Sennheiser AMBEO Smart Headset (iOS) – Active Noise Cancellation, Transparent Hearing and 3D Sound Recording

I will start by saying I was very skeptical of combining high end earphones with a 3D mic, wasn’t quite sure if a product could pull it off, but rest assured Sennheiser did and in a big way. The quality is what is expected and historically delivered by Sennheiser, you will not be disappointed. The first thing I tested was the basic use of the earphones themselves, for this I used different Apple products that included iPad Mini 4 iTouch 6th gen iPad Air 2 iPod Nano 7th gen iPhone SE They all performed flawlessly even though technically the Sennheiser AMBEO Smart Headset requires the minimum version of iOS 10.3 and not all of the devices I tried for music use the minimum version, the enhanced app that is offered would not run on anything less than the minimum but it did not detract from the amazing listening experience. I have read other reviews that mentioned the sound quality was not as good as expected; personally I think that might boil down to the quality of digital conversion and what you are expecting the outcome to be. I used Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here and the Stones – Sticky Fingers & Hot Rocks for testing; the albums were converted from vinyl to a lossless format. Pink Floyd, the soundstage was simply amazing on the title song. I could hear every little pop, crack and every slide up and down the fingerboard; a very immersive experience. Rolling Stones, Can’t You Hear Me Knocking and Brown Sugar were absolutely superb; you can hear the guitar lick start on the right side and then kick in full and was very true to the original. The last track I tested was Sympathy for the Devil and it was just as I had expected, crystal clear intro and then the vocals were crisp and clear; if you closed your eyes you would be hard pressed to not imagine the band playing right in your living room. I also tested various other tracks that were converted by different methods and they also sounded true to the original. The bottom line is that if you want to hear the music the way the artist intended and recorded it then Sennheiser delivers yet again, I have no complaints and they performed beyond my expectations. Next was the exciting part for me, the 3D recording capability. I can sum it up in a word… exceptional. I tested the recording feature in different scenarios, including early morning nature to walking through a busy airport terminal. The recordings are simply amazing and you can definitely hear not only R/L but depth as in a surround sound system, you truly get a 360 degree recording capability. The settings in the app are very intuitive and work as advertised to fine tune the whole experience coupled with the functions you can set on the earphones themselves, you can fine tune the recording to whatever you wish; adding or subtracting different settings to create a one of a kind recording. To sum up the whole package, these are excellent earphones for music that just happen to record 3D audio for a totally unique experience. I would highly recommend Sennheiser AMBEO to anyone that is looking for high-end audio and 3D recording capability, you will not be disappointed

I'm writing this review coming from the perspective of a professional Audio/Video Engineer. I've made a career out of using tech, specifically around the audio and video aspects of broadcast and corporate broadcasting. Sennheiser is known throughout the industry as one of (if not the first) flagship maker of microphones, so it stands to reason, they know quite a lot about sound. Let me start with some basics about the packaging, and then I'll go from there. The box is pretty simple, nothing special, it has a magnetic closure flap that you can open and see the headset nestled in the box. Opening the box was actually a challenge, I don't know what kind of glue they use, but I ended up ripping the box trying to get it open. Not really a problem, but if you wanted to keep it for storage, just be a little more careful than I was. The packaging inside is nice, but for a $300 pair of headphones, I honestly expected more. But, I'm paying for the headphones, not the packaging, so I didn't mark these down for that. The package contents are pretty straight forward. The Instruction manual (very simple pictures and descriptions) was nice. The headphones, as mentioned previously were nestled into a foam block, protecting them from bouncing around, etc in shipping. Flipping over the packaging, you will find the manual, a carrying pouch, and looking VERY carefully, some additional sizes of ear cushions. Now to the headphones themselves. One word AMAZING! The sound quality lives up to the Sennheiser name, without a doubt. Deep bass, clean, crisp highs, and vocals sounded perfectly balanced. The recording function worked great, the 3D spacial recording was, to say the least, remarkable. I did a simple test, recording a video on my iPhone, and walking around someone while they recorded. While I walked around, I whispered, very quietly in their right ear, and also snapped my fingers as I circled them. I proceeded to walk to the left side, and again whispered in their ear (keep in mind, they are wearing the headphones where the 3d microphones are located) and then finally, walked behind them and whispered again. Upon playback, the audio was so clean, I honestly thought someone was whispering in my ear...it gave me chills. Cons: I don't really have any, but if I had to pick something, it would be the lightning connector. It's a bit bulky so if you have a phone case, and the opening is a little small, you might have some trouble getting this connector into the phone. I didn't have any problems, but some people might. Final thoughts: If you can afford them, BUY THESE HEADPHONES. You won't be disappointed, even if you are not using them for recording, these sound so much better than some of the "apple" brands like Beats.

