Sony xperia XZ range audio quality

[FYLegend]

  yeah sony actually has software limitation. Someone who removed the software limitation said it was louder than the iphone 6 plus. 
 
Dude I think the Zune HD and the Sony walkman at that time were wayyyy superior products to the overpriced Ipods. I reemember ZUNE HD getting unwarranted mockery and hate when everything about it was amazing including the incredible UI, battery, and sheer sound quality. It's louder, but the z3 has better sound seperation and wider soundstage than the zune. It's very old and I feel like sony deserves praise there. 
 
zune hd for most underrated tech product ever? Along with the sony player that came out during that year. 
 
Son'y stabilization has always been ahead and they used EIS which is clearly superior to OIS in video because EIS doesn't have the wobbly effect of OIS. Idk what Sony is using now some sort of hybrid EIS/sensor shift but it's way ahead of the comptition. I'm not sure if it works for photos though but it takes good pictures better tahn the s7 so does it matter?
 
Heard someone say that the DAC in the XZ is of comprable quality to HTC10 not sure though since not many people have tested out the new XZ. maybe some reviewers who know about sound quality will though?

Do you have a thread about the software limitation? PhoneArena measured the output voltage to be 0.35V, same as the Z5. I find it loud enough for my Audio-Technica MSR7 and IM70, but not everything I listen to is at the same volume so I'd prefer some more volume in some cases. The dynamic normalizer works in some cases but I find it clips some songs that are already loud. Even Samsung Galaxy S7 has a voltage around 0.7 (they used to be quite lackluster with their amp despite using Wolfson DAC on the Exynos devices)...
 
There were some users on Head-Fi suggesting the Z3 having Dual DACs but it was more likely that these two dacs are for the external speakers rather than the headphone out.
 
The Z5 used EIS with a little bit of sensor shift but there wasn't much it could do because the closed-loop actuator only goes one direction - doesn't even work for still photos. Another annoyance on my Z5 and| I have seen in some XZ video samples is that the white balance is not constant. You can change the tint to be warmer or cooler, but the colours will still shift. Even the iPhone 6s where you can't change white balance doesn't have such a drastic change.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNFsnQg3cG8
 
Where did you read the XZ's DAC is comparable to HTC 10? I can't say I'm surprised, because along the Snapdragon 820 Qualcomm introduced a dedicated DAC that uses the Aqstic codec. This is the "discrete" DAC HTC is using but they also put their own amplifier and methods to minimize distortion and stereo crosstalk. I don't trust GSMArena's measurements as their results for the HTC 10 differed a lot from Android Central's measurements. However their measurements for the Xperia Z5 were almost the same as AndroidAuthority's. The difference may have to do with not using the DAC or amp to its fullest potential or using the integrated DAC by mistake (I'm not sure if the 820 would have an integrated DAC though).

 

[aertus]

   
It's all debatable. I personally think AKG Is superior to Sennheiser for example. Just from my own experience. Yeah the reviews for the new Sony noise-cancelling headphones are pretty stellar. Here is just one example from What Hi-Fi, which is my "go-to" reviewer. If I wanted NC headphones, these would be my first choice. 
 
Well of course it depends how much you're willing to spend too. I compared the famous Sennheiser HD 598 (and later on the 598 SE, or Special Edition) 'phones against my old AKG K550 MK II (which is the exact same as the regular K550 in terms of sound signature). Even though the 598 ones are both open-back (which is supposed to be better), I still found the closed-back (but very OPEN-back sounding) K550s to be superior. They were identical actually.........until I turned up the volume by A LOT for just a few moments. The 598s distorted JUST a little at that volume, but the K550s did NOT. So that is my reason for giving them the SLIGHT win over Sennheiser, but in reality, I'd NEVER listen to music at that volume anyway, so I guess they're basically equal. AKG is an Austrian company btw, so basically neighbors to Senn. My new Bang & Olufsen 2nd Generation H6s (Danish) though are SLIGHTLY clearer than the already insanely clear K550s, and more portable too, so that is why I kept them. Comfort-wise the K550 is slightly better, but the H6 is close. I have thought about going back to the K550s again b/c even though that difference is minor it's still there, but I'm not sure yet. Some nights it's fine, others I feel like I'm adjusting my H6s every 15-20 minutes. I'm stretching them out each time so I'm hoping they'll come around. Lately it seems like they might be, so I'm gonna wait it out a lil longer. 
 
