Now it’s time for the second half of the headphone shoutout,
the over the ear models. As usual, we have some great products from some
excellent manufacturers. Wicked Audio’s HUM1000 is a wireless headphone with
ANC for only $100. Next is Creative’s SXFI Theater, which is a gaming wireless
model that uses Creative’s award-winning X-Fi chip that also doubles as a wireless
gaming headset with its detachable mic, having an MSRP of only $199. Following
is the new manufacturer Viwone Pure. It’s MSRP is set at $330. Next up is the
Philips Fidelio L3, designed for Hi-Res audio, with an ANC, and an MSRP of
$349. Last but not least is another product from Master & Dynamic that is
wireless and doubles as a gaming headset with a detachable boom mic and 7.1
surround sound, with an MSRP of $449. Unlike March Madness, instead of seeds we
have price points. March Madness has had some surprises this year. Let’s see if we have some of our own.
First up is the Wicked Audio HUM1000. Wicked Audio is a
company with products that provide a big bang for your buck, and have been
around for over 20 years. Being in the more value range, their products won’t
hurt your wallet. Up for review today is their Wicked Audio HUM1000. They are a
wireless headphone with ANC and an MSRP of only $99.
Features and specs:
FEATURES:
97.5% Ambient Noise Reduction
Active Noise Cancelling
Wireless Bluetooth
Extra Long 13.5 Hour Battery Life / 8 Hours ANC Time
Mic and Track Control
Hands Free Listening
Wide Range
High Fidelity
Enhanced Bass
Rechargeable Battery
Triple Battery Protection
Volume Control
Folds Flat
Collapsible
Full-Size Comfy Fit
Soft-Tech Cushions
Rubberized Finish
4ft Aux Cord (Flat cord with Gold-Plated Plug)
SPECIFICATIONS:
Driver: 40mm Neodymium
Sensitivity: 103 dB
Frequency: 20-20,000Hz
Impedance: 35 Ohms (ANC off) / 100 Ohms (ANC on)
Battery Life: 13.5 Hour Battery Life / 8 Hours ANC Time
Bluetooth Version: 4.0
Bluetooth Range: 32ft
Charge Time: 2 Hours
The Wicked Audio HUM1000 came in a great looking color
printed box with photos and specs of the headphones. Opening the box was a well-protected
product, held in place in its semi-hard zipper case. Opening the case, I saw
the headphones were mostly made of plastic. Quality of materials, as well as
fit and finish, was ok. Build quality wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible
either. It was about on-par for their cheap $100 price point. Also included was
the semi-hard zipper case, charging cord, audio cord and owner’s manual.
The Wicked Audio HUM1000 have a design that gives you a huge
bang for the buck! Not only are they wireless, they also have a mic for hands
free calls; mic, track and volume control on the ear cups, and ANC as well! I
was surprised to see wireless with ANC for only $99, but including a semi-hard
zipper case was the icing on the cake. There’s even a rubberized finish to give
just a bit of protection outdoors. Now let’s see how they sound.
Manheim Steamroller: Going to Another Place- Strings were
crisp and clean. Flute had good air. Cymbal was crisp and clean. Piano sounded
fairly natural. Drums had good depth, with sufficient dynamics.
New Order: Blue Monday- quick beats at beginning of the
track were crisp and clean with good dynamics and authority. Then the beats got
deep with even more output. Vocals were fairly smooth with ok resolution of the
timbre.
Pink Floyd: Money- the coins and adding machine at the
beginning were fairly crisp. The ripping of the tape from the adding machine
was also fairly crisp. Vocals also had some smoothness. Saxophone was nice and
raw.
Next up is the Creative SXFI Theater. Creative has been
around for decades, providing stellar audio products. Their X-Fi chip helps
tailor the sound to you. The SXFI Theater is a wireless model of headphones
that uses their X-Fi chip. They are designed as a wireless gaming headphone,
with a detachable mic. With an MSRP of only $199, they also give a great bang
for the buck.
