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Libratone AIR+ review: A successful comeback with room for improvement

Libratone AIR+ featured image
Picture: TechnikNews
(Post picture: © 2022 TechnikNews)

It was quiet around Libratone for a long time, now they are with the Libratone AIR+ back again. I was able to test this for about three weeks.

People had known about the Libratone AIR+ for a little longer. For about a year they are actually available in China and in September of last year they finally came to us.

These are the successors to the much celebrated by me Libratone Track Air+. The reason why there was now longer radio silence is that the company has gone bankrupt in the meantime. With the AIR + you now bring the first Proproduct on the market after this break. Some aspects of the predecessor were taken over, but others were completely revised and further developed. Nevertheless, one notices in several respects that these are still in-ears from Libratone.

I was able to find out for you how these fare in everyday life.

Unboxing and first setup

The Libratone AIR+ comes in a fairly large package. This is made of plastic and is mostly white with some blue areas. Besides, she shows it Proproduct, its name and some logos. In addition, the most important features are advertised.

The scope of the packaging content is manageable, even if you get everything you need for perfect use. This includes the AIR+ in the charging case, a slightly longer USB-C cable and a total of three different-sized silicone tips, with one pair already attached to the earplugs. Last but not least, we have instructions and a few more pieces of paper.

Libratone AIR+ unboxing

Everything unpacked once. (Image: TechnikNews)

The pairing is completed in a few seconds. Open the lid of the storage case and connect it to the power supply if necessary. Then you press the button on the back until the two lights in the case start to pulse. The headphones should now appear in the Bluetooth settings of the end device.

It is also important that you take the time to find the right attachments. These should not press, but still ensure that the ear canal is well sealed and the AIR+ do not fall out of the ears.

Design and workmanship

When it comes to design, the new meets the old. The eartips kept the look of the Track Air+, while the charging box has been completely redesigned. The Libratone AIR+ is available in white and black, with the latter option for my test. This even shimmers slightly bluish from some viewing angles, similar to the Apple Watch Series 7 in the midnight color variant. In any case, I like it very much.

The appearance of the in-ears themselves is still very simple and unobtrusive. They are made of plastic, which in no way makes an inferior impression. The housing is also protected against water, dust and sweat according to IP54. Let's take a closer look at the sides of the headphones. Behind the logo are control surfaces that recognize touch inputs. This allows you to skip a song or change the mode of the ANC. Otherwise, the charging contacts, microphones, sensors for wearer detection and many other things were installed in the housing.

Libratone AIR+ design

Picture: TechnikNews

As already mentioned, Libratone gave the case a completely new look, but kept the modern appearance. The material of this is also plastic. On the outside you can only see a Libratone logo on the front, the pairing button on the back and a USB-C port on the bottom. The practical thing is that the status LED around it lights up red when it is closed when the charge level is low. The two plugs are inside, although the magnet that holds them is too weak in my opinion. In this way, they can be released more easily if they fall to the ground and, under certain circumstances, fall somewhere where they can no longer be found.

The wearing comfort is great, which is not least due to the fact that the AIR+ only weighs 5,5 grams. They fit snugly in the ear and don't need to be pushed in like it is with Sennheiser and Sony the case is. Therefore, it is proeasily able to listen to something for several hours without a break. Nevertheless, they do not fall out of the ears and, with the appropriate silicone attachments, seal better than the AirPods Pro .

Battery life

According to the manufacturer, the battery life of the Libratone AIR+ is a total of 24 hours. You should be able to use them continuously for six hours before they have to be recharged in the case. This can then bring up to 18 more hours of music enjoyment.

During my test phase, I only had to completely reload twice. I always listened on my way to school, which takes about 45 minutes, while walking and doing any work. It can therefore be said that the information provided by the company corresponds more or less to reality. Nevertheless, this is not earth-shattering, the competition is known to have similar values.

Charging is done via the aforementioned USB-C port or via wireless charging. Wired takes the Prozess about an hour and 45 minutes, wireless it's about two hours.

sound quality

The Libratone AIR+ connects to the smartphone via Bluetooth 5.2 and supports the codecs SBC and aptX. 5,3 millimeter drivers are installed on both sides, and there is also active noise cancellation. This can block out ambient noise of up to 30 decibels and can be adjusted in 30 steps. Alternatively, it can also act automatically based on the current environment. And the transparency mode lets outside noise through if desired.

As for the sound quality, in general you can say that you get a little bit of everything. In other words, the highs and mids are actually pretty balanced. However, the bass is a bit short in places. In my opinion, this is particularly noticeable in the song Vertigo by Alice Merton, specifically in the introduction to the chorus. But the singing is as clear as rarely with in-ears in this price range. That falls to Vertigo and also at I don't wanna know from Vardaan Arora on.

Libratone AIR+

Picture: TechnikNews

The noise canceling convinced me a lot. So far the Sony WF-1000XM4 had the best ANC I've had probeers, and now they have to share first place with the Libratone headphones. At level 30, no annoying noises come through, even at low volume. The impressive thing is that AIR+ "lies" in the ear and is not pushed in completely. On the other hand, I didn't like the transparency mode that much, because the environment sounds very artificial over it.

All in all, I'm quite satisfied here, even if Libratone, as mentioned before, could still tweak the bass a bit. There's about the sound of Sennheiser a lot more mature. They are three steps ahead of the competition when it comes to noise cancellation, although the transparency mode still needs a little work.

Libratone app

Now let's get to the Libratone app, which is the command center with various setting options. It is available free of charge in the App Store and in the Play Store. Let's look at some features of it.

One of the most important is controlling noise cancellation. Here you can switch between manual, transparency and comfort mode. The latter is the previously mentioned automatic mode. A graphic shows how you can roughly imagine the effect of the current setting.

Next we have the fit test. This helps to find the right silicone plugs. A sound is played for a short time, which allows the headphones to determine how good the fit is with the silicone tips currently in use.

There is also an equalizer with several predefined sound patterns. These listen to the designations "Neutral", "Extra Bass" and "Enhanced Treble". If desired, the AIR+ can also automatically find a suitable mode. What I would have found great would be a way to manually adjust individual parameters of the equalizer.

Finally, you can customize the panels, choosing what happens when you double- and triple-tap on either side.

Prices and availability

You can find the AIR+ at Amazon, Cyberport, Gravis and a few other retailers. The RRP is 199 euros.

Libratone AIR+: Conclusion

So Libratone came forward with a strong one Product back. It scores with the simple design, the new case and the ANC. The sound quality also appealed to me, despite the fact that there is still room for improvement here. The long battery life is an additional plus. Next time, Libratone could also improve the transparency mode and the strength of the magnet in the case.

Thank you for providing the Libratone AIR+.

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David Haydl

David lives in Graz and has been there for around half a decade TechnikNews, also editor-in-chief for some time. He regularly provides the site with news, test reports and the like TechnikNews Weekly, which was his idea to launch. He likes to spend his free time outdoors, listening to a lot of music (and clearly too loud) and some podcasts on all kinds of topics, and also likes to go running. He enjoys the time that remains with his charming girlfriend or in front of the TV.

David has already written 1245 articles and left 116 comments.

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