Contributed Photo: The NuraLoop earbuds provide Nura’s patented personalized sound technology in a comfortable, portable form.
By Jon Johnson
jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com
In 2018, Nura shocked the world with its innovative over-the-ear headphones the Nuraphones. Now, the patented personalized sound technology has been placed in a comfortable, portable form dubbed the NuraLoop.
Featuring active noise canceling, and customizable touch controls, the NuraLoop is a comfortable wireless earbud that can be worn wired as well. The two earbuds are connected, however, joined at a proprietary connection that serves as its charging point – so be sure to keep the charger in a safe place.
Along with the charging cable, a wired auxiliary cable comes in the well-packaged box, a variety of gel tip sizes, mesh replacements and a soft carrying case to keep everything together.
What really sets the earbuds apart from the competition, however, is its sound technology, which analyzes the user’s hearing and creates a personalized sound profile, which can be further customized to the user’s tastes. Within the app, the user can also create various other personalized sound profiles for more than one user.
The app is intuitive and easy to go through. And, unlike the Nuraphone, the NuraLoop is easy to set in place and remains comfortable through the use of get tips, which come in a variety of sizes to match up with a particular user. To aid in the fit, wired earhooks fit around the outside of the ear and help keep the earbuds in place.
When properly fitted, the earbuds do an excellent job of noise cancelling, even from a group of rowdy piled together in a van. I took the earbuds out on a bicycle ride as well, and even at 20 mph there was no wind noise seepage – as long as the earphones were seated correctly.
Again, what really sets these apart is the sound, which creates a balanced mix that is as base heavy (concert mode) as you wish it to be. Indeed, the sound personalization brings out rich sounds that are otherwise washed away by other competitors’ earbuds.
The battery life is also impressive. We tested these earbuds for a week-and-a-half and only had to charge it up once after it reached 20 percent battery life. According to Nura, the earbuds should get a charge life of 16 hours per charge. Also, its quick charge gives an additional two hours of playback in just 10 minutes of charge time.
Cons
While the touch controls are innovative, I found them to be a bit sensitive when adjusting the earphones. As with the former Nuraphones, the NuraLoop’s touch controls can be accidentally activated just by simply attempting to adjust the fit.
When exercising, one also might pick up some cable noise from the cable that connects the left earbud to the right. When moving one’s head back and forth during rigorous movement, the cable rubbing can create cable noise.
Bluetooth connectivity did occasionally cut out during our week-and-a-half of testing. The system uses Bluetooth 5.0 and, for the most part, works very well. However, we noticed that on occasion the connectivity suffered. At first our testers weren’t sure if it was due to WiFi issues but later learned it was the Bluetooth itself cutting out. It only occurred a few times, yet enough to make mention of it here.
All-in-all, however, I found these earbuds to have exceptional sound quality in a very comfortable form that I can use for hours without need to charge or take out due to any discomfort. I used them while hammering during a renovation project and found the noice-canceling feature most welcome indeed.
The NuraLoop is available from Nura right now for 15 percent off at a price of $169. It can also be purchased at full price on Amazon.
Also, available for the first time in white, a limited edition NuraLoop is now out with each earphone TouchDial having a multi-color effect unique to each NuraLoop.
The NuraLoop colour effect is a bold expression in individuality. Released in time for holiday gifting and available in Limited Edition numbers at $219.
