hi everyone,
update: sorry I made an edit and didn't address it. in the first "the good" point about Korg's sound, originally I basically wrote "has similar aspects to the sound of the Creative's" without much context. I changed that to describe the Korg's as "slightly V-shaped and that the vocal's take a step back in the mix compared to Creative" which I neglected to mention in the original post.
I thought about posting this over in "The discovery thread!" but reading the topic it seems to be requesting "anything that is new to you.." and I have had these headphones for quite awhile now so thought it didn't fit. all opinions in this post are from long-term use.
The reason I am posting here instead of in "Portable Headphones" is because another wireless headphones comparison the "Side by Side Comparison - AirPods Max, B&O H95, Dali iO-6, B&W PX8, ML 5909, M&D MW75, Focal Bathys and more" thread which are also bluetooth is posted here in Headphones (Full-size), but mods please feel free to move it wherever it fits.
being feedback on bluetooth headphones I am not expecting much discussion but I am posting this more for google results for others to find feedback about these particular models.
my Headphones inventory is in my signature, the prices include shipping (all converted to USD$ unless indicated). all photos are to scale the camera hasn't moved and the headphones were adjusted to their smallest size and just swapped out for photos.
why bluetooth instead of wired? I will put this at the bottom I think have typed too much here already.
last minute measurements: I decided to take some amateur measurements to better illustrate what I am hearing. I used the KRK App which is a free measurement tool and is calibrated to the iPad's mic (mine is supported).
the microphone is close to the top of the tablet, therefore I had to complete the seal with my palm (maybe it's good that 40% of the seal was skin), so the graph is a bit inaccurate in the bass frequencies (I think due to poor seal from using my hand) but I think I captured what I am hearing at least in the mid to treble and they can be used to help illustrate that.
I did my best to position the mic in the centre of the driver, and took multiple measurements until I got consistent results.
I did the best I could with what I have, hopefully it was worth it.
you will notice compared to pro measurements mine have a downward trending slope but at least it looks like how I hear it. with the bass being clearly present but upper-end of the treble being present but quieter and more subtle.
please consider them an exaggerated graph to illustrate what I am hearing.
so for those on a budget . . .
Budget Bluetooth Headphones Comparison
instead of buying just 1 flagship pair for $400, I decided to go down the road of budget bluetooth models to experience more variety, consumerism and the process of learning and using different products. as you can see the first pair was on the cheap end then I increased by budget as I progressed. these are in order from first purchased to last.
as you would expect for sub $100 over-ear bluetooth headphones, none of these are perfect and each has it's own strengths and weaknesses.
you will find out they are intentionally very different from each another and I still use all regularly to this day.
hopefully these mini summaries will be helpful to someone on a budget. I won't be posting any specs since those are easy to find.
also for reference my head is average sized and my ears are relatively flat and between medium and small in size
All headphones are used for mix use music and movies/video. I listen to all types of music such as folk, pop, rock, orchestral, JDM music (not sure the correct term weeb music?), dreamcore (electronic), math rock etc.
- Razer Bluetooth Kitty Edition (purchased 2020 for $58)
my first pair of bluetooth headphones and after 3 years since purchase they have held up very very well. wanted something from a bigger brand with long battery-life at a low price for watching movies and this delivered with customizable EQ included. reviews said sound wasn't great, but I managed to get it sounding decent with the App programmable 9-band EQ.
the good:
+ long battery-life with LED lights off of 50 hours total (in my early testing it was closer to 60 hours)
+ clear and enjoyable sound that is good enough for $60 thanks to custom App EQ (saves EQ on headphones), using the EQ to dial in the sound for my seal and ear-type the 9-band EQ (quite a bit better compared to say Sony which uses 5-band) transforms the sound. tuned to be very slightly V-shaped but neutral in the mid-range I think overall clarity is quite good the mid-range and treble has detail which is good for bluetooth. bass could be more detailed and hit harder, don't get me wrong it's satisfactory but just missing that 10% extra you expect from over-ear headphones/large drivers.
after EQ I can experience rumble from movie trailers (tested on trailer for "The Creator") and the kick drum hits right and full sounding in the song Shimmer by Fuel). both watch movies and listening to music is enjoyable, I guess strong bass must be compromised for 50 hours battery-life.
yes the bass could hit harder and dig deeper, but bass isn't everything and everything up from there is great (with EQ) for an entry level pair of bluetooth headphones.
worth mentioning the sound does get affected by positioning easily (see "the bad").
+ solid overall build quality. getting on almost 3 years old now, I am careful with my stuff but for the price the durability exceeded expectations. battery has held up very well too I haven't noticed any decrease in battery-life. although I never let it get lower than 30%)
+ light overall weight and light clamping force gives great comfort. headband underside pleather is soft. you can wear them for many many hours without any issues. edit: they are 10.6 ounces/298grams, which is still very light feeling in this comparison by far. but the next pair I have my eyes on the Sony WH-CH720N's are a feather light 6.5ounces/192g wow.
+ large earpads with adequate depth (while not the deepest because of the light clamping force they don't compress much and give enough room), they also don't get stuffy (earpads are pleather on the outside, but fabric on the inside - as you can see the pleather has held up very well for the age). the biggest earpads inner-diameter wise in this comparison and suitable for larger ears as well.
+ easy to control (it's got a power-button and volume dial that's it)
+ when you turn the RGB LED's off, they are off and stay that way.
+ bluetooth range gets an A from me (4 walls until signal interrupt but it depends on your local wireless interference). connects to devices and the App very quickly.
+ headband can extend enough enough for larger heads
+ bluetooth user experience is very quick to pair and connect. the Razer beats all the others in this aspect and the Korg is probably equal (with the same hold power on method) but entering pairing mode is super quick, and when you tap on the Razer's in bluetooth settings it connects every time within 1 second (can't say the same for the bluetooth experience on the Creative's) with a "connected" prompt voice. the Razer also jumps to new connections (although only 1 paired memory at a time) like it's nothing, you can pair it to a completely new portable device 4 times in a row (or previous paired devices) and it connects in the same instant fashion never throwing an error.
the bad:
- out of the box vocals were boxy/artificial lacking detail and the bass was not as deep as I would expect from the claimed 40mm drivers. but the App's custom EQ solved 90% of the issues for me.
- the inner fabric of earpads don't grip too well around your ears compared to all pleather ones on the other headphones, the lighter clamping force while very comfortable for many many hours also reduces the grip your head.
they are very comfortable but a bit loose feeling and it doesn't feel the most secure.
- because of the spacious earpads with inner fabric surface and light clamping force, the Razer's can move around a bit and the ear positioning can shift quite easily you can try this by using them sitting in a chair/then move to lying on your bed, there is a change in sound. Rtings would call this "poor" - under "frequency response consistency" (a high variation in sound due to affected positioning)". you get used to it, mids and treble change only slightly but the bass is the most effected. if you have larger ears I imagine this will be less of a problem.
- the earcup adjustment is bare-bones. just a fixed yoke with up and down angle adjustment on the hinge (no forward and back adjustment or twisting earcup 90 degrees). but it works for me and the fit is fine so not a deal breaker
- again due to earpads design and light clamping force the overall external noise isolation is not great, if listening at low volume you can hear still some of external noise.
- because of the light weight, some could consider first impressions as cheap feeling.
- low initial clamping force means with age it only get's looser and therefore less and less secure on your head (Razer's user manual recommend you to "stretch the headband" before putting them on for the first time, I wish I never did that so they were tighter after 3 years).
- even after EQing some could consider the sound not very "Hi-Fidelity" lacking that last drop of resolution/tight bass so more suited to media/video use than music, but I can still enjoy both.
- compared to the other 3 bluetooth headphones on this list, because of the clarity of the sound this gets 2nd last place in terms of overall sound.
- bluetooth pairing is only to one device at a time but the connection is strong and re-pairing is easy, just hold down the power button for longer when turning it on until it says "pairing" and select it from the list of bluetooth devices on your phone.
- battery level indication is only viewable in bluetooth widgets (on tablet/smartphone). no announcement or LED indication on the headphones for battery level estimate. to be fair I only need to check once a month since the % drops so slowly.
- earpads can rotate a little too easily on the cups. while not a big issue I am sure it affects comfort and sound if they rotate too much. a couple times I noticed one of the pads wasn't aligned with the other and rotated too much. a quick and easy fix.
- no 3.5mm socket. the Razer's do not work passively they are strictly for bluetooth use only.
- microUSB for charging sadly.
additional info: as you can see in the custom EQ, I set it mostly below the 0dB line. the reason is on the inside I think the volume control works by controlling the voltage of the amplifier (not the line signal) because if you push the bass (32hz) any further past 0dB it becomes a flabby mess and can start distorting. so the best way to get optimal sound is to set the EQ mostly below 0dB and just use a slightly higher main volume level. with the RGB off I have not really noticed any detriment to battery life with this method.
for the Razer's I just wipe any oil/sweat from the pleather on the headband randomly when I noticed it. that's it.
also I read on some reviews if you use the headphones for phone calls or in audio+mic mode the sound quality becomes horrible like you are listening to a 48kbps MP3 and the mic quality is also bad. I don't recommend buying these for the mic/headset use.
main use: in the beginning mostly movies because I bought them for the long battery life. but now alternate between watching YouTube (short videos), movies and listening to music on YouTube. they are great for movie use because the battery lasts so long, you wont have to worry about charging it frequently like all your other devices.
edit: I thought I would add this here. because Razer's are the only ones with custom EQ, you could say it is tuned to my preference. in general I would call it a gentle U-shape. relatively neutral in the middle, and I think I wanted to bring out harder/deeper hitting bass and top-end extension for clarity with EQ.
if I brought up the treble areas (2k to 10k) any higher it would start sounding bright and harsh (perhaps because the lack of deep-bass). Creative has more energy in the treble, but doesn't sound bright or harsh at all maybe due to harder hitting and deeper bass. I guess it's all relative.
- EFM Austin Studio ANC (purchased 2021 for $63)
my first pair on ANC bluetooth headphones. relatively unknown brand, but when browsing Amazon UK one day I found the exact physically identical clone of this model called Jays Q-seven, although I have to say I think there are some differences. firstly Jays has an App with EQ, this doesn't. next there were a few negative reviews that mentioned earpads coming apart on the Jays, passive battery drain issue (when off) and malfunctioning ANC system and I have experienced none of these after roughly 2 years of use.
