Over about a week of testing for this Status Audio Between 3ANC earbuds review, I found the distinctive buds to be a product of intriguing contrasts — ambitious in some areas while falling short in others. Currently priced at $179 (recently reduced from $199 and $249 before that), the earbuds try to compete with industry leaders like AirPods Pro 2 through a unique triple-driver design and striking looks. In fact, these earbuds even claim in ads to have a “subwoofer” for the low end. But while Between 3ANC buds boast good sound, I found overall performance results somewhat mixed.
Status Audio Between 3ANC earbuds review
Status Audio's Between 3ANC wireless earbuds pack an unusual three-driver setup for solid sound. They also offer active noise cancellation with transparency mode, six microphones, 8 hours of playtime, Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity and IPX5 waterproofing.
- Clear, detailed sound with good separation
- Distinctive, premium design
- Good battery life
- Intuitive touch controls
- Useful 8-band equalizer
- Mediocre noise cancellation
- Limited codec support
- Occasional charging case issues
- Sparse app features
- Possibly inconsistent fit for some users
I noticed Brooklyn, NY-based Status Audio advertising its earbuds a couple years ago and wondered how the small-but-ambitious startup might compete with big players like Apple, with its AirPods Pro 2 and the rest of the lineup, personal-audio mainstay Sony and even mid-rangers like Soundcore and Earfun. Then more recently Status advertised its newer Between 3ANC buds in a Black Friday sale as “earbuds with subwoofers,” and I had to hear what that was about.
Turns out it’s about good but not extraordinary sound quality, plus solid but unpredictable battery life and mediocre noise cancellation. And they look interesting, thanks to an unusual design. But I can’t say the Between 3ANC earbud set is the best option for most people, even at its reduced price point. And, in a world where earbuds seem to be moving in the direction of one solid-state driver or a hybrid pair that includes an active driver, three drivers per bud might turn out to be a nonstarter.
Table of contents: Status Audio Between 3ANC earbuds review
- Premium design and build quality
- Good touch controls and OK app experience
- Fine audio performance
- Meh active noise cancellation
- Strong battery life and fair connectivity
- Evaluating pros and cons
- Value and conclusion
Premium design and build quality
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
The Between 3ANC earbud set immediately stands out from the crowd with its bold, angular design. Available in bone (white) or onyx (black) colors, these earbuds feature wide, metallic stems that catch the light. The build quality feels premium, with a satisfying heft to the case.
However, this distinctive design comes with some practical drawbacks. The earbuds are noticeably larger than most competitors, and despite the included silicone “fitwings” (stabilizers) and three sizes of ear tips, achieving a consistently secure fit might prove challenging for some people. While they’re comfortable enough for an hour or two, I often found myself readjusting them during walks. And despite feeling fairly secure, one actually fell out when I was just standing around.
The charging case support both USB-C and wireless charging. The case feels a bit pedestrian compared to the earbuds’ premium design. More concerningly, I encountered occasional issues with the earbuds not charging properly when placed in the case, even when they appeared to be seated correctly. The case’s flip-top lid is also surprisingly heavy, which can make it topple backward when open if the earbuds aren’t inside.
Good touch controls and OK app experience
One cool feature of Between ANC3 is the intuitive control scheme. The combination of physical buttons for ANC/transparency mode switching and touch-sensitive panels for other controls works well. I particularly appreciated the simple press-and-hold volume controls. It’s a more elegant solution than the multiple taps required by some competitors.
The Status Audio app, while clean and straightforward, feels sparse compared to what you get other premium earbuds. The eight-band equalizer is good, and genuinely useful for tailoring the sound, but there’s a frustrating lack of customization options for controls or noise-cancellation settings. The app is essentially limited to basic functions like firmware updates and switching between sound modes.
Fine audio performance
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
Between 3ANC’s headline feature is its triple-driver setup — one 10mm dynamic driver and two balanced armatures per earbud. This unusual configuration delivers clear separation between frequency ranges, though the overall result isn’t quite as revolutionary as the specs might suggest. The buds pack plenty of volume but not quite the precise definition of, say, AirPods Pro 2.
