[disambiguated]

Right - I'm on OSX and iOS, but that oughtn't to matter.
 
I haven't received a complaint, per se, but someone with whom I speak regularly commented that while I remained intelligible, the quality of the audio from the M2W mics wasn't as good as the quality from the 8-year-old Shure iPhone extension cable mic.  I hadn't told him I was using a new headset, so that was a useful indicator.
 
As far as hearing people goes, no issues at all, so far.  The voice quality on the far end (from my perspective) is fine.
 
My experiences with Skype Test and recording my own voice with Voice Recorder on iOS and Audacity on OSX confirmed a difference, and even the Sennheiser rep did note that he could hear a difference - and that was with me using the M2Ws wired via USB in DAC mode.
 
I don't want to send these back and go through the RMA hassle if I'm not going to get a significant improvement in voice comms quality. 
 
FWIW, the mic in my Parrot Zik 1.0 also sounds 'hollow' compared to using the the Shure mic cable.  Maybe the simple fact is that Bluetooth audio quality for voice comms just isn't that great?  I've used others (mainly Jabra) in the past, and never received any complaints, FWIW.
 
It would be very helpful if you could examine and compare the REV01 box and documentation with the REV02 box and documentation.  Also, if you could have a look at the Bluetooth information per my original post, and compare it to yours with the new replacement headphones.
 
Thanks much!

 

[zambz]

After many more hours of listening and tweaking with EQ, sadly, the Momentums never reach the level of the Shure SRH-840s I own.  Probably the only advantage of them over the Shure's is the extended bass response and obviously the build quality & portability.
 
But in terms of sound, my Shure SRH-840s are far and away the better sounding of the two.
 
The treble of the Momentums is really where the problem lies for me, and it seems that no amount of EQ can bring back that sparkle I hear on my studio speakers and the Shures.  It's simply rolled off, you can't boost something that's not there.
 
Boosting the highs does help a lot, don't get me wrong, but it simply never gets me to the level of clarity of the Shures.
 
I found some various measurements of the Momentums which sadly confirm that the highs are completely rolled off on these:
 

 

 
Sadly, the V-Modas are even further away from that wonderful studio sound that I love on the Shures, and the Oppos are also rolled off in the highs too, which makes them sound dull and lifeless with a smaller soundstage.
 
Of all these headphones, the Shure SRH-840s also have the widest soundstage too.

 

[LordWormwood]

Hey @zambz ,
 
Isn't the Momentum a headphone which is designed for out in the public world while the Shure you are referencing are more of a studio unit? I have the first gen of the momentum and they are great for out and about plus the office but not a patch on my old Q701 (which are for the desktop).
 
Wormwood

 

[zambz]

  Hey @zambz ,
 
Isn't the Momentum a headphone which is designed for out in the public world while the Shure you are referencing are more of a studio unit? I have the first gen of the momentum and they are great for out and about plus the office but not a patch on my old Q701 (which are for the desktop).
 
Wormwood

 
Yeah, you're right.  The Q701s are also closer to the sound I like also.  Having listened to studio monitors with ribbon tweeters for the last 11 years, I think that I'm really used to that crisp sound signature now and prefer it even for portable listening
 
There are some closed back portable headphones with a closer sound though.  I think the AKG K551s definitely were more focused on the mid and treble, but I haven't heard tho K545 which also had a little more bass and refinement (apparently).
 
I'm thinking of checking out the Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H6 to see what they're like and possibly the AKGs.

 

[wanderingsounds]

WIW, the mic in my Parrot Zik 1.0 also sounds 'hollow' compared to using the the Shure mic cable.  Maybe the simple fact is that Bluetooth audio quality for voice comms just isn't that great?  I've used others (mainly Jabra) in the past, and never received any complaints, FWIW.

 
That's it. Bluetooth headset mics just suck in general. My M2 Wireless mic here is not amazing either, it's just barely good enough. I made Quicktime recordings to compare it with a Logitech B910 webcam mic and a V-Moda Boom Pro mic. The difference between the M2 Wireless mic and the V-Moda boom pro mic is gigantic. Even the webcam's mic is much better.
 
When I use the M2 wireless with my Mac, I use the webcam mic for calls (the boom pro mic is wired, can't use with the M2 wireless). The M2 wireless mic is used only as a last resort option.

 

[disambiguated]

>When I use the M2 wireless with my Mac, I use the webcam mic for calls (the boom pro mic is wired, can't use with the M2 wireless).
 
The problem is that all my colleagues have heard me for so long using the Shure mic, that when I've tried using the MacBook Air mic, they all ask what happened to my mic, heh.

 

[n00b2]

   
Yeah, you're right.  The Q701s are also closer to the sound I like also.  Having listened to studio monitors with ribbon tweeters for the last 11 years, I think that I'm really used to that crisp sound signature now and prefer it even for portable listening
 
There are some closed back portable headphones with a closer sound though.  I think the AKG K551s definitely were more focused on the mid and treble, but I haven't heard tho K545 which also had a little more bass and refinement (apparently).
 
I'm thinking of checking out the Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H6 to see what they're like and possibly the AKGs.

 
If you think you would like the AKG's you listed you should consider getting the AKG K845BT. They basically have the same sound profile as the K545, a little bit of a bass boost compared to the K550 but it is as close to a studio bluetooth headphone as you will get. Basically sounds exactly the same as the K545 when wired and not much different when wireless.

 

[zambz]

   
If you think you would like the AKG's you listed you should consider getting the AKG K845BT. They basically have the same sound profile as the K545, a little bit of a bass boost compared to the K550 but it is as close to a studio bluetooth headphone as you will get. Basically sounds exactly the same as the K545 when wired and not much different when wireless.

