Huge Comparison of [almost] all the Best Bluetooth Headphones - post your own comparisons here
Jan 14, 2016 at 7:11 AM Post #1,786 of 3,643
  If she doesn't care, than there is no "better". Better is only what she finds better.
I would stick with what you have found that should for sure let her answering to skype.
Anyway, as far as I know any BT headphone which has got a mic and supports the HSP (Headset) Bluetooth Profile, should do that. Skype is just as talking with your mobile after all.
If there is something else which can make the skype thing easier, I do not know. Specially, I do not know of any HEADPHONE which is "better for skype" nor I can imagine why.
WHat I can suggest you is to buy the Azio BTD-V401 USB Dongle. It will be totally useless with the Move, as the Move do not support Aptx (an audio codec with better quality), so maybe in that case you may want to choose another headphone. But what the Azio will give you is that it comes with the CSR Harmony Bluetooth Stack, a software which enable the Aptx features, organize the connection of devices, AND (here we go) offer a Skype plugin which supposedly should make the answering to skype through your headphones easier. I did not try it, though.

Thank you for your detailed response! Well, mostly I care about sound and she cares about how it looks and if it's comfortable:) So "better" means might be more comfortable headphone between my price range (velour pads maybe). I'll also search about Azio, thanks!
 
Jan 14, 2016 at 7:59 AM Post #1,787 of 3,643
  Thank you for your detailed response! Well, mostly I care about sound and she cares about how it looks and if it's comfortable:) So "better" means might be more comfortable headphone between my price range (velour pads maybe). I'll also search about Azio, thanks!


If your budget was higher I would have suggested the Bose Soundlink On Ear, because they have very soft pads and are very comfortable on long term for many people, also those with sensitive ears.
 And because it has got a good wireless range (so she can go to the kitchen without drop outs) and a good working multipoint (so she can connect them to the notebook AND the mobile at same time, and can answer calls from the mobile while listening to music on the notebook (the music will be paused automatically).
Other ones which do not cost too much and have these two advantages are the Plantronics Backbeat Pro. Even better range, even better multipoint. Plus extra nice functions like head sensor (the music will be paused when she wear the headphones off for a moment) and open mic (she pushes a button and can hear the noises around amplified, while the music is lowered in volume) and a basic noise cancelling.
 
The Move have multipoint too, anyway.
As also the new Plantronics Sense, which also have head sensor and open mic like the Pro (although apparently the open mic pauses the music). According to @Snafflington, who has tried both Sense and Move, the Sense may be a bit more comfortable, have a bit better Multipoint, and a bit more detailed high end.
You can ask him about which one has got a better wireless range.
 
On your price range there are the Meelectronics Matrix2 which sound quite neutral, no bass boost, no warm push on the mids, quite bright a bit cold but not piercing highs. No extra functions, no fancy colours. But it is over ear and so it could result more comfortable on long term.
And you talk of Euro so you can find the Supertooth Freedom, which sound to me MUCH better than the Matrix2, as I like a little push on the bass and some warmth on the mids. It is also Over Ear and very comfortable. No extra functions.
 
You may want to buy 2-3 headphones and let her choose and send back the rest.
 
Jan 14, 2016 at 9:04 AM Post #1,788 of 3,643
 
If your budget was higher I would have suggested the Bose Soundlink On Ear, because they have very soft pads and are very comfortable on long term for many people, also those with sensitive ears.
 And because it has got a good wireless range (so she can go to the kitchen without drop outs) and a good working multipoint (so she can connect them to the notebook AND the mobile at same time, and can answer calls from the mobile while listening to music on the notebook (the music will be paused automatically).
Other ones which do not cost too much and have these two advantages are the Plantronics Backbeat Pro. Even better range, even better multipoint. Plus extra nice functions like head sensor (the music will be paused when she wear the headphones off for a moment) and open mic (she pushes a button and can hear the noises around amplified, while the music is lowered in volume) and a basic noise cancelling.
 
The Move have multipoint too, anyway.
As also the new Plantronics Sense, which also have head sensor and open mic like the Pro (although apparently the open mic pauses the music). According to @Snafflington, who has tried both Sense and Move, the Sense may be a bit more comfortable, have a bit better Multipoint, and a bit more detailed high end.
You can ask him about which one has got a better wireless range.
 