No clue on the MDH750. Couldn't find anything on them online. But yeah, I did have but then returned unopened the Sony NC ones you're talking about. I guess if I was in your situation, I'd just get the NC ones. I sometimes take the Metra train but that's a quieter train into the city and back. But like the Blue and Red (etc) Lines in the city area (Chicago), they can be very noisy. But I only take them with others as they aren't too close to my home like Metra is. My one buddy said the same thing you did about it being worth it to have NC b/c it's so noisy (he takes the Blue Line frequently), which is why I suggested he get the new Sony headphone one. I'm sure they're better than the $45 Sony NC earphones you're referring to, but they're also like $350 more too. lol 
 
Normally I wouldn't go with a brand I'd never heard of, but those Zero ones seem very highly-rated, by that reviewers and others and the users too. But again in your case, stick with the Sony NC ones. That seems to be what you're looking for. If the $30 Sennheiser ones are rated well, you could try those out too. Up to you. Not sure which one they are as a quick search on Amazon didn't bring up any NC earphones by Sennheiser b/t $25-$50. So yeah, get the Sony ones. 
 
Yeah, the headphone arena is somewhat competitive, so I always try to be open to new or even established companies I haven't tried out yet. Beyerdynamic is supposed to be another great one (also Austrian, like AKG), though from what I've read, I think AKG (and Bang) is still better based on my own personal preference (neutral/balanced sound). Audio-Technica...........NOT a fan of them. Maybe if I'd tried more of their headphones I would be, but I did try their most famous headphones, the ATH-M50x ones. Though they were comfortable, I can honestly say out of the 7-9 headphones I've listened to extensively, they were definitely the worst. They sounded very compressed (like NO soundstage), and very bassy too. I have no clue why they're so popular. I would never recommend them to anyone. Some other great companies for headphones are Mr. Speakers, Shure, Fostex, Bowers & Wilkins (P7), Nad (i.e. Nad Viso HP50), etc. But never be afraid to try out new companies. Reviews are helpful, but I've found that in the end, you'll never really know for sure what you'll think until you try something out yourself. 
 
Yeah no kidding..............$1000 is a lot, ESP for earphones. But hey, whatever. If they sound great, then that's awesome! My one issue with earphones is they tend to break very easy, BUT maybe ones like those $1000 earphones don't? I've had multiple ones where one side gets "weak sounding" and then eventually stops working. If that happened with a $1000 one, I'd be outraged. lol 

yeah thats't the thing right people have a hard time coming to an objective conclusion about sound quality kind of like with picture quality. I wish there was a dxo-like standard for music. I feel like one objective way to measure sound quality is to measure which headphone most accurately depicts what the artist recorded. I think that's a fair way to measure things. And maybe you're right about the audio technica not being enough because they use to much bass. Also, i think it's only fair to compare them with headphones in their price range and category because  they are 150 dollars and ofc they won't be as good as the ones that are 300 dollars. But if you have to pick headphones taht do everything overall amazinginly good, like from sound quality to comfort and looks. Which one would it be? 
 
my bad i got the name wrong. It's MH750 that come with the sony xperia. They are of higher quality then the other ones i've used on other OEM's and have lasted me over a year now where the ones I'd get off anywhere else would last me only a couple of months. I stick with sony quality now.  And the sennheisser ones my friend was talking about I think are these
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826106247&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC-_-pla-_-Headphones+and+Accessories-_-N82E16826106247&gclid=Cj0KEQjw4_DABRC1tuPSpqXjxZwBEiQAhMIp6_GQd17OsYK3sUCCV8E-xVWVDp05LRkVP1Y6yUqkOr8aAqdq8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds
 
they are not noise canceling but he said they sounded awesome for that price. So maybe I will try those once my sony mh750's break. It's a shame you never tried the Noise cancelling ones from Sony but the amazon reviews seem to say good things about it. Never expect a bad product from Sony. I really wanna see if the NC will make a difference in my noisy everyday commuting enviroment. The earplugs do a pretty good job of plugging out noise though already so maybe with the NC it will really make a bigger difference. 
 
Yeah, I trust European companies especially German engineering. i think maybe Japan is even better because the japanese have an obsession with details and they always make quality products. Maybe its just the reputation of german brands like mercedez and bmw that we think they are superior but Japan is reliable for durability. Those zero audio ones are japanese imports right? I trust it if the reviews are good and I also trust your opinion you seem to have experience with a lot of products. And I 100 percent agree you have to experience things eventually and not rely on what others tell you. Sometimes I don't trust mainstream reviews because they might get sponsored from the company. but I don't know I doubt a small company with no money would do that. Beats is the most popular and what I see everyone have. But I quickly learned what's the most popular isn't necessarily whats the best quality (coughapplesamsungcough). 
 
yeah earphones crap out really fast but I have to say ever since I purchased sony earphones they lasted longer than the ******** I used to buy at radioshack. such an idiotic consumer decision on my end never looked back once I went for the same price earphones on sony were miles better than the ones from radioshack. And the ones that came with the sony phone are great too. I wanna try those Sennheiser ones and the NC ones you shipped back. 
over the ear headphones break too I believe. The cheap ones I use broke in the same place as well usually the left. 

