Puro Sound Labs PuroPro Best Active Noise Canceling Headphones Review

Puro Sound Labs PuroPro are top of line volume-limiting headphones with active noise cancellation and impeccable comfort. But they have a few caveats.

The PuroPro headsets are so far the best headphones with built-in volume-limiting technology. While that’s usually a feature for kids headphones, you hardly characterize them as such.

These are big over-ear headphones that offer excellent comfort and don’t skimp on battery life (almost 40 hours of playtime).

Active noise cancellation comes in two modes and works pretty well. And while the build quality isn’t impressive, you get a hard-shell carrying case for superb drop protection.

On the other hand, headphones lack a companion app and an ambient sound mode. They even charge via the old micro-USB, which is something only cheap headphones use.

So, should you pick these Puro headphones or opt for something cheaper? Find all the answers in the review below.

Sound

Star Rating 4.0 Great

Puro Sound Labs PuroPro output a silky smooth and easy-to-listen-to sound that you can enjoy for hours. However, that smoothness hides fine details.

Since PuroPro headphones should protect your hearing, it’s only logical to tune them to prevent sibilance and harshness. And Puro definitely delivered.

Headphones sound laid-back across the full range, making them extremely easy to listen to.

But how’s the overall performance?

Bass

The bass is slightly above the other frequencies but not to the point of sounding bloated. It offers good extension and decent punch while adding warmness to the overall sound.

It’s decently controlled as well, although instruments like bass guitars would benefit from a slightly tighter performance.

All in all, while you can jam with these headphones, they aren’t going to recreate your last night at the disco.

Based on the measurement, there’s a bass increase when enabling ANC. However, the boost is hardly noticeable when comparing it side by side.

Midrange

Quite natural and thick, thanks to the added warmness. Vocals and instruments feel full, albeit slightly lacking texture and detail due to rolled-off treble. More on that later.

Regarding ANC, like the bass, it also alters the midrange slightly. In general, having ANC turned off results in a more balanced performance with more transparent vocals.

Treble

Higher frequencies carry a decent amount of detail and air but are relatively quiet in the mix. That’s also why vocals and instruments don’t sound as lively.

On the other hand, cymbals have a good texture and don’t sound splashy. Smooth jazz and similar genres sound really good on these.

Overall, you shouldn’t miss anything when listening in a quiet room. However, if you plan to use them outside, you’ll have difficulty hearing high frequencies.

The soundstage is about average for over-ear headphones. You get a good sense of space since it’s equally deep and wide.

In contrast, the imaging isn’t the most accurate. There’s a blind spot between the center image and the left and right channel.

In the end, here’s what you need to know:

Puro Sound Labs PuroPro offer excellent sound quality with a very smooth sound signature.

The headphones should please anyone but the most hardcore audiophiles. And are perfectly suitable for kids who want to look “grown-up” or adults with sensitive ears. They’re meant for easy listening and relaxing after a stressful day.

Comfort & Fit

Star Rating 4.0 Great

The PuroPro Bluetooth headphones are incredibly comfortable and fairly lightweight for their size. On the other hand, stability is only average due to a gentle clamping force.

Like with all premium headphones, the PuroPro also come with generous padding. Earpads are huge and encapsulate your entire ear.

The pads are dressed in soft pleather and filled with memory foam. They feel like a pillow on your head, without any clamping pressure. You can easily wear these for long listening sessions.

On the other hand, it’s worth noting that leather isn’t very breathable, so your ears might start sweating, especially during warmer months.

The headband uses the same kind of pleather and foam to ease the pressure on top of your head. All in all, a very comfortable experience.

Moreover, headphones provide a pretty stable fit. During regular use, they manage to securely stay on your head without moving too much.

However, they aren’t the most stable during fast movements (useless for working out).

Durability

Star Rating 3.5 Almost Great

Mostly plastic construction doesn’t give a very convincing impression, but at least you get a hard-shell carrying case for extra protection.

The overall design with matte black plastic and the lack of distinguishable Puro logo on the cups makes for very plain-looking headphones.

However, that is not all…

The build quality is also mediocre, especially for a headphone of this caliber.

While you see plastic on other premium headphones as well, it’s usually of better quality or the least feel better in hand.

The one on the PuroPro feels generic and thin. Earcups also produce a hollow sound when knocked on.

The aluminum piece inside the headband adds the most to the build quality, while also making the headphones a bit more flexible.

Headphones have a plastic foldable mechanism as well. It seems like Puro truly wanted to keep the weight down by implementing many plastic parts.

Fortunately, you can safely transport them around with the included carrying case. It’s hard-shell, so it can easily protect headphones from drops or prevent them from getting squished inside the backpack.

Also, the headphones come in a beautiful wooden box instead of cardboard that’s suitable for long-term storage.

