[yrstruly]

These are a joy to use in colder weather - with their comfort it’s sort of like wearing a musical hat

 

[AcademicBarzo]

These are a joy to use in colder weather - with their comfort it’s sort of like wearing a musical hat

After 11 months almost daily use, and used on the road (but always carried on their case) they look as good as new. The leather on the ear pads are a joy for the ears.

 

[AcademicBarzo]

I did a brief listening test between the ML 5909s, B&W PX8, Focal Bathys, and, for giggles, the Shure Aonic 50.

All were set to ANC on and my default listening modes (so 'Soft' on the Bathys and Mimi engaged, 'Standard' ANC on the Aonic 50). I had my Eufy Robovac doing the rounds. EQ at default on all. Source device: Sony Xperia 1 V. 5909s and Aonic 50's connected via LDAC at top quality (sound quality preferred), PX8s and Bathys connected via Apt-X Adaptive.

Test tracks:

Swan Feathered Girl (CD rip, FLAC) by Robert Reed ()
Metal Water Wood (44.1khz, 24 bit FLAC) by Tori Amos
Time (from Inception) (96khz, 24 bit) by Tina Guo
Lazarus (96kz, 24 bit FLAC by David Bowie


Favourite, on all but Lazarus, was the ML 5909. It is the separation of instruments and vocals across the soundstage that makes the 5909's so special. A refined listen. ANC effective - impossible to hear the Robovac with music engaged, though faintly on 'Time'. Instruments sounded very real/ great timbre - particularly evident on the mandolins in Swan Feather Girl and the strings more generally in Time.

The PX8s are the sonic equivalent a luxurious cup of thick and warming hot chocolate. Never less than enjoyable and beautiful at adding some weight to string instruments and vocals. ANC really good - probably just a touch more effective than the 5909 (if I had to call it).

Bathys very good, with the widest soundstage and great rhythmic drive. At times felt strangely disengaging, like the sound is artificial. However, they presented Lazarus best of of all. ANC ok - Robovac faintly audible in most cases.

Aonic 50. Outclassed in this company, largely, but still a very solid listen. Felt more congested/artificial than the others. Worst ANC by far.

I'll try again without ANC to see if there are any differences in impressions.

I should note - my hearing is pretty good, but, at 50 years old, it is inevitable that there will be some loss in the top end.

 

[Jazzophile]

I did a brief listening test between the ML 5909s, B&W PX8, Focal Bathys, and, for giggles, the Shure Aonic 50.

All were set to ANC on and my default listening modes (so 'Soft' on the Bathys and Mimi engaged, 'Standard' ANC on the Aonic 50). I had my Eufy Robovac doing the rounds. EQ at default on all. Source device: Sony Xperia 1 V. 5909s and Aonic 50's connected via LDAC at top quality (sound quality preferred), PX8s and Bathys connected via Apt-X Adaptive.

Test tracks:

Swan Feathered Girl (CD rip, FLAC) by Robert Reed ()
Metal Water Wood (44.1khz, 24 bit FLAC) by Tori Amos
Time (from Inception) (96khz, 24 bit) by Tina Guo
Lazarus (96kz, 24 bit FLAC by David Bowie


Favourite, on all but Lazarus, was the ML 5909. It is the separation of instruments and vocals across the soundstage that makes the 5909's so special. A refined listen. ANC effective - impossible to hear the Robovac with music engaged, though faintly on 'Time'. Instruments sounded very real/ great timbre - particularly evident on the mandolins in Swan Feather Girl and the strings more generally in Time.

The PX8s are the sonic equivalent a luxurious cup of thick and warming hot chocolate. Never less than enjoyable and beautiful at adding some weight to string instruments and vocals. ANC really good - probably just a touch more effective than the 5909 (if I had to call it).

Bathys very good, with the widest soundstage and great rhythmic drive. At times felt strangely disengaging, like the sound is artificial. However, they presented Lazarus best of of all. ANC ok - Robovac faintly audible in most cases.

Aonic 50. Outclassed in this company, largely, but still a very solid listen. Felt more congested/artificial than the others. Worst ANC by far.

I'll try again without ANC to see if there are any differences in impressions.

I should note - my hearing is pretty good, but, at 50 years old, it is inevitable that there will be some loss in the top end.

L

I did a brief listening test between the ML 5909s, B&W PX8, Focal Bathys, and, for giggles, the Shure Aonic 50.

