Shure Aonic 40 review: Strong ANC and solid audio performance

Greatest Costs As we speak: Shure Aonic 40

£189

£215.00

The Shure model may need you pondering of professional audio gear greater than shopper electronics, however the Shure Aonic 40 noise-cancelling headphone need to be in comparison with what market leaders Bose and Sony have to supply. And contemplating that Shure began out constructing revolutionary microphones beginning in 1925, this headphone does an incredible job with cellphone calls.

The Shure Aonic 40 is a closed-back, over-ear headphone with 40mm dynamic drivers. These drivers make the most of neodymium magnets and have a frequency response vary of 20Hz to 22kHz.

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The headphone incorporates a smooth and classy design, with a matte black end and chrome accents. The earpads are plush and comfy, and so they create a great seal across the ears, which helps to dam out exterior noise even earlier than you activate ANC. The headphones additionally characteristic an adjustable headband with rubber padding that goes excessive of your head.

Except for the silver aluminum posts that join the earcups to the scarf and the patent leather-based of the earpads, the physique of the Aonic 40 is plastic. It’s a high-quality plastic that tends to retain fingerprints, however its total development is much like that of the Sony WM-1000XM5 we reviewed in 2022.

This evaluate is a part of TechHive’s in-depth protection of the perfect noise-cancelling headphones.

Do the Shure Aonic 40 supply lengthy battery life?

The Shure Aonic 40 has a battery lifetime of as much as 20 hours with Bluetooth and ANC turned on, and as much as 32 hours with ANC turned off. The headphones additionally characteristic a quick-charge perform that gives as much as 2.5 hours of playback time with simply quarter-hour of charging.

The headphones use Bluetooth 5.0 for wi-fi connectivity, and so they assist the AAC, aptX, and aptX HD codecs for high-quality audio streaming. In addition they characteristic multipoint pairing, which lets you join to 2 gadgets on the identical time, akin to a cellphone and a pill.

What sort of cables and case include the Shure Aonic 40?

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The Aonic 40 comes with a USB-A to USB-C cable for charging. The cable additionally works for listening to music by way of your pc’s USB-A port. A USB-C to USB-C audio cable will work, too, however USB playback depends on the headphone’s battery.

There’s additionally a 3.5mm connection subsequent to the USB-C port on the underside of the headphone’s right-hand earcup. Shure features a 3.5mm cable that permits you to plug within the headphone to be used with no battery.

The hard-sided zipper case contains a picture of the right option to fold the Aonic 40 and the place to put it within the case. Since that course of is a bit counterintuitive (at the least it’s for me), that visible information has been an enormous assist virtually each one of many dozens of occasions I’ve put this headphone away.

What controls does the Shure Aonic 40 have?

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Shure sticks with bodily buttons to regulate the Aonic 40. There’s no swiping or tapping, simply satisfying clicks to regulate its capabilities.

An influence button on the left-hand earcup doubles as a Bluetooth pairing button. The precise-hand earcup has a backside button that switches between ANC, passthrough, and noise-cancellation settings.

The principle controls on the right-hand earcup are discovered on a three-way change. The highest rocker will increase quantity and the underside rocker change decreases it.

Utilizing the Shure Play app with the Aonic 40

James Barber/Foundry

The Aonic 40 pairs with the Shure Play app (accessible for iOS and Android) for a slick and seamless expertise. After granting it the permissions it must work on an iPhone, the Play app linked with the headphone and opened to its house display screen, the place it shows the headphone battery degree and lively noise-cancellation standing.

The ANC button on the underside of the right-hand earcup toggles between ANC and Atmosphere Mode, which is Shure’s time period for passthrough. You possibly can flip off the ANC altogether with an extended press, nevertheless it’s simpler to regulate that by way of the app.

When ANC is engaged, the app settings enable a consumer to decide on between Gentle, Regular, and Max. The Max setting generates the identical intense eardrum suck that makes the Sony WM-1000XM5 so disorienting for me. It’s the nuclear possibility, one which’s sure to be welcome on an airplane or public transit, nevertheless it’s not one thing I’d ever wish to use regularly. When Atmosphere Mode is on, there’s a slider that lets the listener regulate simply how a lot exterior noise comes by means of.

James Barber/Foundry

Granted, some customers worth that intense ANC as an important characteristic of a wi-fi headphone, and Shure comes very near, if not matching, the Sony and Bose requirements with the Aonic 40’s Max setting. I discovered the Gentle setting to be efficient with out the disorienting results, nevertheless it’s good to know that probably the most intense setting is offered for the loudest environments.

