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Unless there's been a big shift in over ear ANC recently, you want whatever the most recent Sony's are. The WH-1000XM5s.
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# ? Aug 25, 2023 04:52 |
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# ? Jun 8, 2024 08:05 |
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njsykora posted:Unless there's been a big shift in over ear ANC recently, you want whatever the most recent Sony's are. The WH-1000XM5s. I have potentially bad advice incoming. Feel free to trash it: If you're like me and the prospect of dropping $400 on a set of headphones that, outside of having really impressive ANC, sound no better than my old $25 Koss UR20s from back in the day, my solution has been a used set of $50 Sony Linkbuds S for when I'm on the go and the Audio-Technica M50xBT ($100 used) for home/office use since I don't need ANC in those situations and find them reasonably comfortable. The Linkbuds S have exceeded most of my expectations, especially the ANC performance. They're more focused on eliminating lower frequency rumble and fan noise rather than quieting the entire spectrum, but they seem to be really good at this particular task. As far as sound quality, my only basis for comparison with Sony's flagship products is the WH-1000XM3 over-ear headphones, and I think the Linkbuds S actually sound much better due their flatter response curve. I doubt the sound quality of the WH-1000XM4 or XM5 has changed much, especially when considering the RTINGS.com reviews have very similar things to say about all of them. I only use the Linkbuds S in short bursts as opposed to all day, so if you have problems with comfort when wearing IEMs for long periods of time like I do, this may not work for you. And as with all IEMs, their overall performance is heavily dependent on fit. The Audio-Technica M50xBT/BT2 are in a completely different league of sound quality from any of the consumer grade stuff on the market I'm aware of, but because they lack ANC, they are dramatically cheaper. Their response curve is far from flat, so they won't get the audiophile mark of approval, but they do sound subjectively nice to me. Rob mentioned having big ears that have difficulty fitting smaller earcups, so that could be an issue with these. My left earlobe sticks out ever so slightly more than the right and has problems with pressing up against the inside of many over-ear headphones, but especially the M50x series. I don't think Sony's headphones are any better in that regard, so it may come down to trying each model out in person until you can find one that fits. The Bose 700 and QC 45 may also be worth checking out since they are reported to have great ANC performance can be found used for $170-200. I can't personally vouch for them, though, because I have yet to listen to either model myself. Zorilla fucked around with this message at 06:58 on Aug 25, 2023 |
# ? Aug 25, 2023 06:23 |
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Sony xm4s are a no brainer Tbh. They sound great, the anc is second to none, they're very comfortable, and they're super reliable from a connectivity perspective. They're well within your budget, as well.
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# ? Aug 25, 2023 06:57 |
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The Perfect Element posted:Sony xm4s are a no brainer Tbh. They sound great, the anc is second to none, they're very comfortable, and they're super reliable from a connectivity perspective. They're well within your budget, as well. The sliders and yokes in the XM3 and XM4s also develop creaks and squeaks over time that are very irritating to deal with while wearing them (I've owned three and they all had this problem). They also have widespread issues with the slider trim pieces breaking and coming apart. It's a bad sign when roughly one in three WH-1000XM3s on eBay have headbands that are taped or ziptied together. Their ANC is excellent, but I don't know if it's worth dealing with a headphone that seems to be designed to break (and be nearly impossible to fix when it does). I also think they sound kind of bad, but maybe I have weird ears, I dunno.
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# ? Aug 25, 2023 07:04 |
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i haven't had issues with my WH-XM4s but my brother has found the Bose QCs to be the most comfortable Sony and Bose are neck and neck for ANC performance so try both and see which you find easier to wear
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# ? Aug 25, 2023 07:26 |
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I have B&W PX7 S2s and they tick the box for OP's requirements. Very good noise cancelling and they sound great. I got them for 275 CHF so they must be that or less in the US. Something I like about them vs the Sonys is you can plug them in by USB and they work via their own DAC, I do that when I'm using them with my desktop PC.
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# ? Aug 25, 2023 07:46 |
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Weird question but: Is it common to have ear buds where one side fits fine, and the other doesn't? I have some Galaxy Buds Pro, and the right one fits great and stays in even if I'm like chewing or moving my head. The left one on the other hand starts sliding out as soon as it's put in, and slowly works it's way further out whether I'm moving or not, to the point it sometimes falls out. Do I have mutant ears?
