Status Audio Between Pro Truly Wireless Earbuds Review
Introduction
As it happens, I was surfing Facebook one day when I came across an ad for audiophile grade ear buds from a company I wasn’t familiar with, Status Audio. I decided to contact them with a few questions on frequency response, distortion, and so on. One thing led to another, and I have a pair of Status Audio’s Between Pro truly wireless earbuds in for evaluation.
Status Audio's packaging for the Between Pro earbuds
Upon receipt, I opened the package and noted the earbuds, a relatively compact carrying case, user manual, a charging cable, and additional ear-nipple thingies for those whose ears run a little larger or smaller than average. In my case, the included nipples worked just fine, although they feel a tad on the flimsy side. Other complaints off the bat included some difficulty getting the earbuds out of their carrying case at first, and the fact that the charging port is on the bottom of the case as opposed to on the rear. Long story short, basic ergonomics could use a little work.
Design and Features
Officially priced at $169 a pair (currently $149), the Between Pro’s are a fairly sophisticated piece of equipment on paper. They are a triple driver design utilizing a 10mm dynamic driver for the low end, while the midrange and treble frequencies are covered by a pair of balanced armature drivers. Battery life is a claimed 12 hours from the earbuds themselves, plus another 36 hours from the case itself, more than respectable numbers.
As truly wireless earbuds, connectivity is the key, and the Between Pro’s don’t disappoint here. They are fairly up to date with Bluetooth Version 5.2, and support AptX, AAC, and SBC protocols to connect effectively with a wide variety of devices. Of note, one thing lacking is active noise cancellation; nonetheless, with an appropriately tight seal on the earbuds, the user is somewhat isolated from outside noise and there is minimal leakage at all but ear-damaging volumes.
For better or worse, the Status Audio Between Pro’s are exceptionally easy to use. There is no app to download or control these earbuds. Take them out of the case, and they’re ready to pair. Physical buttons top the earbuds, and manage a variety of controls including play / pause, volume controls, previous / next track, as well as call functions.
Listening
I charged up the Between Pro’s, and then started listening to tunes. Starting with an organ piece, J.S. Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, performed by Tzvi Erez, I could quickly discern additional bass that isn’t present on my reference headphones (EQed Sennheiser HD560S’). This was somewhat distracting, particularly with the volume cranked to life-like volumes; at that point, the additional bass became rather bloated compared to my Sennheisers.
Moving on to my bread and butter rock and metal categories, I began listening to Rise And Fall, Rage And Grace by The Offspring. I personally really like two songs on this album, You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid and Hammerhead. On these tracks, the apparent bass boost wasn’t objectionable, nor did it bother me when I queued up Megadeth’s Rust In Peace. Indeed, on these tracks, the Between Pro’s sounded quite good, without significant distortion even at spirited volumes.
Measurements
Conclusion
Given their MSRP of $169, I would qualify the Between Pro’s as a respectable bargain. No, they aren’t perfect: minor ergonomic quibbles and non-neutral frequency response prevent me from giving them a five-star review. The lack of an app to EQ the response compounds the issue, especially for a company that is ostensibly advertising to an audiophile crowd. Still, if one can live with a bit of a “smile” sonic profile (boosted bass and treble), Status Audio’s Between Pro earbuds might be up your alley. Four out of five stars.