songoftime11
New Head-Fier
Yes I did, but the sound quality drops terribly.
When i demoed a whole range of bluetooth headphones one afternoon the one that stood out for me for sound was the b&o h9i. Rich full sound. However not everyone will find it comfortable.Hello, i have my eyes on these for a while, just looking for the best sounding wireless headphones don't need ANC that much.
Wondering how good are they compared to wired headphones?
I'm currently using HD6XX and MDR1am2, can these at least compete with MDR1am2?
Looking at the measurements alone i prefer the QC35ii, but there are overwhelming good reviews about how good these sound over the QC35ii, the best wireless they say.
ANC is what the XM3 do best. Out-of-the-box sound quality is overwhelmingly bass-heavy, but the sound signature shapes up nicely if you trim the bass with EQ. So to answer your initial question, the XM3 will only compare to those headphones after being EQ’ed. Most of the positive reviews out there are correct in that these headphones are fun to listen to but they ignore just how unbalanced the stock signature is.
The jump from wired to wireless isn’t that big of a deal—most recent wireless headphones sound great, and improve a bit when cabled to a proper source, so you get the best of both worlds. I like ANC because it improves perceived sound quality in noisy situations, but if ANC isn’t something you care about, there are other non-ANC options you could consider from Audio Technica, Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser, Bowers & Wilkins, and more. Or, you could get a Bluetooth dongle and keep using any of your current wired sets.
When i demoed a whole range of bluetooth headphones one afternoon the one that stood out for me for sound was the b&o h9i. Rich full sound. However not everyone will find it comfortable.
Also if anc was important i would not necessarily recommend it. It sounds a fair bit better when anc is off. It sounds more open
A solid bluetooth headphone IF the comfort suits you
If i am listening to the h9i with anc off and then i turn it on then i can feel the anc come in with that compression kind of feeling
But for a bluetooth, non anc, i really like it.
The sony is great for portability, anc and for comfort for lightness. Sound is good and versatile but not what i consider premium. Overall great value though
H9i non anc> xm3 with/without anc>h9i with anc on
I’m happy with both
I agreeWhile measurement is important I think you need to hear things yourself, ideally.
I don't care about ANC to be honest, the passive isolation from closed-back is enough for me, just wanted a wireless that sounds best with great comfort.
I also have been spoiled with Sony's comfort it doesn't clamp, it weights nothing and the cushions are super soft(compared to HD6XX, HD6XX feels like a brick).
Looking at the graph, H9i seem to have v-shaped sound? That's the opposite of my preferred sound signature though.
Yeah it looks like more on-ear than over-ear, don't look comfy.
Actually the QC35 frequency response looks really good, Lows to Mids are simply perfect, the Highs though, Tyll's review that bothered me:
"Treble is where the **** hits the fan. I've used this word before and I hear this effect with some regularity: The treble sounds sort of like it's coming from a crinkled cellophane speaker. Sibilant sounds take on an additional artificial character."
But the treble on 1000xm3 also seems too recessed accompanied with bloated bass.
Not time for wireless yet?
While measurement is important I think you need to hear things yourself, ideally. There is no issue with the treble at all, IMO, with the XM3. If the bass is trimmed back a little via EQ the treble gets room so to speak and I really like the treble presentation on the XM3. Don't use the Sony app for equalization, that is the issue. I used ONKYO HF Player on my phone, or I could use Neutron, both of which have very good built in equalization and with both my phone connects to the XM3 via LDAC, apt X, apt X HD without a problem.
You should get your hands on a Bowers & Wilkins P7 Wireless or the PX, then. They have different sound signatures, but quality-wise they're unmatched in the wireless category.
As for frequency response of the XM3: It's definitely and clearly a V-Shape. The treble has been raised to balance out the bass, but it's not really a very good treble. Only slightly better than the QC35 in my opinion.
Here's an overview of the top wireless headphones' sound signature:
Bose QC35: W-Shape (Bass & Treble lift with a small peak in the presence area)
B&O H9: V-Shape
Sony XM3: V-Shape
B&W PX: Warm-Neutral
I did not think using the Sony EQ affected sound quality in iOS ?
It still uses AAC and I don't see any change ?