[thebean11]

Wouldn't wired use the DAC on the device rather than the headphones? I thought the 3.5mm jack carried an analog signal.

[writeslowly]

Those Sony headphones do processing to the signal regardless of whether you're using wireless or a 3.5mm. They can still make sound with no power but it feels more like a backup in case the battery is dead. It seems like a sensible design decision given that most users will want them turned on for noise canceling even if they're wired.

[ziml77]

That's his point. They're using the device's DAC when wired which is why it doesn't sound as good as when using Bluetooth through the headphones' DAC.

[thebean11]

Sure but that's an issue with wired headphones in general, not specific to these.

[KptMarchewa]

I mean, I'm pretty sure that DAC on my MBP is better, but it does not fit those headphones well.