Everyone has their attention on the Coronavirus. It’s pretty
crazy all over effecting everyone. It
even cancelled March Madness! This is the time of the year we also do our
annual Headphone Shootout. And while
March Madness got cancelled, we are continuing with our annual Headphone
Shootout. As typical, we have some great products from some excellent
manufacturers. And the push this year is on wireless.
We have a dozen models this year, and have them divided between in the ear and over the ear. First up we will do the over the ear models. The price points range from $140 for $700. They are the Creative SXFI Air, Pioneer S9, Cleer Flow II, Drop THX Panda, Master and Dynamic MW65, and Beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless Copper. To test, we’ve chosen songs that are a mix of old school and newer school, with Earth, Wind and Fire: September, Journey: Don’t Stop Believing, Lady Gaga: Starstuck. And in honor of the new Mulan movie coming out, Reflection, from the original soundtrack.
First up is the Creative SXFI Air. It’s over the ear wireless headphones with some cool creative technology with their Super X-F:i processor. After a head and ear mapping, you get personalized sound just for you. It even provides simulated surround sound. MSRP is a bargain at $139.
Features and specs:
Specifications
Interface: USB, Bluetooth, 3.5 mm Stereo Input, microSD Card: up to 32GB, FAT32 file system
Weight: 338g (11.9 oz)
Color: Black, White
Frequency Response: 20–20,000 Hz
Driver: 50 mm (1.97 inches) Neodymium magnet
Battery Type and Life: Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery , Up to 10 hours battery life
Connector Type: Bluetooth 4.2
Audio Codec: SBC
Operating Range: Up to 10m / 33 ft
Wearing Style: Over-ear
Microphone: Frequency Response: 100–8,000 Hz
Controls: Touch controls (Volume and Playback controls), Power on/off, Source, Super X-Fi
RGB Ear-Cup Rings: Choose from 16 million colors
System Requirements
Windows® OS:
Intel® Core™i3 or AMD® equivalent processor
Intel, AMD or 100% compatible motherboard
Microsoft® Windows 10 32 / 64-bit
1 GB RAM
>600 MB of free hard disk space
USB 2.0 / USB 3.0 port
Mac® OS
Mac OS X® 10.13 or higher
1 GB RAM
USB 2.0 / USB 3.0 port
PS4
Firmware Ver 5.0 or later
Available USB port
Xbox One
Xbox OS Ver 10.0 or later
Available 3.5mm port on controller
Nintendo Switch
Switch OS 5.0 or later
Available 3.5mm headphone port on console
Available USB port (in docking mode)
Voice communications supported when connected via 3.5mm port and with Bluetooth to Android and iOS Nintendo Switch Online app or VOIP client
The creative SXFI Air came in a nice looking color printed box, with photos and specs of the headphones. Materials used in the construction was mostly plastic, soft leatherette earcups and memory foam. Quality of materials as well as the fit and finish was good. Also included were analog cable and charging cable, as well as owners manual.
I like the design of the creative SXFI Air. The Super X-Fi is a game changer. I attended creative’s demo at CES the last 2 years showing off the technology. Call it goblins, elves, witchcraft, or some form of magic, it does seem to work. The simulated surround sound does work, and provide a big soundstage. The built-in mic and use of optional boom mic make it great for gaming. But if gaming isn’t your thing, pair it to your phone through Bluetooth to listen to your tunes. It even has a built-in micro SD card slot, so your phone isn’t even needed. Load up some tunes on a card and you’re good to go. The gesture control is great, and the color LED adds a cool touch. Now lets see how they sound.
Mulan: Reflections: strings were very smooth. Flute was also smooth with very good air and nice harmonics. Vocals had very good harmonics, texture and timbre. Bass had nice depth and authority. Great dynamics. Keyboard sounded natural.
Earth Wind & Fire: September- shaker and cow bell were crisp and clean. Cymbals were dynamic. Trumpets were smooth and not too brassy. Vocals were smooth with good harmonics, timber and texture.
