Wireless Bluetooth Headphones Recommendations

musicsg_com

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I like the way you reviewed and break-down the pros and cons. Very informative. I'm looking at them as well though the Sony Zx770bn is not in my list. Did you get to test out the Sennheiser PXC550? The most costly of the lot but not sure if it has the best of both Sony and Bose? Might head down to Stereo to audit them this weekend.

Finally got to review the Sennheiser PXC550. The strength is in audio quality, its treble is crystal, not distorted. ANC is not as amazing as Bose and Sony, but still better than the other normal models. Although the app can adjust EQ, the audio processor compensates by adjusting other frequencies.

http://musicphotolife.com/2017/01/sennheiser-pxc550-review-noise-cancelling-wireless-travel-headphones/

Sennheiser-PXC550-5.jpg
 

renfred89

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Was contemplating between this and mdr1000x from Sony. I think at this price point for sennheiser, I prefer going for Sony instead..

Finally got to review the Sennheiser PXC550. The strength is in audio quality, its treble is crystal, not distorted. ANC is not as amazing as Bose and Sony, but still better than the other normal models. Although the app can adjust EQ, the audio processor compensates by adjusting other frequencies.

http://musicphotolife.com/2017/01/sennheiser-pxc550-review-noise-cancelling-wireless-travel-headphones/

Sennheiser-PXC550-5.jpg
 

boompipi

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Finally got to review the Sennheiser PXC550. The strength is in audio quality, its treble is crystal, not distorted. ANC is not as amazing as Bose and Sony, but still better than the other normal models. Although the app can adjust EQ, the audio processor compensates by adjusting other frequencies.

http://musicphotolife.com/2017/01/sennheiser-pxc550-review-noise-cancelling-wireless-travel-headphones/

Sennheiser-PXC550-5.jpg

In your opinion, the Sennheiser PXC550 sound quality is better than the QC35 and MDR1000x? All three have their pros and cons, sometimes it's really hard to choose.:s13:
 

oohmygod

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I think also have to see if the fitting of the headphone is suitable or not. Px550 fit just nice while mdr1000x is a bit loose fit for me.


In your opinion, the Sennheiser PXC550 sound quality is better than the QC35 and MDR1000x? All three have their pros and cons, sometimes it's really hard to choose.:s13:
 

renfred89

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Oh yes I agree... the fitting also matters too. But I guess my head suits the 1000x so I'm heading for it.. the ANC is better than pxc550 though.. tried both but feel that the 1000x got better anc..

In your opinion, the Sennheiser PXC550 sound quality is better than the QC35 and MDR1000x? All three have their pros and cons, sometimes it's really hard to choose.:s13:
 

DreWeelis

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Looking for limited edition Dre headphones

hi,

I'm looking to get a LIMITED EDITION SWAROVSKI LIGHT ROSE DR DRE BEATS STUDIO HEADPHONES.

Any Idea where i can get it .. and price??
 

Teo Ming Ern

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Teo Ming Ern

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Anyway, since this is a wireless Bluetooth thread, I thought to ask the experienced users here about the sound quality of Bluetooth versus wired... for these high end headphones like from Sony, Bose, etc, does the wireless sound the same as wired? Cos I noticed as a shop around for an ANC set, they are all Bluetooth 4.0. I tried the Marshall Major headphones at Tangs before... the wired and the wireless... the wireless just sounded so bad... not sure if it's cos the Marshall set didn't implement Bluetooth well or cos there were lots of other Bluetooth signals around... what's your opinion?
 

Nakedtoes

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Just recieved this Bluetooth earphone.. Sx10 Surprisingly sound quality is up to standard sia... Wow.. I still haven't change to my signature panansonic dot ear top yet and the bass is thunderous mid and high is balanced.. Got it for usd 3.46 only lol.. Want to order more seller change price to $34.60 now.. Cheesepie

 

Teo Ming Ern

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Just recieved this Bluetooth earphone.. Sx10 Surprisingly sound quality is up to standard sia... Wow.. I still haven't change to my signature panansonic dot ear top yet and the bass is thunderous mid and high is balanced.. Got it for usd 3.46 only lol.. Want to order more seller change price to $34.60 now.. Cheesepie


That's a serious typo isn't it? What brand?
 

musicsg_com

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In your opinion, the Sennheiser PXC550 sound quality is better than the QC35 and MDR1000x? All three have their pros and cons, sometimes it's really hard to choose.:s13:

I finally published my personal comparison of 5 headphones:

  1. Bose Q35
  2. Plantronics BackBeat PRO 2
  3. Sony MDR-1000x
  4. Sennheiser PXC 550
  5. FIIL Diva

ANC-headphones-compare-2.jpg


Sennheiser PXC 550 sound is better in the treble department, bright and sizzling, but ANC is not so great. QC35 ANC is still unbeatable, but Sony MDR-1000X ANC sounds more natural meaning it doesn't have that deafening silence feeling. It also has more features than Bose.

If you want to judge solely on ANC, then it's Bose. If you want audio quality, then it's Sennheiser. Take Sony if you like the added features compared to the others.