Also a few "reviews/articles" mention the Jays Q-seven having a good tuning which is not what I hear on the EFM's.
the good:
+ build quality is good and premium. I ordered these impulsively when I saw them drop in price by 70% and one thing that made me place my order is they look very similar in design to B&O headphones which I have read are extremely solid in build (the only difference is the hinge goes straight into the earcup at the top and B&O has that quarter circle shaped arm)
even the headband adjustment is the same as B&O it slides in and out slowly and holds with friction. the thin arms that slide to adjust are metal as are the circles on the earcups, I must say it feels very premium. the headband while on the thinner side has pleather on top and bottom that go all the way around with two seams of stitching along the sides on the top side, the bottom side of the headband is well padded to make up for being thin.
no creaking or cracking plastic even after almost 2 years.
the pivoting earcups also gives plenty of adjustment range, earpads also get narrower towards the front I guess to angle the drivers not sure why bother when it sounds bad (see "the bad").
+ earpads quality is good. the pleather used is feels softer and more premium definitely better than the Razer/Creative's. while being very small (see below in bad) they have also held up very well and are just as fresh and in shape as day 1. the headband is also very squishy on the underside, although there is one cheapness I felt when taking the photo. I could feel the cable inside with my thumb at around 11 a clock (but I think it's because I reduced it to it's smallest size).
+ earcups fold flat. not a deal maker or breaker for me but some might like to know. with L and R on the correct sides they fold with earpads facing down.
+ ANC works passively with included 3.5mm cable. how ANC works passively on the EFM's I thought was a bit odd. as instructed in the user manual with the headphones off, you plug in the cable then just press the noise cancelling button and it turns on just the Noise cancelling at "ANC Medium" straight away skipping the power on process. then you just need to cycle through back to "Off" when you are finished then unplug (maybe this is the aspect which is causing the battery drain issue in the reviews for the Jays Q-seven, they are forgetting to turn the ANC off before unplugging). it works can't complain.
+ button arrangement and location are very ergonomic and easy to use. power on/off is a circular button on the rear side of the right cup where you thumb naturally goes with a volume rocker below it which is thin, long, metal and easy to find, same again on the left side just a circular button on the rear side for ANC control.
+ supports multi-device pairing (not multi-point). I didn't know how useful this is until I used it. you pair the first device (as long as it's a tablet/phone it takes up memory slot 1), then you pair a second device with the same process. and when you turn the headphones on, they will connect to the nearest of the two. I have a bluetooth transmitter which I like to sometimes use in the loungeroom and this makes switching between two devices a breeze, as long as you have enough distance away from the first device (and in my case it's not being used). you can also repeat the pairing process again, and if it's not a tablet/phone it will just switch out the 2nd pairing for the new device, keeping the 1st paired device (phone/tablet) as the main pairing so you can switch back to it easily at any time.
+ announces battery level on power on, either "High, Medium or Low". not the most accurate at telling the % but it's very useful. I always charge before it says "Low".
the bad:
- the inner diameter of the earpads is very small and my ears just barely fit. I can make them fit by pushing the earpads over them, but when inside they feel cramped not enough to cause discomfort for me I can still watch an entire movie but if you have medium sized ears (or larger) I think you will start to feel aching due to your ears being crammed. the smallest earpads in this comparison by far and it will be a deal breaker for many.
- these come last place in terms of sound. the deep bass hits hard thanks to a large scoop in the upper bass. the vocals are present but overall the mid-range lacks clarity and is veiled. also sounds veiled in the treble and it is also dropping the top-end quite a bit giving it a muffled sound from the mid-range and up. other than the tight and hard hitting deep bass these sound bad overall with very low-resolution. personally I think the sound is only good for blockbuster movies. the bass is fun for movies and certain music (electronic), but when it comes to normal movies with dialogue and the vocals/instruments in music the sound just isn't clear at all and lacks a lot of detail. (I prefer the Razer's overall because they are clearer even if their bass doesn't hit as hard. while some might prefer the EFM's because the bass is deeper and punchier even if everything else is dull and veiled kind like how I imagine "Beats by dre" sounds).
the EFM sounds even worse than it looks on the graph. it might be due to the cramped earpads I am not sure but if sounds way more dull than it looks in the measurement.
I just noticed looking at all the graphs side-by-side, but the EFM does lose treble energy more quickly than the others (the steeper angle from 2k to 6k). that together with the boosted mid-range must be what is making it sound dark and veiled.
also no App at all (with EQ) so you are also stuck with the sound.
- touch sensor in right earcup is slightly annoying. the touch sensor for ambient mode is the entire circular part which is made of metal (it's cold to touch). most of the button controls are also on this earcup and often the inside of my hand will slightly touch the metal area and trigger/half trigger ambient temporarily (it's metal so I think it conducts more than plastic and is easily triggered by even a tiny bit of skin). not a deal breaker but I think it's due to the overall design and shape.
- less than average battery life. I definitely noticed these were needing to be charged more often than the Razer's. to be fair I adapted to this by using the EFM's less often, and I also only turn on the ANC when it is raining. it's rated at 34 hours with ANC off, and only 20 hours with ANC on. which is below average these days so that's why this is mentioned in "the bad".
- ANC has Off, Medium, High modes. it works but High mode can't completely eliminate the sound of rain on my noisy roof. sound quality improves with ANC on, bass hits even more deeper and tighter and overall clarity is improved thanks to blacker background even if there isn't any external noise to cancel.
but I would say the ANC performance is average for cancelling rain, but on a noise plane I would probably think it performs poorly.
- bluetooth range get's a B- (the EFM starts cutting out at straight after passing the 3rd wall).
- microUSB charging.
additional info: for these headphones I notice some oil/sweat on the black earpads after most uses, so I quickly wipe that down with a tissue or cloth after using. less often I do the same with the headband but I can't remember the last time I did that so yeah not very often.
some might ask, in 2021 why not the Anker Q30's/Q35's? well first the EFM had a higher retail price and was cheaper than the Anker on discount. secondly I read about the headband cracking issue on the Q30's and that didn't sound good to me for long term use. the Q35's were out but I wasn't sure if they would also have the same problem. on the EFM's I just can't see where they would crack because of the design.
I didn't know about the small cramped earpads of the EFM until it arrived, I kept it because I was still able to get a decent seal and used the ANC on rainy days.
main use: in the beginning watching movies on a rainy day to cancel out the noisy rain hitting the roof. but since getting a superior pair of ANC headphones, these are now exclusively paired to and used with the bluetooth transmitter in the loungeroom for physical media.
- Creative SXFI Air (purchased towards end of 2021 for $78)
these are the quirkiest bluetooth headphones here. in my opinion makes them in some ways it makes them the best of the bunch. if you can ignore their shortfalls which I will explain.
I know a lot of people say Creative isn't what they used to be but I think they still knew what they were doing (hint sound quality) with the SXFI Air.
the good:
+ the sound. with SXFI off, they are tuned pretty neutral by default with a tiny emphasis on bass and mids. vocals are natural and detailed without being muddy or bright. bass is balanced and present and extends deeper in a subtle way (can give a cinematic experience). upper treble is just good, slightly rolled off top-end extension is pretty standard I think because bluetooth but I don't perceive it as dark at all the tuning is good so it sounds natural. Rtings review and measurement shows a roll-off in the bass, but from what I hear it is rolling off slower and so some deeper bass is present I think it's a good balance for use between music/movies (not excessively boosted like the EFM's), either that or a firmware update (I am on current firmware) has changed the bass region. also the emphasised 200hz~150hz bass region does not sound as boosted like it looks on Rtings measurement, I don't think it's particularly mid-bass or upper-bass heavy.
without the SXFI mode turned on, there is almost no sound-stage it sounds very narrow. very good clear sound but narrow. it seems like there isn't any space in the earcups and they didn't make any effort to tune for sound-stage because SXFI mode was going to take care of all of it artificially.
I did do the SXFI ear photo calibration process with the App, but I am pretty sure the calibration only applies to the SXFI mode which I don't really use much anyway. out of the box this is the clearest and best sounding bluetooth headphones of the bunch, not excessive, muffled, harsh or fatiguing. just clear, well balanced and high end sounding. there is a App EQ option available but I haven't felt the need to use it.
+ the earpads size and depth wise are very good (see "the bad" for pleather quality). internally they are tiny fraction smaller than the Razer's pads but the Creative's are deeper and I have no issues with my ears fitting inside with plenty of comfortable room even after long-term of use. they are slightly on the firmer side compared to the Razer/EFM, but they are comfortable and provide a great seal. worth mentioning here the Creative's passively isolate sound very well.
+ the overall comfort and fit is great. the plastic areas have held up well, I judge this by the way the earcups pivot and rotate a small amount. the reason I say this is because it seems the adjustment is made possible just from molded plastic connected together internally. in other words no "hinges" or metal parts needed they just kind of move freely limited by hitting plastic bumpers inside and they haven't broken. the range of adjustment isn't huge but you don't really need to forcefully adjust it, it just fits my head really well automatically every time you put it on.
+ clamping force is average but comfortable. big heads might find it a bit on the tighter side. but with a regular sized head like mine it's just the right amount. feels secure on the head but not too tight at all, and no concerns about then sliding about or falling off. I guess this is one of the reasons for a good seal and passive noise isolation.
+ the quirky useful features: Lossless FLAC microSD card playback (you can control playback/select tracks with App, I just leave it on random), Charge while listening (via USB-C), external LED battery level indication while switched off (short press when off to show either Red, Yellow, Green), good quality Mic, and last SXFI mode (which I don't use often).
+ with "SXFI mode on" (dedicated button press - instant effect) you can get "going to the cinema" like sound. a lot of calculated scooping of mid to higher frequency goes on to create the sound-stage that has a massively widened effect (it's doesn't exist with SXFI mode off) and I think they are using some heavy duty amplification in the SXFI Air (see "the bad" for another reason I think this) because of the way it can get loud in SXFI mode and the sound just does not fall apart. because of the scooping you need to turn it up a bit more, the bass extension is on another level and hit's a tonne harder while remaining tight and controlled. turn up the volume to bring the mids and highs to a more audible level and the bass hits even harder but has no signs of distortion or giving up. I hadn't used SXFI for awhile and trying it again I forgot how intense the bass can get with SXFI mode on.
in my experience and according to Creative, SXFI mode attempts to simulate a room. but in the same way as I don't like Home Theater systems, SXFI mode has a similar effect on dialogue. most of the clarity is gone that the original sound with SXFI mode off has and the vocals sound like they do when you have listen to a home theatre system. not to my taste so I honestly don't use it at all for movies (SXFI mode sounds like you are listening to speakers and takes me out of the movie, with “SXFI mode off” you are hearing how things sound “in the movie”), but I dunno some might like the fact is sounds like a Home Theater system.
