American audio merchandise producer Shure is greatest recognized for its skilled and audiophile-grade headphones, earphones, and microphones, utilized in recording studios the world over. Though common customers can purchase and use Shure merchandise fairly simply, solely purists and audiophiles are prone to benefit from the form of sound that Shure often has to supply with its headphones and earphones.
The corporate is now trying to change that strategy somewhat bit with its wi-fi Aonic lineup, which was launched earlier this 12 months at CES. The Shure Aonic 50 is the costlier of the 2 merchandise launched within the Aonic vary, and is priced at Rs. 33,999 in India. With wi-fi connectivity, lively noise cancellation, and broad Bluetooth codec assist, the Shure Aonic 50 goes up in opposition to the brand new Sony WH-1000XM4, in addition to the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 and Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless.
Is the Shure Aonic 50 the perfect pair of wi-fi headphones you should buy proper now? Can this purist model match as much as the very totally different wants of standard customers, simply as Sony and Bose have? Discover out in our assessment.
The Shure Aonic 50 goes up in opposition to the lately launched Sony WH-1000XM4
Technically superior, a lot of Bluetooth codecs supported on the Shure Aonic 50
The Shure Aonic 50 does price effectively over Rs. 30,000, nevertheless it appears and feels utterly well worth the worth. It is stunning and well-built, and is arguably probably the most sophisticated-looking premium wi-fi headset I’ve utilized in current occasions. It is a huge, heavy pair of headphones at 334g, nevertheless it’s additionally very snug over lengthy listening classes and gives correct passive isolation that ensures the effectiveness of the lively noise cancellation.
Though the ear casings are made of easy plastic — matte black or brown — the headset feels stable. The Shure emblem glistens attractively. The brushed aluminium arms, tender padding on the ears and underside of the scarf, and textured end on the highest of the scarf add to the class of the Shure Aonic 50.
The hinges and folding mechanism are a bit agency, and the headset solely folds flat, however there’s sufficient flexibility and room for motion to make sure a safe match. Additionally included within the gross sales package deal are a really giant laborious carry case, a stereo cable, and a USB Sort-C cable for charging. Curiously, it’s also possible to use the USB Sort-C port to attach the Shure Aonic 50 on to a USB supply gadget for digital output. This labored each with the included Sort-C to Sort-A cable related to a laptop computer, in addition to with a Sort-C to Sort-C cable related to an Android smartphone.
Whereas some manufacturers are adopting swipe and gesture-based controls, Shure has caught to basic buttons for a tactile really feel and ease of use. There are buttons for energy, playback, and quantity management, and a slider that allows you to select between hear-through, lively noise cancellation, and customary listening modes. Additionally on the proper is the USB Sort-C port for charging, whereas the left has a 2.5mm stereo jack to attach the included 2.5mm-to-Three.5mm stereo cable for wired listening.
I am used to seeing some noteworthy options on premium headphones reminiscent of put on detection and gesture controls, so it’s kind of stunning that the Shure Aonic 50 is fairly simple in its strategy. There’s nothing fancy right here, and the whole lot is managed manually, nevertheless it all works because it’s imagined to. Though they may appear old school, the headphones greater than make up for this within the core specs.
All main Bluetooth codecs, together with aptX and LDAC, are supported on the Shure Aonic 50
The Shure Aonic 50 is makes use of 50mm dynamic drivers and has a frequency response vary of 20-22,000Hz. For connectivity, the headphones have Bluetooth 5, and it’s also possible to plug them in to a headphone jack on a supply gadget utilizing the included cable. Shure helps all main Bluetooth codecs, together with SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Low Latency, and LDAC, making certain the absolute best transmission of knowledge no matter what you employ as a wi-fi supply gadget.
Shure has a companion app for the Aonic 50 headphones referred to as ShurePlus Play, which is on the market on iOS and Android. The app covers the fundamentals by letting you management the degrees of lively noise cancellation (Regular or Max mode) and the hear-through mode (10 adjustment factors). You can too replace the firmware, alter the equaliser, and make different small tweaks to the headphones. Curiously, the app additionally works as a music participant, categorising and itemizing the small print of audio tracks in your gadget. Whereas I did not typically use the music participant within the app, it did come in useful for fast reference whereas adjusting the equaliser and noise cancellation settings.
Battery life on the Shure Aonic 50 is claimed to be round 20 hours of listening, and I used to be in a position to match this declare fairly simply with lively noise cancellation enabled, and largely utilizing the LDAC Bluetooth codec. Though not fairly as spectacular because the battery life provided by many Sony headphones, this can be a respectable sufficient determine given the shape issue and options on supply.
Detailed, analytical sound on the Shure Aonic 50
There’s little or no tolerance for variation in sonic signature within the studio; sound professionals want the tools to be as impartial and balanced as attainable to make sure they’re listening to it as meant. Shure headphones and earphones often have a flat, impartial, and detailed sonic signature, and the Shure Aonic 50 sticks to this strategy regardless of being marketed as an on a regular basis pair of headphones.
