From smartwatches, true wireless stereo (TWS) earphones to chargers, Noise has been steadily expanding its presence in India with an ever-increasing product portfolio. But most of its business is still in sub-rupees. 5,000 segments. Recently, the company began to launch the Master series to enter the higher-end market. To help realize its ambitions, the company has now launched Noise Master Buds Max as the first over-ear headphones in its flagship range.
Noise Master Buds Max price in India is Rs. 11,999. These headphones say “Sound by Bose,” but is that just a label or are the headphones punching above their weight? I’ll explain in my review.
Noise Master Buds Max Design: Elegant and Comfortable
- Weight – 262g
- Durability – IPX4
- Colors – Onyx, Titanium and Silver
Even though the Noise Master Buds Max are made of plastic, its appearance catches your attention at first glance. They are available in three colors: Onyx, Titanium and Silver. I got the silver shade, which has a premium finish that doesn’t feel ostentatious and features the Master Buds range’s signature vinyl pattern on the outside of the earcups. The vegan leather earcups provide plenty of cushioning from the noise, but they’re not removable, which might become an issue in the long run. There is a C-shaped headband with metal underneath that allows the user to extend or retract it and get the right fit.
You can see the “Sound by Bose” logo on each end of the earphones, which clearly shows the company’s close collaboration with the audio giant.
Headphones come with non-removable ear cups
Functionally, the Noise also focuses on practicality; the cup folds inward, making it easier to tuck into a backpack or the included velvet pouch. The Master Buds Max also have a light bar on the left earcup that shows charging and pairing status.
My one complaint is that the brand doesn’t mark the left and right earcups, except on the inside. The left earcup has a USB Type-C port for charging, while the right earcup has power and playback control buttons. All buttons have a raised texture, which makes it easier to remember their function without taking the headphones off – it’s a nice touch. Contrary to what you may have read elsewhere, the Master Buds Max don’t actually include a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Noise Master Buds Max have a slim light strip on them
At 262 grams, the Noise Master Buds Max are not the lightest over-ear headphones you can buy. In fact, they’re even heavier than the new Sony WH-1000XM6, which offer more features and superior sound quality. Despite the added weight, the headphones remain comfortable even during long listening sessions. The tension is just right without feeling too stiff.
Plush vegan leather provides a great fit and seal. It does not create any heating zones. The Master Buds Max are IPX4 rated, which means you can wear them to the gym with confidence. In terms of accessories, the company offers a velvet pouch for carrying the earphones, while an AirPods Max clone case for the earphones is also sold separately.
Noise Master Buds Max app support and specs: Familiar territory
- Driver – 40mm Dynamic
- Companion App – NoiseAudio
- Gesture control – No
Like the Master Buds, the Noise Master Buds Max are compatible with the NoiseAudio app. Once you navigate to the app, it mainly displays the battery status and the audio mode selected for the headset. From here, you can switch between ANC, transparency, and off modes. Scroll down to find additional features. Moving to sound customization, you’ll see options including spatial audio, equalizer, wear detection, quick talk mode, focus mode, dual pairing, and find my device.
Master Buds Max are compatible with the NoiseAudio app
Disappointingly, the company only offers two preset modes in the equalizer: Default (i.e. Bose tuning) and Custom. This means you have to manually adjust the frequency bands to find the sound that works best for you.
Under the hood, the Noise Master Buds Max are powered by 40mm drivers paired with LHDC 5.0 codec. They also support Bluetooth 5.4, providing a wireless range of approximately 10 meters. The over-ear headphones come with five microphones for voice calls and recording. According to the company, they support up to 40dB of active noise cancellation (ANC). The list of profiles supported by Bluetooth includes A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP, SPP and AVDTP. Master Buds Max are said to provide up to 60 hours of music playback time on a single charge.
Noise Master Buds Maximum Performance and Battery Life: Exceeds Expectations
- Codec support – LHDC 5.0
- Connectivity – Bluetooth 5.4
- Battery – up to 60 hours (ANC off)
The sound quality of the Noise Master Buds Max is better than I expected. They hold high the “Sound by Bose” torch and have the soft bass that is synonymous with Bose audio products. The low frequencies are very rich but don’t overwhelm the mids or treble, making the headphones almost perfect for mainstream listening in different genres.
Although the headphones are slightly heavy, they are still comfortable to wear for long periods of time
In richly layered tracks, such as Dire Straits’ “Private Investigations”, Eagles’ Hotel California, AJR’s “World’s Smallest Violin”, etc., the headphones display a wide soundstage. There’s great separation between vocals, percussion and other elements. At low volumes, the bass becomes prominent, while increasing the volume provides a good balance of bass, mids, and treble. There’s no audio distortion at any volume level, and I found 70-75% to be the sweet spot for most tracks.
Switching to bass-forward tracks, like Amit Trivedi’s “Baithi Hai,” helps reveal their low-end performance. The default audio tuning delivers enough punch to satisfy bass lovers, but without the “boom” that often plagues non-premium audio products. When ANC is turned on, the bass level increases and the headphones sound slightly better. That said, some tracks may feel lacking in treble, but we’ve observed this in other similarly priced products as well.
The physical buttons on the earphones are raised and feel good in the hand.
The headphones also offer Spatial Audio support, which is said to provide a 3D listening experience. However, in my experience it weakens the sound and is mostly a gimmick. It would be better to turn this feature off.
In everyday environments, such as walking down a busy street or commuting on the subway, headphones can effectively drown out most ambient noise. However, I wore them on fairly long flights and they did not completely reduce engine noise. Nor can they completely drown out office chatter when the office is nearby. Transparency mode, on the other hand, works well and lets in enough ambient sound.
You can find the “Sound by Bose” logo on the headphones
But not everything is perfect. The wear detection feature, in particular, feels inconsistent. There have been many times when I took off my headphones and the audio wouldn’t stop playing. In some cases, it will even switch the audio app that is playing music.
On the plus side, battery life is where the Noise Master Buds Max really shine. The company claims up to 60 hours of playback on a single charge, and I got close to that number with ANC turned off. With ANC enabled, the headset may last between 35 and 40 hours. At the same time, 10 minutes of charging gives you 8-9 hours of playback, which is awesome.
Noise Master Buds Max Verdict
Powered by Bose’s tuning influence, Noise’s Master Buds Max deliver a surprisingly refined experience. The headphones offer clean, balanced sound, effective ANC, strong battery life, and a comfortable, premium design. Their feature set is strong for the price, with spatial audio and wear detection being the only impressive elements. Overall, they are a great value, sophisticated over-ear headphone that exceeds expectations.
The Noise Master Buds Max are one of the most impressive mid-range over-ear headphones this year, making them a great choice if you’re in the market for new headphones.