Features and specs:
Audio Processing: Super X-Fi
Product Type: Wireless Headphones
Weight: 346g (12.2 oz) with mic, 339g (12.0 oz) without mic
Color: Black
Wireless Transmission: Proprietary Digital 2.4 GHz
Frequency Response: 20–20,000 Hz
Driver: 50 mm (1.97 inches) Neodymium magnet
Operating Range: Up to 10m / 33 ft
Wearing Style: Over-ear
Controls: Mic mute, Super X-Fi, Volume, Power on/off
RGB Ear-Cup Rings: Choose from 16 million colors
Supported Operating Systems: Windows® 8.1, Windows® 10, Mac
OS X v10.9 and above, Windows® 11
Supported Gaming Consoles:
PlayStation® 4 via USB or 3.5mm 4-pole audio cable, Xbox
One™ via 3.5mm 4-pole audio cable, Nintendo Switch via USB on dock or 3.5mm
4-pole audio cable
The Creative SFXI Theater came in a great looking color printed box. Opening the box revealed a well-protected headphone, held in place by custom molded plastic. Materials used in the construction was mostly plastic, with some metal. Quality of materials used, as well as the fit and finish were very good. Also included was the detachable boom mic, transmitter, USB extension, charging cable, audio cable and owner’s manual.
I really liked the design of the Creative SXFI Theater. The
use of the X-Fi chip, thanks to its head and ear mapping, gives a sound tuned
to you. They have a detachable mic for gaming. And also thanks to the X-Fi
chip, they even do what they call 7.1 headphone holography for games, movies,
and music. I must admit, it sounds exciting. Now let’s see how they sound.
Manheim Steamroller: Going to Another Place- Strings were
very crisp and clean with good resolution of the plucking of the strings.
Cymbal was also crisp with good resolution of the decay. Piano sounded natural.
Flute was pleasantly smooth with good air. Drums had good dynamics, depth and
played with authority.
New Order: Blue Monday- quick beats at the beginning of the truck were really clean and very punchy. Then the bass got even deeper and played with excellent authority. Vocals were nice and smooth with nice texture of the timbre.
Pink Floyd: Money- the coins and adding machine, as well as
the ripping of the tape of the adding machine was not only really crisp and
clean, it also threw a really wide soundstage. Vocals sounded really smooth
with very good resolution of the texture and timbre. The sax sounded nice and
raw with good resolution of the reed. Drums were nice and dynamic with good low-end
extension.
Now it’s time for the Viwone Pure. Viwone is a new company
out of France. The Pure is an over the ear wireless headphone model. They may
be a new company, but I can see them doing some things right, like using metal
in the hinges. MSRP is a fair $330.
Features and specs:
Bluetooth Profiles Supported: HFP 106 A2DP 1.3.1, AVRCP 1.6
Fast Charge: 3 hours 30 min for a full charge
Connectors: 3.5mm audio, microUSB
Transducer: electrodynamics
Frequency: 20hz – 20Khz
Impedance: 40 ohms
Sensitivity: 96dB
Weight: 325g
The Viwone Pure came in a nice-looking color printed box,
with photos and specs of the headphones. Opening the outer box revealed an
inner box. Opening the inner box revealed a well-protected headphone held in
place with custom molded foam. Materials used in the construction was mostly
plastic with some metal. Quality of materials used, as well as fit and finish,
was very good. Metal was used where it was really needed: in the hinges. Also
included was the charging cable, audio cable, carry bag and owner’s manual, and
activation card.
I like the design of the Viwone Pure. Build quality was
good, especially with metal used in the hinges. But even more so was the design
for it’s use. They have a unique feature that I have not seem before on a
headphone: an output. This lets you take
an audio cable and connect it to another headphone so you can share your music.
Really cool. Now let’s see how they
sound.
Manheim Steamroller: Going to Another Place – Strings were
crisp and clean with good resolution of the plucking of the strings. Cymbals
were also crisp with good resolution to pick up the decay. Piano sounded more
natural than expected. Flute was smooth with good air. Drums were dynamic, with
good depth and played with good authority.
New Order: Blue Monday – quick beats at the beginning of the
track were extremely tight and punchy with very good authority. Then the bass
beats get even deeper and played with even more output. Vocals were nice and
smooth, with very good texture of the timbre.
Pink Floyd: Money – the coins and adding machine, as well as
the ripping of the tape from the adding machine was really crisp and clean. It
even threw a really wide soundstage. Vocals were really smooth with good
resolution of the texture of the vocals. The sax sounded nice and raw with
sufficient resolution to hear the tonguing technique. Drums were dynamic with
good low-end extension.
Next up is the Philips Fidelio L3 headphones. Philips has
been around for a very long time, and has a reputation for providing quality
products. When you think of headphones, you may not necessarily think of Philips.
But Philips has done it right with the Fidelio L3, which was designed from the
ground up for High-Res audio. MSRP is a very fair $349.
