anchor.diff: -= Sony WH-1000XM2 review
  += Sony WH-1000XM2 Review
   :hp-image: https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/19504323/33706660-c5741c5c-db6f-11e7-8e29-0ee7dacbca3f.png
   :published_at: 2017-11-19
   :hp-tags: noise-cancelling, earphone, sony,
  
positive.code: 
  image::https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/19504323/33708007-36ebc052-db74-11e7-866e-3dcaebd9a4f4.png[link="http://amzn.to/2japefG"]
  
  As for audio performance, the https://goo.gl/ZxCqBW[WH-1000XM2] have many of the traits I admired so much about the original. They’re a hugely entertaining listen, thanks to a combination of hard-hitting dynamism, boundless energy and impressive rhythmic precision.
  
  That agility partly comes down to its impressive articulation and neutral tonal balance. No part of the frequency range feels exaggerated, and everything is nicely defined. There’s no flab to the bass, the midrange is direct and succinct, and the treble is clean, free of sibilance. It’s a very tidy presentation.
  
  Compared to the original MDR-1000X, I found the https://goo.gl/ZxCqBW[WH-1000XM2] to be a little clearer and more hard-hitting. But the audio components are the same, so I’m going to put this down to the fact that I was using aptX HD compatible music devices (an LG G6 and Astell & Kern AK70). In wired mode, there was no discernable difference.
  
  === Why buy the https://goo.gl/ZxCqBW[Sony WH-1000XM2]?
  
  The https://goo.gl/ZxCqBW[Sony WH-1000XM2] have improved on their predecessors in nearly every way. The physical design has been tweaked for the better, the audio performance is stronger, and the noise cancellation is smarter.
  
  So the competition is tougher this year, but that’s not a problem for Sony. The https://goo.gl/VVSSN1[Bose QuietComfort 35 II] offer more effective noise cancellation, but they’re not as musically talented. The https://goo.gl/55w1xd[B&W PX] are the best-sounding of the lot, but they’re not as smart or as good at noise-cancelling.
  
  
negative.code: 
  There’s also the DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) processing, which claims to upscale compressed audio. This was on all the time in the previous version, but now you have the option to turn it off. I’d leave it on as it actually helps a little.
  
  It would be reasonable to assume all these features sap battery life, but there is actually more juice than ever. The original 1000X lasted up to 20 hours, but the https://goo.gl/AjEyM7[Sony WH-1000XM2] goes up to 30 hours (wireless) or 40 hours (wired).
  
  There’s even a quick charge feature – 10 minutes at the mains will give you 70 minutes’ play time. A few headphone manufacturers have switched over to USB-C for power, but Sony has stuck with the ubiquitous microUSB.
  
  === Performance
  
  When it comes to noise cancellation, the https://goo.gl/AjEyM7[Sony WH-1000XM2] are some of the best you can buy. I put them through a varied assault course including excited cafe chatter, rattling train carriages, roadworks with pneumatic drills and speakers blasting plane engine noises – the https://goo.gl/AjEyM7[WH-1000XM2] dialled all that down to a whisper.
  
  They’re not quite as deadly silent as the https://goo.gl/VVSSN1[Bose QuietComfort 35 II], but it’s not a huge difference, and they’re more effective than the https://goo.gl/55w1xd[B&W PX]. I could (and did) fall asleep listening to these headphones on a train.
  
  