The headphones were introduced to us in an intimate setting at the Core Group’s offices (the official distributors and retails of nuraphones in South Africa) late last year. Since then, we’ve been hooked on our sets and travel with them everywhere. Attachments aside, we had to delve deeper in this review to find out whether the nuraphone G2 live up to the company’s own high standards, and of course, of our readers? We prick up our ears to find out.

First Impressions Count

They say don’t judge a book by its cover and that is especially true with Australian company nura’s crowdfunding success, the nuraphone. On the outside, it looks like any other large over-the-ear Bluetooth headphones but look inside and you’ll see something almost literally out of this world.

The nuraphone feels as solid as it looks. The steel headband has just enough spring to it without fearing it’ll bounce off your head. The silicone rubber ear cups comfortably clings to the area around your ear, which forms the headphone’s passive noise cancellation barrier.

It is, however, as heavy as it is solid. At 329 g, it is on the heavier side even compared to its over-the-ear peers. It’s not uncomfortably heavy, mind you, at least not immediately. Given its heft and the rather unconventional design, you might find yourself wanting to give your ears and head a rest after a few solid hours of use.

The Technology

The nuraphone’s most important design, however, and the part that physically makes its most important feature possible, is what nura calls “inova”. That’s short for “in and over architecture” and it accurately describes the way the headphones combine both over-the-ear cups and in-ear buds in one, creating the out of this world mushroom-like design inside the cups.

The buds hang inside your ear canal but don’t anchor in it as most earbuds do. Instead, they hang from the cups and are almost suspended in the air inside the canal (unless you have a small opening). That means they can jiggle a bit and might get a bit of getting used to, which may add to the slight discomfort from prolonged use.

The design isn’t just for show though. The nuraphone utilizes two audio drivers, 15 mm for the in-ear buds and 40 mm for the over-the-ear cups. Each part delivers different audio ranges as well. The buds deliver the mids and highs while the cups take care of the bass. Specifically, the latter does so through tactile vibrations that “transmit” the audio through your skin rather than directly into your ear. This separation of duties plays an important role in the nuraphone G2’s most important feature: active noise cancellation.

But before we get to the features that most excite us, we have to first talk about what makes the nuraphone really special. And no, it’s not just the design, though that plays an important part. The nuraphone’s special sauce is its personalised audio profiles fine-tuned to your unique ear traits and hearing capabilities.

Many headphones and audio equipment promise such personalise profiles but nura takes that promise to a whole new, automated, and scientific level. It uses the same otoacoustic emission principles used in hearing tests for infants to form that audio profile. In a nutshell, our ears reflect a small amount of sound back out through the canal and those audio signals can be used to determine your particular hearing capabilities. The nuraphone has very sensitive mics inside that listen to this “echo” to develop your profile.

This isn’t completely new, though, as some hearing aids and headphones do offer personalised hearing profiles. The key difference to nura’s proposition is that it does it all for you. When you set up a hearing profile, the mobile app will play some audio samples to listen for those reflected sound waves. All you need to do is to put on the headphones properly (it will tell you if it detects your ears aren’t properly sealed) and it will do all the rest on its own. No answering questions or turning sliders.

The test takes at most two minutes and you can have three unique profiles at a time. You can switch between profiles any time but that requires doing it on the mobile app. You should try to do the hearing test in a quiet room and make sure you don’t have a cold or any other illness, as it will produce a completely different profile because of how those affect the flow of sound in your ear. That said, it does mean that, even if you’re sick, you can still get a highly personalised and accurate hearing experience tuned for your condition at the time. Just remember to switch back to a “normal” profile when you get well.

On another note, it’s harder to review headphones with personalised audio profiles exactly because those can vary from person to person. Comparing them with generic headphones would be unfair and turning off the profiles on the nuraphone G2 produces one of the flattest and least convincing results that doesn’t do a sub R7000 headphone any justice. In fact, it would be insulting.

The most glowing appraisal of the nuraphone G2 would have to be that it delivers exactly as promised. It creates a hearing profile fine-tuned to your acoustic sensibilities that won’t work with someone else’s (you can let them create their own profile to test it, though). But when the profile is in use, the effects are breath-taking. Vocals and instruments are crisp and clear. Mids and bass are solid and literally palpable. And thanks to the dual drivers, the two don’t drown out each other.

In addition to keeping audio ranges separate, the second, over-the-ear driver also has some special tricks. Nura calls it “Immersion Mode” and it lets you experience what it would be like to be at the front of the crowd, like in a concert. It does so by cranking up the bass using an actuator in the cups. Considering how sound is there delivered through the cups, you literally feel the music on your skin. It’s a double-edged sword. It works as advertised but it does also increase the vibrations you’ll feel. For almost all cases, turning it off or even just at half intensity was good enough.

None Of The Noise

The duality of the nuraphone G2’s “inova” feature also comes into play in the latest firmware update.

