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My wife's after some. At what point does it stop being money well spent and start being showing off or audiophilia?
She's not overly bothered about sound quality but the more noise cancelling the better. I've tried a few good ones around £150 ish on discount, but I'm not sure how the likes of Cowin off Amazon compare.
I’m perenialy looking for this. TBH I should probably just buy the Bose QC 35 IIs and have done with it. They can be had for around £250 on eBay.
There are some on 7day shop which are supposed to be well regarded though.
Not sure about cheaper ones but I have the Bose in ear. I like to travel light and wanted something that fits in a pocket rather than a large bag. Picked them up on offer at the outlet. They are amazing. I can’t believe how much noise they take out. Over head ones must be sublime.
depends what she means by noise really - on a flight you can "remove" the engine/wind noise because it's constant, even wih no music playing it's very obviously reduced when the NR is active but I can hear conversations pretty much as I would with non-NR phones on (mine are over-the-ears Lindy ones, about 70 quid I think)
If she wants to drown out voices at work (or home 😉 ) or whatever then I think she needs in-ear "isolating" ones rather than NR unless she's willing to run them pretty loud
I bought some QC25 off ebay for the summer flight, I was blown away by them it was like switching off all external noise.
I've tried Denon, Sony and Bose. I bought the latter. QC15s. Better noise cancellation, and excellent sound.
When the QC35s came out, I bought them almost immediately (Bluetooth and USB charging both a MASSIVE upgrade) and sold the old ones on to a friend.
I use mine a lot, mainly for flying, and the big plus points for me are;
Wireless - great when around the airport, one less cable to get caught, or to worry about when going through security.
Battery - Have never run out, even with heavy use. Charges quickly via USB.
Sound - It's very good. OK, not as good as a purer pair of headphones, but...
Noise cancelling - Enough to drown out the droning of a plane and other people, but I can still hear the cabin crew offering to top up my Chablis. 😎
Only slight downsides are the odd different-ended cable connection (I've bought a spare in advance, just in case) and that big over ear headphones can be a bit hot and sticky in the tropics.
Iv'e got Bose QC15's too.
Excellent sound & comfort. Iv'e worn them on a few LH flights & forget I'm wearing them. Noise cancelling is excellent too.
For those of us who more often find themselves on a National Express with wings, would any of these cope with silencing, say, a screaming baby a couple of rows ahead, and a stag party a couple of rows behind?
I have the QC35II’s and they are brilliant. Used them on a packed commuter train daily and they take even roudy bunches down to a very bearable level.
Wouldn’t bother with anything else to be honest. They’re supremely comfortable also
Ok but who's tried both cheap and expensive ones? I don't doubt £300 headphones are brilliant, I want to know the difference between them and the £70-99 ones.
I started out with some £80 Sony noise canceling headphones and they were pretty naff, ended up with Bose QC25's. As CFH has said, the cable is a PITA and have tangled the cable up a few times in the electric seat mechanism on planes and once mangled one of the plugs so had to source a replacement cable at my destination which was easy enough as there are Bose dealers and outlets everywhere in any half civilised town or city on the globe - and about £25, so wireless ones would be a worthwhile upgrade. Would upgrade mine, but haven't had their value from them yet.
Noise cancelling works great for me....when the battery is strong will pretty much perfectly cancel out everything...crying babies, everything. batteries last about 2 to 3 long haul fights for me (1xAAA) - and they are on from before push back to arrival at the destination gate. The only thing I'd say is music sound quality is not quite as good as with noise cancelling turned on, but not an issue for movies, and I detect a sort of white noise thing....not so much a sound, more of a sensation. Not unpleasant and you get used to it, but gives you a bit of a strange sensation for a short while as you start using them.
Also make sure you can sleep on your back because with over ear headphones you won't be lying on your side to sleep. I only use mine on planes and in airports. They're not that bulky really....they fold up into their nice pouch so easily fits in any bag you might have with you...hang off your neck nice and comfily.
Also the Bose warranty and support is legendary. My dad bought some QC15's from a mate when they were about 2 years old. He had them for a year an used them quite alot. After a time the leathery plastic coating around the padding started to come away in small black flakes, he emailed Bose to enquire about purchasing some replacement ear padding pieces and they sent him a brand new pair of replacement headphones...no questions about being the original purchaser or anything. So you can't argue with that support.
