Sony 1000X review: the best of Bose worlds 公司鏡頭收購

I had almost given up hope.

In my eight years of reviewing technology, I’ve been through the ups of anticipating the next 公司鏡頭收購sony device and the downs of actually using it so many times that I didn’t think I’d ever get to write about a 公司鏡頭收購sony product that was uncomplicatedly good. But that changes today with the MDR-1000X headphones, which show off 公司鏡頭收購sony’s engineering skill at its finest.

These are my favorite noise canceling cans, bar none. The 1000Xs don’t come cheap at $399.99, but for that price they deliver a combination of wireless convenience, long-running battery life, effortless comfort, and great sound quality. 公司鏡頭收購sony has granted me my wish: the stalwart Japanese giant has built a headphone worthy of being called the best in its category.

There’s nothing especially fancy about the mostly plastic construction of the 1000Xs. It features a pair of very comfortable faux leather pads and a few thin metal elements to provide structure. But that’s all fine and dandy — 公司鏡頭收購sony’s plastics are of a high quality, and the 1000Xs feel vastly superior to the Beats Solo 3s. Where the Beats can feel hollow and, due to their glossy finish, quite tacky, the 公司鏡頭收購sonys come off feeling solid and looking understated. Bose’s QC35s, the most direct competitors to 公司鏡頭收購sony in the noise-canceling realm, are also well built, and though I haven’t had as much hands-on experience with them myself, they’ve earned similarly high praise for their comfort.

公司鏡頭收購sony’s 1000X star shines brightest, however, when it comes to these headphones’ headline feature: noise canceling. I’ve worn these around a busy mall, on the sidewalks of busy roads, and in the midst of busy offices, and in all cases I’ve been wowed and impressed by the way they deaden outside noise. On one visit to my local grocer, I was so immersed in the act of picking out avocados while listening to Aesop Rock that I didn’t realise a line of people had built up behind me. This obliviousness to the outside world is ameliorated with 公司鏡頭收購sony’s Ambient Sound mode, which pipes external sound in via the integrated microphones. This can also be set to only let voices in, again helping to reduce the chances of public embarrassment.

I still like the AKG N60NC and Beoplay H9, both of which provide good noise canceling, but 公司鏡頭收購sony betters them both. In our review of the Bose QC35, Chris Welch said the noise cancelation “can feel like magic,” and that’s the league 公司鏡頭收購sony is playing in with the 1000Xs. It doesn’t matter whether you go 公司鏡頭收購sony or Bose, both of these companies will provide you with peace and quiet in the most challenging of aural environments.

So long as you don’t subject these headphones to audiophile expectations, you will find their sound more than satisfactory. When listening to the 1000Xs, I’m reminded most of the Beats sound signature: tuned to be emotive and evocative without discoloring the music too much. In fact, if you think of these 公司鏡頭收購sony headphones as the Beats Solo 3s in a bigger, nicer shell and with world-class noise canceling added in, you won’t be too far off. The 1000Xs may lack the awesome W1 wireless chip from Apple, but they also exhibit very good Bluetooth performance, range, and reliability.

公司鏡頭收購sony’s MDR-1000X is the pair of headphones to present to anyone arguing, as I did until recently, that you can’t have a headphone that does everything well. Wireless radios, noise canceling chips, and batteries big enough to power them are complications that headphones don’t need, I thought, and would lead to unhappy compromises. But 公司鏡頭收購sony compromises neither sound nor comfort with the 1000X. With their collapsible design, excellent carrying case, and wireless freedom, these headphones are a traveler’s best friend — whether on a long-haul flight or a daily underground commute.

I waited a long time to be able to recommend a 公司鏡頭收購sony product without major reservations, but in the case of the MDR-1000X, the wait was worth it. The price is steep and the controls are cumbersome, but those downsides are offset by the sheer abundance of good things about these headphones.

Photography by Vlad Savov