I got a marginal SXFI improvement after calibrating, but I don't really like SXFI mode for watching video. also it's tough to scan your own ears by yourself with the App, get someone to do it for you. playing lossless FLAC from SD card with SXFI mode was a bit better of an experience, it gives you an almost "live" feeling to the sound (mostly folk, acoustic type music but I don't think it sounds natural with electronic etc which just sounds like you are playing dreamcore through a big PA system) which I think is a novelty. sometimes I turn it on when listening to the SD card, sometimes I don't but I guess it also depends on the song.
+ touch controls on the left earcup work well. sometimes they don't register swipes but it gets it on the next try. I guess one point I was worried about with budget headphones was such sensors going bad and malfunctioning, but that hasn't happened on the Creative's so it gets to be in "the good". if anything I prefer a less sensitive touch sensor, to a highly sensitive touch sensor.
+ bluetooth range get's a A- (starts cutting out a hair before the Razer's, only a difference of about 1m to 1.5m in distance)
+ USB-C port for charging/PC connection.
the bad:
- poor pleather headband quality. the pleather covering the headband started to breakdown and flake apart in a matter of months all by itself. no excessive sweat/oil was there, I treated them the exact same way as the other headphones. just poor quality manufacturing of the pleather they used. disappointing for the price I paid and it bothered me at first, but after awhile it stopped bothering me, sometimes I will notice a few tiny black spots on my fingers after I scratch my head.
while I find it's comfort fine with no issues because the good clamping force and grip of the pleather earpads hold most of the weight. when squeezing the headband, even on the underside it is firm with zero padding. it's not soft like the other headphones. it's like they threw a piece of cardboard in there 2mm thick and called it a day.
- earpads pleather quality also a bit lacking. I have to own up to some of this being my own doing, but the earpads were holding up perfectly well for around a year, until I accidentally scratched the inner-side with my nail and made a hole. it continues to break apart after that (you can see in the photo). but at the same time I feel as if similar to the headband the pleather was of poor quality to begin with. it's happened to both sides and I also stopped letting it bother me after awhile. it doesn't affect the sound or comfort. -when using headphones I recommend you don't scratch your head around your ear without pulling the earpad away from your skin!
- short battery-life (at least with bluetooth connection). it’s advertised so no surprise but maximum claimed battery life is a measly 10 hours. judging by the RGB LED battery indication (short press power button while off, and not an exact %) I feel like I am getting around 8 hours worth of movie listening at a slightly higher volume (~65%) until “red” shows. but this becomes a non-issue for home use thanks to being able to charge while using (in any mode), I just plug the included USB-C cable into a powerbank and the headphones are always able to be used for a movie even after showing red (low battery). I do try my best to keep is charged whenever it shows yellow, but in a pinch “charge while use” is really handy. so not only do you get to use the headphones but you also get charged up to 80% when the movie is finished.
I assume playing from the microSD card only will slightly extend the battery-life, but I haven't tested it properly (my guess? maybe an extra 4 hours, so still not much in total).
- amplification sound on power on/off. so not really a issue for me, but from new when turning the headphones on you would hear not a "pop" exactly, but more like a middle frequency "thud" after pressing the power button and before the voice announces "power on". I think this is just due to the powerful amplifiers they used in the headphones. and similarly a quieter pop from the amplification as it turns off. if you are wondering no there isn't any hiss or amplifier background noise after the power is turned on.
(another reason I think the claimed battery life is so short even with a decent sized 1300mAh internal battery is because they are using powerful amplification - for reference Sony XM5 uses 1200mAh battery according to teardown, and that get's 40 hours of use with bluetooth connection and ANC off)
- even after disabling the RGB LED's do not reliably stay off, you can set the RGB to off in the PC software and App. sometimes the headphones remember and switch on with RGB off, sometimes they don't! every 2nd or 3rd time I turn the headphones on, the RGB is on again! (is it because of charging cycle? or any other reason? no it's random) disabling them is very easy just short press power button while the headphones are on. but it get's annoying because I want them permanently off because I only get 8 hours of battery with bluetooth and don't want any extra drain.
- with "SXFI mode on" the headphones become more sensitive to positioning, I need to make minor adjustments while they are on my head otherwise I can experience a imbalance in higher frequencies. with SXFI mode off this isn't an issue and it sounds perfect the first time I put them on.
- bluetooth supports SBC codec only, again not an issue for me. honestly I have a tough time telling the difference between SBC on the Creative's and AAC codec supported on the other headphones, but SBC codec has a higher added latency. AAC codec is the more modern superior bluetooth audio codec.
- the bluetooth re-pairing experience is a bit buggy, also no multi-device support. ok if you just pair it with one device out of the box and keep it that way it's fine. but during testing I tried to pair it to a new device, and while that new pairing goes smoothly. re-pairing it to the original device makes you wait a while then throws an error.
I discovered the process you need to go through is: before turning on the Creative's, on the device which you previously had it paired to, "forget" the Creative's from the pairing list. Then put the headphones in pairing mode it re-pair.
the Creative's are the only headphones which have this issue and with other headphones you just go into pairing mode then tap the name on the previous device and it connects back to it like it should.
additional info: these also get a quick wipe of the pads after use. I don't bother checking the headband because it's falling apart anyway.
the App is there on PC and mobile, I just didn't use it much. it was used for updating the firmware (PC), calibrating SXFI mode and selecting which song to listen to on the microSD card (App), but I stopped using it so it was uninstalled.
I think the odd quirks that are bad and the quirks that are good effectively cancel each other out, but the redeeming part of these headphones is the sound.
also the Soundguys review mentions a 2nd set of perforated spare pads were included, I never received any in the box which I still have with everything else that was included.
I could probably use the App to EQ a bit more the top-end like the Razer, but never got around to it which tells me it isn't really necessary. the sound is well rounded, balanced and tuned good enough.
edit: my opinions of “little to no soundstage with SXFI mode off” might have been exaggerated during testing due to me switching “SXFI mode” on and off multiple times. there is quite a dramatic change in sound that happens.
main use: the Creative (with SXFI mode off) has mostly replaced the Razer's for movie watching and has become my go to headphones for streaming movies. everything including dialogue is crystal clear while still performing well in the bass. I use it with the Latency calibrated on tvOS enabled to get rid of the latency problem from using SBC.
I sometimes switch back to the Razer's if I feel like having a less intense experience, but I am using the Razer's less and less for movies these days.
- Korg NC-Q1 ANC (purchased 2023 for ¥11000, roughly $91 with conversion/fees)
my most recent purchase. ANC headphones by Korg Japan. I was seeing these sold locally for $200 to $300, but came across them for less than half (¥10000 + ¥1300 shipping) direct from Japan so I had to try them out. they came in white and I can keep my things clean so I had to get them over boring black. a reviewed issue with these headphones was the battery refused to charge, I think this was probably due to user error.
the good:
+ with ANC off the sound on these is great, spacious and enjoyable. slightly V-shaped (but more than the Razer's) and tuned very well.
from what I hear it has bass that digs deep and balanced mid-bass (similar deep bass to EFM but on the Korg's mid-bass is still there and not scooped, compared to the Creative's the Korg has more deep bass and less mid-bass). a dip in the mid-range quietens vocals a bit but turn up the volume to bring them forward and the vocal detail is there up into the treble. I think the dip also helps to prevent muddiness/bass bleeding into midrange. there is also some closed-back sound-stage. the increased volume also enchances the extended deep bass and treble clarity resulting in a detailed sound overall that doesn't sound unbalanced.
the vocals are clear enough for dialogue in movies with a spacious sound. great sounding and enjoyable for music too because the sound-stage gives a unique experience of depth which the others in the comparison don't have. I bought these to use as wireless bluetooth headphones with occasional ANC, not wired headphones with ANC so I will be judging them based on Bluetooth audio connection.
compared to the Korg's the Creative's (with SXFI mode off) are clearer in sound especially in vocals/dialogue. I prefer clearer sound over sound-stage so Korg get's 2nd place in terms of sound, they have a different type of sound though because of the sound-stage. I would describe the sound as in between the Creative's "SXFI mode on" (huge sound-stage/much less clarity in mid to high frequency) and "SXFI mode off" (no sound-stage/best clarity). the Korg achieves medium sound-stage, slightly less vocal clarity, slightly clearer treble and deeper bass than the Creative with SXFI mode off.
+ it has the sound-stage. I haven't mentioned this much so far because all the others barely have any, but the Korg does have sound-stage and some dimensional separation of instruments. Listening to a song I could hear the vocals in the centre and when the guitar came in it was clearly to the far left and separated from the vocals and it sounded like the instrument was there a bit forward and to the left in space not just being played by the left driver. I suspect this is either due to the tuning, the roomy and deep earcups, or both.
+ the earpads seal (and passive noise isolation) is amazing and ANC works very well although I don't have anything other than the EFM to compare. at the very least the seal is the best I have ever experienced. the earpads feel completely different to the others and I think use a different type of foam (might be memory foam I am not sure). they are on the smaller side (see "the bad") but my ears fit. together with the clamping force being on the tighter side a perfect seal is achieved and passive noise isolation is extremely effective.
with nothing playing, ANC on, calibrated to the noise of heavy rain hitting the roof the Korg's cancelled out 100% of that external noise all I can hear is dead silence. by far the best ANC experience I have ever had for my use case, but I have not tried something like the Sony XM5's.
+ build quality is quite good on first impressions. metal is used where it matters, the yokes and tiny rods holding the yokes on the earcups etc. one part I think is plastic though is the big silver circle hinge holding the yoke to the headband, at least I think it is plastic. this seems like quite a crucial area that has the potential to move easily and experience wear and tear so worth pointing out.
+ comfort it just ok for me, seems to be designed for smaller heads and ears (see "the bad" for earpads size). on my head with the soft earpads that distribute pressure evenly and the headband with clamping force stronger than the Creative's I can wear the Korg for 2+ hours without issue. it might be because it's only a few months old but I don't feel the clamping force getting any looser. at least the seal is perfect when you put it on right so I am not complaining. it's not tight fitting enough to cause pressure/discomfort I just notice it's quite tight when pulling apart the cups to put it on my head. they aren't the most comfortable headphones in the world, but for me it's completely fine.
+ bluetooth range get's a A-. range is similar to Creative's, a hair less than Razer.
