[Leeco]

I actually don't own a single wireless headphone of any kind. I do however own a Bluetooth adapter that can turn any wired headphone into a wireless one. Surprisingly, for an outdated Bluetooth 2.1 device, there is no sound delay with my laptop or phone and the drop in fidelity is miniscule. I was actually considering an upgrade to a Bluetooth 4.2 adapter with apt-X, but I'm perfectly happy with the sound of my current one.

Can you tell us what Bluetooth adapter you have?

 

[SpiderNhan]

  Can you tell us what Bluetooth adapter you have?

I'm not entirely sure if this is the same one I have but it looks exactly the same. The listing that I bought mine from says the adapter is discontinued.
 
https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Receiver-Transmitter-Hands-Free-Wireless/dp/B01J3Z31HG
 
For a few more dollars there are newer Bluetooth 4.1 and 4.2 adapters such as ones from Avantree, Maceton and Trond.

 

[skyejack]

I actually don't own a single wireless headphone of any kind. I do however own a Bluetooth adapter that can turn any wired headphone into a wireless one. Surprisingly, for an outdated Bluetooth 2.1 device, there is no sound delay with my laptop or phone and the drop in fidelity is miniscule. I was actually considering an upgrade to a Bluetooth 4.2 adapter with apt-X, but I'm perfectly happy with the sound of my current one.

I've never used any headphones with built-in Bluetooth so I can't comment on them, but my experience with the adapter tells me that either people greatly exaggerate how poorly Bluetooth transmits audio or that the Bluetooth incorporated into headphones​ natively are often times rubbish.

For me it's the constant hiss that bothers me most about Bluetooth. When music/games/movies are playing at a normal volume, though, the hiss on the CFW1s is negligible. When it's quiet however, the hiss is ever-present and often times I hear a high pitched whine, which I've read is caused by interference. The Bluetooth audio on the CFW1 is pretty good but can't match the audio quality of the headphones in wired mode, but it was excellent for me for my intended purpose - movies and TV via the Apple TV.  Do you hear a hiss with a bluetooth adapter?

 

[SpiderNhan]

For me it's the constant hiss that bothers me most about Bluetooth. When music/games/movies are playing at a normal volume, though, the hiss on the CFW1s is negligible. When it's quiet however, the hiss is ever-present and often times I hear a high pitched whine, which I've read is caused by interference. The Bluetooth audio on the CFW1 is pretty good but can't match the audio quality of the headphones in wired mode, but it was excellent for me for my intended purpose - movies and TV via the Apple TV.  Do you hear a hiss with a bluetooth adapter?

There's a small hiss, but it's not noticeable while music is playing and the sensitivity of each headphone plays a role. In-ears have more hiss while full-sized over-ears have less or none at all. One insane thing I've discovered is the adapter can even drive my Foster T50rp mkIII.

Mainly I use the adapter while doing housework or on public transport to avoid snagging cables or when my phone is charging. It's definitely not as good as a dedicated DAC, but it is by no means bad.

 

[max symphony]

I actually don't own a single wireless headphone of any kind. I do however own a Bluetooth adapter that can turn any wired headphone into a wireless one. Surprisingly, for an outdated Bluetooth 2.1 device, there is no sound delay with my laptop or phone and the drop in fidelity is miniscule. I was actually considering an upgrade to a Bluetooth 4.2 adapter with apt-X, but I'm perfectly happy with the sound of my current one.

I've never used any headphones with built-in Bluetooth so I can't comment on them, but my experience with the adapter tells me that either people greatly exaggerate how poorly Bluetooth transmits audio or that the Bluetooth incorporated into headphones​ natively are often times rubbish.

Oh I see. I have some blue tooth headphones however no in the ear ones so was searching for an alternative to using to using my CFW in the gym due to sweating all over them. I appreciate the response.

 

[hifi80sman]

Ok guys, taking the plunge and ordered the matte white color from Amazon (free, no hassle returns), which should be here on Monday 4/17. I have a gunmetal black CFW1, so the matte black or rose gold would be too close to being the same flavor. Also, I'd have to put up with the wife asking why I got 2 of the same thing. I think I'm thug enough to pull off matte white. =P

I'll give you guys my impressions vs. the CFW1, both streaming Apple Music over an iPhone 6s Plus.

 

[skyejack]

Ok guys, taking the plunge and ordered the matte white color from Amazon (free, no hassle returns), which should be here on Monday 4/17. I have a gunmetal black CFW1, so the matte black or rose gold would be too close to being the same flavor. Then I'd have to put up with the wife asking why Igot 2 of the same thing. I think I'm thug enough to pull off matte white.

I'll give you guys my impressions vs. the CFW1, both streaming AppleMusic over an iPhone 6s Plus.

You're the hero that we need. Looking forward to your impressions compared to the CFW1. And just your impressions overall.

 

[hifi80sman]

You're the hero that we need. Looking forward to your impressions compared to the CFW1. And just your impressions overall.

For sure. I'll be as thorough and objective as possible. I've also been curious as to the quality of the earpads, specifically the density of the foam used. The XL earpads were larger and more comfortable, but I wouldn't call it "memory" foam. Plus, they changed the sound too much for my liking, so I just went back to the stock pads.

 

[skyejack]

For sure. I'll be as thorough and objective as possible. I've also been curious as to the quality of the earpads, specifically the density of the foam used. The XL earpads were larger and more comfortable, but I wouldn't call it "memory" foam. Plus, they changed the sound too much for my liking, so I just went back to the stock pads.

