Headphone recommendations
Discussion
Not sure if this is in the right place, but I figured there would be some knowledgable people here....
I'm after some replacement headphones as the one's I currently have are starting to fail (occasional crackles when wires are moved, noise cancelling working on one side but not really on the other side, already deployed some glue to hold a protective rubber sheath in place).
The ones I have are Phiaton BT 210 NC ( http://www.phiaton.com/product/bluetooth-3-noise-c...)
I use them with my OnePlus One mobile to listen to music and watch films, mostly at home but occasionally the music in the office, plus when travelling.
I'm not particularly set on any of the obvious features (in ear, noise cancelling, wireless), it's just a set that I ended up with that sound fine for my needs. I'm not an audiophile, but I know that the stock iPhone / OnePlus One headphones are not worth the plastic they're made from and sound worse. I'm not downloading FLAC audio files or viewing 4k video with high bitrate audio, I just know when I'm listening to something that sounds off and doesn't have the depth / breadth of sound I was expecting (if that makes sense)
So, I've been pointed in the direction of some Sennheiser kit (Momentum in ears, and possibly the ie80s), away from the all-show-no-go Bose sets and have a like for B&W P5 Series 2. I'll consider in-ear and on ear, maybe over ear would be a little too large. Wired or wireless - either. Foldable would be a good option so they can go in my bag without fear of real damage.
My budget would be OK from £100 and I'm not going to entertain north of £250.
Any suggestions?
I'm after some replacement headphones as the one's I currently have are starting to fail (occasional crackles when wires are moved, noise cancelling working on one side but not really on the other side, already deployed some glue to hold a protective rubber sheath in place).
The ones I have are Phiaton BT 210 NC ( http://www.phiaton.com/product/bluetooth-3-noise-c...)
I use them with my OnePlus One mobile to listen to music and watch films, mostly at home but occasionally the music in the office, plus when travelling.
I'm not particularly set on any of the obvious features (in ear, noise cancelling, wireless), it's just a set that I ended up with that sound fine for my needs. I'm not an audiophile, but I know that the stock iPhone / OnePlus One headphones are not worth the plastic they're made from and sound worse. I'm not downloading FLAC audio files or viewing 4k video with high bitrate audio, I just know when I'm listening to something that sounds off and doesn't have the depth / breadth of sound I was expecting (if that makes sense)
So, I've been pointed in the direction of some Sennheiser kit (Momentum in ears, and possibly the ie80s), away from the all-show-no-go Bose sets and have a like for B&W P5 Series 2. I'll consider in-ear and on ear, maybe over ear would be a little too large. Wired or wireless - either. Foldable would be a good option so they can go in my bag without fear of real damage.
My budget would be OK from £100 and I'm not going to entertain north of £250.
Any suggestions?
I have the B&W P5's (wired) and I can't recommend them highly enough. I couldn't get away with the Sehn's at all and the B&O Play BeoPlay H6 were a bit flat and baseless. I run mine through an FiiO E11 headphone amp to get more volume so not sure how you would do that with the wireless version.
I used to run with them on, use them when travelling and even around the house if the other half is watching Castle or other rubbish. Comfy, great sounding and small enough to take on a plane without looking like an idiot. I'd love a pair of the P9's but they are not as versatile and a lot more expensive! The P5's were definitely the best of the sub £300 ones I tried and I tried a lot.
I used to run with them on, use them when travelling and even around the house if the other half is watching Castle or other rubbish. Comfy, great sounding and small enough to take on a plane without looking like an idiot. I'd love a pair of the P9's but they are not as versatile and a lot more expensive! The P5's were definitely the best of the sub £300 ones I tried and I tried a lot.
Upon rereading, I think I meant B&W P5 wireless, not the Series 2 as they're the wired ones.
I'm going to try and track some down to see what feels comfortable and 'right'. Is there a general need for more volume than normal kit can supply? I've never (to date) found a need to crank the volume to a level that needs a separate amp, or is this more down to the music being listened to that needs greater volume to get the best from it?
P7's, I'm not sure I want to go full over-ear, despite the price.
I'm going to try and track some down to see what feels comfortable and 'right'. Is there a general need for more volume than normal kit can supply? I've never (to date) found a need to crank the volume to a level that needs a separate amp, or is this more down to the music being listened to that needs greater volume to get the best from it?
P7's, I'm not sure I want to go full over-ear, despite the price.
Dr_Rick said:
Upon rereading, I think I meant B&W P5 wireless, not the Series 2 as they're the wired ones.
I'm going to try and track some down to see what feels comfortable and 'right'. Is there a general need for more volume than normal kit can supply? I've never (to date) found a need to crank the volume to a level that needs a separate amp, or is this more down to the music being listened to that needs greater volume to get the best from it?
P7's, I'm not sure I want to go full over-ear, despite the price.
I believe the Series 2 are the wireless (Series 1 being wired.) I find that the volume using headphones, depending on source can sometimes be a little muted. I also think I need my ears syringed as my other half complains when I turn the TV to a level I can hear! I got my headphone amp for about £40 on FleeBay and it also increases the quality as well as the volume. Depends on what you're happy with I suppose.I'm going to try and track some down to see what feels comfortable and 'right'. Is there a general need for more volume than normal kit can supply? I've never (to date) found a need to crank the volume to a level that needs a separate amp, or is this more down to the music being listened to that needs greater volume to get the best from it?