On your price range there are the Meelectronics Matrix2 which sound quite neutral, no bass boost, no warm push on the mids, quite bright a bit cold but not piercing highs. No extra functions, no fancy colours. But it is over ear and so it could result more comfortable on long term.
And you talk of Euro so you can find the Supertooth Freedom, which sound to me MUCH better than the Matrix2, as I like a little push on the bass and some warmth on the mids. It is also Over Ear and very comfortable. No extra functions.
 
You may want to buy 2-3 headphones and let her choose and send back the rest.

Wow thank you so much for all the information! I'll look up every headphone you mentioned.
 
Jan 14, 2016 at 10:01 AM Post #1,789 of 3,643
I would be very interested to hear what you make of the Symphony 1's as there's not too much info on them?

I'm someone who likes headphones with a nice rich warm sound and a lot of deep bass! They also need to be comfortable for long periods at a time!

I mainly use wireless headphones for watching movies at night, especially movies with lots of action as this is when I don't want to disturb the neighbours with my 5.1 cinema setup!

I agree with you about the Fidelio's, they too have my favourite sound out of all the ones I've tried with fantastic sub bass, clear mids and rolled off highs which don't pierce my ears during loud action sequences in movies!

The main problem I had with the Fidelio's was that a got a high pitch buzz from the right ear piece which I experienced from 2 different sets! I also found them to have noticeable hiss which is a real issue for me during silent parts of a movie or with dialog. Obviously it's not much of an issue when music is playing loud but for my preferences it's enough to rule them out!

I wanted to like the Denon's as they too have a fantastic sub bass, look great, are pretty good for hiss and support low latency but there's something lacking in their sound which I can't really put my finger on (thin in the mids?). They also have an extreme clamping force and I experienced some quality control issues!

The Plantronic's although having lots of features and a reasonable sound, lacked the deep bass I was after and with ANC on had noticeable hiss. With ANC off they were very good for hiss but the sound signature changed becoming less rich and losing even more bass!

I've heard the Def Tech's are pretty bassy and they look comfy, I'm interested to hear whether you think they would suit my listening preferences?

I'm also interested how you would rate the others for bass and hiss?

Please read my own comparisons on the 15 I've tried so far which you'll find on page 104!

Thanks,

Maybe it's my ears, but I haven't heard hissing or buzzing sounds in any of these headphones, including the Fidelios. (I have 2 pairs of them.) 
 
The Def Tech Symphony 1's would be a good choice. I think everything about their sound would work for you. They are quite large and on the heavy side, but with large accommodating ear cups. Lots of sound isolation even with the ANC turned off. They will handle big movie sound designs--one of my favorite things to do.
 
I was going to say the ATH WS99BT would be fantastic for the big scenes, but I have found them to be very harsh and piercing on spoken dialogue. They have a great capacity for pushing the volume, but that might be a disadvantage if they're pushing everything else too much. I spend a lot of time streaming Netflix TV shows/marathons and just this morning I had to switch out the ATH's for my trusty Fidelio's, which happen to be sitting here from yesterday's comparison, and it was such a relief to get back to natural, clear dialogue--even on a small show such as "Moran" (Mark Moran). You would have to switch out the earpads on the ATH's if you chose them.
 
The B&W P5's are similar to the Fidelio's; great bass and everything else. They would probably be the best for lying down, too. Small ear pads, low profile arms. (What do you call the things that hold the cans to the headband? The adjustable part.) Lightweight, snug but comfortable. Pricey.
 
I have the Def Tech's on now. I forgot about the spring loaded whatchya-ma-call-its. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. When you take them off, the speakers retract back to the starting position. Yes, these are big and they slide back off your head when you lie back. The Lincoln Continentals.
 
Wait, I just re-read your post. Who said anything about lying down? Sorry. Well, now ya know...
 
Sennheiser Momentum 2--excellent choice for what you want, but $$$.
 
B&O BeoPlay H8 would be great choice--very similar to the Fidelio's and B&W P5's plus ANC. Small, compact and comfortable. Great bass. It would be a shame to waste their gorgeou$ne$$ watching movies in the dark.
 
I agree with you about the Denon's. I really want to like them more and can't figure out why I don't.
 
