Calling Beats ghetto trash isn't being a closet racist.
I'm sure you probably had some part in the lowering of the IQ on MacRumors. You haven't mentioned that much that's intelligent to the discussions.
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Bose Sues Beats for Patent Infringement Over Noise-Cancelling Headphones
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Calling Beats ghetto trash isn't being a closet racist.
I'm sure you probably had some part in the lowering of the IQ on MacRumors. You haven't mentioned that much that's intelligent to the discussions.
Yeah, wireless and noise cancelling isn't going to give you the best sound quality. You need to prioritize the "features" of headphones and the price bracket you are considering.
First off, I wouldn't go to a Mac forum and ask questions about "sound quality" for audio products. This isn't the place that's filled with "audio geeks". I would highly suggest you go to http://www.innerFidelity.com, that's all that site discusses and reviews. I would also listen to them all before making the final decision. The only person that can say which headphone they prefer is YOU, but check them ALL out, there aren't that many that have those features.
Here's a couple of links for you to check out.
http://www.innerfidelity.com/category/noise-canceling-headphone-reviews
http://www.innerfidelity.com/category/wireless-headphone-reviews
If there is an audiophile show in your neck of the woods, I would go if I were you. They usually have a section at these shows with nothing but headphone related products for you to check out.
Thank you. And I actually looked at those same links a week ago. I've prioritized my features for this next set to be wireless, noise cancelling, and over the ear. Like I said I'm not expecting superb sound quality. I already have a few wired headphones that have fairly decent sound quality. I may very well have to go with beats studio wireless it seems.
I followed similar threads on head-fi and no one really had any recommendations. They all recommended getting wired headphones instead for better sound quality like the Momentum or some AKGs (amazing sound for their price points), but I just don't want to purchase those because they do not fit my required feature set. I would love a pair of Momentums for home use when I can appreciate the quality.. not for when I need wireless noise cancelling which is outside of home.
I coincidentally am looking for the same exact setup. I have a bunch of other headphones and IEMs, but I recently tried Bluetooth again after getting fed up with the sound quality 2-3 years ago and things have come along quite significantly. Plus I live in New York City and between the city and subway noise, ANC is necessary if you're using anything other than IEMs. I thought the passive isolation of regular circumaural headphones would be enough (the Sony MDR-1RBTs), and they are frankly unlistenable at safe volumes on the subway.
I think this wireless/ANC/circumaural segment is still an emerging market, and so there aren't mature market leaders yet. So far it's an uneven playing field with no real standouts.
As far as I can see, the main players are:
Parrot Zik
Beats Studio BT
Logitech UE-9000
Samsung Level Over
Sennheiser MM 500-X Travel
I can go into more detail with my own research, but the Logitechs are generally well regarded but are out of production and are supposed to be fairly heavy (330g), the ANC is also not stellar from some reviews. The Parrot Zik is supposed to have pretty good ANC (quad mic setup), but has a ton of idiosyncrasies including short battery life, an app-required control panel, and others, and still weighs in a 325g). The Sennheiser is ugly as all getout and the reviews are fairly mediocre for it as well. The Beats are featherweights at 260g, but I've read the ANC is only mediocre on this, though the sound quality is much improved and less bass-crazy as prior Beats.
I've recently picked up the Samsung Level Overs to play with and they are heavy. I measured them at 345g, so close to the 350g spec, so they are more fatiguing to wear than the MDR-1RBTs I have. The passive noise isolation is pretty good, better than the Sonys and the ANC is fairly impressive though I don't have much of a basis of comparison with the others. I'm still trying to decide on the sound quality though; it is surprisingly flat, which may be a good thing for reference folks, but they are not as fun to listen to.
I'm still scratching my head why Sony's launch of the MDR-1R lineup had a wired, bluetooth, and ANC wired version, but no bluetooth/ANC version. I'm hoping Sony figures out that there's a market for this and gets in on it.
I completely agree. I guess because the technology isn't necessarily there yet that no one has really pushed into the market headstrong.
I've been looking at the same exact list. And yes weight is an issue for me as well which pretty much rules out even a used pair of ue9000.
I tried on the samsung level over at best buy and was pleasantly surprised at the sound. The ANC wasn't too distracting as say beats and I agree that the sound is definitely more along with the mid. Nothing blew me away but nothing told me it was bad which is actually good for ANC wireless headphones. I do agree about the weight, but more so the size that bothers me. Turning my head felt a little weird and then I looked in the mirror of the Samsung booth and saw just how big they were.
Samsung Level Over Pros
- not bad sound quality? (bass isn't muddy but not much oomph either)
- can plug in the cable and still listen even when the battery is dead
- ANC can be turned on or off
- very comfortable earmuffs
- MSRP is $30 cheaper than beats
Cons
- very large
- heavy
- iPhone users cannot take advantage of the Samsung controls
- does not fold for portability
- for my own purposes - I can't workout in these because of the size
Then I went and listened to the beats studio after and was surprised that they sounded about the same with a little more bass. The current latest model of the studios is definitely better than the first gen. Definitely also has the smallest profile of over the ear BT-ANC sets though especially compared to the level over.
Beats Studio Wireless Pros
- better sound than previous gen (doesn't mean its exceptional in audiophile standards though)
- more bass than samsung level over
- smaller footprint (so I could workout in these)
- Pads are comfier than I thought they would be (subjective)
Cons
- ANC cannot be turned off
- when it dies it cannot be used until charged
- MSRP is $30 more than samsung level
So the idea is to just have to weigh the pros/cons. Do you value being able to turn ANC on/off? Is the weight/lack of folding not an issue? Heck if you have a Samsung phone the Samsung level over is a better purchase. If you value slightly more bass, portability and lower weight and turning off ANC isn't an issue then the beats would suffice. If It wasn't for the size I would definitely go for the over, but the lower weight of the beats as well as the bass has me leaning towards them instead, not to mention that turning off ANC isn't a requirement for me. If that's the case I would just use my non-ANC headphones for the same purpose.
I was actually sold on the ANC version of the sony MDR until I found out they didn't have wireless. I was baffled that it wasn't BT considering they have a separate BT non-ANC model.
Yeah, between the light weight, smaller profile, and nice design of the Beats Studio, it's too bad there are again, weird product idiosyncrasies with them. I think we're both in agreement that the space is ripe for someone to come in and take the entire segment by storm.
I had been hoping the Samsungs would deliver on that, but we're still waiting...