s in the case or ear it’s fine, but when I put the buds in my pocket or dropped them on the floor, they quickly picked up fluff and particles that were quite hard to clean off. That’s all to say: excuse the review images, I tried my best.

This section is already far too long, but let’s briefly touch on the case. It’s certainly on the big side, even for sports-hook earbuds, and it weighs 109g (including the buds). It has some neat touches: an LED bar gives you an indication of how much charge you have left, and the case also facilitates wireless charging.

Design score: 3.5/5

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: Features

The Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro in a man's hand. — (Image credit: Future)

Little noise is cancelled due to design and the ANC algorithm
Battery life is 7 / 34 hours with ANC on
Several app features including handy EQ presets

Why have I been calling one form of the Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro ‘ANC mode’? That’ll be because when you’re at these extensions, noise cancellation will turn on, ostensibly stopping as much surrounding sound as possible from entering your ears. An anti-open-ear mode, so to speak.

However, the Aerofit run into the same problem as the Apple AirPods 4 with ANC: there’s no rubbery ear tip to create a natural sound-blocking seal, and so the noise cancellation is fighting an impossibly steep uphill battle from the outset. It doesn’t win the battle, and it’s very easy to hear surrounding sounds in this mode – I can hear myself typing this sentence over fairly loud music. It’s not a totally lost cause, and sounds are made quieter, but there’s little meaningful difference between open mode and ANC mode.

ANC mode may do more harm than it’s worth, though, because of Soundcore’s adjustable ANC. This is designed to automatically adjust noise cancellation and many earbuds have similar modes, but on the Soundcore, it had too dramatic an effect on the sound. Frequently, I’d hear dramatic shifts in listening volume or sound profile, and sometimes the volume wouldn’t be able to go very high to compensate for the ANC. On my first run with the buds, I was frustrated with how quiet the max volume was – until I realized it was the noise cancellation running amok. Thankfully this mode can be turned off.

Soundcore puts the battery life of the buds at 7 hours in open-ear mode and 5 hours with ANC turned on. My testing suggests these figures could be a little conservative, so I’m not going to knock the buds like I normally would with 5-hour listening time buds.

The Soundcore app brings a few extra features to the earbuds. These include the ability to customize what the touch controls do, a low-latency and a Spatial Audio mode, an equalizer and the ability to make ANC toggling manual instead of automatic.

The equalizer has a healthy selection of presets, most of which make meaningful adjustments to the sound, and there’s also an eight-band custom option too. I particularly like the Volume Booster preset, which doesn’t exactly sound fantastic, but it gives the buds that extra ‘oomph’ that you need with open buds when venturing somewhere noisy.

Pairing the buds to my phone was quick and easy, however I did have the occasional stuttering and connection dropping problems during testing.

Features score: 3/5

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: Sound performance

Single 10.8mm driver
Music sounds lifeless
Lovely, high max volume

There’s a custom-built 11.8mm driver in each of the Aerofits. Their most impressive feature, though, may be the support for Bluetooth 6.1, which is more advanced than most smartphones you’d be pairing the buds with. That pairs with Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification and a support for LDAC.

When I first started listening to the Aerofit 2 Pro, I was in a quiet home and listening on ANC mode, and I was impressed by a few aspects. There’s decent spacing between instruments, and enough detail to hear the timbre of instruments. Lovely, and unexpected for fitness earbuds like these. However I made the critical mistake of listening to the Soundcore Signature EQ preset for much of my testing period.

This doesn’t sound great: it elevates treble, mutes bass and drops mids almost entirely, like V-shaped sound profile with a lop-sided ‘V’. Uncle Kracker’s In A Little While had distorted guitar that sounded like a fan with a scrap of paper stuck in it, while the chorus of Five More Minutes by The War and Treaty sounded like a duet between vocals and a lawnmower. And treble was far too prominent: Don McCloskey’s First In Flight was constantly jump-scaring me with brass stings.

However, jumping into the EQ preset menu let me salvage my listening experience; I’d recommend buyers to switch straight to ‘Balanced’, or one of the genre-based EQs if you only listen to one kind of music. Balanced levels out that ‘V’ into much more of a flat line, so you can enjoy the high-quality audio without any line or instrument being overwritten.

Max volume for the buds is pretty loud, especially on Volume Booster, but the auto-ANC mode can put a pretty significant upper limit; turn this off.

Sound performance score: 4/5

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: Value

The Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro next to their case. — (Image credit: Future)

Novelty form factor aside, the Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro go for quite a high price, compared to other open earbuds you’d be considering. These aren’t a budget option by any stretch of the imagination – I’d go so far as to call them premium, given that relatively few options exist above the $/£200 threshold.

All considered, it feels a little hard to recommend them for the price – you’re paying for the privilege of testing a new form factor of headphone, not for an especially competitive feature set or sound quality. You're not being ripped off exactly, but it's not a competitive price.

If you can find the Aerofit 2 Pro discounted, though, they’d be well worth considering. They don’t even need an especially meaty price cut; the minor discount already available is a good start.

Value score: 3.5/5

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: scorecard

Category	Comment	Score
Value	The Aerofit's price matches some premium alternatives.	3.5/5
Design	The two-in-one design and switching works well; some other elements don't.	3.5/5
Features	The ANC doesn't work too well and the battery life isn't fantastic, although the app brings some nice additions.	3/5
Sound	Play around with the settings enough, and you can get detailed, expansive audio that'll surprise you compared to other fitness buds.	4/5

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro: Should I buy?

The Huawei FreeClip 2 buds in a case, leaning on a zippo lighter. — (Image credit: Future)

Buy them if...

The 2-in-1 gimmick appeals
Think you want buds that switch between open and standard sports earbuds? You won't be disappointed by how Anker does it.

You want treble-first sound
The Aerofit aren't bassy buds, and they'll appeal to people who prefer hearing lyrics, spoken words or guitar solos.

You appreciate wireless charging
We don't see wireless charging available on many earbuds cases, especially sports-specific ones. If you like the feature, the Aerofit have you covered.

Don't buy them if...

You have noise that needs cancelling
Even in ANC mode, the noise cancellation of the Aerofit isn't competitive.

You won't use the 2-in-1 design
You're paying a premium for the novel form factor of the Aerofit. If you don't think you'll use it enough, other options will give you more value for money.

Also consider

Component	Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro	Shokz OpenFit 2+	Huawei FreeArc
Water resistant	IP55	IP55	IP57
Battery life	7 hours (earbuds), 34 hours (total)	11 hours (earbuds), 48 hours (total)	7 hours (earbuds), 23 hours (total)
Bluetooth type	Bluetooth 6.1	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.2
Weight	11g / Charging case: 109g	9.4g / Charging case: 56g	8.9g / Charging case: 67g
Driver	11.8mm	17.3mm	17mm x 12mm

Shokz OpenFit 2+

Our favorite open earbuds right now come from Shokz, and they offer the full package: a stable fit, great sound quality and a solid feature set. Best of all, they either match or undercut the Soundcore depending on where you live.

Read our full Shokz OpenFit 2+ review

Huawei FreeArc

Want an affordable alternative? The Huawei FreeArc cost half the price of the Soundcore, and have fantastic sound. The case is small and the buds fit well.

Read our full Huawei FreeArc review

How I tested

I tested the Anker Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro for just over two weeks in order to write this review. During this time, they were paired with my Android smartphone.

In that time, I used the Soundcore on runs, at the gym and on cylces. But because of their dual-purpose design, also treated them as my everyday headphones in that time, so I listened at home, on public transport, and on walks around my neighborhood. Most of the testing was done on Spotify, YouTube and Prime Video's apps.

I've tested plenty of open earbuds for TechRadar over the last few years, as the audio segment has emerged, as well as countless other earbuds and headphones.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed: February 2026

I tested the earbuds that morph from workout headphones to open ‘buds and it works — but that’s only half the story

2:30 pm |

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

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro: Two minute review

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The loop material is also quite flimsy, so the buds wobble a lot, and the buttons are hard to press when in ANC mode (but, admittedly, very easy in open mode).

You probably wouldn’t be buying adjustable buds like this if you weren’t okay with some tweaking, though; just know that you’ll have to be doing it quite a bit.

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: Specifications

Component	Value
Water resistant	IP55
Battery life	7 hours (earbuds), 34 hours (total)
Bluetooth type	Bluetooth 6.1
Weight	11g / Charging case: 109g
Driver	11.8mm

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: Price and availability

Released on January 6, 2026
Priced at $179.99 / £179.99 (roughly AU$350)
Paying a premium for the novelty

Anker unveiled the Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro at CES 2026 in the first week of the year, and put them on sale immediately after. Perfect for your new year’s fitness resolution.

As open earbuds go, that price is on the higher side of things, but you’re paying to be the first to test this novel kind of tech.

It’s a little higher than the launch price of the first Aerofit Pro, but that device plummeted in price over two years, and we could see the new model drop to similar lows over time.

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: Design

Image 1 of 2

Image 2 of 2

Easy to switch between open- and closed-ear fit
Weak loop and heavy earpiece affect wear
IP55 protection, comes in black, white or purple

This is exacerbated by the buds’ weight. At 11g each, they’re the heaviest than any other open earbuds I remember testing.

The tip-less design brings with it another problem: the sound leakage on these things, especially in open mode, is significant. Your gym peers will definitely hear what you’re listening to.

Design score: 3.5/5

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: Features

Little noise is cancelled due to design and the ANC algorithm
Battery life is 7 / 34 hours with ANC on
Several app features including handy EQ presets

Pairing the buds to my phone was quick and easy, however I did have the occasional stuttering and connection dropping problems during testing.

Features score: 3/5

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: Sound performance

Single 10.8mm driver
Music sounds lifeless
Lovely, high max volume

Max volume for the buds is pretty loud, especially on Volume Booster, but the auto-ANC mode can put a pretty significant upper limit; turn this off.

Sound performance score: 4/5

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: Value

If you can find the Aerofit 2 Pro discounted, though, they’d be well worth considering. They don’t even need an especially meaty price cut; the minor discount already available is a good start.

Value score: 3.5/5

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: scorecard

Category	Comment	Score
Value	The Aerofit's price matches some premium alternatives.	3.5/5
Design	The two-in-one design and switching works well; some other elements don't.	3.5/5
Features	The ANC doesn't work too well and the battery life isn't fantastic, although the app brings some nice additions.	3/5
Sound	Play around with the settings enough, and you can get detailed, expansive audio that'll surprise you compared to other fitness buds.	4/5

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro: Should I buy?

Buy them if...

The 2-in-1 gimmick appeals
Think you want buds that switch between open and standard sports earbuds? You won't be disappointed by how Anker does it.

You want treble-first sound
The Aerofit aren't bassy buds, and they'll appeal to people who prefer hearing lyrics, spoken words or guitar solos.

You appreciate wireless charging
We don't see wireless charging available on many earbuds cases, especially sports-specific ones. If you like the feature, the Aerofit have you covered.

Don't buy them if...

You have noise that needs cancelling
Even in ANC mode, the noise cancellation of the Aerofit isn't competitive.

You won't use the 2-in-1 design
You're paying a premium for the novel form factor of the Aerofit. If you don't think you'll use it enough, other options will give you more value for money.

Also consider

Component	Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro	Shokz OpenFit 2+	Huawei FreeArc
Water resistant	IP55	IP55	IP57
Battery life	7 hours (earbuds), 34 hours (total)	11 hours (earbuds), 48 hours (total)	7 hours (earbuds), 23 hours (total)
Bluetooth type	Bluetooth 6.1	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.2
Weight	11g / Charging case: 109g	9.4g / Charging case: 56g	8.9g / Charging case: 67g
Driver	11.8mm	17.3mm	17mm x 12mm

Shokz OpenFit 2+

Read our full Shokz OpenFit 2+ review

Huawei FreeArc

Want an affordable alternative? The Huawei FreeArc cost half the price of the Soundcore, and have fantastic sound. The case is small and the buds fit well.

Read our full Huawei FreeArc review

How I tested

I tested the Anker Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro for just over two weeks in order to write this review. During this time, they were paired with my Android smartphone.

I've tested plenty of open earbuds for TechRadar over the last few years, as the audio segment has emerged, as well as countless other earbuds and headphones.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed: February 2026

This pocket-sized Bluetooth speaker takes aim at the JBL Go 4 — but sadly, 3 key flaws hold it back

1:56 pm | January 8, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Wireless & Bluetooth Speakers | Tags: EQ | Comments: Off

Tribit PocketGo: two-minute review

The Tribit PocketGo is an ultra-small Bluetooth speaker that comes with an equally small price tag. It’s lightweight, can be easily hooked up, and is ideal for on the go use thanks to its pocket-sized form.

But there are even more positives worth pointing to. For instance, this model has exceptional IP68 dust and waterproofing, meaning its fit for just about any environment, be that your shower, a pool, the beach… you name it. It's also fairly sturdy, so should survive the occasional drop.

One more positive is the model’s 20 hour battery life, which is right up there with the best Bluetooth speakers in its size class. Unfortunately, though, this is where much of my praise reaches its end.

See, the most important thing for any Bluetooth speaker is to sound good. And even when accounting for this speaker's limited size, I still think it falls flat in a few areas. Of course, you’re not going to expect much in the bass department, but I felt that audio could get muddied too easily on the PocketGo, with a generally one-note sound. Compression is also pretty prominent at higher volumes, and dynamics are pretty lacking.

