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arry |
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arry Super Spammer
Joined: 03 Jan 2009 Karma :
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Posted: 14:55 - 03 Jan 2018 Post subject: Wireless Headphones recommendations please |
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Hi
Simply put, want a pair of over-ear wireless headphones with active noise cancelling which usually wouldn't be a problem, there's plenty of choice, but what I'm struggling with is getting to demo them to any great extent and reviewers seem to contradict each other in reviews, which leads me not to trust them particularly.
So to that end, I'mhoping someone will have had an opportunity to demo / experience a few different brands and can share that experience of back-to-back listening.
I've narrowed it down to 3 (4 really) that I'm interested in:
1) Bowers & Wilkins P7 wireless (or the replacement PX range).
2) Bose QuietComfort 35.
3) Plantronics Backbeat Pro 2.
Requirements:
Over ear rather than on ear for comfort sake.
Good noise cancelling.
Wireless - not interested in cables.
As good a sound as I can get.
Not too fussed about:
Battery life within reason.
Weight as long as they're comfortable / design or fold away capability.
Budget ££ to £££ but not ££££.
My concern is that I like a heavier bass signature than most but I don't want the mids utterly washed out by it. When the Plantronics Backbeat Pro 1's came on the scene they were said to be bass heavy without being overbearing and likewise the B&W P7's - at this point my choice was pretty much between 'go cheap and hope' or 'buy once buy right' with the B&W. Now though, reviews of the Backbeat Pro 2 are saying that the bass is too heavy, like the 1's, which puts me off both, and even more annoying is that the B&W PX reviews are saying that the P7's were also too heavy on the bass which wasn't the case before even though it's the same reviewer; my guess is the PX are a 'cleaner' more balanced soundstage compared to the P7 which in itself sounds like they're the ones to go for but a) I like bass a bit heavier and b) the P7's were apparently perfect last year so who knows what the PX's will be next year.
The obvious answer is to test them, but the nearest place to me I can find is a good half hour drive away and I've a busy January on the go. It may have to wait, but...
Tempted just to plump the cash for the P7's but if anyone has any experience of them or other recommendations I'd be very grateful. |
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Jayy |
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Jayy Mr. Ponzi
Joined: 08 Jun 2009 Karma :
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chris-red |
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chris-red Have you considered a TDM?
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pudder |
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pudder Scooby Slapper
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Posted: 16:32 - 03 Jan 2018 Post subject: |
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I'm not an audiophile by any stretch, but I got some Bose QC25's about a month ago, and I love them
I have big flappy ears, and really struggle with getting headphones that are comfortable. When I tried them on in the Bose store, they immediately felt an order of magnitude better than anything I'd tried up until that point.
I've not used the noise cancelling on a plane yet, but based on using them in the office at work, they seem pretty impressive.
The QC25s are wired, but you can get a Bluetooth adaptor (specifically designed for the QC25) for $70. Link
I got a pair used on eBay for £85, but most of them seem to got for anywhere between £105-£150.
You can buy new from John Lewis (£170) or Bose (£180), plus the adaptor, at which point the QC35's are probably the better bet for a little extra cash.
If you are anywhere near a Bose store, they generally have a few sets available to test out. ____________________ 1993 Kawasaki AR50 (In bits) - 1984 Suzuki GP125 (Sold, but still ridden) - 1954 Matchless G3L (Being restored) - 2007 Suzuki Bandit 650 |
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spikenipple |
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spikenipple Crazy Courier
Joined: 20 Nov 2007 Karma :
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Posted: 16:32 - 03 Jan 2018 Post subject: |
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Bose QC35s are excellent ____________________ C50 > GN250 > XJ600 > SV650S K7 > 2001 RSV Mille R > MT-09, XR400R > 2005 Fireblade (trackbike) + 2022 MT-09 + ZXR400 race bike |
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P. Red Rocket
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arry |
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arry Super Spammer
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goto10 World Chat Champion
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c_dug Super Spammer
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owl World Chat Champion
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arry |
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arry Super Spammer
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Posted: 15:25 - 04 Jan 2018 Post subject: |
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arry wrote: | Cheers for that. I'll look at those too. At least they're available for test round the corner from work so when I get a moment I can use them as a benchmark at worst and a purchase at best. |
Sprung myself into action and visited the local Curry's - Jesus, what a depressing place that is; staff standing right by the side of me and then when you need help, they've got their back to you Still, I got what I needed.
