NTT Sonority NWM One Open Wireless Headphones Review – Floating Sound Freedom Tune
NTT Sonority NWM One is a $299 USD pair of Bluetooth Wireless, open-ear headphones with a unique design and three colors available for this model. Branding themselves as nothing to hide, they don’t have to hide anything really, but this means that we will also briefly how NWM One compares to other similarly priced headphones including HIFIMAN Edition XV (399 USD), FiiO FT13 (299 USD) and Kiwi Ears Atheia (349 USD)
Introduction
This is the first time we’re reviewing a product from NTT Sonority and under the NWM branding, but this is fortunately ok, because this is the first time those two brandings came together to create a new product. In fact, the whole concept of the NWM One is unique, no one did it before, and after knowing how they sound like I believe that no one will do it again quite as nicely.
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Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4mObupd
Build Quality – Design
NTT Sonority is focusing a lot on instagram-inspired marketing, and influencer lookalike photos for their NWM One, but really that is not necessary, this is a headphone that simply sounds amazing in person and doesn’t need this kind of marketing. In fact once you learn about them, they barely need any marketing being the kind of headphones that if you know you’d enjoy, you will just go ahead and order a pair. I actually felt better writing this piece than reiterating the main marketing page, as I am easily fatigued by marketing in general lately. NWM one is available in three colors, Phantom Gray, Dark Gray and Light Gray.
Starting with the driver tech, I mean it when I am saying that the company really did not need so much marketing as NWM One has a dual driver design, with a 12mm tweeter driver for mid and high frequencies, but also a 35mm woofer driver. This woofer has a free-edge design, and can produce far more volume and move more sound than the size would suggest. You will admire the two drivers being implemented in a coaxial arrangement, and internal DSP will optimize the sound produced by each driver.
Although NWM One is an open-back design, NTT designed a proprietary PSZ technology or Personalized sound Zone that uses inverse phase waves to neutralize sound waves and lower how much you’re annoying others with your music. Microphone quality is far better than that used on other wireless headphones as NTT uses a patented technology named Magic Focus Voice, which isolates your voice from the background using both beamforming and complex filtering. NWM One is able to measure the time difference between your voice and background noise reaching the two microphones on the headphones, and this hybrid system filters ambient noise far better than what you see implemented on most headphones.
While I am not a big fan of apps, you can download and use for free the NWM connect app available for both Android and iOS, which allows you to update the firmware, adjust EQ settings and customize button controls. Technically, NWM One uses Bluetooth 5.3 and supports SBC, AAC, LC3, CVSD and mSBC Bluetooth protocols, with MEMS microphones. Battery life for music playback is around 20 hours, and they charge in around 1.5 hours with a 5 minute charging session producing 1 hour of playback. Quite unique, earpads are made of silicone, and they work via USB, using the DAC AMP combo inside as a USB DAC AMP. Weight is also likely the lowest you will find on a pair of headphones right now, at 185 grams.
Subjective Usage
A few interesting features make the NWM One a top Bluetooth headphone, including the fact that they turn off if they are not playing something, making sure you won’t find them depleted if you forget them turned on. There is no and cannot be any passive noise isolation, and the driver part does not block any kind of ambiental noise.
This being said, the actual wearing comfort is excellent, headphones are incredibly lightweight, can get big enough for my head, and also they have no contact points that can feel uncomfortable. There are some kind of silicone earpads that actually keep the NWM One headphones in place, and they are quite stable, almost good enough for running and doing physical exercise.
You will mainly be driving those from a smartphone, range is excellent, and they are not sensitive to the phone quality, as a lot of the perceived sound quality is depending on the fit, which is actually a bit of a disadvantage. The thing is, you have to make sure both cups are placed more or less equally, otherwise the imaging and soundstage shifts really easily. Overall, once you get the hang of them, NWM One fits really nicely. There are a few extra features that you supposedly could do with the nwm Connect app for Android, but I am unable to install it, as This App Is Not Available For Any Of Your Devices, Samsung S23 and S24 Ultra.
The way they feel is almost medical, earpads and cups keep the drivers floating in the air and those drivers are pointed at your ears and ear canals like two medical devices projecting waves. This being said, they are more comfortable in hot weather, and there is very little contact surface with your head, making them so much less stressful to wear than traditional headphones of any kind. They look very trendy and techy / geeky, but it feels refined and cool, especially the white / bright gray version I have. Holding the volume button will decrease the volume continuously, while the power button can also pause or play music. You can align the drivers slightly to better suit your ears and sonic preference.
Sound Quality
Pairings – I have tested NTT Sonority NWM One with Samsung S23 Ultra and S24 Ultra. I am unable to install any app or do anything but use them as they come from the factory.
Overall Signature – Despite being what is likely the most open-back pair of headphones earphones, nwm One is basically a better version of the idea than anything I’ve heard before. They have a fairly decent bass, top detail and resolution, get plenty loud and still have a sharp and crisp treble. It feels like NWM One is actually well designed, and besides taking some effort to get them in place, they are a top performer for music listening. The less deep bass the music has, the better that music sounds played by nwm One. Tuning is neutral – natural, it does not have a lot of bass, but it does have a good amount of mids without sounding mid centric, as treble is quite open, airy and extends nicely up to the highest octaves.
Bass – At their deepest, nwm One can actually reach 30 Hz – 40 Hz, but they have a mostly neutral tuning and signature, so you mainly hear some bass playing starting with 50 Hz – 60 Hz. They can produce bass lower, but it is generally lost as there is no cavity closed in which the headphones would be pushing the sound. Because there is no closed cavity, bass escapes really easily, but they do have some warmth, depth and body to sound. Despite their small size, those headphones create a big and ballsy sound.