Don’t get me wrong, the Tribit PocketGo isn’t the worst sounding speaker I’ve heard, not by some margin. Mids and highs still sound clear enough at mid-volumes, and less demanding tracks come through pretty well. But its obvious rival – the JBL Go 4 – sounds considerably better, and comes at a pretty similar cost.

Speaking of the JBL Go 4, it's clear that it was a huge source of inspiration for Tribit’s small-sized speaker. The two models look highly similar, but Tribit’s speaker doesn’t quite have the same level of refinement, and isn’t available in the same broad, exciting array of colors.

It’s not all doom and gloom, though. There’s an effective nine-band equalizer and a commendable selection of EQ presets. I was also interested to see microSD playback onboard – not something you’d see from a lot of rivals.

But in the end, it just feels as if the PocketGo fails to beat out its hero, the JBL Go 4. It doesn’t have the visual flair, the audio quality, or the sophisticated app required to assert supremacy. And as a result, I can’t recommend Tribit’s small speaker outright.

Fabric hook on the Tribit PocketGo — (Image credit: Future)

Tribit PocketGo review: price and release date

$34.99 / £29.99 / AU$49.99
Launched in November 2025

The Tribit PocketGo released in November 2025, and can be purchased in a range of color options, including Black, Blue, and Green. It has a list price of $34.99 / £29.99 / AU$49.99, which is a fair bit cheaper than the typical cost of its main competitor, the JBL Go 4, which is $49.95 / £39.99 / AU$59.95.

It's worth noting that Tribit isn't alone in wanting to offer the Go 4 for less; another option we tested, the AO mini portable wireless speaker, tried (in the UK at least) to match JBL's option for a cheaper £29 (around $34). But sadly, neither has fully succeeded…

Tribit PocketGo review: specs

Weight	0.5lbs / 220g
Dimensions	4.3 x 3.2 x 1.7 inches / 108 x 81 x 42mm
Connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0
Battery life	20 hours
Speaker drivers	1x 7W full range
Waterproofing	IP68

Tribit PocketGo review: features

Pleasing customizable EQ options
Impressive 20-hour battery life
Multi-speaker pairing, but no Auracast

The Tribit PocketGo has a decent set of features, with a few customization features available through the Tribit companion app. This opens up a bunch of EQ presets for different genres and listening environments, as well as a nine-band custom equalizer, which is a most welcome inclusion.

There’s not much more to explore in the app, though. You can control audio playback, alter the auto shutdown window, and toggle voice prompts on and off, but that’s about it. There are no battery preservation options, device management section, or anything out of the ordinary. I was also surprised to see Auracast left out, especially given the use of Bluetooth 6.0. You can pair two speakers together for stereo playback, though.

Another small thing worth noting is that the app isn’t the best I’ve used. It has a fairly rudimentary appearance, and I also experienced an issue where the app wouldn’t allow me to upgrade the speaker’s firmware. It believed that I wasn’t using the latest version of the companion software, but even after updating the app, I still couldn’t upgrade to the latest firmware, which was puzzling.

Anyway, your mileage may vary on that issue, and there are still plenty of good features to discuss. For instance, hands-free calling is available on the PocketGo thanks to its built-in mic. Quality-wise, the mic is just OK – a colleague said that I sounded pretty distant, but my words were still discernible. But one good thing is that the built-in mic enables you to use a voice assistant, which some users will appreciate.

One of the key benefits of the PocketGo is also its battery life. 20 hours is a very generous portion of playtime for a speaker of this size, though it’s worth noting that you can expect less if you’re listening at more than 50% volume. Still, 20 hours is almost three times the battery life of the JBL Go 4, which is the PocketGo’s nearest rival.

Finally, you’re able to play music from a microSD card thanks to a TF card input slot on the speaker. This isn’t something I’ve seen from a lot of rival models, and though it doesn’t seem to be the most practical way to enjoy your tunes, playback was stable when I tested it out.

Features score: 3.5/5

Buttons on top of the Tribit PocketGo — (Image credit: Future)

Tribit PocketGo review: sound quality

Mid-range and treble perform decently at mid-volume
Bass is lacking, largely due to restricted size
Lacks the dynamism and expression of the JBL Go 4

I’ll put my cards on the table – the Tribit PocketGo isn’t the best-sounding speaker I’ve tested, but it does have some redeeming qualities.

When listening to Black Eye by Allie X, the rapid-fire drum machine never sounded lethargic or bloated, although it did lack quite a bit of depth. That’s largely down to the small size of the PocketGo, which is light on power and can’t reach down all too deeply.

Higher in the frequency range, sudden percussive hits didn’t quite have the bite I’d hoped for – and generally the speaker’s dynamics never blew me away – but treble sounds were never harsh or uncontrolled at 50% volume or less. Vocals were also clear in the mix, which made for a decent overall listen, although I will say that they started to get muddied when I pushed volume above that 60-70% mark.

Tracks that feature sub-bass or generally deeper bass won’t fare well at all on the PocketGo. As I mentioned, there are some limitations here, so it’s to be expected, but tracks like 12 O.C Riddim by M-High featured almost inaudible low-frequency elements, which stripped them of the energy and excitement bass heads will be seeking out.

With a less demanding track like I’ve Got Your Number by Ned Doheny, there was a notable improvement, though. Strumming acoustic guitars were clear even with soulful vocals at the fore, and mid-bass – though not particularly impactful – came through cleanly. Again, there was very noticeable compression as I edged towards top volumes, but this speaker can get pretty loud for its size, so you might not need to crank things all the way to the top.

When I compared the PocketGo against its rival, the JBL Go 4, the latter model typically performed better. The PocketGo could get louder, but it had a less expressive overall sound, with the Go 4 plating up superior instrument separation and dynamics. Both speakers suffer from similar restrictions due to their size – neither gave me amazing deep bass or beautifully layered, detailed sound. But I think the Go 4 is the better sounding model.

Sound quality score: 3/5

Tribit PocketGo in someone's hand — (Image credit: Future)

Tribit PocketGo review: design

A less refined-looking JBL Go 4
Small and lightweight
Exceptional IP68 dust and waterproofing

Let’s address the elephant in the room here. To say that the Tribit PocketGo is inspired by the JBL Go 4 would be an understatement.

This is almost a one-for-one copy, featuring a fabric speaker grille, a rubber control pad, and small loop for hanging the speaker up. It’s not as refined or premium looking as JBL’s model, though, and its color options aren’t the most exciting, meaning it's not my favorite looks-wise.

But there are some definite positives to discuss in regard to this speaker’s design. First of all, it’s pleasingly compact and lightweight, coming in at just 0.5lbs / 220g. Its fabric loop also makes it easy to place on a hook – though I’d recommend laying it flat or on its base to listen to music, if you want the best audio quality.

What’s more, the Tribit PocketGo has an IP68 rating. That means it’s fully protected against dust, and highly waterproof too. More specifically, it can live through a 30 minute dunking under a meter and a half of water – it doesn’t get much better than that. In addition, it has a fairly solid construction, and should easily survive the occasional drop.

Design score: 3/5

Reverse side of the Tribit PocketGo — (Image credit: Future)

Tribit PocketGo review: value

Has a very modest price tag
Although you can grab an on-sale JBL Go 4 for similar
Fairly average overall quality

The Tribit PocketGo is a very budget friendly option, coming in with a list price of just $34.99 / £29.99 / AU$49.99.

Of course, this speaker is far from perfect. It produces average audio with solid mid-range and treble output at mid-volumes, but limited instrument separation and poor overall sound at louder levels. Its design is also a little unoriginal, and there are some missing features I would’ve liked to see.

But when you consider its impressive playtime, excellent waterproofing, and compact build, there is still plenty to like. Is it going to blow you away for the price? Perhaps not, but I still think you get what you pay for.

Still, would I recommend it outright? Not exactly. I think the JBL Go 4 is still the stronger pick if you’re seeking out a cheap, small-sized option. It may have a slightly higher list price, but it's on sale fairly regularly for around $40 / £35 / AU$49. Its superior sound quality and aesthetic makes it the better pick, for me.

Value score: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Tribit PocketGo?

Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	Great battery life, but lacks Auracast, and companion app is pretty rudimentary.	3.5/5
Sound quality	OK sounding at mid-volume, but struggles beyond that, generally one-note audio.	3/5
Design	A little too close to the JBL Go 4, but lightweight and highly waterproof.	3/5
Value	Overall, you get what you pay for, but no more than that.	3.5/5

Buy it if...

You want a compact speaker to take on the go
One of my favorite things about the PocketGo is its satisfyingly small size, which makes it easy to throw in a bag or, well you know, in your pocket. It’s also dust and waterproof, meaning it's fit for use in any environment.

You’re on a tight budget
The low list price of the Tribit PocketGo makes it an enticing option. Its audio isn’t going to blow you away, and it's not the prettiest looking speaker on the market, but its long battery life and lightweight build may tempt you.

Don't buy it if...

You want great sound quality
Of course, some of this speaker’s flaws are linked to the inherent restrictions of its size. For instance, you can’t expect deep bass or amazing loudness here. But even still, this model left a little to be desired sonically, with a fairly one-note sound, limited instrument separation, and harsh audio at higher volumes.

You’re looking for something with style
This model looks a little bit too similar to the JBL Go 4 for my liking, but doesn’t quite have the refinement and charm of that model. There are less color options to choose from too, so I’d suggest picking the Go 4 over it.

Tribit PocketGo review: also consider

	Tribit PocketGo	JBL Go 4	Edifier ES20
Price	$34.99 / £29.99 / AU$49.99	$49.95 / £39.99 / AU$59.95	$89.99 / £50 / AU$99.99
Weight	0.5lbs / 220g	0.6lbs / 285g	0.7lbs / 0.3kg
Dimensions	4.3 x 3.2 x 1.7 inches / 108 x 81 x 42mm	3.7 x 3 x 1.7 inches / 94 x 78 x 42mm	3.6 x 3.7 x 2 inches / 90.4 x 93.7 x 49.7mm
Connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.4
Battery life	20 hours	7 hours	15 hours
Speaker drivers	1x 45mm full range	1x 45mm full range	1x 43mm full range
Waterproofing	IP68	IP67	IP67

JBL Go 4
This is the speaker that the Tribit PocketGo wants to be. It’s not the best sounding speaker ever, but I appreciate the Go 4’s clear mids and controlled treble, and you can adjust EQ to your personal taste. It’s a colorful, well-built, and lightweight option that’s even in my guide to the best Bluetooth speakers. Read our full JBL Go 4 review.

Edifier ES20
The Edifier ES20 was one of my favorite Bluetooth speakers of 2025. It's a little larger than the PocketGo and Go 4, but it’s still nice and compact, and highly waterproof. Sonically, this is an excellent choice, with surprisingly detailed mids, punchy bass, and expressive treble. Read our full Edifier ES20 review.

Tribit PocketGo review: how I tested

Tab on Tribit PocketGo pulled to one side, revealing USB-C and microSD card slots — (Image credit: Future)

Tested within a one-week period
Mainly used at home
Predominantly tested using Tidal

I tested the Tribit PocketGo over a week-long period, mainly using it at home. During my time with the speaker, I spent hours listening to music, exhausted all of its features, and even compared it directly against the JBL Go 4.

When listening to tunes, I made sure to start with the TechRadar testing playlist, which features tracks from a range of genres. I also listened to songs from my personal library through both Tidal and Spotify.

And more generally, I’ve reviewed dozens of Bluetooth speakers here at TechRadar – more than 30 to be precise. As a result, I’m highly familiar with the PocketGo’s competition, and I know what it takes for a speaker to stand out in a highly convoluted market.

First reviewed: January 2026
Read more about how we test

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Gen 2 review: a highly versatile headset that’s become my daily driver

1:00 pm | December 24, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: EQ, Google Pixel | Comments: Off

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Gen 2: two-minute review

If you’re looking for a PS5 headset that boasts unrivaled customization options, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Gen 2 is an endlessly versatile wireless gaming headset option. And while it is indeed a tweaked version of the multiplatform model, one that swaps out the control wheel on the right earcup for one that dials in sidetone, this headset can be used on a whole host of platforms to great effect.

After using the headset for 100 hours, I’ve found myself keeping it on for music listening and work calls throughout the day. It’s a Gen 2 version of an existing headset, with a larger battery that I’ve found to be good for just over 50 hours, and a few extras in terms of software compatibility. Having also used a SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 review, I can say with confidence that this is a big step up in terms of user experience and comfort.

All in all, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P offers everything I want from a PS5 headset, and I’ve been impressed by the custom audio profiles for games like Fortnite and Alan Wake 2. While the Arctis app is easy to use on mobile, some features, like creating custom EQ profiles, are locked to the desktop app. I’d love to see full functionality on the mobile app, as having to jump between devices to use the full suite of features is a little frustrating. Similarly, you have to use the desktop app to update firmware.

Audio quality for the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P is great across the board and has held up while I’ve been testing the headset with gaming, work calls, and music listening sessions.

There’s a handful of music EQ profiles to play around with, and they offer the usual Bright, Heavy, Bass Boost options you’ll find on most EQing programmes these days. I love the fact that Side Tone is controlled via a wheel on the right ear cup, as it allows me to dial it up for online, voice-chat heavy games, and then back down for when I’m playing a single player title.

Black headphones from the side, with a retractable microphone extended — (Image credit: SteelSeries)

Battery life was pretty much bang on the 54 hours claimed by the manufacturer (my estimate was 52 hours following a full charge), though I did find that the battery drained a little quicker when using both the Bluetooth and 2.4Ghz functions simultaneously. As such, I never actually ran out of battery (besides the testing for battery life), as a quick charge at the end of the day would boost the headset up enough to last comfortably more than the following day’s usage.

