There are noise cancelling earbuds, and then there are the Status Between 3ANC earbuds. I’ve been testing them for about a month now, and I’ve come to a conclusion. Despite some obvious flaws that most people may not even consider, the Between 3ANC’s have some of the best noise cancelling on the market.
Style and Fit
In a world full of Airpod knock offs, the Between 3ANC earbuds try something a little bit different. They take on a block approach as opposed to a rounded edge. Does it pay off? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as they say. I guess I don’t really care because I simply don’t care what people think of me. I’m a minor rebel, so if Airpods are in – I’m out. I’m not an Apple fan boy at all partially because everyone else is, and there are SO many superior products out there (USB-C anybody?). I personally like the unique metal clad stem design. The buds can be purchased in either a “Bone” (Silver and white) or Onyx color.
I wore these bad boys out to several stores and to a few meetings, and I received a few positive comments on the style. The interesting thing is, I simply forgot they were in. That’s how comfortable they are in my ears. The buds come with several different options for fit. Par for the course with any earbud purchase now days. The default rubber buds fit me just fine, but the user should be aware other options (including fit wings) are indeed included in the box.
The case itself is a bit more rounded off and boasts a rapid charge for the buds. Either earbud can be used individually, but here is where flaws start to appear. If I use a single earbud, I lose touch functionality options. For example, if I use the left bud, I can only turn the volume down or rewind. If I use the right bud, I can only fast forward or turn the volume up. This is a bit annoying when using them for an audiobook in bed, and I have to grab my phone to adjust volume via Bluetooth.
Performance
Let’s start off by looking at the case. The case charges the buds pretty quickly where even just a five minute charge can bank me about an hour of playback. The case also features wireless charging which is really handy because I don’t have to unplug anything to get them to charge up. I just toss them on the wireless pad (not included). Overall, nothing too special here – just a nice stylish case to hold your beloved buds in.
Where the Status Between 3ANC earbuds truly stand out is in the quality of their sound. Even without the free equalizer app, I find the purity and clarity of the overall mix to be near perfection. Status claims this is due in part to “triple driver acoustics”. The bass is perfectly woven into the mix and never gives a muddy sound. I happen to receive the headphones on the day Blink-182 releases their new song “One More Time”. With ANC on, I transport to another world. Harmonies and parts I can’t normally separate on my stereo come through in near perfect clarity. Man, these things are nice.
I don’t love using them for things like working out. I find they fall out much easier than my favorite work out buds from Dottir. That being said, Between 3ANC offers an IPX-5 waterproof rating for sweat and rain. I don’t seem to have an issue while running, but for some reason lifting weights makes my left bud pop out frequently particularly during bench press.
I’m not huge into ambient sound modes, but the offering is here. I tend to use ANC much more frequently, and the Status Between 3ANC earbuds offer up to -38db Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling. What does this mean? It means most sound around you will be completely removed when you turn your music on. The faint hum of an airplane engine can still be heard with volume at mid-range, but voices and other distractions are completely removed. I don’t have Airpod Pros to directly compare them to, but supposedly the Pros are given an edge here if you are into comparing. I doubt there is much of a difference though for the average listener. These are at least $50 bucks less than the pros, and if you don’t care about looking like every single other person on the planet, the savings just may be worth it.
Summary
Are they the best on the market? Not necessarily, but what I love about these earbuds is they focus on sound quality more than bells and whistles. They are ridiculously comfortable, offer really great noise cancellation, and put me in my own world while I’m listening to my favorite tunes or audiobooks. For that, I have to put the Status Between 3ANC up near the top of the market for those looking for Airpod alternatives. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with them.
