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dsrajawat · 5 years ago

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Someone rightly said, “Without music, life would be a mistake”. Speaking of mistake, don’t you think, a bigger one would be if your new earphone fails to deliver audio as its supposed to? Thus, while hunting for the one out of the horde, we tend to rely on the general rule of thumb – if it’s more expensive it must be better. But, is it? Especially since in case of premium pairs like the one in the title, we look for things beyond just audio. And even minor quibbles are likely to be treated as cons.

I’ve had the Sony WI-1000XM2 glued to my ears for a while now. After wearing it and listening to it, I have a few thoughts to share. More importantly, I’ll touch upon the frequently asked queries too.

So, let’s not waste any more time and find out – whether this Sony wireless pair is worth every dime of the Rs. 20,990 sticker on its box.

You may sail or skip through as you like –

Sony WI-1000XM2 Review: Design & Build

Sony WI-1000XM2 Review: Sound Signature

Sony WI-1000XM2 Review: ANC, APP & Battery

Sony WI-1000XM2 Review: Calls, Codecs & Connectivity

Sony WI-1000XM2 Review: Verdict

Sony WI-1000XM2 Price in India and Specs

Model Sony WI-1000XM2 Bluetooth 5.0 SBC, AAC, LDAC Cord Length approx. 1 m Range 10 meters Driver HD Hybrid Driver System: 9-mm dynamic driver + Balanced Armature driver Battery Charging time: 3.5 hours Endurance: Up to 10 hours of listening Frequency Response 20 Hz–20,000 Hz (44.1 kHz Sampling) 20 Hz–40,000 Hz (LDAC 96 kHz Sampling, 990 kbps) Weight 58g India Price Rs. 20,990

Sony WI-1000XM2 Review: Design & Build

Sony WI-1000XM2 Box contents

Beginning with the box contents –

Earphone

Carrying Case

Plug adapter for In-flight Use

Connection Cable

USB cable

Eartips (4x Silicon and 3x Foam)

Although the packaging is simple, the contents are pretty much covered.

Before we dive into the design, let me preface that the setup process is fairly simple. You just have to install Sony’s Headphone Connect app from the app store (More on the app and its utilities down below) and it will guide you through the rest of the steps.

Sony WI-1000XM2 is both handsome and shizz! It’s built of premium and sturdy material. But, I felt it could’ve been lighter as the broad nodes do assert presence. And with heavy movements, they could jumble a bit.

Sony WI-1000XM2 power button on Left node

Hold the power button on the left node for 2 secs to power up the thing. Right next to it, you would find a 3.5mm jack and the USB-C port covered by a flap.

MFB on Sony WI-1000XM2

Moving your hand down the left wire will land you over an in-line remote. That ‘C’ button beneath the volume rockers is multi-functional. You get to remap it for triggering device assistant or toggle between ambient and ANC. Pick one amongst the three, whichever you prefer most.

All that good but I felt the buttons less discernible and they failed to offer good feedback.

The right side is devoid of any switches or sockets. But, Sony has housed a handy feature here. NFC! Yea, more about it later.

A bevy of earbuds to choose from!

Over the course of my usage, I suffered no ear fatigue. But, the experience wasn’t without woes. Although Sony has shipped a bevy of buds to choose from, none of them offered a perfect fit. Thus, the tips were prone to slide out. I know, I could be the one-off case but unlucky me. 😦

If only, there was an ear wing inside. Hmm…

Carrying case with the Sony WI-1000XM2

Anyway, here are a few more things to note –

The magnetic clasp of the earbuds isn’t very magnetic.

The flexibility of the silicone neckband fits it well within the carrying case. You can carry the analog cable and other thingies inside it. Good that there is even a mesh pocket within the case.

Bad, that there is no official water resistance on it.

If only there was an auto-pause option once earbuds are out of the ear.

The inclusion of an analog audio cable is very thoughtful! It stretches an arm and a half. This means you can enjoy passive playback, even when there is no power.

Sony WI-1000XM2 Review: Sound Signature

Testing the Sony WI-1000XM2 sound quality

My ears are wired to Spotify or YT Music through most of my day. Lately, I’ve been tuning into podcasts en route to work and back home. So, a good sounding pair is a must. If noise cancellation is there, all the more good. Gladly, the Sony WI-1000XM2 is up to the task in both these respects.

The sound out of it is loud, lush and fun. The hybrid dual-driver system along with DSEE ousts well-balanced and detailed audio. The voice and instruments stay distinct and discerning.

With the wired connection

Now that’s the crux of it. But, if I’d be anymore analytical, for the purists out of you, the audio review would go like this –

Bass is tight and thumpy but doesn’t overwhelm other frequencies. I would’ve been happier if it delivered the rumble effect in some songs. (Ref: Mirza by Nucleya, You Rock My World by Michael Jackson, Limit to your love by James Blake)

The high notes are crisp yet borderline shrill. Especially at loud volumes, the treble can be harsh around the edges. (Ref: Yeh Haseen Vadiyan by AR Rahman, November by Max Richter and Communion by park Jha)

The mids were rich and in control. The clear vocals played a major part in my podcast-listening. (Ref: My Other Side by Tabe Chake, Wish you were here by Pink Floyd, Like a fool by Keira Knightley)

Sound staging was airy and spacious enough, despite Sony’s proprietary 360-degree feature being off-limits. Imaging between both sides was evenly spread. (Ref: Beat of Passion by AR Rahman, Candy by Lifafa, Parey by Samar Mehdi)