Much like their pricier predecessors, the $349.99 Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 noise-cancelling headphones sport a refined design, deliver transparent audio, and work with a superb in-app EQ. Core improvements include markedly better battery life and broader Bluetooth codec support. If active noise cancellation (ANC) performance is your top concern, you're better off with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones ($429) or the Sony WH-1000XM5 ($399.99). But Shure's Aonic headphones are otherwise a compelling alternative thanks to their lower price and more accurate default sound signature.
Understated Looks and Quality Accessories
Available in black, the circumaural Aonic 50 Gen 2 headphones feature large earcups with faux-leather lining and ample cushioning. The Shure logo appears on the outside of each earcup and the bottom of the padded headband. They look classy overall, but both the aforementioned Bose and Sony models come in more colors if you're looking for a bit more design variety.
Internally, 50mm neodymium dynamic drivers deliver a frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz. The headphones are compatible with Bluetooth 5.2 and support the AAC, AptX, AptX Adaptive, AptX HD, LDAC, and SBC codecs. Whether you listen on an Android or iOS device, these headphones will provide a high-quality playback option. You can pair them with up to two devices at the same time.
(Credit: Tim Gideon)The right earcup houses the on-ear controls. An unmarked three-way switch cycles between the ANC on, ANC off, and Environment (transparency) modes by default. Because Shure uses a physical switch instead of a button for the ANC controls, you can't change the active mode via the companion app out of the box. However, you can assign a different function to the switch and gain in-app ANC controls if you don't mind that becoming the only way to make related changes.
A three-button array sits to the right of the switch. The central multifunction button handles playback (press once), track navigation (press twice for forward, three times for backward), and voice assistant access (press and hold). It also answers calls (press once), toggles Mute mode (press twice once you enable this feature), ends or declines incoming calls (press and hold), and places calls on hold (press three times). Plus and minus buttons on either side of the central button change the volume.
Continuing around the edge of the right earcup, there's a power/Bluetooth button and a USB-C port for the included USB-A-to-USB-C charging cable that also enables hi-res wired playback at up to 32-bit/384kHz. The left earcup houses a 2.5mm connection for the included 2.5mm-to-3.5mm audio cable that allows for passive or powered wired listening.
In addition to the cables, the headphones ship with a hard-shell zip-up case. It has a strap for easy hanging and features an internal mesh pocket for the cables. The headphones flatten and collapse at the hinges to fit inside.
(Credit: Tim Gideon)Shure estimates the headphones can last roughly 45 hours per charge, assuming mixed usage. For reference, it claims that using the ANC can reduce battery life by roughly between 20 to 25%. Your real-world results will vary greatly depending on how loud you listen, whether you use ANC, and which codec you choose. Shure doesn't provide guidance on the time needed to fully recharge the headphones, but says plugging in for 15 minutes nets five hours of playback.
Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 App Experience
The ShurePlus Play app (available for Android and iOS) takes longer than most to load—sometimes more than 20 seconds. On the main screen, the app shows an image of the product, a battery life readout, and the active noise cancellation mode (no label appears if noise cancellation is off).
The Noise Control tile below that top section also shows what noise cancellation mode you are using, but doesn't let you change it by default. That said, if you set the physical switch on the headphones to the ANC or Environmental modes, you can at least adjust their levels. For ANC, that includes Light, Moderate, Max, or MaxAware (which blends ANC and Environmental modes), while for Environmental, a fader controls the ambient mic levels.
Next up is the Personalize section, which provides a Spatializer effect with Music, Cinema, or Podcast options. These spatial audio modes rely on a variety of weird effects and omit head tracking, so I don't recommend using them. Farther down is a collection of general settings for adjusting tone feedback, switching between hi-res and communication modes for wired listening, and the like. You can also configure the on-ear switch to cycle between the ANC intensity levels (Light, Moderate, and Max), the three Spatalizer selections, and some preset EQ modes (Loudness, Bass Boost, and Vocal Boost).
(Credit: Shure)At the bottom of the screen, you can navigate to the Equalizer, Music, and Settings sections. The EQ section is among the best I’ve seen. In addition to providing some basic presets, it offers a manual tool with a low-shelf band, two midrange parametric bands, and a high-shelf band to adjust. Each band shows its corresponding frequency, how much gain you’re adding or subtracting, and the adjustable bandwidth—in short, real EQ parameters.
Meanwhile, the Music section is a more disorganized take on whatever music streaming app you use. Finally, the Settings area shows product information and lets you download firmware updates.
Unremarkable Noise Cancellation
In my noise cancellation tests, the Aonic 50 Gen 2 headphones performed fine. They dialed back powerful low-frequency rumble fairly well, but some still came through. Against a recording of a crowded cafe, they tamped down the lows and mids to a degree, though most of the higher frequencies passed through freely. Overall, these headphones don't compete with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra or even the previous class leader, the $349 Bose QuietComfort, which is somewhat disappointing given the high-end price.
The Transparency mode is quite effective, however. If you set the associated fader to its highest level in the app, your surroundings will sound slightly louder and brighter than in reality.
Transparent, Adjustable Sound
I can confirm that the in-app EQ is effective for making tweaks to the sound signature, but I turned it off (along with the spatial audio modes) for my testing.
On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the headphones deliver a rich low-frequency response. The drivers don't distort at top volumes and the lows still have a robust presence at moderate levels.
(Credit: Tim Gideon)The headphones can reproduce most of the sub-bass at the 34-second mark of Kendrick Lamar’s “Loyalty.” The lowest note in the sub-bass progression, however, is just beyond their reach. Boosting the lows wildly via the EQ can get you a hint of additional bass depth at the subwoofer level, but these drivers aren't designed for that purpose; they emphasize clarity and balance overall. The vocals benefit from an excellent level of detail.
The drums on Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” a track with far less deep bass, sound natural. Callahan’s baritone vocals receive an excellent blend of low-mid richness and high-mid crispness, while the acoustic strums and higher-register percussive hits are bright. The sound signature leans toward accuracy with a full sense of the mids. Bass lovers might find the audio signature a bit weak out of the box, but slightly boosting the low-end via the in-app EQ lends it some additional body without destroying the balance.
(Credit: Tim Gideon)On orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, the headphones focus on the mids and highs. The lows are still present but don't sound as elevated as on other modern headphones.
The voice mic array works fairly well. I had no issue understanding every word from a test recording on my iPhone thanks to the signal's hint of low-frequency presence and sufficient loudness. That said, the signal is somewhat less crisp than that from the Sony WH-1000XM5.
For Audio Purists
The Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 headphones should appeal if you prefer clarity over booming bass. They offer hi-res playback via USB-C, an excellent range of Bluetooth codecs, good battery life, and a quality array of accessories for less money than their predecessors, but they don't cancel distracting noise as effectively as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra or the Sony WH-1000XM5. If high-quality ANC is central to your decision, either of those two models is a better pick. Shure's headphones are worth considering, though, if you want to save some money or prefer a more audiophile-friendly sound signature.
