Even though the new Harman Kardon Fly ANC have some redeeming qualities to them… unfortunately
I can’t help but feel that these headphones are dead on arrival cause they’re very hard
to justify getting when compared to similar mid tier ANC headphones like the Sony XB900N
and Surface Headphones 2. And over all, I feel Harman needs to get its act together
cause both these headphones and the JBL Club 950NC’s that I reviewed a few weeks ago
are going to have a really hard time competing in this increasingly competitive ANC headphone
market.
Now when it comes to price, all three of these headphones retail for $250… but thanks to
Sony’s plan for headphone world domination the XB900N’s routinely like to go on sale
for $178. Where as Microsoft’s plan for headphones world domination is by giving you
near premium Active Noise Cancellation performance for mid tier prices. But all jokes aside,
if you’re looking for a solid pair of mid teir ANC headphones either one of these two
are solid options and they’ll be linked down below.
Now some of the redeeming qualities of the Fly ANC’s surround its build quality and
included carrying case. The Fly ANC’s come with a quality hardshell carrying case that
isn’t all that big. Where as even though the surface 2’s also come included with
a very premium case… since these headphones can’t fully collapse their case is on the
larger side. But then there are the Sony XB900N’s which unfortunately only come with a carrying
pouch. So if you do plan on commuting with these headphones you are going to have to
invest in your own hardshell case.
Now when it comes to the headphones themselves… the Fly ANC’s are the most premium feeling
ones here, specifically cause almost every surface that you actually touch on these headphones
is covered in leatherette. And since the leatherette on these headphones actually feels slightly
better than the leatherette on these other two headphones… you think these headphones
are more premium. Cause with these other two headphones… even though they both also have
very good build quality, since the majority of their body is just plastic you don’t
get the same illusion like you do with the Fly ANC’s.
But when it comes to fit… unfortunately thats a whole other story. The Fly ANC’s
are by far the most uncomfortable headphones here. They have the most clamping force here
so they’re not big head approved where as these other two headphones are. And the ear
pads on the Fly ANC’s are very cramped when compared to these other two headphones. Now
the ear pads on the Sony’s are very spacious and they should have no problem accommodating
most ear types. But if you if larger ears or ears that stick out a lot then you’ll
might want to go with the Surface 2’s cause their ear pads are slightly roomier. But ultimately
I do feel the Sony XB900N’s are more comfortable than the Surface 2’s cause they have less
clamping force and since the Sony’s have more padding underneath their headband they
don’t create a hot spot after long periods of use like the Surface 2’s might for some
people like me.
Now when it comes to tech specs, one of the biggest draw backs about the Fly ANC’s is
that they’re still charging via a micro usb port where as most headphones that are
getting released now charge via USB C port. And I feel that having a micro usb port on
your headphones is a real deal breaker especially if you’ve got an android device.
Now when it comes to battery life, both the Fly ANC’s and Surface 2’s will get the
job done but I feel that they can both do better. They both have an advertised battery
life of 20 hours with their ANC turned on which is oaky… but it is a little below
average. Where as the XB900N are good for up to 30 hours
with their ANC turned on which is a little above average.
But unfortunately when it comes to bluetooth connectivity the Sony’s are lagging behind
here a little bit. The XB900N’s can only be connected to one device at a time where
as these other two headphones can be connected to 2 devices at the same time. So you can
easily hot swap from one device to another. Which is great for power users, but even if
you’re not its still nice to be able to.
But more importantly when it comes to actually watching movies or videos on your phone both
the Sony’s and Surface 2’s have zero latency across the board whether you’re using an
iPhone or an android device. Where as with the Fly ANC’s they have zero latency when
you’re using apps like Netflix, Disney plus, or HBO Max… but they do have a slight latency
to them when watching YouTube videos.
But now lets talk about listening to music with these headphones… I actually feel the
Fly ANC are the best sounding headphones here. Now personally I just use them with their
stock EQ but these headphones do have noticeably better clarity and better instrument separation
than these other two headphones. Now ultimately these headphones are better suited for people
who prefer a neutral or vocals focused EQ cause unlike these other two headphones…
the bass on the Fly ANC’s isn’t going to physically rattle your head no matter how
much you raise the bass on these headphones through their EQ. But still the bass on the
Fly ANC’s resonates very deep and clean. You’re going to definitely hear your bass
but youre not going to physically feel it all that much. But from a technical standpoint
these are the best sounding headphones here cause of their clarity and openness.
