Headphones: Beat, Bose, etc.

[Hagbard Celine 10871]

I need a recommendation stat.  These fuckers are expensive.  Must work with Mac Air, Windows 10, Droid, iPhone, so i guess Bluetooth is the thing, they must all have Bluetooth?

And at an airport last week I saw someone plug the headphone case in to a USB charging port.  Yeah I want that too.

Is there anything that kicks ass for $150 or is $300 spend unavoidable.

Off to googletrons to see what reviews say.

Help me Surlyites, many Bothans, only hope, yadda yadda.

[Nueces River Rat 5539]

Is noise cancelling a must?

If so, Sony makes some good ones.  Check Amazon and you might find some refurbished models and they are just as good as new ones. 

[HoustonHorn 1062]

When I bought some about 6 months ago the general consensus was that the Sony's were the best and the sound cancelling had surpassed the Bose. I've been happy with them.

[CooterBrown 18015]

Bluetooth sounds like shit compared to wired. I have Bose noise canceling and like them.

 

[Johnny Chimpo 478]

I stick with wired because I’m a budding audio snob 😇. I also like earbuds. I’m currently listening to some shure 535s. 

[shakahorn 1645]

Timely subject, at least for me.  I had an old pair of wired, noise cancelling, over ear headphones from Sharper Image - that's how old they were - that lasted about 10 years.  The band on those broke so I went with a cheap pair of wired Audiovox noise cancelling, for like $75.  Those lasted like a year before breaking.  So I figured I'm never going cheap again.  Did some research and about to pull the trigger on Bose QC 35 ii, been waiting for those to go on sale, but they never do so looking at $349.  They have bluetooth but can be wired as well.  Was also considering the QC 25, but those don't have bluetooth but also are like $200 cheaper.  So if Bose bluetooth sucks, I'll go with the QC 25.

What model Sony you guys talking about?

[SDG 3319]

I have Beats Studio 2’s that I bought last year when the threes came out so I only paid around $150 at BBY.  They can be used wired or wirelessly.

My advice is to look for last years model and save ~50%. (I just did the same with a JBL extreme bt speaker for the pool). 

[Godzillatron 292]

I like the Beats X. Keep a charge a long time, recharge in 15 minutes, synch with everything I’ve tried and sound pretty good even though they are Bluetooth. They are not noise canceling but are noise isolating once you pick the right set of earbuds from the pack. Work fine for me on planes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Handcruser 2805]

I’ve had the bose and beats studio. Prefer the beats.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[TwiceHorn 31497]

I'm surprised Koss doesn't have some kickass $50 NC cans.

[pearlandhorn 3274]

I’ve got Bose for the airplane. Noise canceling earbuds. I’ve got Beats for the gym. Bluetooth is very handy while at the gym.

[GottaB 594]

I head to Vipon. I Get discounted cheapos. I buy a couple at a time. I can buy a dozen for the price of Bose or beats. When the batteries wear out (and the batteries do wear out) or the ear wax starts to build up I toss them. Either that or I lose them and I don’t kick myself because they were $20 not $200

[HoustonHorn 1062]

Timely subject, at least for me.  I had an old pair of wired, noise cancelling, over ear headphones from Sharper Image - that's how old they were - that lasted about 10 years.  The band on those broke so I went with a cheap pair of wired Audiovox noise cancelling, for like $75.  Those lasted like a year before breaking.  So I figured I'm never going cheap again.  Did some research and about to pull the trigger on Bose QC 35 ii, been waiting for those to go on sale, but they never do so looking at $349.  They have bluetooth but can be wired as well.  Was also considering the QC 25, but those don't have bluetooth but also are like $200 cheaper.  So if Bose bluetooth sucks, I'll go with the QC 25.
What model Sony you guys talking about?

Sony wh1000mx3 is what I got 6 months ago.

You can get them for $300 or so now.

[52-80 19168]

I am a reformed headphone snob.  Used to stay away from wireless but they simply are that good nowadays.  Unless you're plugging them into an amplifier at home to listen to a 96khz master record of the Berlin symphony, go wireless.

 

2 most important thing in wireless headphones: battery life (and connectivity), and wireless switching.  If they're noise cancellation, then also good controls of the NC mode.

 

You want usb-c because everything is usb-c nowaways.  MicroUSB is going to go away soon. 

 

Headphones should support multiple Bluetooth connections with seamless switching, rather than having to pair and unpair it from device to device.  That's a HUGE pain in the ass.

