Supra Nero-TX2

There is something disappointing about the fact that Swedish company Supra has chosen not to upgrade or change the design of their Nero TX headphones, now that they are finally available in a 2.0 version. At least, that was my initial thought when they arrived here at the office a couple of weeks ago. Since then, however, I have changed my mind on the matter. I've backed down, reconsidered, and come to the simple conclusion that, in the end, it was smart of Supra not to change the form factor because there are very few in-ear headphones on the market that fit my ears better than these. There are very few in-ear headphones on the market that are as small, and there are few in-ear headphones on the market that are as durable without costing half your pay cheque (and then some).

If it's not broken... As the youth say, and Nero TX has never been broken; on the contrary, Supra has ruled the "under £100" segment with an iron fist in recent years, and judging by this test, they will remain on the throne for a long time to come, too.

The Nero-TX2 is the obvious successor to the Swedish bestseller, and a number of really nice upgrades have been made. Even though the price has not gone up (which is almost unreal in today's tech world) these now feature active noise cancellation, have a transparency mode, and are moulded from a new material that Supra has chosen to call Supra Aerotech FRP, which is a fibre-reinforced plastic that, according to the manufacturers themselves, is virtually indestructible and originates primarily from the defence industry and modern fighter jet technology. Whether this is just clever marketing or whether it actually matters to you and me in the end, I don't know, but I do know that the active noise cancellation is a very welcome addition to an already superb headphone, and that it works well.

Sure, Supra isn't competing with Sony or JBL here, but no one expects or demands that, since the Nero-TX2 costs £80, while Sony's best ANC headphones cost three times as much. I've used these on walks, while working, and especially at the gym, and they've done a great job of blocking out distracting noise, which is a pure bonus as their predecessors lacked this feature entirely.

Call audio has also been improved considerably thanks to Supra's new Quad Response microphone system (as there are four microphones this time). The friends I've called and terrorised (as usual) to ask them how my voice sounds have all pointed out how much more natural and warm my beautiful old man's voice is now compared to the predecessors, where the tone of voice often felt a bit robotic and thin. The battery capacity has also been improved, and the Nero-TX2 now offers a breath-taking 100 hours of battery life via the microscopic storage case and six hours per charge in the earphones, with ANC activated.

In terms of sound quality and musical performance, the Nero-TX2 is naturally very close to its predecessors, with a couple of really nice improvements. Supra's proprietary driver (SBS8D-V3) measures eight millimetres and this time around they sound airier and bigger. There is a spaciousness and separation here that was missing in the first edition, and together with Supra's fantastic dynamics, it's easy to love how these headphones sound. They are warm and have plenty of bass without being "boosted" or artificial. Plus, the articulation and controls are brilliant without being sharp or unpleasant, and the Nero-TX2 is just as good on 70s recordings by Led Zeppelin as it is when I feed it Bilmuri's latest hardcore tunes.

The fact that it is even possible to get this insane quality for less than £100 in 2025 feels bizarre in more ways than one, and you just have to admit that Supra has done it again. The Nero-TX2 can definitely compete with competitors that cost more than twice as much, and you simply won't find anything on the market for the same price that can compete with the Nero-TX2, not today.