Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Jul 23, 2016 12:04:07 GMT
Well the box sizes were in the paper today. That doesn't surprise me. Only yesterday, I had a micro sd card sent in a box big enough for shoes!! They've always seen me right TBH.
The biggest difficulty for some with the Sony might be the earcup shape and size. I find moving them back slightly ensures that you ears are in and there's a proper seal on your head.
I didn't get a Bose in the end because of so many reports of cups failing. I think the wires get bent in the hinge so they can fail. I use the Sony a great deal and don't mind the sacrifice in pure sound quality because of the convenience. It's not that shabby a sound for Bluetooth. I've heard quite a few and some are just awful.
There will always be a compromise with Bluetooth in any case.
Next, you'll be getting a Bluetooth sender so that non Bluetooth devices work as well.
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jello
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Post by jello on Jul 23, 2016 19:15:47 GMT
How did you know?? I'm currently looking for a USB bluetooth sender for my main pc. Everything else I have already has bluetooth support with APTX. It's a pity you can't buy a sender that supports Sony's LDAC though. Curious to hear how much of a difference that would make but don't fancy paying a small fortune for a Sony DAP! I tell you these things are worth every penny. I like to sit at the computer with the dining room window wide open so I can enjoy the pleasant summer breeze and some fresh air. But there's a small music festival in town tonight with lots of shonky covers bands murdering Bowie, U2 et al. Pop the Sony on, enable NC, no tunes playing, and it's lovely and peaceful again (aside from a very minor hiss from the ANC circuit) It's a weird feeling when you remove them though. Everything seems very loud and my computer's fans are like industrial extractor fans!
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jello
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Post by jello on Jul 24, 2016 20:53:26 GMT
You just press a button and a voice even tells you the state of the battery. That sounds handy! Can I ask which button you need to press Ian? I'm sure it must be in there but looking through both the quick start and reference guides I'm blowed if I can see any mention. Cheers!
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Jul 25, 2016 6:31:51 GMT
The power button, Mark. Instead of holding it down to turn off, just push and let go.
I found it accidentally and it's not in the booklet because I've seen the same feature on other Bluetooth headphones. Very handy to let you know where the battery is I think she says 'battery level is high/good/low.'
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jello
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Post by jello on Jul 25, 2016 10:16:54 GMT
Cheers Ian. I thought I was just being daft and missing it. That's a really handy feature and seems odd they'd go to the bother of including it but not letting owners know! I've ordered one of these BT transceivers for my pc: uk.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/creative-bluetooth-audio-bt-w2-usb-transceiverHoping it'll be okay for video streaming and there won't be too much of a delay leading to lip sync issues. I'd assumed that APTX was APTX but seems there are a number of different variants. In addition to regular APTX (which the Sony uses I think) the Creative transceiver supports APTX LL (low latency) which is meant to minimise delay for movies and gaming. However, I'm guessing if your other equipment doesn't support APTX LL then you don't get the benefits. Awfy confusing this stuff!!
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Jul 25, 2016 11:55:07 GMT
They work well Mark. Latency is pretty low so you can watch films with minimal audio delay. aptX is the thing to get at the moment to help with this. My sender works really well and is a cheapie aptX device. Use it all of the time.
Really frees your listening up without the wires!!
I found it odd that Sony never mentioned that feature. It is really useful as well. I tend to check it in the morning and then use it. If it was medium or low on the check, then I just plug it in for a while during lunch or something and then at the end of the day, leave it charging for the night. When she says it's low on mine, I still have a reasonable amount of time left.
I only found it because I've come across it on other Bluetooth headphones and I couldn't believe that a company would sell a headphone at this price level without some kind of indication.
I use my Sony all day out in the garden at the moment.
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jello
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Post by jello on Aug 5, 2016 10:03:12 GMT
Finally tried these wired last night in passive mode (power off). Horrid - I'll be sure to keep the battery charged at all times!!
If I can pick up a pair cheap on ebay I might take a punt on the wired equivalent the MDR 100-AAP. Quite curious to see how close the ABN comes sound wise.
The more I listen to this headphone the more it impresses me. Easy to forget it's wireless aside from some slight hiss when ANC is activated. Although both have similar DNA I think I prefer the tuning on this to the MDR-1A as the bass seems a bit more controlled and the mids are a bit less recessed.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Aug 5, 2016 12:33:24 GMT
I agree, Mark. The MDR1A has a bigger and wider bass peak.
I think with NC headphones, I think they tune them with NC on and the fact that they work with it off is just in case the battery gives out. The Bose is the same.
I forget totally that they're wireless when listening as well!!
In a noisy environment, the circuit hiss is totally hidden. Spectacular on a plane.