Retractable microphones are my preference in a gaming headset, and I’ve really appreciated being able to neatly slot away the microphone while I’m using the headset for music or single-player games. Other gaming headsets I’ve owned have had detachable microphones, and sooner or later, they get misplaced, rendering the device useless for certain kinds of games. The red light that indicates muting is a nice touch too, giving me a clear signal that, yes, I am indeed muted on a call once again.

I’ve unfortunately also had two instances requiring me to hard-reset the device. This seems to happen due to an endless cycling of the Bluetooth pairing when connecting and reconnecting between multiple devices. To reset the headset, you have to remove the foam from one of the earcups and then use a pin to poke down into a very tiny hole.

This isn’t ideal, and particularly frustrating when you don’t have the right tool on hand to initiate the fix. I’ve kept the headset’s firmware updated throughout this review, so for now, I’m unable to say whether this issue is something that’s prevalent and planned to be fixed.

Black headphones resting on a green surface — (Image credit: SteelSeries)

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Gen 2: price and availability

List price: $199 / £179.99 / AU$399
More expensive than the Gen 1 version at launch, which was $179.99 / £174.99 (about AU$310)
Competitive pricing with a great feature set that matches rivals

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P launched in October 2025. It’s positioned somewhere in the middle of the mid-range premium gaming headsets in terms of cost, and it’s in-line, though slightly more expensive than the Gen 1 version due to its refreshed and updated feature set.

At $199 / £179.99 / AU$399, the headset has a number of competitors like the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3. It’s exactly the same price as the Stealth 700 Gen 3, and shares many of the same features, though the Turtle Beach has the SteelSeries beat on battery life by a considerable margin.

Then there’s the Razer Kraken V4, a cheaper alternative ($179 / £179 / AU$329) to the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P. You get a little less battery life and THX Spatial Audio, which really improves the audio experience. Unfortunately, this THX Spatial Audio is only available on PC, so if you’re a console gamer, you may find the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P’s suite of software features a lot more useful in your setup.

For the price, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P does offer great value for money in terms of build quality and features. It doesn’t have Active Noise Control (ANC), though you can’t find another headset that does in this price range. In fact, ANC is very uncommon in the gaming space as of yet, so for now at least, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P feels fully featured.

It’s also worth mentioning that, despite having launched in October of this year, there have already been deals and discounts for Black Friday that brought the headset down by $20 on average. Even if you can’t find a deal on the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P headset, it’s still great value for money for what you’re getting.

Black headphones resting on a black stand, against an orange and green background — (Image credit: Future)

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Gen 2: specs

	SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Gen 3
Price	$199 / £179.99 / AU$399
Weight	11.5oz / 326g
Drivers	40mm carbon fiber with brass surround
Compatibility	PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, Mobile
Connection type	Wireless (2.4Ghz via dongle), Wired (audio jack), Bluetooth
Battery life	54 hours
Features	Retractable boom noise-cancelling microphone, Simultaneous wireless and Bluetooth audio, AirWeave memory foam ear cup material, Fast Charge (6 hours in 15 minutes).
Software	SteelSeries GG/Sonar, SteelSeries Arctis Companion App (iOS & Android)

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Gen 2: design and features

Comfortable and lightweight design that feels sleek and unobstructive
Simultaneous 2.4Ghz wireless and Bluetooth audio is a real winner
Three cleanly designed colorways

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P comes in three colors: Black, White, and Pink, though the design largely follows the same of other Arctis Nova headsets. Comparing it to my own SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5, the 7P is noticeably improved in build quality. It’s slightly heavier, and the headband is a PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition)-coated steel that’s much more sturdy. At a glance, however, this is the same design we’ve seen from other SteelSeries gaming headsets, just a little bit more premium-feeling.

In comparison to the weight of competitors like the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 (14.3oz / 408g) and the Kraken V4 (12.3oz / 397g), the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P is noticeably lighter (11.3oz / 326g). I often find gaming headsets too bulky and heavy for extended use, though the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P has been superbly comfortable to wear all day. I was given the Black color variant for review, and it’s a big upgrade on the White model I’ve used for the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 (which discolored and yellowed a little after a few months of use).

Another thing I like about this headset is the retractable microphone. It slots neatly into the left earcup and can be pulled out and replaced smoothly. There’s even a small red LED on the tip of the microphone to indicate when the device is muted. Personally, I need a little bit of Side Tone in my gaming headsets, which usually plays back a bit of my speech audio into the headset while using the microphone. The 7P version here has an adjustable dial on the right earcup to adjust Side Tone, a nice feature that’s exclusive to the PlayStation-centric version I’ve been testing

A small black USBC dongle — (Image credit: Future)

There’s a mute button, a volume wheel, and two pairing buttons that activate Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connections, respectively. These all feel solid, though there’s nothing particularly interesting to report about them. Other headsets might use a click here and there on their volume wheels, but I can’t say I was left wanting with the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P’s more straightforward offering.

This 7P variant is multiplatform across PC, mobile, Mac, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch 2, Meta Quest 2 and Quest 3, and Nintendo Switch, as are the 7 and 7X variants. The difference between the models is that in the 7, the right ear cup has a chatmix volume wheel (tailored for PC functionality), rather than the 7P and the 7X’s Side Tone wheel. The PS5 doesn’t use chatmix, so the Side Tone wheel is more useful if you’re primarily playing on PlayStation. If you want proper Xbox compatibility, the 7X is the headset that’ll connect to Xbox devices. The 7 and 7P will not.

Having separate buttons for each connection type works like a charm, and they even have slightly different sound effects upon activation. This streamlines a potentially finicky process that can often crop up with simultaneous connectivity devices like this.

Black headphones on a black headphone stand against an orange background — (Image credit: Future)

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Gen 2: performance

Fantastic sound across gaming, music, and work calls
Arctis app’s custom game profiles truly make a difference
Comfortable and versatile enough to become a daily driver

The SteelSeries Arctis 7P excels in audio quality, mostly leaning on the Arctis app to offer a deep level of customization in how your in-game audio is mixed. I’ve played hundreds of hours of online games like Fortnite, Battlefield 6 and Arc Raiders using the headset, and found in-game audio to rise to the occasion, regardless of what I’m playing. I often chose to use the headset without the companion app, instead relying on default settings to play a whole host of games. I found the audio to be well-balanced and with adequate levels of bass without needing to tweak things in-game.

Similarly, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P will perform great when streaming music, though it’s not really positioned as a music-first product, lacking noise cancelling and the clarity you’ll get from a dedicated set of more audio-focused headphones.

Generally, the headset features solid audio quality and performance in default settings, with very few issues with stuttering or streaming, whether connected to Bluetooth or 2.4Ghz signals. I had quite a few problems with the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 in this respect, frequently finding that my audio would glitch or cut out entirely from time to time. Whatever’s been finetuned for the 7P model has ironed out these issues completely, and I’ve had a very smooth experience switching between Bluetooth and 2.4Ghz modes so far.

A huge plus point of the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P is its compatibility with the companion Arctis app, which adds flexibility and features. You can download the Arctis app on your phone, and from there you can tweak the Bluetooth audio, the 2.4Ghz audio, and microphone profiles on the fly. It’s a robust app that has custom profiles for games like Battlefield 6, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, and Fortnite.

Black headphones on a black stand, on a green surface — (Image credit: Future)

In online competitive titles, enemy footsteps are bumped up in the EQ mix, and the difference is stark. Having spent around a hundred hours playing Arc Raiders on the headset with the “FPS Footsteps” custom profile enabled, I’ve been able to hear enemies sneaking up behind me, saving me from a potential ambush.

Unfortunately, custom EQ settings are locked to the desktop app, so if you want to make your own audio profiles, you’ll need to load up another device. I’d like to see this compatibility added to the mobile app, as having to open up my laptop and connect my headset to a separate platform really complicates what should be a simple process.

Microphone quality isn’t perfect out of the box, but after some tweaking in the Arctis app, it sounds great when playing online with other players. At this price point, the audio quality from the microphone is standard, but nothing to write home about, though I’ve had reports from my regular gaming group that the microphone sounds noticeably better than on my SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5.

All in all, however, I have very few gripes with how the Steel Series Arctis Nova 7P performs day to day. The simultaneous Bluetooth and 2.4Ghz connections have made the headset a staple for me, whether I’m gaming, working, or chatting to pals on Discord.

Black headphones on a headphone stand, next to a blue product box. — (Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Gen 2?

Buy it if...

You want a comfortable and light gaming headset
The Steel Series Arctis Nova 7P is the most comfortable gaming headset I’ve reviewed so far. It’s noticeably lighter than its direct competitors, while still having great build quality and a sturdy headband.

You want custom audio profiles for games like Fortnite
Arctis offers custom audio profiles specifically tailored for a whole host of games. Some amplify enemy footsteps, while others bump up the high-end to do justice to soaring orchestral soundtracks.

You want to run two audio streams simultaneously
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P offers simultaneous Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless audio streams. This means you can run your Discord chat over Bluetooth, and your game audio through 2.4Ghz. This is seamless and very easy to manage on the fly.

Don't buy it if...

You want to make your own EQ profiles easily
Unfortunately, you’ll need to use a desktop app to create and manage EQs you’ve made yourself. This is frustrating, as the mobile app has every other piece of functionality covered. Still, this is a niche issue, and most won’t need to open their desktop even once.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Gen 2: Also consider

Still not sold on the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P? Here are two competitors that might better fit your needs.

	SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Gen 3	Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3	Razer Kraken V4
Price	$199 / £179.99 / AU$399	$199.99 / £179.99 / AU$399.95	$179 / £179 / AU$329
Weight	11.5oz / 326g	14.3oz / 405g	12.3oz / 350g
Drivers	40mm carbon fiber with brass surround	60mm Eclipse™ Dual Drivers	Razer TriForce Titanium 40mm Drivers
Compatibility	PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, Mobile	PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS	PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, Android, iOS
Connection type	Wireless (2.4Ghz via dongle), Wired (audio jack), Bluetooth	Wired (USB-A), Wireless (2.4GHz, Bluetooth 5.2)	Wired (USB-A), Wireless (Bluetooth 5.3, 2.4GHz USB dongle)
Battery life	54 hours	80 hours	Up to 50 hours
Features	Retractable boom noise-cancelling microphone, Simultaneous wireless and Bluetooth audio, AirWeave memory foam ear cup material, Fast Charge (6 hours in 15 minutes).	Flip-to-mute mic with AI noise reduction, CrossPlay Dual transmitters, remappable Mode button, and wheel	Razer HyperSpeed Wireless technology, Retractable Razer HyperClear Super Wideband Mic, THX Spatial Audio
Software	SteelSeries GG/Sonar, SteelSeries Arctis Companion App (iOS & Android)	Swarm 2	Razer Synapse

Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 Wireless
The closest competitor to the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P is the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3. It’s exactly the same price, but it does have more battery life. It’s also much heavier, however, and overall has a much more bulky design.

For more information, check out our full Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 review.View Deal

Razer Kraken V4
The Kraken V4 is a slightly cheaper alternative here. It has more bespoke technology applied to its microphone and audio drivers, with particular care taken to ensure the microphone quality punches well above its weight. The battery life is only slightly less than the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P’s, and it similarly features a retractable design for its microphone.

For more information, check out our full Razer Kraken V4 review.View Deal

How I tested the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Gen 2

Tested daily for a month, between gaming and work sessions
Used primarily on PS5 Pro, but also on my MacBook Air, and Google Pixel 7
Compared directly to the Steel Series Arctis Nova 5, which I’ve now used daily for over a year

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P has become my daily driver for the last month or so. I’ve been using it as my main gaming headset, playing Arc Raiders and Fortnite with pals online. I’ve also used the headset for work, joining meetings and presentations, and using the microphone to speak. I’ve regularly had both audio streams running simultaneously using the Bluetooth and 2.4Ghz wireless functions, especially while gaming.

On my PS5 Pro, I’ve tested the custom audio profiles in the Arctis app. Audio for Fortnite, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and Battlefield 6 all offered distinct differences when paired with their respective custom profiles. Primarily, I’ve played around 60 hours of Arc Raiders, a game where audio is particularly vital. The FPS Footsteps profile saved my life a bunch of times by lifting low-end audio and making enemy footsteps clear and pronounced.

On my MacBook Air, I used the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P to listen to music, and applied some of the dedicated music profiles from the Arctis app to test audio quality. During my testing, I was able to compare the headset to the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 and noted the upgrades offered by the newer version. I also paired the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P to my Google Pixel 7 to test calls, Discord Mobile audio, and to access the Arctis app’s full suite of features.

First reviewed October-December 2025

Read more about how we test

I tested Edifier’s great-value new desktop monitor speakers and they exceeded all of my expectations

2:00 pm | October 27, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Speakers | Tags: EQ | Comments: Off

Edifier MR5: Two-minute review

Active monitor speakers were at one point the near-exclusive haunt of the audio professional, casual listeners leaning more to desktop computer speakers or to hi-fis of their own design. A recent deluge of more accessible, feature-rich monitor designs has attempted to bridge the gap, often at the expense of practical utility to the people they were first designed for – but the Edifier MR5, in my opinion, does a great job at bucking that trend, making them some of the best stereo speakers I've tested recently.

For the low low price of $349.99 / £279.99 (approx AUS$570), you get a delightfully demure set of desktop-friendly speakers that achieve remarkable neutrality, incredible high-end clarity and a satisfying low end that trumps the capabilities of many larger competitors.

