Headphone help

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by bagofpucks

Interesting, I am kind of between the B&W and these Sony ones on sale….
https://www.costco.ca/sony-wh-1000xm...000387828.html

Thanks for everyone’s recommendations so far!

Sony will have better ANC than the B&W, but I don't think you had ANC before, so you wouldn't know what you're missing out. Where the Sony is much superior, you may not experience those situations much (ie: flying once a year/outdoor noise disrupting your enjoyment).

The B&W on the other hand will probably feel like a bigger step up from most categories from your Bose than the Sony due to the construction. The ANC might not be as good, but you won't know the diff.

I would assume comfort and fidelity on both is relatively on par. Unless you're extremely detail oriented, it's mostly the build vs ANC that really differentiate each other for those two pairs of headphones.

In some senses it would seem those two XM5 and Px7 are kinda on par calibre wise, especially at those prices.

I would venture a guess that the Px7 will feel like better value to you at those prices with a steel and leather build vs premium plastic and leather build. I assume you'll notice the features and details of the PX7 more than those of the XM5. For me, it was the opposite, so I picked up a pair of XM5 to play with over other brands.

[DoubleF]

I got the XM5 and after playing with them, I'm wildly confused at what I think of these headphones. It ranges from amazing to brutal. When it shines, it blows everything else I've tried away and I can't help but smirk. When it's weird, I legitimately cannot help but grimace and make faces. It is as if I must display an opinion when listening to these.

Overly simplified and I've only had a few hours with these...

ANC, office usage (calls, webinars etc). Amazing to go from ambient room of people to feeling like the only person in the room.
Music... It depends. Blegh to damn good, but you have to play with the EQ. I listen to a wide variety of music so it's constant fiddling. Someone who listens to albums or music with less variation in styles wouldn't notice this as much.
Doom scrolling... Wtf? Not wrong but enjoying ANC to hearing detailed sounds in the recording that ANC would typically eliminate completely... eww.

==================


Features and settings... This thing is ridiculous in good and bad ways. You would really need a little bit of time to make these your own. Coming from primarily wired headphones the features were obvious and weird to me right out of the box.

They're super comfy and light. Things like speak to chat automatically pausing music is weird when you've never had that feature. A test to create your own EQ and spatial sound exists. Auto turning off of headphones when they're removed is also odd if you're coming from wired that don't do this. Touch controls are awesome, until you keep activating a voice assistant. Cupping the right headphones allows for a temporary "mute" which I think is great. All of these are things you can easily edit in an app and I assume they're there by default so you know the feature exists. But I felt kinda confused, annoyed and lost at first before I realized what was going on. Clicking a button announced battery life which was great. It didn't do this for ANC, ambient mode and off which would have been more useful than battery life notification IMO.

Updated firmware didn't change anything. And you'll really need the app.

So... Yeah. I'm kinda torn. I don't feel like these will ever be headphones I can simply plop on my head and enjoy in all scenarios with little intervention. It did this thing where it really shines somewhere but means compromise elsewhere. When I reread the descriptions of the PX7/PX8, I think the intention is something you plop on your head and are happy in almost all scenarios without fiddling with anything. The PX7 is intended to be closer to critical listening vs the PX8 more intended to be emotional like the XM headphones. I think someone coming from higher end wired headphones would prefer them over jumping directly into the XM/Quietconforts.

I read that the Bose Quietcomfort have similar "issues". The fact these two are in a league of their own for ANC might be a double edged sword. I think these would be amazing for an office only application or loud commute application. For an all scenarios application, I'm not as convinced. It's obvious there are scenarios where these headphones shine and blow the competition away. I think there are many that would be extremely happy with these headphones. I just think the vast majority of my time is not in the scenarios where these shine.

I didn't imagine I would, but I am leaning towards returning these headphones. They excel in ways I rarely deal with. These are great for media I want to listen to in a vacuum like movies and music. But certain types of media just sound so strange. If my preferences differed, I'd totally keep these. But alas. Now that I've experienced these, I think I'd also skip the Bose QC and PX8. I think PX7 would be closer to how I personally enjoy using the headphones.