 

Aforementioned sonys have ridiculous battery life and good sound quality, but can only connect to 1 device at a time.  I have them. They piss me off.

 

For small headphones I also have what's probably the closest equivalent to apple airpods...the Jabra 65 elite. Good battery life for size, small case, decent sound, support multiple connections, but Bluetooth pairing and connection glitchy as hell.  Fucking annoying too.  I bought them because I'm not an iPhone user.

 

If you have iPhone, no brainer, get the airpods. 

If you also want large comfortable headphones, get the Microsoft Surface headphones.  (Doesn't matter that it's MS product and you use Mac).

 

 

 

 

[52-80 19168]

O yeah if you take phone calls with them, the microphone in Song sucks absolute dick
.

 

Also MS has some sale on their headphone for 250 right now

 

[Sam Lin 3559]

You really need to provide more info for a good recommendation. What do you listen to, and where? Is this for voice calls in a crowded office, classical music in a quiet listening room, rock music at the gym?

Size: Do you often travel and pack them? Huge ear muff headphones aren't so convenient.

Noise canceling/Bluetooth: How long is a typical listening session? Some noise canceling can't even be used as "dumb" headphones when the batteries are dead, frustrating paperweight if you run out of battery midway through a flight.

I'm a luddite re:Bluetooth, give me the normal 3.5mm headphone jack any day. It can be adapted onto any newer device, and it always works.

In general I'm much more a fan of noise isolation than noise canceling. I also lean neutral in my acoustic taste, and am a fairly critical listener - my LG phones have the best phone DAC on the market, and I carry a headphone amp sometimes. My earphone of choice is the Etymotic ER-4, with custom earmolds. For extended listening, the custom earmold is key, I can listen for 10hr straight on a flight and never notice them, and not have any odd feeling when I remove them. They block a ton of sound - I usually listen with my device volume set between 1 and 5 (out of 100), including when working around machinery. No need for more volume because the background noise is that effectively blocked. You can get similar sound blocking using foam ear tips (just like a foam earplug) instead of the custom earmolds, but you need to replace the tips periodically. Expect roughly 30db NR with either foam tips or custom earmolds.

For home critical listening, quiet room, I wear earmuff headphones because they sound more effortless, but also so I can hear outside noises through them. My current fav is Beyerdynamic T1. I also have a couple Sennheiser and a couple Grado, and for certain music, with the right amp, Grado is a magical combo. Grado are uncomfortable for long wear though.

If you fall down the rabbit hole, Benchmark's DAC with headphone amp is one of the best "deals" on the market (I say that in quotes because $2000 is never really a "deal.") But a $2000 Benchmark with a $1000 pair of Beyerdynamics will give higher fidelity sound than a stereo system costing $10000 or more.

[Hagbard Celine 10871]

Thank you to everyone who posted on this thread.  The Surl delivers as usual.

Have read listings/reviews for 10 products.  Here's where i'm at.

At the $350 price point, beat/bose/sony have everything with the exception of bluetooth 5.0, although some models DO NOT have multiple device pairing.  From what i can tell, the key differentiator when you step down from $350 is the noise cancellation becomes less robust and/or consumes more power.

I have honed in on 2 options:

MS Surface $250: https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-GUW-00001-Surface-Headphones/dp/B07JYMFFVR/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=headphones+microsoft+surface&qid=1558377496&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Plantronics GO 810 @ $150: https://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-BackBeat-Wireless-Headphones-Canceling/dp/B07G2G18YH/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=Plantronics+Backbeat+Go+810&qid=1558376911&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull#customerReviews

Both can be paired to multiple devices, neither have USB 5.0, and the Plantronics assembly has a couple of neg reviews, but not enough to take it off the table at $150.

 

Does anyone have anything bad (or good) to say about the MS Surface or the Plantronics GO 810  ???

 

[Hagbard Celine 10871]

8 hours ago, Sam Lin said:

You really need to provide more info for a good recommendation. What do you listen to, and where? Is this for voice calls in a crowded office, classical music in a quiet listening room, rock music at the gym?

Size: Do you often travel and pack them? Huge ear muff headphones aren't so convenient.

Noise canceling/Bluetooth: How long is a typical listening session? Some noise canceling can't even be used as "dumb" headphones when the batteries are dead, frustrating paperweight if you run out of battery midway through a flight.

I'm a luddite re:Bluetooth, give me the normal 3.5mm headphone jack any day. It can be adapted onto any newer device, and it always works.

