When it comes to brand awareness in headphones, Bose is at the top of the list. However, in the earbud segment, the American manufacturer has struggled at times to live up to its reputation. Fortunately, they succeeded in 2022 with a pair of really good earbuds, the QuietComfort Earbuds II. Which fixed almost everything that …
From having long been the king of noise cancelling headphones with the QuietComfort series, Bose has for a while been put in the background, while Sony has been at the forefront with the very best noise cancellation. Bose has never been far behind, but has had to settle for 2nd and 3rd place in noise …
Jabra promises that the Elite 10 delivers “crystal clear call sound, ultra-high comfort for all-day use and is optimised to provide an immersive Dolby Atmos experience through Dolby Head Tracking.” Head tracking, if you will, means that the sound image adjusts according to your head movements. Dolby Head Tracking works with both Atmos content and …
The Pi7 S2 has a good build quality and design. The case is slim and tall, while the earbuds are a little large, but they don’t feel heavy. They also weigh a gram less per ear than the previous model. I’ve seen mixed opinions on the fit, but for me they fit very well. Three …
The Audio-Technica ATH-TWX9 are stemmed earbuds, as we know from Apple’s popular AirPods. I don’t always think they’ve been successful with the look and fit, but I like these – even if they are a little more rustic and angular than a pair of smooth AirPods. The earbuds fit really well in the ears and …
Beoplay EX is B&O’s first hearing aids with protruding microphone stems that help improve speech quality during calls and meetings. The design is tasteful with subtle details and all available colour options provide an elegant look. Where B&O really hit the mark for me is in the fit. Put them directly in your ears – …
Tour One M2 is a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, which JBL boldly claims are “the best on the market”. The headphones adjust noise cancellation in real time based on your surroundings. They also have a smart feature that recognises when you start talking. The music is then muted while Ambient Aware is activated, allowing you …
We’ve said it time and again: If you want to really enjoy your expensive headphones, you need a proper headphone amplifier. Even if there is a 3.5 millimetre hole with the text ‘headphones’ on the side of the computer, mobile phone or, for that matter, the amplifier. Because all too often the electronics in the …
Australian Burson Audio has been known for its headphone amplifiers for about 10 years. Both with and without DAC built in. And where a few competing headphone amps might be skimping a bit (Questyle and Marantz, I’m looking at you!), Burson has never had that problem. We loved the first Soloist and also liked the …
It was in 2011 that I first listened to a pair of moulded earplugs from Ultimate Ears. It was the UE 18 Pro, the top model from the American manufacturer at the time. It was one of the craziest things I’d ever heard. New drivers The heir apparent UE 18 Pro+ has brand new drivers …
When I tested the Px7 S2, I had no doubt that this was a new favourite in the all-important premium class around €400. At that level, you’re up against giants like Sony and Bose, and while B&W may not be at the top of the noise reduction league, it has significantly better sound quality. And …
Google is first and foremost a software company, but in recent years they have made several even very successful hardware products. Most recently, the Google Pixel 7 phone series, the Pro model of which was awarded premium mobile phone of the year. But Google won’t settle for being in your pocket. The smallest member of …
No. 5909 is the name of Mark Levinson’s first ever headphones. As part of Harman Luxury Audio, they have put their name to what must be the most expensive noise-cancelling headphones on the market. And as hi-fi connoisseurs know, Mark Levinson is a brand that both excites and – not least – obligates. https://youtu.be/DKoUe7aI-FI 999 …
Thanks to more mass production-friendly methods and the fact that planar magnetics have some advantages over ordinary dynamic drivers, planar magnetic headphones are becoming more common in the slightly higher price ranges. But there aren’t many earbuds built with this principle. There are several reasons for this. The diaphragms are almost weightless foil layers of …
It’s not often that I get to review earbuds. Or any audio products for that matter. My hi-fi enthusiast colleagues are much better at that than I am. But every once in a while, a product comes along that really speaks to everyone, and that’s when I get to give it a try. Such a …