Nura NuraLoop

[rev_slider alias=”nura-nuraloop”]

 4.5/5

Bluetooth in-ear headphones with neckband, otoacoustic hearing measurement and noise cancelling

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With the Nuraphone (for review), the Australian manufacturer Nura introduced a unique headphone about two years ago that works with a special type of hearing measurement. In the meantime, the pure in-ear version is available under the name NuraLoop: Was it worth the wait?

The NuraLoop is a sweat-resistant, wireless in-ear headphone with a neckband that is additionally routed over the ears. The lightweight earbuds are quite large and are inserted into the ear canal at an angle.

The device can be used via Bluetooth 5 as well as via an audio cable. An interesting design feature: The audio cable and the USB charging cable, both included, are connected via a magnetic catch in the center of the neckband. An elegant solution, but one that should not be forgotten at home.

Two touch-sensitive outer surfaces on the ear cups are offered for function control, active noise cancelling, and support for the SBC, AAC, and aptX HD codecs.

Furthermore, NuraLoop scores with a considerable and achievable runtime of up to 16 hours in practice as well as a quick charging function. In addition, there is a convenient automatic power-off function as soon as you take the receiver out of your ears.

The free Nura app (iOS, Android) not only allows updating and performing the listening test (see below), but also adjusting the touch functions and the aforementioned automatic on/off function. A level limiter according to the EU standard can also be activated here.

Adaptation to the own ear

We were already convinced by the approach of linearizing the frequency response via a measurement of the user’s own hearing in the Nuraphone. As there, the approximately one-minute process evaluates otoacoustic emissions, which are recorded via integrated highly sensitive microphones in the ear canal. These are frequency-dependent sound waves emitted by the eardrum itself during the hearing process, as a result of a modulation of the hair cells in the inner ear. Since these emissions are about 80 dB below the input signal, the special microphones are indispensable for the measurement and a real unique selling point on the headphone market. According to the manufacturer, the measurement is technically slightly different from the Nuraphone and requires an adjustment via the software. However, the goal of the measurement is still to capture the personal hearing apparatus and a subsequent linearization, which compensates for any degradations in addition to the personal peculiarities of the ear shape. Three such profiles can be saved in the Nura app, which is why the device can also be usefully shared with other users.

Practice

The wearing comfort and fit are a matter of taste. Personally, the neckband is too short for me, so that quickly putting on the NuraLoop seems unnecessarily awkward. That said, conventional neckband designs are often particularly comfortable to use, especially in those moments when you don’t want to listen to music and let the earbuds dangle. That does not work here due to the length of the neckband, plus there is no practical magnetic closure to allow the earpieces to dangle securely around the neck.

The functional range of the two touch fields can be defined quite comprehensively since version 3.196. Thus, actions for clicks and double clicks can be defined per page, as well as for the touch dials, which take some getting used to due to their size. Longer clicks and triple clicks are not provided for, nor is a call to a voice assistant. I had problems managing incoming calls with my iPhone 8, which were repeatedly not redirected to the headphones.

Preconfigured are volume control, play/pause on the right and social mode on the left along with its intensity (see below). The double-click functions can thus be used for track skipping, for example.

In practice, it happens again and again that you accidentally touch the touch surfaces when moving the earpiece. This is a problem that NuraLoop shares with some competitors: Where else are you supposed to touch them?

I also could not completely trust the basically ingenious automatic switch-off. It happened again and again that I put the earpieces aside, but they remained switched on. Alternatively, NuraLoop can now be turned off manually by touching both touch surfaces for a longer time. Surprisingly, only in this mode is another automatic available that turns the device off after a while, provided no music is played. Finally, the Bluetooth wireless connection has been stable since the latest firmware update and extended over several rooms. Interim conclusion: Further updates should still bring improvements here.

