[Sonic Defender]

  Good to know, thanks. Just contemplating using them as dual duty cans, wireless when walking the dogs & wired when gaming/movie watching. 
 
Can you comment on the sound stage/instrument separation? 

The staging was decent, but they are closed headphones. Instrument separation was again quite good, but not excellent. Anytime you have a bass boosted design (although it is well done here) you are going to loose some clarity, but again, for the money, and for how solid the sound quality is overall, I think the WS99BT is a good buy.

 

[meanspirit]

I posted this earlier in the XB950BT thread, but now that I read it back, it is probably more general and belongs in here:
 
I've been trying to find a decent pair of BT headphones mainly for living room use at around the £100 mark. I have a MacBook Air connected to my TV that I use sort of as a HTPC for videos and music. I may also use it with my Z3 compact smartphone. SQ is important, obviously, but comfort is a priority for me as I end up wearing phones for hours at a time.
 
I initially went for the Plantronics Backbeat Pro, but returned them after a day because the ear cups were too small and hurt my ears after about 30 mins of use, which is not great if I want to watch a film, for example. It's a shame, because they sounded fantastic otherwise.
 
I'm basically down to the XB950BT or MDR 10RBT in my price range, and possibly the 1ABT (or equivalent) if I stretch. I tend to go for a V-shaped signature in general.
 
MDR 10RBT reviews online (and in this thread) have been disappointing. I went to the only large electronics retailer near me today to try pretty much every headphone they had out. The most comfortable ones for me (and easily available) were all Sonys. The 770BN felt tacky and cheap for the asking price (£90) so I ruled them out, but they had the wired versions of the XB950 (also around £90) and MDR 1A, both of which felt great. They didn't have the 10R which was annoying, and actually the Sony UK website has removed them so I wonder if they are discontinued? Are the 10RBT that bad?
 
Sound wise, the XB950 was too bass heavy for most of my music (Jazz Fusion, Prog Metal), though I think with some EQ on Poweramp, they might be okay. Not sure how bass heavy phones would sound with videos. The 1A was my favourite set by far, but the MDR 1ABT bluetooth version costs £250, for which I could probably buy the wired MDR 1A AND wireless XB950BT.
 
Can anyone chip in to suggest what my best option might be?

 

[Gregio]

Maybe Sony MDR 1RBT? This one are cheaper version of 1ABT but they made new revision 1RBT mk2 which is a little better than mk1 maybe it is an option for you

 

[meanspirit]

Maybe Sony MDR 1RBT? This one are cheaper version of 1ABT but they made new revision 1RBT mk2 which is a little better than mk1

maybe it is an option for you

 
They're pretty much impossible to find in the UK it seems. I will try to see if I can import some used ones via eBay. The new price works out to be the same as the 1ABT bought from here anyway once you include customs and shipping.
 
Also, for the same price as the 1ABT, I can get the Bose Soundlink II Around Ears. How do these two compare?

 

[bladefd]

They're pretty much impossible to find in the UK it seems. I will try to see if I can import some used ones via eBay. The new price works out to be the same as the 1ABT bought from here anyway once you include customs and shipping.

Also, for the same price as the 1ABT, I can get the Bose Soundlink II Around Ears. How do these two compare?

I believe 1ABT is slightly better than Bose Soundlink II. What about Bose QC35? Bose QC35 is better than 1ABT afaik.

I wouldn't suggest buying a headphone with no warranty unless if it is significantly cheaper.. If the 1rbt mk2 would cost same as a 1ABT to import then forget it.

Try vmoda Crossfade wireless. I am personally considering buying vmoda, sennheiser momentum wireless or bose qc35.. Leaning more towards momentum wireless. I just have to find a BT adapter to connect it to my pc and be able to listen+use mic at same time for skype. Most adapters can be used as either a transmitter or receiver but not both together for headsets. All I see right now is Sennheiser BTD800 but it is 75 bucks and no aptx :/

 

[meanspirit]

I believe 1ABT is slightly better than Bose Soundlink II. What about Bose QC35? Bose QC35 is better than 1ABT afaik.

I wouldn't suggest buying a headphone with no warranty unless if it is significantly cheaper.. If the 1rbt mk2 would cost same as a 1ABT to import then forget it.