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# ? Aug 25, 2023 19:58 |
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Bodies are weird, for example I can basically only use bullet style IEMs, anything with any kind of shape that’s supposed to fit in your ear doesn’t, also AirPods literally fall out.
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# ? Aug 25, 2023 20:16 |
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qirex posted:Bodies are weird, for example I can basically only use bullet style IEMs, anything with any kind of shape that’s supposed to fit in your ear doesn’t, also AirPods literally fall out. Ugh, I'm gonna have to buy some of those replacement sets and try different ones til I find one that works
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# ? Aug 25, 2023 20:20 |
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My ears are different sizes, my right is slightly bigger than my left because I'm an asymmetric freak (my right leg is also slightly longer than my left), it's pretty normal tbh.
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# ? Aug 25, 2023 20:32 |
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Annath posted:Is it common to have ear buds where one side fits fine, and the other doesn't? Yes! Bodies are weird. Plenty of people use different sized eartips for right and left.
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# ? Aug 25, 2023 22:10 |
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Thanks for the advice everyone! It's appreciated, gonna go shopping later today and figure out what works.
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# ? Aug 26, 2023 02:21 |
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My Sony XM4s have suddenly started making a very loud high pitched whine in one ear. Fortunately I wasn't wearing them when it started, they were just sitting on the desk. Googling and it seems it's the noise cancelling microphone, with various hacks/fixes. Cut to the chase - I don't trust them anymore so they'll have to be replaced. Budget - XM5s is acceptable, if a bit sharp intake of breath. But I don't know if I can trust Sony anymore. What else is available that fills a similar sort of niche? Noise cancellation is a big priority. Bluetooth, over ear, closed back etc. Clarence fucked around with this message at 17:49 on Aug 27, 2023 |
# ? Aug 27, 2023 17:45 |
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The old go to was the Bose QC, are those still good? Or AirPods Max if you use an iPhone and want to spend more money.
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# ? Aug 27, 2023 18:02 |
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Like I mentioned earlier the B&W PX7 S2 are very nice
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# ? Aug 27, 2023 20:34 |
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knox_harrington posted:Like I mentioned earlier the B&W PX7 S2 are very nice I'm trying to go for a walk every day / every other day to try and stop being such a lazy rear end and have been thinking of getting some headphones for music, I think these are what I'm looking for in a set. I like to have as little on my person as possible while walking and my phone doesn't have a headphone jack, only USB-C and Bluetooth, and I'd prefer not using a USB-C to 3.5mm converter as they tend to get bent and frayed over a short amount of time. They look like they have a good size earcup, I have large, sensitive ears and anything really touching them tends to cause discomfort for me after just a few minutes. How do these fit folks with giant clown ears? Mine don't stick out far from the head, they're just kind of tall and wide. I generally dislike anything in-ear as well so this is why I'm looking at over the ear. Additionally, pretty much all over the ear headphones I've tried have a headband that puts too much pressure on the sides of my head which is also really uncomfortable after a few minutes. My latest pair is a set of V-MODA Crossfade LP2s, which I picked up for doing some audio production work which didn't really pan out. These things really hurt after a few minutes and I'd like to avoid that as much as possible. I also have a set of Sennheiser HD580s bought in 2003 that I remember being really comfortable so that side of earcups seem to work well for me, but they are wired and the cups have completely deteriorated while sitting in a box for the last ~15 years. I mostly listen to electronic music and like to have good bass response, do the PX7 S2s have decent low end? They are also at about the top end of my affordability range.
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# ? Aug 27, 2023 21:31 |
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Dogen posted:The old go to was the Bose QC, are those still good? Or AirPods Max if you use an iPhone and want to spend more money. I'll let this thread know in a day. I found some used QC 35 IIs for cheap and their expected arrival got pushed up from Wednesday to Monday. To get a sense for what I can expect, I stopped by Best Buy a couple days ago and test fitted the Bose QC 45 and 700 they had on display. I found the QC 45's earcups to be a bit narrow along the horizontal axis, so I basically had to rest the front edge of the pad on my earlobe. The earpads on the 700 were slightly roomier and more plush and I had no trouble fitting my whole ear in them. This contradicts the RTINGS.com reviews, which found the QC 45 to be the more comfortable of the two.
