[TonySunshine]

no aptx support on the JBL?
 
Quote:

  I just preordered JBL´s new Everest Elite 700 headphones:
http://eu.jbl.com/jbl_product_detail_eu/jbl-v700nxt-black.html
 
The negatives are the size and weight and I´m not big on the plasticky look compared to eg. my Sennheiser Momentum AE Wireless and Parrot Zik 2.0s, but if the sound and noise cancellation is great they might be a pair of winners for my usage at least. 

 

[visanj]

Today I tried Sony MDR-1ABT headphones at a store. Sound quality is much better with my iphone when compared to my Philips M2BT. Full bodied sound with good bass depth and mild highs. and comfort is excellent as well

 

[andrenb]

 

 
No aptx according to the spec sheet. 

 

[dagp66]

Considering the 1ABT has aptX and the AE2 doesn’t, I was really surprised at how hard it was to decide which I liked better. I think the AE2 has a slightly more neutral sound, or at least the bass is less present.


* EDIT: I was convinced this morning, but now I'm already second-guessing whether I really want to return the AE2. Sometimes the bass in the 1ABT is a bit much for me, and the light weight of the AE2 is surprisingly nice. It's a really close call between these two.

 
I tried the AE2's in-store and it sounded amazing, on the Bose website they mention it isn't meant to be used with TV's or as gaming headsets I think that's where the lack of aptX effects it (latency?), try watching a HD  video (if you haven't returned them yet ) and see how they work, also they didn't mention what codecs and profiles it supports, do you know them by any chance? 
 
About the 1ABT, do they support two connections simultaneously like the AE2? and is there a headphone battery indication on the phone? I saw that it has LDAC, does the phone/tablet also need to support it like aptX? and lastly how do the 1ABT compare to the MDR-10RBT, considering that they're the model just below the 1ABT.
 
Cheers!!

 

[orion23rigel]

  I tried the AE2's in-store and it sounded amazing, on the Bose website they mention it isn't meant to be used with TV's or as gaming headsets I think that's where the lack of aptX effects it (latency?)

 
I have probably watched hundreds of YouTube videos on my tablet since getting them, and I haven't noticed any latency issues. I'm not overly sensitive to it, but I have noticed it with other Bluetooth headphones. The Bluetooth connection on the AE2 seems to be rock solid in my experience. It gets slightly better range than the 1ABT as well.
 
Quote:

  also they didn't mention what codecs and profiles it supports, do you know them by any chance? 

 
No, I'm not sure what codecs they use. I'd guess AAC, but I don't know of any way to verify that.
 
Quote:

 
About the 1ABT, do they support two connections simultaneously like the AE2?

 
The 1ABT sort of support two connections, depending on your desired use case. I was able to get them to connect to my phone and tablet simultaneously, but it was tricky because you have to set your phone to only use the headset for call audio and not media audio. That means you can't switch back and forth between watching/listening to media on different devices without disconnecting/pairing again. The convenience of multilink on the AE2 in this regard is a big part of why I still haven't been able to bring myself to return them. 
 
Quote:

 
is there a headphone battery indication on the phone?

 
No, not on Android for either the AE2 or the 1ABT. Though I've found that with headphones that do feature that on Android, it is not particularly accurate. The AE2 announces the battery percentage every time you turn them on.
 
Quote:

 
I saw that it has LDAC, does the phone/tablet also need to support it like aptX?

 
Yes, unless you have a Sony phone/tablet/media player, you won't get LDAC
 
Quote:

 
how do the 1ABT compare to the MDR-10RBT, considering that they're the model just below the 1ABT.

 
Completely different league. The 10RBT sounded closed off/muffled with flabby bass from what I remember, and the 1ABT is crystal clear. In any case, I would not recommend the 10RBT to anyone focused on good sound quality. There are much better choices in the price range depending on what sound profile you prefer.

 

[musicfreak]

Received the Backbeat Pros today.. First Impression average until I upgraded the firmware from 19 to 22... Sound quality improved to quite an interesting degree. Bass is now a lot tighter.

I've also upgraded the firmware on my BBP but I don't know for sure if I find it an improvement. Is there a way to downgrade the firmware? The headset updater (Plantronics software for Windows) only shows if there's an update, you don't see the earlier versions.

 

[dagp66]

How does Backbeat pro perform compared to the MDR-10BT ?

Sent from my MI PAD using Tapatalk

 

[musicfreak]

Ik think it outperforms the 10BT. The sound of the 10BT is somewhat muffled and congested, so I've read a few posts earlier.

 

[orion23rigel]

How does Backbeat pro perform compared to the MDR-10BT ?

The BackBeat Pro sounds much better to my ears. Not even the same league.