In general I'm much more a fan of noise isolation than noise canceling. I also lean neutral in my acoustic taste, and am a fairly critical listener - my LG phones have the best phone DAC on the market, and I carry a headphone amp sometimes. My earphone of choice is the Etymotic ER-4, with custom earmolds. For extended listening, the custom earmold is key, I can listen for 10hr straight on a flight and never notice them, and not have any odd feeling when I remove them. They block a ton of sound - I usually listen with my device volume set between 1 and 5 (out of 100), including when working around machinery. No need for more volume because the background noise is that effectively blocked. You can get similar sound blocking using foam ear tips (just like a foam earplug) instead of the custom earmolds, but you need to replace the tips periodically. Expect roughly 30db NR with either foam tips or custom earmolds.

For home critical listening, quiet room, I wear earmuff headphones because they sound more effortless, but also so I can hear outside noises through them. My current fav is Beyerdynamic T1. I also have a couple Sennheiser and a couple Grado, and for certain music, with the right amp, Grado is a magical combo. Grado are uncomfortable for long wear though.

If you fall down the rabbit hole, Benchmark's DAC with headphone amp is one of the best "deals" on the market (I say that in quotes because $2000 is never really a "deal.") But a $2000 Benchmark with a $1000 pair of Beyerdynamics will give higher fidelity sound than a stereo system costing $10000 or more.

Surl 1% problems.

[52-80 19168]

plantronics look chintzy and uses micro USB.  plus you can only control noise cancellation through the app.   microsoft has physical dial that toggles through it, including pass-through sound amplification.

 

microsoft all the way.  the other one to consider is bowers & wilkins PX if you want sturdy build

[PilotsError 2294]

Do higher end wireless earbuds/earphones have less lag/stuttering issues than the cheaper ones?  

[52-80 19168]

3 hours ago, PilotsError said:

Do higher end wireless earbuds/earphones have less lag/stuttering issues than the cheaper ones?  

Yeah.  They all use different Bluetooth modules with different performance. 

Rtings.com has measurements of latency and range for them.

But in my experience:

* i dont have any real stuttering issues with the nicer ones -- so long as i have the phone on my body... which is like 98% of use case.  (im not one to freely walk around a room away from my phone)

* no video (youtube or media player) sync lag on any of them, going from laptop or phone to earphone.  the only bluetooth lag i ever seem to get is ANY phone to my car audio system

[Dbeasy 15068]

Bose doesn’t support aptx so if you use headphones with the tv there may be a lip sync issue.

[crash_davis 23113]

best budget headphones.  tribit Xfree.

right now only $38.  do not have ANC.  only bluetooth 4.1.  no aptx.  but they sound amazing, especially for the price.  no latency.  HOWEVER, if you are a bass head, these are not for you.  these have neutral balanced sound.  has detachable cord for non-bt listening.

i have these headphones and tribit bt speakers.  tribit are reputable for great sound for budget prices.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0759QFPQ3

cnet review. https://www.cnet.com/reviews/tribit-xfree-tune-bluetooth-headphones-review/

[smuggs 9353]

I just bought a pair of Jabra Elite Actives a few weeks ago and I love em. Solid BT connection (iphone user), fit well, good battery life, great sound. They are fairly low profile so I don't look like fucking Lobot while I mow the lawn. My only gripe is that the charging case lid is hard to pop open, I always feel like I'm going to break it.

 

 

 

Edited August 1, 2019 by smuggs

[Jerry Callo 8704]

13 minutes ago, smuggs said:

I just bought a pair of Jabra Elite Actives a few weeks ago and I love em. Solid BT connection (iphone user), fit well, good battery life, great sound. They are fairly low profile so I don't look like fucking Lobot while I mow the lawn. My only gripe is that the charging case lid is hard to pop open, I always feel like I'm going to break it.

 

 

 

I bought a pair a month ago and really like them.  I have been pleased with the various Jabra products I've had over the years.  I pinch the sides of the case and the lid opens easily.

[crash_davis 23113]

i know they sound great but i can't bring myself to pay that much for something that is disposable.  the small batteries in bt earbuds are 50 or 60 mah.  they degrade quickly with repeated chargings.  they'll have 1/2 the battery life in a year.  for that reason i won't pay more than $25-30 for bt earbuds.

