CE Pro December 2022 - 59

that feel both sturdy and
premium. The company
has also clearly listened to
consumer feedback regarding
the first version and has
seriously upped the value
quotient on display with
clever features like Audiodo
Personal Sound and aptX HD
Bluetooth support.
The MKII version also admidrange
filled with violas,
cello, and trumpet.
While I don't have much to
criticize when it comes to audio
performance, I do want to
mention one oddity I noticed
while listening late at night.
When connected via
Bluetooth, the headphones
often emit a low-volume
dresses the regularly reported
battery life issues that
customers complained about
in the first version. Throughout
my over 1,000 hours of
testing, I regularly reported
25-30 hours of listening
without ANC being turned
on. With noise cancellation
active, I averaged closer to 15
hours, but that's more than
enough for all but the most
grueling of flights.
In terms of active-noise
cancellation performance,
PSB has done a good job of
effectively handling lower
frequency noises like the
drone of airplane engines,
the clacks of light rail travel,
and any ambient voices.
The area where they fall
slightly short of other category
competitors is when
dealing with higher frequency
sounds like dogs barking,
train whistles, or people yelling.
While the ANC quality
never quite reaches the level
of brands like Bose or Sony,
the performance offered by
the MKII's is solid.
That said, those looking
for a pair of wireless
noise-canceling headphones
with stunning midrange and
bass responses can end their
search.
The sound quality of the
headphones is also excellent
cepro.com
A quick-start guide helps
make the headphones
simple to set up and pair
Bluetooth devices.
for the price point and rivals
the audio quality of offerings
that cost several hundred
dollars more.
They tend to lean a little
bright when presented without
EQ adjustments.
For example, on certain
tracks like progressive
rock band Porcupine Tree's
" Harridan, " the headphones'
tendency to lean bright is
very noticeable with drummer
Gavin Harrison's hi-hats
piercing through the thick,
sludgy bassline that persists
throughout the song.
While testing the headphones
using a variety
of genres, I found them
perfectly suited for styles like
jazz or classical where clarity
and a high dynamic range are
desired.
Similarly, progressive rock
and fusion were accurately
represented, especially on
tracks that feature a heavy
mid and bass presence like
" Coven " by Snarky Puppy.
On songs like this, the MKII
shows off the ability to
simultaneously output the
brightness of a concert piano
while also serving up a warm
ringing sound when no music
is playing. This isn't noticeable
during regular use, but
when using these solely for
noise-cancellation purposes
it can get annoying.
One thing I'd really like to
applaud PSB for is avoiding
the touch capacitive and
gesture-driven buttons that
have become all the rage on
similar products like the Sony
WH-1000XM4. I've owned
a pair of the previous-generation
Sony headphones
for four years now and while
they are still the kings of
active-noise cancellation, the
myriad times I've inadvertently
skipped a track or
decreased the volume has
always left me frustrated.
In the case of the MKII's,
PSB opted to keep the physical
plastic sliders found on
the original model; one for
volume control, one for powering
the headphones on/off
and ANC option, and one for
track skipping and fast-forwarding.
These sliders are
much easier to use than any
touch-capacitive setup, and I
hope this becomes the norm
for wireless headphones in
the future.
If integrators are looking
to stock only a few headphone
options, the PSB
M4U 8 MKII's are an excellent
choice.
SPECS
PSB M4U 8 MKII
Headphonest
High-performance
wireless noise cancelling
headphones
PSB's award-winning " trueto-nature "
sound signature
All-digital adaptive noise
cancelling (ANC) for pure
noise-free listening
Custom audio calibration
with Personal Sound by
Audiodo
New PSB headphone
app for more control and
personalization
Up to 25 hours of
battery life
Rechargeable battery
with a USB C charger
Compatible with iOS and
Android devices
MSRP $399
psbspeakers.com
CE PRO
VERDICT
PROS:
Excellent audio imaging
quality and dynamic range
Good build quality with
faux-leather earcups and
headband
Extremely long battery life
both when listening with
and without the activenoise
cancellation feature
CONS:
Active-noise cancellation
quality isn't quite on par
with other offerings in the
price range
Can be prone to a lowvolume
ringing sound when
ANC is on while music is
not playing
December 2022 CE Pro | 59
http://www.psbspeakers.com http://www.cepro.com
CE Pro December 2022

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