In case you're wondering whether the Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2's headband is nicely padded, yes it is. (Image credit: Future) Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 review: Value First of all, you need to decide how much you are willing to spend, and that will also be somewhat determined by how you are going to use your new in-ear headphones. The Ultra Earbuds have definitely improved over the QC II with regard to sound quality, too. There’s a familiar richness and fullness to the sound, but the new buds have a bit more of a skip in their step than before, as well as more detail around the edges of tones and instruments. For getting out the timbres and textures of instruments, the Ultra Earbuds take things to the next level. One lovely little perk here is PausePlus. Imagine you're listening to death metal at the office with Max ANC deployed and your boss approaches (just a random example, no reason). If PausePlus is toggled to on, simply pressing the multi-function button to pause the music also deploys ambient sound, so you can hold a polite conversation with your superior and pretend you were only listening to the latest episode of Revisionist History podcast. Testing earbuds, whether it is the wired or wireless variety, naturally doesn't require us to be in a test room all the time, although when we want peace and quiet and to compare pairs with their closest rivals, then a dedicated room does come in handy.

First off, these headphones are not particularly expensive given their features and the price of competitors. That said, if you want the best ANC over-ears money can buy, spend it elsewhere, on the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless or the Sony WH-1000XM5. There is active noise cancellation here, and the presets are fine, but it isn't a class-leading experience. How? Noise-cancelling is very good, battery life is very competitive, and you get new features and, more importantly, a big jump in sound quality compared to previous efforts. They're also the same price as the original AirPods Pro, which helps. The bass is well done. It’s an exact and faithful representation with a significantly enhanced low end. These have lots of texture and detail and show great speed in pumping out the low notes. Bass heads should look elsewhere for quantity and sub-bass rumble. Low-end bass notes from a jazz double bass or broad electronic sweeps sound fantastic.Tested over two weeks, listened against the Edifier Stax Spirit S3, Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless and Focal Bathys

Each one of the Aonics has something different to offer. Your decision will mainly be based on the sound signature that works best for you. Out of all the models, I have come very fondly of the Aonic 4. A great soundstage is my bias, and the Aonic 4 has that and more. In terms of what I think most people will prefer, I’d go for the Aonic 5. Shure has provided some top-notch earphones in this series, and I’m excited to see how they expand it further. We try a wide range of music and music file types, and if the earbuds offer extra features such as noise-cancelling, we also test this and use them in different environments to make sure it's up to scratch. What is a little strange is the location of the cable ports, with one on each earpiece – but this is a relatively small issue. Headphones Amps: E.A.R. Yoshino HP4-iFi Audio Pro iCAN-xDuoo TA-20-Red Wine Audio 30.2- OTL custom - Loxjie P20 - Woo Audio WEE - Sony TA-F4A-Sony TA-FA50ES- Schiit Loki Mini + The only major difference you’ll find between the three earphones is in attachable nozzles. The Aonic 5 has a few different nozzles that modify the sound signature in different ways. If you prefer an earphone that has more options implemented, then the Aonic 5 has you covered with its nozzle selection, but I’d also argue that tip selection also changes the sound quite a bit. Whichever earphone you choose, Shure offers a lot in the way of customization.Paolo Nutini's Loving You is a delight, with Nutini's textured voice held centrally among agile guitars and easy drums. The buds are impressively small, and their lightweight design helps make them more comfortable than a whole host of rivals. Battery life is competitive at seven and a half hours, although the fact the charging case can only offer one extra charge seems a little stingy. Shure has a reputation for well-made, durable earphones. This reputation comes down to their primary use as monitors for professional musicians. With the Aonic 3 being a consumer-targeted earphone, I was worried they might sacrifice some of the build quality, but they far exceeded the previous generations. Fit is very good, and the new design feels a lot less intrusive than some rival in-ear headphones. Apple has finally added on-bud volume controls, which improves the user experience too. For Apple users in particular, these noise-cancelling in-ear headphones make a lot of sense. Listened to Tidal Masters, Apple Music, Qobuz and Spotify on an iPhone 12, a Sony Xperia 1 V, and via USB-C connection on MacBook Pro