Its tougher than ever to stand out in the world of wireless earbuds, but luckily the NuraLoop have a mighty trick up their sleeve: personalized sound. Are they perfect? No, there are a number of flaws, but theyre up there with the most inreresting wireless earbuds Ive ever used.
Come, friend, grasp my hand and well go on a NuraLoop adventure together.
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Who makes the NuraLoop?
A company called Nura.
Want to tell us anything else?
Fine. The companys carved out a niche for itself selling hearing-tuned headphones. Effectively, the cans fire sounds into your ear, creates a hearing profile for you, and plays music thats adapted to the way you listen. Theres more information about it here.
Now, Ive reviewed the Nuraphone which are the companys over/in-ear headphones and I can tell you one thing: they sound amazing. They arent made to provide you the purest representation of a song, instead they make music pop. Theyre probably the most fun Ive had with a pair of headphones.
So what are the NuraLoop then?
These are the companys wireless earbuds. They look like this:
The NuraLoop are neither ugly nor pretty, they simply are.
And what are they like?
Both fantastic and a bit annoying.
In what way?
Well, sound-wise the NuraLoop live up to the Nuraphone: these are some of the most fun-sounding earbuds Ive ever used. Listening to music with them is a joy. The bass is rich, the mids full, and highs clear. Theyre energizing and, if you havent used hearing-tuned headphones before, Id advise you to try them. It really is an entertaining and, importantly, enjoyable experience.
The NuraLoop sound great why did you say theyre annoying?
Basically, the way you interact with them is deeply irritating.
Ive seen a few comments on the bulky design, but this didnt bother me too much its not as though the NuraLoop are too big to get in your pocket. But I find the controls a real buzzkill. Effectively, you can tap or double tap each earbud to enact an assignable feature. Think of pressing twice on the left earbud to enable noise-canceling, or once on the right to skip the track forward.
This is all fine, but its so easy to accidentally touch these controls and interrupt your listening experience. Also I found double tapping often made my ears feel uncomfortable although this may be down to my weak and pathetic hearing flesh.
Theres also something called a TouchDial on each earbud. This allows you to make a circular motion with your finger to, say, increase the volume. To me, it felt a bit clumsy. I wouldve much preferred some regular buttons.
Finally, I really wish the band connecting the earbuds was adjustable. For some people, it might be too short, but I found it dangled low enough that it constantly jostled against my shirt or jacket, often marring the listening experience.
HERE ARE THE NURALOOP again?
Is there anything positive about the design?
Of course. Firstly, Im a fan of the adjustable ear hooks. This allows you to get a really comfortable fit and ensure the NuraLoop stay put. This is especially good if you have weird ears (like me) or want to use them for exercise. I also liked the wide selection of earbud tips, which was helpful in getting the NuraLoop to feel secure.
Another great feature is the the option to use an aux cord with the earbuds. Its the one positive of the NuraLoop using a proprietary charging system (JUST GIVE US USB-C) and makes the earbuds far more versatile.
And the price?
Theyll set you back $199. More than the regular AirPods, less than the AirPods Pro.
What are you final thoughts on the NuraLoop?
If youre looking for a pair of enjoyable in-ear headphones to block out some noise while youre working from your desk, the NuraLoop could be for you.
Basically, these things sound fantastic and are entertaining, but just arent quite functional enough for me to tell you to rush out and buy them. The noise-canceling is fine, the transparency mode less so, but Im really not a fan of the functionality.
Using the NuraLoop isnt terrible, far from it, but it also isnt a slick and hassle-free experience. I love their sound, but hope future versions can hone the design. And if youre after the full experience, Id have to direct you towards the Nuraphone instead.
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Published December 17, 2020 — 09:53 UTC
It’s tougher than ever to stand out in the world of wireless earbuds, but luckily the NuraLoop have a mighty trick up their sleeve: personalized sound. Are they perfect? No, there are a number of flaws, but they’re up there with the most inreresting wireless …
