Status Audio’s new Pro X earbuds look a little like their predecessors but they are 21% smaller and have a more comfortable fit.
JOSEPH CHEN
Recently, there’s been a noticeable increase in demand for wired headphones, but there’s still plenty of interest and demand for wireless earbuds; just look at the massive sales clocked up by Apple’s AirPods.
Wireless earbud prices vary from budget models at $30 to Bang & Olufsen’s Grace earbuds, which currently retail at an eye-watering $1,000. If that’s a little bit over your budget, then the recently launched Status Pro X true wireless earbuds are more affordable but still claim to offer an audiophile-quality performance.
The Status Pro X are the latest earbuds from Status Audio, based in New York. They include high-end features like a plated metal chassis designed to make the earbuds smaller and easier to wear.
The new Pro X earbuds from Status Audio are designed to fit flush into the wearer’s ears.
STATUS AUDIO
The shape is based on Status Audio’s Between 3ANC and Between Pro earbuds, which were released in 2023 and 2021. Between them, these two earbuds have chalked up sales of more than half a million units. Will the Status Pro X prove as popular?
Smaller And Neater
The Pro X earbuds are 21% smaller than the Between 3ANC and Between Pro models, but the ergonomics have been completely reimagined to enable the earbuds to sit more comfortably in the ear and are flush in relation to the wearer’s ear and jawline.
“The Pro X stands in a class of its own,” claims James Bertuzzi, CEO of Status Audio. “We left no stone unturned, pushing our talent and creativity across all facets—from the core engineering to the finishing design touches. The result is a truly inspired product that looks, sounds, and performs like nothing else on the market.”
The triple-driver acoustic design of the Status Audio Pro X earbuds consists of a 12mm dynamic driver coupled with two balanced armatures from Knowles.
STATUS AUDIO
The Pro X has the same hybrid triple driver acoustic system used by both the Between 3ANC and Between Pro, consisting of a 12mm dynamic driver backed up by two balanced armature drivers manufactured by Knowles Corp, the company that has done more than any other to develop balanced armature technology. It’s the combination of three drivers in each earbud that produces a more refined soundstage.
With support for LDAC and LC3 Bluetooth audio codecs, the Pro X is capable of playing high-resolution music wirelessly and the earbuds have received High-Res Wireless Audio certification from the Japan Audio Society. The built-in and rechargeable batteries deliver up to eight hours of playing time on a single charge. MEanwhile, the earbuds’ charging case provides another 24 hours of backup charge.
Triple Driver Design
Status Audio says the triple driver acoustic system used in the Pro X earbuds is backed up with component quality and acoustic standards that are more usually found in professional In-Ear Monitors. Status Audio has also worked on the quality of the microphones for making phone and video calls.
A ful charge of the Status Audio Pro X’s batteries provides up to eight hours of playing time. There’s 24 hours of backup charge in the storage case.
STATUS AUDIO
Thanks to Voiceloom Ai Speech Enhancement, the Status Pro X earbuds have three beamforming microphones that work in combination with advanced deep neural network technology to remove unwanted background noise while maintaining the natural warmth of human speech. This noise reduction technology is there to make calls sound clearer, especially when used in busy and noisy environments.
The Pro X earbuds have Hybrid ANC technology for better quality active noise cancellation to filter out sounds like aircraft engines or road noise. There is a Transparency Mode with adjustable levels to control the amount of external sound that can be fed through.
Other upgrades to this latest design include an optical wearing sensor, better water and dust resistance from an IP55 rating, plus Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair. The Pro X earbuds also support Bluetooth Auracast and LE Audio, two new standards that we’re going to see in many more wireless earbuds and speakers.
Pricing and Availability:
The Status Pro X wireless earbuds are available in Black Alloy or Moonbeam colorways now from Status Audio priced of $299 / £225.
Tech Specs:Design: Hybrid triple driver acoustic system.Drivers: 12mm dynamic and two Knowles balanced armatures. ANC: Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation. Transparency mode: Adjustable. Call noise reduction: AI-Powered Voiceloom Speech Enhancement. Bluetooth: Version 5.3 with Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast support. Audio codecs: SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3. High-Res Wireless Audio Certified: Yes. Pairing: Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift. Multipoint connectivity: Yes. Water and dust resistance: IP55. Battery life: 8 hours (earbuds) 24 hours (charging case).