No argument there. The XL pads fit my ears better but they're far from comfortable.

 

[Maukey]

For sure. I'll be as thorough and objective as possible. I've also been curious as to the quality of the earpads, specifically the density of the foam used. The XL earpads were larger and more comfortable, but I wouldn't call it "memory" foam. Plus, they changed the sound too much for my liking, so I just went back to the stock pads.

I agree with this 100%. I was not a fan of the XL Pads when I had my CFW1. I felt it made the sound too Bassy and slightly less detailed. I stayed with the stock pads because I felt the sound was cleaner with them.

 

[daddyo1973]

I agree with this 100%. I was not a fan of the XL Pads when I had my CFW1. I felt it made the sound too Bassy and slightly less detailed. I stayed with the stock pads because I felt the sound was cleaner with them.

I ordered the ITIS V-MODA replacement pads off Amazon and ended up sending them back.  The stock CF2W pads are overall more comfortable/plush and have nearly the same inner dimensions as the ITIS pads.  While I prefer the stock pads I still feel they are just slightly small for my tastes, but, I am coming from much larger over the ear cans. 

 

[DiscoProJoe]

  The Bluetooth audio on the CFW1
Do you hear a hiss with a bluetooth adapter?

 
When my dad visited me last fall and brought his pair of CFW1s, I also tried listening to them via Bluetooth from his iPhone 6, and compared them wired directly from the same source (iPhone 6).
 
1. I couldn't notice any difference in sound quality. The only difference was that the maximum volume level was somewhat louder wired from the iPhone 6, versus wireless.
 
2. I remembered how so many people on the CFW1 topic thread on Head-Fi...had complained about the hiss noise, so I wanted to check it out and hear it for myself. Well, at the lowest volume setting via Bluetooth where I could still hear music playing very, very quietly,...the hiss noise was just very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very slight.  If I bumped up the volume to the second notch (where the music was still very quiet), the hiss noise was completely drowned out, and I couldn't notice it at all.
 
3. My dad said he could never notice this noise.
 
4. I then told him how people on Head-Fi had complained about it, and he couldn't believe it! Neither could I.

 

[skyejack]

   
When my dad visited me last fall and brought his pair of CFW1s, I also tried listening to them via Bluetooth from his iPhone 6, and compared them wired directly from the same source (iPhone 6).
 
1. I couldn't notice any difference in sound quality. The only difference was that the maximum volume level was somewhat louder wired from the iPhone 6, versus wireless.
 
2. I remembered how so many people on the CFW1 topic thread on Head-Fi...had complained about the hiss noise, so I wanted to check it out and hear it for myself. Well, at the lowest volume setting via Bluetooth where I could still hear music playing very, very quietly,...the hiss noise was just very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very slight.  If I bumped up the volume to the second notch (where the music was still very quiet), the hiss noise was completely drowned out, and I couldn't notice it at all.
 
3. My dad said he could never notice this noise.
 
4. I then told him how people on Head-Fi had complained about it, and he couldn't believe it! Neither could I.

There's a very obvious difference in audio quality to me between bluetooth and wired on the CFW1. I even had some music tracks that had static introduced into them while listening via Bluetooth. To make sure it wasn't just isolated to my pair of headphones, I asked others here to listen to one of the same tracks (Everglow by Coldplay) and they too heard it. Now don't get me wrong, the audio isn't always bad via bluetooth, but it's not a sound signature I'd pay 300 dollars for. As for the hiss, it's very audible at any volume when the music reaches a quiet point or in TV/Movies when no one is talking etc. Likewise I can't believe you or your father couldnt hear it. Perhaps not all of their headphones are created equally? There's many complaints in the Amazon user reviews about the constant hiss.

 

[DiscoProJoe]

  There's a very obvious difference in audio quality to me between bluetooth and wired on the CFW1. I even had some music tracks that had static introduced into them while listening via Bluetooth. To make sure it wasn't just isolated to my pair of headphones, I asked others here to listen to one of the same tracks (Everglow by Coldplay) and they too heard it. Now don't get me wrong, the audio isn't always bad via bluetooth, but it's not a sound signature I'd pay 300 dollars for. As for the hiss, it's very audible at any volume when the music reaches a quiet point or in TV/Movies when no one is talking etc. Likewise I can't believe you or your father couldnt hear it. Perhaps not all of their headphones are created equally? There's many complaints in the Amazon user reviews about the constant hiss.

 
I was listening to Alison Krauss' song "When You Say Nothing At All" during this comparison. It was an MP3 at 192 kbps, ripped from the original CD I bought back in the '90s and converted to MP3 during my big "CD Collection Project" in 2001. My dad had it on his iPhone, and it was the one I sampled during the wireless / wired-from-the-same-source comparison.
 
I'm not really sure if I could tell a difference at all in the SQ. I totally know that even if there was a variation, I couldn't appreciate the difference. Just like comparing MP3 @ 192 kbps versus WAV/FLAC ripped from the original CD.
 
And I completely stand by what I said about the hiss. Maybe not all of the CFW1s are created equally? Who knows.

 

[WCMTWS]

I feel like the hiss is blown out of proportion. I get it when on my mbp, between songs. Outside if that non issue, don't get any on my S7. However it will drop for .2ish of a second on my S7 granted I'm in an area where there may be outside sources messing with the connection.