Hello,
Since it's here that I've gathered enough informations about the best bluetooth headphones and aptx, I feel that I need to put here my "review" of the Sony MDR1 ABT.
Honestly, I'm know that I'm kind of alone on this, but it's a disappointment. First, you have to know that the only other bluetooth headphone that I know is the EP650. I love this one in everyway: great sound and very comfortable. Now, since it's a bit cheap, I was interested in buying a real audiophile headphone. I chose the MDR 1ABT, and for the price gap (40 euros vs 270 euros), it's just not worth it.
It's true that the ABT is very comfy. It fits my ears as good as my old EP650, but the earpads are even softer. It has a really sweet look (beautiful packaging too), with a great touch sensor system -- it has also a very small light, which is great for people like me who are used to listening music in the dark (I had to put a big strap on the EP650).
But the sound are definitely not worth the price gap. It's true that the sound is crisper and clearer than the EP650 -- no question ask, we can hear it's better and richer. But it also feels very distant ! The voice of the singer, for exemple, feels too far away from us -- when with my old EP650, I feel like I'm IN the song (like the singer is talking to me).
So 1) even if the Sony MDR1 ABT has a crisper and clearer sound, it's not worth the price gap (though I haven't tried it with LDAC). 2) the weird feeling to not be in the song, and more like a distant analyst, makes me personnaly like even better the EP650. That shouldn't be the case.
So if you prefer to feel in a song, more than to be able to hear it perfectly, avoid the MDR1 ABT.
Now, I don't totally regret my pursue, because 1) it made me realize that when you love something, you should stick with it no matter what. It's ridiculous to think that because there's pricer stuff available, it will always be better. 2) My quest for an audiophile headphones made me discover aptx, and since my EP650 is compatible, well, it's even better now ! Our love is stronger than ever, thank you Sony !
Still, I'm wondering if people feels the same way about this "distance" thing, particulary with the voice, of the MDR1 ABT. I know it's not a supra/circumaural problem, since the EP650 is circum like the MDR1 ABT. Are all the high-end bluetooth audiophiles this way, conceived more to hear perfectly a song on itself, more than to really LIVE it ?