Jabra's Elite 7 Pro are very well equipped in-ears with variable noise cancelling (ANC) and sound personalisation. While the sound of the Jabra Elite 7 Pro is impressive right from the start, there are unfortunate "hiccups" in other areas. Our test reveals where these can be found.
With their QuietComfort 45, Bose are committed to a consistent product: these new over-ears come with active noise cancelling (ANC, noise suppression), long battery life and great sound. Compared to the competition, however, they lack some important features. Will it be enough?
In their second generation, the Libratone Air+ again offer an attractive combination of sound quality, improved functionality and wearing comfort at an attractive price. Their range of use is quite universal and extends from mobile applications to sports and office use.
The House of Marley Rebel True Wireless in-ears are visually distinguished by their bamboo surfaces, which provide a pleasant feel and at the same time house precise touch controls. While the charging case can be powered either via USB-C port or wirelessly via Qi, these earpieces score points with excellent voice clarity when making calls and support a high-quality audio codec in the form of aptX.
The JVC HA-A11T impressed us with their balanced and transparent sound, a running time of eight hours and are protected against sweat, rain and water splashes thanks to their IPX5 certification.
The new Apple AirPods 3 sound decent and offer close integration with iPhone, iPad and Macs thanks to updated hardware.
The Grado GT220 excel with great sound quality and long-lasting battery life. However, you have to do without many comfort functions such as active noise cancelling, transparency mode, app integration and multipoint. With an RRP of 279 euros, the first true-wireless model from this family-run company from the USA has to go up against numerous competitors. "It's all about sound". But is that enough these days?
If you're comfortable with true-wireless headphones that use an over-ear hook, then the Shure Aonic 215 Gen 2 is attractively priced, sports-ready in-ears with convincing sound quality. What's more, they can be converted to wired operation for high-resolution music listening away from compressed Bluetooth signals.
The LG Tone Free DFP8 follow in the footsteps of the LG Tone Free FN7, which we praised for their good price-performance ratio. A lavish further increased functionality, including noise cancelling, high wearing comfort and convincing sound, also result in a recommendation for 2021, especially since the price has been reduced to 179 euros.
Relative to their price (159.99 euros RRP), the new Soundcore by Anker Liberty 3 Pro are outstanding True Wireless in-ears. They have individual sound profiles, adaptive noise cancelling (ANC), a high-quality LDAC codec and an extensive feature list. In short: We can expect sound and technical excellence with only a few compromises!