[beowulf]

that's a great question for both 1000X and PXC550, unfortunately only time will be able to answer it .

PU "leather" never lasts long. It can be softer and more comfy than real leather but that is the drawback. With some care it can probably last long enough for the tech/battery becoming obsolete first.

 

[dweaver]

So it's a race between the PU and the battery then .

 

[Graham Baker]

That's probably exactly right, I dont think these hi-tech ANC devices are built to last more than a couple of years at most, by then you will be 3 models behind and will be needing something new anyway...
When my QC35's have expired they wont be replaced, my B&W P7W's should still be working, even if the battery has died they will sound just as good (even better) plugged in and the sheepskin leather should still be good, if my 4yr old P5's are any sort of guide.
In 2 or 3 yrs the ANC situation should have improved, the audio from my passive NC P7's will be just as good and probably can't be improved by very much, other than better BT wireless improvements in the next generations to come....

 

[mchurgin]

Battery Life ?
 
How long do you get, or should expect to get, using these around the house for an hour or two a day, having to turn them on and off a few times and not running continuously like you would on a long travel trip.
 
Was very hard to actually measure the time but my experience has been about 16-18 hrs. with that type of use. I charged them twice over a 10 day period. Charged them a little while after they reached the 20% (low indicator) on iPhone. I would guess there is about 3hrs left once it hits low.
 
Does anyone have more detailed experience?

 

[theveterans]

14 hours on 2/3 of max volume for me

 

[mchurgin]

14 hours on 2/3 of max volume for me

Thanks. I run about 50-55% volume except for some old stuff from the 70's need to push it up to 75-80% on iPhone 6. Wanted to make sure I was in normal operating range.
 
At what point do you recharge?

 

[A.Mir]

Just had a quick listen to the 1000X and the QC35 at the store. Didn't have enough time to test them thoroughly so it was done very quickly - same goes for all the features both headphones posses.

Both headphones were very comfortable to wear and maybe QC35 was slighty ahead in this area. That Alcantara headband is just so comfortable and the cups are also slightly softer. It's also a big plus in my book that you can replace the leather pads on the cups on the QC35. I don't think that's possible with the 1000X? But really - the units will probably die before the ear pads and headband do anyway.

The extra weight of the 1000X didn't bother me at all - couldn't really tell the difference to be honest but I will still say that the QC35 is slighty ahead in terms of comfort.

However, the NC was better on the SONY. Voices went through quite easily on the QC35 - not with the SONY. Didn't play with the various types of NC features the SONY has - except the feature where you hold your hand on the right cup to momentarily disable NC. Really neat feature!

In terms of audio quality the QC35 sounded quite - ehm, wrong? I don't know. Maybe I just need to adjust to its sound signature. The SONY sounded better right of the bat. Especially with the lows.

I need to listen to both headphones again under better circumstances to form a conclusion.

One thing that bothers me with both models is the absence of an in-line control. I mean, what the hell?

 

[beowulf]

One thing that bothers me with both models is the absence of an in-line control. I mean, what the hell?

Interesting opinion on the comparison with the QC35, thanks for sharing.

Regarding the in-line controls, you don't really need them because the touch panel on the 1000X allows all that control (volume, rw, fw, pause, pickup call, hangup, mute..)

Takes a while to get used to the gestures on the earcup but after that it's way more accurate and handy than any in-line controls.

 

[dweaver]

Interesting opinion on the comparison with the QC35, thanks for sharing.

Regarding the in-line controls, you don't really need them because the touch panel on the 1000X allows all that control (volume, rw, fw, pause, pickup call, hangup, mute..)

Takes a while to get used to the gestures on the earcup but after that it's way more accurate and handy than any in-line controls.

the gestures probably only work in BT mode versus cabled.

 

[A.Mir]

December will be quite interesting. B&O (Bang & Olufsen) just announced a new headphone - BeoPlay H9, around ear.
Looks sexy but also quite beefy.

I just love that they use real lambskin leather instead of PU and use metal instead of plastic.

14 hours of operating time on a single charge is quite low though. Hopefully the battery is replaceable like on the H7 (and H8?).

The Danish retail price is just quite ridiculous though. USD 540. Ouch!

 

[Bobpaule]

Can someone tell what country these were made in? Thank You.

 

[RedOctober01]

  Can someone tell what country these were made in? Thank You.

 
You mean the MDR-1000X? Mine were made in Malaysia.

 

[cpauya]

  Can someone tell what country these were made in? Thank You.

It says "Made in Malaysia" in my unit too.

 

[stetre76]

Just had a quick listen to the 1000X and the QC35 at the store. Didn't have enough time to test them thoroughly so it was done very quickly - same goes for all the features both headphones posses.

Thanks for sharing your comparison of the Sony and the Bose. 
 
Actually I was comparing them as well, just some days ago, but I came to a different conclusion. 
 
I've tried the Sony in two different stores, but have to mention that they both weren't out of the box, but have been on display for some time already. 
I paired them (both times) with my Nexus 6P and had the chance to test them with the set-up I normally use and with the music I listen too (Foo Fighters - Learn to Fly; Florence & the Machine -Shake it out;  Creed,...).
 
As I've been follwoing this thread for some time, my expectation were rather high, but I have to admit I was rather disappointed.
The Sony sounded, I don't know, not right - it wasn't affected by the clicking in the left earpiece, but the music at 50% volume was very blurry and the bass didn't sound right either. 
My wife tried them on as well, and she didn't like what she heard either.
 
The Bose QC35 on the other hand sounded way better, quite clear, the bass not too exicting though, but altogether better than the Sony. 
 
This came as a surprise to me, as, after reading here on both the Bose and the Sony, I expected the results to be different. 
 
It might be that the Sonys on display weren't working as they should, but having the same not too good experience in two different stores made me decide against the Sony headphones (for now). 

 

[rotor2k]

Wow, £429 for the H9. It looks amazing, will be very interesting to see the reviews...