[mmille24]

If the ATH WS99BT has too small earpads and too large if you swap them out w/ larger ones, it makes the bluetooth fairly useless IMO.
 
I imagine the majority of people are going to be using these on the go, and don't want to look like an idiot.

 

[Giogio]

  Just listened to sony 1abt at their show room. I can hear quite a lot of booming at the base. Not quite at the same class as ATH ws99BT. I was wearing sony in ear BT sdh 80 to the venue. Even the 2 year old inear earbud of sony has better sound. The control, comfort and look are all superior though.

Yeah, I kind of suspected it. Although, @orionschmidt is quite satisfied with them, so, it is also a matter of tastes.
They are already available in Germany, but I am still under super stress so zero time (that's why I have finally not yet written anything about that big comparison promised).
I will buy them soon together with the Denon when the Denon are (again) available here.
 

   
I have a Xperia L and I can use Viper + All Sony audio effects with and without walkman, which means I can also use the effects + viper with poweramp/neutron too..

Thanks a lot for the info
I finally got a HTC Desire Eye.
My Xperia got a little line/crack on the glass (only the glass, not the display below) and the display completely stopped working.
I have read that it is a typical problem of all Xperia. Maybe all Sony, no idea.
But my friends with HTC and Samsung had never had these problems i have seen people with totally broken glass being still able to use the phone.
I cannot risk having to buy another one at the first crack.
That is a very major fault of Sony. No go.
Never again.
But you are right.
Anyway now I am experimenting with the surround effect of Neutron. I had to totally change the presets to make it work with headphones (it is actually made only for speakers).
I gave him the suggestion to make a bass enhancer like the one for Foobar. He apparently liked the idea or was so gently diplomatic to tell me that he has put it in to do (like other things he has in to do since a few years ).
Anyway. I use the phone mostly on the go, and in the future I will use it even less. I am ok so.
 

  If the ATH WS99BT has too small earpads and too large if you swap them out w/ larger ones, it makes the bluetooth fairly useless IMO.
 
I imagine the majority of people are going to be using these on the go, and don't want to look like an idiot.

Hmmm, not exactly.
The Cush pads move a bit, if you do not stuff them. But still do not come out, they just move like two millimeter, so. And look very ok, and are comfortable.
The AKG K845BT pads do not move anything, are comfortable (just a few mm thinner that the Cush, so, depending on your ears you may want to stuff them. Which is, believe me, so easy, and worth doing. Just, take something and out it inside and then take something else and see which one produces the best result without affecting the sound negatively - different material could absorb the sound differently) and look VERY beautiful (I would even order them in white eventually).
The HM9 seem to be a big improvement in depth, good for protruding little ears, but have some inner diameter as the original ones, so, not better for big ears. And look very good.
The only giant looking ones are the HM5 and the only moving ones are the Cush, a bit, when not stuffed.
So, you have it: Cush for medium big and protruding ears, Akg for medium big and a bit less protruding ears, HM9 for more protruding but little ears. HM5 for huge ears or for home use and maximum bass enhancement.
 
Btw, it is NOT a fault of the ATH.
The fault of the ATH is to play on the limits, being particularly small, (maybe because only for asian market and most asian/japanese people have small ears).
But any headphone with earpads which are really big enough for all kind of ears WILL be BIG.
You cannot cheat with dimensions.

 

[orion23rigel]

  Just listened to sony 1abt at their show room. I can hear quite a lot of booming at the base. Not quite at the same class as ATH ws99BT. I was wearing sony in ear BT sdh 80 to the venue. Even the 2 year old inear earbud of sony has better sound. The control, comfort and look are all superior though.

 
I'm not sure if this is an issue with inconsistency in production, but I definitely would not call the bass boomy on the set of 1ABT I have. It is certainly more present than the 1RBTMK2, but it is pretty tight and punchy.

 

[cehowardNote3]

   
I'm not sure if this is an issue with inconsistency in production, but I definitely would not call the bass boomy on the set of 1ABT I have. It is certainly more present than the 1RBTMK2, but it is pretty tight and punchy.

 
This is gigantic thread with a lot of various opinions, which IMO is good. But, it boils down to what sounds good to our ears!! 
 
With that said, the 1RBTMK2s is one of my favorites.. It does it for me.. The M2AEBTs are slighty better to my ears. I am thinking about getting the 1ABTs from Sony just as soon as they are available in the USA. I am thinking the 1ABTs will be over the 1RBTMK2s too. If so, they will be keepers too.  
 