[Fuzz]

If anyone is just looking for the old type earbuds, these sound great for $35.


https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0D2D98JX9

[undercoverbrother]

I won a pair of Bose Quiet Comfort in a golf tournament years ago.

They are great for traveling over the last 3 years I have been traveling a lot, at least once or twice a month.

They are great.

Only problem is the foam in the ear has come out, I think I can buy replacements on line.

[photon]

FiiO are good quality for inexpensive earbuds for sure. FAAEAL is another brand I've had and they are good too.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B094N9ZM7B

The only downside I've had with those cheaper ones is the cables wear out relatively fast and develop shorts, but for the price if you get a year out of them they're still great.

I still find the round form factor a little uncomfortable if I'm using them while listening to audiobooks going to sleep. I've found these ones work well for that:

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07PDNN68X

[Fuzz]

The FAAEAL look a lot like my old Monk's that are on workshop duty.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

I won a pair of Bose Quiet Comfort in a golf tournament years ago.

They are great for traveling over the last 3 years I have been traveling a lot, at least once or twice a month.

They are great.

Only problem is the foam in the ear has come out, I think I can buy replacements on line.

Yeah, there should be plenty of options between $20-50 for Bose QC headphones. You can choose to replace them with similar pads, or there's options to upgrade the pads too.

[bagofpucks]

Alright, glad I passed on the Costco Sony ones with the cloth case; thanks for the heads up doublek.

Looks like the Sennheiser momentum 4s are on sale this week. Kind of seems like this is going to be as good as I’ll do for this quality at this price or do folks think I should wait for Black Friday?
https://www.costco.ca/sennheiser-mom...000365431.html

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

I got the XM5 and after playing with them, I'm wildly confused at what I think of these headphones.

My audiophile friend who upgraded from the XM4 to the XM5 returned the XM5.

I have not heard good things.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by bagofpucks

Alright, glad I passed on the Costco Sony ones with the cloth case; thanks for the heads up doublek.

Looks like the Sennheiser momentum 4s are on sale this week. Kind of seems like this is going to be as good as I’ll do for this quality at this price or do folks think I should wait for Black Friday?
https://www.costco.ca/sennheiser-mom...000365431.html

The Momentum 4 in black/copper is $280 as of right now on Amazon so that's an extra $50. The other colors are same price. Sennheiser often does have some really good Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals, but it's really random. I don't know at all how much more these might go on sale.

https://amzn.to/4pZlVHR

[calgarywinning]

I'm gonna go ahead and post my review of earbuds for the B&W Pi8 and the Apple AirPods Pro 3. I'm receiving the B&W px8 s2 today and plan to review that when I have time along with a review of Apple AirPods Pro 2 v1 (Lightning).

AirPods Pro 3
- Fun case with find me if lost.
- Got an Emoji
CASE Design/Feel: 10. Like the new carveouts for the headphones. One thing to note is the stalks are slightly longer on AirPod Pro 3 vs 2. As well, the black vents are bigger to move more air.
Treble: Really easy to listen to, fun and approachable.
Bass: Boomy but blah. Blah’s seem hyper energized and not accurate per se.
Sound reproduction: Above Average. 7.5
Spatial: Excellent and immersive. These headphones do this funky cool interactive spatial listening effect that does work nicely.
ANC: Really excellent
Joy Level of Product: Does so many things well and with ease and comfort.
Notes:
Really good at switching between different devices. Excellent with Dolby Atmos and Movies. This is a fully fledged ecosphere product that will satisfy you with it’s deceptive 7.5 sound.
Purpose that it excels at: Jack of all trades.
Language translation!
Hearing boosting in a noisy restaurant but disabled in Canada? Cool

