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Originally Posted by Table 5
Figured I would ask here for some advice, since a few of you seem to be knowledgeable with this.
I'm looking for some wired (probably?) closed-back headphones for office use, that emphasizes audio quality (I stream on Tidal) but also with some noise cancelling to block out the chatter in the open office (lots of loud talkers).
Audio quality is a priority over convenience/size/design... which is why I am ok with wired (but open to dual if the quality is there). I prefer a warmer sound, easier listening as opposed to something too bright. Love a good mid-range! Could potentially pair with a headphone DAC if it helps.
Form factor wise, ideally closed-back to not leak sound to annoy others. Also need them to be comfortable for longer uses.
Budget: $500-$1K..maybe more if quality/value is there.
Reference point: Currently have Sennheiser HD555. They are decent, but I think were on the lower end, so probably not hard to improve upon. I’ve had Beyerdynamics before which I remember being really comfortable.
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What does "audio quality" mean to you? Decent mic and for voices for meetings? Specific types of music/movies/gaming etc.? The $500-1000 budget seems like overkill to me, but I dunno your level of specificity.
My first instinct is that you should give the Sony XM6 a try. They're wireless, but this shouldn't be problematic and they have one of the best noise canceling on the market. The base sound will be warm with good sound quality, but you may still need to tweak the EQ to get the specific sound you want. Theoretically, there's some others that are a slight step up from the XM6, but I'd recommend trying those first and see what you think before going higher end than that.
Sennheiser HD555 headphones are going to be a slightly warmer headphone than a pure analytical headphone. The XM6 should be warmer than those by default, but play with the EQ. Based on what I've read, the B&W line(s) mentioned before might be a step up in all categories to the the HD555 without being as warm sounding as the Sony or a closed Beyerdynamic headphone.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fuzz
I was looking for something around the house when I am in and out of the garage or yard or whatever. For $30 I don't care if I get paint on them, or drop them 100 times. I was just impressed with the sound quality for what they are.
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Agreed. I have headphones for stuff like that too/gave them to wife for daily random usage which is why I've had so many of them. The current iteration of this stuff from several brands at $30-50 ish is better than what I was using and testing out 3-5 years ago at $130-150 for similar styles and designs. I've even bought and gifted a few of them.
Personally for around the house, I'm currently using a pair of Sony linkbuds that I got for cheap and a pair of Monster over the ears I got for $30. I used to use the Aftershokz Titanium mini until those ended up getting stolen. I also used to use a pair of Sony behind the ear waterproof ones that if they weren't misplaced, I think also got stolen.
There is a specific underrated setting that allows control of the linkbuds by tapping your face/jaw instead of the tiny earbud. IMO it's pretty awesome and I wish other brands had that.
The waterproof aspect of the Sony over the ears isn't an aspect I'd use for swimming as the advertising goes. But it's a super underrated feature where I can take a shower and continue listening to music as part of the cool down + rinse off the sweat and dust etc. It was only 4GB onboard memory though, no bluetooth. Maybe it's a feature I make sure is in my next pair.