See how noise cancelling and unique functions work on the MDR-1000X
Sony is tired of hearing about how great everyone thinks Bose’s QuietComfort 35 headphones are. The Japanese manufacturer believes its brand-new MDR-1000X wireless noise-cancelling headphones are vastly superior, and it’s so confident of its opinion that it’s priced them at $400—$50 higher than its competitor’s offering.
The company showed me the new cans earlier this week, allowing me to do A/B comparisons against its archrival’s product. Granted, this was a controlled demonstration in a hotel suite (and Sony provided the QC35s), but I came away impressed—and not just with the noise cancellation and musicality. Sony’s MDR-1000X boasts several innovative features that Bose’s flagship headphones don’t.
During the demo, Sony’s team had me put on a pair of Bose’s flagship headphones, with noise cancellation enabled, while they played some music on one of their high-end digital audio players. Then they paused the music and asked me if I could hear anything. I could—it was a faint, low rumbling sound. Then they asked me to take the headphones off. The sound was the simulated noise of a jet engine as you’d hear it from inside the aircraft’s cabin, played on a large loudspeaker they’d hidden in the room.
SonyIn addition to noise cancellation, Sony's new MDR-1000Z wireless headphones have touch controls for your phone or media player built right into the right-hand ear cup.
Next they gave me pair of MDR-1000X headphones, again with noise cancellation enabled. This time when the music stopped, I didn’t hear anything but silence (yes, I verified that the loudspeaker was still rumbling). That was impressive, but Sony’s next tricks were even better. I was instructed to hold my right hand over the right ear cup. When I did, I could hear the product manager speaking to me over the music.
Sony calls this feature "quick attention” mode, and it’s designed to eliminate the hassle of having to remove your headphones or lift one of the ear cups when you see the flight attendant approaching to ask if you’d like to put in an order. There’s also an "ambient sound” mode that picks up outside sounds and pipes them to your ears while you listen to music, so you won’t miss announcements such as your boarding call.
These features are enabled by two microphones mounted to the headphones, one on the outside and another on the inside. Both are connected to an onboard digital signal processor, and Sony says the internal mic can recognize when the circumaural ear cups are imperfectly sealed against your head, such as they might be if you’re wearing eyeglasses or if you have long, thick hair. In those situations, the DSP will attempt to compensate for the imperfection.
SonySony says the dual microphones and onboard DSP enable its MDR-1000X to deliver best-in-class noise cancellation. (Note: Support for Hi-Res Audio requires a cable.)
Size & Weight
- WEIGHT
- Approx. 9.7 oz (without cable)
General Features
- DYNAMIC TYPE
- Closed, dynamic
- DRIVER UNIT
- 1.57", dome type (CCAW Voice Coil)
- DIAPHRAGM
- Aluminum coated LCP
- FREQUENCY RESPONSE (HZ)
- 4 Hz-40,000 Hz
- SENSITIVITIES (DB/MW)
- 103 dB/mW (1 kHz) (when connecting via the headphone cable with the unit turned on), 98 dB/mW (1 kHz)(when connecting via the headphone cable with the unit turned off)
- MAGNET
- Neodymium
- IMPEDANCE (OHM)
- 46 ohm (1 kHz) (when connecting via the headphone cable with the unit turned on), 16 ohm (1 kHz)(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', silver-coated OFC strands, gold-plated stereo mini plug)
- PLUG
- Gold-plated L-shaped stereo mini plug
- USAGE TIME
- Max. 20 hours (NC ON), Max. 22 hours (NC OFF)
- CHARGE TIME
- Approx. 4 Hours
Design and Sound Features
- WEARING STYLE
- Circumaural
Color Options
What's In The Box
- Carrying Case
- Plug Adaptor for In-flight Use
- Headphone cable (approx. 4.92', silver-coated OFC strands, gold-plated stereo mini plug)
- USB Cable
FEATURES
Noise canceling beyond compare
Never before have Sony headphones so effectively controlled noise. Latest features and techniques enable the MDR-1000X to provide industry-leading noise cancellation 2. Low frequency vehicle noise and mid to high frequency sound including voices have been reduced with the MDR-1000X compared to our previous Sony noise cancelling model.
Noise, tackled and tamed
New high sensitivity drivers efficiently filter out unwanted noise while Dual Noise Sensor technology uses internal and external microphones to detect and offset ambient sound. Close-fitting urethane foam earpads surround your ear and lock out distractions.
World in. World out.
Take control of sound with SENSE ENGINE. Hear only what you want to hear and nothing else. SENSE ENGINE gives you the freedom to tune in and out of your music at a touch.
Optimizes and adjusts to you
These headphones analyze your personal characteristics and wearing style, then optimize sound for you.
Turn down the music for a conversation
Talk without taking your headphones off. Place one hand over the housing to instantly decrease music volume.
Stay immersed and catch every word
Listen to your music without distraction while still catching important messages and announcements.
Stay immersed, yet aware
Hear essential everyday sounds such as traffic while listening to your music in the background.
Truly authentic sound
Hear music that stays true to the original recording with High-Resolution Audio. Optimized for High-Resolution Audio, S-Master HX reduces distortion and allows you to enjoy all the subtleties of your music. These headphones also include a powerful 1.57" driver with Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) diaphragm for handling heavy beats, and can reproduce a full range of frequencies up to 40 kHz.
Restore all your compressed files
The Digital Sound Enhancement Engine HX (DSEE HX) upscales compressed digital music files (MP3, ACC, ATRAC and WMA) and takes them closer to the quality of High-Resolution Audio. By restoring the high-range sound lost in compression, DSEE HX produces your digital music files in rich, natural sound.
Luxurious leather
Soft synthetic leather on the housing and earpads give a luxurious look and feel. Designed to fit securely over your ears for hours of comfortable listening.
Ready to travel
Swivel folding earcups make it easy to store your headphones in a suitcase, bag or the supplied carrying case while traveling.
Swipe and tap
Simply touch the gesture panel on the earpads to stop, play, skip through tracks, change volume or activate the smartphone’s voice assistant features.