[Ben LaFleur]

Sound wise the H8's and Onkyos both appeal to my taste with pronounced bass and a warm signature but I think the Onkyos just sound that little bit better, and at the expense of some premium material cost just a fraction of the price!

Weil i paid 330 Euro for new H8 and the onkyos would cost me 220 so not that big difference

 

[Techfixation]

Weil i paid 330 Euro for new H8 and the onkyos would cost me 220 so not that big difference

Yeah the price seems to vary quite a bit depending on the country, I ended up paying £135 in the U.K for the Onkyos when they first came out and the H8's were around £360 so quite a difference at the time!

 

[Ling Vu]

An honourable mention is the AKG Y50BT, currently can be found at under £90 on uk.akg.com (recertified unit) and RRP is £130-150. To me they sound more laid-back than the H500BT so you can hear more details and feel more relaxed, bass is tight with enough punches; very well built and designed too. Personally, I would choose them for long use if they are over ears, the sound quality would be even competitive among £200-250 cans. Despite being rated as a top wireless one by whathifi, they are still underrated in general I think.

 

[Sonic Defender]

An honourable mention is the AKG Y50BT, currently can be found at under £90 on uk.akg.com (recertified unit) and RRP is £130-150. To me they sound more laid-back than the H500BT so you can hear more details and feel more relaxed, bass is tight with enough punches; very well built and designed too. Personally, I would choose them for long use if they are over ears, the sound quality would be even competitive among £200-250 cans. Despite being rated as a top wireless one by whathifi, they are still underrated in general I think.

They don't even support Apt X unless I'm mistaken which is a bit of a bummer, plus they are kind of large aren't they? I actually considered them, but when I saw no Apt X I didn't bother going much further, but perhaps I'll give them a listen.

 

[Ling Vu]

They don't even support Apt X unless I'm mistaken which is a bit of a bummer, plus they are kind of large aren't they? I actually considered them, but when I saw no Apt X I didn't bother going much further, but perhaps I'll give them a listen.

https://www.qualcomm.com/news/onq/2016/02/23/aptx-tech-dominates-top-bluetooth-wireless-headphones-list

FYI, other sources claim they support aac as well And yeah, they may be a bit large for on-ears but not unbearably large, definitely not bulkier than H500BT. And again, I think they sound much better than the price indicates and even the most neutral in the sub-300 category from AKG (others are usually brighter with sometimes overly articulated trebles), the Y45BT are also very good but they can't inspire me with that tiny look lol.

A drawback of the Y50BT is that they made my ears sweat, especially on bus and on train, a bit unbreathable, that was the biggest reason I had to return them.

 

[Ling Vu]

deleted

 

[Sonic Defender]

https://www.qualcomm.com/news/onq/2016/02/23/aptx-tech-dominates-top-bluetooth-wireless-headphones-list

FYI, other sources claim they support aac as well

And yeah, they may be a bit large for on-ears but not unbearably large, definitely not bulkier than H500BT. And again, I think they sound much better than the price indicates and even the most neutral in the sub-300 category from AKG (others are usually brighter with sometimes overly articulated trebles), the Y45BT are also very good but they can't inspire me with that tiny look lol.

A drawback of the Y50BT is that they made my ears sweat, especially on bus and on train, a bit unbreathable, that was the biggest reason I had to return them.

That is good, I remember looking at 5 online selling sites and not one indicated Apt X which is strange and hence why I assumed they didn't have Apt X support. How stupid do you have to be as a company to not indicate that your product has it? Anyway, glad to see that Apt X is supported.

 

[1wyseman]

  Hello All,

 

Over the past 6 months I have been trying to find “that” pair of Bluetooth headphones (comfort, sound, microphone, durability, cost).  I am still searching thanks to Amazon’s very generous return policy. 

 

 
Be careful with the Amazon return policy. There is a limit, and when they've decided you've reached it...no more Amazon for you!

 

[dfnj123]

You guys have almost sold me on the H500BT.  Generally the design looks about just what I was looking for, but I'm a bit turned off that the H500M have some lukewarm reception when searching on google.  The H500M should sound the same as the H500BT right?  Only differences is the H500BT has bluetooth?
 
Any idea if there are any stores in NYC to try/buy the H500BT?  I can only find places that sell other Onkyo products.

 

[Sonic Defender]

  You guys have almost sold me on the H500BT.  Generally the design looks about just what I was looking for, but I'm a bit turned off that the H500M have some lukewarm reception when searching on google.  The H500M should sound the same as the H500BT right?  Only differences is the H500BT has bluetooth?
 
Any idea if there are any stores in NYC to try/buy the H500BT?  I can only find places that sell other Onkyo products.

Not sure what to say, but yes try them, other people's opinions don't matter (including mine of course) only your opinion matters for you so you just need to try. I wish we were a little closer and I would happily send you my pair to try.

 

[dfnj123]

  Not sure what to say, but yes try them, other people's opinions don't matter (including mine of course) only your opinion matters for you so you just need to try. I wish we were a little closer and I would happily send you my pair to try.

No worries.  Absolutely appreciate the feedback from you (and other people) in the thread.  Worst case scenario I'll order from Amazon or a big-box store so I can easily return it if unsatisfied...

 

[erich6]

You guys have almost sold me on the H500BT.  Generally the design looks about just what I was looking for, but I'm a bit turned off that the H500M have some lukewarm reception when searching on google.  The H500M should sound the same as the H500BT right?  Only differences is the H500BT has bluetooth?

Any idea if there are any stores in NYC to try/buy the H500BT?  I can only find places that sell other Onkyo products.

I definitely recommend the H500BT's! I tried them on at the store and was sold immediately. I read the same reviews you are referring to and I just could not disagree with them more. Maybe there is a difference between the H500M and the H500BT.

You can order online from Amazon or Best Buy. I think both offer liberal return policies if you aren't satisfied. If you happen to be going on a trip soon you can get them at an Inmotion store at the airport. They've been on sale there for just $160 which is a steal.

 

[Techfixation]

You guys have almost sold me on the H500BT.  Generally the design looks about just what I was looking for, but I'm a bit turned off that the H500M have some lukewarm reception when searching on google.  The H500M should sound the same as the H500BT right?  Only differences is the H500BT has bluetooth?

Any idea if there are any stores in NYC to try/buy the H500BT?  I can only find places that sell other Onkyo products.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if the signature were different between the wired and wireless version!

The internal DAC within Bluetooth headphones can make a huge difference to the sound, and could certainly make it a case that the H500BT's sound better than the H500M's.

Either way the H500BT's sound great and definitely deserve to be tried!

 

[Ben LaFleur]

i sign that, the P7 and the P7 wireless are also different the P7 Wireless is better according to all reviews i´ve read

 

[Sonic Defender]

  i sign that, the P7 and the P7 wireless are also different the P7 Wireless is better according to all reviews i´ve read

Absolutely it is better. I called B&W and spoke with their technical support department where it was confirmed that the P7 wireless has an all new driver design from that of the P7 wired so sound signature differences make sense. The ear pads are also different in terms of the material used inside if I remember correctly.