The headphone’s button capabilities can’t be altered to your liking, however the app features a useful checklist that particulars which button presses yield which ends, together with play/pause, quantity, ANC management, subsequent or earlier track, battery degree, and citing your system’s voice assistant.

Shure made its title within the microphone enterprise, so it’s no shock that the Aonic 40 is healthier at cellphone calls than most wi-fi headphones. There are additionally some attention-grabbing choices referring to mic efficiency. While you’re listening by way of the USB cable, for instance, you may select to close off the microphone altogether or maintain it lively and expertise barely decrease sound high quality.

Shure additionally features a Busy Gentle possibility. When engaged, the characteristic prompts a pink gentle on the facet of your headphone whenever you’re on a cellphone name. This sign looks like a certain option to promote peace and understanding for anybody who works from house.

James Barber/Foundry

On the Equalizer panel of the Play app, Shure contains seven totally different EQ presets: Bass Enhance, Bass Reduce, Treble Enhance, Treble Reduce, Vocal Enhance, De-ess, and Loudness. Every setting contains an icon that shows a waveform that corresponds to what the EQ setting is doing.

A guide possibility permits you to begin from one of many presets and use your finger to maneuver any of the 4 bands. There’s additionally a menu that permits the consumer to fine-tune the frequency, achieve, and bandwidth.

I’ll confess that I discover most headphone EQ presets described with phrases like “acoustic,” “jazz,” or “rock” to be a complicated mess. The Shure presentation is simple, logical, and it’s simple to listen to the variations between every preset. The customized possibility permits for vital fine-tuning and permits you to save a number of profiles if you need totally different settings for various kinds of music.

Listening to the Aonic 40

Shure goals its Aonic 40 on the mainstream wi-fi headphone purchaser who places a premium on noise cancellation, so the query for a listener like me is all the time how effectively do they stability the usually mutually unique necessities of musical readability and noise discount.

The Aonic 40’s designers and engineers have determined to spotlight versatility and have delivered what quantities to a few separate headphones in a single. My favourite listening expertise was utilizing the three.5mm audio cable plugged into an iFi xDSD Gryphon DAC and an iPhone. Shure is thought for its professional audio gear and the Aonic 40 is a advantageous neutral-sounding passive headphone, albeit one which wouldn’t retail for $249 if that was its solely characteristic.

James Barber/Foundry

Second up is the USB-C efficiency. There was a bit extra life to the sound since there was amplification from the headphone in addition to the supply. USB-C playback additionally offers entry to any EQ settings you select or arrange within the Play app.

Neither of these choices, whereas helpful, are the Aonic 40’s major attraction. Bluetooth and ANC are the actual present right here, and Shure has delivered a extra impartial tuning than the competitors. You additionally get alternative to seek out your individual candy spot for noise cancellation in numerous listening environments.

Listening Jessie Ware’s 2023 album That! Feels Good!the Aonic 40 does a advantageous job of reproducing the person devices in some very busy tracks that characteristic a reside band enjoying throwback Seventies disco. I additionally spent lots of time with Arthur Russell’s 1986 album World of Echoand the Aonic 40 might reproduce Russell’s sparse association and provides a way of the room echo that’s so essential to the album’s vibe.

Must you purchase the Shure Aonic 40 headphone?

The Shure Aonic 40 headphone is squarely geared toward clients who’re contemplating the Sony WM-1000XM5 or the Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones. Shure could haven’t reached the height ANC efficiency of these two fashions, however a few of us discover the overwhelming noise cancellation from these fashions to be disorienting and fatiguing to take heed to. Shure additionally makes the Aonic 50 Bluetooth wi-fi headphone, which sells for $50 extra. The additional cash delivers an upgraded headband and the addition of LDAC and aptX low-latency assist.

I desire the marginally much less intense ANC from the Shure Aonic 40 and the flexibility to dial down the noise cancellation in numerous environments. I additionally assume they’re a wonderful wired headphone. In the event you’ve obtained the appropriate adapters, you’ll by no means have to fret about discovering a option to cost them in a pinch. Personally, I’d choose the Shure Aonic 40 over the Sony WH-1000XM5 or the Bose QuietComfort 45, however their ANC efficiency is shut sufficient to these choices that they’re price a search for anybody who’s dedicated to most noise cancellation however searching for a cheaper different.