Whatever you decide on, Bluetooth is inferior sound quality to cable connection.
Bowers and Wilkins PX here...
Price/quality line - cheap sounds cheap, expensive sounds expensive. Mine were £350 and sound great. Law of diminishing returns kicks in at some point, more so with Hifi than most other consumables.
Being a tight wad, I bought a pair of these. They work passively at home every bit as well as they do on a plane with NR activated. Sound quality is more than acceptable for £50 and being over ear, rather than on or in ear, they are dead comfy. Aircraft drone is vastly reduced but conversation, while dulled, still gets through. You can remove the cable and just use them to reduce background noise without playing music through them. Well worth it and have been reliable for over 5 years of regular use.
EDIT Tried my brother's Bose QC headphones before buying the Goldrings. There was less white noise with Bose, compared to the Goldrings with NR switched on, but they were less comfortable and 5x the price.
I started out with some £80 Sony noise canceling headphones and they were pretty naff, ended up with Bose QC25’s.
How did they compare purely on noise cancelling terms?
6 years+ with some of the original Bose QC35. The wire is occasionally a bit of a pain, but otherwise they are sublime. They really make planes and trains vastly more comfortable places to be.
My only direct comparison was with some Sennheiser in-ear types which claimed to be noise cancelling (by virtue of acting as ear plugs). They were shit.
First up - I can't answer your question. I only have Bose (they are great).
I would recommend in-ear ones. If you want to sleep on a plane or anywhere you'll inevitably lean on your side at some point, which would be impossible with on-ear ones.
– cheap sounds cheap, expensive sounds expensive.
My £40 Sony MDR-EX650s have better sound than my Bose QC35s.
When sitting in a quiet room listening.
My QC35s have waaaaaay better sound at 35,000ft above Greenland.
Horses/Courses.
I got some Lindy ones form Richer sound and I really like them.
I had some PX’s on 60 day trial and sent them back-lack of top end fine detail annoyed me so now have some Sony WH1000XM2 to try. Noise cancelling and detail is better but comfort may be an issue as they press on my ears a bit-the PX’s were heavy but very comfortable. Most reviews rave about the B&W’s so I wonder if mine were faulty. The B&W app was rubbish too-took a minute to connect to my phone even though the phones were already connected.
The noise cancelling on the £80 Sony's I had was a joke. Seriously, it was £80 down the drain. My Bose came in at £240 I think and the additional cash was worth it in my experience...not cheap I understand...it was a big decision for me to take the plunge and I had £100 of Amazon vouchers to burn off which took the sting out of it, but I've not regretted it for a second.
It was a good few years ago now so I'm sure £80 noise cancelling headphones have come on a bit from those woeful Sony's I had....but from the reviews so have Bose headphones as they continue to develop their technology...the QC35's are supposed to be better than the QC25's for example. But the law of diminishing returns always applies, so not sure where that tipping point is.
I think at the cheaper end of the scale you're probably better off going with technology that blocks out outside sound like those buds that mould to your ear to block out outside sound, rather than going for active noise cancelling technology.
Whatever you decide on, Bluetooth is inferior sound quality to cable connection.
True....but often not as bad as MP3, so your only as good as your weakest link, which will probably be MP3 sound quality unless you're very picky about your MP3's. With in-ear buds I can't tell the difference...but I can tell the difference with my Bose between high quality MP3, which I have on my phone at 256kb/s, and Apple Lossless, which I have on my laptop - Apple Lossless is noticeably better quality. So depends what source you're listening to.
I tried loads over several weeks and shortlisted the B&W P7's and the Sennheiser M2 AEBT. Both had very subtle noise-cancelling. The Bose I found to be too active and spoilt the music.
In the end, Sennheiser won but it was marginal. Both were very good.
Superb sound and a delight to wear. And that 4 hour flight on Sleazyjet. Silence. I couldn't hear the engine noise at all and it was extraordinary and I spent quite a lot of time taking them off and putting them back on again like a child delighting in how quiet my journey was.
