Shure announces new true wireless earbuds and ANC over-ear headphones
Audio giant Shure has launched two new wireless products at CES 2020. The Aonic 215 are a pair of true wireless earbuds to take on the competition from Apple and Beats, and the Aonic 50 are a pair of noise-canceling headphones to compete with Sony and Bose.
Shure has been a big name in the music industry for decades but at CES 2020 in Las Vegas the brand is taking its first serious steps into the more expensive end of the consumer market. The Aonic 50 are a pair of wireless noise-canceling headphones, which Shure says have been designed with comfort in mind. The 20 hours of battery life is a touch under par compared to some of the competition offering closer to 30 hours, but it's competitive. Still, what Shure is well-known for is audio quality, and there should be little doubt that these will sound great. Whether or not the quality of the active noise cancelation can keep up with Sony and Bose will be interested to see.
We do know that there will be an app to allow you to tune the ANC to your environment though. It's called ShurePlus Play and adjusts how much of the outside world you let in. The app will be available on both iOS and Android and is specifically engineered for the new Aonic line.
The Aonic 50 are going to hit the market at $399 in the United States. That's definitely at the premium end of the market, and puts them in direct competition with ANC cans like the Sennheiser Momentum III Wireless and the Bowers & Wilkins PX7s.
Interestingly, Shure has signed up American musician Adam Levine to be the face of its new wireless noise-canceling headphones and true wireless earphones, if that tips you one way or the other.
True wireless earbuds to take on Apple and Beats
Shure is also launching the Anoic 215 true wireless "sound isolating" earphones. These are built on the same design musicians use for in-ear monitoring on-stage. With up to eight hours of battery life and three additional full charges on the go, the Aonic 215s have been built for tremendous sound quality in a small package. Anyone who has worn Shure's premium in-ear earphones before will be familiar with the exceptional comfort and a secure fit, so the Aonic 215s look promising for audio purists.
Whether or not the design is mainstream enough to draw in fans of popular true wireless earbuds such as Apple's AirPods Pro, Samsung's Galaxy Buds and something like the Powerbeats Pro, remains to be seen. Shure says these are made for "on the train, in the gym, or at home," but the design, which features an arm that sits behind the ear, won't be for everyone. The price for these true wireless earphones comes in at $279.
For both of these new products, Shure has drawn on the expertise of its team of acoustical engineers, focusing on balancing the ambient sounds and acoustics. These efforts are supposed to align with the latest Bluetooth technology and codecs, which Shure says are now able to accurately deliver its audio quality in a wireless format.
"The biggest legends in music – Elvis, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, and others – have trusted Shure microphones and gear in studios and on the biggest stages worldwide," said Eduardo Valdes, Senior Director of Global Marketing for Musician and Consumer Audio at Shure. "Now, music lovers can experience that same quality of audio wherever they go."
For now, Shure is merely announcing these new wireless audio consumer products. The company says that full product details will be available when they both launch in spring 2020. If you are in Las Vegas for CES, you can swing by the Shure booth and go hands-on with the new Aonic line though.
What do you think of Shure's move into the high-end consumer headphone market? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
