[dieselvrr]

I am in the U.S, have any idea where I would  be able to find a pair of the Philips Fidelio M2BT?  How do the Bose Soundlink on-ears compare?

 

[Giogio]

  I am in the U.S, have any idea where I would  be able to find a pair of the Philips Fidelio M2BT?  How do the Bose Soundlink on-ears compare?

No, no idea. I live in EU.
I asked anyway the Shop where I bought them. If they say they can ship to US I let you know.
I can only suggest you to look for them in the UK Ebay and UK Amazon and ask each seller if they ship to US.
 
The Bose were my choice when I compared them with the Fidelio M1BT.
This was because of the better portability and more features (like Multipoint and Voice Prompts) and the annoying long click needed by the Fidelio to turn them off.
The fact is, I missed the sound of the Fidelio and I decided to give them another try with the new model.
The new model sound almost identical to the old, actually. It may have even better basses and a new DSP to improve Soundstage, but I cannot confirm because I cannot directly compare with the old.
Which does not care anyway, the new is better because it offers also Multipoint like the Bose.
 
The Fidelio are anyway still portable enough, although not foldable. Have APTX (and if you have an APTX enabled music player you will notice the difference. Deeper Bass, Crispier Highs, more detail).
Have NFC (not a big deal, but, well, they have it).
 
I have compared so many headphones lately.
I am sorry to say, the Bose do not impress me anymore.
They sound "turned off" (=not lively) compared with so many headphones (mostly with APTX).
They DO sound good. They DO improve with EQ.
They are overall quite balanced. And very comfortable, and with other cool Pros.
 
But, the Fidelio just sound BETTER. Have more Soundstage, more detail, the best basses of ALL the Headphones I tried, and although without EQ they may lack some mids and some highs, you can EQ them with very good results, and if you donÄt EQ them you still get used to their sound (I did, to the point that after a while I was not shure anymore that I wanted to EQ the Highs).
But no matter how much you EQ the Bose, you do not get used to their basses once you hear those of the Fidelio.
 
So, I never miss the Bose. But I do miss the Fidelio.
 
Hope this helped.

 

[dieselvrr]

It does, thanks a lot.  That would be great if you can tell me if your shop can send to US for a reasonable price.  

 

[dieselvrr]

 
No, no idea. I live in EU.
I asked anyway the Shop where I bought them. If they say they can ship to US I let you know.
I can only suggest you to look for them in the UK Ebay and UK Amazon and ask each seller if they ship to US.
 
The Bose were my choice when I compared them with the Fidelio M1BT.
This was because of the better portability and more features (like Multipoint and Voice Prompts) and the annoying long click needed by the Fidelio to turn them off.
The fact is, I missed the sound of the Fidelio and I decided to give them another try with the new model.
The new model sound almost identical to the old, actually. It may have even better basses and a new DSP to improve Soundstage, but I cannot confirm because I cannot directly compare with the old.
Which does not care anyway, the new is better because it offers also Multipoint like the Bose.
 
The Fidelio are anyway still portable enough, although not foldable. Have APTX (and if you have an APTX enabled music player you will notice the difference. Deeper Bass, Crispier Highs, more detail).
Have NFC (not a big deal, but, well, they have it).
 
I have compared so many headphones lately.
I am sorry to say, the Bose do not impress me anymore.
They sound "turned off" (=not lively) compared with so many headphones (mostly with APTX).
They DO sound good. They DO improve with EQ.
They are overall quite balanced. And very comfortable, and with other cool Pros.
 
But, the Fidelio just sound BETTER. Have more Soundstage, more detail, the best basses of ALL the Headphones I tried, and although without EQ they may lack some mids and some highs, you can EQ them with very good results, and if you donÄt EQ them you still get used to their sound (I did, to the point that after a while I was not shure anymore that I wanted to EQ the Highs).
But no matter how much you EQ the Bose, you do not get used to their basses once you hear those of the Fidelio.
 
So, I never miss the Bose. But I do miss the Fidelio.
 
Hope this helped.

Giogio,
 
Do you have any issues with Bluetooth connection on devices that do not support aptx?  Some of the reviews I have read state they had issues with Bluetooth connections on devices that do not support aptx.

 

[Giogio]

  Giogio,
 
Do you have any issues with Bluetooth connection on devices that do not support aptx?  Some of the reviews I have read state they had issues with Bluetooth connections on devices that do not support aptx.

You mean, reviews of the M2BT?
I only own APTX devices (Handy and PC) so I cannot say.
Well, actually, I also have an Azio BTD-V401 USB Dongle (which I STRONGLY NOT reccommend because their support is the WORSE on this planet and the software which gives them APTX, the CSR Harmony, is DISCONTINUED, gives problems of incompatibilities, and CSR, which have also a VERY BAD support, do not even answer to my emails).
I used it without their APTX software. I have less audio quality but same connection.
 
