1. Sony WF-1000XM3 Earbuds
In addition to the charging dock, the in-ears themselves have also become larger but still sit just as comfortably in the ears as their predecessors. A clear plus is the enlarged touch surface for operating the ensemble, so you do not necessarily have to rely on operation via a smartphone app, standards such as switching on and off the noise-canceling or the talk-through function are also available via the touch surfaces. As befits its standing, the WF-1000XM3 now supports Alexa in addition to Google Assistant and Siri. One charge is enough for eight hours of music – at full volume
The large charging dock is enough to charge the earplugs a total of three times, and the NFC chip is also housed there, which supports the in-ears when pairing with a compatible smartphone One charge of the two plugs was enough for us for a full eight hours of continuous sprinkling, at full volume and switched off the noise canceling. If the NC is active, the electronics are challenged more and the running time decreases somewhat.
2. Sennheiser Momentum 2 Earbuds
The endurance of the Momentum True Wireless 2 in-ears has doubled compared to its predecessors, so they now play at eye level with the Sonys for over seven hours. Both can be reloaded up to three times in the dock so that they are in a head-to-head race here. The in-ears fit easily into the ear and provide a perfect seal. The Momentum True Wireless 2 fits easily in the ear and provides a perfect seal, even if Sennheiser includes three fewer adapters – ideal basic requirements for efficient suppression of outside noise. The earbuds are operated via touch surfaces, the commands can be individually adjusted in the Smart Control app.
The so-called “Transparent Hearing” can also be activated in the app or directly on the in-ears. So you can switch on the outside world and either stop the music or let it continue. the app has a very adaptable equalizer, you will mostly be able to do without it. The Momentum sounds very natural, reaching deep into the bass cellar and creating a seamless transition into the midrange. In the mid-high range, they deliver a very fine resolution, taking too much cheeky sibilance at the top. It is not for nothing that Sennheiser listeners support the aptX codec for Bluetooth transmission, which Sony can top with the broader bandwidth LDAC.
3. Apple AirPods Pro
The Apple AirPods Pro is the very first headphones from Apple that have integrated active noise canceling. They are based on the AirPods, but with one major difference: the previously propagated one-size-fits-all concept without adapters or ear tips is not used with the AirPods Pro – for good reason, although the system may be safe in many ears Find a hold, they are never completely sealed, that is a basic requirement for effective noise canceling.
The coupling of the AirPods Pro works perfectly with the iPhone, by the way, with most other smartphones you only have to briefly press the button on the dock, and then it works smoothly there too. What is missing on Androids is a charge status display, but this can be implemented with the free app from various third-party manufacturers, with the Podroid Pro app, which we installed without further ado, even the charge status of the charging dock is displayed. The noise-canceling works as well as with most other in-ears and also depends heavily on how well the passive noise canceling works, i.e. how well the listeners seal. It works with almost no audible impact on volume or tonality.
4. Panasonic RZ-S500W Earbuds
Panasonic is involved with the RZ-S500W in the true wireless warehouse, also with active noise canceling. The in-ears are very easy to use and, not least thanks to the many ear tips, sit comfortably in the ears. The touch operation reacts reliably, for more ease of use you should install the Panasonic Audio Connect app, which allows extensive tone control and differentiated noise-canceling settings. In addition, a location function helps to find lost or misplaced in-ears.
The RZ-S500W sounds very good, but the noise canceling has an audible effect on the sound. As soon as the ANC is switched on, the sound comes out slightly compressed. The RZ-S500W are not so well suited for telephoning: The call partner heard us only very distorted, whereas we could understand him very well on both sides. The headphones can only be recharged twice in the dock, but they are enough for about six hours of music at a time, so that a total range of about 18 hours is achieved. The in-ears are also recharged very quickly, so a quarter of an hour in the dock is enough for a good hour of music enjoyment.
5. RHA Trueconnect – Carbon Black: True Wireless Earbuds
There was no surprise at all during the listening test: The TrueConnect fulfilled the expectations that I have of the RHA company from the very first sound. Sure, in the deep bass is gently helped, which is often done very consciously in the mobile area. The bass is less dry, but more resilient to the hearing, for stress-free long-term enjoyment. Thanks to their homogeneous playing style, the RHAs fit well with all genres and the good fundamental tone gives voices, in particular, a very pleasant timbre.
The RHA TrueConnect succeeds in connecting from here to the mids and finally to the mid-high frequencies without audible weaknesses. They sound much more mature than the AirPods, which have pushed them from pole position. The Scots ultimately fail because of the fine resolution of the Momentum True Wireless, which is by no means a shame, after all, they only cost a fraction of the Sennheiser listeners. With the TrueConnect, the microphones for making calls have probably been moved into the stems, just like the AirPods. With noticeable success: the phone calls are received on both channels and the other party at the other end can understand me very well, comparable to the AirPods.
