Recommend me open-back Bluetooth headphones with mic

[silentbrown]

Needs to be comfortable, over-ear and decent sound quality. For music listening and zoom/Skype calls in home office.

Sub £200!

[silentbrown]

sparkyhx said:

in your title you mention Open-Backed, but in your post you dont mention this.

This is a big difference - and actually an unusual requirement in the context

Yes, Open-backed. I'm currently using wired Sennheiser HD590's (and a USB mic) which are well over 20 years old and still super-comfy. I don't want to be cut off from the outside world, and sound leaking from them isn't an issue. Also as a glasses-wearer, getting a good seal for closed back ones isn't usually easy or comfortable.

The only ones I've found so far are these. https://gradolabs.com/headphones/wireless/item/74-...

Good reviews, apart from the mic.

[silentbrown]

sparkyhx said:

I have Bose Quiet Comforts, Sennheiser Momentums, and I'm happy wearing with glasses, but as they are closed back and good fit they do a good job of keeping out external noise even if no NC is used.

Cheers. I tried on a pair of Grados but didn't like the "on ear" rather than "over ear" fit.

I've just ordered a pair of Sennheiser Momentum 3s. Only £200 from Amazon, which seems bit of a bargain.

[silentbrown]

silentbrown said:

I've just ordered a pair of Sennheiser Momentum 3s. Only £200 from Amazon, which seems bit of a bargain.

Time for a mini-review:

Good

• Super build quality
• Sound quality is stunning
• Headphone socket
• Comes complete with case, cables, etc.

Bad

• As a glasses wearer, the pressure on ears from the closed back becomes painful. It's a relief to take them off after about 20 minutes.
• Bluetooth "headphones" vs "headset" profiles are a PITA. (Headphones are stereo, no mic, Headset is mono + mic. Each appears as separate device, each has independent volume settings)
• Closed back sound just doesn't work well for calls, even with "transparent hearing" on. You can't hear your own voice and surroundings well.
• I've got very mild tinnitus. The closed back really exaggerates this
• There's up to 30 seconds of audio stuttering when first connected to PC. So I can't just put them on to receive an incoming call.
• For some reason, the headphones bluetooth signal cause havoc with wifi. My phone can't connect to wifi reliably once the headphones are paired. (other BT devices aren't a problem...)

I think most of the 'bad' above are just 'facts of life' with closed-back designs/bluetooth. The stuttering/wifi problems are equally likely to be my phone/pc rather than the headphones, but as the main reason for wanting wireless was 'convenience', this just hasn't worked out for me.