The Shure AONIC 50 are high-end wireless over-ear headphones with a sleek design, premium build quality, and a comfortable fit, not to mention a pretty broad range of connectivity options. They also have a reasonably well-balanced sound profile that can be customized in-depth through a parametric EQ in their feature-rich companion app, making them suitable for a wide range of musical genres. Unfortunately, they’re not especially portable, have a pretty lackluster integrated microphone, and their ANC system is only mediocre, as it does a poor job of blocking out sounds like bus and plane engines as well as construction equipment.
Our Verdict
The Shure AONIC 50 are decent for neutral sound. Their out-the-box sound profile isn’t especially neutral, with boomy bass and slightly overemphasized treble, but they can be adjusted through a parametric EQ in their dedicated companion app. Unfortunately, their bass response is heavily influenced by their positioning and fit, and they don’t offer a very spacious listening experience, although that’s normal for closed-back headphones.
- Comfortable fit.
- Parametric EQ in dedicated companion app.
- Boomy bass response.
- Compact soundstage.
The Shure AONIC 50 are a decent choice for commuters and travelers. They’re very comfortable and sturdy enough to take some bumps and accidental drops without much of an issue. They also have a pretty comprehensive control scheme that’s quite easy to use, even when you’re on the move. On the downside, their ANC system does a poor job of blocking out low-frequency sounds like bus engines, and their design isn’t exactly portable.
- Comfortable fit.
- Easy-to-use controls.
- Mediocre ANC.
- Bulky design.
The Shure AONIC 50 are alright for sports and fitness, although that's a long way from their intended use. While they provide a reasonably stable fit and a wireless design that removes any potential risk of an audio cable snagging on something, they’re still quite bulky and might slip around if you do anything more intense than light jogging.
- Comfortable fit.
- Easy-to-use controls.
- Bulky design.
The Shure AONIC 50 are a reasonable choice for office use. They’re comfortable enough to wear all day and have a solid 17-hour plus battery life, which should be more than enough to get you through a couple of days at work without needing a charge. They also support multi-device pairing, which is useful if you swap between listening to content on your phone and work computer. Unfortunately, while their ANC does a better job of blocking out background chatter than engine rumbles, its performance is still mediocre overall.
- Compatible with with a broad range of Bluetooth codecs.
- Comfortable fit.
- Easy-to-use controls.
- Mediocre ANC.
These headphones are not suitable for wireless gaming out the box, as their standard audio latency is too high to play games. They require a separate apt X-LL compatible dongle to limit audio latency.
The Shure AONIC 50 are decent for wired gaming, so long as you don't plan on using their mic, as neither the included 1/8" TRS or USB cables support wired microphone usage. That said, they're comfortable enough to wear for long periods and have a sound profile that'll emphasize some sound effects without totally overwhelming in-game dialogue.
- Comfortable fit.
- Compact soundstage.
The Shure AONIC 50 are mediocre for phone calls. Their microphone makes your voice sound thin, muffled, and lacking in detail while also struggling to isolate it from ambient noise.
- Comfortable fit.
- Poor integrated microphone.
- Mediocre ANC.
Changelog
- Updated Oct 20, 2023: We've added a comparison between these headphones and the Shure AONIC 50 Gen 2 Wireless in Noise Isolation.
- Updated Jan 26, 2023: Due to user feedback regarding an issue with playing and pausing audio, we've tested multi-device pairing. However, there hasn't been a change in the scoring of Bluetooth.
- Updated May 30, 2022: We originally reported that you couldn't receive audio on PCs using a wired USB connection. However, the USB cable can pass audio when connected to a PC, although you won't be able to use the headphones' mic. We also checked this connection on PlayStation consoles and noticed that it doesn't work with these devices. We have updated 'PC Compatibility' and 'PlayStation Compatibility'.
- Updated Jun 29, 2021: Changed USB Audio results for clarity.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Shure AONIC 50 are high-end wireless over-ear headphones with a sleek design, premium build quality, and a comfortable fit. They offer a pretty broad range of connectivity options as well as a highly customizable listening experience thanks to the parametric EQ in their companion app. However, their ANC system lags some way behind rivals like the Sony WH-1000MX3 Wireless while the performance of their integrated microphone isn't nearly as impressive as that of the Bose 700 Headphones Wireless.
If you're looking for other headphones for mixed usage, check out our list of recommendations for the best wireless Bluetooth headphones, the best noise cancelling headphones, and the best headphones.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless are better headphones than the Shure AONIC 50 Wireless. The Sony are more comfortable, have a significantly better noise isolation performance, have a longer continuous battery life, and support NFC pairing. However, the Shure have a companion app that offers a parametric EQ, which some users may prefer over the Sony's graphic EQ.
The Shure AONIC 50 Wireless and Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Wireless are similarly-performing wireless headphones, each with different advantages. The Shure have a more well-balanced sound profile as well as a companion app that allows for a higher degree of adjustment, not to mention aptX-LL compatibility for less audio lag when wirelessly streaming videos. That said, the PX7 do a better job of blocking out ambient noise, especially in the bass range, and have much longer battery life.
The Bose 700 Headphones Wireless are better headphones for mixed usage than the Shure AONIC 50 Wireless. The Bose are more comfortable, have a better-balanced sound profile, a longer battery life, and a much better-integrated microphone. They also do a better job of blocking out ambient noise. However, the Shure provide a more consistent listening experience, easier-to-use controls, and aptX-LL compatibility, so they're better suited for streaming videos wirelessly with low latency.
The Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless are better headphones for mixed usage than the Shure AONIC 50 Wireless. The Sony are more comfortable and can be carried around more easily due to their folding ear cups. They also provide a more consistent, well-balanced default listening experience as well as a substantially more effective ANC system, which dramatically lowers the volume of everything from plane and bus engines to the high-pitched hum of an AC unit. The Sony| Headphones Connect app offers a much broader range of options than the ShurePlus Play app, although the Sony's graphic EQ is less adjustable than the Shure four-point parametric EQ. The Shure also have an easier-to-use control scheme as well as aptX-LL compatibility.
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