Dwelling of Marley Constructive Vibration XL ANC headphone review: Vastly improved sound, no noise

Man, am I a tickled camper. While I more than take care of Dwelling of Marley’s dedication to the utilization of sustainable materials of their products, my final bout with a pair of the firm’s headphones offered a considerably bland auditory ride.

My newfound pleasure stems from the firm’s novel $100 Constructive Vibration XL ANC (active noise cancellation) headphones delivering grand improved audio quality and high-notch ANC. Certainly, I appreciated the sound better with the ANC engaged! 

Invent and specs

The Constructive Vibration XL ANC that I examined are over-ear headphones styled nearly fully in shadowy. The exception being the FSC-licensed wood grain and silver logo on the abet of each cup. They’re also available in blue and off-white color combos (explore under) ought to you’d catch one thing no longer as dour. As I talked about, the headphones are made from environmentally guilty materials wherever and to whatever stage that you just are going to catch a blueprint to imagine.

Dwelling of Marley

The packaging is also friendlier to the environment—even the audio cable (featuring an inline ANC on/off swap) and USB Form-A to Form-C charging cables are tied off with recyclable string. Good touch.

This review is piece of TechHive’s coverage of the excellent active noise-cancelling headphones, where you’ll catch stories of competing products, plus a buyer’s handbook to the facets that you just may also simply silent resolve into consideration when procuring.

The energy/solution/play/hand over, subsequent/up, and outdated/down buttons are realized on the lawful cup, whereas the microphone opening,  ANC, and ambient sound buttons are on the left. The left aspect is also dwelling to the USB-C port and audio jack. The Bluetooth is 5.0; alternatively, it doesn’t enhance any of the AptX codecs.

The Constructive Vibration XL ANC are noticeably heavier than the easy, older generation Constructive Vibration XL I reviewed earlier; as a result, they bask in a sturdier feel in the hand and on the head.

Sound and consolation

I powered on the Constructive Vibration XL ANC’s, linked them by blueprint of Bluetooth (it took about 5 seconds), and when the main rhythmic parts of Toto’s “Africa” rang in opposition to my ears… I breathed a roar of aid. As I talked about up high, my outdated ride with Dwelling of Marley modified into as soon as with the a little bit mediocre-sounding outdated generation.

Dwelling of Marley told that the the 40mm driver and chips were upgraded. It’s noticeable. These newest phones no longer handiest bask in unbiased a little of that high-close shimmer that their predecessor lacked, they characteristic ravishing sound-field placement and separation. Effectively-outlined mid-fluctuate that makes it easy to take devices out of the combine.

The quantity of bass is nice about lawful for up-to-the-minute tastes, albeit unbiased appropriate a hair too outstanding and a tad boomy by my lights. The XL ANC also originate a tight job with the sub-bass in Younger Jeezy’s “Keep On.” Not as accurate as the planar drivers in the Tumble THX Panda; but to this level, the Dwelling of Marley’s haven’t produced the recurring Bluetooth concerns that plague those $400 boutique cans.

Dwelling of Marley

Now as to the noise cancellation: It’s downright ravishing. The headphones attach a in fact accurate seal on the ear, so there’s no longer change ambient noise to birth up with, but the active noise cancellation makes things shut to restful. Standing two toes from my decently loud air air purifier, I might perhaps perhaps also infrequently hear it with the ANC engaged.

Oddly, I believed I might perhaps perhaps also detect unbiased a little more high close with ANC on. It’s in most cases unbiased appropriate the reverse. This might perhaps also simply were observer bias, or the inability of out of doors noise masking the highs. It might perhaps perhaps perhaps also very wisely be a little over-compensation from the processor. No topic the case, I appreciated it. So grand so, that I saved ANC engaged at all instances. 

Talking of all instances, I managed someplace spherical eight hours of flee time on a chubby charge, when put next to the claimed 10 to 12. (There’s also a level out of 24 hours of flee time on the product page.) Factual sufficient. Of route, few headphones flee so long as their claims ought to you amplify the quantity beyond minimal. My sole precise complaint referring to the Constructive Vibration XL ANC is that audio from the Samsung Q60A I examined them with lagged noticeably at some level of motion photos and TV reveals. 

Also, I didn’t catch the XL ANC as happy as the non-ANC XL I reviewed previously. The cups are beautiful, if tight fitting, but the further weight is telling. I wouldn’t name the XL ANC’s dismal, but I’d doubtlessly bask in doubled the padding on the headband. 

Superb price

The assign aside forward of I praised Dwelling of Marley’s world judgment of appropriate and wrong and simply gave their audio quality a gallop, I’ll now insist that you just are going to catch a blueprint to now bask in your environmental cake and listen to it too. Out of doors of the dash with TV audio, that is. Factual job Dwelling of Marley, and for $100: a in fact accurate deal.

• Dwelling of Marley Constructive Vibration XL ANC

  These headphones from Dwelling of Marley manufacture ravishing tones and outstanding noise cancellation. Being made from and shipped in environmentally friendlier materials is a bonus. Costing handiest $100 is an very unbiased appropriate higher bonus.

  Mavens

  • Vastly improved sound over the outdated generation
  • Superb active noise cancellation
  • Environmentally guilty constructing and packaging

  Cons

  • Heavy, and might perhaps perhaps utilize more padding on the headband
  • With out aptX codec enhance, movie audio lagged in trying out

Jon is a Juilliard-skilled musician, old x86/6800 programmer, and long-time (leisurely 70s) computer enthusiast living in the San Francisco bay web roar. [email protected]