Rivera Business Review: DENON DJ HP1100

Saturday, December 23, 2017

Sony WH-1000XM2

What are the Sony WH-1000XM2?

In 2016, the Trusted Reviews award for Best Headphones went to the Sony MDR-1000X, excellent wireless and noise-cancelling headphones with an intelligent set of features. The Sony WH-1000XM2 are their successor, and they’re a little better in almost every way.

The market is tougher now, and Sony faces fierce competition from the Bose QuietComfort 35 II and B&W PX. But the new 1000X get so many things right it’s hard to fault them. They sound great, the noise cancellation is effective, and most of the features are genuinely useful.

If you’re looking for an everyday pair of headphones, these are hard to beat.

Sony WH-1000XM2 – Design

The MDR-1000X had an excellent design (like DENON DJ HP1100 ) that didn’t need fixing, so Sony has basically left it alone. That’s fine, since it meant the company could spare some resources towards expanding the 1000X range – check out the Sony WF-1000X wireless earbuds.

Anyway, the Sony WH-1000XM2 are more of a facelift than a makeover – there are a few minor improvements over the original, but unless you’re really looking for them you probably won’t notice.

They still look very smart, with the same streamlined silhouette and hardly any branding. The body is mainly plastic, with polished metal in the headband and good quality synthetic leather at the ears.

The paintjob is a little different: the beige version is now closer to champagne gold, while the black version is more gunmetal greyish blue. This adds a little visual flair, but the overall effect is no less subtle. If you want something with an executive vibe, the 1000XM2 will do nicely.

The synthetic leather on the outside of the ear cups has been swapped for a more tactile alternative. It’s less smooth to the touch – some might say it’s more plasticky – but I feel it’s thicker and tougher. I welcome this change, because the smooth finish of the original always seemed at risk of scratching. Now I feel a little less bad throwing them straight into my bag without first using the protective carry case.

What hasn’t changed is the polyurethane foam stuffed into the headband and ear pads. They’re as squishy as ever, and the 1000XM2 are as comfortable as their predecessors. Clamp force is just right; they hold the sides of your head but never squeeze. As before, the headband expands with satisfying clicks. The earcups can fold inwards on hinges, as well as swivel flat.

The buttons have been streamlined. Power/pairing remains where it is, but noise cancelling and ambient sound adjustment have been merged into one. That makes it a little harder to press the wrong thing, which might sound minor, but there’s value in being able to just get on with your listening.

Sony WH-1000XM2 – Features

The improvements to the features list is a lot less subtle. There have been quite a lot of tweaks and additions.

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The Bluetooth has been upgraded. The WH-1000XM2 are compatible with aptX HD, a higher quality Bluetooth format that can handle hi-res audio up to 24bit/48kHz. LDAC is also included, and it can handle 24bit/96kHz, but it’s a proprietary Sony format, limited to Sony devices. The left ear has an NFC chip for quicker Bluetooth pairing.

The touch-sensitive control pad on the right ear cup has been tightened up, so your inputs feel more accurate and responsive.TheQuick Attention mode, where you hold your palm to the right ear to mute, remains unchanged.

The Ambient Sound feature is smarter. It still allows audio passthrough so you can be more aware of the outside world, but now it’s adaptive. The strength of noise cancellation will vary according to what you’re doing – sitting around, walking around, riding in vehicles or running for the bus.

8 easy ways to improve your business writing skills

Before you write a word of copy, make sure you know who your target audience is and what specific result you want to achieve. Take a few minutes to visualize yourself in the shoes of the recipient and to imagine what this person’s world is like.What does his typical day look like? What are his unique needs, goals, and challenges? What problem is keeping him up at night? The more thought and research you invest in defining your target audience and how you can help them, the more powerful your written communications will become.
Avoid using your company acronyms and buzzwords. While these words might seem clever to you, a busy executive may find them annoying. Also avoid academic language like “ergo” or “henceforth” and technical jargon. Keep it simple. For example, choose “use” instead of “utilize,” “send out” instead of “disseminate,” “fair” instead of “equitable.”
Use a strong, active voice instead of the impersonal, passive voice. “The meeting agenda could be discussed further” is passive. “Let’s discuss the meeting agenda” is active. Express confidence and decisiveness in your business communications. Instead of writing, “I intend to write a report on sales performance measures,” which comes across as weak and indecisive, write: “I’m currently writing a report on sales performance measures for completion before the end of the second quarter.”
Write in a conversational tone. Don’t alienate your readers by being too formal and bureaucratic—unless you’re writing to a bureaucrat or someone who prefers formality. Know your audience! Even if you are writing a marketing communications piece that will be read by several thousand potential readers, make your writing as inviting and personal as possible. Write as though you are having a conversation with one specific person—your ideal customer. Keep this one person in mind and you will positively engage thousands of readers who will feel that you are writing directly to them!
Replace hyperbole with solid facts and reputable testimonials. Phrases like, “We’re #1,” “We’re the leader in our field,” or “We provide the best service,” aren’t going to get you anywhere. Instead, use glowing testimonial, for example: John Jones, president of Acme Inc., ranks our company #1 for quality out of 500 certified companies.
Convert product features into benefits to engage your customer emotionally. Here’s an example of benefit-oriented copy: “Our automatic domain name renewal service will provide you with the added security and comfort, knowing that your domain names will never be hijacked by your competitors while freeing up your administrative time to focus on growing your business.”
Don’t rely on on-screen editing. Print out your document and read it aloud. If you encounter any awkwardness in speech you need to rewrite your piece to make it more conversational and to flow better.By reading your document aloud, you will also be able to spot typos and errors that your computer spelling and grammar check program might not have detected, for example, “echo friendly” when you really meant “eco friendly.
Always write from your customer’s perspective. Start off praising your customer’s company. Describe the specific attributes you like about the company instead of bragging about how wonderful your company is. Overuse of “I,” “me,” or “our company” is a sure sign of ego getting in the way of business. Make sure to generously use “you” and “your” in your business copy if you want to make more sales.