Two of the biggest things I’ve longed from my Airpods seem simple enough — Active Noise Cancellation with a battery life of longer than 3.5 hours. And if they could come in black, that wouldn’t be bad either. Luckily with the AU-Stream ANCs, I finally might have all of the things that I wanted.
A self-proclaimed “Airpod Killer”, the AU-Stream ANC were created by a startup called AUSOUNDS, whose CEO, Michael Chen boasts over 16 years of experience in audio manufacturing. The mission behind AUSOUNDS is to refine the sound of audio without compromising it, and the AU-Stream ANC serves as great competition for those white earphones that you have seen out and about.
The role of music creators in the industry is tantamount to everything; this is where our sound comes from. We wanted to create a brand that addresses the many needs of creators at all levels – in their everyday lives and in their work. Using our industry knowledge and working with music influencers and leaders, we are redefining the sound of audio. – Marcus Sanchez, CMO, Ausounds.
Designed for music enthusiasts, or just the casual listener, the AU-Stream ANC resemble many of the truly wireless headphones you see with its design, look in-ear, and even its wireless case. But what stands out to me personally is the audio quality. One of the biggest highlights about the AU-Stream ANC, if you didn’t notice in the name of the product, is the fact that they offer active noise cancellation, making them the first in their collection to offer this feature. Thanks to a 13mm Titanium driver, you’ll get crisp, clean audio, regardless if you listen to some podcasts or even some of your most revered music artists. I’ve been testing them over the past month daily, and what I love the most is that even with the noise cancellation on, the battery life averages about 10 hours on a single charge (with 20 hours or two more full charges in the case). This easily gets me through an average workday of listening to various music, shows, and even a few phone calls.
With regard to calls, there are dual microphones (each earbud), so making and accepting calls sound immaculate. I know I’ve tested other earphones of this style, and when talking to someone I sound distant to the person on the other line. With the AU-Stream ANC, I haven’t had a single complaint about how I sound with anyone I’ve had a conversation with. With Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity you can get up to 30 feet away from the connected device without audio sounding choppy or cutting out, and in my testing, I’ve been able to go between rooms without audio cutting out.
One thing I haven’t had the opportunity to test out so far is the IPX5 waterproof rating. This would be a perfect pair of headphones for the right ear for running and exercising, however, they do not come with wings to wrap around the ear (similar to Airpods) so keep that in mind if you intend on using for that purpose. Overall though, I feel like the competition for Airpods has been amazing over the past two years, but the AU-Stream ANC adds a whole new dynamic with its battery life and its ANC functionalities that I fully expect the competition to emulate in the future.
AUSOUNDS’s AU-Stream ANC Earbuds are available for $149.95. If you are interested in purchasing a pair, head over to their site.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review unit
What I Like: Battery life is INSANE at 10 hours per charge; Wireless charging is a bonus feature; Bluetooth 5.0
What Needs Improvement: Nothing
