PSB M4U 2 Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones (White)

The PSB M4U-2'sSummary:+ Sound quality and EQ balance+ 3 sound modes, though you really need to use the internal amp+ Robust design (unlikely to snap headband like Bose)+ Extra wear parts included- Not quite big enough for all head types- Cable design is amateur- Folded size still huge- Fit/finish has minor issuesBest part (Sound Quality):The most talked about thing on these headphones is the sound quality, and to be honest, it's the best I've heard out of noise cancelling headphones. I've had the fortune in my job of being able to sample a lot of different high end systems and while these won't touch the sound quality of a well amp'd open air sennheiser, they stack up at the top of all of the noise cancelling headphones for two reasons. The first is the focus on clarity, which PSB has achieved through a well matched internal amp and speaker pairing. The second major reason is the generally flat EQ, and this is where usual noise cancelling headphones fail. PSB didn't artificially pump up the bass (beats, bose) or try to match some model of what people think sounds nice (bose). It's clear that they just went for clear, balanced, sound... even with the ANC turned on, which is a welcome change. I had a couple of people around the office try these vs. the sennheiser pxc450's that I was replacing and everyone, even without knowing what they were listening for, identified the PSB's as the clear winner for "better sound". This was a bit ranty, but the sound quality is really the reason to buy the headphones.Nitpicky things:1. They aren't quite big enough for large heads. I have them on the max extension and it's just barely big enough for my "large" helmet size head. If you've got a big skull, these might not be for you.2. The cables. The PSB's come with 2 cables, with one for phone functionality. On that cable there are two separate button areas. One for instant mute, which has a very hard to press button, and one with a mic and tactile button for advancing, stopping, or fast forwarding through songs. Both buttons are large and while that should result in them feeling solid, they feel like cheap plastic. The designers should have taken a cue off of the Apple earpods and worked in a few buttons with a smaller design so that volume could be controlled without reaching for your device. The lack of volume control and addition of a mic baffles me.3. The headphones are unnecessarily huge when you fold them and not super conducive for business travel, where space in your bag is at a premium.4. The manufacturing process on these headphones looks pretty intense, and PSB could have likely benefitted from having slightly better control over the factory. There are some gaps that don't line up or tolerances that are a bit too loose. It's something you wouldn't expect from most $400 electronic pieces that are produced on a larger scale.Overall though I do think these are a solid 4/5. Like I mentioned, the major things they got right. The sound is really phenomenal for ANC speakers. As long as you have a big bag, a medium head, and $400 for a set of headphones, I'd highly recommend them.

UPDATE: FOUR YEARS LATERFour years later, I'm updating this review to express disappointment in the PSBs. As I stated above, the NC feature was never that great and it didn't get better over time. I found part of the issue was the PSB earpads; they left gaps where they went over my glasses that leaked aircraft cabin noise. I ultimately replace the earpads with 3rd party ones that helped a bit. Next disappointment was the folding mechanism. Even when folded tightly, these headphones take a lot of space in a carryon. instead of folding flat by rotating the earcups, the folded shape is a large lump that doesn't tuck neatly into a laptop backpack. Microphone: I use these phones on a variety of business conferencing services with both computer and phone. People routinely complained they could not hear. Also, the cable transmitted sound to the mic whenever it touched my shirt, etc. Not really satisfactory.Ultimately, I replaced these after less than two years with a pair of AKGs. The AKG noise cancelling is much better, they are more comfortable to wear for long flights, they pack tightly when folded and to my ears, the sound quality is even better than the PSBs. The AKGs have that magic capability of not making all recordings sound the same.I kept the PSBs for use in my home office. At the end of their life now, the soft-touch padding is falling apart, leaving grey rubber flakes all over my desktop. The headband has snapped; the metal hinges implied a metal headband but it's not so: metal hinges screw to plastic over the top and the plastic fractured and snapped at the left hinge.The price has come down, but I would not buy these PSB headphones again even at the reduced price.ORIGINAL REVIEW:Excellent sound quality; great detail when driven directly, bypassing the internal amp. Internal headphone amp makes up for low output from phones, ipods, etc. without losing too much detail. They do not boom and tizz, they do not overly color such that everything sounds the same. So, they're not Bose. :) I considered Focal monitoring phones and really liked their bass extension and detail in attack-and-decay. Compared to the Focals, PSB's bass is not quite as extended and the PSB don't have quite the same air... but the Focal's don't have noise cancelling.PSB active noise-cancelling is... so-so. It definitely gets rid of background noise on a plane, keeps out the tinny sound of overdriven earbuds in the next seat, etc. However, it doesn't mask conversations around you very well and it does not provide the same level of isolation as Bose units.Physically, these are bulky headphones. The ear cups fold parallel to the headband and don't rotate, so they don't "pack flat" like competing units. The case is nice but so big it's not practical to put in an aircraft carry-on bag. The headphones clamp tightly to my ears; usually that aids noise isolation. However, I wear eyeglasses and the ear pads don't mould around the arms, leaving gaps that let in enough noise to be noted when in NC mode.Overall, I'm happy enough to not replace them anytime soon and think I'd have to spend considerably more to equal their performance.

I have several sets of headphones but I wanted a good set that had better vocal capabilities.I have to say that PSB hit it pretty close to the best I have ever heard. The closest Headphone to the M4U-2 is one of the original Able Planet NC Headphones which at the time seemed pretty good. Able Planet even replaced the unit after warranty when one of the earphones snapped.Able Planet unit that I have:http://www.amazon.com/Clear-Harmony-Noise-Canceling-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B000K41PH8/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_topOver time either the Able Planet unit or my ears changed and the vocals and music seemed very muddy. The M4U-2 is light years ahead in clarity and crispness over my AP Headphones. Not to disparage the Able Planet unit since I have them since 2008 but the sound of the PSB's are simply amazing.The M4U-2 fit my head well and I do have a larger head. The Ear Cups are very comfortable and I don't feel the Headphone itself is overly heavy.My "so so" comes from the Noise Canceling function. My Able Planet Clear Harmony Active Noise-Canceling Headphones have Noise Cancelling down 100%. I would think that a $400.00 pair of Headphones would have been just as good or better if that was possible. My only other comment is that the Able Planet Headphones came with a Volume Slider built into the cable and I really miss that.I would recommend this unit to others but if you are looking for good Noise Cancelling, you won't find it here. I understand that PSB makes the M4U-1 which is the about same unit without the NC and Amplification for $100.00 less.M4U-1http://www.amazon.com/PSB-Over-Ear-Audiophile-Headphones-Remote/dp/B00AFUE7S6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400610181&sr=8-1&keywords=m4u-1