| Cult of Mac

Nothing’s new earbuds gun for AirPods Pro 2

By

The earbuds are partially transparent and the charging case is fully so.
The earbuds are partially transparent and the charging case is fully so.
Photo: Nothing

The Nothing company followed up its Ear (1) noise-canceling earbuds with the new Ear (2) version Wednesday, offering hip, hi-tech earbuds comparable to Apple’s AirPods Pro — but at a lower price of $149.

The new Nothing earbuds feature active noise cancellation, Hi-Res Audio certification, partially transparent casings for a cool look, and more personalization options than the originals.

New Jabra Elite noise-canceling earbuds cut the cost

By

The new Jabra Elite 4 buds cost just $99.
The new Jabra Elite 4 buds cost just $99.
Photo: Jabra

Jabra unveiled its new Elite 4 wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation Tuesday, offering various premium sound and comfort features for a modest price of $99 — $20 less than the previous version.

“The modern earbud user is looking for tech that’s ready for work and play at their fingertips, while not compromising on key features,” said Calum MacDougall, SVP at Jabra. “The Elite 4 offers a solution to this and is the perfect well-rounded design to help users to concentrate, connect and call without distractions.”

Beats Fit Pro earbuds in bright new colors already $30 off

By

Coral pink, never subtle, is one of the discounted colors.
Coral pink, never subtle, is one of the discounted colors.
Photo: Beats

Cult of Mac reported Tuesday that Beats Fit Pro would come out in three bright new colors. And as of Friday, two of those three new cheerful hues showed up on Amazon at $30 off. That was fast.

The somewhat dark tidal blue is sticking at the normal price of $199.95, but volt yellow and coral pink — the colors that will really get you noticed — are now just $169.83.

New noise-canceling EarFun Air Pro earbuds: High on features, low on cost [Review] ★★★

By

EarFun Air Pro 3 ANC wireless earbuds are another great-value product from the company.★★★
EarFun Air Pro 3 ANC wireless earbuds are another great-value product from the company.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Calling them “the world’s 1st LE-Audio ANC true wireless earbuds,” EarFun plans to launch its new flagship Air Pro 3 active noise-canceling (ANC) wireless earbuds Thursday, February 2. The company recently sent me a pair to try out.

True to form, EarFun brings good value for the price with these buds, as it has with others. They’re not perfect, but for discounted pre-launch and launch prices at or below $60, you can’t really go wrong. See below for more details about the buds, including LE Audio.

Get ANC on the cheap with stylish new Creative Zen Air earbuds

By

Noise cancellation and good battery life make Creative's new earbuds a good value at $45.
Noise cancellation and good battery life make Creative's new earbuds a good value at $45.
Photo: Creative Zen

Creative Zen unveiled its Air active-noise-cancelling (ANC) earbuds at CES 2023 and now you can buy them in the U.S.

For stylish, stemmed ANC earbuds with Ambient Mode, relatively long battery life and other solid features, they look like a good value at $45.

Beats Studio Buds for $60? Yes, please.

By

The deal is only on the black ones. But black goes with everything, right?
The deal is only on the black ones. But black goes with everything, right?
Photo: Beats

Need great wireless earbuds but don’t want to spend much? Woot, owned by Amazon, is currently selling refurbished Beats Studio Buds for the uncommonly low price of $59.99.

That’s $90 off the list price of $150. And it’s less than typical sale prices, like the $99.95 Amazon is charging right for the buds right now.

You can control JBL’s new ANC earbuds with their touchscreen case

By

If you bring the charging case with you, you can control the buds without having to use the app on your smartphone.
If you bring the charging case with you, you can control the buds without having to use the app on your smartphone.
Photo: JBL

JBL revealed several new wireless earbud models Wednesday, including the new flagship Tour Pro 2 with a touchscreen for additional control via the “smart case.”

“The world’s first smart charging case,” as the company called it, features a 1.45-inch LED touchscreen that lets you control music, noise cancellation, calls and notifications. That gets you out of turning to an app on your smartphone — as long as you keep the case at hand.

New Soundcore flagship ANC earbuds beat AirPods to monitoring heart rate

By

The new Soundcore Liberty 4 wireless ANC earbuds feature heart-rate tracking.
The new Soundcore Liberty 4 wireless ANC earbuds feature heart-rate tracking.
Photo: Soundcore by Anker

Soundcore rolled out its new flagship Liberty 4 wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC) on Friday with some upgrades.

And one of those upgrades might get under Apple’s skin a little bit. That would be heart rate monitoring via an in-ear sensor, which has so far failed to materialize in Apple’s AirPods line despite persistent rumors.

Iffy AirPods Pro 2 fit? Alternative ear tips can make all the difference.

By

A poor AirPods Pro 2 fit is troubling, but it's not hard to fix with after-market ear tips.
A poor AirPods Pro 2 fit is troubling, but it's not hard to fix with after-market ear tips.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

No one wants to spend $250 on a set of outstanding wireless noise-cancelling earbuds — let’s say, second-generation AirPods Pro — only to find they don’t fit well, even with a choice of ear tip sizes.

But unfortunately, it can happen. It happened to me, actually. But once I explored after-market ear tips (the part that goes into your ear canal), I quickly solved the problem at minimal expense.

AirPods Pro 2: A must-have for Apple users and a solid choice for anyone [Review] ★★★★

By

At a glance, they could be AirPods Pro, but they're AirPods Pro 2, with many internal upgrades.★★★★
At a glance, they could be AirPods Pro, but they're AirPods Pro 2, with many internal upgrades.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Cupertino’s second-generation AirPods Pro, which went on sale Friday in stores, look almost exactly like the original model released in 2019. But they’re upgraded in every way that matters most, thanks mainly to the new H2 processor.

Apple may not have gone as far as it could have in some ways, but the new AirPods Pro are among the best earbuds on the market and a worthy upgrade for almost anyone. They’re particularly great for those who use lots of Apple gear and love how seamlessly their devices can work together.

Let’s take a look at, and a listen to, the second-gen AirPods Pro, aka AirPods Pro 2.