 

[dagp66]

How does Backbeat pro perform compared to the MDR-10BT ?

The BackBeat Pro sounds much better to my ears. Not even the same league.

thanks man, and the fact that they're actually cheaper and has more features is quite surprising.

Sent from my ONE A2003 using Tapatalk

 

[Techfixation]

I previously started a thread ‘Quest to find the perfect Wireless Movie Headphones’, I’ve since had the opportunity to test 15 of what I considered the most likely to fit this need. I thought it might help others to post my thoughts and comparisons on all of the headphones I’ve tested whether you’re intending to use them for music, movies or both!

I tried to keep it as short as I could but I was reluctant to leave out too much information so please forgive me if it goes on a bit!

Firstly I’ll start by listing the main things I was looking for while searching for the perfect set of cans (I know there’s no such thing as a perfect pair but I hoped to come close!)

Bass; I like headphones with a fun sound signature and without decent bass this isn’t possible (imo), it also helps to have good sub bass especially for explosions etc in action based movies, I also can’t see that anyone would be a fan of ‘tinny’ sounding headphones and obviously good bass can create a lovely rich, solid sound.

Comfort; Any headphones should be able to be worn for hours at a time without discomfort whether being used for movies or music!

Hiss; More of a problem during silent/spoken parts of a film or TV but it can also raise the noise floor of music which will only really become apparent when comparing them side by side with a pair of headphones with low or even better no hiss at all. Hiss is caused by both the internal amp and ANC if the headphones have it. I’ve been able to reduce the hiss by lowering the headphone volume and upping the source volume but this tends to have a negative effect by causing clipping/distortion mainly to the lower frequencies at higher volume.

Although not technically Bluetooth a few of the headphones I tried use Kleer wireless technology which supposedly creates a much higher quality sound. I thought it would be beneficial to include these headphones in this comparison too. I couldn’t notice any discernible difference between the two technologies other than Kleer deals with hiss much better but also suffers from much more interference especially when using it near wifi.

I tested these headphones with a variety of music (especially EDM, Hip-hop, Trip-hop, rock) listening through my iphone 5c and through my TV using the Aukey BT-C1 Aptx Low Latency 3.5mm transmitter. I tried several transmitters including the popular Avantree Saturn pro and also transmitters with an optical input. The Aukey performed the best and was one of the cheapest. I found a great film for putting the headphones through their paces was ‘Edge of Tomorrow’; besides being a great film there were plenty of loud action moments and big explosions as well as a few silent parts where I could test the hiss performance.

Before I talk briefly about my No.1 headphones, please feel free to skip the next bit and go to the comparisons below.

I purchased the Sony MDR XB950’s quite early on and had the opportunity to test them side by side with almost every other pair I tested….for now they’re still the ones I’m keeping! They have the widest, lowest bass response, the lowest/cleanest hiss from all the Bluetooth headphones I’ve tested, they’re easily the most comfortable I’ve worn (a pleasure every time I put them on especially after I come from testing another pair!). It’s hard to describe their sound; it’s clean, smooth, warm and sounds like no other I’ve tested! Even after I’ve gone from testing some of the other better sounding ones, as soon as I put on the Sony’s I remember what I’m missing!

They’re not without their faults though hence why I have continued with my search despite loving them so much; the mids can seem a little recessed at times and the bass can be a little over powering and isn’t always wanted (see full explanation below). In comparison the Fidelio’s bass only kicks in when you really need it and they nearly go as low as the Sony’s too! When listening to the Fidelios there are times I miss the slightly wider bass response of the Sony’s but not as much as I miss the mids of the Fidelio’s when I’m listening to the Sony’s. If it wasn’t for the comfort issues of the Fidelio’s and their hiss and irritating high pitch noise, then I’d choose them over the Sony’s.

Now although the Sony’s are my favourites they’re not necessarily the best out of the box! They need significant burn in and they need the modifications by Bill-P. It may sound like something not everyone would like to do but the modifications dramatically tighten up the bass, help them sound far less boomy, open up the soundstage and improve the mids! There’s no wiring involved just the use of ‘Sound Deadening’ material, cotton wool & foam. They’re very easy to open up and the whole process shouldn’t take more than 30min. Make sure you do stage 1 and 2 and you read stage 2 first as he makes a small change to stage 1. You can change the sound by making slight changes to the modifications. I found that by not blocking the internal square, not using the felt and by using 2mm double sided sticky foam in the exterior bass port gave me the best sound and retained a lot of the bass (you’ll understand what I mean when reading the thread).