 

[RockStar2005]

  yeah thats't the thing right people have a hard time coming to an objective conclusion about sound quality kind of like with picture quality. I wish there was a dxo-like standard for music. I feel like one objective way to measure sound quality is to measure which headphone most accurately depicts what the artist recorded. I think that's a fair way to measure things. And maybe you're right about the audio technica not being enough because they use to much bass. Also, i think it's only fair to compare them with headphones in their price range and category because  they are 150 dollars and ofc they won't be as good as the ones that are 300 dollars. But if you have to pick headphones taht do everything overall amazinginly good, like from sound quality to comfort and looks. Which one would it be? 
 
my bad i got the name wrong. It's MH750 that come with the sony xperia. They are of higher quality then the other ones i've used on other OEM's and have lasted me over a year now where the ones I'd get off anywhere else would last me only a couple of months. I stick with sony quality now.  And the sennheisser ones my friend was talking about I think are these
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826106247&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC-_-pla-_-Headphones+and+Accessories-_-N82E16826106247&gclid=Cj0KEQjw4_DABRC1tuPSpqXjxZwBEiQAhMIp6_GQd17OsYK3sUCCV8E-xVWVDp05LRkVP1Y6yUqkOr8aAqdq8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds
 
they are not noise canceling but he said they sounded awesome for that price. So maybe I will try those once my sony mh750's break. It's a shame you never tried the Noise cancelling ones from Sony but the amazon reviews seem to say good things about it. Never expect a bad product from Sony. I really wanna see if the NC will make a difference in my noisy everyday commuting enviroment. The earplugs do a pretty good job of plugging out noise though already so maybe with the NC it will really make a bigger difference. 
 
Yeah, I trust European companies especially German engineering. i think maybe Japan is even better because the japanese have an obsession with details and they always make quality products. Maybe its just the reputation of german brands like mercedez and bmw that we think they are superior but Japan is reliable for durability. Those zero audio ones are japanese imports right? I trust it if the reviews are good and I also trust your opinion you seem to have experience with a lot of products. And I 100 percent agree you have to experience things eventually and not rely on what others tell you. Sometimes I don't trust mainstream reviews because they might get sponsored from the company. but I don't know I doubt a small company with no money would do that. Beats is the most popular and what I see everyone have. But I quickly learned what's the most popular isn't necessarily whats the best quality (coughapplesamsungcough). 
 
yeah earphones crap out really fast but I have to say ever since I purchased sony earphones they lasted longer than the ******** I used to buy at radioshack. such an idiotic consumer decision on my end never looked back once I went for the same price earphones on sony were miles better than the ones from radioshack. And the ones that came with the sony phone are great too. I wanna try those Sennheiser ones and the NC ones you shipped back. 
over the ear headphones break too I believe. The cheap ones I use broke in the same place as well usually the left. 

 
Yes, neutral/balanced/flat headphones are the best choice IMO. 
 
Well my friend, don't assume that to ALWAYS be true. My former AKG K550s run like $140-$180, but they outdid pretty much ALL of the other headphones I pitted them against.........INCLUDING: the $400 Oppo PM-3, the $400 Bowers & Wilkins P7 (I may be redoing this comparison though vs. my Bangs b/c I had an issue with the amp at the time), the $400 Masters & Dynamic MH40, the $250 Blue Lola, the $299 Sony MDR-1A.........yeah. The K550 outdid THEM ALL! Fact. Those headphones single-handedly sealed my fate as a lover of Hi-Fi. lol 
 
Well until 3-4 mos ago, I would've said the K550. Between the K550, K550 MK II, and the K553 (which ALL sound exactly the same! What AKG? lol) I liked the K550 MK II the most cuz I liked how they wrote "K550 MK II" vertically instead of horizontally. The K553 has slightly less headband padding, so don't get those. Which one you should get depends........the K550 is slightly more comfortable and b/c it's more sensitive it can get a bit louder too, but it's not as portable as the H6 is, and its cable is permanently attached. The 2 have to me a very similar sound signature, with the H6 have a slight bit more bass (but it's not overbearing, at least not 99% of the time) and also a slight bit more clarity. And price-wise, the 2nd Gen H6s are like double the K550 MK IIs, though the price on the K550 MK IIs went up a bit recently. 
 
