These Pro X earbuds could be Bose QC 2 beaters for a lot less cash

Status Audio doesn't have the brand recognition of Bose or Sony, but the firm has been quietly building a reputation with products like the Between 3ANC earbuds.

Now its launching a new set of buds that look like a credible rival to the likes of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2.

The Status Pro X will ship in September and are currently available for pre-order with a reduced price, and I'm definitely intrigued. When we reviewed the Between 3ANC buds last year, we thought they sounded superb.

And the Pro X earbuds appear to have addressed the few areas where we felt the Between 3ANCs could have been even better.

Status Pro X earbuds: key features and pricing

The Pro X earbuds are built around a hybrid triple-driver setup with a 12mm dynamic driver and two Knowles balanced armatures. The dynamic driver is up from 10mm to 12mm for deeper bass, and the Knowles drivers have been custom-tuned for clear mids and highs.

Battery life is eight hours from the buds and 24 in total with the charging case. There's -52dB active noise cancellation with an ambient transparency mode, too.

They're 21% smaller than the previous model and the case is 11% smaller than before – a win all round.

You get Bluetooth 5.3 with LDAC up to 990kbps and Hi-Res Audio Wireless Certification for 24-bit/96kHz streaming. There are also three beamforming microphones with AI speech enhancement.

The controls are a mix of capacitive touch sensing and a proper physical button, and are customisable through the companion app. In addition, that app offers eight-band EQ adjustment, lost-bud locating and adjustable transparency.

It's impressive spec and the price isn't bad either: the RRP is £226 / €261 / $299 / AU$466, and pre-orders are currently discounted in the UK, US and Australia to £189 / $249 / AU$389.

Deliveries are promised on or before 16 September 2025. That makes them considerably cheaper than many big-name rivals.