I was really hopeful to make this product work for hands-free phone calls. Here's why it does not. 1. The control is too heavy. You will need to add a clip to hang it from your shirt collar. Otherwise the tension will pull the earpieces out. 2. The microphone dangles and will not pick up your voice consistently. I even added a stiff wire to make the mic stay directly by my mouth but it still doesn't work due to problem #3. 3. The speakers and the mic both cut in/out to save battery. There is no way to turn this "feature" off even with the useless app. You will miss the first word or two and people will not hear your first word or two. This is a batter saving "feature" that you cannot disable, so this will not work for phone calls. 4. The app only allows you to res-assign the one button function. 5. The sound quality is good but the volume is way too low even at max volume. 6. You really have to pinch your ears painfully to get these to stay on. 7. The in-ear pieces are too big to fit in the ear canal so they sit loosely and fall out all the time. Summary, this is a great idea but barely a usable product. It does not work in the real world.

Eargasm! My husband just got a pair of Sennheisers and Not to be left in the cold, I wanted to try these. My first impression was HORRIBLE. I'd just picked them up from the post-office and was driving when my husband gave it to me. BAD MOVE. The fit wasn't good and to me, it sounded like a pair of phones you get from 5Below. Give it time - it's worth it. Make sure you have time to "hear" and concentrate at least for the first time to make a fair assessment. Get your silicone buds fitted, make sure the arms are nicely wrapped around your ears, sit back and GASM!!!! I was expecting A LOT from this brand! My husband drove me crazy with youtube videos to find a pair of headphones that works for his needs. The sound is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! Do you HEAR ME!!! The noise cancellation feature is cool. It works. you put them on and you are transported to a listening room. The highs and lows and the BASS. I'm a bass head! No Bass = INSTANT FAILURE. Sennheiser delivers! The design is cool. I love the idea of putting mics in the unit's earpieces. My only "gripe" is the remote is a little BIG. However, it is something you can get use to. It is nice to have functions on a remote and not have to fiddle around for the sound source to make adjustments. AGAIN, give yourself some time to get used to the controls in your hand. You can alter the sound level by clicking the bottom button up and down. Up to turn noise cancellation and boost on and down to turn it off. So if you're somewhere and don't want to hear the surrounding conversation NOISE CANCEL to the rescue. The "arms" fit nice and snug around your ear. I don't feel them nor do I feel the constant need to adjust them. I have weird a weird left ear canal and usually if I'm singing or talking the dang bud slips out and itis so annoying. I have very little movement with singing if you have canals like mine lol. The buds fit is paramount! Having the right size avoids noise leakage in/out. It makes sure your experience is great! If you're a person like me who hates reading the manual, you will be able to get things done. I will say that you should go over it just to eliminate frustration if you get that way easily. For the most part, the basic stuff is easy to grasp! Connect, pop your fingers and shake your neck & booty! I LOVE the noise cancellation variant these phones offer. LOUD W/O DISTORTION! shivvers!!! LIsten! smh. You know how you turn the volume up for that song that MOVES YOU IN THE MOMENT AND THEN YOU HAVE TO TURN IT DOWN BECAUSE THE SOUND GETS FUZZY.... NOT WITH THESE!!!!!! The sound that leaks is not nearly as loud as what you hear (when amplified) wooooooooo! I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND the Sennheiser Ambeo Smart Headset OMG, I feel like I'm rambling! You can hear the background scratch on some tracks! DON'T FORGET TO DOWNLOAD THE APP TO UNLOCK THE EQ! Con? make sure your battery is fully charged. I'm thinkin' it could be a drain if you are going to be busy for sometime. the remote takes getting used to.