Journey: Don’t Stop Believing – Piano sounded natural. Guitar was nice and raw. Cymbals were crisp and clean. Kick drums had nice depth and authority. Percussion was very dynamic. Vocals were very natural with nice texture. Soundstage was bigger than expected.
Lady Gaga: Starstruck – The snaps were crisp and clean and really dynamic. Bass is deep, and plays with good authority. Vocals sound natural with good resolution.
Next up is the Pioneer S9. Pioneer has a long history of providing great electronics. The Pioneer S9 wireless headphones appear to continue with it’s trend. They also provide great technology at a great bang for the buck with an MSRP of only $199.
Features and specs:
Headphone Type: Wireless closed-back stereo headphones
Frequency Response: 5 Hz–22,000 Hz (with Bluetooth connection), 5 Hz–40,000 Hz (with wired connection)
Driver Units Diameter: 40 mm (1 9/16˝) dynamic driver
Weight: 300 g (10.6 oz.)
Included Accessories: Supplied with detachable headphone cable, micro USB charging cable, and carrying pouch
The Pioneer S9 came in a nice looking color printed box with photos of the headphones and it’s features. Opening the box revealed a well protected product held in place in custom molded plastic. Materials used in the construction was actually mostly metal, with soft leatherette earcups and headband. Quality of construction as well as fit and finish was very good. Also included were the audio and charging cables, carry bag, and owner’s manual.
I really appreciate the design of the Pioneer S9 headphones. The gold color gives it an elegant look. The metal construction provides quality that should last for years of use. Having google assistant built-in provides a lot of convenience and for connectivity there’s Bluetooth as well as NFC. It’s also fully designed for Hi-Res Audio, not only through the corded audio cable, but wirelessly as well, thanks for the inclusion of Apt X-HD. There’s also the Pioneer Headphone App, where you can control the active noise cancelling play control, equalizer and bass boost. It seems to be designed for high quality sound, so let’s see how it sounds.
Mulan: Reflections – crisp, clean and smooth strings, nice low end extension of the bass with great authority. Flute was smooth with very good air. Piano sounded natural. Vocals had very good harmonics with great timber and texture.
Earth Wind & Fire: September- Shaker and cow bell were crisp and clean, guitar was nice and raw. Cymbals were very dynamic. Trumpets were smooth and not too brassy. Vocals were smooth with good harmonics and resolution of the timbre and texture.
Journey: Don’t Stop Believing – Piano sounded very natural. Guitar was nice and raw. Cymbals were crisp and clean, kick drum had very good depth and authority. Percussion was very dynamic. Vocals were smooth, very natural sounding, with very good resolution of the texture and timbre. Soundstage was large.
Lady Gaga: Starstruck – The snaps are crisp and clean and very dynamic. Bass was deep and played with monstrous authority. So much so that my earlobes were vibrating. Vocals were very natural sounding with good resolution.
Clear Audio is a fair recent newcomer, having started in 2012. But based on their quality products are gaining traction in brand recognition. Up for review today is their Flow II. It is their premium over the ear wireless hybrid noise cancelling headphone. It’s loaded with features and has an MSRP of $280.
Features and specs:
Innovative, Ironless audio driver technology delivers bold and articulate playback via high-excursion with optimized control and exceptionally low distortion
Google Assistant Voice Interface
Powerful Best in-class hybrid noise cancelling
Hi-Res Audio certified with supplied 3.5mm cable
Up-to 20 hours playback with noise cancelling enabled
The Cleer Flow II came in a nice looking color printed box with photos and specs of the headphones. Opening the box revealed a well protected product held in place by custom molded paper holder. Materials used in the construction was mostly plastic with some metal. Quality of materials used is as well as the fit and finish are very good. Also included were audio and charging cable, owner’s manual, a nice hard zipper case, and airline adapter.
Cleer uses a clean, elegant looking design. I like the way the earcups fold into itself for portability. The leatherette earcups are soft with comfortable memory foam. Gesture motions on the earcup are used to control your music. You pair it with your phone using Bluetooth and NFC. It’s designed for HI-Res Audio and delivers it wirelessly with either AptX-HD or LDAC codes. Google Assistant also adds convenience. Now let’s hear how they sound.