Anyway, I am waiting for a replacement (my M2BT had a defect). I can test it more for you.
 
I have found this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-M2BTBK-Wireless-Bluetooth-Headphone/dp/B00CK2P8OY
I created a fake account with a USA address. It worked. I was able to order and my adress was accepted, with also special Global Amaton Shipping.
 
I hate Amazon but Ebay is not better.
And the Price is very good. Better than what I paid here.
 
Give me some days and I let you know if I have problems of connection with no APTX.
But if I were you I would immediately write to Amazon.co.uk and ask what are the Return Guidelines in this case (with you in USA) and this of the reviews with problems and you that would love to give them a try.
This would be much better than if I try myself. Because your device may behave differently.

 

[david8613]

Anyone try the plantronics backbeat pro? I just ordered a set and would like to hear your impressions.

 

[Giogio]

Anyone try the plantronics backbeat pro? I just ordered a set and would like to hear your impressions.

Do you have an aptx on player?
They sound better when they can establish an APTX connection.

I like them a lot.
But why do you want to ear our impressions if you already ordered them?

 

[david8613]

I have my galaxy note 3 phone and galaxy note 12.0 tablet both have aptx. I have read alot of reviews on the bb pros all positive, but I like to hear impressions from normal regular folk, getting opinions from industry people in the business is easy to do...

 

[dieselvrr]

Giogio,
 
Can you provide any insight to the Phiaton MS 530s?  They looks great and I found a pair locally that I can test out.  How is SQ, Build, Comfort, Features?  I dont care about ANC too much so its good it can be turned on and off.  But they look great and have BT 4.0 and APTX, your thoughts?

 

[Giogio]

They

  Giogio,
 
Can you provide any insight to the Phiaton MS 530s?  They looks great and I found a pair locally that I can test out.  How is SQ, Build, Comfort, Features?  I dont care about ANC too much so its good it can be turned on and off.  But they look great and have BT 4.0 and APTX, your thoughts?

They just have NO CHANCE against the Fidelio.
The only thing they offer more is a slightly better comfort on a LONG term (=MANY hours), and a (very bad) ANC.
They are beautiful to see till you to not wear them. Once you wear them they have a strange angle which protrudes a lot from your head. It is a matter of tastes maybe.
Build is resistant. They can be folded too. Although they are not super portable because the speakers are a bit gig.
 
Sound is ok. It is more or less comparable with the Bose Soundlink On Ear (which are MUCH more portable and have no APTX, so it is incredible how good they still sound).
Personally, I would prefer the Bose. But The Phiaton are as said more or less on pair.
Unfortunately their basses and highs are not particularly good (and especially if you are interested on the Fidelio, well, FORGET it, the Phiaton will NEVER EVER possible get to the quality of bass of the Fidelio).
I would say they sound not lively. Another diplomatic term would be they sound "smooth".
I do not dislike them. But they just do not sound exciting.
I would use them for soft pop and some chill out.
Never ever ever for Hip Hop, Hard Rock, energetic music, Techno etc. No way.
Considering the low contrast (= weak bass and high) I am not even sure they can be used for classical music.
I already sent them back, I cannot say much more.
 
Cheers

 

[Giogio]

I have my galaxy note 3 phone and galaxy note 12.0 tablet both have aptx. I have read alot of reviews on the bb pros all positive, but I like to hear impressions from normal regular folk, getting opinions from industry people in the business is easy to do...

Well, I actually had a little discussion with a reviewer of "Thewirecutter" on the comparison for Noise Cancelling Headphones, where he states that the Plantronics sound "acceptable" but their SQ does not stand out enough over that of the Samsung Level Over to be their Pick.
 
Well, I disagree.
It is true that the Samsung have better NC (for my ears anyway the difference was not that big as they write, but, whatever).
But the Plantronics sound MUCH better than "acceptable". I would say that on an objective point of view, trying to abstract from tastes, they sound AT LEAST as good as the Samsung if not (probably) better.
Both have a very good soundstage, good detail, a relatively balanced sound. And both prefer some frequencies.
The Samsung are a bit more warm with more mids, but for me they almost completely lack bass and their highs are good but not particularly lively.
The Plantronics are not at all a basshead headphone. But their bass is good and strong enough for almost any kind of music. Better than Samsung in quantity AND quality.
The Plantronics have a brighter/fresher signature than the Samsung, with very nice highs which do not sound harsh to me ever.
 