The Fidelio's are my go-to choice; I don't hear any hissing--ever. And I can hear a watch ticking from across the room.
 
Jan 14, 2016 at 12:23 PM Post #1,790 of 3,643
Originally Posted by 1wyseman /img/forum/go_quote.gif
The Def Tech Symphony 1's would be a good choice.
 
I was going to say the ATH WS99BT would be fantastic for the big scenes, but I have found them to be very harsh and piercing on spoken dialogue. They have a great capacity for pushing the volume, but that might be a disadvantage if they're pushing everything else too much.

Didn't he say that he wants bass? @n00b2 told that the Def Tec are definitely not a bassy headphone. Many people wrote they feel them weak on the low end.
 
It may be your ears or other things in your setup (or in the videos you watch) for the ATH, I do not feel them harsh and even less piercing, ever.
Of course, when you put them at max vol they would accentuate all what is in the sound. So if the sound has got much low-quality highs (like on Netflix TV shows) this will be accentuated. It is a fault of the show, not of the headphones.
You are right, they CAN get very loud, which is a clear advantage respect to the Fidelio when listening to many many kind of music.
But you have to compare them at SAME volume than the other headphones.
Besides, the Fidelio sound bassy out of the box, and have smaller drivers, which causes them to eat some highs and mids when too much bass is there. Something which the ATH do not do (if not when you push the bass insanely much with EQ). So with the same low quality highs of Netflix you will have less piercing highs with the Fidelio because their bass is eating highs, something which you do NOT want when listening to high quality music.
On the other hand you can get tons of bass on the ATH with an EQ, even surpassing the Fidelio (if not just for the quality of density in the sub-rumble) without losing highs.
But what surprises me in your experience is that the Fidelio had very clearly harsh/sibilant highs to me.
There are two tracks I use to test sibilance of highs. One is the "boa Sorte" of Vanessa de Mata with Ben Harper, where at about 2:05 till 2:30 or something she is very sibilant.
The other is the end of Summertime in the version of Morcheeba. There is one moment of clear sibilance.
It is in the record, of course. So it is not 100% a fault of the headphones, they cannot change the record.
But I have 0 sibilance with the ATH, and hat a LOT with the Fidelio, which were sibilant and harsh on many other music too, as I wrote in my review even at the times when it was my favourite headphone.
 
Jan 14, 2016 at 2:06 PM Post #1,791 of 3,643
  Didn't he say that he wants bass? @n00b2 told that the Def Tec are definitely not a bassy headphone. Many people wrote they feel them weak on the low end.
 
It may be your ears or other things in your setup (or in the videos you watch) for the ATH, I do not feel them harsh and even less piercing, ever.
Of course, when you put them at max vol they would accentuate all what is in the sound. So if the sound has got much low-quality highs (like on Netflix TV shows) this will be accentuated. It is a fault of the show, not of the headphones.
You are right, they CAN get very loud, which is a clear advantage respect to the Fidelio when listening to many many kind of music.
But you have to compare them at SAME volume than the other headphones.
Besides, the Fidelio sound bassy out of the box, and have smaller drivers, which causes them to eat some highs and mids when too much bass is there. Something which the ATH do not do (if not when you push the bass insanely much with EQ). So with the same low quality highs of Netflix you will have less piercing highs with the Fidelio because their bass is eating highs, something which you do NOT want when listening to high quality music.
On the other hand you can get tons of bass on the ATH with an EQ, even surpassing the Fidelio (if not just for the quality of density in the sub-rumble) without losing highs.
But what surprises me in your experience is that the Fidelio had very clearly harsh/sibilant highs to me.
There are two tracks I use to test sibilance of highs. One is the "boa Sorte" of Vanessa de Mata with Ben Harper, where at about 2:05 till 2:30 or something she is very sibilant.
The other is the end of Summertime in the version of Morcheeba. There is one moment of clear sibilance.
It is in the record, of course. So it is not 100% a fault of the headphones, they cannot change the record.
But I have 0 sibilance with the ATH, and hat a LOT with the Fidelio, which were sibilant and harsh on many other music too, as I wrote in my review even at the times when it was my favourite headphone.