This is possible by virtue of Edifier’s smart new three-driver design, incorporating a downward-facing woofer, a bi-ported chassis and a tri-amped, active-crossover architecture. The results speak for their balanced, broad and crystal-clear selves.

There’s a shedload of tech backing up these fundamental smarts too. Digital EQ controls and customization are available via the Edifier ConneX app, including some one-click acoustic tuning options that compensate for corners of your desktop. I feel like these features sometimes get in the way of the MR5’s essential excellence, but that’s just me.

With Bluetooth 6.0, LDAC support for hi-res streaming and four options for analog inputs, it’s understandable that their design budget couldn’t stretch to including the kitchen sink.

The Edifier MR5 monitor speaker on a table. — (Image credit: Future)

Edifier MR5 review: Price and release date

Released on July 1, 2025
$349.99 / £279.99 (approx AU$570)

Edifier is a Chinese brand that’s had its mitts in the monitor market for a long time, and has consequently made a reputation for itself as one of the best budget brands going. Its products are often inexpensive and in possession of unusual cheer, particularly for the quality of sound they offer against the MSRP they’re able to pitch their products at.

This pair of active monitors, the MR5, is the latest in the still-quite-new MR series, and every bit an improvement on the prior models with which it shares an umbrella. Against the Edifier MR4, they add dual-device Bluetooth 6.0 connectivity – and, more importantly, a daring new three-way driver design.

The Edifier MR5's price is $349.99 / £279.99, which coverts to roughly AU$570 in Australia although the speakers don't seem to be releasing there.

Between these and the expanded digital control of EQ settings and other features, suffice to say there’s a great deal crammed into these unexpectedly-dinky active monitor speakers. Can they stick the landing, though?

The Edifier MR5 monitor speaker on either side of a large PC monitor. — (Image credit: Future)

Edifier MR5 review: Specs

Drivers	5” woofer, 3.75" mid driver, 1" silk dome tweeter
Analogue connectivity	Dual XLR, dual TRS, RCA, 3.5mm aux; 3.5mm headphone out
Digital connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0 (two devices) with LDAC support
Power	110W RMS
Frequency range	46Hz - 40kHz
Extras	x1 3.5mm to 3.5mm aux cable, 1x RCA to 3.5mm aux cable

Edifier MR5 review: Features

Three-way active crossover
Four analog inputs, dual-device Bluetooth 6.0
App control for voicings and room EQ

The Edifier MR5 monitor speakers are a veritable bag of nifty cross-disciplinary tricks, with features and fripperies that speak to casual listeners, young-buck music producers and burgeoning professionals building a versatile control-room setup.

On the connectivity front, there’s balanced XLR inputs and TRS inputs, plus RCA inputs and a front-facing 3.5mm aux port, for a total of four analogue connectivity options and the absolute elimination of any roadblocks to integrating the MR5 with your studio. Couple this with dual-device Bluetooth 6.0 (and LDAC-supportive) connectivity for ease of passing the digital aux, and you’ve five powerful ways to get what you want out of these – plus a 3.5mm headphone output for quiet-time.

For the pros, there’s the extensive 46Hz - 40kHz frequency range and flat frequency response out of the box, alongside manually-adjustable high- and low-shelf filters for adjusting to the acoustics of your space. Speaking of which, there’s the option for further DSP customization via Bluetooth using the proprietary Edifier ConneX app, including more granular low-cut control, and room compensation algorithms for better performance in reflective spaces.

For everyone else, there’s expressive hi-fi-leaning options for speaker voicings, and digital control of both those voicings and audio playback via the same proprietary app. In short, there’s a boatload to discover – and the discovery doesn’t stop here either. These speakers are also trend-buckingly maximalist with how they approach their core modus operandi.

Smaller bookshelf style monitors like these traditionally have two drivers – a mid-woofer and a tweeter – and use smart chassis design or an optional subwoofer output for low-end coverage. Here, though, Edifier’s somehow managed to squeeze in three drivers in a tri-amped, active-crossover system, comprising a 3.75" mid driver, 1" silk dome tweeter and a side-ported, downward-facing 5” woofer for low-end coverage.

The result is a small set of desktop-friendly active monitor speakers, with an outsized feature-set and a smooth sound output that seriously challenges the demureness of its form – more on which right now, actually.

Features score: 5/5

Edifier MR5 review: Sound quality

Controlled bass with body
Detailed and dimensional high-mid range
Limited by size, despite smart crossover design

The Edifier MR5 have three distinct voicings you can switch between, at a press of the single knob on the front: ‘Monitor’, ‘Music’, and ‘Customized’. For the uninitiated, ‘Monitor’ mode would attempt as neutral a frequency response as possible, for a clinical representation of sound as recorded. ‘Music’ adds a hi-fi sheen, sculpting the EQ for a more exciting representation, and ‘Customized’, as I’m sure you’ve surmised, is a do-it-yourself mode for saving your personal EQ settings (dialed in via app).

For this review, I spent the vast majority of my time using the ‘Monitor’ voicing. As someone who frequently uses monitor speakers in a professional capacity more so than a personal one, the neutral frequency response is far more useful to me day-to-day. I have some thoughts about the other settings later on, but until then you’re getting my impressions of these monitors at their essential best.

Small caveat for the bargain-seeking audio pros amongst you, too: my listening environment was not that of an acoustically-treated studio control room, and as such my observations should be taken with a pinch of semi-casual salt. It’s a hard line to tread between the exacting expectations of the career-minded and the vibey sensibilities of the rest, and yet it’s a line both this reviewer and these speakers are determined to tread.

Given that unique downward-facing driver design, you might be expecting an avalanche of desk-shaking bass. It is my utmost pleasure to report that no such misrepresentation occurs – at least, unless you push the MR5 to the upper limits of their volume range, at which point you can immediately quell it using the helpfully-named Desktop mode.

Instead, that bold woofer is put to use in delivering body over boom. There’s a little bloom with more outrageously-arranged pieces – Falle Nioke’s Falle Le Le Le features a low end that sounds like it’s already blown the speakers it was blasted through, and even that edgy, crunched-out kick and bass synth is presented with a level of welcome restraint. Distorted, low-tuned guitars a la Greet Death’s Die In Love are full and forceful, to gratifyingly torrential ends.

The ported sides of each speaker give airy movement in the ultra-low end, allowing kicks and thumpy bass guitars to breathe. Unfortunately, despite the clever design principles on display here, you’ll still experience the same limitations imposed by small-form nearfield monitors – namely, a compressed low-middy boxiness at higher volumes, that’s hard to design your way out of even with nifty acoustic tuning options and customizable EQ.

As a probably-intentional byproduct of this restrained approach to bass, the Edifier MR5 are phenomenal midrange communicators. Pile’s Bouncing In Blue, from latest heavy-folk stunner Sunshine And Balance Beams, is a phenomenal showcase of this, primarily through the Biscoff-spread smoothness of Rick Maguire’s drawled voice.

Uneasy, which follows immediately after, is a tactile delight, setting panned staccato guitars and kick-snare-kick-kick-snare percussion against one another with gratifying gusto beneath Maguire’s actually-quite-affected sneer. Indeed, there’s magic in that high-mid and high end, with stunning voice translation and a beautiful reediness in sustained strings and the like.

The MR5’s handling of transients isn’t as cutting or sharp as other speakers, but still reassuringly immediate. At the tippity-top, there’s no bite, spike or scratch, but rather a forthright resolution that puts anything flicky, ticky or indeed scratchy in glorious magic-eye-picture 3D before your ears. Hi-hats, auxiliary snaps, maracas – all presented with a delicate touch and a brilliant sense of in-the-room presence. This impressive soundstaging is a triumph both of the tweeters themselves and the clever acoustic design surrounding them.

Water From Your Eyes’ Playing Classics is one of the driest, most up-front songs going at the moment, and an excellent bellwether for the matter-of-factness these MR5 monitors are capable of. Bluntly-presented digital cymbals, dry DI-ed guitars and sampled-piano melodies make a compelling case for the high-end clarity these are capable of – even if that airy low-end starts to encroach a little.

In ‘Music’ mode, the MR5s add a heaped cup of extra bloom to the low end, along with some characterful contouring that gives a little more hi-fi excitement to proceedings. I get it, particularly for the additional presence it (of course) gives to kicks and hi-hats, but I don’t necessarily love it. With the Customized mode, the graphic EQ makes it easy to select for problem frequencies, but makes vibes-based EQing a tad fiddlier. Nonetheless, EQ moves were expressive enough to give you some control over your ideal outcomes.

Sound quality score: 4.5/5

Edifier MR5 review: Design

Extensive connectibility
Handy, feature-filled companion app
Digital settings are slow on the uptake

Thanks to the MR5’s prodigious I/O, setting up for analogue playback is about as simple as it could be: plug thingies you have into thingies they’ll fit. Unlike many professional monitor speakers, the MR5 hosts most of its hardware in one speaker, and sends audio to the other using a unique 9-pin connector cable; as such, you only need one plug socket to run the two of them.

Bluetooth connectivity is similarly fuss-free, and much the same as you’ll find anywhere else. A dedicated button on the rear puts the speakers in discovery mode, and connecting is as simple as looking for the good Edifier name on your transmitting device.

Bluetooth control is also how the Edifier ConneX app is able to work its remote-control magic. From the app you can mess with various features, including switching between voicings, acoustic tuning settings, and even selecting which speaker receives left or right channels of audio.

The MR5’s techy maximalism can sometimes get in its own way, though. An over-eager auto-standby can catch you off guard if you pause music for a phone call or a brew – a half-pointless mini-feature that does more to vex than it does to save energy. Thankfully, you can de-activate it using either the encoder knob or the app, rendering this particular gripe half-pointless itself.

Perhaps more vexingly, the customisable EQ settings are communicated through the ConneX app via Bluetooth, and there’s some significant latency between the sliding of a digital fader and a real-terms change in the volume of a given frequency. This latency makes hunting tuning problems a little more difficult and time-consuming than it really ought to be – but, again, if you’re just here for the room compensation, there’s a low-cut knob right there on the back of the speaker.

As for visuals, there’s some understated class to the MR5. The dimpled waveguides around the tweeters add some fun as well as some practical high-end widening; the bronze flourishes on the mid-woofer dustcaps, around the tweeters and via that knurled encoder knob are tasteful, but only just. For my taste, they toe the line between cool and cringe – and toe it all the better in your periphery.

Design score: 4/5

Edifier MR5 review: Value

Astonishingly feature-rich for the price
Signifiers of cheapness few but obvious
A stunning choice for desktop nearfields

The Edifier MR5 are a truly maximalist affair, and arguably worth every penny on the features front alone. It’s nice to see monitor speakers, particularly at this higher-end-of-cheap price point, not just meeting practical expectations but exceeding them. You can connect to these speakers five different ways, switch between three different sound profiles and control a lot more of its sound and functionality than you might reasonably expect.

Some elements of the MR5’s price point are more obvious than others. For instance, the only part of the speaker with which you actually, actively interface every time you use it is the plastic knob adorning the sole rotary encoder on the front. The encoder itself has a solid and reassuring mechanical feedback, but it’s transmitted through a cheap-feeling tactile surface. It’s a miniscule part of the greater MR5 whole, but nonetheless a shame that this no-brainer of a cost-cutting angle is so necessarily present in, and even central to, the user experience.

I mention this not to dock marks from the MR5, but to highlight just what it’s managed to achieve. That a plastic knob, some delayed EQ adjustment and an optional auto-standby feature constitute the majority of my criticism should tell you everything you need to know about these highly-accessible, multi-disciplinary, pint-sized works of well-priced magic.

I will say that I’m a personal fan of them as an at-home set of trustworthy nearfield monitors. They’re fine mid-field hi-fi operators, but really shine in a desktop or small-office environment, and as a jack-of-all-trades as opposed to a bona fide pro audio solution. For the fine line they tread, this is about as good as it gets.

The Edifier MR5 monitor speaker on a table next to a cat. — (Image credit: Future)

Value score: 5/5

Edifier MR5 review: scorecard

	Comment	Rating
Features	Digital app control, customized sound profiles and many connection options, all housed alongside a tri-amped three-way driver system.	5/5
Sound quality	The Edifier MR5 perform astonishingly well in the upper ranges, the transient response is forgiving, and percussion three-dimensional.	4.5/5
Design	Plug-and-play speakers for all but the liveliest office rooms, and a breeze to tune up. Bronze-ish highlights elevate the otherwise-understated form.	4/5
Value	I’d be hard-pressed to find any reason to say these aren’t worth every penny they sell for.	5/5

Should you buy the Edifier MR5?

Buy them if...

You want speakers that do everything
The Edifier MR5 pack a whole lot into a delightfully demure bookshelf-speaker package. From the glut of analogue inputs to the hi-res Bluetooth, and from the great neutral starting point to the colourful potential of their voice modes, these tick all the boxes for an all-in-one studio-room speaker set.

You’re looking for great sound on a budget
The Edifier MR5’s three-way driver system is nothing short of genius, making the absolute most of what is usually a limiting form factor. Though a little costlier than what many would consider the budget range, these are well worth the investment for leg-up monitors that’ll hold their own for a while.

Don't buy them if...

You hate apps
You don’t need to use the proprietary Edifier ConneX app to enjoy your MR5 speakers – but it helps! And some of us simply have less time for finicky app-based customisation than others.

You want room-filling sound
These are ideal nearfield monitors, and impressive when used as midfield monitors too. Fundamentally, though, they’re too small to do much with larger spaces.

