amazon MEE audio Matrix Cinema ANC reviews
The pair of cheap and middle earphones is gradually equipped with excellent active noise protection of expensive ears. Mee also quickly caught up with the trend, and unveiled the Matrix Cinema ANC, the fourth version of the Matrix series and active noise resistance.
Open the box
Mee has always been the same, equipping headphones with very large cases and lots of details. Perhaps the company should learn other manufacturers, especially Urbanista in the design of minimalistic case!
One of the two ‘worthy-money’ features advertised by the company right in the box: active noise resistance (ANC).
Inside the box, we are introduced to a technology that was present in the previous generation Cinema: Cinema Ear – can be considered EQ integrated right on the ears, including 4 modes:
– Clear Voice and Clear Voice +: Emphasize the voice of the singer or in the film compared to other sound bands.
– Dynamic Music: Improve bass and treble to create light V-shape sound, suitable for strong music.
– Bass Boost: Raising the bass band separately for those who like Bass-head.
We still have a faux leather plastic case, with a large zipper that is identical to the previous generation.
In the box outside the headset, we have two additional accessories that are micro USB charging cord and 3.5mm music cord. Unlike other brands, which are gradually turning to wireless completely, Mee still equips the Matrix Cinema ANC with 3.5mm ports for users to listen to music when the battery is depleted.
Design
The common design language of the Matrix Cinema ANC is not too different from the old Cinema version, still a pair of small black Over-ear headphones. The only difference I can see is that on the outside of the headset, where the decorative leather is located, it adds a Mee Audio logo.
The frame of the headset is made of steel, so it has a strong feel in the hand and is not as rickety as the pair of headphones using plastic frames. The type of plastic used by the company is also lumpy, so it does not cling to sweat, so it keeps a clean appearance when opening the box for a longer time.
Head cushions and ear cushions are made of thick leather, and are really comfortable. As the name suggests, these headsets are not only used for listening to music but also for watching movies, and for those who like movies, it is important for the comfort of headphones to help them wear hours.
All connectors (3.5mm, micro USB) are located in the left ear while the control buttons are in the right ear. Control buttons include volume control, on / off switch, ANC active mute switch and Cinema Ear button to adjust between EQs together.
Technical specifications
– 40mm Dynamic diaphragm
– Response range: 20 Hz to 20 kHz
– Impedance: 32 Ohms
– Sensitivity: 115 ± 5 dB
– Bluetooth 4.2 with Qualcomm aptX Low Latency
– Duration: 20 – 33 hours (depends on active noise suppression)
– Charging: 2 hours
Practical experience
The first thing we have to test is active noise resistance. The Mee Audio Matrix Cinema’s ANC feature is indeed effective, blocking outside noises, only making them as thin as the pair of Somic SC2000ANCs that were evaluated ago. When going to the crowded streets, the headphones block about 70-80% of vehicle noise, which is quite good and avoids distractions when listening to music. But when compared to the pair of headphones that have long experience in active noise technology such as Sony and Bose with 2 pairs of Wh1000x and QC35II, the Mee Audio Matrix Cinema ANC still loses 1 rank, because of the pair of headphones more effective sound blocking algorithm, blocking 10 – 15% more than the Matrix Cinema ANC. But such a comparison is not fair, because these pair of headphones cost twice as much as the ears from Mee, so with the price range, the noise resistance of Cinema ANC is very good! Moreover, this pair of headphones has a constant price compared to the previous version of Cinema, so the noise protection can be considered as a free upgrade so it is hard to complain.
Instead of going to Bluetooth 5.0, the Matrix Cinema ANC still uses the old Bluetooth 4.2 standard, but is equipped with the aptX Low Latency Qualcomm, so latency is almost zero. Moreover, the battery life of the headset is still very high – from 20 hours when using noise protection and 33 hours when turning it off, we can confirm that the old Bluetooth carrier does not affect actual use. But I also hope that the next version will catch up with this trend.
Evaluating the sound quality of the Matrix Cinema ANC is really difficult, because the headset has up to 4 tones to choose from. But for me, 2 soundstones are Bass Boost and Dynamic Music designed to listen to music because they create the sound quality, while Clear Voice and Clear Voice + for watching movies, watching videos and listening to Podcasts are the most reasonable. Of course, for those who want to have a more prominent and sharp singer voice while listening to music, it is possible to use these 2 modes, but according to personal assessment, the remaining 2 regimes are suitable for more music. And in those two modes, I especially like Dynamic Music, when creating a healthy atmosphere with both Bass and Treble coming close to the user, but especially not pushing Mid too far.
Bass of the Matrix Cinema ANC is very impressive indeed, with more than average, but strictly controlled, so it flattens in the middle of the listener’s head rather than spreading to other bands. In the Titamium of Sia and David Guetta, drums with high energy, good impact and sound are not bad at all. Bass clicked on the mid bass, but was not weakened when it reached the sub-bass, creating a full bass, enough volume and not feeling ‘hollow’. For me, the bass of the Matrix Cinema ANC also has more personality than the two pairs of 1000x and QC35II, because these pair of headphones are geared towards too much noise so they don’t dare to highlight the bass like the Matrix Cinema ANC. Sometimes, the bass also sounds a bit too loud to stick to the vocalist, but at these times users can switch to Clear Voice or Clear Voice +.
In Dynamic Music mode, even though the headphones push the bass and treble high, the mid doesn’t get too submerged so I use this feature to watch movies and videos too. The Clear Voice feature is most useful with movies that act like Avengers, Superman when the characters speak in loud music. But with comedy movies, gentle movies, Dynamic Music mode is more than enough, no need for Clear Voice. As for music, the vocalist of the Matrix Cinema ANC is made in a warm and slightly dark way, similar to the general sound. John Denver’s voice in Take me home country road is very charming, not going straight to the listener’s head but keeping the details pretty good, completely immersed. The high-mid part is lightened, sometimes roll-off so the mid part becomes light and sweet. I personally like the high-mid sound a little higher, but the expression of the Matrix Cinema ANC is not bad at all, just enough to listen to many different genres.
The treble sound will depend a lot on what kind of sound users choose. In bass boost, Clear Voice and Clear Voice + mode, the ear focuses on the bass and mid so the treble is good enough but not really outstanding in the way of playing. But with Dynamic Music, the headphones switch to V-shape sound with both bass and treble being outstanding, so the high range becomes stronger. Treble got enough and then rolled off, keeping the sweetness, not too sharp, for me it was consistent with the sound to keep the balance. If the company makes the treble colder, the sound will have too high contrast between the sound bands, so the treble of the Matrix Cinema ANC is designed so reasonable.
where can you get a MEE audio Matrix Cinema ANC online
MEE audio Matrix Cinema ANC Bluetooth Wireless Active Noise Cancelling Headphones with CinemaEAR Audio Enhancement: Buy it now
Summary
MEE audio Matrix Cinema ANC is really a ‘winged tiger’ when upgrading a line of headphones that has been very good in both design and sound quality, then added advanced active noise protection. Although noise resistance has not caught up with the high-end products, but at mid-range prices, this is still a great option, for those who want to have this feature but do not want to invest too much.
Advantages
– Perfectly solid, sturdy
– Wear comfortable with smooth cushion
– Long time playing music (20 – 33 hours)
– Active noise suppression (quite effective)
– Qualcomm aptX Low Latency standard with very low latency
– The sound is warm, but the treble is clean and sufficient
– The price is unchanged compared to the old generation
Disadvantages
– Still using Bluetooth 4.2 (although it does not affect usage)