Shure's over-ear headphones are a definite upgrade from its previous cans and, if you're overseas, are more or less a bargain. Here in South Africa, for some reason, they're priced about the same as Sony's excellent WH-1000XM5s. If you opt for these you won't be sorry but you can do better for the same money.
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Design
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Sound
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Build
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Features
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Value
Shure is a relatively new brand on Stuff South Africa‘s radar but we had great fun with the company’s Aonic 40 last year. The Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 turned up recently for another go at impressing the audio nerds at Stuff HQ and we have to say that it gave a good accounting of itself.
The Aonic 50 Gen 2 isn’t perfect. You can look toward more notable brands if your conditions include a slice of perfection in your headphones. But it’s got loads to offer for folks looking for an alternative to the same old faces scrabbling for a space at the top of the audiophile audio pile.
Built to beat expectations
One thing a newcomer has to do is look the part. That’s something the Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 manages effectively. The build, from the sturdy earcups to the stubby curve sections connecting the whole to the padded headband, doesn’t necessarily scream ‘quality’ but it’s certainly talking at the top of its lungs. Seriously, it’s all very premium, right down to the physical buttons on the right-hand earcup that will do most of the controlling for you. Or you could use the app but who’s got time to fire up a smartphone every time they need to skip a track?
The Aonic 50 Gen 2’s right cup has a USB-C port, a button for setting up Bluetooth 5.2 connections, and then a main rocker that handles everything from answering (and rejecting) calls, playing and pausing tracks, and adjusting volume. You’ll figure all of this out in minutes and we don’t have to explain it here, but it’s important to note that the Bluetooth button is multifunction too. By default, it also controls noise cancellation, if you need it physically present on your cans, but this function can be altered via Shure’s app. It’ll shunt your ANC options to the app but gives you more freedom when using the headphones in public.
Using a physical button on something mounted on your skull can be a hit-and-miss affair, especially when the button is operated via a stabbing motion. Some companies overcome this by opting instead for touch controls. Shure simply ensures that these are seriously clamped onto the top of your dome. Sure, you can tear them off but it’ll take a passing bus or a ‘roided up crossfitter in the gym to do it. On the downside, it also made the Aonic 50 Gen 2’s a little uncomfortable over long periods. This isn’t universal (the other folks at Stuff had no such complaints) but you should be aware of the possibility.
There’s one last physical annoyance to get out of the way and it’s almost personal. The Aonic 50 Gen 2’s fold flat into their hardshell case but don’t fold down as compact as we’d like them. Noise cancelling as a feature makes the most sense on an airplane and space is at a premium in cabin luggage. The case is only just too large to be properly comfortable in an airplane seat or an overhead bin. It’s not a problem everyone has but those who have it wish they didn’t. It’s not a serious issue but it’ll bulk up your laptop bag more than you’re expecting.
Cancel culture
Speaking of noise cancelling, the ANC in the 50 Gen 2 cans is… okay. We’ve heard better. Or, rather, we haven’t. That’s sort of the point. The spectrum of noise cancelled out by the internal microphones here is fairly broad but it’s not quite broad enough. Most of the time you’ll reside in blissful silence aside from the melodious strains of Now That’s What I Call Finnish Death Metal Vol. 665 but occasionally this contemplative state will be broken by intrusions from outside.
This isn’t an occasional thing, either. This exact scenario played out on a few occasions at the Stuff offices, which are not especially raucous (usually). Okay, so there’s also a bloody great big generator outside our window that causes serious mental health damage whenever it’s load shedding (and it’s always load shedding) but the point is that noise intrudes. Turning up the volume will work but that can’t be good for your ears.
Audio ointment
The rest of the Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2’s aural features most certainly are good for your ears. If you’ll let them be and are willing to fiddle. Out of the box, you’ll find that highs and lows are well-emphasised. If you’re in favour of dubstep and its descendants, you’ll be pretty well served by these over-ears. Fire up the app’s EQ and you’ll be greeted with enough options to make Tony Maserati twist a knob off in happiness. It also made resident audio nut Duncan Pike a beaming ray of sunshine for at least five minutes.
It’s not all about the electronica, of course. With the right tweaking, you’ll find yourself greeted with a soundscape wholly in keeping with the almost-R10,000 price tag. This is just as well because… well, there’s an almost R10,000 price tag.
There’s plenty of room for the highs, mids, and lows to roam around, though it’s also possible to overemphasise one over the others. Vocals, after a session with the EQ, are crisp and clear enough without drowning out the rest of the musical arrangement. This depends on what you’re listening to, but that’s on you.
There’s just one more fly in this audio ointment, however. The Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 overs are priced at R9,500 in South Africa. That’s about right, based on the features and performance found here. But there’s something else in South Africa at that price point (or lower) with better features and performance — the Sony WF-1000XM5 over-ears. You might want to give the new guy a shot but the old stalwart is a known (and better) quantity.
Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 verdict
The sum of our concerns with the Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 overs are that they can get uncomfortable, they might be a teeny bit too enthusiastically priced, and the noise canceling needs work. Okay, and they might not be the best airplane headphones but that’s a design complaint. Balance that against excellent audio, a better app (which you’ll need to use for the best listening experience), and a brilliant build and Shure is on track to chew on some of the market currently going to more established brands. As long as Sonos keeps its rumoured headphones under wraps (or prices itself out of Shure’s demographic), we’re sure to see more from the American outfit in the very near future.