This, objectively.
Now, subjectively, I found the Samsung more, soft, chilling, boring. A bit like the Phiaton MS 530 but with much better soundstage and detail (the Phiaton have anyway better Bass).
And the Plantronics are more lively and dynamic.
For the kind of music I mostly listen to, well, actually for almost any kind of music, I liked the Plantronics better. I eventually EQ them to give them some more warmth and presence in the vocals. Which, to be clear, I did not find ANY Headphone (BT or not) which does not require some EQ somewhere.
In this moment I am comparing them with a Movie I am streaming. I was sure that the Samsung would have been better due to the warmer vocals. They are NOT. Even here with no EQ, the better bass of the Plantronic is better for movies, and the better highs give them a bright tone which I prefer. More than warm the Samsung sound a bit dark in comparison.
 
So, what more? The Plantronics have a very cool feature: they pause the music when you wear them off.
They have multipoint (you can connect phone and pc at same time and receive a call while you ear music on the pc)
They have open mic, a button you press to amplify the noises around you and be able to ear what people say to you.
They are bulky and not foldable, but at least (compared to the HUGE Samsung) their speakers can be turned of 90° so that they can be more flat in your backpack or you can wear them around your neck with no major problem.
They have very nice voice prompts which say how much battery is left, which device is connected, etc.
They have a very good range.
 
So, as said, I do like them.
But I still prefer the Fidelio for sound and portability and look, so I will send back the Plantonics (but I will miss their soundstage).
 
Let me know if you want to know something more, I will keep them till this weekend and I can compare them a bit more on demand with the other ones I still have (Beats Studio Wireless, House of Marley Liberate XL, Bose Soundlink On Ear, and, if the replacement arrives on time, Fidelio M2BT).
 
Cheers

 

[pioneer76]

Have you tried out the Pendulumic Stance S1+?  I just got them and am listening to them but have not been able to connect them to an APTX enable source (just my Lumia 1520 which is awaiting a software update to enable APTX).  So far I think they are only OK compared to my amped Beyerdynamic 600ohm DT990's that I'm used to at home.  If my $10 Creative EP-630 earbuds are a 2/10, and my DT990's are 9/10, then I'd say these are like a 6.5/10 with not using APTX.  I'm hoping that APTX would bring them up to about a 8/10 in terms of my subjective ratings.
 
Just curious is you've tried them out to compare sound quality!

 

[Giogio]

  Have you tried out the Pendulumic Stance S1+?  I just got them and am listening to them but have not been able to connect them to an APTX enable source (just my Lumia 1520 which is awaiting a software update to enable APTX).  So far I think they are only OK compared to my amped Beyerdynamic 600ohm DT990's that I'm used to at home.  If my $10 Creative EP-630 earbuds are a 2/10, and my DT990's are 9/10, then I'd say these are like a 6.5/10 with not using APTX.  I'm hoping that APTX would bring them up to about a 8/10 in terms of my subjective ratings.
 
Just curious is you've tried them out to compare sound quality!

No, I have discovered them lately and after all these Headphones I am getting tired of trying more, so I did not order them, although I was tempted, yes, at least for reference (because I already decided myself for the Fidelio. No matter their small faults, they are the only ones I really miss. The only ones I feel excited about).
 
I suggested the Pendulumic to an internet friend (another crazy guy like me, just a bit older, who also have this hobby of testing BT Headphones).
He has a "problem" with finding an headphone which is comfortable enough for him, and which have good bass too.
So by reading the review on Head-Fi and elsewhere too, I thought he may like them.
He had also discovered them lately and had already ordered them.
I trust his judgement, which is often different then mine but I have learned to translate it to my tastes
I will let you know.
Or I will invite him here.
 
About APTX, in my experience with the Azio BTD V401 USB Dongle, when I do not install the CSR Software which gives it  APTX, the sound I get is much less detailed.
I am not sure if it is a fault of this adapter or a real objective difference.
But reading in Internet I would say that yes, APTX will give you more detail, more dynamic, more precise bass and brighter highs.
This, on a general basis. Then, not all APTX Headphones are born the same
 
Which other BT Headphones did you try and how would you compare them to the Pendulumic?

 

[pioneer76]

I have not tried any other BT headphones besides these ones - I just have my Beyer DT990's to go off as a reference sound.  I may bring these into a Best Buy or something and try comparison tests using their collection of Bluetooth headphones and see how they stand up to some competition.

 

[Giogio]

Hey my budget is no more than 100 euros... And in my research I find out that Jabra Revo wireless might be in a sweet spot. Do you have any advice of a Bluetooth headphones (not in ear), with mic, nice battery life, confort and good sound quality, that cost less than 100€? What would you advice me?
Thanks

Sent from my LG-D855

I can also suggest you the JBL E50BT. They have more bass than the E40, and same overall good sound. Not excellent detail (compared with the more expensive Headphones) and not excellent soundstage, but a nice option for the budget.
They also look nice and are comfortable.
 
Cheers