Tried 3 pairs:
1) Bang & Olufsen H9. £400+
Well made that's for sure, construction better than anything else I've seen. Sound wise they were good but not extraordinary IMO. They had good levels of bass without killing off the rest of the range - which is interesting as I've just read the tech-radar report which says they're overly bass heavy and muddled in the mid range as a result - I can't say I found that at all, so that goes to show why you need to try before you buy. Noise cancelling wasn't exactly brilliant TBH, in fact I was quite let down by it. The controls were fiddly and the sound wasn't so good I'd splurge that kind of cash for them - so they're a no.
2) Bose QC35ii. £330.
Nowhere near as well made as the B&O but still ok, just not impressive. Sound wise they're exactly as the brand and the design and the advertising sells them as - the best all round, but ultimately quite boring. I wouldn't be disappointed with them but at the same time there's nothing to drive me towards them either. They're very good, but not exceptional. There's no pronounced bass and when there was because the song had it, at higher volumes they struggled to produce it cleanly. The noise cancelling though - wow, at first I didn't think it did anything then as I cycled through the levels, on high with no music it took out a massive amount of ambient noise, really took me by surprise. I did have some fiddles getting bluetooth to work properly which was a concern. So NC is good, sound is good but perhaps not entirely to my taste. Construction alright. Controls / connectivity a bit meh.
3) Sony MDR1000X. £260.
Construction wise I have to say they did feel a step down from the Bose, which against the B&O is quite a step. The display pair were quite badly marked up which others in the display didn't show signs of, but the important bits were still holding up so I guess it's not a disaster. Sound wise they were responsive, energetic and livelier sounding than the Bose which I do prefer but - and I can't really explain this - the more vibrant reproduction of sound did make my ears hurt a bit after a few songs. I do think for most people they would make the Bose look silly in the sound stakes, if that's what you like. I'm just not sure I like that. I was however impressed with them and for the money, despite the construction not being as good, I would choose them over the Bose I think.
However, now I'm back to the levels of bass. If tech-radar reckon the B&O are overkill on bass then the tech-radar report of the B&W says the same thing roughly, which probably means that I'll like them, a lot.
So I can't rule out the B&W without trying them now. Which means I've got to trundle off to a John Lewis over in the west end at some point - deep joy.....
There's also still an outside bet on the Plantronics which I might buy from somewhere with a decent returns policy and just send them back if they don't tick my boxes. We shall see.
Further forward, but possibly with more questions than answers now
Cheers. |
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arry |
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arry Super Spammer
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Posted: 15:40 - 29 Jan 2018 Post subject: |
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Ack, no I've doubled F'd myself. Just been to Richer Sounds and tried a set of these:
https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/oppo-pm-3
O.M.G they're teh bizzies. The sound is blow you away good. Crisp, punchy and vibrant without being overdone; I couldn't perceive any weaknesses.
Except one big weakness; which is that they're wired and I wanted wireless. Doh. TBF I was quite surprised when, upon inquiring of their range of wireless headphones, they came out of the display cabinet. But I guess they didn't hear that bit. Or they just wanted me to fall in love with them and then to hell with it. Worked; can't get over how good they were. But now, I'm stumped because the whole point of the headphones idea was wireless use.