P7's, I'm not sure I want to go full over-ear, despite the price.
If you don't mind going over ear then I would be going for a pair of the below, review exceptionally well, and have beaten the Bose and Sennheiser equivalents in group tests I've seen. Can be used both wireless and also come with a wire so you can use them on the plane, and some of the noise cancelling modes look pretty clever too.
http://www.trustedreviews.com/sony-mdr-1000x-revie...
http://www.trustedreviews.com/sony-mdr-1000x-revie...
I have a set of wired B&W P7's and they sound great, another bonus is they do not leak any sound so you could be listening at pretty high volumes and the person sitting next to you cannot hear a thing.
If you decide on B&W on their site they have an outlet which sells recertified equipment at a lower price, got mine that way and they were perfect not a mark or anything to show they had been used.
You can also send them back if you do not like them.
If you decide on B&W on their site they have an outlet which sells recertified equipment at a lower price, got mine that way and they were perfect not a mark or anything to show they had been used.
You can also send them back if you do not like them.
TX1 said:
I have a set of wired B&W P7's and they sound great, another bonus is they do not leak any sound so you could be listening at pretty high volumes and the person sitting next to you cannot hear a thing.
If you decide on B&W on their site they have an outlet which sells recertified equipment at a lower price, got mine that way and they were perfect not a mark or anything to show they had been used.
You can also send them back if you do not like them.
Hmm, hadn't realised they do a recertified page. Not sure I want to go full P7. I still see myself with something on the smaller side like the P5, or in ear.If you decide on B&W on their site they have an outlet which sells recertified equipment at a lower price, got mine that way and they were perfect not a mark or anything to show they had been used.
You can also send them back if you do not like them.
I think what I might do is try to compare some Sennheiser ie80 in ear, against some B&W P5 wireless. I know there's a lot of variables here: in vs on ear, wired vs wireless, brand vs brand. But hey, worth a shot.
tankplanker said:
I love my P5s.
I wouldn't recommend the wired P7s with a mobile phone as the source unless you are going to get a decent external DAC to pair with them as they need more umph than the average phone amp can manage. Wireless this shouldn't be a problem.
See that's the thing, given most of the use will be with the mobile, I'd rather not be having to cram the limited space with denser / better audio files, and also have to deal with extra hardware to make the most of it.I wouldn't recommend the wired P7s with a mobile phone as the source unless you are going to get a decent external DAC to pair with them as they need more umph than the average phone amp can manage. Wireless this shouldn't be a problem.
Dr_Rick said:
See that's the thing, given most of the use will be with the mobile, I'd rather not be having to cram the limited space with denser / better audio files, and also have to deal with extra hardware to make the most of it.
The P5's sound great on their own with a phone/mp3 player. I spent a year using just the headphones with my iPhone. The more I travelled with work, the more I wanted more quality and volume so did a bit of research on DAC's and headphone amps. I'd love to get a Mojo but at £400, couldn't justify it so ended up with an FiiO E11 for £40 instead. Makes a huge difference but you don't need the extra hardware. I'd definitely pop into some high street shops and test a range, stand alone with your device. John Lewis, Fenwicks and even Apple stores have them although the latter seems to concentrate on those cheap plastic bass heavy Beats things. I've spent a lot of time testing different sets and the B&W came out on top for me. Dr_Rick said:
So, I've been pointed in the direction of some Sennheiser kit (Momentum in ears, and possibly the ie80s), away from the all-show-no-go Bose sets and have a like for B&W P5 Series 2. I'll consider in-ear and on ear, maybe over ear would be a little too large. Wired or wireless - either. Foldable would be a good option so they can go in my bag without fear of real damage.
Bose headphones are actually excellent, especially their Soundlink wireless products. Edited by TheGuru on Thursday 9th February 10:35
Dr_Rick said:
So, I've been pointed in the direction of some Sennheiser kit (Momentum in ears, and possibly the ie80s), away from the all-show-no-go Bose sets and have a like for B&W P5 Series 2. I'll consider in-ear and on ear, maybe over ear would be a little too large. Wired or wireless - either. Foldable would be a good option so they can go in my bag without fear of real damage.
I've had two pairs of Sennheiser headphones (for the gym and noise cancelling ones for travel); both developed the same fault (one side stopped working) within 18 months. Replaced the travel ones with Bose, still going strong after 4 years and got a cheap pair for the gym.A bit of a left-field suggestion, but I have been extremely impressed by these:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/RHA-MA750-Noise-Isolating...
I use them for cycle commuting and the passive noise isolation is really impressive. I would rate sound-quality higher than any Sennheiser product at a similar price. (Nothing against Sennheiser, I have their HD800 as "indoor" headphones). The brand seems to offer genuine high-quality engineering without a big-name markup.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/RHA-MA750-Noise-Isolating...
I use them for cycle commuting and the passive noise isolation is really impressive. I would rate sound-quality higher than any Sennheiser product at a similar price. (Nothing against Sennheiser, I have their HD800 as "indoor" headphones). The brand seems to offer genuine high-quality engineering without a big-name markup.
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