 
I  LOVE the ATH's and think of them as something special. For all-around listening, I like the Fidelio's better. Maybe it is my ears or that I'm use to them or have burned them in for 1 year (1/19/2015--but the new pair sound the same)...anywayzzz

Maybe I was wrong about the Def Tech bass. My experience with highly specialized and enhanced FX sound engineering--such as in an action movie--they held up well.

If the source of the sound is low quality Netflix spoken dialogue, then it is what it is. It's what I'm listening to at that moment so I take what I get. I can't EQ Netflix, or I wouldn't bother if I could. I liked the Fidelio better. With the ATH the timbre and tone of the voice (not sibilance) was too much for me.
 
I don't get excessive sibilance (or hissing or buzzing) with the Fidelio's I own. I'm beginning to think maybe they are magical.

Love,

1wyseman
 
Jan 14, 2016 at 2:43 PM Post #1,792 of 3,643
   
I  LOVE the ATH's and think of them as something special. For all-around listening, I like the Fidelio's better. Maybe it is my ears or that I'm use to them or have burned them in for 1 year (1/19/2015--but the new pair sound the same)...anywayzzz

Maybe I was wrong about the Def Tech bass. My experience with highly specialized and enhanced FX sound engineering--such as in an action movie--they held up well.

If the source of the sound is low quality Netflix spoken dialogue, then it is what it is. It's what I'm listening to at that moment so I take what I get. I can't EQ Netflix, or I wouldn't bother if I could. I liked the Fidelio better. With the ATH the timbre and tone of the voice (not sibilance) was too much for me.
 
I don't get excessive sibilance (or hissing or buzzing) with the Fidelio's I own. I'm beginning to think maybe they are magical.

Love,

1wyseman


How long do you have the ATH and how often do you use them? More then the burn-in of the Fidelio I suspect you have burned-in your brain. It is not an offence, it means that people get used to the sound of some given headphones relatively quickly (which is why I always test by comparing). This may accentuate the way you perceive the ATH, yes.
You can anyway also hate them, I would not mind, you know, I respect tastes, but, I was surprised because my experience is the absolute opposite.
 
But I think I understood what you mean, I think your use of harsh confused me because I generally use it for highs.
You may be referring to one of the qualities of the ATH which I have appreciated and liked the most since the beginning, and which is one of the reasons why I have preferred it over the Fidelio: more presence in the mids.
Curious that the same reason made you prefer the Fidelio. I once again suspect that it is due to
1) low quality of Netflix: the same amount of mids in a better quality streaming or recording would have a different effect
2) higher volume on the ATH: put them at same exact volume than the Fidelio and tell me if you perceive them still as harsh/piercing, or if they become just more present and clear. I have had this experience when streaming films. The Fidelio were nicely boomy (I could not EQ streaming in that time) but lacked presence in the mids.
3) spoken dialogue vs music. Yes there is voice in music too, but voice in music does not sound like spoken dialogue in TV, nor photography in Cinema looks like in TV News, right? DIfferent mics, less sofisticated mastering/editing etc...
 
I have compared the Fidelio with a lot of Headphones, because they were my N°1 for long time. I have found very few headphones with more sibilance on the highs. It was not noticeable in all music or I would have not liked them so much.
But once again, it may be due not to magic but to the difference between our ears and the material we listen to.
 
There is no "wrong", as people perceive things differently, so there is just different.
But if you, with the bassy Fidelio and bassy B&W and the not bassy but with extreme bass potential ATH can feel that the Def Tech have a strong bass, I am now even more curious to try them.
If you still have them, could you do some comparisons between them, the Fidelio and the ATH, with Foobar, without and with magic push in the bass with the Real Bass Exciter and EQ, now that you have downloaded that? With different kind of bassy music.
So you could say how good is the bass of the Def Tec out of the box, and potentially.
 
Jan 14, 2016 at 6:26 PM Post #1,793 of 3,643
Maybe it's my ears, but I haven't heard hissing or buzzing sounds in any of these headphones, including the Fidelios. (I have 2 pairs of them.) 

The Def Tech Symphony 1's would be a good choice. I think everything about their sound would work for you. They are quite large and on the heavy side, but with large accommodating ear cups. Lots of sound isolation even with the ANC turned off. They will handle big movie sound designs--one of my favorite things to do.

