NUARL NEXT 1 Review
NUARL NEXT 1 Review
Introduction:
NUARL is a Japanese company that is specialized in portable audio equipments such like True Wireless & Wired Earphones.
The NEXT 1 is the company’s latest flagship TWS earphone that is equipped with their brand new M2 NUARL Dynamic Driver unit. The M2 NURAL is a Dynamic Driver that utilizes a 10mm diameter LCP (liquid crystal polymer film) diaphragm. Moreover, the Next 1 comes with some interesting features such like IPX4 certification, LDAC Hi-Res Wireless Codec support, Wireless charging, NUARL Connect Support and is equipped with a hybrid active noise cancellation microphone setup with multipoint and AI call noise cancellation technology.
Disclaimer:
I would like to thank NUARL for providing me the NEXT 1 for review purposes. I am not affiliated with NUARL beyond this review and all these words reflect my true and unaltered opinions about the product.
Price & Availability:
The actual price for the NUARL NEXT 1 is 200.00 US$. More information’s can be found under the links below;
Package & Accessories:
The box of the NUARL NEXT 1 has a rectangular shape with some product related brandings and the illustration on its surface.
This box contains the following items & accessories;
- 1 x pair of NUARL NEXT 1 TWS Earphones
- 1 x NUARL charging case
- 4 x Block Ear+7 Antibacterial Silicone Ear Tips (S/MS/M/L)
- 2 x Silicone Ear Hooks
- 1 x USB Type-C Charging Cable
- 1 x User Manual & Quick Star Guide
Design & Build Quality:
The NUARL NEXT 1 is a relative small TWS Earphone with a quite esthetic look and comfortable wearing experience that shows a pretty smooth yet complex cubic curved appearance, which has been designed in collaboration with the famous Japanese Product Designer “Akihiro Momozaki” by BATTLE DESIGN.
The NEXT 1 is available in two different color options; one in White Egret and one in Black Ebony color same like my review unit.
The housing is made of plastic material, which has a solid build quality. The monitors are very lightweight with just 5g due to the use of this plastic material. The monitors are IPX4 certified, which means that the wearable device is resistant to water only at the splash level. It can survive minor water splashes but cannot be submerged. The NEXT 1 is smaller then the N6 Pro 2 & N10 Plus and offers excellent comfort thanks to the removable pre-installed rubber ear-hooks. The ear hooks are a grate addition especially while exercising.
The front part of each monitor has a touch sensitive surface with a soft rubber coating in black or white color depending on the purchased model. You will see the NUARL brand logo and a metal mesh in gold color. The metal mesh has a Feed Forward Microphone behind it, which is part of the hybrid active noise canceling technology. The second microphone is near the corner of the front surface right behind a small opening.
The rear part of the monitors features the removable silicone Ear Hook/ Ear Pad and the sound nozzle that has a filter on the top to prevent the insertion of small/unwanted particles like dust, earwax, etc. Near the nozzle is a second opening that dedicated for the M2 NUARL Driver and the 3rd microphone, which is an Integrated Feedback Microphone. On the top of each monitor is a small LED status indicator.
Here are also five small metal plates in gold color on each monitor, which are the connectors for the charging interface.
The NUARL NEXT 1 has a pretty small and stylish looking charging case with Wireless Charging support and a capacity of 300mAh. The case has dimension of 72x30x47mm and weights approx of 40grams without the earphone/monitors. The charging case that is made of plastic material has a rubbery surface, which offers a nice to touch feel when you hold it in your hands. On the top of the charging case is the NUARL logo.
Once you open the case you will see NEXT 1 branding, the L / R markings, the seats and charging interface for the earphones.
The seats do have a magnetic surface to ensure the right connection for the charging process and to avoid that the earphones drop out.
The inner surface of the top cover sports some information of the product model and some industrial standards and certifications.
At the bottom is the Wireless Charging logo.
On the front of the case is the LED status indicator that gives information like the remaining power of the battery and the charging process.
At the rear side is the USB Type-C charging port that can be charged with the cable that comes in the box when you connect it to your PC or with an adaptor to a wall charger.
The overall build quality of both the monitors/earphones and the charging case is excellent, while the soft rubbery surface is a bit prone to finger prints.
Battery Life & Wireless Charging:
Each monitor is equipped with a Li-PO battery that has a capacity of 50mAh. The charging case on the other hand has a built-in battery with a capacity of 300mAh, which gives you up to 20 hours in combination with the earphones. The Battery case is equipped with a Qi Wireless charging interface that allows you to charge it via Qi or other wireless charging pads, which is a very nice addition. The charging process via USB cable takes about 1.5 hours.
