Look, there is so much to say here that will apply to some and not others on both sides of the table. And then there is the truth when all the fluff and all the hype and hate die away and there is nothing left but the truth. And it’s there that all things ride to their conclusion. That conclusion is that price is there for a reason. You can hate all you want and you can try to find as much justification as you can in your reasoning. There are even some very good feelings you can walk away with. But most of all, it comes down to the fact that the happiest man is sometimes the one who is least informed.
When all is said and done, if you need earphones these days, there are a lot of great choices out there for everyone. You could get by with a $70 pair of earphones if you truly wanted to, and you will find great things about them. I’m not here to preach that you ONLY find good quality if you spend a bunch of money. There are levels to it. What is quality to one person may be basic to another, so it is very important to start there.
The Anker Buds 2 are yet another example of working hard and getting good results can come at less of a price tag. This is just truth. You don’t have to spend more to get good sound and good features. In fact they deliver on the best AnC for phone calls and phone call quality in busy areas than any Bluetooth device. And if you are looking for that, there is no better choice period, full stop, get off this page and buy them…DONE.
And then there is the Box, the dark matter Super-position of sound found in the Sennheiser MTW5. It is the greatest Bluetooth sound experience for my ears. The worlds these take me to are just euphoric and mind-altering. My mind forgets everything, and my brain is fully submerged into the reality that the sounds are real and are coming from all around me within a box that extends outward infinitely. It has layers and separation beyond 99% of the earphones in the world today. While the
It offers 12 hours of battery life, has a fit I cannot feel in my ears, and still excels at ANC. Even the app is designed and centered around one thing: the sound. Everything from the codec to the EQ is there for the single purpose of taking you away into other worlds through music. It has a perfect fit, a battery life of over 11 hours, perfect sound, custom controls, S-tier ANC, and decent call quality.
While not perfect and missing gimmicks like reading my text messages, taking phone calls while mowing my yard, and voice control commands, it still does the three best things for my life, at least: superior sound, fit, and battery life. So when I say there is a difference between the quality and workmanship of Sennheiser and Anker, I say it with respect for what Anker has done and is doing, but I also acknowledge a clear difference in sound quality between companies like Sennheiser, which have a history of audio science, and newer companies trying to carve their way into the market.
There is nothing wrong with competition; I love it and find myself rooting for it, just like I did with the Anker Buds 2. I was very impressed with the sound and features, especially the phone call quality in noisy environments. I was even impressed with the level of ANC; it was right up there with all the top models, and one could argue it was possibly even a little better.
But once I went back to the Sennheiser MTW5s, my mind was blown all over again. The quality is truly different on this side of the fence. No matter how hard the Anker Buds 2 try, there is still a clear difference in the quality of sound they produce compared to my Sennheisers. It is like saying that two people of the same size punch equally when they do not. Technique and training matter in how that punch is delivered and the kind of damage it produces, and that is what you are seeing with the Anker versus something like my Sennheisers. Do they sound good? Yes. Do they have the same quality and degree of sound separation, bass, and detail provided in both the imaging and soundstage as the Sennheisers? Absolutely not. That is just the truth, and it should not be counted against them at $129.
The Ankers should hold their heads up high because, trust me, this is still one of the best recommendations I can give on this site to the right person seeking its strengths. Not everyone needs or wants $300 earphones, and those people deserve the right choice that will provide them with the right amount of advantages for their money; at $129, I don’t know of a better suggestion in Bluetooth audio. But for my life and needs I can’t go back once exposed to the Dark Matter Box, the Sennheisers MTW5. So unfortunately the Anker Buds 2 are going to be returned.
