I've owned the Sony WH-1000XM2 for over a month now and every time I start a song I like it more. Are you looking for a bit more expensive headphones, because you are finally done with that tinny sound of the cheap headphones? Are you also done with the eternal nagging of the people around you and do you want to enjoy your music in silence during hours of work/study/music session? Your search is over, the Sony WH-1000XM2 is here!
For me, the choice was mainly between these headphones and the Bose CQ35II. I've had the Bose CQ35 and knew the noise canceling was already good. Also the comfort of the Bose was great. I never had a headache after wearing the headphones non-stop for hours. However, I always found the sound to fall just short. Especially the bass and deep sounds didn't sound nice. I then tried the Bose CQ35II a few times and although it was an improvement, I looked further.
Then I came across the new Sony and I was immediately sold on the sound. The sound of the Sony is really superior to that of the Bose. Don't get me wrong, both headphones produce better sound than cheaper headphones (sound tinny quickly) and have good noise cancellation, but the sound of the Sony is clearer and gives the possibility to get a bit of bass through your head (yet not as bad as a Beats does, but it ruins the rest of the sound spectrum).
Although Bose has always been lord and master in the field of noise canceling, the Sony one feels better. On full canceling, the Sony blocks more sound than the Bose. Both headphones also have the option of turning the noise canceling 'half' on. On the Bose, it's 'On' or 'Half'. However, Sony has another option that works amazingly well. It is possible (via the app, for example) to turn on the noise canceling fully (which is better than the Bose), to turn the noise on half (you can still hear people and cars which is safer in traffic. This option is similar to the Bose), but it is also possible to set the 'Half' option in such a way (press a button in the app) so that you no longer hear cars and trains, but you still hear voices. I always have this mode on in the train, so I can't hear the train but the conductor can!
The app that comes with the Sony is great. The possibility to adjust the headphones to your ear cup (music optimization), to turn on environmental effects (as if it were at a festival/club/concert/etc), to adjust the degree of noise canceling (about 6 positions) and a equalizer.
The ability to control your music via the headphones is wonderful and works easily (after a day of getting used to). Also the option to put your hand on the ear cup so that the music is softened and the microphone amplifies the sound around you so that you can talk to someone for a while works fine (it feels/sounds a bit like you are calling the person right in front of you ). Still, it does look a little weird (especially to people seeing you do this for the first time). You can just as easily tap your finger twice on the ear cup and pause your music.
But there are also downsides. For example, the headphones are slightly heavier than the Bose and therefore the wearing comfort is slightly less. The padding is also a bit harder. The first times I got the headphones I got a bit of a headache after listening to music for about 2 hours. This was especially annoying when wearing glasses, because the hard padding presses the temples of your glasses into sleep. Fortunately, this will go away after a week. The padding softens and the whole headphones seem to mold to your head. The result? Some days I have music sessions of more than 10 hours and nothing bothers me anymore.
Furthermore, the noise canceling also turns off if you put your headphones on, but don't connect it to a device. This is good for your battery if you forget to turn it off, but on the plane you have to keep your headphones connected to your mobile or plug in your aux cable.
My search for headphones that help me concentrate has been found, while listening to wonderful music has been found. Although I am no longer bothered by the sounds around me, the environment is now bothered by me. I've been tapped a few times to start singing and humming along with the music in silent spaces.
