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OliOliOliOli

macrumors regular
Jul 10, 2019
155
142
I don't know if you have the subtitle in English for this video, but this guy goes more deeper in his test, his not just tell some basic things like in the video here but make real test with sound engineer
 

Scott6666

macrumors 65816
Feb 2, 2008
1,490
943
I don’t find the ANC on the APP effective at all. Still hear lots of outside noises.
 

ouimetnick

macrumors 68040
Aug 28, 2008
3,552
6,344
Beverly, Massachusetts
I know I’ll get hate, but I think this is wrong. It’s great for Apple, but has no benefit for the consumer at all. No matter how hard Sony et al work at their headphone design, they can never compete with Apple in regards to this particular feature. It’s just not a level playing field. I buy APP because of the H1, though really I don’t particularly like the design or sound, I’d much prefer the new Sony’s. They should licence the H1 out and let others really compete with them - it forces them to keep pushing the design forward.

And yes, before everyone starts with the usual “Sony could build their own phone ecosystem to compete” it’s not a valid argument.
I agree, and while not the same, Apple did open up the FindMy network for 3rd party devices, and developers can take advantage of the ultra wide band tech in iPhones.

What I’m saying is that AirTags aren’t special because Apple opened up their ecosystem to avoid criticism and potential legal action. They could do the same with the tight integration that the W1 and H1 chip have with their products. Apple doesn’t even need to license anything, just allow 3rd party headphones to pair and have automatic device switching like Apple’s AirPods do.
 

spinedoc77

macrumors G4
Jun 11, 2009
11,414
5,291
Why does Sony never seem to care about audio latency? Are they just too cheap to pay Qualcomm to use AptX-LL? I get that they have LDAC, but latency is still really high with LDAC. At least Apple has reduced their latency with the H1 chip, but it's still not super good like Aptx-LL. I have a set of Sony WH1000XM4's that just sit and collect dust because when it comes time to watch video the latency is just horrendous. I've since switched over to a set of headphones with AptX-LL and the difference is night and day. I preferred the XM4's because the ANC is nothing short of amazing, but watching videos and playing games was painful.

So what is the factor making something like AptX-LL so rare? Is it really the cost of paying Qualcomm to use their chip? Or is having your audio and video in sync really not as popular as I think it should be?
 

SactoGuy18

macrumors 601
Sep 11, 2006
4,386
1,552
Sacramento, CA USA
As good as it may, let’s face it Sony XM4 is made with Android users in mind. Sucky companion app, custom hi-res codec that won’t work at all for iPhones, overall gaudy design (and naming too).

AirPods may lose in sound and ANC department, but for everything else, it’s H1 chip integration that will matter most for iPhone users.
This is why I saving my Amazon gift card until the AirPods Pro 2 arrives. Hopefully, the AirPods Pro 2 will have excellent sound and they won't be prone to fall out of your ears.
 
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GtrDude

macrumors 6502a
Apr 17, 2011
841
1,139
Bottom line: Apple once again have locked us out from many features that we should be able to do.
They do this every time. Their OSs are most famous for it and they excuse it as being more safe, ok, but to do it on headphones is inexcusable.
 

Robert.Walter

macrumors 68040
Jul 10, 2012
3,104
4,424
Lol your just making stuff up. iPhone 21? At least it’s not “iPhone uz37674”

“LoL”, please check your reading comprehension before employing unnecessary snark.

I made all of it up, obvs, as a suggestion how Apple could simplify its naming convention to get rid of it’s unnecessarily confusing nomenclature muda.

ps it’s “you’re”, not “your”. Not that it will help here but the effect of your arguments, and snark, could improve by stepping up your grammar to a 6th grade level; it’s not that hard to do.
 
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Robert.Walter

macrumors 68040
Jul 10, 2012
3,104
4,424
I agree, and while not the same, Apple did open up the FindMy network for 3rd party devices, and developers can take advantage of the ultra wide band tech in iPhones.

What I’m saying is that AirTags aren’t special because Apple opened up their ecosystem to avoid criticism and potential legal action. They could do the same with the tight integration that the W1 and H1 chip have with their products. Apple doesn’t even need to license anything, just allow 3rd party headphones to pair and have automatic device switching like Apple’s AirPods do.

That’s like asking any manufacturer who developed any kind of proprietary connection between devices (could be mechanical or software or etc. to give it to competitors even if it doesn’t benefit them.

Do that too much and no first mover will develop anything because the fast followers will take the payback out of it; to protect first mover initiative and investment is essentially why we have patents.

Besides, it’s not like Apple could just “allow” a competitor to use Apples standard, Apple would have to give up proprietary paring software because the secret in Apple’s sauce is a proprietary s/w overlaying the Bluetooth standard.
 

GrindedDown

macrumors 6502a
Jun 4, 2009
715
263
Las Vegas
The one thing that stopped me from buying these was a lack of multi device support. I have the 1000xm4 over ears and love them to pieces, mostly because of multi-device. That’s the one feature that stopped me from trading out my APP for these earbuds.
 

0924487

Cancelled
Aug 17, 2016
2,699
2,808
The one thing that stopped me from buying these was a lack of multi device support. I have the 1000xm4 over ears and love them to pieces, mostly because of multi-device. That’s the one feature that stopped me from trading out my APP for these earbuds.
I have XM3 over ear, it doesn’t have multipoint BL, I wish it had.
 
