Today I bought a Sony MDR-ZX110NC headphone after demo-ing various headphones which were available for demo at three different stores. Prices varied from a cheap Rs 1290 right up to nearly 11000. What was common about all these models was they were mid-sized headphones. Unfortunately I didn't note down the model numbers, but the first one was an entry level Sennheiser costing about Rs 2000. Source was my Samsung Note II phone, with a whole bunch of MP3s which I have personally converted from wave to 320 kbps. This Sennheiser sounded quite unimpressive in every department.
Next up was a Philips costing about 2000 again, and a little bit larger than the Sennheiser. This one sounded better but was bass heavy. This was followed by a forgettable Philips - but costing just about 1300. Up next was a Philips Fidelio headphone costing nearly 11K. This headphone was definitely in a much higher league, but something about the bass wasn't right to my ears, though the overall clarity was very good.
I wanted to try the various Skullcandies and Beats but none were available for demo, so I reluctantly went to another store in the hope that I may be able to give it a listen. But no luck there either. Almost as an afterthought, went to an exclusive Sony store, heard a whole lot of headphones ranging from cheap and cheerful ones to something costing nearly 10000. I was surprised by the striking clarity and balance of the MDR-ZX110NC. Rich bass but not overbearing like the ones I heard at other stores. Very good midrange and superb highs. And the icing on the cake was the very good resolution! The overall clarity, resolution, balance across the spectrum, and the way the sound mimics my home setup closely (even matching it in its ability to dig out fine nuances) immediately tipped the scales in its favour.
All this was without engaging the noise cancellation. On inserting a AAA battery and engaging noise cancellation, even more details were dug up. Impressed, I immediately bought it.
Here's the link to the manufacturer's page for the product:
Noise Canceling Headphones - MDR-ZX110NC Review | Sony Store U.S. - Sony US
I have been listening to music all evening through this headphone, and it is sounding better and better.
I loaded my current test tracks in wave format into my phone and gave them a spin - with surprising results. The same tracks sounded better as 320 kbps MP3! The wave files have too much bass for my liking. To my pleasant surprise, the 320 kbps also didn't lose out details.
My best guess is the phone is optimised for mp3 playback. I use my fav Jet Basic player app. The EQ is custom, slightly boosted from zero in the lows and highs, but default in the midrange.
Another surprise that hit me today was that my old iPod (30 GB version) sounds nowhere as good as my phone. This is a bit of a disappointment, but it is a very old model, and technology has certainly moved ahead in the interim.
For Rs 2290, I doubt one can find a better headphone or IEM. Strongly recommended.
Next up was a Philips costing about 2000 again, and a little bit larger than the Sennheiser. This one sounded better but was bass heavy. This was followed by a forgettable Philips - but costing just about 1300. Up next was a Philips Fidelio headphone costing nearly 11K. This headphone was definitely in a much higher league, but something about the bass wasn't right to my ears, though the overall clarity was very good.
I wanted to try the various Skullcandies and Beats but none were available for demo, so I reluctantly went to another store in the hope that I may be able to give it a listen. But no luck there either. Almost as an afterthought, went to an exclusive Sony store, heard a whole lot of headphones ranging from cheap and cheerful ones to something costing nearly 10000. I was surprised by the striking clarity and balance of the MDR-ZX110NC. Rich bass but not overbearing like the ones I heard at other stores. Very good midrange and superb highs. And the icing on the cake was the very good resolution! The overall clarity, resolution, balance across the spectrum, and the way the sound mimics my home setup closely (even matching it in its ability to dig out fine nuances) immediately tipped the scales in its favour.
All this was without engaging the noise cancellation. On inserting a AAA battery and engaging noise cancellation, even more details were dug up. Impressed, I immediately bought it.
Here's the link to the manufacturer's page for the product:
Noise Canceling Headphones - MDR-ZX110NC Review | Sony Store U.S. - Sony US
I have been listening to music all evening through this headphone, and it is sounding better and better.
I loaded my current test tracks in wave format into my phone and gave them a spin - with surprising results. The same tracks sounded better as 320 kbps MP3! The wave files have too much bass for my liking. To my pleasant surprise, the 320 kbps also didn't lose out details.
My best guess is the phone is optimised for mp3 playback. I use my fav Jet Basic player app. The EQ is custom, slightly boosted from zero in the lows and highs, but default in the midrange.
Another surprise that hit me today was that my old iPod (30 GB version) sounds nowhere as good as my phone. This is a bit of a disappointment, but it is a very old model, and technology has certainly moved ahead in the interim.
For Rs 2290, I doubt one can find a better headphone or IEM. Strongly recommended.