Mulan: Reflections – crisp and clean strings that were very smooth. Also very good resolution, sufficient to pick up the bow coming access the string. The bass had good depth and authority. Flute was very smooth with very good air. Piano sounded natural. Vocals were very smooth with very good harmonics, dynamics and texture.
Earth Wind & Fire: September- Shaker and cow bell had good resolution and depth and were crisp and clean. Guitar was nice and raw. Cymbals were crisp and clean and very dynamic. Trumpets were smooth and not too brassy. Vocals were very natural with good harmonics and good resolution of the timbre and texture.
Journey: Don’t Stop Believing – Piano sounded very natural, guitar was nice and raw. Cymbals were crisp and clean, trick drum had very good low end extension and authority. Percussion was very dynamic. Vocals were smooth, very natural sounding, with very good resolution of the timbre and texture. Soundstage was large.
Lady Gaga: Starstruck – The snaps are crisp and clean and very dynamic. Bass had really good low end extension, and played with a ton of authority and it played cleanly. Vocals were also very natural sounding with good resolution.
Now it’s time for the Drop THX Panda. This model is a joint effort between Drop and THX. And thanks to its aggressive $400 MSRP its features, audiophiles on a tight budget will take notice. The primary feature is it’s use of ribbon planar magnetic driver, and built-in THX amp.
Features and spec:
World’s first wireless audiophile system
World’s first headphone with Drop planar-ribbon drivers (derived from Oppo Digital's PM Series)
World’s first headphone with THX AAA™ amplifier technology
World’s first headphone with LDAC + Qualcomm QCC5125
World’s first headphone with matching FR +THD measurements in passive and active mode
Headphone type: Closed, planar magnetic
Bluetooth wireless technology: 5.0
Effective range: Line of sight, approximately 10 m (30 ft)
Battery life: 30+ hours
Impedance: 26 ohms
Sensitivity: 100 dB @ 1kHz / 1mW
Isolation: -40 dB
THD: 94 dB SPL @ 300Hz < 0.1%
THX-AAA-0™ Amplifier: -130 dB THD, 2.6 uV A-wt noise, and 10 mW power consumption
Frequency response: 10–50,000 Hz
Driver unit: 55mm, ribbon planar magnetic
Microphones: Dual
Weight: 13.2 oz (375 g)
The Drop THX Panda came in a standard brown box. Opening the box revealed a nice looking hard zipper case. Opening the case showed a well protected headphones, and a small compartment to hold the cables. Materials used in the construction was mostly plastic with some metal. Quality of materials used as well as fit and finish, was very good. The earpads were made of protein leather with what feels like memory foam. Also included was audio and charging cable, and owner’s manual.
I love the design of the Drop THX Panda. They are designed from the ground up to be an audiophile wireless headphone. It all starts with the ribbon planar magnetic drivers, which provides cleaner sound than a standard dynamic driver. They do require more power than a dynamic driver, so an internal THX-AAA amp is also included in the design. Lastly you also need a quality clean signal to provide the music from your device to the headphones. To get the high bandwidth signal they employ Bluetooth and various codecs: LDAC, AptX-HD, AptX-Adaptive, AAC and SBC.
Earth Wind & Fire: September- shaker and cow bell were crisp and clean with excellent resolution and depth. Guitar was nice and raw. Cymbals were very dynamic and crisp and clean. Trumpets were silky smooth and not brassy. Vocals were extremely natural sounding with silky smooth harmonics and excellent resolution of the texture and timbre. Soundstage was wide and deep.
Journey: Don’t Stop Believing – Piano sounded extremely natural. Guitar was nice and raw. Cymbals were crisp and clean. Kick drum had very good depth and authority. Percussion was very dynamic. Vocals were silky smooth with excellent resolution of the texture and timbre. Soundstage was large with good depth.
Lady Gaga: Starstruck – The snaps were really crisp, clean and very dynamic. Bass had good low end extension, and played with excellent authority. And it played cleanly. Vocals sounded extremely natural and had a ton of resolution.
