Wireless earbuds have become so common that it is easy to forget how much they differ in quality. Put the Aria Pulse Pro in your ears for five minutes and the difference becomes obvious. These compact buds from a Brooklyn audio startup sound richer and more spacious than many models costing $100 more.

The design is understated: a glossy black or pearl finish, a short stem and a charging case small enough for the coin pocket of your jeans. Each bud weighs just over 5 grams, and three sizes of foam-tipped silicone tips help create a secure seal. We wore them for a full cross-country flight without the dull ache that heavier models cause.

How They Sound

Aria tunes its earbuds with a gentle lift in the bass and a smooth treble. Jazz recordings sounded airy, with clear separation between piano and cymbals, while hip-hop tracks had punch without muddiness. A five-band equalizer in the companion app lets you adjust the balance, though we found the default profile hard to improve.

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“We tuned the Pulse Pro with professional mixing engineers and everyday listeners in the same room,” says Aria’s chief audio engineer, Maya Lindqvist. “The goal was a sound that is exciting on day one and still pleasant after a three-hour flight.”

Noise Canceling And Battery

Active noise canceling is strong for the price. It erased most of the engine drone on our flight and softened the rumble of a subway car, though high-pitched voices still slipped through. Transparency mode sounds natural enough to hold a quick conversation at a coffee counter without removing the buds.

Setup is refreshingly simple. Open the case near your phone and a pairing prompt appears within seconds, and the buds can remember up to eight devices. The companion app adds a hearing test that personalizes the sound profile, a find-my-earbuds feature and firmware updates that Aria says will improve noise canceling over time. Touch controls are responsive, although we occasionally paused music by accident while adjusting the fit.

Battery life is solid rather than spectacular. We averaged about seven hours with noise canceling on, and the case adds three more full charges. Ten minutes in the case gives roughly 90 minutes of playback. Our main complaint involves calls: in windy conditions, people on the other end said our voice sounded distant. If you take many outdoor calls, consider that. For music, podcasts and travel, though, the Pulse Pro is one of the best values in audio right now.

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