So take all that into consideration, do your own research if you like, then decide. To buy the AKG K550 MK II, check this eBay page (best price). For the 2nd Gen H6, go here. IF you go with the H6, you MUST get this special upgrade cable too (the stock cable sux lol). See the Amazon user reviews for the H6 and/or the upgrade cable if you're not convinced you should. Your mind will change QUICK. lol Let me know which one you plan to buy before purchasing so I can suggest the best case. 
 
Oh ok. Yeah you can do better than those MH750s. lol And those Sennheiser ones you linked don't have ACTIVE NC, so yeah, get the $45 Sony NC ones and be done with it. lol 
 
Well you can try out the Senn IEMs if you want, but if the noise on your train is really a big issue as you said it was, then I'd advise skipping out and getting the Sony ones instead. But up to you. 
 
Yeah the Zero ones are Japanese-imports as it says on their Amazon page. I haven't tested them out myself, but the reviews as you saw are very persuasive. But they are not NC earphones either, so again, just get the $45 Sony ones. lol 
 
Yep.............Apple and Samsung are the most popular, but the sound quality of either (ESP Samsung) is nothin' special really at all from what I've read. And yeah Beats..........people say (even people I've talked to in person) that they don't handle bass well. It's bloated, it's known to distort at higher volumes, etc. For what they charge (Beats Pro are like $400 I think), they sure don't live up to that price. They sound good overall, but I don't think they can stand up to most if not all of the headphones I mentioned trying above. 
 
That's cool that those MH750s last so long. Well then go for it.......try both those IEMs. But again, the Senns don't have NC, and if your train gets as loud as you said it did, then to me you're wasting your time buying the Senns. But up to you. 
 
Actual headphones? Yeah they break I guess, but not NEARLY as often as earphones (esp lower-priced ones) do I'm sure. Well yeah.............cheap ones are always gonna break faster. 

 

[aertus]

  Do you have a thread about the software limitation? PhoneArena measured the output voltage to be 0.35V, same as the Z5. I find it loud enough for my Audio-Technica MSR7 and IM70, but not everything I listen to is at the same volume so I'd prefer some more volume in some cases. The dynamic normalizer works in some cases but I find it clips some songs that are already loud. Even Samsung Galaxy S7 has a voltage around 0.7 (they used to be quite lackluster with their amp despite using Wolfson DAC on the Exynos devices)...
 
There were some users on Head-Fi suggesting the Z3 having Dual DACs but it was more likely that these two dacs are for the external speakers rather than the headphone out.
 
The Z5 used EIS with a little bit of sensor shift but there wasn't much it could do because the closed-loop actuator only goes one direction - doesn't even work for still photos. Another annoyance on my Z5 and| I have seen in some XZ video samples is that the white balance is not constant. You can change the tint to be warmer or cooler, but the colours will still shift. Even the iPhone 6s where you can't change white balance doesn't have such a drastic change.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNFsnQg3cG8
 
Where did you read the XZ's DAC is comparable to HTC 10? I can't say I'm surprised, because along the Snapdragon 820 Qualcomm introduced a dedicated DAC that uses the Aqstic codec. This is the "discrete" DAC HTC is using but they also put their own amplifier and methods to minimize distortion and stereo crosstalk. I don't trust GSMArena's measurements as their results for the HTC 10 differed a lot from Android Central's measurements. However their measurements for the Xperia Z5 were almost the same as AndroidAuthority's. The difference may have to do with not using the DAC or amp to its fullest potential or using the integrated DAC by mistake (I'm not sure if the 820 would have an integrated DAC though).

ungh. Please stop relying on phoneanrea and the likes they are so biased its not even funny. And all their tests are unreliable. 
 
THe video you send me is also iirelevant because it's old and not up to date. THe video stabilization is unmathed every video comparison would show you that.
 
I thought the htc10 had its own dedicated DAC? It was someone from the youtube comment sections who named the DAC the htc10 has but I forgot to look it up as well the XZ but he said they are of top notch quality. 

 

[aertus]

   
Yes, neutral/balanced/flat headphones are the best choice IMO. 
 
Well my friend, don't assume that to ALWAYS be true. My former AKG K550s run like $140-$180, but they outdid pretty much ALL of the other headphones I pitted them against.........INCLUDING: the $400 Oppo PM-3, the $400 Bowers & Wilkins P7 (I may be redoing this comparison though vs. my Bangs b/c I had an issue with the amp at the time), the $400 Masters & Dynamic MH40, the $250 Blue Lola, the $299 Sony MDR-1A.........yeah. The K550 outdid THEM ALL! Fact. Those headphones single-handedly sealed my fate as a lover of Hi-Fi. lol 
 
Well until 3-4 mos ago, I would've said the K550. Between the K550, K550 MK II, and the K553 (which ALL sound exactly the same! What AKG? lol) I liked the K550 MK II the most cuz I liked how they wrote "K550 MK II" vertically instead of horizontally. The K553 has slightly less headband padding, so don't get those. Which one you should get depends........the K550 is slightly more comfortable and b/c it's more sensitive it can get a bit louder too, but it's not as portable as the H6 is, and its cable is permanently attached. The 2 have to me a very similar sound signature, with the H6 have a slight bit more bass (but it's not overbearing, at least not 99% of the time) and also a slight bit more clarity. And price-wise, the 2nd Gen H6s are like double the K550 MK IIs, though the price on the K550 MK IIs went up a bit recently. 
 
