When you can’t bear Wired Headphones, then the Sony WI-1000X and AKG Y50BT is a perfect alternative. Including aptX HD compatibility makes them among the best wireless headphones we’ve used.
Sony WI-1000x
The excellent WH-1000XM2 from Sony is the gold standard for active noise-canceling headphones, but the over-ear configuration might be a dealbreaker for others. An over-ear design is not suitable if you wear glasses or plan on being involved. If you fall into that category, the WI-1000X is Sony’s response.
These earbuds canceling ambient noise deliver some of the best sounding ambient audio we’ve heard in a rugged form factor that can withstand the violence of a regular commute or gym visits. Thanks to aptX HD support, the headline feature of the WI-1000X headphones is their outstanding sound quality.
The Sony WI-1000X should be at the top of the shopping list for switchers and audiophiles.
Design
The WI-1000X is remarkably small, and during our coast to coast trip was extremely comfortable. The neckband is with soft leather, and the sweat and mud resistant buttons are rubberized. The MicroUSB charging port, located at the underside of the headphone’s front-left arm, is protected by a rubber door to resist splashes and sweat from these headphones.
The earbuds themselves are slightly larger than the regular earbud because they also contain the microphones that suppress the noise. Sony offers different sizes of silicone ear tips to help you find the best match-and the company even tosses into a soft fabric pouch for easy, scuff-free transport.
Performance
Audiophiles have for years, and for a good reason, resisted wireless audio; Bluetooth compression ruined dynamic range, sound staging, and detail. Having listened to the Sony WI-1000X, which features aptX HD support, we think it is finally time for audiophiles to embrace the wireless revolution.
With aptX HD allowed, the Sony WI-1000X wowed us, offering a deep, rumbling bass while not sacrificing sparkling highs and mellow mids. The WI-1000X is slightly warm in the mid-bass region in terms of tonal balance, making it enjoyable for pop music without muddling the mids up for vocal, jazz, or classical music.
Noise Cancelation
Noise cancelation is not the only trick for the WI-1000X, though – Sony’s app also adds unique features. The software allows you to change the noise cancellation level and the usual EQ adjustments so that pedestrians can allow ambient noise to enter for conditions such as walking on a busy street. The software can also use the location and accelerometer of your phone to sense the operation you are doing. With a feature called Adaptive Sound Control, it can change the noise-canceling power.
We found that this function worked well, but often with a transitional pause between activities. The app would take 30 seconds to a minute, for example, to identify when we started walking. Fortunately, if you just want 100 percent noise to cancel all the time, you can disable the operation’s auto-detect feature.
Battery
At 10 hours, battery life is about the average, which got us through our flight without any problems. But once you’re out of the water, listening to music is over. You won’t be able to switch to wired mode, so carry a battery pack to charge on the go, unlike over-ear noise-canceling headphones.
Assessment
The Sony WI-1000X is an outstanding pair of wireless in-ear headphones canceling noise. The inclusion of aptX HD will make audiophiles happy. The excellent noise cancelation is a must-have for travelers- just remember to pack a battery pack, as the headphones offer only 10 hours of battery life.
AKG Y50BT: Review
The AKG Y50 is some of the current best on-ear headphones on a budget. And the AKG Y50BT is simply that pair’s portable Bluetooth version. The same audio, the same design, but no need for a cable. The AKG Y50BT is better built and, at a price, remains a top performer.
AKG Y50BT-Comfort and style
The AKG Y50BT are headphones on-ear but more significant than most of this type. They’ve got a chunky, exuberant style that looks more enjoyable than the regular AKG headphone package.
They ‘re specially built to attract high street eyes. One of the staidest of a lot is the AKG version sent in for review: silver and black, showing off the metal caps on each of the cups. The wireless model also comes in black and blue; the wired pair also comes in certain bright shades.
Every side has a thick synthetic leather cover, which sits like a pillow on your head. The AKG Y50BT manages to escape the classic discomfort issues associated with most on-ear headphones thanks to a very swivel-happy case, thick foam, and relatively lightweight. I’ve been wearing them for a few hours at a time, and I didn’t experience any problems even during a 30-minute run around the park.
That said, if you’re going to have a good eight hours a day wearing headphones, a pair of over-ears is an excellent option. They avoid putting pressure on the cartilage of your ear so you won’t need a rest from wearing it.
The AKG Y50BT are non-apologetic lightweight headphones, and the cups fold back into the headband to make travel even more accessible. Includes a simple fabric carrying bag; an unusual hard case would be at odds with the brisk, youthful theme.
AKG Y50BT-Features and Wireless
On the tech side, those headphones are well catered for. These headphones offer aptX and excellent battery life, as opposed to the otherwise unique Urbanista Seattle. AptX ensures you won’t hear any noticeable, grating sound quality degradation while using Bluetooth; with a battery life of up to 20 hours, the AKG Y50BT is ready for both the most extended trip or all-day listening.
The battery is charged from the side using an exposed micro-USB port, demonstrating one of the missing features of the Y50BT: splash-proofing. Like in-ears, however, they won’t possibly get too wet when you’re working out or in the gym.
You could use the bundled cable instead if the battery runs out, which effectively turns the Y50BT back into the wired AKG Y50. Using the Bluetooth headphones, you can use a series of buttons on the right cup to control the volume and playback.
Reliability for signals is not yet as rock-solid as Beats and Sony’s latest. Nevertheless, apart from the occasional blip within the first few minutes of a Bluetooth link session, the AKG Y50BT is mostly interference-free. At home, 5-8m away from your phone can be reached before the signal breaks down.
There is no active cancelation of noise inside the Y50BT. There’s a microphone on the right cup. However, that lets you make calls.
AKG Y50BT-Tonic consistency
The AKG Y50BT when they first came on the market. This was cheaper than most other sets, but much more conspicuously than you would pay for a wired couple.
AKG has nailed a mainstream sound that has a fair chance of satisfying both audio obsessives and those who are merely looking for headphones that can convincingly produce basslines.
The AKG Y50BT, like most portable headphones, has a crowd-pleasing extra bass strike, but it doesn’t obscure the sound and offers good sub-bass. If you like electronic music, which is often packed with bass, that’s particularly important.
For what is an entry-level headphone, there is decent midrange clarity, which makes the AKG Y50BT the right choice for the audiophile looking for something enjoyable to listen to while walking. They are complete and dense sounding, without being a clogging agent of the chunkiness.
The soundstage shows decent width for inexpensive on-ear headphones, and there is no noticeable big dip in quality when streaming wirelessly, as I mentioned while describing aptX. The treble is on the soft side, after which it will lack the bite fans of bright headphones. At the size, however, the AKG Y50BT is a triumph: absolute and cohesive-sounding.
Should I purchase an AKG Y50BT
The AKG Y50BT is among the highest available wireless headphones. For less money, the Urbanista Seattle provides comparable sound quality, but they use Bluetooth streaming of lesser quality and potentially suffer worse battery life.
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Geralt has held various positions in the professional audio industry since 2016 and has been a specialist author, translator, and editor. In addition to making music, he is also interested in recording studio technology and wireless headphones.
Last update on 2023-01-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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