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Sony WI-1000X Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Earphones (Black) $248 Delivered @ Addicted 2 Audio
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I have the same pair and used it this morning.
To say that it drowns out "all" noise including baby screams is an exaggeration. No ANC headphones can do that.
I do not think it blocks noise better than XM3. XM3 goes around your ear which naturally has better passive noise blocking. The ANC itself was inferior to my Bose QC20s (I have not tried QC30 but expect it to be the same or better). But the QC20 (and I presume QC30) had no passive noise blocking whatsoever. If you combined Bose ANC with Sony's passive noise blocking, you'd have the ultimate ANC IEMs.
I found my XM2 over-ears ANC better than the Bose QC35 so I presumed that Sony's in-ear solution would also be better than Bose's but it's not. I'm a bit disappointed. I'm going to keep an eye on QC30 deals.
For button placement, there are only 4 buttons on the left. All you need to remember is that the innermost button is the power button, and the outermost button is play/pause. The two buttons in between and + and - which are difficult to remember which is which, but because they stick out, it's easy to figure out which is the - button because it's just a short line. The + button feels like the other two buttons, but because you know it's one of the middle buttons you won't confuse it for the two buttons on the side.
Try using Comply's foam tips- they block out the majority of noise before you consider ANC. Using foam tips may also increase the bass but requiring you to switch them out every few months due to them disintegrating/ getting dirty. If you want amazing passive isolation just get a pair of etymotics- they'll reach very deep into your ears and block out a lot - some people find it disturbing how deep it reaches.
In ear solutions will always offer better passive isolation than over ears because they are inserted like a plug iinto your ears- you can google in ears vs over ears isolation. one of the top results in google search : https://www.rtings.com/headphones/learn/over-ear-vs-on-ear-v…
The button placement is subjective but considering Bose's alternative it could have been better (along with the better mic placement as a result).
I've used the Comply tips before. They are expensive, and I haven't found them to block out that much extra noise compared to normal in ear tips which are already pretty good. I used the Comply for a few months and the outer reflective coating got worn away. If I have to replace it every few months, that's expensive at $20 a pop. The majority of my listening is done via $3 Xiaomi Pistons which I throw away every few months when one ear loses audio. That's about 1/7th the price of the Comply tips.
The Bose rely solely on their ANC and not passive blocking. I don't believe they are compatible with Comply tips because the gel design is proprietary.
In ear solutions will always offer better passive isolation than over ears because they are inserted like a plug iinto your ears- you can google in ears vs over ears isolation.
For most people that might be true, but not for me. I have QC35 and 1000XM2 and both outperform the in ear ANCs I have used. As long as you have a good seal around your ears.
The button placement is subjective but considering Bose's alternative it could have been better (along with the better mic placement as a result).
All the reviews I've read about QC30 is that the mic placement is poor and call quality suffers for the person you're talking to.
Both controls are something you learn to get used to quickly.
@lostn: We must have totally different ear structures to have opposite experiences- I find comply tips to seal perfectly and block out 80% of the noise before ANC is considered. If you want cheaper Comply seals, you can order some KZ foam tips from aliexpress- they make great stuff for the price. Would recommend you give foam tips another chance with different sizes to ensure a good seal.
I have similar experience with the Xiaomi Pistons. Have you tried dipping them in 99% alcohol or clearing the ports? Could be full of wax.Still looking forward to the successor models from Sony. Hopefully Audio-Technica catches up too.
We must have totally different ear structures to have opposite experiences
Very possible. In this very thread people are saying IEMs passively block out sound better than closed over-ear cans. I found that idea crazy because it's the complete opposite of my experience.
Would recommend you give foam tips another chance with different sizes to ensure a good seal.
Any smaller and they fall out, any bigger and they hurt my ears. The default tips are the most comfortable fit for me. Maybe bigger ones will seal better, but I'm not putting up with the pain for that.
I have similar experience with the Xiaomi Pistons. Have you tried dipping them in 99% alcohol or clearing the ports? Could be full of wax.
It's not wax. That's just the lifecycle of IEMs. When you lose sound in one ear, turning the 3.5mm plug to a position "just right" will restore the sound, but it's very sensitive, and you will likely lose sound again very soon after. That's when they go to my IEM graveyard. I stock up when they are $3.
The majority of my listening is done via $3 Xiaomi Pistons
What, why? When you have all those other Bose and Sony headphones at your disposal??