Alsoo ideal wandering around this hotel. We have upstairs and Dow stairs with two bedrooms and it works flawlessly. Not so good out in the heasheast though.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Aug 11, 2016 2:26:15 GMT
Another thing about the usefulness of noise cancellation......
Since I'm currently in a hot country, the air conditioning is on 24/7. It sounds like a washing machine on all day and night. N/C takes that noise right out, so if I lived here, I would definitely want good closed headphones or n/c headphones.
I find it quite difficult to ignore the noise and I'm sure that you eventually become accustomed to it but it really encroaches on critical listening.
I'm finding ear buds preferable outside because of the heat.
Open headphones aren't quite as useful to me here since even in the bedroom, the noise can be heard with open headphones.
For me, n/c are the best for a quiet background.
So if I lived here, perhaps high end buds and a noise canceling headphone makes real sense actually.
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jello
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Post by jello on Aug 11, 2016 9:26:56 GMT
Good to hear they are acquitting themselves well! My only really gripe with these is the pads do make your ears rather warm outdoors on a hot day so can understand why you'd ditch them for ear buds. Although the same complaint can be levelled at most over ears with pleather / leather pads to be fair.
Bought a pair of the wired equivalent (100 AAP) from Amazon.it. They've completely stopped stocking them now it seems but a few days back they had them for 80 euros. With the weakened pound (less said the better) it was nowhere as good a deal as it would've been a few months ago but £74 all in still isn't bad compared to UK prices.
Now I appreciate that this is the ABN thread but they're like siblings so thought I'd post some impressions and comparisons here (can create a new thread if you'd prefer though?).
MDR-100AAP Unboxing & first impressions What struck me when I first opened them was just how cheap looking and feeling they felt. But under closer examination they use the same plastic and construction as the ABN. It's just that they're slimmed down with a less narrower and less deep headband and the yokes are thinner. The cups may also be a bit shallower. Surprisingly the cups appear to be made of some kind of metal alloy (magnesium?) which is a nice touch on a headphone at this end of the market. Had expected them to be plastic like they are on the ABN, but suspect that metal cups might interfere with the BT functionality.
Although they give the impression of being fragile I've seen a video on youtube that would suggest they can take some serious manhandling without any ill effects, so perhaps looks are deceptive.
The reduced dimensions and lack of any battery, ANC circuitry etc. do have the advantage of making for a very light headphone. Roughly 220g without cable I think and they have a lower profile than the ABN when worn, so perhaps less conspicuous feeling when used in public.
The AAP uses different pads to the ABN. The AAP pads are shallower and appear to either to have less foam stuffed in or use one of a lower density. In practice this means they don't warm up so much in use but passive noise isolation is worse than that provided by the ABN with ANC turned off.
The AAP comes with a flat remote cable but most owners say it is highly microphonic so I haven't even bothered to use it (don't like flat / remote cables at the best of times). They share the same bespoke connector as the MDR 1A so I've been using the straight cable from that headphone instead.
Although the AAP has the same folding mechanism as the ABN Sony only include a drawstring pouch for storage rather than the nice semi-hard zippered case that comes with the ABN.
How do they sound? Probably the area I find hardest to describe well but in terms of sound they are quite similar to the 100ABN really and as such it strikes me just how well the wireless (bluetooth) 100ABN acquits itself. It's hard to be exact when it comes to differences as the AAP sounds different dependent on source whereas the ABN tends to give quite a consistent sound owing to the built in DAC / amp (all my sources use APTX encoding).
With my current cheapo mobile phone (Moto E 2nd gen) the AAP sounds a bit thinner and has significantly less bass than the ABN (possibly for the reasons Frans mentioned in the IEM amping thread) and the highs are a bit more pronounced. Plugging the AAP into the Mojo though yields better results and although they still seem to be similar up top, the bass is now also more present which gives them a more fulsome and 'robust' sound, although the ABN probably still has greater bass quantity. The AAP seems to respond reasonably well to amping and/or a decent DAC and I think they are a touch more resolving / transparent than both the ABN and the MDR-1A, although perhaps having a bit more up top simply tricks the brain into thinking that's the case.
Like their stablemates the AAP has quite an open sound for a closed back headphone and instrument separation is decent. Presentation is smooth although not the most dynamic I've heard.
I've recently started to listen to audio books and think the AAP presents the male spoken voice very naturally with no unpleasant bloom or boom. Don't have any with a lady narrator yet so can't say how it handles a more feminine voice but don't foresee any issues.
On the whole I fidn the AAP to be quite a well balanced headphone with a bit of a bass tilt, as seems to be Sony's house sound. Although elevated the bass is definitely less overcooked than the 1A for sure and the mids are less recessed as a result. Treble is likely a bit rolled off higher up but comparatively speaking it does seem more prominent than the treble on either the 100ABN or 1A. In terms of tuning I'd say the MDR-100ABN sits plumply between the MDR-100AAP and MDR-1A, gravitating slightly more toward the 100AAP.
