Shure Earbuds, Black, Aonic 4

Product Information

The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 and Bowers & Wilkins PX Wireless are also very worthwhile alternatives, and there’s very little to be gained by ruling out Sennheiser’s burly Momentum 3 Wireless or the JBL Club One, either. It’s a long shortlist, admittedly... Deploying the Treble Cut EQ option is the panacea for the upper registers, but it really is worth switching out these profiles depending on your music. If you're someone who believes headphones should just sound good without having to lift a finger, you may not like this solution – and it's a fair point. The ability to change their sonic balance is a nice option to have, but not vital as we find that their 'standard' sound oozes class and quality and completely invests you in the music you’re listening to. And that’s all you can really ask for, right? Wireless connectivity is via Bluetooth 5, which is more than enough to a) offer a competitive 20 hours of battery life and b) get Hi-Res Audio files like MQA-powered Tidal Masters on board without alarms. Support for every worthwhile codec (including aptX HD, LDAC and aptX Low Latency) is included too. Note the 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable for optional wired listening and USB-A to USB-C, for both charging and audio. (Image credit: Future) Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 review: Features

Firstly, stamina: 45 hours is very good (although not as good as the 80-hour staying power of the Edifier Stax Spirit S3, granted, but the comparison is skewed since the Edifier headphones are devoid of ANC) and I can confirm that this battery claim holds true. The Secure Fit Adapter/antennae serve to keep the 215s secure, certainly, and they’re very effective at maintaining a wireless connection to a source player – not once during what has been a pretty extensive test did the Shures even come close to letting go of their wireless grip on the incoming signal.

Frequently asked questions

The padding on both the earcups and headband is ample and personally, I love that the physical buttons are all one earcup, since I'm right-handed, although those with larger fingers (or lefties) may find this a little fiddly. This acquisition is yet another example of Aonic's commitment to championing mid-sized studios and creating an environment where teams can create fantastic games."

The control buttons are also used for power on/off, Bluetooth pairing (the Aonic 215s use Bluetooth 5 with aptX, SBC and AAC capability), play/pause, answer/end/decline call and to summon your voice assistant. Button action is positive, and the Shures prove responsive to commands. But there's more! The Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2's bid for inclusion in our best wireless headphones guide culminates in a special USB-C port not just for charging. It means hi-res USB audio is also on the menu (look over here, iPhone 15 and Apple Music users!) thus completing a veritable banquet of connectivity options, from wireless Bluetooth audio pinged from your phone, older sources in a more traditional wired hi-fi system, right up to USB-C audio from your MacBook Pro at work. If that sounds good to you, add these headphones to your list.Once audio content is on board, it’s delivered by a single high definition microdriver in each earbud. Shure isn’t exactly making with the details here, either of driver size or material – but this is Shure we’re talking about. If there’s a company you can trust to do the right thing where critical hardware like transducers is concerned, surely Shure is it. Shure claims a battery life of around 20 hours with noise-cancelling and Bluetooth both enabled. This isn’t quite as high as some of the class-leaders, but you should have enough in the tank for most trips before they require an injection of power.

The Shure’s noise-cancelling has two different levels to choose from: ‘normal’ and ‘max’, while you can also adjust the intensity of the Environment mode. This is all done through Shure’s ShurePlus Play app for Android and iOS devices.We start listing with the slider in the default neutral position, which means no sound mode is engaged. The Shures get off to a strong start, thanks to their clean and transparent presentation. They are nicely balanced with crisp highs and pinpoint, precise lows either side of a solid midrange. Adding to the versatility of the Aonic 5 is a low impedance of 36 Ohms. Perfect for satisfying output on laptops and smartphones. I do prefer a DAC with these earphones, as they help to even out some of the powerful signal information the Aonic 5 will produce. If you’re using a laptop or smartphone, be careful and watch your input gain.