In order of preference here are my comparisons;
 
Sony MDR-XB950BT (modded), (bass boost on)

Pros; Light weight and incredibly comfy, least hiss out of all the Bluetooth headphones tested and the hiss I could hear sounded somewhat cleaner, very clean smooth sound, nice warm signature, very powerful bass, the sub bass is insane and gives a very cinema like experience with movies, after the mods the highs have a very nice quality to them they’re rolled off slightly avoiding any harshness or over brightness which can be experienced during big action sequences in movies, bass boost can be turned off at a touch of a button which can be handy if a particular song or movie has too much bass.

Cons; The mids are a little too laid back and can struggle to be heard clearly through the bass (I notice this mostly in movies when listening to dialog, in music it doesn’t seem to be as much of a problem and most of the time the lyrics are very clear, obviously they suit certain genre’s such as EDM, Hip Hop, Trip Hop etc but I’ve found they work with a wide range of music too), this can depend on the movie and the quality of the soundtrack, sometimes it’s perfect, a lot of the time I’m left just wanting a tiny bit more and sometimes it’s very noticeable. The highs could do with being a bit more present at times and as mentioned the bass can overpower the rest of the sound at times.

Philips Fidelio M2BT

Pros; Best overall sound of any wireless headphones I’ve tested, very close to the UE 9000's but with just a bit more quality to the sound, almost match the sub bass of the XB950’s and the bass only kicks in when its needed unlike the XB950’s, mids and highs are well balanced with clear dialog and non fatiguing highs, great sound stage, light weight and pretty comfy for on ear.

Cons; Not as comfy as most over ear headphones and the pressure while wearing glasses can start to become uncomfortable after a while, Noticeable hiss but only once the audio starts (should be ok for music but will increase the noise floor), high pitch noise in right ear piece (not too loud but quite distracting) I spoke to Philips who told me it was a fault with the headphones and something they were aware of from other customer complaints, I had them replaced and the 2^nd pair also came back with the same issue, I’ve tried multiple sources and even tried wearing them the other way round just to make sure it wasn’t my ears but the noise remained!

Denon AH-GC20

Pro's - Fantastic bass equaling that of the Fidelio's and the xb950's, pretty balanced mids and highs, good looks (imo) and great build quality/materials, low latency support.

Con's - Although the cushions are very soft and initially feel very comfy the clamping force is extreme causing discomfort after prolonged periods ( it's worth mentioning that I've got a small head so this will be even worse for others!), they seriously leak sound despite creating a virtually airtight seal, the sound is quite flat and lifeless with ANC off but becomes much richer and bassier with it on, strangely on a couple of occasions when switching the ANC from on to off I lost audio in the right ear piece and then turning the ANC back to on would bring the audio back (doesn't give too much confidence in the QC!), The ANC would not automatically turn off when switching off the headphones so you'd have to remember to flick the ANC switch to off every time you power them down or you'd risk draining the battery!

Logitech UE 9000

Pros; Great bass with plenty of sub bass, very good soundstage, warm sound with slightly rolled of highs which really suite movies especially action based.

Cons; Heavy, earpiece puts pressure on the lower part of the ear and the cushioning isn’t particularly soft, the headband cushioning is made of rubber and not foam and can cause discomfort made worse by their heavy weight, there’s noticeable hiss which is probably a combination of the internal amp and the ANC which unfortunately can’t be turned off.

House Of Marley Liberate XLBT

Pros; Light and pretty comfy (not in the same league as the XB950’s though), beautifully built with  good looking materials, hiss could be reduced to XB950 levels by reducing the headphone volume and increasing the source volume (this didn’t cause any distortion unlike every other pair I tried this on), the bass is actually very good with a nice solid and warm sound (very close to the bass of the Fidelio’s/UE9000’s but without the same impact and feeling a little bit airy in comparison) still some of the best bass I’ve heard from Bluetooth though!

Cons; Lacking highs, mids could do with a bit more presence

August EP650

Pros; Very light, 2^nd most comfy headphones below the XB950’s, nice look especially in white (see my profile pic), lovely warm sound with a deep bass but equally nice mids/highs, cost just £40!!

Cons; Very noticeable hiss, not quite up to the quality of the more expensive cans, bass is a little boomy.

Sony MDR-1ABT

Pros; Nice looks, pretty nice build although the XB950’s seem slightly better, almost as comfy as the XB950’s, not much hiss (more than the XB950’s though), quite a neutral sound, great soundstage, crystal highs, exciting sound, good bass.

Cons; A bit too forward and bright for my liking, (I prefer the smoother, warmer sound of the XB950’s, during loud action sequences the highs were too much), not quite enough bass for my liking but certainly more present than some of the others.
 