+ battery level announcement on power on, just like the EFM's it tells you either "High, Medium or Low". definitely useful for keeping it charged and taking care of battery health.
the bad:
- the earpads inner diameter is on the smaller side. actually the entire external diameter of the earcup and earpad is smaller than average, although the inner diameter is larger than you think because of this (the "wall" of the earpad is a bit thinner than average). I actually need to pay attention when putting this on, while the inner diameter is nowhere near as small as the EFM's, the fit does require me to check the yoke position (it moves 180 degrees on the hinge) before putting them on to avoid the earpads touching part of my ear. on my medium to small sized ears I find I need to keep the yoke perfectly straight to avoid contact with my ear (any forward or backward angle to the earpad's oval opening causes contact on the inside of the pad). I also think the earpads are a little shallow as well, but my ears fit. I guess this was designed with JDM market in mind which is why it cuts it so close size wise, well for me anyway.
- out of all the headphones here, because of their construction/design the Korg often needs some adjustment when putting them on (it's not as easy putting them on like the others - Creative is the best in this aspect) and sometimes they aren't sitting right and I have to take them off and try again. it doesn't take long but it's a bit annoying. in the end it's worth it though for the earpads achieving a perfect seal.
- the battery-life is well below average. Korg claims 36 hours ANC use this is what's written on the box, but this is only when using "3.5mm wired connection with ANC on". "Bluetooth with ANC off" gives 24 hours, while "Bluetooth with ANC on" gives only 12 hours claimed battery-life. definitely below average battery-life in bluetooth audio mode for a regular sized 1200mAh battery (same battery capacity as Sony XM5).
only 12 hours with bluetooth + ANC on use means you will test the battery limits on international flights. you can adapt by using 3.5mm with airplane adapter connected to in-flight entertainment which will give you 36 hours ANC, then maybe switch to bluetooth connection during the last few hours of the flight. (at least this is how I would adapt, I wouldn't want to drain the battery then wait for them to charge with zero ANC)
- the yoke's range of motion is a bit too much and easily pushed out of position. while comfortable and sturdy feeling. I think the range of the yoke doesn't make much sense, I dunno maybe it's meant to be folded all the way up (kind of into a ball, but the cups don't fold "inside" the headband) for DJ's to throw it in a bag for easy transportation.
because these are white I have been keeping them in a headphone case (only do this for the Korg's) in their normal yoke position, and just picking them up with one hand can cause one of the yokes to move 45 degrees out of position. I might have preferred if they "clicked" into place so it was harder to move and the headphones would do a better job keeping a normal shape. as they are they are friction fit they do not move too easily but not hard to move either. it's not a deal breaker, it's just odd.
- the buttons are small and hard to distinguish by feel. I have gotten used to the tiny power/ANC button rocker, power has a tiny dimple on it but each button is so small you will find yourself using the tip of your thumb to press. the two circular calibration buttons on the cup are also hard to identify. I still accidentally feel and find those silver buttons instead of the power on button, and only realise when I can feel the button is round that I have my finger on the wrong button.
also the master volume "rocker" is a tiny plastic lever that moves back and forth that’s on the front bottom corner of the right earcup (terrible location), it has really weak resistance (spring back) and you will accidentally trigger volume up or down just by finding the lever. it feels awkward and cheap (the only part).
the lever you see in the photo is not the master volume (same size though, tiny), it's the external sound volume for the Smart monitoring (Ambient mode), it basically a resistance-less lever that stay where you put it.
the Korg's have the hardest to use and least user friendly button system here.
- the Korg’s are the only ones in this comparison that have a presence sensor. cool feature right? what some see as a feature, I see as a possible point of failure.
with no Korg companion app and according to the user manual, there is no way to disable this sensor.
if it goes faulty or starts malfunctioning it could bork the headphones. (starts pausing content while wearing, thinking it’s been taken off your head or just going nuts and playing/pausing whenever it wants)
I didn’t check about this before buying, I am just holding onto the idea that Korg Japan made the decision to use a reliable sensor (I read there is IR type which is cheaper and more common and the more advanced Electrostatic type sensor).
- when turning them on the ANC is on by default, which is common for many ANC headphones (but not the EFM's they turn on with ANC off). I actually prefer if the ANC is off when powering on, giving you the option to turn it on if you need it. especially with the Korg's because battery only lasts 12 hours with bluetooth + ANC on. I only use the ANC when it starts raining heavily.
- the sound is better in bluetooth mode with ANC off. this could also be a negative for some people. it was surprising because it's the opposite of the EFM's and most ANC headphones. companies usually tune the ANC headphones to sound their best/better when ANC is on (e.g. Sony). with "bluetooth + ANC on" the Korg's loses it's sound-stage and sounds narrower, the treble also gets a slight artificial effect to it and the bass loses some of it’s impact. the slightly reduced sound quality is not as noticeable when watching movies/videos. but I noticed the slight drop in sound quality when listening to music.
- sometimes it makes slight squeaky noise when I turn my head. I can hear the plastic rubbing against the metal I think between those tiny metal rods holding the earcups on that provide the up/down and forward/back axis of earcup adjustment. Korg might have made it durable and premium, but they did not make it quiet. (this is one area where maybe a simple design wins, less moving parts less physical noise)
- the cables are exposed between the headband and earcup, in this comparison this is only on the Korg's so has to be mentioned. I don't have a problem with it but sometimes looking in the mirror I can see the cable touching my hair, I guess I am worried about sweat/oil damaging the cables over the years? others might be concerned about snagging those cables on something and ripping them out. something to consider.
- for me the sound isn't perfect and there is no App or EQ. it has SoundID reference calibration support, but this only works in software on the PC. you can't adjust and save to the DSP on the headphones. I knew this when I was purchasing, I was kind of putting my money on Korg for the tuning and it's very good but just not perfect for me like the tuning of the Creative's. but the Korg's have a sound-stage and ANC so those are it's strengths.
- microUSB charging. also charging is also a bit slow for the number of hours use you get in return, full charge takes roughly 3.5 hours.
additional info: the unique features of this headphones ANC system are controlled by those two round silver buttons on the cup. one called "Attenuation/ATT" adjusts the mic sensitivity (gain) for the ANC system (Korg describes it as if you are in a loud environment and the ANC mic's are clipping, by pressing the button it detects and sets the mic's sensitivity to the right level so it doesn't clip - pretty sure it works both ways because I did the attenuation in a slightly less noisy environment when it was raining heavily and the ANC system works a treat). the second silver button called "Sound Enhancing" adjusts the EQ for the Smart monitoring mode (Ambient mode when you touch and hold the earcup), you can choose between the common Mic options such as Hi-cut, Low-cut, Mid-scoop, Flat etc. Default is Flat, but if you think the person talking to you doesn't sound natural and sounds too deep or high pitched you can switch it to Hi-cut/Low-cut etc.
I like to have a companion App option with onboard adjustable EQ to personalise the sound since we all hear differently (hearing damage/ear shape etc). personally the sound doesn't have to be 100% perfect, but I can usually get close with some minor EQ adjustments (5-band is usually enough).
main use: due to superior sound, passive isolation and ANC capability, the Korg's have have replaced the EFM ANC's for movie streaming and general use on days when the forecast says it will rain. I use them in bluetooth mode with ANC off, and when it starts pouring down on the noisy roof, I switch on ANC and instantly it all goes away and I can hear the movie clearly without cranking up the volume. worth the $91 just for that in my opinion.
I haven't tested it on an airplane or loud social environment such as a coffee shop so I can't really say how well it performs, my guess is the Sony XM4/XM5 will do a better job of cancelling the sound of people talking.
If I ever do get my hands on an XM5 I will do an ANC comparison and provide an update.
the Smart monitoring mode (Ambient mode) is a little quirky in the way it works. if you touch and hold an earcup for 1 second, it only turns on Ambient mode for that earcup (one side only). if you touch and hold for 2 seconds it turns on Ambient mode for both sides like it normally would. the difference between 1 and 2 seconds to trigger different results is a bit odd. I guess I just touch and do an extended hold to get Ambient mode in both sides, so not really an issue. but if you are trying to get it to turn on just one side I imagine it could be annoying to trigger the right command.
- I didn't take any amateur measurement of the Korg's because they are still in relatively new condition and I didn't want to damage those premium earpads. when measuring with the iPad the earpads on the others were sticking a bit and I was worried they will tear.
hopefully my descriptions are enough, if not I would say in general they would graph similar to the Creative's (with SXFI off) up until 1k, but with more deep bass, less mid-bass and a slightly bigger scoop at 500hz. after 1k the Korg's have much less of a dip and it's flatter from 1k to 10k with a slight upwards trend towards the upper treble (therefore slightly V-shaped). at the top-end around 10k to 15k it drops off suddenly due to bluetooth in a similar way to the Creative.
why bluetooth over-ear's?
well I bought a pair of wired headphones and realized I only really appreciate the higher-resolution lying down facing up on my bed and fully relaxing while listening to the music. I was picking out the realism/details and really appreciating it.
but after I bought my first pair of wireless headphones and listening while doing other tasks, I found even with the drop in resolution I was enjoying the music just as much because half my attention was away from the details and I was also appreciating the freedom of being able to move around more (this first was a pair of TWS).
my conclusion was for me critical listening requires focus. and not lying down(relaxing)+lower resolution headphones=the same enjoyment and appreciation as critical listening. I guess it's different for everyone, but I can't be unfocused and appreciate wired headphones at the same time.
TLDR personal rank.
Sound (subjective): 1. Creative (A) 2. Korg (A-) 3. Razer (B-) 4. EFM (D, definitely not Hi-Fi but has deep bass)
Sound-stage: 1. Korg (B, in terms of depth and width) 2. Razer (C-, has a tiny bit, almost nothing though) 3. Creative (D, almost none) 4. EFM (D, honestly these are last in terms of sound anyway)
Features: 1. Creative (A+, use while charge/SXFI mode/SD card slot with FLAC support) 2. Korg (B, thanks to ANC and it's advanced settings) 3. EFM (C, has multipoint and ANC/doesn't fail in terms of function) 4. Razer (C-, pretty basic but does it well/battery-life is it's best feature)
Comfort: 1. Razer (A+) 2. Creative (A-, would be A if the pleather was higher quality) 3. Korg (B, hinge design is odd/needs positioning and adjustment) 4. EFM (D-, earpads way too small)
Earpad seal and isolation: 1. Korg (A+, amazing but earpads are close to small) 2. Creative (A, great isolation miles ahead of EFM and Razer) 3. EFM (B only because I can get it to seal, most will have trouble with small earpads) 4. Razer (C-, these don't isolate very well at all).
