Teenage Engineering mainly build synthesizers and sound generators that are as quirky as they are lovable, both functionally and in terms of design, and they have thus gained a firm foothold outside the mainstream. Now they are introducing a headphone that is primarily aimed at owners of the OP-Z synthesizer, but thanks to two integrated microphone options, it can also be used in many other scenarios.
When we tested them in 2019, we discovered that Beyerdynamic’s Lagoon ANC Traveller were impressive headphones with practical noise cancelling. After a firmware update, their noise reduction performance should now have improved even more.
With the RZ-S500W, Panasonic enters into the market for True Wireless in-ears with noise cancelling, and they make the bold claim that their debut product in this field has market-leading noise cancellation built in. And at a price of under 180 Euros - we are certainly listening very closely.
Anker's Soundcore Spirit X2 support Bluetooth standard 5.0, are powerfully tuned and offer an extra portion of bass at the touch of a button. Thanks to their nano-coating, these True Wireless in-ears are designed for sports use and are protected against water, sweat and dust in accordance with IP68.
Behind fledgeling headphone manufacturer Mu6 is a Chinese development team who, by their own account, have years of experience in noise cancelling. You’d be right to be curious, as their new Space 2 model, modern over-ear headphones with Bluetooth 5, offer impressive functionality at an attractive price. They have a clear aim: with these products, Mu6 seek to target a similar market to Sony, Bose and Sennheiser.
Despite their light, compact design, these Soundcore Spirit Dot 2 cable-free sports headphones deliver high energy and powerful bass, support Bluetooth standard 5.0 and are protected against sweat, water and dust in accordance with IPX 7.
Electro-Harmonix are best known as a manufacturer of guitar effects. Recently, however, the American manufacturer has also been trying their luck in the growing headphones market. We take a look at their Bluetooth in-ears, the EHX Sport Buds from Electro-Harmonix, designed for Work-out & Co.
The renowned Hamburg manufacturer of pens, leather goods and watches Montblanc has introduced its first branded headphones, the MB 01, which are designed to provide high-quality sound for use when travelling. This portable wireless model supports audio codecs including aptX Adaptive as well as the AAC format, they have built-in device control and Google Assistant is integrated, they also offer functions for the suppression and improved perception of external noise.
With their modular headphone system TMA-2, the Danish company Aiaiai has implemented a concept that is as simple as it is advanced – a TMA-2 consists of four components that can be freely combined: Sound transducer (Speaker: S01 – S05), headband (Headband: H01 – H06), ear pads (Earpad: E01 – E08) and connection cable (Cable: C01 – C15) together they form functioning headphones. If you prefer an "off-the-peg" combination, you can choose one of the so-called "Presets". With the S05 transducer, Aiaiai now adds an HD (High Definition) driver to the range, which is available in the combination tested here as a TMA-2 HD preset.
With their modular headphone system TMA-2, the Danish company Aiaiai has developed a concept that is as simple as it is advanced – the TMA-2 is made up of four components that can be freely combined: Sound transducer (Speaker: S01 – S05), headband (Headband: H01 – H06), ear pads (Earpad: E01 – E08) and connection cable (Cable: C01 – C15) that together form functioning headphones. If you prefer an "off-the-peg" combination, you can choose one of the so-called "Presets". In the case of the TMA-2 HD Wireless, Aiaiai directly combines two new components: the S05 HD audio driver and the H05 headband, which has integrated a Bluetooth receiver including batteries.