Where as with the Surface 2’s like I've said time and time again they sound good enough
to get the job and the should please most people. Vocals on these headphones are very
pronounced and the bass on these headphones is going to rattle your head a decent amount
as well. But unfortunately these headphones have a really hard time controlling their
bass… cause sometimes the bass on these headphones might bottom out if you’re listening
to bass heavy music even while in their stock EQ. And If you were to go into these headphones
EQ settings and raise the Lows and Mid Lows too much then their bass is going to bottom
out even more frequently. And personally I feel this is just unacceptable for a pair
of $250 headphones. So for that reason I recommend that you just use these headphones with their
stock EQ.
But then there are the Sony’s which are the people pleasers here. These headphones
have a fully customizable EQ so you can make them sound how ever you want. If you want
a neutral or vocals heavy EQ like the Fly ANC’s you can do that or if you like a bass
heavy EQ then you can also do that. But the thing about the XB900N’s is that they have
an extra bass feature that what the XB in their name stands for. So if you want you
can make these headphones physically rattle your head way more than your average headphones
can. Now the extra bass feature on the XB900N is a lot of fun to listen to… but admittedly
it can get old after awhile. So if you don’t want to use it you can always just turn it
off. But the extra bass feature on these headphones does add an extra level of immersivness if
you use them while watching movies. Its like having a sub woofer strapped to your head.
And most importantly, unlike the bass on the Surface 2’s… the bass on the XB900N never
bottoms out. Ultimaltey I do feel the XB900N’s are going to make most people happy, but do
have to admit that the Fly ANC’s sound better than the Sony’s cause of their better clarity
and better openness.
But now lets talk about the active noise cancelation on these headphones. The ANC on the Fly ANC’s
is fairly decent. They block out a decent amount of noise for mid tier ANC headphones
and they do so without a whole lot of cabin pressure, or picking up a lot of wind noise
when walking out doors. But so that you can see for yourself we’re going to jump into
an ANC test.
So like you may have just seen, the Fly ANC’s block out a little more road noise than the
XB900N but does struggle to compete when it comes to blocking out chatter cause the XB900N’s
does do a slightly better job. Now usually its easier for ANC headphones to block out
constant low frequency sounds like road noise than it is for them to block out random higher
frequency sounds like chatter. So I like to say that Harman is on the right path here
but they do have a lot of room for improvement. But at least the Harman’s don’t have a
lot of cabin pressure unlike the Surface 2’s. Now the Surface 2’s don’t have a whole
lot of cabin pressure where its unbearable like some other cheaper or older headphones
out there… but you do feel a little something something. But ultimately, if you are looking
to block out the most amount of noise here than the Surface 2’s are the way to go.
But now lets talk about one of the biggest missing features on the Fly ANC’s and thats
an ambient mode. An ambient mode on mid tier ANC headphones is a rather standard feature
these days and even some entry level ANC headphones are starting to come included with an ambient
mode. And having an ambient mode on your headphones is rather important either if you’re a constant
commuter you wanna be able to still be aware of your surroundings while you’re walking
around the city… or even if you’re at home you’ll still might want to be able
to hear your surroundings while you’re watching Harley Quinn on DC universe. Now both the
XB900N and Surface 2’s have an ambient mode… but personally I do prefer Sony’s ambient
mode cause it does sound more natural.
But finally here’s the microphone test, and I feel the microphone on the Fly ANC’s
is the worst sounding one here. I sound very far away and this microphone does fluctuate
a good amount. And you can also clearly here this AC unit ive got here in the background.
But then there’s the microphone on the Sony’s which does sound a little muffled but I feel
this microphone sounds a little better than the Microphone on the Fly ANC’s.
But finally there’s the microphone on the Surface 2’s. Do they do a much better job
of picking up my voice but unfortunately this microphone really isn’t doing much to block
out this AC unit.
But finally with all that being said, even though the Fly ANC’s do have some redeeming
qualities to them like a decent carrying case, a more premium feel to them, great sound,
and decent active noise cancelation… I find it very hard to justify getting these headphones
when compared to either the Sony XB900N or Surface Headphones 2. Currently my two most
recommended pair of Mid Tier ANC headphones. They Fly ANC don’t fit all that well, they’re
lacking an ambient mode and they’re still charging via a Micro USB port. So if you’re
looking for an all around great pair of mid tier ANC headphones I still highly recommend
the XB900N cause of their great fit, and you can make them sound how ever you want. And
they also have the extra bass feature if you want it which can be fun from time to time
and it does add an extra level of immersiveness when you’re watching movies. The only draw
back is that you are going to have to buy your own case. But if you’re looking for
the best active noise cancelation without having to shell out the big bucks for the
Sony 1000XM4… then the Surface Headphones 2 are the way to go.