Urbanears Juno

Verdict

An all-round stable pair of inexpensive true wi-fi earbuds, the Urbanears Juno make a mark with their clear and detailed audio, snug match, good wi-fi efficiency, and name high quality. A greater noise-cancellation efficiency and they might be up there with the perfect choices beneath £100.

Introduction

The Urbanears Juno are a part of a brand new breed of inexpensive earphones with noise-cancelling that stay up for being your go-to journey companions.

With Bluetooth Multipoint, a transparency mode, and app help, the Juno is about up for contemporary residing at a value that’s fairly acceptable for what it’s providing.

The Boo Tip true wi-fi was a lot favored when reviewed in 2022, so does the Juno enhance on it by bringing new options similar to ANC into the fold?

Design

• Comfortable sufficient to put on
• Responsive contact controls
• Light-weight design

I had thought the Juno and Boo Tip had been of the identical design, however when evaluating the 2 they’re truly very completely different – the Juno incorporates a smaller stem and larger housing. On the finish of the day the outcomes aren’t a lot completely different.

They’re barely heavier (4.25g vs 3.8g), however that also makes them one of many lightest earbuds in the marketplace. Just like the Boo Tip, the Juno aren’t uncomfortable to put on, they usually share an identical propensity to maneuver slightly throughout use however not as a lot.

The form of the housing results in a extra comfortable match, and although using recycled PC/ABS materials for the casing does really feel slightly coarse, it’s to not the purpose of being too onerous or uncomfortable to put on.

The capacitive contact controls are a) responsive and b) supply respectable suggestions, so you already know as soon as they’ve been pressed. Controls are mirrored on each side, and operation might be customised throughout the Urbanears app.

Rated to IPX4, the buds are adequate to withstand some splashes of water and sweat. The charging case is virtually the identical dimension because the Boo Tip, with the ‘smile’ on the entrance appearing as a Bluetooth pairing button, an LED above displaying the cost stage and a USB-C port is beneath for charging. Charcoal Black, Soiled Tangerine and Uncooked (white) are the color selections.

Options

• Good name high quality
• ANC and Clear mode
• App help

The Urbanears Juno function noise-cancelling, becoming a member of a listing of latest inexpensive true wi-fi earphones so as to add it. The efficiency isn’t essentially the most highly effective, with the concentrate on clearing out ambient sounds and background noise.

When utilizing them on a practice, the buds didn’t have a huge impact on individuals’s voices, besides to barely scale back the quantity.

I may nonetheless hear what individuals round me had been saying – there’s an adjustment required with the quantity to clear away different sounds. Utilizing them on the Northern Line and I’d fee the noise-cancellation as adequate to listen to audio, however the earphones’ ANC weren’t stripping away a lot of the wind noise. It’s simply sufficient to make it bearable, however earbuds just like the EarFun Air Professional 3, JBL Reside Professional 2, and Lypertek Z5 all supply stronger noise-cancelling.

The Transparency mode I discover to be acceptable sufficient. It did present extra consciousness of my environment as I used to be capable of hear a bunch of individuals on a practice from throughout the carriage. It’s a transparent efficiency, with not one of the noisiness that impacts different true wi-fi buds’ ambient modes.

With Bluetooth 5.2 onboard, the Urbanears Juno stream in SBC and AAC codecs. They help Bluetooth Multipoint too, so you may join them to 2 units without delay. The Bluetooth efficiency I discovered to be excellent over the few weeks I used them. There have been no drops strolling by Trafalgar Sq. and Leicester Sq., and just a few drops at Waterloo station.

Urbanears claims six hours battery with noise-cancelling on (26 altogether with the charging case), and 36 hours should you flip the ANC off. Having carried out a battery drain with a Spotify stream for an hour, six hours sounds about proper. The earbuds dropped to 83 and 88%, which works to about 85% or six hours and alter with playback.

The charging case solely fees as much as 90% (to assist protect the lifetime of the earphones), and wi-fi charging is supported, although there doesn’t look like any room for quick charging.

Name high quality is superb for the cash. Readability on each ends and pick-up of my voice was respectable, and the Environmental Noise-Cancellation does its job in stopping most exterior sounds from being a distraction. One downside is the earbuds are affected by wind noise; the individual on the opposite finish reported that every thing I stated muddled collectively when it was windy.

Dive into the Urbanears app and you’ll swap by noise-cancelling modes, and examine battery life. You’ll be able to customise controls, swap between ‘Normal’, ‘Minimal’ (for easier controls) or flip them off fully. There’s no means to create a customized EQ sound, however there’s a wholesome collection of boosts and ‘cuts’ with the offered presets.

Sound High quality

• Clear, detailed, outlined audio
• Light-weight bass efficiency
• Sounds greatest with ANC on

Round this value level you’ve bought loads of wi-fi earbuds. Some supply a clean presentation (Lypertek), others heat (Jabra and EarFun). Urbanears provides a efficiency that’s clear, detailed but additionally not too showy both.

The most effective efficiency is had with noise-cancelling switched on. With it off, audio lacks weight and heft, and the soundstage is pitched with a smaller width. Given the Juno makes use of a 6mm driver and the Boo Tip a 10mm driver, it must be a formality that the Boo Tip sounds larger and extra spacious.

And even with ANC on that assumption seems to be true, nor does the Juno dig into the bass with as a lot depth when listening to Benny Benassi and The Biz’s dance hit Satisfaction. However the observe’s vocals and beats are crisper in tone, clearer and higher outlined on the Juno.

For those who’re into bass the Juno doesn’t supply as a lot, however the crispness and readability of its general presentation holds enchantment with David Bowie’s Fame. There’s extra definition to the devices with the observe than there may be with the Boo Tip, and the degrees of readability outline Bowie’s voice higher.

A hearken to Phoebe Bridger’s Backyard Music and the Beastie Boys’ Sabotage presents related outcomes, and regardless of the crispness of the midrange and excessive frequencies the Juno refrains from sounding sibilant.

In addition to switching on the ANC to get a extra ‘stable’ sound, turning up the quantity also can carry extra power, heft, and dynamism. That’s to not say the Juno sounds dangerous at regular quantity ranges, however it does sound reserved.

With Manu Katché’s Carry on Trippin’ the cymbal crashes are handled with a pleasant crispness and respectable kick to the drum hits. With GoGo Penguin’s Raven the Juno put in a pointy, clear, and shiny efficiency with the treble however the bass lacks that heft and ‘thump’. Choosing the ‘Bass Increase’ EQ doesn’t add as a lot weight as I had hoped.

For those who’re into extra EDM, Trance, or simply bassy tracks basically, you’d be higher served by the EarFun Air Professional 3 and even the Ugreen HiTune T3 (which could be very bassy). For many different genres, the Juno places in a gentle, clear, and detailed efficiency.

Newest offers