Features and specs:
40mm Drivers
Hybrid Active Noise Cancelation
4 x Mics for Clear Hands-Free Calls
Up to 38 Hours of Battery Life
Soft Memory Foam Earcups
AAC, aptX HD & Hi-Res Audio Support
Works with Google Assistant/Siri/Alexa
Auto Pauses Audio When Removed
1-Tap Connection with Google Fast Pair
Integrated Touch & Button Controls
The Philips Fidelio L3 came in a great looking color printed box with photos and specs of the headphones. Opening the box revealed a well-protected headphone held in place in a hard zipper case. Opening the case, I saw an extremely high-quality headphone. Materials used was mostly metal with some plastic, and soft lambskin. Quality of materials, as well as fit and finish, was excellent. Also included was the charging cable, audio cable, airplane adapter, hard zipper case and owner’s manual.
I liked the design of the Philips Fidelio L3 headphones. The
earcups are plastic, with touch controls. The hinge is metal, but also comes
down and wraps around the earcups. And the earcup actually pivots on this metal
wrap around, giving more flexibility to it’s fit. The earcups employ memory
foam, and are wrapped in luxurious soft Muirhead leather. Thanks to the touch
controls, hard buttons are kept to a minimum. Now let’s see how they sound.
Manheim Steamroller: Going to Another Place – strings were
incredibly crisp and clean with excellent resolution to hear the plucking of
the strings, and the decay of the cymbal. Piano sounded very natural, the flute
was extremely smooth with excellent air, and enough resolution to hear the tonguing
technique. Drums had very good dynamics with nice low-end extension, playing
with very good authority.
New Order: Blue Monday – quick beats at the beginning of the
track were incredibly clean and punchy. And then the bass beats even deeper,
and hit like a sledgehammer. Vocals were very smooth with great texture of the
timbre.
Pink Floyd: Money – the coins and adding machine were really
crisp and clean, as well as the ripping of the tape from the adding machine.
And not only did it throw a wide soundstage, it was almost holographic. Vocals
were smooth like honey with excellent texture of the timbre. Sax was nice and
raw with great resolution of the reed and tonguing technique. Drums were not
only dynamic and deep, they played with excellent authority.
Last but not least is the Master & Dynamic MG20. A
relative newcomer, they have made a name for themselves by providing luxurious
top-of-the-line quality products. With this particular model, not only do you
get a top-of-the-line wireless headphone; but it also doubles as a gaming
headphone as well. MSRP is an extremely fair $449.
MODEL: MG20 Wireless Gaming Headphones
DIMENSIONS: 173.83mm x 197.32mm x 84.53mm
DRIVERS: 50mm Beryllium
IMPEDANCE: 32 Ohms
WEIGHT: 312g // 322g with Boom Microphone
BATTERY LIFE: 22 hours
MATERIALS: Alcantara® inner headband / coated canvas outer
headband / lambskin leather ear pads / magnesium ear cups / anodized aluminum
controls
HEADPHONE CONNECTION: Optional 3.5 analog and audio splitter
CABLES: 2m USB-C to 3.5mm Audio Cable, 2m USB-C to USB-A Charging
Cable
EAR COUPLING: Over-Ear
DUAL MICROPHONE: On-Board / Detachable Boom Mic
ANTENNA: Internal Antenna
EAR PADS: Replaceable Lambskin-Wrapped Memory Foam
BLUETOOTH PROFILE: Bluetooth® 5.0 with AAC & Qualcomm®
aptX™ HD for music, aptX™ Low-Latency for mobile gaming
The Master & Dynamic MG20 came in a great looking color
printed box, with photos and specs of the headphones. Opening the box revealed
a well-protected headphones held in place by custom molded paper. Materials
used in the construction was mostly metal with some plastic and lambskin.
Quality of materials used is excellent, as well as the fit and finish. They are
a top-of-the-line product, and it shows. Also included was the charging cable,
audio cable and adapter, USB adaptor, carry bag and owner’s manual.
I love the design of the Master & Dynamic MG20. They are
built like a tank, yet light weight, with metal in the headband and Magnesium
in the earcups. The earpads use memory foam and are wrapped in premium soft
lambskin. The earpads are also detachable for easy replacement. There’s even a
built-in sensor for on head detection. You also get Beryllium coated drivers
and 7.1 surround sound. For the best gaming experience, you get independent controls
for both volume and mic. And when the boom mic is not attached, there’s still
the internal microphone array. Now let’s see how they sound.
Manheim Steamroller: Going to Another Place – strings were
incredibly crisp and clean with excellent resolution to hear the plucking of
strings. And there was also excellent resolution to hear the decay of the
cymbal. Piano sounded very natural, better than expected. The flute was
extremely smooth with excellent air, and plenty of resolution to hear the tonguing
technique. Drums were excellent dynamics with great low-end extension that
sounded pleasantly full with lots of authority.