All were set to ANC on and my default listening modes (so 'Soft' on the Bathys and Mimi engaged, 'Standard' ANC on the Aonic 50). I had my Eufy Robovac doing the rounds. EQ at default on all. Source device: Sony Xperia 1 V. 5909s and Aonic 50's connected via LDAC at top quality (sound quality preferred), PX8s and Bathys connected via Apt-X Adaptive.

Test tracks:

Swan Feathered Girl (CD rip, FLAC) by Robert Reed ()
Metal Water Wood (44.1khz, 24 bit FLAC) by Tori Amos
Time (from Inception) (96khz, 24 bit) by Tina Guo
Lazarus (96kz, 24 bit FLAC by David Bowie


Favourite, on all but Lazarus, was the ML 5909. It is the separation of instruments and vocals across the soundstage that makes the 5909's so special. A refined listen. ANC effective - impossible to hear the Robovac with music engaged, though faintly on 'Time'. Instruments sounded very real/ great timbre - particularly evident on the mandolins in Swan Feather Girl and the strings more generally in Time.

The PX8s are the sonic equivalent a luxurious cup of thick and warming hot chocolate. Never less than enjoyable and beautiful at adding some weight to string instruments and vocals. ANC really good - probably just a touch more effective than the 5909 (if I had to call it).

Bathys very good, with the widest soundstage and great rhythmic drive. At times felt strangely disengaging, like the sound is artificial. However, they presented Lazarus best of of all. ANC ok - Robovac faintly audible in most cases.

Aonic 50. Outclassed in this company, largely, but still a very solid listen. Felt more congested/artificial than the others. Worst ANC by far.

I'll try again without ANC to see if there are any differences in impressions.

I should note - my hearing is pretty good, but, at 50 years old, it is inevitable that there will be some loss in the top end.

Love the review and comparisons!!

I would have been interested in your impression of the Shure running Aptx HD instead of LDAC given my prior comments. But it appears I need to audition the ML.


Thank you!!

 

[angelom]

...But it appears I need to audition the ML.

The only problematic aspect, for me, with the impressions above, and strictly speaking about sound quality (not about ANC performance), is that all headphones have ANC on. The PX8, that is already a (very) bassy headphone, having extra bass with ANC on; the 5909, that is very more neutral, is have a big bass boost with ANC on (I don't remember the bass boost, if any, in the Aonic 50 with ANC on). Both the Solitaire T and iO-12, that I mentioning before, also having a bass boost with ANC on, but is not so big boost at all like in the 5909, is very more moderate. This is one strange aspect of the 5909.

 

[Jazzophile]

The only problematic aspect, for me, with the impressions above, and strictly speaking about sound quality (not about ANC performance), is that all headphones have ANC on. The PX8, that is already a (very) bassy headphone, having extra bass with ANC on; the 5909, that is very more neutral, with ANC on is have a big bass boost with ANC on (I don't remember the bass boost, if any, in the Aonic 50 with ANC on). Both the Solitaire T and iO-12, that I mentioning before, also having a bass boost with ANC on, but is not so big boost at all like in the 5909, is very more moderate. This is one strange aspect of the 5909.

The Aonic 50 has more bass boost with ANC on using APTX HD than it does using LDAC. With LDAC it sort of gets more congested. Not so with APTX HD.

The Aonic 50 benefits from that bass boost IMHO.

 

[AcademicBarzo]

The only problematic aspect, for me, with the impressions above, and strictly speaking about sound quality (not about ANC performance), is that all headphones have ANC on. The PX8, that is already a (very) bassy headphone, having extra bass with ANC on; the 5909, that is very more neutral, with ANC on is have a big bass boost with ANC on (I don't remember the bass boost, if any, in the Aonic 50 with ANC on). Both the Solitaire T and iO-12, that I mentioning before, also having a bass boost with ANC on, but is not so big boost at all like in the 5909, is very more moderate. This is one strange aspect of the 5909.

Interesting. This is deliberately about ANC as using the headphones on my commute is my predominant mode of using ANC BT headphones. There is a bass boost on the Aonic 50 too with ANC - best described as a slight thickening of the sound (but in a positive way).

I did say I'd try these without ANC engaged (well, with the exception of the Bathys, which cannot be used without ANC). I'll be interested in the results there too. That's not my main use of these type of headphones however.

BTW, I'd used the 'Soft' ANC on the Bathys over 'Silent', as I don't think Silent really adds much to the ANC and I also think it has an impact on the sq. Same with Shures - prefer the Standard ANC setting for similar reasons. I should also have said that I left the 5909s in their default 'Adaptive ANC' mode.

