SoundStage! Solo | SoundStageSolo.com

Details: Written by: Geoffrey Morrison; Created: 15 May 2026

Sound: 1/2
Value: 1/2
(Read about our ratings)

Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends. Well, OK, this is the end. The end, that is, of this four-part series looking at the flagship noise-canceling earbuds from Apple, Bose, and now Sony. It started with some airborne extended testing while I was flying across the Pacific. For all the details about the noise-canceling performance of all three, check out that article. Spoiler: these Sonys were the best of that impressive bunch.

Read more: Sony WF-1000XM6 Earphones

Details: Written by: Geoffrey Morrison; Created: 01 May 2026

Sound: 1/2
Value: 1/2
(Read about our ratings)

Previously, on SoundStage! Solo: Testing the flagship earbuds from Apple, Bose, and Sony. A few weeks ago, I started this multi-part faceoff with a 12-hour flight to Japan and a real-world test of the comfort and noise canceling of Apple’s AirPods Pro 3, Bose’s second-generation Ultra Earbuds, and Sony’s WF‑1000XM6 earphones. What that story didn’t cover, at least not in any depth, was the sound of each model. Primarily, that’s what this review will cover, as will the upcoming XM6 review, scheduled for May 15.

Details: Written by: Geoffrey Morrison; Created: 15 April 2026

Sound:
Value:
(Read about our ratings)

Reviewers' Choice Are there any earbuds more iconic than the Apple AirPods? I don’t necessarily mean good, just easily recognizable by even the least techy among us. In a way, it’s not surprising how little they’ve changed visually over the years. Some people just want to be seen wearing AirPods, likely the same crowd who think owning an Android is for the poors.

Details: Written by: Geoffrey Morrison; Created: 15 March 2026

Sound: 1/2
Value: 1/2
(Read about our ratings)

I saw the AeroFit 2 Pro earphones at CES this year and thought they were a clever idea. They’re two earbuds in one, switchable with a twist. In one mode, they’re sound-blocking with active noise canceling. In the other mode, they’re semi-open, letting in the sound of the world around you. Imagine blocking out the sound of the subway, then listening for angry cars when you return to street level. Or blocking out the sound of a noisy office but then switching modes when you need to listen for coworkers needing assistance.

Details: Written by: Geoffrey Morrison; Created: 01 August 2025

Sound:
Value: 1/2
(Read about our ratings)

Reviewers' Choice How many drivers are enough? How many are too many? I don’t know the answer to either question, but when it comes to the Noble FoKus Rex5 earphones, you’ll be wondering the same thing, at least before you hear them. Somehow, inside a slightly large true wireless earbud, Noble has squeezed a 10mm dynamic driver, a 6mm planar magnetic driver, and not one, not two, but three balanced-armature drivers.

Details: Written by: Geoffrey Morrison; Created: 15 May 2025

Sound:
Value:
(Read about our ratings)

A few weeks ago, my friend, former SoundStage! Solo editor, and current co-host of the Audio Unleashed podcast, Brent Butterworth, sent me an email with the subject “This is BEGGING for a Geoff Morrison review.” The only thing in the body was a link to the Aiwa Water Bottle with Speaker and Earphone Bundle, aka the Aiwa Get Fit Sports Kit. In one package, you get a pair of “Wireless Sport Earphones” and a “Water Bottle with Wireless Speaker.” The price for this epic, legendary, genre-defining product? $11.44 (all prices USD) as purchased, by me, immediately. It’s probably more by the time you’re reading this, because REASONS, but let’s ignore that for now.