I needed noise-cancelling headphones to replace an older Sony MDR-1A but didn't want to give up on audio quality. I did my research and settled on the PSB M4U 8 cans for a couple of reasons:
1. PSB makes great speakers. I figured the technology used to develop those audiophile grade speakers also went into their headphones;
2. Replaceable batteries: the M4U 8 is powered by a pair of rechargeable and replaceable AAA batteries. I can't recall if the ones included are NiMH or Li-Ion, but the sheer ability of being able to replace them yourself once they go bad is great. This is especially poignant given most of today's battery powered consumer electronics don't give the owner the ability to replace them without great difficulty or additional cost.
As for performance, I generally tend to listen to music on my LG ThinQ using high-res FLAC files. I also listen to my audio with the EQ set to either off or FLAT, thereby allowing the music to be played as the artist and sound engineer intended. Combined with Apt-X HD, the audio rendition of the 40mm drivers are excellent. They're well detailed and controlled without excessive bass, bloat, or treble. The soundstage is also well separated and depending on the quality of your audio encodings, can really sound exceptional and life-like.
This is my first pair of active noise cancelling headphones, so I can't really judge the performance of the M4U 8 against its competition. What I can say however is that they work well. I walk to work in Manhattan, and with noise cancelling on, really eliminates any background sounds except for the very loudest, thus allowing you to enjoy whatever you're listening to without cranking up the volume. The headphone also has this neat feature when you press the volume rocker down, it will pause the music and amplify audio coming in from the 6 separate microphones so you can hear what's going on around you. This is helpful if you don't want to remove your headphones when listening to an announcment, or paying the cashier at your local store.
As for comfort, I have to admit that the initial, right-out-of-the-box clamping force on these felt a little much. My hat size is 7 3/4 so not overly large, but not small either. The first week of owning these, my ears started to hurt a little after wearing the headphones for more than hour. I'm happy to say though that around the second week of use, the clamping force seems to have lessened a little as the band is flexed from use. I can now wear these for at least 3 to 4 hours without any discomfort. I expect them to loosen a little more as time passes but YMMV.
Finally, the little things PSB includes with the headphones are a nice touch. For the price however, I wouldn't have expected any less. What you get along with the headphones themselves are:
1. Semi-hard protective case/shell
2. Airplane adapter
3. Extra set of ear cups
4. USB cable
5. 2 meter long 3.5mm audio cable (headphone can be used passively without power like traditional cans)
6. User manual and warranty card
In summary, I really like these headphones. They'd be perfect if PSB could find a way to integrate clamping force adjustments. The price is a little steep as well when compared to traditional enthusiast-grade headphones, but when compared against its direct competition with similar features, appears to be a decent value. In the end, I recommend these if you're looking for a pair of Apt-X HD compatible headphones that should last for a very long time.
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This Item  PSB M4U 8 Wireless Active Noise Cancelling HD Bluetooth Headphones |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | -17% $330.14 List: $399.00 | -28% $249.99 New Price: $348.00 | -13% $348.00 List: $399.99 | $15.00 | -29% $199.99 List: $279.99 | -31% $239.00 List: $347.99 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Sunday, May 19 | Get it May 20 - 24 | Get it as soon as Monday, May 20 | Get it as soon as Monday, May 20 | Get it as soon as Sunday, May 19 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 21 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Sound quality | ||||||
| Noise cancellation | ||||||
| Battery life | ||||||
| Volume control | ||||||
| Sold By | Amazon.com | Sole Providers | WORLD WIDE STEREO | On-Market | Cleer inc. | Shine Sphere (SN Recorded) |
| connectivity tech | Bluetoth | Wireless | Bluetooth | Wireless, Bluetooth | Wireless | Bluetooth 5.2, Bluetooth |
| headphones form factor | Over Ear | Over Ear | Over Ear | In Ear | Over Ear | Over Ear |
| connector type | usb,wireless | Stereo Mini Jack | Stereo Mini Jack | wireless | usb,wireless | wireless |
| noise control | active noise cancellation | active noise cancellation | active noise cancellation | active noise cancellation | active noise cancellation | active noise cancellation |
| headphones jack | 3.5 mm Jack | 3.5 mm Jack | 3.5 mm Jack | — | 3.5 mm Jack | 3.5 mm Jack |
| cable feature | Without Cable | Without Cable | Without Cable | Without Cable | Without Cable | Detachable, Without Cable |
| control type | Media Control | Voice Control | Voice Control | — | Touch Control | Voice Control |
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