Also consider

	Edifier MR5	Edifier QR65	Kanto Ren
Price	$349.99 / £279.99 (approx AU$570)	$369.99 / £329.99 / AU$449	$599 / £599 (around AU$1,199)
Drivers	5" woofer, 3.75" mid driver, 1" silk dome tweeter	2.75" mid-low driver, 1.25" silk dome tweeter	5.25" woofer, 1" silk dome tweeter
Analogue connectivity	Dual XLR, dual TRS, RCA, 3.5mm aux; 3.5mm headphone out	RCA, sub out	RCA, 3.5mm aux, sub out
Digital connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0 (two devices), with LDAC support	Bluetooth 5.3, USB-A	Bluetooth 5.3 with AAC support, USB-C, optical (TOSLINK), HDMI ARC
Power	110W RMS	70W RMS	100W RMS
Frequency range	46Hz - 40kHz	55Hz - 40kHz	50Hz - 22kHz
Extras	1x 3.5mm to 3.5mm aux cable, 1x RCA to 3.5mm aux cable	1x 3.5mm to 3.5mm aux cable, 1x USB cable	Speaker wire

Edifier QR65
If you’ve a little more to spend and a little less space to spare, Edifier’s QR65 have you covered. These smaller desktop speakers are designed with wireless utility in mind, but play great as desk-bound AV speakers for whatever you’re up to.
See our full Edifier QR65 review

Kanto Ren
Kanto’s Ren speakers only bear so much in common with Edifier’s MR5, in that they’re powered, and they’re bookshelf format. But everything else that they are might be exactly what you’re looking for, if the MR5 doesn’t scratch your hi-fi itch; there’s subwoofer compatibility, digital inputs and some very musical voicings that make them great living-room listeners.
See our full Kanto Ren review

How I tested the Edifier MR5

Tested for five weeks
Used as monitor speakers in an attic office space,
Serviced by a Universal Audio Volt 476 audio interface, and by Bluetooth connection
Predominantly tested using Bandcamp, Spotify, local music files and Reaper sessions

The Edifier MR5 spent their time as the primary listening devices for my office studio setup, as nearfield studio monitors. During my time with them, I streamed music from Spotify and Bandcamp, as well as played music locally from my computer (both high-quality downloads, and works-in-progress on the digital audio workstation Reaper) – all via a Universal Audio Volt 476 interface. I also streamed music from my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra smartphone, which also harboured the Edifier ConneX app for testing digital control.

First reviewed: October 2025

Read more about how we test at TechRadar

I tested Sennheiser’s first wireless headphones that bundle a USB-C dongle for higher-res streaming, and their detail-oriented sound bowled me over

2:01 am | October 21, 2025

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

Sennheiser HDB 630: two-minute review

What happens when you cut the wires off your audiophile-grade headphones and fit a Bluetooth module inside, then add a USB-C dongle to the box so people can hear them at their best? You get the Sennheiser HDB 630. These wireless headphones are intended to deliver ‘hi-res’ Bluetooth audio to anyone, no matter which smartphone you’re using – yes, even an iPhone.

To achieve this, Sennheiser has bundled in its BTD 700 dongle, which opens up access to the aptX, aptX HD and aptX Adaptive codecs, and up to 24-bit / 96kHz streaming quality. Just plug the USB-C dongle into your phone, pair it to the Sennheiser HDB 630, mkae sure your file quality is of the desired standard and you’re good to go.

Of course, some data is lost when streaming over Bluetooth, but still, the audio quality here is exceptional and deserving of Sennheiser's HD (ie. reference grade) lineup. I was very impressed by the beautifully balanced, textured, and well-separated performance of the HDB 630, which outperformed even some of the best headphones I’ve tested in this price-range.

They have a neutral tuning out of the box, which a lot of audiophiles will appreciate – the bass is far from overbearing, though it remains punchy and responsive. A bump in the upper midrange often gives vocals a little bit of extra room to express themselves too, while treble is controlled and never too intense.

With parametric EQ and crossfade functions, you can also adapt the sound to your specific tastes – there’s so much customizability to access with the Sennheiser SmartControlPlus companion app.

And that applies to more than just sound. There’s customizable active noise cancellation, including a transparency mode, and a standalone adaptive configuration. These all work effectively, and although you won’t get absolute top-tier noise-crushing abilities here, the HDB 630 were able to keep me pretty focused on my music during a flight and when working at my office.

One thing that I wish was a little more tweakable, though, is the touch controls. Some of these function decently, but a couple feel a little clumsy to use, like volume adjustment and a single-touch play/pause option. Similarly, the On-head Detection is very sensitive, and the cans sometimes turn on even with a small knock. All of this can be switched off, but rivals like the Sony WH-1000XM6 offer much more intuitive controls.

Back to the positives though. Something that really wowed me about the HDB 630 was their excellent battery life. Considering a lot of high-level rivals in this range only offer around 30 hours of playtime, the 60 hours you get here – with ANC on, by the way – is absolutely exceptional. I barely ever had to charge these cans during my month of testing, and that in itself is a massive benefit.

In fact, other than the slightly unrefined touch controls, most of my criticisms are minor. I experienced a few inconsistencies with mic quality when using the BTD 700 dongle, and I would say that these aren’t quite the comfiest cans ever. But still, they’re snug enough to keep on for longer listening sessions, and without the dongle, the mic quality is very good.

Overall, these cans make a spectacular wireless debut into Sennheiser’s beloved HD6XX line. They supply revealing, immersive audio, buckets of playtime, and a rich set of features. Sure, there are a few imperfections here and there, but if we’re talking sound for pound (or dollar, etc.) value, then the Sennheiser HDB 630 are a tempting option, and easy to recommend.

Sennheiser HDB 630 in someone's hand — (Image credit: Future)

Sennheiser HDB 630 review: price & release date

$499 / £399 / AU$999
Launched in October 2025

The Sennheiser HDB 630 were revealed at the beginning of October 2025, and are available to order now. They're the first wireless pair of headphones to join Sennheiser’s beloved 6XX range, rather than slotting into the Momentum or Accentum family, but they feel like a natural upgrade over the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, sonically speaking.

As a premium pair of wireless headphones, these come with a fairly high price tag. They'll set you back $499 / £399 / AU$999, which is in a similar ballpark to top-tier wireless options like the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 – more on both of those later.

Sennheiser HDB 630 headphones in carry case — (Image credit: Future)

Sennheiser HDB 630 review: specs

Drivers	42mm dynamic
Active noise cancellation	Yes
Battery life	60 hours (ANC on)
Weight	311g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.2, 3.5mm, USB-C
Frequency range	6Hz-22kHz

Sennheiser HDB 630 review: features

Well-engineered adaptive ANC and passthrough modes
Fleshed-out companion app with parametric EQ and crossfeed
Comes with Sennheiser BTD 700 transmitter for better Bluetooth audio

When it comes to features, Sennheiser has put a lot of care into delivering just about everything you could want from wireless headphones.

Let’s start with some of the flashy inclusions that you’re not going to find from most rivals. First up, we’ve got parametric EQ. This grants users with granular control over the frequency they want to change, along with gain and Q-factor. So, if you’ve got a very precise sound in mind, you’ll easily be able to adapt the headphones to it.

In my experience, parametric EQ worked very nicely, and there are clear instructions in the Sennheiser SmartControlPlus app for how to get the best out of it. I generally stuck with the default sound, but tried making an altered tuning with a slight low-end bump, which was fun to configure.

Next, let’s talk about crossfeed – something I’d never used on a rival pair of the best over-ear headphones. Essentially, this can be used to blend the left and right audio channels for a more balanced presentation – especially useful if a recording has extreme channel separation and most of the bass only plays from the right side, say.

I tried this feature out with Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix – a man who loved to move sound across the stereo field for a unique listening experience. When cranking crossfade up to high, vocals – which initially were focused into the right channel – were significantly more balanced. Personally, I had no issue with the original sound, so I rarely used crossfeed, but it does work well, and I’m sure some will enjoy using it.

Perhaps the star feature of the HDB 630 is their higher-res Bluetooth audio support. To make use of this, you can plug in the included BTD 700 dongle, which opens up access to aptX, aptX HD, and aptX Adaptive codecs – even if you’re on iPhone.

Anyway, the BTD 700 will let you stream audio in higher-than CD quality – 24-bit / 96kHz (albeit with some loss incurred by Bluetooth transmission itself). That means that great quality music becomes available to just about any modern device – more on the actual audio performance later, though.

Another one of the HDB 630’s major features is active noise cancellation. I was very pleased with the overall performance here, even if it won’t compare to leading players in this field, like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Gen 2. One small thing: the HDB 630 set the ANC level to 60% by default, perhaps for the ideal balance sonically, but for testing purposes I cranked this up to 100%.

On a flight to Copenhagen, the low rumble of the jet engine was massively subdued, while discussions around me were basically inaudible. And that was when listening to music at about 60% volume, by the way. Some higher pitched sounds – like the click of seatbelts – did creep through, but I was still impressed with the HDB 630’s noise nixing talents.

Adaptive mode is dynamic and effective too, but you can also access a transparency mode with the custom settings. This is an ideal selection if you’re someone that prefers to have a good measure of your surroundings. There’s also an option to turn on anti-wind noise, or simply turn noise cancelling off entirely.

Sound zones is another interesting feature that enables you to set an EQ preset and ANC level depending on your location. You can save a number of locations, and the headphones will seamlessly slip into your chosen settings, so long as you’re within a certain radius of the relevant area.

A quick word on battery life too. You get an outstanding 60 hours of playtime from the HDB 630, even with ANC on. That’s very impressive indeed, and matches the battery life of the five-star-rated Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless.

One key issue I ran into during my time with the HDB 630, was that call and recording quality would suffer significantly if I was using the BTD 700 dongle. Similarly, if I ended a call, when my music continued to play it sometimes sounded fuzzy. The SoundConnectPlus app would also sometimes fail to work when I had the dongle inserted, though this wasn’t always the case. These issues may well be solvable with updates and such – but the call quality issue was especially unfortunate, as without the dongle, call quality on the HDB 630 is strong.

All in all, though, there’s just so much to sink your teeth into on the HDB 630, and if you want highly customizable listening experiences, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Features score: 4.5/5

Person holding up phone with Spotify on in front of Sennheiser HDB 630 and carry case — (Image credit: Future)

Sennheiser HDB 630 review: sound quality

Immersive, detailed audio performance
Audiophiles will likely appreciate more neutral default tuning
Hi-res audio sounds fantastic with BTD 700 transmitter

Now, for anyone familiar with Sennheiser’s name, you’ll know that the company is known for knocking out stellar sounding audio gear time after time. And the HDB 630 continue that trend. I was very impressed with the clarity, detail, and width of the audio these headphones conjure up — and at this price, you’re not going to find a lot of rivals that do better.

The HDB 630 have a pretty neutral sound out of the box. Bass is punchy, but not overly assertive, with a significant dip in the sub-100Hz range compared to the Momentum 4. Mids never get drowned out, with vocals often given a lift thanks to a slight bump in the upper mid-range. Meanwhile, treble is perhaps a little more tempered than I’m used to on a lot of wireless headphones, but this results in a controlled presentation, with sounds in the upper-range never coming across as over-eager or tinny.

When listening to Black Eye by Allie X, I was impressed with the brilliantly defined, assertive vocals, which were carefully separated from the pumping low-end and electronica in the background. Finer details like light percussion came through clearly, while electric guitars in the lower mid-range – which can sometimes sound muddied with middling or poor quality cans – were given a fair amount of room to play.

Rains again by Solji – a softer ballad – was the exact kind of track the HDB 630 could excel with. The higher-pitched vocals floated were beautifully emotive and well-positioned in the mix, with soft acoustic guitars, as well as soft strings and keys all replicated in a tonally accurate, expressive manner.

Turning to a deeper track like Spaceship by Marsolo, this is where things may require some tweaking. The ambient sounds and almost otherworldly effects that enter into the track were exceptionally clear and well-positioned, though the bass itself – despite being rapid and responsive – lacked a little bit of bite for my personal taste.

Thankfully, this wasn’t too much of an issue, though. There is a bass boost toggle for moments where you want a low-end lift in a pinch, and extensive EQ presets and custom options if you want a deeper tuning.

I tried my own custom tuning, using parametric EQ, and Left And Right by D’Angelo sounded incredibly immersive, thanks to the controlled, texture bass, expertly layered vocals, and impactful yet disciplined percussion in the treble range. The wide soundstage created an almost three-dimensional listening experience, and that’s something that a fair few rivals in this price range can’t offer.

For reference, I spent the majority of my time listening with the BTD 700 dongle and the aptX Adaptive codec – this genuinely makes a difference with the HDB 630, opening up a more full-sounding, revealing listen. I also tried wired listening, and was again delighted with the responsive, elegantly balanced performance of the HDB 630. These are an excellent-sounding pair of headphones for the cost – they deliver exactly what they aim to: audiophile-friendly sound, without the cable.

Sound quality score: 5/5

Earcup of the Sennheiser HDB 630 — (Image credit: Future)

Sennheiser HDB 630 review: design

Wired headphone vibe, wireless design
Could look a little more premium, in my view
Touch controls and auto-on feel a little clumsy

It's been an almost perfect start for the HDB 630 so far, but the design department is where the picture is a little bit more mixed.

First up, let’s talk about looks. The HDB 630 have an appearance that's befitting of their purpose. Visually, they’re almost more like closed-back wired headphones, minus the wires – and I’m a fan of that synchronicity.

