WSO, considering buying some new wireless headphones. I am looking for around-the-ear sets, don't really want to spend more than $400 but if there is good reason to spend above that I may reconsider. I take good care of my things, so I have no doubt that these will be used for 5-10 years.
Currently considering the Bose QC35's
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Executive summary: Recommended buy. Pros: Best-in-class noise cancelling, comfortable, excellent wireless tech, great sound, can plug in to listen on 3.5mm jack or passively without power. Cons: No option to both power the headphones and turn off noise cancelling (though you could wire the headphones and listen passively), cost.
Just bought the QC-35's yesterday. I would say the decision comes down to whether you are planning to use noise cancelling or not. Bose has a patent on the best way to do noise cancelling, and therefore all other manufacturers have had to invent their own (inferior) way to do it. I fly occasionally for business, and have a noisy bullpen nearby, and the noise cancelling works great for me.
If you are not using noise cancelling, the headphones by themselves are great, not out-of-this-world. Beat the pants off of Beats, though. I guess you could find something by niche audiophile headphone manufacturers at the same price range that would have better sound quality, but you would have to plug them in.
+1 SB - Going on a big trip to South America on Saturday and wouldn't mind having the high quality noise cancelling. Also my work area gets pretty loud with people on the phone.
What would you say battery life is like? What types of music do you listen to? Is this bass any decent? Can you actually hear anything with good quality at low volume or does it have to be 3/4 volume to enjoy?
They say 20 hours and I feel that's pretty accurate. A moderate user would only have to charge once a work week. I'll probably end up charging overnight once every three days. There is no risk of running out of battery accidentally. The headphones report their battery life every time you pair, and you can also see the headphone-specific battery icon on the iPhone screen.
EDIT: Pretty sure Bose has a 30 day return policy, so if you are very unsatisfied with them after your trip, they might accept a return. It sounds like it's perfect for your use case, though.
Very good rec. Similar impression on the QC-35 from my perspective
Bobb you're up
Thanks for the help Brofessor (Edit: Not sarcastic)
It really depends on what you will use these for.
If you are looking for active noise canceling, which is great while flying, definitely go Bose QC 35. They are the best in this field. If you have worn Beats, the bass on the Bose will be considerably less and won't have the boomy, over-enhanced bass. Battery life is good, and you could always plug into a headphone jack
Would you say the Bass is decent with the headphone jack in? (Currently own Studio Beats but they're starting to break down with static in one ear and the leather is tearing off. Love the bass, but I know some of the music I have gets lost due to having no bass behind it.)
I don't have a problem linking it in every now and then, but don't want it to be something that I have to do all the time. Especially being on the iPhone 7+
Wired will always sound better than wireless, but I don't think it is significant with the Bose.
I would recommend going to a brick and mortar store and try a few different models. It is the only way to know for sure.
I am no audoiophile, but I do a lot of research before I buy anything. Bose is not known for high quality sound, but their QCs are just about the best when it comes to noise canceling headphone. I do not have the wireless ones, but the wired ones that I do have are excellent. I believe mine are five or six years old now. To be fair, I wear them like three or four times a year at most.
Appreciate the response. I never used to wear big headphones, but I've started doing so at the office because people around me can be annoying.
They've gotten decent reviews across CNET. So not too worried about being bad, but I would like something that has decent quality sound since I tend to listen to a pretty wide range of music.
+1 SB
I probably should have qualified my comment above. I personally cannot tell the difference between MP3s and CDs, Bose and (high-end) Sennheiser headphones, etc., so to me, they sound fine, but the audiophile community would disagree.
Don't know too much about solid wireless headphones, but I currently use a pair of Sennheiser earbuds that are on the lower end and they're pretty spectacular. I've heard great things about the higher end Senneheisers too, so you might want to take a look at the Sennheiser PXC 550. It's at the high end of your budget, but seems pretty good.
https://en-us.sennheiser.com/wireless-headphone-headset-bluetooth-noise…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daryl-deino/sennheiser-pxc-550-vs-bos_b_1…
(look at top comment here, quick comparison between PXC 550 vs QC35) https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/4uxm3t/i_currently_have_th…
Thanks! +1 SB
if you need noise canceling: bose if not: airpod
Prefer noise cancelling. Will not be buying Airpods
i tried the bose wireless ones and while they sound good and noise cancellation is amazing, you have to wear a neck thing... airpods give a greater sense of freedom
Jaybirds
Edit: I know they are in-ear, but I also know a lot of people that love them. Worth a look if you're open to the thought of how they wear.