As for crying babies, announcements and all the other hard to block noises, while they weren't eradicated, it was a very very pleasant journey and I was constantly amazed at how noisy the aircraft was every time I took them off.
They are expensive (£269) but worth it (for me). And away from the noise of chavs and screaming babies on a plane, listening in the comfort of my house, it's been like I'm discovering my music collection all over again. The sound and detail is amazing.
Would highly recommend.
I’ve got some Sony WH 100XM2’s
Very comfy perhaps not quite so as the BOSE, however better noise cancelling. Sound quality is ok, I wouldn’t say stunning though
Lots of fancy techy gizmo stuff on them. Can be Bluetooth or cable, never used the cable, why would you ??
Paid £200 from John Lewis
We have a pair of Sony WH-H900 that we primarily bought for our youngest son who has a few sensory issues , the noise cancelling function works great for him in loud crowd/music/motor racing situations . The sound is pretty good on them but they aren't fantastic for people with small heads ( my wife struggles to keep them on). Battery life is amazing we get over 20 hours use easily. Bought ours on an Amazon treasure truck deal for £99.99.
There have been reports of them buzzing a bit from the right ear when using the noise cancelling function but I haven't noticed it on our set.
Got the Sony 1000xm2 as well based on great reviews and got a good discount at Dixon’s at the airport. They’re great. As people have said, cut out constant background nose like traffic noise or engine noise brilliantly, less so voices and suchlike. Listened to quite a few in John Lewis and the more expensive ones seemed to have less hiss (white noise) and cancelled noise better. Didn’t try any of he cheaper amazon specials or suchlike - based on reviews seems that they were perfectly ok, but tend to have quite a bit of white noise.
I will take any opportunity to talk about noise cancelling headphones! I have tried a few pairs of cheaper (£80ish sony and panasonic) ones, and they dont stand up. Less comfortable, sound worse, noise cancelling a bit shite.
I have a pair of QC35 II and a pair of QC 3s.
I didn't realise how much passive noise I was exposed too - they make a huge difference to my day to day life, but its especially noticeable when travelling.
The QC35s are one of my prised possessions, they come everywhere with me, have survived 3 years of twice monthly long haul flights, trains, gym sessions (not recommended - a bit sweaty), shitty hotels, loud offices etc etc and have never missed a beat. Put them on and you are suddenly in a peaceful place. Battery lasts forever, and takes a standard charger. They work as passive headphones if you run out of battery. They are comfortable for long time use (I once did 16 hours without removing them). These were bought to replace the QC3s because I wanted wireless and over ear.
The QC3s were given to my boss to try out on our last flight. We got to our connecting airport, and the first thing he did was go and buy a pair of QC35s. His wife now has a pair too, and apparently no longer hates flying.
£300 odd quid on headphones is a lot, but once you've experienced how much of a game changer they are you wont regret spending that money.
My advice - get any of the expensive ones, but make sure your wife tries them on for as long as possible and the fit is right.
If she wants to drown out voices at work (or home) or whatever then I think she needs in-ear “isolating” ones rather than NR unless she’s willing to run them pretty loud.
This, and to do that effectively, you need triple-flanged eartips, like proper industrial plugs for hearing protection. The noise reduction is around 26dB, which means most noise is diminished to the point that it’s unnoticable when playing largely acoustic music at a comfortable volume. If you choose phones with replaceable cables using MMCX connectors, like Shure, then you can get a replacement cable with a remote and a BT module, allowing the ‘phones to be used wirelessly, for about £50. Made by MeeAudio.
First up – I can’t answer your question. I only have Bose (they are great).
I would recommend in-ear ones. If you want to sleep on a plane or anywhere you’ll inevitably lean on your side at some point, which would be impossible with on-ear ones.
Agreed but the Bose in-ear BT ones have a really annoying and uncomfortable "collar" thing which was a deal-breaker for me 🙁
Very comfy perhaps not quite so as the BOSE, however better noise cancelling. Sound quality is ok, I wouldn’t say stunning though
Sound quality does depend on how they are talking to your device. The WH-1000MX2 have AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC codecs, so should sound better than OK. The app will tell you what method you're using.
