[Onetwothree]

I auditioned and purchased them at the PD store in Beverly Hills today. Going to put them through some initial paces tomorrow AM on a flight and do some A/Bing with the H8. I would not have bought 'em if they sounded bad auditioning them. More later ... need to be up super early.

Awesome. Looking forward to hearing your impressions. Question, can you use the noise isolating feature without the cable plugged in? And what type of passive isolation do you get with these?

 

[FenderP]

Question, can you use the noise isolating feature without the cable plugged in? And what type of passive isolation do you get with these?

 
Yes, you can use them without the cable plugged in.
 
As for passive isolation, forget it on something like a plane - same with any pair of headphones. I have yet to audition a pair of headphones that worked. I'm sitting in the hotel now and it's taking a little of the HVAC sound away so passive isn't completely useless. If you are judging these - or the H8 - on passive isolation, they wouldn't be anyone's choice if you want a passive blocker.
 
Now, I don't work in nor would I use these on anything other than a plane or travel, so maybe they are better than I paint in a work environment. I'd never know.
 
Turning on NC on the Space One does eliminate that low end rumble/rattle of the HVAC.

 

[FenderP]

My initial thoughts and definitely not a formal review after a flight from LAX to SEA and using these a little bit in different hotel rooms versus the Beoplay H8 which I've used since they came out in early 2015.In other words, the H8 is a pair of headphones I know very well and this year alone have already used on a lot of flights
 
1. So far, I find them very comfortable (not that the H8 isn't). It will be interesting to do Seattle to London with these - will my ears get hot (a typical thing for me with over ears for prolonged use) or annoyed (as they usually do with on ear on long flights) after 3 or 4 hours? I will update accordingly.
2. NC is good, but not Sony MDR-1000X/Bose QC35 good. That isn't a bad thing at all, just setting proper expectations. I would say it's at least as effective as the H8, which like the H8, is impressive for a version one. They both sound slightly different with regards to how they implement NC (more on that in a minute, especially as I talk about sound quality). The Space One does better with low rumble, whereas the H8 is good there and fliters out some of the higher stuff slightly better (the Space One leaves some of that ... again more in a second on that). Overall I'd say they both are fairly equivalent from a NC standpoint, which to say is very serviceable on a plane. It's not going to drown out everything and completely isolate you.
3. I didn't notice any typical NC "suck" i.e. pressure. The H8 has very little of it compared to most headphones I've tried, but I don't notice it on the Space One at all.
4. The Space One's sound quality (always subjective) is excellent both with and without NC on. Keep in mind source and material will help or hurt. I used a mix of compressed music as well as hi-rez (mixture of 48/24, 96/24, and 192/24), and that ranged mainly over rock and jazz
 
Soundstage is nice and wide how I like things. The H8 is wide, but these are wider. KEF tuned these really well. In fact, there is very little (if any) difference between NC on and off which is quite a feat. Very few NC headphones I have owned have achieved that, and therein lies the tradeoff. I think they could have made the NC better, but it would have affected the sound much more - especially on the top end. As much as I really like the H8, with NC on, it's still got that weird-ish high end sometimes that plagues NC cans regardless of compressed or uncompressed music. Things like cymbals sound better so far on the Space One - it was one of the things I noticed in the store. While I've noticed it, the H8s have some "scooping" going on with regards to tuning, especially in the upper range which is a touch off compared to the Space One. In other words, like I said above, NC is good (again, with a very small sampling size), but it's not going to block out everything a plane throws at you. With music on or listening to the in-flight entertainment system you may not even notice to be honest.
 
So far, one of the biggest - and surprising - differences I've noticed in my limited listening is that the H8s sound flat and boxed in compared to the Space One. One is that the PF/KEF has more lower bass extension (I don't listen to EDM so I can't fully test these to the extreme), but when songs come on that utilize a 5- or 6-string bass guitar, you feel it more but not in a bloated mess kind of way. Even with a 4-string upright, on a song like "Oska T" (from John Beasley's Monk'estra Vol. 1 album - 96/24) has more extension and body. Another great example is the song "Droned" from Phil Collins' Face Value (96/24). It's not weird or artifical. By comparison, the H8s have slightly more mid-bass vs. low bass, so they're slightly more accurate (ever so ... not a ton; the KEF is still accurate without being mushy like a lot of bass I've heard such as on many Sony headphones which often have that weird upper register suck). Horns sound natural, and so does piano. It even handles classical well from the limited amount I sampled.
 