Try vmoda Crossfade wireless. I am personally considering buying vmoda, sennheiser momentum wireless or bose qc35.. Leaning more towards momentum wireless. I just have to find a BT adapter to connect it to my pc and be able to listen+use mic at same time for skype. Most adapters can be used as either a transmitter or receiver but not both together for headsets. All I see.right now is BTD800 but it is 75 bucks :/

 
I have found some used 'like new' versions of the Momentum for less than £200 on eBay so I might wait and watch those. The QC35 is out of my price range for sure (close to £300), and I can't seem to find any significant discount when buying used to justify the added risk. I have also found the original 1RBT which may sell for just over £100 used so I will keep an eye on that.
 
The vmoda cost the same new as the 1ABT here. Having tried the 1A in store, I know they are comfortable and I like them, so I don't know whether for the same price I should risk trying the vmoda and having to deal with returning them (it just means more time to wait without headphones whilst I wait for refunds).
 
My MB Air allowed me to connect the mic and phones when I tried the Backbeat Pros. I suspect it can't be too difficult to find a cheaper dongle that does the same job. I have an IO gear one which is like £10-15 here as well as an older dirt cheap one. I can test them out once I have some phones to test with.

 

[bladefd]

I have found some used 'like new' versions of the Momentum for less than £200 on eBay so I might wait and watch those. The QC35 is out of my price range for sure (close to £300), and I can't seem to find any significant discount when buying used to justify the added risk. I have also found the original 1RBT which may sell for just over £100 used so I will keep an eye on that.

The vmoda cost the same new as the 1ABT here. Having tried the 1A in store, I know they are comfortable and I like them, so I don't know whether for the same price I should risk trying the vmoda and having to deal with returning them (it just means more time to wait without headphones whilst I wait for refunds).

My MB Air allowed me to connect the mic and phones when I tried the Backbeat Pros. I suspect it can't be too difficult to find a cheaper dongle that does the same job. I have an IO gear one which is like £10-15 here as well as an older dirt cheap one. I can test them out once I have some phones to test with.

Make sure it is momentum 2.0 btw. The original had big issues staying connected to BT without dropping a lot. Momentum 2.0 fixed that.

Check sony mdr-100abn. They are supposed to be nice too. Might be same cost as 1ABT though. I think they are improved over 1ABT.

Let me know if you ever try the various adapters. See if they pick up mic too in voice recorder.

BTW, I also used to have BBT Pro. Great sound but bit on heavy side, ear cushions not large enough for my ears. Sold them..

 

[meanspirit]

Make sure it is momentum 2.0 btw. The original had big issues staying connected to BT without dropping a lot. Momentum 2.0 fixed that.

Check sony mdr-100abn. They are supposed to be nice too. Might be same cost as 1ABT though. I think they are improved over 1ABT.

Let me know if you ever try the various adapters. See if they pick up mic too in voice recorder.

BTW, I also used to have BBT Pro. Great sound but bit on heavy side, ear cushions not large enough for my ears. Sold them..

 
Good call, one of them was an original Momentum and I didn't notice. Still one more that might be feasible. The ABN do cost the same as the the 1ABT here (unless you buy them in bright yellow or pink!). They didn't have them in stock but I know the store near me sells them so I might try to go back today.
 
I primarily use Mac OS and I find that there are less issues with audio on that than in Windows, but I'll try it with both once I get a pair.
 
I had the same problem with the BBT It's a shame, I also tried the Skullcandy Hesh 2.0 in store and had the same problem - loved the sound, the price is excellent, but too small and bulky. No matter how good the SQ is, if I can't wear them comfortably for more than 30 minutes then there's no point.

 

[Techfixation]

I posted this earlier in the XB950BT thread, but now that I read it back, it is probably more general and belongs in here:.......

.........Sound wise, the XB950 was too bass heavy for most of my music (Jazz Fusion, Prog Metal), though I think with some EQ on Poweramp, they might be okay. Not sure how bass heavy phones would sound with videos. The 1A was my favourite set by far, but the MDR 1ABT bluetooth version costs £250, for which I could probably buy the wired MDR 1A AND wireless XB950BT.

Can anyone chip in to suggest what my best option might be?

I myself find comfort a priority as I use my headphones for hours on end to watch films, and after trying many different sets I too have found Sonys in general to be the most comfortable!

I would highly recommend the XB950's as they are great headphones for their price point! Despite the low cost they still use high quality drivers as found in their headphones costing twice as much! I've tested a lot of high end bluetooth headphones and I can honestly say that the XB950's have one of the best and cleanest sounds of the lot!

They are very bass heavy and they can really eat into the mids but the beauty with these headphones are that you can switch 'bass boost' off when using them in wireless mode. This helps balance them out a lot and you may find that with 'bass boost' off they are perfectly fine for what you want? If you want them to sound even better though then you can follow BillP's mods which is what I've done...this totally transforms them and turns them into a totally amazing set of bluetooth headphones!!

