Premium ANC Headphones Deliver in Nearly Every Area

The Aonic 50 Gen 2 design hasn’t deviated a lot from the unique, nevertheless it has obtained upgrades to the battery life, higher hybrid ANC, Snapdragon Sound, and a number of other spatial audio modes.

Shure is a reputation synonymous with audio high quality, and its unique Aonic 50 headphones have been well-received and ceaselessly talked about as a real competitor to Sony’s WH-1000XM4. That is a lofty comparability, given how the XM4s successfully swept all the things apart. Now, the Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 lively noise canceling headphones are right here, bringing an honest vary of upgrades to an already top-notch package deal.

However given the Aonic 50 Gen 2 value bracket, which places these cans competing with Sony, Bose, Bowers & Wilkins, and different heavy-hitters, does the worth mirror the audio high quality?

Shure AONIC 50 Gen 2

Shure’s Aonic 50 Gen 2 ANC headphones ship distinctive construct high quality in a glossy black design. With a battery leap from 20 to 45 hours, they help a wide selection of Bluetooth codecs, together with Snapdragon Sound. Whereas the headphones sound good out of the field, the ShurePlus PLAY app’s customizable EQ is a welcome addition.

Battery Life

As much as 45 hours

Microphones

6

Model

Shure

Transducer Dimension

50mm

Weight

334g /11.8oz

Noise Cancellation

Sure

Foldable

No

Connectivity

Bluetooth, 3.5mm

IP score

N/A

Supported codecs

SBC, AAC, LDAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, Snapdragon Sound

Professionals

• Trendy and cozy design
• Nice construct high quality
• Good sound high quality, ANC works nicely
• In depth customization choices via companion app
• Good battery life

Cons

• Default EQ wants some tweaking
• Can really feel heavy throughout lengthy listening classes

Model and Building

Shure introduced the brand new Aonic 50 Gen 2 headphones at IFA 2023, which instantly set audio tongues wagging. Its first era Aonic 50s regarded nice, sounded wonderful, and represented an incredible first set of Bluetooth ANC headphones for the corporate. However an incredible first-generation could make it tough for the follow-up, second-generation; how do you enhance on one thing so nicely obtained to start with?

Shure seems to have began with the Aonic 50 Gen 2’s total type, with the brand new era solely out there in black. The result’s a glossy but workmanlike look devoid of coloration and flash, designed to point out that these cans imply enterprise. They’re extraordinarily well-built, too, consisting of a steel body with sturdy hinges, together with cushioned earpads and a equally cushioned adjustable headband.

There’s little or no strain on my head throughout utilization, and even after a few weeks of in depth utilization, the Aonic 50 Gen 2 stays comfy. The earcups enclose most of my ears, which is ideal for wearability and passive noise cancelation, and total, these are a cushty set of headphones.

Shure has eschewed contact controls, which I am a fan of, preferring bodily controls that can’t be by chance activated. Buttons are discovered round the correct earcup, together with the ability and quantity buttons, plus a customizable three-position slider that controls your ANC choices by default. Some might discover this configuration a bit busy, however truthfully, as soon as the headphones are on and also you’re listening to music along with your ANC switched on, you will not give the buttons a second thought.

Shure features a hard-shell journey case with the Aonic 50 Gen 2, which is useful for whenever you’re touring, and incorporates a neat inside pocket to hold a USB-C charging cable and three.5mm to three.5mm jack cable.

Connectivity and Battery Life

The massively elevated battery life was one of many largest speaking factors when Shure introduced the second era Aonic 50. The unique mannequin featured 20 hours of playback, however the Aonic 50 Gen 2 greater than doubles this, delivering as much as 45 hours. It is an correct assertion, with the Aonic 50 Gen 2 lasting a number of days at my desk earlier than requiring charging.

The Aonic 50 Gen 2 additionally incorporates a useful quick cost operate, with a fast 15-minute cost delivering as much as 5 hours of playback. It is an incredible function that almost all headphones now embody, which makes it extremely irritating when it is not current.

Now, the Aonic 50 Gen 2 helps an unlimited vary of Bluetooth codecs. It is one of many largest codec ranges you may discover on a set of headphones and contains help for some high-resolution streaming, as you’d count on. The Aonic 50 Gen 2 helps Sony’s LDAC, together with AAC and SBC. Then there may be additionally help for Qualcomm’s aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, and aptX Voice.

Nevertheless it would not cease there. The Aonic 50 Gen 2 additionally helps Snapdragon Sound, which requires a smartphone or different machine operating a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. Sadly, I haven’t got a type of at hand, so I can not check this function myself. Nonetheless, Snapdragon Sound is designed to ship higher spatial audio, lossless audio and excessive decision, and usually improved audio transmission.

Nonetheless, regardless of all the Aonic 50 Gen 2’s codec help and the superb audio high quality as soon as linked, at instances, connecting to the headphones is a ache. It took me a strong 10-Quarter-hour to attach the Aonic 50 Gen 2 to my laptop computer, trying the method a number of instances throughout the interval. I had an analogous state of affairs with an Android pill, although it linked to an Android smartphone (a Tecno Phantom V Flip and a Nothing Cellphone 2) nearly instantly.

Nonetheless, the connection high quality is nice and steady when you handle to pair, and the big vary of Bluetooth codecs can’t be missed.

