advertisement


Headphone advice

N

NotOneIota

pfm Member
Hi all.

Please could someone recommend a set of headphones to me?

I want them for home use but also commuting so I want over-ear phones that won't leak sound. Even at home I'd need to keep it quiet so I can listen without disturbing the rest of the house.

Not fussed about wireless.

Budget about £250 but can maybe stretch it.

I would like them to be robust. I've owned a few headphones in the past in the £100-£200 category which just seem to have fallen apart/stopped working within a year for so despite me being careful with them. Not sure whether I've been unlucky or whether that's the nature of the beast at this price range.
 
Not the last word in hifi but the Bose QC35-2 Bluetooth noise cancelling headphones are pretty good for music on the move. I have a high-end Stax/Mjölnir rig which is hugely better but the NC and portability of the Bose means it gets at least as much use...
 
Hi,

This is a personal opinion, I would buy two sets, one over-ear for the home and one in-ear for when you commute.

The over-ear I would check out Beyer Dynamic and Sennheiser.

I use the Beyer Dynamic DT880's and have used the DT990's, both very good.

https://europe.beyerdynamic.com/kopfhorer-headsets.html

I have also had Sennheiser HD800S.

https://en-uk.sennheiser.com/audiophile-range

For over-ear I would look for something like the Beyer Dynamics DT880 or DT990 for Sennheiser the HD600.

For in-ear the choice is whatever you feel comfertable with, I would not spend a lot on in-ear when using it for commuting, get something that you can replace without too much expense as they will get a few knocks and pulls over a year or so. Also tight fitting in-ear can be dangerous as it is very easy to not hear that approaching car, as a friend of mine found out!

Just my thoughts, others might disagree.

All the best with your quest.

Cheers

John
 
Stretch a bit for the Shure SRH-1540.

Over-ear, closed-back but with a very spacious sound -more open than some open-backed cans. Sensitive and only 45ohms so easy to drive. Detailed, natural sound with a slight bass emphasis which is perfect for low-level listening. Very very comfortable but proper professional build quality and stay on the head while moving. Top, top cans.
 
eastone said:
Stretch a bit for the Shure SRH-1540.

Over-ear, closed-back but with a very spacious sound -more open than some open-backed cans. Sensitive and only 45ohms so easy to drive. Detailed, natural sound with a slight bass emphasis which is perfect for low-level listening. Very very comfortable but proper professional build quality and stay on the head while moving. Top, top cans.
Click to expand...

They look good. Sounds like you have a pair and you're happy with them?
 
Eyebroughty said:
Hi,

This is a personal opinion, I would buy two sets, one over-ear for the home and one in-ear for when you commute.

The over-ear I would check out Beyer Dynamic and Sennheiser.

I use the Beyer Dynamic DT880's and have used the DT990's, both very good.

https://europe.beyerdynamic.com/kopfhorer-headsets.html

I have also had Sennheiser HD800S.

https://en-uk.sennheiser.com/audiophile-range

For over-ear I would look for something like the Beyer Dynamics DT880 or DT990 for Sennheiser the HD600.

For in-ear the choice is whatever you feel comfertable with, I would not spend a lot on in-ear when using it for commuting, get something that you can replace without too much expense as they will get a few knocks and pulls over a year or so. Also tight fitting in-ear can be dangerous as it is very easy to not hear that approaching car, as a friend of mine found out!

Just my thoughts, others might disagree.

All the best with your quest.

Cheers

John
Click to expand...

Thanks! By 'commuting' I mean 'sitting down on a train and trying to blot it all out' - I'd never use them while out and about for the reason you alluded to.

I suppose I've always thought of in-ear as 'tinny''. Maybe I'm being prejudiced and should try again. But I take your point about having a cheap pair you don't mind losing. The other pairs I had travelled to work with me always either on-ear or in their cases in my rucksack but still managed to stop working for no discernible reason. They must have taken some kind of knock I wasn't aware of which is can happen easily when you're somewhere busy.
 
NotOneIota said:
Thanks JTC. Have you found the Bose to be durable?
Click to expand...
So far. But I only got them in December. Battery life is excellent. NC is decent. Comfort fine. Audio quality is okay, good enough for on the move, streaming music and audiobooks/podcasts. Don’t really use them at home all that much, though if I didn’t have the Stax I reckon I would go to them over speakers for late-night listening.
 
Another QC35 MkII user here. I use them on planes, trains but not automobiles. BT connectivity is excellent. Second all of JTCs comments above. There are some good deals on them at the moment. However, if you want to spend a bit more money, the B&W PX7 is supposed to be the business - prefer the look of the Bose ones though
 
Audio Technica ATH-M50X is a robust studio monitor headphone, it folds up and has a detachable cable lead so is replaceable if that fails. It’s available for £109 in a standard wired version or £154 wireless and a protective case is about £15
 
I've had Bose QC35 for 3.5 years now and they have endured daily commutes on train and bus, plus gym workouts, and everyday use on skype/zoom/teams while blutoothed to my laptop. To my surprised audiofool ears, I preferred them for music to the Sennheiser Momentum and equivalent Sony, both of which I bought and returned to John Lewis before eventually settling on the Bose.
 
MARKY758 said:
Audio Technica ATH-M50X is a robust studio monitor headphone, it folds up and has a detachable cable lead so is replaceable if that fails. It’s available for £109 in a standard wired version or £154 wireless and a protective case is about £15
Click to expand...

Thanks for that. Doubt even I could break those without trying. How do they sound?

Then could also get a cheap wireless set for commuting and online meetings at work.
 
NotOneIota said:
Thanks for that. Doubt even I could break those without trying. How do they sound?

Then could also get a cheap wireless set for commuting and online meetings at work.
Click to expand...
I think they’ve a great sound for the price and you often see them and Beyer headphones when watching videos of studio recordings which is usually is a good sign of quality and build. I don’t know where you can get to listen to a pair but they are available on Amazon.
 
Sennheiser momentum overears fit the bill!
Have demoed them various times with the thought of buying them but have had an old set of Sennheiser HD448s for commuting for the last decade that are still going strong!
If the ever break I’m replacing them with Momentums.
At home I use HD650s.
 
I recently bought a used pair of B&O H6 rev2 headphones for my youngest, they have received some rave reviews and to my ears sounded excellent value with lovely build quality, the wired version is apparently vastly superior to the bluetooth.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top