I was going to say the ATH WS99BT would be fantastic for the big scenes, but I have found them to be very harsh and piercing on spoken dialogue. They have a great capacity for pushing the volume, but that might be a disadvantage if they're pushing everything else too much. I spend a lot of time streaming Netflix TV shows/marathons and just this morning I had to switch out the ATH's for my trusty Fidelio's, which happen to be sitting here from yesterday's comparison, and it was such a relief to get back to natural, clear dialogue--even on a small show such as "Moran" (Mark Moran). You would have to switch out the earpads on the ATH's if you chose them.

The B&W P5's are similar to the Fidelio's; great bass and everything else. They would probably be the best for lying down, too. Small ear pads, low profile arms. (What do you call the things that hold the cans to the headband? The adjustable part.) Lightweight, snug but comfortable. Pricey.

I have the Def Tech's on now. I forgot about the spring loaded whatchya-ma-call-its. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. When you take them off, the speakers retract back to the starting position. Yes, these are big and they slide back off your head when you lie back. The Lincoln Continentals.

Wait, I just re-read your post. Who said anything about lying down? Sorry. Well, now ya know...

Sennheiser Momentum 2--excellent choice for what you want, but $$$.

B&O BeoPlay H8 would be great choice--very similar to the Fidelio's and B&W P5's plus ANC. Small, compact and comfortable. Great bass. It would be a shame to waste their gorgeou$ne$$ watching movies in the dark.

I agree with you about the Denon's. I really want to like them more and can't figure out why I don't.

The Fidelio's are my go-to choice; I don't hear any hissing--ever. And I can hear a watch ticking from across the room.


The high pitch buzzing on the Fidelio's was quite a low volume but still enough to be quite distracting. I've found reviews from others mentioning the same issue so it's definitely not just a problem with the ones I've had. It doesn't happen when wired and it's only in the right ear piece, I'm guessing it's something to do with the amplifier? I've tried them with various equipment and sources and the problem always remained!

As far as hiss, I've experienced it with every bluetooth headphone I've tried. It varies from very bad to barely noticeable, the best being the Sony XB950bt's and the worst the very cheap August EP650's!

Getting technical then according to Bill-P "the hiss is due to there not being enough negative feedback to suppress it. More negative feedback = more current to the circuit (this is independent of current to headphone) = less battery life. So it's more of a "battery life saving" feature."

On some headphones you'll notice the hiss immediately once they've made connection on others it will only become apparent once the audio starts.

When I connect my Sony XB950's I hear a very low hiss straight away but it remains low even when the audio starts. With the Fidelio's I can hear the tiniest hiss (probably not noticeable to most) once they connect but as soon as the audio starts the hiss becomes much more noticeable! Again this is with multiple sources and varying equipment.

If you get the chance please try and find a movie where there's complete silence other than dialogue (sometimes the headphones will momentarily switch off the amp when there's no audio registered) and see if you can notice the hiss? A couple of good films to test this is close to the start of 'The Guest' when the family have just left the house and the clock is ticking (the clock keeps the audio going but makes it very easy to hear the hiss). The 2nd film is 'Edge of Tomorrow', again close to the start of the film when they're talking in the office.

I've tried the ATH WS99BT's but as I'm not able to EQ them I find they lack the bass I'm after.

I would like to try the Momentums but they're a bit too expensive, although if they were exactly what I was looking for then they would probably be worth it!

The H8's and P5's are both on ear which I'm a little put off by. I know the Fidelio's are too but this was another reason for not totally falling in love with them, they were pretty comfy for on ear but nothing compared to my XB950's!
 
Jan 14, 2016 at 6:46 PM Post #1,794 of 3,643
I've tried the ATH WS99BT's but as I'm not able to EQ them I find they lack the bass I'm after.

I would like to try the Momentums but they're a bit too expensive, although if they were exactly what I was looking for then they would probably be worth it!

The H8's and P5's are both on ear which I'm a little put off by. I know the Fidelio's are too but this was another reason for not totally falling in love with them, they were pretty comfy for on ear but nothing compared to my XB950's!

Can you elaborate "I am not able to EQ them"?
 
