Geek Lifestyle Review: Sony WH-1000XM2 Wireless Headset

Let your ears cruise in style regardless if you're on the trains or 35,000 feet above the air.

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There are things you can do when you travel abroad that could make your flight a little bit more comfortable. Aside from the usual do’s and don’ts of checking in early and/or making sure you do your online booking ahead of time (just so you don’t have to stand in line for quite a bit before checking-in) and asking to be seated on the emergency aisle so you can get a bit more legroom, what you bring with you to entertain you (or put you to sleep) helps a lot!

In our recent coverage of the Taipei Game Show 2018, we brought with us the Sony WH-1000XM2 active noise-cancelling wireless headset. We first saw the older iteration of this model, the Sony MDR-1000X, at the Sony Fair about 2 years ago and we instantly fell in love it and we’ve been dying to get our hand on one. Welp, wish granted for the recent Taipei trip.

Geek-sthetic – 10/10

Sleek and simplistic, the WH-1000XM2loves to streamline everything. From how you operate the device (mostly by touch) to how it looks (look ma, no wires), this premium Sony headset is adorned in plush polyurethane (synthetic leather) to give your ears that squishy comfort even for extended hours of usage.

While the black is timeless, the beige version of this just shouts premium.

Img grabbed from Sony’s Website

Overall, the design is stunning – a marvel of simplistic elegance and class. Plus, not to mention futuristic gesture controls give this headset some next-gen feels. Top marks for us, indeed!

Sound Trip Factor – 9/10

Pretty much what you forked your hard-earned money for, the Noise-canceling (NC) on the Sony WH-1000XM2 is superbly done with 2  modes available. The active-noise canceling literally shut everything out even pesky and pervasive airplane ambient sounds and compensates for varying atmospheric pressures –literally an NC Headset with airplane traveling in mind! I did feel some added pressure when the active noise cancelling feature turned on, though, but not enough to bring any discomfort.

The headset is also equipped with an adaptive ambient environment listening mode should you want to be made aware of your surrounding. If you need to listen to your surrounding while still wanting to drown into tunes, this is the option for you. It will reduce majority o the ambient noise but give enough leeway so if someone talks to you, or an announcement is made, you’ll be able to hear those as well. This feature has also been updated from its MDR-1000X days where the headset adapts to your surrounding and your activity. You’ll need a companion app for this, though but the smart adaptive listening mode allows your headset to detect what form of activity you’re currently in and what level of ambient reduction should it do.

As always the main spectacle of this headset is the ability play your music and control the volume via gestures on your right headset. By taping the right ear twice, it wakes the Sony WH-1000XM2 and pairs it up to your music player (if you’ve already done the initial handshake). Swiping forward allows you to go through your tracklist while swiping backwards allows you to replay. Everything is very intuitive. Oh and you don’t have to take the headsets off to hear other people talk. Simply cup the left ear and voila, you can hear your surroundings as clear as if you have nothing on.

 

Sound Quality – 7/10

This is where the Sony WH-1000XM2 dips a bit and we’re sorely disappointed with this development, too.  Audio-wise, while these headsets create beautifully clean and crisp sounds, it doesn’t really push audio quality to a whole new level. We were hoping for something that has a bit more character, maybe a bit more punch to the bass or a clear, crystalline treble, perhaps? What we got was a good, clean, sound that’s just a little bit too safe.

Everyday Reliability – 10/10

Pairing is done via Bluetooth but it also supports NFC which is clearly, a faster pairing solution scrolling through your menu and going through the motions of pairing. But once the initial handshake is done, everything else becomes seamless. The headset can detect your device from about a good distance as well. There was an instance that I had to go to the airplane bathroom which was located way at the back of the plane. We were seated a few rows after the business class and I left my phone at my seat. Music was still blaring from the cans. Easy-peasy.

Oh, and standard playtime is around 30 hours on a full-charge cycle. When I got home after a 6-day trip in Taiwan, the power levels are still more than half.

While some care need to come with handling these babies (I mean, they ARE worth 18 grand), they’re pretty durable and can definitely power through everyday use. All you need is the small hard case if you wanna lug it around in a bag. Otherwise, they’ll be more or less okay hanging around your neck.

Final Geek Lifestyle Verdict – 9/10

We fell in love with the Sony MDR-1000 when we first saw it and this infatuation is subsequently transferred to the WH-1000MX2. In fact, the beige one is my dream audio headset still and something I’d like to personally own hopefully within the year. I have yet to see a headset that can rival the 1000MX2 in terms of perceive prestige, listening satisfaction and value for money it its price range. If you’re looking for a good Wireless NC Headset to bring with you in your travels, this is HIGHLY recommended! Try it out in various Sony Stores nationwide!

 

Specs Summary

  • Weight: Approx 9.7 oz
  • Headphones: Closed, Dynamic
  • Driver Unit: 1.57” dome type
  • Magnet: Neodymium
  • Impedence (OHM): 46 ohm (1 kHz) (when connecting via the headphone
    cable with the unit turned on), 14 ohm (1 kHz) (when connecting via the
    headphone cable with the unit turned off)
  • Diaphragm: Aluminum coated LCP
  • FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 4 Hz-40,000 Hz
  • FREQUENCY RESPONSE (ACTIVE OPERATION): 4 Hz–40,000 Hz
  • FREQUENCY RESPONSE (BLUETOOTH® COMMUNICATION): 20 Hz–20,000 Hz (44.1 kHz Sampling)/20 Hz–40,000 Hz (LDAC 96 kHz Sampling, 990 kbps)
  • SENSITIVITIES (DB/MW)
    • 103 dB/mW (1 kHz) (when connecting via the headphone cable
      with the unit turned on)
    • 98 dB/mW (1kHz) (when connecting via
      the headphone cable with the unit turned off)
  • VOLUME CONTROL: Touch Sensor
  • CORD TYPE: Single-sided (detachable)
  • CORD LENGTH: Headphone cable (approx. 4.92', OFC strands, gold-plated stereo mini plug)
  • PLUG: Gold-plated L-shaped stereo mini plug
  • INPUT(S): Micro USB, Stereo Mini Jack
  • WEARING STYLE: Circumaural
  • NFC: Yes
  • DSEE HX: Yes
  • S-MASTER HX: Yes
  • PASSIVE OPERATION: Yes
  • Battery
    • Charge Time: Approx 4 Hours
    • Batt Life (Continuous use): 30 hours NC On and 38 hours NC Off
    • Batt Life (Wait time): 40 hours NC On and 200 Hours NC Off
    • Batt Charge: USB
  • Connection
    • Bluetooth 4.1
    • Effective Range: 30 ft (10 meters)
    • Frequency Band: 2.4GHz
    • Supported Audio Formats: SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC
  • Noise-Cancelling
    • NOISE CANCELING ON/OFF SWITCH: Yes
    • AUTOMATIC AI NOISE CANCELING: Yes
    • PERSONAL NC OPTIMIZER: Yes
    • ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE OPTIMIZING: Yes
    • AMBIENT SOUND MODE: Yes
    • QUICK ATTENTION: Yes
  • SRP: PHP Php 17,999.00

For more information, you can visit their official website.