Anyway, I have compared the QC20 and the QC30 and I found the ANC to be very similar. But the QC30s sound a lot better.
@ak47wong: The lack of need for batteries is very convenient. I don't have to charge them. And they sound very good for $3. Better than the QC20. Also, not all devices I use support BT. I play handheld games as well, and have a PAD that's non-smart but more convenient than a phone.
I only use the ANC gear when I need ANC. Often when I'm out, even without ANC is fine if I turn it up a bit.
I also have these and they easily took over from my XM2s as they are far more convenient.
I have this, had Bose qc25 and the wx1000i. The ANC is no way as good as a pair of cans. But I was using these for travelling and they're awesome from a portability point of view, and battery life is excellent. I use it with conform tips.
Sound quality was good enough.
Minor complaint.would be the mic for phone conversations it picks up everything including keyboard clicks. I've had it for over a year I think. Purchased for $240 as well.
For traveling, I bring both.
In the cabin, nothing beats the ANC of my XM2s. But when I'm in the hotel or going out, the convenience of a neckband beats toting a pair of cans.
I have QC30's and can't use them as a normal headset for voice calls, as when I am on the tram or even at work … the other person on the line can hear the back ground (due to the design of the microphone that records the ambient noise on the outside).
SO …
1. how do these in ear compare for voice calls??
2. Does the person you are talking to hear your surrounding environment noise???
3. Are the microphones on the outside of the ear piece like the Bose QC30I have no doubt the ANC works very well, but my concern is on voice calls
EDIT:
I have been looking at getting rid of my 3 month old Bose QC30 for these for a while now, but am not sure if I do get the Sony if it will be just the same as the BoseI own WI-1000X but not QC30 so can't compare. And I don't use them much for chatting, but I have a few times before.
- how do these in ear compare for voice calls??
Based on people comparing the two on reddit, most people say the 1000X is better for calls, but that isn't the same as saying they're good.
- Does the person you are talking to hear your surrounding environment noise???
Just the other day I had a caller say he couldn't hear me well (I was in a shopping center). I don't know if that's because I was too soft, or if my mic picked up too much noise. I presume it's the noise, because a different caller I spoke to while I was driving had no problems hearing me.
- Are the microphones on the outside of the ear piece like the Bose QC30
Yes. I think all neckband IEMs have this problem. They are either not intended for calls or they work poorly. They are using the same mic for ANC to listen to your voice. If they pick up your voice, they also pick up all the noise they want to cancel out, and it doesn't know which noise is bad noise and which noise is your voice.
I haven't owned QC30 but my advice is, don't expect a huge improvement.
In return, I'd like to ask you, how good is the ANC in your QC30? And if you turn ANC off, is it just as noisy as unplugging the earphones entirely, or do they offer at least some passive noise blocking? My QC20 had no passive noise blocking at all.
For my 1000X, the ANC is an improvement over having it off, but not a night and day improvement like I experience with my WH-1000XM2 or even my QC20.
In return, I'd like to ask you, how good is the ANC in your QC30? And if you turn ANC off, is it just as noisy as unplugging the earphones entirely, or do they offer at least some passive noise blocking? My QC20 had no passive noise blocking at all.
I've had QC20 and upgraded to QC30, i hated the cable, ANC is good - excellent for in ear, comfortable, i realise I wear QC30 for everything now - gym, walking, as no cables makes a HUGE difference.
Passive noise cancellation wasn't an issue or needed …when i wear them or finish a call or turn them off and still have them on, it's distracting as I have problems hearing the tram announcement or what's going on, as it's really faint, so i have to take them off.
Hope that helps.
Got this piece: quite nice if discounted. I find it significantly better at noise cancelling than the XM-3 with appropriate tips (try the foam tips if you want to hear nothing). Battery life lasts the entire 10 hour work day. Reliably drowns out all noise in planes- including baby screams. There are some cons such as the button placement (you'll need to rely on muscle memory), slow charging, inflexible band, no certified water resistance (I've ran with this on in the rain for a year now and no problems) .I've had some people complain about the mic in noisy environments.
As for audio quality: it won't stand up to a decent brand's wired $300 IEMs (think beyerdynamic, etymotic, Audio technica etc.) but I find the sound decent (comes with LDAC codec). I wonder when the next Bluetooth 5.0 version is coming out for the more flexible transmission rate resulting in more data bandwidth under the right connections as well as the improved battery life.