The T&A ST really does look like a stellar set of cans, but the ear cup size puts me off (alongside paying for the passive performance, which I realise is a key selling point for many). The Dali IO-12 just seems a bit too large for my use case (travel headphones). I'm sure both sound excellent - there has clearly been a lot of R&D by both companies to bring the best out of these premium BT offerings.

 

[angelom]

Interesting. This is deliberately about ANC as using the headphones on my commute is my predominant mode of using ANC BT headphones.

Yes, I understand this very well when reading your post, and this is why I saying in my post that "strictly speaking about sound quality (not about ANC performance)"...because, if I'm remembering well, Jazzophile saying that he don't like EQ'ing his headphones, so my comment is specifically about his new interest in the 5909, and I'm saying that with ANC on the bass boost is very significant in this headphone, more than many others ANC headphones (this is why I saying "this is one strange aspect of the 5909").

 

[AcademicBarzo]

Yes, I understand this very well when reading your post, and this is why I saying in my post that "strictly speaking about sound quality (not about ANC performance)"...because, if I'm remembering well, Jazzophile saying that he don't like EQ'ing his headphones, so my comment is specifically about his new interest in the 5909, and I'm saying that with ANC on the bass boost is very significant in this headphone, more than many others ANC headphones (this is why I saying "this is one strange aspect of the 5909").

I agree that there is quite a significant bass boost to the 5909 in ANC mode.

 

[angelom]

The T&A ST really does look like a stellar set of cans, but the ear cup size puts me off (alongside paying for the passive performance, which I realise is a key selling point for many). The Dali IO-12 just seems a bit too large for my use case (travel headphones). I'm sure both sound excellent - there has clearly been a lot of R&D by both companies to bring the best out of these premium BT offerings.

The Solitaire T's sound is NOT a sound that many 'average' people will appreciating immediately. I describing the tonal balance as 'boring' neutral warm, but a 'boring' sound that, for me personally, is very exciting because is very natural with not many extra 'spices' for attracting you..

The iO-12's sound, I think, will impressing people (very) more easily than the ST's sound. BUT, the iO-12's sound is really remarkable, but different, too.

 

[ivari]

Wanted to report that my newest 007 PX8 started to come apart at the headband. Again with gentle, stationary use indoors.

This is my 3rd pair of 007's. The first pair was replaced by Crutchfield after developing battery charge issues. The second pair was replaced by B&W after the headband came apart.

This time, I could not be bothered to repeat the replacement process and used a hot glue gun to carefully re-adhere the headband. The headphone looks and functions as before.

I love my 007's, but there clearly have been wide ranging QC issues.

 

[SuperSevenXXX]

People here posting more and more QC issues with the headband.
Sounds bad and it is definitely not good for the image of a premium company.
And a least you’re paying a lot of money for a very good sounding product with high quality materials, but the fact is that they seem to have a massive quality problem with the headband construction!

 

[AcademicBarzo]

People here posting more and more QC issues with the headband.
Sounds bad and it is definitely not good for the image of a premium company.
And a least you’re paying a lot of money for a very good sounding product with high quality materials, but the fact is that they seem to have a massive quality problem with the headband construction!

So far, I've been lucky with the headband. If it is going to go, let's hope it is within the two year warranty period. Proper (not cosmetic) stitching, not just glue, has to be the answer going forward for premium headphones.

 

[ivari]

So far, I've been lucky with the headband. If it is going to go, let's hope it is within the two year warranty period. Proper (not cosmetic) stitching, not just glue, has to be the answer going forward for premium headphones.

Completely agree. It looks like the 007 edition is not on the B&W website anymore. I know it is limited edition, but who knows if it was discontinued earlier due to the defect rate.

 

[Clintwood]

Greetings all. Long time lurker here.

Regarding the posts above, I just signed up here to say that I'm so fed up with the poor quality of headbands on expensive luxury headphones.

You see, I switched to PX8 from AirPods Max due to this issue. While I loved the sound and features of the AirPods Max, the elasticity of the mesh on the headband deteriorated over time, making them increasingly uncomfortable to wear.

I’ve been (still am) very satisfied with my PX8, and I feel like they are the most comfortable and best-sounding headphones I’ve ever used. However, after just 9 months of normal use and gentle handling, the headband’s leather on my headphones is starting to come off! I will send them back soon and get them replaced. But still, This level of degradation is mindblowingly bad for headphones in this price range.