I found something better than the Bose QC Ultra Gen II: meet Noble's FoKus Amadeus
There's extensive choice if you want to get a pair of decent earbuds. Bose, Sennheiser, and Sony continue to be heavy-hitters in this category (I use my Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen II while traveling), and phone brands also a good job with their earbuds - Google's Pixel Buds Pro 2 and Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro deliver a vibrant sound with plenty of useful features.
But if you want the best sound quality, you'll need to turn your attention to Noble Audio. The boutique brand is known for its IEMs, and it has ventured into wireless earbuds in recent years. I've heard plenty of great things about the brand, so I was excited to get my hands on the FoKus Amadeus. Retailing for $320 on Amazon, the Amadeus is in the similar price bracket as the Bose QC Ultra Gen II and Sony WF-1000XM6, but what you're getting here is markedly different.
For starters, the design of the FoKus Amadeus is unlike any other earbuds around. Mainstream brands play it pretty safe with their designs, and they're not meant to stand out - that isn't the case here. With a bright red design and a custom shell that's bigger than most earbuds, these are guaranteed to grab attention.
Like the Amadeus name, the red design is an homage to Mozart's signature tailcoat, says Noble. Build quality is great, and while the size of the shell means the earbuds jut out, I didn't see any issues with comfort. Each bud weighs 7g, and that's in line with other products in this category. The only omission is ingress protection, so I wouldn't suggest using these at the gym. Just like the buds, the case itself is bigger, but the square design makes it easy to take anywhere.
Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central
Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central
Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central
Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android CentralComing to connectivity, the Amadeus gets Bluetooth 5.4 via Qualcomm's QCC3091 modem, and there's SBC, AAC, LDAC, and AptX Adaptive. The buds connect to two devices at once, and I had no problems pairing with my Pixel 11 Pro XL, Find X9 Ultra, and iPad Pro M4. There's good ANC as well, and the buds did a great job tuning out the ambient sounds in my surroundings.
Obviously, sound quality is where the Amadeus excels. The sound signature from the 8.3mm dynamic driver is tuned towards musicality, and you get a good bass rumble with clean mids and a nice treble extension. These are particularly great with vocals, and the soundstage is significantly wider than any other earbuds in this category. There's a level of dynamism to the sound that you just don't get with Bose or Sony, and that ultimately makes the Amadeus enjoyable even in extended listening sessions.
Another thing I like is the sheer level of customizability to the sound. Noble uses Audiodo to tune the sound of the Amadeus to your individual preferences. This is done by a listening test that lasts up to three minutes, and then you get a custom EQ that's tailored to your ears. The tech works exceedingly well, and it makes a big difference to the sound. In addition to Audiodo, you get a 10-band EQ and custom modes that let you tweak the sound profile to a granular degree.
Then there's the app; the Noble FoKus app has to be the best of any buds I used. You get a minimal interface without any overt styling (looking at you, Sennheiser), but there's an extensive amount of customizability when it comes to adjusting the sound.
I got good battery life as well. The Amadeus lasted close to eight hours between charges, and each bud has a 65mAh battery. The case provides an additional 2.5 times charge via a 500mAh battery, so you get just around 40 hours before you'll need to plug in the case. There is fast charging that gives you two hours of music with a 10-minute charge, and a full charge takes just over 90 minutes.
Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central
Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central
Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central
Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android CentralI know that's $320 is at the higher end of the scale when it comes to earbuds, and to its credit, Noble Audio didn't omit anything in the FoKus Amadeus. The design stands out quite a bit, but the earbuds are comfortable to wear, and the sound quality is outstanding; if you've used Bose's QC Ultra or any of Sony's earbuds, you will see an immediate difference when switching to these - I did.
The FoKus Amadeus is designed to stand out, and the sound quality is immersive like no other earbuds in this category.