Headphones

[Richard Barrett]

Mine is WH-1000X M3. How do they come up with these catchy names?

[cloughie]

Good question. They seem to go from £15 to £2,000, incl VAT.

I wonder if the £2000 ones are 99%+ better in sound and how do you measure it?
The only time I wear headphones is when Mrs C says ‘Not two things on at once - if you want to listen to that put your cans on’, which are a cheap pair of Panasonics which the pad on the left ear has worn thin!

[Bryn]

Mine is WH-1000X M3. How do they come up with these catchy names?

https://www.techinthebasket.com/sony-wh-1000xm3-wireless-noise-canceling-over-ear-headphones-black.html?msclkid=219f982587d21c4d8b01f887cdba46d8

[gurnemanz]

It always seems a bit odd to me that the sound is in the back of my head and I only use headphones for practicality, i.e. wireless ones with a decent range, mainly for use while gardening or pottering or if my wife tells me to switch the sound off. I have been very happy with my Panasonic RP-WF950 phones -Amazon tells me I purchased them in 2011. Probably not the peak of hifi but still going strong and perfectly good enough for my purposes.

[Richard Barrett]

It always seems a bit odd to me that the sound is in the back of my head

That tends to be more of an issue with headphones that seal the ear, which noise-cancelling headphones obviously do. Which is why open headphones are the item of choice for a more realistic sound-image.

[gradus]

That tends to be more of an issue with headphones that seal the ear, which noise-cancelling headphones obviously do. Which is why open headphones are the item of choice for a more realistic sound-image.

I used to have the same back of head problem with Stax phones thought the sound was very good.

[HighlandDougie]

https://www.techinthebasket.com/sony...01f887cdba46d8

Or, given that Micky is en France:

https://www.son-video.com/rayon/nomade/casques-et-ecouteurs/casques-a-reduction-de-bruit

Amazon France has the WH-1000X M3 in various "D'Occasion" guises (goods are cheaper and often look brand new - the box might have some imperfection but not usually the goods) as in:

https://www.amazon.fr/s?k=Sony+WH-1000XM3&__mk_fr_FR=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&ref=nb_sb_noss

[MickyD]

Mine is WH-1000X M3. How do they come up with these catchy names?

That's the one I am looking at, Richard.

Dougie, French Amazon have it for 350 euros, but Darty, another local electrical dealer here has it for 100 euros less, so that seems an attractive proposition.

[richardfinegold]

I seem to have lost my Sony’s. I had been taking them to work, because we are still doing a fair amount of tele medicine (calling patients for visits). I must have left them on my desk one day and fear that someone walked off with them. Work gave us cheap headphones to use but I couldn’t hear anything and all my colleagues use their own, or the Apple buds, but I am an Android user.
I used my Oppo PM3 yesterday and they arefineforthat purpose and having noise canceling phones probably isn’t a good idea when others are trying to get your attention.
I am hoping the Sony turns up, but the replacement, now WXM1004, is $280 on Amazon, and I seem to remember paying under $200 2 years ago. I’ll just use the Opps for a while, as I don’t anticipate flying for at least several months

[Bryn]

I seem to have lost my Sony’s. I had been taking them to work, because we are still doing a fair amount of tele medicine (calling patients for visits). I must have left them on my desk one day and fear that someone walked off with them. Work gave us cheap headphones to use but I couldn’t hear anything and all my colleagues use their own, or the Apple buds, but I am an Android user.
I used my Oppo PM3 yesterday and they arefineforthat purpose and having noise canceling phones probably isn’t a good idea when others are trying to get your attention.
I am hoping the Sony turns up, but the replacement, now WXM1004, is $280 on Amazon, and I seem to remember paying under $200 2 years ago. I’ll just use the Opps for a while, as I don’t anticipate flying for at least several months

In my experience with Bose QC25 and 35 types, noise-cancelling does not much limit human vocal communication. It's mainly lower frequencies that get suppressed.

[richardfinegold]

Not with Sony’s. They cancel everything. Several times I have opened my eyes and noticed my wife gesticulating in frustration as she tries to get my attention

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

That tends to be more of an issue with headphones that seal the ear, which noise-cancelling headphones obviously do. Which is why open headphones are the item of choice for a more realistic sound-image.

Agreed! But they do leak sound.

[cloughie]

Agreed! But they do leak sound.

But not as much as Leak speakers - perfect Sandwiches!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

But not as much as Leak speakers - perfect Sandwiches!

[HighlandDougie]

Dougie, French Amazon have it for 350 euros, but Darty, another local electrical dealer here has it for 100 euros less, so that seems an attractive proposition.

Micky, I think maybe there is some (understandable) confusion between the XM4 - the latest model - and the XM3 - the model referred to by Richard. I suspect that there is not such a huge improvement between the previous model - the XM3 - and the XM4 as to justify spending an extra 100 euros. As with their TVs, Sony have a tendency to introduce updated but essentially similar models, with correspondingly updated prices.

Amazon France have the XM3, new, at 235 euros:

https://www.amazon.fr/Sony-WH-1000XM3-Casque-Bluetooth-r%C3%A9duction/dp/B07GDR2LYK/ref=sr_1_2?__mk_fr_FR=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&dchild=1&keywords=sony+wh-1000xm3&qid=1621357748&sr=8-2

(cheaper than Darty/FNAC)

but Amazon also has the XM 4 for 350 euros:

https://www.amazon.fr/Sony-WH1000XM4-Bluetooth-dautonomie-t%C3%A9l%C3%A9phoniques/dp/B08C7KG5LP/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_fr_FR=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&dchild=1&keywords=sony+wh-1000xm4&qid=1621358112&sr=8-1

Sorry if I've confused you even more!