Shure has revealed the second generation of the Aonic 50 headphones, and they arrive on the scene boasting improved noise-cancellation and support for spatial audio.
And this isn’t spatial audio in the form of Dolby Atmos or Sony’s 360 Reality Audio, but Shure’s own take with its new spatialised audio technology that’s powered by a proprietary algorithm. Shure says its uses a combination of acoustical modelling and critical listening to “delicately enhance” the spaciousness of music without compromising the original audio. It’ll come in three flavours too: one for music, another for cinema, one more for podcasts.
The Aonic 50 Gen 2 will also boasts new hybrid active noise-cancellation technology that’s claimed to improve on the performance of its predecessor by more effectively eliminating external distractions. Users can also fine-tune and control the level of ambient noise they can hear with four selectable modes: Light, Moderate, Max, and MaxAware. The last option is designed to offer the “perfect balance” between blocking unwanted noise and maintaining environmental awareness.
Elsewhere, battery has been boosted to 45 hours, doubling that of the original Shure Aonic 50. A quick charge feature allows users to plug the headphones into the mains for 15 minutes and get five more hours of charge back.
It also comes with Bluetooth 5 and Snapdragon Sound technology, and support for streaming codecs in SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive, and LDAC.
The headphones’ call performance leverages the Aonic 50 Gen 2’s six microphones to minimise surrounding noises, and within the ShurePlus Play app there’s scope to alter the audio experience with various EQ settings as well as the means to create a personalised sound profile.
The carry case has (thankfully) been redesigned to be more compact and comes in an all-black design. The Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 go on sale September 2023 for £349, which puts it against the likes of the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Beats Studio Pro. We’ll be looking to get hold of a review sample to how well it copes against its rivals.