So take all that into consideration, do your own research if you like, then decide. To buy the AKG K550 MK II, check this eBay page (best price). For the 2nd Gen H6, go here. IF you go with the H6, you MUST get this special upgrade cable too (the stock cable sux lol). See the Amazon user reviews for the H6 and/or the upgrade cable if you're not convinced you should. Your mind will change QUICK. lol Let me know which one you plan to buy before purchasing so I can suggest the best case. 
 
Oh ok. Yeah you can do better than those MH750s. lol And those Sennheiser ones you linked don't have ACTIVE NC, so yeah, get the $45 Sony NC ones and be done with it. lol 
 
Well you can try out the Senn IEMs if you want, but if the noise on your train is really a big issue as you said it was, then I'd advise skipping out and getting the Sony ones instead. But up to you. 
 
Yeah the Zero ones are Japanese-imports as it says on their Amazon page. I haven't tested them out myself, but the reviews as you saw are very persuasive. But they are not NC earphones either, so again, just get the $45 Sony ones. lol 
 
Yep.............Apple and Samsung are the most popular, but the sound quality of either (ESP Samsung) is nothin' special really at all from what I've read. And yeah Beats..........people say (even people I've talked to in person) that they don't handle bass well. It's bloated, it's known to distort at higher volumes, etc. For what they charge (Beats Pro are like $400 I think), they sure don't live up to that price. They sound good overall, but I don't think they can stand up to most if not all of the headphones I mentioned trying above. 
 
That's cool that those MH750s last so long. Well then go for it.......try both those IEMs. But again, the Senns don't have NC, and if your train gets as loud as you said it did, then to me you're wasting your time buying the Senns. But up to you. 
 
Actual headphones? Yeah they break I guess, but not NEARLY as often as earphones (esp lower-priced ones) do I'm sure. Well yeah.............cheap ones are always gonna break faster. 

That's really impressive that the AKG was pitted against much more expensive products. I'm a sucker for products that are cheaper but yet superior. I think a lot of people in society believe that the most expensive must mean superior and sometimes I do belive that (but not all cases). 
 
I think the reason why the beats are popular is because they are attractive looking. But there are other alternatives to beats that are just as attractive (if not more) than the beats audio with better sound quality from the likes of Sony and Sennheisers. 
 
Now I will admit those AKG's are not the most attractive looking headphones and i do like my headphones to be good looking. I would buy those AKg's for home use but if I wanted to travel with those on the planes I think I would go for Sennheisers or SOny instead. 
 
And yeah, teh zero audio or the sennheiser earbuds aren't NC. But I might get those to compare them to other ones I've tried as well as sony NC. But yeah I might actually just opt for the sony ones but now you had me question them because they are artificial. 

 

[jagwap]

That's really impressive that the AKG was pitted against much more expensive products. I'm a sucker for products that are cheaper but yet superior. I think a lot of people in society believe that the most expensive must mean superior and sometimes I do belive that (but not all cases). 

I think the reason why the beats are popular is because they are attractive looking. But there are other alternatives to beats that are just as attractive (if not more) than the beats audio with better sound quality from the likes of Sony and Sennheisers. 

Now I will admit those AKG's are not the most attractive looking headphones and i do like my headphones to be good looking. I would buy those AKg's for home use but if I wanted to travel with those on the planes I think I would go for Sennheisers or SOny instead. 

And yeah, teh zero audio or the sennheiser earbuds aren't NC. But I might get those to compare them to other ones I've tried as well as sony NC. But yeah I might actually just opt for the sony ones but now you had me question them because they are artificial. 

He's right about the K550. They are not perfect, but if you don't like the atificially boosted bass of most headphones around today, they kill at the price. They're not perfect. There's a bit if treble resonance around 6kHz, which appears more noticeable as the bass is un-exaggerated, but you'll soon ignore that as the music flows. Also they are not efficient enough to be driven by the Sony Xperia phones, or other European volume capped phones. They'll play pop music OK, but anything more dynamic and quieter and you'll wish you had a few more dBs.