Battery Life (Bluetooth Audio): 1. Razer (A+, 60 hours). 2. EFM (B-, less than average at 34 hours ANC off) 3. Korg (C+, less than average only 24 hours ANC off) 4. Creative (C, 10 hours/but it can be used while charging otherwise it would have been a D).
update: sorry I made an edit and didn't address it. in the first "the good" point about Korg's sound, originally I basically wrote "has similar aspects to the sound of the Creative's" without much context. I changed that to describe the Korg's as "slightly V-shaped and that the vocal's take a step back in the mix compared to Creative" which I neglected to mention in the original post.
I thought about posting this over in "The discovery thread!" but reading the topic it seems to be requesting "anything that is new to you.." and I have had these headphones for quite awhile now so thought it didn't fit. all opinions in this post are from long-term use.
The reason I am posting here instead of in "Portable Headphones" is because another wireless headphones comparison the "Side by Side Comparison - AirPods Max, B&O H95, Dali iO-6, B&W PX8, ML 5909, M&D MW75, Focal Bathys and more" thread which are also bluetooth is posted here in Headphones (Full-size), but mods please feel free to move it wherever it fits.
being feedback on bluetooth headphones I am not expecting much discussion but I am posting this more for google results for others to find feedback about these particular models.
my Headphones inventory is in my signature, the prices include shipping (all converted to USD$ unless indicated). all photos are to scale the camera hasn't moved and the headphones were adjusted to their smallest size and just swapped out for photos.
why bluetooth instead of wired? I will put this at the bottom I think have typed too much here already.
last minute measurements: I decided to take some amateur measurements to better illustrate what I am hearing. I used the KRK App which is a free measurement tool and is calibrated to the iPad's mic (mine is supported).
the microphone is close to the top of the tablet, therefore I had to complete the seal with my palm (maybe it's good that 40% of the seal was skin), so the graph is a bit inaccurate in the bass frequencies (I think due to poor seal from using my hand) but I think I captured what I am hearing at least in the mid to treble and they can be used to help illustrate that.
I did my best to position the mic in the centre of the driver, and took multiple measurements until I got consistent results.
I did the best I could with what I have, hopefully it was worth it.
you will notice compared to pro measurements mine have a downward trending slope but at least it looks like how I hear it. with the bass being clearly present but upper-end of the treble being present but quieter and more subtle.
please consider them an exaggerated graph to illustrate what I am hearing.
so for those on a budget . . .
Budget Bluetooth Headphones Comparison
instead of buying just 1 flagship pair for $400, I decided to go down the road of budget bluetooth models to experience more variety, consumerism and the process of learning and using different products. as you can see the first pair was on the cheap end then I increased by budget as I progressed. these are in order from first purchased to last.
as you would expect for sub $100 over-ear bluetooth headphones, none of these are perfect and each has it's own strengths and weaknesses.
you will find out they are intentionally very different from each another and I still use all regularly to this day.
hopefully these mini summaries will be helpful to someone on a budget. I won't be posting any specs since those are easy to find.
also for reference my head is average sized and my ears are relatively flat and between medium and small in size
All headphones are used for mix use music and movies/video. I listen to all types of music such as folk, pop, rock, orchestral, JDM music (not sure the correct term weeb music?), dreamcore (electronic), math rock etc.
- Razer Bluetooth Kitty Edition (purchased 2020 for $58)
my first pair of bluetooth headphones and after 3 years since purchase they have held up very very well. wanted something from a bigger brand with long battery-life at a low price for watching movies and this delivered with customizable EQ included. reviews said sound wasn't great, but I managed to get it sounding decent with the App programmable 9-band EQ.
the good:
+ long battery-life with LED lights off of 50 hours total (in my early testing it was closer to 60 hours)
+ clear and enjoyable sound that is good enough for $60 thanks to custom App EQ (saves EQ on headphones), using the EQ to dial in the sound for my seal and ear-type the 9-band EQ (quite a bit better compared to say Sony which uses 5-band) transforms the sound. tuned to be very slightly V-shaped but neutral in the mid-range I think overall clarity is quite good the mid-range and treble has detail which is good for bluetooth. bass could be more detailed and hit harder, don't get me wrong it's satisfactory but just missing that 10% extra you expect from over-ear headphones/large drivers.
after EQ I can experience rumble from movie trailers (tested on trailer for "The Creator") and the kick drum hits right and full sounding in the song Shimmer by Fuel). both watch movies and listening to music is enjoyable, I guess strong bass must be compromised for 50 hours battery-life.
yes the bass could hit harder and dig deeper, but bass isn't everything and everything up from there is great (with EQ) for an entry level pair of bluetooth headphones.
worth mentioning the sound does get affected by positioning easily (see "the bad").
+ solid overall build quality. getting on almost 3 years old now, I am careful with my stuff but for the price the durability exceeded expectations. battery has held up very well too I haven't noticed any decrease in battery-life. although I never let it get lower than 30%)
+ light overall weight and light clamping force gives great comfort. headband underside pleather is soft. you can wear them for many many hours without any issues. edit: they are 10.6 ounces/298grams, which is still very light feeling in this comparison by far. but the next pair I have my eyes on the Sony WH-CH720N's are a feather light 6.5ounces/192g wow.
+ large earpads with adequate depth (while not the deepest because of the light clamping force they don't compress much and give enough room), they also don't get stuffy (earpads are pleather on the outside, but fabric on the inside - as you can see the pleather has held up very well for the age). the biggest earpads inner-diameter wise in this comparison and suitable for larger ears as well.
+ easy to control (it's got a power-button and volume dial that's it)
+ when you turn the RGB LED's off, they are off and stay that way.
+ bluetooth range gets an A from me (4 walls until signal interrupt but it depends on your local wireless interference). connects to devices and the App very quickly.
+ headband can extend enough enough for larger heads
+ bluetooth user experience is very quick to pair and connect. the Razer beats all the others in this aspect and the Korg is probably equal (with the same hold power on method) but entering pairing mode is super quick, and when you tap on the Razer's in bluetooth settings it connects every time within 1 second (can't say the same for the bluetooth experience on the Creative's) with a "connected" prompt voice. the Razer also jumps to new connections (although only 1 paired memory at a time) like it's nothing, you can pair it to a completely new portable device 4 times in a row (or previous paired devices) and it connects in the same instant fashion never throwing an error.
the bad:
- out of the box vocals were boxy/artificial lacking detail and the bass was not as deep as I would expect from the claimed 40mm drivers. but the App's custom EQ solved 90% of the issues for me.
- the inner fabric of earpads don't grip too well around your ears compared to all pleather ones on the other headphones, the lighter clamping force while very comfortable for many many hours also reduces the grip your head.
they are very comfortable but a bit loose feeling and it doesn't feel the most secure.
- because of the spacious earpads with inner fabric surface and light clamping force, the Razer's can move around a bit and the ear positioning can shift quite easily you can try this by using them sitting in a chair/then move to lying on your bed, there is a change in sound. Rtings would call this "poor" - under "frequency response consistency" (a high variation in sound due to affected positioning)". you get used to it, mids and treble change only slightly but the bass is the most effected. if you have larger ears I imagine this will be less of a problem.
- the earcup adjustment is bare-bones. just a fixed yoke with up and down angle adjustment on the hinge (no forward and back adjustment or twisting earcup 90 degrees). but it works for me and the fit is fine so not a deal breaker
- again due to earpads design and light clamping force the overall external noise isolation is not great, if listening at low volume you can hear still some of external noise.
- because of the light weight, some could consider first impressions as cheap feeling.
- low initial clamping force means with age it only get's looser and therefore less and less secure on your head (Razer's user manual recommend you to "stretch the headband" before putting them on for the first time, I wish I never did that so they were tighter after 3 years).
- even after EQing some could consider the sound not very "Hi-Fidelity" lacking that last drop of resolution/tight bass so more suited to media/video use than music, but I can still enjoy both.
- compared to the other 3 bluetooth headphones on this list, because of the clarity of the sound this gets 2nd last place in terms of overall sound.
- bluetooth pairing is only to one device at a time but the connection is strong and re-pairing is easy, just hold down the power button for longer when turning it on until it says "pairing" and select it from the list of bluetooth devices on your phone.
- battery level indication is only viewable in bluetooth widgets (on tablet/smartphone). no announcement or LED indication on the headphones for battery level estimate. to be fair I only need to check once a month since the % drops so slowly.
- earpads can rotate a little too easily on the cups. while not a big issue I am sure it affects comfort and sound if they rotate too much. a couple times I noticed one of the pads wasn't aligned with the other and rotated too much. a quick and easy fix.
- no 3.5mm socket. the Razer's do not work passively they are strictly for bluetooth use only.
- microUSB for charging sadly.
additional info: as you can see in the custom EQ, I set it mostly below the 0dB line. the reason is on the inside I think the volume control works by controlling the voltage of the amplifier (not the line signal) because if you push the bass (32hz) any further past 0dB it becomes a flabby mess and can start distorting. so the best way to get optimal sound is to set the EQ mostly below 0dB and just use a slightly higher main volume level. with the RGB off I have not really noticed any detriment to battery life with this method.
for the Razer's I just wipe any oil/sweat from the pleather on the headband randomly when I noticed it. that's it.
also I read on some reviews if you use the headphones for phone calls or in audio+mic mode the sound quality becomes horrible like you are listening to a 48kbps MP3 and the mic quality is also bad. I don't recommend buying these for the mic/headset use.
main use: in the beginning mostly movies because I bought them for the long battery life. but now alternate between watching YouTube (short videos), movies and listening to music on YouTube. they are great for movie use because the battery lasts so long, you wont have to worry about charging it frequently like all your other devices.
edit: I thought I would add this here. because Razer's are the only ones with custom EQ, you could say it is tuned to my preference. in general I would call it a gentle U-shape. relatively neutral in the middle, and I think I wanted to bring out harder/deeper hitting bass and top-end extension for clarity with EQ.
if I brought up the treble areas (2k to 10k) any higher it would start sounding bright and harsh (perhaps because the lack of deep-bass). Creative has more energy in the treble, but doesn't sound bright or harsh at all maybe due to harder hitting and deeper bass. I guess it's all relative.
- EFM Austin Studio ANC (purchased 2021 for $63)
my first pair on ANC bluetooth headphones. relatively unknown brand, but when browsing Amazon UK one day I found the exact physically identical clone of this model called Jays Q-seven, although I have to say I think there are some differences. firstly Jays has an App with EQ, this doesn't. next there were a few negative reviews that mentioned earpads coming apart on the Jays, passive battery drain issue (when off) and malfunctioning ANC system and I have experienced none of these after roughly 2 years of use.
