Kern Astell & True Wireless AK UW100

Clear, detailed and natural sounding ; Great passive noise-isolating design ; Clear Ambient mode ; Easy to operate

Bluetooth connection suffers in busy areas ; Average call quality ; Quite chunky in size ; No IP rating

Impressive sound and super passive noise isolation, Astell & Kern’s first true wireless in the UW100 mark out the company as a competitor at the premium end, to the likes of Sennheiser and Sony. There are areas for improvement and the buds aren’t big...

Absolutely stellar sound ; Effective ambient mode ; Good isolation

Noise cancelling isn’t active (ANC) ; They’re quite big

With their own dedicated DAC (digital-to-analogue converter) and the same drivers as expensive in-ear monitors, the UW100s deliver exceptional sound. The noise cancelling is passive rather than active (ANC) but it’s still very effective. You'll want...

Outstanding audio performance ; Individual look ; Good passive isolation

Not the best for travel ; Chunky size makes for mixed comfort ; Call quality is average

These earbuds sound just fabulous in the right environment, more than making up for the lack of ANC. They're probably not the best option for travelling, but we do also think the sound is as impressive as earbuds can get right now.

Excellent sound quality Very good sound isolation Bluetooth multipoint Wireless charging Wear sensors

Poor call quality No active noise cancellation No IPX rating for water resistance

“Astell&Kern lives up to its reputation for top-notch audio quality.”

Incredible sound ; Easy-to-master touch controls ; Nearly perfect isolation from noise

Equalization software doesn’t add much ; Very large, probably ; too ; large for people with small ears

Astell&Kern has a well-earned reputation for building audiophile-grade high-res digital audio players. Now it has surprisingly affordable in-ear monitors worthy of pairing with that high-priced gear.

Stunning audio quality ; Impressive battery life ; Comfortable fit ; Good call quality

No active noise cancellation ; Earbuds on the larger side

The Astell & Kern UW100 earphones but not as we know them – but they can match for audio quality with other well-known brands. The Astell & Kern UW100 earphones but not as we know them – but they can match for audio quality with other well-known brands.

If you want earbuds with ANC and a full feature-set, look elsewhere — there are plenty of perfectly decent true wireless in-ear headphones that tick every box. But if you want as complete, as convincing and as straightforwardly enjoyable sound as this...