In the DAP thread, I have been hearing a lot about the 1ABT, and its LDAC when connected to a LDAC device, i e, Sony A17. Supposed to be all good. 

 

[drheadphone]

I have to admit the latest Samsung Level On Wireless with ANC looks pretty snazzy and doesnt cost insane.

[VIDEO]https://youtu.be/zH7gKRFnQVQ[/VIDEO]
[VIDEO]https://youtu.be/pNbtwRWaoho[/VIDEO]

 

[phchin]

I just spent 5 minutes at the venue, which is reasonably quiet, and listened to several Jazz tunes which have a background music of viola and deep base. I did not try other tunes like hip hops and classical music or drums. I was actually going to the venue to buy the 1 abt. It's sound is not my taste but the comfort, the good look and the good controls are all very attractive. I agree it all comes down to taste. However, I wish my fidelo and ATH can copy that good controls and good looking in the future..

 

[Giogio]

I have to admit the latest Samsung Level On Wireless with ANC looks pretty snazzy and doesnt cost insane.

Interesting.
I hope they have better bass than the Over.
And more loudness.
 

  I just spent 5 minutes at the venue, which is reasonably quiet, and listened to several Jazz tunes which have a background music of viola and deep base. I did not try other tunes like hip hops and classical music or drums. I was actually going to the venue to buy the 1 abt. It's sound is not my taste but the comfort, the good look and the good controls are all very attractive. I agree it all comes down to taste. However, I wish my fidelo and ATH can copy that good controls and good looking in the future..

Hmmm, both Fidelio and ATH look very  good to me. I, for example, hate going around with big around the ear. The ATH do not protrude, they stay flat on your ears, which look good to me.
Besides, something which maybe I did not leave clear enough, I find them perfectly comfortable as they are, for at least 2-3 hours.
And I never use headphones for more than that time when I am outside. Do you?
Anyway, the other three a bit bigger earpads (AKG, HM9, Cush) do not make them look bad at all.
I like the controls on the Fidelio. Very nice the volume lever.
The ATH are more conservative, yes. Simple little button.
Yeah, it would be cool if they make a new one with better controls.
Japanese are supposed to work with the concept of Kaizen. Constant incremental improvement.
Let's see

 

[mmille24]

  Hmmm, both Fidelio and ATH look very  good to me. I, for example, hate going around with big around the ear. The ATH do not protrude, they stay flat on your ears, which look good to me.
Besides, something which maybe I did not leave clear enough, I find them perfectly comfortable as they are, for at least 2-3 hours.
And I never use headphones for more than that time when I am outside. Do you?
Anyway, the other three a bit bigger earpads (AKG, HM9, Cush) do not make them look bad at all.
I like the controls on the Fidelio. Very nice the volume lever.
The ATH are more conservative, yes. Simple little button.
Yeah, it would be cool if they make a new one with better controls.
Japanese are supposed to work with the concept of Kaizen. Constant incremental improvement.
Let's see

I know I plan on using them quite a bit on flights. So for me, it's very important they are comfortable for extended periods of time.

 

[Giogio]

  I know I plan on using them quite a bit on flights. So for me, it's very important they are comfortable for extended periods of time.

than you should chose one of the other three earpads which are good looking but also improve the comfort.
i wrote a few post above about their differences.
in case you have doubts about how to replace earpads, it is extremely easy, i can help.
 
Anyway, for flights you are looking in the wrong direction.
The problem is not the comfort. Is the isolation.
The ATH do not isolate particularly well passively and have no ANC.
No idea how loud are flights nowadays. I do not take one since many years.
But, when I did, normal headphones were ok to me.
Still, I wanted to warn you because most people seem to prefer ANC or In-Ear for flights.

 

[wild bill]

maybe my need is slightly different than most people here.  I use bluetooth headphones with a boom mic (would that be properly called a headset?) for business paired to my mobile cell phone, so while I would like the headphones to sound good, I am far more interested in the microphone quality, because in my business, I need to sound very clear and pleasing to my clients!
 
the typical low cost "over the head" bluetooth headphones with boom mic sound not great but just ok as far as the ear speakers, but the sound quality to the person I a speaking with on the phone is awful, this is because they probably spent less than US$1 on the boom mic, I don't mind spending as much as $250 for a high quality headphone/mic, but I need a pair that a lot of the money was spent on the mic quality!
 
any suggestions or a list of bluetooth headphones that feature the best quality boom mics?
 
or another way to phrase my question is, "which bluetooth headphones with boom mic sounds the best to the other party that you are speaking with, regardless of price?"

