Headphones

[Reverie]

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?

[Mark Thomas]

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..

[Christopher]

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

[TerraEpon]

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...

[Christopher]

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?

[TerraEpon]

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.

[sdtom]

I have had Grado 325E headphones and have been satisfied with them. I still think they can be had for under $300.

[rosflute]

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.

[Reverie]

Thank you for the replies. Looks like I'm going to have to fork out some serious money.

[Mark Thomas]

You get what you pay for. Except, apparently, with Bose. 

[Joachim Raff]

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.

       

[Mark Thomas]

Yes, I use noise-cancelling bluetooth ear buds when I'm out walking and an excellent innovation they've proved to be.

[TerraEpon]

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.

[Justin]

I would recommend the Klipsch Bluetooth neckband, which runs at about $129. Have used Klipsch for years and always reliable.

[Ilja]

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.