As most people here I’ve been reading up on this thread since it started until I received my own pair. And I’ve never though of myself as “HiFi”, just interested in playing/listening to music and hopefully reach a higher ground of pleasure from each guitar stroke, cymbal hit and the joy from the musicians when creating their masterpiece. I’ve enjoyed in-ears from $20 up until my “end game” Z1R and Z507. I listen with 40-50% on iPhone and below are my conclusions if anyone want an somewhat unbiased opinion even thou I like iPhone and MacBooks.
Initially I bought both 1000XM and Q35 and found the Sony’s to give much more frequency range and joy in the sound. Bose seemed to add high to get the buyer a sense of clarity. But that generated from time to time to harsher highs in female vocals etc. So it was an easy win for the Sony’s.
Then came the APP and although the price was high $370 in Sweden they was ok with all what they delivered compared to everything else. These compared to AP was a steal for the consumer since the APs have always seemed cheap in sound but are so popular for the convenience. The Adaptive EQ and the ANC is so good for such a small package that if I needed to choose only one setup I would never choose anything else and this is also what I would recommend to everyone seeking new headgear now since they are down to $250.
I bought XM4 as an upgrade for the old 1000X but that is not such a game changer. The APP is still so good in tone and convenience that there’s really no need for the XM4 at least for me.
I also have Z1R and the Z507 which I run high-res audio on and this is such a joy to listen to when you really focus on just the music (Jazz/Prog Rock). But you need to go into the music to feel that your standing in the studio in front of the singer or next to the guitarist. Based on the mix, if your in front of the drummer or sitting at the kit yourself. Able to hear the wood hit the hi-hat or cymbal. For casual listening doing other stuff at the same time there’s “just” a better width or sound stage that most will not notice or care about.
So what about the APMs then? The build quality is superb! The fit is perfect at least for me. I can wear them for hours and almost forget about them. The sound is really good for most part, but the same thing that hit me with the Bose regarding the highs is once again an issue and gets to harsh. Also I notice that they have issues handling the bass drum on many of my jazz albums even thou they are totally different mixed. This I’ve never heard in either set before. I guess I need to check another pair when available. But for the normal consumer they will sound awesome with the width and sound stage. They will however sell millions not for the sound but for the singles that enjoy movies and don’t want to spend money and space on surround sound. This is the best experience I’ve had watching action movies like Mandalorian.
And since everyone seems to ask about value and sound compared to other sets, I will share some logic from my perspective.
As previously stated in Sweden the prices are as follows. Sort of four different tiers.
APP $250
XM4 $360 if your lucky
APM $800
Z1R $1300 new in a sale for me
The APP is the overall winner as I’ve said before. They got almost everything right but they of course miss the frequency range. I find it really hard to justify going up to the Sony’s since they just give and extra level of sound and NC.
The APM is the best to get if you also would like to enjoy movies and such and don’t mind the lesser portability and being afraid that they can be damaged. The build quality is unbeaten when comparing Bose or Sony. The case is horrible and I’m afraid the mesh will not stand the test of time. They should not be compared to XM4 since they are in a different league and price range. But they also deliver a totally different sound and width.
However, I do not feel that they have a chance to be compared to something like Z1R. I cannot hear the whole range of the guitar or each nuance of the full drum stroke. And I will never exchange them for losing that experience. I would never recommend them for someone not deeper into music or as said before, want to use them for more like movies etc. APP is still the best all around and if you got the money why not buy both? As long as you don’t expect to reach wired excellence.
If they would cost $550 here in EU then they will definitely be a steal just as the APP and I think that they will be a new standard and game changer. But probably v2 since they still use the old H1 and they need some more bells and whistles.