Right now is a really exciting time for true wireless headphones. With the technology continuing to advance a number of companies offer their own take on the product. With Monster it was simplicity, ILIVE trying to recreate AirPods, EPOS going for gaming, and Status Between 3ANC trying to bring great sound quality in an affordable package. Considering the wide variety of options that include wireless charging, touch controls, active noise cancelation (ANC), and more, will it stand out or does it fall behind?
The interesting thing about Between 3ANC is Status clearly designed the packaging around their online presence. Not only does it contain zero information about the headset, besides the model name and color, they opted for a premium look. Everything on the slide cover is embossed with a lovely glossy finish. It says a lot about Status and leaves a great initial impression.
After removing the slip cover, which is honestly a bit tight, the trend continues on the inner package. Again, no details are given, just the product name, headset color, and legal details/barcode. These are a nice mixture of pressed and embossed, complete with foiling. Inside is the headset protected by hard foam, complete with space to reach your fingers in to pull it out. Below is a box that is perfectly sized for the space containing a USB-A to USB-C cable, plus various ear tips.
Unlike most of our reviews, Status sent us their “bone” color headset. This is an off-white color that is between the third and fourth segment of color-hex’s bone Intentions palette. This color is also found on the included USB cable, and ear tips. It’s a small touch that adds to the overall package.
It Looks So Clean
A couple details stand out immediately after removing Between 3ANC from its packaging. The first is the texture Status used. It isn’t quite smooth, yet it still has a slick feel to it. Whatever it is I like it. In addition to feel, it’s a very clean design. Typically less attractive elements, such as branding, and boilerplate are handled quite well. All the information on the bottom is printed in the same, or very close, to the color of the case making it incredibly hard to notice unless light is hitting it. On the top is Status logo, which takes very little away from the design due to looking like a sound wave.
As for the actual headset, they’re a little on the big side for true wireless headphones. They’re just over an inch long with a fair amount of depth as well. That being said, they look sleek. An interesting choice is to have the ear tips be two different pieces. There is a a part for the inner ear, along with a tip that goes in the actual ear. Several different sizes are included in the accessories giving people with harder fits some options.
Connecting was incredibly straightforward. Remove the headset, look at your devices Bluetooth, and it should appear. I experienced no connection issues while testing them at any location/situation in my house. This is typical for a Bluetooth 5.2 headset, though always nice to see.
Performance was surprisingly good thanks to the 10mm dynamic driver and two balanced armatures. When using the “Status Signature” sound mode Between 3ANC features a balanced experience. Vocals are slightly pronounced. It’s enough to hear them first, though not enough to overpower the instruments. Another option is their “Status Audiophile” mode. As near as I can tell it preserves the highs and mids with less powerful lows.
How well these work in practice ultimately depends on the song selected. Most songs I tried sounded fantastic. Weird choices that have a more impactful beat were hard to balance. Going too high gave Between 3ANC a sharp sound; too low ultimately took away from the experience.
Controls can be hit/miss on Between 3ANC. For starters, I like that the metal ring acts as a buffer to let you know where the touch sensitive area is. This makes controlling them rather easy. Both ear buds can play/pause with a tap, or answer/reject calls. The left decreases volume/goes one track back, with right increasing volume/moving to the next track. To change volume you need to hold until it’s at the desired amount. It’s rather easy to mess up and pause your song, or go too far once it’s active.
Hard to Press Button
Status also made the physical button, which enables ANC, ambient sound mode, voice assistant, battery status, and power too flush with the headset. For this reason it’s hard to hit, easy to move the headset, and generally frustrating to use.
In terms of ANC Status did a good job. While I couldn’t completely block out my air multiplier, it absolutely reduced the sound enough where music can bridge the gap. This should be enough for office use, or more casual settings. Transparency mode could use some help though. Simply enabling it gives a noticeable background sound that is not the most appealing to hear. Coupled with the aforementioned button issue and I’d remove Between 3ANC before enabling.
A Brief Look at the Application
Like most newer headsets Between 3ANC works with an application. Through this you gain a small amount of functions. These include updating, access to the aforementioned sound modes, the ability to toggle ANC/ambient sound mode, and see battery life. It’s also a really simple app that shouldn’t give any issues connecting or using.
For calls Between 3ANC does an okay job. The six beam forming microphones are nice, though the outcome sounds distant. In most situations I don’t think someone would complain, or have a problem hearing you, it just isn’t the most crisp sound.
Status Between 3ANC Review
Overall, Status hit the important marks with Between 3ANC. It’s easily one of the nicer sounding true wireless headsets I’ve reviewed. Where it ultimately falls short are some of the less important details. For this reason we have no issue suggesting Between 3ANC if you’re looking for a nice sounding true wireless headset that supports ANC and wireless charging. However, if you constantly find yourself in conversations, frequently mess with the controls, or things like this you might be better off with another option.
[Editor’s Note: Status Between 3ANC was provided to us for review purposes.]
