I've been looking for Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) headphones for a while now, I've tried many brands and models but each one had its flaws. I've decided to go ahead and buy the most recommended ANC headphones out there, and after a month of usage - I believe they are the best option as of right now.
I've been traveling a lot the past few years (flying), so these were basically a necessity! What I was looking for in a pair of ANC headphones (in the order of significance to me) - Comfort, noise cancelling performance, sound quality and battery life - Any thing else is just gravy!
The Sony MH-1000XM2 (Mark 2) is the second generation of Sony's high-end ANC headphones, though the first generation and the second almost look identical - the internals had been treated with some upgrades. The price isn't cheap as MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) coming at 349$ though sales are usually at 295$.
I'll go through the things I was looking for and how these headphones met the criteria:
Comfort
I've tried many many ANC over-the-ears headphones, but there are 2 models that I've found to be the most comfortable - the Sony Sony MH-1000XM2 (or Mark 1 as well) and the Bose QC35. Wearing them doesn't induce pressure on the skull nor it is uncomfortable for long periods of listening.
Having said that - these headphones might cause a little bit of ear sweat, moreover - they aren't the lightest headphones due to the battery and technology inside, so wobbling is bound to happened.
But seriously, this is just nitpicking - these are very comfortable compared to everything I wore so far, my advice is - try them on yourself - as every head is different and comfort may differ from one another, and the lucky thing is - most shops keep the over-the-ear headphones out for you to try before you buy.
Performance - Noise Cancelling
Can't go around this one - noise cancelling is top notch! For all of you out there thinking they'll put on these headphones and magically transferred to a noise isolated room - I'm sorry to disappoint - that's not the case, these headphones are meant to reduce environmental noise significantly - Trains, Airplanes, wind, traffic and so on - this is repetitive constant noise that the headphones can predict and reduce, but it isn't perfect.
Having said that, putting these headphones make your travel listening experience much better, I've had a plane ride where the row in front of me would not stop talking loudly - but that hasn't ruined my flight one bit! I've hardly heard them over the movie I was watching on my iPad!
Performance - Music
The noise cancelling makes the listening experience much more immersive as you only concentrate on the music, and boy - is it good! Leaving the added app features like "Sound Position Control" and "Surround" off is a must, I think it's only a gimmick and if the music is good - added features will diminish the experience. Bass isn't heavy but very much present, mids and highs are good and clear and overall it's a fun listening experience which even in high volume won't lose it's clarity.
Battery Life
Battery life is one of the best features of these headphones! it is rated at 30hrs of ANC and Bluetooth listening and I sure believe that, I've been finding it hard to deplete the battery... but once you do, you can always connect the headphones through the 3.5mm input and listen forever! Just without active noise cancelling, but passive noise cancelling is good too.
Added Features
These headphones are feature packed! And here are some of the features:
Touch pad on the right ear-cup - this is one of the coolest features - swiping up and down will turn the volume up and down, swiping forward or backwards will skip to next or previous track, and double tap to pause or play. Yes, it works as advertised and without a hitch. the only problem with it is registering actions by mistake while putting or removing the headphones.
Cupping for ambient sound - putting your right hand on the right ear-cup will activate the microphones and lower the music volume so you can temporary hear the outside world, once you let go - everything comes back to normal. This has been a very used feature as riding on trains or airplanes may require hearing the announcements.
Predefined silence scenarios - You can define different noise cancellation modes for different scenarios - such as walking, sitting and driving. That way, if you're walking on the street - you could hear just a little of your surrounding and stay safe from traffic.
FAQs
Can these headphones work once the battery is dead? YES! The bluetooth or active noise canceling won't work but they will work just fine with the included wired connection.
What's the length of the included 3.5mm cable? Approximately 1.5m or 5ft.
Does it come with a carrying case, and if so - what does it include or can contain? YES! At this price there better be a carrying case! It's a hard case that can contain duel connection airplane adapter and the wired cable and charging cable.
What's changed while connecting with a 3.5mm cable? Well, the right ear-cup controller doesn't work anymore (only in bluetooth connection), active noise cancelling is still working and the battery life is now rated for 40hrs of use.
How long does the battery last on bluetooth connection? It is rated at 30hrs of usage, although it may vary with bluetooth signal strength and volume level.
What is the charging input type? Standard Micro USB.
Do these headphones considered Bass heavy? By no means these are Bass heavy, but the Bass is very much present. If you want more Bass - look elsewhere.
Are they water / weather proof? NO! There is even a specific section in the headphones manual recommending avoiding water scenarios.
Bottom Line
These headphones aren't cheap, but they provide you with one of the best experiences out there! Top notch noise cancelling, great sound quality, great comfort and added features. They are not perfect as they induce just a little bit of ear sweat, but that's because their passive noise isolation is better than most - the better seal makes the moisture stay inside the ear cup.
Again - nitpicking!
Yes, there are other cheaper ANC headphones out there but they lack the great noise cancelling, the sound quality or battery life.
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