However, for me, they just don’t look quite as premium as I’d hope for headphones in this price range. The silver sections that connect the headband to the earcups have an almost plasticky look, which contrasts the luxurious-looking headband and leatherette earcups. They still look pretty good overall, and this is largely a matter of personal preference – but I think some rivals, like the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 have a sleeker overall aesthetic.

Something that’s less subjective, however, is the quality of touch controls on the HDB 630. Personally, I’m a touch controls guy – controversial, I know. But I didn’t always find them to be intuitive here. When flicking up, volume would occasionally rise too drastically, and the single touch requirement to pause music meant that it was too easy to accidentally play or pause my tunes.

Unfortunately, touch controls can’t be customized – it's either on, or off – which is a bit of a shame, as I would’ve liked to try tailoring them to my preferences. To give the HDB 630 their flowers, some functions, like skipping or returning to the previous track, worked great. Call controls functioned well too.

It was a similar story with On-head Detection, which seemed a little clumsy. On a couple of occasions, I’d give the headphones a knock when they were on my desk, and they’d auto power-on, connect to my phone, and start playing my music out. That was a little frustrating, and led to me later turning the feature off, even though the smart pause function worked really nicely when removing or re-wearing the headphones.

On the positive side, these headphones are fairly comfortable for longer listening sessions. I definitely think that my day-to-day headphones, the Sony WH-1000XM6 feel lighter and comfier in-use, but the HDB 630 didn’t feel tight on my head or harsh on my ears. They also offered a secure fit during my flight and whenever I was out and about.

Unlike headphones such as the Sony WH-1000XM4, the HDB 630 don't fold up. That means they're not the most compact around. But when you need to take them out and about, you can make use of the included carry case, which is built to a high standard. It feels very durable, and is well protected against scuffs or scratches. It's a little large and uses a zip rather than my preference of magnets, but it's still a very welcome inclusion.

Design score: 3.5/5

Sennheiser logo on headband of the Sennheiser HDB 630

(Image credit: Future)

Sennheiser HDB 630 review: value

Fairly priced for the sound quality on offer…
…even if you can get better ANC and comfort from some rivals
Incredible feature-set, even against competitors

When it comes to value for money, the Sennheiser HDB 630 score nicely – yes, even though they’re not the cheapest headphones out there.

For the money you pay, you get absolutely wonderful sound quality, and the inclusion of the BTD 700 dongle opens up higher-res Bluetooth listening to anyone – even iPhone listeners, who are frequently left behind in that domain.

Even in a side-by-side comparison with my similarly priced Sony WH-1000XM6, I felt that the HDB 630 performed exceptionally, offering a slightly more open, revealing sound. The XM6 arguably have a more ‘exciting’ profile out of the box, but with a little tuning, there’s not much the HDB 630 can’t do.

Looks-wise and comfortability-wise, the HDB 630 are solid – not the best in class but certainly not bad. But they sure do stand out when it comes to features. Parametric EQ, crossfade, adaptable ANC, and a ton of battery life. All of that combined with the sound you get? That’s plenty of bang for your buck.

Value score: 4.5/5

Earcups of the Sennheiser HDB 630 — (Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Sennheiser HDB 630?

Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	Wide feature-set, detailed-oriented sound options, dongle opens up great audio quality, though can cause some functionality issues.	4.5/5
Sound quality	Beautifully balanced, textured, detailed, and personalizable sound.	5/5
Design	Touch controls and auto-pause can be clumsy, good-looking and comfortable overall, but some rivals have nicer appearance and feel	3.5/5
Value	Incredible sound and feature-set for the price you pay.	4.5/5

Buy them if…

You want audiophile-friendly headphones, minus the wires
If you’re looking for audiophile-grade sound from some wireless headphones, then look no further than the HDB 630. With the included Sennheiser BTD 700 transmitter, you can access ‘hi-res’ Bluetooth audio on your phone – yes, even a modern iPhone! Of course, you’ll lose some quality over Bluetooth regardless, but wired listening is available here too, either via the USB-C or 3.5mm ports.

You regularly use public transport or fly
These headphones are awesome for anyone who regularly uses public transport or flies due to their effective, customizable active noise cancellation capabilities. I even found them pretty strong against external noise on a flight – pretty impressive! Oh, they also have solid-performing inbuilt mics, making them perfect for taking business or personal calls on the go.

Don’t buy them if…

You want great touch controls
I just couldn’t get along with the touch controls of the Sennheiser HDB 630. I found them to be a little clumsy, and the lack of customizability is a bit of a shame. Having said that, I love headphones that do touch control correctly, such as the Sony WH-1000XM5, or even better, XM6.

You’re looking for ultimate comfort
Now don’t get me wrong, the HDB 630 aren’t uncomfortable, per se, I’ve just tested models that felt a little more plush on my head. The aforementioned XM6, Sonos Ace, and Anker Soundcore Space One Pro are just a few examples of comfy over-ears that I’d prefer purely in terms of comfort.

Sennheiser HDB 630 review: also consider

	Sennheiser HDB 630	Sony WH-100XM6	Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
Price	$499 / £399 / AU$999	$449 / £399 / AU$699	$479 / £399 / AU$699
Drivers	42mm dynamic	30mm dynamic	40mm dynamic
Active noise cancellation	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery life	60 hours (ANC on)	30 hours (ANC on)	30 hours (ANC on)
Weight	311g	254g	300g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.2, 3.5mm, USB-C	Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm	Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C, 3.5mm (via USB-C to 3.5mm cable)
Frequency range	6Hz-22kHz	20Hz-20kHz	10Hz-20kHz

Sony WH-1000XM6
The Sony WH-1000XM6 are some of the best headphones to release in 2025, with class-leading noise cancelling abilities, beautifully balanced yet exciting audio, and the most intuitive touch controls I’ve ever used. They’re lighter, and comfier than the HDB 630, and surpass them in terms of ANC and compactness. But they’re no match in terms of battery life, and Sennheiser’s cans offer a touch more detail, sonically. Read our full Sony WH-1000XM6 review.

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
Even though the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 have landed, they’re a significant step-up, price-wise. The Px7 S3 are more of a match for the HDB 630 when it comes to cost, and they’re an incredible pair of wireless headphones. With expansive sound, stunning looks, and an evolving feature-set, they’re well worth considering. Read our full Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 review.

How I tested the Sennheiser HDB 630

Tested for one month
Used in the office and on a flight
Predominantly tested using Tidal

I spent one month testing the Sennheiser HDB 630, taking them just about everywhere I went. Of course, I used them at the office during standard work hours, but I also used them at home, while out on walks, and even on a flight.

While listening to music, I predominantly made use of Tidal in order to enjoy the 24 bit / 96 kHz quality audio – something that Spotify lossless isn’t capable of. I tuned into the TechRadar testing playlist, which features tracks from a wide range of genres, but also bumped a range of songs from my personal music library.

On top of that, I exhausted the various features on the HDB 630, like crossfeed, parametric EQ, and ANC. Where appropriate, I compared the headphones against my trusty Sony WH-1000XM6, which helped to assess aspects like sound quality and design.

First reviewed: October 2025
Read more about how we test

I wanted to love Skullcandy’s workout headphones, but one big issue makes them a poor fit

1:30 pm | October 19, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: EQ, Jabra Elite | Comments: Off

Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active: Two-minute review

Gym-goers or athletes who also care about their music quality surely know how few over-ear headphones are designed specifically for fitness; our list of the best workout headphones doesn’t have a single pair and my own fondness for them is tempered by just how rare they are. Most buyers instead have to buy workout earbuds, or repurpose normal over-ear headphones for their workout needs (and get very warm ears).

The Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active are a welcome addition to the anemic market segment, coming with a few features and design considerations which make them a step above rivals… though there are some curious deficiencies too.

You’d think US-based audio company Skullcandy would be a prime fit for workout headphones, due to its emphasis on bassy products and funky designs, and it is – its website has an entire section dedicated to ‘Gym & Workout Headphones’. But those are, like most companies’ offerings, just headphones that can be used to exercise. The Crusher 540 Active is different, as it’s designed intently for that purpose.

The ‘Crusher’ in the name points to one of the cans’ best features and the selling point for every member of this line. The 540 Active has a bass slider which can increase the bass from ‘normal’ to ‘quite bassy’ to ‘my head is shaking’, boosting the low end in an ill-tuned but energetic way. If you’re a gym user who loves bass-heavy thumping audio to help you push yourself to the max, this is a fantastic addition.

Dedicated Skullcandy fans might scroll down and notice that the Crusher 540 Active sounds startlingly similar to another pair of cans from the company called the Crusher Evo, and they cost exactly the same in most regions. I too was baffled by how similar these cans are and apparently fans were too, prompting Skullcandy to write a Reddit post detailing the differences.

The differences lie in a few design considerations: the soft pads can be removed and easily washed, perfect for people who get sweaty at the gym, and the band was designed to have a tighter clamp fit. This latter point, unfortunately, doesn’t have a noticeable effect, and the 540 Active frequently fell off my head at the gym when I was lying down. This could be a deal-breaker for some people, depending on your workout routine.

Audio-wise, you’re getting what you pay for; these headphones sound good but not quite great. However, the app offers perhaps the best personal audio test I’ve used in headphones so far, and the ability to crank the bass to 11 would make a nuanced audio design moot anyway.

I’ve mentioned a few features that I like so far, and they’re definitely the highlights of the Skullcandy, but beyond the bass and personal audio modes there’s a noticeable lack of extra features. I was surprised when first looking at the app to see how few tools were offered – but perhaps it’s best that you don’t use the app much, given the connection problems I had (more on these later).

You’re probably still wondering if I recommend the Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active as workout headphones, and after testing them for several weeks, I’m not too sure either. They were great for running, great for workouts where I stayed upright, and good for general listening. But I found myself pre-emptively removing them during my gym sessions when I had to do a prone exercise, due to the fit – so you’ll have to ask yourself what your fitness life looks like and whether you need to do such workouts, before buying them.

Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active review: Price and release date

The Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active on a sofa. — (Image credit: Future)

Released in summer 2025
Costs $209.99 / £169.99 / AU$349.99
Few similar rivals

The Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active were released in summer 2025, and you can pick them up for $209.99 / £169.99 / AU$349.99.

At that price they match the Crusher Evo and aren’t too far off other over-ears from the brand, slightly cheaper than the Crusher ANC 2 and more than the Hesh 540 ANC, so they’re a mid-range pick within Skullcandy's oeuvre.

Here’s where I’d normally compare the headphones to other options on the market going for the same thing, but the over-ear workout headphone market is so slim that there aren’t really any bespoke options to speak of.

Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active review: Specs

Drivers	40mm
Active noise cancellation	No
Battery life (ANC off)	40 hours
Weight	312g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.0
Waterproofing	NA

Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active review: Features

Bass slider for extra... bass
40 hours of battery
Useful sound personalization

It might offend some that I’m going to discuss the Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active’s titular feature in this section rather than the ‘sound quality’ one, but at the end of the day the crushing bass is more of a novelty and a boost mode than it is a genuine way of refining your music.

I’m talking about the slider on the Active’s left cup, my allusion to which in the ‘design’ section may have raised eyebrows (if you didn’t read the introduction and haven’t seen any of Skullcandy’s Crusher headphones before).

This slider lets you control how bassy your music is, with the lowest setting matching other workout headphones and the highest one literally making the cans shake on your head. I was blown away by just how bassy music can get if you pick the right track and turn the mode to full; it felt like walking into a sticky nightclub from one of London’s late-night streets.

Audiophiles won’t like this mode, as this boosted bass is somewhat formless and unreliable in what it augments, but I found it infectiously fun to play around with nonetheless. There’s an inescapable novelty to having your head literally shake as you listen to ridiculously-amplified house or hip-hop. Some music just isn’t affected by the boost though, especially acoustic and classical tracks, but it was great fun to see just how the Crusher 540 would affect a song.

There’s no ANC here to cut out the chaos of a gym, but I found the earcup cushions were pretty good at blocking out a lot of noise passively anyway.

The battery life clocks in at 40 hours according to Skullcandy, which is, roughly speaking, an average figure for over-ear headphones, but given the lack of active noise cancellation it might come off a bit low.

On your phone or tablet, the Skullcandy app gets you some extra tools (not the Skull-IQ app which I’ve used for the brand’s earbuds, as that won’t work – judging by Play Store reviews, lots of people have made the same mistake as I). I had a few connection problems wherein the app wouldn’t pick up the paired headphones, but usually hard-closing and reopening it fixed the issue.

The app offers you a Personal Sound listening test to apply an automatic EQ to your music, and it’s one of the simplest and easiest examples of this test that I’ve ever used, as you’re simply prompted to select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ on whether you can hear a series of beeping tones played. Its analysis of my hearing also matched what other tests have told me, so it seems fairly accurate.

You can also use the app to switch between three standard EQ presets: music, podcast (which boosts treble but strips bass) and movie which reduced treble slightly. There’s no custom EQ for you to make your own mix, so audiophiles will have to rely on SkullCandy’s judgements.

Various EQ modes are the only features you get from the app, so if you were hoping for a smorgasbord of extra tools, you’ll be disappointed.

Features score: 3.5/5

Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active review: Design

Plenty of buttons on cups
Doesn't clamp onto head strong enough
Cups are removable for cleaning

On the surface, the Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active might just look like your standard over-ear headphones, but the devil’s in the detail.

Just look at the cups, for one example of that – they’re loaded with far more buttons and dials than you’d usually see. The left cup has the USB-C charging port, a 3.5mm jack, the aforementioned bass slider and a surprisingly-small power button while the right cup has volume up, play/pause and volume down. Neat touches like slightly-different-feeling buttons ensure it’s easy to work out via touch what you’re reaching for.