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# ? Aug 27, 2023 21:56 |
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I can't really comment on your particular head and ear sizes, just that I have normal head and ears and have no issues. I've only had these S2s a few weeks but have worn them all day for work several times, and did the same with the predecessor PX7s for 5 years, they were also very comfortable. The music I listen to is pretty much all electronic and they sound great, plenty of bass but it's all very clear. In the B&W app you can tune the bass and treble but mine are standard settings. I don't have anything negative to say about them, really nice headphones.
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# ? Aug 27, 2023 22:01 |
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I forgot I had picked up a pair of Sennheiser PXC 550s from Frys like a few months before they all closed down, just found them in a box in my closet, still with 40% battery. I think I'll check these our for a while and see how they feel. Testing them out now and I forgot that the reason I stopped using them was because there is a loud feedback / ticking noise in the left ear when noise cancelling is enabled, so that's unfortunate. But they still sound pretty great without ASC enabled. I'm also eyeing the Sony 1000XM5 or the XM4s which are more than $100 cheaper, but might wait until the XM6s come out to see how those are. Thanks thread!
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# ? Aug 28, 2023 01:04 |
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Zorilla posted:I'll let this thread know in a day. I found some used QC 35 IIs for cheap and their expected arrival got pushed up from Wednesday to Monday. These came in and---surprise, surprise--their sound quality is right in between the WH-1000XM3 and the ATH-M50xBT. They are a bit boomy in the midbass region and the treble isn't as detailed as my nicer headphones, but the Sonys were much worse in those areas, even after EQing. I may have a flight coming up in the next month, and if I could only bring one set of headphones with me on the trip, I would be perfectly comfortable listening to these for a week instead of my Audio-Technicas. My whole ear fits inside the earcups, so that's one more concern checked off the list. The inside linings have an unusually steep rake that gives it much more clearance in the rear than the front, which makes this the only over-ear headphone I own where the tip of my left earlobe doesn't touch the lining (even the huge earcups on my DT 770s and HD 58x barely graze my ear in some situations). Build quality seems decent. The trim pieces have extremely tight tolerances to where you can barely even see the seams between them. There are lots of exposed screw heads, so I feel like repairs should be a lot more doable than with the Sony WH-1000X series. Most importantly, there are very few creaks while wearing them. I recently griped about the amount of latency in a portable Bluetooth receiver I tried out (the EarStudio ES100). The QC 35 IIs are nowhere near as bad and are right in line with all my other Bluetooth headphones. RTINGS.com has these at 239ms and I believe that number. I probably don't need to say anything about the active noise cancelling. It works. It works well. It seems to work as well, if not slightly better, than the WH-1000XM3s, which were also quite impressive. I haven't put it through the wringer yet, but it brings down fan noise, and seems to do so without coloring the remaining noise as much as the XM3s do. Zorilla fucked around with this message at 00:34 on Aug 29, 2023 |
# ? Aug 28, 2023 23:09 |
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My Bose AE2s are finally falling apart and I’m looking to replace them. I only use them at night with my iPad to watch movies, music videos on YouTube, and game some on my steam deck/switch. I want something wired so I don’t have to deal with pairing or charging, and comfortable enough to wear for a couple hours before bed. My budget is around $150, preferably less. I’ve been looking at the sennheiser HD 599 and 569, which are $139 and $99 on Amazon right now. Would you guys recommend either of those for my case or are there better options out there?
