Noise-Canceling Bluetooth Headphone Roundup (Early 2018)

Face-Off:

Timecodes
01:59 Overview
16:16 Comfort & Fit
23:20 ANC
29:09 Sound
37:31 Conclusion

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[robertwiseman]

Just discovered your channel. Fantastic review/comparison of these headphones. I have the Sony Hear on 2 for about 2 weeks & they are really excellent. The perfect balance between bass, mids & treble. I picked them up from Amazon Italy for €180! They definitely sound better than the Sony wh-1000x2.

[Kevinjandro]

He's absolutely right with the Bowers and Wilken's Px's...they aren't comfortable in the 1st week or so. The sound quality is def there. The Sennheiser's pxc 550's are very comfortable and are very light imo. They don't get very loud and he's right but they do sound very good!

[ha]

The error the Pxc makes is that club mode is meant for music. They are much louder in this mode, bass is greater, and soundstage widens Slightly. They sound significantly better in this mode.

Try them with club mode. Then tell me where would you rank them in sound? I put them slightly above the Bose qc35 and on par with the hear.on 2 (I have all 3).

[FrankParent]

Thanks so much for doing this vid. I'm currently looking to buy new cans and this is by far the most relevant and in-depth review out there. Keep up the good work!

[jacobcharters]

For me PXC 550 and HD 4.50 btncs from sennheiser are the best overall for me for the most important factor sound quality they both out perform my bose headphones but i wish sennheiser would make a closed back version of my HD 600s like they did for the 500 series also another great review your one of my favorite audiophile reviewers already!!!

[nunojrs]

I have both headphones, the Sony 1000mx3 and the B&W PX.

SOUND:
However, I intend to say that B&W has a
more intense bass, and Sony has a more BOOOMMM bass! Did I make myself understand?
After listening a techno music at high volume,
the results in my head were different:
With the Sony 1000mx3 I kept my head vibrating.
With the B&W PX I got my head to echo inside!
The B&W PX bass comes in inside the head,
and the Sony 1000mx3 vibrates the outside of the head.
Different results for different tastes.

I prefer the Bass of the B&W PX, more real and penetrating, like a punch in the head.
Sony sounds a little artificial (comparing with the B&W PX)

In addition, the B&W PX volume is higher.
When it reaches the volume limit on the Sony 1000mx3, the B&W still has another 20% to add.

Without a doubt, the sound of the B&W PX is superior, more defined and more elegant.

I say this without any tendency, because I bought both.

Do not forget the following:
B&W is a company dedicated exclusively to sound, equipping high-end cars like Ferrari, BMW's etc.
Sony produces a wide variety of things, from mobile phones to microwaves. B&W is a lady of sound
quality, because she dedicates himself exclusively to this.

COMFORT:
With regard to comfort, the Sony 1000mx3 are more comfortable, nor giving almost by the presence of them in the head. 👍👍👍
However, while the B&W PXs are less comfortable, the ears stay free inside the earpiece, being cooler and not causing perspiration.

The Sony 1000mx3 ears do not have space inside the headphones, and make them perspire on hotter days.
Unsustainable in summer days, much less to walk down the street on sunny days. 👎

The quality of construction is top notch in the B&W PX. All in aluminum, and genuine leather. It costs € 400 in Europe but
pays for the elegance and quality of construction. 👍

The Sony 1000mx3 is all in plastic and synthetic skin. In Europe costs € 380, but it seems that we are buying plastic.👎
However the Sony are lighter and therefore more comfortable. 👍

NOISE CANCELLATION:
The Sony 1000mx3 has a perfect noise cancellation, it looks like you put your head inside a vacuum chamber. Perfect!
👍👍👍
The B&W PX though reasonable in noise cancellation, but are far from the Sony 1000mx3.

Android/ Apple APPLICATION:
With respect to the Android application to control the headphones, the Sony is perfect, as well as the indicator sounds in your own language.
The B&W PX are just beeps. 👎👎👎
The B&W PX application only serves to control the level of noise reduction (which is best to keep it OFF), and to control the system to pause the music when you remove the B&W PX from your ears (which works at 80%). The app for B&W PX is terribly basic 👎👎👎

CONCLUSION?
Comparing these headphones to a women, I would say:
That the Sony are that kind of woman, very
devoted to home and children, but a little less beautiful and more chubby.
The B&W PX is that a elegant woman, very pretty, but untidy woman at home.

