[n00b2]

  I'm still on the fence about the def techs but definitely love the fact they're jumping into the headphone department
My only concerns
-Pleather mix earbuds (which are detachable i believe -- but I've yet to try and remove them)
-Deep Bass/Low Freq Music (like below 70hz roughly)
** This happens whether in passive wired mode or with active BT enabled
======
In the end it's always best to try to find a dealer
who has a pair on display and test them for yourself. 

 
Nice feedback. Regarding your issues what sort of earpads would you prefer over the ones they gave? The ear pads are detachable and quite easy to remove and put back in place. Did you notice any difference in bass response passive vs active? I felt that they seriously lacked bass passively (like <90hz) but were not too bad active unless it was for really bass heavy music.

 

[etherealsleep]

Realistically I'd prefer genuine leather ones though I'm sure it would jump up the cost a bit and probably change the look/feel. As for passive vs active it did seem to be a bit weaker on the lower end with passive mode. Active will add that extra kick but at times too much for my personal taste, unless its a lighter genre.   

 

[Shinoke]

Anybody in the UK tried to buy these?
 
Wonder if anyone has bought them from Amazon US or direct from def tech?
 
Wonder how much that would work out at and how returns would work (how much they'd cost) if they don't fit properly/aren't comfortable etc.
 
Currently weighing up these with the Denon Globe Cruiser GC20

 

[brad1600]

Anybody in the UK tried to buy these?

Wonder if anyone has bought them from Amazon US or direct from def tech?

Wonder how much that would work out at and how returns would work (how much they'd cost) if they don't fit properly/aren't comfortable etc.

Currently weighing up these with the Denon Globe Cruiser GC20

I'm living in the UK and have ordered the Symphony 1s from the US. It is costly but worth it I'd say. Regarding returns, I've not returned my Symphony 1s but have bought stuff from Amazon US before and have needed to return it. If you just message the customer service guys when you make your return and say you're in the UK they'll offer you a full refund, postage included, so I really wouldn't worry about importing, at least via Amazon.

 

[Shinoke]

Thanks. Really want to get some ANC headphones. Was going to just get the Denons but may get these now then.
Have you received them yet?
 
Do let us know what you think.

 

[Shinoke]

Right, after some encouragement thought I'd order these, but I get a message that it can't be shipped to my address.
Seems they won't ship outside the US?
 
"The following types of items can’t be shipped to buyers outside the U.S.: video games, toy and baby items, electronics, cameras and photo items, tools and hardware, kitchenware and housewares, sporting goods and outdoor equipment, software, and computers."
 
That's for fulfilled by Amazon and the only non fullfilled by Stereo Advantage, who even list international shipping rates.
 
@brad1600 mind sharing how you managed this?

 

[brad1600]

That's very unusual. I had absolutely no issue ordering my pair from Amazon.com directly. I just signed in with my US account and the site said "Ships to UK" so i went ahead and ordered, it was definitely by Amazon as well and not a third party seller. I can't think what might have happened between then and now because that was only 2 weeks ago.

Regarding delivery times, if you're able to order them i went for the cheapest freight which estimated I'd get them in 2 weeks because i happened to be in holiday in those two weeks. They definitely arrived in that period though and there were faster shipping options.

Regarding the headphones themselves I'm still letting them settle in right now but I'm very pleased with the quality of the audio. It's a perfect balanced and versatile set and they're excellent to listen to at work. ANC is not the best I've ever used but it definitely holds up. Unfortunately I can't compare them to the Denons, I've not tried them.

 

[Shinoke]

@brad1600 Thanks. US account? I tried to sign in to Amazon.com with my UK account. Perhaps I need to create a US one then?
Amazon don't currently sell it themselves - it's all Fulfilled by Amazon. You definitely didn't have a Fulfilled by Amazon order? I imagine returns and customer service should be similar though if it's Fulfilled by Amazon?
 
What ANC would you say is better?
 
I think these are really the only ANC BT headphones suitable for large ears other than the Samsung Level Over which are flawed (BT unit clicking noise in earcup). Funny. Those fit me perfectly but most of the ANC BT headphones don't seem to have large earcups.
 
Will try making a US account.
 
EDIT: I imagine the issue is perhaps Amazon actually sold it directly, and they ship internationally. Now Amazon don't sell it directly themselves, but only through 3rd parties that don't ship internationally despite being Fulfilled by Amazon.
And def tech also don't ship to the UK.
 
How much did they come to in the end if you don't mind saying?
The UK distributor wants to charge £400 for these :|

 

[Shinoke]

Ahh, guess when you typed US account that was a typo, and you meant UK.
 
Chatted to Amazon.com customer services and the issue is that Amazon themselves don't currently have stock, and the 3rd parties don't ship internationally.

 

[n00b2]

  Ahh, guess when you typed US account that was a typo, and you meant UK.
 
Chatted to Amazon.com customer services and the issue is that Amazon themselves don't currently have stock, and the 3rd parties don't ship internationally.

