Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 headphones bring spatial audio support to the party

Shure has announced a second-generation pair of its popular studio-quality, over-ear headphones.

The Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 cans are wireless and add spatial audio support and advanced hybrid active noise cancellation to the mix. They also gain 50 per cent longer battery life.

The headphones include a 50mm dynamic driver in each ear and can be customised through an equaliser on the dedicated ShurePlus Play App for Android and iOS. There are three spatial audio modes to easily select between, too – music, cinema and podcast, with different sound signatures to get the most immersive experience from each genre.

Hybrid active noise cancellation uses microphones placed both outside and inside each earcup, in order to fine tune how much ambient sound should be blocked. There are four selectable modes of ANC – light, moderate, mac and max aware – with each adjusting the levels without overly impacting music playback.

The Aonic 50 Gen 2 over-ears can run up to 45 hours on a single charge, with fast charge technology enabling five hours of use from just 15 minutes of charging time.

Voice communication is improved too, with six microphones dotted around the headset ensuring call quality is clean and crisp.

In terms of connectivity, the headphones use Bluetooth 5 and are Qualcomm aptX Adaptive-enabled for near-lossless audio streaming. They also support Snapdragon Sound, plus AAC, SBC and LDAC codecs.

"The Aonic 50 Gen 2 is designed to deliver an exceptional listening experience that is built on the heritage of the previous generation. We incorporated the latest innovations, including spatialised audio options and Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound technology, taking the audio to the next level," said Shure's associate director of product management, Sean Sullivan.

"For passionate audiophiles and music lovers, the magic lies even in the tiniest details."

The Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 wireless headphones will be available in black from September. They'll be available from "select retailers" priced at £349.

You get a carry case, plus 3.5mm and USB-C cables in the box.