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# ? Aug 30, 2023 19:44 |
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loudog999 posted:My Bose AE2s are finally falling apart and I’m looking to replace them. I only use them at night with my iPad to watch movies, music videos on YouTube, and game some on my steam deck/switch. I want something wired so I don’t have to deal with pairing or charging, and comfortable enough to wear for a couple hours before bed. My budget is around $150, preferably less. I’ve been looking at the sennheiser HD 599 and 569, which are $139 and $99 on Amazon right now. Would you guys recommend either of those for my case or are there better options out there? If your main opposition to wireless headphones is having to constantly charge them, know that most full-size headphones have battery life in the range of 20-40 hours. I can go over a month without having to recharge my ATH-M50xBTs, even though I use them every night for 2-3 hours. Newer models with USB-C can fully charge in 2-3 hours. This means that if you ever end up in a low battery situation, putting them on the charger for 15 minutes will get you several more hours of use. I'll honor your criteria and only list wired recommendations, though. Open back headphones have their place, but because they roll off quite a bit in the bass region, they can sound pretty gutless for games and movies. Since that is your primary use case, you may want to stick with closed backs. Plus, many open back models will need amplification to get the most out of them (the HD 600 and 660 come to mind). Not all of them, though. I have the HD 58x and, surprisingly, despite being 150 ohms, those work really well when plugged directly into a phone or PC and produce sub-bass frequencies as well as it does through a USB DAC. Those frequencies are still really recessed compared to closed backs, but it was all there. Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros are $120-130 new and do a lot of things well. They have a relatively flat response curve, have good soundstage that rivals open backs, are comfortable, well built, and are easy to repair. Get the 80 or 32 ohm version since you'll be using it without an amp. My only real gripe is that the cable is permanently attached, and its a long boy (9 feet, I think), which could be an annoyance if you plan to use this with a tablet or portable game system. There are also the Audio-Technica M50x and M40x if you want something with a detachable cable that is also durable and can also fold up and be thrown into a bag. The headband upholstery and earpads fall apart after two years like clockwork, so you may want to set aside some money to address that when it happens. The earpads can also be a bit shallow, so there is a chance your ears could be pressed up against the insides. You can get larger aftermarket earpads to adddress this, but they usually alter the sound characteristics in a way that I find unacceptable. Zorilla fucked around with this message at 05:12 on Aug 31, 2023 |
# ? Aug 31, 2023 04:54 |
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Zorilla posted:Open back headphones have their place, but because they roll off quite a bit in the bass region ?????????? what on earth are you talking about e: also dt770 are almost ludicrously v shaped, in no universe are they "relatively flat" i appreciate your enthusiasm but graphs do exist Dr. Fishopolis fucked around with this message at 06:06 on Aug 31, 2023 |
# ? Aug 31, 2023 06:04 |
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Dr. Fishopolis posted:?????????? I was basing it off the target curve RTINGS.com uses, fair enough. Based on the part of my post you've chosen to quote, are you disputing the idea that open backs have bass rolloff? Everything I've observed shows that they do and that could be an issue when used for movies or games. Here is a raw graph if that's any better: https://www.rtings.com/headphones/1-5/graph#440/7917/891 You could swap the examples used for any other combination of open and closed back headphones and it's the same story. What am I missing?
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# ? Aug 31, 2023 06:33 |
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Also very few open backs these days need an amp unless you're buying absolute top end studio gear.
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# ? Aug 31, 2023 15:06 |
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Zorilla posted:I was basing it off the target curve RTINGS.com uses, fair enough. Based on the part of my post you've chosen to quote, are you disputing the idea that open backs have bass rolloff? Everything I've observed shows that they do and that could be an issue when used for movies or games. Here is a raw graph if that's any better: Your two open back examples are the Sennheiser 58X and the HD600, which are very nearly the exact same headphone. Both roll off in the subbass. That does not mean that all open back headphones behave the same way. I don't know why you're basing your entire experience of open back headphones off one model, but try your experiment again with some models from Focal, Hifiman, or especially Audeze or ZMF. Example: Ananda vs HD58x: https://www.rtings.com/headphones/1-5/graph#891/7917/670 Look at the old Fidelio X2HR for something cheaper. If the bass rolls off, that's a function of the specific tuning of that headphone, it has absolutely gently caress all to do with being open back, especially if it's planar. The HD600 has many, many variants but that doesn't mean it represents all open back headphones. e: also, when recommending the DT770, do not ignore that insane spike at 8K in the graph. it is real. i love mine but in small doses because god drat that treble. Dr. Fishopolis fucked around with this message at 15:40 on Aug 31, 2023 |
