Support NeoGAF

[anaslexy]

I'm thinking of upgrading my current headphones to Bose QC 35 which seem like the best ones around based on friend recommendations and reviews. Was wondering if GAF has any suggestions before I pull the switch as they are quite expensive. I'm currently using Jabra move headphones.

My main headphone activities are gaming watching Netflix/YouTube/Twitch.

 

[catmincer]

I spent ages deciding between qc35s and Sony mdr1000x. I went with the Sony in the end cause the sound quality was better.

 

[SMattera]

Do you travel a lot? Noise-cancelling headphones are amazing for frequent travelers, and I never fly without them.

But if you don't, I would just get something like Audio Technica M70X or Grado SR 325, etc.

 

[STI]

air Pods

 

[MultiCore]

Do you want open or closed back?

Look into HD 600/650s, and a Magni 3/ Modi 2 stack.

 

[shamo42]

I personally love the Grado SR80e. I've owned the Sennheiser HD600, the Beyerdynamic DT880 and some other headphones but they were dull compared to the Grado.

Even though they are only 32 Ohm, a good amp makes them shine. I use "Project Polaris". IMO a match made in heaven.

 

[rokkerkory]

Just picked up QC 35 series 2 in silver. They are just amazing. High quality and lightweight.

 

[Gamegeneral]

I got a pair of Shure SRH440s. They've been doing me well, for around a hundo.

 

[Haemi]

I used HD650 and switched to HD800 a few months ago. Both are very good. Of course quite expensive.

I use them in combination with an Asus xonar essence one.

 

[Stinkles]

I spent ages deciding between qc35s and Sony mdr1000x. I went with the Sony in the end cause the sound quality was better.

This is me. In the end I went with the Bose because of the google assistant (in the series II) and battery life/charging time. In an A/B test there was basically nothing in it for me on sound quality. Sony maybe had a whisper of edge, but not enough to beat the other things on balance.

But you can't go wrong between the two.

IF YOU WANT NOISE CANCELING. If not you should ignore both of these and save a ton of money. You can get way better audio quality for half that price.

Just picked up QC 35 series 2 in silver. They are just amazing. High quality and lightweight.

my man!

team silver.

 

[batrush]

Just picked up QC 35 series 2 in black. They are fantastic. Sound quality isn’t amazing but the ANC is something else. Great build quality and ear-gonomics too.

100% worth it

 

[ロキー]

I don't know if you're an audiophile OP but the HyperX Cloud II headphones go on sale quite a bit (I got mine for $50 refurbished) and they're the most comfortable headphones I've worn. They have great sound quality too and a detachable microphone you can use for gaming and other applications.

 

[Blam]

Honestly I wish earbuds were more wanted. There are none out now that match the level of comfort that Apple has on their earbuds.

I hate buying new earbuds from apple because they are so damn expensive, but I sorta have to when I can't find a better product anywhere else.

 

[Ubername]

Honestly I wish earbuds were more wanted. There are none out now that match the level of comfort that Apple has on their earbuds.

I hate buying new earbuds from apple because they are so damn expensive, but I sorta have to when I can't find a better product anywhere else.

Are you splitting the difference between ear pods and ear buds? Buds being the wired apple type and pods being the metal transceivers with plastic domes on them to go in your ear.

Because if you aren't I think you just need to shop around a little more,

and as for the OP, I use Hesh 2 Wireless which are around $60 and they work fine and are bluetooth. They have a pretty bright light on them which I used duct tape to kill.

 

[pureplayin2]

Sony WH-1000xm2, they are the newer version of the mdr1000x and they are an improvement over the already great 1000x. If you want noise cancelling bluetooth the 1000xm2 are the only ones to get!

 

[anaslexy]

Thanks for the good advice peeps. Am I paying a lot more for getting noise cancellation? I don't need headphones during travel/commute.

 

[Water]

Thanks for the good advice peeps. Am I paying a lot more for getting noise cancellation? I don't need headphones during travel/commute.

Yes. None of the best headphones have noise cancelling, and the phones that have it are typically matched by normal headphones $100 lower or more. It's a very pricy feature, one of the few that are easy to market to people who don't generally pay attention to audio.

My general recommendations:

under $40: Superlux HD-681 Evo (open phones; huge performance for the price)
$70ish: Philips SHP-9500 (open phones; reportedly great comfort and soundstage for gaming at this price; I have the more expensive Fidelio X2's but would still buy SHP-9500 for curiosity's sake if they were available in Europe)
$100ish: maybe Sony MDR-7506 (closed phones, compact, indestructible pro gear)
$200+: gets very personal, my favorites are the Beyerdynamic DT-880 and (close second) Philips Fidelio X2, both open headphones with great soundstage
If you want an integrated mic, I'd get the HyperX Clouds which are very good value, or add a V-Moda Boompro mic to the Philips headphones for a more high end solution.

 

[wihio]

I have Sennheiser HD650s paired with a Bottlehead Crack amp, which is worth reading up on as these two items are seemingly made for each other. The sound quality is phenomenal and you will have a chance to build a tube amp of your very own!

 

[Blam]

Are you splitting the difference between ear pods and ear buds? Buds being the wired apple type and pods being the metal transceivers with plastic domes on them to go in your ear.

Because if you aren't I think you just need to shop around a little more,

and as for the OP, I use Hesh 2 Wireless which are around $60 and they work fine and are bluetooth. They have a pretty bright light on them which I used duct tape to kill.

You're right buds I can't wear at all since it's too big for my ears.

But the pods, it seems like apple has a monopoly on them, since it's near impossible to find good ones. I cannot find one that doesn't go into my ear. I've already tried multiple in ear and it doesn't work.

But the style apple has which I'd assume to be earpods, are the only ones I can actually wear and use. I have seen one other one that might work, but those are from aliexpress with a couple month wait time.

 

[bicen]

I picked up a pair of QC35's about 2 months ago. Couldn't be happier.

This being said, if you aren't looking for something portable with noise cancelling, I would go with something like the HD600/650s or maybe some Audio-Technicas. You just need to make sure you have the hardware to drive these types of cans which can become a larger expense than the headphones themselves.