Hi all, I'm writing this just as a brief review as someone who owns both. For context, my daily driver cans for the last two years are ATH M50Xs (wow, aren't I original?). My roommate has sleep apnea, so I bought the circumaural HD1s after deliberating between the HD1s, the QC 35iis, and the Sony XM2s (all bluetooth, ANC choices). I was initially pleased (mostly by the aesthetics and material choices), but quickly found two major flaws in the HD1:
1. I have larger-than-average ears (that also stick out somewhat), and the HD1 was rather uncomfortable. I constantly tried to adjust for a better fit, yet my ears were never comfortable. The headband was also poorly padded, and constantly felt like it was digging in. The way the cans themselves attach to the headband makes them very uncomfortable to sleep in unless you sleep on your back with your nose pointing straight up.
2. The HD1 sounded, to me, more detailed than the M50x, delivering imaging that really took me by surprise, especially in orchestral tracks like "The Throne Room" and "The Fellowship." However, I hated their sound signature. Lows were just too prominent, and EQing just couldn't quite give me the right balance. They were controlled, sure, but high, exciting voices (like Brendan Urie's in "Death of a Bachelor") just weren't sparkly enough for me, and, while detail was still strong, sounded like they were accompaniment for the beat, not the other way around.
I auditioned the XM2 side by side with the QC35ii at Best Buy, and found that "Fresh Eyes" sounded much better on the QC35s. I cite better bass control, though that might just be because they were less bassy. I also found them more comfortable (the XM2's earpads were too thin, and my ears pressed against the driver.
I ended up buying the QC35ii, and am, thus far, happy with it. Its sound strikes me as a more laid-back version of that of the M50s, though I'd say they're still not quite bright enough for my liking. The comfort is astounding, though, truly. I'm returning the HD1 soon.
Hope this helps anyone else making the same choice! What experiences did you folks have with each?
Unrelated: should I always refer to a pair of headphones as plural (e.g. the QC35s or HD1s), or singular?
1. I have larger-than-average ears (that also stick out somewhat), and the HD1 was rather uncomfortable. I constantly tried to adjust for a better fit, yet my ears were never comfortable. The headband was also poorly padded, and constantly felt like it was digging in. The way the cans themselves attach to the headband makes them very uncomfortable to sleep in unless you sleep on your back with your nose pointing straight up.
2. The HD1 sounded, to me, more detailed than the M50x, delivering imaging that really took me by surprise, especially in orchestral tracks like "The Throne Room" and "The Fellowship." However, I hated their sound signature. Lows were just too prominent, and EQing just couldn't quite give me the right balance. They were controlled, sure, but high, exciting voices (like Brendan Urie's in "Death of a Bachelor") just weren't sparkly enough for me, and, while detail was still strong, sounded like they were accompaniment for the beat, not the other way around.
I auditioned the XM2 side by side with the QC35ii at Best Buy, and found that "Fresh Eyes" sounded much better on the QC35s. I cite better bass control, though that might just be because they were less bassy. I also found them more comfortable (the XM2's earpads were too thin, and my ears pressed against the driver.
I ended up buying the QC35ii, and am, thus far, happy with it. Its sound strikes me as a more laid-back version of that of the M50s, though I'd say they're still not quite bright enough for my liking. The comfort is astounding, though, truly. I'm returning the HD1 soon.
Hope this helps anyone else making the same choice! What experiences did you folks have with each?
Unrelated: should I always refer to a pair of headphones as plural (e.g. the QC35s or HD1s), or singular?