# ? Aug 31, 2023 15:24 |
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njsykora posted:Also very few open backs these days need an amp unless you're buying absolute top end studio gear. I realize impedance isn't everything, but even with DT 770s, I've run across quite a few outputs that couldn't drive them properly (usually PC motherboards). Those are 80 ohm. With Sennheiser in particular releasing models with 150 or even 300 ohms of impedance, it would be a concern of mine. I'm sure they would work without an amp/DAC in a pinch, but I wouldn't recommend it. Dr. Fishopolis posted:Your two open back examples are the Sennheiser 58X and the HD600, which are very nearly the exact same headphone. Both roll off in the subbass. That does not mean that all open back headphones behave the same way. I don't know why you're basing your entire experience of open back headphones off one model, but try your experiment again with some models from Focal, Hifiman, or especially Audeze or ZMF. Example: Ananda vs HD58x: https://www.rtings.com/headphones/1-5/graph#891/7917/670 Look at the old Fidelio X2HR for something cheaper. Ok, let's broaden our search a little: Audeze LCD-1 Philips Fidelio X2HR Focel Elear HiFiMan HE400se HiFiMan Sundara Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro AKG K701 Out of all of the ones discussed, the HiFiMan Ananda were the only ones I saw that didn't have significant roll-off (although RTINGS.com's measurements between the left and right channels were way off one another and still showed a small amount of roll-off in the right channel. I don't know what was going on there). I can't comment on ZMF because loudog999's budget is < $150 and some of their headphones are worth more than my car. I'm sure it's possible to tune an open back headphone to have good, linear bass response. It just doesn't seem to be that common. And to say that lack of bass has "gently caress all to do with being open back" seems a bit hyperbolic when the primary reason closed backs have an advantage in this area is because they produce a seal around the listener's ears and therefore have to move less air to accomplish the same goal. In practical use, a little bit of sub-bass loss isn't going to be a big deal and may not even be noticeable for most music listening, but my original recommendation to use closed backs for movies and gaming still stands. I greatly prefer my ATH-M50xBTs or DT 770s to my HD 58x for this purpose. Zorilla fucked around with this message at 17:56 on Aug 31, 2023 |
# ? Aug 31, 2023 17:32 |
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Zorilla posted:In practical use, a little bit of sub-bass loss isn't going to be a big deal and may not even be noticeable for most music listening, but my original recommendation to use closed backs for movies and gaming still stands. I greatly prefer my ATH-M50xBTs or DT 770s to my HD 58x for this purpose. Of course you do. The 58x are notably bass light, like most HD600 variants, and both the M50x and DT770 have massive sub shelves. (and wild rear end treble, holy poo poo lol) Here's a comparison between your 58x, the X2HR and the Sundara. Note how the X2HR has a big, fun bump at 60hz. Notice how while the Sundara has less bass volume, it extends pretty much linearly. Like most open back planars, you can EQ this for as much subbass as you want. Yes, closed backs are much easier to construct as bass cannons since you can port the chamber for a resonant bass spike. This does not mean that you can't have bassy open backs, and the quality of open back bass tends to be much better since it avoids all the phase issues that ported enclosures introduce. Dr. Fishopolis fucked around with this message at 18:31 on Aug 31, 2023 |
# ? Aug 31, 2023 18:21 |
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loudog999 posted:My Bose AE2s are finally falling apart and I’m looking to replace them. I only use them at night with my iPad to watch movies, music videos on YouTube, and game some on my steam deck/switch. I want something wired so I don’t have to deal with pairing or charging, and comfortable enough to wear for a couple hours before bed. My budget is around $150, preferably less. I’ve been looking at the sennheiser HD 599 and 569, which are $139 and $99 on Amazon right now. Would you guys recommend either of those for my case or are there better options out there? JBL Tune 710BT is a well-tuned headphone for like, $80. While it has Bluetooth, it sounds the same wired and unpowered unlike many Bluetooth headphones. Just make sure you buy from a retailer with good return policy in case you find them uncomfortable.
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# ? Aug 31, 2023 18:28 |
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Godzilla07 posted:JBL Tune 710BT is a well-tuned headphone for like, $80. While it has Bluetooth, it sounds the same wired and unpowered unlike many Bluetooth headphones. Just make sure you buy from a retailer with good return policy in case you find them uncomfortable. Thanks I’ll look into these. I may have to put off my headphones search for a bit however, decided to waste my money on the PlayStation portal instead. Thanks for all the info to all, I understood some of it.