Plantronics is not so good in ANC but audio quality is very youthful and eargasmic. FIIL is on-ear, normal ANC but compact and I like that I can listen to both music and ambient sound at the same time.

Full review: http://musicphotolife.com/2017/01/best-noise-cancelling-headphones-reviewed/
 

musicsg_com

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Anyway, since this is a wireless Bluetooth thread, I thought to ask the experienced users here about the sound quality of Bluetooth versus wired... for these high end headphones like from Sony, Bose, etc, does the wireless sound the same as wired? Cos I noticed as a shop around for an ANC set, they are all Bluetooth 4.0. I tried the Marshall Major headphones at Tangs before... the wired and the wireless... the wireless just sounded so bad... not sure if it's cos the Marshall set didn't implement Bluetooth well or cos there were lots of other Bluetooth signals around... what's your opinion?

If you try both and can't tell the difference, then you are safe. I think the reason for the sound difference is got to do with the sound signature of the makers. Meaning, having flat bass or muffled highs has nothing to do with Bluetooth. However, if you notice distortion or compression, then yes it might have to do with the Bluetooth codec.

Right now the latest commercial codec is 4.2 (5.0 is latest but not common yet), but doesn't mean lower versions are lousy. I find that Bluetooth audio are sensitive to source interference. If you run multiple BT devices at the same time (e.g. BT keyboard, smartwatch), chances are the audio might have slight distortion. Also, sometimes it depends on which version the audio device connects to. Not all audio devices can manually select the best quality connection, and best quality equates to shorter range (think Wi-Fi band). If you suddenly find the audio is distorted, then try to unpair and re-pair again.

End of day, BT quality has a lot of factors, including source device. In general, most BT headphones are built to deliver clean audio, so if you hear distortion and noise, most likely it is compatibility problems.
 

cracker

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I finally published my personal comparison of 5 headphones:

  1. Bose Q35
  2. Plantronics BackBeat PRO 2
  3. Sony MDR-1000x
  4. Sennheiser PXC 550
  5. FIIL Diva

ANC-headphones-compare-2.jpg


Sennheiser PXC 550 sound is better in the treble department, bright and sizzling, but ANC is not so great. QC35 ANC is still unbeatable, but Sony MDR-1000X ANC sounds more natural meaning it doesn't have that deafening silence feeling. It also has more features than Bose.

If you want to judge solely on ANC, then it's Bose. If you want audio quality, then it's Sennheiser. Take Sony if you like the added features compared to the others.

Plantronics is not so good in ANC but audio quality is very youthful and eargasmic. FIIL is on-ear, normal ANC but compact and I like that I can listen to both music and ambient sound at the same time.

Full review: http://musicphotolife.com/2017/01/best-noise-cancelling-headphones-reviewed/




Prior to my purchase, I had tested the Bose QC35 and Sony MDR-100x.
they are very good headset, QC35 noise cancelling (NC) is almost 2nd to none...while the Sony set has great NC and sound quality ...... price are also on the high side

Not really keen to spend 4xx on a pair of headphones...

The next batch that I had tried was the Sony MDR-770BN and Planktronics Backbeat Pro 2...
The Sony set NC was only so-so...as it was mentioned in several review forum... but I found the sound quality was not so dynamic....still I wanted to get it during the Sony Fair in Dec 2016 which had 20% discount...but it was sold out everywhere from local shops to changi airport.

Finally settled for the Plantronic backbeat pro 2.. sound quality was much better than the MDR-770BN... NC is acceptable ( had used it in several long flight in the last 3 weeks))....I am sure the QC35 and MDR-100x will be in another league.


In short, those with no budget constraint in getting a wireless ANC headset....just audition QC35, MDR-100x and the Sennheiser unit...maybe add on B&O H8 which has ANC too.

for those who don't want to spend lesser and don't mind certain compromise on the NC,,,, backbeat pro 2 will be an option...but it kind of bulky compares to other..but I am ok with it....for now....lolx.
 

Teo Ming Ern

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If you try both and can't tell the difference, then you are safe. I think the reason for the sound difference is got to do with the sound signature of the makers. Meaning, having flat bass or muffled highs has nothing to do with Bluetooth. However, if you notice distortion or compression, then yes it might have to do with the Bluetooth codec.

Right now the latest commercial codec is 4.2 (5.0 is latest but not common yet), but doesn't mean lower versions are lousy. I find that Bluetooth audio are sensitive to source interference. If you run multiple BT devices at the same time (e.g. BT keyboard, smartwatch), chances are the audio might have slight distortion. Also, sometimes it depends on which version the audio device connects to. Not all audio devices can manually select the best quality connection, and best quality equates to shorter range (think Wi-Fi band). If you suddenly find the audio is distorted, then try to unpair and re-pair again.

End of day, BT quality has a lot of factors, including source device. In general, most BT headphones are built to deliver clean audio, so if you hear distortion and noise, most likely it is compatibility problems.

