No wire required: Sony headphones are the real deal
When it comes to portable audio, there are few bigger names than Sony. But while its revised Walkman stole most of the headlines from this past CES, the company also debuted a new set of wireless headphones.
The latest in its generally solid MDR lineup, the Sony MDR-1ABTs (MSRP: $399.99), allow you to listen to your music with or without cumbersome cables. These over-ear Bluetooth headphones are comfortable, sleek, and feature integrated touch controls on the right earcup.
But as with all Bluetooth headphones, you're inevitably trading audio quality for convenience, as your music is compressed when sent wirelessly. Sony has a few tricks up its sleeve to help with that, and the results are better than we've seen with other wireless headphones.
That's good, because for $400 you should expect a high-quality experience—wired or wireless. Luckily, the 1ABTs have a look and feel that matches their price.
For one, the earcups are absolutely massive, and they completely encase your ears in thick, soft padding. The design is simple, elegant, and comfortable even when used for long periods of time.
While the right earcup doesn't have any kind of ornamentation on it, it offers a full suite of touch controls. These mimic what you'd get from an in-line remote, with forward, back, play, pause, volume control, and even the ability to answer calls—perfect for when you aren't near the device you're streaming from.
When you are near your streaming device of choice, you can remain wireless or wire the headphones with the included standard 3.5mm cable. This will improve the audio quality, though not as dramatically as with other wireless headphones.
The reason for the relatively small disparity is due to two of Sony's proprietary audio technologies, LDAC and DSEE HX. LDAC is a special codec that triples the amount of data that can be sent via Bluetooth, but it requires special circuitry only found in certain Sony receivers and the new Walkman and won't have an effect when streaming from your phone.
Paired with LDAC is Sony's DSEE HX audio upscaling tech, which is designed to make compressed audio sound more dynamic. While "upscaling" audio is a red flag, it actually seemed to work well, even when streaming from non-LDAC devices.
When testing with the wired setup, the MDR-1ABTs did quite well. There are slight variations in bass and the upper midranges, but overall, your music will sound detailed and balanced, no matter what genre it is.
As for the 1ABTs ability to block ambient sound, they perform on par with other over-ear headphones. They have a slight advantage because of the thick padding that completely encases your ears, but when it comes to the deep bass sounds—the ones from a bus or train engine you'll encounter on a commute—they'll hardly be blocked at all.
Other sounds in the mid ranges are only partially lowered, though noises in the higher ranges are mostly blocked. Also, unlike some of its competition, Sony chose not to include active noise cancellation in the headphones, presumably to save on battery life.
If you're looking for high-end wireless headphones, you have a few options. The closest we've seen is the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless (MSRP: $499.95). They're more expensive, don't perform quite as well, don't have touch control, but they offer active noise cancellation.
If you want a balanced experience and don't care about going wireless, the Beyerdynamic Custom One Pros (MSRP: $229.99) are a great alternative. They've been our top-rated headphones for almost two years straight, and they give you plenty of customization options—both for look and sound—that let you find your perfect listening experience.
The only downside is that you'll be missing out on the freedom of ditching that cumbersome cable, once and for all. For that, stick to the comfort and quality you'll find with the Sony MDR-1ABTs.
To see the top headphones ranked and rated, head to Reviewed.com.