 
You are having the worst luck ay. Get Amazon to notify you when they get stock back so you can order it then. As for which headphones had better ANC from my testing all the Bose QC series ones, the PSB M4U2 and in terms of bluetooth models the Parrot Zik was a lot better and the Momentum Wireless was slightly better. All the other ones though gave me more pressure on the ears than the Def Tech so if your ears are sensitive to pressure they are a much safer option. The noise cancelling also seems to be better at certain frequencies as well but that is pretty common with most ANC headphones.

 

[Shinoke]

Thanks man.
 
Surprised you say the Momentum Wireless. For me they produced less white noise but had worse ANC than the Samsung Level Over when I had both.
And this review on Amazon.com says the ANC is notably better with the Def Techs than the Level Overs:
 
http://www.amazon.com/Definitive-Technology-Executive-Bluetooth-Cancellation/dp/B00S8K7ER6/
 

2) Noise Isolation/Active Noise Cancellation (ANC):
+ (Roughly) 20-30% better passive noise isolation than the Sonys or Samsungs
+ (Roughly) 20-30% better ANC than the Samsungs
+ Yes, switching between the Symphony 1s and Level Overs with ANC on, the difference is dramatically better (50+% better, and I thought the Level Overs were really good when I first tried them).
+ ANC can be turned on and off
+ I can't perceive *ANY* of that typical active noise cancellation hiss (that you can hear with the Level Overs); the only indication that ANC is on is the subtle veil of silence.

 
And the wirecutter says the Level Overs have better ANC than the PSBs:
http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-noise-cancelling-headphones/
 
So I thought it was more like Symphony 1 > Level Over > PSB and Momentum Wireless for ANC.
 
Perhaps it is the ANC performance difference for different scenarios/frequencies.
The wirecutter use proper test equipment rather than personal perception, but the key there is so far Symphony 1 ANC performance reports are all based on personal experience (like the Amazon review).
 
 
Yeah I never really knew what people meant by the pressure thing until I tried the M2s and the Level Overs. They both had it, made my ears really hurt at first, but then after a few days/a week I got used it it and it no longer bothered me. Much like ear plugs really.
I do wonder what that does to your eardrums though. I mean, what DB/volume is the ANC phase shifted sound being pushed out at? Could be equivalent to listening to very loud music. Most tend to be dynamic. So if there's a lot of noise they'll push out a lot of inverse phase mic pickup to counteract it.

 

[n00b2]

@Shinoke Momentum ANC vs Def Tech ANC seems to be really subjective. There was an Amazon review IIRC that rated the Momentum much better as well and posts on Head Fi have gone both ways. But yeh it probably is just down to what situation the ANC is being used at and what is trying to be blocked out. I did my testing in the shop and felt that the Momentum did a better job at reducing the sound of the song playing in the home theatre system in the background as well as the sales guys explaining stuff to the other customers. Thought the Def Tech was better at blocking the low frequency bass sounds though overall the Momentum was superior (though Bose and the Zik trumped both easily). In a plane though where the main aim is blocking out the low frequency droning noises I can see the Symphony performing better. I did most of my tests without actually playing music on the headphones though. It is entirely possible that with different types of songs playing the ANC might seem more effective on a different pair, and then there is also different peoples sensitivity to different frequencies which could impact perceptions.
 
The pressure is another thing that effects people differnetly. I couldn't stand to use the Bose QC15 in everyday life because of it. Just hurts the ears too much and takes a while to go away after I take them off. From all I've tried the Symphony definitely has the least pressure, at least for me. There are times when it does still affect me but its tolerable and I get used to it quickly enough. I don't think headphones in general are good for the ear drums especially in ear ones and I don't really want to find out. Enjoy using them too much to hear about the damage they or ANC might cause lol.

 

[brad1600]

@Shinoke Sorry I just realised my order was actually fulfilled by Amazon but sold by a company called 'Huppins', I believe that if you order them as 'Fulfilled by Amazon' you still use Amazon's own customer service though so the experience is as close as you'll get to buying from Amazon directly. Regarding the cost I paid £342.39 up front then received a refund of £62.66 because the import fees were not required bringing my total to £279.73. Regarding the ANC I'd agree with @n00b2, I've used the Parrot Zik 2.0 and the Bose QC15s and they both have better noise cancellation but @n00b2 is right in saying they give a much stronger sense of pressure on your ears when active, the Symphony 1s don't feel like you're wearing ANC headphones at all until you take them off.

 

[Shinoke]

@brad1600 Cheers for that. Amazon were useless and probably never sold it, so didn't get a notification. But thought I'd check back and saw Huppins listed as a seller; result.
Ordered. Done it in USD so around £326 with expedited (only about £3 difference for expedited so thought may as well). Hope I receive import fee refund too, and they come soon.
 
Looking forward to joining the Symphony 1 owners club.
 
Thanks guys.

 

[n00b2]

  @brad1600 Cheers for that. Amazon were useless and probably never sold it, so didn't get a notification. But thought I'd check back and saw Huppins listed as a seller; result.
Ordered. Done it in USD so around £326 with expedited (only about £3 difference for expedited so thought may as well). Hope I receive import fee refund too, and they come soon.
 
Looking forward to joining the Symphony 1 owners club.
 
Thanks guys.

 
Awesome! Can't wait to hear what you think. Hopefully your long search finally ends with the Symphony 1 like it has for the rest of us.