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A new trend is emerging with Bluetooth headphones—the inclusion of active noise cancellation in addition to wireless circuitry. But doesn’t that make it much more expensive, you may wonder? Yes. Definitive Technology’s Symphony 1 is the latest example of a wireless, noise-cancelling headphone pair that appeals to consumers seeking a multitude of features in a luxurious package. At $399, the Symphony 1 is far more expensive than the top noise-canceling headphones, as well as many of the top Bluetooth headphones in general. Thankfully, the price is more or less justified by the inclusion of both features, as well as strong, balanced audio performance.
Design
The Symphony 1 ( at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) has a snazzy design to help justify its price a bit. Available in black, the circumaural (over-the-ear) earcups and headband are made of a plush, memory foam-like material that is covered in soft black leather. A lightweight aluminum frame connects the earcups to the headband, and the cups fold down for easy stowing. The overall look is luxurious, and the movement of the headphones when adjusting the fit or folding them down flat is graceful. The fit itself is exceptionally comfortable, with the cups forming a secure seal around the ear.
On the right earcup, there are a number of controls—Power, Bluetooth, and ANC (for active noise cancellation), as well as Volume, Play/Pause, and Call Answer/End buttons (the latter of which also navigates tracks depending on how many times you press it). The Power button could be located in a better position—it’s in the middle of the Bluetooth and ANC buttons, and it’s identically sized, creating an easy landscape for mistakes when you have to operate all of the buttons without looking. In fact, with six buttons in total, it’s easy to mistake one for another.
The connections for the USB charging cable, as well as a 3.5mm audio cable for wired listening, are located on the right earcup as well. Connecting a 3.5mm cable automatically breaks any Bluetooth connections, while disconnecting the cable automatically re-pairs the headphones with the most recent Bluetooth device (provided you were in Bluetooth mode when you connected the cable). Behind the perforated cloth grilles, the Symphony 1 packs a 50mm driver in each ear.
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Pairing the Symphony 1 with an iPhone 5s was a quick and simple process. Definitive Technology estimates the Symphony 1’s battery life at up to 15 hours, but this will vary greatly depending on your usage of various features, and how loudly you play your tunes. With ANC activated, the headphones will power down after three hours of inactivity. That seems like quite a generous amount of time, though it’s better than not powering down at all.
The Symphony 1 ships with a long USB charging cable, the aforementioned 3.5mm audio cable (it has no inline remote control or mic), a nylon drawstring carrying pouch, and a zip-up, protective carrying case—quite an array of accessories.
Performance
The Symphony 1’s active noise cancellation is among the better examples we’ve tested in recent years. It’s not as good as Bose’s QuietComfort Technology, but it does eliminate a wide swath of ambient noise. The high frequency hiss that most active noise cancellation circuitry creates is only barely audible here. However, the ANC also has a major effect on the audio performance. When off, the Symphony 1 sounds thin and deprived of bass response—turning it on is like night and day. Suddenly, the drivers pump out rich, robust lows. So, whether you want the ANC on or not, you’ll need it for your audio to sound right.
See How We Test Headphones
In wired mode, the Symphony 1 sounds more or less the same as in Bluetooth mode—with one major difference. Tracks with deep bass make the Symphony 1 distort when a cable is connected and the volume levels are fairly high—in Bluetooth mode, this never happens. Since it’s designed to be used wirelessly, most of our audio testing was conducted with Bluetooth activated and the cable disconnected.
On tracks with powerful sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the Symphony 1 delivers a substantial dose of low-end, though it’s not overly boosted in the lows the way many competing models are. Bass lovers who want a subwoofer-like experience will want to look elsewhere—the Symphony 1 provides a balanced approach to bass. The synth hits on this track definitely pack a punch, but the mids and highs are also well-represented and none of the ranges really overpowers the others.
Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” a track without much deep bass, sounds balanced and clear—Callahan’s baritone vocals get a nice richness to them in the low-mids, but nothing bordering on weirdly boosted, and the high-mid and highs keep things crisp and well-defined. The drums on this track don’t have a tremendous bass presence—perhaps they could use just a touch more—but this is a more accurate sound than many competing models provide. It’s not rare for the drums on this track to sound massive and thunderous, which is not how they were mixed.
On Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “No Church in the Wild,” the kick drum loop’s attack has a precise edge—it slices through the dense mix with ease, the most powerful element of the mix until the vocals take over. The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the loop sound powerful enough, but again, bass fiends won’t be satisfied, and the top, raspy notes are more present than the deep lows are.
Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene in John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, offer perhaps the best sense of balance through the Symphony 1. The higher register strings, brass, and vocals have excellent definition, with no problem maintaining their place in the spotlight, but there’s just enough bass presence to push the lower register instrumentation out into the focus of the mix a bit more. This is undoubtedly a mids- and highs-focused sound, but with just the right amount of richness in the lows added in. The Symphony 1 comes pretty close to a flat response sound signature, but there’s just enough low-end presence to keep it from sounding truly transparent.
Conclusions
If you’re looking for a bigger bass sound in a Bluetooth headphone pair, the Sennheiser Urbanite XL Wireless ($193.63 at Walmart)(Opens in a new window) and the Harman Kardon Soho Wireless ($279.99 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) both offer substantial bass response. If your primary interest is in noise cancellation rather than wireless connectivity, you can save a bit of money and get the best noise cancellation available with the Bose QuietComfort 25 ($229.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) . And if you’re looking to spend far less money on a balanced Bluetooth headphone pair, the Jabra Move Wireless ($29.95 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) is a solid, affordable option. The Symphony 1 manages to earn its price tag by doing many things, and doing most of them well. There are some issues, to be sure, but with so many features and accessories, and generally strong audio performance, it’s hard to complain much.
3.5
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The Definitive Technology Symphony 1 is a good-looking wireless headphone pair that delivers solid audio performance and noise cancellation.
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Source link : https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/definitive-technology-symphony-1