Why Expensive Bluetooth Headphones Can Still Look Ordinary

You dropped a big chunk of change on your brand new Sony WH-1000XM6 Bluetooth headphones. These cans are lauded by the industry for noise cancellation and overall sound quality; they even support Sony’s proprietary LDAC codec for enhanced playback. So why does your expensive new purchase seem quite disappointing? First of all, take a hard look at the types of music genres you like to listen to. A pair of headphones from one premium brand may have completely different strengths from another, and genres like rock and metal are quick to indicate what sounds good or bad.

Here’s a personal story: The first song I listened to on my Sony WH-1000XM4 was “YYZ” by Rush, a progressive rock song that has been around for over 40 years; it looked fantastic. But when I tried to listen to something from Knocked Loose or Vein.fm (intense metal bands), the mix was fine overamplified. Fortunately, expensive headphones usually include punchy companion software with audio presets and/or a custom EQ. I was able to use the Sound Connect app – available for iOS and Android devices – to create a “metal-friendly” V-shaped sound profile (treble highs, low mids, bass highs). Problem solved.

Unfortunately, dull audio isn’t just attributed to an unoptimized sound profile; Factors like the audio source you’re streaming from and the type of device your headphones are paired with can also impact the final sound quality.

Streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music are ideal for reliable, high-quality audio streams. Codecs like SBC and AAC rule the roost, and both streamers offer a massive archive of tracks to listen to (millions of tracks). That said, platforms like Tidal and Qobuz are much better for those who a.) own a playback device that accepts high-end audio codecs, and b.) own headphones capable of reproducing high-resolution audio.

Tidal and Qobuz give you access to FLAC streams up to 24-bit/192kHz. If you have a compatible Android phone and your headphones have a USB-C port, you will be able to enjoy high-resolution playback. Technically, this completely overrides Bluetooth, but most premium over-ear and over-ear headphones are Bluetooth compatible regardless. Unfortunately, the iPhone audience is being left behind; There is no iOS device on the market that can decode lossless audio.

You can still plug your headphones into the USB-C port on an iPhone 15 or later; wired playback is always more stable and less compressed than a Bluetooth connection. That said, the difference can be hard to hear, especially when comparing standard wired playback via USB-C/3.5mm aux with Bluetooth audio streamed using SBC or AAC codecs. Unless you’re extremely picky about the details of mixing, Bluetooth is probably fine for most people.

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) is one of the best features ever on our portable audio system. But the technology isn’t just about “turning off” distracting sounds; ANC uses microphones and noise-canceling software to attenuate them. If your expensive Bluetooth headphones are ANC ready (most are), you may notice a difference in playback quality with the ANC mixed into the mix. Try listening to the same song with ANC on, then listen again with ANC off; you may notice an improvement or the sound may be exactly the same.

And don’t forget the quality of the original recording. We all love the Beatles, and the Fab Four have received their share of catalog remasters over the years, so even an old song recorded with old technology can sound good. The same probably can’t be said for an old band like Bloodrock, whose song “DOA” charted on the Billboard charts in 1971, and that’s it. The current mix is ​​a product of the times, and without a good remaster, an expensive pair of headphones will amplify fuzz, distortion, and other analog anomalies.

Cheap headphones can miss these parts of the mix completely, but only because they can’t reproduce certain frequency ranges properly. You can also have a similar experience with modern tunes; an overly aggressive mix (e.g., too much bass, maxed out treble range) on a brand new album can sound all the more overwhelming when pumped through an expensive pair of detail-oriented Bluetooth cans.