Put them on a non european iphone or HTC10 and you'll get the benefit. LG V10 or V20 should also sound great with a bit of help (impedance tweak)

 

[RockStar2005]

He's right about the K550. They are not perfect, but if you don't like the atificially boosted bass of most headphones around today, they kill at the price. They're not perfect. There's a bit if treble resonance around 6kHz, which appears more noticeable as the bass is un-exaggerated, but you'll soon ignore that as the music flows. Also they are not efficient enough to be driven by the Sony Xperia phones, or other European volume capped phones. They'll play pop music OK, but anything more dynamic and quieter and you'll wish you had a few more dBs.

Put them on a non european iphone or HTC10 and you'll get the benefit. LG V10 or V20 should also sound great with a bit of help (impedance tweak)

 
I hear people say that about the K550, that the mid-range or treble isn't as perfect as it should be, but honestly I never noticed any of that stuff. 
 
I think honestly jagwap that even "mobile-friendly" or lower impedance/higher sensitivity headphones should always at the very LEAST have an amp in the mix for them. And that's only if you're player has a premium DAC on it. If not, then a good strong amp/DAC should be a must! But yes, the K550s don't REALLY show you what they can do until you give them a good DAC and sufficient "ampage" first. The K550s were the third (3rd time WAS the charm! lol) pair of premium headphones I tried out right about 2 years ago. They without a doubt were the main reason why I stuck with Hi-Fi and wanting better sound than I ever had before. What started it though was my interest in Hi-Res music after first hearing about it just over 2 years ago. I wisely came to the conclusion early on that in order to make buying those not-so-cheap Hi-Res albums worth it, I'd need a good pair of premium headphones. And so it went from there.....................

 

[aertus]

He's right about the K550. They are not perfect, but if you don't like the atificially boosted bass of most headphones around today, they kill at the price. They're not perfect. There's a bit if treble resonance around 6kHz, which appears more noticeable as the bass is un-exaggerated, but you'll soon ignore that as the music flows. Also they are not efficient enough to be driven by the Sony Xperia phones, or other European volume capped phones. They'll play pop music OK, but anything more dynamic and quieter and you'll wish you had a few more dBs.

Put them on a non european iphone or HTC10 and you'll get the benefit. LG V10 or V20 should also sound great with a bit of help (impedance tweak)

would you rate them as high as Rockstar does though? he said they beat out 300 dollar headphones from the lies of Sennheiser and Sony. And yeah, I don't have external DAC i will just be playing them with my xperia phone most likely or at home with my computer. 

 

[RockStar2005]

  would you rate them as high as Rockstar does though? he said they beat out 300 dollar headphones from the lies of Sennheiser and Sony. And yeah, I don't have external DAC i will just be playing them with my xperia phone most likely or at home with my computer. 

 
They actually beat out some $400 headphones too. LOL The Oppo PM-3 (planar magnetic headphones) & the Master & Dynamic MH40 IMHO were not as good as the K550. And yes, the Sennheiser HD 598 and HD 598SE too but they were about the same price as the K550. The Sony MDR-1A is $299. I also wrote SEVERAL comparison reviews here on Head-Fi. You can check any and all out =407991]here. Feel free to comment too. 
 
Playing from Sony Xperia is fine but limited. From a PC will be even worse. Audio is not considered a priority typically by the makers in both cases, and is usually not so great. You can upgrade if you want. If so, post here or PM me and I'll offer some suggestions b/t $100-$300. 

 

[akg fanboy]

They actually beat out some $400 headphones too. LOL The Oppo PM-3 (planar magnetic headphones) & the Master & Dynamic MH40 IMHO were not as good as the K550. And yes, the Sennheiser HD 598 and HD 598SE too but they were about the same price as the K550. The Sony MDR-1A is $299. I also wrote SEVERAL comparison reviews here on Head-Fi. You can check any and all out here. Feel free to comment too. 

Playing from Sony Xperia is fine but limited. From a PC will be even worse. Audio is not considered a priority typically by the makers in both cases, and is usually not so great. You can upgrade if you want. If so, post here or PM me and I'll offer some suggestions b/t $100-$300. 