Most ANC implementations cancel out low-frequency noise by applying an opposing wave. While effective, this method tends to produce a high-frequency “hiss” as a side effect. The nuraphone’s implementation, however, is different. It simply doesn’t deliver the low-frequency noise to your ear, thanks to the fact that it never delivers low-frequency ranges to your ear in the first place. The result is a different kind of ANC that’s a bit milder than the competition, but still works well enough. The passive noise canceling produced by the earbuds and cups also do a good job at blocking out higher frequency sound.

The major G2 update also introduced a new feature that could be seen as the anti-thesis of active noise cancellation. Nura calls it “Social Mode” and it lets sound in instead of blocking them out. More specifically, it uses the headphone’s mics to allow voice to pass through uninhibited and lowers the audio volume automatically. As you can probably guess, it’s meant to be used for making conversations less painful. In practice, however, it isn’t as impressive as the ANC implementation and the volume doesn’t go low enough to hear words clearly. You might be better off taking off the nuraphone in the process. Fortunately, it’s smart enough to pause the music when you do.

The nuraphone G2’s design is pretty minimal. It has no buttons and doesn’t even have any lighting. The latter is perhaps one of its biggest design flaws, with no immediately clear way to see how much battery you have left or if it’s on or not. Not that you’d have to worry about the nuraphone’s battery life as it can go on and on. It promises 20 hours of continuous use and you’re unlikely to use it that long for your own comfort. In other words, it goes on and on and on.

What the headphones have in lieu of buttons and indicators are touch-sensitive surfaces and motion sensors. Much like the Samsung Galaxy Buds. Take off the nuraphone and it will pause playback. Put them back on and you will be greeted and informed about the current battery level, which is the only way you’d know without looking at your phone. The problem with such automated features is that they can sometimes fail. For example, the nuraphone might mistakenly interpret hanging around your neck as being on your head.

Of course, you could also just tap on either of the two flat circles on each ear cup. These are touch-sensitive surfaces that can be assigned any control, including Immersion Mode, Social Mode, and, with the latest G2 update, volume up or down. Sadly, their vocabulary is limited to single and double taps for a total of only four actions.

At R6999, the nuraphone G2 isn’t exactly wallet-friendly and there might be more affordable alternatives that offer some features with a bit of compromise. The R5499 Beats Studio 3 Wireless Over Ear Headphones is still widely regarded for its ANC capabilities and there are even cheaper headphones with “good enough” performance to satisfy some audiophiles.

But “good enough” isn’t “great”. The nuraphone G2, fortunately, delivers on everything it promises so it isn’t exactly wasted money. You’d be hard-pressed to find headphones that offer such accurate hearing profiles that need neither your input nor that of a professional to create. And you’d be even more hard-pressed to find a company that is willing and able to deliver software updates that completely change the gaming, making you feel like you bought an upgraded pair, all for the price of free.

The nuraphone G2 headphones are available from your nearest iStore for R6999.

Bookmark our iPhone September 7 liveblog now! 

Surprisingly, the leak comes from Apple’s own PR team. The French website iGeneration actually received an email from Beats PR that stated new headphone models from the brand would be unveiled on September 7th, alongside the iPhone 7. An image of the email was also published, but the site was asked by Beats to remove it, all but confirming its authenticity.

There’s no word on what new types of headphones we might see from Beats on Wednesday. However, since the company already has wireless Bluetooth versions of several of its higher-end on/over-ear headphone models, it seems likely the in-ear/earbud styles could go wireless, or there will be wired versions with Lightning connectors instead of the standard 3.5mm headphone jacks.

With the iPhone 7 long-expected to drop the traditional headphone port, the most common prediction is that the Apple headphones included in the box will remain wired but with a Lightning connector. Also rumored is a pair of wireless earbuds from Apple featuring the name “AirPods,” but those will be sold separately due to their higher price tag.

This new Beats leak seems to guarantee we’ll at least be seeing a variety of new headphones announced with the iPhone 7, but we’ll have to wait until Wednesday for the full lineup.

[frame src=”http://savibeza.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/C360_2015-06-08-19-10-15-729.jpg” link=”http://savibeza.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/C360_2015-06-08-19-10-15-729.jpg” target=”_self” width=”” height=”” alt=”Premium WordPress Themes” align=”left” prettyphoto=”false”]

Let’s start with the sound, shall we? As I’ve already mentioned, Beats touts “updated and improved acoustics” that boast “a wider range of sound and enhanced clarity.” That summary is pretty much spot-on. When I unboxed the Studio’s, I was quick to queue up some bass-heavy tunes to see if the company would remain consistent with its affinity for the low end. Well, the best way I can describe the sound here is “more balanced.” Don’t get me wrong: There’s still plenty of bass when tunes call for it, but you can also clearly pick up other elements — things like hi-hats, snares and others all seem to stand out more when compared to previous releases.

As recently as the Pill XL, the extra bass was great for some genres, but just seemed to muddy others. That’s not the case here. When switching from hip-hop to metal, and then on to something mellower, like bluegrass – hehe, dad would be so proud – each tune I threw at the headphones came through clearly and with a wider range of tones than existing efforts. Those looking for a truckload of bass will still get it when a playlist demands, but folks who prefer a myriad of styles in their music libraries are catered to as well. Even my 4 year old Zonke album sounded as crisp.

