They promise clearer, richer sound from your AirPods Pro — but what you actually get is a tiny piece of plastic and a whole lot of anxiety.
AirPods Pro sound really good. Unsurprisingly, though, Apple generally knows how to make products that do what they say on the box.
For example, I have AirPods Pro 2. And, while I still think that my AirPods Max are better for making phone calls, I use my AirPods Pro 2 for almost all other listening.
So, when Flare Audio reached out to me and told me that they had a product that could improve the sound quality of the AirPods Pro, I was skeptical. But I also love a weird product.
The concept was pretty simple. You just put a tiny insert into your AirPods Pro, and they sound better.
No changing the tips, no permanent modifications, no fuss, and no muss. But the question still begged: could the tiniest bit of 3D printed plastic actually make any sort of noticeable difference?
So, I agreed to check it out.
Sonic Lens review: When I say small, I mean it
On some level, I knew that the Sonic Lens inserts would be small. They'd have to be, they're designed to fit inside the ear tips of your AirPods Pro.
However, as it turns out, there's a metaphorical canyon between visualizing "small" and witnessing it. These things aren't small.
They're minuscule. They're a step below minuscule.
Sonic Lens review: 5mm is extremely small.
They are, at their widest point, five millimeters across. Five.
And, again: this is their widest point. Every other dimension is significantly smaller.
Suddenly, I had reservations about putting this thing in my ears. However, seeing as I already promised to do so, I figured I'd have to try them out regardless.
Sonic Lens review: Really getting into it, or, rather, getting it into the AirPods
The installation process is nerve-racking. Not because it's difficult — it's actually pretty easy.
The problem is peeling it off the adhesive and then trying not to lose it before you get it installed. I dropped my first one twice before I got it to its final location.
Sonic Lens review: Peeling these off the adhesive was about a solid 6.5/10 on the needlessly stressful scale
Fortunately, once I got it into the canal tip, it was pretty easy. It doesn't really "click" in, but it does seat itself pretty securely.
Am I 100% confident that it won't fall out in my ear? No, not exactly — maybe like 80% at best.
It's for that reason that I'm going to go ahead and tell you that this is risky business. When I was a kid, my doctor discovered a small plastic bead in my ear during a routine exam.
That whole event culminated in a rather painful extraction of said bead. So there's reason to be concerned here.
I'm not here to tell you what to do. I'm just here to provide you with information so you can make your own choice.
Sonic Lens review: Hearing is believing — or is it?
So, after that entire debacle, it's time for me to reveal whether or not this whole Sonic Lens thing does what it says it does. You're probably wondering if I heard any marked difference whatsoever.
I did.
It's worth noting that I've historically not been one to fall for the placebo effect. If anything, I'm more placebo resistant — my expectations tend to dampen effects rather than amplify them.
That being said, the result didn't blow my socks clean off, either. And I don't actually think Flare Audio is expecting it to do so, but I wanted to be pretty upfront about this not being a life-changing experience.
The best way I could describe it is that the Sonic Lens sort of "condenses" the sound a bit.
It's kind of like the difference between water pouring out of a bathtub faucet versus the faucet in your sink. Everything is still there, it's just more "compact."
This actually had a weird effect during my listening sessions. My brain perceived the sound as louder; when listening to music with the Sonic Lens installed, I needed to turn it down.
It wasn't painfully loud by any means, but I like keeping headphone audio pretty low. This was exacerbated when I used Apple's built-in background sounds — I needed to turn those down the most.
Flare says that the Sonic Lens can lead to less ear fatigue for longer sessions. I'm not sure that's the case.
I feel like there's a chance that it may actually increase ear fatigue, at least in the short term.
But I will say that that audio seemed a bit "clearer." I noticed this somewhat with music, but really seemed to notice the effects when listening to podcasts.
It seems to make the biggest difference in higher-pitched voices. They felt more "rounded out" and substantial.
Flare says that the Sonic Lens removes high-frequency resonances. Allegedly, this makes audio sound richer and less harsh.
I'm not sure if I'd go that far. I'd say the difference is more akin to listening to someone nearby talk, facing towards you instead of away from you.
Sure, one is a little clearer, but if you've got average hearing, it's not like you're getting a major sonic upgrade.
I also didn't notice the effect on noise cancellation mode. It seemed to be most apparent when transparency was enabled, and did okay on adaptive mode in average sound environments.