Also a few "reviews/articles" mention the Jays Q-seven having a good tuning which is not what I hear on the EFM's.
the good:
+ build quality is good and premium. I ordered these impulsively when I saw them drop in price by 70% and one thing that made me place my order is they look very similar in design to B&O headphones which I have read are extremely solid in build (the only difference is the hinge goes straight into the earcup at the top and B&O has that quarter circle shaped arm)
even the headband adjustment is the same as B&O it slides in and out slowly and holds with friction. the thin arms that slide to adjust are metal as are the circles on the earcups, I must say it feels very premium. the headband while on the thinner side has pleather on top and bottom that go all the way around with two seams of stitching along the sides on the top side, the bottom side of the headband is well padded to make up for being thin.
no creaking or cracking plastic even after almost 2 years.
the pivoting earcups also gives plenty of adjustment range, earpads also get narrower towards the front I guess to angle the drivers not sure why bother when it sounds bad (see "the bad").
+ earpads quality is good. the pleather used is feels softer and more premium definitely better than the Razer/Creative's. while being very small (see below in bad) they have also held up very well and are just as fresh and in shape as day 1. the headband is also very squishy on the underside, although there is one cheapness I felt when taking the photo. I could feel the cable inside with my thumb at around 11 a clock (but I think it's because I reduced it to it's smallest size).
+ earcups fold flat. not a deal maker or breaker for me but some might like to know. with L and R on the correct sides they fold with earpads facing down.
+ ANC works passively with included 3.5mm cable. how ANC works passively on the EFM's I thought was a bit odd. as instructed in the user manual with the headphones off, you plug in the cable then just press the noise cancelling button and it turns on just the Noise cancelling at "ANC Medium" straight away skipping the power on process. then you just need to cycle through back to "Off" when you are finished then unplug (maybe this is the aspect which is causing the battery drain issue in the reviews for the Jays Q-seven, they are forgetting to turn the ANC off before unplugging). it works can't complain.
+ button arrangement and location are very ergonomic and easy to use. power on/off is a circular button on the rear side of the right cup where you thumb naturally goes with a volume rocker below it which is thin, long, metal and easy to find, same again on the left side just a circular button on the rear side for ANC control.
+ supports multi-device pairing (not multi-point). I didn't know how useful this is until I used it. you pair the first device (as long as it's a tablet/phone it takes up memory slot 1), then you pair a second device with the same process. and when you turn the headphones on, they will connect to the nearest of the two. I have a bluetooth transmitter which I like to sometimes use in the loungeroom and this makes switching between two devices a breeze, as long as you have enough distance away from the first device (and in my case it's not being used). you can also repeat the pairing process again, and if it's not a tablet/phone it will just switch out the 2nd pairing for the new device, keeping the 1st paired device (phone/tablet) as the main pairing so you can switch back to it easily at any time.
+ announces battery level on power on, either "High, Medium or Low". not the most accurate at telling the % but it's very useful. I always charge before it says "Low".
the bad:
- the inner diameter of the earpads is very small and my ears just barely fit. I can make them fit by pushing the earpads over them, but when inside they feel cramped not enough to cause discomfort for me I can still watch an entire movie but if you have medium sized ears (or larger) I think you will start to feel aching due to your ears being crammed. the smallest earpads in this comparison by far and it will be a deal breaker for many.
- these come last place in terms of sound. the deep bass hits hard thanks to a large scoop in the upper bass. the vocals are present but overall the mid-range lacks clarity and is veiled. also sounds veiled in the treble and it is also dropping the top-end quite a bit giving it a muffled sound from the mid-range and up. other than the tight and hard hitting deep bass these sound bad overall with very low-resolution. personally I think the sound is only good for blockbuster movies. the bass is fun for movies and certain music (electronic), but when it comes to normal movies with dialogue and the vocals/instruments in music the sound just isn't clear at all and lacks a lot of detail. (I prefer the Razer's overall because they are clearer even if their bass doesn't hit as hard. while some might prefer the EFM's because the bass is deeper and punchier even if everything else is dull and veiled kind like how I imagine "Beats by dre" sounds).
the EFM sounds even worse than it looks on the graph. it might be due to the cramped earpads I am not sure but if sounds way more dull than it looks in the measurement.
I just noticed looking at all the graphs side-by-side, but the EFM does lose treble energy more quickly than the others (the steeper angle from 2k to 6k). that together with the boosted mid-range must be what is making it sound dark and veiled.
also no App at all (with EQ) so you are also stuck with the sound.
- touch sensor in right earcup is slightly annoying. the touch sensor for ambient mode is the entire circular part which is made of metal (it's cold to touch). most of the button controls are also on this earcup and often the inside of my hand will slightly touch the metal area and trigger/half trigger ambient temporarily (it's metal so I think it conducts more than plastic and is easily triggered by even a tiny bit of skin). not a deal breaker but I think it's due to the overall design and shape.
- less than average battery life. I definitely noticed these were needing to be charged more often than the Razer's. to be fair I adapted to this by using the EFM's less often, and I also only turn on the ANC when it is raining. it's rated at 34 hours with ANC off, and only 20 hours with ANC on. which is below average these days so that's why this is mentioned in "the bad".
- ANC has Off, Medium, High modes. it works but High mode can't completely eliminate the sound of rain on my noisy roof. sound quality improves with ANC on, bass hits even more deeper and tighter and overall clarity is improved thanks to blacker background even if there isn't any external noise to cancel.
but I would say the ANC performance is average for cancelling rain, but on a noise plane I would probably think it performs poorly.
- bluetooth range get's a B- (the EFM starts cutting out at straight after passing the 3rd wall).
- microUSB charging.
additional info: for these headphones I notice some oil/sweat on the black earpads after most uses, so I quickly wipe that down with a tissue or cloth after using. less often I do the same with the headband but I can't remember the last time I did that so yeah not very often.
some might ask, in 2021 why not the Anker Q30's/Q35's? well first the EFM had a higher retail price and was cheaper than the Anker on discount. secondly I read about the headband cracking issue on the Q30's and that didn't sound good to me for long term use. the Q35's were out but I wasn't sure if they would also have the same problem. on the EFM's I just can't see where they would crack because of the design.
I didn't know about the small cramped earpads of the EFM until it arrived, I kept it because I was still able to get a decent seal and used the ANC on rainy days.
main use: in the beginning watching movies on a rainy day to cancel out the noisy rain hitting the roof. but since getting a superior pair of ANC headphones, these are now exclusively paired to and used with the bluetooth transmitter in the loungeroom for physical media.
- Creative SXFI Air (purchased towards end of 2021 for $78)
these are the quirkiest bluetooth headphones here. in my opinion makes them in some ways it makes them the best of the bunch. if you can ignore their shortfalls which I will explain.
I know a lot of people say Creative isn't what they used to be but I think they still knew what they were doing (hint sound quality) with the SXFI Air.
the good:
+ the sound. with SXFI off, they are tuned pretty neutral by default with a tiny emphasis on bass and mids. vocals are natural and detailed without being muddy or bright. bass is balanced and present and extends deeper in a subtle way (can give a cinematic experience). upper treble is just good, slightly rolled off top-end extension is pretty standard I think because bluetooth but I don't perceive it as dark at all the tuning is good so it sounds natural. Rtings review and measurement shows a roll-off in the bass, but from what I hear it is rolling off slower and so some deeper bass is present I think it's a good balance for use between music/movies (not excessively boosted like the EFM's), either that or a firmware update (I am on current firmware) has changed the bass region. also the emphasised 200hz~150hz bass region does not sound as boosted like it looks on Rtings measurement, I don't think it's particularly mid-bass or upper-bass heavy.
without the SXFI mode turned on, there is almost no sound-stage it sounds very narrow. very good clear sound but narrow. it seems like there isn't any space in the earcups and they didn't make any effort to tune for sound-stage because SXFI mode was going to take care of all of it artificially.
I did do the SXFI ear photo calibration process with the App, but I am pretty sure the calibration only applies to the SXFI mode which I don't really use much anyway. out of the box this is the clearest and best sounding bluetooth headphones of the bunch, not excessive, muffled, harsh or fatiguing. just clear, well balanced and high end sounding. there is a App EQ option available but I haven't felt the need to use it.
+ the earpads size and depth wise are very good (see "the bad" for pleather quality). internally they are tiny fraction smaller than the Razer's pads but the Creative's are deeper and I have no issues with my ears fitting inside with plenty of comfortable room even after long-term of use. they are slightly on the firmer side compared to the Razer/EFM, but they are comfortable and provide a great seal. worth mentioning here the Creative's passively isolate sound very well.
+ the overall comfort and fit is great. the plastic areas have held up well, I judge this by the way the earcups pivot and rotate a small amount. the reason I say this is because it seems the adjustment is made possible just from molded plastic connected together internally. in other words no "hinges" or metal parts needed they just kind of move freely limited by hitting plastic bumpers inside and they haven't broken. the range of adjustment isn't huge but you don't really need to forcefully adjust it, it just fits my head really well automatically every time you put it on.
+ clamping force is average but comfortable. big heads might find it a bit on the tighter side. but with a regular sized head like mine it's just the right amount. feels secure on the head but not too tight at all, and no concerns about then sliding about or falling off. I guess this is one of the reasons for a good seal and passive noise isolation.
+ the quirky useful features: Lossless FLAC microSD card playback (you can control playback/select tracks with App, I just leave it on random), Charge while listening (via USB-C), external LED battery level indication while switched off (short press when off to show either Red, Yellow, Green), good quality Mic, and last SXFI mode (which I don't use often).
+ with "SXFI mode on" (dedicated button press - instant effect) you can get "going to the cinema" like sound. a lot of calculated scooping of mid to higher frequency goes on to create the sound-stage that has a massively widened effect (it's doesn't exist with SXFI mode off) and I think they are using some heavy duty amplification in the SXFI Air (see "the bad" for another reason I think this) because of the way it can get loud in SXFI mode and the sound just does not fall apart. because of the scooping you need to turn it up a bit more, the bass extension is on another level and hit's a tonne harder while remaining tight and controlled. turn up the volume to bring the mids and highs to a more audible level and the bass hits even harder but has no signs of distortion or giving up. I hadn't used SXFI for awhile and trying it again I forgot how intense the bass can get with SXFI mode on.
in my experience and according to Creative, SXFI mode attempts to simulate a room. but in the same way as I don't like Home Theater systems, SXFI mode has a similar effect on dialogue. most of the clarity is gone that the original sound with SXFI mode off has and the vocals sound like they do when you have listen to a home theatre system. not to my taste so I honestly don't use it at all for movies (SXFI mode sounds like you are listening to speakers and takes me out of the movie, with “SXFI mode off” you are hearing how things sound “in the movie”), but I dunno some might like the fact is sounds like a Home Theater system.
