Status Audio Between 3ANC review: Audiophile buds with a triple-driver setup
Status Audio Between 3ANC review in a nutshell: chunky audiophile earbuds with not-so-great ANC performance and powerful sound.
Status Audio and their headphones flew under my radar until recently when I was offered to test the Between 3ANC. A quick look at the specs made me want to look into these true wireless earbuds. I mean, it's not often you come across buds with a triple-driver setup, is it!?
I've been using the Status Audio Between 3ANC for a couple of weeks, and even though I don't think they are the best noise-cancelling earbuds overall, the buds have a lot going for them, especially for those who use their headphones for listening to music primarily. Should you buy them? Let's find out.
Status Audio Between 3ANC review: price and availability
The Status Audio Between 3ANC headphones were released in April 2023 and are available to buy now directly from Status Audio for a recommended retail price of $249 (approx. £197.45/ AU$ 387.43). They are available in two colours, Onyx and Bone. I tested the Bone colourway. At the time of writing, Status Audio sold the Between 3ANC for $199, so you can likely get hold of a pair for less than RRP/MSRP.
Status Audio Between 3ANC review: specifications
Battery life: 8 hours on buds (ANC on), plus an additional 24 hours stored in the charging case
Quick charge: yes, a 15-minute charge equals up to 2 hours of playback time
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2
Water rating: IPX5
Weight: 13.6g per bud
Driver: 10mm dynamic driver plus two balanced armature drivers
Frequency range: 5-25kHz
Sensitivity: 105 dB SPL (1 kHz / 1 mW)
Microphones: six (three on each bud)
Active Noise Cancelling: yes, plus transparency mode
Multipoint connectivity
Status Audio Between 3ANC review: design and build quality
You can tell straight away by looking at the box of the Status Audio Between 3ANC that the brand aimed the earbuds at more affluent users. They aren't ultra high-end, but the presentation sure makes you feel like you're about to use a premium audio product.
The buds come housed in a plastic charging case with a matte finish, further reinforcing this sense of getting your money's worth. Sure, you splashed out a little on the Status Audio Between 3ANC, but man, look at them! Even the little booklets in the box radiate the tender loving care that went into designing the product.
The earbuds are not small and protrude out of your ears when in use. Status Audio provided a few ear gel options to help you find the right fit, but considering the sheer size of the Between 3ANC, I doubt anyone can insert them without at least 60% of the buds sticking out your ears.
Now, this isn't an issue; not all earbuds sit entirely inside your ear canal. However, the Status Audio Between 3ANC are positively huge and will affect passive noise cancelling (more on this below). I appreciate you need plenty of space for the two additional drivers and the larger battery, though. You win some, you lose some, as they say.
Status Audio Between 3ANC review: audio performance
The Status Audio Between 3ANC earbuds have a Hybrid Triple Driver system, which consists of one 10mm dynamic driver (the main sound-producing unit)and two additional Balanced Armature drivers. If you're like me, you probably don't know what 'Balanced Armature driver' means. Initially developed for hearing aids, BA drivers are smaller and lighter than dynamic drivers – essentially miniature versions of speakers found in full-size units – and help create a more nuanced sound when working in tandem with the dynamic driver.
The result of this is clear, powerful sound across the whole soundstage. After all, highs, mids, and lows have their own driver! (Well, sort of.) I was surprised by how robust the Status Audio Between 3ANC sounded even at lower volume levels. That 10mm dynamic driver and the fully closer-ear design can deliver deafening sound levels inside your ear canal.
You can mix the sound to your liking using the Status Audio app. I found the Status Signature sound the most appealing; the Status Audiophile profile lacked bass, and I couldn't be bothered to create a custom EQ profile, something you can do in the app. Truth be told, that's pretty much all you can do in the app, apart from switching ANC/Transparency Mode on and off.
Speaking of active noise cancellation, I wasn't too impressed by it. I've been spoiled lately with capable noise-cancelling buds (see also: Apple AirPods Pro 2 review, Beats Studio Buds Plus review), and compared to those, Status Audio's latest offering is less than impressive. You can drown out the distractions by cranking up the volume, but you'll hear external noises bleeding through the buds even at higher sound levels.
The lacklustre ANC performance is all the more surprising, knowing that the Status Audio Between 3ANC has six microphones, which, in theory, can and should be used to listen to external sounds so the buds can filter them accordingly. I can only assume the problem lies with the algorithm; I appreciate neither it probably is fast to fine-tune it, nor is it cheap.
Watching movies with the Status Audio Between 3ANC is also a bit so-so, especially during action sequences. I expected the earbuds to have a similarly powerful sound as when you listen to music, but interestingly, I had to increase the volume significantly to enjoy the *cough* subtle action scenes in Extraction 2. On the other hand, podcasts sound great, thanks to the hearing aid-style extra drivers.
Status Audio Between 3ANC review: verdict
For pure music listening experience, it's hard to find anything to criticise about the Status Audio Between 3ANC. The Hybrid Triple Driver system does a brilliant job making sure the lows, the mids and the highs are all equally represented in the sound coming from the buds. Not to mention the robustness of the audio, which is phenomenal when listening to music.
Active noise cancellation could be better, especially since the Between 3ANc has three microphones on each side, which should be enough to pick up any external sound that needs neutralising. Another issue is the size of the buds; they are bulky, making it hard to find a good fit to ensure decent passive noise cancellation, especially for those with smaller ears.
Should you buy the Status Audio Between 3ANC? If you don't care much about ANC, listen predominantly to music or spoken word (i.e. podcasts), and prefer earbuds over headphones, you'll like the Between 3ANC, especially if your ears are slightly bigger.
Status Audio Between 3ANC review: also consider
Apart from the earbuds mentioned above, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 is a viable alternative to Status Audio's Between 3ANC. It's smaller and better-sounding than the model they replace, and the noise-cancellation puts them in a league of their own. Read Simon's excellent Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 review.
For a more premium option, try Bowers & Wilkins' PI7 buds. Matt Bolton described the sound quality of the buds as a "rich, deep, chocolate ganache of sound." That on its own should convince you to give them a try. If you need further encouragement, read Matt's full Bowers & Wilkins PI7 review.
