Just how much innovation should one expect in a pair of $199 wireless headphones? When one considers how many wireless headphones actually exist in 2024, you really have to jump to the products over $350 to find any real innovation that differentiates the product from the rest of the market.
And does it even make sense to spend over $600 when products like the Focal Bathys and Bowers & Wilkins Px8 offer so much performance at those levels? The level of sonic improvement above those two headphones feels very underwhelming so far.
In the $100 to $200 category, there is almost nothing that offers something like an Air Motion Transformer (AMT) driver; with the exception of the Sineaptic SE-1.
Let’s back up a bit. AMT or ribbon technology has been used before in high-end audiophile headphones such as from HEDD and RAAL, which cost thousands of dollars, but that has not been the case in the entry-level segment. One also has to take into account the reality that you are not driving either one of those headphones with a standard smartphone or with a Dongle DAC unless it can deliver a lot of power. And that will not be an inexpensive package.
So when the manufacturer reached out to us with their pair of dual ribbon driver wireless headphones — we were slightly skeptical that they would work without something rather powerful on the other end.
Unboxing Sineaptic SE-1
The extremely large packaging made me slightly nervous that the Sineaptic SE-1 might not be the type of wireless headphone that is commuter-friendly.
Opening the box revealed a headphone case that was relatively large for the category, but not something that you couldn’t take with you on the train or airplane inside of your computer bag or knapsack.
The headphones, charging cable, and auxiliary cable all come inside the hard case and provide a fairly complete kit for the asking price. The headphones are rather large, but the plastic construction keeps their weight at slightly over 400 grams.
Design & Comfort
I wouldn’t call them light, but compared to something like the Monoprice AMT at 600+ grams, these are much more manageable. The headband is a pair of plastic rods with a pad system that is reminiscent of the Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X.
The suspension, however, attaches at the top of the headband rather than at the pads.
The system is self-adjusting and fit me well, but others may find it less than perfect. There’s no rotation at the gimbals and no manual adjustment of the headband, so noticeable force is felt on top of the head where the suspension pads sit.
All controls are on the left cup. Most are on the front of the cup starting with the USB Type-C port at the midpoint of the left cup, followed by the power switch, LED indicators (2), volume up, volume down, and 3.5mm input port.
Internally, the SE-1 use four ribbon drivers, a class D amplifier, and supports Bluetooth 5.3.
Multipoint connections are supported, but it strangely only connects via SBC and AAC which does limit the wireless detail that comes through.
For that reason, I did some of my testing using the 3.5mm cable, but learned the headphones have to be charged in order for them to work — which means that they are unusable when the battery is dead.
This also means that you are bi-amping the headphone when using the auxiliary input; which means that you need to make sure that the source device is set to its lowest gain setting to avoid distortion.
The Sinepatic SE-1 was designed to be used as a wireless headphone and the decision to use the 3.5mm cable added some steps to the process.
In Bluetooth mode, I paired the headphones to my Astell&Kern SP2000 and away we went.
Sound Quality
The SE-1 delivers solid low end impact and depth with a mild level sub-bass emphasis; roll-off is only evident below about 25Hz.
The mid bass has rather impressive articulation and detail but it is certainly not emphasised; the tonal balance and presentation of the SE-1 comes across as if the headphones have a discrete subwoofer paired to a set of midrange focused loudspeakers rather than a single driver reproducing both.
The bass range overall is strong but these are not going to please listeners looking for bone crunching bass.
The transition from the mid and upper bass into the lower midrange is very clean with no bass bleed; that clarity comes with a slightly thinner sounding tonal balance that strips some warmth from male vocals. Detail and clarity are excellent but texture and tonal weight is on the lighter side.
Guitar has good growl and rasp. Lower strings are clean sounding but could have greater presence; which changes as one moves into the higher strings that have very strong presence and detail. The emphasis in the treble range certainly benefits string instruments in this part of the range.
Female vocals cut through the instrumentation and are pushed further out into the soundstage in comparison to their male counterparts.
There is a definite treble lift but it starts in the mid treble; the lower treble remains very clean and detailed sounding as a result.
Percussion snap is good, but the extra energy in the mid treble makes cymbals somewhat metallic sounding. This was correctable using the EQ in UAPP, but those that dislike using it will notice the extra emphasis and lack of accuracy in regard to cymbals.
The soundstage is well proportioned and has good depth and width with enough height to produce voices above the instruments. Seating the orchestra is fairly straight forward as separation is quite good for this price point. Imaging, however, is only average for the category.
We did notice some mild hiss when music wasn’t playing that likely came from the amplifier circuit as it was present in both wired and wireless mode which should exclude the Bluetooth receiver as the source.
Wired Listening
The sound is amp dependent when using the auxiliary input and I found some devices were markedly better than others. My Burson Swing/Fun combination was a much better pairing than the Yulong Aquila 2.
I avoided tube amplifiers as ribbons typically are not a good pairing.
We also confirmed that that gain had to be kept to the lowest setting and volume controlled at the headphone to prevent distortion from becoming audible.
Phone Calls
There is a mems microphone that is active when in Bluetooth mode so the headphones can be used to make and receive calls when paired to a phone. Call quality was rather good, but wind noise when making or receiving a phone call outside was rather audible.
Connectivity was strong as long as line of sight was maintained. Interior walls did usually defeat the signal and cause some break-up. By comparison, the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e on my desk were able to maintain a connection in spite of multiple interior walls when using the same source.
Final Thoughts
Despite my initial concerns about the size and weight of the SE-1, it proved to be a rather comfortable listen that did not put a lot of pressure on your head. The battery performance was also rather consistent at 13 hours per charge; making it ideal for longer flights or 2 to 3 days of commuting on the train into work.
Based on our testing, the drivers sound slightly under driven; we were unable to get levels above 80dB when the headphones were in wireless mode.
That aspect of the design might be a positive if you are purchasing these for younger listeners or wish to prevent hearing loss.
Those wishing, however, to push these headphones much harder may find that rather difficult to accomplish without using the SE-1 in wired mode with external amplification.
Unlike the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e that pair easily with everything, the SE-1 proved to be somewhat picky with some source devices. Getting it to pair with both iOS and Android devices took a few attempts.
Are these worth $199?
The build quality and comfort are where they need to be at the price point and the driver technology is certainly unique in a headphone priced below $200.
The tonal balance is somewhat uneven in terms of the thin nature of the sound in the lower midrange and top end which offers greater detail and immediacy.
The low end response is rather good at $199 and there is more than enough impact and definition for those who enjoy EDM and electronic music; just temper your expectations somewhat if you are looking for something with very strong sub bass information.
Where to buy: $199 at sineaptic.com