 
Thanks so much, I will definitely check these out!

 

[n00b2]

   
Thanks so much, I will definitely check these out!

No problem. Also if you want bluetooth headphones with ANC check out the Definitive Technology Symphony 1. They also have a very balanced and neutral sound profile though they are a little warmer and less analytical than the AKG's. Turning on the ANC does tend to give a slight bass boost as well.

 

[zambz]

 

No problem. Also if you want bluetooth headphones with ANC check out the Definitive Technology Symphony 1. They also have a very balanced and neutral sound profile though they are a little warmer and less analytical than the AKG's. Turning on the ANC does tend to give a slight bass boost as well.

 
To be honest, I don't care for Bluetooth.  My Momentums are the wired version and I avoid Bluetooth to my Hi-Fi system too because it's lossy.  So any good wired alternative is what I'm after.  I found a place nearby with the H6s which I will be checking out tomorrow.  Only worried a bit about their bass response, but will soon find out.

 

[n00b2]

   
To be honest, I don't care for Bluetooth.  My Momentums are the wired version and I avoid Bluetooth to my Hi-Fi system too because it's lossy.  So any good wired alternative is what I'm after.  I found a place nearby with the H6s which I will be checking out tomorrow.  Only worried a bit about their bass response, but will soon find out.

 
Fair enough. I always think it's handy to have the option if the bluetooth model basically sounds the same as the wired model when run wired.

 

[wanderingsounds]

  The problem is that all my colleagues have heard me for so long using the Shure mic, that when I've tried using the MacBook Air mic, they all ask what happened to my mic, heh.

 
I know what you mean, I often do calls with with another pair of headphones in order to be able to use the boom pro mic for proper mic quality - I'm not recommending the webcam mic as the solution, it's just what I've found to acceptably work for me when I want to hear via the M2 wireless, given the set up that I have.
 
One other solution you may want to consider is finding a good uni-directional mic for when you need crystal-clear voice quality.

 

[samandhi]

  Right - I'm on OSX and iOS, but that oughtn't to matter.
 
I haven't received a complaint, per se, but someone with whom I speak regularly commented that while I remained intelligible, the quality of the audio from the M2W mics wasn't as good as the quality from the 8-year-old Shure iPhone extension cable mic.  I hadn't told him I was using a new headset, so that was a useful indicator.
 
As far as hearing people goes, no issues at all, so far.  The voice quality on the far end (from my perspective) is fine.
 
My experiences with Skype Test and recording my own voice with Voice Recorder on iOS and Audacity on OSX confirmed a difference, and even the Sennheiser rep did note that he could hear a difference - and that was with me using the M2Ws wired via USB in DAC mode.
 
I don't want to send these back and go through the RMA hassle if I'm not going to get a significant improvement in voice comms quality. 
 
FWIW, the mic in my Parrot Zik 1.0 also sounds 'hollow' compared to using the the Shure mic cable.  Maybe the simple fact is that Bluetooth audio quality for voice comms just isn't that great?  I've used others (mainly Jabra) in the past, and never received any complaints, FWIW.
 
It would be very helpful if you could examine and compare the REV01 box and documentation with the REV02 box and documentation.  Also, if you could have a look at the Bluetooth information per my original post, and compare it to yours with the new replacement headphones.
 
Thanks much!

  I just received my news ones but I haven't had the chance to do any talking on these yet, so I won't comment on that. I also have not had a chance to compare documentation either, but as for the boxes: I have noticed that both say Rev01, but the serial numbers on the new one I received did in fact read 03xxx. The original ones had a serial that began with 05xxx. I have only had time to pair them and listen for a few, walk away to see range, and take a ride in the car for a short hop. These ARE the newer ones. There is no breaks, skips, etc, at all on these. Range is better (by a small margin). I have also noticed that the NC is actually a little better (though not a ton). All this (of course) is not concrete until I have had a chance to use them as daily HPs for a little while.
 
  I would not say that it is a BT thing that makes all voice communications poor (at least for headphones), because I have some Bose AE2W's that (from what I have been told) sound better than even talking through the phone itself (etc... etc... etc...). Don't take this as definitive proof because I have not recorded and listened for myself. This is just from remembering that people have told me that talking through the Bose (though they didn't know it at the time) sounded really good and clear. 
 
  For anyone that is interested (though I cannot comment on wireless connection because my old ones don't work) they sound identical in wired mode. I can only assume that is also true when in wireless mode. At least they seem like they do, but you know how human memory is; it can trick you sometimes. 

 

[disambiguated]

I agree - I believe that the mics in the M2Ws are inferior, given that they don't sound that great when used in wired USB DAC mode, either.

The mics in my Parrot Zik 1.0s also sound 'hollow' when compared to the simple cardioid mic in my 8-year-old, $30 Shure iPhone 3.5mm extension cable, heh.

Thanks for the update! If you could record yourself (or use the Skype Test Call service) on the M2Ws via Bluetooth, I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts in re voice comms audio quality.

Thanks again!

 

[jvannistelrooy]

I recieved my M2W yesterday.

Tested bluetooth and haven't had issues so far. The range is a couple of meters like expected. It paired easily with my Mac and iPhone and there were no skips in a busy riding train. I haven't tested it in very busy areas outside yet. Update: Today I noticed little cracks in the music when the M2s are automatically pared to my Mac (Yosemite). It seems to be solved when I disconnect/connect from my Mac (instead of turning the headphones themselves off/on to reconnect). Not sure why it happens, but it looks like an OS X issue, not a M2W issue.

However, I too have the microphone problem. I recorded myself on my MacBook Pro, and the sound is barely good enough te make myself understandable. It is definitely not good enough to make calls for work, which is a shame for such an expensive pair of headphones.