Next up is the Master and Dynamic MW65. Master and Dynamic is fairly new to the headphone scene, having started in 2014. But thanks to their premium products, their name is gaining traction in the industry. The MW65 is their top of the line wireless ANC headphone, and it shows. With an MSRP of $499, it’s not cheap, but you do get what you pay for.
Features and specs:
Active Noise-Cancelling: Feed-forward and feed-back (hybrid) active noise-cancelling technology
Materials: Leather, Anodized Aluminum
Dimensions: 165mm x 190mm x 66mm
Cables: 1.5m Standard 3.5mm Audio Cable, USB-C to USB-C Charging Cable (with USB-A Adapter)
Headphone Connection: Optional 3.5mm Passive Audio Input, Two-Prong Flight Adapter
Microphone Type: Beamforming Noise Reduction Mic Array
Voice Assistant: Optimized for the Google Assistant. Voice Assistant Enabled
Drivers: 40mm Beryllium
Weight: 245g
Ear Coupling: Over-Ear
Impedance: 32 Ohms
Ear Pads: Replaceable Lambskin-Wrapped Memory Foam
Bluetooth Profile: Bluetooth 4.2 Supporting AptX and SBC
The Master and Dynamic came in a great looking color printed box with photos of the headphones along with its specs. Opening the box showed a product held in place in custom molded cardboard. Materials used in the construction was metal and genuine leather. Quality of materials used, as well as fit and finish was excellent. Also included were high quality cloth braded audio and charging cable, cloth carry bag and owner’s manual.
I love they high quality design of the MW65. Master and Dynamic has used only premium high quality materials to provide a headphone that should last for years. The earcups and headband are made with genuine soft lambskin. The rest of the earpads and headband are made with metal.
Master and Dynamic did not stop there. They also included premium features. These include ANC, Android Assistant, Hi-Res audio and the use of AptX-HD to be able to listen to your Hi-Res Audio tracks wirelessly. The left earcup provides the power/mode button to select wireless or corded playback, the ANC mode button, as well as the audio cord connector. The right earcup houses the android assistant, +:- buttons, as well as charging port. Both earcups also house a microphone for handsfree calls and using the android Assistant, Now lets hear how they sound.
Mulan: Reflections – strings were silky smooth with excellent resolution, to hear the bow across the strings. Flute has excellent air and also silky smooth. Bass had very good depth and authority. Piano sounded extremely natural. Vocals were silky smooth with excellent harmonics and excellent resolution for texture of the timbre.
Earth Wind & Fire: September- shaker and cow bell were crisp and clean with good resolution and depth. Guitar was nice and raw. Cymbals were crisp and clean with excellent dynamics. Trumpets were very smooth without being brassy. Vocals were extremely natural. Sounding with very smooth harmonics and excellent resolution of the texture and timbre. Soundstage was wide and fairly deep.
Journey: Don’t Stop Believing – Piano sounded extremely natural. Guitar was nice and raw. Cymbals were crisp and clean. Kick drum had very good depth and authority. Percussion was extremely dynamic. Vocals were silky smooth with excellent resolution.
Lady Gaga: Starstruck – The snaps were extremely crisp, clean and dynamic. Bass had really deep low end extension and played cleanly with a ton of authority. Vocals were also really natural sounding with a ton of resolution.
Last but not least it’s time for the Beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless Copper. Beyerdynamic is a great manufacturer and provides some excellent headphones. They employed their highly awarded Tesla driver, and is made in Germany. It also incorporates their sound customization software. MSRP is $699.
