

All products featured are independently chosen by us. However, SoundGuys may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links. See our ethics statement.
1 / 10The Shure Aonic 40 strips out the premium materials of its more expensive predecessor, but keeps all the features.
A 3.7 puts its noise isolation / ANC in the bottom quarter of over-ear headphones we've measured.
Measured on 86 of the 240 we've cataloged.
below average for over-ear headphones — based on 150 of 240 we've cataloged.
Usb-c is the most common — on 87% of the 135 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 240).
5 appears on 20% of the 145 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 240).
above average for over-ear headphones — based on 195 of 240 we've cataloged.
The Shure AONIC 40 trims some of the excess of the AONIC 50, which makes for a reasonably priced, great-sounding pair of Bluetooth headphones. Mediocre and ANC and durability concerns notwithstanding, this is definitely one to consider.
Objective measurements from the SoundGuys test lab — overlay other models to see how this one compares.
Measured frequency response (dB) against the SoundGuys house target — the dashed curve. The closer the measured line tracks the target, the more neutral the tuning; peaks ride above the target, dips fall below it.
| Frequency (Hz) | Response (dB) |
|---|---|
| 20 | 7.9 |
| 25 | 7.6 |
| 32 | 6.8 |
| 40 | 5.8 |
| 50 | 4.7 |
| 63 | 3.9 |
| 80 | 4.4 |
| 100 | 4.8 |
| 125 | 4.7 |
| 160 | 3.2 |
| 200 | 3.3 |
| 250 | 4.0 |
| 315 | 1.8 |
| 400 | -2.2 |
| 500 | -2.7 |
| 630 | -0.8 |
| 800 | -0.4 |
| 1000 | -0.1 |
| 1250 | -0.5 |
| 1600 | 2.6 |
| 2000 | 3.2 |
| 2500 | 3.6 |
| 3150 | 5.0 |
| 4000 | 3.9 |
| 5000 | 13.3 |
| 6300 | 11.0 |
| 8000 | 10.3 |
| 10000 | 9.4 |
| 12500 | -0.4 |
| 16000 | 0.5 |
| 20000 | -19.0 |
Passive isolation (dB) with ANC off — how much ambient noise the fit blocks on its own. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.
| Frequency (Hz) | Attenuation (dB) |
|---|---|
| 21 | -0.7 |
| 26 | -0.7 |
| 33 | -0.1 |
| 41 | 0.0 |
| 52 | -0.3 |
| 65 | -0.9 |
| 82 | -2.1 |
| 103 | -0.7 |
| 130 | -1.6 |
| 163 | -1.8 |
| 205 | -2.5 |
| 259 | -5.2 |
| 325 | 2.1 |
| 410 | 1.1 |
| 516 | 2.8 |
| 613 | 6.8 |
| 772 | 8.2 |
| 972 | 9.4 |
| 1220 | 13.4 |
| 1540 | 16.0 |
| 1940 | 22.5 |
| 2440 | 26.6 |
| 3070 | 26.4 |
| 3870 | 29.6 |
| 4870 | 41.0 |
| 6130 | 27.3 |
| 7720 | 29.8 |
| 9720 | 28.1 |
| 12200 | 11.9 |
| 15400 | 26.5 |
| 19400 | 32.6 |
Total attenuation (dB) with ANC on — passive isolation plus active noise cancelling. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.
| Frequency (Hz) | Total attenuation (dB) |
|---|---|
| 21 | -0.8 |
| 26 | -0.8 |
| 33 | -0.4 |
| 41 | -0.5 |
| 52 | -1.1 |
| 65 | 0.0 |
| 82 | 0.6 |
| 103 | 6.7 |
| 130 | 9.3 |
| 163 | 13.0 |
| 205 | 12.4 |
| 259 | 8.9 |
| 325 | 9.0 |
| 410 | 8.2 |
| 516 | 6.6 |
| 613 | 8.3 |
| 772 | 8.1 |
| 972 | 9.5 |
| 1220 | 12.9 |
| 1540 | 14.0 |
| 1940 | 17.5 |
| 2440 | 24.4 |
| 3070 | 26.9 |
| 3870 | 29.2 |
| 4870 | 41.9 |
| 6130 | 26.6 |
| 7720 | 28.8 |
| 9720 | 29.9 |
| 12200 | 12.5 |
| 15400 | 20.7 |
| 19400 | 30.5 |
Commentary and deep dives from the SoundGuys editorial team.