It is difficult to know which kind and amount of bass you are looking for. Maybe you can make a list of what you have tried and an example of one or two songs which you have used to test the bass, and a description of how those headphones sounded to you (basswise), and I can tell you something more.
Although we kind of talked already.
 
The momentum (over) have a nice but not so powerful bass, it is more rumbling than punchy and a little boomy, but if you like the 950 you like boomy. The momentum cannot reach the amount of bass of the 950 with bass boost active. But can be pushed a bit, and perform IMMENSELY better than the 950 in all the rest of the spectrum (on the bass also, qualitatively speaking).
 
The H8 are very comfortable and have a similar bass than the Fidelio with some more upper mids which give them a nice warmth. I still prefer the Fidelio though. Specially in the bass.
 
The UE9000 can be very much what you are looking for, they have almost identical bass than the Fidelio, with some rolling off in the highs. They are a bit heavy though.
 
Jan 14, 2016 at 8:53 PM Post #1,795 of 3,643
Can you elaborate "I am not able to EQ them"?

It is difficult to know which kind and amount of bass you are looking for. Maybe you can make a list of what you have tried and an example of one or two songs which you have used to test the bass, and a description of how those headphones sounded to you (basswise), and I can tell you something more.
Although we kind of talked already.

The momentum (over) have a nice but not so powerful bass, it is more rumbling than punchy and a little boomy, but if you like the 950 you like boomy. The momentum cannot reach the amount of bass of the 950 with bass boost active. But can be pushed a bit, and perform IMMENSELY better than the 950 in all the rest of the spectrum (on the bass also, qualitatively speaking).

The H8 are very comfortable and have a similar bass than the Fidelio with some more upper mids which give them a nice warmth. I still prefer the Fidelio though. Specially in the bass.

The UE9000 can be very much what you are looking for, they have almost identical bass than the Fidelio, with some rolling off in the highs. They are a bit heavy though.


Hi Giogio,

Thanks for the input, we talked a while back and your advise was very helpful then also! : )

As I'm using a 3.5mm transmitter via the tv I'm unable to use any EQ software so the headphones need to sound right straight out of the box!

I have made a comparison of the 15 I've tried already which you can find on page 104!

I too prefer some quality to the bass and I certainly wouldn't say I was a fan of boomy bass. The Fidelio's and the UE9000's both have almost perfect bass to my ears, very clean, pretty punchy and fantastic sub bass!

The reason I rate my XB950's so high is that they have the least amount of hiss, are the most comfortable out of every other pair I've tried, have a lovely smooth warm character and and they go very low! I admit they can sound boomy and they do have a tendency to eat the mids but this is improved a lot by the mods! If only I could take all the positives of the 950's and the Fidelio's, put them together and I'd have the perfect headphone!

I agree the UE9000's sounded great but they also had a lot of hiss probably not helped by the ANC (shame it couldn't be turned off!). They were also incredibly uncomfortable, very heavy, solid rubber headband, poorly shaped ear piece and not the softest of foam!

I'm quite liking the sound of the H8's if your saying they're similar in sound to the Fidelio's and that they are also very comfortable!...it also helps that they look great! I may see if I can demo them at one of their stores as Amazon are starting to get a little funny about all my returns!! : /
 
Jan 14, 2016 at 10:28 PM Post #1,796 of 3,643
As I'm using a 3.5mm transmitter via the tv I'm unable to use any EQ software so the headphones need to sound right straight out of the box!
There may be devices which can be connected between TV and 3.5 Trasmitter. MAY. No idea.
The reason I rate my XB950's so high is that they have the least amount of hiss
yes, but also the least amount of highs...
I'm quite liking the sound of the H8's if your saying they're similar in sound to the Fidelio's and that they are also very comfortable!..
The difference is mostly that the bass on the H8 is a bit less fat and a bit darker, affecting some of the low-mids although without a real muddiness. The highs were less harsh. There is hiss with ANC but as far as I remember there was almost none without ANC. And as said, more upper mids. Yes have found them as comfortable as the Fidelio. Not as much as the M2AEBT (which I now remember, I have also written that they have very few hiss). I personally consider the M2AEBT a much superior headphone. The rolled off highs and the smooth yet warm mids will also help a lot in avoiding the kind of harshness 1wyseman talks about. The H8 could have a bit of that, depending on how sensible are you to it. I have read your comparison. Nice done. Although you may have been more clear in stating that the ATH lack sub-bass only out of the box (yes I know, they do not have the dense rumble of the Fidelio, but this does not mean they lack sub bass. And very few headphones have THAT dense sub-bass.). I am also remembering I have tested the Parrot Zik 2 and been very pleased with their bass! It is stronger with ANC on, and the ANC does add some hiss, but it can be set at min or max and at min the hiss is less. Anyway, you may just not use ANC and EQ them, they have integrated DSP processor which you can setup with your iPhone, and the settings stay stored in the phone! It may be a very nice choice. Only downside, they have no Aptx, this MAY mean some audio/video delay. Another one which you may want to try are the coming soon Avantree Audition Pro. They have also a forward rumbling bass, warm mids, a bit rolled off highs, are light and comfortable enough, you can adapt the HM5 on them (although with different results than on the ATH) and they are Aptx Lox Latency (in case your transmitter is the Priva, which btw I suggest you to upgrade to the Priva2, see their website for a comparison).

