Shure Aonic 40: Strong ANC and solid audio performance
Macworld|July 2023
You can crank up the Shure Aonic 40's effective active noise cancellation in noisy environments and ease off it for the best audio quality
JAMES BARBER
Shure Aonic 40: Strong ANC and solid audio performance

The Shure brand might have you thinking of pro audio gear more than consumer electronics, but the Shure Aonic 40 noise-cancelling headphones deserve to be compared to what market leaders Bose and Sony have to offer. And considering that Shure started out building innovative microphones starting in 1925, these headphones do a great job with phone calls.

The Shure Aonic 40 is a closed-back, over-ear set of headphones with 40mm dynamic drivers. Those drivers utilize neodymium magnets and have a frequency response range of 20Hz to 22kHz.

The headphones feature a sleek and stylish design, with a matte-black finish and chrome accents. The earpads are plush and comfortable, and they create a good seal around the ears, which helps block out external noise even before you turn on ANC. The headphones also feature an adjustable headband with rubber padding that goes over the top of your head.

Aside from the silver aluminum posts that connect the earcups to the headband and the patent leather of the earpads, the body of the Aonic 40 is plastic. It's a high-quality plastic that tends to retain fingerprints, but its overall construction is similar to that of the Sony WM-1000XM5 we reviewed in 2022 (fave.co/3k4la1E).

DOES THE SHURE AONIC 40 OFFER LONG BATTERY LIFE?

The Shure Aonic 40 has a battery life of up to 20 hours with Bluetooth and ANC turned on, and up to 32 hours with ANC turned off. The headphones also feature a quick-charge function that provides up to 2.5 hours of playback time with just 15 minutes of charging.

The headphones use Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless connectivity, and they support the AAC, aptX, and aptX HD codecs for high-quality audio streaming. They also feature multipoint pairing, which allows you to connect to two devices at the same time, such as a phone and a tablet.

WHAT KIND OF CABLES AND CASE COME WITH THE SHURE AONIC 40?

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM MACWORLDView all
Mac 911
Macworld

Mac 911

Solutions to your most vexing Mac problems.

time-read
7 mins  |
December 2024
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: Great-sounding headphones that support aptX
Macworld

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: Great-sounding headphones that support aptX

B&W's new top-of-the-range Bluetooth earbuds sound great and include an innovative smart case that supports aptX technology for high-quality audio-even on Apple devices.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2024
AirPods versus AirPods Pro: How they compare
Macworld

AirPods versus AirPods Pro: How they compare

Don't know whether to buy the AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with ANC, or AirPods Pro 2? Here's how they stack up.

time-read
5 mins  |
December 2024
Apple's true hit of 2024 isn't the iPhone 16
Macworld

Apple's true hit of 2024 isn't the iPhone 16

Apple's unsung hero of the fall is the AirPods 4.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2024
Ugreen Revodok Pro 210: Decent speeds at a nice price
Macworld

Ugreen Revodok Pro 210: Decent speeds at a nice price

A hub for users who don't need top performance from their connections.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2024
Anker Prime 100W GaN Wall Charger: Clever and compact
Macworld

Anker Prime 100W GaN Wall Charger: Clever and compact

Anker proves that with a clever design, you can also achieve compact dimensions suitable for traveling.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2024
Wombat Willow: A solid typing tool with some quirks
Macworld

Wombat Willow: A solid typing tool with some quirks

This isn't a keyboard that lets you simply plug in and go-you need to read the manual.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2024
pdfFiller: An overpriced, half-baked PDF editor for macOS
Macworld

pdfFiller: An overpriced, half-baked PDF editor for macOS

A basic PDF editor that doesn't fulfill its promises and costs too much.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2024
iPHONE 16 & 16 PLUS REVIEW: THE PHONE FOR EVERYONE CREEPS INTO PRO TERRITORY
Macworld

iPHONE 16 & 16 PLUS REVIEW: THE PHONE FOR EVERYONE CREEPS INTO PRO TERRITORY

APPLE'S BEST ALL-AROUND PHONE IS BETTER AND ALL-AROUNDER.

time-read
8 mins  |
December 2024
APPLE WATCH SERIES 10 REVIEW: MODEST IMPROVEMENTS TO A PROVEN FORMULA
Macworld

APPLE WATCH SERIES 10 REVIEW: MODEST IMPROVEMENTS TO A PROVEN FORMULA

IF YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR A BIG APPLE WATCH REVAMP, THIS ISN'T IT, BUT IT'S STILL THE BEST SMARTWATCH AROUND.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2024