I own the k551, it is identical to the k550 but with a shorter more portable cable. It definitely lacks bass and body compared to even the q701 which is not known to have a lot of bass. The soundstage is worse than the brainwavz hm5 and sounds a bit artificially enhanced by the hot treble, while the midrange is fairly neutral but unenjoyable due to the treble peaks. The brainwavz hm5 is a much more balanced headphone with better comfort at a lower price. The top of the headband is so thin and the earpads are too. The brainwavz offers much deeper earpads that surround the entire ear and your ears will never touch the drivers. They honestly don't sound bad until you compare them with more capable headphones like the hm5 and q701

 

[RockStar2005]

I own the k551, it is identical to the k550 but with a shorter more portable cable. It definitely lacks bass and body compared to even the q701 which is not known to have a lot of bass. The soundstage is worse than the brainwavz hm5 and sounds a bit artificially enhanced by the hot treble, while the midrange is fairly neutral but unenjoyable due to the treble peaks. The brainwavz hm5 is a much more balanced headphone with better comfort at a lower price. The top of the headband is so thin and the earpads are too. The brainwavz offers much deeper earpads that surround the entire ear and your ears will never touch the drivers. They honestly don't sound bad until you compare them with more capable headphones like the hm5 and q701

 
 
I've never tried any of those other headphones, including the Q701.
 
Well both the AKG Q701 as well as the K701 are open-back headphones, so I don't typically recommend them b/c a lot of ppl I talk to (including myself) like to sometimes travel with headphones on trains and planes, and open-back in those situations is a big no-no since then EVERYONE can hear what you're playing........... and then you become "THAT guy". lol It's apples & oranges really.
 
The Brainwavz HM5 ones look nice, and are closed-back as well. They seem well-reviewed too, though not as much as the K550. I felt the headband padding on the K550 was sufficient (just don't get the K553.......same look and sound, but LESS padding), and the ear pads I felt were fantastic. I fell asleep with the K550 on my head MANY times. lol But I do like that the HM5s have DETACHABLE cables. That's always a bonus, and of course the lower price. This review though by C-Net indicates it's not so great with rendering of the "high end sparkle" (i.e. hearing that "chimey" sound from acoustic guitars being played). The K550 was OUTSTANDING at that, only beaten by my current Bang & Olufsen 2nd Gen H6s by a HAIR. So I dunno. I would have to try them out side-by-side to determine for myself if they were as good or better than the K550s on that. But then this review (see "Highs") says the sparkle IS "very good" on them, but then only gives them an overall score of 8/10. From reading through that sound section, I can't pinpoint why they weren't given a 10 though.  However, you HAVE gotten my attention fanboy. lol
 
Aertus, maybe you should get both and test them out and then return the one you like least. Then post back here about it. I prefer a netural/balanced sound signature myself, so it would be nice to hear more opinions. 

 

[akg fanboy]

I've never tried any of those other headphones, including the Q701.

Well both the AKG Q701 as well as the K701 are open-back headphones, so I don't typically recommend them b/c a lot of ppl I talk to (including myself) like to sometimes travel with headphones on trains and planes, and open-back in those situations is a big no-no since then EVERYONE can hear what you're playing........... and then you become "THAT guy". lol It's apples & oranges really.

The Brainwavz HM5 ones look nice, and are closed-back as well. They seem well-reviewed too, though not as much as the K550. I felt the headband padding on the K550 was sufficient (just don't get the K553.......same look and sound, but LESS padding), and the ear pads I felt were fantastic. I fell asleep with the K550 on my head MANY times. lol But I do like that the HM5s have DETACHABLE cables. That's always a bonus, and of course the lower price. This review though by C-Net indicates it's not so great with rendering of the "high end sparkle" (i.e. hearing that "chimey" sound from acoustic guitars being played). The K550 was OUTSTANDING at that, only beaten by my current Bang & Olufsen 2nd Gen H6s by a HAIR. So I dunno. I would have to try them out side-by-side to determine for myself if they were as good or better than the K550s on that. But then this review (see "Highs") says the sparkle IS "very good" on them, but then only gives them an overall score of 8/10. From reading through that sound section, I can't pinpoint why they weren't given a 10 though.  However, you HAVE gotten my attention fanboy. lol

Aertus, maybe you should get both and test them out and then return the one you like least. Then post back here about it. I prefer a netural/balanced sound signature myself, so it would be nice to hear more opinions. 

I would rather be "that guy" than compromise my audio quality but that's just me lol. I use my headphones at home the most and tend to use iems for travel. The hm5 does not lack detail at all, it might not sound as detailed as k550 at first impressions but you'll quickly notice that the k550 just brings details closer to your face because of the more enhanced treble while the hm5 doesn't lack details but places them all in a more natural position. The q701 of course single handedly beats both with a much wider soundstage, with better and more natural sounding mids. I think you can trust an akg fanboy to like his akg sound @_@

I highly advise anyone to try the brainwavz hm5 because I think they are pretty underrated. Bass heads will try to critize it for "lacking" bass when the bass is really just neutral (more bass than k550), then detail/treble heads will criticize the hm5 for not having enough sparkle

 

[RockStar2005]