In consequence, the Shure Aonic 50 is maybe probably the most detailed, analytical, and to-the-point pair of wi-fi headphones you should buy proper now, because of targeted tuning and broad Bluetooth codec assist. This strategy is fantastic in the event you’re on the lookout for element and accuracy above all else, however would possibly come throughout as a bit too managed in the event you’re used to your headphones having a little bit of ‘flavour’, so to talk.
A slider on the headset enables you to management the lively noise cancellation and hear-through modes
Beginning with high-resolution audio, Golden Brown by The Stranglers streamed utilizing Tidal Masters instantly demonstrated the skills of the Shure Aonic 50. That is an extremely detailed pair of headphones, in a position to maintain tempo with this busy and superbly haunting monitor with ease, capturing each trace of nuance within the recording and making it sound distinct. The luxuriously spacious soundstage gave every component a definite sense of course and positioning, including a powerful notion of depth to this stereo recording.
Shifting on to Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On encoded with Dolby Atmos Music, the spacious soundstage of the Shure Aonic 50 was actually in its component. The headphones supply a near-realistic soundstage that simulates a sound much better than fundamental stereo separation, and the faintest particulars within the monitor could possibly be heard distinctly and nearly exactly positioned inside the digital stage.
The Shure Aonic 50 sounds good even in the event you’re listening to common high-resolution tracks or compressed streaming audio, however utilizing higher-quality supply materials had a particular and audible affect on efficiency. The exact nature of the sound implies that the Aonic 50 can even be fast to show flaws or weaknesses within the recordings, and that is one thing that ought to be stored in thoughts in the event you’re contemplating selecting up these headphones.
Additionally value noting is that the balanced, pure sonic signature of the Shure Aonic 50 will not be for everybody. When mixed with the LDAC Bluetooth codec or when used as a wired headset with a USB cable for transmission, the headphones got here throughout as too sharp, focusing extra on the small print than the rest. This typically meant that tracks did not fairly sound as entertaining or enjoyable as on different headphones such because the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 or premium Sony wi-fi headsets.
Though giant and heavy, the Shure Aonic 50 is snug
The bass typically felt a bit too laidback, the highs have been a bit sharp and piercing, and the mid-range was typically a bit too loud and intense. Whereas audiophiles and purists will certainly admire this consideration to element and neutrality with particular sorts of music, on a regular basis listeners would possibly discover the headphones a bit uninteresting and missing in drive.
The often energetic Mild It Up by Main Lazer did not fairly invoke as a lot emotion in me with the Shure Aonic 50 as on the Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless. The thump and drive within the bass of this digital monitor have been too muted, and this took away a lot of this dance monitor’s enjoyable. Curiously, listening to the identical monitor utilizing a special supply gadget with the Qualcomm aptX codec in use did give the sound a bit extra character, suggesting that the codec can play a big half in telling the headphones learn how to sound.
Lively noise cancellation on the Shure Aonic 50 is spectacular, however is maybe a bit too intense on the most stage. Whereas there was a particular discount in ambient sound, it additionally made for a really deep ‘silence’ impact that was a bit unnerving even for me. You may scale back the extent of noise cancellation by the app, however there are solely two ranges to select from – Regular and Max. Regular mode did not do sufficient, and I might have appreciated to have had extra granular management, as is feasible on Bose and Sony headphones. Name high quality was additionally respectable on the Shure Aonic 50, and I had no bother in any respect with voice calls throughout my time with the headphones.
Verdict
Shure’s first-ever wi-fi headset is precisely what you’d anticipate from the corporate — detailed, analytical, and nearly probably the most insightful pair of wi-fi headphones yow will discover. The Shure Aonic 50 appears good, feels nice, and is targeted on what issues probably the most — getting as a lot out of an audio monitor as attainable. It is a technically adept pair of wi-fi headphones that’s among the many greatest you should buy right now.
All of that mentioned, many would possibly discover the sound too impartial — the sonic signature undoubtedly is not for everybody. You will want entry to high-resolution and binaural audio tracks to actually get the perfect out of those headphones as effectively, whereas choices from Bose and Sony are much more forgiving of standard audio high quality. The dearth of flexibility within the lively noise cancellation additionally is likely to be an issue — it is both a bit a lot or not sufficient, with no ranges in between.
The Shure Aonic 50 is amongst my favorite premium wi-fi headsets for quite a lot of causes, however in the event you’re spending this a lot cash, it’s good to make certain of what you need. If this stage of insightfulness is not for you, it would make sense to have a look at choices from Bose and Sony; the lately launched Sony WH-1000XM4 particularly is likely to be value contemplating as effectively.
Worth: Rs. 33,999
Professionals
- Seems to be good, effectively constructed
- Very snug, different connectivity choices
- Technically superior, a lot of Bluetooth codecs supported
- Detailed, analytical, insightful sound
- Luxuriously broad soundstage
Cons
- Lively noise cancellation not very customisable
- Balanced sonic signature is not for everybody
Scores (out of 5)
- Design/ consolation: four.5
- Audio high quality: four
- Battery life: four
- Worth for cash: Three.5
- Total: four
How you can discover the perfect offers throughout on-line gross sales? We mentioned this on Orbital, our weekly know-how podcast, which you’ll subscribe to by way of Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or simply hit the play button under.
Source link