The design changes continue to the material, with intentional picks for the gym-going intended buyer. According to Skullcandy, the foam cups have a coating to protect them against sweat, and can be easily removed and cleaned if you do get them mucky – I found them really simple to remove although reattaching them was a lot more fiddly. The band is designed to avoid grime as much as possible.

Thanks to the breathable material, and the cans’ light body, I found the headphones comfortable to use, even if I was exercising and sweating. The brand deems the cups ‘Sweat & Water Resistant’ although I couldn’t find an official IP rating anywhere.

Skullcandy’s also using a tech here which it calls Clamp Force Secure Fit, designed to give the cans a rigid fit so they’ll stay on your head when you’re working out, but while that’s great in theory it didn’t work in practice. The headphones would regularly slip off my head when I was prone, which is quite frequent depending on my workout routine, and I found myself taking them off every time I needed to lie forward or backward. That’s not exactly ideal for gym use, although I didn’t face the problem when staying upright or running.

A neat (though small) design trait is that you can fold the cups in on the body to make the headphones more portable – I wish more brands would let you do this.

You can buy the Crusher 540 Active in black, white or pink, which is a much more slender list of offerings than Skullcandy’s other Crushers (the ANC 2 has 10 options listed on the brand’s site, while the Evo has six).

Design score: 3.5/5

Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active review: Sound quality

40mm drivers per cup
Scooping bass, especially with slider
Vocals lack some sparkle

I’ve already mentioned that the bass slider lets you turn the Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active into a head-worn sub-woofer, but for the purposes of this section let’s imagine I’ve got the slider set to its lowest setting.

Even when bass is stripped out like this, it’s still a prominent part of the sound mix – these are workout headphones after all, and ones made by Skullcandy no less, so scooping bass is part and parcel of what you’re paying for. The mids benefit from this to an extent too, though there were a few times in my testing when I found vocals lacking the power and sparkle that some other headphones lend to treble.

As you can probably expect from the price, you’re not getting the most crystal-clear audio quality or nuanced sound stage, and I did hear some distortion on certain songs. But those all reflect the changed priority values that gym-going or jogging users will want, and I wasn’t disappointed at all when listing.

Skullcandy says that both cans have 40mm drivers in them, which is the same as the Crusher Evo. Having heard the 540 Active and understanding how they tick all the workout-headphone boxes, the company’s confirmation that these are the Evos but tweaked for exercise users, makes total sense.

Sound quality: 3.5/5

Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active review: Value

Paying for novel features...
... which won't be for everyone

At $209.99 / £169.99 / AU$349.99, the Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active aren’t the cheapest over-ear headphones in the world (although they’re certainly not premium models). That price isn’t going to the workout features – the Evo costs the same amount – and as I’ve already discussed, these didn’t always tick the boxes as workout headphones anyway.

What you’re actually paying for is the novel bass feature, which is what separates the Crusher 540 Active from other headphones you might be considering. And if this feature sounds great, then the price is certainly justified.

However if you don’t think you’ll make good use of the bass slider, or think the novelty will wear off quickly, there are other over-ears to pick up which are cheaper – and may perform just as well, or better, for a workout.

Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active?

Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active score card
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	The bass slider and listening test are great, though more features would have been appreciated.	3.5/5
Design	The loose grip hurts the suitability for workouts, but otherwise the design is fine.	3.5/5
Sound quality	While the sound quality is just decent, it's exactly what exercise-minded buyers will want.	3.5/5
Value	If you're buying the Skullcandy for the extra features, it's decent value, but other buyers will be paying unnecessarily more.	3.5/5

Buy them if…

You’re a huge bass-head
Some people stopped reading this review when I mentioned a bass slider which gets your head literally shaking. I probably don’t need to tell you to buy Crushers if that sounds like a fantastic selling point to you.

You sweat a lot
The easily-removable and cleanable ear pads will be great news to people who sweat a lot, as you’ll be able to easily freshen up your cans.

You’re not great at tweaking EQ settings
No equalizer here, but the personal audio mode will help you find your perfect audio mix without you faffing over buttons and sliders.View Deal

Don’t buy them if…

You’ll need to lie down with them
Wearing these rules out sit-ups, press-ups, bridges, skull crushers, and more – if your workout routine relies on these, then maybe earbuds are best.

You’re not interested in fitness
Well done for reading a whole fitness headphone review without wanting headphones for this purpose, but some of the unique features here will only benefit people doing a workout.

You want funky-looking cans
Skullcandy specializes in funkily-colored or -designed headphones, but the 540 Active are some of its few options that don’t come in all sorts of patterns and hues.

Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active review: Also consider

	Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active	SkullCandy Crusher Evo	Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2	Earfun Wave Pro
Drivers	40mm	40mm	6mm	40mm
Active noise cancellation	No	No	Yes	Yes
Battery life	40 hours	40 hours	14 hours (buds) 56 hours (case)	80 hours
Weight	312g	312g	5g (buds); 47.5g (case)	268g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.3
Waterproofing	NA	NA	IP68	NA

Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2
The Jabra Elite 8 Gen 2 cost more than the Skullcandys and are in-ears instead of over-ears, but sound great and offer top noise cancellation. I include them here as we rank them as our best workout earbuds.

See our full Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 review

Earfun Wave Pro
When I tested these older earbuds, I took them to the gym a few times and they worked fine. They have memory foam cups which won’t be damaged as much by sweat, have a fantastic battery life so you can forget charging them much, and sound really good for the price. Most importantly, they’re quite cheap.

See our full Earfun Wave Pro review

How I tested the Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active

Tested for at least three weeks
Tested at home, on runs and at the gym

I spent at least three weeks testing the Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active before writing this review. They were paired to my Android phone for the entirety of it, using Spotify, Netflix and a few other apps.

I did a lot of the testing at my local gym and on runs around my local area, as I've mentioned. I also listened at home, on public transport and on walks too.

This isn't my first Skullcandy review for TechRadar although I didn't test the original Evo. I've been reviewing devices for the brand for six years now including in-ear, open-ear and on-ear headphones.

First reviewed in October 2025

Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

I wanted to love Skullcandy’s workout headphones, but one big issue makes them a poor fit

1:30 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: EQ, Jabra Elite | Comments: Off

Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active: Two-minute review

Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active review: Price and release date

Released in summer 2025
Costs $209.99 / £169.99 / AU$349.99
Few similar rivals

The Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active were released in summer 2025, and you can pick them up for $209.99 / £169.99 / AU$349.99.

Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active review: Specs

Drivers	40mm
Active noise cancellation	No
Battery life (ANC off)	40 hours
Weight	312g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.0
Waterproofing	NA

Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active review: Features

Bass slider for extra... bass
40 hours of battery
Useful sound personalization

There’s no ANC here to cut out the chaos of a gym, but I found the earcup cushions were pretty good at blocking out a lot of noise passively anyway.

Various EQ modes are the only features you get from the app, so if you were hoping for a smorgasbord of extra tools, you’ll be disappointed.

Features score: 3.5/5

Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active review: Design

Plenty of buttons on cups
Doesn't clamp onto head strong enough
Cups are removable for cleaning

On the surface, the Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active might just look like your standard over-ear headphones, but the devil’s in the detail.

A neat (though small) design trait is that you can fold the cups in on the body to make the headphones more portable – I wish more brands would let you do this.

Design score: 3.5/5

Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active review: Sound quality

40mm drivers per cup
Scooping bass, especially with slider
Vocals lack some sparkle

Sound quality: 3.5/5

Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active review: Value

Paying for novel features...
... which won't be for everyone

Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active?

Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active score card
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	The bass slider and listening test are great, though more features would have been appreciated.	3.5/5
Design	The loose grip hurts the suitability for workouts, but otherwise the design is fine.	3.5/5
Sound quality	While the sound quality is just decent, it's exactly what exercise-minded buyers will want.	3.5/5
Value	If you're buying the Skullcandy for the extra features, it's decent value, but other buyers will be paying unnecessarily more.	3.5/5

Buy them if…

You sweat a lot
The easily-removable and cleanable ear pads will be great news to people who sweat a lot, as you’ll be able to easily freshen up your cans.

You’re not great at tweaking EQ settings
No equalizer here, but the personal audio mode will help you find your perfect audio mix without you faffing over buttons and sliders.View Deal

Don’t buy them if…

You’ll need to lie down with them
Wearing these rules out sit-ups, press-ups, bridges, skull crushers, and more – if your workout routine relies on these, then maybe earbuds are best.

You want funky-looking cans
Skullcandy specializes in funkily-colored or -designed headphones, but the 540 Active are some of its few options that don’t come in all sorts of patterns and hues.

Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active review: Also consider

	Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active	SkullCandy Crusher Evo	Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2	Earfun Wave Pro
Drivers	40mm	40mm	6mm	40mm
Active noise cancellation	No	No	Yes	Yes
Battery life	40 hours	40 hours	14 hours (buds) 56 hours (case)	80 hours
Weight	312g	312g	5g (buds); 47.5g (case)	268g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.3
Waterproofing	NA	NA	IP68	NA

See our full Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 review

See our full Earfun Wave Pro review

How I tested the Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active

Tested for at least three weeks
Tested at home, on runs and at the gym

I did a lot of the testing at my local gym and on runs around my local area, as I've mentioned. I also listened at home, on public transport and on walks too.

First reviewed in October 2025

Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

The way Panasonic’s attractive new open earbuds sound makes me smile, but they’re so annoying to operate

7:00 am | September 17, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Fitness Headphones Gadgets Health & Fitness | Tags: EQ | Comments: Off

Panasonic RB-F10: Two-minute review

Being a little down on a product you fundamentally really like feels uncharitable. It’s the audio equivalent of Ebenezer Scrooge giving Tiny Tim a pair of the incredible Shokz OpenFit 2+, then swapping that sweet sonic stocking stuffer for Bob Cratchit’s humble morsel of goose. Bah, humbug, indeed.

Truthfully, though, if you did buy me a pair of Panasonic RB-F10s for Christmas or my birthday, I’d be pretty smitten. Yes, they have their faults, but if you can overcome slightly fiddly on-ears controls, Panny’s recent buds are stylish, affordable, and feel so comfortable once they’re on, you might as well have a couple of pixies giving your ear canals a luxurious bubble bath.

I adore how these open earbuds feel on my lugholes. There’s no question the main selling point here is the soothing snugness the RB-F10s bring to your listening experiences. I genuinely forgot I was wearing Panasonic’s open earbuds, which weigh 8.79g each, during the vast majority of my testing.

I can’t think of a single occasion where the fit irritated me, be it in on a recent skin-sizzling 93F trip to Fuerteventura or enduring a mild Scottish downpour closer to home. These wrap-around buds neither slip or irritate your skin, nor do they begin to chafe after hours of prolonged use. Granted, I might be guilty of the (ahem) occasional wildly definitive-sounding declaration over the years, but I stand by the following statement: the Panasonic RB-F10s are the most comfortable earbuds of any kind I’ve ever worn. Stick that on the box, Panny.

Elsewhere, problems sadly surface that lower these otherwise supremely sturdy buds' score. With grown-up looks, a classy charging cradle, and satisfyingly loud, well-weighted audio, there’s a whole lot to like about a pair of open ears that cost comfortably less than $100.

Yet it’s hard to stuff my fingers in my ears and pretend the RB-F10s don’t have issues – chief among them are some of the fiddliest, least dependable on-ears controls I’ve encountered on a pair of buds. At best, they’re semi-reliable. At worst? The simple task of pausing or skipping a track has made me chuck Panasonic’s ear accessories onto my sofa multiple times – a feeble bout of frustration the best open ear buds wouldn’t bring out in me.

Panasonic RB-F10 open earbuds on a rock — (Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)

I’ll get to the RB-F10’s fuller audio performance shortly, but if you want the abbreviated version, they’re damn good. With weighty 17mm x 12mm drivers, they bring boom in spades for such svelte buds, while also delivering acoustics you’d never describe as either tinny nor scratchy.

Feature-wise, we’re looking at somewhat of a mixed bag. That's a bag you’d drop every time you did your shopping thanks to those misfiring on-ear controls that are as dependable as a lion going for the vegan option at an all-you-eat zebra buffet. Though IPX4 waterproofing is welcome (and effective in my experience), battery life doesn’t exactly have my knees aquiver.

If you don’t have Panasonic’s nicely minimalist charging cradle to hand, you’re looking at a meagre seven hours of juice. If you’re a fiendish podcast binger like myself who often leaves home without a dock, these may not be the buds for you.

ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) has also been left off the party list and software support is non-existent. Though not the most feature-rich buds, the RB-F10s do at least support convincingly solid dual mic audio calls, and the presence of reliable Bluetooth multipoint connectivity is also welcome.

If it weren’t for those overly finicky on-ear controls, I’d unquestionably be giving the Panasonic RB-10s a higher score that would have it ruffling the feathers of some of the best earbuds. Yet due to those unpredictable controls and only so-so battery life, you may be better off looking at the sublime Nothing Ear (a), or the slightly more premium Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds.

Panasonic RB-F10 review: Specifications

Drivers	17mm x 12mm
Water resistant	IPX4
Battery life	7 hours (earbuds); 25 hours (including charged case)
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.4
Weight	8.79 per bud / charging case 36g
Active noise cancellation	No

Panasonic RB-F10 review: Price and availability

Panasonic RB-F10 open earbuds and charging case on a wooden surface — (Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)

Released in June 2025
$110 / £79.99 / AU$165 (approx.)