I got a marginal SXFI improvement after calibrating, but I don't really like SXFI mode for watching video. also it's tough to scan your own ears by yourself with the App, get someone to do it for you. playing lossless FLAC from SD card with SXFI mode was a bit better of an experience, it gives you an almost "live" feeling to the sound (mostly folk, acoustic type music but I don't think it sounds natural with electronic etc which just sounds like you are playing dreamcore through a big PA system) which I think is a novelty. sometimes I turn it on when listening to the SD card, sometimes I don't but I guess it also depends on the song.
+ touch controls on the left earcup work well. sometimes they don't register swipes but it gets it on the next try. I guess one point I was worried about with budget headphones was such sensors going bad and malfunctioning, but that hasn't happened on the Creative's so it gets to be in "the good". if anything I prefer a less sensitive touch sensor, to a highly sensitive touch sensor.
+ bluetooth range get's a A- (starts cutting out a hair before the Razer's, only a difference of about 1m to 1.5m in distance)
+ USB-C port for charging/PC connection.
the bad:
- poor pleather headband quality. the pleather covering the headband started to breakdown and flake apart in a matter of months all by itself. no excessive sweat/oil was there, I treated them the exact same way as the other headphones. just poor quality manufacturing of the pleather they used. disappointing for the price I paid and it bothered me at first, but after awhile it stopped bothering me, sometimes I will notice a few tiny black spots on my fingers after I scratch my head.
while I find it's comfort fine with no issues because the good clamping force and grip of the pleather earpads hold most of the weight. when squeezing the headband, even on the underside it is firm with zero padding. it's not soft like the other headphones. it's like they threw a piece of cardboard in there 2mm thick and called it a day.
- earpads pleather quality also a bit lacking. I have to own up to some of this being my own doing, but the earpads were holding up perfectly well for around a year, until I accidentally scratched the inner-side with my nail and made a hole. it continues to break apart after that (you can see in the photo). but at the same time I feel as if similar to the headband the pleather was of poor quality to begin with. it's happened to both sides and I also stopped letting it bother me after awhile. it doesn't affect the sound or comfort. -when using headphones I recommend you don't scratch your head around your ear without pulling the earpad away from your skin!
- short battery-life (at least with bluetooth connection). it’s advertised so no surprise but maximum claimed battery life is a measly 10 hours. judging by the RGB LED battery indication (short press power button while off, and not an exact %) I feel like I am getting around 8 hours worth of movie listening at a slightly higher volume (~65%) until “red” shows. but this becomes a non-issue for home use thanks to being able to charge while using (in any mode), I just plug the included USB-C cable into a powerbank and the headphones are always able to be used for a movie even after showing red (low battery). I do try my best to keep is charged whenever it shows yellow, but in a pinch “charge while use” is really handy. so not only do you get to use the headphones but you also get charged up to 80% when the movie is finished.
I assume playing from the microSD card only will slightly extend the battery-life, but I haven't tested it properly (my guess? maybe an extra 4 hours, so still not much in total).
- amplification sound on power on/off. so not really a issue for me, but from new when turning the headphones on you would hear not a "pop" exactly, but more like a middle frequency "thud" after pressing the power button and before the voice announces "power on". I think this is just due to the powerful amplifiers they used in the headphones. and similarly a quieter pop from the amplification as it turns off. if you are wondering no there isn't any hiss or amplifier background noise after the power is turned on.
(another reason I think the claimed battery life is so short even with a decent sized 1300mAh internal battery is because they are using powerful amplification - for reference Sony XM5 uses 1200mAh battery according to teardown, and that get's 40 hours of use with bluetooth connection and ANC off)
- even after disabling the RGB LED's do not reliably stay off, you can set the RGB to off in the PC software and App. sometimes the headphones remember and switch on with RGB off, sometimes they don't! every 2nd or 3rd time I turn the headphones on, the RGB is on again! (is it because of charging cycle? or any other reason? no it's random) disabling them is very easy just short press power button while the headphones are on. but it get's annoying because I want them permanently off because I only get 8 hours of battery with bluetooth and don't want any extra drain.
- with "SXFI mode on" the headphones become more sensitive to positioning, I need to make minor adjustments while they are on my head otherwise I can experience a imbalance in higher frequencies. with SXFI mode off this isn't an issue and it sounds perfect the first time I put them on.
- bluetooth supports SBC codec only, again not an issue for me. honestly I have a tough time telling the difference between SBC on the Creative's and AAC codec supported on the other headphones, but SBC codec has a higher added latency. AAC codec is the more modern superior bluetooth audio codec.
- the bluetooth re-pairing experience is a bit buggy, also no multi-device support. ok if you just pair it with one device out of the box and keep it that way it's fine. but during testing I tried to pair it to a new device, and while that new pairing goes smoothly. re-pairing it to the original device makes you wait a while then throws an error.
I discovered the process you need to go through is: before turning on the Creative's, on the device which you previously had it paired to, "forget" the Creative's from the pairing list. Then put the headphones in pairing mode it re-pair.
the Creative's are the only headphones which have this issue and with other headphones you just go into pairing mode then tap the name on the previous device and it connects back to it like it should.
additional info: these also get a quick wipe of the pads after use. I don't bother checking the headband because it's falling apart anyway.
the App is there on PC and mobile, I just didn't use it much. it was used for updating the firmware (PC), calibrating SXFI mode and selecting which song to listen to on the microSD card (App), but I stopped using it so it was uninstalled.
I think the odd quirks that are bad and the quirks that are good effectively cancel each other out, but the redeeming part of these headphones is the sound.
also the Soundguys review mentions a 2nd set of perforated spare pads were included, I never received any in the box which I still have with everything else that was included.
I could probably use the App to EQ a bit more the top-end like the Razer, but never got around to it which tells me it isn't really necessary. the sound is well rounded, balanced and tuned good enough.
edit: my opinions of “little to no soundstage with SXFI mode off” might have been exaggerated during testing due to me switching “SXFI mode” on and off multiple times. there is quite a dramatic change in sound that happens.
main use: the Creative (with SXFI mode off) has mostly replaced the Razer's for movie watching and has become my go to headphones for streaming movies. everything including dialogue is crystal clear while still performing well in the bass. I use it with the Latency calibrated on tvOS enabled to get rid of the latency problem from using SBC.
I sometimes switch back to the Razer's if I feel like having a less intense experience, but I am using the Razer's less and less for movies these days.
- Korg NC-Q1 ANC (purchased 2023 for ¥11000, roughly $91 with conversion/fees)
my most recent purchase. ANC headphones by Korg Japan. I was seeing these sold locally for $200 to $300, but came across them for less than half (¥10000 + ¥1300 shipping) direct from Japan so I had to try them out. they came in white and I can keep my things clean so I had to get them over boring black. a reviewed issue with these headphones was the battery refused to charge, I think this was probably due to user error.
the good:
+ with ANC off the sound on these is great, spacious and enjoyable. slightly V-shaped (but more than the Razer's) and tuned very well.
from what I hear it has bass that digs deep and balanced mid-bass (similar deep bass to EFM but on the Korg's mid-bass is still there and not scooped, compared to the Creative's the Korg has more deep bass and less mid-bass). a dip in the mid-range quietens vocals a bit but turn up the volume to bring them forward and the vocal detail is there up into the treble. I think the dip also helps to prevent muddiness/bass bleeding into midrange. there is also some closed-back sound-stage. the increased volume also enchances the extended deep bass and treble clarity resulting in a detailed sound overall that doesn't sound unbalanced.
the vocals are clear enough for dialogue in movies with a spacious sound. great sounding and enjoyable for music too because the sound-stage gives a unique experience of depth which the others in the comparison don't have. I bought these to use as wireless bluetooth headphones with occasional ANC, not wired headphones with ANC so I will be judging them based on Bluetooth audio connection.
compared to the Korg's the Creative's (with SXFI mode off) are clearer in sound especially in vocals/dialogue. I prefer clearer sound over sound-stage so Korg get's 2nd place in terms of sound, they have a different type of sound though because of the sound-stage. I would describe the sound as in between the Creative's "SXFI mode on" (huge sound-stage/much less clarity in mid to high frequency) and "SXFI mode off" (no sound-stage/best clarity). the Korg achieves medium sound-stage, slightly less vocal clarity, slightly clearer treble and deeper bass than the Creative with SXFI mode off.
+ it has the sound-stage. I haven't mentioned this much so far because all the others barely have any, but the Korg does have sound-stage and some dimensional separation of instruments. Listening to a song I could hear the vocals in the centre and when the guitar came in it was clearly to the far left and separated from the vocals and it sounded like the instrument was there a bit forward and to the left in space not just being played by the left driver. I suspect this is either due to the tuning, the roomy and deep earcups, or both.
+ the earpads seal (and passive noise isolation) is amazing and ANC works very well although I don't have anything other than the EFM to compare. at the very least the seal is the best I have ever experienced. the earpads feel completely different to the others and I think use a different type of foam (might be memory foam I am not sure). they are on the smaller side (see "the bad") but my ears fit. together with the clamping force being on the tighter side a perfect seal is achieved and passive noise isolation is extremely effective.
with nothing playing, ANC on, calibrated to the noise of heavy rain hitting the roof the Korg's cancelled out 100% of that external noise all I can hear is dead silence. by far the best ANC experience I have ever had for my use case, but I have not tried something like the Sony XM5's.
+ build quality is quite good on first impressions. metal is used where it matters, the yokes and tiny rods holding the yokes on the earcups etc. one part I think is plastic though is the big silver circle hinge holding the yoke to the headband, at least I think it is plastic. this seems like quite a crucial area that has the potential to move easily and experience wear and tear so worth pointing out.
+ comfort it just ok for me, seems to be designed for smaller heads and ears (see "the bad" for earpads size). on my head with the soft earpads that distribute pressure evenly and the headband with clamping force stronger than the Creative's I can wear the Korg for 2+ hours without issue. it might be because it's only a few months old but I don't feel the clamping force getting any looser. at least the seal is perfect when you put it on right so I am not complaining. it's not tight fitting enough to cause pressure/discomfort I just notice it's quite tight when pulling apart the cups to put it on my head. they aren't the most comfortable headphones in the world, but for me it's completely fine.
+ bluetooth range get's a A-. range is similar to Creative's, a hair less than Razer.
