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Overview

The problem with rock and metal on the move? It just doesn’t cut the mustard.

Whether you’re a lover of warts and all live music, an audiophile who wants to hear every last pin-sharp production note or simply someone who appreciates their favourite record studio-ready, listening through earbuds is a frequently frustrating experience. And that’s even if they stay locked in when you’re looking to beat your PB on the step trainer.

At Rushonrock we like to review, reminisce and rank our favourites on the road. But we’ve never found the perfect in-ear solution… until now!

Test conditions

Over two weeks we fired up our riff-fuelled favourites via an iPhone 15 Pro — in the street, on the Metro and at home. 

The Status Pro X earbuds were put through their paces on windswept beaches, rammed London streets, packed public transport and in a busy family dining room… with two barking dogs. They were the conduit for country, hard rock, AOR, heavy metal and more.

This was no easy ride for the earbuds that have taken 2026 by storm. But could they cope?

The Rushonrock Roadtest

First up was The Power Station’s newly re-released and remastered debut album. Why? If the Status Pro X could perfectly replicate the dynamic drum sound of Tony Thompson and breathe new life into Andy Taylor’s MTV-ready solos, they might just make the cut. If they could do all of that and, at the same time, filter out the noise on a rush hour Metro heading into Newcastle city centre then even better.

Pairing the earbuds with the app, we plumped for ‘knowles’ as our preferred EQ setting. There are five pre-sets to suit all tastes — ‘Signature’, ‘Audiophile’, ‘Podcast’, ‘Vocal’ and ‘knowles’. Knowles highlights extra high-frequency detail and is billed as ‘articulate, airy and engineered for nuance’. It put the power into the Power Station without flinching and Taylor sounded on top form. In truth, Signature mode suited Thompson better with its confident bassline — but custom EQ settings are easily added.

Given that we were travelling on a packed Metro — with 40-odd screaming kids jumping aboard mid-journey — the automatic noise cancelling (ANC) had its work cut out. But the Status Pro X buds are adept at blocking out the bustle. In fact, a good friend claimed she’d shouted our name three times in 10 minutes in a vain bid to strike up commuter conversation but her voice was no match for Status’ sector-leading ANC. Tip: value your friendships — switch to ambient mode.

Next up was the train journey from Newcastle to London. Time to really put the Pro X buds through their paces. Def Leppard’s Hysteria was the gold standard for hard rock production on release almost 30 years ago and Mutt Lange’s unique flourishes mean the Sheffield band’s career high still stands the test of time. Our first experience of Hysteria on ‘headphones’ was through the spongey set bundled in with a second gen Walkman and a game changing album never sounded at its best through numerous over-ear and in-ear options. 

But Hysteria had never been heard through Status Pro X buds. At least not by us. Wow. Every note of the trademark jousts between guitar heroes Steve Clark and Phil Collen sounded fresh as the proverbial daisy and Rick Allen’s signature kit cut through with consummate ease. Joe Elliott put his heart and soul into Hysteria’s vocals — the Status Pros captured every emotional moment.

Metallica took over on the 45-minute stroll from King’s Cross to the Karma Sanctum Hotel, just off Oxford Street. We wanted to work out just how far we could push these bad boys and Master Of Puppets felt like the ultimate test. Maybe Lars Ulrich should look away now — so effective are these sensational earbuds that the much-maligned drummer has nowhere to hide. Not his finest hour. But those visceral riffs and James Hetfield’s fearsome vocals were made for Signature mode. Turn it on and turn it up.

Back on a blustery beach on Tyneside and our new favourite in-ears still couldn’t fail. Featuring ‘wind noise reduction’ — as well as the ANC — the Status Pro X can even cope with storms: Little Angels‘ UK number one album Jam sounded sweeter than ever in the face of an unrelenting north easterly. Still not convinced? You really should be.

The verdict

Like your music? You’ll love the Status Pro X earbuds. Honestly, they’re the next best thing to your tower speaker set-up, pumping heavyweight vinyl through a four-figure amplifier.

These buds are audiophile standard at a ridiculously accessible price. Spend some time setting your levels in the app and you’ll never want to go back. The dual Knowles balanced armature drivers deliver all the nuance you need, all of the time. It’s an experience like no other.

Andy Taylor, Phil Collen and James Hetfield never sounded better. We had Luke Combs on repeat through the Status Pro Xs — who knew he could sing so good? Serious about your sound? The Status Pro X are the only serious option.

The facts

Product: Status Pro X earbuds (black alloy)

Released: 2026

Price: £225

Features:

  • Active noise cancelling
  • Optical wearing sensor
  • AI speech enhancement
  • Bluetooth 5.3 with advanced codecs
  • Triple driver acoustic system
  • Transparency mode
  • IP55 water and dust resistant
  • Eight-hour battery charge (24 hours total including charging case)