Posted on 11/09/2022 6:33:49 PM PST by C19fan
I was browsing the November 2023 Costco savings booklet. I noticed a Bose SE 45 Quiet Comfort headphones on sale on Black Friday Weekend for $219. This seems like a decent discount from the prices I have seen at Amazon and similar sites. I have never owned a high-quality pair of headphones. I am not an audiophile. This would be what I am looking for:
1: Comfort: I would wear these multiple hours during the day at my desk. 2: Sturdiness: The reason I have not invested in good headphones is I tend to abuse them, or they were poorly constructed in the first place. I will wear them doing chores inside and outside the house. The main issues have been damaging the audio input or the frame. Now with Bluetooth there has been mitigation to that risk. 3: Listening: The predominant thing I listen to are podcasts, audiobooks, and other spoken work content. The only music I listen to is Classical and 50s - 80s Rock and Pop music.
I do not even know how important noise reduction is as I work in quite spaces, and I am not wearing them out in public.
Alternatives I have seen:
1: SENNHEISER HD 569 and Sennheiser HD 400S: At least half the price of the Bose giving up noise reduction and only having a wired input. 2: Shure AONIC 50 Wireless: Appears to be highly regarded although slightly more expensive than the Bose 45. 3: Soundcore by Anker Life Q35: Selling under $100 at Amazon from around $130. Appears to be popular based on the reviews on Amazon
Any feedback and recommendations apprciated.
I’ve owned about four pairs over the years. Love ‘em.
“Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Studio Monitors are the best in that price range.”
It’s funny, someone mentioned the Sony’s and I owned several but switched to the ATH-M50’s on the recommendation of my DJ nephew. Most recently I tried out the Soundcores (LIFE P2 Mini) based on his advice for portables.
All of these have been recommended on this thread. FReepers know what’s up!
I have SONY wireless headphones. They are “Circumaural” which means “around the ear” rather than ON the ear. They are the most comfortable headphones I have ever worn, and I wear mine over 8 hours per day (I am retired and after a career working with computers, I now spend most of my free time on my own PC). https://oldtimemusic.com/most-comfortable-headphones/
I often forget to take mine off before going to bed.
Bose charges a premium for the name. They are not the best or durable. Not sure if Costco still has them but Sony H.ear series are about $200
AKG K271 Mark II closed backs are what I use. If I had the money, I’d buy a pair of STAX electrostatic headphones. I see them going relatively cheap on eBay. Maybe not $220 cheap, but...
It’s been a life in the studio for me. Decades.
Sony MDR-7505 or MDR series generally remain the professional’s choice.
True work-horse, comfy, delightful... I simply have always loved them.
Good thread!
(This is the sort of thread where all the conservative talk radio hosts and producers pop out of the woodwork and decipher each other’s handles...)
Audio Technica ATH-M50. I rely on them during mixdown and mastering in my recording studio. Wired. Very well balanced, clear, clean and accurate. Comfortable too. Look around and you’ll find them for less than $150.
So buy two...in 10 years you’ll still have two...and replacement parts are readily available.
I have Sony WH-CH700N noise cancelling headphones. Very comfortable- I wear them all the time, and often take them to noisy environments to help me cope with the annoyances of random noises. Retailed for about $130 when I bought them. My daughter invested in the Bose for $300- they are amazing. You put them on, and the world around you disappears. Both are rechargeable, extremely comfortable, and well worth the money. I suspect you won’t abuse them so much if you pay over $200. :)
I thought my Sony MDR-V6 was wonderful, but they aren’t made any more.
Is the MDR-7506 the “upgrade” to it?
I have ear canals or different sizes (left vs right) and the ear buds, wired or unwired are tough to get a good seal.
The headphone choices are limitless. Wired or Bluetooth? Noise canceling or audio quality. Closed Back 0n-ear or over ear. Open back or Closed. High fidelity or consumer grade. $30 to $1300. Microphone or none?
I had a wonderful set of Blue Tooth Beyerdynamic, Closed Back On Ear, with microphone that were perfect for me — I feel down some stairs and broke them beyond repair and they are no longer made.
If I hade tons of money I would get these:
https://www.amazon.com/beyerdynamic-Amiron-Wireless-High-End-Headphone/dp/B079P4348N/ref=sr_1_25?crid=CBXT7POZDV2Y&keywords=beyerdynamic&qid=1668091731&sprefix=beyerd%2Caps%2C122&sr=8-25&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.2b70bf2b-6730-4ccf-ab97-eb60747b8daf
I should have included the fact that good quality mixing headphones are referred to as Monitor headphones and are “flat” in their response. Most of us like bass boosted headphones for music for the unsophisticated. Sound stage is the 3 dimensional quality and varies for each headphone and listeners’ ears. Cans I like might not be a set that sounds clear or musical to you. Borrow, test and tryout all you can.
I kind of did the same thing with harmonicas and I hardly even play.
“ Just looked the AP Max there’re about $450.
You do get what you pay for.”
I have had a pair of these since last Christmas…they are really really…really good. Sound quality is remarkable.
Is the MDR-7506 the “upgrade” to it?
That is a good question that I don't have the answer to as I have never tried the MDR-V6 models. The Sony MDR-7506 headphones are what they call monitor headphones, what you hear is exactly what was recorded orignially, which is why DJs and recording artists prefer them, if someone adds bass or treble to their home listening experience that is for them to decide.
I want to thank all the Freepers who responded with based on the chat highly regarded headphones.
I have almost a dozen choices to do more research on.
My plan is to go ahead and purchase the Bose Q45 on Black Friday Weekend at Costco.
Given Costco’s non-stringent return policy, I can try the headphones for a trial period. If it does not work out, I can return them.
I would like to extend Thanksgiving Greetings and “A Merry Christmas to us all; God bless us, every one!”
I don't have unlimited money either, although I wish I did. I want to own the best speakers; I want to hear angels' trumpets and devils' trombones -- a tip of my bowler hat if you get the reference. Unfortunately, those speakers might cost over 200K and that sort of money is out of reach, but I figured there was another way: headphones.
As mentioned earlier, I went to B&H in NYC and spent an afternoon in their headphone department testing everything they had, testing them back and forth, over and over again, up to $20K, which was my limit. What I discovered is: (1) Open back headphones are almost always better than closed back in the same price range. (2) There are distinct levels of quality, with big jumps at +$100, +$300, +$1,000, +$5,000. The biggest jump was at $1K, with the sweet spot for me being $1K to $5K, and really for anything over $1.2K to $1.5K, the difference was so slight it was diminished returns. I settled on the Audeze LCD series, and bought three, two open and one closed. I have never regretted that decision.
I read Ken Rockwell’s review of Audeze and he loves them as well but cautions that they are for sittong still as they are heavy. I would love to make an audition trip.
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