Noise cancelling

The noise cancelling cannot be adjusted in intensity. However, it delivers remarkable results, albeit with low background noise. The reduction of ambient noise creates an additional but not too intensively isolated quiet room, from which especially low-frequency and static noises are suppressed and which I would describe as pleasantly suitable for everyday use. I would describe the intensity of the reduction as medium, so that you can definitely perceive everyday noises from vehicles and construction sites, for example. Especially over-ear models, for example from Sony, have even more in store here. The Social Mode is praiseworthy and convenient. It can be activated by simply touching the touch area and the environmental sounds are fed into the ear canal via the microphones, which is adjustable in intensity and perfectly suitable for quick communication.

Sound

As long as NuraLoop sits correctly in the ear (which the headphone electronics register, by the way), the sound result is exceedingly and also convincing in longer listening sessions. Titles from a wide range of genres are reproduced powerfully and balanced. Especially at higher levels, NuraLoop is a pure joy with pop and rock titles. In addition, there is a high detail resolution, good dynamics, a wide, precise stereo panorama, and above-average spatiality. All aspects benefit from the improved signal-to-noise ratio due to noise cancelling.

The bass is tonally secure, rich but still tight. It also reaches the lowest octave without overdoing it. Building on this foundation, the midrange offers a natural warmth that gives acoustic instruments, voices, but also the essential spectrum of rock music the necessary density and at the same time traces the necessary separation of the elements of a mix. Even with dynamic jazz and classical recordings, NuraLoop does not fluff – quite the opposite. Finally, the tuning shows itself to be fast, detailed and open in the highs. There are only harshnesses when the mix falsely shows them.

At the same time, the sound impression is highly dependent on the listening measurement. In the app, you can switch between neutral (uncorrected) and personalized listening profiles. The latter sounds clearly different and considerably improved. Still, it remains a guess how big the difference would have been with a different base design. Running NuraLoop without the correction makes no sense in my opinion.

No less relevant is an adjustable function called “Immersion Mode”. Here, the bass is boosted controllably to create a punchier sound. Depending on the genre, this control can be turned up quite far to give the impression of a punchier, more intense bass reproduction. This is indeed successful and reaches far down into the low bass. The only thing that remains somewhat unclear is where the neutral position is. Convincing results are achieved in any case, mostly in the center position. Here, additional pressure and listening pleasure remain in best harmony with a still contoured reproduction. If you like it more neutral and less “chart-suitable”, simply turn down the immersion portion.

I wouldn’t call the test device completely sound-neutral, which wasn’t to be expected due to the design for mobile use. We can also state that more expensive and explicitly audiophile designs are superior to the NuraLoop in the area of transparency and detail resolution. But honestly, who cares?

Finally, there is a plus point for the call quality of phone calls.

Available here:

219,00 € *

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219,99 € *

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Rating

Rating: 4
 4/5
Sound
 4/5
Handling
 3.5/5
Price/Performance
 4.5/5
Function
 4/5

Technical data

Design
In-ear
Construction
closed
Transducer principle
dynamic
Weight with cable
25 g

Scope of delivery

4 pairs of earpieces in different sizes
Jack cable
USB-A charging cable
Carrying case

Features

BT codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX HD
BT version: 5.0
Compatible with iOS 9.3 and Android 5.0 and above

Brand

Test reports from Dali (2)

Compare headphones

ON THE LIST

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At regular intervals, at the beginning of each month, we present the most read headphone tests of the previous month.Here are your most popular reviews of the month January.

Popular guides

6 months ago by Ulf Kaiser
Rating: 4
 4/5
Sound
 4/5
Handling
 3.5/5
Price/Performance
 4.5/5
Function
 4/5

Popular guides

FAQ

If the NuraLoop sits well and securely in the ear, it is currently one of the best wireless in-ear headphones in its price range. The sound is well-balanced, rich and detailed, and also tuned to the listener. The innovative hearing measurement method is clearly ahead of the competition’s approaches in my opinion. The operation and functionality are also basically convincing, even if there is room for improvement in some areas. However, in view of the latest firmware updates, I am almost certain that we can expect further improvements in the future.

Finally, the sound quality is also high and emphasizes listening pleasure without neglecting the hifi aspect, and thanks to ANC and Immersion Mode, you are deeply immersed in the music.

With a price of 229 Euros, the NuraLoop is definitely a real recommendation and you can be curious what the manufacturer from Australia still has in its quiver.