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# ? Aug 31, 2023 20:55 |
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Kinda looking for something specific here: I'd like to get a pair of inner-ear earphones that I can use while sleeping. Basically I just want to listen to noise, or a sleep podcast, or something, but since it's while sleeping, I need something that's got a real small profile so I could potentially rest my head on it without it jamming into my ear canal. And my ears are a weird shape so nothing stays in them unless they're going into the ear. Sound quality isn't a big issue. Anyone have experience with something like that? Oh, also those sleep headbands aren't an option. Would either give me a migraine or get me way too warm.
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# ? Sep 5, 2023 16:00 |
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I use one AirPod in that situation. It’ll probably fall out sometime after you fall asleep.
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# ? Sep 5, 2023 18:38 |
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Ety er2xr would fit the bill
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# ? Sep 5, 2023 19:01 |
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Dogen posted:Ety er2xr would fit the bill Can’t be healthy to sleep with triple flanges in your ear
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# ? Sep 6, 2023 07:27 |
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There are people who swear by them for sleep, but if you're someone who moves about in your sleep they're probably not a good idea. The Anker Dots work nicely, they're pretty small and I'm pretty sure their current Sleep line is just rebranded Dots.
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# ? Sep 6, 2023 07:51 |
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Morpheus posted:Kinda looking for something specific here: I'd like to get a pair of inner-ear earphones that I can use while sleeping. Basically I just want to listen to noise, or a sleep podcast, or something, but since it's while sleeping, I need something that's got a real small profile so I could potentially rest my head on it without it jamming into my ear canal. And my ears are a weird shape so nothing stays in them unless they're going into the ear. Sound quality isn't a big issue. Anyone have experience with something like that? A lot of people love those sleepbuds that Bose made, although they're discontinued and not officially supported any more as far as I'm aware. But they're made specifically for sleeping.
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# ? Sep 6, 2023 10:51 |
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Sorbus posted:Can’t be healthy to sleep with triple flanges in your ear I use comply foam tips I’m either doing ok or I guess unknowingly about to die of ear cancer Dogen fucked around with this message at 13:01 on Sep 6, 2023 |
# ? Sep 6, 2023 12:59 |
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I need some noise cancelling headphones to cover up throat clearing and coughing by a coworker. Budget - anything less than $300 is probably approved without a second thought. Up to $500 will need good justification. Source - to be honest, I won’t even use these for listening to things most of the time. When I do want them for audio purposes rather than ANC, it’ll be from a phone, a 3.5mm jack on my laptop, or a similar port on airplane flights. Intended use case - I need active noise cancellation that works on human speech and associated noises (throat clearing, sniffing of clogged sinuses, etc.). I tried some low-cost options that were great for road/white/brown noise, but did almost nothing for speech. They are now my wife’s, and I’m still looking. I’ll be using these primarily in my office because I can’t escape the source of the noise that needs cancelling. Preferred Headphone features - Wired connection preferred so that I can use them on flights down the road. If I’m using them on airplanes, I’ll want a 3.5mm connection at one end; but a lot of the time I will be at my desk, where I have access to USB ports (computer, tablet) and lightning ports (iPhone). Presumably I’m looking at over-the-ear products, which suits me just fine. I don’t mind if Bluetooth is an option, but that likely won’t be how I primarily use them. Do not need a microphone built-in, but won’t object if there is one. I just saw the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 recommended upthread. If the noise cancellation is good for speech patterns, that might work.
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# ? Sep 7, 2023 22:02 |
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I don't think there is anything like that which ANC does, you're more looking for an earplug situation. ANC basically does what the pair you gave your wife does (drowns out constant annoying noise, not periodic annoying noise).
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# ? Sep 7, 2023 22:14 |
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# ? Jun 8, 2024 08:05 |
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Coming up on a year of owning the Sony WH-1000XM5's and dutifully wearing them basically every week day at work and figured I'd put some thoughts down.
That's all I can really think of at the moment, at least things that have stood out. Overall I'm happy with them if the annoying parts happen a bit too often. But for 270 bucks from a Black Friday deal last year, at a time when this headset didn't have deep discounts at the time, I'm not going to complain too much.
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# ? Sep 8, 2023 21:01 |