I would rather be "that guy" than compromise my audio quality but that's just me lol. I use my headphones at home the most and tend to use iems for travel. The hm5 does not lack detail at all, it might not sound as detailed as k550 at first impressions but you'll quickly notice that the k550 just brings details closer to your face because of the more enhanced treble while the hm5 doesn't lack details but places them all in a more natural position. The q701 of course single handedly beats both with a much wider soundstage, with better and more natural sounding mids. I think you can trust an akg fanboy to like his akg sound @_@

I highly advise anyone to try the brainwavz hm5 because I think they are pretty underrated. Bass heads will try to critize it for "lacking" bass when the bass is really just neutral (more bass than k550), then detail/treble heads will criticize the hm5 for not having enough sparkle

 
LOL I don't like to compromise either, but like I compared my AKG K550 (well K553, but it's the same) with the OPEN-BACK Sennheiser HD 598 SE earlier this year, and I honestly found it to have the same soundstage (to my ears anyway) as the 598 SE. At louder volumes, like TOO loud, the 598 SE got slightly distorted while the K550 held its own very smoothly. So I feel like with the K550 there is NO compromising happening. 
 
And being "that guy" might also mean the conductor coming up to you and demanding you lower your volume. Now THAT'S a compromise! LOL!!
 
Well in your case then open-back is fine. I just lost any interest in IEMs since getting into Hi-Fi, so I prefer headphones that are closed-back with an open-back sound........like my Bangs, the K550, etc. 
 
That is interesting about the details on each headphone. Aertus, you really should consider testing out both. I've only tried the AKG K550, K550 MK II, and the K553, but they ALL have exactly the same sound signature per AKG, so really I've only tried one out. lol 
 
I actually LOOK for reviews to say the bass is "slightly lacking" on the headphones they're reviewing, b/c I know that it prob ISN'T in reality. The ones that have a "tad more" bass (or higher) are the ones to watch out for. IMO, they're usually bad news. That's like your Beats, or the Sony MDR-1A I believe too, as well as the Oppo PM-3 and Master & Dynamic MH40 if I recall correctly. The bass tended to wash out some of that upper-end sparkle, which made them lose my vote.  
 
Trust? If your name wasn't AKG fanboy, I wouldn't even be talking to you right now. LOL (j/k)

 

[akg fanboy]

And being "that guy" might also mean the conductor coming up to you and demanding you lower your volume. Now THAT'S a compromise! LOL!!

I just got played at my own game LOL.

 
I actually LOOK for reviews to say the bass is "slightly lacking" on the headphones they're reviewing, b/c I know that it prob ISN'T in reality. The ones that have a "tad more" bass (or higher) are the ones to watch out for. IMO, they're usually bad news. That's like your Beats, or the Sony MDR-1A I believe too, as well as the Oppo PM-3 and Master & Dynamic MH40 if I recall correctly. The bass tended to wash out some of that upper-end sparkle, which made them lose my vote.  

Trust? If your name wasn't AKG fanboy, I wouldn't even be talking to you right now. LOL (j/k)

Wow you do exactly what I do. If a reviewer says a headphone lacks bass I generally accept it as neutral and usually end up agreeing with my assumption when I try the headphone myself, and if a reviewer says a headphone has a bit too much bass, it probably has ear drum rupturing bass. If I wasn't a fanboy I probably wouldn't even read this thread!!! (I was interested because AKG was mentioned)

 

[aertus]

   
They actually beat out some $400 headphones too. LOL The Oppo PM-3 (planar magnetic headphones) & the Master & Dynamic MH40 IMHO were not as good as the K550. And yes, the Sennheiser HD 598 and HD 598SE too but they were about the same price as the K550. The Sony MDR-1A is $299. I also wrote SEVERAL comparison reviews here on Head-Fi. You can check any and all out here. Feel free to comment too. 
 
Playing from Sony Xperia is fine but limited. From a PC will be even worse. Audio is not considered a priority typically by the makers in both cases, and is usually not so great. You can upgrade if you want. If so, post here or PM me and I'll offer some suggestions b/t $100-$300. 

well if Im using my xperia then I'm okay with that because its a portable device i'm taking with me and not wanting to carry anything with that. i used to listen to my music with the zune hd but now I've transitioned to listenting to my z3. I don't want to be carrying an external anything really. The only thing I can do is just getter better earphones. For home use it's a different story I wish I had enough money to have a proper sound home system. But upgrading my PC is a good start. 
 
Seems like someone disagrees with you. haha thats why we need a dxo-like authority for music. How can we ever come to an agreement unless we polled the entire forum for the best headphones. 
 
Something stylish, good sound, good wireless seems to fit under the sennheiser and sony bill. But IDK what does AKG fanboy think. Also, we are kind of been straying way too off topic with this thread. CAn someone get the XZ already and test it out please xd.