So, if you prefer the ugly and dedicated woman at home, you will always look at the beautiful woman.
If you prefer the elegant and beautiful woman, you go and wash your dishes at home. You choose. 😁😁😎

I prefer the B&W PX,
although I know it does not have all those features that would do it great.

I'm more of a fan of B&W PX's aesthetic and sound elegance.
If you choose B&W PX you will make a good choice, but sacrificing some aspects of the Sony 1000mx3 that would make music even more enjoyable.
If you buy Sony, you're just one more who bought a headset for €350.
If you buy B & W, whoever watches you knows that you like not just music but sound quality.

Some of the "business" websites that do the comparatives, seem to give 100% preference to Sony, but gave me the impression of sponsorship by Sony.
😀😀😀
Because everyone knows Sony, and a lot of people have never heard of Bowers & Wilkins, only sound connoisseurs know it.
Thus, Sony is more mediated, and ends up having a control of public opinion, and obviously creates a subconscious tendency by Sony, even some of youtubers who make these comparatives
.
If you are young, and like techno, buy a Sony.
But if you are over 40 years old, and want to make up for the lack of youth with charm, buy B&W PX 😎👍 .

.

[SpencerDean]

HD1 by Sennheiser can be had for ~$300 in the US now

[ixidorstrinity]

Love this video, great breakdown timestamps in the description! Have the Hear.on 2's, debating the PXC's (since they're cheaper now and I don't really listen to things at high volume).

[gamingtech]

What a comparison!!! Thank you very much for the detailed review!!! your headphones reviews are really my favourite!!! Could you please comment on how long the beats studio 3 will last on max volume? Like you, I always tend to listen to bluetooth headphone on max volume and was wondering if the beats will push the 20 hour on max volume? Thanks

[drawingteller]

I’m not gonna lie this was one of the best and most entertaining headphones videos I’ve seen, I’ve been trying to find the prefect Bluetooth headphone for months now.. you’re on point on your reviews, with that being said I purchased the studio3s yesterday, and living in America I got the version that are really loud (compared to Europeans?) lol I still have 15 days to exchange them if I don’t like them (so far so good) my other option is the qc35II but after testing them there was a weird hissing/white noise every time I got the phone in my pocket and I was moving around, I tried a different pair and still the same, specially listening to podcast..so have you had any experience with that? And if so how can I fix it? And should I switch ? Thanks!

[kabalder]

I was kind of randomly trying out some of these wireless/wired earclogs, and had the same experience as you here - only a few of these are "just good enough", to really consider. So I went with the PX, in spite of them not being super-comfortable. With the thinking that these have aptx (or they stream at about the same rate as spotify anyway), and that they are clearly designed towards that type of amplifier, with drivers that are matched to that. And you have "just good enough". On top of that the noise-cancellation was the most comfortable out of all the clogs for me, because they didn't have the distinct background scraping, or the "self noise", as these noise-cancellation charlatans are calling it.

But the pair I had initially actually did quiet a surprising amount of the noise outside, to the point where I could comfortably sit in a super-noisy gym with echoes and screaming, and not actually hear much of anything at all. I was just astounded, because that's not something I had read about in the tests at all.

Sadly, this pair eventually had a hissing/feedback problem with the mics, so I had to get a new one. And again, I'm really surprised, because in addition to being super-good at even quieting fairly sharp and quick noises, and all ambient noises just vanished -- these actually didn't even have the "self-noise" scraping. Again, really curious stuff, because no one is writing about this in the tests.

And then after having to turn the second pair in as well, because of a loose part in it (from the factory...) -- I finally found out why no one writes about it. All the pairs I had tried until then were from a very early batch, that had since been changed physically, with microphones with different ranges. And they had been updated with a less aggressive sound cancellation algorithm.

According to B&W, this was because they had received complaints about the noise-cancellation being too harsh, and that it affected the "just good enough" sound -- which I thought was ridiculous, since the sound is not hifi to begin with. And untouched, unmodified hifi and open sound, that's not what you're looking for in portable bluetooth through a street with traffic in it anyway. So this just doesn't scan.

Neither does the fact that the reported feedback issues with the microphones -- which is caused by high pitched inverse waves being picked up, and leakage from the clogs, of course -- had essentially been patched out by software. How would you do that? Well, you would do that by lowering the range of the noise-cancellation algorithm, so certain frequencies are no longer generating inverse waves. The same is with response - you can reduce the response, so you have less chance of out of sync inverse waves (read: you get *lkzzassstt* and popping). At the cost of less noise reduction of sharp, quick sounds.

