Sony WH-1000X M2 headphones getting killer reviews

[Flint]

https://www.engadget.com/2017/08/31/sony-wh-1000xm2-wireless-headphones/
https://www.soundguys.com/sony-wh-1000x-m2-review-14304/
https://www.cnet.com/products/sony-wh-1000xm2/review/
http://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/sony-wh-1000xm2

I have yet to listen to these, but I will seek them out at CES next month and give them a listen.

Given that these are intended to compete directly with Bose QC headphones, I am not sure they are intended for real audiophile performance more focused on the wow factor for non-audio nut buyers. That said, Sony has a great track record with high quality headphones, and they've been doing noise canceling tech since the 1980s quite effectively. They also know microphones, batteries, and Bluetooth quick well, so I imagine these could be great for most consumers.

Yay for Sony!

 

[Razz]

Did you get to try these out?

 

[Flint]

Did you get to try these out?

Yes, but it was a terrible auditioning experience where I was crowded and bumped by other folk and I had no control over the content. They seemed fine, and the noise cancelling was about what you'd expect, but I cannot claim to know what they sound like as audiophile cans.

 

[Razz]

Im planning on getting some noise cancelling cans as well, strictly for travel. I have used the Bose and liked them, wait.... I'm going to say it..... loved them. Yes, I just said I loved a Bose product. But I'm referring to the noise cancelling part of them. So nice while on a plane!!! But I have never tried any other noise cancelling product.

 

[Flint]

I will reiterate what I've said a million times here and to anyone who will listen - the good IEMs are vastly superior to every electronic noise cancelling headphone on the market. With the right sleeves, you can get over 30dB of sound rejection from your environment and the sound of the IEM is clean, clear, and damn near perfect. Furthermore, they are tiny and can be rolled up in your pocket or side pocket of your bag. They don't require batteries. They are very high efficiency, so you save on the amplifier's battery (like the phone) and I have found I can wear them all day long without any physical discomfort. I often wear my IEMs without plugging them into anything just for the earplug nature of the sleeves, then I and plug them into my phone, tablet, PC, the airplane's entertainment system, and so on, with ease.

I will say, when it comes to noise cancelling technology, Motorola, Sony, and Panasonic were doing it better decades before Bose ever considered making a headphone. Their technology is as good or better than Bose across the board, but they focus on accurate sound (or extra bass for the R&B fans) rather than the Bose signature artificial EQ tone design which sound great initially but causes listening fatigue after hours of constant use. I watch guys on flights futz around with their Bose NC headphones, taking them off to cools their ears or relax their outer ears which were smashed for an hour. They rarely wear them throughout the flight, or even through an entire movie showing - they keep having to take breaks without them to recover a bit before putting them back on. I see them struggle with the battery running dry on long flights. While they may work okay, they have inherent disadvantages which are not present with IEMs.

The main two drawbacks for IEMs is they take some getting used to once you find the perfect sleeve for your ears, but with a little training you get past that and can wear them for a whole day without issue. The other is the cable wrapping over your ear can sometimes irritate the skin on the back of your ear. I just adjust how the cable hangs once I settle in so that when I get up to walk it can dangle naturally for a bit.

Anyway, there is nothing wrong with NC over the ear or on the ear headphones, but I do think the over experience is much better with a good IEM and the properly fitting sleeve.

 

[Akula]

I have a set of the Bose QCII cans. They sure as heck aren't my Sennheiser HD580 in terms of sound. But I wasn't that interested in a set of IEMs (in-ears just aren't comfortable for me) and the market for wireless noise canceling headphones doesn't have a large amount of options that are easy to try out. I tried a Sennheiser pair, but those just weren't comfortable- sad, because I always liked the feel in the past. Yeah, I know Bluetooth and electronic noise cancellation isn't the best combo for listening, but life could be worse.

I can listen to mine for hours, no comfort issues. I'm not going to say they're audiophile grade, but I wasn't that interested in trying to order in various models to try out and then return everything but the winner (or going through set after set if I didn't like them). IMO, they're the rare Bose product that is decent for the price.

 

[Razz]

thanks for the input guys!

 

[Flint]

Now the 3rd version of these amazing headphones have been released. I may buy a pair for my office calls at home.

https://www.engadget.com/2018/09/18/sony-1000xm3-review/

Sony's WH-1000XM3 headphones are the sort of dream gadget I can review succinctly in one sentence: They're incredibly comfortable, and they sound amazing. That's it. End review. When the first 1000XM pair debuted in 2016, they weren't just another set of premium cans -- they were a sign that Sony was ready to take on Bose for the high-end noise-canceling crown. The company managed to deliver something that sounded better than Bose's best headsets while matching them at their own game. Now, with its third version, Sony is giving us little reason to look elsewhere. The $350 WH-1000XM3s are basically the ideal pair of wireless noise-canceling headphones. ​