In the carrying case, there’s a separate compartment for storing a charging cable and a 3.5mm cable if you end up with an empty battery.

No IP rating, though, so you might want to stay away from using them outdoors in the rain or during workouts.

Battery

Star Rating 5.0 Perfect

Our test: The battery life of around 39 hours on a single charge is impressive. That’s much more than what Puro advertises. The only thing that sucks is the micro-USB charging port.

Many wireless headphones can’t surpass a 25-hour mark. Thankfully, PuroPro offer a beefy battery, lasting much more than advertised.

Those are awe-inspiring results. You can easily use them for a couple of days straight without reaching for a charger.

Strangely there’s no official mention of the fast-charging support. However, it shouldn’t take more than 2.5 hours to fully charge the headphones.

Unfortunately, headphones still use a micro-USB port for charging. Puro Sound Labs PuroPro are from 2020, so there’s no excuse for not using USB-C.

At least the cable is included, so you don’t have to buy a new one.

Features

Star Rating 4.5 Almost Perfect

For this type of headphones, you get a good selection of features, from 2 volume limiter modes, 2 ANC modes, reliable physical controls, and an AUX port for wired mode. Sadly, no companion app.

While the PuroPro share many similarities with headphones for toddlers (with their volume limiting feature), they’re also meant for grown-ups.

While kids don’t care much about features, adults like to get their money’s worth. In the case of PuroPro, you get a fair number of useful features.

2 active noise cancelling modes: offer good overall performance and should make your daily commute more bearable.

Volume limiters (85dB and 95dB): are there to protect you from noise-induced hearing loss. It’s normal to crank up the volume when our favorite song arrives. Limiters prevent you from going too far.

Furthermore, headphones use reliable physical buttons with clicky feedback. Under the right earcup, there’s an AUX port (which is usually on the left side), next to a LED light.

One downside is the lack of a dedicated app with an equalizer and possible firmware updates that would further improve the headphones’ performance.

Noise Cancelling

Star Rating 3.5 Almost Great

Headphones have a robust active noise cancellation, almost entirely eliminating the low-end of the spectrum. However, they still pass through some of the high-end.

The ANC 1 (so-called “deep noise reduction”) is the strongest and most effectively reduces ambient noise. It does a good job blocking lower and mid frequencies but struggles with higher ones.

There’s also a slight audible hiss in the background, but it’s far from distracting.

Bigger headphones are usually better than earbuds. But in comparison, the Sony WF-1000XM4 do a slightly better job. Then again, they also cost more.

The ANC 2 (“general noise reduction”) mode isn’t as powerful and lets in more of the surrounding sounds. This mode might be helpful if you just want to block the loudest sounds yet remain aware of your surroundings.

Besides that, headphones don’t offer an ambient sound mode to boost the surrounding environment.

Noise Isolation

Star Rating 3.5 Almost Great

They let in a surprising amount of noise for such huge ear muffins. The passive noise isolation isn’t bad, but it could be better.

Puro Pro headphones are quite big and offer oval earpads that fully enclose your ears. However, they still don’t excel in passive noise isolation.

Don’t get me wrong, you can hear a noticeable reduction in background noise, but I expected better.

The reason probably lies in the overall construction with relatively thin plastic ear cups that sound hollow when knocked on.

That is also the reason why PuroPro suffer from above-average sound leakage.

That shouldn’t be a problem if you use them at home. However, on public transport, people close to you will easily memorize your playlist.

Bluetooth

Star Rating 4.5 Almost Perfect

With the help of Bluetooth 5.0, you get a stable connection and above-average coverage. While headphones only support SBC and AAC, there’s no visible audio lag when watching movies.

On top of the excellent battery, the PuroPro also excel in Bluetooth connection performance.

First of all, you get a reliable connection without random stutters. That’s great since some headphones begin cutting off, even with a smartphone in your pocket.

Next, the headphones manage to endure around 55 feet in range while passing at least 2 brick walls. After that, the audio begins stuttering but never completely stops playing.

How to pair PuroPro headphones?

When headphones are off, simply hold the power button until the headphones turn on and the woman’s voice announces pairing mode.

What Bluetooth Codecs Do They Use?

Headphones use SBC and AAC Bluetooth codes.

For the price, it would be nice to see a more comprehensive selection from the likes of aptX or even LDAC (since Puro is claiming these have a studio-grade audio quality).

However, although basic, the selection of Bluetooth codec isn’t holding their performance back.

Is There an Audio Lag?

None whatsoever. Even when looking straight into someone’s mouth, you don’t see any visible delay. That makes them a great option for movie nights when you don’t want to bother others with loud sounds.

Headphones don’t have a dedicated gaming mode, so mobile games have a slight delay. However, it isn’t too distracting.