[andrenb]

 
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.

 


I found this enthusiastic sales pitch on Philips facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/PhilipsSound/videos/vb.152439888145881/944855798904282/?type=2&theater

But other than that not much in the way of promotion.

 

[n00b2]

 

   
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.

 


I found this enthusiastic sales pitch on Philips facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/PhilipsSound/videos/vb.152439888145881/944855798904282/?type=2&theater

But other than that not much in the way of promotion.

 
That video seemed to be advertising the whole range but focussing more on an on ear model, though I guess ANC should be pretty similar on both. How is the price of the headphones compared to some of the other ones you have tried lately?

 

[andrenb]

The norwegian krone is quite weak at the moment compared to the euro and us dollar, which make most goods a bit more expensive than usual. The Philips headset will cost me about 200 USD (which includes 25% VAT) and is the same as a pair of Plantronics BB Pro will set you back in Norway.

As a comparison Parrot Zik 2.0s will set you back 270 USD incl. VAT here and the Sennheiser Momentum AE Wireless are 450 USD incl. VAT.

 

[andrenb]

Doublepost

 

[DooberKnob]

Anyone try the Plantronics Backbeat Fit? I'm looking for some a pair of BT iems without the usual dome-shaped tips.

 

[n00b2]

The norwegian krone is quite weak at the moment compared to the euro and us dollar, which make most goods a bit more expensive than usual. The Philips headset will cost me about 200 USD (which includes 25% VAT) and is the same as a pair of Plantronics BB Pro will set you back in Norway.

As a comparison Parrot Zik 2.0s will set you back 270 USD incl. VAT here and the Sennheiser Momentum AE Wireless are 450 USD incl. VAT.

 
From that it sounds like it should be similar in quality to those two headphones (has pretty much the same features) but perhaps with larger earcups to suit the people who found the Zik and Backbeat Pro too small. Let's see how it performs.

 

[elektron]

 
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.

 
You can actually get an indication of the battery capacity with the 1ABT on Android by quick-pressing the power button.  3 red LED flashes means high battery, 2 flashes - medium and 1 flash means low battery.
 
http://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/1abt/v1/en/contents/TP0000773461.html

 

[orion23rigel]

You can actually get an indication of the battery capacity with the 1ABT on Android by quick-pressing the power button.  3 red LED flashes means high battery, 2 flashes - medium and 1 flash means low battery.

http://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/1abt/v1/en/contents/TP0000773461.html

True, but that's on the headphones, not on Android. I was talking about the battery level indicator that shows up for some headphones in the notification bar.

 

[elektron]

True, but that's on the headphones, not on Android. I was talking about the battery level indicator that shows up for some headphones in the notification bar.

 
You're right - not on the phone but on the headphone itself.  I was just pointing out that you can still get an indication of the battery even if Android doesn't tell you that.
 
It's quite surprising really that Sony didn't implement this considering that the older and much cheaper (but still brilliant) SBH80 show the battery information on Android.  C'mon Sony, wasn't the 1ABT meant to be matched with the LDAC-equipped Xperia Z5 phones?

 

[orion23rigel]

It's quite surprising really that Sony didn't implement this considering that the older and much cheaper (but still brilliant) SBH80 show the battery information on Android.  C'mon Sony, wasn't the 1ABT meant to be matched with the LDAC-equipped Xperia Z5 phones?

Was it accurate? None of the headphones I've used with that feature were even remotely accurate when it came to displaying the actual battery level. I had assumed it was a bug in Android, and that's why more headphones don't support it.

 

[elektron]

Was it accurate? None of the headphones I've used with that feature were even remotely accurate when it came to displaying the actual battery level. I had assumed it was a bug in Android, and that's why more headphones don't support it.

 
I've only ever used it as a guide to know when to consider plugging them in for a charge, so can't really comment on the accuracy.  I just assumed then if Sony's own cheaper BT earbuds have this feature, there's no reason not to implement in on their flagship BT model.

 

[RadarJammer]

   
...  I just assumed then if Sony's own cheaper BT earbuds have this feature, there's no reason not to implement in on their flagship BT model.

The SBH line is from Sony Mobile, in my impression a different group of developers than the usual Sony cans.
 
I wish there would be something like my SBH60 with bigger drivers, aptX and around ear design, since the SBH60 has an excellent microphone - a rarity in the market - no hiss and good manual usability.

 

[SuperNero]

Hi guys,
I'm looking a BT over-ear headphone under $300. Excellent at all ranges bass, mid, high.
The kinds of music I usually listen are pop, blues, electro, dance, rock (just LP)...
In this thread many people appreciate Audio Technica ATH-WS99BT, but its battery life just 6h continuous use.
Overall Plantronics Backbeat Pro is good (at the moment, $148 is a very good price), but I want to check whether there is better choise or not.
Please give me some advices.
Thanks.

 

[elektron]

  The SBH line is from Sony Mobile, in my impression a different group of developers than the usual Sony cans.
 
I wish there would be something like my SBH60 with bigger drivers, aptX and around ear design, since the SBH60 has an excellent microphone - a rarity in the market - no hiss and good manual usability.

 
I think you're spot on - yes, the SBH line is of course made by the Sony Mobile division (a legacy from the Sony Ericsson days?).  Just another example of how large companies are often not aligned to their customers.  We don't care about Sony's internal structure - a bluetooth headphone is a bluetooth headphone, right?  Apparently not.

 

[andrenb]

I've now used the new Philips SHB9850nc for almost two days, listening to music and audio books while travelling by plane, train and light rail and also using it while walking around on the street in a city and a few hours at home and in the office. I've used it with my Macbook Air (2014), iPhone 6S Plus and Sony Xperia Z3.

The sound is to my liking, it's not neutral with quite heavy bass and not the sharpest high-end but it's more than adequate for the casual listener. It's also a quite loud headset. The build quality is nice for the price range and it's not a heavy headset. I used it for 3+ hours straight yesterday and it only got a little bit warm like most headsets do but otherwise not to much clamping force or anything like that. It's also portable and can be folded up for easy transportation but it didn't come with a cloth or carrying case. I haven't gotten a low battery warning yet so I'm positive the 16 hours Philips say it'll do with bluetooth + ANC on will be possible to achieve.

My biggest complaint is that the noise cancelling creates quite a lot of hissing sound in the silent portions of songs and it's really noticiable when listening to audio books and podcasts. It's one of the better ANC's I've encountered though if you forget about the hissing, it made my short plane journey yesterday more comfortable but it's not on par with eg the Bose QC25 or Parrot Zik 2.0's. The ANC feels quite similar to Samsung Level Over and Bang & Olufsen H8.

I'll give it a few more days before I make up my mind.