Libratone Q Adapt in-ears
Smooth, weighty sound; comfy fit; good noise-cancelling Rivals offer crisper presentation; Apple-only
When Apple removed the 3.5mm audio jack from its iphone 7, it posed a problem: how on earth will you plug a pair of headphones into this smartphone? While most manufacturers took this opportunity to push wireless models to the world, some companies opted to build headphones with Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector at the end instead of a 3.5mm plug.
Libratone is one such company, with its Q Adapt In-ear headphones catering for Apple users who want to listen to music on their (Lightning-fitted) smart devices. The Danish audio company has also equipped these in-ears with a smooth sound, a clever noise-cancelling feature and uniquely designed earbuds – all for a decent £160.
A design for life
With their mix of light metal and smooth rubber coating materials, the Q Adapts are elegant-looking in-ears. They’re nicely built and light (about 20g), so the earbuds don’t weigh down on your ears even after hours of listening. The braided cable keeps things tangle free, too.
You get three earbud options in the box (small, medium, large) and their unusually sloped shape is designed for a comfortable and better seal for your ears.
And it works wonders. These ear tips rest gently in your ears (once you find the right size), and you don’t have to push them far into your ear canals as you would with normal buds. They’re comfortable and stay put – and give a more effective seal that helps with the noise-cancelling.
You can get the Q Adapt In-ears in four finishes: our review sample’s stormy black, cloudy white, rose pink and elegant nude (not as interesting as it sounds).
Keep the noise down
The Q Adapts’ adjustable noise-cancelling (which Libratone calls Citymix) is a neat feature. It’s the same noise-cancelling feature as on the On-ear versions, but we find it more effective and easier to use here. And the shape of the earbuds means you get a better seal to block out the outside world.
There are four levels of noise-cancelling to cycle through. While it doesn’t wrap you in a cocoon of velvety silence like the Award-winning over-ear Sony MDR1000XS, the In-ears manage to damp down ambient noise, surrounding chatter and the general drone of rush hour.
What’s clever about the Q Adapts is that, instead of needing batteries to drive the noise-cancelling aspect, these in-ears use the Lightning connector to draw power from your iphone. It doesn’t sap your iphone’s battery as much as you’d think, either – you’ll see perhaps a one or two per cent drop compared with using normal 3.5mm headphones.
The remote unit in the cable is intuitive to use, with responsive buttons for volume, noise-cancelling, pausing and skipping tracks, and activating Siri. You can also use the Libratone App to access Citymix, internet radio and adjust the tonal balance.
Nice features, then – and nice sound, too. With Death Cab For Cutie’s I Will Follow You Into The Dark playing through an iphone 6S, the Libratones show off their smooth, full-bodied character. The guitar strums sound solid and vocals are infused with warmth and clarity. It’s a gentle but rich sound that’s lovely to listen to.
These in-ears sound rather spacious, too, and the quiet, intimate song gets a chance to flourish thanks to the Q Adapts’ bouncy sense of rhythm. What really ticks things over is a surprisingly deep low-end, which adds real heft and substance.
Sad13’s sparkly pop is delivered with all of its upbeat character intact, with Devil in sounding fluid and melodic. There’s ample texture to the instruments, and Sadie Dupuis’ singing cuts sweetly through the dreamy pop-grunge ambience.
The only real downside is that we’ve heard in-ear headphones that offer better dynamics, crisper edges to notes and more outright attack. But the Q Adapts’ smooth, rich sound is one that we can spend hours listening to. And we have.
A nice niche
The Libratone Q Adapt In-ears’ appeal may be limited – you’re looking at specifically Apple devices here – but they offer a good combination of features and enjoyable sound for a decent price.
We’ve not come across this particular combination of in-ears, noise-cancelling and Lightning connector for £160. For rival options, you’re looking at either far more expensive Lightning-connector headphones from Audeze, or wireless in-ears from Bose and Sennheiser at similar prices.
If you’re looking for a wired pair of in-ears to use with your iphone 7 or 7 Plus, these comfortable and enjoyable Libratone Q Adapt In-ears should suit your needs.
“Instead of needing batteries to drive the noise-cancelling aspect, these in-ears draw power from your iphone”