Sonic Lens review: A massive, massive caveat
I'm going to pull back the curtain a bit on the review process here. I didn't test these all in one day; I allowed myself to live with them for about a week.
During that week, I used them for listening to music and podcasts, both indoors and out. I jotted down my thoughts on them whenever I thought something was worth mentioning.
The one thing I didn't use them for, however, was phone calls.
Until I finally did.
As I've stated before, I use my AirPods Max for long phone calls. I think the transparency mode is better, and they don't fall out of my ears when I talk.
I realized that I'd forgotten to charge my AirPods Max one night just as I was about to take a long phone call. No big deal — I'd just use my AirPods Pro.
I had entirely forgotten that the Sonic Lens inserts were still in the earpieces. So when I took the call and it sounded markedly worse, I was worried that my AirPods 2 were going the way of my original AirPods Pro.
And it wasn't the person I was talking to that sounded muffled — it was me. I sounded muffled.
As it turns out, the biggest effect that the Sonic Lens has is that, for some reason, it makes any noises piped in during transparency mode more muffled.
I didn't notice this when I was out walking around, as I usually keep my AirPods Pro 2 on Adaptive mode. I didn't notice it when I talked to people in person, because I still instinctively reach up and pull one of my earbuds out.
This is a huge issue for me. I'm willing to bet it would be a huge issue for most people.
After all, you dropped $250 for headphones that sounded good. You don't want to do something to cause them to sound markedly worse in certain situations.
Sonic Lens review: The final verdict
I think, at this point, most of you can already see where this review was headed.
Do I think that the Sonic Lens changes the audio output from my AirPods Pro 2? Yes, I do.
It sounded a little clearer when I listened to podcasts. But, according to Apple's hearing test, my hearing hovers right around 0 dBHL for both ears — a bit above average for someone my age.
I'm not sure if someone with a more average hearing range, or someone with mild hearing loss, would notice any change. And the huge hit that Transparency Mode takes is non-negotiable.
Not to mention, I'm pretty nervous to recommend what is, essentially, a loose piece of plastic. I would feel terrible if someone got the Sonic Lens, only to have one dislodge and get stuck in their ear.
There's at least one tale from Reddit where a user had a repeated issue with it coming loose. I haven't had that problem yet, but I don't think it would be unheard of, either.
So, all that to say: no. I don't think that it'd be worth it.
Sonic Lens review: An addendum
Now, if you'd like my opinion on Calmer, Flare Audio's in-ear sound filters designed to make sounds less harsh, I absolutely recommend those. Especially if you do have above-average hearing and struggle with being able to hear coil whine or AC buzz.
The premise of Calmer is pretty simple. It uses a funnel-like design that helps sand off any "sharp" sounds.
Actually, it's pretty similar to the Sonic Lens in that regard. Calmer, however, seems to achieve this goal much better.
I have found myself using Calmer almost daily. I can't wear earplugs without feeling claustrophobic, and more often than not, I prefer to keep my ears open.
Putting Calmer in my ears is fantastic — I hear zero coil whine from a nearby Gaming PC. It also completely cuts out an annoying, pulsing sound that a bike charger one room over produces.
Sonic Lens review: Skip the $27 piece of plastic and opt for the $24 bit of silicone instead
It's nice. I'm the only person in the house who can hear these, so it prevents me from walking around and trying to unplug everything to get some peace and quiet.
And yes, you can't wear Calmer while you're wearing your AirPods Pro. But you could wear them with AirPods Max — or in any situation where wearing headphones isn't appropriate. Don't think of this as a substitution for AirPods, but rather an alternative.
So, yes, I think Flare Audio is capable of making great products. I'm just not sure that a $27 piece of 3D printed plastic is an innovative — or safe — product.
1.5 out of 5
Flare Audio Sonic Lens: Pros
- Clearer audio, especially for spoken content
- Non-permanent alteration to your AirPods Pro
- AirPods Pro case compatible
Flare Audio Sonic Lens: Cons
- Tiny, easy to lose
- Effect is subtle — perhaps too subtle for most
- A very real risk of losing one in your ear
Where to buy Flare Audio Sonic Lens
If after all that you'd still like to buy Sonic Lens, you can head to Flare Audio's site. A pair will cost you $26.95.
Calmer, on the other hand, is available starting at $19.95, or $23.95 on Amazon. Just saying.