Sennheiser RS 180 (Kleer)

Pros; Much much better than the 160’s/170’s, they have a much more solid sound, soundstage is great as they’re open backed, Automatic Level Control seems to improve the soundstage even further and is amazing with movies.

Cons; Strangely these headphones seem to have created a small amount of hiss compared to the 160’s/170’s, worse still the ALC which makes these sound so great with movies adds a more significant hiss along with a low volume high pitch buzz, I thought this was a fault at first but after having them replaced they still displayed the same issue.
 
Plantronics Backbeat Pro

Pros; Very comfy especially considering their weight, Low Latency Support, very low hiss level (only with ANC off though), very open soundstage.

Cons; I noticed some distortion in the bass while playing music through my iphone (this hasn’t happened with any other headphones I’ve tested; I didn’t notice it while watching movies with AptX so it could be a problem with AAC or perhaps they were faulty?), considering they’re supposed to have some of the best bass of all the Bluetooth headphones I didn’t consider them in the same league as any of my top 4, there was also a significant difference in the bass depending on whether the ANC was off or on, with ANC on the bass was a lot fuller with a much richer sound but unfortunately this introduced very noticeable hiss!    

Audio Technica ATH WS99BT

Pros; Great soundstage, forward presence, balanced sound with good mids, highs & upper/mid bass, light and comfy when using the Brainwavz HM5 replacement pads.

Cons; Very noticeable hiss which kicks in once the audio starts (you probably won’t notice it during music playback but it will definitely increase the noise floor), the sub bass is lacking and the upper/mid bass aren’t as present as I’d like out of the box and would benefit from being EQ’d, build quality isn’t fantastic for the price and is a bit creaky but they’re still pretty well put together.

SoundMAGIC  WP10 (Kleer)

Pros; Virtually hiss free, great built quality, nice looks, comfy, warm sound signature, very nice mids/highs, decent bass.

Cons; Messed with the wifi and suffered signal drop outs, lacking the heavy deep bass that I’m after.

Sennheiser RS 170 (Kleer)

Pro; Virtually hiss free, more body than the 160’s, bass boost button.

Cons; Although they definitely have a better all round fuller sound to the 160’s they’re still lacking body and the bass sounds a little hollow.

Sennheiser URBANITE XL

Pros; Great look and build quality, relatively neutral sound with an emphasis on the bass, very little hiss, a very clean sound with lots of detail.

Cons; Lacking in sub bass (at least for my preference) the sound almost sounded too clinical and seemed to lack character.

Sennheiser RS 160 (Kleer)

Pros; Virtually hiss free

Cons;  Tinny sound, typical Sennheiser bright sound, lack of bass

SMS Audio Sync (Over Ear) (Kleer)

Pros; Ok sound, probably on a par with the 160’s but with slightly better bass.

Cons; I bought these for their Kleer tech but they actually had quite a bad hiss. The transmitter has a loose connection and looses sound with the slightest knock (a problem if you have it connected to your phone in your pocket), the headphones caused serious interference with my wifi and I experienced constant audio drop outs.

 

[andrenb]

I just found out a local store has got a new bluetooth-headset from Philips with ANC in stock:
http://www.philips.co.uk/c-p/SHB9850NC_00/wireless-noise-cancelling-headphones

So I'm going to pick them up later today to see how they sound and function, the spec sheet looks promising for my usage at least.

 

[n00b2]

I just found out a local store has got a new bluetooth-headset from Philips with ANC in stock:
http://www.philips.co.uk/c-p/SHB9850NC_00/wireless-noise-cancelling-headphones

So I'm going to pick them up later today to see how they sound and function, the spec sheet looks promising for my usage at least.

 
Looks interesting from the website. Can't find much information about them anywhere though. Looking forward to your impressions.

 

[andrenb]

 
Looks interesting from the website. Can't find much information about them anywhere though. Looking forward to your impressions.

 


The only test I could find was from a swedish website:
http://m3.idg.se/2.1022/1.610091/test-brusreducerande-horlurar/sida/2/test-horlurar-philips-shb9850nc

The headset got high praises for having great sound quality and an excellent ANC. So I'm looking forward to trying them out.

I'm also waiting on the JBL Everest Elite 700's which I pre-ordered but they will probably not arrive before sometime next week at the earliest.

 

[n00b2]

 

   
Looks interesting from the website. Can't find much information about them anywhere though. Looking forward to your impressions.

 


The only test I could find was from a swedish website:
http://m3.idg.se/2.1022/1.610091/test-brusreducerande-horlurar/sida/2/test-horlurar-philips-shb9850nc

 
Yeh I can't read that so didn't look at that site. Seems like it has been quietly released without any previews either which is a bit surprising.