Details about the battery life in different scenarios are listed below;
- SBC/AAC Codec ANC Off: approx 7 hours
- SBC/AAC Codec ANC On: approx 5.5 – 6 hours
- LDAC Codec ANC Off: approx 5 – 5.5 hours
- LDAC Codec ANC On: approx 4.5 – 5 hours
Technical Specifications:
- Driver Model : M2 NUARL Driver
- Driver Type : Ø10mm LCP Diaphragm Dynamic Driver
- Frequency response : 20 Hz – 40 kHz
- Bluetooth version : BT5.3 / Class 2 with Multi-pairing up to 4
- Audio Codec’s : AAC, SBC, LDAC
- Bluetooth Profile : A2DP, HFP, HSP, AVRCP
- Bluetooth distance : approx. 10 meters
- Microphone : Talk x 2 (FF ANC / Ambient) FB ANC X 1
- Charging case battery: 3.7V 300mAh
- Earphones battery : 3.7V 50mAh for each earphone
- Battery Life ANC Off : 7H with SBC/AAC codec, approx 5.5H with LDAC codec
- Battery Life ANC On : 6H with SBC/AAC codec, approx 5H with LDAC codec
- Charging time : about 1.5 hours
- Dimensions : Earphones 26x16x24mm, Charging Case 72x30x47mm
- Waterproof Level : IPX4
Pairing, Navigation, Signal Strength, Latency & Call Quality:
The pairing process of the NUARL NEXT 1 is quite simple. Long Press the Touch Sensitive surface of earphones for 2 seconds and select NUARL NEXT 1L from your BT source. You don’t need to re-pair the earphone after the first pairing process; just simply put out the earpieces from the charging case and your phone will automatically recognized and connect them.
The NEXT 1 offers a solid Bluetooth connection within a distance of approx 10 meters.
The Gaming Mode is another feature of the NEXT 1 that shows a great performance in terms of latency, when you do watch videos on Youtube, Netflix, Amazon, etc or do use the NEXT1 during video games. The lip-sync latency was very low when I have activated the Gaming Mode.
The NEXT 1 offers also a decent performance when it comes to voice conversations. The voice transmission was excellent thanks to the two Feed Forward Microphones, when paired with the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Remarkable Features:
A) NUARL Connect:
The dedicated app “NUARL Connect” is available for both iOS and Android devices. You can customize NEXT1 via the various settings. You can also operate the app on the connected device other than the device you are listening to music during multi-point connection. The NUARL Connect applications is a very versatile solution that gives you access to features such as ANC & Ambient Modes, Gaming modes, setting of minimum / maximum volume level, switching of equalizer setting, change of button operation contents, FW updates and many more.
B) Ambient Sound Mode:
The Ambient Sound Mode allows you to hear the surrounding sounds while wearing the earphones that can be activated with the Touch Sensors or by using the “NUARL Connect” application that gives you access to different levels of Ambient Sound Modes. A special microphone that is dedicated for this features makes it possible to switch the music playback mode at the same time as capturing external sound.
C) PDE (Pure Direct Equalizer) Technology:
The NUARL NEXT 1 is features a special EQ algorithm that is called “Pure Direct Equalizer” (PDE) that you can fine adjust with the NUARL Connect Application. NUARL’s offers also two different sound tuning presets you can chose from the app.
D) Low Pressure Noise Cancelling:
The NUARL NEXT 1 is equipped with a so called hybrid active noise canceling technology that combines feed forward and the feedback microphones. A unique structure developed by the NUARL team effectively releases the air inside ear canals that is able to achieve noise canceling with less pressure on your ears.
Equipment’s used for this review:
- TWS Earphones : NUARL NEXT 1
- Source : Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, iPad Air2, FiiO M11 Plus ESS
Albums & tracks used for this review:
- Edith Piaf – Non Je Ne Regrette Rien
- Diana Krall – So Wonderful
- Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer
- Hayley Westenra – Odyssey Album
- Dionne Warwick – Walk On By
- Sarah McLachlan – Angel
- Sting – Englishman in New York
- Barry White – Just The Way You Are
- Isaac Hayes – Walk On
- Elton John – Rocket Man
- Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight
- Sting – Englishman in New York
- Casey Abrams – Robot Lovers
- Fazıl Say – Nazım Oratoryosu (Live)
- Chopin – Nocturn No. 20 In C-Sharp Minor
- Vivaldi – Le QuarttroStagioni “The Four Seasons”
- Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – The River
- Gogo Penguin – Raven
- Lorde – Royal Massive Attack – Angel
- Toutant – Rebirth
- Really Slow Motion – Deadwood
- Massive Attack – Angel
- Muse – The Handler
- Twerl – Lishu
- U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday
- Lunatic Soul – The Passage
- Metallica – Sad but True
- Megadeth – Sweating Bullets
- Rush’s – Leave That Thing Alone
- Slayer – Angel of Death
- Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Acid Rain
The Sound:
The NUARL NEXT 1 has a mildly V shaped sound signature along with tad warmer than neutral tonality. The bass stands out with its clean, fast and fairly controlled response. The midrange is a bit recessed but sounds in general pretty transparent and lively. The treble range on the other hand offers a adequate sense of presence and brilliance that create a nice level of clarity and definition, especially for a TWS earphone.
