So, being somewhat of a gadget freak I’m always trying to find the right equipment that improves my life quality in some way. Might as well share my thoughts on said gadgets here.
Bowers & Wilkins PX
In December 2017 I finally caved in and bought a pair of bluetooth headphones. I was curious about the active noise cancellation (ANC) that was just becoming popular, and the sound quality of wireless headphones seemed to have reached an acceptable level. Also, my wired Denon AH-MM200 – which I really liked – broke down for the nth time because of a design flaw. No wonder they were being sold at a serious discount.
I already drooled at the vintage luxury look of the previous Bowers & Wilkins portable headphones, and now they had a new wireless model out with noise cancellation. The early reviews seemed encouraging, and the feature set was really complete and future proof. The PX model then became my Christmas present to my self; expensive at 399€ sure but good headphones are important to me and I was done with bad ones.
So, how are they now in the summer of 2019? Well, they are still going strong and in constant use of course, and the sound quality is really good – music sounds just pleasingly right. Noise cancellation (or reduction would be a more apt term) is also pretty fun to have, and a major reason for buying these as they’re great for office work. They do have one considerable flaw though: if you use glasses, the hard leather ear cups can’t make a complete seal which leads to poorer bass levels and the ANC looses some effect as well as the sound leaks. No matter what rims I’m wearing, thick or thin, the problem persists. They sound really good only when not wearing anything (underwear excluded). Also, when wearing hats, the sensors which automatically pause or unpause the music if they sense you are taking the headphones off are also a bit fiddly.
Comfort is also not the strongest point of these pretty large and heavy headphones, many have stated that the headband is uncomfortable so I guess the design was only tested on people with average-sized heads who don’t use glasses or hats. Looks-wise they are also a bit more bland and generic than the vintage sports car looking P5’s, for example. I can never be sure if I’m putting them on backwards or the right way, something about the phones design is just awkward. The materials are pure quality though, and battery life is good.
Bottom line: if a more natural level of sound quality is important to you than what Sony, Bose or Beats are offering, these are still pretty good headphones that can compete with 2019 models. Only thing is, if you wear glasses they aren’t the best of cans. Also these are a bit bulky when traveling and the supplied carrying pouch is not very good. Add in the fact that the ANC is not of the strongest caliber means that frequent flyers etc. might want something that travels more easily. Try before you buy is a must with these.
The Good
+ Sound quality
+ Technically feature complete with ANC, USB-C, aptX HD, mics for audio calls and more
+ Build quality
+ Battery life
The Bad
– Comfort
– Glasses break isolation and impact both the sound and the ANC-effect
– ANC not as strong as with other manufacturers
– Bulky when traveling
Verdict: 4/5
Link to official product info: https://www.bowerswilkins.com/en-gb/headphones/px
Xiaomi Mi Headphones Pro
Despite the B&W PX’s above, at heart I’m still a total cheapskate who wants luxury at bargain prices. So it is only natural that I’ve also been looking at the cheap stuff from China that promises a lot of bang for less buck. Aptly called “chi-fi” when it comes to music gear, I wanted to see if 20 € gets you quality earbuds that rival 200€ stuff so I ordered the Mi Headphone Pro -earbuds from Aliexpress.com, because I did need (another) set of earbuds for my Huawei M3 -tablet, which cannot use Bluetooth and Wifi at the same time due to a design flaw (<– most products have one, the term was mentioned in the PX review above as well).
Cheap in-ear phones usually have a bit of a muffled sound that leave you wanting more detail, even if they usually perform better than cheap on-ear phones. The Mi Pro:s promise a clearer “HD-sound”, and certainly you can hear more detail with them than usual and the sense of space (= soundstage) in music is pretty good too. But the sound wasn’t quite the “200€ sound for 20€” that I was hoping for; bass is a bit too subdued and there is an underlying cheap & dirty undertone in the clarity. The worst thing is, that the sound is simply not very fun – but it might also be that the PX’s have slightly spoiled me there; it might be you have to use these for a long time to get used to the different sound. Maybe these are best suited for jazz or classical music, but pop and techno isn’t that great to listen to with these. Still, they *are* good for the low price (20€ when on sale incl. postage), quite comfortable and solidly built of metal so I’ll be using them anyhow; out in the traffic the sound is actually fine but it is when you’re alone in a quiet place when the sound simply reveals its unfuniness.
You get quality-wise maybe a 60€ pair of earbuds for 20€ when buying these, so like all Mi products this is still a good deal.
The Good
+ Clear sound
+ Excellent build quality
+ Value for money
The Bad
– Sound signature not very fun for music listening
– Rubbery wires aren’t the worst tangling ever, but they tangle irritatingly still
Verdict: 3/5
Link to official product info: https://www.mi.com/global/headphonespro/