There should be some decent deals on the WH-1000MX2 coming up as the WH-1000MX3 is being released next week.
You definitely get what you pay for with noise cancelling. I have the Bose QC35s, very good headphones.
It used to be that if you wanted the best noise cancelling, you went Bose, and Sony for the best sound, as there's a bit of a trade-off. That may have changed with the new XM3 from Sony, which also means you can get a good deal on the XM2.
The Bose bluetooth doesn't support AptX, so you can hear some compression but they're fantastic with a cable connection. Also depends on whether you like the Bose "sound" (which I do).
Just get Bose, even older ones like QC15s have noise cancelling that surpasses pretty much everyone else and they are light and comfy.
If she likes her music, appreciates good sound, wants something with a bit of oomph on the listening side of things, then it does get a bit more complicated.
FWIW, having been through a great number of the major NC headphones - I landed on the Sony WH-1000mx2s.
I got some Lindy ones form Richer sound and I really like them.
I spent far too long browsing and reading reviews of wireless headphone and finally settled on these - arrived last night and (as soon as I get my coffee) about to pair them and try them out. Seemed to be the best option without spending £250+ on the Sonys or Bose. Just hope the reviews of the Lindys are true about them blowing anything similar at £80 out the water.
QC35 from the Bose outlet - mine were “factory refurbs” from their try them and return them if you don’t like them scheme. Effectively this meant I got a B&W cardboard box not a colour one - otherwise identical. Something like £240-250 (they negotiate!) when the cheapest I could get a grey import was £280 and full Bose warranty and return scheme.
We don't really have £300 to throw around on consumer electronics of course, that's why I started the thread. People on STW always assume you're just being miserly rather than actually poor.
More interested in how the £100 ones compare in terms.of notice cancelling to the ones we can't afford.
molgrips, reviews like this are what tempted me to the try the £80 Lindys:
https://www.whathifi.com/lindy/bnx-60/review .
First pair of noise-cancelling headphones for me so unfortunately have nothing to compare against.
More interested in how the £100 ones compare in terms.of notice cancelling to the ones we can’t afford.
They won't be as good?
How about something like...
https://centresdirect.co.uk/p-23690-sony-wi-1000x-wi1000xbce7a.aspx
or
https://centresdirect.co.uk/p-23663-sony-wf-1000x-wf1000xbce7a.aspx
I had some QC 15s .... they were very poor quality. The PVC on the headband and the ear cuffs started to degrade. So on vacationin the USA on year, I meationed this to the Bose outlet ... and they replaced them (after 7 years) for , i think, it was 99 USD.
The new set are better made - but the battery compartment clip is still just absolutely rubbish.
I now have teh in-ear versions - which are very, very good ... and it means I can sleeep with them in on long haul flights. Cost about 160 GBP in Germany a few years ago.
I would like wireless ones but find that the vinyl used on most overear noise cancellers makes you ears sweat to buggery on onver heated long haul flights.
The those cheapy ones look good ....
Once bought some cheapy Panasonic ones ... they were awful
With regards to your question: noise cancelling on the cheaper ones is perfectly acceptable, and if you are in a noisy environment, chances are that you will never notice a little white noise anyway... I suffer from tinnitus and the drone from engines gives me a splitting headache. I used SONY and Lindy before splurging for more expensive ones.
I tried several pairs before I bought my new pair... In the end I got an unbelievable deal on a pair of BeoPlay H9. Unbelievable sound quality, great noise cancelling, good battery life, more comfortable than the BOSE Q-series for me. And the luxury feel of those lambskin earpads is just pure heaven!
I see no reason not to try something cheaper, I do not think you will be disappointed.
I'm a big fan of my Bose QC15s which have been going strong for many years now. For those who want to go wireless without upgrading to the new ones, I bought one of these recently and it's a really neat solution. Probably compromise a bit on quality over a cable, but work well.
Cheers, Rich
First of all, I haven't tried a vast swathe of expensive noise cancelling headphones - in fact, really only one pair - the £300 Sony ones that seem quite popular; I think it's these ones: WH-1000XM2.
A colleague has got a pair. Speaking with her about them, apparently she went round loads of shops listening to various ones at around that price & reckoned that those ones had the best mix of noise cancelling performance & sound quality.
