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It's always nice to see an audio company iterate on their products quickly, and Sol Republic hasn't been sleeping on their version of true wireless earbuds. The Amps Air+ build on their strong foundations and pack all of the features you'd expect at this price point and mix in a great sound signature and audio imaging. One of the big differentiators among headphones today is whether or not they have active noise cancellation (ANC). Ten years ago, only the most premium, expensive over-ear headphones carried this technology. Today, it is much more accessible technology, but still a differentiator in the industry. It's accompanied by a higher price point and therefore higher expectations across the board. The Amps Air+ does indeed features ANC, along with an ambient, audio pass-through mode to stay more alert of your surroundings, depending on your needs. It's worth noting that the ANC doesn't impact the audio as much as a lot of earbuds—it's a very similar audio profile with and without the ANC on. The other nice aspect of the Amps Air+ noise cancellation is that it has a fairly small impact on battery life. The earbuds last about 5-6 hours with ANC on, and 6-7 hours with it off. Add in another two and a half charges in the carry case, and you're looking at plenty of battery life. That carrying case is long and slim, like a giant pill. It's easily pocketable and lightweight, coming in at about 50 grams. True wireless earbuds are the ideal headphones for commutes, the gym, and throwing in your bag when you're not sure if you'll need headphones or not, so I appreciate the small case. The lid has a satisfying magnetic closure, and there are 4 tiny LEDs to indicate battery life. Fairly foolproof, and no need to memorize colors or fl ashes to figure out when you need to plug in. Speaking of plugs, the Amps Air+ charges via USB-C, and a USB-A to USB-C cord is included in the box (i.e. you can use all your old wall converters, even if I would expect one in the box at this price point). The earbuds themselves have a very distinct style, with a rubberized texture around the side of the earpiece. This makes them nice and grippy, both for when they're in your ear and when you are handling them, which is great because true wireless earbuds are truly easy to lose! The Amps Air+ don't stick out from the ear too much, but they are large, so small ears be warned. On the outer facing side of each earbud are the Amps Air+ touch controls. I've come to f ind touch controls on true wireless earbuds a personal preference. It avoids undue pressure on your ears that's of ten required for click y buttons, but it also results in a misfire ever y now and then when it comes to daily use. The controls here worked pretty well, though, including the ability to toggle the aforementioned noise cancellation and ambient modes, as well as summon the voice assistant on your phone. The one thing they don't do is control volume; you'll need your phone, or Siri, or Google to do that. Of course, it's what's inside that really counts. Amps Air+ have a fairly robust sound signature, especially for true wireless earbuds. They feature good dynamic range, a decent amount of bass, and a fairly open soundstage that makes for a very pleasant listening experience. That's thanks to 9.2mm drivers, Bluetooth 5.0, and AptX and AAC playback, which are all some of the better options you'll find in true wireless earbuds today. Two features that won't make it on to the back of the box, but which I really appreciate are the independent operation and the lag free experience. Either the left or right earbud can be used independently, which is a surprisingly frequent use case once you have the option. And if you are watching videos, there is almost no lag—something I can't say about a lot of other true wireless earbuds that I've tested. The Amps Air+ come in the industrial- chic colors that you'd expect in 2020—black, steel gray, and champagne, and all feature that same stand-out texture and matching carry case. They don't require any app download (gasp!), so pick up a pair today for a fully loaded, true wireless listening experience. For more information visit: https://www.solrepublic.com/earbuds/amps-air-plus.html

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