Please note that this review has been written after a burn-in period of approx 45-50 hours. I have used the stock Block Ear+7 Silicone Ear Tips. My sound impressions below are based on my experiences in Default Sound Mode, without Ambient Sound and ANC.
Bass / Midrange / Treble / Soundstage & Imaging:
The M2 NURAL Dynamic Driver offers a moderately emphasized bass response that is fast, clean, controlled, but the extension is a bit short for my taste in default sound mode. The subbass region is produced with a sufficient level of depth and extension that is fairly enough for genres such like Metal, Jazz, Blues or Acoustic music, while you will may wish a bit more rumble and intensity for genres like EDM, Trance, RnB, etc.
The midbass region is produced with decent grade of authority, speed and clarity, while the default sound profile shows a moderate level of impact and intensity. There are no negative situations like a midbass hump, muddiness or mixings. The Pure Direct Equalizer is a quite efficient mode, which you can access over the NUARL Connect APP that is able to add more body, depth and intensity to the lows of the NEXT 1 that features the pretty capable M2 NURAL Dynamic Driver.
The NUARL NEXT 1 has a very transparent, lively and airy midrange character in default sound mode, which shows a slightly warmer than neutral tonality. Instruments and vocals do sound a bit recessed, but the level of clarity and resolution of this area is decent, especially for a TWS earphone.
The lower midrange is moderately emphasized, clear and detailed when I do listen to male voices or to instruments such like a guitars, violas or pianos. The upper midrange is more pronounced, detailed and shows also a slightly better level of extension compared to the lower midrange region. Female vocals are reproduced in a very transparent and vivid/lively manner. The tonality of instruments in this area is neither thin nor too bold. Violins are slightly bright and are shown with a good grade of extension, while clarinets and side flutes do sound relative bright and pretty stirring.
The NUARL NEXT 1 has a distinctive and airy treble presentation which doesn’t sound sharp or unnatural. The lower treble region offers in general a good level of presence and definition while listen to percussions and soprano voices. The upper treble region on the other hand is able to create an efficient sense of brilliance, especially in TWS earphone standards that you can always fine adjust with the pretty effective Pure Direct Equalizer for your liking.
Instruments like Hi-Hats are slightly in the background, while the hits of the crash cymbals do sound tight and are shown with a good grade of extension.
The NUARL NEXT 1 shows a fairly expansive soundstage atmosphere that is relative suitable for a realistic positioning and separation of instruments and the vocals. The soundstage sounds in general pretty spacious and airy, while the sense of depth and wideness is decent for a TWS earphone.
Conclusion:
The NUARL NEXT 1 is a pretty balanced and detailed sounding True Wireless Earphone that stands out with its well implemented and usable features. It offers LDAC Hi-Res Wireless Codec support, comes with a special Hybrid ANC Technology for a Low Pressure Noise Cancelling, has a pretty effective Ambient Sound Mode and utilizes a so called Pure Direct Equalizer (PDE) Technology to customize the sound profile. Moreover, the NEXT 1 is very comfortable, especially for exercising thanks to its small profile and special removable Ear Hook design. The Charging Case that supports Qi Wireless Charging and the IPX4 Waterproof certification are also some nice additions. All in all, the NEXT 1 is a decent TWS earphone option below the 250 USD price range.
Pros & Cons:
- + Decent Clarity, Definition & Resolution for a TWS Earphone
- + Bass Speed & Authority
- + Transparent & Lively Midrange Presentation
- + Presence, Attack, Brightness of the Treble Range
- + Pure Direct Equalizer works decent
- + LDAC Codec Support
- + Very Good Voice transmission during Calls
- + Fit & Comfort (Silicone Ear Hooks)
- – Bass Depth & Extension for Electronic Music in Default Sound Mode
- – Average Ambient Sound Performance (may solved with a future FW Update)
- – No Auto Play / Pause Function at this price level (WF1000XM4, MTW3)
Thank you for the Read!