Great sound in the headset. Noise canceling features punch way above price I paid ($50US). Stereo mics embedded in each ear also record excellent and clear sound. This would also be the perfect headset except for the phone mono mic. It is too low in volume for the person at the other end unless I artificially hold it in front of my mouth. I tried to set it so the phone uses the stereo mic for phone calls, but this is not allowed by the software or OS. Traditional iem headsets bother me because they block the acoustic signal from my own ears. This headset seemed like the perfect solution. It also isn’t like the wireless Bluetooth headsets that place radiation right next to my brain. I’ve had Sennheiser cans and earbuds before. The Ambeo delivers that signature in spades and I’m very pleased with the sound quality. The design is ingenious-using the phone battery to power noise cancelling and also an excellent DAC ( and ADC for the mics). I’ve already mentioned my disappointment in the phone mic volume, which is not adjustable and too low unless I hold it right in front of my mouth. Turning up the volume does not change this. Unfortunately, iOS doesn’t let me adjust mic volume , even though they could. In contrast, the stereo mice built into the earpieces does not suffer from this design flaw and recordings made with it are clear and of ample signal amplitude. Too bad Apple and Sennheiser have unknowingly conspired to make so only the inadequate mono min is used for phone calls. As far as walking around and being able to amplify my surroundings and talk with people, it is awesome. As for talking on the phone, it is woefully inadequate.

Sennheiser Ambeo/Apogee earbuds Let me start by saying that I am 70 years old. I started playing in rock bands in jr high school in 1966 at the height of the Beatles/British Invasion and kept it up through 2012. Did a pro stint from 69-74 on the road every weekend playing clubs and frat parties. Got married and got a real job but kept it up on a part time basis. So I’ve heard a lot of and performed a lot of music. And in the last 10 years, since stopping performing (I did everything I ever wanted to do in performing with some studio work as well) I’ve been very involved in home stereo. When living in a house suitable for loud speakers I had it cranked up with speakers from just about every manufacturer in the less than $2000 range. Buying and selling and returning with all the 30-60 day “magic” return policies nowadays. Bowers and Wilkins, focal, elac, Jbl, Klipsch, wharfedale, revel just to name a few. Favorite? Magnapan. For its stark realism, soundstage and lack of distortion (clarity). Right now my main system consists of Magnapan lrs, SVS 3000 13” sub, Peachtree audio 700wpc class d amp with matching preamp/headphone amp/dac. Sounds phenomenal. Total - $6,000. All this to say that these earbuds that I paid less than $100, when broken in and with tips that seal properly, sound so close to the $6000 set up it scares me?!?!? And upsets me a bit too! The soundstage and real air experience is missing (somewhat) but the realism and detail of textures is very very close. Created in concert with Apogee (look em up) the simple, perfect length lightning cable hooked to an iPhone creates a solid connection that destroys Bluetooth (and Bluetooth has gotten pretty good). “Audiophile “ reproduction of sound is there in spades (instrument textures, overhangs, minute detail) The control app for these is dedicated just to this set and is genius in its simplicity and precision and flexibility. Bass is phenomenal. Voices and guitars are perfect. Cymbals and bells and tingling things, a joy. The problem seems to lie in the microphone for recording, which is not a problem if you’re recording I’m sure, but since I don’t do that which is probably the case with 98% of users, they have been overlooked. If you’re looking for solid connectivity that gives stunning studio/audiophile quality for dirt cheap you better grab a pair before they vanish. Note: I have a very nice pair of hifiman Ananda’s that retail for $999 that are very good when attached to my $1500 Peachtree Audio headphone/dac/preamp as I have to sit on my sofa cause I can’t carry the PA in my pocket. The senny Ambeo/Apogee set gives me near Ananda performance as I rip through the glory days of my retirement.

