Status Pro X vs Status Between 3ANC: ANC is a generational problem
Status Audio offers two distinct takes on premium true wireless earbuds, the Status Pro X and the Status Between 3ANC. While they share some overlapping ideas—such as active noise cancelation and audiophile-leaning marketing—they ultimately serve different listeners. One focuses on sound tuning flexibility and advanced Bluetooth features, while the other features solid battery life and a prominent midrange. Here’s how they compare based strictly on our hands-on testing.
How has this article been updated?
This article was originally published on January 14, 2026. This is the first version.
What’s it like to use the Status Pro X compared to the Status Between 3ANC?
The Status Pro X look great and feel comfortable to wear over long periods.
The Status Pro X feels more refined overall, thanks to small but thoughtful design choices. For example, the charging case features a sharp metal lid and a rounded plastic base, which makes it easy to orient it in your pocket without looking. The earbuds themselves fit comfortably for roughly four hours, despite their protruding rectangular design. Similarly, their IP55 rating makes them a suitable option for wearing in the rain or during workouts. The main usability issue I run into is the optical wearing sensor, which sometimes triggers playback when an earbud is pocketed. There’s no way to disable or customize this behavior in the app, either.
The Status Between 3ANC feels more experimental in comparison. The short, wide metal stems and included fitwings give them a distinct look, but in my experience, the fit never quite locks in. Even after experimenting with different ear tips and fitwings, I find myself readjusting them during a walk, especially in a breeze. I only managed to eke out 20 to 90 minutes of comfortable listening time before the seal broke. The case is sturdy, but the earbuds sometimes fail to charge even when the case is closed, which is frustrating.
Do the Status Pro X or Status Between 3ANC have more features?
The Status Pro X clearly offers more feature depth through the Status Hub app. I can toggle ANC modes, view detailed battery levels, choose from several EQ presets, and create a custom eight-band EQ profile with adjustable Q values. There’s also a dynamic EQ option that maintains the sound at different volumes. Additional features, such as wind noise reduction, adjustable ambient sound levels, side tone during calls, customizable touch controls, voice notifications, and a “find earbuds” function, make the Pro X feel feature-rich. That said, the wind noise reduction works inconsistently and often resets when switching ANC modes.
The Status App for the Between 3ANC is much simpler. It gives access to firmware updates, three EQ presets, and a custom graphic equalizer with labeled frequencies. However, I can’t remap controls, and even accessing a standard listening mode requires opening the app to disable both ANC and ambient modes. Compared to the Pro X, the Between 3ANC feels more limited in terms of software flexibility.
How do the Status Pro X and Status Between 3ANC connect?
The equalizer is the main reason to use the app.
Connectivity is a major strength of the Status Pro X. These buds support Bluetooth 5.3 and connect via the SBC, AAC, LDAC, and LC3 codecs. They also support multipoint pairing and Auracast connectivity, which is a major boon. Our testing revealed some latency during gaming and podcast listening that’s comparable to rival earbuds in this price range. However, it was never usually a problem during everyday listening.
The Status Between 3ANC uses Bluetooth 5.2 with the SBC and AAC codecs only. While this works fine for iPhone users relying on AAC, I find it disappointing for Android fans. Status branded the Between 3ANC as “audiophile” earbuds, but didn’t include higher-quality codecs like LDAC. Multipoint is supported, which is convenient. However, the Pro X offers a more forward-looking and flexible wireless setup.
Is battery life better on the Status Pro X or the Status Between 3ANC?
The Status Pro X lasts for just five hours and 42 minutes per charge.
Battery life is where the Status Between 3ANC clearly wins. In our standardized testing, they last 8 hours and 13 minutes with ANC enabled, aligning closely with the manufacturer’s claims. You can expect 24 hours of listening time with the charging case, and a 15-minute boost replenishes two hours of playback time. The buds also support wireless charging atop Qi mats, making them easy to rely on for long workdays.
The Status Pro X struggles by comparison. They last 5 hours and 42 minutes in our battery test, falling well short of the advertised eight hours. While this is enough for commuting, I do find myself running out of battery mid-workday if I don’t top them up. Charging in between helps, but the Pro X sits in an awkward middle ground where battery life is serviceable but not competitive.
Do the Status Pro X or Status Between 3ANC block noise better?
The Status Pro X cancels approximately 80% of ambient noise in general, which is solid indoors. However, wind is a serious problem. Without wind noise reduction enabled, the ANC amplifies wind noise, and even with the feature turned on, the reduction is minimal. When moving quickly outdoors, wind noise often overpowers my audio, making ANC less practical outside.
The Status Between 3ANC doesn’t fare much better. Its ANC reduces low-frequency noise by about 10dB at 150Hz, which is modest compared to competitors. Wind noise still passes through as a noticeable “whooshing” sound, and an inconsistent fit further undermines passive isolation. While high-pitched sounds can be reduced significantly with a good seal, achieving that seal consistently is difficult. Between the two, neither excels in challenging outdoor environments. However, the Pro X performs better indoors when wind isn’t a factor.