I was very impressed with them, but no way I was going to pay £300 for some headphones. I ended up getting some cheaper Sony ones that get half decent reviews - the ZX770BNs.
She asked to borrow them for a bit to see what they were like, as she had wanted to try them, but the battery was flat at the only place that had them in stock when she went looking, so she discounted them.
After a short listen, she reckoned that the noise cancelling was almost as good as her £300 ones. She actually seemed a bit shocked that they were as close.
I suspect some of the difference is in the actual deadening effect of the headphone construction itself. Her ones have larger pads and the whole thing just seems 'thicker' so I guess there is more passive deadening going on, as well as the active noise cancelling.
The Lindy mentioned above are supposed to be very good. They were on my shortlist, but I don't think the battery life is as good as the Sony I ended up going for.
I suspect that you wouldn't be disappointed with the noise cancelling capabilities of a pair of headphones around the £100 mark - you would probably notice the difference between those & a set of £300 ones. But if you aren't constantly doing back to back comparisons of them, it is largely irrelevant.
This is good stuff thanks guys.
So whilst we are on the subject, I might like some too - but over-ear phones always make my ears too hot. Any suggestions on in-ear ones for a similar price?
How do they compare to a decent pair of in-ear headphones? I've got some of these and put proper triple flange tips on them (actually double flange as I cut one off for comfort). These obviously keep out a lot of noise and I often wear them just as earplugs with no sound (though something gentle and boring like the kermode and mayo film review podcast puts me to sleep even quicker on flights).
The captain - go to somewhere like John Lewis and try a few.
Good ones are amazing
QC35s for when a child decided to cry none stop from London to NZ... best £300 ever spent. They are super comfy, I use them all the time to work in loud / busy areas now allowing me full concentration (coder). They do feel a little claustrophobic at times making your ears warm and it feels good to take them off every couple of hours but they are super comfy.
You can run them with or without the cable if you want better sound quality than the bluetooth but I cant tell the difference.
The only part that annoys me with them is you cant charge them whilst using them.
I like audio and these should only be used for noisy areas where normal headphones would be lost.
They are large so hard to sleep with them on but in ear headphones ruin my ears after a few hours anyway so i'd rather take the compromises of these.
They feel like they'll last 5 + years.
Lots of cash but a good spend if battling noise is the issue
I've had several pairs, starting with £25-£30 ones and ending up with QC20. The cheaper ones were pretty good for the money, but more help reduce the noise than get rid of it altogether. With the QC20s, a flight is peaceful and silent. Whether they are worth the money is a personal opinion - for some they never would be. For me, they make business travel tolerable and I sometimes even manage to catch a snooze.
@molgrips - I agree, £300 is a stupid amount to spend on headphones (yes, yes, i know other people don't and I don't really care!), how about looking at some discounted ones on Amazon? Maybe they just have been replaced by a newer model, or they're the wrong brand for the brand snobs.. eg http://amzn.eu/d/3BvJFhX
Easy enough to send stuff back to Amazon if it doesn't live up to expectations.
when a child decided to cry
You think kids and babies choose crying?
Sorry to derail the thread but this attitude pisses me right off. Poor kid is utterly miserable and you're blaming him/her? Lovely.
To be honest at the £100 mark I’d look at a decent pair of well isolated non-nc headphones. I used a pair of Beyerdynamic T51’s for commuting before I got the Bose and they were pretty good at lowering the ambient noise level and sound superb.
At the budget end I have yet to find a pair of NC headphone that perform as well (in all respects) as a decent pair of non-nc ones.
Returning to this thread as I'm also considering some. This might be a stupid question but how does bluetooth work for watching movies on planes?
I’ve tried some phillips nc ones from tesco, they were about £35 iirc, from a noise cancelling pov they were ok, definitely reduced the drone on a lh flight. I would still be using them quite happily if my cat hadn’t chewed through the cable.
BUT, after i replaced them with bose qc15 I wouldn’t go back.
i now have qc35ii, bought for me as a late xmas present from my wife, they are fantastic and all that, but so they should be. (At £330)
My advice would be to look for some qc15 ones, they are perfectly good, great noise cancelling, very comfy to wear, run on a AAA battery for about 35 hours.