Value for money A decent headphone if you can get it below £100 imho, particularly if you want something portable. Probably better VFM than the MDR-1A as sonically it seems just as capable (same drivers I believe) but has a lower rrp and its tuning likely makes it a bit more suited to a wider range of genres.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Aug 11, 2016 12:26:48 GMT
That's an interesting comparison, Mark. The wired version seems OK then? I use the spoken voice as one of my reference sounds!! Often tells you a lot about mids, plus overdone bass or sibilance. You'll be listening to the Archers next. With different pads and shallower cups, you'd expect the sound to be a long way from the mdr100abn. I did try one in a shop when I bought my 100s. I do remember them feeling quite lightweight as well, but not a great deal about the sound. Mdr1a is now going around £120 and the 100aap is also at the same level now!! They quote the top end as 60khz. I always wonder why companies make claims like that when under testing, they are massively low output at something so extreme and no one can heasheasr up there anyway!!! They did the same with the mdr1a at 40khz I think it was and I saw YouTube reviewers quoting this as though it was a great feature as if it were true......
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jello
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Post by jello on Aug 11, 2016 14:20:24 GMT
They're not too shabby Ian. Really just bought them to compare with the wireless version. The ABN stacks up very well indeed and can safely say it's a b***** good portable headphone without requiring a '"for a wireless pair" qualifier. Perhaps too close to the ABN and 1A to be keepers though. Although having 2 x MDR-1A perhaps it'd be better to cut one of them loose instead... Your ears do sit closer to the drivers but paired with the Mojo the sound sig does seem very close to the ABN and they are about as open sounding. To me at least. If you think about the differences between your MDR-1A and the ABN and then extend them another 5-10% (less bass, more treble basically) you're probably not far off. 40khz? 60khz? Those with bat like ears probably want to skip the 1A and AAP and try some of these: "FREQUENCY RESPONSE (HZ): 4–100,000Hz". Yup you guessed it, they're a Sony. The MDR-Z7 The Archers???....pffft. So far I've listened to Mike Tyson's autobiography (so-so) and I'm now onto Skagboys, which is the prequel to Trainspotting. Really good listen which is at times bleak but also darkly funny and is set in Edinburgh in the early 80's when we had Thatcher, the miner's strikes and Edinburgh was about to be hit with a massive heroin problem (and of course AIDS). The guy doing the narration, Tam Dean Burn, delivers things with gusto but his thick Edinburgh drawl and lots of local / Scottish slang means some listeners might be a bit bamboozled at times. If it was dramatised for radio I think Mary Whitehouse would be turning in her grave and disgusted from Tunbridge Wells might be furiously writing her complaint letter!! I used to read a lot but these days I really struggle with concentration and just dipping into the daily paper is about my limit. I'm finding these audiobooks quite digestible though and like the fact I can sneak in a chapter whilst I'm working around the place or before bed. Used to think they were for old farts....wasn't too far off the mark then
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Aug 11, 2016 15:25:00 GMT
The 100abn is a really nice headphone. I use it all of the time tbh. The convenience along with a really quiet background is great, plus .... Yes, it does sound good.
I liked those wired ones as well though when I heard them. A touch lighter in the bass than the 1a. I left the 1a at home.
The Archers became highly dramatic recently with a dominated wife stabbing her husband. That was a shock. I like audio books. The Kindle Fire has a voice built in and it reads ebooks to you. The old voice sounded terribly robotic, but the new one is way better.
I bought a cheapie to bring out here so I can use the internet, watch films, read books and magazines and listen to music on it. It's not as worrying as taking a 128gb IPad since it only cost £49 and does the job. It also tames an SD card to expand the memory so I have around 35 films on it at the moment. Sounds great with the 100abn. I watched a horror film last night a nearly jumped through the walls.
The kindles are good as well. I use a Paperwhite.
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Crispy
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Post by Crispy on Aug 13, 2016 19:24:02 GMT
I like audio books. The Kindle Fire has a voice built in and it reads ebooks to you. The old voice sounded terribly robotic, but the new one is way better. I also like audio books Ian, some of the readers are superb and can switch voices from male to female to children from English to a foreign language all within the skip of a heartbeat. They can add so much emotion and realism that I just cannot imagine if I were to read the paper version of the book. I don't know if you know but J.K. Rawling who wrote the Harry Potter books also writes under a different name - Robert Galbraith. I can definitely recommend the Cormoran Strike novels read by I think Philip Glennister? he reads it brilliantly and the stories will keep you guessing until the end? Read in this order: 1 Cuckoo's Calling 2 The Silkworm 3. Career of Evil I am pretty sure you will like them?
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Aug 13, 2016 23:41:35 GMT
Thanks Chris. I'll look them up when I get back.
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