Cystereo Noise Cancelling Headphones

I got these headphones as a replacement for my trusty Sennheiser 130 [SH henceforth], which died after many years of nearly everyday use. I have one major use case, which is a big part of my everyday routine: listening to the recordings on my Media Center while in the kitchen. This entails quick mounting and dismounting of the headphones on my head, operation with one (often wet) hand. I also walk around the house, including in the back yard with the headphones, so solid connection at a distance is important to have. *Bluetooth* One change I wanted to make over the SH was to avoid the audio cables out of the Media Center PC and around the radio base. Hence went for a Bluetooth model. For longer range coverage, I got the ZEXMTE BT 5.0 adapter (Class 1). This pair gives me a very robust BT connection: no drops, no lag. Range is about the same as of the SH, which is just enough for me. The BT connection degrades a little better than the SH's at the far end of the range: no hissing or crackling, just occasional drops. On occasion after waking up the MC PC, I find the headphones not connected, and I have to fuss with the Windows audio panel. But I'm more inclined to blame this on Windows or the BT adapter, not the headphones. *The fit* is overall okay but pretty tight around the ears. I wanted this, I thought, because my ears are smaller, and all previous headphones I've had were too loose (or got loose after long use). Occasionally dancing happens with the headphones on, so having the tighter fit becomes important. *Controls and operation* This is where these headphones are a *COMPLETE FAIL* for me. After two+ months of trying to get used to them, I'm planning on buying new ones, likely the trusty SH 130 if I can still find them. * Turning them on is a regular annoyance and drag: You have to hold the power button for 4+ seconds. Then loud *Beeeeep* - "Connected" - *Beep*. Why so loud, pesky and laggy?! The manual says power on should require holding the button for 1 second, but it's not true. Turning them off also requires holding the button for a few seconds, though a little shorter, and there is less annoying voice coming out. In contrast, the SH have a slider switch on the left side, which is super easy to handle and cannot be confused with anything. I grab them with 2-3 fingers of my left hand and slide the power switch while putting them on my head. Thus, it takes 3 seconds total to get sound and move on with my kitchen work, whereas the LAVA requires longer than this just to hold the power button until it responds! * The power and volume (up) buttons are too close to each other and the same shape. Thus, it takes some probing with the finger to find the volume up button. * The volume buttons don't respond well: takes too many presses to change the volume significantly. If you just hold, that's fast-forward or reverse/replay (which is a useful feature in itself, but the overloading is a bad design compromise). In contrast, the SH have a classic physical dial, which sticks out well and is the ideal interface for volume control. *Noise cancellation* is remarkably good: drowns the sound of the fridge, microwave oven, and running water quite well, without any sound distortion or feeling unnaturally insulated from the surrounding. *Battery life* is as good as advertised. It's ridiculously long. I went on for 3 weeks of daily use without recharging the first time and just forgot there would be need to charge eventually. ;-) *The sound quality* is meh. I'm the opposite of an audiophile, but it bothers me at times, esp. when listening to (pop/dance) music. It is somehow dull even when loud, there is no "ring" to it. Adjusting the base makes the beats stand out well but doesn't help the dullness problem. *Wireless Fast Forward* was a surprise nifty feature. I've been dreaming about this for years since I have zero tolerance for commercials and need to FF the moment they start, but I can be somewhere away from the Media Center remote. Just one remaining nuisance is that I can't do the playback speedup remotely, which I'm very used to, esp. while listening to the news. *Travel case*: Solid but gratuitously large. I doubt anyone would take it on a trip.