Think wireless earbuds are all the same? Think again. Spatial sound, lossless audio and multiple connections can all be part of the deal now – sometimes you don’t even have to put them in your ears to listen…
SPATIAL AUDIO
Definitely one for the owners of iOS devices – but with that said, there’s an awful lot to like about the AirPods Pro 2. Good noise cancelling, better battery life, Apple’s most convincing sound quality so far… and the spatial audio feature is among the more balanced and less show-off-y around. And the fact that these are Apple’s most comfortable earbuds so far doesn’t do any harm, either.
£229, apple.com
You know Sony is serious about its ‘360 Reality Audio’ feature when its ‘Headphones’ control app (free for iOS and Android) asks for a photograph of each of your ears. Slightly weird and intrusive, yes – but well worth it if you want to enjoy the balanced, confident sound of the WF-1000XM5 is all its spatial audio-assisted glory. And, be assured, in the right circumstances it’s definitely glorious.
£25, sony.co.uk
What’s better than enjoying some Dolby Atmos via Apple Music through your wireless earbuds? Enjoying a full-on workout while you’re at it, that’s what. The Beats Fit Pro are designed to stay secure and comfortable even during quite vigorous activity, and in addition to their spatial audio chops they have active noise cancelling and an overall sound that’s as lively as the people who are likely to wear them.
£219, beatsbydre.com
Sure, the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 aren’t quite as accomplished as the other earbuds in this section when it comes to noise cancellation or out-and-out sound quality – but take another look at that price. For pennies less than £80, Anker serves up comfort, longevity, Bluetooth 5.3 wireless connectivity and pretty convincing ‘3D surround sound’ – which means they’re a bit of a bargain.
£79, uk.soundcore.com
There’s ‘durable’, and then there’s the Jabra Elite 8 Active. Not only are they IP68-rated, but they have passed the MIL-STD-810 test too – so you’ll have to go some to compromise them. Which means you can enjoy their punchy, articulate sound in pretty much any conditions – and some Dolby-approved spatial audio content too. And when you finally come back to civilisation, you can just run them under the tap.
£199, jabra.co.uk
The great thing about the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds is that as well as all the predictable Bose features (class-leading noise cancellation, impeccable build quality, muscular sound quality, comfortable fit), you also get ‘Bose Immersive Audio’. Turn it on and the spatial audio effect is pronounced – and if you engage the ‘motion’ mode you get some head-tracking to