[Asithappens 974]

On 5/20/2019 at 2:52 AM, 52-80 said:

I am a reformed headphone snob.  Used to stay away from wireless but they simply are that good nowadays.  Unless you're plugging them into an amplifier at home to listen to a 96khz master record of the Berlin symphony, go wireless.

 

 

Furtwängler or von Karajan?

[Chewbacca 7780]

On 5/19/2019 at 6:39 PM, HoustonHorn said:

When I bought some about 6 months ago the general consensus was that the Sony's were the best and the sound cancelling had surpassed the Bose. I've been happy with them.

Yep.  I have the WH-1000MX3 Sony and they are fantastic.

[NoName 16354]

On 8/1/2019 at 4:21 PM, smuggs said:

I just bought a pair of Jabra Elite Actives a few weeks ago and I love em. Solid BT connection (iphone user), fit well, good battery life, great sound. They are fairly low profile so I don't look like fucking Lobot while I mow the lawn. My only gripe is that the charging case lid is hard to pop open, I always feel like I'm going to break it.

 

 

 

how are they for voice calls?

[smuggs 9353]

Just now, NoName said:

how are they for voice calls?

I've only taken one call on them but it went great. The audio was easy enough to hear and it didn't appear the caller on the other end had any difficulties hearing me. I was listening to SiriusXM when the call came through and they seamlessly stopped the music, notified me of the call and connected when I said "answer". Music started streaming again when the call was over - I never took my phone out of my pocket.

[NoName 16354]

2 minutes ago, smuggs said:

I've only taken one call on them but it went great. The audio was easy enough to hear and it didn't appear the caller on the other end had any difficulties hearing me. I was listening to SiriusXM when the call came through and they seamlessly stopped the music, notified me of the call and connected when I said "answer". Music started streaming again when the call was over - I never took my phone out of my pocket.

fantastic. 

[Jerry Callo 8704]

1 hour ago, NoName said:

how are they for voice calls?

They are great for voice calls.  I saw a video review and one of the things they did was make a call from outside with cars driving by and you couldn't hear anything but the talking.

[crash_davis 23113]

ANC in wireless earbuds.  shit aint cheap.

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-WF-1000XM3-Industry-Canceling-Wireless/dp/B07T81554H/ref=as_li_ss_tl?keywords=sony+wireless+earbuds&pd_rd_i=B07T81554H&pd_rd_r=f092a862-46b6-474c-81e6-675d1cb33fbd&pd_rd_w=luX6T&pd_rd_wg=J0NL4&pf_rd_p=59c36603-576b-471f-8561-ef24e0883aa1&pf_rd_r=G1E639DE72B81JC8F0CB&qid=1565105379&s=gateway&linkCode=sl1&tag=socialtech109-20&linkId=cc93bfea817e0288ebe915be66c09eda

 

 

[PilotsError 2294]

I flew a few weeks ago for the first time since Covid and my airpods were completely useless on the plane for movies.  Couldn't hear shit.  I bought the Sony WH XM4, everyone says they're top quality.  I have no complaints about them as far as noise, comfort, but...everyone can what I'm playing from many feet away.  Everyone.  The reviews said they sealed the noise but that's bullshit.  So for  no one else can hear I have to have the volume down low enough....that I can't hear shit.  What a fucking waste of money.  They specifically market these at travel headphones, which ended up being a waste.  

[52-80 19168]

Thats almost impossible. Ignoring the ANC, the sony over the ear headphones should make a physical seal around your ear, so noises cant escape from em. 
 

i swapped them for bowers px7 which is slightly less good at anc, but physical build feels better. 
 

then i also have the airpods max (the large ones) which are good in some ways but bad in others. overall the airpods pro (the earbuds) are the most useful, and anc is adequate. 

[NoName 16354]

On 11/9/2022 at 4:21 PM, PilotsError said:

I flew a few weeks ago for the first time since Covid and my airpods were completely useless on the plane for movies.  Couldn't hear shit.  I bought the Sony WH XM4, everyone says they're top quality.  I have no complaints about them as far as noise, comfort, but...everyone can what I'm playing from many feet away.  Everyone.  The reviews said they sealed the noise but that's bullshit.  So for  no one else can hear I have to have the volume down low enough....that I can't hear shit.  What a fucking waste of money.  They specifically market these at travel headphones, which ended up being a waste.  

the biggest suggestion i have for anyone these days is to try a few on, see what you like and then start looking at RTings for comparisons.

the headphones reviewer at wirecutter and verge used to be good. i know verge guy left, but not sure if wirecutter is still the same person as before.