+ battery level announcement on power on, just like the EFM's it tells you either "High, Medium or Low". definitely useful for keeping it charged and taking care of battery health.
the bad:
- the earpads inner diameter is on the smaller side. actually the entire external diameter of the earcup and earpad is smaller than average, although the inner diameter is larger than you think because of this (the "wall" of the earpad is a bit thinner than average). I actually need to pay attention when putting this on, while the inner diameter is nowhere near as small as the EFM's, the fit does require me to check the yoke position (it moves 180 degrees on the hinge) before putting them on to avoid the earpads touching part of my ear. on my medium to small sized ears I find I need to keep the yoke perfectly straight to avoid contact with my ear (any forward or backward angle to the earpad's oval opening causes contact on the inside of the pad). I also think the earpads are a little shallow as well, but my ears fit. I guess this was designed with JDM market in mind which is why it cuts it so close size wise, well for me anyway.
- out of all the headphones here, because of their construction/design the Korg often needs some adjustment when putting them on (it's not as easy putting them on like the others - Creative is the best in this aspect) and sometimes they aren't sitting right and I have to take them off and try again. it doesn't take long but it's a bit annoying. in the end it's worth it though for the earpads achieving a perfect seal.
- the battery-life is well below average. Korg claims 36 hours ANC use this is what's written on the box, but this is only when using "3.5mm wired connection with ANC on". "Bluetooth with ANC off" gives 24 hours, while "Bluetooth with ANC on" gives only 12 hours claimed battery-life. definitely below average battery-life in bluetooth audio mode for a regular sized 1200mAh battery (same battery capacity as Sony XM5).
only 12 hours with bluetooth + ANC on use means you will test the battery limits on international flights. you can adapt by using 3.5mm with airplane adapter connected to in-flight entertainment which will give you 36 hours ANC, then maybe switch to bluetooth connection during the last few hours of the flight. (at least this is how I would adapt, I wouldn't want to drain the battery then wait for them to charge with zero ANC)
- the yoke's range of motion is a bit too much and easily pushed out of position. while comfortable and sturdy feeling. I think the range of the yoke doesn't make much sense, I dunno maybe it's meant to be folded all the way up (kind of into a ball, but the cups don't fold "inside" the headband) for DJ's to throw it in a bag for easy transportation.
because these are white I have been keeping them in a headphone case (only do this for the Korg's) in their normal yoke position, and just picking them up with one hand can cause one of the yokes to move 45 degrees out of position. I might have preferred if they "clicked" into place so it was harder to move and the headphones would do a better job keeping a normal shape. as they are they are friction fit they do not move too easily but not hard to move either. it's not a deal breaker, it's just odd.
- the buttons are small and hard to distinguish by feel. I have gotten used to the tiny power/ANC button rocker, power has a tiny dimple on it but each button is so small you will find yourself using the tip of your thumb to press. the two circular calibration buttons on the cup are also hard to identify. I still accidentally feel and find those silver buttons instead of the power on button, and only realise when I can feel the button is round that I have my finger on the wrong button.
also the master volume "rocker" is a tiny plastic lever that moves back and forth that’s on the front bottom corner of the right earcup (terrible location), it has really weak resistance (spring back) and you will accidentally trigger volume up or down just by finding the lever. it feels awkward and cheap (the only part).
the lever you see in the photo is not the master volume (same size though, tiny), it's the external sound volume for the Smart monitoring (Ambient mode), it basically a resistance-less lever that stay where you put it.
the Korg's have the hardest to use and least user friendly button system here.
- the Korg’s are the only ones in this comparison that have a presence sensor. cool feature right? what some see as a feature, I see as a possible point of failure.
with no Korg companion app and according to the user manual, there is no way to disable this sensor.
if it goes faulty or starts malfunctioning it could bork the headphones. (starts pausing content while wearing, thinking it’s been taken off your head or just going nuts and playing/pausing whenever it wants)
I didn’t check about this before buying, I am just holding onto the idea that Korg Japan made the decision to use a reliable sensor (I read there is IR type which is cheaper and more common and the more advanced Electrostatic type sensor).
- when turning them on the ANC is on by default, which is common for many ANC headphones (but not the EFM's they turn on with ANC off). I actually prefer if the ANC is off when powering on, giving you the option to turn it on if you need it. especially with the Korg's because battery only lasts 12 hours with bluetooth + ANC on. I only use the ANC when it starts raining heavily.
- the sound is better in bluetooth mode with ANC off. this could also be a negative for some people. it was surprising because it's the opposite of the EFM's and most ANC headphones. companies usually tune the ANC headphones to sound their best/better when ANC is on (e.g. Sony). with "bluetooth + ANC on" the Korg's loses it's sound-stage and sounds narrower, the treble also gets a slight artificial effect to it and the bass loses some of it’s impact. the slightly reduced sound quality is not as noticeable when watching movies/videos. but I noticed the slight drop in sound quality when listening to music.
- sometimes it makes slight squeaky noise when I turn my head. I can hear the plastic rubbing against the metal I think between those tiny metal rods holding the earcups on that provide the up/down and forward/back axis of earcup adjustment. Korg might have made it durable and premium, but they did not make it quiet. (this is one area where maybe a simple design wins, less moving parts less physical noise)
- the cables are exposed between the headband and earcup, in this comparison this is only on the Korg's so has to be mentioned. I don't have a problem with it but sometimes looking in the mirror I can see the cable touching my hair, I guess I am worried about sweat/oil damaging the cables over the years? others might be concerned about snagging those cables on something and ripping them out. something to consider.
- for me the sound isn't perfect and there is no App or EQ. it has SoundID reference calibration support, but this only works in software on the PC. you can't adjust and save to the DSP on the headphones. I knew this when I was purchasing, I was kind of putting my money on Korg for the tuning and it's very good but just not perfect for me like the tuning of the Creative's. but the Korg's have a sound-stage and ANC so those are it's strengths.
- microUSB charging. also charging is also a bit slow for the number of hours use you get in return, full charge takes roughly 3.5 hours.
additional info: the unique features of this headphones ANC system are controlled by those two round silver buttons on the cup. one called "Attenuation/ATT" adjusts the mic sensitivity (gain) for the ANC system (Korg describes it as if you are in a loud environment and the ANC mic's are clipping, by pressing the button it detects and sets the mic's sensitivity to the right level so it doesn't clip - pretty sure it works both ways because I did the attenuation in a slightly less noisy environment when it was raining heavily and the ANC system works a treat). the second silver button called "Sound Enhancing" adjusts the EQ for the Smart monitoring mode (Ambient mode when you touch and hold the earcup), you can choose between the common Mic options such as Hi-cut, Low-cut, Mid-scoop, Flat etc. Default is Flat, but if you think the person talking to you doesn't sound natural and sounds too deep or high pitched you can switch it to Hi-cut/Low-cut etc.
I like to have a companion App option with onboard adjustable EQ to personalise the sound since we all hear differently (hearing damage/ear shape etc). personally the sound doesn't have to be 100% perfect, but I can usually get close with some minor EQ adjustments (5-band is usually enough).
main use: due to superior sound, passive isolation and ANC capability, the Korg's have have replaced the EFM ANC's for movie streaming and general use on days when the forecast says it will rain. I use them in bluetooth mode with ANC off, and when it starts pouring down on the noisy roof, I switch on ANC and instantly it all goes away and I can hear the movie clearly without cranking up the volume. worth the $91 just for that in my opinion.
I haven't tested it on an airplane or loud social environment such as a coffee shop so I can't really say how well it performs, my guess is the Sony XM4/XM5 will do a better job of cancelling the sound of people talking.
If I ever do get my hands on an XM5 I will do an ANC comparison and provide an update.
the Smart monitoring mode (Ambient mode) is a little quirky in the way it works. if you touch and hold an earcup for 1 second, it only turns on Ambient mode for that earcup (one side only). if you touch and hold for 2 seconds it turns on Ambient mode for both sides like it normally would. the difference between 1 and 2 seconds to trigger different results is a bit odd. I guess I just touch and do an extended hold to get Ambient mode in both sides, so not really an issue. but if you are trying to get it to turn on just one side I imagine it could be annoying to trigger the right command.
- I didn't take any amateur measurement of the Korg's because they are still in relatively new condition and I didn't want to damage those premium earpads. when measuring with the iPad the earpads on the others were sticking a bit and I was worried they will tear.
hopefully my descriptions are enough, if not I would say in general they would graph similar to the Creative's (with SXFI off) up until 1k, but with more deep bass, less mid-bass and a slightly bigger scoop at 500hz. after 1k the Korg's have much less of a dip and it's flatter from 1k to 10k with a slight upwards trend towards the upper treble (therefore slightly V-shaped). at the top-end around 10k to 15k it drops off suddenly due to bluetooth in a similar way to the Creative.
why bluetooth over-ear's?
well I bought a pair of wired headphones and realized I only really appreciate the higher-resolution lying down facing up on my bed and fully relaxing while listening to the music. I was picking out the realism/details and really appreciating it.
but after I bought my first pair of wireless headphones and listening while doing other tasks, I found even with the drop in resolution I was enjoying the music just as much because half my attention was away from the details and I was also appreciating the freedom of being able to move around more (this first was a pair of TWS).
my conclusion was for me critical listening requires focus. and not lying down(relaxing)+lower resolution headphones=the same enjoyment and appreciation as critical listening. I guess it's different for everyone, but I can't be unfocused and appreciate wired headphones at the same time.
TLDR personal rank.
Sound (subjective): 1. Creative (A) 2. Korg (A-) 3. Razer (B-) 4. EFM (D, definitely not Hi-Fi but has deep bass)
Sound-stage: 1. Korg (B, in terms of depth and width) 2. Razer (C-, has a tiny bit, almost nothing though) 3. Creative (D, almost none) 4. EFM (D, honestly these are last in terms of sound anyway)
Features: 1. Creative (A+, use while charge/SXFI mode/SD card slot with FLAC support) 2. Korg (B, thanks to ANC and it's advanced settings) 3. EFM (C, has multipoint and ANC/doesn't fail in terms of function) 4. Razer (C-, pretty basic but does it well/battery-life is it's best feature)
Comfort: 1. Razer (A+) 2. Creative (A-, would be A if the pleather was higher quality) 3. Korg (B, hinge design is odd/needs positioning and adjustment) 4. EFM (D-, earpads way too small)
Earpad seal and isolation: 1. Korg (A+, amazing but earpads are close to small) 2. Creative (A, great isolation miles ahead of EFM and Razer) 3. EFM (B only because I can get it to seal, most will have trouble with small earpads) 4. Razer (C-, these don't isolate very well at all).
Battery Life (Bluetooth Audio): 1. Razer (A+, 60 hours). 2. EFM (B-, less than average at 34 hours ANC off) 3. Korg (C+, less than average only 24 hours ANC off) 4. Creative (C, 10 hours/but it can be used while charging otherwise it would have been a D).
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