Vanity: Recommendation for Closed Over the Head Headphones $220 and under?

Vanity ^ | November 9, 2022 | Me

[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.

[C19fan]

I was interested until I noticed the audio cable is permanently attached to the body. Based on my past experience, I would break that cable.

[Clay Moore]

I bought a pair of Soundcore and loved them until I was on the tractor shredding and scraped them off under a tree. The shredder instantly blasted them into a million pieces.

I ordered another pair soon after. Price is reasonable. I would have hated to shred a $200 pair!!

Noise cancelling is decent.

[jimtorr]

I use the Sennheiser HD 280 S headphones, and I love them. I loaned them to a co-worker many years ago, who repaired electronics for a symphony orchestra as a hobby. He said that they were the best headphones he had ever used.

Unfortunately, they are out of production. Based on my experience, I would recommend the Sennheiser you are already looking at.

Bose headphones are also very good, but I have little experience with them.

[Wayne07]

If you have a Best Buy near you, they have a bunch of the headphones on display that you can try on. I like the Bose QC45s. The noise cancelling is amazing for plane flights.

[Jewbacca]

Just looked the AP Max there’re about $450.

You do get what you pay for.

[jimtorr]

I have the Apple AirPods Pro. They are good for sound reproduction, for ear buds. I am no expert, but I think the Sennheiser over-the-ear is better.

[Big Red Clay]

I am a big Bose fan. I wear headphones for several hours each day when I work and my 6 year old noice cancelling quiet comforts sound great and are light and comfortable. I test drove 4 different pairs back before I bought the Bose and those were the best all around. The audio quality is excellent. Mine are over the ear closed as well. I can’t use ear buds for more than 20 minutes before they drive me nuts.

Hope that was helpful. That seems like a great price!!!

[ConservativeMind]

The best ANC headphones with a microphone, for the price (on sale recently from Amazon), is the Bose 700, followed by Bose Q45.

Best reviews, with sounds recordings of each aspect:
https://www.rtings.com/headphones

The Apple AirPods Max sucked against either of these, but the AirPods are much smaller in total size.

We bought the Bose 700 after comparing the total set of sound recordings with each of the above, and more, including the Sonys and Ankers. We would have bought the Bose Q45 as our second option.

If noise is less of a problem, the Anker Q35 is rated as a great compromise, if you don’t want to spend for the Bose Q45.

Again, do listen to the various recordings each review has. You want Bluetooth of at least 5.0 to have the best sound data throughout, too.

I can tell you the noise isolation and cancellation of the Bose 700 for the ears is outstanding, and the microphone’s noise cancellation is simply remarkable. People don’t have a problem hearing your voice from the cacophony around you, nor do you hear it into your ears. Also, the Bose voice quality was tops.

[smokingfrog]

Yamaha & Shure make some excellent wireless headphones, but they’re going to be about $275.

[llevrok]

I couldn’t really hear what my husband was saying when I tested it.

In some circles, that could be a blessing ;-)

[Inyo-Mono]

Trust me here Sony DJ/Studio MDR-7506. $100

I couldn't agree more. 35 years as a radio DJ and they are the best. Plus most recording arts prefer them to all others them in the studio.

[P-Marlowe]

I bought the Bluetooth headphones. No cord. That’s why they were $7 instead of $5.

[Berlin_Freeper]

For comfort I recommend sports headphones that clip to the ears.

[PUGACHEV]

Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Studio Monitors are the best in that price range. I have the ATH-M50 closed ear headphones, and several Audeze Headphones, including the LCDX closed ear and the open ear models, each costing ~$1.3K. Open ear headphones will always sound noticeably better than closed ear headphones, but I am always amazed at how close the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 headphones come to the Audeze LCDX models. You can hear the difference, but it really isn't that much.

If you're in the NYC area stop in B&H on 9th Avenue and visit their headphone department. They'll have a salesman there who knows his field inside and out, and he'll spend as much time as you have showing you headphones from $30 to $15K and you can test them on all types of music. That's what I like about B&H: no matter what department you visit, they'll have someone there to help you without any sales pressure and who is an expert in that area.

[swingdoc]

Came here to say this. As a previous audio engineer, my go to set was always Sennheiser HD 280 pro

[Mozzafiato]

I have the Bose QuietComfort over the ears noise-cancelling headphones and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever bought for myself. I used to be miserable with the sounds of a city around me and with a jacka** upstairs who lived like a Neanderthal. I watch TV with my headphones, do work on my computer while listening to a podcast or music, it’s really fantastic...feel like I’m in my own little world. The noise cancelling alone is worth it. Watching sports on TV is also great.

[fuente]

I own 2 pair. I am a musician. No BS, just superior sound. When I’m in the studio or lighting strings on fire at 2am in the house....and I don’t want o keep the neighborhood (or boss woman) awake.

[fuente]

These were recommended to me by a pro sound man...you can even get replacement earpads...because people keep them for decades...AND $100.

[fuente]

Pros know...others wish.

[scott says]

I am the guy you want...or maybe DO NOT want to talk to about headphones, lol. I have probably over 60 sets of full size, wireless, tws, iems, ect........its my hobby.
I can recommend my favorites and what I think are the best value—but it really is so subjective because what may be comfortable on my head may not be on yours—your hearing may be slightly different than mine, ect........
I personally LOVE Shure BT headphones and also Sony very much.☺
Shoot me a PM—I have a set of SONY WH1000XM3- in perfect shape I can sell you at a bargain price’ I have a 100% seller rating on ebay ☺☺