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The battery level is more than sufficient at 45 hours, the build is classy, the companion app is excellent and the multipoint pairing experience has never let me down. 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. When it comes to sonic performance, Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 is a set of over-ears for the EQ curious. There is very good sound to be had here, if you're prepared to work for it just a little. Those with neither the time nor the inclination to play with those presets might find the sound out of the box a little light on lower mids, treble-heavy and even a fraction cluttered timing-wise, albeit expansive and detailed. 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.
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.
An understated build, but a quality one, to be sure. (Image credit: Future) Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 review: Price & release date
The Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 accompanied me to work on busy weekdays (walking brusquely to the station; boarding a train and the London Underground; at the office) and walking along the blustery seafront on the UK coastline – a great way to test any wind-interference from mics during calls. 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. Apple's in-ear headphones have historically been decent but unremarkable wireless earbuds. They've performed solidly but not spectacularly over the years compared to the class leaders in their field – those from the likes of Sony and Bose, for example. But with the AirPods Pro 2, Apple has made a pair that delivers the goods. Tested over two weeks, listened against the Edifier Stax Spirit S3, Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless and Focal Bathys
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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. 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.
If you’re happy with the price tag and can resist the bells and whistles promised by wireless earbuds, you'd be crazy not to give the Shure Aonic 3 a chance. Note the 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable for optional wired listening and USB-A to USB-C, for both charging and audio. (Image credit: Future) Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 review: FeaturesOne 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. If you’re not a fan of bright highs, then some aspects of all three earphones might not be for you. The warm nozzle on the Aonic 5 has the most recessed treble, and the neutral ones add some nice sparkle. The Aonic 3 probably has the harshest highs, with the Aonic 4 have the crispest and sibilant response. The Aonic 5 has the added bonus of the nozzle attachments that reflect on its treble response. So if the bright nozzle isn’t your thing you can warm up the sound with their respective attachments. This makes the Aonic 5 the more versatile and dynamic earphone in this range. If you've got a decent DAC/headphone amp to drive them, the Shure Aonic 5 will show you exactly what they're capable of. The premium Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II not only sounded amazing, they literally set a new noise-cancelling benchmark for earbuds of this type. Imagine our surprise, then, when Bose revealed the replacement QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds barely a year after the QC II became Award-winners. Talk about high expectations.
Shure has a very well-defined and much-loved house sound. The Aonic 3 stay faithful to that tuning. I would place them as a suitable replacement for the SE325 in terms of listening, please. They are a very smooth listen with excelling soundstage in width and depth. Anyone considering wired in-ears at this level is almost certainly after better sound quality than wireless alternatives at the same price point can offer them. Either that or they have forgotten to charge their previous wireless pair one time too many. Wired in-ear headphones are not more hassle-free to wear than the floods of Bluetooth earbuds available (not least as many phones now require a dongle to accommodate them), nor do they carry as much street cred. They can’t respond to app control, nor can they connect to two devices at once (without a physical splitter). In summary, the Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 are a handsome, sleek – if marginally heavy, at 340g – set of over-ears. They're not winning any design awards for originality, but the branding on each earcup is classy and if you prefer physical controls and sliders over touch capacitive functions (I do) you'll enjoy them. It's a relatively minor issue and one only noticeable in direct comparison against the likes of the Focal Bathys and Edifier Stax Spirit S3, but it's our job to notice. Otherwise, we're treated to a detailed mix with plenty of dynamic rise and fall through the mids and a decent serving of snappy bass weight.With a transparent section on each earpiece that allows you to see their inner workings, Shure's Aonic 5 are certainly an eye-catching pair of buds – but it's how they sound that earns them their place on this list. The grills are mesh-protected against dirt ingress, and these accommodate a custom size of Shure’s well-loved ear tips, of which you get plenty of options in the box.
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