The Sennheiser AMBEO headset is designed specifically for iOS devices with a lightning port. The Sennheiser AMBEO Smart headphones are amazing! The sound quality lives up to what you would expect from Sennheiser, without a doubt. I experienced deep bass, clean, crisp highs, and perfectly balanced vocals. the recording function worked great and the 3D recording was remarkable. To test the audio recording, while wearing the headset I recorded live music being performed by an amateur musician using just the Voice app that is included with the iPhone. The result was surprising with full stereo and great sound—a world apart from recording with just the iPod microphone. Regarding their use as regular earphones, like any in-ear style the fit is crucial to enjoying the set’s maximum capability. The over-ear arm kept them securely in place when moving around. And, the sound quality is outstanding. The earphones reproduce sound accurately unlike some that are bass enhanced. An equalizer may be employed to customize the sound to your desired listening taste. A standard iOS equalizer app or the Apogee Sennheiser Ambeo Smart Headset app can be used. Its adjustments are somewhat sparse consisting of three movable points along the sound spectrum and four pre-sets – flat, bass, Hi-Fi and spoken. The telephone function operates in a standard manner by using the main button on the inline controller. The options are accept, hold, reject and end. An inline microphone for phone calls is accurately positioned, and during calls the sound is clear for both caller and recipient with no echo. Allin all I would recommend these for anyone wanting to get clear quality recordings with or without video.

I almost never give negative reviews, and I didn’t expect to be disappointed by a trusted name like Sennheiser who I’ve never had an issue with before, and who’s products I generally am quite happy with. I wanted to get earbuds that went over the ear. I like the quality of the standard ear buds that came with my iPhone, but wanted something that would stay in better and I’ve always liked the over-ear design. I thought I’d get some active noise canceling phones (because why not) with a mic for headset use because I video chat with relatives across the country and play D&D over discord. No issues with comfort. But the first thing I noticed is that these have the weakest bass of any headphones I’ve ever owned. I almost returned them, but thought whatever, I’ll just use them more as a headset and use my other headphones for music. The active noise cancelling is pretty minimal, but honestly I wasn’t expecting much from earbuds that have no passive noise cancellation such as closed back over-ear cans. It works in some situations with less ambient noise. The 3D recording is fine. Not super impressive (a little treble, mid heavy for my taste), but wasn’t wasn’t one of the selling points since I have much better mics for recording anyway. One of my biggest complaints is that there is a voice whenever you switch between noise cancelling, noise cancellation off and “amplify ambient level” (a nice feature if you’re walking near traffic and want to hear cars coming). The voice notification is very loud to me, and I can’t find a way to lower the level. If I’m in a very noisy environment, it’s less noticeable. But often I like to read before bed with relaxing music. I don’t know if my ears are sensitive, if it’s the timbre of the woman’s voice or what. But it honestly hurts my ears and I hate that the level isn’t adjustable. After close to 2 years of use, the headphone signal kept losing connection. I thought it was lint in my Lightning port on my iPhone, so I kept cleaning it. Eventually I realized that the wire had become frayed internally (eventually poking through the rubber wire casing). Electrical tape helped temporarily, but now these are basically garbage because I can’t get a consistent signal. I’ve always wrapped the headphones loosely and kept them stored in the bag when not in use, avoiding tangles and crimps. To end on a positive note, I do like the bag that came with these. Overall, I cannot recommend these headphones, and I encourage prospective buyers to look elsewhere.