Review on 20-Hour Playtime Aiwa Arc-1 Bluetooth Over-Ear Wireless Headphones With Audiophile Sound Quality by Hector Szymczak

I have been on the search for a really good pair of wireless headphones for some time now.I use headphones every day in our Lab, sometimes for hours on end.I also have a better than average familiarity with Audio products, having managed a two Service Centers over the last 20 years that did repair and refurb for Sennheiser, Bose, Pioneer, (and Sony/Aiwa) to name just a few manufacturers. They all make very nice headphones, I've used them for many years.I have purchased products from the "New" Aiwa, and have been very impressed with the performance of their products. Today, I received my new, (eagerly awaited) Arc-1 headphones.My expectations were higher than they (maybe) should have been . but I still went in with an open mind.I figured since it is a rainy Saturday morning here in New England, I would fire up the old Pioneer turntable, and try some 100% Analog vinyl. No compression, never saw digital recording and therefore is not limited to any 44.1 K limitations.Using a wired connection, setting the EQ flat, my first pick was Heart's, "Dream of the Archer" . Mandolins, Moog bass, and Ann Wilson's vocals. Pure perfection. The bass response is absolutely flat. (in the good way), the strings were clear, the vocals and high end had absolutely no breakup at all. This is was what I was hoping for . :).Next, a little Steely Dan, again on vinyl, wired. Pretty much the same story. Clean, crisp highs that were absolutely crystal clear.Vocals were independent and clear from other instruments, and at times I felt like I was listening to a different recording.Having a baseline as to what the Arc-1's are capable of, I figured it was time to try out the DSP, and Bluetooth and see how they stood up to my recent favorites, a pair of Marshall Major III headphones I had gotten recently.The Marshall's are quite comfortable, they control multiple function of your phone/PC, and sound pretty decent.They also run over 24 hours on a charge, but also have a real weakness when it comes to Bluetooth range.Using my older Motorola headphones, I can walk to my car in the parking lot and still have clear reception.The Marshall's were about half that range and the breakup was pretty bad, almost unusable.I am pleased with the reach of the Aiwa's. Much further than the Marshall's, nearly as good as the Motorola's.Both perform well, even further than the expected range of any Bluetooth connection before any dropout occurs.The Aiwa's are however, my new favorites. Better highs that the Bose, better all around sound than the Marshall's.Clearly more focus has been payed to the audio quality of the Arc-1's than any of my collection so far.The build quality of the headphones themselves is also rock solid.The case that came with my set . not so much.The case that was included has two distinct holes in the netting that holds the headphones down, and the stitching of the Velcro looks like someones first try on a sewing machine. (See picture).(In fairness, this is a Pre-buy, of a newly released product, so the issue of the case means nothing to me, as a hard case and braided higher quality cord is on its way).That minor issue aside. The Aiwa Arc-1's sound quality has surpassed my expectations.Wired, they are absolutely musical.Wireless, they sound better than anything I have heard.Hands down.Congrats Aiwa on another premium product release. I see a very successful company in the making.You will have my support and interest if you stick to this level of product quality. Another Home Run.