Bowers Wilkins Pi8x
Style: Earpods

CASE Design/Feel: Comes across as large but has a nice grip and substantialness to it. Bowers and Wilkins logo a cool matte/shiny engrave.
Treble: So much goodness. These will spoil you. The information and range is so meaningful and transportive. Guitars shriek their identity, snares wow you.
Bass: Tight and punchy and also existing in its own range. By this I mean it’s accurately reproduced and doesn’t meld into the sound field like the Apple AirPods Pro 3.
Sound Reproduction:
ANC: Medium. It’s like something. These sound so good, you’ll have them cranking a bit which blocks noise out as well.
Joy Level of Product: These will spoil you and without them everything will be fine. With them, you’ll crave to hear your favourite albums.
Notes:
First couple of months of use, I really enjoyed the fit and shape of the pods. Recently, i’ve noticed they make my ears itchy time to time and I have to take them out here and there.

Allows you to tie into the airline jack to play audio though the case to the headphones. So that’s pretty cool

Wouldn’t use these for yard work or workouts, this is an audio experience.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by calgarywinning

I'm gonna go ahead and post my review of earbuds for the B&W Pi8 and the Apple AirPods Pro 3. I'm receiving the B&W px8 s2 today and plan to review that when I have time along with a review of Apple AirPods Pro 2 v1 (Lightning).

AirPods Pro 3
- Fun case with find me if lost.
- Got an Emoji
CASE Design/Feel: 10. Like the new carveouts for the headphones. One thing to note is the stalks are slightly longer on AirPod Pro 3 vs 2. As well, the black vents are bigger to move more air.
Treble: Really easy to listen to, fun and approachable.
Bass: Boomy but blah. Blah’s seem hyper energized and not accurate per se.
Sound reproduction: Above Average. 7.5
Spatial: Excellent and immersive. These headphones do this funky cool interactive spatial listening effect that does work nicely.
ANC: Really excellent
Joy Level of Product: Does so many things well and with ease and comfort.
Notes:
Really good at switching between different devices. Excellent with Dolby Atmos and Movies. This is a fully fledged ecosphere product that will satisfy you with it’s deceptive 7.5 sound.
Purpose that it excels at: Jack of all trades.
Language translation!
Hearing boosting in a noisy restaurant but disabled in Canada? Cool

Bowers Wilkins Pi8x
Style: Earpods

CASE Design/Feel: Comes across as large but has a nice grip and substantialness to it. Bowers and Wilkins logo a cool matte/shiny engrave.
Treble: So much goodness. These will spoil you. The information and range is so meaningful and transportive. Guitars shriek their identity, snares wow you.
Bass: Tight and punchy and also existing in its own range. By this I mean it’s accurately reproduced and doesn’t meld into the sound field like the Apple AirPods Pro 3.
Sound Reproduction:
ANC: Medium. It’s like something. These sound so good, you’ll have them cranking a bit which blocks noise out as well.
Joy Level of Product: These will spoil you and without them everything will be fine. With them, you’ll crave to hear your favourite albums.
Notes:
First couple of months of use, I really enjoyed the fit and shape of the pods. Recently, i’ve noticed they make my ears itchy time to time and I have to take them out here and there.

Allows you to tie into the airline jack to play audio though the case to the headphones. So that’s pretty cool

Wouldn’t use these for yard work or workouts, this is an audio experience.

How are the pi8 vs iem in terms of comfort? Do these get warm when you wear them for a while?

I was looking at the pi7 for a while, but I don't think I'm fully on board for these yet.

[bagofpucks]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

The Momentum 4 in black/copper is $280 as of right now on Amazon so that's an extra $50. The other colors are same price. Sennheiser often does have some really good Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals, but it's really random. I don't know at all how much more these might go on sale.

https://amzn.to/4pZlVHR

I was contemplating the copper, but silly enough, I really disliked that small amount of copper and I really hate supporting amazon, so I was able justify the Costco purchase. I should note, Costco also has the Bose set on sale this week, but I think the almost double battery life of the Sennheisers was worth the extra price.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by bagofpucks

I was contemplating the copper, but silly enough, I really disliked that small amount of copper and I really hate supporting amazon, so I was able justify the Costco purchase. I should note, Costco also has the Bose set on sale this week, but I think the almost double battery life of the Sennheisers was worth the extra price.

