Headphones - time for a new pair

[Townsend]

Sony WF-1000MX3 ear buds - great sound quality with sound cancelling, great battery life, great range, charge up in their own chaRGING case (easy to put in and out), excellent microphone (never have a complaint from people I'm talking to) so perfect for WFH use and I use them all the time ......... but they fall out of your ears after about 30 minutes, doesn't matter which ear pad you attach to them. Ok for office / home use, would never take them on a walk or any travel as I'd lose them (actually just one which would be worse)

I have the MX4 earbuds and mine fall out regularly. I would never take them on a flight.

 

[FishFood]

Interesting to not see it mentioned yet, but I use Airpod Pro earphones exclusively. The compact size makes it easy to keep in the pocket, and the noise cancelling works quite well for the background noise of a flight.

Two downsides that may or may not affect you are: the size makes it easy to lose, which I have done once before. Secondly, the battery life is only 5 hours, which isn't much of a problem since I usually put them in the case for meal or toilet breaks so I almost haven't noticed it in practice.

 

[offshore171]

Interesting to not see it mentioned yet, but I use Airpod Pro earphones exclusively. The compact size makes it easy to keep in the pocket, and the noise cancelling works quite well for the background noise of a flight.

These are great for certain uses, but the brief was over the ear headphones.

 

[FishFood]

the brief was over the ear headphones

The brief was also non-apple

Hopefully someone else will be interested in my "data point"

 

[Zaib Naeem]

I've gone from QC25s to the Sony WH-1000XM4. There is a new model WH-1000XM5 out now. The various internet review consensus seem to have the Sony's marginally ahead of the comparable Bose options. Particularly when used with android devices.

I own both Bose 700 and Sony 1000XM4, will strongly recommend Sony, no comparison from the comfort point of view specially when you are wearing for longer hours. Regards, Zaib

 

[bellroy26]

I have the Sony XM4s and they're really great. When I was shopping for new headphones last year, I've tried lots of options. It came down between the Bose 700s and the Sony XM4s. Ultimately, I went with the XM4s as the noise cancellation and the sound quality are really superb.

 

[Spoon]

Another vote for the Sony WH-1000XM4. Sound quality and comfort are great. Can get them for $395 at JB now.

 

[coriander]

Another vote for the Sony WH-1000XM4. Sound quality and comfort are great. Can get them for $395 at JB now.

Also at HN. Sony also for same price ($395) in silver and black; Amazon has them for $369 in black $486 in silver.
Quick question: what are they like for calls? Microphone ok?

 

[Batterytraveller]

I have the Sony WH-1000XM4 afte having the original XM series and leaving them on a plane. Fantastic headphones and it was an easy choice to do a straight replacement. Great sound quality, good mic for using in calls, picks up my voice and not much else even in a busy rooms, although I also have some beats pro 3 for this purpose and a little more portability.

For an outside choice, my partner has a pair of ALDI noise cancelling headphones, and whilst the audio quality is not quite as good, she swears by them. She’s clearly smarter than I because on a performance per dollar basis, she is way ahead.

 

[TomVexille]

Also at HN. Sony also for same price ($395) in silver and black; Amazon has them for $369 in black $486 in silver.
Quick question: what are they like for calls? Microphone ok?

I use them for teams calls all the time, and nobody has complained when I've used them for phone calls

 

[Stone]

I have just upgraded to the XM5's (from the XM3's) - courtesy of the AMEX Sony offer, I didn't think I would get a better price for some time.

I have had Bose as well over the years, they have been handed down to the kids as I don't enjoy the sound quality as much. The ear covers have tended to perish in between uses as well, no such issues with the Sony's yet.

 

[Flying Fox]

This article may also be of use to you.

Best wireless noise-cancelling headphones

Tune out the world and create your own private audio oasis with these discrete earbuds and bold over-the-ear statements.

www.executivetraveller.com

 

[Denali]

Made a purchase today and went with the Bose QC 45. Reason being, I think if I bought the Sony I would be wishing I had the Bose.

We went to put local JBHi Fi to try the Bose 700 and 45. Thought the 45 was more comfortable on the ears and felt sturdier when handling it. I had a $500 gift card plus JB has $100 off special so $395.

 

[Brissy1]

Made a purchase today and went with the Bose QC 45. Reason being, I think if I bought the Sony I would be wishing I had the Bose.

We went to put local JBHi Fi to try the Bose 700 and 45. Thought the 45 was more comfortable on the ears and felt sturdier when handling it. I had a $500 gift card plus JB has $100 off special so $395.

I'd be very interested to know whether you find any difference in the noise cancelling effectiveness between the QC15 and the QC45.
My QC15 still works ok, but nc effectiveness reduces at higher frequencies.

 

[Denali]

Ive found the noise cancelling much better when used in the house/blocking out noise. Hubby can be standing behind me about 2.5mtrs away and I cant hear him. Eventually I heard something in the background (of the headphones) that didnt fit with what I was listening to so I turned around and he was standing there talking to me. I had to take them off to hear him and I was facing him while wearing them and couldnt hear what he was saying.

The QC45 has an "aware" and "quite" mode button on the left side ear cup so either remove the head phone or press the button to hear noise/people around you.

Hubby has had more use out of his QC45s in the last 24hrs than the old QCs, which he only used for flights.

 

[TheRealTMA]

I'd be very interested to know whether you find any difference in the noise cancelling effectiveness between the QC15 and the QC45.
My QC15 still works ok, but nc effectiveness reduces at higher frequencies.

I bought the Sony WH-1000s after my old QC15s. I find them much better than the BOSE. YMMV.

 

[Tejas]

I got a pair of Beats Studio 3 about a month ago from JB for $250 (Currently retailing for $449)

I was looking for the following features:

• Over ears
• noise cancelling
• Bluetooth with capability for a wired connection (mostly for use with IFE)
• Ability for it to be used on a wired connection and also charged at the same time - I'm flying next week to LHR and i want to use these as my IFE phones
• comfortable for long periods. I have a pair of Nuraphones - They sound amazing but i can only wear them for about an hour due to the funky design.

overall, as a replacemant for my QC25 they are really great. the easy pairing with my iPhone (as they have the W1 chip in them) is a massive bonus. i wouldn't pay $449 for it, but at $250 it was a good deal

 

[TheRealTMA]

We've got some Avantree bluetooth headphones for TV and they have very good noise cancelling as well. Much cheaper than Sony or BOSE etc.

Bluetooth Headphones for Hearing Impaired | Aria Me S

The Avantree Bluetooth overear headphones for hearing impaired Aria Me S giving you a restored and optimized listening experience.

avantree.com

And they have a custom hearing profile as well.

Also these Aria Pro 2

 

[TheRealTMA]

Another headphone review.

Sennheiser Momentum 4 review: tremendous noise-cancelling headphones

Supremely comfortable, feature-packed Bluetooth cans sound brilliant with 60-hour battery life

www.theguardian.com

 

[serfty]

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