Appreciate the suggestion, but don't want in-ear. Only looking at around the ears.
Understandable. Let us know what you go with and how they feel/sound.
I literally did this same exercise of looking for decent headphones in this range. All the headphones below have the ANC feature:
Bose QC-35 Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless Sony MRD 1000x
If you really want to get fancy, Beoplay H9's recently released but are on the high-end.
Since they all offer a 30 day period for you to be able to return their products, I would suggest you take advantage of that. That's what I did.
Bose QC-35 and Sony MDR 1000x were almost identical in their noise cancelling. I'd say the Bose were more comfortable for me by the slightest margin. But Sony has more bells and whistles. I ended up settling for the Sony.
The Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 had the best soundstage and quality, but I didn't like their noise cancelling abilities. It does not compare to Bose or Sony at all. I think once you try Bose or Sony, you will feel like other headphones don't even have any ANC because of how big the gap is between the quality of ANC.
Thanks +1 SB
PROBLEM I am realizing. I am extremely sensitive to the ANC of the QC35s.
I did try the Sonys you mentioned as I am at BestBuy right this second. Wasn't a huge fan of them, in comfort or sound I heard. Really would like to try he Sennheisers but can't find a store with them anywhere in my area
Update - listened to the Sony set a bit more and they are growing on me
I just got the AirPods from Apple, and they are incredible. I had major doubts about the quality, and whether or not they would stay in my ear, but so far they have been fantastic. Just went for a run with them this morning and they worked great. About half way through the day the battery is at 83%. For earphones I totally recommend them.
I'm still curious to see how many people will lose these
I bought two pairs >.
Do not get Beats - they suck.
If you're set on over ear and want noise cancelling I'll echo the above and suggest the Bose QC-35s. However, if I can tempt you to consider on ear I have the new Bose wireless on ears which I can highly recommend. No real noise cancelling but very comfortable, very easy to pair and (in my opinion) great sound quality (metal with Rock EQ on iPhone). https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bose-SoundLink-Bluetooth-Wireless-Headphones/d…
Finding I'm too sensitive to the noise cancelling of the Bose lineup. Also still wear glasses at same time as the headphones which makes on the ear rather uncomfortable
Fk the beats and fk the bose.
https://www.amazon.com/Bowers-Wilkins-P7-Wireless-Headphones/dp/B01KLS5…
Pair bestbuy has right now is currently broken. Also feel a bit clunky / heavy
Too bad you're only looking for around-the-ear. HereOne (https://hereplus.me/) are pretty sick...
damn. makes me wish I hadn't just bought some bose headphones this past year.
they don't cost the world, so I'm sure you can get a pair if you really want
I use Platronics Backbeat Pro instead of QC35. "Sound quality" is slightly better on QC35, which I think is also more comfortable. However, Backbeat Pro has a longer battery, and QC35 has its max volume much lower than where I want it to be at, which is incredibly annoying.
Parrot zik
Wired headphones can deliver much better sound quality at lower price points, even for comparable products (Think apple EarPods vs AirPods) http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-airpods-vs-earpods-wireless-headph…
Personally, I use a pair of wired wooden Audio-Technicas (~$300) when I want high-quality audio. And Bluetooth Plantronics Backbeat FITs (I think I paid 100) for when I am mobile. This is still overpriced for the sound quality, but I like how these headphones are sweat proof and stay in my ears snuggly while running.
Heres a good article from a hipster music blog on all the factors that affect sound quality and why even high end BT headphones struggle to match the quality of cheap ear buds. http://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1305-does-bluetooth-really-sound-worse/
Chiming in to update everyone - ended up not buying anything! Couldn't decide on anything that I really liked. Tried a bunch of different pairs out but didn't love anything on the market. May consider AirPods at this point, but I doubt I will go that path.
Thanks for the update. HereOne...just saying...
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