 

[n00b2]

  maybe my need is slightly different than most people here.  I use bluetooth headphones with a boom mic (would that be properly called a headset?) for business paired to my mobile cell phone, so while I would like the headphones to sound good, I am far more interested in the microphone quality, because in my business, I need to sound very clear and pleasing to my clients!
 
the typical low cost "over the head" bluetooth headphones with boom mic sound not great but just ok as far as the ear speakers, but the sound quality to the person I a speaking with on the phone is awful, this is because they probably spent less than US$1 on the boom mic, I don't mind spending as much as $250 for a high quality headphone/mic, but I need a pair that a lot of the money was spent on the mic quality!
 
any suggestions or a list of bluetooth headphones that feature the best quality boom mics?
 
or another way to phrase my question is, "which bluetooth headphones with boom mic sounds the best to the other party that you are speaking with, regardless of price?"

 
You will struggle to find headphones discussed in this thread where the mic had the larger budget spent on it. All these headphones are basically designed for music with the mic added in for normal calls when listening to music on the phone. You will probably need a proper bluetooth headset if you want something that specialises on the mic. Music quality won't be as good (or even possible) but call quality will be much better. Something like the Sennheiser Presence headset might be a good option for you.

 

[wild bill]

thanks for the reply - I would greatly appreciate the names of any other "proper bluetooth headsets" you could list where the mic quality (and therefore call quality) would be good - the speaker quality on a normal cell phone is fine for me, I am concerned about my customers telling me I sound "muffled" or "tinny" or "tiring" due to the poor microphone quality on all of the "over the head with boom mic" bluetooth headsets I have tried.  I would just use a quality wired headset, except that the gold mini-plug quickly wears and causes static and dropouts due to constant movement of myself and the phone.  I don't want the small in or on the ear headsets, (such as Sennheiser Presence) those quickly become painful when you wear it all day.

 

[n00b2]

  thanks for the reply - I would greatly appreciate the names of any other "proper bluetooth headsets" you could list where the mic quality (and therefore call quality) would be good - the speaker quality on a normal cell phone is fine for me, I am concerned about my customers telling me I sound "muffled" or "tinny" or "tiring" due to the poor microphone quality on all of the "over the head with boom mic" bluetooth headsets I have tried.  I would just use a quality wired headset, except that the gold mini-plug quickly wears and causes static and dropouts due to constant movement of myself and the phone.  I don't want the small in or on the ear headsets, (such as Sennheiser Presence) those quickly become painful when you wear it all day.

 
The only bluetooth headsets designed for calls I know look like the Sennheiser Presence sorry. Haven't seen any that look like a normal headphone. A bluetooth gaming headset might be something that would work. I haven't used one myself though so I am not entirely sure on their quality but I would imagine they would be pretty good on the mic end especially the ones which have the separate movable mic.

 

[Giogio]

  I would greatly appreciate the names of any other "proper bluetooth headsets" you could list where the mic quality (and therefore call quality) would be good

Appreciate this: http://www.plantronics.com/us/product/blacktop-500?skuId=sku6260023

 
I can tell you that the Plantronics Backbeat Pro, designed for music, are among the best if not the best for call quality on what I have tried.
And I refer also to how the other side ears you.
So I can only suppose that this model which I have linked (but not tried) should be of very good quality too.
The reviews in Amazon are mixed. You should try yourself.
If you plan using them also for music and you do not need to use them while driving, the Backbeat Pro would be good. No boom mic, but sounded very good to the people I was talking to.
Also said to be very very good is the Parrot Zik2. High Definition Call.
The Bose Soundlink On Ear were also quite good when i have tried them.
 
It's something you have to compare by yourself now.

 

[brad1600]

Hey all, I'm in the market right now for some new Bluetooth headphones and I've recently bought two from variously reading around the Head-Fi forums, the Parrot Zik 2.0 and the Plantronics Backbeat Pro (as recommended in this thread). However, I've unfortunately ended up sending both back because after a relatively short time I've ended up feeling uncomfortable wearing both. Mostly, I think, due to my rather large ears.
 
I'm looking for a pair of Bluetooth, preferably closed back headphones for use in a relatively noisy office environment. If anyone here has any suggestions as to a pair of comfortable headphones I'd enormously appreciate it! For reference I use a pair of Sennheiser HD 555's at home, which I find very comfortable over long periods of listening but which unfortunately aren't appropriate for either the commute or use at the office. Thanks!