This might be a stupid question but how does bluetooth work for watching movies on planes?
Assuming you mean watching the film on your phone.....dunno if it works on all phones, but on mine I just stick airplane mode on, then turn the Bluetooth back on and it works fine. You can probably try this without actually connecting headphones and see if Bluetooth on the phone comes back to life?
If you mean how do you watch a film provided by the airline, many (but not all) Bluetooth headphones can also be used by plugging an old fashioned cable in.
As above, airplane mode on, then Bluetooth on. Most airlines are OK with it, but worth checking in advance!
As to watching IFE, it's cables only I'm afraid.
Thanks. That's what I suspected and glad I asked as it would appear the Bose 30 doesn't have the cable.
You can get 3.5mm Bluetooth adapters. Might be worth a look
I had a pair of the Bose QC headphones but recently bought a pair of Plantronics backbeat pro noise cancelling headphones because I needed a pair compatible with Bluetooth.
I’d say the two are on par when it comes to sound quality and noise cancelling performance but the plantronics model has much better battery life and cost about £150 less - I went for the cheaper “tan” model which was on offer at amazon.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MFGYF3I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_YMKXBb8KZSQEE
How do they compare to a decent pair of in-ear headphones? I’ve got some of these and put proper triple flange tips on them (actually double flange as I cut one off for comfort). These obviously keep out a lot of noise and I often wear them just as earplugs with no sound (though something gentle and boring like the kermode and mayo film review podcast puts me to sleep even quicker on flights).
I’ve done that for some years, I used to run an industrial folding machine, which when running was very noisy, especially in a long, narrow room with brick and sheet-metal walls - I measured it at a constant 92dB. My MeeAudio ‘phones with full triple-flanged eartips were as efficient as the industrial earplugs I was supplied with, and I often never bothered having music playing. When I did, I could listen at volumes around what I’d have set in a quiet room.
The first ones I tried were really cheap, the M6 Sport, I think, which were about £11. Stupidly good for the money, with far moor bass than should be possible, and a very flat profile, so they can be worn while sleeping, which I’ve done by accident when listening to music in bed.
Only real problem is the cables are fixed, but at that price they’re almost a consumable! I now use their Pinnacle P1 ‘phones, which have CCMX connectors, and the regular cables can be replaced with a Bluetooth version which costs about £55.
There’s an in-between version, the M6 Pro, which uses a different connection, and there’s a BT cable for that as well, the two together are £85 on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07B4PR2GD/ref=psdc_10395651_t2_B0038W0K2K
I recently bought the latest top of the range Sony ones. Staggeringly good. Makes flying so much more pleasurable. Zero engine noise, zero passenger noise. Sound quality is fantastic too. I'm going to be flying 2-3 times a week so it was worth the £300 investment for the amount of use they'll get. 50 hour battery life apparently. Bluetooth with a cable if necessary. Definitely recommended
Surprised no one has mentioned AKG yet? I tried a lot of headphones before buying and found these to have the best sound (N60NC) for about £130.
I didn't try Bose though, wasn't prepared to pay that much, plus something about Bose gives me the pip.
I have had a pair of Sony WH1000XM2 for about 9 months now and they've rapidly replaced every other pair of headphones I have, including some very expensive Etymotics with custom ear moulds! They aren't quite as comfy as the Bose QC35ii (they press a bit tighter), but they stay put better and the sound quality and noise cancellation is better.
I picked mine up as refurbs from the Sony Centre for about £190 and took out a Sony extended 5yr warranty on them for about £20, which given my track record with headphones, should turn out to be good value!
Battery life is excellent, connection stability is 100% and I wouldn't fly anywhere without them now.
I've got a few noise cancelling headphones. Some good cheaper Panasonics and some crap cheaper ones. Bose are OK but I don't find mine to be the best at noise cancelling or playing music. The best for noise cancelling and music quality for me are my over ear Sennheiser Momentum M2 AEBT (as above) which I don't find too hot to wear (long haul to Denver last week). Also I much prefer wireless when flying.