The Panasonic RB-F10s have been out for a few months at this point, but you’d be hard pressed to tell. You’d have an easier time spotting a neon-dipped snow leopard during a blackout than finding these buds readily on sale.

Currently, the only place I’ve been able to locate these attractive, relatively affordable earbuds is the official UK Panasonic site. Available in black or a two-tone white scheme, these $110 / £79.99 / around AU$165 buds are very reasonable considering their overall build and sound quality.

Knowing Panasonic, the F10s are unlikely to become significantly easier to pick up going forward, so if you do see them in stock on the UK’s official site or somewhere like eBay (and fancy the cut of their jib), put your money where your sonic-slaying mouth is.

Panasonic RB-F10 review: Features

Panasonic RB-F10 open earbuds sat on a stone head — (Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)

IPX4 waterproofing works well
Seamless Bluetooth multipoint connections
Average battery if they don’t get a full charge

If there were a Deep Impact style meteor-centric oblivion on the horizon and you were forced to draw the short straw on who gets to board the shuttle to survival…. well, suffice to say that comet is cooking F10 owners. That’s a fruity way of saying the RB-F10s aren’t exactly feature-rich.

A lack of ANC or software support is perhaps expected at such an agreeable price point, but what’s considerably harder to stomach is the F10s’ battery life. I’ve seen mayflies with heaving drinking problems boast longer lifespans.

Unless you carry the handsome dock around you like it was a court-mandated bracelet, these open earbuds will die on you a little after seven hours. If you obsessively charge the buds in their dock, and I mean every single day, you’ll get a much healthier 25 hours of juice. Nevertheless, during my seven weeks of testing, I found Panny’s buds died out of nowhere an alarming amount. If you’re a committed jogger, these probably aren’t the earbuds for you.

Don’t walk away at a brisk pace just yet, though. The RB-F10s aren’t entirely no-frills and an IPX4 waterproof rating should never be taken for granted from a native Scot like myself. If you live in an area with regular showers you’ll definitely appreciate this feature. Thanks to their open ear design that shows off a whole lotta lobe, nailing down an IPX4 waterproof rating was key.

I was once caught in a downright biblical lashing of hailstones while nipping out for a lunchtime burger during my F10s testing, and it was mercifully only my soggy quarter pounder that met a watery fate that day. On the few times I have encountered showers while out and about, I’ve yet to hear all those sky tears cause any audible distortion while listening to music on the RB-F10s.

The F10s’ Bluetooth 5.4 multipoint connectivity is probably the most forward-looking feature these buds boast. Capable of pairing to a duo of iOS/Android devices at the same time, the F10s can register to 10 separate devices, though you can obviously only swap between a single pair at once.

The pairing/disconnecting process is relatively simple, involving holding the sensor button down on each bud for several seconds. Once you hone in on your two favorite devices, these buds will intuitively pick up on whatever content you were listening to on them last. It’s smart, hassle-free stuff.

Dual mic support also makes the F10s solid for voice calls. As glamorous – and depressingly unstaged – as this sounds, I had to take a relatively important fraud call from my bank while wearing Panasonic’s buds. The company’s claim that voice signals hold up to around 33ft proved largely true, and even taking an irritating security call while wandering about my Spanish friend’s (in no way death) cellar, the clarity of the audio never wavered.

So the F10s just about get a passing grade in the features department. Still, any prospective future teacher would be sticking a big, fat “could do better” before a pair of F11s rock up to school next year.

Features score: 3/5

Panasonic RB-F10 review: Sound quality

Panasonic RB-F10 open earbuds and carrying case on a rock, in front of a cactus — (Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)

Bass satisfies for such lightweight buds
Vocal clarity is usually excellent
No software but EQ tweaks seldom needed

As someone who normally wears the best over-ears headphones in everyday life I’ve been mightily impressed by the range of sounds these sleek buds pump up. Keen to hear how the buds would fare, I decided to forgo my increasingly decrepit musical tastes and listen to some fresher bangers from Glastonbury 2025. Not in a mud-caked field in Somerset, you understand. Rather from the comfort of my reclining chair with an RF-10 popped into each ear.

Now let’s jump down the YouTube rabbit hole!

The five-piece indie pop group Wet Leg slithered around Glasto’s Other Stage and immediately wormed into my brain with Catch These Fists. Sensationally steely, winkingly erotic before exploding into a scrappily raunchy crescendo, it’s a bloody fun tune, and one where the RB-F10s powerful 17mm x 12mm drivers effortlessly pick up lead singer Rhian Teasdale’s growling lower registers.

I was also taken aback that the RB-F10s made the upbeat Yougotmefeeling by Parcels come alive in a full-bodied way that briefly made me do a double take on whether I was listening to their summery banger on budget earbuds or one of the best surround sound systems. There was one moment the video cut to the super sweaty crowd, and the subsequent swirling chorals almost made me believe I was standing among the throng covered in knocked-over plastic lager glasses.

Sticking with YouTube, I was delighted to bump into an energetic performance of Don’t Back into the Sun by The Libertines. The fact Carl Barat turned up with chaotic longtime collaborator Pete Doherty, who not only looked reasonably healthy, but didn’t flub his lines, was a nice surprise. That definitely wasn’t on my Glasto bingo card. Back to the Panasonic RB-F10s, Gary Powell's pounding drumwork and John Hassall's satisfyingly punchy bass came through without overwhelming Pete and Carl’s duets.

Even though I do a lot of my headphones testing on my iPhone, I must admit to consuming a lot of content on my iPad Pro, be it the best Netflix movies or the best Amazon Prime shows. On that note, I’ve been rewatching The Boys season 3 for roughly the 43rd time. Herogasm! Anyway, there’s a song that plays during a later episode where Homelander “might” be getting his morning milk from an unconventional source. Yick.

Still, if it wasn’t for that udderly unacceptable act, I’d never have found 1968’s Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and the Shondells. Talk about a psychedelic headtrip banger for the ages. This trance-like ‘60s tune is mellow yet somehow quietly sinister. For all three minutes and 25 seconds the RB-F10s deliver the big beats with aplomb while also delivering on the shakier strands that make you wonder if your entire head is about to fall into your buds.

So it shouldn’t come as a Tyler Durden-style shocker that I’m into the audio quality the Panasonic RB-F10s deliver at such a comparatively reasonable price. Bass also feels nuanced, with drivers capable of handling both big orchestral numbers without letting lyrics get lost in the shuffle. Sound-wise, these are some of the most well-rounded, best-judged buds I’ve tested.

Sound quality score: 4.5/5

Panasonic RB-F10 review: Design

Panasonic RB-F10 open earbuds and carrying case on a wooden surface — (Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)

So light you can barely feel them
Classy little charging cradle
On-ear controls can be a nightmare

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY! Not enough? Alright. Zip those lips and take even more of my cents. I’m smitten with the design of the Panasonic RB-F10s, especially with the ultra alluring two-tone white shade (also available in black). Unfussy yet dignified, they have an aura of quiet confidence about them I really dig. And then there’s the comfort.

If it was legal to wed a pair of open earbuds based purely on how ludicrously comfortable they feel to wear, I’m slamming a ring on the RB-10s pronto…. before finding a cave where I can live out the rest of my days in shunned solitude. Hot dang, do these buds feel lovely.

I’ve worn some supremely comfy cans of late (like the likeable yet uneven Happy Plugs Play Pro over-ears), but Panasonic's lightweight offerings are on another level. Once you get them out of their cute charging cradle, popping them on is a breeze. With a few tweaks I found the RB-10 almost immediately adjusted to a position that wrapped around my lobes in an entirely satisfying, seamless way.

I suspect this is down to two major factors. Firstly, the flexible (but not cheap-feeling) plastics they’ve been constructed from, which lets them contort around the shape of your ears with minimal fuss. Secondly, their oh-so-lightweight footprint. At well under 9 grams per bud, and thanks to their open design that leads to what Panasonic describes as an “unintrusive fit”, it’s almost alarmingly easy to forget you’re wearing the RB-F10s.

Fun fact: I went on a four-hour round trip to see the deeply underwhelming Jurassic World Rebirth semi-recently, and not once on that lengthy inner city tour could I feel Panasonic’s open buds rub my ears up the wrong way while listening to Jurassic-themed podcasts. Hey, you gotta keep it on brand, right? Honestly, I'm wearing them while currently writing this review and I legit can’t feel them. Witchcraft!

Sadly, the on-ear touch sensors are about as reliable as a chocolate watch… and a timekeeper that’s been placed into a giant oven at that. They simply don’t function as they should often enough.

Panasonic RB-F10 open earbuds, with a finger in shot to provide a sense of scale, on a wooden surface — (Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)

Located on the main body of each bud, a single tap should play/pause whatever you’re listening to, and touching the left bud’s sensor rapidly three times will turn the volume up (a double tap turns it down). Meanwhile, a trio of touches on the right earbud will skip forward a track (again, a double tap to go back a song).

The trouble is, these sensors are both weirdly sensitive and not sensitive enough. During my weeks of testing I’d find they’d follow the commands I wanted maybe 40% of the time. Hardly an ideal batting average, right?

If you’re sitting at a desk judging the exact position and pressure you need to hit the RB-F10s is easier. In motion, though? That’s a far more flustering story. I lost count of the times I accidentally skipped to a new podcast episode on walks due to my right bud’s sensor having a mind of its own.

Pausing tunes via the left earbud also proved to be a teeth-gnashing chore. It’s such a pity, because if the Panasonic RB-F10s controls were more reliable, I’d be awarding these attractive buds another half star.

To round off this finger-flummoxing package on a cheerier note, I’ve got to pour some love all over the RB-F10s’ charging “cradle”. Sorry, “dock”! Not only is it incredibly easy to jam into even the tightest of pockets, but the way both buds magnetically snap into their holders – Nintendo Switch 2 style – is stupidly satisfying.

Design score: 3/5

Panasonic RB-F10 review: Value

Panasonic RB-F10 open earbuds case on some driftwood — (Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)

Build feels premium
Sound exceeds expectations for the price

The RB-F10s are a bit of a steal. Full disclosure: DO NOT STEAL. Packing that Panny quality without skimping on audio quality, they hit a lovely sweet spot between price and performance. In an age where it’s all too easy to pick up any random pair of buds for $20 at an airport, the F10s’ design and sonic quality shine through.

The very fact I’ve barely given my beloved Apple AirPods Max much of a look-in of late speaks volumes – and I’m in no way sorry about the tangential pun. Rocking premium build quality and striking sound at a rough $100 price bracket, the F10s are easy to recommend for homebody audiophiles who aren’t fussed about ANC, so are less likely to contend with noisy commutes.

Value score: 4/5

Panasonic RB-F10: Scorecard

Category	Comment	Score
Features	Standard seven-hour battery life not suited for runners; no ANC or software.	3/5
Sound quality	Resonant bass combines with a satisfyingly wide-sounding mid-range; acoustics easy to pick out.	4.5/5
Design	Stylish, practical and supremely comfortable, but fiddly controls drag them down.	3/5
Value	Made with quality components that exude class usually reserved for pricier buds.	4/5

Panasonic RB-F10: Should I buy?

Panasonic RB-F10 open earbuds on a stone pillar — (Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)

Buy it if...

You crave comfort
I can’t recall ever wearing a more comfortable pair of earbuds. I forgot I was wearing the lightweight and breathable RB-F10s the vast majority of the time I was using them. You could use them for hours and not feel these tremendous buds.

Big sound at a good price
Despite lacking ANC, the RB-F10s deliver a well-balanced soundscape that tackles most music genres well thanks to reasonably deep bass levels and midranges that rarely lose vocal clarity even in busy tracks.

Don't buy it if...

You don’t want to constantly carry its charger
Seven hours of sonic juice isn’t exactly terrible compared with other buds, but it’s not that impressive either. If you find yourself on a long-haul flight, you'd better bring the RB-F10s' charger or the buds won’t make the distance.

You have big hands
I constantly struggled with the Panasonic RB-F10s’ on-ear touch sensors. Simple acts like track skipping and pausing became headaches in reality, and even after weeks of testing they never performed as reliably as I wanted them to.

Also consider

	Panasonic RB-F10	Huawei FreeAarc	Final Audio ZE3000 SV
Drivers	17mm x 12 mm	40mm dynamic	10mm F-Core SV dynamic
Active noise cancellation	No	Yes	Yes
Battery life	7 hours (earbuds); 25 hours (charging case)	7 hours (earbuds); 23 hours (charging case)	7 hours (earbuds); 28 hours (charging case)
Weight	8.7g per bud	8.9g per bud	4g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.2	Bluetooth 5.3
Waterproofing	IPX4	IP57	IPX4

Huawei FreeArc
One of the earlier fantastic examples of a truly great set of open earbuds. Not only do the FreeArc’s little buds sound brilliant, they’re affordable, while also providing a comfortable fit. Open-ear efforts don’t get much better.

See our full Huawei FreeArc review

How I tested the Panasonic RB-F10

Tested for seven weeks
Used at home, outdoors and on flights

I tested the Panasonic RB-F10 over a seven-week period. Forgive me if that seems like an overly long testing window. I turned 40 during the review process and suffered a tiny existential breakdown. Thank heavens I had the F10s’ quality sound output to pick me up during my darker moments.

During that time I used these open earbuds to listen to my favorite tunes and podcasts across different environments, spanning my ground floor apartment, on walks through city centers and on public buses. I primarily connected the headphones to my iPhone 14 Pro – and to a lesser extent – my Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (2024).

First reviewed: September 2025