Wireless headphones that isolate noise and are also comfortable and good-looking are not that easy to find.
Companies including Bose, Beats, Plantronics, and Sony have been trying to find a perfect recipe for years, but there are always one or two ingredients missing from the perfect package.
At this year's IFA Show in Berlin, which officially kicks off tomorrow, Sony unveiled its MDR-1000X top-of-the-line set of wireless noise-canceling headphones with a feature set that few such devices can match.
The headphones are closed-back, meaning they don't let much sound in or out. The 98/103 dB/mW sensitivity (depending on whether the device is turned off or on) and a 4 – 40,000 Hz frequency response offer good sound, but since the environment at Sony's booth at IFA isn't the best, it should be reconsidered.
The noise isolation, which Sony claims should be “industry-leading,” was good in noisy environments, but not so much that it blew us away. In fact, these types of headphones are best tested on buses and airplanes, where they block out engine noise. They rarely drown out voices from the outside environment. The headphones have a “Personal NC Optimizer” feature, which adjusts the noise isolation to each person using them.
The Sony MDR-1000X headphones have other interesting features. The Quick Attention feature lets outside sounds be heard when you place your hand on the side of the headphones. We've seen a similar feature - in the form of a button - on the Plantronics "BACKBEAT Pros.".
Finally, the Ambient Sound feature personalizes noise cancellation so that the headphones pick up the desired sounds from the external environment while still isolating the unwanted ones.
Sony's MDR-1000X headphones will be available in black and gray-beige and will cost 330 pounds ($439) when they become available to the general public in October.
