175. Wired Headphones 中
The cover photo shows a wired headphone I carefully selected last week. it sounds incredible! I went back to my hometown for the May Day holiday, but it rained every day, so I just “lied flat” and listened to music while watching the rain outside. because of my “lying flat,” this issue is more about fun things and less about technical stuff.
Record the down-to-earth trending technologies seen every week, and publish them here after screening. If you find it good, you can follow this weekly to get update notifications.
Technical Learning
How great companies make and spend money
Lately, I’ve been fascinated by studying the profit models of great companies and trying to understand financial data. I found some excellent Sankey diagrams from App Economy Insights. These charts show how Tesla, Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Berkshire Hathaway, Google, Alibaba, and Meta make and spend their money.
Trending Tools
On my switch back to wired headphones
A man’s simple pleasure—I’ve actually gone back to wired headphones. I spent some time over the weekend testing various headphones and unexpectedly ended up with the Sony MV1 open-back monitor headphones. they don’t have noise calling and are wired, yet I love them. here’s my selection process:
I compared them with the AirPods Max; the sound is great and they are convenient, but they are just TOO heavy. if you don’t wear them for long, like the aesthetic/sound, and are in the Apple ecosystem, they’re a solid choice.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 and XM4 have great noise canceling and are light. if you care more about noise canceling than pure audiophile sound, the XM5 is highly recommended and very comfortable for travel.
I also tried the Bose QC45 and 700. the QC45 is more comfortable—extremely so—and looks good. the 700 has personality, but the sound felt a bit muffled, and the voice prompts are somewhat “anti-human.” but they are very comfy; worth considering if you like heavy bass and comfort.
I also tested the Sennheiser HD 600, 650, and 660S. these are all wired and need an amp to drive them. if you listen to classical/symphony, the HD 600 is legendary even after 30 years. for vocals, the HD 650 is perfect and, in my opinion, the best value for sound quality. the 660S sits in between but is more expensive. however, at 300 or 150 ohms, they are hard to drive with mobile devices and require a heavy desktop amp, making them only suitable for a home study. I eventually passed on these due to portability and cost, though comfort was acceptable.
In the Sony store, I asked if there were high-quality headphones to test. the clerk pointed me to a small room with wired gear. the sound there was mind-blowing—“ear-impregnating” quality. but at 20k RMB plus a 10k amp, I could only appreciate them from afar.
On my way out, I saw the Sony MV1 on an inconspicuous table. it’s a plain black plastic shell. I put it on and… Wow! why is it so light? why is it so comfortable? why does it sound so good? it broke my stereotype that monitor headphones were only for professionals. they are perfect for music—the soundstage is spacious and rivals the Sennheiser HD660S.
So I decided to buy this rare species. I found it cheaper online and have been enjoying it since it arrived. the drums in O-Daiko, the vocals in “One I Love,” the atmosphere in “Bubbles,” and Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”—it feels like they’re singing right in my ear. A truly satisfying purchase.
Summary: if you’re on Apple and want convenience over pure sound, AirPods are great. for noise canceling, go Pro. for home use/aesthetics if you don’t mind the weight, go Max. for both sound and noise canceling, Sony XM5 (or XM4 for value). for comfort/noise canceling, try Bose. for extreme home audio, try Sennheiser.
But if you, like me, already have noise-canceling buds for daily use and want something light, comfortable, wired, and with great sound for pure listening, try the MV1. just remember that everyone’s ears are different—always try them out in person!
Recommend music to test your headphones
https://dub.sh/apple-music
I’ve selected some tracks ranging from drums and vocals to symphonies and atmospheric sounds. it’s amazing how good wired headphones can sound. I’m a novice at music appreciation, so feel free to recommend more! (Note: use Apple Music for lossless, turn off volume normalization, and set quality to max.)
Just Looking Around
China’s NEV industry doesn’t need Zhou Hongyi
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/iqond9JCxZWPeOQL9oUGwA
The internet has a memory.
US Parents vs. Indian Parents vs. Chinese Parents
This video hilariously captures the different educational styles across cultures.