New Order: Blue Monday – the quick beats at the beginning of
the track not only were super clean, they also hit hard like a jackhammer! And
then the bass beats got even deeper, and hit even harder! Those Beryllium
drivers were working some serious magic! Vocals were very smooth with very good
texture of the timbre.
Pink Floyd: Money – the coins and adding machine was
incredibly crisp and clean, as was the ripping of the tape from the adding
machine. They even threw a soundstage that was not only really wide, but was
holographic. Vocals were as smooth as a dove chocolate bar, with excellent
texture of the timbre. Sax was nice and raw with excellent resolution of the
reed and tonguing technique. Drums were incredibly dynamic with excellent low-end
extension and authority.
For Bluetooth performance, our reference test is really
quite unfair really, as most don’t fully pass it. It’s designed to test just how far you can push
the Bluetooth reception. Most
manufacturers rate the Bluetooth performance pretty conservatively, usually to
30ft of open space, some will rate it up to 100ft. Our test is designed to take the headphones
past their limits, to see at what point they will lose signal. We start with them paired to our LG V40 ThinQ
smartphone in one corner of our basement.
We then walk around the basement to test for any drop in signal. This is followed up with walking from the
basement up to the main floor, and then up to the 2nd floor. Lastly, we take it outside and walk out to
250 feet to see at what point the signal is dropped.
Wicked Audio HUM1000- worked great in the basement, and also
worked good on main floor. Too glitchy on the 2nd floor. Worked great outside
to 175 ft, ok up to 200 ft. The ANC
removed about 90%.
Viwone Pure- worked great in the basement, a little glitchy
on main floor but usable. Glitchy on 2nd floor, not quite usable. Outside got a
little glitchy at 150 ft, usable at up to 175 ft.
Phillips Fidelio L3 – worked great in basement, as well as
main floor, and even worked good on the 2nd floor. Outside it worked good all
the way out to 250 ft. For ANC, they
removed around 95%.
Master & Dynamic MG20- worked great in basement and on
the 1st floor. Some glitching on 2nd floor so 2nd floor usability would be
questionable. Outside it got a little glitchy at 250 ft, but usable to there.
When it comes to the sound, I was a little surprised with
the Wicked Audio HUM1000. I used the 3.5mm connection partly for the sound
quality of the DAC and headphone amp of my LG V40 phone, but also partly out of
convenience. The power from the headphone amp was too much for the Wicked Audio
Hum1000, and they would distort if I played it too loud. They did not play
incredibly loud without the use of my headphone amp. Yet without using the
headphone amp, they didn’t play as loud even with volume all the way up, but at
least there was no distortion. When using them wirelessly, they sounded better,
and played louder. So while you could use them corded if they run out of battery,
they do sound better when used wirelessly.
When it comes to overall sound, the Wicked Audio HUM1000
didn’t do bad. Providing wireless and ANC for only $100 is amazing. I didn’t
have high expectations. My expectations were pretty low, and they exceeded
them. Overall sound signature was a tad on the warm side. Sound signature of
the Creative SXFI Theater was pretty neutral as well, maybe just a hair on the
bright side. The Philips Fidelio L3 Sound signature was also pretty neutral,
maybe just a hair on the warm side. The Master & Dynamic MG20 were neutral
in sound signature, maybe half a hair on the bright side.
All in all, there weren’t many surprises with these
headphones. I was a little surprised with the sound from the Wicked Audio
HUM1000 given them being wireless and ANC for only $100, which is a huge value.
I saw the wireless adapter for the creative SXFI Theater, and was a little sad
to see it worked wirelessly for gaming, but not with your smartphone. Yet they
still sounded amazing for their price point. The newcomer Viwone with their
Pure model performed great for their price point, and I loved the metal hinges.
What really surprised me was the Philips Fidelio L3. They had great build
quality with a lot of metal, super soft lambskin earpads and they sounded
amazing! The Master & Dynamic MG20 had the build quality and sound quality
I have come to expect from them, in a killer gaming headphone. Based on their
design features, quality and performance, the Wicked Audio HUM1000 has earned
our Value Award. The Creative SXFI Theater and Viwone Pure have earned our
Highly Recommended Award, and the Philips Fidelio L3 and Master & Dynamic
MG20 have earned our Editor’s Choice Award. For more info and complete specs,
check out their websites at www,wickedaudio.com, www.us.creative.com,
www.viwone.com, www.philips.com, www.masterdynamic.com.
0 comments:
Post a Comment