If you read page 104 of this thread you'll find my comparison of many high end Bluetooth headphones along side my XB950's review, and a link to BillP's mods and how I've tweaked it to retain some of the bass.

I now find I have a bluetooth set of headphones that's one of the most comfy, has one of the best signals, a beautiful clean smooth signature, great full bass which can easily be adjusted to suit what I'm listing to at the touch of a button, and all this at a fraction of the cost of anything else that even comes close to ticking all these boxes!

I'd also highly recommend the 'Avantree Priva II' bluetooth adapter. I've tried a lot of different adapters and found this one to have the best sound quality of the lot. I found the range slightly lacking but whereas most of the others introduced significant hiss this one did not!

 

[meanspirit]

Check sony mdr-100abn. They are supposed to be nice too. Might be same cost as 1ABT though. I think they are improved over 1ABT.
 

 
So I tried them in store today... I was underwhelmed, both by the sound and also the comfort. I tried the Soundlink II AE as well, they are very comfortable but sound completely lifeless to me. Just for a laugh, I also tried the Beats Studio Wireless. I would say they are worse than the Sony XB950BT, and for 3 times the price. Go figure. They had the QC35 but not on display, but as I said, they would be too much. I definitely think the XB950BT and 1ABT are my two options because they just feel right to wear and both sound great compared to all the other phones I've tried.
 
 

I myself find comfort a priority as I use my headphones for hours on end to watch films, and after trying many different sets I too have found Sonys in general to be the most comfortable!

I would highly recommend the XB950's as they are great headphones for their price point! Despite the low cost they still use high quality drivers as found in their headphones costing twice as much! I've tested a lot of high end bluetooth headphones and I can honestly say that the XB950's have one of the best and cleanest sounds of the lot!

They are very bass heavy and they can really eat into the mids but the beauty with these headphones are that you can switch 'bass boost' off when using them in wireless mode. This helps balance them out a lot and you may find that with 'bass boost' off they are perfectly fine for what you want? If you want them to sound even better though then you can follow BillP's mods which is what I've done...this totally transforms them and turns them into a totally amazing set of bluetooth headphones!!

 
I completely agree with Sony on comfort. I think the 1ABT are perfect and a XB950BT a close second. The ones I tried in store were the wired versions though (i.e. 1A and XB950, no BT). The XB950 doesn't have the bass boost button, and I still found them too poundy on the bass. However, I agree that I think there is enough potential quality in the sound that a bit of an EQ to tone down the bass and turn up the highs might make them perfectly fine. I'm just kinda lusting over the 1A right now because I can't fault them at all based on just plugging them into my phone at the store without any EQ adjustments
 
Basically, the question for me now is: are the 1ABT really worth more than twice the XB950BT after I've tweaked the latter?

 

[ravdo]

   
So I tried them in store today... I was underwhelmed, both by the sound and also the comfort. I tried the Soundlink II AE as well, they are very comfortable but sound completely lifeless to me. Just for a laugh, I also tried the Beats Studio Wireless. I would say they are worse than the Sony XB950BT, and for 3 times the price. Go figure. They had the QC35 but not on display, but as I said, they would be too much. I definitely think the XB950BT and 1ABT are my two options because they just feel right to wear and both sound great compared to all the other phones I've tried.
 
 
 
I completely agree with Sony on comfort. I think the 1ABT are perfect and a XB950BT a close second. The ones I tried in store were the wired versions though (i.e. 1A and XB950, no BT). The XB950 doesn't have the bass boost button, and I still found them too poundy on the bass. However, I agree that I think there is enough potential quality in the sound that a bit of an EQ to tone down the bass and turn up the highs might make them perfectly fine. I'm just kinda lusting over the 1A right now because I can't fault them at all based on just plugging them into my phone at the store without any EQ adjustments
 
Basically, the question for me now is: are the 1ABT really worth more than twice the XB950BT after I've tweaked the latter?

 
If I remember correctly, 1ABT has tighter bass than the 1A (the 1A sounds more boomy)

 

[Techfixation]

So I tried them in store today... I was underwhelmed, both by the sound and also the comfort. I tried the Soundlink II AE as well, they are very comfortable but sound completely lifeless to me. Just for a laugh, I also tried the Beats Studio Wireless. I would say they are worse than the Sony XB950BT, and for 3 times the price. Go figure. They had the QC35 but not on display, but as I said, they would be too much. I definitely think the XB950BT and 1ABT are my two options because they just feel right to wear and both sound great compared to all the other phones I've tried.