My two biggest gripes at the moment:
1. I wish, like B&O, they used real leather and not synthetic. For $420 USD, I doubt it would have added that much to the cost.
2. The mechanism for accessing the battery door for the AAA is horrible and one of the stupidest things I've seen in a design. What were they thinking? I'll expound on that in a formal review.
 
I'm looking forward to comparing these to the Sony 1000X in London on this trip, and then next month, against the Beoplay H9.
 
More as things develop

 

[Onetwothree]

My initial thoughts and definitely not a formal review after a flight from LAX to SEA and using these a little bit in different hotel rooms versus the Beoplay H8 which I've used since they came out in early 2015.In other words, the H8 is a pair of headphones I know very well and this year alone have already used on a lot of flights

1. So far, I find them very comfortable (not that the H8 isn't). It will be interesting to do Seattle to London with these - will my ears get hot (a typical thing for me with over ears for prolonged use) or annoyed (as they usually do with on ear on long flights) after 3 or 4 hours? I will update accordingly.
2. NC is good, but not Sony MDR-1000X/Bose QC35 good. That isn't a bad thing at all, just setting proper expectations. I would say it's at least as effective as the H8, which like the H8, is impressive for a version one. They both sound slightly different with regards to how they implement NC (more on that in a minute, especially as I talk about sound quality). The Space One does better with low rumble, whereas the H8 is good there and fliters out some of the higher stuff slightly better (the Space One leaves some of that ... again more in a second on that). Overall I'd say they both are fairly equivalent from a NC standpoint, which to say is very serviceable on a plane. It's not going to drown out everything and completely isolate you.
3. I didn't notice any typical NC "suck" i.e. pressure. The H8 has very little of it compared to most headphones I've tried, but I don't notice it on the Space One at all.
4. The Space One's sound quality (always subjective) is excellent both with and without NC on. Keep in mind source and material will help or hurt. I used a mix of compressed music as well as hi-rez (mixture of 48/24, 96/24, and 192/24), and that ranged mainly over rock and jazz

Soundstage is nice and wide how I like things. The H8 is wide, but these are wider. KEF tuned these really well. In fact, there is very little (if any) difference between NC on and off which is quite a feat. Very few NC headphones I have owned have achieved that, and therein lies the tradeoff. I think they could have made the NC better, but it would have affected the sound much more - especially on the top end. As much as I really like the H8, with NC on, it's still got that weird-ish high end sometimes that plagues NC cans regardless of compressed or uncompressed music. Things like cymbals sound better so far on the Space One - it was one of the things I noticed in the store. While I've noticed it, the H8s have some "scooping" going on with regards to tuning, especially in the upper range which is a touch off compared to the Space One. In other words, like I said above, NC is good (again, with a very small sampling size), but it's not going to block out everything a plane throws at you. With music on or listening to the in-flight entertainment system you may not even notice to be honest.

So far, one of the biggest - and surprising - differences I've noticed in my limited listening is that the H8s sound flat and boxed in compared to the Space One. One is that the PF/KEF has more lower bass extension (I don't listen to EDM so I can't fully test these to the extreme), but when songs come on that utilize a 5- or 6-string bass guitar, you feel it more but not in a bloated mess kind of way. Even with a 4-string upright, on a song like "Oska T" (from John Beasley's Monk'estra Vol. 1 album - 96/24) has more extension and body. Another great example is the song "Droned" from Phil Collins' Face Value (96/24). It's not weird or artifical. By comparison, the H8s have slightly more mid-bass vs. low bass, so they're slightly more accurate (ever so ... not a ton; the KEF is still accurate without being mushy like a lot of bass I've heard such as on many Sony headphones which often have that weird upper register suck). Horns sound natural, and so does piano. It even handles classical well from the limited amount I sampled.

