What should a premium pair of headphones do for everyday use in 2024, especially when they cost $349? You want decent sound quality, of course, but you can have that without the comfort that has become nearly ubiquitous in headphones designed for everyday use. For this price, I also expect solid ANC for my daily commute, a decent microphone for calls, and wear detection so you can pick up right where you left off.
Here are the features that the best over-ear headphones in this price range, like the Bose, already offer: QuietComfort Ultra ($379) and Sony WX-1000XM5 ($399), for example. Unfortunately, Shure's latest high-end ANC headphones, the Aonic 50 Gen 2 ($349), fail to compete with such fierce competition. I just spent a few weeks testing them for my Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 Reviewand while I was blown away by the sound quality, these expensive headphones left a lot to be desired in everyday use, which is what they are designed for. So what went wrong?
Studio quality sound
Let me start by saying that the Aonic 50 Gen 2 deliver phenomenal audio performance, befitting Shure’s studio sound pedigree. During testing, I listened to a range of music via USB-C in lossless quality using Apple Music and Napster, and was very impressed with the fidelity of the Aonic 50 Gen 2.
They're not very bassy by default, but they're incredibly well-balanced, allowing even the songs' subtlest elements to stand out from the mix without sounding unnaturally pronounced. As I mentioned in my review, Stevie Nicks' ethereal vocals on Fleetwood Mac's 2004 remaster of “Dreams” were a particular treat, as was Jamiroquai's “Canned Heat,” where the floating funk guitar riff can so easily be overwhelmed by Jay Kay's vocals, pulsing bassline, and choral synths – but not here.
That said, with their large 50mm drivers, when you want these headphones to let loose, they deliver: the powerful, punchy bass notes of Jay-Z’s ‘Can’t Knock The Hustle’ (featuring Mary J. Blige) were delivered without a hint of distortion, as was the deep bass of Skream’s ‘Midnight Request Line’. Both songs were major parts of my teenage soundtrack here in the UK, and each contributed to ruining my car speakers on more than one occasion, so it was gratifying to hear them delivered so cleanly, even on Bass Boost EQ.
Microphone drop
Sound is the core element of headphones, isn’t that enough? Well, no. If you just want quality sound, you can spend a lot less on a pair of real Shure studio headphones. But as I mentioned earlier, the Aonic 50 Gen 2 are designed and meant to be suitable for everyday use, and they’re priced accordingly to compete with other high-end all-rounders: the Bose QuietComfort Ultras, Sony WH-1000XM5, and Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e ($399).
Against such fierce competition, the Aonics are no match, and the most relevant issue is the microphone, which is distorted, muffled, and noisy. In moderately noisy environments, it was nearly impossible to use for calls. On several calls to my partner, she couldn’t understand what I was saying, forcing me to revert to my iPhone—from a brand with such an industry reputation for producing stellar microphones, like the MV7+ Podcast Mic, it’s humiliating. To confirm, I ran back-to-back audio tests with my iPhone’s mic, and the Shure’s clips were indeed terrible.
How can a $349 headset designed for everyday use, where calls are omnipresent, get away with such a poor microphone?
Inactive noise cancellation
Second on the list of weak points is the Aonic 50 Gen 2's ANC system, which is also unsuitable for even moderately noisy environments, and downright unusable at times. In quieter ambient volume environments (in the office or in a car), the ANC performed passably, blocking out most noise, while still letting some disturbances through.
In noisier scenarios, performance was pretty mediocre. On my train ride, the faint hum of the diesel engines was easily audible, even with ANC on full blast. They also failed to block out the sound of a crying baby in the same carriage as me, which kept me from enjoying the podcast I was listening to. I switched back to my AirPods Pro 2 ($249) and, voila, baby was gone.
Against the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones headphones ($399), which have ANC so good it will detach you from reality, the Aonic 50 Gen 2 seem out of reach again.
Of course, the Aonic 50 Gen 2s at least have active noise cancellation, and any ANC is better than no ANC, right? Wrong. The Aonic’s ANC system is particularly susceptible to the rattling or popping sound that accompanies rapid changes in ambient pressure or bursts of air. This happens on other audio equipment, and you may notice a rattling sound coming from ANC systems if, for example, there’s an open window on the train or car you’re sitting in, or when you’re walking in windy conditions. The Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2s, however, take things to a new level. Not only do they rattle with slight pressure changes, like the opening and closing of the interior train doors, but the sound produced is extremely uncomfortable. Often, I would choose to just turn it off and accept the background noise if I didn’t have another pair of headphones with me to switch to.
ANC might not be the ideal solution for you. But then again, in a set of premium over-ear headphones like these that are designed to be used on the go, such a lack of performance is a big drawback.
Discomfort of creatures
Finally, to close the file, there are a few small criticisms that add to the annoyance of the daily use of the Aonic 50 Gen 2. First, there is the absence of wear detection: remove the headphones and your podcast will continue to play. Wear detection is present on the Bose QuietComfort Ultra and Sony WH-1000XM5.
Then there’s the tricky auto-off feature. You can set an auto-off timer, but this will only apply if you manually disconnect or move the earbuds far enough away from the host device to force disconnect. If you forget to turn them off or don’t fully press the power button and they’re in a nearby room, you’ll end up with a dead battery. It’s certainly something you can work around through force of habit, but it’s still another daily hassle I’d rather avoid.
Should you buy them?
As I mentioned in the first section, these headphones aren’t entirely bad and have been spared a negative review due to their design, sound quality, and battery life, which are all excellent. They also come with a solid companion app that provides access to a decent parametric EQ. If that’s all you want and you find these headphones on sale, they’re worth considering.
However, despite their excellent audio qualities, I find them hard to recommend without hesitation, simply because they don't do everything they're supposed to do at this price point. If you just want quality sound and build, there are plenty of headphones that will do the job for much less—get the Sennheiser Accentum headphones for $179 or even some of Shure's own studio headphones. The Aonic 50 Gen 2 are meant to be all-rounders: companions that make your commute easier, your calls clearer, your life more enjoyable. Other headphones in the same category do that very well. The Aonic 50 Gen 2 don't.