Not every set of earbuds launching in 2023 deserves its own news story – we mean to bring your attention only to the very best true wireless earbuds in existence, after all. But these are different, and not just because their older siblings, the Status Between Pro, garnered such praise back in 2021 under intense review.
No, this pair is something else. Aside from the angular looks and the confusing naming strategy Status seems hellbent on to sticking with, the Status Between 3ANC (yes, that's really the name) boast no fewer than three drivers per earpiece and a whopping 38dB of active noise cancellation.
And, if that last claim from the Brooklyn NY audio specialist proves genuine, it'd put Apple's AirPods lineup to shame.
Opinion: bold claims from Status – but if they deliver, we're probably looking at new class-leaders
Under the hood, Status is keen to show off a new dual balanced armature and 10mm dynamic driver per earpiece. Given the potential Bluetooth complications within a true wireless earbud design, it's a solution that seems… bold. But again, the talents of the predecessor cannot be ignored and I'd love to hear it.
And to clarify those noise-nixing claims: 38dB is impressive when you consider that in various independent tests (including this one conducted by The Noise Chap) Apple's latest earbuds have been shown to cancel 23dB as standard – or a maximum of 30dB, depending on the level of ambient noise it has to tackle.
Elsewhere, it's a competitive story: 8 hours of continuous audio playback with ANC on, 12 hours of playback with ANC off, IPX5 water resistance, and a transparency profile available at the push of a button.
Oh, and the Status Between 3ANC earbuds are launching at a price aimed straight at Apple – $249. If Status is following Apple's lead, that would mean £249 / AU$399 elsewhere, although official pricing and availability for these regions is not yet known.
This is flagship territory and Status advertises them as such, announcing on its site: "The best just got better. Supreme triple driver acoustics, now with ALL the bells & whistles."
We don't have specs concerning the battery life when it comes to the case (although we know it does charge wirelessly), but we can tell you there are six beamforming microphones with environmental noise reduction (ENR; three per earbud) for clear call-handling.
And Status is going all-in on sound quality here. The Status App, available on Android or iOS, includes an "Audiophile" sound mode plus EQ tweaks featuring no fewer than eight (eight!) frequency sliders.
In a word: intriguing. In three words (this is a triple driver set of earbuds after all): watch this space.
