My trusty headphones (Sony) bought for a few pounds many years ago are sadly coming to the end of their life.
Any recommendations as to what I should replace them with?
My Bose Bluetooth noise-cancelling headphones are absolutely wonderful: comfortable, have a wide dynamic range and the noise-cancelling feature (which can be switched off) offers a truly immersive experience. No doubt other modern headphones are just as effective..
My Bose SoundSport In-Ear Earphones are very good - good sound quality, largely noise-cancelling, and fit very well in the ear without falling out. Highly recommend. These ones - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bose-SoundSport-Earphones-Apple-Devices/dp/B0117RFPAE (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bose-SoundSport-Earphones-Apple-Devices/dp/B0117RFPAE)
A lot of people get triggered by just the word 'Bose' much less implying they are at all good...
Personally I love the Senheisser 598 series I've had for many years (and the 595s before it, which are basically the same) but they don't make them any more alas....they have 599s which are supposedly a bit different sounding and specifically a bit worse for classical...
I had a row with Bose (they didn't think "composer" was a category worth sorting music by, classical music too "niche", argh!) but I can't fault the quality of their headphones. What is it that triggers you?
I'm not, but....
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/whats-so-bad-about-bose.362633/
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/bose-why-does-it-get-laughed-at-in-the-audiophile-community-are-the-products-really-that-bad.586015/
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/are-bose-headphones-really-as-bad-as-people-say-they-are.530853/
https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/2cxtks/why_do_audiophiles_not_like_bose/
https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/ayeflb/are_bose_really_that_bad/
https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/7fu1lj/why_does_bose_have_a_bad_reputation/
Just for starters from a simple Google search.
I have had Grado 325E headphones and have been satisfied with them. I still think they can be had for under $300.
I love my B&O H8 on ear headphones. They are a few years old now, but the clarity is wonderful so I can hear individual instruments without effort. Previously I had tried several different makes including Bose & Sennheiser.
Thank you for the replies. Looks like I'm going to have to fork out some serious money.
You get what you pay for. Except, apparently, with Bose. ;D
Depends on how and where you listen to your music. If you listen to classical music you need a pair to suit the genre. Do not buy any recommendations from What-hifi.
You need a comfortable pair for long listening sessions. If you listen at home with other people you may consider a closed pair. If you don't, consider an open pair. These suit classical/opera music and you get a better sound-stage quality.
I do a lot of walking as well and have a pair of bluetooth headphones as well. These are Bose (noise cancelling) . Very comfortable and block external noice but you will have to compensate on the sound quality somewhat, compared to a wired open backed pair.
For the home I have a pair of Senheisser 598 SE. I bought these during lockdown as grade(b) from Germany at a fraction of the price. When i received them they were like brand new. I was lucky.
Yes, I use noise-cancelling bluetooth ear buds when I'm out walking and an excellent innovation they've proved to be.
Quote from: Joachim Raff on Tuesday 18 August 2020, 15:05
For the home I have a pair of Senheisser 598 SE. I bought these during lockdown as grade(b) from Germany at a fraction of the price. When i received them they were like brand new. I was lucky.
That IS lucky. Last time I looked it'd cost about $350 to get one (retail was $200 but they don't make em any more). Really sucks since, as I noted above, the 599 is supposedly different and not quite as good for classical.
I would recommend the Klipsch Bluetooth neckband, which runs at about $129. Have used Klipsch for years and always reliable.
I use a pair of Sony WH-1000XM2s (they're up to XM4 nowadays) that I bought three years ago and still function as well as they did the first day, despite seeing quite a bit of abuse (I am - or was - on the road fairly often). Generally comparable with Mark's Bose QC35-IIs. The Boses are very light, the Sonys are a bit heavier and more cushioned (my brother calls them "ear-muffy" and that is accurate).
There are opinions about whose noise reduction is better, but I don't hear much difference (my wife has the Boses too). In general though, I'd advise you to try them before buying because the ergonomics are quite different (touch vs buttons) and everyone's head is, too.
By the way, avoid the Powerbeats Pro. They're excellent for anything but classical music. I use them mainly for podcasts and audiobooks, but I switch to the Sony if I want to listen to music.
what do you lose with the noise reduction feature?
Not to be flippant, but: the world. They greatly help me to concentrate on listening. I live in the city, and the combination of passive and active noise cancellation work well to create a more immersive experience.
I picked up a pair of hd99 Sennheiser phones. beautiful
I recently bought a pair of Apple's Airpods. Amazing sound quality BUT they fall out of my ears all the time. Has anyone else found the same?!
Our household has gone over to the dark side: Samsung, but I have a pair of Urbanista ear buds which have great sound quality and stay put. Can you get different shaped ear pieces for them, Christopher?
Which is why I chose the 99 Sennheiser. I listen alone in a quiet environment. They are superior to my Grado.
Quote from: Mark Thomas on Tuesday 14 December 2021, 11:24
Our household has gone over to the dark side: Samsung, but I have a pair of Urbanista ear buds which have great sound quality and stay put. Can you get different shaped ear pieces for them, Christopher?
Well, AirPods come in a little box which which they charge (you attach the box to the mains). So if you attach different-shaped ear pieces, they won't fit into their box, and won't charge. Infuriating. However, a few people have recommended same-shaped ear-pieces which are made of memory foam (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B088HD5SCJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_8SKM1K877JB686D6JX24?_encoding=UTF8&th=1 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B088HD5SCJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_8SKM1K877JB686D6JX24?_encoding=UTF8&th=1)) - however one reviewer says that they disintegrated inside his ear and had to be surgically removed which is somewhat demotivating...
:) Over the ear Sennheiser won't do this and the sound has made me relisten to all of my CDs again!!! They are that good along with the headphone Douk tube preamp.