Shure Aonic 40

Sleek design

Uncomfortable for prolonged use

“A better headband would make these headphones tough to beat.”

Relatively accurate audio performance ; Multiple connectivity options

Noise cancellation mode affects audio and changes with head position

Shure's wireless Aonic 40 headphones offer accurate, highly customizable audio performance and multiple connectivity methods, but their noise-cancellation capabilities aren't quite in line with their price.

Accurate sound ; Superb ANC and ambient listening modes ; Fancy, well-built design ; Stable battery life ; Competitively priced

Heavy and uncomfortable ; Unfavorable control scheme ; Companion app is a bit buggy

The $249 Shure Aonic 40 is a standout noise-canceller with a weight issue.

ANC level can be adjusted to match your surroundings ; Excellent call quality ; Doesn’t require power to work with 3.5mm cable ; Extensive control over EQ in the Shure Play app

Highest ANC setting causes eardrum suck ; No LDAC support

The Shure Aonic 40 is a worthy competitor to more expensive wireless headphones from the likes of Sony and Bose.

Very clear and fine sound, good dynamics and nice range. Good noise reduction and - finally - fast charging.

The app is not always stable. Not as comfortable on the ears as big brother, and spectacle users lose bass response.

Shure’s cheapest noise-cancelling headphones have some improvements over the top model, including the fact that they fold up and can finally be fast-charged.

The Shure AONIC 40 takes feedback from the AONIC 50 to create a new headphone which is more compact, better bass response, stripping off some audiophile features (no LDAC, no 32-bit DAC), and tweaking the ANC and Environment Modes, with reduced retail...

Crisp, energetic, flowing sound ; Long battery life ; Good for calls

Not the most comfortable to wear ; Patchy wireless performance in busy areas ; Noise-cancellation not the strongest

It’s a mixed bag of performance for the Aonic 40. Shure’s affordable over-ears put in an excellent performance as far as sound, call quality, and battery life are concerned; but they’re not the most comfortable and the ANC is not the strongest either

Great app with adjustable EQ and presets ; Big earcups are comfortable ; Decent battery life ; Lots of connectivity codec support for high quality

Large fit can slide forwards - changing the sound profile ; Active noise-cancelling less impactful than some competitors

At this mid-level price point, these over-ear cans deliver a lot of features: there's active noise-cancelling (ANC), stacks of equalisation (EQ) presets, a decent level of comfort, and great battery life. All that delivers strong when it comes to audio...