Features and specs:
Circumaural headphones with optimum sound quality (Qualcomm® aptX™ HD und AAC - plus aptX™ LL)
Elegant copper elements: decorative rings made of solid copper
MOSAYC sound personalization thanks to beyerdynamic MIY app
Touchpad control and more than 30 hours battery life
Made in Germany
Operating principle: Closed
Transmission Type: Wireless via Bluetooth®
Remote: Without Remote
Nominal impedance headphones: 32 ohms
weight headphones without cable : 400 g
battery runtime: More than 30 hours
Headphone frequency response: 5-40,000 Hz
Nominal sound pressure level: 100 dB
Supported Bluetooth profiles: HSP, HFP, A2DP, AVRCP, GAVDP
Codecs: aptX™, aptX™ LL, aptX™ HD, AAC, SBC
The Beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless Copper came in a nice color printed box with photos of the headphones, along with it’s features. Opening the box revealed a hard zipper case. Opening the zipper case revealed a well protected headphone. Materials used in the construction was metal, plastic, cloth and foam. The headband and earpads have foam covered with a soft microfiber. The back of the earcups are plastic with copper styling. Quality of materials used as well as the fit and finish is excellent. Also included was the audio and charging cable, and owner’s manual.
The Beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless Copper have a stellar design. The copper highlights are stylish. The soft Alcantara headband and soft earpads are extremely comfortable, for long listening periods. Controls on the headphones are minimal. All of the controls are found on the right earcup, for charging port, audio cable port, LED button, microphone, as well as the touch pad for gesture control.
The last part of the design is one that I really love! It’s the MIY app. We all don’t hear the same, and as we get older, we tend to lose part of our hearing. The MIY app through our smartphone, guides us through setting up a unique personal sound profile. It does this by basically taking us through a hearing test. It can then adjust the sound output based on your hearing profile. Then the app is a true game changer! Now, let’s see how they sound.
Mulan: Reflections – excellent resolution of the plucking of the strings, and hearing the bow across the strings. Strings were also as smooth as honey. Bass had very good depth and played with authority. Flute was also very smooth with lots of air. Piano sounded extremely natural. Vocals had layers of resolution with excellent harmonics, timbre and texture and dynamics.
Earth, Wind, & Fire: September- shaker and cow bell were crisp and clean with excellent resolution and depth. Guitar was nice and raw. Cymbals were extremely dynamic and crisp and clean. Trumpets were silky smooth without being brassy. Vocals were extremely natural with silky smooth harmonics and excellent resolution of the texture and timbre. Soundstage was wide and deep. Imaging also spot on.
Journey: Don’t Stop Believing – Piano sounded extremely natural. Guitar was nice and raw. Cymbals were crisp and clean. Kick drum had very good depth and played with a ton of authority. Percussion was extremely dynamic. Vocals were extremely natural sounding and were silky smooth with excellent resolution of the timbre and texture, with excellent harmonics. Soundstage was large both wide and deep.
Lady Gaga: Starstruck – The snaps were extremely crisp, clean and dynamic. Bass was extremely deep with a ton of low end extension. It also played really clean while playing with a ton of authority, so much that it got my ear lobes vibrating. Vocals were also extremely natural sounding with a ton of resolution.
There weren’t a lot of surprises in this years contesters. Starting with the Creative SXFI Air, they were sufficiently well made, just not as durable as some of the other models. But they provided a ton of features with the X-Fi and built-in mp3 player, and they also sounded better than expected at their price point with a more neutral sound. The Pioneer S9 also provided a huge bang for the buck. They are mostly metal in construction and appear very durable, and at their price point provide a huge bank for the buck with HD Audio supported wirelessly with AptX-HD and ANC, including an app for your phone. The sound is also great with a more neutral sound profile. The Cleer Flow II was also built well, but just not quite as well as some of the other metal headphone models. I did like the elegant looking design and comfortable memory foam, and they sounded great with a sound signature that was just a tad on the bright side. The Drop THX Panda was a huge bang for the buck. It’s not as built like a tank like some others, and does not have extra features like ANC and app for your smartphone, but it is designed from the ground up for audiophile sound. The sound is stellar, and sound signature just a hair on the warm side. The Master & Dynamic MW65 is built like a tank with premium products being made of all metal and real leather and sheepskin. The sound was also premium quality, with great resolution and a sound signature that was a little on the bright side. And lastly the Beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless Copper was a premium design with made in Germany quality. And the sound personalization software takes its top of the line sound to the next level, just they way you need it, customized to your hearing.
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