The few missteps here; middling ANC, a scooped sound signature, lack of IP rating, and a decent (but not exceptional) battery life are negative marks on a set that has the potential to be one of the very best TWS sets available. Right now, it’s off that mark, but with constant improvements, that could change.

The Taotronics BH22 then, is a headset of caveats and compromises. There’s no single thing where it truly excels, but when taken as a whole, and compared to sets that cost five times as much it’s easy to recommend. I was legitimately surprised at how close it comes to delivering a similar experience to much more expensive sets, and I can’t wait to see how Taotronics improves with later models.

Sony hasn’t just stepped up to the plate amidst an ocean of challengers in the active noise-cancelling headset market. They’ve set a new benchmark and established themselves as the king of the hill, with a device that is comfortable, years ahead of the curve and capable of obliterating any noise that you can throw at it. The Sony WH1000XM3 is pretty much the best headset that I’ve ever used.

Sony's back in town with a brand new set of noise-cancelling headsets, and the numbers look mighty promising so far.