Do the Status Pro X sound better than the Status Between 3ANC?
Three ear tips, three fitwings (one on the set in the case), and a USB-C cable are included.
Overall, I find the Status Pro X more satisfying to listen to, despite their underemphasized midrange and upper treble. This can make high-pitched piano notes and cymbals sound quiet compared to the more prominent bass. While some will like this sound out of the box, I found myself tinkering with the in-app EQ. Mercifully, there are four EQ presets to choose from; the ‘Status’ signature aligns closest with our SoundGuys target preference curve.
The Status Between 3ANC takes a different approach. All EQ presets are bass-light, which avoids boominess but leaves the low-end sounding weak. Overall, cymbals and snares come through loudly, while bass guitars and low-end synths sound subdued. The ‘Signature’ EQ preset boosts treble frequencies significantly between 4kHz and 7kHz. While this improves clarity, it will undoubtedly cause listening fatigue for many users. The ‘Audiophile’ EQ preset further reduces bass to the point where it sounds like a high-pass filter has been applied. It’s worth spending time getting acquainted with the Between 3ANC’s 8-band custom EQ.
Objective Measurements
The Pro X follows a tuning similar to our SoundGuys Preference Curve. This emphasizes bass and lower mids with a slight underemphasis in the mids overall. Bass sounds between 20Hz and 70Hz add rumble without being boomy, while the treble peak around 10kHz–13kHz adds spaciousness. Unfortunately, the latter may sound shrill to some listeners, and mids can feel slightly recessed in busy tracks. Still, the treble trails off too quickly, making some high-pitched notes sound unnatural.
The Between 3ANC earbuds offer three EQ presets, all of which follow our headphone preference curve in the upper-midrange and treble. However, all equally suffer from substantially underemphasized upper-bass and sub-bass reproduction. This reduces male voices and lower-pitched notes by as much as 14dB, while kick drums and bass guitars will sound substantially quieter than with the Pro X earbuds.
How would most people rate the sound from 1 to 5?
What do the Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores mean?
- Timbre (MOS-T) represents how faithfully the headphones reproduce the frequency spectrum and temporal resolution (timing information).
- Distortion (MOS-D) represents non-linearities and added noise: higher scores mean cleaner reproduction.
- Immersiveness (MOS-I) represents perceived source width and positioning: how well virtual sound sources are defined in three-dimensional space.
The Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (MDAQS) reveal that the Status Pro X scores highly with the general listener model, suggesting most people will enjoy their sound. However, they perform less impressively compared to the Between 3ANC under the stricter headphone-only comparison, indicating a higher chance that some listeners may dislike the tuning. Still, the overall Timbre, Immersiveness, and Distortion results suggest broad appeal across the board.
Do the Status Pro X or the Status Between 3ANC have a better microphone?
The Status Pro X sounds great, but doesn’t do well in windy cities.
Both earbuds perform best indoors when taking calls. The Status Pro X microphones sound slightly muffled but remain intelligible in quiet conditions. Wind, however, is a major weakness, making speech hard to understand outdoors.
The Status Between 3ANC microphones are also slightly muffled, but they handle wind better overall. In office environments, background noises like keystrokes are present but not overly distracting. Outdoors, the mic quality drops, but windy conditions are handled more gracefully than with the Pro X, letting in only occasional noise.
Status Pro X microphone demo (Ideal conditions):
Status Between 3ANC microphone demo (Ideal conditions):
Status Pro X microphone demo (Windy conditions):
Status Between 3ANC microphone demo (Windy conditions):
Loading poll
Status Pro X vs Status Between 3ANC: Price and availability
The Status Between 3ANC earbuds retailed for $50 less than the Status Pro X at launch.
Both earbuds aim for a premium audience, but their value propositions differ. The Status Pro X are widely available but more expensive at $299. Their shorter battery life and outdoor performance limitations also make them a more difficult recommendation. Conversely, the Status Between 3ANC often cost significantly less than their list price. They are easier to justify, too, thanks to their battery longevity and wireless charging, even if reliability issues with the case detract from their overall value.
Should you get the Status Pro X or the Status Between 3ANC?
The Status Pro X have a capacitive touch side and an ANC toggle button on the top.
I recommend the Status Pro X if your priority is sound customization, advanced Bluetooth features, and indoor listening. They sound good, offer extensive EQ control, and fit comfortably for long sessions. However, they’re not ideal for windy cities or outdoor runs.
The Status Between 3ANC makes more sense if long battery life is your top concern and you value midrange clarity over bass. Unfortunately, they’re a harder sell because of their inconsistent fit, weak ANC performance, and charging reliability issues. Ultimately, both earbuds have strengths, but neither is a perfect all-rounder—it comes down to whether you value features and tuning flexibility or endurance and midrange-focused sound.
Loading poll
