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FEATURE TECH

EARBUDS FOR ALL BUDGETS Finding your new best buds is easy! We’ve rounded up a selection of feature-packed contenders that offer plenty of bang for your buck.

Beats Solo Buds Tiny and ergonomically designed, Beats’ new Solo buds boast dual-layer drivers for big sound and balanced tuning that accurately reproduces your favourite

JBL Live Flex 3 TWS Noise Cancelling Earbuds These open-stick buds come in a cool carry case that has a touchscreen for easy control and customisation, so there’s no need to open the JBL app on your phone. You can even hook the case onto a lanyard for easy access. The Live Flex 3 buds are feature packed, with JBL spatial sound for

music, plus laser-cut vents to improve bass and comfort. Customisable on-ear controls and voice assistant support make finding your favourite track simple, and inbuilt mics work in tandem with a noise-learning algorithm to maintain clear call quality.

more immersion, six inbuilt mics to cancel ambient noise for clear calls and listening, and multipoint connection. Rated IP54 for dust and water resistance, these buds are built for

Housed in Beats’ smallest and lightest case to date, the Solo buds will keep going for up to 18 hours on a full charge, however there’s no charge stored in the case – simply plug a USB-C cable (sold separately) into your phone or laptop to power them back up! Bluetooth v5.3 Battery: Up to 18 hours/ 1 hour from a 5-minute charge

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds

adventure, with up to ten hours battery life with ANC off and a further 40 hours in the case. Bluetooth v5.3 Battery: Up to ten hours with ANC off/50 hours total in case IP54 Spatial audio ANC Multipoint

Looking for a unique point of difference? Bose’s Ultra Open earbuds attach via a flexible band that fits behind the back of the earlobe, with the speaker hooking

just inside the front of the ear. This open design keeps users in tune with the music and their surroundings, with minimal audio leakage to annoy those around you. And in terms of comfort, they are so light you’ll forget you’re wearing them after a while. The Ultra Open buds feature Bose’s proprietary spatial audio format, Immersive Audio, for a big virtual soundscape that follows your head movements, and playback and volume is controlled via a physical button on top of the barrel. Bluetooth v5.3 Battery: up to 7.5 hours/ 4.5 hours with Immersive Audio on/19.5 hours in case IPX4 Spatial audio

Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7 True Wireless Earbuds Sporting a compact stem

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 Earbuds These premium earbuds are

design, these versatile mid-range buds feature the same 5.8mm drivers found in the brand’s flagship ATH-TWX9 earbuds, for a balanced soundstage across all music genres. They also incorporate a wide range of useful and customisable features, including excellent hybrid noise cancelling, multipoint connectivity, and a physical button to cycle through controls. The 5-channel EQ can be easily customised in the companion app, and there’s a Bass Boost option plus soundscape settings for when it’s time to focus or relax. Bluetooth v5.1 Battery: Up to 6.5 hours/20 hours in case ANC Multipoint IPX4 USB-A/USB-C charging cable

designed for all-day comfort and deliver superb sound and fantastic stereo separation that’s comparable to Sennheiser’s flagship Momentum 4 headphones. The Momentum TW4 buds are equipped with ANC and six mics for clear call quality, and the Sennheiser Smart Control app is where you’ll find a variety of customisation options, including setting personalised sound zones and reconfiguring the touch control layout.

A full battery lasts around 7.5 hours with ANC on, and is extendable up to 30 hours with the charging case. And you’ll get an hour of play from an eight-minute top-up charge. Bluetooth v5.4/Bluetooth LE audio Battery: Up to 4.5 hours with ANC on/30 hours in case ANC Multipoint IP54 USB-C charging cable

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