I picked up a nearly new pair of Bose QC35 a few weeks ago for under £200 - Bose warranty is spot on and I've had friends who've had items replaced without proof of purchase years after buying them.
They're very comfy, and make concentrating in a noisy office environment much easier. Public transport is also a much nicer place to be when there's not as much noise going on.
Previously I'd used a cheap pair (they cost around £50 a few years ago) that we're no longer needed after a mate got a pair of QC35's a couple of years ago and the difference in quality was massive
I won a set of Plantronics Backbeat Pro 2 headphones in a corporate giveaway.
In that case, I would say quality to price ratio is ACE.
Hope that helps 🙂
I bought some Sony WH1000s since the mk2s are cheaper now the mk3 is out. Have only used them for my train communt, working in the library etc, but how do they fare for watching films? My TV doesn't have bluetooth so it's a moot point, but doesn't the audio lag?
Zero lag that I've noticed on my mk3 Sony headphones
I bought some Sony WH1000s since the mk2s are cheaper now the mk3 is out. Have only used them for my train communt, working in the library etc, but how do they fare for watching films? My TV doesn’t have bluetooth so it’s a moot point, but doesn’t the audio lag?
Both AptX and LDAC (Sony's proprietary codec) are low-latency. I often watch TV / films on my S8 with mk2 WH1000s and never have a problem.
The Sony wireless NC headphones (1000XM3) get some stonking reviews, but like speakers, only your wife will be able to tell what sounds best to her. The Sony XM2 are also great and a little cheaper now. I've been waiting for my wired Audio Technica 40x's to die so I can justify getting some wireless ones but the AT's are bombproof and will not die. Plus, they sound amazing played through a Dragonfly Black DAC.
Sony MDR-ZX770BN seconded for over-ears, £135 on Amazon now, more than I paid a couple of years ago. USB charge and Blu-tooth or wired which is handy if your forget to charge them.
I have the AKG ones mentioned above and love them. You can use a cable (which extends the battery life) if you want to. NC is ok not as good the the Bose I have tried but they are a third of the cost so if I drop, sit on, loose them its less of an issue. USB charge so just use a normal phone charger although the battery last very well.
Would but them again.
PSA: Bose QC 25 (wired) in Amazon deal of the day (Black Friday) for £129 down from £290 RRP (Although priced closer to £180 usually)
Just treated myself as heavy hints for my birthday earlier this week evidently fell on Noise Cancelled ears. Harrumph.
Ideally would have chosen QC35s, but dont look a gift horse etc.
Bose QC35s here, i demoed loads and as they were on sale in the airport @£235 and i was just about to get on a 13 hr flight I took the plunge. theyre ace.
Tempted by that Amazon deal.
Do these things block out other people's music in an open-plan office? This may soon be an issue for me.
Another vote for AKG N60NC, kept me asleep, and thus sane, in hospital...
I've ended up with the QC20 (I think). The wired in ear version. Very happy with them so far. In terms of office they don't completely cut out conversations etc especially if it's the person next to you but they certainly reduce the level to the point where a bit of music at sensible volume is enough to stop the distraction. Very effective at cutting out low frequency drone such as aircraft noise.
My Bose QC 35 IIs are great. Use them every day. The android integration is v. handy too.
Just seen this...
Good shout stoner. Just ordered a pair.
I have just been given Plantronics Voyager 8200s at work for my job and they are amazing - definitely beat my wifes Phillips circa £60 headphones (overear).
However would agree that they make my ears warm.
I've ordered those Bose QC25 too.
Don't mind a wire myself. Bluetooth gets on my tits sometimes.
I had in-ear passive klipach X1 pros. About the same cost a Bose. Sound was absolutely stunning. I found the on ear cans to have poor sonic reproduction. Sadly I have very small ear canals and psoriasis so can’t wear them now.
Sound cancelling when installed properly was awe inspiring. As was the HiFi
Had a good few weeks of using the mk3 Sonys on flights. As someone who's a slightly nervous flyer, they've been a revelation. All flight noise completely removed. Makes it a very serene and calm experience. Sound quality has been great, streaming it from my ipad and phone. Super comfy to wear. Battery life is fantastic at 50 hours per charge
Thanks stoner. Have been hankering for a while.