Congrats! The Momentum should be very enjoyable headphones.

TBH, 30/60 hours is a lot of time. 30 hours is still 3 days at 10 hours. That's an entire weekend. 60 hours might be more noticeable if you leave the headphones idle for months on end, then pick it up hoping there's still charge left, but if you're a regular user, you may barely notice the difference of charging one vs twice a week. Even when I had headsets that were 10 hours of battery life, they were more than enough for the entire evening with juice left over for the next day.

I did conclude it really depends how you use headphones. For some, build quality means that the plastic in the Bose and Sennheiser are out. For others, the difference in ANC is a bigger deal breaker than battery life due to difference in experience.

Let us know what you think about them when you get a chance to give them a spin.

[calgarywinning]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

How are the pi8 vs iem in terms of comfort? Do these get warm when you wear them for a while?

I was looking at the pi7 for a while, but I don't think I'm fully on board for these yet.

The headphone enclosures themselves sit very nicely, but will move out of the sweet zone with vigorous movement (mowing lawn), the headphone silicone tips don't get warm but the sonic delivery tends to shake your ear, creating a strange sensation with extended listening. The headphones/earbud enclosure has the majority of the equipment and the tips are much smaller than an AirPods headphone tip.

I remember a couple months ago when I got them, it was remarkable how quite functional and nice they do sit overall into the ear.

[calgarywinning]

Found something to put here. pi8 B&W on sale for 20% off and a S7 s2 refurbs on a massive sale on the B&W website today through October 17 I think.

Prelim review of px8 s2 is luxury and sound in the best possible ways, the pi8's hold their own as earbuds.

[bagofpucks]

Alright, had a super busy week, but finally had some time to play around with the Sennheiser Momentum 4s. The build quality seems great and I am shocked at how light they are. They are very comfortable and the controls seem simple and easy to use. I haven’t messed around with the sound quality aspects, but everything is crisp and clear so far.

Thanks again for everyone’s recommendations and I’ll continue to update my review as I get more wear time.

[DownInFlames]

The Sennheiser HDB 630 is supposed to be amazing according to certain parts of the internet. I read comparisons to the HD 650 which is one of my favorite headphones.

[Esoteric]

I wish I didn't read this post - now I want a pair!

[calgarywinning]

Here is my belated review it took a while to really understand these...

Bowers and Wilkins PX8 s2

CASE Design/Feel: 10.0
The Case
- It’s just bulky and weird
- size overwhelming should just be in a protective flex bag
The Headphones
- Luxury. Everything is more than they can say in the review videos. Sometimes buying nice doesn’t mean it’s super nice everywhere, but this one checks the boxes.

Treble: So much instrument separation. I really mean this. Lively midrange which is punchy. It’s not comparable to buds. However, we get to the point where the is so much depth here, and exactness. It’s as it is. Which can be too much for easy listening and super amazing because your mind is engaged due to processing sound range.

Bass: Just heavier and nice, but I think -3 setting or Iphone playback better, device os playback is an issue I think. Sounds much more natural from my computer, which is strange. Super punchy and balanced. What to say here, bass is movement and breath and it shouldn’t linger. You’ll be surprised.

ANC: Again, music is playing and pass through lets you listen and hear people. ANC is on you hear much less not a world beater here.

Joy Level of Product: Sonically it just blends and pounces with so much energy. So when I say easy listening, a lot of songs are made tuned to Spotify to sound or blend or let you work. This headsets purpose which it fulfills is sound reproduction, with energy, clarity, reproduction and quality of use. Some album recordings are better then others and when they are you are transported; some of your faves just won’t translate for easy listening.

I’d need to compare to the Sony WMH and the new Seinheisser would be interesting.