The sound signature is energetic and detailed, with impressive clarity in the highs and a wide soundstage that works well for complex arrangements. However, the bass response can be somewhat inconsistent, occasionally coming across as fuzzy or lacking definition. While this can be improved through the equalizer, bass enthusiasts might find themselves wanting more impact.
The mids sound recessed in the default tuning, though again, this can be adjusted through the EQ. The Status Audiophile preset offers a flatter response, but I found myself preferring the Status Signature setting or a custom EQ setting for more-pronounced mids while maintaining the earbuds’ natural energy in the highs.
Meh active noise cancellation
Despite Status Audio’s marketing claims, the active noise cancellation is only fair to middling, neither strong nor nuanced. It’s not competitive with category leaders like Sony’s WF-1000XM5 or even mid-market Soundcore earbuds.
While the ANC does provide some reduction of low-frequency noise, it seems to struggle with mid and high frequencies, and there’s no ability to adjust the level of cancellation. The transparency mode works well enough for basic awareness but adds a slight warmth to the sound. I’ve tried numerous pairs of earbuds with stronger noise cancellation, clearer transparency mode and more levels of ANC overall.
Strong battery life and fair connectivity
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
Battery life is a bright spot with Between ANC3, delivering around 8 hours with ANC enabled and up to 12 hours without, which are competitive figures for the category. The case provides an additional 24 to 30 hours depending on ANC usage. And in my testing, I was surprised when on my second use of the earbuds after charging them fully, one earbud registered in the app at 100% charged while the other was dead. The jury’s still out on whether that will become a recurring problem.
Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity proved stable throughout my testing — that is, once I successfully paired the buds with my iPhone 16 Pro the first time. But that first pairing took some doing, to the point where I thought I might not get it done at all. I think I made four or five attempts to pair before it worked. I noticed the “frequently returned item” mention on the buds’ Amazon product page, and I wondered if that’s because some people gave up on the pairing. The user manual makes mention of it and even urges users to contact Status if they repeatedly fail.
Another quibble to note about the earbuds: Codec support is limited to just AAC and SBC. That’s disappointing at this price point, especially for Android users who might expect aptX options. And unlike many earbuds, these lack Google Fast Pairing.
Between 3ANC earbuds review: Evaluating pros and cons
Pros:
- Clear, detailed sound with good separation
- Distinctive, premium design
- Good battery life
- Intuitive touch controls
- Useful 8-band equalizer
Cons:
- Mediocre noise cancellation
- Limited codec support
- Occasional charging case issues
- Sparse app features
- Possibly inconsistent fit for some users
- Value and conclusion
Value and conclusion
This Between 3ANC earbuds review finds that Status Audio’s product presents an interesting value proposition at its new $179 price point. While it offers mostly solid battery life, distinctive design and good sound quality that can (and should) be refined through EQ, it falls short in several areas where competitors excel. The mediocre ANC performance, limited codec support and occasional charging case issues make it difficult to recommend over similarly priced options from established brands.
These earbuds might appeal to those who prioritize good sound and unique design (but don’t require great noise cancellation). However, for most users, options like Sony’s WF-1000XM5 or even the less expensive Soundcore Liberty 4 might prove more satisfying overall, offering better ANC performance and more comprehensive feature sets.
★★★☆☆
Buy from: Amazon
Status Audio's Between 3ANC wireless earbuds pack an unusual three-driver setup for solid sound. They also offer active noise cancellation with transparency mode, six microphones, 8 hours of playtime, Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity and IPX5 waterproofing.
- Clear, detailed sound with good separation
- Distinctive, premium design
- Good battery life
- Intuitive touch controls
- Useful 8-band equalizer
- Mediocre noise cancellation
- Limited codec support
- Occasional charging case issues
- Sparse app features
- Possibly inconsistent fit for some users
Status Audio did not provide Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out other in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.