Hi thanks for the feedback! Actually I played back my music (320 kbps, ripped from CD, and 128 kbps downloaded from Youtube - for comparison) from a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 mobile phone. I wanted to check how the Bluetooth and wired headphones sounded with a good quality source, and an inferior quality source. When I tried the Marshall Major headphones wired version, I had full and rich sound. I played back Adele's 'Rolling in the Deep'. I could hear most if not all the nuances in her voice and instruments with the wired version. But when I played the same track back using the same model Marshall Major headphones Bluetooth version, the track was very muddy. Lots of stuff were muffled, and Adele's voice was obviously less distinct. The quality difference was so startling that I spent a good 20 min listening to both headphones and over various tracks, pop, gospel, rock and classical. The same difference was heard on all the various tracks. That kind of sealed my impression of Bluetooth headphones... but I wasn't sure if it was due to the headphones or my phone or the environment... so I thought I should ask here again... this test was done at the Tangs store at Orchard Road. The store was relatively empty at that time... the headphones section was actually empty except for me and the few staff milling around...

Not sure what gives... but I would test again... cos wireless is really super convenient...

And where can I get that Sony MDR-ZX110NC... sigh... more elusive than a unicorn...
 

patryn33

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Right now the latest commercial codec is 4.2 (5.0 is latest but not common yet), but doesn't mean lower versions are lousy. I find that Bluetooth audio are sensitive to source interference. If you run multiple BT devices at the same time (e.g. BT keyboard, smartwatch), chances are the audio might have slight distortion. Also, sometimes it depends on which version the audio device connects to. Not all audio devices can manually select the best quality connection, and best quality equates to shorter range (think Wi-Fi band). If you suddenly find the audio is distorted, then try to unpair and re-pair again.

Bluetooth 4 or 5 didn't state codecs. it talks about data transfer rate. none of the headset states it is using PCM in Bt Core or actually using A2DP. if A2DP again it state it can use vendor specific codecs since 2015.

Bt 5 has a longer range and can transfer faster speed, but improvement gears towards IoT. BT4 mainly on BT LE for fitness stuff.

just read BT SIG.
https://www.bluetooth.com/specifications/adopted-specifications

Hi thanks for the feedback! Actually I played back my music (320 kbps, ripped from CD, and 128 kbps downloaded from Youtube - for comparison) from a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 mobile phone. I wanted to check how the Bluetooth and wired headphones sounded with a good quality source, and an inferior quality source. When I tried the Marshall Major headphones wired version, I had full and rich sound. I played back Adele's 'Rolling in the Deep'. I could hear most if not all the nuances in her voice and instruments with the wired version. But when I played the same track back using the same model Marshall Major headphones Bluetooth version, the track was very muddy. Lots of stuff were muffled, and Adele's voice was obviously less distinct. The quality difference was so startling that I spent a good 20 min listening to both headphones and over various tracks, pop, gospel, rock and classical. The same difference was heard on all the various tracks. That kind of sealed my impression of Bluetooth headphones... but I wasn't sure if it was due to the headphones or my phone or the environment... so I thought I should ask here again... this test was done at the Tangs store at Orchard Road. The store was relatively empty at that time... the headphones section was actually empty except for me and the few staff milling around...

BT can never beat wired. if U have lossless format going thru BT it is decoded and encoded then past thru PCM. info is lost and it become lossy.

unless device is streaming data to headset and decode the original codec, U will never get same quality over BT.
 
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Teo Ming Ern

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I see... so then I will avoid using Bluetooth connections... for music... for movies might be ok on flight...
 

musicsg_com

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Prior to my purchase, I had tested the Bose QC35 and Sony MDR-100x.
they are very good headset, QC35 noise cancelling (NC) is almost 2nd to none...while the Sony set has great NC and sound quality ...... price are also on the high side

Not really keen to spend 4xx on a pair of headphones...

The next batch that I had tried was the Sony MDR-770BN and Planktronics Backbeat Pro 2...
The Sony set NC was only so-so...as it was mentioned in several review forum... but I found the sound quality was not so dynamic....still I wanted to get it during the Sony Fair in Dec 2016 which had 20% discount...but it was sold out everywhere from local shops to changi airport.

Finally settled for the Plantronic backbeat pro 2.. sound quality was much better than the MDR-770BN... NC is acceptable ( had used it in several long flight in the last 3 weeks))....I am sure the QC35 and MDR-100x will be in another league.


In short, those with no budget constraint in getting a wireless ANC headset....just audition QC35, MDR-100x and the Sennheiser unit...maybe add on B&O H8 which has ANC too.

for those who don't want to spend lesser and don't mind certain compromise on the NC,,,, backbeat pro 2 will be an option...but it kind of bulky compares to other..but I am ok with it....for now....lolx.

Great choice! BackBeat Pro series is value for money and the audio is really enjoyable.
 

poongwai

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I have been using new Bose BT sport earphone and quite enjoying it. I tried Jabra one and Plantronics before this. Besides from the quality of the sound, Bose one has quite larger signal receiving range and notably faster in connecting to my phone compared to products I tried. This may sound small points but really makes life different while using these at home.
 
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