Audio Performance

The Audeara A-01 is equipped with a pair of 40-millimeter mylar dynamic drivers. On the wireless front, it's equipped with a Bluetooth 4.2 chip with SBC and aptX audio codec support. That caps the wireless bandwidth to 352 kbps (aptX) or 320 kbps (SBC), which is enough for good quality streams, but not enough to make full use of your Tidal HiFi or Deezer HiFi subscription. Considering the price of the Audeara A-01, aptX HD and LDAC codec support would be a nice and appreciated addition to the mix.

Before describing the sound signature of the Audeara A-01, I should mention that my impressions are based on Audeara Experience being set to 25%, at which point the headphones sound the best to me. The custom-tailored profile was created over the official Audeara app after I conducted the Ultimate Precision hearing test. Also, the Audeara A-01 was updated to firmware version 1.39, which brought with it significant upgrades to overall performance.

I would describe the overall sound signature of the Audeara A-01 as relaxed and unobtrusive. It's almost like they wanted to craft it in a way that wouldn't offend anyone. These headphones don't go overboard in any part of the frequency spectrum, or sound lacking in any of them—the bass is present and coherent, and has a decent amount of punch to it, although the Audeara A-01 is by no means a bass monster. The mid-range and high-range sound clean and quite detailed, which brings out the vocals and more demanding instruments nicely. The highest frequencies aren't harsh or excessively bright. Simply put, everything you play on the Audeara A-01 sounds good, but exactly that's the thing—nothing sounds exceptional. There is a lack energy and bite, anything that would give the sound signature more character and make you tap your foot to whatever you're listening to. Things do get better when you plug it into a decent amplifier since you can then turn the volume up by more than the built-in amplifier allows you to, which adds a bit of kick and punch to the sound. However, you're probably not buying a pair of wireless headphones for a listen in wired mode.

All things considered, the unavoidable fact is that you can get significantly better-sounding wireless, over-ear travel headphones for $400 even if active noise cancellation is what you're after. The Bose QuietComfort 35 II and Sony WH-1000XM3 immediately come to mind. Both sound much more exciting and lively than the Audeara A-01, while at the same time offering class-leading active noise-canceling technology, something that cannot be said of the Audeara A-01.

Active Noise Canceling

It's hard to quantify the level of active noise canceling (ANC) on a pair of headphones, but on the Audeara A-01, it definitely isn't close to what some of the best competitors offer. It does a solid job of blocking out the lower frequencies, such as roaring jet engines, but that's about it. The Sony WH-1000XM2, my personal pair of travel headphones, do a noticeably better job in terms of ANC regardless of the environment I found myself in. After the ANC is turned on, the sound of the Audeara A-01 becomes more compressed and tinny, to where certain higher-frequency instruments can become harsh. Because of that, I preferred using it passively, where the closed-back ear cup design does all of the work of acoustically isolating me from my surroundings.