The Nura Nuraphone Wireless are unique headphones thanks to their hybrid design. The over-ear part provides you with punchy bass, while the in-ear part is for the mid and treble ranges, which unfortunately sounds a bit sharp and piercing. They have a good app that lets you create different sound profiles based on their personalization process, which scans and adjusts the sound depending on how you hear. Unfortunately, we had issues testing these headphones, and most of our sound review is based on our subjective evaluations. Our testing procedures couldn’t accurately measure the Nuraphone, and the results we got don’t seem to represent the experience of the user. You can read more about our procedures in this discussion thread.
Our Verdict
The Nura Nuraphone are fair for mixed usage. They have a unique listening experience, which can be experienced anywhere, thanks to their Bluetooth design. They have an excited sound profile better suited for bass-heavy genres. They can also block out a significant amount of ambient noise, like the rumble of bus engines or ambient chatter around you. However, you shouldn't wear these during physical activity, and unless you buy their audio cable, they won’t be ideal for watching TV and gaming due to their latency.
- Unique listening experience thanks to the personalization feature.
- Very well-built design.
- Good isolation performance.
- Amazing battery life.
- Odd comfort feeling due to the in-ear fit inside the over-ear cups.
- No included standard audio cable.
- Limited control scheme.
Based on our subjective impressions, we feel the Nura Nuraphone are a good option for neutral sound, although they won’t be the best option for a neutral sound. By listening to them, we think they have a hyped and excited sound, with good bass but slightly too sharp treble, especially on already bright tracks. While their hybrid design of over-ears and in-ears might feel a bit weird at first, they aren’t uncomfortable for listening sessions. Also, their app that calibrates the headphones to your hearing is a nice experience that you can’t get with any other headphones.
The Nura Nuraphone are decent for commuting. These headphones have ANC and can block out a significant amount of ambient noise like the low rumbles of bus and plane engines. They also have very long battery life and will last you for the longest rides and trips.
The Nura Nuraphone are okay for sports, but you shouldn't use them for this. They aren’t the most stable headphones and aren’t designed for this use as they aren't portable nor breathable.
The Nura Nuraphone are alright for the office. We think they have a pretty solid isolation performance in the mid and treble ranges, which are responsible for blocking out work environment noises like ambient chatter and the noise of an A/C system. They're also comfortable, although they might feel weird at first due to their unique design. On the upside, they have very long battery life and will last you a couple of workdays without needing recharging.
The Nura Nuraphone are disappointing for wireless gaming. These headphones shouldn’t be used wirelessly for gaming due to their latency issues. Also, their design might not be the most comfortable due to the in-ear fit. Their microphone performance also can’t compete against a good boom microphone from a gaming headset. On the upside, their audio quality is pretty good, and if used via USB on a PC, you can eliminate the latency issues and have good audio reproduction.
Changelog
- Updated Jul 12, 2021: We've updated the Battery and Wired tests.
- Updated Jun 22, 2021: We've updated the 'Noise Isolation' text.
- Updated Jul 08, 2020: We've updated the Test Settings and fixed a few mistakes in the review. No major score changes.
- Updated Mar 27, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Nura Nuraphones are unique headphones thanks to their hybrid design of over-ears and in-ears. They also have an app that calibrates the headphones to your hearing, which is a great and unique experience. When it comes to active noise cancelling, which was rolled out in a software update, they can also block out a significant amount of ambient noise.
See our suggestions for the best noise cancelling headphones, the best critical listening headphones, and the best Bluetooth headphones.
The Beats Studio3 Wireless are better mixed-use headphones than the Nura Nuraphone Wireless. The Beats are more comfortable, and they also come with an audio cable and an in-line microphone, which the Nura lacks inside the box. On the other hand, the personalization feature of the Nura is a unique experience you can’t get on the Beats headphones. The Nura also offer a longer battery life than the Beats.
The Bose QuietComfort 35 II/QC35 II Wireless 2018 are better-mixed usage headphones than the Nura Nuraphone Wireless thanks to their great ANC feature. The Bose are also one of the most comfortable headphones we’ve reviewed so far and have a much more neutral sound profile. On the other hand, the Nura last a lot longer off a single charge, and their personalization feature and hybrid design offer a unique listening experience.
The Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless are a better choice for everyday use than the Nura Nuraphone Wireless. The Sony are noticeably more comfortable. You get access to more control commands thanks to their touch-sensitive surfaces, although they don’t respond well in freezing weather and you won't be able to use them when connected via their USB charging cable. You can also EQ them to your liking inside their app, but it won’t offer a personalization feature like the Nura’s app does. The Nura also leak less due to their unique hybrid fit.
The Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless and the Nura Nuraphone Wireless are two good headphones but in very different ways. The Sennheiser sound more neutral than the exciting-sounding Nuraphone. The Sennheiser have a more traditional over-ear fit and are a bit more comfortable. On the other hand, Nura have an ANC system that's able to block out a significant amount of ambient noise. They also have a very unique app that lets you personalize the sound profile of the headphones to suit how you hear.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
Test Results
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