After all, a wired connection can be an choice, utilizing the equipped 3.5mm cable.

Sound High quality and ANC

I’ve loved the Aonic 50 Gen 2. The 50mm customized drivers sound good out of the field, and their default tuning will attraction to most folk. Nonetheless, there are occasions when the highest finish is a bit overstated and turns into harsh, whereas at others, the low finish looks as if it may use a bit extra oomph. At different moments, the high-end overwhelms the mid-range, and readability of voice and devices is misplaced. It forces the soundstage to develop into a bit slim at instances, and also you would possibly end up reaching for the ShurePlus PLAY app, which incorporates a actually useful parametric equalizer—extra on this in a second.

The Aonic 50 Gen 2 aren’t reference headphones. They sound like they’ve nearly a V-shaped tuning, with better emphasis on the high-end frequencies over the low. For probably the most half, the music sounds good, however there are tracks I wasn’t totally blissful about. For instance, Crosby, Stills, and Nash’s Helplessly Hoping did not have fairly the identical hair-tingling melodic harmonics as ordinary, because the mid-range was considerably out of stability. One other observe I’ve had on repeat lately, Anish Kumar’s Little Miss Dynamite, sounds a bit sharp, the high-end producing some spiky moments.

Spatial mode does make some helpful adjustments, including some extra depth to the general soundstage and delivering some high quality within the mid-range. Nonetheless, spatial mode is not the default mode most folk go for when listening to music, and the adjustments it makes elsewhere to the low-end (that basic boomy spatial sound) in all probability imply you will not use it on a regular basis. It is fairly enjoyable for stay music, although, that is for positive.

ANC

ANC is one other space Shure upgraded on the Aonic 50 Gen 2, bringing enhancements to its Max setting, together with the introduction of a brand new MaxAware setting. I am happy with the Aonic 50 Gen 2 ANC. It blocks out a very good chunk of exterior quantity on its Max setting, serving to you think about what you are doing with out interruption.

As with most ANC headphones, sure high-pitched and low-pitched sounds are tougher to dam out, however as long as the majority of the noise is eliminated, I am a cheerful buyer. For instance, the low-end rumble of a bus on the way in which into city remains to be evident, however the sense of isolation as quickly as you pop the headphones on is greater than a bit noticeable.

The brand new MaxAware setting is fascinating, combining ANC with a transparency mode in an effort to each block and permit the correct noises to move via. I not often use transparency modes as a result of I put on headphones to hearken to issues, not the surface world, however MaxAware a minimum of makes an attempt to cut back a number of the common exterior noises

Adjusting the Aonic 50 Gen 2 EQ

As talked about above, the ShurePlus PLAY app has a complete EQ choice. It is top-of-the-line customizable EQs you may discover in a companion app and, in some ways, is a game-changer for Bluetooth headphones. Definitely, different audio firms ought to be paying attention to what Shure presents compared to the restricted EQs discovered elsewhere.

The default EQ presets aren’t significantly helpful, all specializing in adjusting a single frequency space—assume, bass increase, treble increase, and so forth. However the customizable parametric EQ is the place the app turns into actually helpful, permitting you to mess around and alter the Aonic 50 Gen 2 audio high quality precisely the way you need. It is a bit fiddly to get used to, and you will in all probability find yourself shifting a band by chance, however its in depth customization choices give the Aonic 50 Gen 2 some real versatility on the subject of audio.

Now, you would (and possibly ought to) argue that for the worth of the headphones, you should not should go and muck round with the EQ settings to discover a affordable audio output. I might contend that for most folk, the default audio profile of the Aonic 50 Gen 2 is okay sufficient, however having the additional choices may be very a lot welcome, particularly given the competitors on this premium headphone value level.

Are the Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 Definitely worth the Cash?

The Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 prices $350, which, as stated, is a really aggressive value level stuffed with a number of the greatest headphones available on the market. For 50 bucks extra, you possibly can seize Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e or Sony’s WH-1000XM5—each a number of award-winning units of wi-fi ANC headphones. Sennheiser’s Momentum 4 cans are round 60 {dollars} much less and boast wonderful ANC.

Shure obtained many issues proper with the Aonic 50 Gen 2. The construct high quality is outstanding, and it is clear the Aonic 50 Gen 2 is constructed to final. Then you’ve gotten the big increase to battery life, propelling its playtime from 20 to 45 hours, together with the introduction of quick charging. Though the audio high quality will not swimsuit some discerning audiophile sorts, it is a good total pay attention, improved massively with the also-excellent ShurePlus PLAY app.

I actually just like the Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2. I’ve worn them in all places for weeks, taken them on journeys, listened to music indoors and open air, and all the things in between. However the nagging feeling is that regardless of how good these headphones are, there would possibly simply be one thing a bit higher on the market that prices about the identical, and that is an excellent difficult space to be in.

Both method, I doubt you may be disenchanted for those who choose up a pair of the Aonic 50 Gen 2.

Shure AONIC 50 Gen 2

Shure’s Aonic 50 Gen 2 ANC headphones ship distinctive construct high quality in a glossy black design. With a battery leap from 20 to 45 hours, they help a wide selection of Bluetooth codecs, together with Snapdragon Sound. Whereas the headphones sound good out of the field, the ShurePlus PLAY app’s customizable EQ is a welcome addition.