In-ears with ANC and hearing test: Nuraloop always sounds unique

The Nuraloop in-ear headphones are something special because they sound different for every listener. You measure your hearing and create an individual sound profile – the result sounds great. They also have a lot more to offer.

In order to stand out as a relatively unknown headphone manufacturer, you have to come up with something today. Nura has managed to do just that – with the Nuraphone, the Australian manufacturer debuted two years ago with a truly unique headphone. The highlight: a combination of over-ear and in-ear construction and a sound profile specially adapted to the individual hearing ability.

Now the successor is here. The Nuraloop is something like the little brother of the big over-ear model. Instead of attracting attention with its sheer size, it relies on understatement, but shares the smart technology with otoacoustic hearing measurement with its predecessor. In addition, there is a contemporary active noise cancellation (ANC), which effectively filters ambient noise or lets it through to the listener in social mode if desired.

A good grip is important

But first the Nuraloop has to be tried on. It is even more worthwhile than with other in-ear headphones to try out the silicone plugs in different sizes until you find the perfect fit in your ear. The earphones also have brackets for a better hold, but they only really sit tight in conjunction with the appropriate plugs. Because the connection cable between the two earphones is quite short, frequent head movements can cause them to slip out of the auditory canal – especially when a scarf or a high-necked jacket collar gets in the way of the neck tape.

Once the Nuraloops sit properly in the ear, they can fully exploit their sound strength. As with its predecessor, the sound can be individually adjusted by measuring the ear canal with the help of sensitive microphones. The app allows users to create a perfectly customized sound profile, and a total of three profiles can be saved for one device. Once this has happened, the Nuraloop sounds different for each user, but always strong, detailed and spatially broad in every frequency range, with balanced mids, clear highs and powerful bass, which can be additionally amplified in "immersion mode".

Sensitive touch surfaces

The Nuraloop is controlled via touch surfaces on both earphones. They recognize circular movements, one-time and double tips. Each user can decide for himself which functions are controlled and how, the app offers many customization options. But because the touch sensors are quite sensitive, the one-time tip was quickly deactivated in the test – otherwise a cap over the ears, a hood or careless contact with the sensitive surfaces would trigger an unwanted action too quickly.

It is more fun to steplessly adjust the volume or the mix of music and ambient noise (social mode) using the circular wiper. This is especially useful when you are out and about in city traffic. Here every user can find the right balance between enjoying music and traffic noise, so that the Nuraloop can stay in it even when cycling. The noise reduction offers no gradation, it is pleasant and suitable for everyday use, sufficiently strong, but not quite as effective as in some competing models.

Masters with little quirks

Especially with long-distance listeners, the Nuraloop scores not only with its sound, but also with its battery life of up to 16 hours, a realistic value. It can also be charged quickly – but only via the magnetic connection on the neck strap to which the supplied charging and audio cables dock. This is elegant, but impractical, because if you forget or lose the cables, you are in a fix. The charging cable is also way too short.

With that one of the biggest weaknesses of the Nuraloop is mentioned – a USB-C connection would be much more user-friendly. Even slightly less sensitive touch surfaces or "real" buttons would make operation easier in many cases. Then you could also use the single tap function sensibly without constantly triggering actions by mistake.

But that's it for the criticism – otherwise the Nuraloop is an excellent sound master, which with its dynamic and balanced sound plays in the upper in-ear league and is not overpriced at around 230 euros. With its hearing measurement technology, the Nuraloop also has a strong trump card. Despite its technology, the Nuraloop doesn't sound much better than other headphones in the same price range, but it can easily take on any competitor.