And that's what these goblins had done -- they had taken a portable noise-cancellation headset that was "just good enough", with an actually functioning noise cancellation feature, and basically patched it to be a "hi fi experience". In 16 ohm, and 5mW..

If your choice at this point is between the PX and anything else that you like: go with the other one. B&W made a decent design here, but don't encourage the troglodytes in their PR and Customer department by deceiving yourself with an "exclusive experience" here. It's not. It's a "just good enough" headset, that costs comical amounts -- where you in addition will buy an expensively developed noise cancellation schema --- that in truth actually works --- but that has been patched to bits and pieces based on noise-feedback from the internets.

Get a pair of good in-ear buds instead, with good fitting silicone or foam plugs, and you will actually have better noise cancellation via "passive noise cancellation", compared to all of the headsets on display here (save for the Bose QC where you'll listen to the self-noise instead). Sadly, B&W actually had one that was "just good enough", that actually had a noise-cancellation feature that worked. But they now don't have that. By forced patching of firmware, on all remaining headsets in existence. There was also no way for me to have B&W flash my headset with an older firmware -- because it's now gone. Forever. As the contractor that made the algorithm has been bidden adieu, and clearly everything is always better once it's "updated". So there you go: now they're £400 in the bin if you get a pair.

[VicharB]

Got me Sennheiser PXC 550-ii - light, comfort and above all sound quality (neutral and natural with controlled bass, perfect mids and nice treble) and soundstage/signature. ANC wasn't the priority, though they are good, not the best. I also have Momentum 3 when want party mode in my head.

[goodtony]

Nice review!
just bought PXC550
not a fan of twisting to turn on the headphone, like the touch pad though
still appreciate the spirit that Sennheiser tried to make something unique

[nismomike]

Thanks for the review! I was out shopping and happened to cross paths with the JBL E65 for $85 and included a $30 store credit! I remembered this review and couldn't pass them up for that deal!

[ibrarutta]

The lighter headphones are not the bose qc 35 but the sennhieser pxc 550 on 227 gr...

[EkczHD]

Thanks for the reviews, I was leaning on the Sennheisers, but you gave me another thought.

[DisLichii]

i feel like you kinda skipped critiquing the momentum here in terms of sound, possibly because of their price in the US (u mentioned 440$), but here in Sweden i can get them for 280$ as a holiday sale and i'm kinda tempted. all you said about the sound is that 'theyre warm and not worth 440$'. all other reviews of this hp are 3 years old so they dont take into account day's market.
for reference, the bose QC II are 400$, PX are 480$, PXC 550 are 305$. so the momentums are the cheapest of the bunch!

at a store i tried the Bose, and i agree that they sound FINE, but something felt kinda low res, something was missing for me. the PXC 550 kinda disappointed me in the sound department a bit, male vocals sounded weird (im no audiophile....yet...so i cant really describe it, but they felt tinny to me). i tried the Sony WH-1000MK3, but im really scared about their build quality for the price of 445$. they can also only pair to 1 device at a time, and were a tad bassy, aside from that they were VERY fun to listen to. mostly its the build quality for the price that puts me off from those.

so if anyone wanna help me out here, do you think the momentum 2 wireless are worth 280$, and will i be satisfied with their sound? sadly i cant try them at a store, no store would have them out since they're a 3yr old hp.

[LamZL]

Absolutely great comparison! 👍🏻 Please do more!

[johnorion]

Well well... My favourite Youtube reviewer is at it again. I'm glad you included the H.EAR ON 2 (WH-H900N) instead of the much-hyped 1000XM2 in this review as there's a popular opinion that the H900N is of better build AND audio quality than the more expensive 1000XM2. You can get the H900N as low as 199 EUR here in Finland. I don't mind the bulkiness but the one thing I have issues with is that a lot of people are saying that there is a whining noise when using the ANC in certain conditions. It might have to do with the microphones being in the front of the headphones thus catching wind. There is apparently a software option to fix this issue but not without caveats.

[jeywhistle]

I don't agree with your position towards the sennheiser momentum, the sound is awesome. I also own the Sony WH-1000M2 and they beat them in every aspect but noise cancellation. To me they sound perfect and the build quality is top.