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Lycanthrope

macrumors 6502a
Nov 1, 2005
566
92
Brussels, Belgium, Europe
I have APPro's, but bought the Sony WF-1000XM3 as I'd read so many reviews that said they were better

In terms of sound they're a little bit better, although the when Apple updated the firmware last year they changed the EQ profile, making the APP's more expansive than the previous slightly flat sound (note I hope they evolve the APMax in the same manner as they sound a little tight and constrained at this moment) and the difference is now minimal

But other than marginally better sound, the Sony's are awful. They don't sit in the ear comfortably, they transmit a lot of physical sounds - for example when walking, the signal drops continually, they're literally twice the size of the APPro's and the case it like a brick, finally, the touch-controls are a nightmare - you go anywhere near them and you accidentally pause or skip a track

I decided to keep them to use for video-conferencing with my work laptop (W10, ugh!!), but they didn't pair at all

Horrible experience...
 
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DeepIn2U

macrumors G5
May 30, 2002
12,853
6,892
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I have the Sony WF-1000XM3’s and have had several issues with them from day-one. They have very bad Bluetooth performance and sometimes takes minutes to connect to my iPhone. I’ve even had them replaced with very little difference. Won’t buy Sony in-ears again.
I find that odd. I've had the WF-1000XM3's 3x in 2019/2020 as I kept switching back and forth with the Air Pods Pro (difference in music quality and ambient quality range vs convenience and size) and didn't have any issue other than realising I could not pair 2+ devices and allow easy switching - which I think is fixed in the XM4's (mark IV).

Considering Ericsson created the Bluetooth technology, Sony's partnership with Ericsson at that time made Sony the 1st manufacturer of a bluetooth headset and that was shipping under the SonyEricsson brand, so I'm suprised. Did you update the firmware of those? Recall Apple had firmware issues for months on the AirPods Pro for many people. Nobody gave up on those. But each to their own.
 

DeepIn2U

macrumors G5
May 30, 2002
12,853
6,892
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
So I have the Sony XM4 over ear headphones and they do sound fantastic and have best of class noise cancelling and battery life...
BUT

When you configure it to be the least annoying as possible you still have to put up with the assistant voice saying "Bluetooth Device 1... Connnected".
Connected to two devices and take a phone call? 5 seconds into the phone call "Bluetooth Device 2... Disconnected" drowning out the other person.

Listen to a funny podcast and laugh? It pauses playback thinking you're talking to somebody.

When the next version of the stupidly expensive over ear Apple headphones comes out in a year or two, I might seriously consider getting them just to avoid the "helpful" features of Sony.

All are settings easily can be disabled in the app. You just didn't bother using it or taking the time to skim through it.
 
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DeepIn2U

macrumors G5
May 30, 2002
12,853
6,892
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
No, Sony cannot play lossless. LDAC is not lossless.
There is no lossless codec running over bluetooth today, period.
LDAC has been officially recognized as Lossless.

Just how Apple's Apple Music specified from Lossless to Lossless Hi-Res
 

Rocko99991

macrumors 68000
Jul 25, 2017
1,574
2,191
LDAC has been officially recognized as Lossless.

Just how Apple's Apple Music specified from Lossless to Lossless Hi-Res
If the source media is not altered in transmission then you can have lossless Bluetooth transmission.
 

ErikGrim

macrumors 603
Jun 20, 2003
6,469
5,089
Brisbane, Australia

Ultimately, LDAC users are likely to spend a fair bit of time listening to the 330kbps version. Unfortunately, the available resolution and 18kHz cut-off frequency are objectively inferior to CD quality, Qualcomm’s aptX, and SBC.
 

doobydoooby

macrumors regular
Oct 17, 2011
209
255
Genève, Switzerland
The LDAC discussion is kinda irrelevant though… it’s pretty much impossible to access lossless audio though an iPhone in any manner and the LDAC technology in particular can’t be accessed on an iPhone since Apple limits us to AAC.
 

doobydoooby

macrumors regular
Oct 17, 2011
209
255
Genève, Switzerland
I have APPro's, but bought the Sony WF-1000XM3 as I'd read so many reviews that said they were better

In terms of sound they're a little bit better, although the when Apple updated the firmware last year they changed the EQ profile, making the APP's more expansive than the previous slightly flat sound (note I hope they evolve the APMax in the same manner as they sound a little tight and constrained at this moment) and the difference is now minimal

But other than marginally better sound, the Sony's are awful. They don't sit in the ear comfortably, they transmit a lot of physical sounds - for example when walking, the signal drops continually, they're literally twice the size of the APPro's and the case it like a brick, finally, the touch-controls are a nightmare - you go anywhere near them and you accidentally pause or skip a track

I decided to keep them to use for video-conferencing with my work laptop (W10, ugh!!), but they didn't pair at all

Horrible experience...
Just FYI the XM4s are significantly lighter and smaller. I could never get the 3s to stay in my ear, they were just too heavy… the new ones are much better. You need to jiggle a bit to get the fit snug but once they are in, they stay and the fit is comfortable. Still not as easy a fit as AirPods but the sound benefits are worth it for me.
 
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adrianlondon

macrumors 603
Nov 28, 2013
5,026
7,585
Switzerland
Please note this thread is about the in-ear XM4s not the XM3s or the over-ear headphones.

I'm only spelling this out as most posts appear to talk about other ear/headphones in the Sony range, and I'm hoping that all the issues with those don't carry over to the new WF-1000XM4 :)
 
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