 
Jan 15, 2016 at 3:01 AM Post #1,797 of 3,643
Well... it looks like my work is done here!
 
No, you've both given me home work to do, so I'll get busy. I jumped into the deep end and muddied the waters. Now I'm going back to the shallow end. 
ph34r.gif

 
Jan 15, 2016 at 5:16 AM Post #1,798 of 3,643


Yeah, I tried using a compact 9 band equaliser between the tv and transmitter but as I suspected it added even more delay rendering it unusable!

I don't mind the highs too much on the XB950's, there still seems (imo) to be a nice quality to them and it avoids any piercing sound during loud action sequences in movies!

As I'm after the similar kind of sub bass of the Fidelio's the H8's do seem the better option over the m2aebt's although their comfort is tempting!

Yeah the lack of aptx on the Parrot's puts me off a bit!

The Aventree's sound very interesting! It looks like they even have a built in bass boost like the XB950's! I'm guessing you were sent a demo if they haven't been released yet?

I hear you'll be demoing the 1-abt's soon? I'm absolutely sure you'll love them! They have the comfort and low hiss of the XB950's and the same smooth warm sound but they are much more forward and involving with very clear mids and crystal highs! They don't have quite as much sub bass as I'd like but the bass in general is very good! For me the highs were to much for loud action movies but for music they're great!
 
Jan 15, 2016 at 7:17 AM Post #1,800 of 3,643
Yeah, I tried using a compact 9 band equaliser between the tv and transmitter but as I suspected it added even more delay rendering it unusable!

As I'm after the similar kind of sub bass of the Fidelio's the H8's do seem the better option over the m2aebt's although their comfort is tempting!

Yeah the lack of aptx on the Parrot's puts me off a bit!

The Avantree's sound very interesting! It looks like they even have a built in bass boost like the XB950's! I'm guessing you were sent a demo if they haven't been released yet?

I hear you'll be demoing the 1-abt's soon? I'm absolutely sure you'll love them!


Which kind of EQ was it?
Does your tv have a setting to compensate the delay? Some have it.
 
I would try the three of them if you can. Maybe you like the bass of the Sennheiser more than enough and all the rest of them much more. Maybe the H8 have hiss. Maybe the Parrot sound the best to you (also due to the EQ) and to not give you delay.
But be careful with Amazon. The risk they close your account is real. And do not use there the same Nick you have here. They are watching us
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Yes Avantree sent me a unit to test. No, they have not a built in bass boost, you cannot activate it or not and the boost is not as much as the 950 (thanks God). It is "just" a medium quality bassy bt headphone. But it may end being what you want, making you save a lot of $, and giving you no delay at all.
I can test the hiss if you are interested. I can't notice any hiss.
I have also tried them with both the normal leatherette and the hybrid version of the HM5. I suggest you the leatherette for these headphones. And I would buy also the angled version of the leatherette. You can return (eventually buy directly from MP4Nation).
Yes I think you should definitely try the A-Pro.
 
I am working on that, Sony is a bit more strict with test units, I would have much more success if I would open a blog or a youtube channel.
And I asked for both a 1ABT and either a mobile or a walkman with LDAC, because I am not going to test the 1ABT without LDAC, it is almost pointless.
 

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