[Music] Headphone advice

[Normal Rob]

I see you budget is £300. What is your source?
Noise cancelling works when there is a constant drone you are trying to cancel out. Perfect for regular flights. Decent for train journeys. Rubbish for most environments.
Over ear, open, are generally better (all else equal) at giving a good sound stage. On ear are smaller, so easier to travel with.

I also wanted wireless, but they're just not as good.

What sound signature do you like? Do you like bass heavy, neutral, bright, etc?

I can recommend a lot of pairs, but your source is important.

Samsung Galaxy A5 phone. Don't mind being told not to bother if it's not up to it.

 

[Mr Banana]

AIAIAI TMAs are the nuts. Pretentious dickwaving but they allow you to hear everything differently and in more detail.

 

[Triggaaar]

Samsung Galaxy A5 phone. Don't mind being told not to bother if it's not up to it.

It makes a big difference. You can still get some nice sound, but it's not like you've got a powerful amp, so obviously you choose your headphones accordingly. Will you be listening to Spotify, or what? And is it for on a train, walking, at home, or what?

 

[Normal Rob]

Train, and around the house mainly. Prime music listened to is soul/funk/disco through Spotify and other streams.

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

I see you budget is £300. What is your source?
Noise cancelling works when there is a constant drone you are trying to cancel out. Perfect for regular flights. Decent for train journeys. Rubbish for most environments.

Disagree. Even my Bose QC15s are decent for regular background noise. From walking in town to sitting in the office. But those Sony WH whatever-they're-called mark 2s I tried yesterday were amazing.

The companion app lets you adjust the noise cancellation to adapt to all sorts of environments. I was very impressed.

 

[Juan Albion]

Another vote for Bose QC35s. They have made all the difference on long flights over the Pacific. The noise cancelling is amazing.

 

[mikeyjh]

2) Noise cancelling - is it any good? is it worth the extra? I'm tempted by this, but only if it works. Reviews for the Bose over ear sets i was looking at are very mixed indeed.

Noise cancelling is great for, well, planes, and not much else - I bought my Bose noise cancelling set years ago for flying back and forward on long haul, absolutely brilliant. Makes watching films etc on a flight a much more comfortable experience. Outside of that though, I don't use them. In a nutshell, if you flying regularly great, if not, don't bother.

 

[Triggaaar]

Disagree. Even my Bose QC15s are decent for regular background noise. From walking in town to sitting in the office. But those Sony WH whatever-they're-called mark 2s I tried yesterday were amazing.

The companion app lets you adjust the noise cancellation to adapt to all sorts of environments. I was very impressed.

Fair enough. I've tried it and found it a bit weird with random ambient noise.

 

[pasty]

Admittedly I'm no expert on this subject, but for what it's worth, I have a pair of on ear Sennheiser Urbanite and I love them. Pretty much only ever use them on the train and tube, and even on the tube, I hear very little external noise. Oh, and I primarily listen to rock music "turned up to 11" and have never been asked to turn it down by anyone sitting next to me.

Picked them up in January sale last year reduced from £149 to £49. Best bargain I've ever bought

 

[Harold]

Have a look at Audio Technica ATHM50x range. I've been very happy with mine.

 

[OvingdeanSeagull]

I did a fair bit of research on this recently and the general consensus seemed to be that these (Sony WH-1000XM3) are your best bet.

 

[Normal Rob]

Thanks all. Loads of great advice. Just got to hope on getting a bonus now.

I've still not got a clear view on what to get, but things have narrowed down somewhat.

 

[AmexRuislip]

Morning all,

I'm toying with the idea of splashing out on some decent headphones when (if) i get my annual bonus, but i could benefit from some advice and answers to a couple of questions from any audiophiles out there...


1) Stick with known quality brands? (Bose, Sennheiser) or are there some better value gems out there than offer equal performance for less outlay?
2) Noise cancelling - is it any good? is it worth the extra? I'm tempted by this, but only if it works. Reviews for the Bose over ear sets i was looking at are very mixed indeed.
3) Over ear/on ear - is there any difference? If so purely in comfort, or sound quality?


I already have a good set of in-ear headphones for use when exercising etc, so i'm really for looking at over/on ear. Wireless preferred. Budget is up to £300.

Any links/ reviews of any suggestions also appreciated if possible.

Cheers.

I bought a second hand pair of Sennheiser Momentum 2's wired last year off Ebay and find them firstly comfy and a good sound to my ears..they also do a wireless version .best of luck with your search

PS I would also say that its important to have a listen yourself before buying any pair...some like a good bass..some don't etc

I have a pair of Sennheiser BT HD 4.40 @ £80.
Cannot fault them at all, very good value and quality.
Sound is excellent

 

[maffew]

I am also after some headphones. Nothing like the specs and costs of anything quoted on here though. I have seen 3 sets on Amazon for sub 50 quid in fact which will probably do the job.
Anyone own either the Sony ch500 or the zx330bt ones? They are very similar in price though had a 60 and 90 gbp rrp respectively. The slightly cheaper ones actually seem a bit more suitable as they have a couple of extra buttons on like next song... and they are half the weight. Other than that I have no idea if one is better nor how to tell

I walk a lot, will us them at work too and out and about. My music varies a lot often with some nice bass like d and b of the ambient or liquid type

Theres also a pair of taotronic ones bha47 which has got great reviews and noise reduction. They look like the business for blocking people out at work but not as multi use the other ones appear

Any thoughts on this? I am swayed between the Sony ones, I think it's probably a case of which ones are better sound quality and which one doesn't irritate others with noise leakage at work