My only hope now is that the B&W really measure up against the Oppo - if they do, then I'll be a very happy bunny. If they don't I'm going to be constantly disappointed by whatever I buy. Oh |
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owl |
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owl World Chat Champion
Joined: 21 Oct 2016 Karma :
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Posted: 15:49 - 29 Jan 2018 Post subject: |
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arry wrote: | Ack, no I've doubled F'd myself. Just been to Richer Sounds and tried a set of these:
https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/oppo-pm-3
O.M.G they're teh bizzies. The sound is blow you away good. Crisp, punchy and vibrant without being overdone; I couldn't perceive any weaknesses.
Except one big weakness; which is that they're wired and I wanted wireless. Doh. TBF I was quite surprised when, upon inquiring of their range of wireless headphones, they came out of the display cabinet. But I guess they didn't hear that bit. Or they just wanted me to fall in love with them and then to hell with it. Worked; can't get over how good they were. But now, I'm stumped because the whole point of the headphones idea was wireless use.
My only hope now is that the B&W really measure up against the Oppo - if they do, then I'll be a very happy bunny. If they don't I'm going to be constantly disappointed by whatever I buy. Oh |
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=wireless+bluetooth+transmitter+receiver
just make sure it's aptX ____________________ Observation is the greatest source of wisdom. |
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arry |
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arry Super Spammer
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Posted: 17:06 - 29 Jan 2018 Post subject: |
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Cheers - presumably with that, I'd still have to have 'the wire' and then the adapter would just be stuck in a pocket or something?
Hmm; the appeal was purely that they wouldn't have a wire which is the thing I really can't stand. The adapter would give an extra element over wired in that I wouldn't have to carry the device (would be a PITA on my tablet, for example) but if I've still got a trailing wire I don't know if that's just going to piss me off too much |
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owl |
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owl World Chat Champion
Joined: 21 Oct 2016 Karma :
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Posted: 17:20 - 29 Jan 2018 Post subject: |
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Yeah, unfortunately, not ideal but gives options on connectivity. Some of the devices are small enough that you could theoretically attach it to the headphones with a shorter cable. DIY wireless but you may look like a tit if you give a fuck about that sort of thing.
Not ideal but would work. Also I haven't been able to find a small unit that does both transmission and receiving simultaneously, most of them are switching, this is fine for listening to music but pants if you want to use the mic as a headset.
I was looking for a decent set of noise cancelling headphones for a long time, but ran into many of the same issues and eventually gave up and bought nice buds and some decent comply foam tips, they block a lot of ambient noise, but nothing has come close to the serenity of those bose qc's ____________________ Observation is the greatest source of wisdom. |
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UncleFester |
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UncleFester World Chat Champion
Joined: 30 Jun 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 19:06 - 29 Jan 2018 Post subject: |
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AKG 845BT for me ... rarely use them wirelessly though as i don't care for that
Sound far better driven off a proper headphone amp through a cable.
Oh and no NC either, i'll get my coat ____________________ Module 1 and 2 passed - October 2014. Happy owner of a 2017 Z1000SX, ex owner of a YBR125 / CB500 / VFR800. |
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struan80 |
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struan80 World Chat Champion
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Paris2 |
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Paris2 Nearly there...
Joined: 10 Apr 2011 Karma :
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Posted: 11:43 - 01 Feb 2018 Post subject: |
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I have a pair of Skullcandy Crusher's
https://www.skullcandy.co.uk/headphones/wireless-headphones/CRUSHERBT.html#lCE9kT0QexOgHdIo.97
Very impressed with them. Especially the adjustable bass depending on what mood I'm in. Not noise cancelling however, but I've never felt that to be a downside.
Quite a bit cheaper than most in this thread but worth a look (~£100). I tried them at an HMV last year and had to have them.
Something I would always say is a must is the option to connect a wire on any wireless set.
I use mine whenever I fly, so the bluetooth function is out of action in airplane mode, and the cable can attach to the seat for whatever you're watching.
They are the one thing I insist on carry on to a plane, the rest can go in the hold for all I care. ____________________ Current Ride: Daytona 600 |
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The Artist |
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The Artist Super Spammer
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Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 6 years, 85 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
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