[Nobuyoshi Kodera's Weekly Electric Zooma!] Easy to use and talented! Check the ability of Shure "AONIC 40"-AV Watch

A design that emphasizes smoothness

Speaking of Shure headphones, the impression is that they have a sturdy design. The AONIC 50 also had a design that made you feel like a studio monitor, but the AONIC 40 has a very soft and smooth impression.

Design that gives a smooth impression

The arm part that supports the housing is also expressed with a soft twist curve, and the protrusion of the housing is also projected in a way that does not make you conscious of the step. I'm borrowing a white model this time, but the color scheme of off-white and beige cushions is beautiful, and it's a really picture-perfect headphone.

As for the folding mechanism, it is the same style as many headphones, twisting and folding. However, the AONIC 50 was too big because it could only be twisted and not folded. The size difference is obvious even if you look at the size of the carrying case. The size of the headphones themselves doesn't change that much, but unless they're this small, it's hard to put them in your everyday bag.

The AONIC 50 fits well in the carrying case, and the size of the case doesn't fold inwards. The position is not on the outer circumference, but on the inner circumference. Compared to the AONIC 50, where all the buttons are on the right side of the outer circumference, you won't have to worry about accidentally turning off the power.

All buttons and terminals other than the power button are on the right side of the AONIC 50

The terminals are analog input and the USB-C, which also serves as a charging port, is gathered on the right outer periphery. The AONIC 50 has only the analog input on the left side, and it was as easy to use as conventional headphones, but the AONIC 40 is gathered on the right side, so the wired connection seems to be uncomfortable.

The ear pads are thick and have a new "mochi" feel that does not dent too much. The cushion of the headband part is also made of rubber, which also has a rare feel. The entire AONIC 50 was an orthodox cushion leather, but the material used is also evolving.

The 50 has a slightly larger ear pad housing with a springy feel

Compared to the AONIC 50, which has evolved from a studio monitor and is "relaxed and sturdy," the AONIC 40 has a body that is approximately 20g lighter, and the housing has an inner diameter. It is also slightly smaller, so it feels less solid and can be worn easily. However, both clamp pressures are a little strong, close to professional headphones. The inside of the housing does not have a dent that fits the ear, so it touches the earlobe when worn.

Bluetooth codecs are SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD. The AONIC 50 also supported aptX LL and LDAC, but the 40 does not. This may be the price difference.

Both can be used as a USB audio device when connected to a PC or the like via USB. The AONIC 50 was capable of high-resolution transmission at 384kHz/32bit, but the AONIC 40 dropped to 48kHz/16bit transmission. Instead, it now works as a USB headset. However, in this case, it goes down to 16kHz/16bit transmission.

As for noise cancellation, the AONIC 50 was analog, while the AONIC 40 was digital. Some people say that the AONIC 50 is not very effective in noise canceling, but I'm curious about what happened with the change in method.

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-	AONIC 40	AONIC 50
Driver	40mm	50mm
Weight	313g	334g
Codecs	SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD	SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HDaptX LL, LDAC
ANC	Digital 3 steps	Analog 2 steps
USB connection	48kHz /16bit	384kHz/32bit
Playback time	Continuous 25 hours	Continuous 20 hours
Fast charge	15 minutes charge 5 hours operation	15 minutes charge 4 hours operation