Midrange – I would be tempted to say that nwm One is mid centric, but the midrange is balanced relative to the bass and treble, they don’t sound too forward and in general the middle is controlled. Instead of sounding scattered, they sound quite musical and fluid, midrange is pleasing to the ear and if you play a bit with them and find the sweet spot, nwm One sounds quite delightful. Male voices are a bit fuller and deeper than female voices, bright or open, so nwm One sounds more enjoyable with male lead vocals. Rock and metal music works really well because they have a strong contrast, and they can shine without forcing too much bass into the mix.
Treble – At the top end, treble extends up to about 17 kHz, with a sharp and crisp presentation, nwm One gets the treble energetic and crisp, with a good, clear cymbal crash resonance. They are some of the best earphones for acoustic music, cabaret, rock, and generally acoustic music. They create air and space nicely, and can sound quite bitey in the treble.
Dynamics And Textures – Dynamic range is excellent as nwm One has a strong resolution and contrast, they render a detailed sound, but textures are mostly smooth, with a sharper, more rich texture in the treble and upper midrange, and a smoother, more relaxed texture, less obvious contrast in the bass.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – At their loudest, nwm One get quite loud and punchy, crossing the 105 dB point, but the interesting part is that they can get that loud with absolutely zero distortion, and still be open. While most headphones could get loud and punchy, nwm one does it fully open. I am most surprised about how high the fidelity and max volume is without them being closed in any way.
Soundstage – Staging is quite wide, holographic even, but not very deep. This is caused by the distance from the driver, which makes nwm one sound best when they are at a quieter volume, and soundstage is a tiny big scattered / blended, as they do not sound analytical or surgically precise. All in all, sound is quite pleasing in general and you never feel like anything is missing or narrow.
Comparisons
NTT Sonority NWM One vs HIFIMAN Edition XV (299 USD vs 399 USD) – Edition XV is a more standard pair of headphones, it has much bigger earcups, but they are heavier and tighter on my head. Edition XV is quite hard to drive and needs a good source to really shine. Nwm One is a simple bluetooth headphone, and only needs a phone to really shine. Sonically, nwm One has less bass extension, sounds more mid centric, bright and more vocal, while edition XV sounds more natural, bassier, punchier but also smoother in the treble. Nwm One is a nice way to experience open music if you don’t want to carry a DAP and want Bluetooth to be the final stop.
NTT Sonority NWM One vs FiiO FT13 (299 USD vs 299 USD) – FT13 is far easier to notice in a crowded hall, they are bright, red and shine, and are closed-back. This means that nwm one is by principle different, ft13 has thick and comfy earpads, but they have a strong contact with my head and ears, and will get warm during summer. Sonically, if driven well, FT13 is an inverse sonic presentation from nwm one, as FT13 is V or even U shaped, has a strong bass, strong treble but recessed midrange, and will present a rich texture, extreme detail and a wide, separated soundstage. By contrast, nwm one sounds vocal, has a beefy low-end, more relaxed upper midrange, less bass, more blended soundstage and sounds more open.
NTT Sonority NWM One vs Kiwi Ears Atheia (299 USD vs 349 USD) – Atheia is another good example of what you can find around this price point and they are fully made of wood and metal, but that ends up being quite heavy. Nwm One is much lighter, more comfortable to use in warm weather, but they don’t have any kind of extra physical warmth, so they can feel rather cold while being worn if it is cold outdoors. Sonically, Atheia is quite colored, with a strong sub-bass and a recess in the upper bass, with a strong treble. This is a V-Shaped or U-Shaped signature, but bass is quite neutral, so nWM one ends up sounding more vocal, sweeter and more musical in the voices, more blended in the soundstage.
Value and Conclusion
There is far too much novel technology and unique bits implemented for a product that costs just 300 USD, so I feel like the current price heavily undervalues what an excellent deal the NWM One is. As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, I feel like the instagram and lifestyle based marketing doesn’t really show just how excellent those headphones are, and they are a criminal value, you don’t get even remotely close to their quality even spending twice the price from most brands, especially for bluetooth headphones.
Award – It’s been ages since something convinced me that it is truly revolutionary, interesting and fun, but NWM One brings us so many categories where it is simply the best headphone so far that I have to give them a full place in our Audiophile-Heaven Hall Of Fame. They are the lightest headphones we’ve reviewed, most unique implementation of the open ear technology, and they have the best microphone implementation so far, having a unique comfort, only headphones using silicone earbuds, and are basically too impressive to miss.
Not everything will shine as bright as NWM One but being able to produce bass, sounding detailed, being open, having bluetooth and USB DAC functions, being light and still priced far below the market simply means that you have to order a pair right now. If you don’t need passive noise isolation and want an open-ear pair of headphones, there’s nothing else that will give you quite the same quality as NWM One and it is going to be a top choice for bluetooth headphones for years to come.
PROs
- Novel features and developments
- Coaxial drivers for treble and bass
- Long battery life
- Fast charging times
- Beautiful design
- First headphones with silicone earpads
- Fully open design implemented in a unique way to lower scattering and leakage
- Excellent microphones
- Outstanding value for the market
- USB DAC functions
- Reliable bluetooth connection
- Top choice, really top choice if you need a pair of wireless headphones with a truly open approach
- Even more goodies than are advertised
Cons
- Marketed for instagram, influencer lifestyle, they will surely not reach the correct audience as they sound and feel far better than the marketing materials suggest
- Not readily available yet on Amazon, Aliexpress or any of the usual shops
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4mObupd
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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