[frame src=”http://savibeza.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/C360_2015-06-08-19-10-59-996.jpg” link=”http://savibeza.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/C360_2015-06-08-19-10-59-996.jpg” target=”_self” width=”” height=”” alt=”Premium WordPress Themes” align=”left” prettyphoto=”false”]

Where Beats didn’t excel with the new model is comfort. I’ve never been a fan of the way this brand of headphones feels when I wear them, and unfortunately, the Studio is more of the same. Despite a new headband and ergonomic, pivoting earcups, the headphones still feel like they’re pinching in on my head – a feeling that gets uncomfortable about 15 to 20 minutes into a listening session. That’s a common criticism of the smaller Solo HD sets, too. I’ll review these later.

In terms of aesthetics, the area housing the iconic circle logo on the outside of the earcups is concave and the leather-esque material meets the plastic on the inside seamlessly. That bunched-up hemline is no more. There’s no in-line remote for toggling tracks, adjusting volume and taking calls here – they lost my interest for good. I guess that’s where the ‘Studio’ name comes to play. Finally, the cans still fold in on themselves just like all other versions, should you feel the need to toss ’em in a bag or the included carrying case for transport.

[frame src=”http://savibeza.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/C360_2015-06-08-19-12-10-525.jpg” link=”http://savibeza.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/C360_2015-06-08-19-12-10-525.jpg” target=”_self” width=”” height=”” alt=”Premium WordPress Themes” align=”left” prettyphoto=”false”]

The days of needing to carry an extra pack of Duracells are gone too; the Li-Ion battery promises 20 hours of music playback. Meanwhile, five LEDs display juice levels and an automatic power control keeps the cells from draining if you forget to turn ’em off. The company’s new DSP, Beats Acoustic Engine (BAE), aims for a voicing of “balance, accuracy and emotion,” and the cans apparently leak out less sound to those around you. So, is it more than just a new take on the bass-heavy S-curve that’s managed to “Keep Their Heads Ringin'” for five years? You can find it at your favourite tech store, in your choice of black, white or red.

Apple’s iTunes store and iPod were extremely influential to how we listen to music now. In not at all overstated terms, they almost certainly paved the way for a brand like Beats to even be able to happen. Other parallels aren’t hard to find, either. Many perceive both brands as “premium,” likely as many consider them overpriced/over hyped. They both owe a good amount of their success to strong, charismatic CEOs. Both brands have become icons, badges, labels to be worn, something to be seen with (or without!). Why then, would a company that has the capacity, brand equity and experience in making audio hardware and streaming software want to pay such a huge price ($3.2 billion, reportedly) for something it can already do?

Usually, at this point, the answer would be “users.” That’s really what Facebook was buying when it snapped up WhatsApp for $19 billion. Zuckerberg likely had more developers working on poke than WhatsApp did in its whole office, but the lure of an extra 450 million daily customers was evidently worth the price tag. The question is, what can Beats offer in terms of users? Its headphone sales are undoubtedly strong, and margins are very likely favorable, but enough to merit that $3.2 billion asking price? Unlikely. Especially compared to what it would cost Apple to develop its own extended range of headphones, that would likely overlap in terms of potential customer anyway. As for Beats music? The jury is largely still out on that. It’s certainly got some innovative features, and deals with AT&T etc. will have got people using it, but we still keep coming back to the question: why beats, why now?

What would a Beats and Apple collaboration even look like, anyway? Rebranded headphones? Unlikely. Co-branded? Probably not. At best, the headphones would remain as they are, it’s Beats music (and perhaps its recent moves with Chevrolet/ Chrysler) that would be higher up the list for absorption into the Apple tree. The fact is, iTunes Radio hasn’t really made the splash that the iTunes music store did a decade or so ago. Apple’s CarPlay is also still in its infancy. Therefore, these two arms of Beats, at first glance, seem the most viable candidates for Apple’s affection. In short, it arguably boils down to Apple buying Beats for a few of its ideas, and a lot of its cool-factor. Something Apple has arguably traded for market penetration over the last decade. Could Apple really do more with Dre’s empire than HTC did (at much less capital expense)? If nothing else, it would spruce up the much-maligned in-box headphones it sells, and prove a rare toe-dip into the world of Android (via Beats music), something it would desperately need to do for true streaming ubiquity.

For all amount of logical reasons why this shouldn’t happen (not least that Apple isn’t known for buying big brands), the noise behind this story is impossible to ignore. The rumors may remain just that right now, but the Financial Times is confident in its sources, and the Wall Street Journal isn’t folding in much skepticism with its reports, either. Not to mention Bloomberg and the New York Times also putting their name to the story. This latest video might not be the outright confirmation that we’re craving, but it is the first comment on it from either of the parties involved. It could also be a hilarious wind-up, an industry whisper that got out of hand, and landed back in Dre’s lap, with him taking full (fun) advantage. After all, if the ink were still wet on a deal, it would still likely be subject to intense terms and conditions, likely involving disclosure. But one thing’s for sure, he sure looks happy about something. And we doubt it’s the Heineken.