My two biggest gripes at the moment:
1. I wish, like B&O, they used real leather and not synthetic. For $420 USD, I doubt it would have added that much to the cost.
2. The mechanism for accessing the battery door for the AAA is horrible and one of the stupidest things I've seen in a design. What were they thinking? I'll expound on that in a formal review.

I'm looking forward to comparing these to the Sony 1000X in London on this trip, and then next month, against the Beoplay H9.

More as things develop

Thanks for the impressions. Looking forward to the comparison with the Sony 1000x.

 

[JonC]

Excellent summary - thanks! I'm interested in these as BT is not something I care about. I can't figure out why there are no professional reviews for these. Or amateur ones for that matter. Keep the info coming.

 

[FenderP]

Excellent summary - thanks! I'm interested in these as BT is not something I care about. I can't figure out why there are no professional reviews for these. Or amateur ones for that matter. Keep the info coming.

You're welcome. I also don't care about BT or even using these with a phone as a mic/headset, which will be an immediate turn off for many folks. Good luck using your BT headphones with no wire on a plane's IFE system
 
As for reviews, everything I've seen is spotty, but the reality is KEF is a bit player and these literally just came out. Many will dismiss just because of the PD factor. I highly doubt PD had anything to do with these other than the aesthetics.
 
I will definitely update as things progress over the next two weeks on this trip. I may even do something bold - mail my H8s back home and take these only ...

 

[Onetwothree]

Excellent summary - thanks! I'm interested in these as BT is not something I care about. I can't figure out why there are no professional reviews for these. Or amateur ones for that matter. Keep the info coming.

I was wondering the same thing. My guess is that it's because they are wired. People on these forums are now asking for even flagship headphones to be wireless now. A few people complained that Bowers and Wilkins didn't make their new P9 flagship wireless. Bluetooth 5 is being released next year and that's bringing in a bandwidth increase. I don't understand the specs but maybe it'll be enough for uncompressed sound to be transmitted.

 

[FenderP]

I was wondering the same thing. My guess is that it's because they are wired. People on these forums are now asking for even flagship headphones to be wireless now. A few people complained that Bowers and Wilkins didn't make their new P9 flagship wireless. Bluetooth 5 is being released next year and that's bringing in a bandwidth increase. I don't understand the specs but maybe it'll be enough for uncompressed sound to be transmitted.

The 1000X basically does this via LDAC (assuming you have a Sony player that supports that codec) with current BT. Supposedly LDAC is the equivalent of 96/24.

 

[JonC]

Bluetooth 5 is being released next year and that's bringing in a bandwidth increase.

That's why I don't care about BT right now - the technology in my iPhone or the current BT headphones isn't there yet to make BT sound as good as wired. I don't want to pay a premium each month for Tidal and then listen over compressed BT. Though I realize BT is a good compromise for some, just not me - yet. Once BT has been perfected in a few years, I'll worry about getting it.

 

[FenderP]

Just got on the plane to London and did some quick passive comparisons. My initial thoughts are unchanged. With NC on, the same differences exist as before.

More after this flight. I am literally over the wings/engine.

 

[JonC]

Can't wait to hear your thoughts after the long flight.

 

[Ling Vu]

I had a chance to borrow it from my friend and have got it with me more than a week now. It does not have the sound that make you love at first time, but I am getting to love it more day by day, superb details right out of my phone (Tidal Hifi through lightning output using Apple adapter, which has a tiny separate DAC), wide soundstage with accurate reproduction of sound to my ears.

Have not tried the NC as I have not figured out how to open the battery slot yet lol, anybody can give me an instruction?

Actually I did try the NC at Harrods at Porsche Design Store and as FenderP says, not comparable to either 1000x or qc35 but acceptable with no hiss/suction.

 

[FenderP]

I had a chance to borrow it from my friend and have got it with me more than a week now. It does not have the sound that make you love at first time, but I am getting to love it more day by day, superb details right out of my phone (Tidal Hifi through lightning output using Apple adapter, which has a tiny separate DAC), wide soundstage with accurate reproduction of sound to my ears.