I completely agree with Sony on comfort. I think the 1ABT are perfect and a XB950BT a close second. The ones I tried in store were the wired versions though (i.e. 1A and XB950, no BT). The XB950 doesn't have the bass boost button, and I still found them too poundy on the bass. However, I agree that I think there is enough potential quality in the sound that a bit of an EQ to tone down the bass and turn up the highs might make them perfectly fine. I'm just kinda lusting over the 1A right now because I can't fault them at all based on just plugging them into my phone at the store without any EQ adjustments

Basically, the question for me now is: are the 1ABT really worth more than twice the XB950BT after I've tweaked the latter?

I love the 'Sony Sound' and find both the XB950BT's and 1ABT's equally good!

They're both amazingly comfortable and have a very nice clean 'high end' sound. The XB950BT's have better bass and a smoother signature and the 1ABT's are more open with a much better mids/highs and a more forward sound signature.

The wired XB950's already have bass boost turned on which is how you would have heard them in store. The XB950BT's allow you to turn it off. (Incidentally the BT's have a much better finish to them which gives them a much more premium look compared to their wired counterpart!).

I think it's incredible that the XB950BT's and the 1ABT's both have the same quality of sound to one another but you can pick up the XB950BT's so much cheaper!

After turning off the 'bass boost' and performing the mods to the XB950BT's they sound pretty amazing. They'll never have the mids and highs or the openness of the 1ABT's but they still sound great! I prefer the smoother signature and better bass of the XB950BT's anyway so I can easily put up with the slightly recessed mids and rolled off highs, and during action movies I find this signature better as it won't pierce your ears with loud explosions and gunfire!

 

[meanspirit]

 
 
If I remember correctly, 1ABT has tighter bass than the 1A (the 1A sounds more boomy)

 
That's interesting. It sounds like I may like the 1ABT even more then. I'm gonna wait until my refund for the Backbeat Pro goes through, but I was debating whether to get the XB950BT for the living room and casual listening, and just get the 1A as a new daily driver for my PC (which I work on pretty much the entire day). If the 1ABT is tighter, it might then just be worth getting the one and switching between wired/wireless modes as I need to. Basically the price of the XB950BT + 1A = 1ABT.
 

The wired XB950's already have bass boost turned on which is how you would have heard them in store. The XB950BT's allow you to turn it off. (Incidentally the BT's have a much better finish to them which gives them a much more premium look compared to their wired counterpart!).

 
Has this been confirmed? I thought it was the other way around actually (that the wired were equivalent to bass boost off). I suppose this swings the balance in favour of the XB's if true. I will probably wait to see what the prices are like in about a week when I get my refund (the 1ABT has already dropped in price on Amazon), and then I'll make a decision.

 

[Techfixation]

That's interesting. It sounds like I may like the 1ABT even more then. I'm gonna wait until my refund for the Backbeat Pro goes through, but I was debating whether to get the XB950BT for the living room and casual listening, and just get the 1A as a new daily driver for my PC (which I work on pretty much the entire day). If the 1ABT is tighter, it might then just be worth getting the one and switching between wired/wireless modes as I need to. Basically the price of the XB950BT + 1A = 1ABT.


Has this been confirmed? I thought it was the other way around actually (that the wired were equivalent to bass boost off). I suppose this swings the balance in favour of the XB's if true. I will probably wait to see what the prices are like in about a week when I get my refund (the 1ABT has already dropped in price on Amazon), and then I'll make a decision.

I haven't actually tried the wired xb950's myself but I'm sure I had read somewhere that was the case?....I could be wrong though and I apologise if this isn't the case and I've wrongly misinformed you!

Reading back you say you will mainly be listening to prog metal, jazz fusion etc...and given that this is your preferred taste I think the 1ABT's may suit you better. For myself I prefer the smoothness and bass of the XB950bt's and I find they work well with film, and music with a heavy beat but even after mods and EQ they'll never have the mids/highs and openness of the 1ABT's and you do notice this during rock, acoustic etc.

You say that the wired 1A's sounded almost perfect out of the box and were more comfortable than the XB950's so if it were me I'd stretch my budget a little further and get the 1ABT's....if you don't you may end up regretting it down the line! The 1ABT's really are quite special, and definitely worth the extra money if it means getting the perfect sound for you!

 

[bladefd]

Did anyone try out any 2 of the following 3 headphones?

-Sennheiser Momentum 2 wireless
-Definitive Technology Symphony 1
-Sony mdr-100abn (h.ear)

I'm literally down to these 3 headphones. I can't find 1ABT locally, but it is fine.