As the weather gets colder and the sky gets darker as winter approaches, there’s just something about being able to zone out to music while lounging at home. But sometimes my listening environment can be louder, between other people in the house making food, dogs barking, cats meowing, etc. In those cases, having a reliable and quality pair of headphones is absolutely crucial for me to be able to tune everything out and enjoy my music properly.
Recently I got a chance to try out a new set of Bluetooth headphones from Sineaptic, their SE-1 model to be more specific. Boasting that they are the world’s first pair of headphones with Ribbon Array Technology, I was excited to compare how these sounded when compared to other headphones I have gotten to use over the last little while. While the price tag is around $200, the Sineaptic SE-1s are certainly on the higher end of the price range amongst everything I have used so far.
Looking at the Sineaptic SE-1s for the first time, they certainly had a rather unusual and unconventional look to them as the head pads were not mounted in the way one may usually see them. Instead, there are 2 smaller individual pads mounted on separate pivots to try conforming more to the user’s head. While I did find that they didn’t fit so well on people with smaller heads, for me, they did fit fairly well. More on that shortly. On the bottom of the left side ear cup, there are volume buttons, a power button and indicator lights, as well as ports to use them wired and a USB-C charging port.
The build quality of the Sineaptic SE-1 headphones is, as I would describe it, above average. They felt fairly sturdy and made of a decent quality plastic, and both the head pads and earmuffs were very well padded. While the weight of 412g felt a little hefty in the hands for a pair of headphones, because of how the Sineaptic SE-1s fit on my head, I did not feel any noticeable strain or extra weight on my head. I found the ear cups completely surrounded my ears and made wearing these headphones for long periods of time pleasantly comfortable.
“In my time of listening to music and media with the Sineaptic SE-1s, I found that audio quality was excellent and delivered a very enjoyable listening experience.”
Even after long wear sessions, at no point did I feel any discomfort as I have occasionally felt from other brands. I do, however, wish that Sineaptic had added a little more adjustment for those who have smaller heads.
In my time listening to music and media with the Sineaptic SE-1s, I found that the audio quality was excellent and delivered a very enjoyable listening experience. Music sounded crystal clear, with just the right amount of bass to satisfy my needs. Mids and highs sounded incredible and vocals came out sounding much better than I have heard from most headphones I have used. While I don’t understand how Sineaptic’s Dual Ribbon drivers actually work, I was very pleased with how well they were able to produce audio quality when compared to other traditional headphones on the market.
One minor complaint, however, is the max volume output. I often found myself having to have the volume cranked up about halfway up to the max for just listening to music in a quiet environment. While this can be nice for quiet areas where you want to have the volume much quieter, such as at night when lying down, I can see the max volume lacking in louder places, such as walking down the street or while wandering a crowded mall/school hallway.
“Overall, my listening experience and time with the Sineaptic SE-1 headphones was mostly very good.”
Battery life on the Sineaptic SE-1 headphones was a little on the lower end of the spectrum, only delivering around 12–13 hours of battery life. While I found I could easily get through a full day of listening to music and content, many higher-end brands offer well over 20–30 hours of charge on a single use. If Sineaptic were able to make a V2 version of this pair of headphones, such as an SE-2, improving battery life would certainly be something I would like to see worked on a little more.
Overall, my listening experience and time with the Sineaptic SE-1 headphones was mostly very good. Audio quality was excellent and made listening experiences a very enjoyable time while not causing any pain or strain on my head. The SE-1’s performed above average compared to previous headphones I have used and tested and have become one of my favourite pairs of headphones.
I could easily make it through a day of listening to the SE-1’s consistently. However, I do wish I could get longer overall sessions out of them, such as long flights or weekends away, without needing to charge them up. I, without a doubt, find myself able to recommend these headphones to anyone willing to step outside the market of more known brands and try something new.