 
Mine sounded good from the get-go. I wouldn't have bought if they were just meh - too expensive for that.
 
So after now an additional two flights (Seattle --> London, and London --> Sofia), I can say that the NC is pretty good, but not the best ever. The key is adjusting the headphones just right. I figured out what has been baffling me with these - they're more like on ear due to the big cushioning. That may also be contributing to the NC being closer to the H8. I still think these are subjectively better soncially than the H8, but the H8 is very lightweight and still sounds good.I only used the Space One on the flight today and I didn't feel the need to switch to the H8.
 
I did try the MDR-1000X at Dixon's (upstairs one) in Heathrow T5 for about 15 minutes (it was early, and they were not crowded). They sound good, but the Space One to my ears sounds better. The 1000X are arguably the best Sony NC headphones I've heard, but lack air and presence compared to the Space One. One of the main differences with the H8 came out right away: you can feel it when a bass player goes to the low B string. The tonal spectrum was fairly balanced, and the 1000X had accurate bass (and slightly better mid-bass), but overall presentation seems better on the Space One. The high ends have that weird NC affected thing which most NC cans do. The Space One is amazingly better there to my ears. What brought the over ear/on ear thing in focus is that the 1000X is definitely over ear and my ears fit inside. With the little time I had to test NC in the store, it was clearly better than the Space One or H8 which is no surprise. The hand on ear thing was pretty neat, have to admit.
 
However, in comparing the Space One and H8 to the 1000X, the 1000X feels cheap and flimsy to me. Even though the Space One is not real leather (boo), it feels more premium, and I could see where especially the headband of the 1000X could get uncomfortable after long periods of time. The 1000X was better than the MDR-100ABN which is not hard to do. They didn't sound good at all. That said, at Dixon's prices at Heathrow, the 1000X is about $100 US cheaper than the Space One.
 
Here's how I'd rank the three:
SQ
Space One > H8/1000X (not enough of a sample on the 1000X to say if it's better or worse than the H8)
 
I continue to like how the Space One pairs with the ZX1 so far. They're musical.
 
NC
1000X > H8 > Space One
This one is hard, as the H8 and Space One are more similar than different. We're talking subtle differences. The Space One handles planes fine, but it's not the QC35 or 1000X. NC has come a long way.
 
Comfort
Space One > H8 > 1000X
The Space One is slightly more comfortable than the H8, doesn't have the slight pressure suck, and to date, my ears have not heated up due to wearing them for extended periods. YMMV
 
Would I buy the 1000X? Not sure. I'm going to stick with what I have for now, but when the H9 is introduced, I'll check it out as those will really be over ears. I expect NC to be about the same as the H8, though.
 
I'm still on the original AAAA battery in the Space One. The battery access is its biggest design flaw. To open the battery door, you need to push a small nub in the ear, which I can see someone screwing up and messing up the headphones. Awful design. Whoever did that should have their heads examined. That is a case of form over function.

 

[Ling Vu]

Much thanks to FenderP for your impression, agree with you most of the part including the 1000x review. By the way:

'Bang & Olufsen B & O Play BeoPlay' 1643626 H9 Bluetooth Headphones - Black https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M4NNLMJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_8-OkybCB3SQ53

Amazon UK have the H9 for pre-order for at around £450.Wow. Looks like its the H7 plus ANC (can see that little thing in the picture). If they sound just like the H7 also and the same ANC as H8 (which is pretty much the case I guess), I would not be impressed at all.

 

[FenderP]

Much thanks to FenderP for your impression, agree with you most of the part including the 1000x review. By the way:

'Bang & Olufsen B & O Play BeoPlay' 1643626 H9 Bluetooth Headphones - Black https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M4NNLMJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_8-OkybCB3SQ53

Amazon UK have the H9 for pre-order for at around £450.Wow. Looks like its the H7 plus ANC (can see that little thing in the picture). If they sound just like the H7 also and the same ANC as H8 (which is pretty much the case I guess), I would not be impressed at all.

The US price for the H9 is supposed to be $499, which is fair.
 
Amazon UK jumped the gun on putting it up - it's not officially announced (IIRC, that's coming later this week).